The Crystal Palace and Other Legends
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THE SUNKEN CITY

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There was once, we are told, a fine tract1 of land where now roll the waves of the Zuyder Zee. On the very spot where now the fishermen anchor their boats and fish, there stood a beautiful city. It was protected from the sea by great dykes3.

The name of the city was Stavoren, and the people who lived there were very wealthy. Some of them were so wealthy that they laid their great halls with floors of gold and silver. But in spite of their wealth they were selfish, thoughtless, and hard hearted. For the poor people they cared nothing.

The richest person among them was a maiden4 lady. She had palaces, farms, ships and counting-houses—everything that one could desire. But she thought of nothing except how she might increase[32] her store. With this in mind she one day summoned the captain of her largest vessel5.

When he came she bade him sail away to procure6 a cargo7 of the most precious things of earth, and to return within the year. Not knowing exactly what she wished, the captain questioned her, but she simply repeated her order and sent him away at once.

The captain set sail from Stavoren without knowing where he was going. After leaving the harbor he called his officers together and asked their advice. Each had a different opinion as to what were the most precious things of earth.

The captain was plunged8 into greater doubt than ever. He thought over the question for many long hours, smoking his pipe and scratching his head. At last he said to himself that nothing could be more precious than wheat, which is the staff of life.

Accordingly he purchased a cargo of[33] grain, and returned happily to his native town, arriving long before the year had passed. The haughty10 lady had in the meantime told all her friends that her vessel had gone in search of the most precious thing of earth. She would not tell her closest friend what that most precious thing might be. So everybody was very curious.
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1 tract iJxz4     
n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)
参考例句：
  • He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
  • He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。
2 dyke 1krzI     
n.堤，水坝，排水沟
参考例句：
  • If one sheep leap over the dyke,all the rest will follow.一只羊跳过沟，其余的羊也跟着跳。
  • One ant-hole may cause the collapse of a thousand-li dyke.千里长堤，溃于蚁穴。
3 dykes 47cc5ebe9e62cd1c065e797efec57dde     
abbr.diagonal wire cutters 斜线切割机n.堤( dyke的名词复数 )；坝；堰；沟
参考例句：
  • They built dykes and dam to hold back the rising flood waters. 他们修筑了堤坝来阻挡上涨的洪水。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The dykes were built as a protection against the sea. 建筑堤坝是为了防止海水泛滥。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 maiden yRpz7     
n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的
参考例句：
  • The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
  • The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。
5 vessel 4L1zi     
n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管
参考例句：
  • The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
  • You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。
6 procure A1GzN     
vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条
参考例句：
  • Can you procure some specimens for me?你能替我弄到一些标本吗？
  • I'll try my best to procure you that original French novel.我将尽全力给你搞到那本原版法国小说。
7 cargo 6TcyG     
n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物
参考例句：
  • The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
  • A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。
8 plunged 06a599a54b33c9d941718dccc7739582     
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降
参考例句：
  • The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
  • She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。
9 plunge 228zO     
v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲
参考例句：
  • Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
  • That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。
10 haughty 4dKzq     
adj.傲慢的，高傲的
参考例句：
  • He gave me a haughty look and walked away.他向我摆出傲慢的表情后走开。
  • They were displeased with her haughty airs.他们讨厌她高傲的派头。
11 kernel f3wxW     
n.(果实的)核，仁；(问题)的中心，核心
参考例句：
  • The kernel of his problem is lack of money.他的问题的核心是缺钱。
  • The nutshell includes the kernel.果壳裹住果仁。
12 imploring cb6050ff3ff45d346ac0579ea33cbfd6     
恳求的，哀求的
参考例句：
  • Those calm, strange eyes could see her imploring face. 那平静的，没有表情的眼睛还能看得到她的乞怜求情的面容。
  • She gave him an imploring look. 她以哀求的眼神看着他。
13 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的
参考例句：
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。
14 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来；以后
参考例句：
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
15 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的
参考例句：
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
16 desolate vmizO     
adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂
参考例句：
  • The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
  • We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。
17 miserable g18yk     
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
  • It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
  • Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
18 distressed du1z3y     
痛苦的
参考例句：
  • He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
  • The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。
19 besought b61a343cc64721a83167d144c7c708de     
v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词)
参考例句：
  • The prisoner besought the judge for mercy/to be merciful. 囚犯恳求法官宽恕[乞求宽大]。 来自辞典例句
  • They besought him to speak the truth. 他们恳求他说实话. 来自辞典例句
20 champagne iwBzh3     
n.香槟酒；微黄色
参考例句：
  • There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
  • They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。
21 sweeping ihCzZ4     
adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的
参考例句：
  • The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
  • Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？
22 oars c589a112a1b341db7277ea65b5ec7bf7     
n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
  • He pulled as hard as he could on the oars. 他拼命地划桨。
  • The sailors are bending to the oars. 水手们在拼命地划桨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
23 spires 89c7a5b33df162052a427ff0c7ab3cc6     
n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Her masts leveled with the spires of churches. 船的桅杆和教堂的塔尖一样高。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • White church spires lift above green valleys. 教堂的白色尖顶耸立在绿色山谷中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
24 turrets 62429b8037b86b445f45d2a4b5ed714f     
（六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车
参考例句：
  • The Northampton's three turrets thundered out white smoke and pale fire. “诺思安普敦号”三座炮塔轰隆隆地冒出白烟和淡淡的火光。
  • If I can get to the gun turrets, I'll have a chance. 如果我能走到炮塔那里，我就会赢得脱险的机会。
25 populous 4ORxV     
adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的
参考例句：
  • London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
  • China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。
26 deserted GukzoL     
adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的
参考例句：
  • The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
  • The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
27 tolling ddf676bac84cf3172f0ec2a459fe3e76     
[财]来料加工
参考例句：
  • A remote bell is tolling. 远处的钟声响了。
  • Indeed, the bells were tolling, the people were trooping into the handsome church. 真的，钟声响了，人们成群结队走进富丽堂皇的教堂。
28 knell Bxry1     
n.丧钟声；v.敲丧钟
参考例句：
  • That is the death knell of the British Empire.这是不列颠帝国的丧钟。
  • At first he thought it was a death knell.起初，他以为是死亡的丧钟敲响了。

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