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As we
retraced1 our steps to the house, M. Bex excused himself for leaving us, explaining that he must immediately acquaint the examining
magistrate2 with the fact of Giraud’s arrival. Giraud himself had been obviously delighted when Poirot declared that he had seen all he wanted. The last thing we observed, as we left the spot, was Giraud, crawling about on all fours, with a thoroughness in his search that I could not but admire. Poirot guessed my thoughts, for as soon as we were alone he remarked ironically:
“At last you have seen the detective you admire—the human foxhound! Is it not so, my friend?”
“At any rate, he’s doing something,” I said, with
asperity4. “If there’s anything to find, he’ll find it. Now you—”
“Eh bien! I also have found something! A piece of lead-piping.”
“Nonsense, Poirot. You know very well that’s got nothing to do with it. I meant little things—traces that may lead us infallibly to the murderers.”
“Mon ami, a clue of two feet long is every bit as valuable as one measuring two millimetres! But it is the romantic idea that all important clues must be infinitesimal! As to the piece of lead-piping having nothing to do with the crime, you say that because Giraud told you so. No”—as I was about to interpose a question—“we will say no more. Leave Giraud to his search, and me to my ideas. The case seems
straightforward5 enough—and yet—and yet, mon ami, I am not satisfied! And do you know why? Because of the wrist watch that is two hours fast. And then there are several curious little points that do not seem to fit in. For instance, if the object of the murderers was revenge, why did they not stab Renauld in his sleep and have done with it?”
“They wanted the ‘secret,’ ” I reminded him.
Poirot brushed a
speck6 of dust from his sleeve with a dissatisfied air.
“Well, where is this ‘secret’? Presumably some distance away, since they wish him to dress himself. Yet he is found murdered close at hand, almost within ear-shot of the house. Then again, it is pure chance that a weapon such as the
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收听单词发音
1
retraced
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v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 );回忆;回顾;追溯 |
参考例句: |
- We retraced our steps to where we started. 我们折回我们出发的地方。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- We retraced our route in an attempt to get back on the right path. 我们折返,想回到正确的路上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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2
magistrate
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n.地方行政官,地方法官,治安官 |
参考例句: |
- The magistrate committed him to prison for a month.法官判处他一个月监禁。
- John was fined 1000 dollars by the magistrate.约翰被地方法官罚款1000美元。
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3
ironical
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adj.讽刺的,冷嘲的 |
参考例句: |
- That is a summary and ironical end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
- From his general demeanour I didn't get the impression that he was being ironical.从他整体的行为来看,我不觉得他是在讲反话。
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4
asperity
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n.粗鲁,艰苦 |
参考例句: |
- He spoke to the boy with asperity.他严厉地对那男孩讲话。
- The asperity of the winter had everybody yearning for spring.严冬之苦让每个人都渴望春天。
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5
straightforward
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adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的 |
参考例句: |
- A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
- I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
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6
speck
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n.微粒,小污点,小斑点 |
参考例句: |
- I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。
- The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗,一星星云彩也没有。
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7
dagger
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n.匕首,短剑,剑号 |
参考例句: |
- The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。
- The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。
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8
casually
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adv.漠不关心地,无动于衷地,不负责任地 |
参考例句: |
- She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
- I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。
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9
accomplice
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n.从犯,帮凶,同谋 |
参考例句: |
- She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。
- He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。
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10
abruptly
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adv.突然地,出其不意地 |
参考例句: |
- He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
- I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
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11
seedlings
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n.刚出芽的幼苗( seedling的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Ninety-five per cent of the new seedlings have survived. 新栽的树苗95%都已成活。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- In such wet weather we must prevent the seedlings from rotting. 这样的阴雨天要防止烂秧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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12
garrulous
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adj.唠叨的,多话的 |
参考例句: |
- He became positively garrulous after a few glasses of wine.他几杯葡萄酒下肚之后便唠唠叨叨说个没完。
- My garrulous neighbour had given away the secret.我那爱唠叨的邻居已把秘密泄露了。
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13
specimen
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n.样本,标本 |
参考例句: |
- You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。
- This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。
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14
profuse
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adj.很多的,大量的,极其丰富的 |
参考例句: |
- The hostess is profuse in her hospitality.女主人招待得十分周到。
- There was a profuse crop of hair impending over the top of his face.一大绺头发垂在他额头上。
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15
bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 |
参考例句: |
- He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
- We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
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16
sufficiently
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adv.足够地,充分地 |
参考例句: |
- It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
- The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。
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17
bonnet
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n.无边女帽;童帽 |
参考例句: |
- The baby's bonnet keeps the sun out of her eyes.婴孩的帽子遮住阳光,使之不刺眼。
- She wore a faded black bonnet garnished with faded artificial flowers.她戴着一顶褪了色的黑色无边帽,帽上缀着褪了色的假花。
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18
confide
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v.向某人吐露秘密 |
参考例句: |
- I would never readily confide in anybody.我从不轻易向人吐露秘密。
- He is going to confide the secrets of his heart to us.他将向我们吐露他心里的秘密。
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19
picturesqueness
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参考例句: |
- The picturesqueness of the engineer's life was always attractive to Presley. 这司机的丰富多彩的生活,始终叫普瑞斯莱醉心。
- Philip liked the daring picturesqueness of the Americans'costume. 菲利浦喜欢美国人装束的那种粗犷的美。
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20
thoroughly
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adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 |
参考例句: |
- The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
- The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
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21
confidential
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adj.秘(机)密的,表示信任的,担任机密工作的 |
参考例句: |
- He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
- We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。
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22
banking
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n.银行业,银行学,金融业 |
参考例句: |
- John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
- He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。
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23
remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 |
参考例句: |
- He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
- The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
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24
confided
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v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的过去式和过去分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等) |
参考例句: |
- She confided all her secrets to her best friend. 她向她最要好的朋友倾吐了自己所有的秘密。
- He confided to me that he had spent five years in prison. 他私下向我透露,他蹲过五年监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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25
villa
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n.别墅,城郊小屋 |
参考例句: |
- We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
- We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。
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26
devout
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adj.虔诚的,虔敬的,衷心的 (n.devoutness) |
参考例句: |
- His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。
- The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。
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27
shrugged
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vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) |
参考例句: |
- Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
- She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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28
cynically
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adv.爱嘲笑地,冷笑地 |
参考例句: |
- "Holding down the receiver,'said Daisy cynically. “挂上话筒在讲。”黛西冷嘲热讽地说。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比
- The Democrats sensibly (if cynically) set about closing the God gap. 民主党在明智(有些讽刺)的减少宗教引起的问题。 来自互联网
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29
apprehension
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n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑 |
参考例句: |
- There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑,于是她越来越担心。
- She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。
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30
sweeping
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adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 |
参考例句: |
- The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
- Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗?
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31
infinitely
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adv.无限地,无穷地 |
参考例句: |
- There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
- The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。
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32
exigencies
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n.急切需要 |
参考例句: |
- Many people are forced by exigencies of circumstance to take some part in them. 许多人由于境况所逼又不得不在某种程度上参与这种活动。
- The people had to accept the harsh exigencies of war. 人们要承受战乱的严酷现实。
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33
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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34
murmur
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n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 |
参考例句: |
- They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
- There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。
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35
timbre
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n.音色,音质 |
参考例句: |
- His voice had a deep timbre.他嗓音低沉。
- The timbre of the violin is far richer than that of the mouth organ.小提琴的音色远比口琴丰富。
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36
mellow
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adj.柔和的;熟透的;v.变柔和;(使)成熟 |
参考例句: |
- These apples are mellow at this time of year.每年这时节,苹果就熟透了。
- The colours become mellow as the sun went down.当太阳落山时,色彩变得柔和了。
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37
maturity
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n.成熟;完成;(支票、债券等)到期 |
参考例句: |
- These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
- This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。
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38
drooping
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adj. 下垂的,无力的
动词droop的现在分词 |
参考例句: |
- The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
- The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。
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39
hover
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vi.翱翔,盘旋;徘徊;彷徨,犹豫 |
参考例句: |
- You don't hover round the table.你不要围着桌子走来走去。
- A plane is hover on our house.有一架飞机在我们的房子上盘旋。
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40
verge
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n.边,边缘;v.接近,濒临 |
参考例句: |
- The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
- She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。
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41
standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 |
参考例句: |
- After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
- They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
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42
cuffs
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n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打,拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) |
参考例句: |
- a collar and cuffs of white lace 带白色蕾丝花边的衣领和袖口
- The cuffs of his shirt were fraying. 他衬衣的袖口磨破了。
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43
irony
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n.反语,冷嘲;具有讽刺意味的事,嘲弄 |
参考例句: |
- She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
- In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。
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44
duel
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n./v.决斗;(双方的)斗争 |
参考例句: |
- The two teams are locked in a duel for first place.两个队为争夺第一名打得难解难分。
- Duroy was forced to challenge his disparager to duel.杜洛瓦不得不向诋毁他的人提出决斗。
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45
antagonist
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n.敌人,对抗者,对手 |
参考例句: |
- His antagonist in the debate was quicker than he.在辩论中他的对手比他反应快。
- The thing is to know the nature of your antagonist.要紧的是要了解你的对手的特性。
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46
brutality
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n.野蛮的行为,残忍,野蛮 |
参考例句: |
- The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
- a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军
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47
undoubtedly
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adv.确实地,无疑地 |
参考例句: |
- It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
- He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。
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48
investigations
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(正式的)调查( investigation的名词复数 ); 侦查; 科学研究; 学术研究 |
参考例句: |
- His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查,但没有发现什么。
- He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。
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49
mutual
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adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 |
参考例句: |
- We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
- Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。
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50
perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 |
参考例句: |
- The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
- Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
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51
grimace
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v.做鬼脸,面部歪扭 |
参考例句: |
- The boy stole a look at his father with grimace.那男孩扮着鬼脸偷看了他父亲一眼。
- Thomas made a grimace after he had tasted the wine.托马斯尝了那葡萄酒后做了个鬼脸。
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52
secrecy
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n.秘密,保密,隐蔽 |
参考例句: |
- All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
- Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。
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53
longing
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n.(for)渴望 |
参考例句: |
- Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
- His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。
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54
recurred
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再发生,复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 ); 治愈 |
参考例句: |
- Old memories constantly recurred to him. 往事经常浮现在他的脑海里。
- She always winced when he recurred to the subject of his poems. 每逢他一提到他的诗作的时候,她总是有点畏缩。
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55
hovering
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鸟( hover的现在分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 |
参考例句: |
- The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
- I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。
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56
groaned
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v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦 |
参考例句: |
- He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
- The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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57
susceptible
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adj.过敏的,敏感的;易动感情的,易受感动的 |
参考例句: |
- Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
- We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。
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58
horrified
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a.(表现出)恐惧的 |
参考例句: |
- The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
- We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。
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