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PROLOGUE
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“Narrower than the ear of a needle.”—Arabic Proverb.
The Holy Man, motionless, gaunt, his eyes filled with the peace of Allah, the one and only God, stood afar off, outlined against the moonlight, watching two horsemen fleeing for their lives across the desert.
Pursued by a band of Arabs which hunted them for murder done in the far, fair City of Damascus and had hunted them throughout the Peninsula, they headed for the Mountains of Death towering in the limitless sands of the burning desert and cut off from the world by the silvery belt of quicksands which surround them completely.
Uninhabited by beast or human being within the memory of man and the memory of his fathers, and his fathers’ fathers, yet did the wandering story-teller, as he flitted from town to village, from Bedouin camp to verdant1 oasis2, make song or story of the legend which has clung to the pile of volcanic3 rock throughout the centuries.
A story which either moved the listener to shouts of derisive4, unbelieving laughter or held him still, lost in wonderment and dreams.
A legend recounted in this day of grace by the Arabian story-teller to Bedouins, sitting entranced under the stars or the moon, yet which had been inscribed5 upon a highly decorated vellum by the Holy Palladius in the fifth century of our Lord, which record of early holy church[10] was lost in the burning and sacking of a famous library in the more Christian6 times of the last ten turbulent years.
The story of a miraculous7 light, which, so read the vellum, led the Holy Fathers across the sands of death, over which they did most safely pass, to find within the mountains the further miracle of fresh, sparkling water, palm groves8 of luscious
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verdant
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adj.翠绿的,青翠的,生疏的,不老练的 | |
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oasis
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n.(沙漠中的)绿洲,宜人的地方 | |
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volcanic
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adj.火山的;象火山的;由火山引起的 | |
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derisive
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adj.嘲弄的 | |
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inscribed
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v.写,刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 );内接 | |
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Christian
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adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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miraculous
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adj.像奇迹一样的,不可思议的 | |
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groves
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树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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luscious
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adj.美味的;芬芳的;肉感的,引与性欲的 | |
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attenuated
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v.(使)变细( attenuate的过去式和过去分词 );(使)变薄;(使)变小;减弱 | |
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salvation
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n.(尤指基督)救世,超度,拯救,解困 | |
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penance
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n.(赎罪的)惩罪 | |
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monastery
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n.修道院,僧院,寺院 | |
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forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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sanctuary
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n.圣所,圣堂,寺庙;禁猎区,保护区 | |
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poetical
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adj.似诗人的;诗一般的;韵文的;富有诗意的 | |
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renowned
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adj.著名的,有名望的,声誉鹊起的 | |
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dire
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adj.可怕的,悲惨的,阴惨的,极端的 | |
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tantalizing
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adj.逗人的;惹弄人的;撩人的;煽情的v.逗弄,引诱,折磨( tantalize的现在分词 ) | |
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beads
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n.(空心)小珠子( bead的名词复数 );水珠;珠子项链 | |
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vengeance
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n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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mare
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n.母马,母驴 | |
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wondrous
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adj.令人惊奇的,奇妙的;adv.惊人地;异乎寻常地;令人惊叹地 | |
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din
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n.喧闹声,嘈杂声 | |
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behold
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v.看,注视,看到 | |
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compassion
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n.同情,怜悯 | |
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singeing
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v.浅表烧焦( singe的现在分词 );(毛发)燎,烧焦尖端[边儿];烧毛 | |
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racing
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n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的 | |
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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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defiance
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n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗 | |
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destined
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adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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hoofs
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n.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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backwards
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adv.往回地,向原处,倒,相反,前后倒置地 | |
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overlapped
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_adj.重叠的v.部分重叠( overlap的过去式和过去分词 );(物体)部份重叠;交叠;(时间上)部份重叠 | |
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treacherous
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adj.不可靠的,有暗藏的危险的;adj.背叛的,背信弃义的 | |
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seething
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沸腾的,火热的 | |
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fugitives
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n.亡命者,逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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exhausted
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adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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triumphant
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adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 | |
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plunged
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v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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suffocating
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a.使人窒息的 | |
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hurled
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v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 );大声叫骂 | |
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stifle
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vt.使窒息;闷死;扼杀;抑止,阻止 | |
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pangs
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突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 ); 悲痛 | |
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ledge
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n.壁架,架状突出物;岩架,岩礁 | |
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cleft
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n.裂缝;adj.裂开的 | |
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warily
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adv.留心地 | |
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hacked
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生气 | |
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slitting
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n.纵裂(缝)v.切开,撕开( slit的现在分词 );在…上开狭长口子 | |
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crest
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n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖 | |
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famished
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adj.饥饿的 | |
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apprehensive
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adj.担心的,恐惧的,善于领会的 | |
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amazement
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n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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mirage
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n.海市蜃楼,幻景 | |
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hoarse
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adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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crouching
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v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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gulf
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n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂 | |
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needy
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adj.贫穷的,贫困的,生活艰苦的 | |
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scanty
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adj.缺乏的,仅有的,节省的,狭小的,不够的 | |
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brackish
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adj.混有盐的;咸的 | |
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scorching
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adj. 灼热的 | |
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limestone
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n.石灰石 | |
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subterranean
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adj.地下的,地表下的 | |
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bowels
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n.肠,内脏,内部;肠( bowel的名词复数 );内部,最深处 | |
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fret
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v.(使)烦恼;(使)焦急;(使)腐蚀,(使)磨损 | |
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inaccessible
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adj.达不到的,难接近的 | |
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descended
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a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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shrubs
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灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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swarm
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n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入 | |
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beverage
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n.(水,酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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prop
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vt.支撑;n.支柱,支撑物;支持者,靠山 | |
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amulet
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n.护身符 | |
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hesitation
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n.犹豫,踌躇 | |
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crooked
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adj.弯曲的;不诚实的,狡猾的,不正当的 | |
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dagger
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n.匕首,短剑,剑号 | |
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descending
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n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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replete
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adj.饱满的,塞满的;n.贮蜜蚁 | |
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awe
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n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 | |
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beckoning
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adj.引诱人的,令人心动的v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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boulders
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n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 );巨砾;(受水或天气侵蚀而成的)巨石;漂砾 | |
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jutting
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v.(使)突出( jut的现在分词 );伸出;(从…)突出;高出 | |
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Forsaken
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adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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devastating
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adj.毁灭性的,令人震惊的,强有力的 | |
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remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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doorways
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n.门口,门道( doorway的名词复数 ) | |
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gaped
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v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 );张开,张大 | |
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desolate
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adj.荒凉的,荒芜的;孤独的,凄凉的;v.使荒芜,使孤寂 | |
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allotted
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分配,拨给,摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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implements
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n.工具( implement的名词复数 );家具;手段;[法律]履行(契约等)v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 );执行;贯彻;使生效 | |
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vows
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誓言( vow的名词复数 ); 郑重宣布,许愿 | |
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chapel
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n.小教堂,殡仪馆 | |
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granite
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adj.花岗岩,花岗石 | |
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mosaic
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n./adj.镶嵌细工的,镶嵌工艺品的,嵌花式的 | |
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slab
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n.平板,厚的切片;v.切成厚板,以平板盖上 | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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velvet
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n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的 | |
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skull
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n.头骨;颅骨 | |
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shaft
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n.(工具的)柄,杆状物 | |
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ransom
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n.赎金,赎身;v.赎回,解救 | |
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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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underneath
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adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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mound
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n.土墩,堤,小山;v.筑堤,用土堆防卫 | |
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trump
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n.王牌,法宝;v.打出王牌,吹喇叭 | |
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savage
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adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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outlaw
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n.歹徒,亡命之徒;vt.宣布…为不合法 | |
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outlaws
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歹徒,亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 ); 逃犯 | |
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fortress
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n.堡垒,防御工事 | |
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subsist
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vi.生存,存在,供养 | |
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citadel
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n.城堡;堡垒;避难所 | |
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unduly
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adv.过度地,不适当地 | |
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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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brigands
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n.土匪,强盗( brigand的名词复数 ) | |
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