He adjusts the Method of his Correspondence with Gauntlet; meets by accident with an Italian Charlatan1, and a certain Apothecary2, who proves to be a noted3 Character.
There the two friends adjusted the articles of a future correspondence; and Peregrine, having written a letter to his mistress, wherein he renewed his former vows5 of eternal fidelity6, it was intrusted to the care of her brother, while Mr. Jolter, at the desire of his pupil, provided an elegant supper, and some excellent Burgundy, that they might spend this eve of his departure with the greater enjoyment7.
Things being thus disposed, and a servant employed in laying the cloth, their ears were of a sudden invaded by a strange tumultuous noise in the next room, occasioned by the overthrow8 of tables, chairs, and glasses, with odd unintelligible10 exclamations11 in broken French, and a jargon12 of threats in the Welsh dialect. Our young gentlemen ran immediately into the apartment from whence this clamour seemed to proceed, and found a thin, meagre, swarthy figure, gasping13, in all the agony of fear, under the hands of a squat14, thick, hard-featured man, who collared him with great demonstrations15 of wrath16, saying, “If you was as mighty17 a magician as Owen Glendower or the witch of Entor, look you, ay, ay, or as Paul Beor himself, I will meke pold, by the assistance of Got, and in his majesty’s name, to seize and secure, and confine and confront you, until such time as you suffer and endure and undergo the pains and penalties of the law, for your diabolical18 practices. Shentlements,” added he, turning to our adventurers, “I take you to witness, that I protest, and assert, and avow19, that this person is as pig a necromancer20 as you would desire to behold21; and I supplicate22, and beseech23, and entreat24 of you, that he may be prought pefore his petters, and compelled to give an account of his compact and commerce with the imps25 of darkness, look you; for, as I am a Christian26 soul, and hope for joyful27 resurrection, I have this plessed evening seen him perform such things as could not be done without the aid and instruction and connivance28 of the tevil.”
Gauntlet seemed to enter into the sentiments of this Welsh reformer, and actually laid hold on the delinquent’s shoulder, crying, “D— n the rascal29! I’ll lay any wager30 that he’s a Jesuit; for none of his order travel without a familiar.” But Peregrine, who looked upon the affair in another point of view, interposed in behalf of the stranger, whom he freed from his aggressors, observing, that there was no occasion to use violence; and asked, in French, what he had done to incur31 the censure32 of the informer. The poor foreigner, more dead than alive, answered that he was an Italian charlatan, who had practised with some reputation in Padua, until he had the misfortune to attract the notice of the Inquisition, by exhibiting certain wonderful performances by his skill in natural knowledge, which that tribunal considered as the effects of sorcery, and persecuted33 him accordingly; so that he had been fain to make a precipitate34 retreat into France, where not finding his account in his talents, he was now arrived in England, with a view of practising his art in London; and that, in consequence of a specimen35 which he had given to a company below, the choleric36 gentleman had followed him up-stairs to his own apartment, and assaulted him in that inhospitable manner: he therefore earnestly begged that our hero would take him under his protection; and, if he entertained the least suspicion of his employing preternatural means in the operations of his art, he would freely communicate all the secrets in his possession.
The youth dispelled37 his apprehension38 by assuring him that he was in no danger of suffering for his art in England, where, if ever he should he questioned by the zeal39 of superstitious40 individuals, he had nothing to do but appeal to the justice of the peace, who would immediately acquit41 him of the charge, and punish his accusers for their impertinence and indiscretion.
He then told Gauntlet and the Welshman that the stranger had a good action against them for an assault, by virtue42 of an Act of Parliament, which makes it criminal for any person to accuse another of sorcery and witchcraft43, these idle notions being now justly exploded by all sensible men. Mr. Jolter, who had by this time joined the company, could not help signifying his dissent44 from this opinion of his pupil, which he endeavoured to invalidate by the authority of Scripture45, quotations46 from the Fathers, and the confession47 of many wretches48 who suffered death for having carried on correspondence with evil spirits together with the evidence of “Satan’s Invisible World,” and Moreton’s “History of Witchcraft.”
The soldier corroborated49 these testimonies50 by facts that had happened within the sphere of his own knowledge, and in particular mentioned the case of an old woman of the parish in which he was born, who used to transform herself into the shapes of sundry51 animals, and was at last killed by small shot in the character of a hare. The Welshman, thus supported, expressed his surprise at hearing that the legislature had shown such tenderness for criminals of so dark a hue52, and offered to prove, by undeniable instances, that there was not a mountain in Wales which had not been, in his memory, the scene of necromancy53 and witchcraft. “Wherefore,” said he, “I am assuredly more than above astonished and confounded and concerned that the Parliament of Great Britain should, in their great wisdoms, and their prudence54, and their penetration55, give countenance56 and encouragement, look you, to the works of darkness and the empire of Pelzepup — ofer and apove the evidence of holy writ4, and those writers who have been quoted by that aggurate and learned shentleman, we are informed, by profane57 history, of the pribbles and pranks58 of the old serpent, in the bortents and oragles of antiquity59, as you will find in that most excellent historian Bolypius, and Titus Lifius; ay, and moreofer, in the Commentaries of Julius Caesar himself, who, as the ole world knows, was a most famous, and a most faliant, and a most wise, and a most prudent60, and a most fortunate chieftain, and a most renowned61 orator62; ay, and a most elegant writer to boot.”
Peregrine did not think proper to enter the lists of dispute with three such obstinate63 antagonists64, but contented65 himself with saying that he believed it would be no difficult matter to impugn66 the arguments they had advanced; though he did not find himself at all disposed to undertake the task, which must of course break in upon the evening’s entertainment. He therefore invited the Italian to supper, and asked the same favour of his accuser, who seemed to have something curious and characteristic in his manner and disposition67, resolving to make himself an eye-witness of those surprising feats68 which had given offence to the choleric Briton. This scrupulous69 gentleman thanked our hero for his courtesy, but declined communicating with the stranger until his character should be further explained; upon which his inviter, after some conversation with the charlatan, assured him that he would himself undertake for the innocence70 of his art; and then he was prevailed upon to favour them with his company.
In the course of the conversation, Peregrine learned that the Welshman was a surgeon of Canterbury, who had been called in to a consultation71 at Dover; and, understanding that his name was Morgan, took the liberty of asking if he was not the person so respectfully mentioned in the “Adventures of Roderick Random72.” Mr. Morgan assumed a look of gravity and importance at this interrogation, and, screwing up his mouth, answered, “Mr. Rantum, my good sir, I believe, upon my conscience and salfation, is my very goot frient and well-wisher; and he and I have been companions and messmates and fellow-sufferers, look you; but nevertheless, for all that, peradventure he hath not pehaved with so much complaisance73 and affability and respect as I might have expected from him; pecause he hath revealed and tivulged and buplished our private affairs, without my knowledge and privity and consent; but as Got is my Safiour, I think he had no evil intention in his pelly; and though there be certain persons, look you, who, as I am told, take upon them to laugh at his descriptions of my person, deportment, and conversation, I do affirm and maintain, and insist with my heart, and my plood, and my soul, that those persons are no petter than ignorant asses9, and that they know not how to discern and distinguish and define true ridicule74, or, as Aristotle calls it, the to Geloion, no more, look you, than a herd75 of mountain goats; for I will make pold to observe — and I hope this goot company will be of the same opinion — that there is nothing said of me in that performance which is unworthy of a Christian and a shentleman.”
Our young gentleman and his friends acquiesced76 in the justness of his observation. Peregrine particularly assured him that, from reading the book, he had conceived the utmost regard and veneration77 for his character, and that he thought himself extremely fortunate in having this opportunity of enjoying his conversation. Morgan, not a little proud of such advances from a person of Peregrine’s appearance, returned the compliment with a profusion78 of civility, and, in the warmth of acknowledgment, expressed a desire of seeing him and his company at his house in Canterbury. “I will not pretend, or presume, kind sir,” said he, “to entertain you according to your merits and deserts; but you shall be as welcome to my poor cottage, and my wife and family, as the prince of Wales himself; and it shall go hard if, one way or other, I do not find ways and means of making you confess that there is some goot fellowship in an ancient Priton; for though I am no petter than a simple apothecary, I have as goot plood circulating in my veins79 as any he in the county; and I can describe and delineate and demonstrate my pedigree to the satisfaction of the ‘ole ‘orld; and, moreofer, by Got’s goot providence80 and assistance, I can afford to treat my friend with joint81 of good mutton and a pottle of excellent wine, and no tradesman can peard me with a bill.”
He was congratulated on his happy situation, and assured that our youth would visit him on his return from France, provided he should take Canterbury in his route. As Peregrine manifested an inclination82 of being acquainted with the state of his affairs, he very complaisantly satisfied his curiosity by giving him to know that his spouse83 had left off breeding, after having blessed him with two boys and a girl, who were still alive and well; that he lived in good esteem84 with his neighbors; and by his practice, which was considerably85 extended immediately after the publication of Roderick Random, had saved some thousand pounds. He had begun to think of retiring among his own relations in Glamorganshire, though his wife had made objection to this proposal, and opposed the execution of it with such obstinacy86, that he had been at infinite pains in asserting his own prerogative87 by convincing her, both from reason and example, that he was king, and priest in his own family, and that she owed the most implicit88 submission89 to his will. He likewise informed the company that he had lately seen his friend Roderick, who had come from London on purpose to visit him, after having gained his lawsuit90 with Mr. Topeball, who was obliged to pay Narcissa’s fortune; that Mr. Random, in all appearance, led a very happy life in the conversation of his father and bed-fellow, by whom he enjoyed a son and daughter; and that Morgan had received, in a present from him, a piece of very fine linen91 of his wife’s own making, several kits92 of salmon93, and two casks of pickled pork — the most delicate he had ever tasted; together with a barrel of excellent herrings for salmagundy, which he knew to be his favourite dish.
This topic of conversation being discussed, the Italian was desired to exhibit a specimen of his art, and in a few minutes he conducted the company into the next room, where, to their great astonishment94 and affright, they beheld95 a thousand serpents winding96 along the ceiling. Morgan, struck with this phenomenon, which he had not seen before, began to utter exorcisms with great devotion, Mr. Jolter ran of the room, Gauntlet drew his hanger97, and Peregrine himself was disconcerted. The operator, perceiving their confusion, desired them to retire, and, calling them back in an instant, there was not a viper98 to be seen. He raised their admiration99 by sundry other performances and the Welshman’s former opinion and abhorrence100 of his character began to recur101, when, in consideration of the civility with which he had been treated, this Italian imparted to them all the methods by which he had acted such wonders, that were no other than the effects of natural causes curiously102 combined; so that Morgan became a convert to his skill, asked pardon for the suspicion he had entertained, and invited the stranger to pass a few days with him at Canterbury. The scruples103 of Godfrey and Jolter were removed at the same time, and Peregrine testified his satisfaction by a handsome gratuity104 which he bestowed105 upon their entertainer.
The evening being spent in this sociable106 manner, every man retired107 to his respective chamber108, and next morning they breakfasted together, when Morgan declared he would stay till he should see our hero fairly embarked109, that he might have the pleasure of Mr. Gauntlet’s company to his own habitation: meanwhile, by the skipper’s advice, the servants were ordered to carry a store of wine and provision on board, in case of accident; and, as the packet-boat could not sail before one o’clock, the company walked up hill to visit the castle, where they saw the sword of Julius Caesar, and Queen Elizabeth’s pocket pistol; repeated Shakespeare’s description, while they surveyed the chalky cliffs on each side, and cast their eyes towards the city of Calais, that was obscured by a thick cloud which did not much regale110 their eye-sight, because it seemed to portend111 foul112 weather.
Having viewed everything remarkable113 in this place, they returned to the pier114, where, after the compliments of parting, and an affectionate embrace between the two young gentlemen, Peregrine and his governor stepped aboard, the sails were hoisted115, and they went to sea with a fair wind, while Godfrey, Morgan, and the conjurer walked back to the inn, from whence they set out for Canterbury before dinner.
1 charlatan | |
n.骗子;江湖医生;假内行 | |
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2 apothecary | |
n.药剂师 | |
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3 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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4 writ | |
n.命令状,书面命令 | |
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5 vows | |
誓言( vow的名词复数 ); 郑重宣布,许愿 | |
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6 fidelity | |
n.忠诚,忠实;精确 | |
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7 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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8 overthrow | |
v.推翻,打倒,颠覆;n.推翻,瓦解,颠覆 | |
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9 asses | |
n. 驴,愚蠢的人,臀部 adv. (常用作后置)用于贬损或骂人 | |
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10 unintelligible | |
adj.无法了解的,难解的,莫明其妙的 | |
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11 exclamations | |
n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 );感叹;感叹语;感叹词 | |
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12 jargon | |
n.术语,行话 | |
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13 gasping | |
adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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14 squat | |
v.蹲坐,蹲下;n.蹲下;adj.矮胖的,粗矮的 | |
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15 demonstrations | |
证明( demonstration的名词复数 ); 表明; 表达; 游行示威 | |
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16 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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17 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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18 diabolical | |
adj.恶魔似的,凶暴的 | |
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19 avow | |
v.承认,公开宣称 | |
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20 necromancer | |
n. 巫师 | |
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21 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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22 supplicate | |
v.恳求;adv.祈求地,哀求地,恳求地 | |
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23 beseech | |
v.祈求,恳求 | |
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24 entreat | |
v.恳求,恳请 | |
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25 imps | |
n.(故事中的)小恶魔( imp的名词复数 );小魔鬼;小淘气;顽童 | |
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26 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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27 joyful | |
adj.欢乐的,令人欢欣的 | |
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28 connivance | |
n.纵容;默许 | |
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29 rascal | |
n.流氓;不诚实的人 | |
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30 wager | |
n.赌注;vt.押注,打赌 | |
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31 incur | |
vt.招致,蒙受,遭遇 | |
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32 censure | |
v./n.责备;非难;责难 | |
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33 persecuted | |
(尤指宗教或政治信仰的)迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 ); 烦扰,困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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34 precipitate | |
adj.突如其来的;vt.使突然发生;n.沉淀物 | |
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35 specimen | |
n.样本,标本 | |
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36 choleric | |
adj.易怒的,性情暴躁的 | |
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37 dispelled | |
v.驱散,赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38 apprehension | |
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑 | |
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39 zeal | |
n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
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40 superstitious | |
adj.迷信的 | |
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41 acquit | |
vt.宣判无罪;(oneself)使(自己)表现出 | |
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42 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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43 witchcraft | |
n.魔法,巫术 | |
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44 dissent | |
n./v.不同意,持异议 | |
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45 scripture | |
n.经文,圣书,手稿;Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》,《圣经》中的一段 | |
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46 quotations | |
n.引用( quotation的名词复数 );[商业]行情(报告);(货物或股票的)市价;时价 | |
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47 confession | |
n.自白,供认,承认 | |
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48 wretches | |
n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 );可怜的人;恶棍;坏蛋 | |
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49 corroborated | |
v.证实,支持(某种说法、信仰、理论等)( corroborate的过去式 ) | |
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50 testimonies | |
(法庭上证人的)证词( testimony的名词复数 ); 证明,证据 | |
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51 sundry | |
adj.各式各样的,种种的 | |
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52 hue | |
n.色度;色调;样子 | |
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53 necromancy | |
n.巫术;通灵术 | |
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54 prudence | |
n.谨慎,精明,节俭 | |
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55 penetration | |
n.穿透,穿人,渗透 | |
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56 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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57 profane | |
adj.亵神的,亵渎的;vt.亵渎,玷污 | |
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58 pranks | |
n.玩笑,恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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59 antiquity | |
n.古老;高龄;古物,古迹 | |
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60 prudent | |
adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 | |
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61 renowned | |
adj.著名的,有名望的,声誉鹊起的 | |
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62 orator | |
n.演说者,演讲者,雄辩家 | |
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63 obstinate | |
adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
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64 antagonists | |
对立[对抗] 者,对手,敌手( antagonist的名词复数 ); 对抗肌; 对抗药 | |
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65 contented | |
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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66 impugn | |
v.指责,对…表示怀疑 | |
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67 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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68 feats | |
功绩,伟业,技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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69 scrupulous | |
adj.审慎的,小心翼翼的,完全的,纯粹的 | |
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70 innocence | |
n.无罪;天真;无害 | |
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71 consultation | |
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议 | |
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72 random | |
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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73 complaisance | |
n.彬彬有礼,殷勤,柔顺 | |
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74 ridicule | |
v.讥讽,挖苦;n.嘲弄 | |
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75 herd | |
n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起 | |
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76 acquiesced | |
v.默认,默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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77 veneration | |
n.尊敬,崇拜 | |
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78 profusion | |
n.挥霍;丰富 | |
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79 veins | |
n.纹理;矿脉( vein的名词复数 );静脉;叶脉;纹理 | |
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80 providence | |
n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
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81 joint | |
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合 | |
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82 inclination | |
n.倾斜;点头;弯腰;斜坡;倾度;倾向;爱好 | |
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83 spouse | |
n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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84 esteem | |
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
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85 considerably | |
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上 | |
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86 obstinacy | |
n.顽固;(病痛等)难治 | |
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87 prerogative | |
n.特权 | |
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88 implicit | |
a.暗示的,含蓄的,不明晰的,绝对的 | |
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89 submission | |
n.服从,投降;温顺,谦虚;提出 | |
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90 lawsuit | |
n.诉讼,控诉 | |
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91 linen | |
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的 | |
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92 kits | |
衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 ); 成套用品; 配套元件 | |
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93 salmon | |
n.鲑,大马哈鱼,橙红色的 | |
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94 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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95 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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96 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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97 hanger | |
n.吊架,吊轴承;挂钩 | |
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98 viper | |
n.毒蛇;危险的人 | |
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99 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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100 abhorrence | |
n.憎恶;可憎恶的事 | |
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101 recur | |
vi.复发,重现,再发生 | |
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102 curiously | |
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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103 scruples | |
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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104 gratuity | |
n.赏钱,小费 | |
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105 bestowed | |
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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106 sociable | |
adj.好交际的,友好的,合群的 | |
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107 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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108 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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109 embarked | |
乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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110 regale | |
v.取悦,款待 | |
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111 portend | |
v.预兆,预示;给…以警告 | |
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112 foul | |
adj.污秽的;邪恶的;v.弄脏;妨害;犯规;n.犯规 | |
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113 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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114 pier | |
n.码头;桥墩,桥柱;[建]窗间壁,支柱 | |
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115 hoisted | |
把…吊起,升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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