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Chapter XVII
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Continuation of the Last Chapter — My First Assignation With M. M. — Letter From C. C. — My Second Meeting With the Nun1 At My Splendid Casino In Venice I Am Happy
There is nothing, there can be nothing, dearer to a thinking being than life; yet the voluptuous2 men, those who try to enjoy it in the best manner, are the men who practise with the greatest perfection the difficult art of shortening life, of driving it fast. They do not mean to make it shorter, for they would like to perpetuate3 it in the midst of pleasure, but they wish enjoyment4 to render its course insensible; and they are right, provided they do not fail in fulfilling their duties. Man must not, however, imagine that he has no other duties but those which gratify his senses; he would be greatly mistaken, and he might fall the victim of his own error. I think that my friend Horace made a mistake when he said to Florus:
‘Nec metuam quid de me judicet heres, Quod non plura datis inveniet.’
The happiest man is the one who knows how to obtain the greatest sum of happiness without ever failing in the discharge of his duties, and the most unhappy is the man who has adopted a profession in which he finds himself constantly under the sad necessity of foreseeing the future.
Perfectly5 certain that M—— M—— would keep her word, I went to the convent at ten o’clock in the morning, and she joined me in the parlour as soon as I was announced.
“Good heavens!” she exclaimed, “are you ill?”
“No, but I may well look so, for the expectation of happiness wears me out. I have lost sleep and appetite, and if my felicity were to be deferred6 my life would be the forfeit7.”
“There shall be no delay, dearest; but how impatient you are! Let us sit down. Here is the key of my casino. You will find some persons in it, because we must be served; but nobody will speak to you, and you need not speak to anyone. You must be masked, and you must not go there till two hours after sunset; mind, not before. Then go up the stairs opposite the street-door, and at the top of those stairs you will see, by the light of a lamp, a green door which you will open to enter the apartment which you will find lighted. You will find me in the second room, and in case I should not be there you will wait for me a few minutes; you may rely upon my being punctual. You can take off your mask in that room, and make yourself comfortable; you will find some books and a good fire.”
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1
nun
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n.修女,尼姑 | |
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voluptuous
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adj.肉欲的,骄奢淫逸的 | |
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perpetuate
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v.使永存,使永记不忘 | |
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enjoyment
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n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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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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deferred
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adj.延期的,缓召的v.拖延,延缓,推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 );服从某人的意愿,遵从 | |
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forfeit
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vt.丧失;n.罚金,罚款,没收物 | |
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enquired
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打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 ); 询问; 问问题; 查问 | |
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garb
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n.服装,装束 | |
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wig
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n.假发 | |
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entreat
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v.恳求,恳请 | |
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confide
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v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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gondola
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n.威尼斯的平底轻舟;飞船的吊船 | |
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fidelity
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n.忠诚,忠实;精确 | |
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sham
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n./adj.假冒(的),虚伪(的) | |
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amorous
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adj.多情的;有关爱情的 | |
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discretion
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n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
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positively
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adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实 | |
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conceal
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v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 | |
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concealing
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v.隐藏,隐瞒,遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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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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conceited
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adj.自负的,骄傲自满的 | |
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sitting-room
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n.(BrE)客厅,起居室 | |
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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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gratitude
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adj.感激,感谢 | |
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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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longing
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n.(for)渴望 | |
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proceedings
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n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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ardent
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adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的 | |
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contrived
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adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的 | |
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impatience
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n.不耐烦,急躁 | |
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middle-aged
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adj.中年的 | |
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porcelain
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n.瓷;adj.瓷的,瓷制的 | |
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plentiful
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adj.富裕的,丰富的 | |
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champagne
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n.香槟酒;微黄色 | |
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graceful
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adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的 | |
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connoisseur
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n.鉴赏家,行家,内行 | |
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mutual
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adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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inhale
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v.吸入(气体等),吸(烟) | |
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fragrance
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n.芬芳,香味,香气 | |
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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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tune
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n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整 | |
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distinguished
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adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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recollect
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v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得 | |
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admiration
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n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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adroitly
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adv.熟练地,敏捷地 | |
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condemning
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v.(通常因道义上的原因而)谴责( condemn的现在分词 );宣判;宣布…不能使用;迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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exacting
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adj.苛求的,要求严格的 | |
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undo
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vt.解开,松开;取消,撤销 | |
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throbbed
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抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 ); (心脏、脉搏等)跳动 | |
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possessed
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adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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bosom
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n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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smothered
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(使)窒息, (使)透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 ); 覆盖; 忍住; 抑制 | |
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fatigue
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n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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virgin
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n.处女,未婚女子;adj.未经使用的;未经开发的 | |
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fatiguing
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a.使人劳累的 | |
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specimen
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n.样本,标本 | |
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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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procures
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v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的第三人称单数 );拉皮条 | |
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conversing
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v.交谈,谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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inquisitive
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adj.求知欲强的,好奇的,好寻根究底的 | |
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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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esteem
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n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
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amiable
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adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 | |
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delicacy
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n.精致,细微,微妙,精良;美味,佳肴 | |
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entreated
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恳求,乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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barefaced
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adj.厚颜无耻的,公然的 | |
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impudence
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n.厚颜无耻;冒失;无礼 | |
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determined
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adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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ascertain
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vt.发现,确定,查明,弄清 | |
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purely
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adv.纯粹地,完全地 | |
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obstinate
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adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
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nuns
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n.(通常指基督教的)修女, (佛教的)尼姑( nun的名词复数 ) | |
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deprivation
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n.匮乏;丧失;夺去,贫困 | |
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treacherous
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adj.不可靠的,有暗藏的危险的;adj.背叛的,背信弃义的 | |
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postponed
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vt.& vi.延期,缓办,(使)延迟vt.把…放在次要地位;[语]把…放在后面(或句尾)vi.(疟疾等)延缓发作(或复发) | |
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professed
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公开声称的,伪称的,已立誓信教的 | |
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plausible
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adj.似真实的,似乎有理的,似乎可信的 | |
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legitimate
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adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法 | |
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rendezvous
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n.约会,约会地点,汇合点;vi.汇合,集合;vt.使汇合,使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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revolving
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adj.旋转的,轮转式的;循环的v.(使)旋转( revolve的现在分词 );细想 | |
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gilt
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adj.镀金的;n.金边证券 | |
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alcove
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n.凹室 | |
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outlets
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n.出口( outlet的名词复数 );经销店;插座;廉价经销店 | |
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arabesques
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n.阿拉伯式花饰( arabesque的名词复数 );错综图饰;阿拉伯图案;阿拉贝斯克芭蕾舞姿(独脚站立,手前伸,另一脚一手向后伸) | |
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sumptuous
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adj.豪华的,奢侈的,华丽的 | |
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exquisite
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adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的 | |
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slippers
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n. 拖鞋 | |
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accomplished
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adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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truthfulness
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n. 符合实际 | |
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oysters
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牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
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ruffle
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v.弄皱,弄乱;激怒,扰乱;n.褶裥饰边 | |
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anchovies
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n. 鯷鱼,凤尾鱼 | |
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heinous
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adj.可憎的,十恶不赦的 | |
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precisely
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adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
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attire
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v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装 | |
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generosity
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n.大度,慷慨,慷慨的行为 | |
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contemplated
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adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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rosy
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adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的 | |
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velvet
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n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的 | |
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embroidered
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adj.绣花的 | |
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buckles
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搭扣,扣环( buckle的名词复数 ) | |
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remarkable
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adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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adorned
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[计]被修饰的 | |
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attentively
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adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神 | |
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wrest
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n.扭,拧,猛夺;v.夺取,猛扭,歪曲 | |
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spouse
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n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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annihilate
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v.使无效;毁灭;取消 | |
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animated
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adj.生气勃勃的,活跃的,愉快的 | |
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shuddered
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v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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novice
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adj.新手的,生手的 | |
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delightful
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adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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compliance
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n.顺从;服从;附和;屈从 | |
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incapable
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adj.无能力的,不能做某事的 | |
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heroism
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n.大无畏精神,英勇 | |
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humiliate
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v.使羞辱,使丢脸[同]disgrace | |
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eloquence
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n.雄辩;口才,修辞 | |
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promising
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adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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intoxicated
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喝醉的,极其兴奋的 | |
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ecstasies
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狂喜( ecstasy的名词复数 ); 出神; 入迷; 迷幻药 | |
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enjoyments
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愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 ); 令人愉快的事物; 享有; 享受 | |
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varied
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adj.多样的,多变化的 | |
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susceptible
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adj.过敏的,敏感的;易动感情的,易受感动的 | |
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vigour
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(=vigor)n.智力,体力,精力 | |
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下一章:
Chapter XVIII
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