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CHAPTER XII
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A gleam of light came, when Billy got a job driving a grading team for the contractors1 of the big bridge then building at Niles. Before he went he made certain that it was a union job. And a union job it was for two days, when the concrete workers threw down their tools. The contractors, evidently prepared for such happening, immediately filled the places of the concrete men with nonunion Italians. Whereupon the carpenters, structural2 ironworkers and teamsters walked out; and Billy, lacking train fare, spent the rest of the day in walking home.
“I couldn't work as a scab,” he concluded his tale.
“No,” Saxon said; “you couldn't work as a scab.”
But she wondered why it was that when men wanted to work, and there was work to do, yet they were unable to work because their unions said no. Why were there unions? And, if unions had to be, why were not all workingmen in them? Then there would be no scabs, and Billy could work every day. Also, she wondered where she was to get a sack of flour, for she had long since ceased the extravagance of baker3's bread. And so many other of the neighborhood women had done this, that the little Welsh baker had closed up shop and gone away, taking his wife and two little daughters with him. Look where she would, everybody was being hurt by the industrial strife4.
One afternoon came a caller at her door, and that evening came Billy with dubious6 news. He had been approached that day. All he had to do, he told Saxon, was to say the word, and he could go into the stable as foreman at one hundred dollars a month.
The nearness of such a sum, the possibility of it, was almost stunning7 to Saxon, sitting at a supper which consisted of boiled potatoes, warmed-over beans, and a small dry onion which they were eating raw. There was neither bread, coffee, nor butter. The onion Billy had pulled from his pocket, having picked it up in the street. One hundred dollars a month! She moistened her lips and fought for control.
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contractors
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n.(建筑、监造中的)承包人( contractor的名词复数 ) | |
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structural
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adj.构造的,组织的,建筑(用)的 | |
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baker
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n.面包师 | |
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strife
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n.争吵,冲突,倾轧,竞争 | |
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dub
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vt.(以某种称号)授予,给...起绰号,复制 | |
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dubious
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adj.怀疑的,无把握的;有问题的,靠不住的 | |
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stunning
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adj.极好的;使人晕倒的 | |
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lame
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adj.跛的,(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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proffer
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v.献出,赠送;n.提议,建议 | |
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judgment
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n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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propitious
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adj.吉利的;顺利的 | |
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installment
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n.(instalment)分期付款;(连载的)一期 | |
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hostility
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n.敌对,敌意;抵制[pl.]交战,战争 | |
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misgiving
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n.疑虑,担忧,害怕 | |
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insistently
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ad.坚持地 | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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entailed
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使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 ); 需要; 限定继承; 使必需 | |
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hip
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n.臀部,髋;屋脊 | |
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scrupulously
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adv.一丝不苟地;小心翼翼地,多顾虑地 | |
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fumes
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n.(强烈而刺激的)气味,气体 | |
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faltering
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犹豫的,支吾的,蹒跚的 | |
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irritable
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adj.急躁的;过敏的;易怒的 | |
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ominous
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adj.不祥的,不吉的,预兆的,预示的 | |
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profundity
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n.渊博;深奥,深刻 | |
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cogitation
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n.仔细思考,计划,设计 | |
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prodigiously
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adv.异常地,惊人地,巨大地 | |
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enunciation
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n.清晰的发音;表明,宣言;口齿 | |
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exulted
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狂喜,欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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disinterested
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adj.不关心的,不感兴趣的 | |
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caresses
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爱抚,抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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habitual
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adj.习惯性的;通常的,惯常的 | |
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dwindled
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v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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preoccupied
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adj.全神贯注的,入神的;被抢先占有的;心事重重的v.占据(某人)思想,使对…全神贯注,使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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moody
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adj.心情不稳的,易怒的,喜怒无常的 | |
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groaning
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adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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clenching
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v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的现在分词 ) | |
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writhing
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(因极度痛苦而)扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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guttering
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n.用于建排水系统的材料;沟状切除术;开沟 | |
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aborted
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adj.流产的,失败的v.(使)流产( abort的过去式和过去分词 );(使)(某事物)中止;(因故障等而)(使)(飞机、宇宙飞船、导弹等)中断飞行;(使)(飞行任务等)中途失败 | |
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clenched
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v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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snarling
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v.(指狗)吠,嗥叫, (人)咆哮( snarl的现在分词 );咆哮着说,厉声地说 | |
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wrangling
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v.争吵,争论,口角( wrangle的现在分词 ) | |
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awakened
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v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到 | |
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incarnate
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adj.化身的,人体化的,肉色的 | |
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stature
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n.(高度)水平,(高度)境界,身高,身材 | |
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wreck
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n.失事,遇难;沉船;vt.(船等)失事,遇难 | |
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shuddered
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v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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inevitable
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adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 | |
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queries
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n.问题( query的名词复数 );疑问;询问;问号v.质疑,对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 );询问 | |
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graft
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n.移植,嫁接,艰苦工作,贪污;v.移植,嫁接 | |
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federation
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n.同盟,联邦,联合,联盟,联合会 | |
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labor
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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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lighter
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n.打火机,点火器;驳船;v.用驳船运送;light的比较级 | |
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lodger
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n.寄宿人,房客 | |
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sullen
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adj.愠怒的,闷闷不乐的,(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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fluster
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adj.慌乱,狼狈,混乱,激动 | |
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itched
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v.发痒( itch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wagons
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n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 );铁路货车;小手推车 | |
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wagon
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n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车 | |
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auto
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n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车 | |
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overflow
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v.(使)外溢,(使)溢出;溢出,流出,漫出 | |
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Flared
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adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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futile
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adj.无效的,无用的,无希望的 | |
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citizenship
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n.市民权,公民权,国民的义务(身份) | |
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appreciation
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n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
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lamenting
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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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deploring
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v.悲叹,痛惜,强烈反对( deplore的现在分词 ) | |
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thoroughly
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adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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tranquil
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adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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pawned
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v.典当,抵押( pawn的过去式和过去分词 );以(某事物)担保 | |
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drearily
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沉寂地,厌倦地,可怕地 | |
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miraculous
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adj.像奇迹一样的,不可思议的 | |
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accosted
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v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 );跟…搭讪;(乞丐等)上前向…乞讨;(妓女等)勾搭 | |
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forum
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n.论坛,讨论会 | |
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limousine
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n.豪华轿车 | |
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curb
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n.场外证券市场,场外交易;vt.制止,抑制 | |
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helping
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n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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chauffeur
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n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机;v.为…开车 | |
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gaily
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adv.欢乐地,高兴地 | |
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diminution
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n.减少;变小 | |
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exasperating
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adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式 | |
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genially
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adv.亲切地,和蔼地;快活地 | |
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CHAPTER XI
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CHAPTER XIII
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