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CHAPTER V. WHITE ANTS.
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The storm had now burst in full fury, and fortunate it was that a refuge had been found. The rain did not fall in separate drops as in temperate1 zones, but descended2 like the waters of a cataract3, in one solid and compact mass, in a way that could only suggest the outpour of some vast aerial basin containing the waters of an entire ocean. Contrary, too, to the storms of higher latitudes4, of which the duration seems ordinarily to be in inverse5 ratio to their violence, these African tempests, whatever their magnitude, often last for whole days, furrowing6 the soil into deep ravines, changing plains to lakes and brooks7 to torrents8, and causing rivers to overflow10 and cover vast districts with their inundations. It is hard to understand whence such volumes of vapour and electric fluid can accumulate. The earth, upon these occasions, might almost seem to be carried back to the remote period which has been called "the diluvian age."
Happily, the walls of the ant-hill were very thick; no beaver-hut formed of pounded earth could be more perfectly11 water-tight, and a torrent9 might have passed over it without a particle of moisture making its way through its substance.
As soon as the party had taken possession of the tenement12
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1 temperate | |
adj.温和的,温带的,自我克制的,不过分的 | |
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2 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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3 cataract | |
n.大瀑布,奔流,洪水,白内障 | |
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4 latitudes | |
纬度 | |
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5 inverse | |
adj.相反的,倒转的,反转的;n.相反之物;v.倒转 | |
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6 furrowing | |
v.犁田,开沟( furrow的现在分词 ) | |
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7 brooks | |
n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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8 torrents | |
n.倾注;奔流( torrent的名词复数 );急流;爆发;连续不断 | |
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9 torrent | |
n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发 | |
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10 overflow | |
v.(使)外溢,(使)溢出;溢出,流出,漫出 | |
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11 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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12 tenement | |
n.公寓;房屋 | |
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13 cone | |
n.圆锥体,圆锥形东西,球果 | |
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14 uncommon | |
adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的 | |
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15 varied | |
adj.多样的,多变化的 | |
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16 edifices | |
n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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17 spires | |
n.(教堂的) 塔尖,尖顶( spire的名词复数 ) | |
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18 naturalist | |
n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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19 alluvial | |
adj.冲积的;淤积的 | |
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20 awaken | |
vi.醒,觉醒;vt.唤醒,使觉醒,唤起,激起 | |
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21 enthusiast | |
n.热心人,热衷者 | |
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22 compartments | |
n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 );(列车车厢的)隔间;(家具或设备等的)分隔间;隔层 | |
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23 berths | |
n.(船、列车等的)卧铺( berth的名词复数 );(船舶的)停泊位或锚位;差事;船台vt.v.停泊( berth的第三人称单数 );占铺位 | |
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24 inadequate | |
adj.(for,to)不充足的,不适当的 | |
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25 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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26 posture | |
n.姿势,姿态,心态,态度;v.作出某种姿势 | |
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27 jack | |
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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28 exalted | |
adj.(地位等)高的,崇高的;尊贵的,高尚的 | |
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29 awakened | |
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到 | |
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30 hatchet | |
n.短柄小斧;v.扼杀 | |
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31 brittle | |
adj.易碎的;脆弱的;冷淡的;(声音)尖利的 | |
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32 aperture | |
n.孔,隙,窄的缺口 | |
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33 penetrated | |
adj. 击穿的,鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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34 termites | |
n.白蚁( termite的名词复数 ) | |
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35 swarmed | |
密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 ); 云集; 成群地移动; 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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36 voracious | |
adj.狼吞虎咽的,贪婪的 | |
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37 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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38 scrutiny | |
n.详细检查,仔细观察 | |
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39 recess | |
n.短期休息,壁凹(墙上装架子,柜子等凹处) | |
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40 indefatigable | |
adj.不知疲倦的,不屈不挠的 | |
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41 larvae | |
n.幼虫 | |
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42 testily | |
adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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43 impending | |
a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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44 withering | |
使人畏缩的,使人害羞的,使人难堪的 | |
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45 deigned | |
v.屈尊,俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46 demolish | |
v.拆毁(建筑物等),推翻(计划、制度等) | |
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47 morsel | |
n.一口,一点点 | |
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48 instinctively | |
adv.本能地 | |
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49 abode | |
n.住处,住所 | |
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50 prudent | |
adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 | |
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51 precluded | |
v.阻止( preclude的过去式和过去分词 );排除;妨碍;使…行不通 | |
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52 fatigue | |
n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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53 crunching | |
v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的现在分词 );嘎吱作响;(快速大量地)处理信息;数字捣弄 | |
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54 jaws | |
n.口部;嘴 | |
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55 solicitation | |
n.诱惑;揽货;恳切地要求;游说 | |
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56 preoccupied | |
adj.全神贯注的,入神的;被抢先占有的;心事重重的v.占据(某人)思想,使对…全神贯注,使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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57 depressed | |
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的 | |
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58 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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59 vexed | |
adj.争论不休的;(指问题等)棘手的;争论不休的问题;烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论 | |
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60 specimen | |
n.样本,标本 | |
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61 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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62 illustrate | |
v.举例说明,阐明;图解,加插图 | |
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63 antennae | |
n.天线;触角 | |
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64 dwelling | |
n.住宅,住所,寓所 | |
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65 ascertain | |
vt.发现,确定,查明,弄清 | |
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66 discourse | |
n.论文,演说;谈话;话语;vi.讲述,著述 | |
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67 joints | |
接头( joint的名词复数 ); 关节; 公共场所(尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所) (非正式); 一块烤肉 (英式英语) | |
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68 antiquity | |
n.古老;高龄;古物,古迹 | |
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69 dwarf | |
n.矮子,侏儒,矮小的动植物;vt.使…矮小 | |
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70 resolute | |
adj.坚决的,果敢的 | |
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71 avows | |
v.公开声明,承认( avow的第三人称单数 ) | |
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72 stoutest | |
粗壮的( stout的最高级 ); 结实的; 坚固的; 坚定的 | |
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73 quails | |
鹌鹑( quail的名词复数 ); 鹌鹑肉 | |
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74 impedes | |
阻碍,妨碍,阻止( impede的第三人称单数 ) | |
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75 contrive | |
vt.谋划,策划;设法做到;设计,想出 | |
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76 fecundity | |
n.生产力;丰富 | |
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77 grilled | |
adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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78 delicacy | |
n.精致,细微,微妙,精良;美味,佳肴 | |
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79 demonstration | |
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 | |
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80 phenomena | |
n.现象 | |
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81 incessantly | |
ad.不停地 | |
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82 succumbed | |
不再抵抗(诱惑、疾病、攻击等)( succumb的过去式和过去分词 ); 屈从; 被压垮; 死 | |
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83 slumber | |
n.睡眠,沉睡状态 | |
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84 abatement | |
n.减(免)税,打折扣,冲销 | |
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85 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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86 hull | |
n.船身;(果、实等的)外壳;vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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87 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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88 faltered | |
(嗓音)颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 ); 支吾其词; 蹒跚; 摇晃 | |
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89 hurled | |
v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 );大声叫骂 | |
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90 miserable | |
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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91 wretch | |
n.可怜的人,不幸的人;卑鄙的人 | |
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92 catastrophe | |
n.大灾难,大祸 | |
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93 peril | |
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物 | |
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94 consolation | |
n.安慰,慰问 | |
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