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It was not because of Olney, but in spite of Ruth, and his love for Ruth, that he finally decided1 not to take up Latin. His money meant time. There was so much that was more important than Latin, so many studies that clamored with imperious voices. And he must write. He must earn money. He had had no acceptances. Twoscore of manuscripts were travelling the endless round of the magazines. How did the others do it? He spent long hours in the free reading- room, going over what others had written, studying their work eagerly and critically, comparing it with his own, and wondering, wondering, about the secret trick they had discovered which enabled them to sell their work.
He was amazed at the immense amount of printed stuff that was dead. No light, no life, no color, was shot through it. There was no breath of life in it, and yet it sold, at two cents a word, twenty dollars a thousand - the newspaper clipping had said so. He was puzzled by countless2 short stories, written lightly and cleverly he confessed, but without vitality3 or reality. Life was so strange and wonderful, filled with an immensity of problems, of dreams, and of heroic toils4, and yet these stories dealt only with the commonplaces of life. He felt the stress and strain of life, its fevers and sweats and wild insurgences - surely this was the stuff to write about! He wanted to glorify6 the leaders of forlorn hopes, the mad lovers, the giants that fought under stress and strain, amid terror and tragedy, making life crackle with the strength of their endeavor. And yet the magazine short stories seemed intent on glorifying7 the Mr. Butlers, the sordid8 dollar-chasers, and the commonplace little love affairs of commonplace little men and women. Was it because the editors of the magazines were commonplace? he demanded. Or were they afraid of life, these writers and editors and readers?
But his chief trouble was that he did not know any editors or writers. And not merely did he not know any writers, but he did not know anybody who had ever attempted to write. There was nobody to tell him, to hint to him, to give him the least word of advice. He began to doubt that editors were real men. They seemed cogs in a machine. That was what it was, a machine. He poured his soul into stories, articles, and poems, and intrusted them to the machine. He folded them just so, put the proper stamps inside the long envelope along with the manuscript, sealed the envelope, put more stamps outside, and dropped it into the mail-box. It travelled across the continent, and after a certain

1
decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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2
countless
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adj.无数的,多得不计其数的 | |
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vitality
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n.活力,生命力,效力 | |
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toils
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网 | |
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toil
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vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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glorify
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vt.颂扬,赞美,使增光,美化 | |
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glorifying
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赞美( glorify的现在分词 ); 颂扬; 美化; 使光荣 | |
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sordid
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adj.肮脏的,不干净的,卑鄙的,暗淡的 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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lapse
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n.过失,流逝,失效,抛弃信仰,间隔;vi.堕落,停止,失效,流逝;vt.使失效 | |
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metallic
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adj.金属的;金属制的;含金属的;产金属的;像金属的 | |
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machinery
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n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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rejection
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n.拒绝,被拒,抛弃,被弃 | |
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stereotyped
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adj.(指形象、思想、人物等)模式化的 | |
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rejections
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拒绝( rejection的名词复数 ); 摒弃; 剔除物; 排斥 | |
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severely
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adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 | |
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economized
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v.节省,减少开支( economize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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economize
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v.节约,节省 | |
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inevitable
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adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 | |
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solicitude
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n.焦虑 | |
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nagging
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adj.唠叨的,挑剔的;使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评(某人)( nag的现在分词 );不断地烦扰或伤害(某人);无休止地抱怨;不断指责 | |
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disapproved
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v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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delicacy
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n.精致,细微,微妙,精良;美味,佳肴 | |
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averse
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adj.厌恶的;反对的,不乐意的 | |
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instructors
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指导者,教师( instructor的名词复数 ) | |
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lyrics
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n.歌词 | |
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refreshing
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adj.使精神振作的,使人清爽的,使人喜欢的 | |
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knoll
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n.小山,小丘 | |
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sprawling
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adj.蔓生的,不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 );蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着) | |
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30
sniffed
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v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说 | |
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tawny
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adj.茶色的,黄褐色的;n.黄褐色 | |
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dreary
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adj.令人沮丧的,沉闷的,单调乏味的 | |
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lured
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吸引,引诱(lure的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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scattered
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adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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epic
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n.史诗,叙事诗;adj.史诗般的,壮丽的 | |
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noted
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adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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embarrassment
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n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫 | |
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stammered
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v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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babble
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v.含糊不清地说,胡言乱语地说,儿语 | |
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transmute
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vt.使变化,使改变 | |
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nostrils
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鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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scent
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n.气味,香味,香水,线索,嗅觉;v.嗅,发觉 | |
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stifled
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(使)窒息, (使)窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 ); 镇压,遏制; 堵 | |
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stump
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n.残株,烟蒂,讲演台;v.砍断,蹒跚而走 | |
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persistent
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adj.坚持不懈的,执意的;持续的 | |
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alluring
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adj.吸引人的,迷人的 | |
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adorned
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[计]被修饰的 | |
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tyro
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n.初学者;生手 | |
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faltered
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(嗓音)颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 ); 支吾其词; 蹒跚; 摇晃 | |
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pompous
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adj.傲慢的,自大的;夸大的;豪华的 | |
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amateurishness
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n.amateurish(业余的)的变形 | |
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amateurish
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n.业余爱好的,不熟练的 | |
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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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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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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 | |
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imprison
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vt.监禁,关押,限制,束缚 | |
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concealed
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a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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clenched
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v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sketch
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n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述 | |
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dross
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n.渣滓;无用之物 | |
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effulgence
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n.光辉 | |
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velvety
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adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
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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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innocence
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n.无罪;天真;无害 | |
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foulness
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n. 纠缠, 卑鄙 | |
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infested
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adj.为患的,大批滋生的(常与with搭配)v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 );遍布于 | |
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everlasting
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adj.永恒的,持久的,无止境的 | |
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grandeur
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n.伟大,崇高,宏伟,庄严,豪华 | |
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iniquity
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n.邪恶;不公正 | |
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frailty
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n.脆弱;意志薄弱 | |
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abysmal
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adj.无底的,深不可测的,极深的;糟透的,极坏的;完全的 | |
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impelled
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v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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primordial
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adj.原始的;最初的 | |
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ferment
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vt.使发酵;n./vt.(使)激动,(使)动乱 | |
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aspire
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vi.(to,after)渴望,追求,有志于 | |
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mire
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n.泥沼,泥泞;v.使...陷于泥泞,使...陷入困境 | |
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abortions
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n.小产( abortion的名词复数 );小产胎儿;(计划)等中止或夭折;败育 | |
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approbation
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n.称赞;认可 | |
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intelligible
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adj.可理解的,明白易懂的,清楚的 | |
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steadfast
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adj.固定的,不变的,不动摇的;忠实的;坚贞不移的 | |
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apotheosis
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n.神圣之理想;美化;颂扬 | |
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savage
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adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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monstrous
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adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的 | |
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84
delirium
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n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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ignoble
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adj.不光彩的,卑鄙的;可耻的 | |
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culminations
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n.顶点,极点(culmination的复数形式) | |
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intensity
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n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度 | |
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paradox
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n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法;自相矛盾的人(物) | |
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perilous
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adj.危险的,冒险的 | |
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ardor
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n.热情,狂热 | |
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tormented
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饱受折磨的 | |
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92
dense
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a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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allusions
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暗指,间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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intrude
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vi.闯入;侵入;打扰,侵扰 | |
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95
knights
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骑士; (中古时代的)武士( knight的名词复数 ); 骑士; 爵士; (国际象棋中)马 | |
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96
imperatively
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adv.命令式地 | |
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97
astounded
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v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词);愕然;愕;惊讶 | |
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98
sprawled
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v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词);蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着) | |
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99
abashed
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adj.窘迫的,尴尬的v.使羞愧,使局促,使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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100
motif
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n.(图案的)基本花纹,(衣服的)花边;主题 | |
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101
clog
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vt.塞满,阻塞;n.[常pl.]木屐 | |
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102
extraneous
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adj.体外的;外来的;外部的 | |
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103
abruptly
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adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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104
carving
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n.雕刻品,雕花 | |
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105
sophomoric
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adj.一知半解的;大学或四年制中学的二年级的 | |
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106
incapable
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adj.无能力的,不能做某事的 | |
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107
discredit
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vt.使不可置信;n.丧失信义;不信,怀疑 | |
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108
temporize
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v.顺应时势;拖延 | |
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109
passionately
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ad.热烈地,激烈地 | |
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perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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