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CHAPTER XII. IRON.

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 Next to copper1 comes the metal known as iron, at the same time the most useful and the most fatal instrument in the hand of mankind. For by the aid of iron we lay open the ground, we plant trees, we prepare our vineyards, and we force our vines each year to resume their youthful state, by cutting away their decayed branches. It is by the aid of iron that we construct houses, cleave2 rocks, and perform so many other useful offices of life. But it is with iron also that wars, murders, and robberies are effected, and this, not only hand to hand, but from a distance even, by the aid of missiles and winged weapons, now launched from engines, now hurled3 by the human arm, and now furnished with feathery wings. The last I regard as the most criminal artifice4 that has been devised by the human mind; for, as if to bring death upon man with still greater rapidity, we have given wings to iron and taught it to fly.[227] Let us therefore acquit5 Nature of a charge that here belongs to man himself.
 
In the treaty which Porsena granted to the Roman people, after the expulsion of the kings, we find it expressly stipulated6, that iron shall be only employed for the cultivation7 of the 288 fields; and our oldest authors inform us, that in those days it was considered unsafe to write with an iron pen, or stylus.
 
Still human industry has not failed to employ iron for perpetuating8 the honors of more civilized9 life. The artist Aristonidas, wishing to express the fury of Athamas subsiding10 into

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1 copper HZXyU     
n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的
参考例句：
  • The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
  • Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。
2 cleave iqJzf     
v．(clave；cleaved)粘着，粘住；坚持；依恋
参考例句：
  • It examines how the decision to quit gold or to cleave to it affected trade policies.论文分析了放弃或坚持金本位是如何影响贸易政策的。
  • Those who cleave to the latter view include many conservative American politicians.坚持后一种观点的大多是美国的保守派政客。
3 hurled 16e3a6ba35b6465e1376a4335ae25cd2     
v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂
参考例句：
  • He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
  • The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 artifice 3NxyI     
n.妙计，高明的手段；狡诈，诡计
参考例句：
  • The use of mirrors in a room is an artifice to make the room look larger.利用镜子装饰房间是使房间显得大一点的巧妙办法。
  • He displayed a great deal of artifice in decorating his new house.他在布置新房子中表现出富有的技巧。
5 acquit MymzL     
vt.宣判无罪；(oneself)使(自己)表现出
参考例句：
  • That fact decided the judge to acquit him.那个事实使法官判他无罪。
  • They always acquit themselves of their duty very well.他们总是很好地履行自己的职责。
6 stipulated 5203a115be4ee8baf068f04729d1e207     
vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的
参考例句：
  • A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
  • Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句
7 cultivation cnfzl     
n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成
参考例句：
  • The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
  • The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。
8 perpetuating 7c867dfb0f4f4d1e7954b7c103fb6cee     
perpetuate的现在进行式
参考例句：
  • Revenge leads to a self-perpetuating cycle of violence. 怨怨相报会导致永不休止的暴力。
  • It'set out to eradicate heresy, and ended by perpetuating it. 它的目的只是要根除异端邪说，结果却巩固了异端邪说。 来自英汉文学
9 civilized UwRzDg     
a.有教养的，文雅的
参考例句：
  • Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
  • rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为
10 subsiding 0b57100fce0b10afc440ec1d6d2366a6     
v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的现在分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上
参考例句：
  • The flooded river was subsiding rapidly. 泛滥的河水正在迅速退落。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Gradually the tension was subsiding, gradually the governor was relenting. 风潮渐渐地平息了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
11 repentance ZCnyS     
n.懊悔
参考例句：
  • He shows no repentance for what he has done.他对他的所作所为一点也不懊悔。
  • Christ is inviting sinners to repentance.基督正在敦请有罪的人悔悟。
12 rust XYIxu     
n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退
参考例句：
  • She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
  • The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。
13 labors 8e0b4ddc7de5679605be19f4398395e1     
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转
参考例句：
  • He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors. 他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。 来自辞典例句
  • Farm labors used to hire themselves out for the summer. 农业劳动者夏季常去当雇工。 来自辞典例句
14 consecrated consecrated     
adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献
参考例句：
  • The church was consecrated in 1853. 这座教堂于1853年祝圣。
  • They consecrated a temple to their god. 他们把庙奉献给神。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 avenger avenger     
n. 复仇者
参考例句：
  • "Tom Sawyer, the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main. “我乃西班牙海黑衣侠盗，汤姆 - 索亚。
  • Avenger's Shield-0.26 threat per hit (0.008 threat per second) 飞盾-0.26仇恨每击（0.08仇恨每秒）
16 conformity Hpuz9     
n.一致，遵从，顺从
参考例句：
  • Was his action in conformity with the law?他的行动是否合法？
  • The plan was made in conformity with his views.计划仍按他的意见制定。
17 benevolence gt8zx     
n.慈悲，捐助
参考例句：
  • We definitely do not apply a policy of benevolence to the reactionaries.我们对反动派决不施仁政。
  • He did it out of pure benevolence. 他做那件事完全出于善意。
18 inflicting 1c8a133a3354bfc620e3c8d51b3126ae     
把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • He was charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm. 他被控蓄意严重伤害他人身体。
  • It's impossible to do research without inflicting some pain on animals. 搞研究不让动物遭点罪是不可能的。
19 foresight Wi3xm     
n.先见之明，深谋远虑
参考例句：
  • The failure is the result of our lack of foresight.这次失败是由于我们缺乏远虑而造成的。
  • It required a statesman's foresight and sagacity to make the decision.作出这个决定需要政治家的远见卓识。
20 rendering oV5xD     
n.表现，描写
参考例句：
  • She gave a splendid rendering of Beethoven's piano sonata.她精彩地演奏了贝多芬的钢琴奏鸣曲。
  • His narrative is a super rendering of dialect speech and idiom.他的叙述是方言和土语最成功的运用。
21 perishable 9uKyk     
adj.（尤指食物）易腐的，易坏的
参考例句：
  • Many fresh foods are highly perishable.许多新鲜食物都极易腐败。
  • Fruits are perishable in transit.水果在运送时容易腐烂。
22 excellence ZnhxM     
n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德
参考例句：
  • His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
  • My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。
23 alloy fLryq     
n.合金，(金属的)成色
参考例句：
  • The company produces titanium alloy.该公司生产钛合金。
  • Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.青铜是铜和锡的合金。
24 vein fi9w0     
n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络
参考例句：
  • The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
  • The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。
25 derives c6c3177a6f731a3d743ccd3c53f3f460     
v.得到( derive的第三人称单数 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取
参考例句：
  • English derives in the main from the common Germanic stock. 英语主要源于日耳曼语系。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He derives his income from freelance work. 他以自由职业获取收入。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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