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One day Martin became aware that he was lonely. He was healthy and strong, and had nothing to do. The cessation from writing and studying, the death of Brissenden, and the estrangement1 from Ruth had made a big hole in his life; and his life refused to be pinned down to good living in cafes and the smoking of Egyptian cigarettes. It was true the South Seas were calling to him, but he had a feeling that the game was not yet played out in the United States. Two books were soon to be published, and he had more books that might find publication. Money could be made out of them, and he would wait and take a sackful of it into the South Seas. He knew a valley and a bay in the Marquesas that he could buy for a thousand Chili2 dollars. The valley ran from the horseshoe, land- locked bay to the tops of the dizzy, cloud-capped peaks and contained perhaps ten thousand acres. It was filled with tropical fruits, wild chickens, and wild pigs, with an occasional herd3 of wild cattle, while high up among the peaks were herds4 of wild goats harried5 by packs of wild dogs. The whole place was wild. Not a human lived in it. And he could buy it and the bay for a thousand Chili dollars.
The bay, as he remembered it, was magnificent, with water deep enough to accommodate the largest vessel6 afloat, and so safe that the South Pacific Directory recommended it to the best careening place for ships for hundreds of miles around. He would buy a schooner7 - one of those yacht-like, coppered crafts that sailed like witches - and go trading copra and pearling among the islands. He would make the valley and the bay his headquarters. He would build a patriarchal grass house like Tati's, and have it and the valley and the schooner filled with dark-skinned servitors. He would entertain there the factor of Taiohae, captains of wandering traders, and all the best of the South Pacific riffraff. He would keep open house and entertain like a prince. And he would forget the books he had opened and the world that had proved an illusion.

1
estrangement
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n.疏远,失和,不和 | |
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2
chili
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n.辣椒 | |
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3
herd
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n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起 | |
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4
herds
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兽群( herd的名词复数 ); 牧群; 人群; 群众 | |
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5
harried
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v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 );不断烦扰;一再袭击;侵扰 | |
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vessel
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n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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schooner
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n.纵帆船 | |
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noted
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adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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mound
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n.土墩,堤,小山;v.筑堤,用土堆防卫 | |
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hearty
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adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的 | |
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plumber
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n.(装修水管的)管子工 | |
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promptly
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adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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forsook
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forsake的过去式 | |
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gee
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n.马;int.向右!前进!,惊讶时所发声音;v.向右转 | |
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revolving
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adj.旋转的,轮转式的;循环的v.(使)旋转( revolve的现在分词 );细想 | |
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fictitious
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adj.虚构的,假设的;空头的 | |
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burgeoned
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v.发芽,抽枝( burgeon的过去式和过去分词 );迅速发展;发(芽),抽(枝) | |
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geniality
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n.和蔼,诚恳;愉快 | |
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refreshment
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n.恢复,精神爽快,提神之事物;(复数)refreshments:点心,茶点 | |
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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 | |
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humility
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n.谦逊,谦恭 | |
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caressing
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爱抚的,表现爱情的,亲切的 | |
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defiant
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adj.无礼的,挑战的 | |
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defiance
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n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗 | |
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jaw
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n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训 | |
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pivoting
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n.绕轴旋转,绕公共法线旋转v.(似)在枢轴上转动( pivot的现在分词 );把…放在枢轴上;以…为核心,围绕(主旨)展开 | |
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crumpled
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adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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vengeance
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n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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wary
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adj.谨慎的,机警的,小心的 | |
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antagonist
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n.敌人,对抗者,对手 | |
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scrapping
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刮,切除坯体余泥 | |
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admiration
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n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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sundry
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adj.各式各样的,种种的 | |
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irate
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adj.发怒的,生气 | |
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sneer
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v.轻蔑;嘲笑;n.嘲笑,讥讽的言语 | |
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sneered
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讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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zest
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n.乐趣;滋味,风味;兴趣 | |
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lasting
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adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持 | |
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analytical
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adj.分析的;用分析法的 | |
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primitive
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adj.原始的;简单的;n.原(始)人,原始事物 | |
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averted
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防止,避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 ); 转移 | |
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abruptly
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adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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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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afterward
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adv.后来;以后 | |
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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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dozed
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v.打盹儿,打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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miraculous
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adj.像奇迹一样的,不可思议的 | |
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imperative
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n.命令,需要;规则;祈使语气;adj.强制的;紧急的 | |
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license
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n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许 | |
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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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deliberately
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adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
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joyous
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adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的 | |
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stenographer
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n.速记员 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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extraneous
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adj.体外的;外来的;外部的 | |
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pang
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n.剧痛,悲痛,苦闷 | |
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brewing
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n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式 | |
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avenge
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v.为...复仇,为...报仇 | |
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constables
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n.警察( constable的名词复数 ) | |
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herded
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群集,纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 ); 放牧; (使)向…移动 | |
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impending
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a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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manoeuvre
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n.策略,调动;v.用策略,调动 | |
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gregarious
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adj.群居的,喜好群居的 | |
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shack
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adj.简陋的小屋,窝棚 | |
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usurped
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篡夺,霸占( usurp的过去式和过去分词 ); 盗用; 篡夺,篡权 | |
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jovially
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adv.愉快地,高兴地 | |
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imperatively
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adv.命令式地 | |
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humbly
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adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地 | |
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tolerance
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n.宽容;容忍,忍受;耐药力;公差 | |
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sobbed
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哭泣,啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 ); 哭诉,呜咽地说 | |
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brute
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n.野兽,兽性 | |
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