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WELL, what had I better do? Nothing in a hurry, sure. I must get up a diversion; anything to employ me while I could think, and while these poor fellows could have a chance to come to life again. There sat Marco, petrified2 in the act of trying to get the hang of his miller-gun -- turned to stone, just in the attitude he was in when my pile-driver fell, the toy still gripped in his unconscious fingers. So I took it from him and proposed to explain its mystery. Mystery! a simple little thing like that; and yet it was mysterious enough, for that race and that age.
I never saw such an awkward people, with machinery3; you see, they were totally unused to it. The miller-gun was a little double-barreled tube of toughened glass, with a neat little trick of a spring to it, which upon pressure would let a shot escape. But the shot wouldn't hurt anybody, it would only drop into your hand. In the gun were two sizes -- wee mustardseed shot, and another sort that were several times larger. They were money. The mustard-seed shot represented milrays, the larger ones mills. So the gun was a purse; and very handy, too; you could pay out money in the dark with it, with accuracy; and you could carry it in your mouth; or in your vest pocket, if you had one. I made them of several sizes -- one size so large that it would carry the equivalent of a dollar. Using shot for money was a good thing for the government; the metal cost nothing, and the money couldn't be counterfeited4, for I was the only person in the kingdom who knew how to manage a shot tower. "Paying the shot" soon came to be a common phrase. Yes, and I knew it would still be passing men's lips, away down in the nineteenth century, yet none would suspect how and when it originated.
The king joined us, about this time, mightily5 refreshed by his nap, and feeling good. Anything could make me nervous now, I was so uneasy -- for our lives were in danger; and so it worried me to detect a complacent6 something in the king's eye which seemed to indicate that he had been loading himself up for a performance of some kind or other; confound it, why must he go and choose such a time as this?
I was right. He began, straight off, in the most innocently artful, and
收听单词发音
1
mar
vt.破坏,毁坏,弄糟
2
petrified
adj.惊呆的;目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆,使惊呆;变僵硬;使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词)
3
machinery
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构
4
counterfeited
v.仿制,造假( counterfeit的过去分词 )
5
mightily
ad.强烈地;非常地
6
complacent
adj.自满的;自鸣得意的
7
transparent
adj.明显的,无疑的;透明的
8
conspiring
密谋( conspire的现在分词 ); 搞阴谋; (事件等)巧合; 共同导致
9
dynamite
n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破)
10
tumult
n.喧哗;激动,混乱;吵闹
11
swarm
n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入
12
swarming
密集( swarm的现在分词 ); 云集; 成群地移动; 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去
13
skull
n.头骨;颅骨
14
hurrah
int.好哇,万岁,乌拉
15
gathering
n.集会,聚会,聚集
16
albeit
conj.即使;纵使;虽然
17
wholesome
adj.适合;卫生的;有益健康的;显示身心健康的
18
unripe
adj.未成熟的;n.未成熟
19
distress
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛
20
assuage
v.缓和,减轻,镇定
21
asperities
n.粗暴( asperity的名词复数 );(表面的)粗糙;(环境的)艰苦;严寒的天气
22
smitten
猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去分词 )
23
miserable
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的
24
apprehension
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑
25
fulsome
adj.可恶的,虚伪的,过分恭维的
26
bilious
adj.胆汁过多的;易怒的
27
lame
adj.跛的,(辩解、论据等)无说服力的
28
jaw
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
29
battered
adj.磨损的;v.连续猛击;磨损
30
exhaustion
n.耗尽枯竭,疲惫,筋疲力尽,竭尽,详尽无遗的论述
31
gouged
v.凿( gouge的过去式和过去分词 );乱要价;(在…中)抠出…;挖出…
32
arena
n.竞技场,运动场所;竞争场所,舞台
33
ominous
adj.不祥的,不吉的,预兆的,预示的
34
glided
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔
35
darted
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔
36
dense
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的
37
murmur
n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言
38
waded
(从水、泥等)蹚,走过,跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )
39
bough
n.大树枝,主枝
40
snugly
adv.紧贴地;贴身地;暖和舒适地;安适地
41
lodged
v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 );暂住;埋入;(权利、权威等)归属
42
foliage
n.叶子,树叶,簇叶
43
junction
n.连接,接合;交叉点,接合处,枢纽站
44
concealment
n.隐藏, 掩盖,隐瞒
45
swelled
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情)
46
cyclone
n.旋风,龙卷风
47
abide
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受
48
steadily
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
49
parlous
adj.危险的,不确定的,难对付的
50
mighty
adj.强有力的;巨大的
51
swapping
交换,交换技术
52
foresight
n.先见之明,深谋远虑
53
antagonist
n.敌人,对抗者,对手
54
toiled
长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 ); 艰难缓慢地移动,跋涉
55
swarmed
密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 ); 云集; 成群地移动; 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去
56
buffet
n.自助餐;饮食柜台;餐台
57
prospect
n.前景,前途;景色,视野
58
penetrate
v.透(渗)入;刺入,刺穿;洞察,了解
59
boughs
大树枝( bough的名词复数 )
60
sniffs
v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的第三人称单数 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说
61
smother
vt./vi.使窒息;抑制;闷死;n.浓烟;窒息
62
gasped
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
63
descended
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的
64
prodigious
adj.惊人的,奇妙的;异常的;巨大的;庞大的
65
picturesque
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的
66
costly
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
67
countenance
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同
68
complexion
n.肤色;情况,局面;气质,性格
69
marred
adj. 被损毁, 污损的
70
humbly
adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地
71
retinue
n.侍从;随员
72
lash
v.系牢;鞭打;猛烈抨击;n.鞭打;眼睫毛
73
kennels
n.主人外出时的小动物寄养处,养狗场;狗窝( kennel的名词复数 );养狗场
74
plunged
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降
75
shrieks
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 )
76
lavish
adj.无节制的;浪费的;vt.慷慨地给予,挥霍
77
rein
n.疆绳,统治,支配;vt.以僵绳控制,统治
78
peril
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物
79
wrecks
n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 );(事故中)遭严重毁坏的汽车(或飞机等);(身体或精神上)受到严重损伤的人;状况非常糟糕的车辆(或建筑物等)v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 );使(船舶)失事,使遇难,使下沉
80
hideous
adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的
81
redundant
adj.多余的,过剩的;(食物)丰富的;被解雇的
82
orator
n.演说者,演讲者,雄辩家
83
plebeian
adj.粗俗的;平民的;n.平民;庶民
84
miscreant
n.恶棍
85
patriotic
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的
86
determined
adj.坚定的;有决心的
87
nought
n./adj.无,零
88
forth
adv.向前;向外,往外
89
auction
n.拍卖;拍卖会;vt.拍卖
90
improper
adj.不适当的,不合适的,不正确的,不合礼仪的
91
utterly
adv.完全地,绝对地
92
stagnant
adj.不流动的,停滞的,不景气的
93
hitched
(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
94
fettered
v.给…上脚镣,束缚( fetter的过去式和过去分词 )
95
yoked
结合(yoke的过去式形式)
96
convoy
vt.护送,护卫,护航;n.护送;护送队