Chapter 1 A
Theatrical1 Party
The memory of the public is short. Already the intense interest and excitement aroused by the murder of George Alfred St Vincent
Marsh2, fourth
Baron3 Edgware, is a thing past and forgotten. Newer sensations have taken its place.
My friend, Hercule Poirot, was never openly mentioned in connection with the case. This, I may say, was
entirely4 in accordance with his own wishes. He did not choose to appear in it. The credit went elsewhere – and that is how he wished it to be. Moreover, from Poirot’s own
peculiar5 private point of view, the case was one of his failures. He always swears that it was the chance remark of a stranger in the street that put him on the right track.
However that may be, it was his genius that discovered the truth of the affair. But for Hercule Poirot I doubt if the crime would have been brought home to its perpetrator.
I feel therefore that the time has come for me to set down all I know of the affair in black and white. I know the ins and outs of the case
thoroughly6 and I may also mention that I shall be fulfilling the wishes of a very fascinating lady in so doing.
I have often recalled that day in Poirot’s
prim7 neat little
sitting-room8 when, striding up and down a particular strip of carpet, my little friend gave us his masterly and
astounding9 résumé of the case. I am going to begin my
narrative10 where he did on that occasion – at a London theatre in June of last year.
Carlotta Adams was quite the rage in London at that moment. The year before she had given a couple of matinees which had been a wild success. This year she had had a three weeks’ season of which this was the last night but one.
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收听单词发音
1
theatrical
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adj.剧场的,演戏的;做戏似的,做作的 |
参考例句: |
- The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果,叫人失望。
- She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。
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2
marsh
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n.沼泽,湿地 |
参考例句: |
- There are a lot of frogs in the marsh.沼泽里有许多青蛙。
- I made my way slowly out of the marsh.我缓慢地走出这片沼泽地。
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3
baron
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n.男爵;(商业界等)巨头,大王 |
参考例句: |
- Henry Ford was an automobile baron.亨利·福特是一位汽车业巨头。
- The baron lived in a strong castle.男爵住在一座坚固的城堡中。
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4
entirely
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ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 |
参考例句: |
- The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
- His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
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5
peculiar
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adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 |
参考例句: |
- He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
- He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。
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thoroughly
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adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 |
参考例句: |
- The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
- The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
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prim
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adj.拘泥形式的,一本正经的;n.循规蹈矩,整洁;adv.循规蹈矩地,整洁地 |
参考例句: |
- She's too prim to enjoy rude jokes!她太古板,不喜欢听粗野的笑话!
- He is prim and precise in manner.他的态度一本正经而严谨
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8
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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astounding
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adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊,使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) |
参考例句: |
- There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
- The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊,所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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10
narrative
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n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的 |
参考例句: |
- He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
- Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。
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sketches
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n.草图( sketch的名词复数 );素描;速写;梗概 |
参考例句: |
- The artist is making sketches for his next painting. 画家正为他的下一幅作品画素描。
- You have to admit that these sketches are true to life. 你得承认这些素描很逼真。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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sketch
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n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述 |
参考例句: |
- My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
- I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。
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questionable
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adj.可疑的,有问题的 |
参考例句: |
- There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
- Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。
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impoverished
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adj.穷困的,无力的,用尽了的v.使(某人)贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 );使(某物)贫瘠或恶化 |
参考例句: |
- the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
- They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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aristocrats
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n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Many aristocrats were killed in the French Revolution. 许多贵族在法国大革命中被处死。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- To the Guillotine all aristocrats! 把全部贵族都送上断头台! 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
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discreet
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adj.(言行)谨慎的;慎重的;有判断力的 |
参考例句: |
- He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
- It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。
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plied
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v.使用(工具)( ply的过去式和过去分词 );经常供应(食物、饮料);固定往来;经营生意 |
参考例句: |
- They plied me with questions about my visit to England. 他们不断地询问我的英国之行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- They plied us with tea and cakes. 他们一个劲儿地让我们喝茶、吃糕饼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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amiably
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adv.和蔼可亲地,亲切地 |
参考例句: |
- She grinned amiably at us. 她咧着嘴向我们亲切地微笑。
- Atheists and theists live together peacefully and amiably in this country. 无神论者和有神论者在该国和睦相处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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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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inanities
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n.空洞( inanity的名词复数 );浅薄;愚蠢;空洞的言行 |
参考例句: |
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potent
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adj.强有力的,有权势的;有效力的 |
参考例句: |
- The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
- We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。
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exquisitely
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adv.精致地;强烈地;剧烈地;异常地 |
参考例句: |
- He found her exquisitely beautiful. 他觉得她异常美丽。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He wore an exquisitely tailored gray silk and accessories to match. 他穿的是做工非常考究的灰色绸缎衣服,还有各种配得很协调的装饰。 来自教父部分
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intoxicating
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a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 |
参考例句: |
- Power can be intoxicating. 权力能让人得意忘形。
- On summer evenings the flowers gave forth an almost intoxicating scent. 夏日的傍晚,鲜花散发出醉人的芳香。
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cons
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n.欺骗,骗局( con的名词复数 )v.诈骗,哄骗( con的第三人称单数 ) |
参考例句: |
- The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前,应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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poignant
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adj.令人痛苦的,辛酸的,惨痛的 |
参考例句: |
- His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。
- It is especially poignant that he died on the day before his wedding.他在婚礼前一天去世了,这尤其令人悲恸。
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rumour
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n.谣言,谣传,传闻 |
参考例句: |
- I should like to know who put that rumour about.我想知道是谁散布了那谣言。
- There has been a rumour mill on him for years.几年来,一直有谣言产生,对他进行中伤。
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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 |
参考例句: |
- Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
- During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
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malicious
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adj.有恶意的,心怀恶意的 |
参考例句: |
- You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
- Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。
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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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conceal
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v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 |
参考例句: |
- He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方,他只好隐瞒身份。
- He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。
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delightful
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adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 |
参考例句: |
- We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
- Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
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deductions
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扣除( deduction的名词复数 ); 结论; 扣除的量; 推演 |
参考例句: |
- Many of the older officers trusted agents sightings more than cryptanalysts'deductions. 许多年纪比较大的军官往往相信特务的发现,而不怎么相信密码分析员的推断。
- You know how you rush at things,jump to conclusions without proper deductions. 你知道你处理问题是多么仓促,毫无合适的演绎就仓促下结论。
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improvisation
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n.即席演奏(或演唱);即兴创作 |
参考例句: |
- a free-form jazz improvisation 自由创作的爵士乐即兴演出
- Most of their music was spontaneous improvisation. 他们的大部分音乐作品都是即兴创作的。
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 |
参考例句: |
- He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
- She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
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vacuous
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adj.空的,漫散的,无聊的,愚蠢的 |
参考例句: |
- Male models are not always so vacuous as they are made out to be.男模特儿并不总像人们说的那样愚蠢。
- His eyes looked dull,almost vacuous.他看上去目光呆滞,茫然若失。
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mimicry
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n.(生物)拟态,模仿 |
参考例句: |
- One of his few strengths was his skill at mimicry.他为数不多的强项之一就是善于模仿。
- Language learning usually necessitates conscious mimicry.一般地说,学习语言就要进行有意识的摹仿。
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attentively
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adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神 |
参考例句: |
- She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时,她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着,把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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darted
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v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔 |
参考例句: |
- The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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belle
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n.靓女 |
参考例句: |
- She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
- She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。
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revolves
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v.(使)旋转( revolve的第三人称单数 );细想 |
参考例句: |
- The earth revolves both round the sun and on its own axis. 地球既公转又自转。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- Thus a wheel revolves on its axle. 于是,轮子在轴上旋转。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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maze
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n.迷宫,八阵图,混乱,迷惑 |
参考例句: |
- He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
- She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时,她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。
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judgments
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判断( judgment的名词复数 ); 鉴定; 评价; 审判 |
参考例句: |
- A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
- He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。
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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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conceited
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adj.自负的,骄傲自满的 |
参考例句: |
- He could not bear that they should be so conceited.他们这样自高自大他受不了。
- I'm not as conceited as so many people seem to think.我不像很多人认为的那么自负。
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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 |
参考例句: |
- In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见,他将在选举中获胜。
- Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。
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peril
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n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物 |
参考例句: |
- The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
- The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。
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ancestry
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n.祖先,家世 |
参考例句: |
- Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
- He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。
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prudent
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adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 |
参考例句: |
- A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
- You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。
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pros
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abbr.prosecuting 起诉;prosecutor 起诉人;professionals 自由职业者;proscenium (舞台)前部n.赞成的意见( pro的名词复数 );赞成的理由;抵偿物;交换物 |
参考例句: |
- The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前,应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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psychology
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n.心理,心理学,心理状态 |
参考例句: |
- She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
- He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 |
参考例句: |
- That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
- It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
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killing
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n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 |
参考例句: |
- Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
- Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
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perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 |
参考例句: |
- The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
- Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
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prostrate
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v.拜倒,平卧,衰竭;adj.拜倒的,平卧的,衰竭的 |
参考例句: |
- She was prostrate on the floor.她俯卧在地板上。
- The Yankees had the South prostrate and they intended to keep It'so.北方佬已经使南方屈服了,他们还打算继续下去。
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feverishly
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adv. 兴奋地 |
参考例句: |
- Feverishly he collected his data. 他拼命收集资料。
- The company is having to cast around feverishly for ways to cut its costs. 公司迫切须要想出各种降低成本的办法。
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sluggish
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adj.懒惰的,迟钝的,无精打采的 |
参考例句: |
- This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
- Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。
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repose
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v.(使)休息;n.安息 |
参考例句: |
- Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。
- Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑,即使在睡眠时也是这样。
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stimulating
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adj.有启发性的,能激发人思考的 |
参考例句: |
- shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
- This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。
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averting
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防止,避免( avert的现在分词 ); 转移 |
参考例句: |
- The margin of time for averting crisis was melting away. 可以用来消弥这一危机的些许时光正在逝去。
- These results underscore the value of rescue medications in averting psychotic relapse. 这些结果显示了救护性治疗对避免精神病复发的价值。
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monologue
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n.长篇大论,(戏剧等中的)独白 |
参考例句: |
- The comedian gave a long monologue of jokes.喜剧演员讲了一长段由笑话组成的独白。
- He went into a long monologue.他一个人滔滔不绝地讲话。
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chuckle
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vi./n.轻声笑,咯咯笑 |
参考例句: |
- He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
- I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个,我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。
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caressed
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爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- His fingers caressed the back of her neck. 他的手指抚摩着她的后颈。
- He caressed his wife lovingly. 他怜爱万分地抚摸着妻子。
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63
atrocity
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n.残暴,暴行 |
参考例句: |
- These people are guilty of acts of great atrocity.这些人犯有令人发指的暴行。
- I am shocked by the atrocity of this man's crimes.这个人行凶手段残忍狠毒使我震惊。
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64
wilful
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adj.任性的,故意的 |
参考例句: |
- A wilful fault has no excuse and deserves no pardon.不能宽恕故意犯下的错误。
- He later accused reporters of wilful distortion and bias.他后来指责记者有意歪曲事实并带有偏见。
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65
stunting
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v.阻碍…发育[生长],抑制,妨碍( stunt的现在分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- Objective To report three-year-old twin brothers with speech stunting. 目的报道孪生兄弟同患语言发育迟缓的临床结果。 来自互联网
- No one should talk while stunting except coach or back spotter. 在技巧进行的过程中,只有教练或后保能说话。 来自互联网
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66
bounties
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(由政府提供的)奖金( bounty的名词复数 ); 赏金; 慷慨; 大方 |
参考例句: |
- They paid bounties for people to give up their weapons. 他们向放下武器的人发放赏金。
- This foundation provided bounties of more than 5 million last year. 去年该基金会赠款达五百万元以上。
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67
privately
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adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地 |
参考例句: |
- Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
- The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。
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68
suite
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n.一套(家具);套房;随从人员 |
参考例句: |
- She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
- That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。
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69
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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70
shrug
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v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) |
参考例句: |
- With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩,走出了房间。
- I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。
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71
tangle
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n.纠缠;缠结;混乱;v.(使)缠绕;变乱 |
参考例句: |
- I shouldn't tangle with Peter.He is bigger than me.我不应该与彼特吵架。他的块头比我大。
- If I were you, I wouldn't tangle with them.我要是你,我就不跟他们争吵。
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72
suites
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n.套( suite的名词复数 );一套房间;一套家具;一套公寓 |
参考例句: |
- First he called upon all the Foreign Ministers in their hotel suites. 他首先到所有外交部长住的旅馆套间去拜访。 来自辞典例句
- All four doors to the two reserved suites were open. 预定的两个套房的四扇门都敞开着。 来自辞典例句
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