"It's Caradoc!" cried Madden in great astonishment3 and relief. "Scots, Smith, you gave us a jolt4! We thought—what's the matter, old chap? Heat again?"
The Englishman's long face was strained. "Would you—take that decanter away, please!" he begged unsteadily.
Instantly Leonard understood the temptation into which Caradoc had unwittingly wandered. A strong odor of wine pervaded6 the cabin, and Smith's knock-out had given his nerves a great craving7 for a stimulant8.
Without a word, Leonard walked to the table, took the wine bottle by its neck and heaved it through the open port. The three men in their half costumes stood listening intently until it chucked into the sea below. All three seemed to feel relief at the sound.
"That's all right, Caradoc," said Madden with a note of comfort in his voice, "all right, old chap. It won't be like this always."
"I was unstrung—rotten heat," grumbled9 the Englishman in acute self-disgust. "I thought I was getting over all—" he shifted the topic suddenly: "What do you make out of all this?"
"And they had a feast and a celebration before they went. What cause of rejoicing they discovered in this place is more than I can fancy."
An inspection11 showed Smith was correct. What the boys had taken for bloodstains in their first excitement were splashes of wine. The table was still laden12 with dishes and eatables. Broken glass around the table showed that the diners had followed the old custom of breaking their goblets13 after toasts.
"They were having a last square meal before taking to their boats," speculated Leonard.
"But the boats are still here, sir," objected Greer.
"There seems to be no explanation," gloomed Caradoc.
"If we gathered this up and took it to the men, they would thank us heartily," suggested Greer.
"That's a fact," agreed Madden, setting to work at once. "Here, pile these plates on trays and we'll load 'em in the small boat."
The three adventurers set to work busily, carrying the provisions, which were still fresh and wholesome14, to the port dinghy which lay toward the dock.
As they worked they speculated further on what could have brought about such an extraordinary situation. Their guesses ranged from water spouts15 to savages16. Presently Caradoc cut in with:
"It's not so much how the Minnie B got here, as it is how we are going to handle her."
"We'll man her and sail home," said Greer.
"We'll have to ballast her first," declared Leonard. "She won't run this way."
"We have enough coal on the dock for that, sir."
"In a flat sea like this," suggested Caradoc, "we can warp17 the schooner18 to the front of the barge19 and load the coal directly in her hold."
By this time the dinghy was loaded and the three swung her out of the davits into the sea below. Then they threw down a rope ladder and climbed below. Greer went back to the stern, picked up an oar20 and began to scull.
The sun sank as the little boat worked her way through the lanes of seaweed, and the great dock threw long purple shadows across the highly colored ocean. Caradoc looked at the great structure intently. The setting sun rimmed21 its great shape in brilliant red, but the bulk of it lay in deep wine-like shadow. The boys gazed at it musingly23.
"A fine structure to desert, isn't it?" said Caradoc in a low tone.
"Just what I was thinking," sympathized Madden. "I suppose we could send a tug24 back and find her?"
"Doubtful, in this fantastic place."
"The current is fairly well charted; still, it may take us some time to reach port——" Both men fell into a musing22 silence as Greer nibbled25 the boat forward with the single oar.
Suddenly Madden straightened with an idea. "How about hitching27 that schooner to the dock and towing her?"
"What an American idea!" Caradoc lifted his voice slightly.
"Would we—make any—headway, sir, with the schooner's—light machinery28?" asked Greer, his sentence punctuated29 by shoves at his oar.
"We would have to try and see. Besides, we would have to do little else than help the current we are in. The Atlantic eddy30 sweeps through the Caribbean close to the South American coast. If we could control our direction slightly, we would perhaps make La Guayra or the Port of Spain."
"With a seven or eight mile current that would take us months—years.... What is the distance to La Guayra?" this from Smith.
"Something around fifteen hundred miles. But that isn't the point. It isn't how long it takes us, it's can we do it. Had you thought of the salvage31 end of this thing?"
Madden shook his head, "No, I believe we ought to get salvage on the whole dock."
"Salvage on the dock!" Caradoc opened his eyes. "We'd be jolly well near millionaires. No, that's impossible. A crew can't salve their own vessel33."
"Yes, but we are not the crew of the dock," insisted Madden, "at least not the navigating34 crew. The men of the Vulcan were that. We are nothing but painters——"
"Oh, that's a quibble—nothing but a quibble!" objected Caradoc.
"Well, anyway, I think there is a rule that if a crew rescue their own craft under circumstances of extreme peril35, they come in as salvors. I'll look it up in Malone's books when we get back."
At that moment their ears caught a cheering from the dock, which came to them as a small sound almost lost over the immense flat sea. Greer paused in his work to wave a hand, which was extremely sociable36 for him. The men bunched on the forward pontoon, waved and shouted at the little boat. As the noise grew louder, questions shaped themselves in the uproar37.
"W'ot did ye make of 'er?" "Was there anywan aboard?" "W'ot ship is she?" "Can we git a berth38 hoff this bloomin' dock?"
Madden held up his hands for silence and shouted a reply.
"We have a meal for you—a dinner!"
A great shouting and cheering broke out at this. It is strange how much more pressing is the small need of a dinner than the large need of a rescue. The mystery of the schooner was overlooked in a sight of the plates and victuals39.
"Oh, look, there it is—bread and meat!" "And, say, ain't that fish?" "And that goose or something!"
Eager hands reached down as Madden and Caradoc handed up the platters. "To the mess room, to the mess room!" directed Leonard.
"Sure, sure, we wouldn't touch a mouthful for hanything!" cried Mulcher earnestly.
Then the three men climbed up and were received clamorously. Even the silent Greer found himself beset41 with a temporary bunch of admirers. All began talking of the Minnie B, asking questions. Caradoc unbent his dignity and explained what he had observed.
Leonard went straight to the officer's cabin, eager to satisfy his curiosity about salvage. A whole fortune shimmered42 before his vision if law allowed the crew to salve the dock. He turned into the hot cabin, struck a light and ran his eyes over the mate's shelf of books. He soon found what he was hunting, "Abbot's Law of Merchant's Ships and Seamen43."
Leonard sat down at his desk, placed the light close by and began a sweating search for the legal rule applicable to salvage. It was Madden's intention to attempt to get the dock to port no matter what the law said, but he knew his best chance of getting the crew to cooperate was through possible prize money.
Like all legal works, Abbott gave shading decisions on both sides of the topic. As the lad read on he discovered many questions were involved.
What constitutes the crew of a vessel? Can a towed vessel have a navigating crew? Could a lawful44 crew be composed of ordinary laborers45, or would it be necessary for them to be able seamen?
All these points and many others were involved, but Leonard plodded46 patiently through the legal labyrinth47, and finally decided48 that he and his crew were eligible49 for prize money. He then fell to estimating the probable amount the crew would receive. The dock was easily worth a million pounds, or say five million dollars. It would lack one or two hundred thousand totting up a full five million, but Leonard's imagination was in no mood to balk50 at a paltry51 two hundred thousand more or less. Say five million! The share of the salvors would amount to—say fifty per cent, two and a half million. Distribute this among twelve men. There he was, two hundred and eight thousand, three hundred and thirty-three dollars and thirty-three cents. Or say two hundred thousand dollars.
Madden drew a long breath and opened his eyes at his own figures. Was it possible? He doubted it! He believed it!
He stared out of his open port onto the fantastic sea, amazed that a great fortune should drift in to him from such a place. What would he do? How should he live? He could go anywhere, do anything. There came to him suddenly the precepts52 of his old teacher in economics at college: "A fortune is a great moral responsibility. A rich man is a trustee of society." Did he have the brains to wield53 this money and make it mean something to the world? The thought of wealth always comes with a question. A man's answer to that question determines whether he is a man or a thing.
Before Leonard could reach any sort of decision, Gaskin rang his gong for dinner. The boy arose and walked buoyantly towards the mess hall. He was hungry, too. Ever since he had cut rations54, he had been eating the same fare as the men.
The tropical night was falling as the men joyously55 entered to a full-fledged, satisfying, if secondhand, meal. They came in laughing, joking boisterously56, wondering about the schooner.
When the men had strung around the long table, Mike Hogan arose and the men became quiet as if at some preconcerted signal. The Irishman gave a slightly embarrassed bob toward Leonard and began in an extra rich brogue:
"Misther Madden, sir——"
Leonard glanced up in surprise. "What's worrying you, Mike?"
"Th' bhoys, sir, have been thinkin' as how we would loike to ixpress our appreciation57 av what ye've done for us, sir, in a little spache, something loike a little spache av wilcome, sir, an' asked me to do it, if ye don't moind."
"Go ahead," nodded Madden, "but don't expect much of a response from me. I'm no speaker and——"
With this encouragement, the Celt moistened his dry lips, thrust out his chest, and after a momentary59 fumble60, stuck three fingers in his shirt front.
"It's me pr-roud privilege, ladies and gintilmin, to wilcome to our midst, a gintilmin bearin' in wan5 hand a distinguished61 ancistry, a spirit av enterprise and a hear-rt av courage, while wid his other, he snatches a dinner for his starvin' min out o' th' middle av th' Sargasso Sea. Oi rayfer to our distinguished commander, Captain Leonard Madden of America."
A burst of applause followed this period. Hogan beamed, bowed deeply to left and right; his voice went up an octave and he proceeded:
"Ladies an' gintilmin, me mind runs back through th' pages av histh'ry, lookin' for a name fit to be compared with him but I don't find none. There is Columbus and Peary and Stanley and Amundsen, all av thim gr-reat min, but whin you come to compare thim with our hero, phwat have they done?
"Look at Columbus. What is his claim to glory? Did Columbus iver swim out into th' stinkin' Sargasso and come back with a good dinner for his star-r-vin' min? Histh'ry does not say so. He discovered America, Columbus did. What is America? A whole continint. Anybody that was sailin' by would have noticed it. But, gintilmin, a dinner is a very small thing and they are har-rd to discover, as ivry wan of you lads very will know. Columbus wint out in thray ships, our gallant62 captain wint out in his undhershirt and a straw hat. I say thray cheers for our gallant captain!"
The cheers were given with a hearty63 good will and the orator64 sat down smiling broadly and moistening his dry lips with his tongue. Then the diners desired a response.
It struck Madden to propose salving the dock while the crowd was mellow65. He arose when the noise subsided66 somewhat.
"I thank you fellows very much for the kind opinion you entertain of me, and now I want to lay a proposition before you."
"I want to say that to-morrow we are going to man the schooner and sail for home."
The men were in a bubbling mood, and cheered this with cries of "Good! Good!"
"What I wish you to decide is, whether we shall tow the dock, or sail with the schooner alone?"
"With the schooner alone, sor!" "Schooner alone!" "We 'ave enough of th' dock!" came an instant chorus.
Leonard held up a hand, "One moment. I want you to have a voice in this decision. An attempt to tow the dock will be highly adventurous68, no doubt dangerous. You were not hired for any such service, and I wish to leave it to a vote."
"Good, very good, sor! Let's 'ave th' question!"
"Just one moment. You must consider the salvage involved in this matter. If we save the schooner, we will receive as prize money about one-half her value. If we save the dock, we will receive about half her value. The dock is worth a million pounds, about five million dollars. So each man would receive for his portion, in event we salved the dock about... two hundred thousand dollars... a fortune."
A profound silence fell over the diners. They hunched69 forward, staring fixedly70 out of sunburned, gross, dissipated faces. Longshores-men, the scum of London, who had worked all their lives for half a pound a week, gaped71 at the idea of two hundred thousand dollars.
"We'll take 'er, sir!" "We'll tow th' dock, sor!" "We weel tow zee dock to zee moon for zat!" "Sphend our loives and die rich min!"
The strong imagination of wealth ran around the table like wine. Deschaillon responded first.
"Voila! One meellion francs! I weel buy a pond near Paris and raise bull frogs. I weel buy a decoration and be a knight73. I weel——"
"I'll start an undertaker shop!" glowed Galton, "and my old mother shall have a bit of ground to raise flowers."
"Glory be!" chanted Hogan, "Oi'll wear a tall hat, a long-tailed coat and carry a silver-headed cane74, and thin Susie Maloney and Bridget O'Malley and Peggy O'Brien will be sorry they iver tossed up their saucy75 noses at th' love o' an honest lad!"
All this was given in chorus and much of it lost. Those who didn't speak aloud their heart's desires thought them. Fortune had shown her golden form to these crude men for a fleeting78 instant, and dreams, long hidden in their hearts, suddenly leaped to life. They were poor dreams, selfish dreams, foolish dreams, but for the moment they poised79, like liberated80 fairies, for a flight to the land where dreams come true.
"We sail in the morning," explained Madden, "for a South American port. Is there anyone in this crew who knows anything about running a marine81 engine?"
The men fell silent and looked inquiringly at each other. Fortune was beginning to show herself elusive82, even in the Sargasso, save to those who know.
"I b'lieve not," said Mulcher.
"We could raise steam, sir," suggested Galton, "and then pull all the levers and twist th' w'eels, sir and see w'ot'd 'appen."
"W'ot 'ud 'appen!" cried two or three voices. "W'y, we'd hall be blowed galley83 west, 'at's w'ot'd 'appen!"
"Sure Misther Madden can figger it out!" suggested Hogan cheerfully.
"We might leave th' dock and run 'er 'ome by sail," suggested Galton.
"No! No! Take th' dock!" "We'll run'er by steam!" "Steam's th' word!" A storm of determination cried down any such suggestion.
"D'ye mean a dozin str-rong min can't run one little engine!" shouted Hogan; "r-rich min, too! It's a shame, lads, we haven't a dhrop o' something to dhrink the health av th' ixpedition."
"Yes, Mister Madden, a drop o' something!" urged another voice.
At that moment, Gaskin entered the door with suppressed excitement showing through his usually imperturbable84 manner.
"Hi—Hi beg pardon, Mister Madden. Hi, don't want to interrupt, but—" he rubbed his hands with a little bob—"but would you 'ave th' goodness to step outside for a look, sir. Hi think th' Minnie B is on fire."
And the fairy dreams, evoked85 by a wave of Fortune's wand, crept silently back into the hearts of their owners.
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1
pallid
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adj.苍白的,呆板的 | |
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countenance
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n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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astonishment
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n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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jolt
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v.(使)摇动,(使)震动,(使)颠簸 | |
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wan
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(wide area network)广域网 | |
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pervaded
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v.遍及,弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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craving
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n.渴望,热望 | |
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stimulant
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n.刺激物,兴奋剂 | |
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grumbled
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抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声 | |
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10
deserted
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adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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11
inspection
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n.检查,审查,检阅 | |
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12
laden
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adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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goblets
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n.高脚酒杯( goblet的名词复数 ) | |
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wholesome
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adj.适合;卫生的;有益健康的;显示身心健康的 | |
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15
spouts
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n.管口( spout的名词复数 );(喷出的)水柱;(容器的)嘴;在困难中v.(指液体)喷出( spout的第三人称单数 );滔滔不绝地讲;喋喋不休地说;喷水 | |
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savages
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未开化的人,野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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warp
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vt.弄歪,使翘曲,使不正常,歪曲,使有偏见 | |
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18
schooner
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n.纵帆船 | |
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barge
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n.平底载货船,驳船 | |
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20
oar
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n.桨,橹,划手;v.划行 | |
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21
rimmed
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adj.有边缘的,有框的v.沿…边缘滚动;给…镶边 | |
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musing
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n. 沉思,冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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23
musingly
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adv.沉思地,冥想地 | |
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24
tug
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v.用力拖(或拉);苦干;n.拖;苦干;拖船 | |
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25
nibbled
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v.啃,一点一点地咬(吃)( nibble的过去式和过去分词 );啃出(洞),一点一点咬出(洞);慢慢减少;小口咬 | |
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26
appraised
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v.估价( appraise的过去式和过去分词 );估计;估量;评价 | |
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27
hitching
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搭乘; (免费)搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 ); 搭便车; 攀上; 跃上 | |
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28
machinery
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n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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29
punctuated
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v.(在文字中)加标点符号,加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 );不时打断某事物 | |
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30
eddy
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n.漩涡,涡流 | |
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31
salvage
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v.救助,营救,援救;n.救助,营救 | |
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bagatelle
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n.琐事;小曲儿 | |
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33
vessel
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n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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navigating
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v.给(船舶、飞机等)引航,导航( navigate的现在分词 );(从海上、空中等)横越;横渡;飞跃 | |
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35
peril
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n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物 | |
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36
sociable
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adj.好交际的,友好的,合群的 | |
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37
uproar
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n.骚动,喧嚣,鼎沸 | |
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berth
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n.卧铺,停泊地,锚位;v.使停泊 | |
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victuals
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n.食物;食品 | |
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extolled
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v.赞颂,赞扬,赞美( extol的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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beset
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v.镶嵌;困扰,包围 | |
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shimmered
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v.闪闪发光,发微光( shimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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seamen
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n.海员 | |
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lawful
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adj.法律许可的,守法的,合法的 | |
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laborers
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n.体力劳动者,工人( laborer的名词复数 );(熟练工人的)辅助工 | |
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plodded
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v.沉重缓慢地走(路)( plod的过去式和过去分词 );努力从事;沉闷地苦干;缓慢进行(尤指艰难枯燥的工作) | |
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47
labyrinth
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n.迷宫;难解的事物;迷路 | |
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48
decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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49
eligible
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adj.有条件被选中的;(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的 | |
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50
balk
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n.大方木料;v.妨碍;不愿前进或从事某事 | |
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51
paltry
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adj.无价值的,微不足道的 | |
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52
precepts
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n.规诫,戒律,箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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wield
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vt.行使,运用,支配;挥,使用(武器等) | |
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54
rations
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定量( ration的名词复数 ); 配给量; 正常量; 合理的量 | |
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55
joyously
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ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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56
boisterously
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adv.喧闹地,吵闹地 | |
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57
appreciation
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n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
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58
sip
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v.小口地喝,抿,呷;n.一小口的量 | |
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59
momentary
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adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的 | |
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60
fumble
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vi.笨拙地用手摸、弄、接等,摸索 | |
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61
distinguished
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adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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62
gallant
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adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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hearty
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adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的 | |
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orator
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n.演说者,演讲者,雄辩家 | |
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mellow
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adj.柔和的;熟透的;v.变柔和;(使)成熟 | |
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subsided
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v.(土地)下陷(因在地下采矿)( subside的过去式和过去分词 );减弱;下降至较低或正常水平;一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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hoarse
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adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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adventurous
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adj.爱冒险的;惊心动魄的,惊险的,刺激的 | |
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hunched
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(常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦)耸肩弓身的,伏首前倾的 | |
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fixedly
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adv.固定地;不屈地,坚定不移地 | |
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gaped
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v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 );张开,张大 | |
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hoarsely
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adv.嘶哑地 | |
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knight
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n.骑士,武士;爵士 | |
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cane
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n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的 | |
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saucy
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adj.无礼的;俊俏的;活泼的 | |
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kennel
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n.狗舍,狗窝 | |
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77
growled
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v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说 | |
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fleeting
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adj.短暂的,飞逝的 | |
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poised
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a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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liberated
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a.无拘束的,放纵的 | |
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marine
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adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵 | |
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elusive
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adj.难以表达(捉摸)的;令人困惑的;逃避的 | |
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83
galley
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n.(飞机或船上的)厨房单层甲板大帆船;军舰舰长用的大划艇; | |
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imperturbable
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adj.镇静的 | |
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evoked
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[医]诱发的 | |
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