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A Letter to a Young Poet ** Written in 1932
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My Dear John,
Did you ever meet, or was he before your day, that old gentleman — I forget his name — who used to enliven conversation, especially at breakfast when the post came in, by saying that the art of letter-writing is dead? The penny post, the old gentleman used to say, has killed the art of letter-writing. Nobody, he continued, examining an envelope through his eye-glasses, has the time even to cross their t’s. We rush, he went on, spreading his toast with marmalade, to the telephone. We commit our half-formed thoughts in ungrammatical phrases to the post card. Gray is dead, he continued; Horace Walpole is dead; Madame de Sévigné— she is dead too, I suppose he was about to add, but a fit of choking cut him short, and he had to leave the room before he had time to condemn1 all the arts, as his pleasure was, to the cemetery2. But when the post came in this morning and I opened your letter stuffed with little blue sheets written all over in a cramped3 but not illegible4 hand — I regret to say, however, that several t’s were uncrossed and the grammar of one sentence seems to me dubious5 — I replied after all these years to that elderly necrophilist — Nonsense. The art of letter-writing has only just come into existence. It is the child of the penny post. And there is some truth in that remark, I think. Naturally when a letter cost half a crown to send, it had to prove itself a document of some importance; it was read aloud; it was tied up with green silk; after a certain number of years it was published for the infinite delectation of posterity6. But your letter, on the contrary, will have to be burnt. It only cost three-halfpence to send. Therefore you could afford to be intimate, irreticent, indiscreet in the extreme. What you tell me about poor dear C. and his adventure on the Channel boat is deadly private; your ribald jests at the expense of M. would certainly ruin your friendship if they got about; I doubt, too, that posterity, unless it is much quicker in the wit than I expect, could follow the line of your thought from the roof which leaks (“splash, splash, splash into the soap dish”) past Mrs.
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收听单词发音

1
condemn
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vt.谴责,指责;宣判(罪犯),判刑 | |
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2
cemetery
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n.坟墓,墓地,坟场 | |
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3
cramped
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a.狭窄的 | |
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4
illegible
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adj.难以辨认的,字迹模糊的 | |
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5
dubious
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adj.怀疑的,无把握的;有问题的,靠不住的 | |
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6
posterity
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n.后裔,子孙,后代 | |
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gape
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v.张口,打呵欠,目瞪口呆地凝视 | |
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nib
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n.钢笔尖;尖头 | |
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swoop
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n.俯冲,攫取;v.抓取,突然袭击 | |
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rue
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n.懊悔,芸香,后悔;v.后悔,悲伤,懊悔 | |
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jealousy
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n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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suburban
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adj.城郊的,在郊区的 | |
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rites
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仪式,典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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coerce
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v.强迫,压制 | |
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parlous
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adj.危险的,不确定的,难对付的 | |
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villains
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n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 );罪犯;(小说、戏剧等中的)反面人物;淘气鬼 | |
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solitary
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adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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muse
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n.缪斯(希腊神话中的女神),创作灵感 | |
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acquiesce
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vi.默许,顺从,同意 | |
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follower
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n.跟随者;随员;门徒;信徒 | |
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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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swells
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增强( swell的第三人称单数 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情) | |
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dominant
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adj.支配的,统治的;占优势的;显性的;n.主因,要素,主要的人(或物);显性基因 | |
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undo
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vt.解开,松开;取消,撤销 | |
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stanzas
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节,段( stanza的名词复数 ) | |
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glides
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n.滑行( glide的名词复数 );滑音;音渡;过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔 | |
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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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thoroughly
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adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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inaccurately
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不精密地,不准确地 | |
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domain
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n.(活动等)领域,范围;领地,势力范围 | |
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stunted
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adj.矮小的;发育迟缓的 | |
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grove
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n.林子,小树林,园林 | |
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33
unleashed
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v.把(感情、力量等)释放出来,发泄( unleash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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importunate
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adj.强求的;纠缠不休的 | |
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dismantled
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拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 ); 拆卸; 废除; 取消 | |
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colloquial
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adj.口语的,会话的 | |
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literally
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adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实 | |
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domesticated
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adj.喜欢家庭生活的;(指动物)被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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poetical
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adj.似诗人的;诗一般的;韵文的;富有诗意的 | |
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invoke
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v.求助于(神、法律);恳求,乞求 | |
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invokes
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v.援引( invoke的第三人称单数 );行使(权利等);祈求救助;恳求 | |
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contemplate
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vt.盘算,计议;周密考虑;注视,凝视 | |
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fluency
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n.流畅,雄辩,善辩 | |
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intensified
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v.(使)增强, (使)加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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consolidate
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v.使加固,使加强;(把...)联为一体,合并 | |
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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 | |
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penetrate
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v.透(渗)入;刺入,刺穿;洞察,了解 | |
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attic
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n.顶楼,屋顶室 | |
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lumber
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n.木材,木料;v.以破旧东西堆满;伐木;笨重移动 | |
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draughts
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n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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51
puff
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n.一口(气);一阵(风);v.喷气,喘气 | |
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52
groans
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n.呻吟,叹息( groan的名词复数 );呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦 | |
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quotations
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n.引用( quotation的名词复数 );[商业]行情(报告);(货物或股票的)市价;时价 | |
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quotation
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n.引文,引语,语录;报价,牌价,行情 | |
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aged
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adj.年老的,陈年的 | |
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apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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tyrant
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n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人 | |
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58
drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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59
flickers
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电影制片业; (通常指灯光)闪烁,摇曳( flicker的名词复数 ) | |
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stimulating
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adj.有启发性的,能激发人思考的 | |
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61
gutter
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n.沟,街沟,水槽,檐槽,贫民窟 | |
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gasps
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v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 | |
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gracefully
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ad.大大方方地;优美地 | |
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smoothly
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adv.平滑地,顺利地,流利地,流畅地 | |
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grooves
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n.沟( groove的名词复数 );槽;老一套;(某种)音乐节奏v.沟( groove的第三人称单数 );槽;老一套;(某种)音乐节奏 | |
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glibly
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adv.流利地,流畅地;满口 | |
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glibness
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n.花言巧语;口若悬河 | |
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clog
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vt.塞满,阻塞;n.[常pl.]木屐 | |
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unintelligible
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adj.无法了解的,难解的,莫明其妙的 | |
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70
alas
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int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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71
slumber
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n.睡眠,沉睡状态 | |
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72
sanguine
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adj.充满希望的,乐观的,血红色的 | |
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wreckage
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n.(失事飞机等的)残骸,破坏,毁坏 | |
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renovation
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n.革新,整修 | |
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impure
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adj.不纯净的,不洁的;不道德的,下流的 | |
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crammed
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adj.塞满的,挤满的;大口地吃;快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满;填入;临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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subtleties
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细微( subtlety的名词复数 ); 精细; 巧妙; 细微的差别等 | |
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lashing
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n.鞭打;痛斥;大量;许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 );煽动;紧系;怒斥 | |
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79
follies
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罪恶,时事讽刺剧; 愚蠢,蠢笨,愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
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hypocrisies
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n.伪善,虚伪( hypocrisy的名词复数 ) | |
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81
satires
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讽刺,讥讽( satire的名词复数 ); 讽刺作品 | |
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satire
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n.讽刺,讽刺文学,讽刺作品 | |
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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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prophesying
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v.预告,预言( prophesy的现在分词 ) | |
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85
wireless
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adj.无线的;n.无线电 | |
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86
prim
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adj.拘泥形式的,一本正经的;n.循规蹈矩,整洁;adv.循规蹈矩地,整洁地 | |
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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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rhythmical
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adj.有节奏的,有韵律的 | |
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bestow
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v.把…赠与,把…授予;花费 | |
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harmonious
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adj.和睦的,调和的,和谐的,协调的 | |
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incompatible
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adj.不相容的,不协调的,不相配的 | |
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affinity
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n.亲和力,密切关系 | |
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saturate
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vt.使湿透,浸透;使充满,使饱和 | |
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spun
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v.纺,杜撰,急转身 | |
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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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96
horde
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n.群众,一大群 | |
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swarm
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n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入 | |
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dismal
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adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的 | |
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mingling
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adj.混合的 | |
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100
jubilation
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n.欢庆,喜悦 | |
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101
bass
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n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴 | |
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102
malcontent
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n.不满者,不平者;adj.抱不平的,不满的 | |
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103
discomfort
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n.不舒服,不安,难过,困难,不方便 | |
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104
whatsoever
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adv.(用于否定句中以加强语气)任何;pron.无论什么 | |
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absurdities
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n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 );荒谬;谬论;荒谬的行为 | |
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106
syllable
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n.音节;vt.分音节 | |
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107
precisely
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adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
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dependants
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受赡养者,受扶养的家属( dependant的名词复数 ) | |
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begetter
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n.生产者,父 | |
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sonnets
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n.十四行诗( sonnet的名词复数 ) | |
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111
embark
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vi.乘船,着手,从事,上飞机 | |
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publicity
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n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告 | |
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113
rapture
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n.狂喜;全神贯注;着迷;v.使狂喜 | |
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sentimental
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adj.多愁善感的,感伤的 | |
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115
rein
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n.疆绳,统治,支配;vt.以僵绳控制,统治 | |
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curbing
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n.边石,边石的材料v.限制,克制,抑制( curb的现在分词 ) | |
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torrent
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n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发 | |
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implore
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vt.乞求,恳求,哀求 | |
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pomposity
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n.浮华;虚夸;炫耀;自负 | |
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120
anonymous
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adj.无名的;匿名的;无特色的 | |
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121
disciples
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n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 );门徒;耶稣的信徒;(尤指)耶稣十二门徒之一 | |
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122
luncheons
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n.午餐,午宴( luncheon的名词复数 ) | |
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consigning
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v.把…置于(令人不快的境地)( consign的现在分词 );把…托付给;把…托人代售;丟弃 | |
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consolation
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n.安慰,慰问 | |
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