He tried to beat down the wave-crest of emotion, happiness, that surged over him, gripped him and shook him. He wanted none of it, wished desperately1 to fight against it. It was all right for him to be pleased to see her again, to be with her, but this titillating2 on the verge3 of transports of joy—he would simply have to keep a tight hold on himself. The situation held too many potentialities of complications, uncertainties4, distress5. Even the way in which the news of her coming had reached him had illustrated6, oddly, the curious blend of the bitter and the sweet which the situation held. It had been the Tinker hag again. She had caught him at tea, had seized upon him and led him to a secluded7 corner that she might enjoy in every detail, undisturbed, his reaction to the dénouement. Probably she had overcome a desire to fare forth8 and shout out the news in the market place, had kept it for him, so that she might be the first to communicate it. It was her hobby, probably the only interest which kept her alive, this interest in living, this contriving9 complicated situations among her acquaintances in order that she might satisfy a morbidly11 curious and perverted12 taste for the dramatic by gloating over their display of the more unusual emotions, their unguarded laying bare before her avid13 eye the reactions usually painstakingly14 held in check. He had been irritatedly aware of the greedy glare of this old woman; it was almost indecent; as she watched him[Pg 264] rapaciously15 solicitous16 lest she fail to catch the slightest indication of face or voice which might betray his feelings. He did not think she could have gotten much out of it. He thought he had played up well. Still, one could never know. Anyway, it was disquieting17, disgusting, that the return of Sylvia, after all this time, should immediately revive the watchfulness18 of the idle women, should so wantonly render complicated, almost impossible, intimate relation with this girl.
And, now, what about Sylvia? Did she know that he had become free? How long had she known it? Had she just heard of it and returned forthwith? No; he dismissed that thought. But might she not have heard some time ago and simply allowed a decent interval19 to elapse in order to avoid giving the gossips grist for their mills? But he caught himself up sharply. What an ass20 he was to imagine, vaingloriously, that he had entered into her considerations at all. Presumably she had been governed by entirely21 different motives22, something not even remotely connected with him. What grounds had he to imagine that his presence was of the slightest moment to her. Of course, it did seem as if she must have left Tokyo on account of the gossip connecting him with her; but, after all, that proved nothing, could certainly not by even the most fanciful contortion23 of imagination be construed24 into an indication of feeling related to affection. No, he was an ass.
The only thing he could do would be to sit tight and suffer matters to occur as they might. He was curious to meet her—he sternly insisted to himself that that was all—and yet he rather dreaded25 it, wondered what he should say, how he should act. He would leave it to her to take the lead. Women did these things better than men, had finer perceptions, possessed26 an [Pg 265]instinctive sureness with which they could handle deftly27 such delicate situations.
So when he met her, he was not much surprised that the incident seemed almost commonplace. Luckily, there were others at the time whom she met also for the first time since her return. She treated him exactly like these, included him with those others with the usual drab, conventional commonplaces. It almost irritated him that the meeting had been so trivial. Was she then not interested? It piqued28 him. Well, why shouldn't he find out. He was free now, and if he did care for her—there was no denying that she interested him immensely, that she still had that old charm for him, yes, hang it, that he did care for, that he might easily come to love her. And why not? Came back to his mind the charm of the days when he and she had been close, when he had been afraid to dally29 with the thought of her in the place of Isabel. He need not fear that now. He had the right to. And if it had been pleasant then, why not now, why not allow himself the felicity of dreaming that dream. He warmed to the thought, a glow of sheer pleasure and happiness suffused30 him. Of course. He would be careful to be tactful. She was tremendously sensitive and he must take care not to spoil everything by being too precipitate31, but he would watch his chance.
It took time, still, as he felt his way slowly, with anxious care, holding himself in check, carefully consolidating32 such little gains as he made before venturing an infinitely33 small step forward, he felt that they were gradually approaching something like the old relation. He had even come to the point where they had made a few small excursions together. But they were few and separated by intervals34 that seemed infinitely long, and he fretted35 under the necessity of keeping himself in hand. Now that he was allowing himself to consider,[Pg 266] at least as a remote potentiality, the idea of love, the situation became ever so much more complicated, was more difficult to manage. He must not allow himself to think of this too much. In the back of his mind remained the uneasy thought that he had loved Isabel, had ardently36 desired to marry her—and then his marriage had been a failure, anyway. If one failed once, one might do so twice. After all, love was often mainly something contrived37 by oneself. One took love of an image conjured38 up by one's imagination for love of the woman; it might be a sort of auto-intoxication. He must be sure of himself. He must force himself to be rational, to refrain from letting fancy take charge of what should be the function of the brain. Anyway, there was plenty of work to do. He would use work as a counterirritant.
Japan had suddenly launched into one of its periods of frantic39 excitement. First came news from Manchuria, where Chang Tso-lin was moving a great expedition to drive the Soviet40 troops out of Mongolia. Conservative papers registered perfunctory surprise at the completeness of his equipment, motor transport, field artillery41, even airplanes; but most of the papers, the people generally, sneered42 contemptuously, shrugged43 shoulders. It was an old story. Of course, the Manchurian war-lord could have obtained them from only one source, the militarists. The War Office issued its usual denial, which no one believed. Presently came news of attacks by Chinese bandits on settlements in the South Manchuria Railway territory, massacres44 of Japanese colonists45, clashes with Japanese police, burning of a consulate46 or two. From high official sources, unnamed, but generously quoted in the press, were given out alarming statements. It was the Bolshevik menace, irresponsible hordes47 of Manchuria, malcontent48 Koreans, being goaded49 on by mysterious machinations[Pg 267] from Moscow. It would be necessary to move troops into Manchuria to protect the railway region, especially now that Chang Tso-lin was engaged in Mongolia and could not protect neighboring territory. The divisions in Korea were moved inland. It would be necessary to send fresh troops to Korea. Of course, it would be impossible to consider the proposition to reduce the army at the session of the Diet which was just about to meet.
The people murmured; again the feeling became prevalent that a great militaristic scheme was being carried out, cleverly hidden by the uniformed old men up there in the copper-roofed building towering on the hill beyond the Foreign Office. Opinions were divided. Some insisted that Japanese lives must be avenged51, colonists protected, the dignity of the Empire upheld; others cried out bitterly that the entire turmoil52 was but part of a great plot ingeniously hatched out by the General Staff. Some papers claimed to have proof that this was but another attempt to carry out the favorite old military plan, to have a buffer53 state created by Chang Tso-lin and remnants of White Russian factions54; that the bandits were backed by Chang, that the very rifles which had dealt out death to Japanese had been furnished in mysterious roundabout ways by the War Office. It was hinted that the massacres were, in fact, quite welcome to the General Staff, that they were a part of the whole scheme.
It was a busy period for Kent. News was breaking constantly, here and there, in unexpected quarters. It was intensely interesting at first, sending story upon story over the wire, each one conveying the tingling55 feeling of anticipation56 that each day was bringing nearer some great event, some cataclysm57, indefinite but gradually assuming certainty, something overwhelming, big news. But events were happening too quickly,[Pg 268]—the staccato hammering of situation after situation, the Manchurian affair, army bill, rice scandal, Diet fights, police charges, rumors58 and revelations, farmer revolts and riots in the cities, all became a conglomerate59 chaos60 of excitement, a whirl of incidents flickering61 by with dizzily shifting changes, making concentration on any one of them almost impossible. Like the nation in general, Kent found himself unable to maintain the high key of excited absorption; one became overwhelmed as if by a succession of great waves, one following so closely after the other that the mind, battered63 and bewildered, failing to register complete, clear impression of each one, became in reaction dulled, exhausted64, almost apathetic65. After all, this ubiquitous clamor, this constantly flickering and flashing of new heterogeneous66 pictures, produced finally but an impression of a stupendous blur67; one became exhausted by the repetition of explosions of excitement, causing one to hold one's breath, nervously68, in expectancy69 of some prodigious70 dénouement, a political deluge71, that constantly impended72 but which always seemed to fall just short, to evaporate harmlessly as each happening became overshadowed by the occurrence of some new and astounding73 development.
It became necessary to remain almost constantly near the center of affairs, to be in readiness to snap up the news events which flashed forth with explosive suddenness, like lightning from a hovering74 thunder cloud. It became his custom to spend much of his time at the Imperial Hotel. It was close to the Diet building, the Foreign Office, the central police station, and when things were quiet, when there was nothing to do but wait, he enjoyed the atmosphere, the feeling of remoteness from the humdrum75 surroundings of everyday modernity, which was conveyed to him by this enormous structure of fantastic masonry76 where genius had[Pg 269] contrived to work out in permanencies of stone and bronze the delicate and ephemeral fancies of an opulent dream image. Resting in a remote corner among the myriad77 corniced recesses78 which gave on the spacious79 vestibule, his eye found constant delight in the intricacy of detail, embroidery-like stone pillar, fretwork and balustrades, gilded80 mortar81 binding82 together complicated interlacing designs; the flood of colors of rugs and cushions—browns, ocher, terracotta and maroon83, and blues84, ultra-marine, lapis lazuli, indigo—in a riot of shadings and combinations, and all of it, colors and contours, blended into a great harmonious85 whole, impressive, inspiring, so it seemed almost a sacrilege that this mirage-like brilliance86 should be profaned87 by the comings and goings of mere88 hotel guests and townsfolk bent89 on prosaic90 concerns of business.
In the afternoon, at tea time, it was especially pleasant, when the Russian orchestra played. Flicker62 of color of butterfly-winged kimonos would animate91 the scene with a glimmer92 of exotic rich life. They really fitted into the picture, these young girls of the Japanese aristocracy, with their undulating, polychromatic textures93, and when the music lent itself to the forming of a picture, some symphony or bit of opera, one might dream oneself surrounded by an Arabian Nights setting, or a scene from "Aïda."
Here one might meet every one who counted at all in the ultra-modern life of Tokyo, foreigners and Japanese, business men, newspapermen, young fellows from the embassies, in the bar; and, upstairs, in the lobby or in Peacock Alley94, the women at tea. Kent often saw the Suzuki girls there. Kimiko seemed happy enough, showed no trace of the incident which had brought her to him. But he came principally for the chance that it afforded him to see Sylvia.
[Pg 270]
It had been a strenuous95 afternoon, but a disappointing one. A stormy scene had been expected in the Diet. He had sat in the gallery for hours, listening to dreary96 debate, hoping that momentarily something would happen; had made the rounds of the Foreign Office, newspaper offices, even the lair97 of old Viscount Kikuchi—but nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Now the Diet had adjourned98 until the following morning; the crowds had dispersed99. He was glad to see Sylvia alone at one of the tables overlooking the inner court.
"You're just the one I want to see. It's been a maddening day; lots of work and no results. May I sit with you?"
"Of course, but I'm afraid I cannot be with you long, although, as a matter of fact, I'm trying to make a sort of a meal here. I'm off on an expedition of my own, and I shall have no dinner until late, midnight maybe."
An expedition. He urged her not to be mysterious. She soon gave in. After all, it was entirely professional. She intended to go to the great Nichiren temple at Ikegami, a few miles from Tokyo. It would be full moon and she had always had an idea that there might be a picture there for her, some fantastic harmonious blending of contour of gnarled pines, curved temple roofs, which might be enhanced, softened100, etherealized by moonbeam glamor101.
"I'm not at all sure that there will be a picture there, at least not for me. I may not be able to get enough color out of it; but I want the experience, anyway, the eeriness102 of the hundreds of old graves in the cryptomeria shadows. I have been wanting to go for a long time; so to-night I'm going."
The idea appealed to him instantly. "I wish you'd let me come with you."
[Pg 271]
"I'm afraid it might be rather unconventional, would it not?" she hesitated.
"It would be still more unconventional if you went alone. You should have an escort. I shan't disturb you. I promise you that I shall be as dumb and unobtrusive as your walking-stick; but, really, I do wish you would let me come along."
She looked at him reflectively. He wondered what thoughts were forming behind these fine, black eyes; the desire to go with her, which had been only an inspirational whim103, took deeper hold. She must let him come. He leaned forward earnestly. She smiled. "Very well, then. I suppose you might as well come; but remember, I shall be at work; I shall want to think, to absorb. You must be as you promised, just inanimate, a block of wood."
He promised hastily, curiously104 noting in himself a feeling of trembling pleasure. They finished their tea and took the electric train to Omori.
Twilight105 was falling when they reached the village. They walked through narrow winding106 lanes, past tall bamboo fences enclosing spacious gardens, came to the open country, rice fields, scattered107 groups of houses clustered on tree-clad hills. In the gathering108 shadows crickets were tuning109 up for their serenades; the moon, rising from behind the pine groves111 on the Ikegami ridge112, bathed the landscape with soft luminosity.
As they climbed the long broad stone stairway leading up to the temple heights, they heard the monotonous113 euphony114 of a chant. At a minor115 shrine116 close to the entrance a priest was engaged in some ceremonial. As they stood by the stone foxes guarding the entrance to the small court fronting it, they could see his vestmented figure, kneeling, facing the dimly illuminated117 gorgeousness of gilt119, and brocade, and lacquer, a[Pg 272] glimpse of resplendent Oriental opulence120 devoted121 to mysterious, age-old rites122.
They passed on. The rest of the temple grounds lay in darkness, illuminated sparingly by a few faint electric lights, irritatingly modern amidst all the ancient buildings, lofty cryptomerias, crumbling123 tombs. They passed along the broad stone-paved path, smoothed by wear of feet of generations of worshipers, under the massive, towering crimson124 gateway125 leading into the inner court. Here was a plateau on the hilltop, whence ran on all sides corrugations of ridges126 and valleys, set with hundreds of graves, carved stone monuments, lichened127 sepulchers128, broodingly silent in the shadows of fantastically gnarled pine limbs.
The main temple buildings were closed. The wide court was bathed in moonlight, brilliant, white, setting out in strong relief every detail of contour of curved roof, carved pillars, bronze figures anachronistically finding in their midst a battered rapid-fire gun, trophy129 from the Russian War. But it was all too brightly visible, too plainly seen; the eeriness, the nebulous awe130 of obscure mystery, lay beyond, all about them, among the graves in the shadows of the pines.
From the right of the courtyard, near the gateway, a pathway ran, straight as a sword, penetrating131 into the heart of the pine grove110, a chasm132 of opalescent133 light, a shimmery134 gorge118 of white brilliance in abrupt135 contrast to the almost solid walls of blackness, leading like a fantastically contrived magic road to a pagoda136, which closed it, with intricately carved roof set upon roof, rising with slender elegance137 towards the dark sapphire138 heavens. It formed a picture, but strange, eccentrically unusual, without color—pale, shimmery, pearly—set against ebony blackness. It seemed to him that it would be impossible to express it through the ordinary media of the brush; as if it might be worked out[Pg 273] only by some odd special process, mother-of-pearl and teak; but even then it would lose the peculiar139 scintillating140 brilliance which seemed to make even the blackness luminous141.
He looked at the girl, wondering what she was getting out of it. She was entirely absorbed, eyes intent, frowning in thought, perplexity. She shook her head. "No. Come."
They crossed the courtyard, found a path leading behind one of the main buildings and an old, crumbling edifice142, rotting, giving forth moldy143 odor of decay. It led down into a lower stratum144 of ridges and gullies, slippery flags laid between mounds145 and hillsides, twisting and turning, with stone stairways, leading upwards146, downwards147, among thousands of ancient burial plots. Over it all lay the murky148 shadows of cryptomeria, slashed149 here and there by bright streaks150 of pale moonlight. The silence seemed uncannily brooding, ominously151 oppressive, riven only by spasmodic droning booms from a great brass152 bell, somewhere deep in the shadows behind them, reverberating153 shiveringly through the shadows.
It was as if they were enveloped154 in an atmosphere of the supernatural, as if they had willfully intruded155 into a realm of ghosts and specters, a scene set for mysterious danse macabre-like rites, rash beings possessed of the ephemeral spark of life of the moment interfering156 with their puny157 inconsequential presence in this, the realm of those who had held sway here for centuries.
She had taken his arm; now she was clinging to him closely. He could feel her shivering nervously. The feeling was infectious, crept over him irritatingly. He brought himself together. "Come, you are getting nervous. Let us rest for a moment before going on."
He led her up a stairway leading to the top of a[Pg 274] small eminence158, an enclosure surrounded by a low stone balustrade, evidently the private burial place of some family of the nobility of remote medieval days. In the open space surrounded on all sides by blackness the illumination seemed almost dazzling, brilliantly white, with a spotlight159 effect, enhancing the sense of unearthliness, remoteness from the world of material things.
They found a fallen stone pillar and seated themselves. She remained silent, staring out into this spectral160 ghost world, the fantastic eccentricities161 of shapes and contours, where everything was black and white only, like a gigantic etching. He, watching her, became absorbed in turn. He was pleased that she fitted into the scene, even into the Oriental setting, a filmy silk shawl lending a kimono-like effect, her great pile of raven162 hair suggestive of the high Japanese coiffure. Whimsically, out of nowhere, came the idea to him: thank providence163, she was not a blonde! It would have spoiled the effect which she was now producing—fine, clear profile, pale features, black hair blending into the picture formed by mass-grown monuments, great carved lanterns, outlined sharply in the suffusion164 of moonlight.
The whole thing seemed unreal, as if they had found themselves suddenly in a world centuries removed from that in which they usually moved, as if they had become participants in an elfin play, were on the brink165 of the enacting166 of something supernatural, some midsummer night's dream fancy, or a dance of specters; as if they might expect momentarily to hear some unseen goblin orchestra strike into an overture168 of tinkling169 bluebells170, insect violins, bumblebee bassoons, murmur50 of night wind, leading them, this girl and himself, into some scene of dreamlike phantasy in which they had fortuitously become the main characters.
[Pg 275]
What a setting for romance! These surroundings, this girl, this wonder of pure, harmonious perfection! Somehow, he felt that it would be impossible to create again this same effect, that it could not be consciously contrived merely by coming to this place any moonlight night with the determination, purposely, of summoning the spell. There came to him a feeling that this could be attained171 only once in a lifetime, that he was impassively, fatuously172 failing to seize the immeasurably rare opportunity——
Opportunity for what? He shook himself together. He was becoming moonstruck. After all, this girl—— She did not notice his gaze. It was fascinating to watch her, the infinitely fine play of light in her eyes, her impatient frown in concentration of thoughts which were almost palpable, visible. And yet, what did she think? It occurred that in the same manner he had speculated as to the thoughts which might lurk173 behind the white brows of Kimiko-san, Sadako-san and the rest. How different they must be; fine, dreamlike, exotic, quaint10 as might be the ideas of those girls, would not the glamor thereof, the ephemeral delicacy174, fade as one became familiar with them, become commonplace, irritatingly trite175 after wear of years of association? Here, on the other hand, was a brain capable of absorbing the most subtle and evasive expressions of life, existence in its varied176 manifestations177, of shaping them into concrete, lasting178 form, creative, a mind like one's own, or even more capable, which would grow, develop like an unfolding blossom, presenting ever new beauties and richness in years of life together.
Without conscious thought, acting167 entirely on impulse, he leaned towards her. She looked at him, awakened179 suddenly from her reverie. "I must be poor company," she smiled. "But then, you know, I[Pg 276] told you beforehand. It is all so bewildering, puzzling to me. I can see the pictures here, the dazzlingly wonderful potentialities which lie right here before me, about me; and yet I can't get hold of it. It eludes180 me entirely. It is the lack of color, I think, the predominance of light and shadow effects, black and white. It is not for me, I'm afraid. This is a subject for some great etcher, for some kind of a Klinger or Boeklin composition; and yet one would have to get in these elusive181 opalescent tints182, these evasive iridescences. It is very disappointing, to feel it all so far beyond one's capabilities183; and yet I have enjoyed it so much. I have let it get away with me. But now it must be late. Come," she took his hand simply, confidently. "We must be going home. You must forgive me if I have let the moonlight run away with my thoughts. But didn't you feel something like that too? Did you not feel coming to you dreams, visions that, even though they must fade away and lose their evanescence, will still continue to live in some form, to take shape in one's life."
He did not answer. The dream was already beginning to concentrate, to solidify184 into definite form of thought, purpose. He wondered whether it were possible that she might divine, by some subtle woman's intuition, the inspiration which was now growing into tangible185 form of a wish, deliberate pursuance of desire, that now finally he was sure that she was the woman whom he had been awaiting, that he had come to the end of his seeking.
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1
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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titillating
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| adj.使人痒痒的； 使人激动的，令人兴奋的v.使觉得痒( titillate的现在分词 )；逗引；激发；使高兴 | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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uncertainties
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| 无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物 | |
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5
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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6
illustrated
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| adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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7
secluded
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| 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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8
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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contriving
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的现在分词 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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morbidly
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| adv.病态地 | |
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perverted
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| adj.不正当的v.滥用( pervert的过去式和过去分词 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落 | |
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avid
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| adj.热心的；贪婪的；渴望的；劲头十足的 | |
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painstakingly
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| adv. 费力地 苦心地 | |
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rapaciously
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| adv.贪婪地；强取地，贪婪地 | |
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solicitous
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| adj.热切的，挂念的 | |
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disquieting
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| adj.令人不安的，令人不平静的v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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motives
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contortion
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| n.扭弯，扭歪，曲解 | |
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construed
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| v.解释（陈述、行为等）( construe的过去式和过去分词 )；翻译，作句法分析 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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deftly
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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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dally
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suffused
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precipitate
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consolidating
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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intervals
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| 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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fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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36
ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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37
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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38
conjured
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| 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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39
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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40
Soviet
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| adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃 | |
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41
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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42
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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44
massacres
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| 大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败 | |
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45
colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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46
consulate
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| n.领事馆 | |
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47
hordes
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| n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落 | |
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48
malcontent
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| n.不满者，不平者；adj.抱不平的，不满的 | |
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49
goaded
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| v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人 | |
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50
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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51
avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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52
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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53
buffer
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| n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲 | |
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54
factions
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| 组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 ) | |
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55
tingling
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 ) | |
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56
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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57
cataclysm
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| n.洪水，剧变，大灾难 | |
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58
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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59
conglomerate
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| n.综合商社，多元化集团公司 | |
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60
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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61
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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62
flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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63
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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64
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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65
apathetic
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| adj.冷漠的，无动于衷的 | |
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66
heterogeneous
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| adj.庞杂的；异类的 | |
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67
blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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68
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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69
expectancy
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| n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额 | |
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70
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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71
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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72
impended
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| v.进行威胁，即将发生( impend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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73
astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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74
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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75
humdrum
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| adj.单调的，乏味的 | |
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76
masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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77
myriad
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| adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量 | |
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78
recesses
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| 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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79
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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80
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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81
mortar
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|
| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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82
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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83
maroon
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|
| v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的 | |
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84
blues
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|
| n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐 | |
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85
harmonious
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|
| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
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86
brilliance
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|
| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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87
profaned
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| v.不敬( profane的过去式和过去分词 )；亵渎，玷污 | |
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88
mere
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|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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89
bent
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|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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90
prosaic
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|
| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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91
animate
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| v.赋于生命，鼓励；adj.有生命的，有生气的 | |
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92
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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93
textures
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| n.手感( texture的名词复数 )；质感；口感；（音乐或文学的）谐和统一感 | |
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94
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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95
strenuous
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|
| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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96
dreary
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|
| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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97
lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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98
adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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99
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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100
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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101
glamor
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| n.魅力，吸引力 | |
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102
eeriness
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| n.怪诞，胆怯，阴森 | |
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103
whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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104
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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105
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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106
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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107
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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108
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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109
tuning
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| n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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110
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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111
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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112
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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113
monotonous
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|
| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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114
euphony
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| n.悦耳的语音 | |
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115
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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116
shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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117
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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118
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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119
gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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120
opulence
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| n.财富，富裕 | |
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121
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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122
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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123
crumbling
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| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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124
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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125
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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126
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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127
lichened
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| adj.长满地衣的，长青苔的 | |
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128
sepulchers
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| n.坟墓，墓穴( sepulcher的名词复数 )；圣物置放处v.埋葬( sepulcher的第三人称单数 ) | |
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129
trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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130
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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131
penetrating
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|
| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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132
chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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133
opalescent
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| adj.乳色的，乳白的 | |
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134
shimmery
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| adj.微微发亮的 | |
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135
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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136
pagoda
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| n.宝塔（尤指印度和远东的多层宝塔），（印度教或佛教的）塔式庙宇 | |
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137
elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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138
sapphire
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| n.青玉，蓝宝石；adj.天蓝色的 | |
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139
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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140
scintillating
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| adj．才气横溢的,闪闪发光的; 闪烁的 | |
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141
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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142
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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143
moldy
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| adj.发霉的 | |
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144
stratum
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| n.地层，社会阶层 | |
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145
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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146
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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147
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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148
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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149
slashed
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| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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150
streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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151
ominously
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| adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地 | |
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152
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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153
reverberating
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| 回响，回荡( reverberate的现在分词 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射 | |
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154
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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155
intruded
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| n.侵入的，推进的v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的过去式和过去分词 )；把…强加于 | |
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156
interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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157
puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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158
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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159
spotlight
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| n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目 | |
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spectral
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| adj.幽灵的，鬼魂的 | |
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161
eccentricities
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| n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 )；反常；怪癖 | |
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162
raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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163
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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164
suffusion
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| n.充满 | |
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165
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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166
enacting
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 ) | |
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167
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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168
overture
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| n.前奏曲、序曲，提议，提案，初步交涉 | |
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169
tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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170
bluebells
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| n.圆叶风铃草( bluebell的名词复数 ) | |
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171
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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172
fatuously
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| adv.愚昧地，昏庸地，蠢地 | |
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173
lurk
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| n.潜伏，潜行；v.潜藏，潜伏，埋伏 | |
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174
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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175
trite
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| adj.陈腐的 | |
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176
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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177
manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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178
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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179
awakened
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| 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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180
eludes
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的第三人称单数 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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181
elusive
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| adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的 | |
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182
tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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183
capabilities
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| n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力 | |
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184
solidify
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| v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结 | |
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185
tangible
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| adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的 | |
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