Alack! ’tis melancholy1 theme to think
How Learning doth in rugged2 states abide3,
And, like her bashful owl4, obscurely blink,
In pensive5 glooms and corners, scarcely spied;
Not, as in Founders’ Halls and domes7 of pride,
Served with grave homage8, like a tragic9 queen,
But with one lonely priest compell’d to hide,
In midst of foggy moors10 and mosses12 green,
In that clay cabin hight the College of Kilreen!
2.
This College looketh South and West alsoe,
Because it hath a cast in windows twain;
Crazy and crack’d they be, and wind doth blow
Through transparent13 holes in every pane14,
Which Pan, with many paines, makes whole again
With nether15 garments, which his thrift16 doth teach
To stand for glass, like pronouns, and when rain
Stormeth, he puts, “once more unto the breach,”
Outside and in, tho’ broke, yet so he mendeth each.
3.
And in the midst a little door there is,
Whereon a board that doth congratulate
With painted letters, red as blood I wis,
Thus written,
“CHILDREN TAKEN IN TO BATE”:
And oft, indeed, the inward of that gate,
Most ventriloque, doth utter tender squeak17,
And moans of infants that bemoan18 their fate,
In midst of sounds of Latin, French, and Greek,
Which, all i’ the Irish tongue, he teacheth them to speak.
4.
For some are meant to right illegal wrongs,
And some for Doctors of Divinitie,
Whom he doth teach to murder the dead tongues,
And soe win academical degree;
But some are bred for service of the sea,
Howbeit, their store of learning is but small,
For mickle waste he counteth it would be
To stock a head with bookish wares19 at all,
Only to be knock’d off by ruthless cannon-ball.
5.
Six babes he sways — some little and some big,
Divided into classes six; alsoe,
He keeps a parlor20 boarder of a pig,
That in the College fareth to and fro,
And picketh up the urchins’ crumbs21 below,
And eke22 the learned rudiments23 they scan,
And thus his A, B, C, doth wisely know —
Hereafter to be shown in caravan24,
And raise the wonderment of many a learned man.
6.
Alsoe, he schools some tame familiar fowls26,
Whereof, above his head, some two or three
Sit darkly squatting28, like Minerva’s owls27,
But on the branches of no living tree,
And overlook the learned family;
While, sometimes, Partlet, from her gloomy perch29,
Drops feather on the nose of Dominie,
Meanwhile, with serious eye, he makes research
In leaves of that sour tree of knowledge — now a birch.
7.
No chair he hath, the awful Pedagogue30,
Such as would magisterial31 hams imbed,
But sitteth lowly on a beechen log,
Secure in high authority and dread32:
Large, as a dome6 for Learning, seems his head,
And, like Apollo’s, all beset33 with rays,
Because his locks are so unkempt and red,
And stand abroad in many several ways:—
No laurel crown he wears, howbeit his cap is baize.
8.
And, underneath34, a pair of shaggy brows
O’erhang as many eyes of gizzard hue35,
That inward giblet of a fowl25, which shows
A mongrel tint36, that is ne brown ne blue;
His nose — it is a coral to the view;
Well nourish’d with Pierian Potheen —
For much he loves his native mountain dew; —
But to depict37 the dye would lack, I ween,
A bottle-red, in terms, as well as bottle-green.
9.
As for his coat, ’tis such a jerkin short
As Spenser had, ere he composed his Tales;
But underneath he hath no vest, nor aught,
So that the wind his airy breast assails38;
Below, he wears the nether garb39 of males,
Of crimson40 plush, but non-plushed at the knee; —
Thence further down the native red prevails,
Of his own naked fleecy hosierie:—
Two sandals, without soles, complete his cap-a-pie.
10.
Nathless, for dignity, he now doth lap
His function in a magisterial gown,
That shows more countries in it than a map —
Blue tinct, and red, and green, and russet brown,
Besides some blots41, standing42 for country-town;
And eke some rents, for streams and rivers wide;
But, sometimes, bashful when he looks adown,
He turns the garment of the other side,
Hopeful that so the holes may never be espied43!
11.
And soe he sits, amidst the little pack,
That look for shady or for sunny noon,
Within his visage, like an almanack —
His quiet smile foretelling45 gracious boon46:
But when his mouth droops47 down, like rainy moon,
With horrid48 chill each little heart unwarms,
Knowing that infant show’rs will follow soon,
And with forebodings of near wrath49 and storms
They sit, like timid hares, all trembling on their forms.
12.
Ah! luckless wight, who cannot then repeat
“Corduroy Colloquy,”— or “Ki, K?, Kod,”—
Full soon his tears shall make his turfy seat
More sodden50, tho’ already made of sod,
For Dan shall whip him with the word of God —
Severe by rule, and not by nature mild,
He never spoils the child and spares the rod,
But spoils the rod and never spares the child,
And soe with holy rule deems he is reconcil’d.
13.
But, surely, the just sky will never wink51
At men who take delight in childish throe,
And stripe the nether-urchin like a pink
Or tender hyacinth, inscribed52 with woe53;
Such bloody54 Pedagogues55, when they shall know,
By useless birches, that forlorn recess56,
Which is no holiday, in Pit below,
Will hell not seem design’d for their distress57 —
A melancholy place, that is all bottomlesse?
14.
Yet would the Muse58 not chide59 the wholesome60 use
Of needful discipline, in due degree.
Devoid61 of sway, what wrongs will time produce,
Whene’er the twig62 untrained grows up a tree.
This shall a Carder, that a Whiteboy be,
Ferocious63 leaders of atrocious bands,
And Learning’s help be used for infamie,
By lawless clerks, that, with their bloody hands,
In murder’d English write Rock’s murderous commands.
15.
But ah! what shrilly64 cry doth now alarm
The sooty fowls that dozed65 upon the beam,
All sudden fluttering from the brandish’d arm,
And cackling chorus with the human scream;
Meanwhile, the scourge66 plies67 that unkindly seam
In Phelim’s brogues, which bares his naked skin,
Like traitor68 gap in warlike fort, I deem,
That falsely lets the fierce besieger69 in,
Nor seeks the Pedagogue by other course to win.
16.
No parent dear he hath to heed70 his cries; —
Alas71! his parent dear is far aloof72,
And deep in Seven-Dial cellar lies,
Killed by kind cudgel-play, or gin of proof,
Or climbeth, catwise, on some London roof,
Singing, perchance, a lay of Erin’s Isle73,
Or, whilst he labors74, weaves a fancy-woof,
Dreaming he sees his home — his Phelim smile; —
Ah me! that luckless imp76, who weepeth all the while!
17.
Ah! who can paint that hard and heavy time,
When first the scholar lists in Learning’s train,
And mounts her rugged steep, enforc’d to climb,
Like sooty imp, by sharp posterior pain,
From bloody twig, and eke that Indian cane77,
Wherein, alas! no sugar’d juices dwell,
For this, the while one stripling’s sluices78 drain,
Another weepeth over chilblains fell,
Always upon the heel, yet never to be well!
18.
Anon a third, for his delicious root,
Late ravish’d from his tooth by elder chit,
So soon is human violence afoot,
So hardly is the harmless biter bit!
Meanwhile, the tyrant79, with untimely wit
And mouthing face, derides80 the small one’s moan,
Who, all lamenting81 for his loss, doth sit,
Alack — mischance comes seldomtimes alone,
But aye the worried dog must rue82 more curs than one.
19.
For lo! the Pedagogue, with sudden drub,
Smites83 his scald-head, that is already sore —
Superfluous84 wound — such is Misfortune’s rub!
Who straight makes answer with redoubled roar,
And sheds salt tears twice faster than before,
That still, with backward fist, he strives to dry;
Washing, with brackish85 moisture, o’er and o’er,
His muddy cheek, that grows more foul86 thereby87,
Till all his rainy face looks grim as rainy sky.
20.
So Dan, by dint88 of noise, obtains a peace,
And with his natural untender knack89,
By new distress, bids former grievance90 cease,
Like tears dried up with rugged huckaback,
That sets the mournful visage all awrack;
Yet soon the childish countenance91 will shine
Even as thorough storms the soonest slack,
For grief and beef in adverse92 ways incline,
This keeps, and that decays, when duly soak’d in brine.
21.
Now all is hushed, and, with a look profound,
The Dominie lays ope the learned page;
(So be it called) although he doth expound93
Without a book, both Greek and Latin sage44;
Now telleth he of Rome’s rude infant age,
How Romulus was bred in savage94 wood,
By wet-nurse wolf, devoid of wolfish rage;
And laid foundation-stone of walls of mud,
But watered it, alas! with warm fraternal blood.
22.
Anon, he turns to that Homeric war,
How Troy was sieged like Londonderry town;
And stout95 Achilles, at his jaunting-car,
Dragged mighty96 Hector with a bloody crown;
And eke the bard97, that sung of their renown98,
In garb of Greece, most beggar-like and torn,
He paints, with colly, wand’ring up and down,
Because, at once, in seven cities born;
And so, of parish rights, was, all his days, forlorn.
23.
Anon, through old Mythology99 he goes,
Of Gods defunct100, and all their pedigrees,
But shuns101 their scandalous amours, and shows
How Plato wise, and clear-ey’d Socrates,
Confess’d not to those heathen hes and shes;
But thro’ the clouds of the Olympic cope
Beheld102 St. Peter, with his holy keys,
And own’d their love was naught103, and bow’d to Pope,
Whilst all their purblind104 race in Pagan mist did grope!
24.
From such quaint105 themes he turns, at last, aside,
To new philosophies, that still are green,
And shows what railroads have been track’d, to guide
The wheels of great political machine;
If English corn should grow abroad, I ween,
And gold be made of gold, or paper sheet;
How many pigs be born to each spalpeen;
And, ah! how man shall thrive beyond his meat —
With twenty souls alive, to one square sod of peat!
25.
Here, he makes end; and all the fry of youth,
That stood around with serious look intense,
Close up again their gaping106 eyes and mouth,
Which they had opened to his eloquence107,
As if their hearing were a threefold sense.
But now the current of his words is done,
And whether any fruits shall spring from thence,
In future time, with any mother’s son,
It is a thing, God wot! that can be told by none.
26.
Now by the creeping shadows of the noon,
The hour is come to lay aside their lore108;
The cheerful Pedagogue perceives it soon,
And cries, “Begone!” unto the imps109 — and four
Snatch their two hats and struggle for the door,
Like ardent110 spirits vented111 from a cask,
All blithe112 and boisterous113 — but leave two more,
With Reading made Uneasy for a task,
To weep, whilst all their mates in merry sunshine bask114,
27.
Like sportive Elfins, on the verdant115 sod,
With tender moss11 so sleekly116 overgrown,
That doth not hurt, but kiss, the sole unshod,
So soothly kind is Erin to her own!
And one, at Hare and Hound, plays all alone —
For Phelim’s gone to tend his step-dame’s cow;
Ah! Phelim’s step-dame is a canker’d crone!
Whilst other twain play at an Irish row,
And, with shillelah small, break one another’s brow!
28.
But careful Dominie, with ceaseless thrift,
Now changeth ferula for rural hoe;
But, first of all, with tender hand doth shift
His college gown, because of solar glow,
And hangs it on a bush, to scare the crow:
Meanwhile, he plants in earth the dappled bean,
Or trains the young potatoes all a-row,
Or plucks the fragrant118 leek117 for pottage green,
With that crisp curly herb, call’d Kale in Aberdeen.
29.
And so he wisely spends the fruitful hours,
Linked each to each by labor75, like a bee;
Or rules in Learning’s hall, or trims her bow’rs; —
Would there were many more such wights as he,
To sway each capital academie
Of Cam and Isis; for, alack! at each
There dwells, I wot, some dronish Dominie,
That does no garden work, nor yet doth teach,
But wears a floury head, and talks in flow’ry speech!
点击收听单词发音
1 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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2 rugged | |
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
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3 abide | |
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受 | |
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4 owl | |
n.猫头鹰,枭 | |
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5 pensive | |
a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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6 dome | |
n.圆屋顶,拱顶 | |
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7 domes | |
n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 );像圆屋顶一样的东西;圆顶体育场 | |
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8 homage | |
n.尊敬,敬意,崇敬 | |
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9 tragic | |
adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的 | |
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10 moors | |
v.停泊,系泊(船只)( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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11 moss | |
n.苔,藓,地衣 | |
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12 mosses | |
n. 藓类, 苔藓植物 名词moss的复数形式 | |
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13 transparent | |
adj.明显的,无疑的;透明的 | |
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14 pane | |
n.窗格玻璃,长方块 | |
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15 nether | |
adj.下部的,下面的;n.阴间;下层社会 | |
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16 thrift | |
adj.节约,节俭;n.节俭,节约 | |
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17 squeak | |
n.吱吱声,逃脱;v.(发出)吱吱叫,侥幸通过;(俚)告密 | |
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18 bemoan | |
v.悲叹,哀泣,痛哭;惋惜,不满于 | |
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19 wares | |
n. 货物, 商品 | |
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20 parlor | |
n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅 | |
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21 crumbs | |
int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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22 eke | |
v.勉强度日,节约使用 | |
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23 rudiments | |
n.基础知识,入门 | |
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24 caravan | |
n.大蓬车;活动房屋 | |
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25 fowl | |
n.家禽,鸡,禽肉 | |
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26 fowls | |
鸟( fowl的名词复数 ); 禽肉; 既不是这; 非驴非马 | |
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27 owls | |
n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) | |
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28 squatting | |
v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);为获得其所有权;而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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29 perch | |
n.栖木,高位,杆;v.栖息,就位,位于 | |
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30 pedagogue | |
n.教师 | |
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31 magisterial | |
adj.威风的,有权威的;adv.威严地 | |
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32 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
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33 beset | |
v.镶嵌;困扰,包围 | |
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34 underneath | |
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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35 hue | |
n.色度;色调;样子 | |
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36 tint | |
n.淡色,浅色;染发剂;vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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37 depict | |
vt.描画,描绘;描写,描述 | |
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38 assails | |
v.攻击( assail的第三人称单数 );困扰;质问;毅然应对 | |
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39 garb | |
n.服装,装束 | |
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40 crimson | |
n./adj.深(绯)红色(的);vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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41 blots | |
污渍( blot的名词复数 ); 墨水渍; 错事; 污点 | |
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42 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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43 espied | |
v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44 sage | |
n.圣人,哲人;adj.贤明的,明智的 | |
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45 foretelling | |
v.预言,预示( foretell的现在分词 ) | |
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46 boon | |
n.恩赐,恩物,恩惠 | |
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47 droops | |
弯曲或下垂,发蔫( droop的名词复数 ) | |
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48 horrid | |
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
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49 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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50 sodden | |
adj.浑身湿透的;v.使浸透;使呆头呆脑 | |
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51 wink | |
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁 | |
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52 inscribed | |
v.写,刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 );内接 | |
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53 woe | |
n.悲哀,苦痛,不幸,困难;int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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54 bloody | |
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
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55 pedagogues | |
n.教师,卖弄学问的教师( pedagogue的名词复数 ) | |
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56 recess | |
n.短期休息,壁凹(墙上装架子,柜子等凹处) | |
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57 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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58 muse | |
n.缪斯(希腊神话中的女神),创作灵感 | |
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59 chide | |
v.叱责;谴责 | |
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60 wholesome | |
adj.适合;卫生的;有益健康的;显示身心健康的 | |
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61 devoid | |
adj.全无的,缺乏的 | |
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62 twig | |
n.小树枝,嫩枝;v.理解 | |
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63 ferocious | |
adj.凶猛的,残暴的,极度的,十分强烈的 | |
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64 shrilly | |
尖声的; 光亮的,耀眼的 | |
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65 dozed | |
v.打盹儿,打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66 scourge | |
n.灾难,祸害;v.蹂躏 | |
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67 plies | |
v.使用(工具)( ply的第三人称单数 );经常供应(食物、饮料);固定往来;经营生意 | |
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68 traitor | |
n.叛徒,卖国贼 | |
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69 besieger | |
n. 围攻者, 围攻军 | |
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70 heed | |
v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心 | |
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71 alas | |
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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72 aloof | |
adj.远离的;冷淡的,漠不关心的 | |
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73 isle | |
n.小岛,岛 | |
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74 labors | |
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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75 labor | |
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
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76 imp | |
n.顽童 | |
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77 cane | |
n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的 | |
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78 sluices | |
n.水闸( sluice的名词复数 );(用水闸控制的)水;有闸人工水道;漂洗处v.冲洗( sluice的第三人称单数 );(指水)喷涌而出;漂净;给…安装水闸 | |
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79 tyrant | |
n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人 | |
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80 derides | |
v.取笑,嘲笑( deride的第三人称单数 ) | |
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81 lamenting | |
adj.悲伤的,悲哀的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的现在分词 ) | |
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82 rue | |
n.懊悔,芸香,后悔;v.后悔,悲伤,懊悔 | |
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83 smites | |
v.猛打,重击,打击( smite的第三人称单数 ) | |
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84 superfluous | |
adj.过多的,过剩的,多余的 | |
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85 brackish | |
adj.混有盐的;咸的 | |
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86 foul | |
adj.污秽的;邪恶的;v.弄脏;妨害;犯规;n.犯规 | |
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87 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
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88 dint | |
n.由于,靠;凹坑 | |
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89 knack | |
n.诀窍,做事情的灵巧的,便利的方法 | |
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90 grievance | |
n.怨愤,气恼,委屈 | |
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91 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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92 adverse | |
adj.不利的;有害的;敌对的,不友好的 | |
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93 expound | |
v.详述;解释;阐述 | |
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94 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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96 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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97 bard | |
n.吟游诗人 | |
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98 renown | |
n.声誉,名望 | |
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99 mythology | |
n.神话,神话学,神话集 | |
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100 defunct | |
adj.死亡的;已倒闭的 | |
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101 shuns | |
v.避开,回避,避免( shun的第三人称单数 ) | |
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102 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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103 naught | |
n.无,零 [=nought] | |
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104 purblind | |
adj.半盲的;愚笨的 | |
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105 quaint | |
adj.古雅的,离奇有趣的,奇怪的 | |
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106 gaping | |
adj.口的;张口的;敞口的;多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 );张开,张大 | |
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107 eloquence | |
n.雄辩;口才,修辞 | |
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108 lore | |
n.传说;学问,经验,知识 | |
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109 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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110 ardent | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的 | |
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111 vented | |
表达,发泄(感情,尤指愤怒)( vent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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112 blithe | |
adj.快乐的,无忧无虑的 | |
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113 boisterous | |
adj.喧闹的,欢闹的 | |
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114 bask | |
vt.取暖,晒太阳,沐浴于 | |
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115 verdant | |
adj.翠绿的,青翠的,生疏的,不老练的 | |
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116 sleekly | |
光滑地,光泽地 | |
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117 leek | |
n.韭葱 | |
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118 fragrant | |
adj.芬香的,馥郁的,愉快的 | |
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