Chapter 4 The Inquest
The inquest on Marie Morisot was held four days later. The
sensational1 manner of her death had aroused great public interest, and the coroner's court was crowded.
The first witness called was a tall, elderly Frenchman with a gray beard - Maоtre Alexandre Thibault. He
spoke2 English slowly and
precisely3, with a slight accent but quite
idiomatically4.
After the preliminary questions the coroner asked, "You have viewed the body of the deceased. Do you recognize it?"
"I do. It is that of my client, Marie Angélique Morisot."
"That is the name on the deceased's passport. Was she known to the public by another name?"
"Yes, that of Madame Giselle."
A stir of excitement went round. Reporters sat with pencils
poised5. The coroner said: "Will you tell us exactly who this Madame Morisot, or Madame Giselle, was?"
"Madame Giselle - to give her her professional name; the name under which she did business - was one of the best-known money lenders in Paris."
"She carried on her business - where?"
"At the
Rue6 Joliette. That was also her private residence."
"I understand that she journeyed to England fairly frequently. Did her business extend to this country?"
"Yes. Many of her clients were English people. She was very well known amongst a certain section of English society."
"How would you describe that section of society?"
"Her clientele was mostly among the upper and professional classes - in cases where it was important that the utmost
discretion7 should be observed."
"She had the reputation of being
discreet8?"
"Extremely discreet."
"May I ask if you have an intimate knowledge of - er - her various business transactions?"
点击
收听单词发音
1
sensational
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adj.使人感动的,非常好的,轰动的,耸人听闻的 |
参考例句: |
- Papers of this kind are full of sensational news reports.这类报纸满是耸人听闻的新闻报道。
- Their performance was sensational.他们的演出妙极了。
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2
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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3
precisely
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adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 |
参考例句: |
- It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
- The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
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4
idiomatically
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adv.符合语言习惯地;使用惯用语句,惯用地 |
参考例句: |
- The ubiquitous mouse input device is not metaphoric of anything, but rather is learned idiomatically. 无所不在的鼠标输入设备没有任何隐喻;相反,是习惯用法的学习。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
- Idiomatically speaking, something can be both cool and hot and be equally desirable. 东西不管是凉的,还是热的,只要是令人满意的,我们都可以说“酷”。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
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poised
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a.摆好姿势不动的 |
参考例句: |
- The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋,准备俯冲。
- Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张,手悬在电话机上。
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6
rue
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n.懊悔,芸香,后悔;v.后悔,悲伤,懊悔 |
参考例句: |
- You'll rue having failed in the examination.你会悔恨考试失败。
- You're going to rue this the longest day that you live.你要终身悔恨不尽呢。
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discretion
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n.谨慎;随意处理 |
参考例句: |
- You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
- Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。
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8
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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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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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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steward
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n.乘务员,服务员;看管人;膳食管理员 |
参考例句: |
- He's the steward of the club.他是这家俱乐部的管理员。
- He went around the world as a ship's steward.他当客船服务员,到过世界各地。
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luncheons
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n.午餐,午宴( luncheon的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Edith Helm was not invited to these intimate luncheons. 伊迪丝·赫尔姆没有被邀请出度反映亲密关系的午餐会。
- The weekly luncheons became a regular institution. 这每周一次午餐变成了一种经常的制度。
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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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slumped
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大幅度下降,暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 ); 沉重或突然地落下[倒下] |
参考例句: |
- Sales have slumped this year. 今年销售量锐减。
- The driver was slumped exhausted over the wheel. 司机伏在方向盘上,疲惫得睡着了。
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detailed
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adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的 |
参考例句: |
- He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
- A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。
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puncture
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n.刺孔,穿孔;v.刺穿,刺破 |
参考例句: |
- Failure did not puncture my confidence.失败并没有挫伤我的信心。
- My bicycle had a puncture and needed patching up.我的自行车胎扎了个洞,需要修补。
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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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previously
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adv.以前,先前(地) |
参考例句: |
- The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
- Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿,解释原先发生了什么。
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jugular
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n.颈静脉 |
参考例句: |
- He always goes for the jugular.他总是直奔要害而去。
- Bilateral internal jugular vein stenting is also a rare procedure.两侧内颈静脉支架置放术也是少见的技术。
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vein
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n.血管,静脉;叶脉,纹理;情绪;vt.使成脉络 |
参考例句: |
- The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
- The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。
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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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22
toxin
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n.毒素,毒质 |
参考例句: |
- Experts have linked this condition to a build-up of toxins in the body.专家已把这一病症与体内毒素的积累联系起来。
- Tests showed increased levels of toxin in shellfish.检验表明水生有壳动物的毒素水平提高了。
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paralysis
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n.麻痹(症);瘫痪(症) |
参考例句: |
- The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
- The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
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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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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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analyst
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n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家 |
参考例句: |
- What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务?
- The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。
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dart
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v.猛冲,投掷;n.飞镖,猛冲 |
参考例句: |
- The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
- Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。
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venom
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n.毒液,恶毒,痛恨 |
参考例句: |
- The snake injects the venom immediately after biting its prey.毒蛇咬住猎物之后马上注入毒液。
- In fact,some components of the venom may benefit human health.事实上,毒液的某些成分可能有益于人类健康。
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virulence
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n.毒力,毒性;病毒性;致病力 |
参考例句: |
- The virulence of the café owner's anger had appalled her.咖啡店老板怒气冲天,充满敌意,把她吓坏了。
- Medical authorities were baffled,both as to its causes and its virulence.医疗当局对其病因及有多致命都还不甚了解。
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hyena
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n.土狼,鬣狗 |
参考例句: |
- African hyena noted for its distinctive howl.非洲鬣狗,以其特别的嚎叫而闻名。
- The hyena's public image is not aided by its ridiculous appearance.鬣狗滑稽的外表无助于改善它在公众心中的形象。
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withdrawn
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vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出 |
参考例句: |
- Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
- All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。
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sergeant
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n.警官,中士 |
参考例句: |
- His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
- How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹?
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deposed
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v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 );(在法庭上)宣誓作证 |
参考例句: |
- The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
- The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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fingerprints
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n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
- They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套,以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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bland
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adj.淡而无味的,温和的,无刺激性的 |
参考例句: |
- He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。
- This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。
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indefatigable
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adj.不知疲倦的,不屈不挠的 |
参考例句: |
- His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with his illness.他不屈不挠的精神帮助他对抗病魔。
- He was indefatigable in his lectures on the aesthetics of love.在讲授关于爱情的美学时,他是不知疲倦的。
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noted
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adj.著名的,知名的 |
参考例句: |
- The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
- Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
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compartment
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n.卧车包房,隔间;分隔的空间 |
参考例句: |
- We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴,整个客车隔间由我们独享。
- The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。
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squeaked
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v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 );吱吱叫;告密;充当告密者 |
参考例句: |
- The radio squeaked five. 收音机里嘟嘟地发出五点钟报时讯号。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- Amy's shoes squeaked on the tiles as she walked down the corridor. 埃米走过走廊时,鞋子踩在地砖上嘎吱作响。 来自辞典例句
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improper
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adj.不适当的,不合适的,不正确的,不合礼仪的 |
参考例句: |
- Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
- Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。
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gale
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n.大风,强风,一阵闹声(尤指笑声等) |
参考例句: |
- We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
- According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报,明天有大风。
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minor
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adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 |
参考例句: |
- The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
- I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。
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premature
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adj.比预期时间早的;不成熟的,仓促的 |
参考例句: |
- It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
- The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。
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shrilly
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尖声的; 光亮的,耀眼的 |
参考例句: |
- The librarian threw back his head and laughed shrilly. 图书管理员把头往后面一仰,尖着嗓子哈哈大笑。
- He half rose in his seat, whistling shrilly between his teeth, waving his hand. 他从车座上半欠起身子,低声打了一个尖锐的唿哨,一面挥挥手。
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triumphant
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adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 |
参考例句: |
- The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
- There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。
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severely
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adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 |
参考例句: |
- He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
- He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
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rebut
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v.辩驳,驳回 |
参考例句: |
- He attempted to rebut the assertions made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳控方证人所作的断言。
- This open letter is to rebut the argument of abstractionism.这封公开信是反驳抽象派论点的。
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eccentricities
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n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 );反常;怪癖 |
参考例句: |
- My wife has many eccentricities. 我妻子有很多怪癖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- His eccentricities had earned for him the nickname"The Madman". 他的怪癖已使他得到'疯子'的绰号。 来自辞典例句
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darts
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n.掷飞镖游戏;飞镖( dart的名词复数 );急驰,飞奔v.投掷,投射( dart的第三人称单数 );向前冲,飞奔 |
参考例句: |
- His darts trophy takes pride of place on the mantelpiece. 他将掷镖奖杯放在壁炉顶上最显著的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I never saw so many darts in a bodice! 我从没见过紧身胸衣上纳了这么多的缝褶! 来自《简明英汉词典》
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shrugged
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vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) |
参考例句: |
- Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
- She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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audacity
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n.大胆,卤莽,无礼 |
参考例句: |
- He had the audacity to ask for an increase in salary.他竟然厚着脸皮要求增加薪水。
- He had the audacity to pick pockets in broad daylight.他竟敢在光天化日之下掏包。
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stewards
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(轮船、飞机等的)乘务员( steward的名词复数 ); (俱乐部、旅馆、工会等的)管理员; (大型活动的)组织者; (私人家中的)管家 |
参考例句: |
- The stewards all wore armbands. 乘务员都戴了臂章。
- The stewards will inspect the course to see if racing is possible. 那些干事将检视赛马场看是否适宜比赛。
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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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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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collaborated
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合作( collaborate的过去式和过去分词 ); 勾结叛国 |
参考例句: |
- We have collaborated on many projects over the years. 这些年来我们合作搞了许多项目。
- We have collaborated closely with the university on this project. 我们与大学在这个专案上紧密合作。
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retired
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adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 |
参考例句: |
- The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
- Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
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Amended
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adj. 修正的
动词amend的过去式和过去分词 |
参考例句: |
- He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
- He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。
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insufficient
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adj.(for,of)不足的,不够的 |
参考例句: |
- There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
- In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代,科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。
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