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CHAPTER III TELLS OF A MIDSUMMER NIGHT
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Hitherto I had been the looker-on; now I was to become a person of the drama. That telegram was the beginning of my active part in this curious affair. They say that everybody turns up in time at the corner of Piccadilly Circus if you wait long enough. I was to find myself like a citizen of Bagdad in the days of the great Caliph, and yet never stir from my routine of flat, chambers1, club, and flat.
I am wrong; there was one episode out of London, and that perhaps was the true beginning of my story.
Whitsuntide that year came very late, and I was glad of the fortnight's rest, for Parliament and the Law Courts had given me a busy time. I had recently acquired a car and a chauffeur2 called Stagg, and I looked forward to trying it in a tour in the West country. But before I left London I went again to Portman Square.
I found Ethel Pitt-Heron in grave distress3. You must remember that Tommy and I had always gone on the hypothesis that Charles's departure had been in pursuance of some mad scheme of his own which might get him into trouble. We thought that he had become mixed up with highly undesirable4 friends, and was probably embarking5 in some venture which might not be criminal but was certain to be foolish. I had long rejected the idea of blackmail6, and convinced myself that Lumley and Pavia were his colleagues. The same general notion, I fancy, had been in his wife's mind. But now she had found something which altered the case.
She had ransacked7 his papers in the hope of finding a clue to the affair which had taken him abroad, but there was nothing but business letters, notes of investments, and such like. He seemed to have burned most of his papers in the queer laboratory at the back of the house. But, stuffed into the pocket of a blotter on a bureau in the drawing-room where he scarcely ever wrote, she had found a document. It seemed to be the rough draft of a letter, and it was addressed to her. I give it as it was written; the blank spaces were left blank in the manuscript.
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1
chambers
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n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
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2
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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3
distress
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n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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4
undesirable
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adj.不受欢迎的,不良的,不合意的,讨厌的;n.不受欢迎的人,不良分子 | |
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5
embarking
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乘船( embark的现在分词 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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6
blackmail
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n.讹诈,敲诈,勒索,胁迫,恫吓 | |
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7
ransacked
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v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 );抢劫,掠夺 | |
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solicitor
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n.初级律师,事务律师 | |
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reign
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n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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10
disquiet
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n.担心,焦虑 | |
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dissuaded
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劝(某人)勿做某事,劝阻( dissuade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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esteem
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n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
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publicity
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n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告 | |
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glistening
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adj.闪耀的,反光的v.湿物闪耀,闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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hazy
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adj.有薄雾的,朦胧的;不肯定的,模糊的 | |
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toil
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vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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moor
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n.荒野,沼泽;vt.(使)停泊;vi.停泊 | |
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ridges
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n.脊( ridge的名词复数 );山脊;脊状突起;大气层的)高压脊 | |
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scrambling
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v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞 | |
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thickets
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n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 );丛状物 | |
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sweeping
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adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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derange
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v.使精神错乱 | |
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bruised
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[医]青肿的,瘀紫的 | |
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inquiry
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n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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morosely
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adv.愁眉苦脸地,忧郁地 | |
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prospect
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n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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beckoned
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v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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conveyance
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n.(不动产等的)转让,让与;转让证书;传送;运送;表达;(正)运输工具 | |
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densely
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ad.密集地;浓厚地 | |
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scented
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adj.有香味的;洒香水的;有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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lodge
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v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆 | |
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retired
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adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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plentifully
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adv. 许多地,丰饶地 | |
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mingled
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混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
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stolid
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adj.无动于衷的,感情麻木的 | |
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housekeeper
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n.管理家务的主妇,女管家 | |
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dame
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n.女士 | |
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shunned
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v.避开,回避,避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hospitable
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adj.好客的;宽容的;有利的,适宜的 | |
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slippers
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n. 拖鞋 | |
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entirely
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ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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artistic
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adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
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hearth
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n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面 | |
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kindly
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adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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extraordinarily
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adv.格外地;极端地 | |
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chiselled
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adj.凿过的,凿光的; (文章等)精心雕琢的v.凿,雕,镌( chisel的过去式 ) | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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tinted
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adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
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dignified
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a.可敬的,高贵的 | |
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51
belied
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v.掩饰( belie的过去式和过去分词 );证明(或显示)…为虚假;辜负;就…扯谎 | |
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inevitable
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adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 | |
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Oxford
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n.牛津(英国城市) | |
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deference
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n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
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apathetic
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adj.冷漠的,无动于衷的 | |
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inditing
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v.写(文章,信等)创作,赋诗,创作( indite的现在分词 ) | |
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diplomat
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n.外交官,外交家;能交际的人,圆滑的人 | |
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58
sketched
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v.草拟(sketch的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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59
remarkable
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adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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60
tariff
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n.关税,税率;(旅馆、饭店等)价目表,收费表 | |
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61
solicitors
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初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
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62
disquieting
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adj.令人不安的,令人不平静的v.使不安,使忧虑,使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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curiously
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adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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64
spoke
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n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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vitality
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n.活力,生命力,效力 | |
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recesses
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n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 );(工作或业务活动的)中止或暂停期间;学校的课间休息;某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 );将(墙)做成凹形,在(墙)上做壁龛;休息,休会,休庭 | |
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67
privy
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adj.私用的;隐密的 | |
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68
logic
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n.逻辑(学);逻辑性 | |
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civilisation
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n.文明,文化,开化,教化 | |
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precarious
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adj.不安定的,靠不住的;根据不足的 | |
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tenure
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n.终身职位;任期;(土地)保有权,保有期 | |
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72
Saturn
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n.农神,土星 | |
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speculation
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n.思索,沉思;猜测;投机 | |
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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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perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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fixed
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adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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sufficiently
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adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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economists
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n.经济学家,经济专家( economist的名词复数 ) | |
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transmutable
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adj.可变形的 | |
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edifice
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n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿,教室) | |
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collapse
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vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷 | |
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82
barter
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n.物物交换,以货易货,实物交易 | |
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primitive
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adj.原始的;简单的;n.原(始)人,原始事物 | |
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simplicity
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n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯 | |
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compulsory
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n.强制的,必修的;规定的,义务的 | |
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savage
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adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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machinery
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n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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infinitely
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adv.无限地,无穷地 | |
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frail
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adj.身体虚弱的;易损坏的 | |
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spurts
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短暂而突然的活动或努力( spurt的名词复数 ); 突然奋起 | |
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conspiracy
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n.阴谋,密谋,共谋 | |
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sanctuary
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n.圣所,圣堂,寺庙;禁猎区,保护区 | |
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pretences
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n.假装( pretence的名词复数 );作假;自命;自称 | |
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speculations
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n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 );思考;投机活动;推断 | |
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bankruptcy
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n.破产;无偿付能力 | |
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dire
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adj.可怕的,悲惨的,阴惨的,极端的 | |
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insipid
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adj.无味的,枯燥乏味的,单调的 | |
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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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gab
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v.空谈,唠叨,瞎扯;n.饶舌,多嘴,爱说话 | |
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morbid
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adj.病的;致病的;病态的;可怕的 | |
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eminent
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adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的 | |
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adorns
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装饰,佩带( adorn的第三人称单数 ) | |
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annulled
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v.宣告无效( annul的过去式和过去分词 );取消;使消失;抹去 | |
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pessimists
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n.悲观主义者( pessimist的名词复数 ) | |
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calamity
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n.灾害,祸患,不幸事件 | |
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breach
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n.违反,不履行;破裂;vt.冲破,攻破 | |
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blight
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n.枯萎病;造成破坏的因素;vt.破坏,摧残 | |
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pestilence
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n.瘟疫 | |
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anarchy
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n.无政府状态;社会秩序混乱,无秩序 | |
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motive
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n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的 | |
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diabolical
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adj.恶魔似的,凶暴的 | |
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humble
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adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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pry
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vi.窥(刺)探,打听;vt.撬动(开,起) | |
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motives
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n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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conversed
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v.交谈,谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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quaintly
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adv.古怪离奇地 | |
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potent
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adj.强有力的,有权势的;有效力的 | |
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illiterate
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adj.文盲的;无知的;n.文盲 | |
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conspire
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v.密谋,(事件等)巧合,共同导致 | |
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presto
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adv.急速地;n.急板乐段;adj.急板的 | |
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conspirators
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n.共谋者,阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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benevolent
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adj.仁慈的,乐善好施的 | |
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courteous
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adj.彬彬有礼的,客气的 | |
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recluse
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n.隐居者 | |
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advertising
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n.广告业;广告活动 a.广告的;广告业务的 | |
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cordon
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n.警戒线,哨兵线 | |
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seething
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沸腾的,火热的 | |
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stifled
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(使)窒息, (使)窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 ); 镇压,遏制; 堵 | |
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129
trumpery
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n.无价值的杂物;adj.(物品)中看不中用的 | |
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futile
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adj.无效的,无用的,无希望的 | |
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131
cynically
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adv.爱嘲笑地,冷笑地 | |
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132
mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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133
creed
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n.信条;信念,纲领 | |
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134
retinue
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n.侍从;随员 | |
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135
WHIMS
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虚妄,禅病 | |
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136
persuasiveness
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说服力 | |
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137
magnetism
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n.磁性,吸引力,磁学 | |
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138
platitudes
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n.平常的话,老生常谈,陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 );滥套子 | |
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139
horrid
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adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
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140
uncommon
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adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的 | |
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141
scents
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n.香水( scent的名词复数 );气味;(动物的)臭迹;(尤指狗的)嗅觉 | |
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142
homely
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adj.家常的,简朴的;不漂亮的 | |
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143
portents
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n.预兆( portent的名词复数 );征兆;怪事;奇物 | |
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144
recurring
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adj.往复的,再次发生的 | |
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145
bland
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adj.淡而无味的,温和的,无刺激性的 | |
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146
gravel
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n.砂跞;砂砾层;结石 | |
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147
imperative
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n.命令,需要;规则;祈使语气;adj.强制的;紧急的 | |
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148
maniac
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n.精神癫狂的人;疯子 | |
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