The trail that meandered1 down Clinker Creek2 Cañon extended at right angles to the one that led to the Selden ranch3. The latter climbed a baldpate hill; then, winding4 its narrow way through dense5 locked chaparral higher than horse and rider, dipped down precipitously into the deep cañon of the American River.
Jessamy waved good-bye to her new friend at the parting of the ways and lifted White Ann into her long lope to the summit of the denuded6 hill. For a little, as they crossed the topmost part of it, the deep, rugged7 scar that marked the course of the river was visible. Ragged8 and rocky and covered with trees and chaparral, the cañonside slanted9 down dizzily for over fifteen hundred feet. At the bottom the deep green river rushed pell-mell to the lower levels. A moment and the view was lost to the girl, as White Ann entered the thick chaparral and started the swift descent.
At last they reached the bottom, forded the swirling10 stream, and began clambering up a trail as steep as the first on the other side. Soon the river was lost to view again, for once more the trail had been cut through a seemingly impenetrable chaparral of buckthorn, manzanita and scrub oak. Around and about tributary11 cañons they wound their way, and at last reached the end of the steep climb. For a quarter of a mile now the trail followed the backbone12 of a ridge13, then entered a cañon that eventually spread out into a pine-bordered plateau on the mountainside. Just ahead lay Poison Oak Ranch. Beyond, the deep, dark forest extended in miles numbered by hundreds to the snow-mantled peaks of the Sierra Nevada range.
While it was possible to reach Poison Oak Ranch from this side of the river, the journey on Shank's mare14 would have taken on something of the nature of an exploring expedition into unmapped lands. Occasionally hunters wandered to or past the ranch on this side; but for the most part any one who fancied that he had business at Poison Oak Ranch came over the narrow trail that connected the spot with outside civilization. Few entertained such a fancy, however, for Poison Oak Ranch, secluded15, hidden from sight, tucked away in the Hills of Nowhere, and difficult of access, was owned and controlled by a clannish16 family that had little in common with the world.
There was a large log house that Adam Selden's father had built in the days of '49, in which the Old Man Selden of today had first opened his eyes on life. There were several lesser17 cabins in the mountainside cup, two of which were occupied by Hurlock Selden and Winthrop Selden and their families. The remaining two boys, Moffat and Bolar, lived in the big house with Jessamy, her mother, and the wicked Old Man of the Hills.
There was an extensive garden, watered by a generous spring that gushed18 picturesquely19 from under a gigantic boulder20 set in the hillside. There were perhaps ten acres of pasture, and a small deciduous21 orchard22. Little more in the way of agricultural land. The Seldens merely made this place their home and headquarters—their cattle ranged the hills outside, and most of their activities toward a livelihood23 were carried on away from home. Selden owned a thousand acres over in the Clinker Creek Country and a winter range a trifle larger fifty miles below the foothills. He moved his herds24 three times in a year—from the winter pastures to the Clinker Creek Country for the spring grass, keeping them there till August, when they were driven to government mountain ranges at an altitude of six thousand feet; and from thence, in October, to winter range once more. The Clinker Creek range, however, was comprised of several thousand acres beside the thousand owned by Selden. This represented lands long since deserted25 by their owners as useless for agricultural purposes, and upon which Selden kept up the taxes, or appropriated without negotiations26, as conditions demanded. Oliver Drew's forty had been a part of this until Oliver's inopportune arrival.
Jessamy rode into the rail corral and unsaddled her mare. Then she hurried to the house to help her mother, a tired looking, once comely27 woman of fifty-eight.
Mrs. Selden had been an Ivison—a sister of Old Tabor Ivison, who had homesteaded Oliver's forty acres thirty years before. As a girl she had married Herman Lomax, a country youth with ambitions for the city. He had done fairly well in the mercantile business in San Francisco, and Jessamy, the only child, was born to them. The girl had been raised to young womanhood and attended the State University. Then her father had died, leaving his business in an involved condition; and in the end the widow and her daughter found there was little left for them.
They returned to the scene of Mrs. Lomax's girlhood, where they tried without success to farm the old home place, to which, in the interim28, the widow had fallen heir. Then to the surprise of every one—Jessamy most of all—Mrs. Lomax consented to marry Old Adam Selden, the father of four strapping29 sons and "the meanest man in the country." At the time Jessamy had not known this last, but she knew it now.
However, such an independent young woman as Jessamy would not consent to suffer a great deal at the hands of a step-father. She stayed on with the family for her mother's sake, but she had her own neat living room and bedroom and went her own way entirely30. It must end someday. Old Adam Selden, though hard and tough as a time-battered oak, could not live for ever. Her mother would not divorce him. So Jessamy stayed and waited, and rode over the hills alone, unafraid and independent.
She was helping31 her mother to get supper in the commodious32 kitchen, with its black log walls and immense stone fireplace, which room served as dining room and living room as well, when Adam Selden, Bolar, and Moffat rode in from the trail and corraled their horses. Supper was ready as the three clanked to the house in spurs and chaps, and washed noisily in basins under a gigantic liveoak at the cabin door. Then Jessamy took Oliver Drew's letter from her bosom33 and propped34 it against old Adam's coffee cup.
Selden's bushy brows came down as he scraped his chair to the table. Mail for any Selden was an unusual occurrence.
"What's this here?" Adam's thick fingers held the envelope before his eyes, and the beetling35 grey brows strained lower.
"Mail," indifferently answered Jessamy, setting a pan of steaming biscuits, covered with a spotless cloth, on the table.
"Fer me?"
"'Adam Selden, Esquire,'" she quoted.
"'Esquire,' eh? Who's she from?"
"It's generally customary to open a letter and read who it is from," said Jessamy lightly. "In this instance, however, you will find a notation36 on the flap of the envelope that reads: 'From Oliver Drew, Halfmoon Flat, California.'"
"D'he give it to ye?"
"It is postmarked Halfmoon Flat," said Jessamy, taking her seat beside Bolar, who, indifferent to his father's difficulties, had already consumed three fluffy39 biscuits spread with butter and wild honey.
"Ye got her out o' the office, then?" The cold blue eyes were challenging.
"Oh, certainly, certainly!" Jessamy chirruped impatiently. "One might imagine you'd never received a letter before."
Adam fingered it thoughtfully. "Yes," he said deliberatingly at last, reverting40 to his customary drawl, "I got letters before now. But I was just wonderin' if this Drew fella give thisun to you to give to me."
"Sure Mike," said Moffat.
"Oh, dear!" Jessamy complained good-naturedly. "What's the use? Can't you see the postmark and the cancelled stamp, Mr. Selden?"
Selden contemplated45 them. "Yes, I see 'em," he admitted; "I see 'em. But I thought, s' long's ye was with that young Drew fella today, he might 'a' saved his stamp and sent her to me by you."
"That being satisfactorily decided," chirped46 Jessamy, "let us now open the missive and learn what Mr. Drew has to communicate."
"I'll take a quirt to you if ye tell me to shut up ag'in!" thundered Selden.
Thereupon he tore the envelope and leaned out from his chair so that the light from a window flooded the single sheet which the envelope contained.
He read silently, slowly, craggy brows drawn48 down. His cold blue eyes widened, and the large nostrils49 of his pitted Bourbon nose spread angrily.
"Moffat, listen here!" he boomed at last. "You, too, Bolar."
"Yes, be sure to listen, Bolar," laughed Jessamy. "But if you don't wish to, go down into the cañon of the American."
"'Adam Selden, Esquire,'" Selden boomed on, unheeding the girl's bantering50. "'Poison Oak Ranch, Halfmoon Flat, Californy:'
"'My dear Mr. Selden.' Get that, Moffat! 'My dear Mr. Selden!' Say, who's that Ike think he's writin' to? His gal52? Huh! 'My dear Mr. Selden:'
"'I rode to the county seat on Wednesday, this week, and looked over the records in the office of the recorder of deeds. I found that you are entirely mistaken in the matter that you brought to my attention on Tuesday. The forty acres known as the Old Ivison Place are recorded in my name, the date of the recording53 being January fifth, this year. It appears that Nancy Fleet sold the place years ago to my father, but that the transfer was not placed on record until the date I have mentioned.'
"'With kindest regards,'
"'Yours sincerely, Oliver Drew.'"
Selden came to an ominous54 pause and glared about the table. "Writ51 with a typewriter, all but his name," he announced impressively. "And he's a liar55 by the clock!"
Jessamy threw back her head in that whole-souled laughter that made every one who heard her laugh.
"At humanity's infinite variety," answered Jessamy.
"Does that mean me?"
"Looky-here"—he leaned toward her—"there's some funny business goin' on 'round here. Two times ye been seen ridin' with that new fella down on the Old Ivison Place."
"Two times is right," she slangily agreed.
"And ye rode with 'im to the county seat when he went to see the records. Just so!"
"What for?"
"What for?" She levelled her disconcerting gaze at him. "Well, I like that, Mr. Selden! Because I wanted to, if you must pry61 into my affairs."
"Ye wanted to, eh? Ye wanted to! Did ye see the records?"
"I did."
"It is not."
He rose from his chair and bent over her. "D'ye mean to tell me yer maw's sister don't own that prop'ty?"
"Exactly. It belongs to Mr. Oliver Drew, according to the recorder's office. May I suggest that I am rather proud of my biscuits tonight, and that they're growing cold as lumps of clay?"
"It's a lie!" roared Selden.
"Now, just a moment," said Jessamy coolly. "Do I gather that you are calling me a liar, Mr. Selden? Because if you are, I'll get a cattle whip and do my utmost to make you swallow it. I'll probably get the worst of it, but—"
"Tell it to the county recorder, then," Jessamy advised serenely65. "Have another piece of steak, Mother."
"I'll ride right up to Nancy Fleet's tomorrow. I'll get to the bottom o' this business. And you keep yer young nose outa my affairs, Jess'my!"
"Oh, I'll do that—gladly. That's easy."
"Just so! Then keep her outa this fella Drew's, too!"
"That's another matter entirely," she told him. "And I may as well add right here, while we're on the subject, that I wish you to keep your nose out of my affairs. There, now—we've ruined our digestions66 by quarrelling at meal-time. Bolar hasn't, though—I'm glad somebody appreciates my biscuits."
Bolar grinned, and his face grew red. Bolar was deeply in love with his step-sister, four years his senior; but a day in the saddle, with a sharp spring wind in one's face, will scarce permit the tender passion to interfere67 with a lover's appetite.
Old Adam enveloped68 himself in his customary brooding silence. He was a holy terror when aroused, and would then spout69 torrents70 of words; but ordinarily he was morosely71 quiet, taciturn. He would not have hesitated to apply his quirt to his twenty-six-year-old son Moffat, as he had threatened to do, had not that young man possessed72 the wisdom born of experience to refrain from defying him. But with his step-daughter it was different. For some inexplicable73 reason he "took more sass" from her than from any other person living. Deep down in his scarred old heart, perhaps, there was hidden a deferential74 respect and fatherly admiration75 for this breezy, strong-minded girl with whom a strange fortune had placed him in daily contact.
"Please eat your supper, Mr. Selden," Jessamy at last sincerely pleaded, when the old man's frowning abstraction had continued for minutes.
Dutifully, without a word, he scraped his chair closer to the table and fell to noisily. But he did not join in the conversation, which now became general.
It was a custom in the House of Selden for each diner to leave the table when he had finished eating—a custom antedating76 Jessamy's advent77 in the family, which she never had been able to correct. Bolar had long since bolted the last morsel78 of food that his tough young stomach would permit, and had hurried to a half-completed rawhide79 lariat80. Moffat soon followed him out. Then Jessamy's mother arose and left the room. This left together at the table the deliberate eater, Jessamy, and the old man, who had not yet caught up with the time he had given to the letter.
He too finished before the girl, having completed his supper in the same untalkative mood. Now, however, he spoke81 to her as he pushed back his chair and rose.
"Jess'my," he said in a moderate tone, "I want to tell ye one thing. Ye know that I shoot straight from the shoulder, or straight from the hip63, whichever's handiest—and I don't shoot to scare."
He waited.
Jessamy nodded. "I'll have to admit that," she said. "I think it's the thing I like most about you."
He pondered over this, and again his brows came down above his pitted nose. "I didn't know they was anything ye liked about me," he at length said bluntly.
"Oh, yes," she remarked, levelling that straightforward82 look of hers at him. "I like your height and the breadth of your chest, and the way you sit in your saddle when your horse is on the dead run—and the other thing I mentioned before."
Again he grew thoughtful. "Well, that's somethin'," he finally chuckled83. "Ye like my way o' sayin' what I think, then. Well, get this: I'm the boss o' this country, from Red Mountain to the Gap. I been the boss of her since my pap died and turned her over to me. So it's the boss o' the Poison Oak Country that's talkin'. And he says this: That new fella Drew that's made camp down on the Old Tabor Ivison Place can't make a livin' there, can't raise nothin', don't belong there. And if by some funny business, that I'm gonta look into right away, he's got a-holt o' that forty, he's got to hit the trail."
"Why, how ridiculous!" laughed the girl. "Where do you think you are, Mr. Selden? In Russia—Germany? King Selden Second, Czar of all the Poison Oak Provinces! Mr. Drew, owning that land in his own right, must hit the trail and leave it for you simply because you say so!"
"Ye heard what I said, Jess'my"—and he clanked out of the room.
点击收听单词发音
1 meandered | |
(指溪流、河流等)蜿蜒而流( meander的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2 creek | |
n.小溪,小河,小湾 | |
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3 ranch | |
n.大牧场,大农场 | |
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4 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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5 dense | |
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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6 denuded | |
adj.[医]变光的,裸露的v.使赤裸( denude的过去式和过去分词 );剥光覆盖物 | |
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7 rugged | |
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
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8 ragged | |
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的 | |
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9 slanted | |
有偏见的; 倾斜的 | |
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10 swirling | |
v.旋转,打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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11 tributary | |
n.支流;纳贡国;adj.附庸的;辅助的;支流的 | |
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12 backbone | |
n.脊骨,脊柱,骨干;刚毅,骨气 | |
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13 ridge | |
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭 | |
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14 mare | |
n.母马,母驴 | |
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15 secluded | |
adj.与世隔绝的;隐退的;偏僻的v.使隔开,使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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16 clannish | |
adj.排他的,门户之见的 | |
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17 lesser | |
adj.次要的,较小的;adv.较小地,较少地 | |
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18 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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19 picturesquely | |
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20 boulder | |
n.巨砾;卵石,圆石 | |
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21 deciduous | |
adj.非永久的;短暂的;脱落的;落叶的 | |
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22 orchard | |
n.果园,果园里的全部果树,(美俚)棒球场 | |
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23 livelihood | |
n.生计,谋生之道 | |
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24 herds | |
兽群( herd的名词复数 ); 牧群; 人群; 群众 | |
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25 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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26 negotiations | |
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过 | |
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27 comely | |
adj.漂亮的,合宜的 | |
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28 interim | |
adj.暂时的,临时的;n.间歇,过渡期间 | |
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29 strapping | |
adj. 魁伟的, 身材高大健壮的 n. 皮绳或皮带的材料, 裹伤胶带, 皮鞭 动词strap的现在分词形式 | |
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30 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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31 helping | |
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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32 commodious | |
adj.宽敞的;使用方便的 | |
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33 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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34 propped | |
支撑,支持,维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35 beetling | |
adj.突出的,悬垂的v.快速移动( beetle的现在分词 ) | |
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36 notation | |
n.记号法,表示法,注释;[计算机]记法 | |
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37 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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38 condemnatory | |
adj. 非难的,处罚的 | |
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39 fluffy | |
adj.有绒毛的,空洞的 | |
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40 reverting | |
恢复( revert的现在分词 ); 重提; 回到…上; 归还 | |
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41 shrug | |
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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42 indifference | |
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
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43 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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44 bass | |
n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴 | |
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45 contemplated | |
adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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46 chirped | |
鸟叫,虫鸣( chirp的过去式 ) | |
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47 growled | |
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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48 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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49 nostrils | |
鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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50 bantering | |
adj.嘲弄的v.开玩笑,说笑,逗乐( banter的现在分词 );(善意地)取笑,逗弄 | |
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51 writ | |
n.命令状,书面命令 | |
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52 gal | |
n.姑娘,少女 | |
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53 recording | |
n.录音,记录 | |
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54 ominous | |
adj.不祥的,不吉的,预兆的,预示的 | |
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55 liar | |
n.说谎的人 | |
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56 complacently | |
adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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57 mumbled | |
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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59 rippled | |
使泛起涟漪(ripple的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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60 taunted | |
嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 ); 嘲弄; 辱骂; 奚落 | |
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61 pry | |
vi.窥(刺)探,打听;vt.撬动(开,起) | |
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62 spanked | |
v.用手掌打( spank的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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63 hip | |
n.臀部,髋;屋脊 | |
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64 bawled | |
v.大叫,大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 );放声大哭;大声叫出;叫卖(货物) | |
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65 serenely | |
adv.安详地,宁静地,平静地 | |
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66 digestions | |
n.消化能力( digestion的名词复数 );消化,领悟 | |
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67 interfere | |
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
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68 enveloped | |
v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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69 spout | |
v.喷出,涌出;滔滔不绝地讲;n.喷管;水柱 | |
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70 torrents | |
n.倾注;奔流( torrent的名词复数 );急流;爆发;连续不断 | |
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71 morosely | |
adv.愁眉苦脸地,忧郁地 | |
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72 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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73 inexplicable | |
adj.无法解释的,难理解的 | |
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74 deferential | |
adj. 敬意的,恭敬的 | |
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75 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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76 antedating | |
v.(在历史上)比…为早( antedate的现在分词 );先于;早于;(在信、支票等上)填写比实际日期早的日期 | |
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77 advent | |
n.(重要事件等的)到来,来临 | |
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78 morsel | |
n.一口,一点点 | |
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79 rawhide | |
n.生牛皮 | |
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80 lariat | |
n.系绳,套索;v.用套索套捕 | |
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81 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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82 straightforward | |
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的 | |
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83 chuckled | |
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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