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CHAPTER II EDISON'S PEDIGREE
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THOMAS ALVA EDISON was born at Milan Ohio, February 11, 1847. The State that rivals Virginia as a "Mother of Presidents" has evidently other titles to distinction of the same nature. For picturesque1 detail it would not be easy to find any story excelling that of the Edison family before it reached the Western Reserve. The story epitomizes American idealism, restlessness, freedom of individual opinion, and ready adjustment to the surrounding conditions of pioneer life. The ancestral Edisons who came over from Holland, as nearly as can be determined2, in 1730, were descendants of extensive millers3 on the Zuyder Zee, and took up patents of land along the Passaic River, New Jersey4, close to the home that Mr. Edison established in the Orange Mountains a hundred and sixty years later. They landed at Elizabethport, New Jersey, and first settled near Caldwell in that State, where some graves of the family may still be found. President Cleveland was born in that quiet hamlet. It is a curious fact that in the Edison family the pronunciation of the name has always been with the long "e" sound, as it would naturally be in the Dutch language. The family prospered5 and must have enjoyed public confidence, for we find the name of Thomas Edison, as a bank official on Manhattan Island, signed to Continental6 currency in 1778. According to the family records this Edison, great-grandfather of Thomas Alva, reached the extreme old age of 104 years. But all was not well, and, as has happened so often before, the politics of father and son were violently different. The Loyalist movement that took to Nova Scotia so many Americans after the War of Independence carried with it John, the son of this stalwart Continental. Thus it came about that Samuel Edison, son of John, was born at Digby, Nova Scotia, in 1804. Seven years later John Edison who, as a Loyalist or United Empire emigrant7, had become entitled under the laws of Canada to a grant of six hundred acres of land, moved
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picturesque
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adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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determined
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adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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millers
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n.(尤指面粉厂的)厂主( miller的名词复数 );磨房主;碾磨工;铣工 | |
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jersey
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n.运动衫 | |
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prospered
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成功,兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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continental
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adj.大陆的,大陆性的,欧洲大陆的 | |
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emigrant
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adj.移居的,移民的;n.移居外国的人,移民 | |
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westward
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n.西方,西部;adj.西方的,向西的;adv.向西 | |
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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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drawn
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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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situated
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adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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nomadic
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adj.流浪的;游牧的 | |
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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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incessantly
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ad.不停地 | |
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cane
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n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的 | |
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jug
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n.(有柄,小口,可盛水等的)大壶,罐,盂 | |
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vigor
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n.活力,精力,元气 | |
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insurgent
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adj.叛乱的,起事的;n.叛乱分子 | |
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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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taxation
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n.征税,税收,税金 | |
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disapproval
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n.反对,不赞成 | |
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doctrine
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n.教义;主义;学说 | |
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pacified
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使(某人)安静( pacify的过去式和过去分词 ); 息怒; 抚慰; 在(有战争的地区、国家等)实现和平 | |
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marred
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adj. 被损毁, 污损的 | |
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immediate
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adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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repression
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n.镇压,抑制,抑压 | |
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insurgents
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n.起义,暴动,造反( insurgent的名词复数 ) | |
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perils
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极大危险( peril的名词复数 ); 危险的事(或环境) | |
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peril
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n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物 | |
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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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infested
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adj.为患的,大批滋生的(常与with搭配)v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 );遍布于 | |
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disposition
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n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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repatriated
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v.把(某人)遣送回国,遣返( repatriate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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desultory
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adj.散漫的,无方法的 | |
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forfeited
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(因违反协议、犯规、受罚等)丧失,失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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outlet
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n.出口/路;销路;批发商店;通风口;发泄 | |
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tempted
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v.怂恿(某人)干不正当的事;冒…的险(tempt的过去分词) | |
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tempt
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vt.引诱,勾引,吸引,引起…的兴趣 | |
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quaint
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adj.古雅的,离奇有趣的,奇怪的 | |
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warehouses
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仓库,货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
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clattering
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发出咔哒声(clatter的现在分词形式) | |
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vessels
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n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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navigated
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v.给(船舶、飞机等)引航,导航( navigate的过去式和过去分词 );(从海上、空中等)横越;横渡;飞跃 | |
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lumber
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n.木材,木料;v.以破旧东西堆满;伐木;笨重移动 | |
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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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rev
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v.发动机旋转,加快速度 | |
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versatile
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adj.通用的,万用的;多才多艺的,多方面的 | |
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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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devoted
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adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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shingles
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n.带状疱疹;(布满海边的)小圆石( shingle的名词复数 );屋顶板;木瓦(板);墙面板 | |
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asunder
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adj.分离的,化为碎片 | |
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outlasted
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v.比…长久,比…活得长( outlast的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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machinery
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n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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outlets
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n.出口( outlet的名词复数 );经销店;插座;廉价经销店 | |
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speculative
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adj.思索性的,暝想性的,推理的 | |
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lasting
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adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持 | |
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scotch
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n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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buffalo
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n.(北美)野牛;(亚洲)水牛 | |
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ministry
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n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
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sketching
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n.草图 | |
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noted
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adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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sketches
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n.草图( sketch的名词复数 );素描;速写;梗概 | |
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arduous
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adj.艰苦的,费力的,陡峭的 | |
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sleepless
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adj.不睡眠的,睡不著的,不休息的 | |
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delicacy
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n.精致,细微,微妙,精良;美味,佳肴 | |
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inspector
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n.检查员,监察员,视察员 | |
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addled
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adj.(头脑)糊涂的,愚蠢的;(指蛋类)变坏v.使糊涂( addle的过去式和过去分词 );使混乱;使腐臭;使变质 | |
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undertaking
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n.保证,许诺,事业 | |
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worthy
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adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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submission
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n.服从,投降;温顺,谦虚;提出 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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irresistible
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adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的 | |
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fascination
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n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋 | |
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penetrating
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adj.(声音)响亮的,尖锐的adj.(气味)刺激的adj.(思想)敏锐的,有洞察力的 | |
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ingenuity
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n.别出心裁;善于发明创造 | |
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exhaustion
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n.耗尽枯竭,疲惫,筋疲力尽,竭尽,详尽无遗的论述 | |
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inquiries
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n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听 | |
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acumen
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n.敏锐,聪明 | |
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constructive
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adj.建设的,建设性的 | |
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plank
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n.板条,木板,政策要点,政纲条目 | |
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debris
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n.瓦砾堆,废墟,碎片 | |
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extraordinarily
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adv.格外地;极端地 | |
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retentive
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v.保留的,有记忆的;adv.有记性地,记性强地;n.保持力 | |
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laboriously
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adv.艰苦地;费力地;辛勤地;(文体等)佶屈聱牙地 | |
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laden
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adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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urchin
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n.顽童;海胆 | |
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realization
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n.实现;认识到,深刻了解 | |
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creek
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n.小溪,小河,小湾 | |
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afterward
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adv.后来;以后 | |
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inquiry
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n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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implicated
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adj.密切关联的;牵涉其中的 | |
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smothered
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(使)窒息, (使)透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 ); 覆盖; 忍住; 抑制 | |
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axe
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n.斧子;v.用斧头砍,削减 | |
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ram
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(random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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orchard
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n.果园,果园里的全部果树,(美俚)棒球场 | |
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butt
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n.笑柄;烟蒂;枪托;臀部;v.用头撞或顶 | |
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bruised
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[医]青肿的,瘀紫的 | |
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obliterated
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v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 );涂去;擦掉;彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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winding
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n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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disdained
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鄙视( disdain的过去式和过去分词 ); 不屑于做,不愿意做 | |
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overtures
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n.主动的表示,提议;(向某人做出的)友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 );(歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的)序曲,前奏曲 | |
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isolation
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n.隔离,孤立,分解,分离 | |
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cozy
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adj.亲如手足的,密切的,暖和舒服的 | |
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bluff
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v.虚张声势,用假象骗人;n.虚张声势,欺骗 | |
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standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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attachment
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n.附属物,附件;依恋;依附 | |
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remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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attic
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n.顶楼,屋顶室 | |
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snug
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adj.温暖舒适的,合身的,安全的;v.使整洁干净,舒适地依靠,紧贴;n.(英)酒吧里的私房 | |
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apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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leisurely
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adj.悠闲的;从容的,慢慢的 | |
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pervades
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v.遍及,弥漫( pervade的第三人称单数 ) | |
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hitching
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搭乘; (免费)搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 ); 搭便车; 攀上; 跃上 | |
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bustle
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v.喧扰地忙乱,匆忙,奔忙;n.忙碌;喧闹 | |
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converge
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vi.会合;聚集,集中;(思想、观点等)趋近 | |
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tyrant
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n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人 | |
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celebrated
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adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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