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Christmas at Red Butte
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"Of course Santa Claus will come," said Jimmy Martin confidently. Jimmy was ten, and at ten it is easy to be confident. "Why, he's got to come because it is Christmas Eve, and he always has come. You know that, twins."
Yes, the twins knew it and, cheered by Jimmy's superior wisdom, their doubts passed away. There had been one terrible moment when Theodora had sighed and told them they mustn't be too much disappointed if Santa Claus did not come this year because the crops had been poor, and he mightn't have had enough presents to go around.
"That doesn't make any difference to Santa Claus," scoffed1 Jimmy. "You know as well as I do, Theodora Prentice, that Santa Claus is rich whether the crops fail or not. They failed three years ago, before Father died, but Santa Claus came all the same. Prob'bly you don't remember it, twins, 'cause you were too little, but I do. Of course he'll come, so don't you worry a mite2. And he'll bring my skates and your dolls. He knows we're expecting them, Theodora, 'cause we wrote him a letter last week, and threw it up the chimney. And there'll be candy and nuts, of course, and Mother's gone to town to buy a turkey. I tell you we're going to have a ripping Christmas."
"Well, don't use such slangy words about it, Jimmy-boy," sighed Theodora. She couldn't bear to dampen their hopes any further, and perhaps Aunt Elizabeth might manage it if the colt sold well. But Theodora had her painful doubts, and she sighed again as she looked out of the window far down the trail that wound across the prairie, red-lighted by the declining sun of the short wintry afternoon.
"Do people always sigh like that when they get to be sixteen?" asked Jimmy curiously3. "You didn't sigh like that when you were only fifteen, Theodora. I wish you wouldn't. It makes me feel funny—and it's not a nice kind of funniness either."
"It's a bad habit I've got into lately," said Theodora, trying to laugh. "Old folks are dull sometimes, you know, Jimmy-boy."
"Sixteen is awful old, isn't it?" said Jimmy reflectively. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do when I'm sixteen, Theodora. I'm going to pay off the mortgage, and buy mother a silk dress, and a piano for the twins. Won't that be elegant? I'll be able to do that 'cause I'm a man. Of course if I was only a girl I couldn't."
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scoffed
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嘲笑,嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mite
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n.极小的东西;小铜币 | |
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curiously
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adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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cosy
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adj.温暖而舒适的,安逸的 | |
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squatting
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v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);为获得其所有权;而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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toddled
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v.(幼儿等)东倒西歪地走( toddle的过去式和过去分词 );蹒跚行走;溜达;散步 | |
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melancholy
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n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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despondent
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adj.失望的,沮丧的,泄气的 | |
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rosy
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adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的 | |
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severely
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adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 | |
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jingled
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喝醉的 | |
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sobbing
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<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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impulsive
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adj.冲动的,刺激的;有推动力的 | |
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impulsively
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adv.冲动地 | |
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plucky
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adj.勇敢的 | |
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resolute
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adj.坚决的,果敢的 | |
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prospecting
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n.探矿 | |
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wilderness
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n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠 | |
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anguish
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n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦,烦恼 | |
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suspense
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n.(对可能发生的事)紧张感,担心,挂虑 | |
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rumour
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n.谣言,谣传,传闻 | |
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muse
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n.缪斯(希腊神话中的女神),创作灵感 | |
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nefarious
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adj.恶毒的,极坏的 | |
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halfway
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adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途 | |
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dwelling
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n.住宅,住所,寓所 | |
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second-hand
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adj.用过的,旧的,二手的 | |
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beguiled
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v.欺骗( beguile的过去式和过去分词 );使陶醉;使高兴;消磨(时间等) | |
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bluff
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v.虚张声势,用假象骗人;n.虚张声势,欺骗 | |
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amazement
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n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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galloping
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adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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runaway
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n.逃走的人,逃亡,亡命者;adj.逃亡的,逃走的 | |
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speculation
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n.思索,沉思;猜测;投机 | |
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hitched
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(免费)搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 ); 搭便车; 攀上; 跃上 | |
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reigned
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vi.当政,统治(reign的过去式形式) | |
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rapture
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n.狂喜;全神贯注;着迷;v.使狂喜 | |
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gasped
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v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 | |
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snug
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adj.温暖舒适的,合身的,安全的;v.使整洁干净,舒适地依靠,紧贴;n.(英)酒吧里的私房 | |
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perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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Charlotte's Ladies
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