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CHAPTER V. ESMOND AND THE VIRGINIANS.
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The novel with which we are now going to deal I regard as the greatest work that Thackeray did. Though I do not hesitate to compare himself with himself, I will make no comparison between him and others; I therefore abstain1 from assigning to Esmond any special niche2 among prose fictions in the English language, but I rank it so high as to justify3 me in placing him among the small number of the highest class of English novelists. Much as I think of Barry Lyndon and Vanity Fair, I cannot quite say this of them; but, as a chain is not stronger than its weakest link, so is a poet, or a dramatist, or a novelist to be placed in no lower level than that which he has attained4 by his highest sustained flight. The excellence5 which has been reached here Thackeray achieved, without doubt, by giving a greater amount of forethought to the work he had before him than had been his wont6. When we were young we used to be told, in our house at home, that "elbow-grease" was the one essential necessary to getting a tough piece of work well done. If a mahogany table was to be made to shine, it was elbow-grease that the operation needed. Forethought is the elbow-grease which a novelist,—or poet, or dramatist,—requires. It is not only his plot that has [Pg 123]to be turned and re-turned in his mind, not his plot chiefly, but he has to make himself sure of his situations, of his characters, of his effects, so that when the time comes for hitting the nail he may know where to hit it on the head,—so that he may himself understand the passion, the calmness, the virtues7, the vices9, the rewards and punishments which he means to explain to others,—so that his proportions shall be correct, and he be saved from the absurdity
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abstain
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v.自制,戒绝,弃权,避免 | |
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niche
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n.壁龛;合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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justify
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vt.证明…正当(或有理),为…辩护 | |
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attained
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(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况) | |
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excellence
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n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德 | |
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wont
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adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯 | |
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virtues
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美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处 | |
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virtue
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n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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vices
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缺陷( vice的名词复数 ); 恶习; 不道德行为; 台钳 | |
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absurdity
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n.荒谬,愚蠢;谬论 | |
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tellers
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n.(银行)出纳员( teller的名词复数 );(投票时的)计票员;讲故事等的人;讲述者 | |
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cosily
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adv.舒适地,惬意地 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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hatred
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n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
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consecutive
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adj.连续的,联贯的,始终一贯的 | |
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rascal
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n.流氓;不诚实的人 | |
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strings
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n.弦 | |
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memoir
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n.[pl.]回忆录,自传;记事录 | |
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memoirs
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n.回忆录;回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
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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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reign
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n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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sufficiently
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adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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arduous
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adj.艰苦的,费力的,陡峭的 | |
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undertaking
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n.保证,许诺,事业 | |
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gliding
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v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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mar
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vt.破坏,毁坏,弄糟 | |
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knight
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n.骑士,武士;爵士 | |
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heartily
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adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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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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depicted
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描绘,描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 ); 描述 | |
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dedication
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n.奉献,献身,致力,题献,献辞 | |
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narrative
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n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的 | |
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autobiography
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n.自传 | |
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domain
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n.(活动等)领域,范围;领地,势力范围 | |
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remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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harry
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vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼 | |
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scion
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n.嫩芽,子孙 | |
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kinsman
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n.男亲属 | |
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humble
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adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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gallant
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adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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hymns
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n.赞美诗,圣歌,颂歌( hymn的名词复数 ) | |
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slippers
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n. 拖鞋 | |
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aptitudes
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(学习方面的)才能,资质,天资( aptitude的名词复数 ) | |
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drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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propensity
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n.倾向;习性 | |
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liking
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n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢 | |
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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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doctrine
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n.教义;主义;学说 | |
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garb
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n.服装,装束 | |
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unnatural
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adj.不自然的;反常的 | |
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solicitude
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n.焦虑 | |
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juxtaposition
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n.毗邻,并置,并列 | |
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thoroughly
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adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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guardian
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n.监护人;守卫者,保护者 | |
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delicacy
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n.精致,细微,微妙,精良;美味,佳肴 | |
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jealousy
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n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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sprightliness
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n.愉快,快活 | |
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injustice
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n.非正义,不公正,不公平,侵犯(别人的)权利 | |
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appreciation
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n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
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intercourse
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n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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vindicates
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n.澄清(某人/某事物)受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的名词复数 );表明或证明(所争辩的事物)属实、正当、有效等;维护v.澄清(某人/某事物)受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的第三人称单数 );表明或证明(所争辩的事物)属实、正当、有效等;维护 | |
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essentially
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adv.本质上,实质上,基本上 | |
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unreasonableness
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无理性; 横逆 | |
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duel
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n./v.决斗;(双方的)斗争 | |
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anthem
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n.圣歌,赞美诗,颂歌 | |
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choir
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n.唱诗班,唱诗班的席位,合唱团,舞蹈团;v.合唱 | |
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captivity
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n.囚禁;被俘;束缚 | |
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forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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imbuing
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v.使(某人/某事)充满或激起(感情等)( imbue的现在分词 );使充满;灌输;激发(强烈感情或品质等) | |
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covet
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vt.垂涎;贪图(尤指属于他人的东西) | |
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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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allied
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adj.协约国的;同盟国的 | |
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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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distraction
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n.精神涣散,精神不集中,消遣,娱乐 | |
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longing
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n.(for)渴望 | |
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caresses
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爱抚,抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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admiration
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n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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oyster
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n.牡蛎;沉默寡言的人 | |
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folly
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n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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ignobility
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无能,无力; 无才能; 无能为力 | |
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belongings
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n.私人物品,私人财物 | |
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ignoble
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adj.不光彩的,卑鄙的;可耻的 | |
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rebukes
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责难或指责( rebuke的第三人称单数 ) | |
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consolation
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n.安慰,慰问 | |
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simplicity
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n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯 | |
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touching
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adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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droll
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adj.古怪的,好笑的 | |
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gist
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n.要旨;梗概 | |
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brilliance
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n.光辉,辉煌,壮丽,(卓越的)才华,才智 | |
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bishop
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n.主教,(国际象棋)象 | |
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intrigues
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n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 );神秘气氛;引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 );激起…的好奇心 | |
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tinged
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v.(使)发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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situated
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adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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prospect
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n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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joyful
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adj.欢乐的,令人欢欣的 | |
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antagonistic
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adj.敌对的 | |
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snobs
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(谄上傲下的)势利小人( snob的名词复数 ); 自高自大者,自命不凡者 | |
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knaves
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n.恶棍,无赖( knave的名词复数 );(纸牌中的)杰克 | |
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alleviated
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减轻,缓解,缓和( alleviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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expend
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vt.花费,消费,消耗 | |
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baroness
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n.男爵夫人,女男爵 | |
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condescended
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屈尊,俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 ); 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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conspicuous
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adj.明眼的,惹人注目的;炫耀的,摆阔气的 | |
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contriving
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(不顾困难地)促成某事( contrive的现在分词 ); 巧妙地策划,精巧地制造(如机器); 设法做到 | |
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narratives
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记叙文( narrative的名词复数 ); 故事; 叙述; 叙述部分 | |
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desultory
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adj.散漫的,无方法的 | |
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