I find, since reading over the foregoing
Narrative1, that I have, in several instances, spoken in such a tone and manner, respecting religion, as may possibly lead those unacquainted with my religious views to suppose me an opponent of all religion. To remove the liability of such misapprehension, I deem it proper to append the following brief explanation. What I have said respecting and against religion, I mean
strictly2 to apply to the slaveholding religion of this land, and with no possible reference to Christianity proper; for, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference—so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad,
corrupt4, and wicked. To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. I love the pure, peaceable, and
impartial5 Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land. Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity. I look upon it as the
climax6 of all
misnomers7, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels. Never was there a clearer case of "stealing the livery of the court of heaven to serve the devil in." I am filled with unutterable
loathing8 when I
contemplate9 the religious pomp and show, together with the horrible inconsistencies, which every where surround me. We have men-stealers for ministers, women-whippers for
missionaries10, and cradle-plunderers for church members. The man who
wields11 the blood-clotted cowskin during the week fills the pulpit on Sunday, and claims to be a minister of the
meek12 and lowly Jesus. The man who robs me of my
earnings13 at the end of each week meets me as a class-leader on Sunday morning, to show me the way of life, and the path of
salvation14. He who sells my sister, for purposes of prostitution, stands
forth15 as the
pious16 advocate of purity. He who proclaims it a religious duty to read the Bible denies me the right of learning to read the name of the God who made me. He who is the religious advocate of marriage robs whole millions of its sacred influence, and leaves them to the
ravages17 of
wholesale18 pollution. The warm
defender19 of the sacredness of the family relation is the same that
scatters20 whole families,—sundering husbands and wives, parents and children, sisters and brothers,—leaving the hut vacant, and the
hearth21 desolate22. We see the thief preaching against theft, and the adulterer against adultery. We have men sold to build churches, women sold to support the gospel, and babes sold to purchase Bibles for the Poor Heathen! All For The Glory Of God And The Good Of Souls! The slave auctioneer's bell and the church-going bell chime in with each other, and the bitter cries of the heart-broken slave are drowned in the religious shouts of his pious master.
Revivals23 of religion and revivals in the slave-trade go hand in hand together. The slave prison and the church stand near each other. The clanking of
fetters24 and the
rattling25 of chains in the prison, and the pious
psalm26 and solemn prayer in the church, may be heard at the same time. The
dealers27 in the bodies and souls of men
erect29 their stand in the presence of the pulpit, and they mutually help each other. The
dealer28 gives his blood-stained gold to support the pulpit, and the pulpit, in return, covers his infernal business with the
garb30 of Christianity. Here we have religion and robbery the allies of each other—devils dressed in angels' robes, and hell presenting the
semblance31 of paradise.
"Just God! and these are they,
Who minister at thine altar, God of right!
Men who their hands, with prayer and
blessing32, lay
On Israel's ark of light.
"What! preach, and kidnap men?
Give thanks, and rob thy own
afflicted33 poor?
Talk of thy glorious liberty, and then
Bolt hard the captive's door?
"What! servants of thy own
Merciful Son, who came to seek and save
The homeless and the outcast,
fettering34 down
The tasked and
plundered35 slave!
"Pilate and Herod friends!
Chief priests and rulers, as of old, combine!
Just God and holy! is that church which lends
Strength to the spoiler thine?"
The Christianity of America is a Christianity, of whose
votaries36 it may be as truly said, as it was of the ancient scribes and Pharisees, "They
bind37 heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. All their works they do for to be seen of men.—They love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, . . . . . . and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.—But
woe38 unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Ye
devour39 widows' houses, and for a
pretence40 make long prayers; therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.—Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay
tithe41 of mint, and anise, and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
judgment42, mercy, and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other
undone43. Ye blind guides! which strain at a
gnat44, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but within, they are full of extortion and excess.—Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of
hypocrisy45 and
iniquity46."
Dark and terrible as is this picture, I hold it to be strictly true of the overwhelming mass of
professed47 Christians48 in America. They strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Could any thing be more true of our churches? They would be shocked at the proposition of fellowshipping a sheep-stealer; and at the same time they hug to their communion a man-stealer, and brand me with being an infidel, if I find fault with them for it. They attend with Pharisaical strictness to the outward forms of religion, and at the same time neglect the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. They are always ready to sacrifice, but seldom to show mercy. They are they who are represented as
professing49 to love God whom they have not seen, whilst they hate their brother whom they have seen. They love the heathen on the other side of the globe. They can pray for him, pay money to have the Bible put into his hand, and missionaries to instruct him; while they despise and totally neglect the heathen at their own doors.
Such is, very
briefly50, my view of the religion of this land; and to avoid any misunderstanding, growing out of the use of general terms, I mean by the religion of this land, that which is revealed in the words, deeds, and actions, of those bodies, north and south, calling themselves
Christian3 churches, and yet in union with slaveholders. It is against religion, as presented by these bodies, that I have felt it my duty to testify.
I conclude these remarks by copying the following portrait of the religion of the south, (which is, by communion and fellowship, the religion of the north,) which I soberly affirm is "true to the life," and without caricature or the slightest exaggeration. It is said to have been
drawn51, several years before the present anti-slavery
agitation52 began, by a northern Methodist preacher, who, while residing at the south, had an opportunity to see slaveholding morals, manners, and
piety53, with his own eyes. "Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord. Shall not my soul be
avenged54 on such a nation as this?"
点击
收听单词发音
1
narrative
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n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的 |
参考例句: |
- He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
- Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。
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2
strictly
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adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地 |
参考例句: |
- His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
- The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。
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3
Christian
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adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 |
参考例句: |
- They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
- His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
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4
corrupt
|
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v.贿赂,收买;adj.腐败的,贪污的 |
参考例句: |
- The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
- This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。
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5
impartial
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adj.(in,to)公正的,无偏见的 |
参考例句: |
- He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
- Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。
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6
climax
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n.顶点;高潮;v.(使)达到顶点 |
参考例句: |
- The fifth scene was the climax of the play.第五场是全剧的高潮。
- His quarrel with his father brought matters to a climax.他与他父亲的争吵使得事态发展到了顶点。
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7
misnomers
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n.使用不当的名字或名称( misnomer的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
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8
loathing
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n.厌恶,憎恨v.憎恨,厌恶( loathe的现在分词);极不喜欢 |
参考例句: |
- She looked at her attacker with fear and loathing . 她盯着襲擊她的歹徒,既害怕又憎恨。
- They looked upon the creature with a loathing undisguised. 他们流露出明显的厌恶看那动物。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
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9
contemplate
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vt.盘算,计议;周密考虑;注视,凝视 |
参考例句: |
- The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate.战争的可能性太可怕了,真不堪细想。
- The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.后果不堪设想。
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10
missionaries
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n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时,从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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11
wields
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手持着使用(武器、工具等)( wield的第三人称单数 ); 具有; 运用(权力); 施加(影响) |
参考例句: |
- She wields enormous power within the party. 她操纵着党内大权。
- He remains chairman, but wields little power at the company. 他还是主席,但在公司没有什么实权了。
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12
meek
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adj.温顺的,逆来顺受的 |
参考例句: |
- He expects his wife to be meek and submissive.他期望妻子温顺而且听他摆布。
- The little girl is as meek as a lamb.那个小姑娘像羔羊一般温顺。
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13
earnings
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n.工资收人;利润,利益,所得 |
参考例句: |
- That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
- Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。
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14
salvation
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n.(尤指基督)救世,超度,拯救,解困 |
参考例句: |
- Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
- Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。
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15
forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 |
参考例句: |
- The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
- He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
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16
pious
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adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的 |
参考例句: |
- Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。
- Her mother was a pious Christian.她母亲是一个虔诚的基督教徒。
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17
ravages
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劫掠后的残迹,破坏的结果,毁坏后的残迹 |
参考例句: |
- the ravages of war 战争造成的灾难
- It is hard for anyone to escape from the ravages of time. 任何人都很难逃避时间的摧残。
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18
wholesale
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n.批发;adv.以批发方式;vt.批发,成批出售 |
参考例句: |
- The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物,以零售价卖出。
- Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。
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19
defender
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n.保卫者,拥护者,辩护人 |
参考例句: |
- He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员,然后射门。
- The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
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20
scatters
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v.(使)散开, (使)分散,驱散( scatter的第三人称单数 );撒 |
参考例句: |
- He scatters money about as if he were rich. 他四处挥霍,好像很有钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Truth raises against itself the storm that scatters its seeds broadcast. 真理引起了反对它自己的狂风骤雨,那场风雨吹散了真理的广播的种子。 来自辞典例句
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21
hearth
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n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面 |
参考例句: |
- She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来,在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
- She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里,打开电灯。
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22
desolate
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adj.荒凉的,荒芜的;孤独的,凄凉的;v.使荒芜,使孤寂 |
参考例句: |
- The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
- We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后,我们都觉得万分孤寂。
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23
revivals
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n.复活( revival的名词复数 );再生;复兴;(老戏多年后)重新上演 |
参考例句: |
- She adored parades, lectures, conventions, camp meetings, church revivals-in fact every kind of dissipation. 她最喜欢什么游行啦、演讲啦、开大会啦、营火会啦、福音布道会啦--实际上各种各样的娱乐。 来自辞典例句
- The history of art is the history of revivals. 艺术的历史就是复兴的历史。 来自互联网
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24
fetters
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n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 );束缚v.给…上脚镣,束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) |
参考例句: |
- They were at last freed from the fetters of ignorance. 他们终于从愚昧无知的束缚中解脱出来。
- They will run wild freed from the fetters of control. 他们一旦摆脱了束缚,就会变得无法无天。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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25
rattling
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adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的
adv. 极其, 很, 非常
动词rattle的现在分词 |
参考例句: |
- This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
- At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时,一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来,把窗玻璃震得当当地响。
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26
psalm
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n.赞美诗,圣诗 |
参考例句: |
- The clergyman began droning the psalm.牧师开始以单调而低沈的语调吟诵赞美诗。
- The minister droned out the psalm.牧师喃喃地念赞美诗。
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27
dealers
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n.商人( dealer的名词复数 );贩毒者;毒品贩子;发牌者 |
参考例句: |
- There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
- The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败,与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。
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28
dealer
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n.商人,贩子 |
参考例句: |
- The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
- The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。
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29
erect
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n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 |
参考例句: |
- She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头,把背挺得笔直。
- Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。
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30
garb
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n.服装,装束 |
参考例句: |
- He wore the garb of a general.他身着将军的制服。
- Certain political,social,and legal forms reappear in seemingly different garb.一些政治、社会和法律的形式在表面不同的外衣下重复出现。
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31
semblance
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n.外貌,外表 |
参考例句: |
- Her semblance of anger frightened the children.她生气的样子使孩子们感到害怕。
- Those clouds have the semblance of a large head.那些云的形状像一个巨大的人头。
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32
blessing
|
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n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 |
参考例句: |
- The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
- A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。
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33
afflicted
|
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使受痛苦,折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- About 40% of the country's population is afflicted with the disease. 全国40%左右的人口患有这种疾病。
- A terrible restlessness that was like to hunger afflicted Martin Eden. 一阵可怕的、跟饥饿差不多的不安情绪折磨着马丁·伊登。
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34
fettering
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v.给…上脚镣,束缚( fetter的现在分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- Following general observations on timetable and relative emphasis may assist without fettering you freedom of action. 以下关于进度和相关侧重点的总的设想可能对你有所帮助,而不致妨碍你的行动自由。 来自辞典例句
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35
plundered
|
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掠夺,抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- Many of our cultural treasures have been plundered by imperialists. 我国许多珍贵文物被帝国主义掠走了。
- The imperialists plundered many valuable works of art. 帝国主义列强掠夺了许多珍贵的艺术品。
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36
votaries
|
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n.信徒( votary的名词复数 );追随者;(天主教)修士;修女 |
参考例句: |
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37
bind
|
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vt.捆,包扎;装订;约束;使凝固;vi.变硬 |
参考例句: |
- I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
- He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。
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38
woe
|
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n.悲哀,苦痛,不幸,困难;int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 |
参考例句: |
- Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。
- A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸,自认福是福。
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39
devour
|
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v.吞没;贪婪地注视或谛听,贪读;使着迷 |
参考例句: |
- Larger fish devour the smaller ones.大鱼吃小鱼。
- Beauty is but a flower which wrinkle will devour.美只不过是一朵,终会被皱纹所吞噬。
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40
pretence
|
|
n.假装,作假;借口,口实;虚伪;虚饰 |
参考例句: |
- The government abandoned any pretence of reform. 政府不再装模作样地进行改革。
- He made a pretence of being happy at the party.晚会上他假装很高兴。
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41
tithe
|
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n.十分之一税;v.课什一税,缴什一税 |
参考例句: |
- It's not Christ plus your tithe.这不是基督再加上你的什一税。
- The bible tells us that the tithe is the lords.圣经说十分之一是献给主的。
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42
judgment
|
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n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 |
参考例句: |
- The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
- He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
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43
undone
|
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a.未做完的,未完成的 |
参考例句: |
- He left nothing undone that needed attention.所有需要注意的事他都注意到了。
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44
gnat
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v.对小事斤斤计较,琐事 |
参考例句: |
- Strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.小事拘谨,大事糊涂。
- He's always straining at a gnat.他总是对小事很拘谨。
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45
hypocrisy
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n.伪善,虚伪 |
参考例句: |
- He railed against hypocrisy and greed.他痛斥伪善和贪婪的行为。
- He accused newspapers of hypocrisy in their treatment of the story.他指责了报纸在报道该新闻时的虚伪。
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46
iniquity
|
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n.邪恶;不公正 |
参考例句: |
- Research has revealed that he is a monster of iniquity.调查结果显示他是一个不法之徒。
- The iniquity of the transaction aroused general indignation.这笔交易的不公引起了普遍的愤怒。
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47
professed
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公开声称的,伪称的,已立誓信教的 |
参考例句: |
- These, at least, were their professed reasons for pulling out of the deal. 至少这些是他们自称退出这宗交易的理由。
- Her manner professed a gaiety that she did not feel. 她的神态显出一种她并未实际感受到的快乐。
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48
Christians
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n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
- His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。
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49
professing
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声称( profess的现在分词 ); 宣称; 公开表明; 信奉 |
参考例句: |
- But( which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 只要有善行。这才与自称是敬神的女人相宜。
- Professing Christianity, he had little compassion in his make-up. 他号称信奉基督教,却没有什么慈悲心肠。
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50
briefly
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adv.简单地,简短地 |
参考例句: |
- I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
- He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
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51
drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 |
参考例句: |
- All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
- Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
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52
agitation
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n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 |
参考例句: |
- Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
- These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。
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53
piety
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n.虔诚,虔敬 |
参考例句: |
- They were drawn to the church not by piety but by curiosity.他们去教堂不是出于虔诚而是出于好奇。
- Experience makes us see an enormous difference between piety and goodness.经验使我们看到虔诚与善意之间有着巨大的区别。
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54
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 |
参考例句: |
- She avenged her mother's death upon the Nazi soldiers. 她惩处了纳粹士兵以报杀母之仇。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The Indians avenged the burning of their village on〔upon〕 the settlers. 印第安人因为村庄被焚毁向拓居者们进行报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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