Towards eight o'clock in the evening the snow-clouds cleared away for a few minutes; the
constellations1 shone brilliantly in the clear air. Hatteras made use of this change to get the altitude of some stars; he went out without saying a word, carrying his instruments with him. He wished to
ascertain2 his position and see if the ice-field had not been drifting again. After an absence of half an hour he came back, lay down in a corner, and remained
perfectly3 still, although not asleep.
The next day snow began to fall heavily; the doctor could not help being glad that he had made his examination the day before, for a white curtain soon covered the whole expanse, and every trace of the explosion was hidden under three feet of snow.
On that day they could not set foot outside; fortunately their quarters were comfortable, or at least seemed so to the
exhausted4 travellers. The little stove worked well, except occasionally when violent
gusts5 drove the smoke into the room; with its heat they could make coffee and tea, which are both so serviceable
beverages6 when the temperature is low.
The castaways, for they deserve the name, found themselves more comfortable than they had been for a long time; hence they only thought of the present, of the agreeable warmth, of the brief rest, forgetting, or even indifferent to the future, which threatened with speedy death.
The American suffered less, and gradually returned to life; he opened his eyes, but he did not say anything; his lips bore traces of the
scurvy7, and could not utter a sound; he could hear, and was told where he was and how he got there. He moved his head as a sign of
gratitude8; he saw that he had been saved from burial beneath the snow; the doctor forbore telling him how very short a time his death had been delayed, for, in a fortnight or three weeks at the most, their supply of food would be exhausted.
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收听单词发音
1
constellations
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n.星座( constellation的名词复数 );一群杰出人物;一系列(相关的想法、事物);一群(相关的人) |
参考例句: |
- The map of the heavens showed all the northern constellations. 这份天体图标明了北半部所有的星座。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- His time was coming, he would move in the constellations of power. 他时来运转,要进入权力中心了。 来自教父部分
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2
ascertain
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vt.发现,确定,查明,弄清 |
参考例句: |
- It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
- We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。
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3
perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 |
参考例句: |
- The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
- Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
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4
exhausted
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adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 |
参考例句: |
- It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长,到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
- Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。
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5
gusts
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一阵强风( gust的名词复数 ); (怒、笑等的)爆发; (感情的)迸发; 发作 |
参考例句: |
- Her profuse skirt bosomed out with the gusts. 她的宽大的裙子被风吹得鼓鼓的。
- Turbulence is defined as a series of irregular gusts. 紊流定义为一组无规则的突风。
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6
beverages
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n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 控制酒类销售的法规
- regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 含酒精饮料的销售管理条例
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7
scurvy
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adj.下流的,卑鄙的,无礼的;n.坏血病 |
参考例句: |
- Vitamin C deficiency can ultimately lead to scurvy.缺乏维生素C最终能道致坏血病。
- That was a scurvy trick to play on an old lady.用那样的花招欺负一个老太太可真卑鄙。
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8
gratitude
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adj.感激,感谢 |
参考例句: |
- I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
- She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
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9
incited
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刺激,激励,煽动( incite的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- He incited people to rise up against the government. 他煽动人们起来反对政府。
- The captain's example incited the men to bravery. 船长的榜样激发了水手们的勇敢精神。
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10
determined
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adj.坚定的;有决心的 |
参考例句: |
- I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
- He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
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11
sledge
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n.雪橇,大锤;v.用雪橇搬运,坐雪橇往 |
参考例句: |
- The sledge gained momentum as it ran down the hill.雪橇从山上下冲时的动力越来越大。
- The sledge slid across the snow as lightly as a boat on the water.雪橇在雪原上轻巧地滑行,就象船在水上行驶一样。
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12
cape
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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。
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13
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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14
besought
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v.恳求,乞求(某事物)( beseech的过去式和过去分词 );(beseech的过去式与过去分词) |
参考例句: |
- The prisoner besought the judge for mercy/to be merciful. 囚犯恳求法官宽恕[乞求宽大]。 来自辞典例句
- They besought him to speak the truth. 他们恳求他说实话. 来自辞典例句
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15
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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carousing
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v.痛饮,闹饮欢宴( carouse的现在分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- During the next nine years he alternated between service in several armies and carousing in Paris. 在那以后的九年里,他时而在几个军队中服役,时而在巴黎狂欢作乐。 来自辞典例句
- In his youth George W. Bush had a reputation for carousing. 小布什在年轻时有好玩的名声。 来自互联网
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17
ravaged
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毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 ); 蹂躏; 劫掠; 抢劫 |
参考例句: |
- a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
- The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。
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18
villains
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n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 );罪犯;(小说、戏剧等中的)反面人物;淘气鬼 |
参考例句: |
- The impression of villains was inescapable. 留下恶棍的印象是不可避免的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Some villains robbed the widow of the savings. 有几个歹徒将寡妇的积蓄劫走了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
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vividly
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adv.清楚地,鲜明地,生动地 |
参考例句: |
- The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
- The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。
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20
devoted
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adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 |
参考例句: |
- He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
- We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
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21
ascertained
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v.弄清,确定,查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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22
latitude
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n.纬度,行动或言论的自由(范围),(pl.)地区 |
参考例句: |
- The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
- The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。
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23
longitude
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n.经线,经度 |
参考例句: |
- The city is at longitude 21°east.这个城市位于东经21度。
- He noted the latitude and longitude,then made a mark on the admiralty chart.他记下纬度和经度,然后在航海图上做了个标记。
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24
glaciers
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冰河,冰川( glacier的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
- It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川,又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分(高一)
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25
hesitation
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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。
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26
overthrown
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adj. 打翻的,推倒的,倾覆的
动词overthrow的过去分词 |
参考例句: |
- The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
- He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。
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perfidy
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n.背信弃义,不忠贞 |
参考例句: |
- As devotion unites lovers,so perfidy estranges friends.忠诚是爱情的桥梁,欺诈是友谊的敌人。
- The knowledge of Hurstwood's perfidy wounded her like a knife.赫斯渥欺骗她的消息像一把刀捅到了她的心里。
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constrained
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adj.束缚的,节制的 |
参考例句: |
- The evidence was so compelling that he felt constrained to accept it. 证据是那样的令人折服,他觉得不得不接受。
- I feel constrained to write and ask for your forgiveness. 我不得不写信请你原谅。
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agitation
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n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 |
参考例句: |
- Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
- These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。
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foretell
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v.预言,预告,预示 |
参考例句: |
- Willow trees breaking out into buds foretell the coming of spring.柳枝绽青报春来。
- The outcome of the war is hard to foretell.战争胜负难以预卜。
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entreaty
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n.恳求,哀求 |
参考例句: |
- Mrs. Quilp durst only make a gesture of entreaty.奎尔普太太仅做出一种哀求的姿势。
- Her gaze clung to him in entreaty.她的眼光带着恳求的神色停留在他身上。
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enchanting
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a.讨人喜欢的 |
参考例句: |
- His smile, at once enchanting and melancholy, is just his father's. 他那种既迷人又有些忧郁的微笑,活脱儿象他父亲。
- Its interior was an enchanting place that both lured and frightened me. 它的里头是个吸引人的地方,我又向往又害怕。
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adventurous
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adj.爱冒险的;惊心动魄的,惊险的,刺激的 |
参考例句: |
- I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
- He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。
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swollen
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adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀 |
参考例句: |
- Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着,她的双腿已经肿了。
- A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她,她的手臂肿起来了。
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35
porpoise
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n.鼠海豚 |
参考例句: |
- What is the difference between a dolphin and porpoise?海豚和和鼠海豚有什么区别?
- Mexico strives to save endangered porpoise.墨西哥努力拯救濒危的鼠海豚。
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exertion
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n.尽力,努力 |
参考例句: |
- We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture.我们搬动家具大费气力,累得大汗淋漓。
- She was hot and breathless from the exertion of cycling uphill.由于用力骑车爬坡,她浑身发热。
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jealousy
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n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 |
参考例句: |
- Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
- I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。
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