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CHAPTER XLIV. CONCLUSION.
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And now my story is told; and were it not for the fashion of the thing, this last short chapter might be spared. It shall at any rate be very short.
Were it not that I eschew2 the fashion of double names for a book, thinking that no amount of ingenuity3 in this respect will make a bad book pass muster4, whereas a good book will turn out as such though no such ingenuity be displayed, I might have called this "A Tale of the Famine Year in Ireland." At the period of the year to which the story has brought us—and at which it will leave us—the famine was at its very worst. People were beginning to believe that there would never be a bit more to eat in the land, and that the time for hope and energy was gone. Land was becoming of no value, and the only thing regarded was a sufficiency of food to keep body and soul together. Under such circumstances it was difficult to hope.
But energy without hope is impossible, and therefore was there such an apathy5 and deadness through the country. It was not that they did not work who were most concerned to work. The amount of conscientious6 work then done was most praiseworthy. But it was done almost without hope of success, and done chiefly as a matter of conscience. There was a feeling, which was not often expressed but which seemed to prevail everywhere, that ginger8 would not again be hot in the mouth, and that in very truth the time for cakes and ale in this world was all over. It was this feeling that made a residence in Ireland at that period so very sad.
Ah me! how little do we know what is coming to us! Irish cakes and ale were done and over for this world, we all thought. But in truth the Irish cakes were only then a-baking, and the Irish ale was being brewed9. I am not sure that these good things are yet quite fit for the palates of the guest;—not as fit as a little more time will make them. The cake is still too new,—cakes often are; and the ale is not
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1
hap
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n.运气;v.偶然发生 | |
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2
eschew
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v.避开,戒绝 | |
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3
ingenuity
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n.别出心裁;善于发明创造 | |
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4
muster
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v.集合,收集,鼓起,激起;n.集合,检阅,集合人员,点名册 | |
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5
apathy
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n.漠不关心,无动于衷;冷淡 | |
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6
conscientious
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adj.审慎正直的,认真的,本着良心的 | |
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7
rev
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v.发动机旋转,加快速度 | |
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8
ginger
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n.姜,精力,淡赤黄色;adj.淡赤黄色的;vt.使活泼,使有生气 | |
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9
brewed
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调制( brew的过去式和过去分词 ); 酝酿; 沏(茶); 煮(咖啡) | |
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10
sufficiently
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adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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mellowed
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(使)成熟( mellow的过去式和过去分词 ); 使色彩更加柔和,使酒更加醇香 | |
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12
arrears
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n.到期未付之债,拖欠的款项;待做的工作 | |
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pestilence
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n.瘟疫 | |
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exodus
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v.大批离去,成群外出 | |
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blessings
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n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福 | |
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omniscience
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n.全知,全知者,上帝 | |
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omnipotence
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n.全能,万能,无限威力 | |
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firmament
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n.苍穹;最高层 | |
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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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devoted
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adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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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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peculiar
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adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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grandiose
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adj.宏伟的,宏大的,堂皇的,铺张的 | |
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concocted
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v.将(尤指通常不相配合的)成分混合成某物( concoct的过去式和过去分词 );调制;编造;捏造 | |
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maxim
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n.格言,箴言 | |
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inquiry
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n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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coverts
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n.隐蔽的,不公开的,秘密的( covert的名词复数 );复羽 | |
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celebrated
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adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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caressingly
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爱抚地,亲切地 | |
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nay
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adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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bosom
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n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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postponed
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vt.& vi.延期,缓办,(使)延迟vt.把…放在次要地位;[语]把…放在后面(或句尾)vi.(疟疾等)延缓发作(或复发) | |
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Oxford
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n.牛津(英国城市) | |
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dreaded
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adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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cork
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n.软木,软木塞 | |
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