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Chapter 5
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This was the second meeting of the Board that Hardin had attended, if onewere to exclude the informal talks the Board members had had with thenow-departed Lord Dorwin. Yet the mayor had a perfectly1 definite idea thatat least one other, and possibly two or three, had been held, to which hehad somehow never received an invitation.
Nor, it seemed to him, would he have received notification of this one hadit not been for the ultimatum2.
At least, it amounted to an ultimatum, though a superficial reading of thevisigraphed document would lead one to suppose that it was a friendlyinterchange of greetings between two potentates3.
Hardin fingered it gingerly. It started off floridly with a salutation from"His Puissant4 Majesty5, the King of Anacreon, to his friend and brother, Dr.
Lewis Pirenne, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, of the EncyclopediaFoundation Number One," and it ended even more lavishly with a gigantic,multicolored seal of the most involved symbolism.
But it was an ultimatum just the same.
Hardin said: "It turned out that we didn't have much time after all ?onlythree months. But little as it was, we threw it away unused. This thinghere gives us a week. What do we do now?"Pirenne frowned worriedly. "There must be a loophole. It is absolutelyunbelievable that they would push matters to extremities7 in the face ofwhat Lord Dorwin has assured us regarding the attitude of the Emperor andthe Empire."Hardin perked up. "I see. You have informed the King of Anacreon of thisalleged attitude?""I did ? after having placed the proposal to the Board for a vote andhaving received unanimous consent.""And when did this vote take place?"Pirenne climbed onto his dignity. "I do not believe I am answerable to youin any way, Mayor Hardin.""All right. I'm not that vitally interested. It's just my opinion that itwas your diplomatic transmission of Lord Dorwin's valuable contribution tothe situation"?he lifted the comer of his mouth in a sour half-smile?that was the direct cause of this friendly little note. They might havedelayed longer otherwise ?though I don't think the additional time wouldhave helped Terminus any, considering the attitude of the Board."Said Yate Fulham: "And just how do you arrive at that remarkableconclusion, Mr. Mayor?""In a rather simple way. It merely required the use of that much-neglectedcommodity ? common sense. You see, there is a branch of human knowledgeknown as
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1
perfectly
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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2
ultimatum
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n.最后通牒 | |
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3
potentates
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n.君主,统治者( potentate的名词复数 );有权势的人 | |
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puissant
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adj.强有力的 | |
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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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6
encyclopedia
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n.百科全书 | |
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7
extremities
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n.端点( extremity的名词复数 );尽头;手和足;极窘迫的境地 | |
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8
diplomat
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n.外交官,外交家;能交际的人,圆滑的人 | |
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symbolic
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adj.象征性的,符号的,象征主义的 | |
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10
logic
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n.逻辑(学);逻辑性 | |
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11
prune
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n.酶干;vt.修剪,砍掉,削减;vi.删除 | |
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12
clutters
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n.杂物,零乱的东西零乱vt.( clutter的名词复数 );乱糟糟地堆满,把…弄得很乱;(以…) 塞满…v.杂物,零乱的东西零乱vt.( clutter的第三人称单数 );乱糟糟地堆满,把…弄得很乱;(以…) 塞满… | |
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13
applied
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adj.应用的;v.应用,适用 | |
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14
straightforwardly
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adv.正直地 | |
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15
fulfill
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vt.履行,实现,完成;满足,使满意 | |
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16
shrugged
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vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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17
accomplished
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adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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18
recording
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n.录音,记录 | |
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odds
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n.让步,机率,可能性,比率;胜败优劣之别 | |
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20
dribble
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v.点滴留下,流口水;n.口水 | |
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21
actively
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adv.积极地,勤奋地 | |
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monarch
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n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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immediate
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adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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24
twitched
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vt.& vi.(使)抽动,(使)颤动(twitch的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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incompetent
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adj.无能力的,不能胜任的 | |
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inflame
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v.使燃烧;使极度激动;使发炎 | |
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cardinal
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n.(天主教的)红衣主教;adj.首要的,基本的 | |
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decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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outright
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adv.坦率地;彻底地;立即;adj.无疑的;彻底的 | |
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annexation
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n.吞并,合并 | |
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31
bluff
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v.虚张声势,用假象骗人;n.虚张声势,欺骗 | |
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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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perspiration
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n.汗水;出汗 | |
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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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vault
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n.拱形圆顶,地窖,地下室 | |
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serenity
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n.宁静,沉着,晴朗 | |
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folly
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n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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smacks
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掌掴(声)( smack的名词复数 ); 海洛因; (打的)一拳; 打巴掌 | |
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incapable
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adj.无能力的,不能做某事的 | |
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deduction
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n.减除,扣除,减除额;推论,推理,演绎 | |
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maneuvered
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v.移动,用策略( maneuver的过去式和过去分词 );操纵 | |
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commissioners
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n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 );长官;委员;政府部门的长官 | |
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isolation
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n.隔离,孤立,分解,分离 | |
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galaxy
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n.星系;银河系;一群(杰出或著名的人物) | |
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dilemma
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n.困境,进退两难的局面 | |
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46
reposed
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v.将(手臂等)靠在某人(某物)上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
receding
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v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 );向后倾斜;自原处后退或避开别人的注视;尤指问题 | |
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48
chancellor
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n.(英)大臣;法官;(德、奥)总理;大学校长 | |
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49
deterioration
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n.退化;恶化;变坏 | |
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stagnation
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n. 停滞 | |
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51
misty
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adj.雾蒙蒙的,有雾的 | |
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第四章
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第五章
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