Night came, and the lamp began to burn dimly in the close air of the room. At eight o'clock they made their final preparations. The guns were carefully loaded, and an opening was begun in the roof of the snow-house. Bell worked cleverly at this for a few minutes, when Johnson, who had left the bedroom, where he was on guard, for a few minutes, returned rapidly to his companions. He seemed disturbed.
"What is the matter?" the captain asked.
"The matter? nothing!" answered the old sailor, hesitatingly, "yet—"
"What is it?" asked Altamont.
"
Hush1! Don't you hear a strange sound?"
"On which side?"
"There! There is something happening to the wall of that room."
Bell stopped his work; each one listened. A distant noise could be heard,
apparently2 in the side wall; some one was evidently making a passage-way through the ice.
"It's a tearing sound!" said Johnson.
"Without a doubt," answered Altamont.
"The bears?" asked Bell.
"Yes, the bears," said Altamont.
"They have changed their plan," continued the sailor; "they've given up trying to
suffocate3 us."
"Or else they think they've done it," added the American, who was getting very angry.
"We shall be attacked," said Bell.
"Well," remarked Hatteras, "we shall fight against them."
"Confound it!" shouted Altamont; "I prefer that decidedly! I've had enough working in the dark! Now we shall see one another and fight!"
"Yes," answered Johnson; "but with our guns it is impossible in so small a space."
The noise increased; the scratching of claws could be heard; the bears had attacked the wall at the angle where it joined the snow fastened to the rock."
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收听单词发音
1
hush
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int.嘘,别出声;n.沉默,静寂;v.使安静 |
参考例句: |
- A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
- Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去!
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2
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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3
suffocate
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vt.使窒息,使缺氧,阻碍;vi.窒息,窒息而亡,阻碍发展 |
参考例句: |
- If you shut all the windows,I will suffocate.如果你把窗户全部关起来,我就会闷死。
- The stale air made us suffocate.浑浊的空气使我们感到窒息。
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4
hatchet
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n.短柄小斧;v.扼杀 |
参考例句: |
- I shall have to take a hatchet to that stump.我得用一把短柄斧来劈这树桩。
- Do not remove a fly from your friend's forehead with a hatchet.别用斧头拍打朋友额头上的苍蝇。
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5
axe
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n.斧子;v.用斧头砍,削减 |
参考例句: |
- Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利,你要当心。
- The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。
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6
adversaries
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n.对手,敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
- Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的,始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句
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7
asunder
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adj.分离的,化为碎片 |
参考例句: |
- The curtains had been drawn asunder.窗帘被拉向两边。
- Your conscience,conviction,integrity,and loyalties were torn asunder.你的良心、信念、正直和忠诚都被扯得粉碎了。
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8
impetus
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n.推动,促进,刺激;推动力 |
参考例句: |
- This is the primary impetus behind the economic recovery.这是促使经济复苏的主要动力。
- Her speech gave an impetus to my ideas.她的讲话激发了我的思绪。
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9
worthy
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adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 |
参考例句: |
- I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
- There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。
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10
providence
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n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 |
参考例句: |
- It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
- To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事,是违背上帝的意志的。
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11
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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12
hummock
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n.小丘 |
参考例句: |
- He crawled up a small hummock and surveyed the prospect.他慢腾腾地登上一个小丘,看了看周围的地形。
- The two young men advanced cautiously towards the hummock.两个年轻人小心翼翼地向小丘前进。
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13
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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14
reassured
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adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) |
参考例句: |
- The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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15
beavers
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海狸( beaver的名词复数 ); 海狸皮毛; 棕灰色; 拼命工作的人 |
参考例句: |
- In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。
- Thus do the beavers, thus do the bees, thus do men. 海狸是这样做的,蜜蜂是这样做的,人也是这样做的。
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16
hurling
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n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的现在分词 );大声叫骂 |
参考例句: |
- The boat rocked wildly, hurling him into the water. 这艘船剧烈地晃动,把他甩到水中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Fancy hurling away a good chance like that, the silly girl! 想想她竟然把这样一个好机会白白丢掉了,真是个傻姑娘! 来自《简明英汉词典》
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17
cone
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n.圆锥体,圆锥形东西,球果 |
参考例句: |
- Saw-dust piled up in a great cone.锯屑堆积如山。
- The police have sectioned off part of the road with traffic cone.警察用锥形路标把部分路面分隔开来。
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18
sniff
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vi.嗅…味道;抽鼻涕;对嗤之以鼻,蔑视 |
参考例句: |
- The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
- When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候,他们会彼此嗅一会儿。
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19
prudent
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adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 |
参考例句: |
- A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
- You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。
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20
twilight
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n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 |
参考例句: |
- Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
- Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。
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21
malicious
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adj.有恶意的,心怀恶意的 |
参考例句: |
- You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
- Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。
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22
devouring
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吞没( devour的现在分词 ); 耗尽; 津津有味地看; 狼吞虎咽地吃光 |
参考例句: |
- The hungry boy was devouring his dinner. 那饥饿的孩子狼吞虎咽地吃饭。
- He is devouring novel after novel. 他一味贪看小说。
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23
amazement
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n.惊奇,惊讶 |
参考例句: |
- All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
- He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
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24
tiresome
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adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的 |
参考例句: |
- His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
- He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜,令人生厌。
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25
growling
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n.吠声, 咆哮声
v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 |
参考例句: |
- We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
- The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡,聚集在一起发牢骚。
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26
standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 |
参考例句: |
- After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
- They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
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27
chamber
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n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 |
参考例句: |
- For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
- The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
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28
granite
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adj.花岗岩,花岗石 |
参考例句: |
- They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
- The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。
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29
prey
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n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 |
参考例句: |
- Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
- The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。
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30
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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31
hurrah
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int.好哇,万岁,乌拉 |
参考例句: |
- We hurrah when we see the soldiers go by.我们看到士兵经过时向他们欢呼。
- The assistants raised a formidable hurrah.助手们发出了一片震天的欢呼声。
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32
extremities
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n.端点( extremity的名词复数 );尽头;手和足;极窘迫的境地 |
参考例句: |
- She was most noticeable, I thought, in respect of her extremities. 我觉得她那副穷极可怜的样子实在太惹人注目。 来自辞典例句
- Winters may be quite cool at the northwestern extremities. 西北边区的冬天也可能会相当凉。 来自辞典例句
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33
plunged
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v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 |
参考例句: |
- The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
- She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳,从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。
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