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CHAPTER 15—The Grand Opera Fad
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Without being more curious than my neighbors, there are several social mysteries that I should like to fathom1, among others, the real reasons that induce the different classes of people one sees at the opera to attend that form of entertainment.
A taste for the theatre is natural enough. It is also easy to understand why people who are fond of sport and animals enjoy races and dog shows. But the continued vogue2 of grand opera, and more especially of Wagner’s long-drawn-out compositions, among our restless, unmusical compatriots, remains3 unexplained.
The sheeplike docility4 of our public is apparent in numberless ways; in none, however, more strikingly than in their choice of amusements. In business and religion, people occasionally think for themselves; in the selection of entertainments, never! but are apparently5 content to receive their opinions and prejudices ready-made from some unseen and omnipotent6 Areopagus.
The careful study of an opera audience from different parts of our auditorium7 has brought me to the conclusion that the public there may be loosely divided into three classes—leaving out reporters of fashionable intelligence, dressmakers in search of ideas, and the lady inhabitants of “Crank Alley” (as a certain corner of the orchestra is called), who sit in perpetual adoration8 before the elderly tenor9.
First—but before venturing further on dangerously thin ice, it may be as well to suggest that this subject is not treated in absolute seriousness, and that all assertions must not be taken au pied de la lettre. First, then, and most important, come the stockholders, for without them the
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1
fathom
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v.领悟,彻底了解 | |
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Vogue
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n.时髦,时尚;adj.流行的 | |
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remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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docility
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n.容易教,易驾驶,驯服 | |
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apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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omnipotent
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adj.全能的,万能的 | |
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auditorium
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n.观众席,听众席;会堂,礼堂 | |
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adoration
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n.爱慕,崇拜 | |
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tenor
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n.男高音(歌手),次中音(乐器),要旨,大意 | |
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lute
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n.琵琶,鲁特琴 | |
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metropolitan
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adj.大城市的,大都会的 | |
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outfit
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n.(为特殊用途的)全套装备,全套服装 | |
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parquet
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n.镶木地板 | |
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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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cosy
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adj.温暖而舒适的,安逸的 | |
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murmur
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n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 | |
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cede
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v.割让,放弃 | |
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formerly
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adv.从前,以前 | |
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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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salons
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n.(营业性质的)店( salon的名词复数 );厅;沙龙(旧时在上流社会女主人家的例行聚会或聚会场所);(大宅中的)客厅 | |
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parlors
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客厅( parlor的名词复数 ); 起居室; (旅馆中的)休息室; (通常用来构成合成词)店 | |
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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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discriminating
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a.有辨别能力的 | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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distrait
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adj.心不在焉的 | |
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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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interfering
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adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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equanimity
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n.沉着,镇定 | |
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blindfolded
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v.(尤指用布)挡住(某人)的视线( blindfold的过去式 );蒙住(某人)的眼睛;使不理解;蒙骗 | |
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chattering
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n. (机器振动发出的)咔嗒声,(鸟等)鸣,啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的,啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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vouchsafed
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v.给予,赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 );允诺 | |
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amazement
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n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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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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imposing
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adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的 | |
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sufficiently
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adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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attentive
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adj.注意的,专心的;关心(别人)的,殷勤的 | |
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throng
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n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集 | |
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bland
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adj.淡而无味的,温和的,无刺激性的 | |
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dissent
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n./v.不同意,持异议 | |
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hissing
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n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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shrug
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v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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shuffled
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v.洗(纸牌)( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 );拖着脚步走;粗心地做;摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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hooted
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(使)作汽笛声响,作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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middle-aged
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adj.中年的 | |
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nagging
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adj.唠叨的,挑剔的;使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评(某人)( nag的现在分词 );不断地烦扰或伤害(某人);无休止地抱怨;不断指责 | |
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celebrities
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n.(尤指娱乐界的)名人( celebrity的名词复数 );名流;名声;名誉 | |
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shrieks
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n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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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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perspiration
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n.汗水;出汗 | |
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flutes
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长笛( flute的名词复数 ); 细长香槟杯(形似长笛) | |
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bleat
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v.咩咩叫,(讲)废话,哭诉;n.咩咩叫,废话,哭诉 | |
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grunt
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v.嘟哝;作呼噜声;n.呼噜声,嘟哝 | |
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fiddles
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n.小提琴( fiddle的名词复数 );欺诈;(需要运用手指功夫的)细巧活动;当第二把手v.伪造( fiddle的第三人称单数 );篡改;骗取;修理或稍作改动 | |
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squeal
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v.发出长而尖的声音;n.长而尖的声音 | |
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exhausted
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adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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comely
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adj.漂亮的,合宜的 | |
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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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ruptured
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v.(使)破裂( rupture的过去式和过去分词 );(使体内组织等)断裂;使(友好关系)破裂;使绝交 | |
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philistines
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n.市侩,庸人( philistine的名词复数 );庸夫俗子 | |
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enthrall
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vt.迷住,吸引住;使感到非常愉快 | |
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hesitation
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n.犹豫,踌躇 | |
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awe
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n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 | |
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testimony
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n.证词;见证,证明 | |
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crouched
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v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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squatting
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v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);为获得其所有权;而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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tinkled
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(使)发出丁当声,(使)发铃铃声( tinkle的过去式和过去分词 ); 叮当响着发出,铃铃响着报出 | |
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dismal
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adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的 | |
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squeaking
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v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 );吱吱叫;告密;充当告密者 | |
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apathy
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n.漠不关心,无动于衷;冷淡 | |
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varied
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adj.多样的,多变化的 | |
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opium
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n.鸦片;adj.鸦片的 | |
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acting
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n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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overture
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n.前奏曲、序曲,提议,提案,初步交涉 | |
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oblivious
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adj.易忘的,遗忘的,忘却的,健忘的 | |
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fatigue
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n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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professed
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公开声称的,伪称的,已立誓信教的 | |
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recurred
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再发生,复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 ); 治愈 | |
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dab
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v.轻触,轻拍,轻涂;n.(颜料等的)轻涂 | |
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tenors
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n.男高音( tenor的名词复数 );大意;男高音歌唱家;(文件的)抄本 | |
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sincerity
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n.真诚,诚意;真实 | |
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lucidity
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n.明朗,清晰,透明 | |
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peal
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n.钟声;v.鸣响 | |
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soothe
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v.安慰;使平静;使减轻;缓和;奉承 | |
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lull
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v.使安静,使入睡,缓和,哄骗;n.暂停,间歇 | |
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appendages
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n.附属物( appendage的名词复数 );依附的人;附属器官;附属肢体(如臂、腿、尾等) | |
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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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mythology
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n.神话,神话学,神话集 | |
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verbose
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adj.用字多的;冗长的;累赘的 | |
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dotage
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n.年老体衰;年老昏聩 | |
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CHAPTER 14—“Carolus”
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