Very red is Baba's nose,
Very cold are Baba's toes:
When the north wind's blowing.
When the north wind's blowing!"
So sang Monica, rather out of tune1, as she reached home, in a scratchy mood, on the first afternoon of the January term, and hurried up to the fire.
"I don't like school! I don't like it!" she proclaimed to a sympathetic audience of Rosemary, Cousin Elsie, and Richard (who was home on leave). "I call it cruelty to send me every single day to sit for five whole hours at a horrid2 little desk, stuffing my head with things I don't want to know, and never shall want to know, if I live to be a hundred. Why must I go?"
"Poor kiddie!" laughed Richard. "You've got it badly! It's a disease I used to suffer from myself. They called it 'schoolophobia' when I was young. They cured it with a medicine called 'spinkum-spankum', if I remember rightly—one of those good old-fashioned remedies, don't you know, that our grandmothers always went by."
[141]"You're making fun of me!" chafed3 Monica. "And I do really mean what I say. It's cold at school, and horrid, and Miss Davis is always down on me, and I hate it. Why must I go?"
"Don't!"
"All serene5! You and I'll find a desert island together somewhere, and live upon it for the rest of our lives. You see, they'd never have us back again if we deserted6. We'd have to stop on our island for evermore!"
"I thought you liked The Gables?" yawned Elsie. "Vivien does. I'm sure it's a very nice school."
"Oh, Vivien! I dare say! It's all very fine for monitresses. But when you're in the Third Form, and your desk's on the cold side of the room, it's the limit. Yes, I dare say I shall get chilblains if I sit close to the fire, but I don't care!"
"The first day's always a little grizzly," agreed Lorraine, who had followed Monica to the hearth-rug and joined the circle of fire-worshippers. "One hates getting into harness again after the holidays. I believe Rosemary's the only one of us who really enthuses. You'll be gone, too, by next week, Quavers! But I suppose you really enjoy singing exercises, and having professors storming at you."
"Of course I do," said Rosemary, with a rather unconvincing note in her voice.
Lorraine glanced at her quickly, but the little [142]brown head was lowered, and shadows hid the sweet face. Lorraine could not understand Rosemary these holidays. She had returned from her first term at the College of Music seemingly as full of enthusiasm as ever, and yet there was "a something". She gave rapturous accounts of pupils' concerts, of singing classes, of fellow-students, of rising stars in the musical world, of favourite teachers, of fun at the College and at the hostel7 where she boarded. She had made many new friendships, and was apparently8 having the time of her life.
"From her accounts you'd think it was all skittles, but I'm sure there's a hitch9 somewhere!" mused10 Lorraine.
Rosemary, with her big eyes and bigger aspirations11, had always been more or less of a problem. The family had decided12 emphatically that she was its genius. They looked for great things from her when her course at the College should be finished. They all experienced a sort of second-hand13 credit in her anticipated achievements. It is so nice to have someone else to do the clever things while we ourselves wear a reflected glory thereby14. Mrs. Forrester, mother-proud of her musical chick, could not refrain from a little gentle boasting about her daughter's talents. She told everybody that she liked girls to have careers, and that parents ought to make every effort to let a gifted child have a chance. In Lorraine's estimation Rosemary's future was to be one round of triumph, ending possibly in a peal15 of wedding bells. Lorraine was fond of [143]making up romances, and had evolved a highly-satisfactory hero for her sister. He was always tall, but his eyes varied16 in colour, and he sometimes had a moustache and sometimes was clean-shaven. Though his personal appearance varied from day to day, his general qualities persisted, and he invariably possessed17 a shooting-box in Scotland, where he would be prepared to extend a warm welcome to his bride's younger sister.
Meantime, though Rosemary had been a whole term at the college, her family had no means of judging her progress. She had diligently18 practised scales, exercises and arpeggios, but had steadfastly19 refused to sing any songs to them. Vainly they had begged for old favourites; she was obdurate20 to the point of obstinacy21.
"Signor Arezzo doesn't want me to! I'm studying on his special method, and he's most particular about it. He keeps everybody at exercises for the first term. When I go back he says perhaps he'll let me have just one song."
"But surely it couldn't spoil your voice to sing 'My Happy Garden'?" demanded her father, much disappointed.
This new attitude of Rosemary's of hiding her light under a bushel was trying to Lorraine. She had been looking forward to showing off her clever musical sister to Morland. She had expected the two to become chums at once, but they did nothing of the sort. Rosemary treated Morland with the [144]airy patronage23 that a girl, who has just begun to mix with older men, sometimes metes24 out to a boy of seventeen. She was not nearly as much impressed by his playing as Lorraine had anticipated.
"He ought to learn from Signor Rassuli!" she commented. "Nobody who hasn't studied on his method can possibly have a touch!"
"I can't stand the boy!" yawned Rosemary.
It is always most amazing, when we like a person exceedingly ourselves, to find that somebody else has formed a different opinion. With all his shortcomings, Lorraine appreciated Morland. He often missed his appointments, and was generally late for everything, but when he turned up he played her accompaniments as no one else ever played them. Moreover, he was a very pleasant companion, and full of fun in a mild artistic26 sort of fashion of his own. He was certainly one of the central figures in the beautiful, shiftless, Bohemian household on the hill. Lorraine had a sense that, when he went, the Castleton family would lose its corner stone. Yet some day he would be bound to go.
"I expect to be called up in March!" he announced one day.
Lorraine looked at him critically. Morland, with his ripply27 hair and the features of a Fra Angelico angel, would seem out of place in khaki. His dreamy, unpunctual ways and general lack of [145]concentration would be highly exasperating28 to his drill-sergeant. She wondered what would happen when, as usual, he turned up late. Artistic temperaments29 did not fit in well with the stern realities of life. She had a feeling that they ought to be exempted30.
Music, this term, was more to the fore31 than usual in Lorraine's horizon. After Christmas a fresh teacher had come to the school, who gave lessons in French, violin, and piano. Her name was Madame Bertier, and she was a Russian by birth, though her husband was a Belgian at present interned32 in Germany.
She was a new arrival at Porthkeverne, and had rooms in the artists' quarter of the town. She spent her mornings at The Gables, and filled up her afternoons by taking private pupils. Like most Russians, she had a charming manner, and was brimming over with talent. She was a striking-looking woman, with a clear, pale complexion33, flashing hazel eyes, and carefully arranged coiffure. Her delicate hands were exquisitely34 manicured. She dressed becomingly, and wore handsome rings. Her foreign accent was decidedly pretty.
Most of the school, and the Sixth Form in particular, went crazy over her. They admired her frocks, her hair, her earrings35, and the whole charming air of "finish" about her. It became the fashion of the moment to adore her. Those girls who took private music lessons from her were counted lucky. The members of the French class vied with one another in presenting offerings of [146]violets or early snowdrops. She accepted the little bouquets36 as gracefully37 as a prima donna.
"She's the most absolutely topping person I've ever met!" affirmed Vivien, who was one of her most ardent38 worshippers.
"Um—well enough!" said Lorraine, whose head was not turned by the new idol39. "She's not quite my style, somehow. I always feel she's out for admiration40."
"Well, she deserves to be admired."
"Not so consciously, though."
"I think she's too precious for words. It's something even to be in the same room with her!" gushed41 Audrey. "I've scored over you, Vivien, because she's written two verses in my album, and she only wrote one in yours!"
"Yes, but it was original poetry in mine!"
"How do you know, when it's in Russian?"
"She said so, at any rate."
"Oh! I must ask her to put in an original one for me."
"She's coming to tea with us to-morrow."
"You lucker!"
There seemed no lengths to which the girls would not go. Several of them kept sentimental42 diaries in which were recorded the doings and sayings of their deity43. Audrey's ran as follows:—
Jan. 15th.—A new sun rose in the sky, and the world of school has changed for me. I could do nothing but gaze.
Jan. 16th.—Her name is Madame Bertier.
Jan. 18th.—She looked directly at me, and I blushed.
Jan. 19th.—To-day she smiled upon me.
[147]Jan. 22nd.—To-day she accepted my flowers.
Jan. 24th.—I have asked Mother to call upon her.
Jan. 25th.—The world dark. Mother too busy to call.
Jan. 30th.—Mother called to-day. Hooray!
Feb. 1st.—She is coming to tea. I feel I am treading on air.
Feb. 2nd.—She has been to our house. It was the happiest day of my life.
Though she came as a stranger to Porthkeverne, Madame Bertier very soon found friends. Her attractive personality and her musical talent gained her the entrée into the artistic and literary circles of the town. Two principal figure-painters asked her to sit for her portrait, and her violin was much in demand for concerts at the Arts Club. Like most of the Bohemian residents of the place, she found her way to the studio at Windy Howe, and a pastel drawing of her profile soon stood on Mr. Castleton's easel. She did not win universal favour, however, at the house on the hill. Claudia, walking from school one day with Lorraine, exploded upon the subject.
"I can't bear the woman! I don't know what Vivien and the others see in her. I call it very flashy to wear all that jewellery at school. She's always up at our house, and Morland's fearfully taken with her. They play duets by the hour together. Father's going to paint her as [148]'The Angel of Victory' in that huge cartoon he's designing for the Chagstead Town Hall. I don't think she's a scrap46 like an angel! She pats Lilith and Constable47 on the head, just for show, but she looks terrified if they come near her smart frocks. Violet detests48 her. It's the one thing Violet and I agree about. We've been squabbling over everything else lately. It's a weary world!"
"Madame's fascinating enough on the surface," agreed Lorraine thoughtfully, "but she's not the kind of woman I admire. Somehow I don't quite trust her. Do you believe in first impressions? So do I. Well, my first feeling about her was distinctly non-attractive. We ran away from each other mentally, like two pieces of magnetized steel. She's very sweet to me at my music lessons; but I'm sure it's all put on, and she doesn't care an atom. It's an entirely different thing from my Saturday lessons."
One great reason why Lorraine had not, with the rest of the school, fallen under the spell of the fascinating Russian lady, was the intense affection she had formed for her art teacher. She could not worship at both shrines49, and she felt strongly that Margaret Lindsay was infinitely50 more worthy51 of admiration. The studio down by the harbour was still her artistic Mecca. She had a carte blanche invitation to go whenever she liked. She turned in there one Friday afternoon on her way from school.
[149]The friendship, which had begun conventionally with the orthodox "Miss Lindsay", now expressed itself by "Margaret", "Peggy", or such pet terms as "Carina" and "Love-Angel".
"What's the matter?" asked her friend, squeezing a little extra flake-white on to her palette, and putting the cap on the tube again. "It isn't often you're fed up with life!"
"Everything's gone wrong!" declared Lorraine tragically53. "My head aches, and I didn't know my literature, and Miss Janet glared at me, and maths. were a failure this morning too, and I felt scratchy and squabbled with everybody. I'm afraid I was rather hard on some of those kids, though they were the limit! Carina, when you were at school, did you sometimes have a fling out all round, or were you always good?"
"I confess," said Carina humorously, "that, when I trod the slippery paths of youth, I often flopped54 flat, and made an exhibition of myself. I don't think I was a nice child at all!"
"I call you a saint now! I wonder what most saints were like when they were young."
"Many of them began as sinners. I expect even St. Francis of Assisi howled when he was a baby, and smacked55 his nurse. We all feel more or less scratchy sometimes. What you want, child, is a good blow on the hills. If it should be as fine and mild to-morrow as it was this morning, we'll have our painting lesson out of doors. Bring your thick coat and a wrap and we'll go right up towards Tangy Point, take our [150]lunch and our sketch56-books with us, find a sheltered place in the sun, and paint some pretty little bit on the cliffs. You'll go back to school on Monday feeling at peace with all mankind, or rather girlkind. Do you like my prescription57?"
"Rather! You're the best doctor out! It'll be glorious to get away from everybody for a day. I have too much of Monica on Saturdays as a rule. I've an instinct it's going to be fine to-morrow!"
Porthkeverne had its share of sea-fog in winter, but it also had its quota58 of sunshine, and this particular February day turned out a foretaste of spring. Birds were singing everywhere as teacher and pupil, with lunch and sketching59 materials in their satchels60, set off on their tramp over the moors62. They crossed the common, where Lorraine had stood among the thistles for "Kilmeny", and came to "the little grey church on the windy hill", which Mr. Castleton had chosen as the scene for his illustrations to "The Forsaken63 Merman". The sound of the organ came through the open door, and, peeping in, Lorraine could see Morland's golden hair gleaming like a saint's halo in the chancel, and caught a glimpse of Landry's perfect profile as he sat listening in the dusty gallery.
"Shall we go and speak to them?" asked Margaret Lindsay.
"No," said Lorraine emphatically. "I'm not friends with Morland to-day. He promised to practise an accompaniment with me last night, and he never turned up. I shall just leave him to himself. He's a bad boy!"
[151]"He has his limitations!" agreed Margaret.
The breath of early spring was in the air as they walked through the cluster of houses termed by courtesy "the village", and, climbing a stile, took the path along the cliffs. On such days the sap seems to rise in human beings as well as in the vegetable world. Lorraine literally64 danced along. Margaret Lindsay's artist eyes were busy registering impressions of sunlight on pearly stretches of sea, or effects of green sward and grey rock in shadow.
"The Cornish coast in February is perfect," she decided, "and it's so delightfully65 quiet. Heaven defend me from the 'fashionable resort', which is some people's idea of the seaside. I read the most delicious poem once. It began—
She was a lady of high degree,
A poor and unknown artist he.
'Paint me,' she said, 'a view of the sea.'
So he painted the sea as it looked the day
When Aphrodite arose from its spray,
And as she gazed on its face the while,
'What a poky, stupid picture!' said she.
'It isn't anything like the sea!'
The wretched artist, in several more verses of poetry which I forget, paints the sea in every possible effect of storm and calm, all to the scorn of the lady, who decides—
'I don't believe he can paint the sea!'
But in desperation he makes a final dash for her patronage, probably, poor man, being hard up.
[152]So he painted a stretch of hot brown sand,
With a big hotel on either hand,
And a handsome pavilion for the band.
Not a trace of the water to be seen,
'The very image of the sea!'"
Lorraine laughed.
"No one can accuse Tangy Point of pavilions and big hotels! We seem quite alone in the world, up on these cliffs. I haven't seen a solitary69 person since we left the village."
"Which remark has instantly conjured70 up somebody. Look on the shore below us—no, to the left, down there. I see the flutter of a feminine skirt—yes, and masculine trousers too! He's getting out of a boat, and going to speak to her. Actually a kiss! How touching71! They don't know that there are spectators on the cliffs. We must be hundreds of feet above them. They look like specks72!"
"I brought the field-glasses," said Lorraine, opening her satchel61. "It brings that couple as close and clear as possible. Why, I know that grey costume and that crimson73 toque. It's Madame Bertier, as large as life! Look for yourself. Carina!"
Margaret Lindsay readjusted the glasses to her sight and focused them on the figures below.
"There's not a doubt about it!" she pronounced. "I can almost hear her broken English! Who's the man?"
[153]Lorraine stood frowning with concentrated thought.
"That's what is puzzling me! His face is so absolutely familiar. I know I've seen him before, somewhere, and yet, for the life of me, I can't remember where. It's one of those aggravating74 half-memories that haunt one. I'd like to try throwing down a stone to attract their attention."
"I shouldn't on any account. Let's leave them to it, and go and find a place to take our sketch. We shall lose this effect of sunshine, if we're not quick. Madame Bertier doesn't interest me enough to make me waste valuable time in watching her flirtations."
"He's certainly not worth bothering your head about! Come along and sketch!"
点击收听单词发音
1 tune | |
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整 | |
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2 horrid | |
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
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3 chafed | |
v.擦热(尤指皮肤)( chafe的过去式 );擦痛;发怒;惹怒 | |
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4 trenches | |
深沟,地沟( trench的名词复数 ); 战壕 | |
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5 serene | |
adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的 | |
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6 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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7 hostel | |
n.(学生)宿舍,招待所 | |
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8 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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9 hitch | |
v.免费搭(车旅行);系住;急提;n.故障;急拉 | |
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10 mused | |
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事) | |
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11 aspirations | |
强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 ); 志向; 发送气音; 发 h 音 | |
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12 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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13 second-hand | |
adj.用过的,旧的,二手的 | |
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14 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
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15 peal | |
n.钟声;v.鸣响 | |
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16 varied | |
adj.多样的,多变化的 | |
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17 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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18 diligently | |
ad.industriously;carefully | |
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19 steadfastly | |
adv.踏实地,不变地;岿然;坚定不渝 | |
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20 obdurate | |
adj.固执的,顽固的 | |
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21 obstinacy | |
n.顽固;(病痛等)难治 | |
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22 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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23 patronage | |
n.赞助,支援,援助;光顾,捧场 | |
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24 metes | |
v.(对某人)施以,给予(处罚等)( mete的第三人称单数 ) | |
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25 exquisite | |
adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的 | |
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26 artistic | |
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
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27 ripply | |
波纹状的,潺潺声的 | |
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28 exasperating | |
adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式 | |
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29 temperaments | |
性格( temperament的名词复数 ); (人或动物的)气质; 易冲动; (性情)暴躁 | |
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30 exempted | |
使免除[豁免]( exempt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31 fore | |
adv.在前面;adj.先前的;在前部的;n.前部 | |
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32 interned | |
v.拘留,关押( intern的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33 complexion | |
n.肤色;情况,局面;气质,性格 | |
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34 exquisitely | |
adv.精致地;强烈地;剧烈地;异常地 | |
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35 earrings | |
n.耳环( earring的名词复数 );耳坠子 | |
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36 bouquets | |
n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 );(酒的)芳香 | |
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37 gracefully | |
ad.大大方方地;优美地 | |
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38 ardent | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的 | |
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39 idol | |
n.偶像,红人,宠儿 | |
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40 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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41 gushed | |
v.喷,涌( gush的过去式和过去分词 );滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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42 sentimental | |
adj.多愁善感的,感伤的 | |
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43 deity | |
n.神,神性;被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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44 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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45 engrossed | |
adj.全神贯注的 | |
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46 scrap | |
n.碎片;废料;v.废弃,报废 | |
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47 constable | |
n.(英国)警察,警官 | |
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48 detests | |
v.憎恶,嫌恶,痛恨( detest的第三人称单数 ) | |
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49 shrines | |
圣地,圣坛,神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 ) | |
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50 infinitely | |
adv.无限地,无穷地 | |
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51 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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52 flopping | |
n.贬调v.(指书、戏剧等)彻底失败( flop的现在分词 );(因疲惫而)猛然坐下;(笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地)移动或落下;砸锅 | |
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53 tragically | |
adv. 悲剧地,悲惨地 | |
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54 flopped | |
v.(指书、戏剧等)彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 );(因疲惫而)猛然坐下;(笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地)移动或落下;砸锅 | |
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55 smacked | |
拍,打,掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56 sketch | |
n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述 | |
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57 prescription | |
n.处方,开药;指示,规定 | |
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58 quota | |
n.(生产、进出口等的)配额,(移民的)限额 | |
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59 sketching | |
n.草图 | |
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60 satchels | |
n.书包( satchel的名词复数 ) | |
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61 satchel | |
n.(皮或帆布的)书包 | |
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62 moors | |
v.停泊,系泊(船只)( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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63 Forsaken | |
adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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64 literally | |
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实 | |
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65 delightfully | |
大喜,欣然 | |
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66 countless | |
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的 | |
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67 streak | |
n.条理,斑纹,倾向,少许,痕迹;v.加条纹,变成条纹,奔驰,快速移动 | |
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68 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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69 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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70 conjured | |
用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 ); 祈求,恳求; 变戏法; (变魔术般地) 使…出现 | |
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71 touching | |
adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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72 specks | |
n.眼镜;斑点,微粒,污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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73 crimson | |
n./adj.深(绯)红色(的);vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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74 aggravating | |
adj.恼人的,讨厌的 | |
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75 ruminated | |
v.沉思( ruminate的过去式和过去分词 );反复考虑;反刍;倒嚼 | |
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