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MOTIVE V. OPPORTUNITY
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Five
MOTIVE1 V. OPPORTUNITY
M r. Petherick cleared his throat rather more importantly than usual.
“I am afraid my little problem will seem rather tame to you all,” he said apologetically, “after the sensationalstories we have been hearing. There is no bloodshed in mine, but it seems to me an interesting and rather ingeniouslittle problem, and fortunately I am in the position to know the right answer to it.”
“It isn’t terribly legal, is it?” asked Joyce Lemprière. “I mean points of law and lots of Barnaby v Skinner in theyear 1881, and things like that.”
Mr. Petherick beamed appreciatively at her over his eyeglasses.
“No, no, my dear young lady. You need have no fears on that score. The story I am about to tell is a perfectlysimple and straightforward3 one and can be followed by any layman4.”
“No legal quibbles, now,” said Miss Marple, shaking a knitting needle at him.
“Certainly not,” said Mr. Petherick.
“Ah well, I am not so sure, but let’s hear the story.”
“It concerns a former client of mine. I will call him Mr. Clode—Simon Clode. He was a man of considerablewealth and lived in a large house not very far from here. He had had one son killed in the War and this son had leftone child, a little girl. Her mother had died at her birth, and on her father’s death she had come to live with hergrandfather who at once became passionately5 attached to her. Little Chris could do anything she liked with hergrandfather. I have never seen a man more completely wrapped up in a child, and I cannot describe to you his griefand despair when, at the age of eleven, the child contracted pneumonia6 and died.
“Poor Simon Clode was inconsolable. A brother of his had recently died in poor circumstances and Simon Clodehad generously offered a home to his brother’s children—two girls, Grace and Mary, and a boy, George. But thoughkind and generous to his nephew and nieces, the old man never expended7 on them any of the love and devotion he hadaccorded to his little grandchild. Employment was found for George Clode in a bank nearby, and Grace married aclever young research chemist of the name of Philip Garrod. Mary, who was a quiet, self-contained girl, lived at homeand looked after her uncle. She was, I think, fond of him in her quiet undemonstrative way. And to all appearancesthings went on very peacefully. I may say that after the death of little Christobel, Simon Clode came to me andinstructed me to draw up a new will. By this will, his fortune, a very considerable one, was divided equally betweenhis nephew and nieces, a third share to each.
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收听单词发音

1
motive
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n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的 | |
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2
perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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straightforward
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adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的 | |
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layman
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n.俗人,门外汉,凡人 | |
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5
passionately
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ad.热烈地,激烈地 | |
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6
pneumonia
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n.肺炎 | |
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expended
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v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 );使用(钱等)做某事;用光;耗尽 | |
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countenance
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n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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ascendancy
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n.统治权,支配力量 | |
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doting
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adj.溺爱的,宠爱的 | |
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ridicule
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v.讥讽,挖苦;n.嘲弄 | |
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impartial
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adj.(in,to)公正的,无偏见的 | |
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remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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testimony
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n.证词;见证,证明 | |
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imposture
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n.冒名顶替,欺骗 | |
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pretext
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n.借口,托词 | |
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apprehensions
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疑惧 | |
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flamboyant
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adj.火焰般的,华丽的,炫耀的 | |
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cant
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n.斜穿,黑话,猛扔 | |
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lank
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adj.瘦削的;稀疏的 | |
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melancholy
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n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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furtive
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adj.鬼鬼崇崇的,偷偷摸摸的 | |
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helping
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n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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scoffer
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嘲笑者 | |
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vouched
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v.保证( vouch的过去式和过去分词 );担保;确定;确定地说 | |
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ecstasies
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狂喜( ecstasy的名词复数 ); 出神; 入迷; 迷幻药 | |
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eldest
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adj.最年长的,最年老的 | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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despoiled
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v.掠夺,抢劫( despoil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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probity
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n.刚直;廉洁,正直 | |
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phenomena
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n.现象 | |
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discredit
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vt.使不可置信;n.丧失信义;不信,怀疑 | |
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maligned
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vt.污蔑,诽谤(malign的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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jealousy
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n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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espouse
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v.支持,赞成,嫁娶 | |
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scant
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adj.不充分的,不足的;v.减缩,限制,忽略 | |
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decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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invalid
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n.病人,伤残人;adj.有病的,伤残的;无效的 | |
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gasping
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adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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gasp
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n.喘息,气喘;v.喘息;气吁吁他说 | |
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scribbled
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v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 );乱画;草草地写;匆匆记下 | |
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residue
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n.残余,剩余,残渣 | |
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outright
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adv.坦率地;彻底地;立即;adj.无疑的;彻底的 | |
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gratitude
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adj.感激,感谢 | |
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admiration
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n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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sane
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adj.心智健全的,神志清醒的,明智的,稳健的 | |
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promptly
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adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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middle-aged
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adj.中年的 | |
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devotedly
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专心地; 恩爱地; 忠实地; 一心一意地 | |
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devoted
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adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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buxom
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adj.(妇女)丰满的,有健康美的 | |
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eyebrows
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眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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irritably
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ad.易生气地 | |
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grumbled
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抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声 | |
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grumbling
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adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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draught
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n.拉,牵引,拖;一网(饮,吸,阵);顿服药量,通风;v.起草,设计 | |
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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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bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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reassuringly
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ad.安心,可靠 | |
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legacy
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n.遗产,遗赠;先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
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memento
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n.纪念品,令人回忆的东西 | |
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frankly
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adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 | |
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hearth
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n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面 | |
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cosy
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adj.温暖而舒适的,安逸的 | |
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judgment
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n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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adjourned
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(使)休会, (使)休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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 | |
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unctuous
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adj.油腔滑调的,大胆的 | |
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discursive
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adj.离题的,无层次的 | |
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justification
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n.正当的理由;辩解的理由 | |
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upwards
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adv.向上,在更高处...以上 | |
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motives
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n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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curt
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adj.简短的,草率的 | |
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abruptly
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adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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crux
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adj.十字形;难事,关键,最重要点 | |
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enjoyment
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n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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tampered
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v.窜改( tamper的过去式 );篡改;(用不正当手段)影响;瞎摆弄 | |
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recapitulate
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v.节述要旨,择要说明 | |
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applied
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adj.应用的;v.应用,适用 | |
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detested
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v.憎恶,嫌恶,痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tampering
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v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 );篡改;(用不正当手段)影响;瞎摆弄 | |
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83
sleight
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n.技巧,花招 | |
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astonishment
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n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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vent
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n.通风口,排放口;开衩;vt.表达,发泄 | |
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chuckle
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vi./n.轻声笑,咯咯笑 | |
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mischief
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n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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yolk
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n.蛋黄,卵黄 | |
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legerdemain
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n.戏法,诈术 | |
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meddled
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v.干涉,干预(他人事务)( meddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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 | |
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asperity
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n.粗鲁,艰苦 | |
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dilemma
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n.困境,进退两难的局面 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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speculation
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n.思索,沉思;猜测;投机 | |
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distressed
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痛苦的 | |
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legitimate
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adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法 | |
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starch
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n.淀粉;vt.给...上浆 | |
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iodine
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n.碘,碘酒 | |
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entirely
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ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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chuckled
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轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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