I took up my quarters in a hamlet on the banks of the Wylye, a delightful12 little river, taking its rise near the Somersetshire border, and wandering with innumerable windings13 through the heart of Wiltshire, associating itself with the Bourne and the Nadder, until at Salisbury it is lost in that most puzzling of all streams, the Avon. I said puzzling, for I believe there are but a handful of people out of the great host to whom the Avon is one of the best-known streams in the world from its associations, who know that there is one Avon feeding the Severn near Tewkesbury, which is Shakespeare’s Avon; there is another, upon which Bristol has founded her prosperity, and there is yet another, the Avon of my first mention, which, accumulated from numberless rivulets14 in the Vale of Pewsey, floweth through Salisbury, and loses itself finally in the waters of the English Channel at Christchurch in Hampshire. But I must ask forgiveness for allowing the wily Avon to lure15 me away thus far.
One of the chief charms of Wiltshire is its rolling downs rising upon either side of the valley, which in the course of ages the busy little Wylye has scooped16 out between them in gentle undulations, a short, sweet herbage for the most part covering their masses of solid chalk, coming to within a foot or two of those emerald surfaces. This is the place to come and ponder over the rubbish that is talked about the over-crowding of England. Here you shall wander for a whole day if you will, neither meeting or seeing a human being unless you follow the road that winds through the Deverills, five villages of the valley, all, alas17, in swift process of decay. Even there the simple19 folk will stare long and earnestly at a stranger as he passes, before turning to resume their leisurely18 tasks, the uneventful, slumberous19 round of English village life. To me it was idyllic20. A great peace came over me, and I felt that it was a sinful waste of nature to shut myself within four walls even at night. Long after the thirty souls peopling our hamlet had gone to bed I would sit out on the hillside behind the cottage, steeping my heart in the warm silence, only manifested—not broken—by the queer wailing21 cry of an uneasy plover22 as it fluttered overhead. And when, reluctantly, I did go to bed, I was careful to prop23 the windows wide open, even though I was occasionally awakened25 by the soft “flip-flip” of bats flying across my chamber26, dazzled by the small light of my reading lamp.
The grey of the dawn, no matter how few had been my hours of sleep, never failed to awaken24 me, and, hurrying through my bath and dressing27, I gat me out into the sweet breath of morning twilight28 while Nature was taking her beauty sleep and the dewdrops were waiting to welcome with their myriad29 smiles the first peep of the sun. And so it came to pass that one morning, just as the eastern horizon was being flooded with a marvellous series of colour-blends in mysterious and ever-changing sequence, that I mounted the swell30 of the down opposite to the village of Brixton Deverill, with every sense quickened to fullest appreciation31 of the lovely scene. Hosts of rabbits, quaint32 wee bunches of grey fur, each with a white blaze in the centre, scuttled33 from beneath my feet, and every little while, their curiosity overpowering natural fear, sat up with20 long ears erect34 and big black eyes devouring35 the uncouth36 intruder on their happy feeding grounds. Great flocks of partridges, almost as tame as domestic fowls38 (for it was July), ran merrily in and out among the furze clumps39, or rose with a noisy whir of many wings when I came too close; aristocratic cock pheasants strolled by superciliously41 with a sidelong glance to see that the erect biped carried no gun, and an occasional lark42 gyrated to the swell of his own heart-lifting song as he rose in successive leaps to his proper sphere. I felt like singing myself, but Nature’s music was too sweet to be disturbed by my quavering voice, so I climbed on, all eyes and ears, and nerves a-tingle with receptivity of keenest enjoyment9. Reaching the summit, I paused and surveyed the peaceful scene. Far to the left lay Longleat, its dense43 woods shimmering44 in a blue haze45; to the right, Heytesbury Wood, in sombre shadow; and behind, the forest-like ridge37 of Chicklade. But near me, just peeping over the bare crest46 of an adjoining down, were the tops of a clump40 of firs, and, curious to know what that coppice might contain (I always have had a desire to explore the recesses47 of a lonely clump of trees), I turned my steps towards it, only stopping at short intervals48 to admire the gracefulness49 of the purple, blue, and yellow wild flowers with which the short, fine rabbit-grass was profusely50 besprent. Meanwhile the sun appeared in cloudless splendour, his powerful rays dissipating the spring-like freshness of the morning and promising51 a most sultry day. Yet as I drew nearer the dark fastness of the coppice I felt a chill, an actual physical sensation21 of cold. At the same time there arose within me a positive repugnance52 to draw any closer to that deep shade. This unaccountable change only made me angry with myself for being capable of feeling such a nonsensical, unexplainable hindrance53 to my purpose. So I took hold of it with both hands, and cast it from me, striding onward54 with quickened step until I really seemed to be breasting a strong tide. Panting with the intensity55 of my inward struggle, I reached the shadow cast by that solemn clump of pines, and saw the pale outlines of a wall in their midst. Now curiosity became paramount56, and, actually shivering with cold, I pressed on until I stood in front of a fairly large house, surrounded by a flint wall on all sides, but at some yards distance from it. Through large holes in the encircling wall the wood-folk scampered57 or fluttered merrily but noiselessly; rabbits, hares, squirrels, and birds, and as I drew nearer there was a sudden whiff of strong animal scent58, and a long red body launched itself through one of the openings, flitting past me like a flash of red-brown light. Although I had never seen an English fox before on his native heath, I recognized him from his pictures, and forgave him for startling me. Skirting the wall, I came to a huge gap with crumbling59 sides, where once had been a gate, I suppose. It commanded a view of the front of the house, which I now saw was a mere60 shell, its walls perforated in many places by the busy rabbits, which swarmed61 in and out like bees upon a hive. No windows remained, but the front door was fast closed and barred by a thick trunk of ivy62, which had once overspread the whole building, but was now quite in keeping with it, for it was dead. The space between the wall and the house was thickly overgrown with nettles63 to nearly the height of a man, but there was no sign of any useful plant, and even the roof of the building, which was of red tiles and intact, had none of that kindly65 covering of house-leek, stone-crop, and moss66, which always decks such spaces with beauty in the country. Upon a sudden impulse I turned, and behind me I saw with a shudder67 that only a few feet from where I stood there was a sheer descent of some thirty feet, a veritable pit some ten yards wide, but with its farther margin68 only a few feet high. Tall trees sprang from its bottom and sides, their roots surrounding a pool of black-looking water that seemed a receptacle for all manner of hideous69 mysteries. Involuntarily I shrank into myself, and looked up for a glint of blue sunlit sky, but it was like being in a vault70, dark and dank and cold. Still, the idea never entered my head to get out until I had seen all that might be there to be seen, although I confess to comforting myself, as I have often done on a dull and gloomy day, with the reminder71 that just outside the sun was shining steadily72.
Turning away from that grim-looking pit, I thrust myself through the savage73 nettle64-bed, my hands held high so that I could guard my face with my arms, until I reached the first opening in the house wall that offered admission. With just one moment’s hesitation74 I stepped within, and stood on the decayed floor of what had once been the best room. And then23 I had need of all my disbelief in ghosts, for around me and beneath me and above were a congeries of all the queer noises one could conjure75 up. Soft pattering of feet, hollow murmurings as of voices, the indefinite sound of brushing past that always makes one turn sharply to see who is near. I found my mouth getting dry and my hands burning, in spite of the chill that still clung to me; but still I went on and explored every room in the eerie76 place, noting a colony of bats that huddled77 together among the bare roof-beams, prying78 into the numerous cavities in floors and walls made by the rabbits and the rats, but seeing nothing worthy79 of note until I reached a sort of cellar which looked as if it had been used as a bakehouse. Upon stepping down the decrepit80 ladder which led to it, I startled a great colony of rats, that fled in all directions with shrill81 notes of affright, hardly more scared than myself. The place was so dark that I thankfully remembered my box of wax matches, and, twisting two or three torches out of a newspaper I found in my jacket pocket, I soon had a good light.
It revealed a cavity in the floor just in front of a huge baker’s oven, into the dim recesses of which I peered, finding that it extended for some distance on either side of the opening. Lighting82 another torch, I jumped down and found—three oblong boxes of rude construction, and across them the mouldering83 frame of what had once been a man. At last I had seen enough, and with something tap-tapping inside my head, I scrambled84 hastily out of the hole, my body shaking as if with ague, and my lungs aching for air. I looked24 neither to the right nor the left as I went, nor paused, regardless of the nettle grove85, until I emerged upon the bright hilltop, where I flung myself down and drank in great gulps86 of sweet air until my tremors87 passed away and the tumult1 of my mind became appeased88.
Without casting another look back at that lonely place, or attempting to speculate upon what I had seen, I departed for home, and, after a hasty breakfast, sought out a friend in the next village, Longbridge Deverill, who had already given me many pleasant hours by retailing89 scraps90 of local history reaching back for hundreds of years. I found him in his pretty garden enjoying the bright day, with a look of deep content upon his worn old face—the afterglow of a well-spent life. Staying his rising to greet me, I flung myself down on the springy turf by his side, and almost without a word of preface, gave him a hurried account of my morning’s adventure. He listened in grave silence until I had finished, and then began as follows.
点击收听单词发音
1 tumult | |
n.喧哗;激动,混乱;吵闹 | |
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2 unbearable | |
adj.不能容忍的;忍受不住的 | |
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3 dome | |
n.圆屋顶,拱顶 | |
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4 relentless | |
adj.残酷的,不留情的,无怜悯心的 | |
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5 condemned | |
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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6 abide | |
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受 | |
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7 strife | |
n.争吵,冲突,倾轧,竞争 | |
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8 longing | |
n.(for)渴望 | |
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9 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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10 enjoyments | |
愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 ); 令人愉快的事物; 享有; 享受 | |
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11 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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12 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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13 windings | |
(道路、河流等)蜿蜒的,弯曲的( winding的名词复数 ); 缠绕( wind的现在分词 ); 卷绕; 转动(把手) | |
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14 rivulets | |
n.小河,小溪( rivulet的名词复数 ) | |
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15 lure | |
n.吸引人的东西,诱惑物;vt.引诱,吸引 | |
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16 scooped | |
v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 );(敏捷地)抱起;抢先获得;用铲[勺]等挖(洞等) | |
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17 alas | |
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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18 leisurely | |
adj.悠闲的;从容的,慢慢的 | |
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19 slumberous | |
a.昏昏欲睡的 | |
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20 idyllic | |
adj.质朴宜人的,田园风光的 | |
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21 wailing | |
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的现在分词 );沱 | |
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22 plover | |
n.珩,珩科鸟,千鸟 | |
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23 prop | |
vt.支撑;n.支柱,支撑物;支持者,靠山 | |
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24 awaken | |
vi.醒,觉醒;vt.唤醒,使觉醒,唤起,激起 | |
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25 awakened | |
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到 | |
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26 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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27 dressing | |
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料 | |
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28 twilight | |
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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29 myriad | |
adj.无数的;n.无数,极大数量 | |
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30 swell | |
vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强 | |
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31 appreciation | |
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
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32 quaint | |
adj.古雅的,离奇有趣的,奇怪的 | |
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33 scuttled | |
v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 );快跑,急走 | |
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34 erect | |
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 | |
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35 devouring | |
吞没( devour的现在分词 ); 耗尽; 津津有味地看; 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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36 uncouth | |
adj.无教养的,粗鲁的 | |
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37 ridge | |
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭 | |
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38 fowls | |
鸟( fowl的名词复数 ); 禽肉; 既不是这; 非驴非马 | |
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39 clumps | |
n.(树、灌木、植物等的)丛、簇( clump的名词复数 );(土、泥等)团;块;笨重的脚步声v.(树、灌木、植物等的)丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 );(土、泥等)团;块;笨重的脚步声 | |
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40 clump | |
n.树丛,草丛;vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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41 superciliously | |
adv.高傲地;傲慢地 | |
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42 lark | |
n.云雀,百灵鸟;n.嬉戏,玩笑;vi.嬉戏 | |
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43 dense | |
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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44 shimmering | |
v.闪闪发光,发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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45 haze | |
n.霾,烟雾;懵懂,迷糊;vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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46 crest | |
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖 | |
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47 recesses | |
n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 );(工作或业务活动的)中止或暂停期间;学校的课间休息;某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 );将(墙)做成凹形,在(墙)上做壁龛;休息,休会,休庭 | |
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48 intervals | |
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 | |
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49 gracefulness | |
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50 profusely | |
ad.abundantly | |
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51 promising | |
adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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52 repugnance | |
n.嫌恶 | |
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53 hindrance | |
n.妨碍,障碍 | |
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54 onward | |
adj.向前的,前进的;adv.向前,前进,在先 | |
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55 intensity | |
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度 | |
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56 paramount | |
a.最重要的,最高权力的 | |
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57 scampered | |
v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑,惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58 scent | |
n.气味,香味,香水,线索,嗅觉;v.嗅,发觉 | |
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59 crumbling | |
adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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60 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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61 swarmed | |
密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 ); 云集; 成群地移动; 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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62 ivy | |
n.常青藤,常春藤 | |
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63 nettles | |
n.荨麻( nettle的名词复数 ) | |
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64 nettle | |
n.荨麻;v.烦忧,激恼 | |
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65 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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66 moss | |
n.苔,藓,地衣 | |
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67 shudder | |
v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动 | |
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68 margin | |
n.页边空白;差额;余地,余裕;边,边缘 | |
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69 hideous | |
adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
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70 vault | |
n.拱形圆顶,地窖,地下室 | |
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71 reminder | |
n.提醒物,纪念品;暗示,提示 | |
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72 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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73 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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74 hesitation | |
n.犹豫,踌躇 | |
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75 conjure | |
v.恳求,祈求;变魔术,变戏法 | |
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76 eerie | |
adj.怪诞的;奇异的;可怕的;胆怯的 | |
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77 huddled | |
挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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78 prying | |
adj.爱打听的v.打听,刺探(他人的私事)( pry的现在分词 );撬开 | |
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79 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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80 decrepit | |
adj.衰老的,破旧的 | |
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81 shrill | |
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫 | |
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82 lighting | |
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光 | |
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83 mouldering | |
v.腐朽( moulder的现在分词 );腐烂,崩塌 | |
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84 scrambled | |
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞 | |
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85 grove | |
n.林子,小树林,园林 | |
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86 gulps | |
n.一大口(尤指液体)( gulp的名词复数 )v.狼吞虎咽地吃,吞咽( gulp的第三人称单数 );大口地吸(气);哽住 | |
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87 tremors | |
震颤( tremor的名词复数 ); 战栗; 震颤声; 大地的轻微震动 | |
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88 appeased | |
安抚,抚慰( appease的过去式和过去分词 ); 绥靖(满足另一国的要求以避免战争) | |
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89 retailing | |
n.零售业v.零售(retail的现在分词) | |
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90 scraps | |
油渣 | |
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