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The Letters
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Just before the letter was brought to me that evening I was watching the red November sunset from the library window. It was a stormy, unrestful sunset, gleaming angrily through the dark fir boughs1 that were now and again tossed suddenly and distressfully in a fitful gust3 of wind. Below, in the garden, it was quite dark, and I could only see dimly the dead leaves that were whirling and dancing uncannily over the roseless paths. The poor dead leaves—yet not quite dead! There was still enough unquiet life left in them to make them restless and forlorn. They hearkened yet to every call of the wind, who cared for them no longer but only played freakishly with them and broke their rest. I felt sorry for the leaves as I watched them in that dull, weird4 twilight5, and angry—in a petulant6 fashion that almost made me laugh—with the wind that would not leave them in peace. Why should they—and I—be vexed7 with these transient breaths of desire for a life that had passed us by?
I was in the grip of a bitter loneliness that evening—so bitter and so insistent8 that I felt I could not face the future at all, even with such poor fragments of courage as I had gathered about me after Father's death, hoping that they would, at least, suffice for my endurance, if not for my content. But now they fell away from me at sight of the emptiness of life.
The emptiness! Ah, it was from that I shrank. I could have faced pain and anxiety and heartbreak undauntedly, but I could not face that terrible, yawning, barren emptiness. I put my hands over my eyes to shut it out, but it pressed in upon my consciousness insistently9, and would not be ignored longer.
The moment when a woman realizes that she has nothing to live for—neither love nor purpose nor duty—holds for her the bitterness of death. She is a brave woman indeed who can look upon such a
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收听单词发音

1
boughs
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大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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2
fully
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adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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gust
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n.阵风,突然一阵(雨、烟等),(感情的)迸发 | |
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weird
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adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的 | |
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twilight
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n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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petulant
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adj.性急的,暴躁的 | |
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vexed
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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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insistent
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adj.迫切的,坚持的 | |
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insistently
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ad.坚持地 | |
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prospect
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n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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perpetuate
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v.使永存,使永记不忘 | |
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feud
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n.长期不和;世仇;v.长期争斗;世代结仇 | |
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beech
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n.山毛榉;adj.山毛榉的 | |
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thorny
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adj.多刺的,棘手的 | |
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bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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beeches
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n.山毛榉( beech的名词复数 );山毛榉木材 | |
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crimson
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n./adj.深(绯)红色(的);vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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kindly
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adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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accentuate
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v.着重,强调 | |
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regularity
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n.规律性,规则性;匀称,整齐 | |
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standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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adorn
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vt.使美化,装饰 | |
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miserable
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adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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lasting
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adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持 | |
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hatred
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n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
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liking
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n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢 | |
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longing
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n.(for)渴望 | |
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demure
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adj.严肃的;端庄的 | |
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mare
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n.母马,母驴 | |
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groaning
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adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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soothing
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adj.慰藉的;使人宽心的;镇静的 | |
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irritable
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adj.急躁的;过敏的;易怒的 | |
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sullen
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adj.愠怒的,闷闷不乐的,(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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solitary
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adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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sojourn
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v./n.旅居,寄居;逗留 | |
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hermit
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n.隐士,修道者;隐居 | |
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intensity
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n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度 | |
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housekeeper
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n.管理家务的主妇,女管家 | |
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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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decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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peculiar
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adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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exhale
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v.呼气,散出,吐出,蒸发 | |
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invalid
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n.病人,伤残人;adj.有病的,伤残的;无效的 | |
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overrode
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越控( override的过去式 ); (以权力)否决; 优先于; 比…更重要 | |
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injustice
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n.非正义,不公正,不公平,侵犯(别人的)权利 | |
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miserably
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adv.痛苦地;悲惨地;糟糕地;极度地 | |
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passionately
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ad.热烈地,激烈地 | |
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evoked
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[医]诱发的 | |
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tingling
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v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 ) | |
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abruptly
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adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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bereavement
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n.亲人丧亡,丧失亲人,丧亲之痛 | |
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embittered
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v.使怨恨,激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gulf
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n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂 | |
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worthy
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adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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inadequate
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adj.(for,to)不充足的,不适当的 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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justify
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vt.证明…正当(或有理),为…辩护 | |
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worthily
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重要地,可敬地,正当地 | |
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bind
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vt.捆,包扎;装订;约束;使凝固;vi.变硬 | |
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lessen
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vt.减少,减轻;缩小 | |
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perils
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极大危险( peril的名词复数 ); 危险的事(或环境) | |
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motive
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n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的 | |
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witty
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adj.机智的,风趣的 | |
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artistic
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adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
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pungent
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adj.(气味、味道)刺激性的,辛辣的;尖锐的 | |
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delightful
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adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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impersonal
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adj.无个人感情的,与个人无关的,非人称的 | |
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attained
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(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况) | |
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aspirations
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强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 ); 志向; 发送气音; 发 h 音 | |
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candid
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adj.公正的,正直的;坦率的 | |
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stimulating
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adj.有启发性的,能激发人思考的 | |
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torpid
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adj.麻痹的,麻木的,迟钝的 | |
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zest
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n.乐趣;滋味,风味;兴趣 | |
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leavened
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adj.加酵母的v.使(面团)发酵( leaven的过去式和过去分词 );在…中掺入改变的因素 | |
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sanity
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n.心智健全,神智正常,判断正确 | |
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wholesomely
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卫生地,有益健康地 | |
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counteracting
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对抗,抵消( counteract的现在分词 ) | |
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morbid
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adj.病的;致病的;病态的;可怕的 | |
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stimulant
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n.刺激物,兴奋剂 | |
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thoroughly
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adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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sweeping
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adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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kindled
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(使某物)燃烧,着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 ); 激起(感情等); 发亮,放光 | |
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impelled
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v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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purely
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adv.纯粹地,完全地 | |
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middle-aged
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adj.中年的 | |
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folly
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n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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sedate
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adj.沉着的,镇静的,安静的 | |
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joyous
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adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的 | |
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contented
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adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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caressing
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爱抚的,表现爱情的,亲切的 | |
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drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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recesses
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n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 );(工作或业务活动的)中止或暂停期间;学校的课间休息;某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 );将(墙)做成凹形,在(墙)上做壁龛;休息,休会,休庭 | |
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plunging
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adj.跳进的,突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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lavishly
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adv.慷慨地,大方地 | |
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stint
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v.节省,限制,停止;n.舍不得化,节约,限制;连续不断的一段时间从事某件事 | |
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guise
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n.外表,伪装的姿态 | |
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confession
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n.自白,供认,承认 | |
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forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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fettering
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v.给…上脚镣,束缚( fetter的现在分词 ) | |
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vowed
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起誓,发誓(vow的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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101
irresistible
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adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的 | |
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remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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hereditary
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adj.遗传的,遗传性的,可继承的,世袭的 | |
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possessed
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adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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groom
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vt.给(马、狗等)梳毛,照料,使...整洁 | |
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amazement
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n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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inexplicable
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adj.无法解释的,难理解的 | |
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kindling
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n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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infinitely
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adv.无限地,无穷地 | |
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blotted
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涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 ); (用吸墨纸)吸干 | |
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