The encampment looked weird5 indeed as seen in the cruel light of day. The women were cooking oatmeal on iron girdles, but the fire burned smokily, and the cake I got was no better than dough6. They were a disjaskit lot, with tousled hair and pinched faces, in which shone hungry eyes. Most were barefoot, and all but two—three were ancient beldames who should have been at home in the chimney corner. I noticed one decent-looking young woman, who had the air of a farm servant; and two were well-fed country wives who had probably left a brood of children to mourn them. The men were little better. One had the sallow look of a weaver7, another was a hind8 with a big, foolish face, and there was a slip of a lad who might once have been a student of divinity. But each had a daftness in the eye and something weak and unwholesome in the visage, so that they were an offence to the fresh, gusty9 moorland.
All but Muckle John himself. He came out of his tent and prayed till the hill-sides echoed. It was a tangle11 of bedlamite ravings, with long screeds from the Scriptures12 intermixed like currants in a bag-pudding. But there was power in the creature, in the strange lift of his voice, in his grim jowl, and in the fire of his sombre eyes. The others I pitied, but him I hated and feared. On him and his kind were to be blamed all the madness of the land, which had sent my father overseas and desolated13 our dwelling14. So long as crazy prophets preached brimstone and fire, so long would rough-shod soldiers and cunning lawyers profit by their folly15; and often I prayed in those days that the two evils might devour16 each other.
It was time that I was cutting loose from this ill-omened company and continuing my road Edinburgh-wards. We were lying in a wide trough of the Pentland Hills, which I well remembered. The folk of the plains called it the Cauldstaneslap, and it made an easy path for sheep and cattle between the Lothians and Tweeddale. The camp had been snugly17 chosen, for, except by the gleam of a fire in the dark, it was invisible from any distance. Muckle John was so filled with his vapourings that I could readily slip off down the burn and join the southern highway at the village of Linton.
I was on the verge18 of going when I saw that which pulled me up. A rider was coming over the moor10. The horse leaped the burn lightly, and before I could gather my wits was in the midst of the camp, where Muckle John was vociferating to heaven.
My heart gave a great bound, for I saw it was the girl who had sung to me in the rain. She rode a fine sorrel, with the easy seat of a skilled horsewoman. She was trimly clad in a green riding-coat, and over the lace collar of it her hair fell in dark, clustering curls. Her face was grave, like a determined19 child's; but the winds of the morning had whipped it to a rosy20 colour, so that into that clan21 of tatterdemalions she rode like Proserpine descending22 among the gloomy Shades. In her hand she carried a light riding-whip.
A scream from the women brought Muckle John out of his rhapsodies. He stared blankly at the slim girl who confronted him with hand on hip1.
"What seekest thou here, thou shameless woman?" he roared.
"I am come," said she, "for my tirewoman, Janet Somerville, who left me three days back without a reason. Word was brought me that she had joined a mad company called the Sweet-Singers, that lay at the Cauldstaneslap. Janet's a silly body, but she means no ill, and her mother is demented at the loss of her. So I have come for Janet."
Her cool eyes ran over the assembly till they lighted on the one I had already noted23 as more decent-like than the rest. At the sight of the girl the woman bobbed a curtsy.
"Come out of it, silly Janet," said she on the horse; "you'll never make a Sweet-Singer, for there's not a notion of a tune24 in your head."
"It's not singing that I seek, my leddy," said the woman, blushing. "I follow the call o' the Lord by the mouth o' His servant, John Gib."
"You'll follow the call of your mother by the mouth of me, Elspeth Blair. Forget these havers, Janet, and come back like a good Christian25 soul. Mount and be quick. There's room behind me on Bess."
The words were spoken in a kindly26, wheedling27 tone, and the girl's face broke into the prettiest of smiles. Perhaps Janet would have obeyed, but Muckle John, swift to prevent defection, took up the parable28.
"Begone, ye daughter of Heth!" he bellowed29, "ye that are like the devils that pluck souls from the way of salvation30. Begone, or it is strongly borne in upon me that ye will dree the fate of the women of Midian, of whom it is written that they were slaughtered31 and spared not."
The girl did not look his way. She had her coaxing32 eyes on her halting maid. "Come, Janet, woman," she said again. "It's no job for a decent lass to be wandering at the tail of a crazy warlock."
The word roused Muckle John to fury. He sprang forward, caught the sorrel's bridle33, and swung it round. The girl did not move, but looked him square in the face, the young eyes fronting his demoniac glower34. Then very swiftly her arm rose, and she laid the lash35 of her whip roundly over his shoulders.
The man snarled36 like a beast, leaped back and plucked from his seaman's belt a great horse-pistol. I heard the click of it cocking, and the next I knew it was levelled at the girl's breast. The sight of her and the music of her voice had so enthralled37 me that I had made no plan as to my own conduct. But this sudden peril38 put fire into my heels, and in a second I was at his side. I had brought from home a stout39 shepherd's staff, with which I struck the muzzle40 upwards41. The pistol went off in a great stench of powder, but the bullet wandered to the clouds.
Muckle John let the thing fall into the moss42, and plucked another weapon from his belt. This was an ugly knife, such as a cobbler uses for paring hides. I knew the seaman's trick of throwing, having seen their brawls43 at the pier44 of Leith, and I had no notion for the steel in my throat. The man was far beyond me in size and strength, so I dared not close with him. Instead, I gave him the point of my staff with all my power straight in the midriff. The knife slithered harmlessly over my shoulder, and he fell backwards45 into the heather.
There was no time to be lost, for the whole clan came round me like a flock of daws. One of the men, the slim lad, had a pistol, but I saw by the way he handled it that it was unprimed. I was most afraid of the women, who with their long claws would have scratched my eyes out, and I knew they would not spare the girl. To her I turned anxiously, and, to my amazement46, she was laughing. She recognized me, for she cried out, "Is this the way to Kirknewton, sir?" And all the time she shook with merriment. In that hour I thought her as daft as the Sweet-Singers, whose nails were uncommonly47 near my cheek.
I got her bridle, tumbled over the countryman with a kick, and forced her to the edge of the sheepfold. But she wheeled round again, crying, "I must have Janet," and faced the crowd with her whip. That was well enough, but I saw Muckle John staggering to his feet, and I feared desperately48 for his next move. The girl was either mad or extraordinarily49 brave.
"Get back, you pitiful knaves," she cried. "Lay a hand on me, and I will cut you to ribbons. Make haste, Janet, and quit this folly."
It was gallant50 talk, but there was no sense in it. Muckle John was on his feet, half the clan had gone round to our rear, and in a second or two she would have been torn from the saddle. A headstrong girl was beyond my management, and my words of entreaty51 were lost in the babel of cries.
But just then there came another sound. From the four quarters of the moor there closed in upon us horsemen. They came silently and were about us before I had a hint of their presence. It was a troop of dragoons in the king's buff and scarlet52, and they rode us down as if we had been hares in a field. The next I knew of it I was sprawling53 on the ground with a dizzy head, and horses trampling54 around me, I had a glimpse of Muckle John with a pistol at his nose, and the sorrel curveting and plunging55 in a panic. Then I bethought myself of saving my bones, and crawled out of the mellay behind the sheepfold.
Presently I realized that this was the salvation I had been seeking. Gib was being pinioned56, and two of the riders were speaking with the girl. The women hung together like hens in a storm, while the dragoons laid about them with the flat of their swords. There was one poor creature came running my way, and after her followed on foot a long fellow, who made clutches at her hair. He caught her with ease, and proceeded to bind57 her hands with great brutality58.
Now I, who a minute before had been in danger from this very crew, was smitten60 with a sudden compunction. Except for Muckle John, they were so pitifully feeble, a pack of humble61, elderly folk, worn out with fasting and marching and ill weather. I had been sickened by their crazy devotions, but I was more sickened by this man's barbarity. It was the woman, too, who had given me food the night before.
So I stepped out, and bade the man release her.
He was a huge, sunburned ruffian, and for answer aimed a clour at my head. "Take that, my mannie," he said. "I'll learn ye to follow the petticoats."
His scorn put me into a fury, in which anger at his brutishness and the presence of the girl on the sorrel moved my pride to a piece of naked folly. I flew at his throat, and since I had stood on a little eminence62, the force of my assault toppled him over. My victory lasted scarcely a minute. He flung me from him like a feather, then picked me up and laid on to me with the flat of his sword.
"Ye thrawn jackanapes," he cried, as he beat me. "Ye'll pay dear for playing your pranks63 wi' John Donald."
I was a child in his mighty64 grasp, besides having no breath left in me to resist. He tied my hands and legs, haled me to his horse, and flung me sack-like over the crupper. There was no more shamefaced lad in the world than me at that moment, for coming out of the din3 I heard a girl's light laughter.
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1
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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briskness
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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dough
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| n.生面团；钱，现款 | |
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weaver
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| n.织布工；编织者 | |
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8
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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gusty
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| adj.起大风的 | |
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moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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11
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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12
scriptures
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| 经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典 | |
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desolated
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| adj.荒凉的，荒废的 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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15
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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16
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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17
snugly
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| adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地 | |
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18
verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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19
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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20
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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21
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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23
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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24
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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25
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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26
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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27
wheedling
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| v.骗取（某物），哄骗（某人干某事）( wheedle的现在分词 ) | |
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28
parable
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| n.寓言，比喻 | |
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29
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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30
salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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31
slaughtered
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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33
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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34
glower
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| v.怒目而视 | |
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35
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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36
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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37
enthralled
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| 迷住，吸引住( enthrall的过去式和过去分词 )； 使感到非常愉快 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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40
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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41
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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42
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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43
brawls
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| 吵架，打架( brawl的名词复数 ) | |
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44
pier
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| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
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45
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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46
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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47
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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48
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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49
extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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50
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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51
entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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52
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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53
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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54
trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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55
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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56
pinioned
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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58
brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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59
talons
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| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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60
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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61
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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62
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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63
pranks
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| n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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64
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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