Peregrine, almost distracted with his Disappointment, conjures2 the fair Fleming to permit his Visits at Brussels — She withdraws from his Pursuit.
Things being thus adjusted, and all the company dressed, they went to breakfast about five in the morning; and in less than an hour after were seated in the diligence, where a profound silence prevailed. Peregrine, who used to be the life of the society, was extremely pensive3 and melancholy4 on account of his mishap5, the Israelite and his dulcinea dejected in consequence of their disgrace, the poet absorbed in lofty meditation7, the painter in schemes of revenge; while Jolter, rocked by the motion of the carriage, made himself amends8 for the want of rest he had sustained; and the mendicant9, with his fair charge, were infected by the cloudy aspect of our youth, in whose disappointment each of them, for different reasons, bore no inconsiderable share. This general languor10 and recess11 from all bodily exercise disposed them all to receive the gentle yoke12 of slumber13; and in half-an-hour after they had embarked14, there was not one of them awake, except our hero and his mistress, unless the Capuchin was pleased to counterfeit15 sleep, in order to indulge our young gentleman with an opportunity of enjoying some private conversation with his beauteous ward16.
Peregrine did not neglect the occasion; but, on the contrary, seized the first minute, and, in gentle murmurs17, lamented18 his hard hap6 in being thus the sport of fortune. He assured her, and that with great sincerity19, that all the cross accidents of his life had not cost him one half of the vexation and keenness of chagrin20 which he had suffered last night; and that now he was on the brink21 of parting from her, he should be overwhelmed with the blackest despair, if she would not extend her compassion22 so far as to give him an opportunity of sighing at her feet in Brussels, during the few days his affairs would permit him to spend in that city. This young lady, with an air of mortification23, expressed her sorrow for being the innocent cause of his anxiety; said she hoped last night’s adventure would be a salutary warning to both their souls; for she was persuaded, that her virtue25 was protected by the intervention26 of Heaven; that whatever impression it might have made upon him, she was enabled by it to adhere to that duty from which her passion had begun to swerve27; and, beseeching28 him to forget her for his own peace, gave him to understand, that neither the plan she had laid down for her own conduct, nor the dictates29 of her honour, would allow her to receive his visits, or carry on any other correspondence with him, while she was restricted by the articles of her marriage-vow.
This explanation produced such a violent effect upon her admirer, that he was for some minutes deprived of the faculty30 of speech; which he no sooner recovered, than he gave vent24 to the most unbridled transports of passion. He taxed her with barbarity and indifference31; told her, that she had robbed him of his reason and internal peace; that he would follow her to the ends of the earth, and cease to live sooner than cease to love her; that he would sacrifice the innocent fool who had been the occasion of all this disquiet32, and murder every man whom he considered as an obstruction33 to his views. In a word, his passions, which had continued so long in a state of the highest fermentation, together with the want of that repose34 which calms and quiets the perturbation of the spirits, had wrought35 him up to a pitch of real distraction36. While he uttered these delirious37 expressions, the tears ran down his cheeks; and he underwent such agitation38 that the tender heart of the fair Fleming was affected39 with his condition: and, while her own face was bedewed with the streams of sympathy, she begged him, for Heaven’s sake, to be composed; and promised, for his satisfaction, to abate40 somewhat of the rigour of her purpose. Consoled by this kind declaration, he recollected41 himself; and, taking out his pencil, gave her his address, when she had assured him, that he should hear from her in four-and-twenty hours, at farthest, after their separation.
Thus soothed43, he regained44 the empire of himself, and, by degrees, recovered his serenity45. But this was not the case with his Amanda, who, from this sample of his disposition46, dreaded47 the impetuosity of his youth, and was effectually deterred48 from entering into any engagements that might subject her peace and reputation to the rash effects of such a violent spirit. Though she was captivated by his person and accomplishments49, she had reflection enough to foresee, that the longer she countenanced51 his passion, her own heart would be more and more irretrievably engaged, and the quiet of her life the more exposed to continual interruption. She therefore profited by these considerations, and a sense of religious honour, which helped her to withstand the suggestions of inclination52; and resolved to amuse her lover with false hopes, until she should have it in her power to relinquish53 his conversation, without running any risk of suffering by the inconsiderate sallies of his love. It was with this view that she desired he would not insist upon attending her to her mother’s house, when they arrived at Brussels; and he, cajoled by her artifice54, took a formal leave of her, together with the other strangers, fixing his habitation at the inn to which he and his fellow-travellers had been directed, in the impatient expectation of receiving a kind summons from her within the limited time.
Meanwhile, in order to divert his imagination, he went to see the stadthouse, park, and arsenal55, took a superficial view of the booksellers’ cabinet of curiosities, and spent the evening at the Italian opera, which was at that time exhibited for the entertainment of Prince Charles of Lorraine, then governor of the Low Countries. In short, the stated period was almost lapsed56 when Peregrine received a letter to this purport:—
“Sir,— If you knew what violence I do my own heart, in declaring, that I have withdrawn57 myself for ever from your addresses, you would surely applaud the sacrifice I make to virtue, and strive to imitate this example of self-denial. Yes, sir, Heaven hath lent me grace to struggle with my guilty passion, and henceforth to avoid the dangerous sight of him, who inspired it. I therefore conjure1 you, by the regard you ought to have to the eternal welfare of us both, as well as by the esteem58 and affection you profess59, to war with your unruly inclination, and desist from all attempts of frustrating60 the laudable resolution I have made. Seek not to invade the peace of one who loves you, to disturb the quiet of a family that never did you wrong, and to alienate61 the thoughts of a weak woman from a deserving man, who, by the most sacred claim, ought to have the full possession of her heart.”
This billet, without either date or subscription62, banished63 all remains64 of discretion65 from the mind of our hero, who ran instantly to the landlord in all the ecstasy66 of madness, and demanded to see the messenger who brought the letter on pain of putting his whole family to the sword. The innkeeper, terrified by his looks and menaces, fell upon his knees, protesting in the face of Heaven that he was utterly67 ignorant and innocent of anything that could give him offence, and that the billet was brought by a person whom he did not know, and who retired68 immediately, saying it required no answer. He then gave utterance70 to his fury in a thousand imprecations and invectives against the writer, whom he dishonoured71 with the appellations72 of a coquette, a jilt, an adventurer, who, by means of a pimping priest, had defrauded73 him of his money. He denounced vengeance74 against the mendicant, whom he swore he would destroy if ever he should set eyes on him again.
The painter unluckily appearing during this paroxysm of rage, he seized him by the throat, saying he was ruined by his accursed folly75; and in all likelihood poor Pallet would have been strangled had not Jolter interposed in his behalf, beseeching his pupil to have mercy upon the sufferer, and, with infinite anxiety, desiring to know the cause of this violent assault. He received no answer but a string of incoherent curses. When the painter, with unspeakable astonishment76, took God to witness that he bad done nothing to disoblige him, the governor began to think, in sad earnest, that Peregrine’s vivacity77 had at length risen to the transports of actual madness, and was himself almost distracted with this supposition. That he might the better judge what remedy ought to be applied78, he used his whole influence, and practised all his eloquence79 upon the youth, in order to learn the immediate69 cause of his delirium80. He employed the most pathetic entreaties81, and even shed tears in the course of his supplication82; so that Pickle83, the first violence of the hurricane being blown over, was ashamed of his own imprudence, and retired to his chamber84 in order to recollect42 his dissipated thoughts; there he shut himself up, and for the second time perusing85 the fatal epistle, began to waver in his opinion of the author’s character and intention. He sometimes considered her as one of those nymphs, who, under the mask of innocence86 and simplicity87, practise upon the hearts and purses of unwary and inexperienced youths: this was the suggestion of his wrath88 inflamed89 by disappointment; but when he reflected upon the circumstances of her behaviour, and recalled her particular charms to his imagination, the severity of his censure90 gave way and his heart declared in favour of her sincerity.
Yet even this consideration aggravated91 the sense of his loss, and he was in danger of relapsing into his former distraction, when his passion was a little becalmed by the hope of seeing her again, either by accident or in the course of a diligent92 and minute inquiry93, which he forthwith resolved to set on foot. He had reason to believe that her own heart would espouse94 his cause in spite of her virtue’s determination; and did not despair of meeting with the Capuchin, whose good offices he knew he could at any time command. Comforted with these reflections, the tempest of his soul subsided95. In less than two hours he joined his company with an air of composure, and asked the painter’s forgiveness for the freedom he had taken, the cause of which he promised hereafter to explain. Pallet was glad of being reconciled on any terms to one whose countenance50 supported him in equilibrio with his antagonist96 the doctor; and Mr. Jolter was rejoiced beyond measure at his pupil’s recovery.
1 conjure | |
v.恳求,祈求;变魔术,变戏法 | |
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2 conjures | |
用魔术变出( conjure的第三人称单数 ); 祈求,恳求; 变戏法; (变魔术般地) 使…出现 | |
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3 pensive | |
a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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4 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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5 mishap | |
n.不幸的事,不幸;灾祸 | |
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6 hap | |
n.运气;v.偶然发生 | |
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7 meditation | |
n.熟虑,(尤指宗教的)默想,沉思,(pl.)冥想录 | |
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8 amends | |
n. 赔偿 | |
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9 mendicant | |
n.乞丐;adj.行乞的 | |
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10 languor | |
n.无精力,倦怠 | |
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11 recess | |
n.短期休息,壁凹(墙上装架子,柜子等凹处) | |
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12 yoke | |
n.轭;支配;v.给...上轭,连接,使成配偶 | |
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13 slumber | |
n.睡眠,沉睡状态 | |
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14 embarked | |
乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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15 counterfeit | |
vt.伪造,仿造;adj.伪造的,假冒的 | |
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16 ward | |
n.守卫,监护,病房,行政区,由监护人或法院保护的人(尤指儿童);vt.守护,躲开 | |
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17 murmurs | |
n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 );低语声;怨言;嘀咕 | |
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18 lamented | |
adj.被哀悼的,令人遗憾的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19 sincerity | |
n.真诚,诚意;真实 | |
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20 chagrin | |
n.懊恼;气愤;委屈 | |
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21 brink | |
n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘,边沿 | |
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22 compassion | |
n.同情,怜悯 | |
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23 mortification | |
n.耻辱,屈辱 | |
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24 vent | |
n.通风口,排放口;开衩;vt.表达,发泄 | |
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25 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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26 intervention | |
n.介入,干涉,干预 | |
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27 swerve | |
v.突然转向,背离;n.转向,弯曲,背离 | |
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28 beseeching | |
adj.恳求似的v.恳求,乞求(某事物)( beseech的现在分词 ) | |
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29 dictates | |
n.命令,规定,要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 );口授;支配;摆布 | |
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30 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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31 indifference | |
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
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32 disquiet | |
n.担心,焦虑 | |
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33 obstruction | |
n.阻塞,堵塞;障碍物 | |
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34 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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35 wrought | |
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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36 distraction | |
n.精神涣散,精神不集中,消遣,娱乐 | |
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37 delirious | |
adj.不省人事的,神智昏迷的 | |
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38 agitation | |
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 | |
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39 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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40 abate | |
vi.(风势,疼痛等)减弱,减轻,减退 | |
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41 recollected | |
adj.冷静的;镇定的;被回忆起的;沉思默想的v.记起,想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42 recollect | |
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得 | |
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43 soothed | |
v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 );抚慰;使舒服;减轻痛苦 | |
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44 regained | |
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地 | |
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45 serenity | |
n.宁静,沉着,晴朗 | |
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46 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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47 dreaded | |
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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48 deterred | |
v.阻止,制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49 accomplishments | |
n.造诣;完成( accomplishment的名词复数 );技能;成绩;成就 | |
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50 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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51 countenanced | |
v.支持,赞同,批准( countenance的过去式 ) | |
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52 inclination | |
n.倾斜;点头;弯腰;斜坡;倾度;倾向;爱好 | |
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53 relinquish | |
v.放弃,撤回,让与,放手 | |
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54 artifice | |
n.妙计,高明的手段;狡诈,诡计 | |
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55 arsenal | |
n.兵工厂,军械库 | |
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56 lapsed | |
adj.流失的,堕落的v.退步( lapse的过去式和过去分词 );陷入;倒退;丧失 | |
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57 withdrawn | |
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出 | |
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58 esteem | |
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
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59 profess | |
v.声称,冒称,以...为业,正式接受入教,表明信仰 | |
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60 frustrating | |
adj.产生挫折的,使人沮丧的,令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 );挫败;使受挫折;令人沮丧 | |
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61 alienate | |
vt.使疏远,离间;转让(财产等) | |
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62 subscription | |
n.预订,预订费,亲笔签名,调配法,下标(处方) | |
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63 banished | |
v.放逐,驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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65 discretion | |
n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
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66 ecstasy | |
n.狂喜,心醉神怡,入迷 | |
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67 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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68 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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69 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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70 utterance | |
n.用言语表达,话语,言语 | |
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71 dishonoured | |
a.不光彩的,不名誉的 | |
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72 appellations | |
n.名称,称号( appellation的名词复数 ) | |
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73 defrauded | |
v.诈取,骗取( defraud的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74 vengeance | |
n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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75 folly | |
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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76 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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77 vivacity | |
n.快活,活泼,精神充沛 | |
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78 applied | |
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用 | |
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79 eloquence | |
n.雄辩;口才,修辞 | |
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80 delirium | |
n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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81 entreaties | |
n.恳求,乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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82 supplication | |
n.恳求,祈愿,哀求 | |
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83 pickle | |
n.腌汁,泡菜;v.腌,泡 | |
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84 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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85 perusing | |
v.读(某篇文字)( peruse的现在分词 );(尤指)细阅;审阅;匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览(某篇文字) | |
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86 innocence | |
n.无罪;天真;无害 | |
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87 simplicity | |
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯 | |
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88 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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89 inflamed | |
adj.发炎的,红肿的v.(使)变红,发怒,过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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90 censure | |
v./n.责备;非难;责难 | |
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91 aggravated | |
使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 ); 使更严重; 激怒; 使恼火 | |
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92 diligent | |
adj.勤勉的,勤奋的 | |
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93 inquiry | |
n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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94 espouse | |
v.支持,赞成,嫁娶 | |
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95 subsided | |
v.(土地)下陷(因在地下采矿)( subside的过去式和过去分词 );减弱;下降至较低或正常水平;一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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96 antagonist | |
n.敌人,对抗者,对手 | |
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