It was an odd and inexplicable1 thing that business showed no sign of improving. Affairs on Ballarat had, for months past, run their usual prosperous course. The western township grew from day to day, and was straggling right out to the banks of the great swamp. On the Flat, the deep sinking that was at present the rule — some parties actually touched a depth of three hundred feet before bottoming — had brought a fresh host of fortune-hunters to the spot, and the results obtained bid fair to rival those of the first golden year. The diggers’ grievances2 and their conflict with the government were now a turned page. At a state trial all prisoners had been acquitted3, and a general amnesty declared for those rebels who were still at large. Unpopular ministers had resigned or died; a new constitution for the colony awaited the Royal assent4; and pending5 this, two of the rebel-leaders, now prominent townsmen, were chosen to sit in the Legislative6 Council. The future could not have looked rosier7. For others, that was. For him, Mahony, it held more than one element of uncertainty8.
At no time had he come near making a fortune out of storekeeping. For one thing, he had been too squeamish. From the outset he had declined to soil his hands with surreptitious grog-selling; nor would he be a party to that evasion9 of the law which consisted in overcharging on other goods, and throwing in drinks free. Again, he would rather have been hamstrung than stoop to the tricks in vogue10 with regard to the weighing of gold-dust: the greased scales, the wet sponge, false beams, and so on. Accordingly, he had a clearer conscience than the majority and a lighter11 till. But even at the legitimate12 ABC of business he had proved a duffer. He had never, for instance, learned to be a really skilled hand at stocking a shop. Was an out-of-the-way article called for, ten to one he had run short of it; and the born shopman’s knack13 of palming off or persuading to a makeshift was not his. Such goods as he had, he did not press on people; his attitude was always that of “take it or leave it”; and he sometimes surprised a ridiculous feeling of satisfaction when he chased a drunken and insolent14 customer off the premises15, or secured an hour’s leisure unbroken by the jangle of the store-bell.
Still, in spite of everything he had, till recently, done well enough. Money was loose, and the diggers, if given long credit when down on their luck, were in the main to be relied on to pay up when they struck the lead or tapped a pocket. He had had slack seasons before now, and things had always come right again. This made it hard for him to explain the present prolonged spell of dullness.
That there was something more than ordinarily wrong first dawned on him during the stock-taking in summer. Hempel and he were constantly coming upon goods that had been too long on hand, and were now fit only to be thrown away. Half-a-dozen boxes of currants showed a respectable growth of mould; a like fate had come upon some flitches of bacon; and not a bag of flour but had developed a species of minute maggot. Rats had got at his coils of rope, one of which, sold in all good faith, had gone near causing the death of the digger who used it. The remains16 of some smoked fish were brought back and flung at his head with a shower of curses, by a woman who had fallen ill through eating of it. And yet, in spite of the replenishing this involved, the order he sent to town that season was the smallest he had ever given. For the first time he could not fill a dray, but had to share one with a greenhorn, who, if you please, was setting up at his very door.
He and Hempel cracked their brains to account for the falling-off — or at least he did: afterwards he believed Hempel had suspected the truth and been too mealy-mouthed to speak out. It was Polly who innocently — for of course he did not draw her into confidence — Polly supplied the clue from a piece of gossip brought to the house by the woman Hemmerde. It appeared that, at the time of the rebellion, Mahony’s open antagonism17 to the Reform League had given offence all round — to the extremists as well as to the more wary18 on whose behalf the League was drafted. They now got even with him by taking their custom elsewhere. He snorted with indignation on hearing of it; then laughed ironically. He was expected, was he, not only to bring his personal tastes and habits into line with those of the majority, but to deny his politics as well? And if he refused, they would make it hard for him to earn a decent living in their midst. Nothing seemed easier to these unprincipled democrats19 than for a man to cut his coat to suit his job. Why, he might just as well turn Whig and be done with it!
He sat over his account-books. The pages were black with bad debts for “tucker.” Here however was no mystery. The owners of these names — Purdy was among them — had without doubt been implicated20 in the Eureka riot, and had made off and never returned. He struck a balance, and found to his consternation21 that, unless business took a turn for the better, he would not be able to hold out beyond the end of the year. Afterwards, he was blessed if he knew what was going to happen. The ingenious Hempel was full of ideas for tempting22 back fortune — opening a branch store on a new lead was one of them, or removing bodily to Main Street — but ready money was the SINE QUA NON of such schemes, and ready money he had not got. Since his marriage he had put by as good as nothing; and the enlarging and improving of his house, at that time, had made a big hole in his bachelor savings23. He did not feel justified24 at the present pass in drawing on them anew. For one thing, before summer was out there would be, if all went well, another mouth to feed. And that meant a variety of seen and unforeseen expenses.
Such were the material anxieties he had to encounter in the course of that winter. Below the surface a subtler embarrassment25 worked to destroy his peace. In face of the shortage of money, he was obliged to thank his stars that he had not lost the miserable26 lawsuit27 of a few months back. Had that happened, he wouldn’t at present have known where to turn. But this amounted to confessing his satisfaction at having pulled off his case, pulled it off anyhow, by no matter what crooked28 means. And as if this were not enough, the last words he had heard Purdy say came back to sting him anew. The boy had accused him of judging a fight for freedom from a tradesman’s standpoint. Now it might be said of him that he was viewing justice from the same angle. He had scorned the idea of distorting his political opinions to fit the trade by which he gained his bread. But it was a far more serious thing if his principles, his character, his sense of equity29 were all to be undermined as well. If he stayed here, he would end by becoming as blunt to what was right and fair as the rest of them. As it was, he was no longer able to regard the two great landmarks30 of man’s moral development — liberty and justice — from the point of view of an honest man and a gentleman.
His self-annoyance31 was so great that it galvanised him to action. There and then he made up his mind: as soon as the child that was coming to them was old enough to travel, he would sell out for what he could get, and go back to the old country. Once upon a time he had hoped, when he went, to take a good round sum with him towards a first-rate English practice. Now he saw that this scheme had been a kind of Jack-o’-lantern — a marsh-light after which he might have danced for years to come. As matters stood, he must needs be content if, the passage-moneys paid, he could scrape together enough to keep him afloat till he found a modest corner to slip into.
His first impulse was to say nothing of this to his wife in the meantime. Why unsettle her? But he had reckoned without the sudden upward leap his spirits made, once his decision was taken: the winter sky was blue as violets again above him; he turned out light-heartedly of a morning. It was impossible to hide the change in his mood from Polly — even if he had felt it fair to do so. Another thing: when he came to study Polly by the light of his new plan, he saw that his scruples33 about unsettling her were fanciful — wraiths34 of his own imagining. As a matter of fact, the sooner he broke the news to her the better. Little Polly was so thoroughly35 happy here that she would need time to accustom36 herself to the prospect37 of life elsewhere.
He went about it very cautiously though; and with no hint of the sour and sorry incidents that had driven him to the step. As was only natural, Polly was rather easily upset at present: the very evening before, he had had occasion to blame himself for his tactless behaviour.
In her first sick young fear Polly had impulsively39 written off to Mother Beamish, to claim the fulfilment of that good woman’s promise to stand by her when her time came. One letter gave another; Mrs. Beamish not only announced that she would hold herself ready to support her “little duck” at a moment’s notice, but filled sheets with sage32 advice and old wives’ maxims40; and the correspondence, which had languished41, flared42 up anew. Now came an ill-scrawled, misspelt epistle from Tilly — doleful, too, for Purdy had once more quitted her without speaking the binding43 word — in which she told that Purdy’s leg, though healed, was permanently44 shortened; the doctor in Geelong said he would never walk straight again.
Husband and wife sat and discussed the news, wondered how lameness45 would affect Purdy’s future and what he was doing now, Tilly not having mentioned his whereabouts. “She has probably no more idea than we have,” said Mahony.
“I’m afraid not,” said Polly with a sigh. “Well, I hope he won’t come back here, that’s all”; and she considered the seam she was sewing, with an absent air.
“Why, love? Don’t you like old Dickybird?” asked Mahony in no small surprise.
“Oh yes, quite well. But. . .”
“Is it because he still can’t make up his mind to take your Tilly — eh?”
“That, too. But chiefly because of something he said.”
“And what was that, my dear?”
“Oh, very silly,” and Polly smiled.
“Out with it, madam! Or I shall suspect the young dog of having made advances to my wife.”
“Richard, DEAR!” Little Polly thought he was in earnest, and grew exceedingly confused. “Oh no, nothing like that,” she assured him, and with red cheeks rushed into an explanation. “He only said, in spite of you being such old friends he felt you didn’t really care to have him here on Ballarat. After a time you always invented some excuse to get him away.” But now that it was out, Polly felt the need of toning down the statement, and added: “I shouldn’t wonder if he was silly enough to think you were envious47 of him, for having so many friends and being liked by all sorts of people.”
“Envious of him? I? Who on earth has been putting such ideas into your head?” cried Mahony.
“It was ‘mother’ thought so — it was while I was still there,” stammered48 Polly, still more fluttered by the fact of him fastening on just these words.
Mahony tried to quell49 his irritation50 by fidgeting round the room. “Surely, Polly, you might give up calling that woman ‘mother,’ now you belong to me — I thank you for the relationship!” he said testily51. And having with much unnecessary ado knocked the ashes out of his pipe, he went on: “It’s bad enough to say things of that kind; but to repeat them, love, is in even poorer taste.”
“Yes, Richard,” said Polly meekly52.
But her amazed inner query53 was: “Not even to one’s own husband?”
She hung her head, till the white thread of parting between the dark loops of her hair was almost perpendicular54. She had spoken without thinking in the first place — had just blurted56 out a passing thought. But even when forced to explain, she had never dreamt of Richard taking offence. Rather she had imagined the two of them — two banded lovingly against one — making merry together over Purdy’s nonsense. She had heard her husband laugh away much unkinder remarks than this. And perhaps if she had stopped there, and said no more, it might have been all right. By her stupid attempt to gloss57 things over, she had really managed to hurt him, and had made him think her gossipy into the bargain.
She went on with her sewing. But when Mahony came back from the brisk walk by means of which he got rid of his annoyance, he fancied, though Polly was as cheery as ever and had supper laid for him, that her eyelids58 were red.
This was why, the following evening, he promised himself to be discreet59.
Winter had come in earnest; the night was wild and cold. Before the crackling stove the cat lay stretched at full length, while Pompey dozed60 fitfully, his nose between his paws. The red-cotton curtains that hung at the little window gave back the lamplight in a ruddy glow; the clock beat off the seconds evenly, except when drowned by the wind, which came in bouts46, hurling61 itself against the corners of the house. And presently, laying down his book — Polly was too busy now to be read to — Mahony looked across at his wife. She was wrinkling her pretty brows over the manufacture of tiny clothes, a rather pale little woman still, none of the initial discomforts62 of her condition having been spared her. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up and smiled: did ever anyone see such a ridiculous armhole? Three of one’s fingers were enough to fill it — and she held the little shirt aloft for his inspection63. Here was his chance: the child’s coming offered the best of pretexts64. Taking not only the midget garment but also the hand that held it, he told her of his resolve to go back to England and re-enter his profession.
“You know, love, I’ve always wished to get home again. And now there’s an additional reason. I don’t want my . . . our children to grow up in a place like this. Without companions — or refining influences. Who knows how they would turn out?”
He said it, but in his heart he knew that his children would be safe enough. And Polly, listening to him, made the same reservation: yes, but OUR children. . . .
“And so I propose, as soon as the youngster’s old enough to travel, to haul down the flag for good and all, and book passages for the three of us in some smart clipper. We’ll live in the country, love. Think of it, Polly! A little gabled, red-roofed house at the foot of some Sussex down, with fruit trees and a high hedge round it, and only the oast-houses peeping over. Doesn’t it make your mouth water, my dear?”
He had risen in his eagerness, and stood with his back to the stove, his legs apart. And Polly nodded and smiled up at him — though, truth to tell, the picture he drew did not mean much to her: she had never been in Sussex, nor did she know what an oast-house was. A night such as this, with flying clouds and a shrill65, piping wind, made her think of angry seas and a dark ship’s cabin, in which she lay deathly sick. But it was not Polly’s way to dwell on disagreeables: her mind glanced off to a pleasanter theme.
“Have you ever thought, Richard, how strange it will seem when there ARE three of us? You and I will never be quite alone together again. Oh, I do hope he will be a good baby and not cry much. It will worry you if he does — like Hempel’s cough. And then you won’t love him properly.”
“I shall love it because it is yours, my darling. And the baby of such a dear little mother is sure to be good.”
“Oh, babies will be babies, you know!” said Polly, with a new air of wisdom which sat delightfully66 on her.
Mahony pinched her cheek. “Mrs. Mahony, you’re shirking my question. Tell me now, should you not be pleased to get back to England?”
“I’ll go wherever you go, Richard,” said Polly staunchly. “Always. And of course I should like to see mother — I mean my real mother — again. But then Ned’s here . . . and John, and Sarah. I should be very sorry to leave them. I don’t think any of them will ever go home now.”
“They may be here, but they don’t trouble YOU often, my dear,” said Mahony, with more than a hint of impatience67. “Especially Ned the well-beloved, who lives not a mile from your door.”
“I know he doesn’t often come to see us, Richard. But he’s only a boy; and has to work so hard. You see it’s like this. If Ned should get into any trouble, I’m here to look after him; and I know that makes mother’s mind easier — Ned was always her favourite.”
“And an extraordinary thing, too! I believe it’s the boy’s good looks that blind you women to his faults.”
“Oh no, indeed it isn’t!” declared Polly warmly. “It’s just because Ned’s Ned. The dearest fellow, if you really know him.”
“And so your heart’s anchored here, little wife, and would remain here even if I carried your body off to England?”
“Oh no, Richard,” said Polly again. “My heart would always be where you are. But I can’t help wondering how Ned would get on alone. And Jerry will soon be here too, now, and he’s younger still. And HOW I should like to see dear Tilly settled before I go!”
Judging that enough had been said for the time being, Mahony re-opened his book, leaving his wife to chew the cud of innocent matchmaking and sisterly cares.
In reality Polly’s reflections were of quite another nature.
Her husband’s abrupt68 resolve to leave the colony, disturbing though it was, did not take her altogether by surprise. She would have needed to be both deaf and blind not to notice that the store-bell rang much seldomer than it used to, and that Richard had more spare time on his hands. Yes, trade was dull, and that made him fidgety. Now she had always known that someday it would be her duty to follow Richard to England. But she had imagined that day to be very far off — when they were elderly people, and had saved up a good deal of money. To hear the date fixed69 for six months hence was something of a shock to her. And it was at this point that Polly had a sudden inspiration. As she listened to Richard talking of resuming his profession, the thought flashed through her mind: why not here? Why should he not start practice in Ballarat, instead of travelling all those thousands of miles to do it?
This was what she ruminated70 while she tucked and hemmed71. She could imagine, of course, what his answer would be. He would say there were too many doctors on Ballarat already; not more than a dozen of them made satisfactory incomes. But this argument did not convince Polly. Richard wasn’t, perhaps, a great success at storekeeping; but that was only because he was too good for it. As a doctor, he with his cleverness and gentlemanly manners would soon, she was certain, stand head and shoulders above the rest. And then there would be money galore. It was true he did not care for Ballarat — was down on both place and people. But this objection, too, Polly waived72. It passed belief that anybody could really dislike this big, rich, bustling73, go-ahead township, where such handsome buildings were springing up and every one was so friendly. In her heart she ascribed her husband’s want of love for it to the “infra dig” position he occupied. If he mixed with his equals again and got rid of the feeling that he was looked down on, it would make all the difference in the world to him. He would then be out of reach of snubs and slights, and people would understand him better — not the residents on Ballarat alone, but also John, and Sarah, and the Beamishes, none of whom really appreciated Richard. In her mind’s eye Polly had a vision of him going his rounds mounted on a chestnut74 horse, dressed in surtout and choker, and hand and glove with the bigwigs of society — the gentlemen at the Camp, the Police Magistrate75 and Archdeacon Long, the rich squatters who lived at the foot of Mount Buninyong. It brought the colour to her cheeks merely to think of it.
She did not, however, breathe a word of this to Richard. She was a shade wiser than the night before, when she had vexed76 him by blurting77 out her thoughts. And the present was not the right time to speak. In these days Richard was under the impression that she needed to be humoured. He might agree with her against his better judgment78, or, worse still, pretend to agree. And Polly didn’t want that. She wished fairly to persuade him that, by setting up here on the diggings where he was known and respected, he would get on quicker, and make more money, than if he buried himself in some poky English village where no one had ever heard of him.
Meanwhile the unconscious centre of her ambitions wore a perplexed79 frown. Mahony was much exercised just now over the question of medical attendance for Polly. The thought of coming into personal contact with a member of the fraternity was distasteful to him; none of them had an inkling who or what he was. And, though piqued80 by their unsuspectingness, he at the same time feared lest it should not be absolute, and he have the ill-luck to hit on a practitioner81 who had heard of his stray spurts82 of doctoring and written him down a charlatan83 and a quack84. For this reason he would call in no one in the immediate85 neighbourhood — even the western township seemed too near. Ultimately, his choice fell on a man named Rogers who hailed from Mount Pleasant, the rise on the opposite side of the valley and some two miles off. It was true since he did not intend to disclose his own standing86, the distance would make the fellow’s fees mount up. But Rogers was at least properly qualified87 (half those claiming the title of physician were impudent88 impostors, who didn’t know a diploma from the Ten Commandments), of the same ALMA MATER as himself — not a contemporary, though, he took good care of that!— and, if report spoke55 true, a skilful89 and careful obstetrician.
When, however, in response to a note carried by Long Jim Rogers drew rein90 in front of the store, Mahony was not greatly impressed by him. He proved to be a stout91, reddish man, some ten years Mahony’s senior, with a hasty-pudding face and an undecided manner. There be sat, his ten spread finger-tips meeting and gently tapping one another across his paunch, and nodding: “Just so, just so!” to all he heard. He had the trick of saying everything twice over. “Needs to clinch92 his own opinion!” was Mahony’s swift diagnosis93. Himself, he kept in the background. And was he forced to come forward his manner was both stiff and forbidding, so on tenterhooks94 was he lest the other should presume to treat him as anything but the storekeeper he gave himself out to be.
A day or so later who but the wife must arrive to visit Polly!— a piece of gratuitous95 friendliness96 that could well have been dispensed97 with; even though Mahony felt it keenly that, at this juncture98, Polly should lack companions of her own sex. But Rogers had married beneath him, and the sight of the pursy upstart — there were people on the Flat who remembered her running barefoot and slatternly — sitting there, in satin and feathers, lording it over his own little Jenny Wren99, was more than Mahony could tolerate. The distance was put forward as an excuse for Polly not returning the call, and Polly was docile100 as usual; though for her part she had thought her visitor quite a pleasant, kindly101 woman. But then Polly never knew when she was being patronised!
To wipe out any little trace of disappointment, her husband suggested that she should write and ask one of the Beamish girls to stay with her: it would keep her from feeling the days long.
But Polly only laughed. “Long?— when I have so much sewing to do?”
No, she did not want company. By now, indeed, she regretted having sent off that impulsive38 invitation to Mrs. Beamish for the end of the year. Puzzle as she would, she could not see how she was going to put “mother” comfortably up.
Meanwhile the rains were changing the familiar aspect of the place. Creeks102 — in summer dry gutters103 of baked clay — were now rich red rivers; and the yellow Yarrowee ran full to the brim, keeping those who lived hard by it in a twitter of anxiety. The steep slopes of Black Hill showed thinly green; the roads were ploughed troughs of sticky mire104. Occasional night frosts whitened the ground, bringing cloudless days in their wake. Then down came the rain once more, and fell for a week on end. The diggers were washed out of their holes, the Flat became an untraversable bog105. And now there were floods in earnest: the creeks turned to foaming106 torrents107 that swept away trees and the old roots of trees; and the dwellers108 on the river banks had to fly for their bare lives.
Over the top of book or newspaper Mahony watched his wife stitch, stitch, stitch, with a zeal109 that never flagged, at the dolly garments. Just as he could read his way, so Polly sewed hers, through the time of waiting. But whereas she, like a sensible little woman, pinned her thoughts fast to the matter in hand, he let his range freely over the future. Of the many good things this had in store for him, one in particular whetted110 his impatience. It took close on a twelvemonth out here to get hold of a new book. On Ballarat not even a stationer’s existed; nor were there more than a couple of shops in Melbourne itself that could be relied on to carry out your order. You perforce fell behind in the race, remained ignorant of what was being said and done — in science, letters, religious controversy111 — in the great world overseas. To this day he didn’t know whether Agassiz had or had not been appointed to the chair of Natural History in Edinburgh; or whether fresh heresies112 with regard to the creation of species had spoiled his chances; did not know whether Hugh Miller113 had actually gone crazy over the VESTIGES114; or even if those arch-combatants, Syme and Simpson, had at length sheathed115 their swords. Now, however, God willing, he would before very long be back in the thick of it all, in intimate touch with the doings of the most wide-awake city in Europe; and new books and pamphlets would come into his possession as they dropped hot from the press.
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inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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acquitted
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| 宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现 | |
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assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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pending
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| prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的 | |
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legislative
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| n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的 | |
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rosier
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uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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evasion
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Vogue
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| n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的 | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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knack
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| n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法 | |
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insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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antagonism
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wary
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democrats
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| n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 ) | |
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implicated
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consternation
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tempting
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savings
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justified
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embarrassment
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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lawsuit
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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equity
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landmarks
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| n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址） | |
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31
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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32
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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33
scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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34
wraiths
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| n.幽灵( wraith的名词复数 )；（传说中人在将死或死后不久的）显形阴魂 | |
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35
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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36
accustom
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| vt.使适应，使习惯 | |
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37
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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38
impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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39
impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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40
maxims
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| n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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41
languished
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| 长期受苦( languish的过去式和过去分词 )； 受折磨； 变得（越来越）衰弱； 因渴望而变得憔悴或闷闷不乐 | |
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42
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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43
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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44
permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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45
lameness
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| n. 跛, 瘸, 残废 | |
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46
bouts
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| n.拳击（或摔跤）比赛( bout的名词复数 )；一段（工作）；（尤指坏事的）一通；（疾病的）发作 | |
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47
envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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48
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
quell
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| v.压制，平息，减轻 | |
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50
irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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51
testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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52
meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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53
query
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| n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑 | |
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54
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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55
spoke
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| 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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56
blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
gloss
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| n.光泽，光滑；虚饰；注释；vt.加光泽于；掩饰 | |
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58
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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59
discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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60
dozed
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| v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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62
discomforts
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| n.不舒适( discomfort的名词复数 )；不愉快，苦恼 | |
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63
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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64
pretexts
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| n.借口，托辞( pretext的名词复数 ) | |
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65
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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66
delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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67
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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68
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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ruminated
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| 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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71
hemmed
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| 缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围 | |
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72
waived
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| v.宣布放弃( waive的过去式和过去分词 )；搁置；推迟；放弃（权利、要求等） | |
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73
bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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74
chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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75
magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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76
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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77
blurting
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的现在分词 ) | |
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78
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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79
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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80
piqued
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| v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心） | |
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81
practitioner
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| n.实践者，从事者；(医生或律师等)开业者 | |
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82
spurts
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| 短暂而突然的活动或努力( spurt的名词复数 )； 突然奋起 | |
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83
charlatan
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| n.骗子；江湖医生；假内行 | |
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84
quack
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| n.庸医；江湖医生；冒充内行的人；骗子 | |
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85
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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86
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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87
qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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88
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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89
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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90
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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92
clinch
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| v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench | |
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93
diagnosis
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| n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断 | |
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94
tenterhooks
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| n.坐立不安 | |
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95
gratuitous
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| adj.无偿的，免费的；无缘无故的，不必要的 | |
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96
friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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97
dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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98
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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99
wren
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| n.鹪鹩；英国皇家海军女子服务队成员 | |
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100
docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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101
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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102
creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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103
gutters
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| （路边）排水沟( gutter的名词复数 )； 阴沟； （屋顶的）天沟； 贫贱的境地 | |
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104
mire
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| n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境 | |
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105
bog
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| n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖 | |
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106
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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107
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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108
dwellers
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| n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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109
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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110
whetted
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| v.（在石头上）磨（刀、斧等）( whet的过去式和过去分词 )；引起，刺激（食欲、欲望、兴趣等） | |
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111
controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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112
heresies
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| n.异端邪说，异教( heresy的名词复数 ) | |
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113
miller
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| n.磨坊主 | |
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114
vestiges
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| 残余部分( vestige的名词复数 )； 遗迹； 痕迹； 毫不 | |
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115
sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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