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Chapter 5
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Oscar’s Quarrel with Whistler and Marriage
The first round in the battle with Fate was inconclusive. Oscar Wilde had managed to get known and talked about and had kept his head above water for a couple of years while learning something about life and more about himself. On the other hand he had spent almost all his patrimony1, had run into some debt besides; yet seemed as far as ever from earning a decent living. The outlook was disquieting2.
Even as a young man Oscar had a very considerable understanding of life. He could not make his way as a journalist, the English did not care for his poetry; but there was still the lecture-platform. In his heart he knew that he could talk better than he wrote.
He got his brother to announce boldly in The World that owing to the “astonishing success of his ‘Poems’ Mr. Oscar Wilde had been invited to lecture in America.”
The invitation was imaginary; but Oscar had resolved to break into this new field; there was money in it, he felt sure.
Besides he had another string to his bow. When the first rumblings of the social storm in Russia reached England, our aristocratic republican seized occasion by the forelock and wrote a play on the Nihilist Conspiracy4 called Vera. This drama was impregnated with popular English liberal sentiment. With the interest of actuality about it Vera was published in September, 1880; but fell flat.
The assassination5 of the Tsar Alexander, however, in March, 1881; the way Oscar’s poems published in June of that year were taken up by Miss Terry and puffed6 in the press, induced Mrs. Bernard Beere, an actress of some merit, to accept Vera for the stage. It was suddenly announced that Vera would be put on by Mrs. Bernard Beere at The Adelphi in December, ‘81; but the author had to be content with this advertisement. December came and went and Vera was not staged. It seemed probable to Oscar that it might be accepted in America; at any rate, there could be no harm in trying: he sailed for New York.
It was on the cards that he might succeed in his new adventure. The taste of America in letters and art is still strongly influenced, if not formed, by English taste, and, if Oscar Wilde had been properly
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patrimony
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n.世袭财产,继承物 | |
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disquieting
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adj.令人不安的,令人不平静的v.使不安,使忧虑,使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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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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conspiracy
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n.阴谋,密谋,共谋 | |
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assassination
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n.暗杀;暗杀事件 | |
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puffed
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adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧 | |
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accredited
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adj.可接受的;可信任的;公认的;质量合格的v.相信( accredit的过去式和过去分词 );委托;委任;把…归结于 | |
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partisans
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游击队员( partisan的名词复数 ); 党人; 党羽; 帮伙 | |
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philistine
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n.庸俗的人;adj.市侩的,庸俗的 | |
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renaissance
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n.复活,复兴,文艺复兴 | |
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impresario
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n.歌剧团的经理人;乐团指挥 | |
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monetary
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adj.货币的,钱的;通货的;金融的;财政的 | |
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essentially
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adv.本质上,实质上,基本上 | |
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extravagant
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adj.奢侈的;过分的;(言行等)放肆的 | |
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memorable
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adj.值得回忆的,难忘的,特别的,显著的 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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paraphrases
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n.释义,意译( paraphrase的名词复数 )v.释义,意译( paraphrase的第三人称单数 ) | |
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monograph
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n.专题文章,专题著作 | |
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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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suave
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adj.温和的;柔和的;文雅的 | |
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wigs
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n.假发,法官帽( wig的名词复数 ) | |
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scoff
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n.嘲笑,笑柄,愚弄;v.嘲笑,嘲弄,愚弄,狼吞虎咽 | |
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liking
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n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢 | |
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dwindled
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v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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persevered
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v.坚忍,坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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plagiarism
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n.剽窃,抄袭 | |
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peddles
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(沿街)叫卖( peddle的第三人称单数 ); 兜售; 宣传; 散播 | |
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justified
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a.正当的,有理的 | |
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purely
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adv.纯粹地,完全地 | |
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decorative
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adj.装饰的,可作装饰的 | |
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wrangle
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vi.争吵 | |
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discourse
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n.论文,演说;谈话;话语;vi.讲述,著述 | |
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infinitely
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adv.无限地,无穷地 | |
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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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persiflage
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n.戏弄;挖苦 | |
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admiration
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n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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astonishment
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n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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ridicule
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v.讥讽,挖苦;n.嘲弄 | |
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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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sporadic
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adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular;分散的 | |
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pall
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v.覆盖,使平淡无味;n.柩衣,棺罩;棺材;帷幕 | |
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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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genial
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adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的 | |
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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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concurs
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同意(concur的第三人称单数形式) | |
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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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noted
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adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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homage
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n.尊敬,敬意,崇敬 | |
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controversy
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n.争论,辩论,争吵 | |
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flirt
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v.调情,挑逗,调戏;n.调情者,卖俏者 | |
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longing
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n.(for)渴望 | |
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provincial
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adj.省的,地方的;n.外省人,乡下人 | |
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grotesque
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adj.怪诞的,丑陋的;n.怪诞的图案,怪人(物) | |
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sordid
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adj.肮脏的,不干净的,卑鄙的,暗淡的 | |
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Oxford
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n.牛津(英国城市) | |
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determined
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adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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celebrities
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n.(尤指娱乐界的)名人( celebrity的名词复数 );名流;名声;名誉 | |
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expressive
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adj.表现的,表达…的,富于表情的 | |
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vivacity
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n.快活,活泼,精神充沛 | |
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journalism
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n.新闻工作,报业 | |
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Buddha
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n.佛;佛像;佛陀 | |
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redeeming
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补偿的,弥补的 | |
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vivacious
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adj.活泼的,快活的 | |
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hysterical
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adj.情绪异常激动的,歇斯底里般的 | |
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saviour
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n.拯救者,救星 | |
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syllable
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n.音节;vt.分音节 | |
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fetters
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n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 );束缚v.给…上脚镣,束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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murmur
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n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 | |
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sheathed
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adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的;覆盖的;铠装的;装鞘了的v.将(刀、剑等)插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 );包,覆盖 | |
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affected
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adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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waning
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adj.(月亮)渐亏的,逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 );(月)亏;变小;变暗淡 | |
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eulogy
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n.颂词;颂扬 | |
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arrogantly
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adv.傲慢地 | |
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ripening
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v.成熟,使熟( ripen的现在分词 );熟化;熟成 | |
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vein
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n.血管,静脉;叶脉,纹理;情绪;vt.使成脉络 | |
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utterances
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n.发声( utterance的名词复数 );说话方式;语调;言论 | |
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prodigal
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adj.浪费的,挥霍的,放荡的 | |
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dire
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adj.可怕的,悲惨的,阴惨的,极端的 | |
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champagne
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n.香槟酒;微黄色 | |
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imminent
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adj.即将发生的,临近的,逼近的 | |
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wreck
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n.失事,遇难;沉船;vt.(船等)失事,遇难 | |
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bridle
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n.笼头,束缚;vt.抑制,约束;动怒 | |
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colossally
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creditors
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n.债权人,债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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respite
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n.休息,中止,暂缓 | |
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caustic
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adj.刻薄的,腐蚀性的 | |
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jargon
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n.术语,行话 | |
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snobbish
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adj.势利的,谄上欺下的 | |
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shibboleths
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n.(党派、集团等的)准则( shibboleth的名词复数 );教条;用语;行话 | |
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forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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delightful
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adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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stifle
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vt.使窒息;闷死;扼杀;抑止,阻止 | |
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unnatural
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adj.不自然的;反常的 | |
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Chapter 6
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