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首页 » 英文科幻小说 » The Secret Tomb » CHAPTER XVII THE SECRET PERISHES
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CHAPTER XVII THE SECRET PERISHES
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 The scene had not lasted a minute; and in less than a minute the readjustment had taken place. Defeat was changed to victory.
 
A precarious1 victory. Dorothy knew that a man like d'Estreicher would not long remain the dupe of the illusion with which, by a stroke of really incredible daring, she had filled his mind. Nevertheless she essayed the impossible to bring about the ruffian's capture, a capture which she could not effect alone, and which would only become definite if she kept him awed2 till the freeing of Webster, Errington, and Marco Dario.
 
As authoritative3 as if she were disposing of an army corps4, she gave her orders to her rescuers:
 
"One of you stay there with the rifle leveled, ready to fire at the slightest movement, and let the remainder of the troop go to set the prisoners free! Hurry up, now. Go round the tower. They're to the left of the entrance—a little further on."
 
The remainder of the troop was Castor and Pollux, unless Saint-Quentin went with them, thinking it best simply to leave his rifle, model 1870, resting in the loop-hole and aimed directly at the ruffian.
 
"They are going.... They are entering.... They are searching," she said to herself, trying to follow the movements of the children.
 
But she saw d'Estreicher's tense face little by little relax. He had looked at the barrel of the rifle. He had heard the quiet steps of the children, so different from the row which a band of peasants would have made. Soon she no longer doubted that the ruffian would escape before the others came.
 
The last of his hesitation6 vanished; he let his arms fall, grinding his teeth.
 
"Sold!" he said. "It's those brats7 and the rifle is nothing but old iron! My God, you have a nerve!"
 
"Am I to shoot?"
 
"Come off it! A girl like you kills to defend herself, not for killing's sake. To hand me over to justice? Will that give you back the diamonds? I would rather have my tongue torn out and be roasted over a slow fire than divulge8 the secret. They're mine. I'll take them when I please."
 
"One step forward and I shoot."
 
"Right, you've won the party. I'm off."
 
He listened.
 
"The brats are gabbling over yonder. By the time they've untied9 them, I shall be a long way off. Au revoir.... We shall meet again."
 
"No," she said.
 
"Yes. I shall have the last word. The diamonds first. The love affair afterwards. I did wrong to mix the two."
 
She shook her head.
 
"You will not have the diamonds. Would I let you go, if I weren't sure? But, and I've told you so: you are lost."
 
"Lost? And why?" he sneered10.
 
"I feel it."
 
He was about to reply. But the sound of voices nearer came to their ears. He leapt out of the guardroom and ran for it, bending low, through the bushes.
 
Dorothy, who had darted11 after him, aimed at him, with a sudden determination to bring him down. But, after a moment's hesitation, she lowered her weapon, murmuring:
 
"No, no. I cannot.... I cannot. And then what good would it be? Anyhow my father will be avenged12...."
 
She went towards her friends. The boys had had great difficulty in freeing them, so tangled13 was the network of cords that bound them. Webster was the first to get to his feet and run to meet her.
 
"Where is he?"
 
"Gone," she said.
 
"What! You had a revolver and you let him get away?"
 
Errington came up, then Dario, both furious.
 
"He has got away? Is it possible? But which way did he go?"
 
Webster snatched Dorothy's weapon.
 
"You hadn't the heart to kill him? Was that it?"
 
"I had not," said Dorothy.
 
"A blackguard like that! A murderer! Ah well, that's not our way, I swear. Here we are, friends."
 
Dorothy barred their way.
 
"And his confederates? There are five or six of them besides d'Estreicher—all armed with rifles."
 
"All the better," said the American. "There are seven shots in the revolver."
 
"I beg you," she said, fearing the result of an unequal battle. "I beg you.... Besides, it's too late.... They must have got on board their boat."
 
"We'll see about that."
 
The three young men set out in pursuit. She would have liked to go with them, but Montfaucon clung to her skirt, sobbing14, his legs still hampered15 by his bonds.
 
"Mummy ... mummy ... don't go away.... I was so frightened!"
 
She no longer thought of anything but him, took him on her knees, and consoled him.
 
"You mustn't cry, Captain dear. It's all over. That nasty man won't come back any more. Have you thanked Saint-Quentin? And your comrades Castor and Pollux? Where would we have been without them, my darling?"
 
She kissed the three boys tenderly.
 
"Yes! Where would we have been? Ah, Saint-Quentin, the idea of the rifle.... What a find! You are a splendid fellow, old chap! Come and be kissed again! And tell me how you managed to get to us? I didn't miss the little heaps of pebbles16 that you sowed along the path from the inn. But why did you go round the marsh17? Did you hope to get to the ruins of the château by going along the beach at the foot of the cliffs?"
 
"Yes, mummy," replied Saint-Quentin, very proud at being so complimented by her, and deeply moved by her kisses.
 
"And wasn't it impossible?"
 
"Yes. But I found a better way ... on the sand, a little boat, which we pushed into the sea."
 
"And you had the courage, the three of you, and the strength to row? It must have taken you an hour?"
 
"An hour and a half, mummy. There were heaps of sandbanks which blocked our way. At last we landed not far from here in sight of the tower. And when we got here I recognized the voice of d'Estreicher."
 
"Ah, my poor, dear darlings!"
 
Again there was a deluge18 of kisses, which she rained right and left on the cheeks of Saint-Quentin, Castor's forehead, and the Captain's head. And she laughed! And she sang! It was so good to be alive. So good to be no longer face to face with a brute19 who gripped your wrists and sullied you with his abominable20 leer! But she suddenly broke off in the middle of these transports.
 
"And Maître Delarue? I was forgetting him!"
 
He was lying at the back of his cell behind a rampart of tall grasses.
 
"Attend to him! Quick, Saint-Quentin, cut his ropes. Goodness! He has fainted. Look here, Maître Delarue, you come to your senses. If not, I leave you."
 
"Leave me!" cried the notary21, suddenly waking up. "But you've no right! The enemy——"
 
"The enemy has run away, Maître Delarue."
 
"He may come back. These are terrible people. Look at the hole their chief made in my hat! The donkey finished by throwing me off, just at the entrance to the ruins. I took refuge in a tree and refused to come down. I didn't stay there long. The ruffian knocked my hat off with a bullet."
 
"Are you dead?"
 
"No. But I'm suffering from internal pains and bruises22."
 
"That will soon pass off, Maître Delarue. To-morrow there won't be anything left, I assure you. Saint-Quentin, I put Maître Delarue in your charge. And yours, too, Montfaucon. Rub him."
 
She hurried off with the intention of joining her three friends, whose badly conducted expedition worried her. Starting out at random23, without any plan of attack, they ran the risk once more of letting themselves be taken one by one.
 
Happily for them, the young men did not know the place where d'Estreicher's boat was moored24; and though the portion of the peninsula situated25 beyond the ruins was of no great extent, since they were at once hampered by masses of rock which formed veritable barriers, she found all three of them. Each of them had lost his way in the labyrinth26 of little paths, and each of them, without knowing it, was returning to the tower.
 
Dorothy, who had a finer sense of orientation27, did not lose her way. She had a flair28 for the little paths which led nowhere, and instinctively29 chose those which led to her goal. Moreover she soon discovered foot-prints. It was the path followed regularly by the band in going to and fro between the ruins and the sea. It was no longer possible to go astray.
 
But at this point they heard cries which came from a point straight ahead of them. Then the path turned sharply and ran to the right. A pile of rocks had necessitated30 this change of direction, abrupt31 and rugged32 rocks. Nevertheless they scaled them to avoid making the apparently33 long detour34.
 
Dario who was the most agile35 and leading, suddenly exclaimed:
 
"I see them! They're all on the boat.... But what the devil are they doing?"
 
Webster joined him, revolver in hand:
 
"Yes, I see them too! Let's run down.... We shall be nearer to them."
 
Before them was the extremity36 of the plateau, on which the rocks stood, on a promontory37, a hundred and twenty feet high, which commanded the beach. Two very high granite38 needles formed as it were the pillars of an open door, through which they saw the blue expanse of the ocean.
 
"Look out! Down with you!" commanded Dorothy, dropping full length on the ground.
 
The others flattened39 themselves against the rocky walls.
 
A hundred and fifty yards in front of them, on the deck of a large motor fishing-boat, there was a group of five men; and among them a woman was gesticulating. On seeing Dorothy and her friends, one of the men turned sharply, brought his rifle to his shoulder, and fired. A splinter of granite flew from the wall near Errington.
 
"Halt there! Or I'll shoot again!" cried the man who had fired.
 
Dorothy checked her companions.
 
"What are you going to do? The cliff is perpendicular40. You don't mean to jump into the empty air?"
 
"No, but we can get back to the road and go round," Dario proposed.
 
"I forbid you to stir. It would be madness."
 
Webster lost his temper:
 
"I've a revolver!"
 
"They have rifles, they have. Besides, you would get there too late. The drama would be over."
 
"What drama?"
 
"Look."
 
Dominated by her, they remained quiet, sheltered from the bullets. Below them developed, like a performance at which they were compelled to be present without taking part in it, what Dorothy had called the drama; and all at once they grasped its tragic41 horror.
 
The big boat was rocking beside a natural quay42 which formed the landing-place of a peaceful little creek43. The woman and the five men were bending over an inert44 body which appeared to be bound with bands of red wool. The woman was apostrophizing this sixth individual, shaking her fists in his face, and heaping abuse on him, of which only a few words reached the ears of the young people.
 
"Thief!... Coward!... You refuse, do you?... You wait a minute!"
 
She gave some orders with regard to an operation, for which everything was ready, for the young people perceived, when the group of ruffians broke up, that the end of a long rope which ran over the mainyard, was round the prisoner's neck. Two men caught hold of the other end of it.
 
The inert body was set on its feet. It stood upright for a few seconds, like a doll one is about to make dance. Then, gently, without a jerk, they drew it up a yard from the deck.
 
"D'Estreicher!" murmured one of the young men recognizing the Russian soldier's cap.
 
Dorothy recalled with a shudder45 the prediction she had made to her enemy directly after their meeting at the Château de Roborey. She said in a low voice:
 
"Yes, d'Estreicher."
 
"What do they want from him?"
 
"They want to get the diamonds from him."
 
"But he hasn't got them."
 
"No. But they may believe he has them. I suspected that that was what they had in mind. I noticed the savage46 expression of their faces and the glances they exchanged as they left the ruins by d'Estreicher's orders. They obeyed him in order to prepare the trap into which he has fallen."
 
Below, the figure only remained suspended from the yard for an instant. They lowered the doll. Then they drew it up again twice; and the woman yelled:
 
"Will you speak?... The treasure you promised us?... What have you done with it?"
 
Beside Dorothy, Webster muttered:
 
"It isn't possible! We can't allow them to...."
 
"What?" said Dorothy. "You wanted to kill him a little while ago.... Do you want to save him now?"
 
Webster and his friends did not quite know what they wanted. But they refused to remain inactive any longer in presence of this heartrending spectacle. The cliff was perpendicular, but there were fissures47 and runlets of sand in it. Webster, seeing that the man with the rifle was no longer paying any attention to them, risked the descent. Dario and Errington followed him.
 
The attempt was vain. The gang had no intention of fighting. The woman started the motor. When the three young men set foot on the sand of the beach, the boat was moving out to sea, with the engine going full speed. The American vainly fired the seven shots in his revolver.
 
He was furious; and he said to Dorothy who got down to him:
 
"All the same ... all the same we should have acted differently.... There goes a band of rogues48, clearing off under our very eyes."
 
"What can we do?" said Dorothy. "Isn't the chief culprit punished? When they're out to sea, they'll search him again, and once certain that his pockets are really empty, that he knows the secret and will not reveal it, they'll throw their chief into the sea, along with the false Marquis, whose corpse49 is actually at the bottom of the hold."
 
"And that's enough for you? The punishment of d'Estreicher?"
 
"Yes."
 
"You hate him intensely then?"
 
"He murdered my father," she said.
 
The young men bowed gravely. Then Dario resumed:
 
"But the others?..."
 
"Let them go and get hanged somewhere else! It's much better for us. The band arrested and handed over to justice would have meant an inquiry50, a trial, the whole adventure spread broadcast. Was that to our interest? The Marquis de Beaugreval advised us to settle our affairs among ourselves."
 
Errington sighed:
 
"Our affairs are all settled. The secret of the diamonds is lost."
 
Far away, northwards, towards Brittany, the boat was moving away.
 
That same evening, towards nine o'clock, after having intrusted Maître Delarue to the care of the widow Amoureux—all he thought of was getting a good night's rest and returning to his office as quickly as possible—and after having enjoined51 on the widow absolute silence about the assault of which she had been the victim, Errington and Dario harnessed their horses to the caravan52. Saint-Quentin led One-eyed Magpie53 behind it. They returned by the stony54 path up the gorge55 to the ruins of Roche-Périac. Dorothy and the children resumed possession of their lodging56. The three young men installed themselves in the cells of the tower.
 
Next morning, early, Archibald Webster mounted his motor-cycle. He did not return till noon.
 
"I've come from Sarzeau," he said. "I have seen the monks57 of the abbey. I have bought from them the ruins of Roche-Périac."
 
"Heavens!" cried Dorothy. "Do you mean to end your days here?"
 
"No; but Errington, Dario, and I wish to search in peace; and for peace there is no place like home."
 
"Archibald Webster, you seem to be very rich; are you as firmly bent58 on finding the diamonds as all that?"
 
"I'm bent on this business of our ancestor Beaugreval ending as it ought to end, and that chance shouldn't, some day or other, give those diamonds to some one, without any right to them, who happens to come along. Will you help us, Dorothy?"
 
"Goodness, no."
 
"Hang it! Why not?"
 
"Because as far as I am concerned, the adventure came to an end with the punishment of the culprit."
 
They looked downcast.
 
"Nevertheless you're staying on?"
 
"Yes, I need rest and my four boys need it too. Twelve days here, leading the family life with you, will do us a world of good. On the twenty-fourth of July, in the morning, I'm off."
 
"The date is fixed59?"
 
"Yes."
 
"For us, too?"
 
"Yes. I'm taking you with me."
 
"And to where do we travel?"
 
"An old Manor60 in Vendée where, at the end of July, other descendants of the lord of Beaugreval will find themselves gathered together. I'm eager to introduce you to our cousins Davernoie and Chagny-Roborey. After that you will be at liberty to return here ... to bury yourselves with the diamonds of Golconda."
 
"Along with you, Dorothy?"
 
"Without me."
 
"In that case," said Webster, "I sell my ruins."
 
For the three young men those few days were a continuous enchantment61. During the morning they searched, without any kind of method be it said, and with an ardor62 that lessened63 all the more quickly because Dorothy did not take part in their investigations64. Really they were only waiting for the moment when they would be with her again. They lunched together, near the caravan, which Dorothy had established under the shade of the big oak which commanded the avenue of trees.
 
A delightful65 meal, followed by an afternoon no less delightful, and by an evening which they would have willingly prolonged till the coming of dawn. Not a cloud in the sky spoilt the beautiful weather. Not a traveler tried to make his way into their domain66 or pass beyond the notice they had nailed to a branch: "Private property. Man-traps."
 
They lived by themselves, with the four boys with whom they had become the warmest friends, and in whose games they took part, all seven of them in an ecstasy67 before her whom they called the wonderful Dorothy.
 
She charmed and dazzled them. Her presence of mind during the painful day of the 12th of July, her coolness in the chamber68 in the tower, her journey to the inn, her unyielding struggle against d'Estreicher, her courage, her gayety, were so many things that awoke in them an astounded69 admiration70. She seemed to them the most natural and the most mysterious of creatures. For all that she lavished71 explanations on them and told them all about her childhood, her life as nurse, her life as showman, the events at the Château de Roborey and Hillocks Manor, they could not bring themselves to grasp the fact that she was at once the Princess of Argonne and circus-manager, that she was just that, manifestly as reserved as she was fanciful, manifestly the daughter of a grand seignior every whit72 as much as mountebank73 and rope-dancer. But her delicate tenderness towards the four children touched them profoundly, to such a degree did the maternal74 instinct reveal itself in her affectionate looks and patient care.
 
On the fourth day Marco Dario succeeded in drawing her aside and made his proposal:
 
"I have two sisters who would love you like a sister. I live in an old palace in which, if you would come to it, you would wear the air of a lady of the Renaissance75."
 
On the fifth day the trembling Errington spoke76 to her of his mother, "who would be so happy to have a daughter like you." On the sixth day it was Webster's turn. On the seventh day they nearly came to blows. On the eighth day, they clamored to her to choose between them.
 
"Why between you?" said she laughingly. "You are not the only people in my life, besides my four boys. I have relations, cousins, other suitors perhaps."
 
"Choose."
 
On the ninth day, under severe pressure, she promised to choose.
 
"Well there," she said. "I'll set you all in a row and kiss the one who shall be my husband."
 
"When?"
 
"On the first day of the month of August."
 
"Swear it!"
 
"I swear it."
 
After that they stopped searching for the diamonds. As Errington observed—and Montfaucon had said it before him—the diamonds they desired were she, Dorothy. Their ancestor Beaugreval could not have foreseen for them a more magnificent treasure.
 
On the morning of the 24th Dorothy gave the signal for their departure. They quitted the ruins of Roche-Périac and said good-bye to the riches of the Marquis de Beaugreval.
 
"All the same," said Dario. "You ought to have searched, cousin Dorothy. You only are capable of discovering what no one has discovered for two centuries."
 
With a careless gesture she replied:
 
"Our excellent ancestor took care to tell us himself where the fortune was to be found—In robore.... Let us accept his decision."
 
They traveled again the stages which she had traveled already, crossed the Vilaine, and took, the road to Nantes. In the villages—one must live; and the young girl accepted help from no one—Dorothy's Circus gave performances. Fresh cause for amazement77 on the part of the three foreigners. Dorothy conducting the parade, Dorothy on One-eyed Magpie, Dorothy addressing the public, what sparkling and picturesque78 scenes!
 
They slept two nights at Nantes, where Dorothy desired to see Maître Delarue. Quite recovered from his emotions, the notary welcomed her warmly, introduced her to his family, and kept her to lunch.
 
Finally on the last day of the month, starting early in the morning, they reached Hillocks Manor in the middle of the afternoon. Dorothy left the caravan in front of the gateway79 with the boys, and entered, accompanied by the three young men.
 
The court-yard was empty. The farm-servants must be at work in the fields. But through the open windows of the Manor they heard the noise of a violent discussion.
 
A man's voice, harsh and common—Dorothy recognized it as the voice of Voirin, the money-lender—was scolding furiously; reinforced by thumps80 on the table:
 
"You've got to pay, Monsieur Raoul. Here's the bill of sale, signed by your grandfather. At five o'clock on the 31st of July, 1921, three hundred thousand francs in bank-notes or Government securities. If not, the Manor is mine. It's four-fifty. Where's the money?"
 
Dorothy heard next the voice of Raoul, then the voice of Count Octave de Chagny offering to arrange to pay the sum.
 
"No arrangements," said the money-lender. "Bank-notes. It's four fifty-six."
 
Archibald Webster caught Dorothy by the sleeve and murmured:
 
"Raoul? It's one of our cousins?"
 
"Yes."
 
"And the other man?"
 
"A money-lender."
 
"Offer him a check."
 
"He won't take it."
 
"Why not?"
 
"He wants the Manor."
 
"What of it? We're not going to let a thing like that happen."
 
Dorothy said to him:
 
"You're a good fellow, Archibald, and I thank you. But do you think that it's by chance that we're here on the 31st of July at four minutes to five?"
 
She went towards the steps, mounted them, crossed the hall, and entered the room.
 
Two cries greeted her appearance on the scene. Raoul started up, very pale, the Countess de Chagny ran to her.
 
She stopped them with a gesture.
 
In front of the table, Voirin, supported by two friends whom he had brought as witnesses, his papers and deeds spread out before him, held his watch in his hand.
 
"Five o'clock!" he cried in a tone of victory.
 
She corrected him:
 
"Five o'clock by your watch, perhaps. But look at the clock. We have still three minutes."
 
"And what of it?" said the money-lender.
 
"Well, three minutes are more than we need to pay this little bill and clear you out of the house."
 
She opened the traveling cape5 she was wearing and from one of its inner pockets drew a huge yellow envelope which she tore open. Out of it came a bundle of thousand-franc notes and a packet of securities.
 
"Count, monsieur. No, not here. It would take rather a time; and we're eager to be by ourselves."
 
Gently, but with a continuous pressure, she pushed him towards the door, and his two witnesses with him.
 
"Excuse me, monsieur, but it's a family party ... cousins who haven't seen one another for two hundred years.... And we're eager to be by ourselves.... You're not angry with me, are you? And, by the way, you will send the receipt to Monsieur Davernoie. Au revoir, gentlemen.... There: there's five o'clock striking.... Au revoir."
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 precarious Lu5yV     
adj.不安定的,靠不住的;根据不足的
参考例句:
  • Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
  • He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家,他过得是朝不保夕的生活。
2 awed a0ab9008d911a954b6ce264ddc63f5c8     
adj.充满敬畏的,表示敬畏的v.使敬畏,使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The audience was awed into silence by her stunning performance. 观众席上鸦雀无声,人们对他出色的表演感到惊叹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I was awed by the huge gorilla. 那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 authoritative 6O3yU     
adj.有权威的,可相信的;命令式的;官方的
参考例句:
  • David speaks in an authoritative tone.大卫以命令的口吻说话。
  • Her smile was warm but authoritative.她的笑容很和蔼,同时又透着威严。
4 corps pzzxv     
n.(通信等兵种的)部队;(同类作的)一组
参考例句:
  • The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
5 cape ITEy6     
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风
参考例句:
  • I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
  • She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。
6 hesitation tdsz5     
n.犹豫,踌躇
参考例句:
  • After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天,他终于直说了。
  • There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。
7 brats 956fd5630fab420f5dae8ea887f83cd9     
n.调皮捣蛋的孩子( brat的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • I've been waiting to get my hands on you brats. 我等着干你们这些小毛头已经很久了。 来自电影对白
  • The charming family had turned into a parcel of brats. 那个可爱的家庭一下子变成了一窝臭小子。 来自互联网
8 divulge ImBy2     
v.泄漏(秘密等);宣布,公布
参考例句:
  • They refused to divulge where they had hidden the money.他们拒绝说出他们把钱藏在什么地方。
  • He swore never to divulge the secret.他立誓决不泄露秘密。
9 untied d4a1dd1a28503840144e8098dbf9e40f     
松开,解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 ); 解除,使自由; 解决
参考例句:
  • Once untied, we common people are able to conquer nature, too. 只要团结起来,我们老百姓也能移山倒海。
  • He untied the ropes. 他解开了绳子。
10 sneered 0e3b5b35e54fb2ad006040792a867d9f     
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
  • It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。
11 darted d83f9716cd75da6af48046d29f4dd248     
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 avenged 8b22eed1219df9af89cbe4206361ac5e     
v.为…复仇,报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 );为…报复
参考例句:
  • She avenged her mother's death upon the Nazi soldiers. 她惩处了纳粹士兵以报杀母之仇。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The Indians avenged the burning of their village on〔upon〕 the settlers. 印第安人因为村庄被焚毁向拓居者们进行报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 tangled e487ee1bc1477d6c2828d91e94c01c6e     
adj. 纠缠的,紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了,我梳不动。
  • A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。
14 sobbing df75b14f92e64fc9e1d7eaf6dcfc083a     
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的
参考例句:
  • I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。
  • Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。
15 hampered 3c5fb339e8465f0b89285ad0a790a834     
妨碍,束缚,限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
  • So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。
16 pebbles e4aa8eab2296e27a327354cbb0b2c5d2     
[复数]鹅卵石; 沙砾; 卵石,小圆石( pebble的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The pebbles of the drive crunched under his feet. 汽车道上的小石子在他脚底下喀嚓作响。
  • Line the pots with pebbles to ensure good drainage. 在罐子里铺一层鹅卵石,以确保排水良好。
17 marsh Y7Rzo     
n.沼泽,湿地
参考例句:
  • There are a lot of frogs in the marsh.沼泽里有许多青蛙。
  • I made my way slowly out of the marsh.我缓慢地走出这片沼泽地。
18 deluge a9nyg     
n./vt.洪水,暴雨,使泛滥
参考例句:
  • This little stream can become a deluge when it rains heavily.雨大的时候,这条小溪能变作洪流。
  • I got caught in the deluge on the way home.我在回家的路上遇到倾盆大雨。
19 brute GSjya     
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。
20 abominable PN5zs     
adj.可厌的,令人憎恶的
参考例句:
  • Their cruel treatment of prisoners was abominable.他们虐待犯人的做法令人厌恶。
  • The sanitary conditions in this restaurant are abominable.这家饭馆的卫生状况糟透了。
21 notary svnyj     
n.公证人,公证员
参考例句:
  • She is the town clerk and a certified public accountant and notary public.她身兼城镇文书、执业会计师和公证人数职。
  • That notary is authorised to perform the certain legal functions.公证人被授权执行某些法律职能。
22 bruises bruises     
n.瘀伤,伤痕,擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来,摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
23 random HT9xd     
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
参考例句:
  • The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
  • On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查,发现肉变质了。
24 moored 7d8a41f50d4b6386c7ace4489bce8b89     
adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London. 该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
  • We shipped (the) oars and moored alongside the bank. 我们收起桨,把船泊在岸边。
25 situated JiYzBH     
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的
参考例句:
  • The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
  • She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。
26 labyrinth h9Fzr     
n.迷宫;难解的事物;迷路
参考例句:
  • He wandered through the labyrinth of the alleyways.他在迷宫似的小巷中闲逛。
  • The human mind is a labyrinth.人的心灵是一座迷宫。
27 orientation IJ4xo     
n.方向,目标;熟悉,适应,情况介绍
参考例句:
  • Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
  • The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。
28 flair 87jyQ     
n.天赋,本领,才华;洞察力
参考例句:
  • His business skill complements her flair for design.他的经营技巧和她的设计才能相辅相成。
  • He had a natural flair for business.他有做生意的天分。
29 instinctively 2qezD2     
adv.本能地
参考例句:
  • As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近,她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
30 necessitated 584daebbe9eef7edd8f9bba973dc3386     
使…成为必要,需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Recent financial scandals have necessitated changes in parliamentary procedures. 最近的金融丑闻使得议会程序必须改革。
  • No man is necessitated to do wrong. 没有人是被迫去作错事的。
31 abrupt 2fdyh     
adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的
参考例句:
  • The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。
  • His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。
32 rugged yXVxX     
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的
参考例句:
  • Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
  • The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。
33 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
34 detour blSzz     
n.绕行的路,迂回路;v.迂回,绕道
参考例句:
  • We made a detour to avoid the heavy traffic.我们绕道走,避开繁忙的交通。
  • He did not take the direct route to his home,but made a detour around the outskirts of the city.他没有直接回家,而是绕到市郊兜了个圈子。
35 agile Ix2za     
adj.敏捷的,灵活的
参考例句:
  • She is such an agile dancer!她跳起舞来是那么灵巧!
  • An acrobat has to be agile.杂技演员必须身手敏捷。
36 extremity tlgxq     
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度
参考例句:
  • I hope you will help them in their extremity.我希望你能帮助在穷途末路的他们。
  • What shall we do in this extremity?在这种极其困难的情况下我们该怎么办呢?
37 promontory dRPxo     
n.海角;岬
参考例句:
  • Genius is a promontory jutting out of the infinite.天才是茫茫大地突出的岬角。
  • On the map that promontory looks like a nose,naughtily turned up.从地图上面,那个海角就像一只调皮地翘起来的鼻子。
38 granite Kyqyu     
adj.花岗岩,花岗石
参考例句:
  • They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
  • The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。
39 flattened 1d5d9fedd9ab44a19d9f30a0b81f79a8     
[医](水)平扁的,弄平的
参考例句:
  • She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
  • I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。
40 perpendicular GApy0     
adj.垂直的,直立的;n.垂直线,垂直的位置
参考例句:
  • The two lines of bones are set perpendicular to one another.这两排骨头相互垂直。
  • The wall is out of the perpendicular.这墙有些倾斜。
41 tragic inaw2     
adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的
参考例句:
  • The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
  • Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。
42 quay uClyc     
n.码头,靠岸处
参考例句:
  • There are all kinds of ships in a quay.码头停泊各式各样的船。
  • The side of the boat hit the quay with a grinding jar.船舷撞到码头发出刺耳的声音。
43 creek 3orzL     
n.小溪,小河,小湾
参考例句:
  • He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
  • People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。
44 inert JbXzh     
adj.无活动能力的,惰性的;迟钝的
参考例句:
  • Inert gas studies are providing valuable information about other planets,too.对惰性气体的研究,也提供了有关其它行星的有价值的资料。
  • Elemental nitrogen is a very unreactive and inert material.元素氮是一个十分不活跃的惰性物质。
45 shudder JEqy8     
v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动
参考例句:
  • The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材,他浑身一阵战栗。
  • We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。
46 savage ECxzR     
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人
参考例句:
  • The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
  • He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。
47 fissures 7c89089a0ec5a3628fd80fb80bf349b6     
n.狭长裂缝或裂隙( fissure的名词复数 );裂伤;分歧;分裂v.裂开( fissure的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Rising molten rock flows out on the ocean floor and caps the fissures, trapping the water. 上升熔岩流到海底并堵住了裂隙,结果把海水封在里面。 来自辞典例句
  • The French have held two colloquia and an international symposium on rock fissures. 法国已经开了两次岩石裂缝方面的报告会和一个国际会议。 来自辞典例句
48 rogues dacf8618aed467521e2383308f5bb4d9     
n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 );无赖;调皮捣蛋的人;离群的野兽
参考例句:
  • 'I'll show these rogues that I'm an honest woman,'said my mother. “我要让那些恶棍知道,我是个诚实的女人。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
  • The rogues looked at each other, but swallowed the home-thrust in silence. 那些恶棍面面相觑,但只好默默咽下这正中要害的话。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
49 corpse JYiz4     
n.尸体,死尸
参考例句:
  • What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。
  • The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。
50 inquiry nbgzF     
n.打听,询问,调查,查问
参考例句:
  • Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
  • The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。
51 enjoined a56d6c1104bd2fa23ac381649be067ae     
v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The embezzler was severely punished and enjoined to kick back a portion of the stolen money each month. 贪污犯受到了严厉惩罚,并被责令每月退还部分赃款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She enjoined me strictly not to tell anyone else. 她严令我不准告诉其他任何人。 来自辞典例句
52 caravan OrVzu     
n.大蓬车;活动房屋
参考例句:
  • The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。
  • Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。
53 magpie oAqxF     
n.喜欢收藏物品的人,喜鹊,饶舌者
参考例句:
  • Now and then a magpie would call.不时有喜鹊的叫声。
  • This young man is really a magpie.这个年轻人真是饶舌。
54 stony qu1wX     
adj.石头的,多石头的,冷酷的,无情的
参考例句:
  • The ground is too dry and stony.这块地太干,而且布满了石头。
  • He listened to her story with a stony expression.他带着冷漠的表情听她讲经历。
55 gorge Zf1xm     
n.咽喉,胃,暴食,山峡;v.塞饱,狼吞虎咽地吃
参考例句:
  • East of the gorge leveled out.峡谷东面地势变得平坦起来。
  • It made my gorge rise to hear the news.这消息令我作呕。
56 lodging wRgz9     
n.寄宿,住所;(大学生的)校外宿舍
参考例句:
  • The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。
  • Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?
57 monks 218362e2c5f963a82756748713baf661     
n.修道士,僧侣( monk的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
  • He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》
58 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
59 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
60 manor d2Gy4     
n.庄园,领地
参考例句:
  • The builder of the manor house is a direct ancestor of the present owner.建造这幢庄园的人就是它现在主人的一个直系祖先。
  • I am not lord of the manor,but its lady.我并非此地的领主,而是这儿的女主人。
61 enchantment dmryQ     
n.迷惑,妖术,魅力
参考例句:
  • The beauty of the scene filled us with enchantment.风景的秀丽令我们陶醉。
  • The countryside lay as under some dread enchantment.乡村好像躺在某种可怖的魔法之下。
62 ardor 5NQy8     
n.热情,狂热
参考例句:
  • His political ardor led him into many arguments.他的政治狂热使他多次卷入争论中。
  • He took up his pursuit with ardor.他满腔热忱地从事工作。
63 lessened 6351a909991322c8a53dc9baa69dda6f     
减少的,减弱的
参考例句:
  • Listening to the speech through an interpreter lessened its impact somewhat. 演讲辞通过翻译的嘴说出来,多少削弱了演讲的力量。
  • The flight to suburbia lessened the number of middle-class families living within the city. 随着迁往郊外的风行,住在城内的中产家庭减少了。
64 investigations 02de25420938593f7db7bd4052010b32     
(正式的)调查( investigation的名词复数 ); 侦查; 科学研究; 学术研究
参考例句:
  • His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查,但没有发现什么。
  • He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。
65 delightful 6xzxT     
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的
参考例句:
  • We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
  • Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
66 domain ys8xC     
n.(活动等)领域,范围;领地,势力范围
参考例句:
  • This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
  • This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。
67 ecstasy 9kJzY     
n.狂喜,心醉神怡,入迷
参考例句:
  • He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
  • Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具,高兴得说不出话来。
68 chamber wnky9     
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
参考例句:
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
69 astounded 7541fb163e816944b5753491cad6f61a     
v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词);愕然;愕;惊讶
参考例句:
  • His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。
  • How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话?我感到大为震惊。
70 admiration afpyA     
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
参考例句:
  • He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
  • We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
71 lavished 7f4bc01b9202629a8b4f2f96ba3c61a8     
v.过分给予,滥施( lavish的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • I lavished all the warmth of my pent-up passion. 我把憋在心里那一股热烈的情感尽量地倾吐出来。 来自辞典例句
  • An enormous amount of attention has been lavished on these problems. 在这些问题上,我们已经花费了大量的注意力。 来自辞典例句
72 whit TgXwI     
n.一点,丝毫
参考例句:
  • There's not a whit of truth in the statement.这声明里没有丝毫的真实性。
  • He did not seem a whit concerned.他看来毫不在乎。
73 mountebank x1pyE     
n.江湖郎中;骗子
参考例句:
  • The nation was led astray by a mountebank.这个国家被一个夸夸其谈的骗子引入歧途。
  • The mountebank was stormed with questions.江湖骗子受到了猛烈的质问。
74 maternal 57Azi     
adj.母亲的,母亲般的,母系的,母方的
参考例句:
  • He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
  • The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。
75 renaissance PBdzl     
n.复活,复兴,文艺复兴
参考例句:
  • The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
  • The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。
76 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
77 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
78 picturesque qlSzeJ     
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的
参考例句:
  • You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
  • That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。
79 gateway GhFxY     
n.大门口,出入口,途径,方法
参考例句:
  • Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
  • A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。
80 thumps 3002bc92d52b30252295a1f859afcdab     
n.猪肺病;砰的重击声( thump的名词复数 )v.重击, (指心脏)急速跳动( thump的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Normally the heart movements can be felt as distinct systolic and diastolic thumps. 正常时,能够感觉到心脏的运动是性质截然不同的收缩和舒张的撞击。 来自辞典例句
  • These thumps are replaced by thrills when valvular insufficiencies or stenoses or congenital defects are present. 这些撞击在瓣膜闭锁不全或狭窄,或者有先天性缺损时被震颤所代替。 来自辞典例句


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