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CHAPTER VIII.Now This is Fighting
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When Cowperwood, after failing in his overtures1 to the three city gas companies, confided2 to Addison his plan of organizing rival companies in the suburbs, the banker glared at him appreciatively. “You’re a smart one!” he finally exclaimed. “You’ll do! I back you to win!” He went on to advise Cowperwood that he would need the assistance of some of the strong men on the various village councils. “They’re all as crooked3 as eels’ teeth,” he went on. “But there are one or two that are more crooked than others and safer—bell-wethers. Have you got your lawyer?”
“I haven’t picked one yet, but I will. I’m looking around for the right man now.
“Well, of course, I needn’t tell you how important that is. There is one man, old General Van Sickle4, who has had considerable training in these matters. He’s fairly reliable.”
The entrance of Gen. Judson P. Van Sickle threw at the very outset a suggestive light on the whole situation. The old soldier, over fifty, had been a general of division during the Civil War, and had got his real start in life by filing false titles to property in southern Illinois, and then bringing suits to substantiate5 his fraudulent claims before friendly associates. He was now a prosperous go-between, requiring heavy retainers, and yet not over-prosperous. There was only one kind of business that came to the General—this kind; and one instinctively6 compared him to that decoy sheep at the stock-yards that had been trained to go forth7 into nervous, frightened flocks of its fellow-sheep, balking8 at being driven into the slaughtering-pens, and lead them peacefully into the
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1 overtures | |
n.主动的表示,提议;(向某人做出的)友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 );(歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的)序曲,前奏曲 | |
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2 confided | |
v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的过去式和过去分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等) | |
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3 crooked | |
adj.弯曲的;不诚实的,狡猾的,不正当的 | |
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4 sickle | |
n.镰刀 | |
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5 substantiate | |
v.证实;证明...有根据 | |
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6 instinctively | |
adv.本能地 | |
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7 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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8 balking | |
n.慢行,阻行v.畏缩不前,犹豫( balk的现在分词 );(指马)不肯跑 | |
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9 shambles | |
n.混乱之处;废墟 | |
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10 amble | |
vi.缓行,漫步 | |
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11 onward | |
adj.向前的,前进的;adv.向前,前进,在先 | |
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12 ward | |
n.守卫,监护,病房,行政区,由监护人或法院保护的人(尤指儿童);vt.守护,躲开 | |
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13 bribed | |
v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂 | |
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14 pretenses | |
n.借口(pretense的复数形式) | |
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15 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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16 sagely | |
adv. 贤能地,贤明地 | |
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17 dispensed | |
v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 );施与;配(药) | |
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18 amiably | |
adv.和蔼可亲地,亲切地 | |
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19 publicity | |
n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告 | |
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20 phlegmatic | |
adj.冷静的,冷淡的,冷漠的,无活力的 | |
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21 disillusioned | |
a.不再抱幻想的,大失所望的,幻想破灭的 | |
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22 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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23 wreak | |
v.发泄;报复 | |
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24 poetic | |
adj.富有诗意的,有诗人气质的,善于抒情的 | |
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25 vengeance | |
n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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26 conspiracy | |
n.阴谋,密谋,共谋 | |
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27 penurious | |
adj.贫困的 | |
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28 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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29 dummy | |
n.假的东西;(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头 | |
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30 adviser | |
n.劝告者,顾问 | |
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31 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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32 athletic | |
adj.擅长运动的,强健的;活跃的,体格健壮的 | |
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33 speculative | |
adj.思索性的,暝想性的,推理的 | |
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34 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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35 ushered | |
v.引,领,陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36 analytical | |
adj.分析的;用分析法的 | |
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37 artistic | |
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
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38 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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39 strands | |
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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40 maroon | |
v.困住,使(人)处于孤独无助之境;n.逃亡黑奴;孤立的人;酱紫色,褐红色;adj.酱紫色的,褐红色的 | |
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41 astute | |
adj.机敏的,精明的 | |
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42 casually | |
adv.漠不关心地,无动于衷地,不负责任地 | |
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43 dummies | |
n.仿制品( dummy的名词复数 );橡皮奶头;笨蛋;假传球 | |
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44 franchise | |
n.特许,特权,专营权,特许权 | |
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45 ostensible | |
adj.(指理由)表面的,假装的 | |
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46 sprightly | |
adj.愉快的,活泼的 | |
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47 incisive | |
adj.敏锐的,机敏的,锋利的,切入的 | |
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48 pliability | |
n.柔韧性;可弯性 | |
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49 loyalty | |
n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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50 subtlety | |
n.微妙,敏锐,精巧;微妙之处,细微的区别 | |
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51 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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52 wholesale | |
n.批发;adv.以批发方式;vt.批发,成批出售 | |
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53 exacting | |
adj.苛求的,要求严格的 | |
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54 tabulated | |
把(数字、事实)列成表( tabulate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55 willow | |
n.柳树 | |
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56 rattan | |
n.藤条,藤杖 | |
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57 ware | |
n.(常用复数)商品,货物 | |
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58 prospective | |
adj.预期的,未来的,前瞻性的 | |
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59 factions | |
组织中的小派别,派系( faction的名词复数 ) | |
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60 franchises | |
n.(尤指选举议员的)选举权( franchise的名词复数 );参政权;获特许权的商业机构(或服务);(公司授予的)特许经销权v.给…以特许权,出售特许权( franchise的第三人称单数 ) | |
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61 corporate | |
adj.共同的,全体的;公司的,企业的 | |
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62 ordinances | |
n.条例,法令( ordinance的名词复数 ) | |
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63 ordinance | |
n.法令;条令;条例 | |
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64 minor | |
adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 | |
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65 suburban | |
adj.城郊的,在郊区的 | |
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66 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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67 opposition | |
n.反对,敌对 | |
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68 trump | |
n.王牌,法宝;v.打出王牌,吹喇叭 | |
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69 advisers | |
顾问,劝告者( adviser的名词复数 ); (指导大学新生学科问题等的)指导教授 | |
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70 tabloid | |
adj.轰动性的,庸俗的;n.小报,文摘 | |
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71 assent | |
v.批准,认可;n.批准,认可 | |
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72 excavate | |
vt.挖掘,挖出 | |
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73 permanently | |
adv.永恒地,永久地,固定不变地 | |
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74 triumphantly | |
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地 | |
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75 lawsuits | |
n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 ) | |
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