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It was during the early winter of 1892 that I resolved to go to sea. My Hancock Fire Brigade experience was very little responsible for this. I still drank and frequented saloons—practically lived in saloons. Whisky was dangerous, in my opinion, but not wrong. Whisky was dangerous like other dangerous things in the natural world. Men died of whisky; but then, too, fishermen were capsized and drowned, hoboes fell under trains and were cut to pieces. To cope with winds and waves, railroad trains, and bar-rooms, one must use
judgment1. To get drunk after the manner of men was all right, but one must do it with
discretion2. No more quarts of whisky for me.
What really
decided3 me to go to sea was that I had caught my first vision of the death-road which John Barleycorn maintains for his devotees. It was not a clear vision, however, and there were two phases of it, somewhat
jumbled4 at the time. It struck me, from watching those with whom I associated, that the life we were living was more destructive than that lived by the average man.
John Barleycorn, by
inhibiting5 morality,
incited6 to crime. Everywhere I saw men doing, drunk, what they would never dream of doing sober. And this wasn't the worst of it. It was the penalty that must be paid. Crime was destructive. Saloon-mates I drank with, who were good fellows and harmless, sober, did most violent and lunatic things when they were drunk. And then the police gathered them in and they vanished from our
ken7. Sometimes I visited them behind the bars and said good-bye ere they journeyed across the bay to put on the felon's stripes. And time and again I heard the one explanation "IF I HADN'T BEEN DRUNK I WOULDN'T A-DONE IT." And sometimes, under the spell of John Barleycorn, the most
frightful8 things were done—things that shocked even my case-hardened soul.
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1
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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2
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 |
参考例句： |
- You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
- Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。
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3
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 |
参考例句： |
- This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
- There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
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4
jumbled
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| adj.混乱的；杂乱的 |
参考例句： |
- Books, shoes and clothes were jumbled together on the floor. 书、鞋子和衣服胡乱堆放在地板上。
- The details of the accident were all jumbled together in his mind. 他把事故细节记得颠三倒四。
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5
inhibiting
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| 抑制作用的，约束的 |
参考例句： |
- The high cost of borrowing is inhibiting investment by industry in new equipment. 借款的高成本抑制了企业对新设备的投资。
- The pesticides affect the nervous system by inhibiting the enzyme cholinesterase. 这类农药抑制胆碱酯酶而影响神经系统。
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6
incited
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| 刺激，激励，煽动( incite的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- He incited people to rise up against the government. 他煽动人们起来反对政府。
- The captain's example incited the men to bravery. 船长的榜样激发了水手们的勇敢精神。
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7
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 |
参考例句： |
- Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
- Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.
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8
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 |
参考例句： |
- How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
- We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。
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9
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 |
参考例句： |
- He is a habitual criminal.他是一个惯犯。
- They are habitual visitors to our house.他们是我家的常客。
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10
provocation
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| n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因 |
参考例句： |
- He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
- They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。
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11
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 |
参考例句： |
- They quarreled over a trifling matter.他们为这种微不足道的事情争吵。
- So far Europe has no doubt, gained a real conveniency,though surely a very trifling one.直到现在为止,欧洲无疑地已经获得了实在的便利，不过那确是一种微不足道的便利。
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12
pegged
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| v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的过去式和过去分词 )；使固定在某水平 |
参考例句： |
- They pegged their tent down. 他们钉好了账篷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- She pegged down the stairs. 她急忙下楼。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
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13
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 |
参考例句： |
- The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
- A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。
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14
vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 |
参考例句： |
- He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后，身强体壮，充满活力。
- He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。
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15
hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 |
参考例句： |
- These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
- Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。
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16
schooner
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| n.纵帆船 |
参考例句： |
- The schooner was driven ashore.那条帆船被冲上了岸。
- The current was bearing coracle and schooner southward at an equal rate.急流正以同样的速度将小筏子和帆船一起冲向南方。
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17
circumspectly
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| adv.慎重地，留心地 |
参考例句： |
- He paid for two tickets as circumspectly as possible. 他小心翼翼地付了两张票的钱。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
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18
maniacal
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| adj.发疯的 |
参考例句： |
- He was almost maniacal in his pursuit of sporting records.他近乎发疯般地追求着打破体育纪录。
- She is hunched forward over the wheel with a maniacal expression.她弓身伏在方向盘前，表情像疯了一样。
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19
shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） |
参考例句： |
- We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
- There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。
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20
commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 |
参考例句： |
- The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
- He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。
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