Among the directors of the North Chicago City company there was one man, Edwin L. Kaffrath, who was young and of a forward-looking
temperament1. His father, a former heavy stockholder of this company, had recently died and left all his holdings and practically his directorship to his only son. Young Kaffrath was by no means a practical street-railway man, though he fancied he could do very well at it if given a chance. He was the
holder2 of nearly eight hundred of the five thousand shares of stock; but the rest of it was so divided that he could only exercise a
minor3 influence. Nevertheless, from the day of his entrance into the company—which was months before Cowperwood began seriously to think over the situation—he had been strong for improvements—extensions, more
franchises4, better cars, better horses, stoves in the cars in winter, and the like, all of which suggestions sounded to his fellow-directors like
mere5 manifestations6 of the reckless impetuosity of youth, and were almost uniformly opposed.
“What’s the matter with them cars?” asked Albert Thorsen, one of the elder directors, at one of the meetings at which Kaffrath was present and offering his usual protest. “I don’t see anything the matter with ’em. I ride in em.”
Thorsen was a heavy, dusty, tobacco-bestrewn individual of sixty-six, who was a little dull but
genial7. He was in the paint business, and always wore a very light steel-gray suit much crinkled in the seat and arms.
“Perhaps that’s what’s the matter with them, Albert,”
chirped8 up Solon Kaempfaert, one of his cronies on the board.
The sally drew a laugh.
“Oh, I don’t know. I see the rest of you on board often enough.”
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收听单词发音
1
temperament
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n.气质,性格,性情 |
参考例句: |
- The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
- Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。
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2
holder
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n.持有者,占有者;(台,架等)支持物 |
参考例句: |
- The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
- That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。
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3
minor
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adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 |
参考例句: |
- The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
- I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。
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4
franchises
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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 ) |
参考例句: |
- TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder. 电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Ford dealerships operated as independent franchises. 福特汽车公司的代销商都是独立的联营商。 来自辞典例句
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5
mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 |
参考例句: |
- That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
- It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
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6
manifestations
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n.表示,显示(manifestation的复数形式) |
参考例句: |
- These were manifestations of the darker side of his character. 这些是他性格阴暗面的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- To be wordly-wise and play safe is one of the manifestations of liberalism. 明哲保身是自由主义的表现之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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7
genial
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adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的 |
参考例句: |
- Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
- He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友,也是友善待客的主人。
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8
chirped
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鸟叫,虫鸣( chirp的过去式 ) |
参考例句: |
- So chirped fiber gratings have broad reflection bandwidth. 所以chirped光纤光栅具有宽的反射带宽,在反射带宽内具有渐变的群时延等其它类型的光纤光栅所不具备的特点。
- The crickets chirped faster and louder. 蟋蟀叫得更欢了。
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9
rattle
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v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓 |
参考例句: |
- The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓,笑着叫着。
- She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。
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10
filthy
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adj.卑劣的;恶劣的,肮脏的 |
参考例句: |
- The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
- You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发,然后再去买张新的。
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11
bland
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adj.淡而无味的,温和的,无刺激性的 |
参考例句: |
- He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。
- This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。
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12
varnishing
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在(某物)上涂清漆( varnish的现在分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- Don't tread on that part of the floor-I've just finished varnishing it. 别踩那边的地板,我刚刚涂上了清漆。
- Powder paint mainly for priming and varnishing has been widely used domestically. 粉末涂料作为车轮的底层涂装和面层罩光涂料,在国内得到了大量应用。
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13
ewer
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n.大口水罐 |
参考例句: |
- The ewer is in very good condition with spout restored.喷口修复后,水罐还能用。
- She filled the ewer with fresh water.她将水罐注满了清水。
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14
terrapin
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n.泥龟;鳖 |
参考例句: |
- The diamondback terrapin in this undated photo has two heads.这张未标日期的图片上的钻纹龟有两个头。
- He also owns a two-headed goat,a two-headed terrapin and the world's only living three-headed turtle.他还拥有双头山羊、淡水龟,以及世上现存唯一的三头乌龟。
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15
murmurs
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n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 );低语声;怨言;嘀咕 |
参考例句: |
- They spoke in low murmurs. 他们低声说着话。 来自辞典例句
- They are more superficial, more distinctly heard than murmurs. 它们听起来比心脏杂音更为浅表而清楚。 来自辞典例句
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16
discredit
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vt.使不可置信;n.丧失信义;不信,怀疑 |
参考例句: |
- Their behaviour has bought discredit on English football.他们的行为败坏了英国足球运动的声誉。
- They no longer try to discredit the technology itself.他们不再试图怀疑这种技术本身。
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17
curiously
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adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 |
参考例句: |
- He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
- He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
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18
pawns
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n.(国际象棋中的)兵( pawn的名词复数 );卒;被人利用的人;小卒v.典当,抵押( pawn的第三人称单数 );以(某事物)担保 |
参考例句: |
- The hostages are being used as political pawns. 人质正被用作政治卒子。
- The allies would fear that they were pawns in a superpower condominium. 这个联盟担心他们会成为超级大国共管的牺牲品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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19
sincerity
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n.真诚,诚意;真实 |
参考例句: |
- His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
- He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。
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20
primal
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adj.原始的;最重要的 |
参考例句: |
- Jealousy is a primal emotion.嫉妒是最原始的情感。
- Money was a primal necessity to them.对于他们,钱是主要的需要。
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21
apparently
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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。
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22
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 |
参考例句: |
- The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
- He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。
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23
commiserated
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v.怜悯,同情( commiserate的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- She commiserated with the losers on their defeat. 她对失败的一方表示同情。
- We commiserated with the losers. 我们对落败者表示同情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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24
reiterated
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反复地说,重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯,我一定要知道你的休假日期,"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
- Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后,波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。
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25
depressed
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adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的 |
参考例句: |
- When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
- His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。
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26
expenditure
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n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出;使用,消耗 |
参考例句: |
- The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
- The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。
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27
expenditures
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n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 );使用;(尤指金钱的)支出额;(精力、时间、材料等的)耗费 |
参考例句: |
- We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了,下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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28
consolation
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n.安慰,慰问 |
参考例句: |
- The children were a great consolation to me at that time.那时孩子们成了我的莫大安慰。
- This news was of little consolation to us.这个消息对我们来说没有什么安慰。
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29
lapse
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n.过失,流逝,失效,抛弃信仰,间隔;vi.堕落,停止,失效,流逝;vt.使失效 |
参考例句: |
- The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。
- I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。
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30
acting
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n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 |
参考例句: |
- Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
- During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
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31
exacting
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adj.苛求的,要求严格的 |
参考例句: |
- He must remember the letters and symbols with exacting precision.他必须以严格的精度记住每个字母和符号。
- The public has been more exacting in its demands as time has passed.随着时间的推移,公众的要求更趋严格。
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32
secrecy
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n.秘密,保密,隐蔽 |
参考例句: |
- All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
- Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。
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33
interval
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n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息 |
参考例句: |
- The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。
- There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。
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34
outlet
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n.出口/路;销路;批发商店;通风口;发泄 |
参考例句: |
- The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
- Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。
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35
decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 |
参考例句: |
- This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
- There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
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36
dubious
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adj.怀疑的,无把握的;有问题的,靠不住的 |
参考例句: |
- What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。
- He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。
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37
chafed
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v.擦热(尤指皮肤)( chafe的过去式 );擦痛;发怒;惹怒 |
参考例句: |
- Her wrists chafed where the rope had been. 她的手腕上绳子勒过的地方都磨红了。
- She chafed her cold hands. 她揉搓冰冷的双手使之暖和。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
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38
pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 |
参考例句: |
- He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
- She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
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39
investors
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n.投资者,出资者( investor的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
- a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会
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40
awed
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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》
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41
frankly
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adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 |
参考例句: |
- To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说,我一点也不赞成这个主意。
- Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说,我不反对改革。
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42
possessed
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adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 |
参考例句: |
- He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
- He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
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43
disinterested
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adj.不关心的,不感兴趣的 |
参考例句: |
- He is impartial and disinterested.他公正无私。
- He's always on the make,I have never known him do a disinterested action.他这个人一贯都是唯利是图,我从来不知道他有什么无私的行动。
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44
privately
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adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地 |
参考例句: |
- Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
- The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。
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45
remarkable
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adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 |
参考例句: |
- She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
- These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
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46
conspiracy
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n.阴谋,密谋,共谋 |
参考例句: |
- The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
- He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。
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47
advantageous
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adj.有利的;有帮助的 |
参考例句: |
- Injections of vitamin C are obviously advantageous.注射维生素C显然是有利的。
- You're in a very advantageous position.你处于非常有利的地位。
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48
promptly
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adv.及时地,敏捷地 |
参考例句: |
- He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
- She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
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49
idyllic
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adj.质朴宜人的,田园风光的 |
参考例句: |
- These scenes had an idyllic air.这种情景多少有点田园气氛。
- Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。
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50
dozing
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v.打瞌睡,假寐
n.瞌睡 |
参考例句: |
- The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。
- He never falters in his determination. 他的决心从不动摇。
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51
foamy
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adj.全是泡沫的,泡沫的,起泡沫的 |
参考例句: |
- In Internet foamy 2001, so hard when, everybody stayed. 在互联网泡沫的2001年,那么艰难的时候,大家都留下来了。 来自互联网
- It's foamy milk that you add to the coffee. 将牛奶打出泡沫后加入咖啡中。 来自互联网
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52
luminous
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adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的 |
参考例句: |
- There are luminous knobs on all the doors in my house.我家所有门上都安有夜光把手。
- Most clocks and watches in this shop are in luminous paint.这家商店出售的大多数钟表都涂了发光漆。
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53
drearily
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沉寂地,厌倦地,可怕地 |
参考例句: |
- "Oh, God," thought Scarlett drearily, "that's just the trouble. "啊,上帝!" 思嘉沮丧地想,"难就难在这里呀。
- His voice was utterly and drearily expressionless. 他的声调,阴沉沉的,干巴巴的,完全没有感情。
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54
fuming
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愤怒( fume的现在分词 ); 大怒; 发怒; 冒烟 |
参考例句: |
- She sat in the car, silently fuming at the traffic jam. 她坐在汽车里,心中对交通堵塞感到十分恼火。
- I was fuming at their inefficiency. 我正因为他们效率低而发火。
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55
pristine
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adj.原来的,古时的,原始的,纯净的,无垢的 |
参考例句: |
- He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那块洁净的手帕擦手指。
- He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。
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