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A Letter
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As we are very liable in common with the letter-writing world, to fall behindhand in our correspondence, and a little more liable because, in consequence of our editorial function, we receive more epistles than our individual share, we have thought that we might clear our account by writing a quarterly catholic letter to all and several who have honored us in verse, or prose, with their confidence, and expressed a curiosity to know our opinion. We shall be compelled to dispose very rapidly of quite miscellaneous topics.
And first, in regard to the writer who has given us his speculations2 on Rail-roads and Air-roads, our correspondent shall have his own way. To the rail-way, we must say, like the courageous3 lord mayor at his first hunting, when told the hare was coming, “Let it come, in Heaven’s name, I am not afraid on ‘t.” Very unlooked for political and social effects of the iron road are fast appearing. It will require an expansion of the police of the old world. When a rail-road train shoots through Europe every day from Brussels to Vienna, from Vienna to Constantinople, it cannot stop every twenty or thirty miles, at a German customhouse, for examination of property and passports. But when our correspondent proceeds to Flying-machines, we have no longer the smallest taper4 light of credible5 information and experience left, and must speak on a priori grounds. Shortly then, we think the population is not yet quite fit for them, and therefore there will be none. Our friend suggests so many inconveniences from piracy6 out of the high air to orchards7 and lone8 houses, and also to other high fliers, and the total inadequacy9 of the present system of defence, that we have not the heart to break the sleep of the good public by the repetition of these details. When children come into the library, we put the inkstand and the watch on the high shelf, until they be a little older; and nature has set the sun and moon in plain sight and use, but laid them on the high shelf, where her roystering boys may not in some mad Saturday afternoon pull them down or burn their fingers. The sea and the iron road are safer toys for such ungrown people; we are not yet ripe to be birds.
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收听单词发音

1
speculation
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n.思索,沉思;猜测;投机 | |
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2
speculations
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n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 );思考;投机活动;推断 | |
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3
courageous
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adj.勇敢的,有胆量的 | |
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4
taper
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n.小蜡烛,尖细,渐弱;adj.尖细的;v.逐渐变小 | |
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5
credible
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adj.可信任的,可靠的 | |
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6
piracy
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n.海盗行为,剽窃,著作权侵害 | |
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7
orchards
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(通常指围起来的)果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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8
lone
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adj.孤寂的,单独的;唯一的 | |
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inadequacy
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n.无法胜任,信心不足 | |
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10
prospects
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n.希望,前途(恒为复数) | |
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11
sincerity
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n.真诚,诚意;真实 | |
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12
elegance
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n.优雅;优美,雅致;精致,巧妙 | |
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13
exhausted
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adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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14
expenditure
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n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出;使用,消耗 | |
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15
persevered
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v.坚忍,坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
chasm
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n.深坑,断层,裂口,大分岐,利害冲突 | |
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ennui
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n.怠倦,无聊 | |
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18
decrepit
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adj.衰老的,破旧的 | |
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19
delightful
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adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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20
dough
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n.生面团;钱,现款 | |
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21
leaven
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v.使发酵;n.酵母;影响 | |
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22
ardent
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adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的 | |
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23
wilfulness
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任性;倔强 | |
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24
curiously
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adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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25
Buddhist
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adj./n.佛教的,佛教徒 | |
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26
prudent
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adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 | |
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27
folly
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n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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28
abstinent
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adj.饮食有度的,有节制的,禁欲的;n.禁欲者 | |
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29
poetic
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adj.富有诗意的,有诗人气质的,善于抒情的 | |
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30
stagnant
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adj.不流动的,停滞的,不景气的 | |
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31
joyfully
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adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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32
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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33
aspiration
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n.志向,志趣抱负;渴望;(语)送气音;吸出 | |
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34
solitary
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adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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35
Forsaken
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adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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providence
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n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
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37
aesthetic
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adj.美学的,审美的,有美感 | |
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38
importunate
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adj.强求的;纠缠不休的 | |
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infinitely
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adv.无限地,无穷地 | |
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40
paralysis
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n.麻痹(症);瘫痪(症) | |
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41
faculties
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n.能力( faculty的名词复数 );全体教职员;技巧;院 | |
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42
manly
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adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地 | |
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43
bereaves
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v.使失去(希望、生命等)( bereave的第三人称单数 );(尤指死亡)使丧失(亲人、朋友等);使孤寂;抢走(财物) | |
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44
mighty
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adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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45
behold
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v.看,注视,看到 | |
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46
disdain
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n.鄙视,轻视;v.轻视,鄙视,不屑 | |
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47
embitters
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v.使怨恨,激怒( embitter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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48
hostility
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n.敌对,敌意;抵制[pl.]交战,战争 | |
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49
lurking
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潜在 | |
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50
decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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51
postponement
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n.推迟 | |
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52
calamity
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n.灾害,祸患,不幸事件 | |
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53
peculiar
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adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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54
apprehension
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n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑 | |
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55
jeremiad
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n.悲欢;悲诉 | |
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56
mortified
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v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 );伤害(人的感情);克制;抑制(肉体、情感等) | |
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57
scattered
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adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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58
literally
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adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实 | |
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59
desecrated
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毁坏或亵渎( desecrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
revere
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vt.尊崇,崇敬,敬畏 | |
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61
guise
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n.外表,伪装的姿态 | |
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62
muse
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n.缪斯(希腊神话中的女神),创作灵感 | |
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63
defile
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v.弄污,弄脏;n.(山间)小道 | |
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64
fumbling
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n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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65
prospers
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v.成功,兴旺( prosper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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66
discord
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n.不和,意见不合,争论,(音乐)不和谐 | |
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67
brotherhood
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n.兄弟般的关系,手中情谊 | |
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68
pious
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adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的 | |
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69
abide
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vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受 | |
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deteriorate
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v.变坏;恶化;退化 | |
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71
livelihood
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n.生计,谋生之道 | |
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72
blessing
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n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 | |
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73
antagonism
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n.对抗,敌对,对立 | |
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74
perceptive
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adj.知觉的,有洞察力的,感知的 | |
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75
chaos
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n.混乱,无秩序 | |
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76
redress
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n.赔偿,救济,矫正;v.纠正,匡正,革除 | |
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77
fidelity
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n.忠诚,忠实;精确 | |
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78
emigrant
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adj.移居的,移民的;n.移居外国的人,移民 | |
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emigrants
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n.(从本国移往他国的)移民( emigrant的名词复数 ) | |
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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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81
prospered
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成功,兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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82
wrought
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v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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83
thrifty
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adj.节俭的;兴旺的;健壮的 | |
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84
cultivation
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n.耕作,培养,栽培(法),养成 | |
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85
abound
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vi.大量存在;(in,with)充满,富于 | |
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86
labor
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n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
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87
seasickness
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n.晕船 | |
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88
absurdity
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n.荒谬,愚蠢;谬论 | |
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colossal
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adj.异常的,庞大的 | |
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90
judicial
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adj.司法的,法庭的,审判的,明断的,公正的 | |
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91
effete
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adj.无生产力的,虚弱的 | |
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92
entangled
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adj.卷入的;陷入的;被缠住的;缠在一起的v.使某人(某物/自己)缠绕,纠缠于(某物中),使某人(自己)陷入(困难或复杂的环境中)( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93
orations
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n.(正式仪式中的)演说,演讲( oration的名词复数 ) | |
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94
inquiry
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n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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95
secular
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n.牧师,凡人;adj.世俗的,现世的,不朽的 | |
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generic
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adj.一般的,普通的,共有的 | |
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prodigality
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n.浪费,挥霍 | |
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98
pruning
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n.修枝,剪枝,修剪v.修剪(树木等)( prune的现在分词 );精简某事物,除去某事物多余的部分 | |
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99
sketch
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n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述 | |
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100
eminent
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adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的 | |
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