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XLIII. SURPRISES.
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Jo was alone in the twilight1, lying on the old sofa, looking at the fire, and thinking. It was her favorite way of spending the hour of dusk; no one disturbed her, and she used to lie there on Beth's little red pillow, planning stories, dreaming dreams, or thinking tender thoughts of the sister who never seemed far away. Her face looked tired, grave, and rather sad; for to-morrow was her birthday, and she was thinking how fast the years went by, how old she was getting, and how little she seemed to have accomplished2. Almost twenty-five, and nothing to show for it. Jo was mistaken in that; there was a good deal to show, and by and by she saw, and was grateful for it.
"An old maid, that's what I'm to be. A literary spinster, with a pen for a spouse3, a family of stories for children, and twenty years 526 hence a morsel4 of fame, perhaps; when, like poor Johnson, I'm old, and can't enjoy it, solitary5, and can't share it, independent, and don't need it. Well, I needn't be a sour saint nor a selfish sinner; and, I dare say, old maids are very comfortable when they get used to it; but—" and there Jo sighed, as if the prospect6 was not inviting7.
It seldom is, at first, and thirty seems the end of all things to five-and-twenty; but it's not so bad as it looks, and one can get on quite happily if one has something in one's self to fall back upon. At twenty-five, girls begin to talk about being old maids, but secretly resolve that they never will be; at thirty they say nothing about it, but quietly accept the fact, and, if sensible, console themselves by remembering that they have twenty more useful, happy years, in which they may be learning to grow old gracefully10. Don't laugh at the spinsters, dear girls, for often very tender,
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twilight
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n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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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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spouse
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n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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morsel
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n.一口,一点点 | |
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solitary
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adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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prospect
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n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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inviting
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adj.诱人的,引人注目的 | |
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hem
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n.贴边,镶边;vt.缝贴边;(in)包围,限制 | |
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graceful
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adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的 | |
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gracefully
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ad.大大方方地;优美地 | |
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tragical
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adj. 悲剧的, 悲剧性的 | |
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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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compassion
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n.同情,怜悯 | |
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rosy
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adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的 | |
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admiration
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n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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courteous
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adj.彬彬有礼的,客气的 | |
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prim
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adj.拘泥形式的,一本正经的;n.循规蹈矩,整洁;adv.循规蹈矩地,整洁地 | |
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chivalry
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n.骑士气概,侠义;(男人)对女人彬彬有礼,献殷勤 | |
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deference
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n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
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recollect
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v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得 | |
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maternal
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adj.母亲的,母亲般的,母系的,母方的 | |
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tart
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adj.酸的;尖酸的,刻薄的;n.果馅饼;淫妇 | |
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joyfully
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adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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penitent
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adj.后悔的;n.后悔者;忏悔者 | |
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mischief
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n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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gasp
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n.喘息,气喘;v.喘息;气吁吁他说 | |
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complimentary
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adj.赠送的,免费的,赞美的,恭维的 | |
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abject
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adj.极可怜的,卑屈的 | |
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barricade
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n.路障,栅栏,障碍;vt.设路障挡住 | |
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invitingly
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adv. 动人地 | |
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comelier
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adj.英俊的,好看的( comely的比较级 ) | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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irresistibly
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adv.无法抵抗地,不能自持地;极为诱惑人地 | |
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decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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kindle
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v.点燃,着火 | |
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tragically
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adv. 悲剧地,悲惨地 | |
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propriety
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n.正当行为;正当;适当 | |
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afterward
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adv.后来;以后 | |
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honeymoon
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n.蜜月(假期);vi.度蜜月 | |
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manly
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adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地 | |
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precocious
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adj.早熟的;较早显出的 | |
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remorseful
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adj.悔恨的 | |
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traitorous
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adj. 叛国的, 不忠的, 背信弃义的 | |
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prettily
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adv.优美地;可爱地 | |
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mighty
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adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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mingled
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混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
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fable
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n.寓言;童话;神话 | |
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imposing
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adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的 | |
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exulted
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狂喜,欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hearty
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adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的 | |
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revolve
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vi.(使)旋转;循环出现 | |
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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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torment
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n.折磨;令人痛苦的东西(人);vt.折磨;纠缠 | |
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betokens
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v.预示,表示( betoken的第三人称单数 ) | |
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marred
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adj. 被损毁, 污损的 | |
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delightful
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adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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bribe
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n.贿赂;v.向…行贿,买通 | |
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tempting
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a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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unconditional
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adj.无条件的,无限制的,绝对的 | |
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philosophical
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adj.哲学家的,哲学上的,达观的 | |
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fiddle
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n.小提琴;vi.拉提琴;不停拨弄,乱动 | |
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peeks
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n.偷看,窥视( peek的名词复数 )v.很快地看( peek的第三人称单数 );偷看;窥视;微露出 | |
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promiscuous
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adj.杂乱的,随便的 | |
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lull
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v.使安静,使入睡,缓和,哄骗;n.暂停,间歇 | |
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refreshment
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n.恢复,精神爽快,提神之事物;(复数)refreshments:点心,茶点 | |
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hoarse
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adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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pranced
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v.(马)腾跃( prance的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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millennium
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n.一千年,千禧年;太平盛世 | |
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revel
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vi.狂欢作乐,陶醉;n.作乐,狂欢 | |
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sips
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n.小口喝,一小口的量( sip的名词复数 )v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的第三人称单数 ) | |
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trespass
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n./v.侵犯,闯入私人领地 | |
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crumble
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vi.碎裂,崩溃;vt.弄碎,摧毁 | |
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treacherously
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背信弃义地; 背叛地; 靠不住地; 危险地 | |
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pastry
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n.油酥面团,酥皮糕点 | |
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frail
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adj.身体虚弱的;易损坏的 | |
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sequestered
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adj.扣押的;隐退的;幽静的;偏僻的v.使隔绝,使隔离( sequester的过去式和过去分词 );扣押 | |
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tarts
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n.果馅饼( tart的名词复数 );轻佻的女人;妓女;小妞 | |
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refreshments
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n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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parlor
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n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅 | |
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inquiry
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n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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genial
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adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的 | |
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toiled
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长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 ); 艰难缓慢地移动,跋涉 | |
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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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dismal
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adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的 | |
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hospitable
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adj.好客的;宽容的;有利的,适宜的 | |
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bereft
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adj.被剥夺的 | |
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irresistible
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adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的 | |
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abruptly
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adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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trumpet
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n.喇叭,喇叭声;v.吹喇叭,吹嘘 | |
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talisman
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n.避邪物,护身符 | |
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juvenile
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n.青少年,少年读物;adj.青少年的,幼稚的 | |
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audacity
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n.大胆,卤莽,无礼 | |
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jealousy
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n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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aloof
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adj.远离的;冷淡的,漠不关心的 | |
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circumspection
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n.细心,慎重 | |
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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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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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prudently
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adv. 谨慎地,慎重地 | |
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maiden
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n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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propitious
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adj.吉利的;顺利的 | |
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omens
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n.前兆,预兆( omen的名词复数 ) | |
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detriment
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n.损害;损害物,造成损害的根源 | |
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quenched
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解(渴)( quench的过去式和过去分词 ); 终止(某事物); (用水)扑灭(火焰等); 将(热物体)放入水中急速冷却 | |
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smoothly
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adv.平滑地,顺利地,流利地,流畅地 | |
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rumpled
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v.弄皱,使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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droll
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adj.古怪的,好笑的 | |
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rampantly
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粗暴地,猖獗的 | |
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erect
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n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 | |
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glorify
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vt.颂扬,赞美,使增光,美化 | |
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metaphorically
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adv. 用比喻地 | |
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skilfully
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adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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utterly
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adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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lapse
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n.过失,流逝,失效,抛弃信仰,间隔;vi.堕落,停止,失效,流逝;vt.使失效 | |
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vent
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n.通风口,排放口;开衩;vt.表达,发泄 | |
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serene
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adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的 | |
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promising
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adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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hymn
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n.赞美诗,圣歌,颂歌 | |
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heartily
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adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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grasshopper
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n.蚱蜢,蝗虫,蚂蚱 | |
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tune
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n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整 | |
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subsided
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v.(土地)下陷(因在地下采矿)( subside的过去式和过去分词 );减弱;下降至较低或正常水平;一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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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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mellow
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adj.柔和的;熟透的;v.变柔和;(使)成熟 | |
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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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thither
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adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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retired
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adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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laurels
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n.桂冠,荣誉 | |
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bonnet
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n.无边女帽;童帽 | |
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illuminated
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adj.被照明的;受启迪的 | |
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delightfully
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大喜,欣然 | |
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assent
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v.批准,认可;n.批准,认可 | |
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placid
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adj.安静的,平和的 | |
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rigid
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adj.严格的,死板的;刚硬的,僵硬的 | |
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XLII. ALL ALONE.
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