Chapter 2
Miss Sarah King, M.B., stood by the table in the writing-room of the Solomon Hotel in Jerusalem, idly
turning over the papers and magazines. A frown contracted her brows and she looked
preoccupied1.
The tall
middle-aged2 Frenchman who entered the room from the hall watched her for a moment
or two before strolling up to the opposite side of the table. When their eyes met, Sarah made a little
gesture of smiling recognition. She remembered that this man had come to help her when travelling
from Cairo and had carried one of her suitcases at a moment when no porter appeared to be available.
‘You like Jerusalem, yes?’ asked Dr Gerard after they had exchanged greetings.
‘It’s rather terrible in some ways,’ said Sarah, and added: ‘Religion is very odd!’
The Frenchman looked amused.
‘I know what you mean.’ His English was very nearly perfect. ‘Every imaginable
sect3
squabbling and fighting!’
‘And the awful things they’ve built, too!’ said Sarah.
‘Yes, indeed.’
Sarah sighed.
‘They turned me out of one place today because I had on a sleeveless dress,’ she said ruefully.
‘Apparently the
Almighty4 doesn’t like my arms in spite of having made them.’
Dr Gerard laughed. Then he said: ‘I was about to order some coffee. You will join me, Miss—?’
‘King, my name is. Sarah King.’
‘And mine—permit me.’ He whipped out a card. Taking it, Sarah’s eyes widened in delighted
awe5.
‘Dr Theodore Gerard? Oh! I am excited to meet you. I’ve read all your works, of course. Your
views on schizophrenia are frightfully interesting.’
‘Of course?’ Gerard’s
eyebrows6 rose
inquisitively7.
Sarah explained rather diffidently.
点击
收听单词发音
1
preoccupied
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adj.全神贯注的,入神的;被抢先占有的;心事重重的v.占据(某人)思想,使对…全神贯注,使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) |
参考例句: |
- He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事,没注意到有什么不对。
- The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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2
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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3
sect
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n.派别,宗教,学派,派系 |
参考例句: |
- When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
- Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。
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4
almighty
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adj.全能的,万能的;很大的,很强的 |
参考例句: |
- Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
- It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。
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5
awe
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n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 |
参考例句: |
- The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
- The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。
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6
eyebrows
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眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
- His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
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7
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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8
rippled
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使泛起涟漪(ripple的过去式与过去分词形式) |
参考例句: |
- The lake rippled gently. 湖面轻轻地泛起涟漪。
- The wind rippled the surface of the cornfield. 微风吹过麦田,泛起一片麦浪。
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9
conversationally
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adv.会话地 |
参考例句: |
- I am at an unfavourable position in being conversationally unacquainted with English. 我由于不熟悉英语会话而处于不利地位。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- The findings suggest that happy lives are social and conversationally deep, rather than solitary and superficial. 结论显示,快乐的生活具有社会层面的意义并与日常交谈有关,而并不仅仅是个体差异和表面现象。 来自互联网
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10
apathetic
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adj.冷漠的,无动于衷的 |
参考例句: |
- I realised I was becoming increasingly depressed and apathetic.我意识到自己越来越消沉、越来越冷漠了。
- You won't succeed if you are apathetic.要是你冷淡,你就不能成功。
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11
placid
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adj.安静的,平和的 |
参考例句: |
- He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
- You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。
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12
candid
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adj.公正的,正直的;坦率的 |
参考例句: |
- I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。
- He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。
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13
swollen
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adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀 |
参考例句: |
- Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着,她的双腿已经肿了。
- A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她,她的手臂肿起来了。
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14
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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15
scrutinized
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v.仔细检查,详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比
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16
aesthetic
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adj.美学的,审美的,有美感 |
参考例句: |
- My aesthetic standards are quite different from his.我的审美标准与他的大不相同。
- The professor advanced a new aesthetic theory.那位教授提出了新的美学理论。
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glib
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adj.圆滑的,油嘴滑舌的 |
参考例句: |
- His glib talk sounds as sweet as a song.他说的比唱的还好听。
- The fellow has a very glib tongue.这家伙嘴油得很。
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tyrant
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n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人 |
参考例句: |
- The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant.该国处在一个专制暴君的统治之下。
- The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。
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persistent
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adj.坚持不懈的,执意的;持续的 |
参考例句: |
- Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
- She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤,使她很难为情。
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20
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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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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standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 |
参考例句: |
- After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
- They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
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disposition
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n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 |
参考例句: |
- He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
- He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。
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remarkable
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adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 |
参考例句: |
- She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
- These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
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appalled
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v.使惊骇,使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的;丧胆的 |
参考例句: |
- The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
- They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war. 他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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26
apprehensive
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adj.担心的,恐惧的,善于领会的 |
参考例句: |
- She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。
- He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。
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infinitely
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adv.无限地,无穷地 |
参考例句: |
- There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
- The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。
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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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malevolent
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adj.有恶意的,恶毒的 |
参考例句: |
- Why are they so malevolent to me?他们为什么对我如此恶毒?
- We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。
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obsessed
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adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的 |
参考例句: |
- He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
- The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。
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conscientious
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adj.审慎正直的,认真的,本着良心的 |
参考例句: |
- He is a conscientious man and knows his job.他很认真负责,也很懂行。
- He is very conscientious in the performance of his duties.他非常认真地履行职责。
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underlying
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adj.在下面的,含蓄的,潜在的 |
参考例句: |
- The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
- This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。
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phenomena
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n.现象 |
参考例句: |
- Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。
- The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系,如果存在着任何联系的话。
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meditations
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默想( meditation的名词复数 ); 默念; 沉思; 冥想 |
参考例句: |
- Each sentence seems a quarry of rich meditations. 每一句话似乎都给人以许多冥思默想。
- I'm sorry to interrupt your meditations. 我很抱歉,打断你思考问题了。
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random
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adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 |
参考例句: |
- The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
- On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查,发现肉变质了。
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apprehensively
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adv.担心地 |
参考例句: |
- He glanced a trifle apprehensively towards the crowded ballroom. 他敏捷地朝挤满了人的舞厅瞟了一眼。 来自辞典例句
- Then it passed, leaving everything in a state of suspense, even the willow branches waiting apprehensively. 一阵这样的风过去,一切都不知怎好似的,连柳树都惊疑不定的等着点什么。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
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prick
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v.刺伤,刺痛,刺孔;n.刺伤,刺痛 |
参考例句: |
- He felt a sharp prick when he stepped on an upturned nail.当他踩在一个尖朝上的钉子上时,他感到剧烈的疼痛。
- He burst the balloon with a prick of the pin.他用针一戳,气球就爆了。
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38
grotesque
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adj.怪诞的,丑陋的;n.怪诞的图案,怪人(物) |
参考例句: |
- His face has a grotesque appearance.他的面部表情十分怪。
- Her account of the incident was a grotesque distortion of the truth.她对这件事的陈述是荒诞地歪曲了事实。
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39
grunt
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v.嘟哝;作呼噜声;n.呼噜声,嘟哝 |
参考例句: |
- He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。
- I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽,他只哼了一声。
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exclamation
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n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词 |
参考例句: |
- He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
- The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号,以引起读者的注意。
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unwilling
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adj.不情愿的 |
参考例句: |
- The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
- His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。
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42
touts
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n.招徕( tout的名词复数 );(音乐会、体育比赛等的)卖高价票的人;侦查者;探听赛马的情报v.兜售( tout的第三人称单数 );招揽;侦查;探听赛马情报 |
参考例句: |
- Many vouchers are returned for cash, allowing touts and middle men to make a healthy margin. 许多月饼券都被兑换成现金,这让券贩子和中间商赚取了不蜚的利润。 来自互联网
- Spotting prey, the customary crowd of hustlers and touts swarmed around, jostling for my business. 照例有大群的拉客黄牛在寻觅猎物,他们争相过来抢我的生意。 来自互联网
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impudently
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参考例句: |
- She was his favorite and could speak to him so impudently. 她是他的宠儿,可以那样无礼他说话。 来自教父部分
- He walked into the shop and calmly (ie impudently and self-confidently) stole a pair of gloves. 他走进商店若无其事地偷了一副手套。 来自辞典例句
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boorish
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adj.粗野的,乡巴佬的 |
参考例句: |
- His manner seemed rather boorish.他的举止看上去很俗气。
- He disgusted many with his boorish behaviour.他的粗野行为让很多人都讨厌他。
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unduly
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adv.过度地,不适当地 |
参考例句: |
- He did not sound unduly worried at the prospect.他的口气听上去对前景并不十分担忧。
- He argued that the law was unduly restrictive.他辩称法律的约束性有些过分了。
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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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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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temperament
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n.气质,性格,性情 |
参考例句: |
- The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
- Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。
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brook
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n.小河,溪;v.忍受,容让 |
参考例句: |
- In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
- The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。
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autocracy
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n.独裁政治,独裁政府 |
参考例句: |
- The revolution caused the overthrow of the autocracy.这场革命导致了独裁政体的结束。
- Many poor countries are abandoning autocracy.很多贫穷国家都在放弃独裁统治。
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mutual
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adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 |
参考例句: |
- We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
- Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。
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deliberately
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adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 |
参考例句: |
- The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
- They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。
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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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