Blake Stewart was at a loss. He did not know what to do, and, though he had been expecting to hear this request at almost any time, he was no more prepared for it now than he would have been had it been made directly after Blake learned of Mr. Duncan’s flight.
“Well?” asked Joe, suggestively, when his chum did not answer. “Aren’t you going to tell me?”
“What makes you think I have a secret, Joe?” Thus Blake tried to
temporize1, so that he might think what was best to do.
“Oh, I’m sure you have,” declared Joe, “and you might as well tell me now as any time, for I’m bound to find it out. I don’t believe there’s any more danger now,” and he paused to look back along the almost hidden path they had followed. “I can’t see anything of that man,” he added. “We gave him the slip, all right.
“Now go ahead, Blake, and end my
suspense2. I’ve seen for some time that you’ve been keeping something back from me. I don’t know what it is, but it’s something about my father. And I appreciate why you’re doing it. You want to spare my feelings.”
“That’s it!” cried Blake, eagerly, glad of any chance to put off what he regarded as a most unpleasant duty. “It is for your sake, Joe, that I have been keeping silent, and I wish you would go on letting me do so. Believe me, if I thought it well for you to know I’d tell you.”
“Is it—is it that he isn’t my father, after all?”
faltered3 the lad, following a silence in which all sound of pursuit had died away. The boys felt that they were safe now. “Do you mean to say, Blake, that this man whom I’ve traced after such hard work, isn’t any relation to me—haven’t I any folks, after all?”
“No, Joe, it isn’t that at all. He’s your father, as far as I know, and I will admit there is some secret about him. But I’d rather not tell you.”
“I want to know it,” insisted Joe, firmly.
“If you’ll only wait,” went on his chum, “it may all be explained when—when he comes back. Then there won’t be any need of a secret. Better wait, Joe.”
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收听单词发音
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1
temporize
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| v.顺应时势；拖延 |
参考例句： |
- Celia had decided long ago she would never temporize on that.西莉亚早就认定，在这上面她绝不能妥协。
- I can't permit you to temporize any longer.我不能允许你再拖延时间了。
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2
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 |
参考例句： |
- The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
- The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。
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3
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 |
参考例句： |
- He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
- "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”
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4
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 |
参考例句： |
- You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
- Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。
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5
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 |
参考例句： |
- Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
- No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。
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6
lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 |
参考例句： |
- Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
- He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。
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7
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 |
参考例句： |
- The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
- You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。
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8
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 |
参考例句： |
- The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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9
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 |
参考例句： |
- A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
- The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
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10
spoke
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| 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。
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spike
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| n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效 |
参考例句： |
- The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
- They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。
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13
miscreants
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| n.恶棍，歹徒( miscreant的名词复数 ) |
参考例句： |
- I ordered the miscreants to let me out. 我命令这些土匪放我出去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Local people demanded that the District Magistrate apprehend the miscreants. 当地人要求地方法官逮捕那些歹徒。 来自辞典例句
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14
musket
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| n.滑膛枪 |
参考例句： |
- I hunted with a musket two years ago.两年前我用滑膛枪打猎。
- So some seconds passed,till suddenly Joyce whipped up his musket and fired.又过了几秒钟，突然，乔伊斯端起枪来开了火。
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15
repel
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| v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥 |
参考例句： |
- A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。
- Particles with similar electric charges repel each other.电荷同性的分子互相排斥。
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squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 |
参考例句： |
- The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
- A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。
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