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23.Water
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Water
It’s a swollen1 orange sunset by the time Lucy wades2 into the river.
Rumor3 has emptied the banks. No one around to see as she damps her skirts, pauses. As, very carefully, she contorts herself to undo4 all thirty pearl buttons. She floats naked beside her dress. The water rushes over flesh and fabric5 alike, dispassionate in its cleansing6.
If Anna is her second friend in Sweetwater, the river is her first.
Five years ago she first crossed into town. Carts banged into her, a crowd spun7 her round. She was lost. The sky no help—look up as she’d learned to do in the hills, and buildings crowded her view. Clouds didn’t circle. She was the center of nothing and the land didn’t speak. She was no one.
She found her way to a restaurant kitchen. A relief in what she knew: greasy8 dishes, low ceiling, ache in her bent9 neck. Three other girls stood at the sink. One pale, two dark. Lucy murmured: An orphan10. Left. Don’t know. No one.The pale girl lost interest. The dark girls were persistent11, whispering together till they approached Lucy in the alley12.
“Who are you?” the taller asked.
“An orphan.”
“No,” said the shorter, stepping closer. Lucy looked them full in the face: Indian, most like. There were a number of Indians, people of all stripes, in Sweetwater’s streets. “Who are your people?” The short girl pressed a hand to her chest,
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收听单词发音

1
swollen
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adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀 | |
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2
wades
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(从水、泥等)蹚,走过,跋( wade的第三人称单数 ) | |
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3
rumor
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n.谣言,谣传,传说 | |
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4
undo
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vt.解开,松开;取消,撤销 | |
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5
fabric
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n.织物,织品,布;构造,结构,组织 | |
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6
cleansing
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n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词 | |
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7
spun
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v.纺,杜撰,急转身 | |
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greasy
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adj. 多脂的,油脂的 | |
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9
bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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10
orphan
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n.孤儿;adj.无父母的 | |
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11
persistent
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adj.坚持不懈的,执意的;持续的 | |
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12
alley
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n.小巷,胡同;小径,小路 | |
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13
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 | |
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loft
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n.阁楼,顶楼 | |
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inviting
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adj.诱人的,引人注目的 | |
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pestering
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使烦恼,纠缠( pester的现在分词 ) | |
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filth
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n.肮脏,污物,污秽;淫猥 | |
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deliberately
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adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
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scraps
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油渣 | |
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rubble
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n.(一堆)碎石,瓦砾 | |
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21
dented
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v.使产生凹痕( dent的过去式和过去分词 );损害;伤害;挫伤(信心、名誉等) | |
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tattered
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adj.破旧的,衣衫破的 | |
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stinking
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adj.臭的,烂醉的,讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 );发臭味;名声臭;糟透 | |
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uncertainty
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n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物 | |
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starched
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adj.浆硬的,硬挺的,拘泥刻板的v.把(衣服、床单等)浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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indentured
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v.以契约束缚(学徒)( indenture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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solitude
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n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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slash
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vi.大幅度削减;vt.猛砍,尖锐抨击,大幅减少;n.猛砍,斜线,长切口,衣衩 | |
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pebbles
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[复数]鹅卵石; 沙砾; 卵石,小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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freckles
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n.雀斑,斑点( freckle的名词复数 ) | |
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ripen
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vt.使成熟;vi.成熟 | |
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prospector
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n.探矿者 | |
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likeness
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n.相像,相似(之处) | |
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hoarded
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v.积蓄并储藏(某物)( hoard的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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 | |
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marvels
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n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 );令人惊奇的事物(或事例);不平凡的成果;成就v.惊奇,对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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velvet
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n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的 | |
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vaulted
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adj.拱状的 | |
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mimic
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v.模仿,戏弄;n.模仿他人言行的人 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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prospecting
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n.探矿 | |
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mansion
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n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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lurks
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n.潜在,潜伏;(lurk的复数形式)vi.潜伏,埋伏(lurk的第三人称单数形式) | |
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grooms
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n.新郎( groom的名词复数 );马夫v.照料或梳洗(马等)( groom的第三人称单数 );使做好准备;训练;(给动物)擦洗 | |
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transformation
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n.变化;改造;转变 | |
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crooked
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adj.弯曲的;不诚实的,狡猾的,不正当的 | |
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sneaked
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v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 );偷偷溜走;(儿童向成人)打小报告;告状 | |
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insignificant
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adj.无关紧要的,可忽略的,无意义的 | |
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Flared
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adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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doorway
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n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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crumbs
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int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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orchards
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(通常指围起来的)果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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launders
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v.洗(衣服等),洗烫(衣服等)( launder的第三人称单数 );洗(黑钱)(把非法收入改头换面,变为貌似合法的收入) | |
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delicacies
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n.棘手( delicacy的名词复数 );精致;精美的食物;周到 | |
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puckers
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v.(使某物)起褶子或皱纹( pucker的第三人称单数 ) | |
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ridges
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n.脊( ridge的名词复数 );山脊;脊状突起;大气层的)高压脊 | |
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22.PART FOUR--Mud
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24.Meat
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