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CHAPTER V INTO TRADE IN SPITE OF MYSELF
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Splendid and universal as are the attainments1 of seamen2, it is only the bare truth to say that one of the rarest qualifications to find among them is commercial aptitude3. There are, of course, notable exceptions, and in the days when masters and officers of vessels4 were allowed to add to their income substantially by trade with the natives of the countries which they visited, and were granted a certain amount of space in the hold wherein to store the merchandise they bought, the trading instinct must have been fairly general. Indeed there are not wanting cynics at sea to-day, who will tell you that what with the slop-chest, tobacco selling, and the outrageous5 rates of exchange, many a deep water skipper of a sailing ship could give points to an Armenian. And the latter is supposed by sailors to be equal in, let us call it trading power, to five Parsees, one of whom again equals five Jews.
But I do not think this is fair. It does not follow that a man is a born trader because he can sell necessaries to people who must have them from him or go without, and cannot go without. It only argues lack of conscience on the part of the seller. And to expect, without lack of competition, the same characteristics would, I am afraid, be indicative of a weak mind. At any rate I am quite certain that, speaking generally, a sailor when he comes ashore6 is helpless in the hands of business people, and that it is a very long while before he is able to think their thoughts and walk in their ways.
So when I first settled down ashore to steady employment in an office at a fixed7 salary of £2 per week, after fifteen years of irresponsibility as regards domestic affairs, I quickly learned that I was very callow indeed in those matters. My first false step was in buying furniture, wherewith to make a home, on the hire system. It must be remembered that I had a wife and one child, but that I was practically beginning a new life. And I did so by hanging round my neck a burden of debt which I did not get rid of for fifteen years, and then—but I must not anticipate the regular sequence of my story.
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attainments
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成就,造诣; 获得( attainment的名词复数 ); 达到; 造诣; 成就 | |
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seamen
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n.海员 | |
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aptitude
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n.(学习方面的)才能,资质,天资 | |
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vessels
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n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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outrageous
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adj.无理的,令人不能容忍的 | |
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ashore
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adv.在(向)岸上,上岸 | |
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fixed
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adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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enthusiast
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n.热心人,热衷者 | |
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pall
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v.覆盖,使平淡无味;n.柩衣,棺罩;棺材;帷幕 | |
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buckle
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n.扣子,带扣;v.把...扣住,由于压力而弯曲 | |
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savings
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n.存款,储蓄 | |
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chaotic
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adj.混沌的,一片混乱的,一团糟的 | |
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belongings
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n.私人物品,私人财物 | |
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specify
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vt.指定,详细说明 | |
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decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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ascertained
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v.弄清,确定,查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ascertain
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vt.发现,确定,查明,弄清 | |
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possessed
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adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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justified
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a.正当的,有理的 | |
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outlay
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n.费用,经费,支出;v.花费 | |
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alas
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int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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undesirables
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不受欢迎的人,不良分子( undesirable的名词复数 ) | |
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tenant
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n.承租人;房客;佃户;v.租借,租用 | |
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utterly
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adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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unreasonable
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adj.不讲道理的,不合情理的,过度的 | |
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remonstrance
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n抗议,抱怨 | |
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interfere
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v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
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amiable
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adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 | |
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tenants
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n.房客( tenant的名词复数 );佃户;占用者;占有者 | |
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bugs
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adj.疯狂的,发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 );病菌;虫子;[计算机](制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的)错误 | |
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infested
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adj.为患的,大批滋生的(常与with搭配)v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 );遍布于 | |
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hordes
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n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 );部落 | |
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remonstrances
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n.抱怨,抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 ) | |
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suave
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adj.温和的;柔和的;文雅的 | |
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cleansed
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弄干净,清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fumigated
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v.用化学品熏(某物)消毒( fumigate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lodgers
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n.房客,租住者( lodger的名词复数 ) | |
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avowed
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adj.公开声明的,承认的v.公开声明,承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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aged
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adj.年老的,陈年的 | |
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defensive
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adj.防御的;防卫的;防守的 | |
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scarlet
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n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的 | |
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populous
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adj.人口稠密的,人口众多的 | |
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interfered
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v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 );调停;妨碍;干涉 | |
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specimen
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n.样本,标本 | |
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partially
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adv.部分地,从某些方面讲 | |
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blasphemous
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adj.亵渎神明的,不敬神的 | |
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socialist
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n.社会主义者;adj.社会主义的 | |
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crooks
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n.骗子( crook的名词复数 );罪犯;弯曲部分;(牧羊人或主教用的)弯拐杖v.弯成钩形( crook的第三人称单数 ) | |
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resentment
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n.怨愤,忿恨 | |
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inevitable
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adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 | |
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prey
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n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 | |
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gnaw
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v.不断地啃、咬;使苦恼,折磨 | |
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dire
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adj.可怕的,悲惨的,阴惨的,极端的 | |
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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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creditors
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n.债权人,债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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aggrieved
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adj.愤愤不平的,受委屈的;悲痛的;(在合法权利方面)受侵害的v.令委屈,令苦恼,侵害( aggrieve的过去式);令委屈,令苦恼,侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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promptly
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adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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benevolent
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adj.仁慈的,乐善好施的 | |
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palatable
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adj.可口的,美味的;惬意的 | |
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stews
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n.炖煮的菜肴( stew的名词复数 );烦恼,焦虑v.炖( stew的第三人称单数 );煨;思考;担忧 | |
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curries
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n.咖喱食品( curry的名词复数 ) | |
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steadily
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adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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intrude
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vi.闯入;侵入;打扰,侵扰 | |
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bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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seaman
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n.海员,水手,水兵 | |
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mediocre
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adj.平常的,普通的 | |
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confessions
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n.承认( confession的名词复数 );自首;声明;(向神父的)忏悔 | |
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fervently
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adv.热烈地,热情地,强烈地 | |
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snares
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n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 );圈套;诱人遭受失败(丢脸、损失等)的东西;诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉,诱陷,陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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immortality
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n.不死,不朽 | |
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condemn
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vt.谴责,指责;宣判(罪犯),判刑 | |
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eternity
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n.不朽,来世;永恒,无穷 | |
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cardinal
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n.(天主教的)红衣主教;adj.首要的,基本的 | |
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blasphemy
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n.亵渎,渎神 | |
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Christians
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n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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overtime
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adj.超时的,加班的;adv.加班地 | |
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canvassing
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v.(在政治方面)游说( canvass的现在分词 );调查(如选举前选民的)意见;为讨论而提出(意见等);详细检查 | |
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specious
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adj.似是而非的;adv.似是而非地 | |
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soliciting
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v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 );(指娼妇)拉客;索求;征求 | |
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glum
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adj.闷闷不乐的,阴郁的 | |
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woes
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困境( woe的名词复数 ); 悲伤; 我好苦哇; 某人就要倒霉 | |
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sentimental
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adj.多愁善感的,感伤的 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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eddy
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n.漩涡,涡流 | |
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wholesale
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n.批发;adv.以批发方式;vt.批发,成批出售 | |
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dispersed
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adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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lavished
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v.过分给予,滥施( lavish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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speculation
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n.思索,沉思;猜测;投机 | |
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exorbitant
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adj.过分的;过度的 | |
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retail
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v./n.零售;adv.以零售价格 | |
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strictly
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adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地 | |
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incur
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vt.招致,蒙受,遭遇 | |
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laden
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adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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dealers
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n.商人( dealer的名词复数 );贩毒者;毒品贩子;发牌者 | |
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distinctively
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adv.特殊地,区别地 | |
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straightforward
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adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的 | |
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hospitable
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adj.好客的;宽容的;有利的,适宜的 | |
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descended
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a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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disclaim
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v.放弃权利,拒绝承认 | |
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tribal
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adj.部族的,种族的 | |
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curiously
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adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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undoubtedly
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adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
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contented
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adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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loomed
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v.隐约出现,阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 );隐约出现,阴森地逼近 | |
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pawn
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n.典当,抵押,小人物,走卒;v.典当,抵押 | |
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pawnbroker
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n.典当商,当铺老板 | |
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distress
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n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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pawnbrokers
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n.当铺老板( pawnbroker的名词复数 ) | |
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pauperism
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n.有被救济的资格,贫困 | |
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foresight
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n.先见之明,深谋远虑 | |
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thrifty
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adj.节俭的;兴旺的;健壮的 | |
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slander
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n./v.诽谤,污蔑 | |
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extremity
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n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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redeem
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v.买回,赎回,挽回,恢复,履行(诺言等) | |
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frankly
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adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 | |
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legitimate
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adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法 | |
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tempted
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v.怂恿(某人)干不正当的事;冒…的险(tempt的过去分词) | |
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unpaid
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adj.未付款的,无报酬的 | |
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mantle
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n.斗篷,覆罩之物,罩子;v.罩住,覆盖,脸红 | |
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quantitative
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adj.数量的,定量的 | |
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qualitative
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adj.性质上的,质的,定性的 | |
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