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CHAPTER ONE Kettledrum and Fife
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The serene1 repose2 of Shady Dale no doubt stood for dulness and lack of progress in that day and time. In all ages of the world, and in all places, there are men of restless but superficial minds, who mistake repose and serenity3 for stagnation4. No doubt then, as now, the most awful sentence to be passed on a community was to say that it was not progressive. But when you examine into the matter, what is called progress is nothing more nor less than the multiplication5 of the resources of those who, by means of dicker and barter6, are trying all the time to overreach the public and their fellows, in one way and another. This sort of thing now has a double name; it is called civilisation7, as well as progress, and those who take things as they find them in their morning newspaper, without going to the trouble to reflect for themselves, are no doubt duly impressed by terms that are large enough to fill both the ear and mouth at one and the same time.
Well, whatever serene repose stands for, Shady Dale possessed8 it in an eminent9 degree, and the people there had their full share of the sorrows and troubles of this world, as Madame Awtry, or Miss Puella Gillum, or Neighbour Tomlin, or even that cheerful philosopher, Mr. Billy Sanders, could have told you; but of these Nan and Gabriel and Cephas knew nothing except in a vague, indefinite way. They heard hints of rumours11, and sometimes they saw their elders shaking their heads as they gossiped together, but the youngsters lived in a world of their own, a world apart, and the vague rumours were no more interesting to them than the reports of canals on Mars are to the average person to-day. He reads in his newspaper that the markings in Mars are supposed to be canals; whereat he smiles and reflects that these canals can do him no harm. Nan and Gabriel and Cephas were as far from contemporary troubles as we are from Mars. The most serious trouble they had was not greater than that which they discovered one day on the Bermuda hill. As they were sitting on the warm grass, wondering how long before peaches would be ripe, they saw a field mouse cutting up some queer
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serene
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adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的 | |
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repose
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v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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serenity
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n.宁静,沉着,晴朗 | |
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stagnation
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n. 停滞 | |
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multiplication
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n.增加,增多,倍增;增殖,繁殖;乘法 | |
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barter
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n.物物交换,以货易货,实物交易 | |
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civilisation
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n.文明,文化,开化,教化 | |
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possessed
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adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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eminent
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adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的 | |
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sop
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n.湿透的东西,懦夫;v.浸,泡,浸湿 | |
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rumours
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n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 );风闻;谣言;谣传 | |
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kin
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n.家族,亲属,血缘关系;adj.亲属关系的,同类的 | |
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capers
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n.开玩笑( caper的名词复数 );刺山柑v.跳跃,雀跃( caper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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instinctively
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adv.本能地 | |
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beetle
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n.甲虫,近视眼的人 | |
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bug
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n.虫子;故障;窃听器;vt.纠缠;装窃听器 | |
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den
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n.兽穴;秘密地方;安静的小房间,私室 | |
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waggon
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n.运货马车,运货车;敞篷车箱 | |
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plantation
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n.种植园,大农场 | |
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forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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delightful
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adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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mule
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n.骡子,杂种,执拗的人 | |
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pivoted
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adj.转动的,回转的,装在枢轴上的v.(似)在枢轴上转动( pivot的过去式和过去分词 );把…放在枢轴上;以…为核心,围绕(主旨)展开 | |
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machinery
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n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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catered
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提供饮食及服务( cater的过去式和过去分词 ); 满足需要,适合 | |
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WHIMS
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虚妄,禅病 | |
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skittish
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adj.易激动的,轻佻的 | |
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squat
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v.蹲坐,蹲下;n.蹲下;adj.矮胖的,粗矮的 | |
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lugging
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超载运转能力 | |
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dismal
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adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的 | |
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concealed
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a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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vagaries
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n.奇想( vagary的名词复数 );异想天开;异常行为;难以预测的情况 | |
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elusiveness
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狡诈 | |
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evasions
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逃避( evasion的名词复数 ); 回避; 遁辞; 借口 | |
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speck
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n.微粒,小污点,小斑点 | |
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pone
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n.玉米饼 | |
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mighty
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adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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hitched
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(免费)搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 ); 搭便车; 攀上; 跃上 | |
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kindly
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adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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swap
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n.交换;vt.交换,用...作交易 | |
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dignified
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a.可敬的,高贵的 | |
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entirely
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ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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rattle
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v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓 | |
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shrilling
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(声音)尖锐的,刺耳的,高频率的( shrill的现在分词 ); 凄厉 | |
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hustled
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催促(hustle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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scouts
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侦察员[机,舰]( scout的名词复数 ); 童子军; 搜索; 童子军成员 | |
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accomplished
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adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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tunes
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n.曲调,曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调 | |
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tingling
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v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 ) | |
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plumes
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羽毛( plume的名词复数 ); 羽毛饰; 羽毛状物; 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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brass
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n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器 | |
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lieutenant
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n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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sergeant
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n.警官,中士 | |
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murmur
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n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 | |
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fatigue
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n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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bellies
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n.肚子( belly的名词复数 );腹部;(物体的)圆形或凸起部份;腹部…形的 | |
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glistening
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adj.闪耀的,反光的v.湿物闪耀,闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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tongs
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n.钳;夹子 | |
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deploying
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(尤指军事行动)使展开( deploy的现在分词 ); 施展; 部署; 有效地利用 | |
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dozing
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v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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astonishment
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n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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unnatural
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adj.不自然的;反常的 | |
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proceeding
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n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报 | |
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tightened
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收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)变紧; (使)绷紧; 加紧 | |
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reins
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感情,激情; 缰( rein的名词复数 ); 控制手段; 掌管; (成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的)保护带 | |
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awakened
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v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到 | |
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scowl
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vi.(at)生气地皱眉,沉下脸,怒视;n.怒容 | |
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breach
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n.违反,不履行;破裂;vt.冲破,攻破 | |
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dispersed
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adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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entangled
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adj.卷入的;陷入的;被缠住的;缠在一起的v.使某人(某物/自己)缠绕,纠缠于(某物中),使某人(自己)陷入(困难或复杂的环境中)( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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anarchy
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n.无政府状态;社会秩序混乱,无秩序 | |
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shrieks
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n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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subdued
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adj. 屈服的,柔和的,减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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rout
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n.溃退,溃败;v.击溃,打垮 | |
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complexion
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n.肤色;情况,局面;气质,性格 | |
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controversy
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n.争论,辩论,争吵 | |
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tangible
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adj.有形的,可触摸的,确凿的,实际的 | |
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fixed
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adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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pickles
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n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 );处于困境;遇到麻烦;菜酱 | |
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groan
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vi./n.呻吟,抱怨;(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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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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awakening
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n.觉醒,醒悟 adj.觉醒中的;唤醒的 | |
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tug
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v.用力拖(或拉);苦干;n.拖;苦干;拖船 | |
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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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precepts
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n.规诫,戒律,箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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killing
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n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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pageant
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n.壮观的游行;露天历史剧 | |
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regiment
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n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制 | |
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Prelude
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