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It is remarkable1 how many odd or extraordinary people there are in England. We hear continual complaints of the stodgy2 dullness of the English. It would be quite as just to complain of their freakish, unusual characters. Only en masse the metal is all Britannia.
In an ugly little mining town we find the odd ones just as distinct as anywhere else. Only it happens that dull people invariably meet dull people, and odd individuals always come across odd individuals, no matter where they may be. So that to each kind society seems all of a piece.
At one end of the dark tree-covered Shottle Lane stood the “Royal Oak” public house; and Mrs. Houseley was certainly an odd woman. At the other end of the lane was Shottle House, where the Bricknells lived; the Bricknells were odd, also. Alfred Bricknell, the old man, was one of the partners in the Colliery firm. His English was incorrect, his accent, broad Derbyshire, and he was not a gentleman in the snobbish3 sense of the word. Yet he was well-to-do, and very stuck-up. His wife was dead.
Shottle House stood two hundred yards beyond New Brunswick Colliery. The colliery was imbedded in a plantation4, whence its burning pit- hill glowed, fumed5, and stank6 sulphur in the nostrils7 of the Bricknells. Even war-time efforts had not put out this refuse fire. Apart from this, Shottle House was a pleasant square house, rather old, with shrubberies and lawns. It ended the lane in a dead end. Only a field-path trekked8 away to the left.
On this particular Christmas Eve Alfred Bricknell had only two of his children at home. Of the others, one daughter was unhappily married, and away in India weeping herself thinner; another was nursing her babies in Streatham. Jim, the hope of the house, and Julia, now married to Robert Cunningham, had come home for Christmas.

1
remarkable
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adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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2
stodgy
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adj.易饱的;笨重的;滞涩的;古板的 | |
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3
snobbish
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adj.势利的,谄上欺下的 | |
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4
plantation
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n.种植园,大农场 | |
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fumed
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愤怒( fume的过去式和过去分词 ); 大怒; 发怒; 冒烟 | |
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6
stank
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n. (英)坝,堰,池塘 动词stink的过去式 | |
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nostrils
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鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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8
trekked
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v.艰苦跋涉,徒步旅行( trek的过去式和过去分词 );(尤指在山中)远足,徒步旅行,游山玩水 | |
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reticence
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n.沉默,含蓄 | |
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chic
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n./adj.别致(的),时髦(的),讲究的 | |
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slippers
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n. 拖鞋 | |
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12
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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sparse
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adj.稀疏的,稀稀落落的,薄的 | |
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strand
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vt.使(船)搁浅,使(某人)困于(某地) | |
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spun
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v.纺,杜撰,急转身 | |
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lithe
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adj.(指人、身体)柔软的,易弯的 | |
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elastic
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n.橡皮圈,松紧带;adj.有弹性的;灵活的 | |
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upwards
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adv.向上,在更高处...以上 | |
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meditation
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n.熟虑,(尤指宗教的)默想,沉思,(pl.)冥想录 | |
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eyebrows
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眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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shaft
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n.(工具的)柄,杆状物 | |
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Ford
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n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过 | |
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23
poke
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n.刺,戳,袋;vt.拨开,刺,戳;vi.戳,刺,捅,搜索,伸出,行动散慢 | |
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strands
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n.(线、绳、金属线、毛发等的)股( strand的名词复数 );缕;海洋、湖或河的)岸;(观点、计划、故事等的)部份v.使滞留,使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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stoutish
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略胖的 | |
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lieutenant
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n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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sculptor
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n.雕刻家,雕刻家 | |
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subdued
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adj. 屈服的,柔和的,减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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flicker
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vi./n.闪烁,摇曳,闪现 | |
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twitch
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v.急拉,抽动,痉挛,抽搐;n.扯,阵痛,痉挛 | |
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puckering
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v.(使某物)起褶子或皱纹( pucker的现在分词 );小褶纹;小褶皱 | |
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voluptuous
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adj.肉欲的,骄奢淫逸的 | |
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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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luxurious
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adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的 | |
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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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accomplishment
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n.完成,成就,(pl.)造诣,技能 | |
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puckered
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v.(使某物)起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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twitching
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n.颤搐 | |
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39
puffs
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n.吸( puff的名词复数 );(烟斗或香烟的)一吸;一缕(烟、蒸汽等);(呼吸或风的)呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧 | |
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vacuously
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adv.无意义地,茫然若失地,无所事事地 | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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sleight
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n.技巧,花招 | |
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poker
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n.扑克;vt.烙制 | |
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grunt
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v.嘟哝;作呼噜声;n.呼噜声,嘟哝 | |
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furtively
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adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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malicious
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adj.有恶意的,心怀恶意的 | |
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fixedly
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adv.固定地;不屈地,坚定不移地 | |
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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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contagion
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n.(通过接触的疾病)传染;蔓延 | |
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tremor
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n.震动,颤动,战栗,兴奋,地震 | |
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majestic
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adj.雄伟的,壮丽的,庄严的,威严的,崇高的 | |
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prostrate
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v.拜倒,平卧,衰竭;adj.拜倒的,平卧的,衰竭的 | |
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cynical
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adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的,不信世道向善的 | |
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54
sufficiently
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adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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55
poking
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n. 刺,戳,袋 vt. 拨开,刺,戳 vi. 戳,刺,捅,搜索,伸出,行动散慢 | |
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56
smelt
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v.熔解,熔炼;n.银白鱼,胡瓜鱼 | |
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awfully
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adv.可怕地,非常地,极端地 | |
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shrilly
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尖声的; 光亮的,耀眼的 | |
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exclamation
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n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词 | |
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remonstrated
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v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 );告诫 | |
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giggled
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v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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illuminate
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vt.照亮,照明;用灯光装饰;说明,阐释 | |
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holders
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支持物( holder的名词复数 ); 持有者; (支票等)持有人; 支托(或握持)…之物 | |
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stoic
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n.坚忍克己之人,禁欲主义者 | |
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philosophic
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adj.哲学的,贤明的 | |
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indifference
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n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
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vaguely
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adv.含糊地,暖昧地 | |
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foliage
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n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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huddled
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挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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slung
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抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 ); 吊挂; 遣送; 押往 | |
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asunder
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adj.分离的,化为碎片 | |
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crouching
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v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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animated
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adj.生气勃勃的,活跃的,愉快的 | |
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bough
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n.大树枝,主枝 | |
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vouchsafed
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v.给予,赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 );允诺 | |
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penetrated
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adj. 击穿的,鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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recesses
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n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 );(工作或业务活动的)中止或暂停期间;学校的课间休息;某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 );将(墙)做成凹形,在(墙)上做壁龛;休息,休会,休庭 | |
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perpendicular
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adj.垂直的,直立的;n.垂直线,垂直的位置 | |
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aspiration
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n.志向,志趣抱负;渴望;(语)送气音;吸出 | |
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pricked
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刺,扎,戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 ); 刺伤; 刺痛; 使剧痛 | |
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81
luminous
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adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的 | |
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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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83
bowler
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n.打保龄球的人,(板球的)投(球)手 | |
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84
twilight
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n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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85
tilted
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v. 倾斜的 | |
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86
jaunty
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adj.愉快的,满足的;adv.心满意足地,洋洋得意地;n.心满意足;洋洋得意 | |
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peremptory
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adj.紧急的,专横的,断然的 | |
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88
whoop
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n.大叫,呐喊,喘息声;v.叫喊,喘息 | |
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writhed
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(因极度痛苦而)扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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intoxication
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n.wild excitement;drunkenness;poisoning | |
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deliberately
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adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
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exasperated
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adj.恼怒的 | |
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93
writhing
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(因极度痛苦而)扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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whooping
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发嗬嗬声的,发咳声的 | |
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twigged
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有细枝的,有嫩枝的 | |
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spasms
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n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 );抽搐;(能量、行为等的)突发;发作 | |
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97
whooped
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叫喊( whoop的过去式和过去分词 ); 高声说; 唤起 | |
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98
subsiding
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v.(土地)下陷(因在地下采矿)( subside的现在分词 );减弱;下降至较低或正常水平;一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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99
obstinate
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adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
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100
enquired
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打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 ); 询问; 问问题; 查问 | |
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101
inertia
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adj.惰性,惯性,懒惰,迟钝 | |
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102
cynically
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adv.爱嘲笑地,冷笑地 | |
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103
sepulchral
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adj.坟墓的,阴深的 | |
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104
flickering
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adj.闪烁的,摇曳的,一闪一闪的 | |
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105
thoroughly
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adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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106
underneath
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adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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107
oblivious
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adj.易忘的,遗忘的,忘却的,健忘的 | |
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108
heeded
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v.听某人的劝告,听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 );变平,使(某物)变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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109
curiously
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adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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110
clairvoyant
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adj.有预见的;n.有预见的人 | |
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sardonic
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adj.嘲笑的,冷笑的,讥讽的 | |
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perverse
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adj.刚愎的;坚持错误的,行为反常的 | |
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agitated
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adj.被鼓动的,不安的 | |
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hysterical
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adj.情绪异常激动的,歇斯底里般的 | |
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115
glimmer
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v.发出闪烁的微光;n.微光,微弱的闪光 | |
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116
crumbs
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int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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