If ever they meant to break up the Partnership¹, this would've been the time. " 'Twas all so out of the ordinary," Mason declares, "that it must have been intended,— an act of Him so strange, His purposes unknown."
"Eeh,— that is, I'm not sure which one tha mean."
Mason instantly narrows his eyes. "Who else could— oh. Oh, I see. Hum.. .a common Belief among your People?"
"All thah' Coal-Mining, I guess."
In the crucial moments, neither Mason nor Dixon had fail'd the other. Each had met the other's Gaze for a slight moment before Duty again claim'd them,— the Vapors² rising from the Wounds of dying Sailors smoothing out what was not essential for each to understand.
For the moment, they know they must stand as one, tho' not always how. Arriv'd in Plymouth Dockyard, drafting the letter to the Royal Soci?ety, thro' the dark hours, each keeps rejecting the other's ideas. The Candles tremble with the Vehemence³ of their Speech. They are well the other side of Exhaustion⁴, and neither has bother'd to keep his defensive⁵ works mann'd against the other. With what they've lately been through together, it seems quite beside the point for them to do so. At least they are past that. Each knows, that is, exactly how brave and how cowardly the other was when the crisis came.
"Say, 'If You might arrange for us each to have a Regiment⁶,— a Frigate⁷ being impractical⁸, given our Ignorance of how to sail, much less fight, one,— we should be happy to proceed to war upon any people, in any quarter of the Globe His Majesty⁹ should be pleas'd to send us to,—
"Dixon, think,— what if they should say yes? Do you want to com?mand a Regiment?"

点击收听单词发音  

1 partnership
n.合作关系，伙伴关系
参考例句：
The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。 Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

2 vapors
n.水汽，水蒸气，无实质之物( vapor的名词复数 )；自夸者；幻想 [药]吸入剂 [古]忧郁（症）v.自夸，（使）蒸发( vapor的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
His emotions became vague and shifted about like vapors. 他的心情则如同一团雾气，变幻无常，捉摸不定。 来自辞典例句 They have hysterics, they weep, they have the vapors. 他们歇斯底里，他们哭泣，他们精神忧郁。 来自辞典例句

3 vehemence
n.热切；激烈；愤怒
参考例句：
The attack increased in vehemence.进攻越来越猛烈。 She was astonished at his vehemence.她对他的激昂感到惊讶。

4 exhaustion
n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述
参考例句：
She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。 His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了，显然是太累了。

5 defensive
adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的
参考例句：
Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。 The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

6 regiment
n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制
参考例句：
As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活，所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。 They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。

7 frigate
n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰
参考例句：
An enemy frigate bore down on the sloop.一艘敌驱逐舰向这只护航舰逼过来。 I declare we could fight frigate.我敢说我们简直可以和一艘战舰交战。

8 impractical
adj.不现实的，不实用的，不切实际的
参考例句：
He was hopelessly impractical when it came to planning new projects.一到规划新项目，他就完全没有了实际操作的能力。 An entirely rigid system is impractical.一套完全死板的体制是不实际的。

9 majesty
n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权
参考例句：
The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。 Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

10 technically
adv.专门地，技术上地
参考例句：
Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。 The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

11 Christians
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。 His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

12 bishop
n.主教，（国际象棋）象
参考例句：
He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。 Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

13 assertive
adj.果断的，自信的，有冲劲的
参考例句：
She always speaks an assertive tone.她总是以果断的语气说话。 China appears to have become more assertive in the waters off its coastline over recent years.在近些年，中国显示出对远方海洋的自信。

14 offense
n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪
参考例句：
I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。 His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

15 wraiths
n.幽灵( wraith的名词复数 )；（传说中人在将死或死后不久的）显形阴魂
参考例句：
And spat out army of soulless wraiths. 一群失魄的魂灵轰然涌出。 来自互联网 There are five or six others of all ages and sexes, like wraiths following her around. 还有另外五、六个不同年龄和性别的人象幽灵似的围着她转。 来自互联网

16 warship
n.军舰，战舰
参考例句：
He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。 The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

17 mischief
n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹
参考例句：
Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。 He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

18 jabber
v.快而不清楚地说；n.吱吱喳喳
参考例句：
Listen to the jabber of those monkeys.听那些猴子在吱吱喳喳地叫。 He began to protes,to jabber of his right of entry.他开始抗议，唠叨不休地说他有进来的权力。

19 frigates
n.快速军舰( frigate的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Frigates are a vital part of any balanced sea-going fleet. 护卫舰是任何一个配置均衡的远洋舰队所必需的。 来自互联网 These ships are based on the Chinese Jiangwei II class frigates. 这些战舰是基于中国的江卫II型护卫舰。 来自互联网

20 brute
n.野兽，兽性
参考例句：
The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。 That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

21 astronomers
n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings. 天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪，为什么只有土星有光环。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 wigs
n.假发，法官帽( wig的名词复数 )
参考例句：
They say that wigs will be coming in again this year. 据说今年又要流行戴假发了。 来自辞典例句 Frank, we needed more wigs than we thought, and we have to do some advertising. 弗兰克，因为我们需要更多的假发，而且我们还要做点广告。 来自电影对白

23 askew
adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的
参考例句：
His glasses had been knocked askew by the blow.他的眼镜一下子被打歪了。 Her hat was slightly askew.她的帽子戴得有点斜。

24 martyrs
n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情）
参考例句：
the early Christian martyrs 早期基督教殉道者 They paid their respects to the revolutionary martyrs. 他们向革命烈士致哀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

25 apprentice
n.学徒，徒弟
参考例句：
My son is an apprentice in a furniture maker's workshop.我的儿子在一家家具厂做学徒。 The apprentice is not yet out of his time.这徒工还没有出徒。

26 confiding
adj.相信人的，易于相信的v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的现在分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等）
参考例句：
The girl is of a confiding nature. 这女孩具有轻信别人的性格。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Celia, though confiding her opinion only to Andrew, disagreed. 西莉亚却不这么看，尽管她只向安德鲁吐露过。 来自辞典例句

27 confession
n.自白，供认，承认
参考例句：
Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。 The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

28 shrugs
n.耸肩（以表示冷淡，怀疑等）( shrug的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany shrugs off this criticism. 匈牙利总理久尔恰尼对这个批评不以为然。 来自互联网 She shrugs expressively and takes a sip of her latte. 她表达地耸肩而且拿她的拿铁的啜饮。 来自互联网

29 cowardice
n.胆小，怯懦
参考例句：
His cowardice reflects on his character.他的胆怯对他的性格带来不良影响。 His refusal to help simply pinpointed his cowardice.他拒绝帮助正显示他的胆小。

30 eventual
adj.最后的，结局的，最终的
参考例句：
Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。 Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

31 steadily
adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
参考例句：
The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。 Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

32 mentor
n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导
参考例句：
He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。 He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

33 sleeplessly
adv.失眠地
参考例句：
He was lying in bed sleeplessly. 他躺在床上，睡不着。 来自互联网

34 rattle
v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓
参考例句：
The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。 She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

35 illuminated
adj.被照明的；受启迪的
参考例句：
Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。 the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市