One night the truth came home to her. Best had made camp later than usual, and as a result had selected a particularly bad spot for it—a brushy flat running back from a high, overhanging bank beneath which ran a swirling14 eddy15.
The tents were up, a big camp-fire was blazing brightly, when Pierce Phillips, burdened with a huge armful of spruce boughs16 and blinded by the illumination, stepped too close to the river's rim17 and felt the soil beneath him crumble18 away. Down he plunged19, amid an avalanche20 of earth and gravel21; the last sound he heard before the icy waters received him was Laure's affrighted scream. An instant later he had seized a "sweeper," to which he clung until help arrived. He was wet to the skin, of course; his teeth were chattering22 by the time he had regained23 the camp-fire. Of the entire party, Laure alone had no comment to make upon the accident. She stood motionless, leaning for support against a tent-pole, her face hidden in her hands. Best's song-birds were noisily twittering about Pierce; Best himself was congratulating the young man upon his ability to swim, when Laure spoke24, sharply, imperiously:
"Somebody find his dry things, quickly. And you, Morris, get your whisky."
While one of the men ran for Pierce's duffle-bag, Best came hurrying with a bottle which he proffered25 to Pierce. The latter refused it, asserting that he was quite all right; but Laure exclaimed:
"Drink! Take a good one, then go into our tent and change as fast as you can."
"Sure!" the manager urged. "Don't be afraid of good liquor. There isn't much left. Drink it all."
A short time later, when Pierce reappeared, clad in dry garments, he felt none the worse for his mishap26, but when he undertook to aid in the preparations for the night he suspected that he had taken his employer's orders too literally27, for his brain was whirling. Soon he discovered that his movements were awkward and his hands uncertain, and when his camp-mates began to joke he desisted with a laughing confession28 that he had imbibed29 too much.
Laure drew him out of hearing, then inquired, anxiously, "Are you all right again?"
"Sure! I feel great."
"I—I thought I'd die when I saw you disappear." She shuddered30 and hid her face in her hands for a second time. It was quite dark where they stood; they were sheltered from observation.
"Served me right," he declared. "Next time I'll look where—" He halted in amazement31. "Why, Laure, I believe you're crying!"
She lifted her face and nodded. "I'm frightened yet." She laid trembling, exploratory hands upon him, as if to reassure32 herself of his safety. "Pierce! Pierce!" she exclaimed, brokenly.
Suddenly Phillips discovered that this girl's concern affected33 him deeply, for it was genuine—it was not in the least put on. All at once she seemed very near to him, very much a part of himself. His head was spinning now and something within him had quickened magically. There was a new note in his voice when he undertook to reassure his companion. At his first word Laure looked up, startled; into her dark eyes, still misty34 with tears, there flamed a light of wonder and of gladness. She swayed closer; she took the lapels of his coat between her gloved fingers and drew his head down to hers; then she kissed him full upon the lips. Slowly, resolutely35, his arms encircled her.
On the following morning Laure asked Morris Best for a bottle of whisky. The evenings were growing cold and some of the girls needed a stimulant36 while camp was being pitched, she explained. The bottle she gave to Pierce, with a request to stow it in his baggage for safekeeping, and that night when they landed, cramped37 and chilly38, she prevailed upon him to open it and to drink. The experiment worked. Laure began to understand that when Pierce Phillips' blood flowed warmly, when he was artificially exhilarated, then he saw her with the eyes of a lover. It was not a flattering discovery, but the girl contented39 herself, for by now she was desperate enough to snatch at straws. Thenceforth she counted upon strong drink as her ally.
The closing scenes of the great autumn stampede to Dawson were picturesque41, for the rushing river was crowded with boats all racing42 with one another. 'Neath lowering skies, past ghostly shores seen dimly through a tenuous43 curtain of sifting44 snowflakes, swept these craft; they went by ones and by twos, in groups and in flotillas; hourly the swirling current bore them along, and as the miles grew steadily45 less the spirits of the crews mounted. Loud laughter, songs, yells of greeting and encouragement, ran back and forth40; a triumphant joyfulness46, a Jovian mirth, animated47 these men of brawn48, for they had met the North and they had bested her. Restraint had dropped away by now, and they reveled in a new-found freedom. There was license49 in the air, for Adventure was afoot and the Unknown beckoned50.
Urged on by oar51 and sweep, propelled by favoring breezes, the Argonauts pressed forward exultantly52. At night their roaring camp-fires winked53 at one another like beacon54 lights along some friendly channel. Unrolling before them was an endless panorama55 of spruce and birch and cottonwood, of high hills white with snow, of unexplored valleys dark with promise. As the Yukon increased in volume it became muddy, singing a low, hissing56 song, as if the falling particles of snow melted on its surface and turned to steam.
Out of all the traffic that flowed past the dance-hall party, among all the boats they overhauled57 and left behind, Pierce Phillips nowhere recognized the Countess Courteau's outfit58. Whether she was ahead or whether they had outdistanced her he did not know and inquiry59 rewarded him with no hint.
During this journey a significant change gradually came over the young man. Familiarity, a certain intimacy60 with his companions, taught him much, and in time he forgot to look upon them as pariahs61. Best, for instance, proved to be an irritable62 but good-hearted little Hebrew; he developed a genuine fondness for Pierce, which he took every occasion to show, and Pierce grew to like him. The girls, too, opened their hearts and made him feel their friendship. For the most part they were warm, impulsive63 creatures, and Pierce was amazed to discover how little they differed from the girls he had known at home. Among their faults he discovered unusual traits of character; there was not a little kindliness64, generosity65, and of course much cheerfulness. They were free-handed with what they had; they were ready with a smile, a word of encouragement or of sympathy; they were absurdly grateful, too, for the smallest favor or the least act of kindness. Moreover, they behaved themselves extremely well.
They were an education to Phillips; he acknowledged that he had gravely misjudged them, and he began to suspect that they had taught him something of charity.
As for Laure, he knew her very well by now and she knew him—even better. This knowledge had come to them not without cost—wisdom is never cheap—but precisely what each of them had paid or was destined66 to pay for their better understanding of each other they had not the slightest idea. One thing the girl by this time had made sure of, viz., when Pierce was his natural self he felt her appeal only faintly. On the other hand, the moment he was not his natural self, the moment his pitch was raised, he saw allurements67 in her, and at such times they met on common ground. She made the most of this fact.
Dawson City burst into view of the party without warning, and no El Dorado could have looked more promising68. Hounding a bend of the river, they beheld69 a city of logs and canvas sprawled70 between the stream and a curving mountain-side. The day was still and clear, hence vertical71 pencil-markings of blue smoke hung over the roofs; against the white background squat72 dwellings73 stood out distinctly, like diminutive74 dolls' houses. Upon closer approach the river shore was seen to be lined with scows and rowboats; a stern-wheeled river steamer lay moored75 abreast76 of the town. Above it a valley broke through from the north, out of which poured a flood of clear, dark water. It was the valley of the Klondike, magic word.
The journey was ended. Best's boats were unloaded, his men had been paid off, and now his troupe77 had scattered78, seeking lodgings79. As in a dream Pierce Phillips joined the drifting current of humanity that flowed through the long front streets and eddied80 about the entrances of amusement places. He asked himself if he were indeed awake, if, after all, this was his Ultima Thule? Already the labor81, the hardship, the adventure of the trip seemed imaginary; even the town itself was unreal. Dawson was both a disappointment and a satisfaction to Pierce. It was not what he had expected and it by no means filled the splendid picture he had painted in his fancy. Crude, raw, unfinished, small, it was little more than Dyea magnified. But in enterprise it was tremendous; hence it pleased and it thrilled the youth. He breathed its breath, he drank the wine of its intoxication82, he walked upon air with his head in the clouds.
Pierce longed for some one to whom he could confide83 his feeling of triumph, but nowhere did he recognize a face. Finally he strolled into one of the larger saloons and gambling-houses, and was contentedly84 eying the scene when he felt a gaze fixed85 upon him. He turned his head, opened his lips to speak, then stiffened86 in his tracks. He could not credit his senses, for there, lounging at ease against the bar, his face distorted into an evil grin, stood Joe McCaskey!
Pierce blinked; he found that his jaw87 had dropped in amazement. McCaskey enjoyed the sensation he had created; he leered at his former camp-mate, and in his expression was a hint of that same venom88 he had displayed when he had run the gauntlet at Sheep Camp after his flogging, He broke the spell of Pierce's amazement and proved himself to be indeed a reality by uttering a greeting.
Pierce was inclined to ignore the salutation, but curiosity got the better of him and he answered:
"Well! This is a surprise. Do you own a pair of seven-league boots or—what?"
McCaskey bared his teeth further. In triumph he said: "Thought you'd lost me, didn't you? But I fooled you-fooled all of you. I jumped out to the States and caught the last boat for St. Michael, made connections there with the last up-river packet, and—here I am. I don't quit; I'm a finisher."
Pierce noted89 the emphasis with which Joe's last words were delivered, but as yet his curiosity was unsatisfied. He wondered if the fellow was sufficiently90 calloused91 to disregard his humiliating experience or if he proposed in some way to conceal92 it. Certainly he had not evaded93 recognition, nor had he made the slightest attempt to alter his appearance. From his bold insouciance94 it seemed evident that he was totally indifferent as to who recognized him. Either the man possessed95 moral courage of the extremest sort or else an unbelievable effrontery96.
As for Pierce, he was deeply resentful of Joe's false accusation—the memory of that was ineradicable—nevertheless, in view of the outcome of that cowardly attempt, he had no desire for further revenge. It seemed to him that the fellow had been sufficiently punished for his misdeed; in fact, he could have found it easy to feel sorry for him had it not been for the ill-concealed malice97 in Joe's present tone and attitude.
He was upon the point of answering Joe's indirect threat with a warning, when his attention was attracted to a short, thick-set, nervous man at his elbow. The latter had edged close and was staring curiously98 at him. He spoke now, saying:
"So you're Phillips, eh?"
It was Joe who replied: "Sure. This is him."
There was no need of an introduction. Pierce recognized the stranger as another McCaskey, for the family likeness99 was stamped upon his features. During an awkward moment the two men eyed each other, and Joe McCaskey appeared to gloat as their glances clashed.
"This is Frank," the latter explained, with a malicious100 grin. "He and Jim was pals101. And, say! Here's another guy you ought to meet." He laid a hand upon still a second stranger, a man leaning across the bar in conversation with a white-aproned attendant. "Count, here's that fellow I told you about."
The man addressed turned, exposing a handsome, smiling blond face ornamented102 with a well-cared-for mustache. "I beg pardon?" he exclaimed, vacuously103.
Phillips flushed; then he paled; his face hardened.
"Ah! To be sure." Count Courteau bowed, but he did not extend his hand. "Phillips! Yes, yes. I remember. You will understand that I'm distracted for news of Hilda. She is with you, perhaps?"
"I left her employ at White Horse. If she's not here, she'll probably arrive soon."
"Excellent; I shall surprise her."
Pierce spoke dryly. "I'm afraid it won't be so much of a surprise as you think. She rather expects you." With a short nod and with what pretense105 of carelessness he could assume he moved on toward the rear of the building, whence came the sounds of music and the voice of a dance-hall caller.
For some time he looked on blindly at the whirling figures. Joe McCaskey here! And Count Courteau! What an astonishing coincidence! And yet there was really nothing so remarkable106 about it; doubtless the same ship had brought them north, in which event they could not well have avoided a meeting. Pierce remembered Hilda's prophecy that her indigent107 husband would turn up, like a bad penny. His presence was agitating—for that matter, so was the presence of Joe McCaskey's brother Frank, as yet an unknown quantity. That he was an enemy was certain; together, he and Joe made an evil team, and Pierce was at a loss just how to meet them.
Later, when he strolled out of the saloon, he saw the three men still at the bar; their heads were together; they were talking earnestly.
点击收听单词发音
1 aloofness | |
超然态度 | |
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2 discourteous | |
adj.不恭的,不敬的 | |
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3 isolated | |
adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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4 precisely | |
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
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5 triumphant | |
adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 | |
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6 proprietorship | |
n.所有(权);所有权 | |
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7 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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8 lurked | |
vi.潜伏,埋伏(lurk的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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9 apathy | |
n.漠不关心,无动于衷;冷淡 | |
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10 piqued | |
v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 );激起(好奇心) | |
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11 mettle | |
n.勇气,精神 | |
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12 chagrin | |
n.懊恼;气愤;委屈 | |
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13 furtively | |
adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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14 swirling | |
v.旋转,打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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15 eddy | |
n.漩涡,涡流 | |
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16 boughs | |
大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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17 rim | |
n.(圆物的)边,轮缘;边界 | |
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18 crumble | |
vi.碎裂,崩溃;vt.弄碎,摧毁 | |
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19 plunged | |
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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20 avalanche | |
n.雪崩,大量涌来 | |
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21 gravel | |
n.砂跞;砂砾层;结石 | |
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22 chattering | |
n. (机器振动发出的)咔嗒声,(鸟等)鸣,啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的,啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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23 regained | |
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地 | |
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24 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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25 proffered | |
v.提供,贡献,提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26 mishap | |
n.不幸的事,不幸;灾祸 | |
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27 literally | |
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实 | |
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28 confession | |
n.自白,供认,承认 | |
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29 imbibed | |
v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 );喝;吸取;吸气 | |
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30 shuddered | |
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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31 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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32 reassure | |
v.使放心,使消除疑虑 | |
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33 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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34 misty | |
adj.雾蒙蒙的,有雾的 | |
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35 resolutely | |
adj.坚决地,果断地 | |
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36 stimulant | |
n.刺激物,兴奋剂 | |
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37 cramped | |
a.狭窄的 | |
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38 chilly | |
adj.凉快的,寒冷的 | |
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39 contented | |
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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40 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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41 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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42 racing | |
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的 | |
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43 tenuous | |
adj.细薄的,稀薄的,空洞的 | |
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44 sifting | |
n.筛,过滤v.筛( sift的现在分词 );筛滤;细查;详审 | |
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45 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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46 joyfulness | |
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47 animated | |
adj.生气勃勃的,活跃的,愉快的 | |
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48 brawn | |
n.体力 | |
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49 license | |
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许 | |
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50 beckoned | |
v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51 oar | |
n.桨,橹,划手;v.划行 | |
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52 exultantly | |
adv.狂欢地,欢欣鼓舞地 | |
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53 winked | |
v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮 | |
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54 beacon | |
n.烽火,(警告用的)闪火灯,灯塔 | |
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55 panorama | |
n.全景,全景画,全景摄影,全景照片[装置] | |
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56 hissing | |
n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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57 overhauled | |
v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 );大修;赶上;超越 | |
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58 outfit | |
n.(为特殊用途的)全套装备,全套服装 | |
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59 inquiry | |
n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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60 intimacy | |
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行 | |
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61 pariahs | |
n.被社会遗弃者( pariah的名词复数 );贱民 | |
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62 irritable | |
adj.急躁的;过敏的;易怒的 | |
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63 impulsive | |
adj.冲动的,刺激的;有推动力的 | |
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64 kindliness | |
n.厚道,亲切,友好的行为 | |
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65 generosity | |
n.大度,慷慨,慷慨的行为 | |
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66 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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67 allurements | |
n.诱惑( allurement的名词复数 );吸引;诱惑物;有诱惑力的事物 | |
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68 promising | |
adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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69 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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70 sprawled | |
v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词);蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着) | |
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71 vertical | |
adj.垂直的,顶点的,纵向的;n.垂直物,垂直的位置 | |
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72 squat | |
v.蹲坐,蹲下;n.蹲下;adj.矮胖的,粗矮的 | |
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73 dwellings | |
n.住处,处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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74 diminutive | |
adj.小巧可爱的,小的 | |
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75 moored | |
adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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76 abreast | |
adv.并排地;跟上(时代)的步伐,与…并进地 | |
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77 troupe | |
n.剧团,戏班;杂技团;马戏团 | |
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78 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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79 lodgings | |
n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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80 eddied | |
起漩涡,旋转( eddy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81 labor | |
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
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82 intoxication | |
n.wild excitement;drunkenness;poisoning | |
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83 confide | |
v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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84 contentedly | |
adv.心满意足地 | |
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85 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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86 stiffened | |
加强的 | |
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87 jaw | |
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训 | |
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88 venom | |
n.毒液,恶毒,痛恨 | |
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89 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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90 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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91 calloused | |
adj.粗糙的,粗硬的,起老茧的v.(使)硬结,(使)起茧( callous的过去式和过去分词 );(使)冷酷无情 | |
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92 conceal | |
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 | |
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93 evaded | |
逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 ); 避开; 回避; 想不出 | |
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94 insouciance | |
n.漠不关心 | |
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95 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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96 effrontery | |
n.厚颜无耻 | |
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97 malice | |
n.恶意,怨恨,蓄意;[律]预谋 | |
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98 curiously | |
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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99 likeness | |
n.相像,相似(之处) | |
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100 malicious | |
adj.有恶意的,心怀恶意的 | |
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101 pals | |
n.朋友( pal的名词复数 );老兄;小子;(对男子的不友好的称呼)家伙 | |
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102 ornamented | |
adj.花式字体的v.装饰,点缀,美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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103 vacuously | |
adv.无意义地,茫然若失地,无所事事地 | |
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104 chuckled | |
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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105 pretense | |
n.矫饰,做作,借口 | |
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106 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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107 indigent | |
adj.贫穷的,贫困的 | |
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