Chapter 2 – End House
'Poirot,' I said. 'I have been thinking.'
'An admirable exercise, my friend. Continue it.'
We were sitting facing each other at lunch at a small table in the window.
'This shot must have been fired quite close to us. And yet we did not hear it.'
'And you think that in the peaceful stillness, with the
rippling1 waves the only sound, we should have done so?'
'Well, it's odd.'
'No, it is not odd. Some sounds-you get used to them so soon that you hardly notice they are there. All this morning, my friend, speedboats have been making trips in the bay. You complained at first-soon, you did not even notice. But, ma foi, you could fire a machine gun almost and not notice it when one of those boats is on the sea.'
'Yes, that's true.'
'Ah! voila,' murmured Poirot. 'Mademoiselle and her friends. They are to lunch here, it seems. And therefore I must return the hat. But no matter. The affair is
sufficiently2 serious to warrant a visit all on its own.'
He leaped up nimbly from his seat, hurried across the room, and presented the hat with a bow just as Miss Buckley and her companions were seating themselves at table.
They were a party of four, Nick Buckley, Commander Challenger, another man and another girl. From where we sat we had a very imperfect view of them. From time to time the
naval3 man's laugh boomed out. He seemed a simple, likeable soul, and I had already taken a fancy to him.
My friend was silent and
distrait4 during our meal. He
crumbled5 his bread, made strange little ejaculations to himself and straightened everything on the table. I tried to talk, but meeting with no encouragement soon gave up.
He continued to sit on at the table long after he had finished his cheese. As soon as the other party had left the room, however, he too rose to his feet. They were just settling themselves at a table in the lounge when Poirot marched up to them in his most military fashion, and addressed Nick directly.
'Mademoiselle, may I
crave6 one little word with you.'
The girl frowned. I realized her feelings clearly enough. She was afraid that this queer little foreigner was going to be a nuisance. I could not but sympathize with her, knowing how it must appear in her eyes. Rather
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收听单词发音
1
rippling
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起涟漪的,潺潺流水般声音的 |
参考例句: |
- I could see the dawn breeze rippling the shining water. 我能看见黎明的微风在波光粼粼的水面上吹出道道涟漪。
- The pool rippling was caused by the waving of the reeds. 池塘里的潺潺声是芦苇摇动时引起的。
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2
sufficiently
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adv.足够地,充分地 |
参考例句: |
- It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
- The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。
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3
naval
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adj.海军的,军舰的,船的 |
参考例句: |
- He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
- The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。
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4
distrait
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adj.心不在焉的 |
参考例句: |
- The distrait boy is always losing his books.这个心不在焉的男孩老是丢书。
- The distrait actress fluffed her lines.那位心不在焉的女演员忘了台词。
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5
crumbled
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(把…)弄碎, (使)碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 衰落; 坍塌; 损坏 |
参考例句: |
- He crumbled the bread in his fingers. 他用手指把面包捻碎。
- Our hopes crumbled when the business went bankrupt. 商行破产了,我们的希望也破灭了。
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6
crave
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vt.渴望得到,迫切需要,恳求,请求 |
参考例句: |
- Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
- You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。
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7
unwillingly
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adv.不情愿地 |
参考例句: |
- He submitted unwillingly to his mother. 他不情愿地屈服于他母亲。
- Even when I call, he receives unwillingly. 即使我登门拜访,他也是很不情愿地接待我。
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8
tact
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n.机敏,圆滑,得体 |
参考例句: |
- She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
- Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。
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exquisite
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adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的 |
参考例句: |
- I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
- I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。
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10
supercilious
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adj.目中无人的,高傲的;adv.高傲地;n.高傲 |
参考例句: |
- The shop assistant was very supercilious towards me when I asked for some help.我要买东西招呼售货员时,那个售货员对我不屑一顾。
- His manner is supercilious and arrogant.他非常傲慢自大。
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sleekness
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油滑; 油光发亮; 时髦阔气; 线条明快 |
参考例句: |
- The sleekness of his appearance reminded me of his financial successes. 他着装的光鲜告诉我他财大气粗。
- Urban sleekness and traditional quaintness highlight the contrasts of Hong Kong. 城市的优美造型和传统的古雅情趣突出了香港的种种反差。
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drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 |
参考例句: |
- All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
- Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
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curiously
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adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 |
参考例句: |
- He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
- He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
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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 |
参考例句: |
- They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
- The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
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affected
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adj.不自然的,假装的 |
参考例句: |
- She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
- His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
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resonant
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adj.(声音)洪亮的,共鸣的 |
参考例句: |
- She has a resonant voice.她的嗓子真亮。
- He responded with a resonant laugh.他报以洪亮的笑声。
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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 |
参考例句: |
- Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
- A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
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momentary
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adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的 |
参考例句: |
- We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。
- I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。
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liar
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n.说谎的人 |
参考例句: |
- I know you for a thief and a liar!我算认识你了,一个又偷又骗的家伙!
- She was wrongly labelled a liar.她被错误地扣上说谎者的帽子。
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discomfiture
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n.崩溃;大败;挫败;困惑 |
参考例句: |
- I laughed my head off when I heard of his discomfiture. 听到别人说起他的狼狈相,我放声大笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Without experiencing discomfiture and setbacks,one can never find truth. 不经过失败和挫折,便找不到真理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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21
tiresome
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adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的 |
参考例句: |
- His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
- He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜,令人生厌。
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virtue
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n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 |
参考例句: |
- He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
- You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。
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23
thrift
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adj.节约,节俭;n.节俭,节约 |
参考例句: |
- He has the virtues of thrift and hard work.他具备节俭和勤奋的美德。
- His thrift and industry speak well for his future.他的节俭和勤勉预示着他美好的未来。
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bonnet
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n.无边女帽;童帽 |
参考例句: |
- The baby's bonnet keeps the sun out of her eyes.婴孩的帽子遮住阳光,使之不刺眼。
- She wore a faded black bonnet garnished with faded artificial flowers.她戴着一顶褪了色的黑色无边帽,帽上缀着褪了色的假花。
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sitting-room
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n.(BrE)客厅,起居室 |
参考例句: |
- The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
- Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。
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ornaments
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n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 );点缀;装饰品;首饰v.装饰,点缀,美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) |
参考例句: |
- The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
- Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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descended
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a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 |
参考例句: |
- A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
- The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。
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deserted
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adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 |
参考例句: |
- The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
- The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
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shrubs
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灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- The gardener spent a complete morning in trimming those two shrubs. 园丁花了整个上午的时间修剪那两处灌木林。
- These shrubs will need more light to produce flowering shoots. 这些灌木需要更多的光照才能抽出开花的新枝。
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justified
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a.正当的,有理的 |
参考例句: |
- She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
- The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。
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sarcasm
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n.讥讽,讽刺,嘲弄,反话 (adj.sarcastic) |
参考例句: |
- His sarcasm hurt her feelings.他的讽刺伤害了她的感情。
- She was given to using bitter sarcasm.她惯于用尖酸刻薄语言挖苦人。
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irony
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n.反语,冷嘲;具有讽刺意味的事,嘲弄 |
参考例句: |
- She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
- In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。
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motive
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n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的 |
参考例句: |
- The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
- He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。
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34
reassure
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v.使放心,使消除疑虑 |
参考例句: |
- This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点,于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
- The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。
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35
abruptly
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adv.突然地,出其不意地 |
参考例句: |
- He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
- I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
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abrupt
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adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的 |
参考例句: |
- The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。
- His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。
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37
lodge
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v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆 |
参考例句: |
- Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗?
- I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。
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38
piquant
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adj.辛辣的,开胃的,令人兴奋的 |
参考例句: |
- Bland vegetables are often served with a piquant sauce.清淡的蔬菜常以辛辣的沙司调味。
- He heard of a piquant bit of news.他听到了一则令人兴奋的消息。
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genial
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adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的 |
参考例句: |
- Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
- He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友,也是友善待客的主人。
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40
inquisitively
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过分好奇地; 好问地 |
参考例句: |
- The Mouse looked at her rather inquisitively, and seemed to her to wink with one of its little eyes, but It'said nothing. 这老鼠狐疑地看着她,好像还把一只小眼睛向她眨了眨,但没说话。
- The mouse looked at her rather inquisitively. 那只耗子用疑问的眼光看看她。
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vouchsafing
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v.给予,赐予( vouchsafe的现在分词 );允诺 |
参考例句: |
- When Cowperwood returned she snarled at him without vouchsafing an explanation. 等柯柏乌回来的时候,她不由分说地就向他痛骂起来。 来自辞典例句
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dreary
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adj.令人沮丧的,沉闷的,单调乏味的 |
参考例句: |
- They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。
- She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。
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43
appraising
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v.估价( appraise的现在分词 );估计;估量;评价 |
参考例句: |
- At the appraising meeting, experts stated this method was superior to others. 鉴定会上,专家们指出这种方法优于其他方法。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- The teacher is appraising the students' work. 老师正在评定学生的作业。 来自辞典例句
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middle-aged
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adj.中年的 |
参考例句: |
- I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
- The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
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ushered
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v.引,领,陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
- A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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positively
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adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实 |
参考例句: |
- She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
- The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。
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47
hectic
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adj.肺病的;消耗热的;发热的;闹哄哄的 |
参考例句: |
- I spent a very hectic Sunday.我度过了一个忙乱的星期天。
- The two days we spent there were enjoyable but hectic.我们在那里度过的两天愉快但闹哄哄的。
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48
remarkably
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ad.不同寻常地,相当地 |
参考例句: |
- I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
- He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。
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wireless
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adj.无线的;n.无线电 |
参考例句: |
- There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
- Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。
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grimace
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v.做鬼脸,面部歪扭 |
参考例句: |
- The boy stole a look at his father with grimace.那男孩扮着鬼脸偷看了他父亲一眼。
- Thomas made a grimace after he had tasted the wine.托马斯尝了那葡萄酒后做了个鬼脸。
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herald
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vt.预示...的来临,预告,宣布,欢迎 |
参考例句: |
- In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
- Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。
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impelled
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v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- He felt impelled to investigate further. 他觉得有必要作进一步调查。
- I feel impelled to express grave doubts about the project. 我觉得不得不对这项计划深表怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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devoured
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吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 ); 耗尽; 津津有味地看; 狼吞虎咽地吃光 |
参考例句: |
- She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers. 无论是书、杂志,还是报纸,只要能弄得到,她都看得津津有味。
- The lions devoured a zebra in a short time. 狮子一会儿就吃掉了一匹斑马。
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alas
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int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) |
参考例句: |
- Alas!The window is broken!哎呀!窗子破了!
- Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而,真理很少带有浪漫色彩。
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majestic
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adj.雄伟的,壮丽的,庄严的,威严的,崇高的 |
参考例句: |
- In the distance rose the majestic Alps.远处耸立着雄伟的阿尔卑斯山。
- He looks majestic in uniform.他穿上军装显得很威风。
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cocktail
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n.鸡尾酒;餐前开胃小吃;混合物 |
参考例句: |
- We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
- At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上,人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。
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cocktails
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n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 );餐前开胃菜;混合物 |
参考例句: |
- Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来,我们喝鸡尾酒,吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
- Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句
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wasp
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n.黄蜂,蚂蜂 |
参考例句: |
- A wasp stung me on the arm.黄蜂蜇了我的手臂。
- Through the glass we can see the wasp.透过玻璃我们可以看到黄蜂。
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frankly
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adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 |
参考例句: |
- To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说,我一点也不赞成这个主意。
- Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说,我不反对改革。
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boulder
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n.巨砾;卵石,圆石 |
参考例句: |
- We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲,把大石头搬开了。
- He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。
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obliteration
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n.涂去,删除;管腔闭合 |
参考例句: |
- The policy is obliteration, openly acknowledged. 政策是彻底毁灭,公开承认的政策。 来自演讲部分
- "Obliteration is not a justifiable act of war" “彻底消灭并不是有理的战争行为” 来自演讲部分
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62
tamper
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v.干预,玩弄,贿赂,窜改,削弱,损害 |
参考例句: |
- Do not tamper with other's business.不要干预别人的事。
- They had strict orders not to tamper with the customs of the minorities.他们得到命令严禁干涉少数民族的风俗习惯。
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63
wriggled
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v.扭动,蠕动,蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 );(使身体某一部位)扭动;耍滑不做,逃避(应做的事等) |
参考例句: |
- He wriggled uncomfortably on the chair. 他坐在椅子上不舒服地扭动着身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- A snake wriggled across the road. 一条蛇蜿蜒爬过道路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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64
modesty
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n.谦逊,虚心,端庄,稳重,羞怯,朴素 |
参考例句: |
- Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。
- As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后,谦虚使人进步。
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65
corpse
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n.尸体,死尸 |
参考例句: |
- What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。
- The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。
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66
obstinate
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adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 |
参考例句: |
- She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了,不会让任何人帮她的。
- The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。
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67
uncommon
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adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的 |
参考例句: |
- Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
- Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。
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68
implore
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vt.乞求,恳求,哀求 |
参考例句: |
- I implore you to write. At least tell me you're alive.请给我音讯,让我知道你还活着。
- Please implore someone else's help in a crisis.危险时请向别人求助。
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