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1834-1841
While I was still learning my duty as an usher1 at Mr. Drury’s school at Brussels, I was summoned to my clerkship in the London Post Office, and on my way passed through Bruges. I then saw my father and my brother Henry for the last time. A sadder household never was held together. They were all dying; except my mother, who would sit up night after night nursing the dying ones and writing novels the while — so that there might be a decent roof for them to die under. Had she failed to write the novels, I do not know where the roof would have been found. It is now more that forty years ago, and looking back over so long a lapse2 of time I can tell the story, though it be the story of my own father and mother, of my own brother and sister, almost as coldly as I have often done some scene of intended pathos3 in fiction; but that scene was indeed full of pathos. I was then becoming alive to the blighted4 ambition of my father’s life, and becoming alive also to the violence of the strain which my mother was enduring. But I could do nothing but go and leave them. There was something that comforted me in the idea that I need no longer be a burden — a fallacious idea, as it soon proved. My salary was to be £90 a year, and on that I was to live in £ondon, keep up my character as a gentleman, and be happy. That I should have thought this possible at the age of nineteen, and should have been delighted at being able to make the attempt, does not surprise me now; but that others should have thought it possible, friends who knew something of the world, does astonish me. A lad might have done so, no doubt, or might do so even in these days, who was properly looked after and kept under control — on whose behalf some law of life had been laid down. Let him pay so much a week for his board and lodging5, so much for his clothes, so much for his washing, and then let him understand that he has — shall we say? — sixpence a day left for pocket-money and omnibuses. Any one making the calculation will find the sixpence far too much. No such calculation was made for me or by me. It was supposed that a sufficient income had been secured to me, and that I should live upon it as other clerks lived.
But as yet the £90 a year was not secured to me. On reaching London I went to my friend Clayton Freeling, who was then secretary at the Stamp Office, and was taken by him to the scene of my future labours in St. Martin’s le Grand. Sir Francis Freeling was the secretary, but he was greatly too high an official to be seen at first by a new junior clerk. I was taken, therefore, to his

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usher
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n.带位员,招待员;vt.引导,护送;vi.做招待,担任引座员 | |
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2
lapse
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n.过失,流逝,失效,抛弃信仰,间隔;vi.堕落,停止,失效,流逝;vt.使失效 | |
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3
pathos
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n.哀婉,悲怆 | |
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blighted
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adj.枯萎的,摧毁的 | |
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lodging
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n.寄宿,住所;(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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eldest
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adj.最年长的,最年老的 | |
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accurately
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adv.准确地,精确地 | |
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memoir
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n.[pl.]回忆录,自传;记事录 | |
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quill
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n.羽毛管;v.给(织物或衣服)作皱褶 | |
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blots
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污渍( blot的名词复数 ); 墨水渍; 错事; 污点 | |
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proficient
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adj.熟练的,精通的;n.能手,专家 | |
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multiplication
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n.增加,增多,倍增;增殖,繁殖;乘法 | |
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humbly
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adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地 | |
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transcript
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n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书 | |
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faltering
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犹豫的,支吾的,蹒跚的 | |
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contented
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adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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condescended
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屈尊,俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 ); 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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elicit
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v.引出,抽出,引起 | |
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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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cramming
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n.塞满,填鸭式的用功v.塞入( cram的现在分词 );填塞;塞满;(为考试而)死记硬背功课 | |
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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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Vogue
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n.时髦,时尚;adj.流行的 | |
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acolytes
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n.助手( acolyte的名词复数 );随从;新手;(天主教)侍祭 | |
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ascertained
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v.弄清,确定,查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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peril
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n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物 | |
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patronage
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n.赞助,支援,援助;光顾,捧场 | |
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bartered
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v.作物物交换,以货换货( barter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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jealousies
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n.妒忌( jealousy的名词复数 );妒羡 | |
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lighter
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n.打火机,点火器;驳船;v.用驳船运送;light的比较级 | |
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bishop
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n.主教,(国际象棋)象 | |
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allusion
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n.暗示,间接提示 | |
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berths
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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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berth
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n.卧铺,停泊地,锚位;v.使停泊 | |
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prone
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adj.(to)易于…的,很可能…的;俯卧的 | |
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schooling
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n.教育;正规学校教育 | |
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rudiments
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n.基础知识,入门 | |
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bishops
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(基督教某些教派管辖大教区的)主教( bishop的名词复数 ); (国际象棋的)象 | |
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partially
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adv.部分地,从某些方面讲 | |
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bestow
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v.把…赠与,把…授予;花费 | |
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folly
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n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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conceit
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n.自负,自高自大 | |
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faculty
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n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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devoted
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adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...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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binding
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有约束力的,有效的,应遵守的 | |
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proprieties
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n.礼仪,礼节;礼貌( propriety的名词复数 );规矩;正当;合适 | |
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unities
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n.统一体( unity的名词复数 );(艺术等) 完整;(文学、戏剧) (情节、时间和地点的)统一性;团结一致 | |
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fixed
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adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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fictitious
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adj.虚构的,假设的;空头的 | |
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rumour
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n.谣言,谣传,传闻 | |
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rumours
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n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 );风闻;谣言;谣传 | |
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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) | |
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judgment
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n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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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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sitting-room
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n.(BrE)客厅,起居室 | |
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adjourn
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v.(使)休会,(使)休庭 | |
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bevy
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n.一群 | |
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homely
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adj.家常的,简朴的;不漂亮的 | |
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lodgings
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n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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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 | |
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bonnet
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n.无边女帽;童帽 | |
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monstrously
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renewals
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重建( renewal的名词复数 ); 更新; 重生; 合同的续订 | |
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peculiarity
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n.独特性,特色;特殊的东西;怪癖 | |
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starched
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adj.浆硬的,硬挺的,拘泥刻板的v.把(衣服、床单等)浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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cravat
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n.领巾,领结;v.使穿有领结的服装,使结领结 | |
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persistency
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n. 坚持(余辉, 时间常数) | |
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premises
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n.建筑物,房屋 | |
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pundit
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n.博学之人;权威 | |
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majesty
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n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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backwards
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adv.往回地,向原处,倒,相反,前后倒置地 | |
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barons
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男爵( baron的名词复数 ); 巨头; 大王; 大亨 | |
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baroness
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n.男爵夫人,女男爵 | |
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purporting
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v.声称是…,(装得)像是…的样子( purport的现在分词 ) | |
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intervals
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n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息 | |
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habitually
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ad.习惯地,通常地 | |
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allurement
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n.诱惑物 | |
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sufficiently
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adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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uncommon
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adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的 | |
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utterly
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adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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entirely
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ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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tragic
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adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的 | |
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postponing
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v.延期,推迟( postpone的现在分词 ) | |
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remorse
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n.痛恨,悔恨,自责 | |
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sneeringly
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嘲笑地,轻蔑地 | |
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dreary
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adj.令人沮丧的,沉闷的,单调乏味的 | |
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abode
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n.住处,住所 | |
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misery
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n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
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lessened
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减少的,减弱的 | |
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harry
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vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼 | |
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impecunious
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adj.不名一文的,贫穷的 | |
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penury
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n.贫穷,拮据 | |
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Oxford
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n.牛津(英国城市) | |
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perverse
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adj.刚愎的;坚持错误的,行为反常的 | |
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loomed
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v.隐约出现,阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 );隐约出现,阴森地逼近 | |
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obedience
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n.服从,顺从 | |
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outraged
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a.震惊的,义愤填膺的 | |
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99
conveyance
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n.(不动产等的)转让,让与;转让证书;传送;运送;表达;(正)运输工具 | |
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100
statutes
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成文法( statute的名词复数 ); 法令; 法规; 章程 | |
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101
enacted
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制定(法律),通过(法案)( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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102
asylum
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n.避难所,庇护所,避难 | |
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103
juvenile
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n.青少年,少年读物;adj.青少年的,幼稚的 | |
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104
emoluments
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n.报酬,薪水( emolument的名词复数 ) | |
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alluring
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adj.吸引人的,迷人的 | |
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106
linen
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n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的 | |
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incapable
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adj.无能力的,不能做某事的 | |
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108
dire
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adj.可怕的,悲惨的,阴惨的,极端的 | |
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109
downwards
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adj./adv.向下的(地),下行的(地) | |
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