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CHAPTER XLVIII.
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The first twenty-six graves in the Virginia cemetery1 were occupied by murdered men. So everybody said, so everybody believed, and so they will always say and believe. The reason why there was so much slaughtering3 done, was, that in a new mining district the rough element predominates, and a person is not respected until he has “killed his man.” That was the very expression used.
If an unknown individual arrived, they did not inquire if he was capable, honest, industrious4, but—had he killed his man? If he had not, he gravitated to his natural and proper position, that of a man of small consequence; if he had, the cordiality of his reception was graduated according to the number of his dead. It was tedious work struggling up to a position of influence with bloodless hands; but when a man came with the blood of half a dozen men on his soul, his worth was recognized at once and his acquaintance sought.
In Nevada, for a time, the lawyer, the editor, the banker, the chief desperado, the chief gambler, and the saloon keeper, occupied the same level in society, and it was the highest. The cheapest and easiest way to become an influential5 man and be looked up to by the community at large, was to stand behind a bar, wear a cluster-diamond pin, and sell whisky. I am not sure but that the saloon-keeper held a shade higher rank than any other member of society. His opinion had weight. It was his privilege to say how the elections should go. No great movement could succeed without the countenance6 and direction of the saloon- keepers. It was a high favor when the chief saloon-keeper consented to serve in the legislature or the board of aldermen.
Youthful ambition hardly aspired7 so much to the honors of the law, or the army and navy as to the dignity of proprietorship8 in a saloon.
To be a saloon-keeper and kill a man was to be illustrious. Hence the reader will not be surprised to learn that more than one man was killed in Nevada under hardly the
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1
cemetery
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| n.坟墓,墓地,坟场 | |
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mete
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| v.分配;给予 | |
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slaughtering
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| v.屠杀,杀戮,屠宰( slaughter的现在分词 ) | |
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industrious
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| adj.勤劳的,刻苦的,奋发的 | |
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influential
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| adj.有影响的,有权势的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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aspired
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| v.渴望,追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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proprietorship
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| n.所有(权);所有权 | |
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pretext
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| n.借口,托词 | |
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provocation
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| n.激怒,刺激,挑拨,挑衅的事物,激怒的原因 | |
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slayer
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| n. 杀人者,凶手 | |
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galling
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| adj.难堪的,使烦恼的,使焦躁的 | |
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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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contrive
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| vt.谋划,策划;设法做到;设计,想出 | |
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chronometers
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| n.精密计时器,航行表( chronometer的名词复数 ) | |
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rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 ); 无赖; (开玩笑说法)淘气的人(尤指小孩); 恶作剧的人 | |
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rigidly
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| adv.刻板地,僵化地 | |
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farces
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| n.笑剧( farce的名词复数 );闹剧;笑剧剧目;作假的可笑场面 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
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probity
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| n.刚直;廉洁,正直 | |
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superintendent
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| n.监督人,主管,总监;(英国)警务长 | |
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quartz
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| n.石英 | |
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standing
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| n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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biased
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| a.有偏见的 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词;见证,证明 | |
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overthrow
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| v.推翻,打倒,颠覆;n.推翻,瓦解,颠覆 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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peremptory
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| adj.紧急的,专横的,断然的 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来;以后 | |
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arson
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| n.纵火,放火 | |
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premium
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| n.加付款;赠品;adj.高级的;售价高的 | |
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perjury
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| n.伪证;伪证罪 | |
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outweigh
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| vt.比...更重,...更重要 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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hearsay
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| n.谣传,风闻 | |
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miscreants
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| n.恶棍,歹徒( miscreant的名词复数 ) | |
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inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给,使遭受,使承担 | |
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tamper
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| v.干预,玩弄,贿赂,窜改,削弱,损害 | |
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portrayal
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| n.饰演;描画 | |
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portraying
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| v.画像( portray的现在分词 );描述;描绘;描画 | |
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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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deference
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| n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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obsequious
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| adj.谄媚的,奉承的,顺从的 | |
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marrow
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| n.骨髓;精华;活力 | |
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orators
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| n.演说者,演讲家( orator的名词复数 ) | |
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jack
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| n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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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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molested
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| v.骚扰( molest的过去式和过去分词 );干扰;调戏;猥亵 | |
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trophies
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| n.(为竞赛获胜者颁发的)奖品( trophy的名词复数 );奖杯;(尤指狩猎或战争中获得的)纪念品;(用于比赛或赛跑名称)奖 | |
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bauble
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| n.美观而无价值的饰物 | |
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profuse
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| adj.很多的,大量的,极其丰富的 | |
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caustic
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| adj.刻薄的,腐蚀性的 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽,讽刺,嘲弄,反话 (adj.sarcastic) | |
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impeached
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| v.控告(某人)犯罪( impeach的过去式和过去分词 );弹劾;对(某事物)怀疑;提出异议 | |
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implored
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| 恳求或乞求(某人)( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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cumbersome
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| adj.笨重的,不便携带的 | |
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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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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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celebrated
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| adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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CHAPTER XLVII.
下一章:
CHAPTER XLIX.
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