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Miss Sarah Jack, of Spanish Town, Jamaica
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There is nothing so melancholy1 as a country in its decadence2, unless it be a people in their decadence. I am not aware that the latter misfortune can be attributed to the Anglo-Saxon race in any part of the world; but there is reason to fear that it has fallen on an English colony in the island of Jamaica.
Jamaica was one of those spots on which fortune shone with the full warmth of all her noonday splendour. That sun has set; — whether for ever or no none but a prophet can tell; but as far as a plain man may see, there are at present but few signs of a coming morrow, or of another summer.
It is not just or proper that one should grieve over the misfortunes of Jamaica with a stronger grief because her savannahs are so lovely, her forests so rich, her mountains so green, and he rivers so rapid; but it is so. It is piteous that a land so beautiful should be one which fate has marked for misfortune. Had Guiana, with its flat, level, unlovely soil, become poverty-stricken, one would hardly sorrow over it as one does sorrow for Jamaica.
As regards scenery she is the gem3 of the western tropics. It is impossible to conceive spots on the earth’s surface more gracious to the eye than those steep green valleys which stretch down to the south-west from the Blue Mountain peak towards the sea; and but little behind these in beauty are the rich wooded hills which in the western part of the island divide the counties of Hanover and Westmoreland. The hero of the tale which I am going to tell was a sugar-grower in the latter district, and the heroine was a girl who lived under that Blue Mountain peak.
The very name of a sugar-grower as connected with Jamaica savours of fruitless struggle, failure, and desolation. And from his earliest growth fruitless struggle, failure, and desolation had been the lot of Maurice Cumming. At eighteen years of age he had been left by his father sole possessor of the Mount Pleasant estate, than which in her palmy days Jamaica had little to boast of that was more pleasant or more palmy. But those days had passed by before Roger Cumming, the father of our friend, had died.
These misfortunes coming on the head of one another, at intervals4 of a few years, had first stunned6
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1
melancholy
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n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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decadence
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n.衰落,颓废 | |
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gem
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n.宝石,珠宝;受爱戴的人 [同]jewel | |
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4
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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interval
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n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息 | |
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stunned
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adj. 震惊的,惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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proprietor
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n.所有人;业主;经营者 | |
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proprietors
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n.所有人,业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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emancipated
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adj.被解放的,不受约束的v.解放某人(尤指摆脱政治、法律或社会的束缚)( emancipate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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calamity
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n.灾害,祸患,不幸事件 | |
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nay
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adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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lessening
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减轻,减少,变小 | |
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canes
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n.(某些植物,如竹或甘蔗的)茎( cane的名词复数 );(用于制作家具等的)竹竿;竹杖 | |
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cane
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n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的 | |
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plantation
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n.种植园,大农场 | |
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squatted
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v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);为获得其所有权;而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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annually
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adv.一年一次,每年 | |
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dwindle
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v.逐渐变小(或减少) | |
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remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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morose
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adj.脾气坏的,不高兴的 | |
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picturesque
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adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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doom
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n.厄运,劫数;v.注定,命定 | |
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bribing
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贿赂 | |
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bribe
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n.贿赂;v.向…行贿,买通 | |
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maiden
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n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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jack
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n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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rue
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n.懊悔,芸香,后悔;v.后悔,悲伤,懊悔 | |
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patriot
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n.爱国者,爱国主义者 | |
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perfidy
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n.背信弃义,不忠贞 | |
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taunts
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嘲弄的言语,嘲笑,奚落( taunt的名词复数 ) | |
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laboriousness
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eloquence
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n.雄辩;口才,修辞 | |
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honourable
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adj.可敬的;荣誉的,光荣的 | |
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shrug
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v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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torrent
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n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发 | |
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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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entail
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vt.使承担,使成为必要,需要 | |
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entails
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使…成为必要( entail的第三人称单数 ); 需要; 限定继承; 使必需 | |
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holder
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n.持有者,占有者;(台,架等)支持物 | |
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abode
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n.住处,住所 | |
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specially
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adv.特定地;特殊地;明确地 | |
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patriotism
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n.爱国精神,爱国心,爱国主义 | |
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eulogy
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n.颂词;颂扬 | |
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prosper
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v.成功,兴隆,昌盛;使成功,使昌隆,繁荣 | |
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foliage
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n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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enjoyment
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n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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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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legislative
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n.立法机构,立法权;adj.立法的,有立法权的 | |
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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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flirting
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v.调情,打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 ) | |
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propensities
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n.倾向,习性( propensity的名词复数 ) | |
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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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admiration
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n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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abounded
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v.大量存在,充满,富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lieutenants
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n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 );副职官员;空军;仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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lieutenant
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n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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odious
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adj.可憎的,讨厌的 | |
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devout
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adj.虔诚的,虔敬的,衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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clergy
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n.[总称]牧师,神职人员 | |
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piety
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n.虔诚,虔敬 | |
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conversion
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n.转化,转换,转变 | |
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scowling
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怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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musk
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n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物,香猫 | |
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latitudes
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纬度 | |
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rosy
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adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的 | |
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miseries
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n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 );痛苦的事;穷困;常发牢骚的人 | |
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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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thoroughly
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adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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flirted
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v.调情,打情骂俏( flirt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bishop
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n.主教,(国际象棋)象 | |
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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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72
withdrawn
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vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出 | |
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73
reign
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n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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alas
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int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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accrued
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adj.权责已发生的v.增加( accrue的过去式和过去分词 );(通过自然增长)产生;获得;(使钱款、债务)积累 | |
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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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joint
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adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合 | |
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crabbed
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adj.脾气坏的;易怒的;(指字迹)难辨认的;(字迹等)难辨认的v.捕蟹( crab的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ardently
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adv.热心地,热烈地 | |
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eligible
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adj.有条件被选中的;(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的 | |
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entreating
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恳求,乞求( entreat的现在分词 ) | |
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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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impatience
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n.不耐烦,急躁 | |
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determined
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adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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alluded
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提及,暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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promising
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adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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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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pony
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adj.小型的;n.小马 | |
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delightful
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adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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vouchsafing
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v.给予,赐予( vouchsafe的现在分词 );允诺 | |
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conceal
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v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 | |
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wrath
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n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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tablecloth
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n.桌布,台布 | |
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joints
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接头( joint的名词复数 ); 关节; 公共场所(尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所) (非正式); 一块烤肉 (英式英语) | |
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discoursing
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演说(discourse的现在分词形式) | |
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recreant
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n.懦夫;adj.胆怯的 | |
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shrill
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adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫 | |
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bass
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n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴 | |
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grotto
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n.洞穴 | |
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inane
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adj.空虚的,愚蠢的,空洞的 | |
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vocal
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adj.直言不讳的;嗓音的;n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
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uncommon
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adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的 | |
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scrambling
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v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞 | |
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intrude
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vi.闯入;侵入;打扰,侵扰 | |
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laden
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adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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countenance
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n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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inveighed
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v.猛烈抨击,痛骂,谩骂( inveigh的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prudently
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adv. 谨慎地,慎重地 | |
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prudent
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adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 | |
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heartily
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adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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contented
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adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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knight
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n.骑士,武士;爵士 | |
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asperity
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n.粗鲁,艰苦 | |
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promotion
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n.提升,晋级;促销,宣传 | |
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forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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warfare
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n.战争(状态);斗争;冲突 | |
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doughty
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adj.勇猛的,坚强的 | |
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antagonist
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n.敌人,对抗者,对手 | |
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dread
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vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
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dreading
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v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
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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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sufficiently
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adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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discreet
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adj.(言行)谨慎的;慎重的;有判断力的 | |
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rebuke
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v.指责,非难,斥责 [反]praise | |
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intoxication
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n.wild excitement;drunkenness;poisoning | |
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groaned
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v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦 | |
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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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bonnet
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n.无边女帽;童帽 | |
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sarcastic
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adj.讥讽的,讽刺的,嘲弄的 | |
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