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首页 » 经典英文小说 » The Companions of Jehu双雄记 » CHAPTER XXV. AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION
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CHAPTER XXV. AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION
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 Some time after this military revolution, which created a great stir in Europe, convulsing the Continent for a time, as a tempest convulses the ocean—some time after, we say, on the morning of the 30th Nivoise, better and more clearly known to our readers as the 20th of January, 1800, Roland, in looking over the voluminous correspondence which his new office entailed1 upon him, found, among fifty other letters asking for an audience, the following:
 
  MONSIEUR THE GOVERNOR-I know your loyalty2 to your word, and you
  will see that I rely on it. I wish to speak to you for five
  minutes, during which I must remain masked.
 
  I have a request to make to you. This request you will grant or
  deny. In either case, as I shall have entered the Palace of the
  Luxembourg in the interest o£ the First Consul3, Bonaparte, and
  the royalist party to which I belong, I shall ask for your word
  of honor that I be allowed to leave it as freely as you allow
  me to enter.
 
  If to-morrow, at seven in the evening, I see a solitary4 light
  in the window over the clock, I shall know that Colonel Roland
  de Montrevel has pledged me his word of honor, and I shall boldly
  present myself at the little door of the left wing of the palace,
  opening on the garden. I shall strike three blows at intervals5,
  after the manner of the free-masons.
 
  In order that you may know to whom you engage or refuse your word,
  I sign a name which is known to you, that name having been, under
  circumstances you have probably not forgotten, pronounced before
  you.
 
    MORGAN,
    Chief of the Companions of Jehu.
Roland read the letter twice, thought it over for a few moments, then rose suddenly, and, entering the First Consul’s study, handed it to him silently. The latter read it without betraying the slightest emotion, or even surprise; then, with a laconism6 that was wholly Lacedæmonian, he said: “Place the light.”
 
Then he gave the letter back to Roland.
 
The next evening, at seven o’clock, the light shone in the window, and at five minutes past the hour, Roland in person was waiting at the little door of the garden. He had scarcely been there a moment when three blows were struck on the door after the manner of the free-masons; first two strokes and then one.
 
The door was opened immediately. A man wrapped in a cloak was sharply defined against the grayish atmosphere of the wintry night. As for Roland, he was completely hidden in shadow. Seeing no one, the man in the cloak remained motionless for a second.
 
“Come in,” said Roland.
 
“Ah! it is you, colonel!”
 
“How do you know it is I?” asked Roland.
 
“I recognize your voice.”
 
“My voice! But during those few moments we were together in the dining-room at Avignon I did not say a word.”
 
“Then I must have heard it elsewhere.”
 
Roland wondered where the Chief of the Companions of Jehu could have heard his voice, but the other said gayly: “Is the fact that I know your voice any reason why we should stand at the door?”
 
“No, indeed,” replied Roland; “take the lapel of my coat and follow me. I purposely forbade any lights being placed in the stairs and hall which lead to my room.”
 
“I am much obliged for the intention. But on your word I would cross the palace from one end to the other, though it were lighted à giorno, as the Italians say.”
 
“You have my word,” replied Roland, “so follow me without fear.”
 
Morgan needed no encouragement; he followed his guide fearlessly. At the head of the stairs Roland turned down a corridor equally dark, went twenty steps, opened a door, and entered his own room. Morgan followed him. The room was lighted by two wax candles only. Once there, Morgan took off his cloak and laid his pistols on the table.
 
“What are you doing?” asked Roland.
 
“Faith! with your permission,” replied Morgan, gayly, “I am making myself comfortable.”
 
“But those pistols you have just laid aside—”
 
“Ah! did you think I brought them for you?”
 
“For whom then?”
 
“Why, that damned police! You can readily imagine that I am not disposed to let citizen Fouché lay hold of me, without burning the mustache of the first of his minions7 who lays hands on me.”
 
“But once here you feel you have nothing to fear?”
 
“The deuce!” exclaimed the young man; “I have your word.”
 
“Then why don’t you unmask?”
 
“Because my face only half belongs to me; the other half belongs to my companions. Who knows if one of us being recognized might not drag the others to the guillotine? For of course you know, colonel, we don’t hide from ourselves that that is the price of our game!”
 
“Then why risk it?”
 
“Ah! what a question. Why do you venture on the field of battle, where a bullet may plow8 through your breast or a cannon-ball lop off your head?”
 
“Permit me to say that that is different. On the battlefield I risk an honorable death.”
 
“Ah! do you suppose that on the day I get my head cut off by the revolutionary triangle I shall think myself dishonored? Not the least in the world. I am a soldier like you, only we can’t all serve our cause in the same way. Every religion has its heroes and its martyrs9; happy the heroes in this world, and happy the martyrs in the next.”
 
The young man uttered these words with a conviction which moved, or rather astonished, Roland.
 
“But,” continued Morgan, abandoning his enthusiasm to revert10 to the gayety which seemed the distinctive11 trait of his character, “I did not come here to talk political philosophy. I came to ask you to let me speak to the First Consul.”
 
“What! speak to the First Consul?” exclaimed Roland.
 
“Of course. Read my letter over; did I not tell you that I had a request to make?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Well, that request is to let me speak to General Bonaparte.”
 
“But permit me to say that as I did not expect that request—”
 
“It surprises you; makes you uneasy even. My dear colonel, if you don’t believe my word, you can search me from head to foot, and you will find that those pistols are my only weapons. And I haven’t even got them, since there they are on your table. Better still, take one in each hand, post yourself between the First Consul and me, and blowout my brains at the first suspicious move I make. Will that suit you?”
 
“But will you assure me, if I disturb the First Consul and ask him to see you, that your communication is worth the trouble?”
 
“Oh! I’ll answer for that,” said Morgan. Then, in his joyous12 tones, he added: “I am for the moment the ambassador of a crowned, or rather discrowned, head, which makes it no less reverenced13 by noble hearts. Moreover, Monsieur Roland, I shall take up very little of your general’s time; the moment the conversation seems too long, he can dismiss me. And I assure you he will not have to say the word twice.”
 
Roland was silent and thoughtful for a moment.
 
“And it is to the First Consul only that you can make this communication?”
 
“To the First Consul only, as he alone can answer me.”
 
“Very well. Wait until I take his orders.”
 
Roland made a step toward the general’s room; then he paused and cast an uneasy look at a mass of papers piled on his table. Morgan intercepted14 this look.
 
“What!” he said, “you are afraid I shall read those papers in your absence? If you only knew how I detest15 reading! If my death-warrant lay on that table, I wouldn’t take the trouble to read it. I should consider that the clerk’s business. And every one to his own task. Monsieur Roland, my feet are cold, and I will sit here in your easy-chair and warm them. I shall not stir till you return.”
 
“Very good, monsieur,” said Roland, and he went to the First Consul.
 
Bonaparte was talking with General Hedouville, commanding the troops of the Vendée. Hearing the door open, he turned impatiently.
 
“I told Bourrienne I would not see any one.”
 
“So he told me as I came in, but I told him that I was not any one.”
 
“True. What do you want? Be quick.”
 
“He is in my room.”
 
“Who?”
 
“The man of Avignon.”
 
“Ah, ha! And what does he want?”
 
“To see you.”
 
“To see me?”
 
“Yes, you, general. Does that surprise you?”
 
“No. But what can he want to say to me?”
 
“He refused obstinately16 to tell me. But I dare answer for it that he is neither importunate17 nor a fool.”
 
“No, but he may be an assassin.”
 
Roland shook his head.
 
“Of course, since you introduce him—”
 
“Moreover, he is willing that I should be present at the conference and stand between you and him.”
 
Bonaparte reflected an instant.
 
“Bring him in,” he said.
 
“You know, general, that except me—”
 
“Yes, General Hedouville will be so kind as to wait a second. Our conversation is of a nature that is not exhausted18 in one interview. Go, Roland.”
 
Roland left the room, crossed Bourrienne’s office, reentered his own room, and found Morgan, as he had said, warming his feet.
 
“Come, the First Consul is waiting for you,” said the young man.
 
Morgan rose and followed Roland. When they entered Bonaparte’s study the latter was alone. He cast a rapid glance on the chief of the Companions of Jehu, and felt no doubt that he was the same man he had seen at Avignon.
 
Morgan had paused a few steps from the door, and was looking curiously19 at Bonaparte, convincing himself that he was the man he had seen at the table d’hôte the day he attempted the perilous20 restoration of the two hundred louis stolen by an oversight21 from Jean Picot.
 
“Come nearer,” said the First Consul.
 
Morgan bowed and made three steps forward. Bonaparte partly returned the bow with a slight motion of the head.
 
“You told my aide-de-camp, Colonel Roland, that you had a communication to make me.”
 
“Yes, citizen First Consul.”
 
“Does that communication require a private interview?”
 
“No, citizen First Consul, although it is of such importance—”
 
“You would prefer to be alone.”
 
“Beyond doubt. But prudence—”
 
“The most prudent22 thing in France, citizen Morgan, is courage.”
 
“My presence here, general, proves that I agree with you perfectly23.”
 
Bonaparte turned to the young colonel.
 
“Leave us alone, Roland,” said he.
 
“But, general—” objected Roland.
 
Bonaparte went up to him and said in a low voice: “I see what it is. You are curious to know what this mysterious cavalier of the highroad has to say to me. Don’t worry; you shall know.”
 
“That’s not it. But suppose, as you said just now, he is an assassin.”
 
“Didn’t you declare he was not. Come, don’t be a baby; leave us.”
 
Roland went out.
 
“Now that we are alone, sir,” said the First Consul, “speak!”
 
Morgan, without answering, drew a letter from his pocket and gave it to the general. Bonaparte examined it. It was addressed to him, and the seal bore the three fleurs-de-lis of France.
 
“Oh!” he said, “what is this, sir?”
 
“Read it, citizen First Consul.”
 
Bonaparte opened the letter and looked at the signature: “Louis,” he said.
 
“Louis,” repeated Morgan.
 
“What Louis?”
 
“Louis de Bourbon, I presume.”
 
“Monsieur le Comte de Provençe, brother of Louis XVI.”
 
“Consequently Louis XVIII., since his nephew, the Dauphin, is dead.”
 
Bonaparte looked at the stranger again. It was evident that Morgan was a pseudonym24, assumed to hide his real name. Then, turning his eyes on the letter, he read:
 
                                                  January 3, 1800.
 
  Whatever may be their apparent conduct, monsieur, men like you
  never inspire distrust. You have accepted an exalted25 post, and
  I thank you for so doing. You know, better than others, that
  force and power are needed to make the happiness of a great
  nation. Save France from her own madness, and you will fulfil
  the desire of my heart; restore her king, and future generations
  will bless your memory. If you doubt my gratitude26, choose your
  own place, determine the future of your friends. As for my
  principles, I am a Frenchman, clement27 by nature, still more so
  by judgment28. No! the conqueror29 of Lodi, Castiglione and Arcola,
  the conqueror of Italy and Egypt, cannot prefer an empty
  celebrity30 to fame. Lose no more precious time. We can secure
  the glory of France. I say we, because I have need of Bonaparte
  for that which he cannot achieve without me. General, the eyes
  of Europe are upon you, glory awaits you, and I am eager to
  restore my people to happiness.
 
  LOUIS.
Bonaparte turned to the young man, who stood erect31, motionless and silent as a statue.
 
“Do you know the contents of this letter?” he asked.
 
The young man bowed. “Yes, citizen First Consul.”
 
“It was sealed, however.”
 
“It was sent unsealed under cover to the person who intrusted it to me. And before doing so he made me read it, that I might know its full importance.”
 
“Can I know the name of the person who intrusted it to you?”
 
“Georges Cadoudal.”
 
Bonaparte started slightly.
 
“Do you know Georges Cadoudal?” he asked.
 
“He is my friend.”
 
“Why did he intrust it to you rather than to another?”
 
“Because he knew that in telling me to deliver the letter to you with my own hand it would be done.”
 
“You have certainly kept your promise, sir.”
 
“Not altogether yet, citizen First Consul.”
 
“How do you mean? Haven’t you delivered it to me?”
 
“Yes, but I promised to bring back an answer.”
 
“But if I tell you I will not give one.”
 
“You will have answered; not precisely32 as I could have wished, but it will be an answer.”
 
Bonaparte reflected for a few moments. Then shaking his shoulders to rid himself of his thoughts, he said: “They are fools.”
 
“Who, citizen?” asked Morgan.
 
“Those who write me such letters—fools, arch fools. Do they take me for a man who patterns his conduct by the past? Play Monk33! What good would it do? Bring back another Charles II.? No, faith, it is not worth while. When a man has Toulon, the 13th Vendemiaire, Lodi, Castiglione, Arcola, Rivoli and the Pyramids behind him, he’s no Monk. He has the right to aspire34 to more than a duchy of Albemarle, and the command by land and sea of the forces of his Majesty35 King Louis XVIII.”
 
“For that reason you are asked to make your own conditions, citizen First Consul.”
 
Bonaparte started at the sound of that voice as if he had forgotten that any one was present.
 
“Not counting,” he went on, “that it is a ruined family, a dead branch of a rotten trunk. The Bourbons have so intermarried with one another that the race is depraved; Louis XIV. exhausted all its sap, all its vigor36.—You know history, sir?” asked Bonaparte, turning to the young man.
 
“Yes, general,” he replied; “at least as well as a ci-devant can know it.”
 
“Well, you must have observed in history, especially in that of France, that each race has its point of departure, its culmination37, and its decadence38. Look at the direct line of the Capets; starting from Hugues Capet, they attained39 their highest grandeur40 in Philippe Auguste and Louis XI., and fell with Philippe V. and Charles IV. Take the Valois; starting with Philippe VI., they culminated41 in François I. and fell with Charles IX. and Henry III. See the Bourbons; starting with Henry IV., they have their culminating point in Louis XIV. and fall with Louis XV. and Louis XVI.—only they fall lower than the others; lower in debauchery with Louis XV., lower in misfortune with Louis XVI. You talk to me of the Stuarts, and show me the example of Monk. Will you tell me who succeeded Charles II.? James II. And who to James II.? William of Orange, a usurper42. Would it not have been better, I ask you, if Monk had put the crown on his own head? Well, if I was fool enough to restore Louis XVIII. to the throne, like Charles II. he would have no children, and, like James II., his brother Charles X. would succeed him, and like him would be driven out by some William of Orange. No, no! God has not put the destiny of this great and glorious country we call France into my hands that I should cast it back to those who have gambled with it and lost it.”
 
“Permit me, general, to remark that I did not ask you for all this.”
 
“But I, I ask you—”
 
“I think you are doing me the honor to take me for posterity43.”
 
Bonaparte started, turned round, saw to whom he was speaking, and was silent.
 
“I only want,” said Morgan, with a dignity which surprised the man whom he addressed, “a yes or a no.”
 
“And why do you want that?”
 
“To know whether we must continue to war against you as an enemy, or fall at your feet as a savior.”
 
“War,” said Bonaparte, “war! Madmen, they who war with me! Do they not see that I am the elect of God?”
 
“Attila said the same thing.”
 
“Yes; but he was the elect of destruction; I, of the new era. The grass withered44 where he stepped; the harvest will ripen45 where I pass the plow. War? Tell me what has become of those who have made it against me? They lie upon the plains of Piedmont, of Lombardy and Cairo!”
 
“You forget the Vendée; the Vendée is still afoot.”
 
“Afoot, yes! but her leaders? Cathelineau, Lescure, La Rochejaquelin, d’Elbée, Bonchamps, Stoffiet, Charette?”
 
“You are speaking of men only; the men have been mown down, it is true; but the principle is still afoot, and for it are fighting Autichamp, Suzannet, Grignon, Frotté, Châtillon, Cadoudal. The younger may not be worth the elder, but if they die as their elders died, what more can you ask?”
 
“Let them beware! If I determine upon a campaign against the Vendée I shall send neither Santerre nor Rossignol!”
 
“The Convention sent Kléber, and the Directory, Hoche!”
 
“I shall not send; I shall go myself.”
 
“Nothing worse can happen to them than to be killed like Lescure, or shot like Charette.”
 
“It may happen that I pardon them.”
 
“Cato taught us how to escape the pardon of Cæsar.”
 
“Take care; you are quoting a Republican!”
 
“Cato was one of those men whose example can be followed, no matter to what party they belong.”
 
“And suppose I were to tell you that I hold the Vendée in the hollow of my hand?”
 
“You!”
 
“And that within three months, she will lay down her arms if I choose?”
 
The young man shook his head.
 
“You don’t believe me?”
 
“I hesitate to believe you.”
 
“If I affirm to you that what I say is true; if I prove it by telling you the means, or rather the men, by whom I shall bring this about?”
 
“If a man like General Bonaparte affirms a thing, I shall believe it; and if that thing is the pacification46 of the Vendée, I shall say in my turn: ‘Beware! Better the Vendée fighting than the Vendée conspiring47. The Vendée fighting means the sword, the Vendée conspiring means the dagger48.’”
 
“Oh! I know your dagger,” said Bonaparte. “Here it is.”
 
And he drew from a drawer the dagger he had taken from Roland and laid it on the table within reach of Morgan’s hand.
 
“But,” he added, “there is some distance between Bonaparte’s breast and an assassin’s dagger. Try.”
 
And he advanced to the young man with a flaming eye.
 
“I did not come here to assassinate49 you,” said the young man, coldly. “Later, if I consider your death indispensable to the cause, I shall do all in my power, and if I fail it will not be because you are Marius and I the Cimbrian. Have you anything else to say to me, citizen First Consul?” concluded the young man, bowing.
 
“Yes. Tell Cadoudal that when he is ready to fight the enemy, instead of Frenchmen, I have a colonel’s commission ready signed in my desk for him.”
 
“Cadoudal commands, not a regiment50, but an army. You were unwilling51 to retrograde from Bonaparte to Monk; why should you expect him to descend52 from general to colonel? Have you nothing else to say to me, citizen First Consul?”
 
“Yes. Have you any way of transmitting my reply to the Comte de Provençe?”
 
“You mean King Louis XVIII.?”
 
“Don’t let us quibble over words. To him who wrote to me.”
 
“His envoy53 is now at the camp at Aubiers.”
 
“Well, I have changed my mind; I shall send him an answer. These Bourbons are so blind that this one would misinterpret my silence.”
 
And Bonaparte, sitting down at his desk, wrote the following letter with a care that showed he wished to make it legible:
 
  I have received your letter, monsieur. I thank you for the good
  opinion you express in it of me. You must not wish for your return
  to France; it could only be over a hundred thousand dead bodies.
  Sacrifice your own interests to the repose54 and welfare of France.
  History will applaud you. I am not insensible to the misfortunes of
  your family, and I shall hear with pleasure that you are
  surrounded with all that could contribute to the tranquillity55 of
  your retreat.  BONAPARTE.
Then, folding and sealing the letter, he directed it to “Monsieur le Comte de Provençe,” and handed it to Morgan. Then he called Roland, as if he knew the latter were not far off.
 
“General?” said the young officer, appearing instantly.
 
“Conduct this gentleman to the street,” said Bonaparte. “Until then you are responsible for him.”
 
Roland bowed in sign of obedience56, let the young man, who said not a word, pass before him, and then followed. But before leaving, Morgan cast a last glance at Bonaparte.
 
The latter was still standing57, motionless and silent, with folded arms, his eyes fixed58 upon the dagger, which occupied his thoughts far more than he was willing to admit even to himself.
 
As they crossed Roland’s room, the Chief of the Companions of Jehu gathered up his cloak and pistols. While he was putting them in his belt, Roland remarked: “The citizen First Consul seems to have shown you a dagger which I gave him.”
 
“Yes, monsieur,” replied Morgan.
 
“Did you recognize it?”
 
“Not that one in particular; all our daggers59 are alike.”
 
“Well,” said Roland, “I will tell you whence it came.”
 
“Ah! where was that?”
 
“From the breast of a friend of mine, where your Companions, possibly you yourself, thrust it.”
 
“Possibly,” replied the young man carelessly. “But your friend must have exposed himself to punishment.”
 
“My friend wished to see what was happening at night in the Chartreuse.”
 
“He did wrong.”
 
“But I did the same wrong the night before, and nothing happened to me.”
 
“Probably because some talisman60 protects you.”
 
“Monsieur, let me tell you something. I am a straight-forward man who walks by daylight. I have a horror of all that is mysterious.”
 
“Happy those who can walk the highroads by daylight, Monsieur de Montrevel!”
 
“That is why I am going to tell you the oath I made, Monsieur Morgan. As I drew the dagger you saw from my friend’s breast, as carefully as possible, that I might not draw his soul with it, I swore that henceforward it should be war to the death between his assassins and myself. It was largely to tell you that that I gave you a pledge of safety.”
 
“That is an oath I hope to see you forget, Monsieur de Montrevel.”
 
“It is an oath I shall keep under all circumstances, Monsieur Morgan; and you would be most kind if you would furnish me with an opportunity as soon as possible.”
 
“In what way, sir?”
 
“Well, for example, by accepting a meeting with me, either in the Bois de Boulogne or at Vincennes. We don’t need to say that we are fighting because you or one of your friends stabbed Lord Tanlay. No; we can say anything you please.” (Roland reflected a moment.) “We can say the duel61 is on account of the eclipse that takes place on the 12th of next month. Does the pretext62 suit you?”
 
“The pretext would suit me,” replied Morgan, in a tone of sadness of which he seemed incapable63, “if the duel itself could take place. You have taken an oath, and you mean to keep it, you say. Well, every initiate64 who enters the Company of Jehu swears that he will not expose in any personal quarrel a life that belongs to the cause and not to himself.”
 
“Oh! So that you assassinate, but will not fight.”
 
“You are mistaken. We sometimes fight.”
 
“Have the goodness to point out an occasion when I may study that phenomenon.”
 
“Easily enough. If you and five or six men, as resolute65 as yourself, will take your places in some diligence carrying government money, and will defend it against our attack, the occasion you seek will come. But, believe me, do better than that; do not come in our way.”
 
“Is that a threat, sir?” asked the young man, raising his head.
 
“No,” replied Morgan, in a gentle, almost supplicating66 voice, “it is an entreaty67.”
 
“Is it addressed to me in particular, or would you include others?”
 
“I make it to you in particular;” and the chief of the Companions of Jehu dwelt upon the last word.
 
“Ah!” exclaimed the young man, “then I am so fortunate as to interest you?”
 
“As a brother,” replied Morgan, in the same soft, caressing68 tone.
 
“Well, well,” said Roland, “this is decidedly a wager69.”
 
Bourrienne entered at that moment.
 
“Roland,” he said, “the First Consul wants you.”
 
“Give me time to conduct this gentleman to the street, and I’ll be with him.”
 
“Hurry up; you know he doesn’t like to wait.”
 
“Will you follow me, sir?” Roland said to his mysterious companion.
 
“I am at your orders, sir.”
 
“Come, then,” And Roland, taking the same path by which he had brought Morgan, took him back, not to the door opening on the garden (the garden was closed), but to that on the street. Once there, he stopped and said: “Sir, I gave you my word, and I have kept it faithfully, But that there may be no misunderstanding between us, have the goodness to tell me that you understand it to have been for this one time and for to-day only.”
 
“That was how I understood it, sir.”
 
“You give me back my word then?”
 
“I should like to keep it, sir; but I recognize that you are free to take it back.”
 
“That is all I wish to know. Au revoir! Monsieur Morgan.”
 
“Permit me not to offer you the same wish, Monsieur de Montrevel.”
 
The two young men bowed with perfect courtesy, Roland re-entered the Luxembourg, and Morgan, following the line of shadow projected by the walls, took one of the little streets to the Place Saint-Sulpice.
 
It is he whom we are now to follow.
 
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 entailed 4e76d9f28d5145255733a8119f722f77     
使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 ); 需要; 限定继承; 使必需
参考例句:
  • The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son. 城堡和土地限定由长子继承。
  • The house and estate are entailed on the eldest daughter. 这所房子和地产限定由长女继承。
2 loyalty gA9xu     
n.忠诚,忠心
参考例句:
  • She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
  • His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。
3 consul sOAzC     
n.领事;执政官
参考例句:
  • A consul's duty is to help his own nationals.领事的职责是帮助自己的同胞。
  • He'll hold the post of consul general for the United States at Shanghai.他将就任美国驻上海总领事(的职务)。
4 solitary 7FUyx     
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士
参考例句:
  • I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
  • The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际,显得十分壮美。
5 intervals f46c9d8b430e8c86dea610ec56b7cbef     
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息
参考例句:
  • The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴,有阵雨。
  • Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。
6 laconism 218c5be1b580a6cbb49736a382396869     
n.(说话)简洁;简练的格言,精辟的警句
参考例句:
7 minions eec5b06ed436ddefdb4c3a59c5ea0468     
n.奴颜婢膝的仆从( minion的名词复数 );走狗;宠儿;受人崇拜者
参考例句:
  • She delegated the job to one of her minions. 她把这份工作委派给她的一个手下。 来自辞典例句
  • I have been a slave to the vicious-those whom I served were his minions. 我当过那帮坏人的奴隶,我伺候的都是他的爪牙。 来自辞典例句
8 plow eu5yE     
n.犁,耕地,犁过的地;v.犁,费力地前进[英]plough
参考例句:
  • At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
  • We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后,我们将马上耕田。
9 martyrs d8bbee63cb93081c5677dc671dc968fc     
n.martyr的复数形式;烈士( martyr的名词复数 );殉道者;殉教者;乞怜者(向人诉苦以博取同情)
参考例句:
  • the early Christian martyrs 早期基督教殉道者
  • They paid their respects to the revolutionary martyrs. 他们向革命烈士致哀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
10 revert OBwzV     
v.恢复,复归,回到
参考例句:
  • Let us revert to the earlier part of the chapter.让我们回到本章的前面部分。
  • Shall we revert to the matter we talked about yesterday?我们接着昨天谈过的问题谈,好吗?
11 distinctive Es5xr     
adj.特别的,有特色的,与众不同的
参考例句:
  • She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
  • This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。
12 joyous d3sxB     
adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的
参考例句:
  • The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
  • They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。
13 reverenced b0764f0f6c4cd8423583f27ea5b5a765     
v.尊敬,崇敬( reverence的过去式和过去分词 );敬礼
参考例句:
  • The name of Albert Einstein is still reverenced by the scientists all over the world. 爱因斯坦的名字仍然受到世界各地科学家的崇敬。 来自互联网
  • For it is always necessary to be loved, but not always necessary to be reverenced. 一个人总是能得到必要的爱,却不总是能得到必要的尊敬。 来自互联网
14 intercepted 970326ac9f606b6dc4c2550a417e081e     
拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 ); 截住; 截击; 拦阻
参考例句:
  • Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆,记者们把他拦截住了。
  • Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走,记者把他截住了。
15 detest dm0zZ     
vt.痛恨,憎恶
参考例句:
  • I detest people who tell lies.我恨说谎的人。
  • The workers detest his overbearing manner.工人们很讨厌他那盛气凌人的态度。
16 obstinately imVzvU     
ad.固执地,顽固地
参考例句:
  • He obstinately asserted that he had done the right thing. 他硬说他做得对。
  • Unemployment figures are remaining obstinately high. 失业数字仍然顽固地居高不下。
17 importunate 596xx     
adj.强求的;纠缠不休的
参考例句:
  • I would not have our gratitude become indiscreet or importunate.我不愿意让我们的感激变成失礼或勉强。
  • The importunate memory was kept before her by its ironic contrast to her present situation.萦绕在心头的这个回忆对当前的情景来说,是个具有讽刺性的对照。
18 exhausted 7taz4r     
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的
参考例句:
  • It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长,到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
  • Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。
19 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
20 perilous E3xz6     
adj.危险的,冒险的
参考例句:
  • The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
  • We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机,我们如今已安然无恙。
21 oversight WvgyJ     
n.勘漏,失察,疏忽
参考例句:
  • I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
  • Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。
22 prudent M0Yzg     
adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的
参考例句:
  • A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
  • You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。
23 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
24 pseudonym 2RExP     
n.假名,笔名
参考例句:
  • Eric Blair wrote under the pseudonym of George Orwell.埃里克·布莱尔用乔治·奧威尔这个笔名写作。
  • Both plays were published under the pseudonym of Philip Dayre.两个剧本都是以菲利普·戴尔的笔名出版的。
25 exalted ztiz6f     
adj.(地位等)高的,崇高的;尊贵的,高尚的
参考例句:
  • Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。
  • He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。
26 gratitude p6wyS     
adj.感激,感谢
参考例句:
  • I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
  • She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
27 clement AVhyV     
adj.仁慈的;温和的
参考例句:
  • A clement judge reduced his sentence.一位仁慈的法官为他减了刑。
  • The planet's history contains many less stable and clement eras than the holocene.地球的历史包含着许多不如全新世稳定与温和的地质时期。
28 judgment e3xxC     
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见
参考例句:
  • The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
  • He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
29 conqueror PY3yI     
n.征服者,胜利者
参考例句:
  • We shall never yield to a conqueror.我们永远不会向征服者低头。
  • They abandoned the city to the conqueror.他们把那个城市丢弃给征服者。
30 celebrity xcRyQ     
n.名人,名流;著名,名声,名望
参考例句:
  • Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
  • He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。
31 erect 4iLzm     
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的
参考例句:
  • She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头,把背挺得笔直。
  • Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。
32 precisely zlWzUb     
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地
参考例句:
  • It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
  • The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
33 monk 5EDx8     
n.和尚,僧侣,修道士
参考例句:
  • The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
  • Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。
34 aspire ANbz2     
vi.(to,after)渴望,追求,有志于
参考例句:
  • Living together with you is what I aspire toward in my life.和你一起生活是我一生最大的愿望。
  • I aspire to be an innovator not a follower.我迫切希望能变成个开创者而不是跟随者。
35 majesty MAExL     
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权
参考例句:
  • The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
  • Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下,您必须赶快做出决定!
36 vigor yLHz0     
n.活力,精力,元气
参考例句:
  • The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
  • She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在,她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。
37 culmination 9ycxq     
n.顶点;最高潮
参考例句:
  • The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk.太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。
  • It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry.这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。
38 decadence taLyZ     
n.衰落,颓废
参考例句:
  • The decadence of morals is bad for a nation.道德的堕落对国家是不利的。
  • His article has the power to turn decadence into legend.他的文章具有化破朽为神奇的力量。
39 attained 1f2c1bee274e81555decf78fe9b16b2f     
(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况)
参考例句:
  • She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
  • Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。
40 grandeur hejz9     
n.伟大,崇高,宏伟,庄严,豪华
参考例句:
  • The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
  • These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。
41 culminated 2d1e3f978078666a2282742e3d1ca461     
v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • a gun battle which culminated in the death of two police officers 一场造成两名警察死亡的枪战
  • The gala culminated in a firework display. 晚会以大放烟火告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》
42 usurper usurper     
n. 篡夺者, 僭取者
参考例句:
  • The usurper wrested the power from the king. 篡位者从国王手里夺取了权力。
  • The usurper took power by force. 篡夺者武装夺取了权力。
43 posterity D1Lzn     
n.后裔,子孙,后代
参考例句:
  • Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世。
  • The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。
44 withered 342a99154d999c47f1fc69d900097df9     
adj. 枯萎的,干瘪的,(人身体的部分器官)因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
  • The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。
45 ripen ph3yq     
vt.使成熟;vi.成熟
参考例句:
  • I'm waiting for the apples to ripen.我正在等待苹果成熟。
  • You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.把西红柿放在有阳光的窗台上可以让它们成熟。
46 pacification 45608736fb23002dfd412e9d5dbcc2ff     
n. 讲和,绥靖,平定
参考例句:
  • Real pacification is hard to get in the Vietnamese countryside. 在越南的乡下真正的安宁是很难实现的。
  • Real pacification is hard to get in the Vietnamese countryside(McGeorge Bundy) 在越南的乡下真正的安宁是很难实现的(麦乔治·邦迪)
47 conspiring 6ea0abd4b4aba2784a9aa29dd5b24fa0     
密谋( conspire的现在分词 ); 搞阴谋; (事件等)巧合; 共同导致
参考例句:
  • They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
  • John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。
48 dagger XnPz0     
n.匕首,短剑,剑号
参考例句:
  • The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。
  • The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。
49 assassinate tvjzL     
vt.暗杀,行刺,中伤
参考例句:
  • The police exposed a criminal plot to assassinate the president.警方侦破了一个行刺总统的阴谋。
  • A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police.暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。
50 regiment JATzZ     
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制
参考例句:
  • As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活,所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。
  • They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。
51 unwilling CjpwB     
adj.不情愿的
参考例句:
  • The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
  • His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。
52 descend descend     
vt./vi.传下来,下来,下降
参考例句:
  • I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
  • We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。
53 envoy xoLx7     
n.使节,使者,代表,公使
参考例句:
  • Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
  • The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。
54 repose KVGxQ     
v.(使)休息;n.安息
参考例句:
  • Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。
  • Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑,即使在睡眠时也是这样。
55 tranquillity 93810b1103b798d7e55e2b944bcb2f2b     
n. 平静, 安静
参考例句:
  • The phenomenon was so striking and disturbing that his philosophical tranquillity vanished. 这个令人惶惑不安的现象,扰乱了他的旷达宁静的心境。
  • My value for domestic tranquillity should much exceed theirs. 我应该远比他们重视家庭的平静生活。
56 obedience 8vryb     
n.服从,顺从
参考例句:
  • Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
  • Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。
57 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
58 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
59 daggers a5734a458d7921e71a33be8691b93cb0     
匕首,短剑( dagger的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • I will speak daggers to her, but use none. 我要用利剑一样的话刺痛她的心,但绝不是真用利剑。
  • The world lives at daggers drawn in a cold war. 世界在冷战中剑拨弩张。
60 talisman PIizs     
n.避邪物,护身符
参考例句:
  • It was like a talisman worn in bosom.它就象佩在胸前的护身符一样。
  • Dress was the one unfailling talisman and charm used for keeping all things in their places.冠是当作保持品位和秩序的一种万应灵符。
61 duel 2rmxa     
n./v.决斗;(双方的)斗争
参考例句:
  • The two teams are locked in a duel for first place.两个队为争夺第一名打得难解难分。
  • Duroy was forced to challenge his disparager to duel.杜洛瓦不得不向诋毁他的人提出决斗。
62 pretext 1Qsxi     
n.借口,托词
参考例句:
  • He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
  • He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口,没参加那个会议。
63 incapable w9ZxK     
adj.无能力的,不能做某事的
参考例句:
  • He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
  • Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。
64 initiate z6hxz     
vt.开始,创始,发动;启蒙,使入门;引入
参考例句:
  • A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
  • They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。
65 resolute 2sCyu     
adj.坚决的,果敢的
参考例句:
  • He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。
  • The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。
66 supplicating c2c45889543fd1441cea5e0d32682c3f     
v.祈求,哀求,恳求( supplicate的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • She stammered a few supplicating words. 她吞吞吐吐说了一些求情的话。 来自互联网
67 entreaty voAxi     
n.恳求,哀求
参考例句:
  • Mrs. Quilp durst only make a gesture of entreaty.奎尔普太太仅做出一种哀求的姿势。
  • Her gaze clung to him in entreaty.她的眼光带着恳求的神色停留在他身上。
68 caressing 00dd0b56b758fda4fac8b5d136d391f3     
爱抚的,表现爱情的,亲切的
参考例句:
  • The spring wind is gentle and caressing. 春风和畅。
  • He sat silent still caressing Tartar, who slobbered with exceeding affection. 他不声不响地坐在那里,不断抚摸着鞑靼,它由于获得超常的爱抚而不淌口水。
69 wager IH2yT     
n.赌注;vt.押注,打赌
参考例句:
  • They laid a wager on the result of the race.他们以竞赛的结果打赌。
  • I made a wager that our team would win.我打赌我们的队会赢。


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