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Plato
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When you see a shadow, Sophie, you will assume that there must be something casting the shadow. You see the shadow of an animal. You think it may be a horse, but you are not quite sure. So you turn around and see the horse itself--which of course is infinitely63 more beautiful and sharper in outline than the blurred64 "horse-shadow." Plato believed similarly that all natural phenomena are merely shadows of the eternal forms or ideas. But most people are content with a life among shadows. They give no thought to what is casting the shadows. They think shadows are all there are, never realizing even that they are, in fact, shadows. And thus they pay no heed65 to the immortality66 of their own soul.
Out of the Darkness of the Cave
Plato relates a myth which illustrates67 this. We call it the Myth of the Cave. I'll retell it in my own words.
Imagine some people living in an underground cave. They sit with their backs to the mouth of the cave with their hands and feet bound in such a way that they can only look at the back wall of the cave. Behind them is a high wall, and behind that wall pass human-like creatures, holding up various figures above the top of the wall. Because there is a fire behind these figures, they cast flickering68 shadows on the back wall of the cave. So the only thing the cave dwellers69 can see is this shadow play. They have been sitting in this position since they were born, so they think these shadows are all there are.
Imagine now that one of the cave dwellers manages to free himself from his bonds. The first thing he asks himself is where all these shadows on the cave wall come from. What do you think happens when he turns around and sees the figures being held up above the wall? To begin with he is dazzled by the sharp sunlight. He is also dazzled by the clarity of the figures because until now he has only seen their shadow. If he manages to climb over the wall and get past the fire into the world outside, he will be even more dazzled. But after rubbing his eyes he will be struck by the beauty of everything. For the first time he will see colors and clear shapes. He will see the real animals and flowers that the cave shadows were only poor reflections of. But even now he will ask himself where all the animals and flowers come from. Then he will see the sun in the sky, and realize that this is what gives life to these flowers and animals, just as the fire made the shadows visible.
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1
longing
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n.(for)渴望 | |
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acting
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n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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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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chirping
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鸟叫,虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 ) | |
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5
baker
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n.面包师 | |
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batch
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n.一批(组,群);一批生产量 | |
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pastry
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n.油酥面团,酥皮糕点 | |
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immortal
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adj.不朽的;永生的,不死的;神的 | |
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cremated
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v.火葬,火化(尸体)( cremate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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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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philosophic
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adj.哲学的,贤明的 | |
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rustling
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n. 瑟瑟声,沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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puffing
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v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧 | |
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dense
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a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的 | |
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thicket
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n.灌木丛,树林 | |
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growled
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v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说 | |
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deterred
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v.阻止,制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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determined
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adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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unity
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n.团结,联合,统一;和睦,协调 | |
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lessen
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vt.减少,减轻;缩小 | |
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eternity
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n.不朽,来世;永恒,无穷 | |
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stump
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n.残株,烟蒂,讲演台;v.砍断,蹒跚而走 | |
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hemlock
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n.毒胡萝卜,铁杉 | |
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condemn
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vt.谴责,指责;宣判(罪犯),判刑 | |
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remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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grove
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n.林子,小树林,园林 | |
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legendary
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adj.传奇(中)的,闻名遐迩的;n.传奇(文学) | |
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discourse
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n.论文,演说;谈话;话语;vi.讲述,著述 | |
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purely
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adv.纯粹地,完全地 | |
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briefly
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adv.简单地,简短地 | |
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32
immutable
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adj.不可改变的,永恒的 | |
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33
preoccupied
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adj.全神贯注的,入神的;被抢先占有的;心事重重的v.占据(某人)思想,使对…全神贯注,使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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virtues
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美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处 | |
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virtue
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n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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varied
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adj.多样的,多变化的 | |
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precisely
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adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
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tempting
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a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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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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tangible
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adj.有形的,可触摸的,确凿的,实际的 | |
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erode
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v.侵蚀,腐蚀,使...减少、减弱或消失 | |
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lame
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adj.跛的,(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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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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phenomena
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n.现象 | |
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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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remarkable
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adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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literally
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adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实 | |
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treatise
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n.专著;(专题)论文 | |
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lasting
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adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持 | |
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50
decompose
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vi.分解;vt.(使)腐败,(使)腐烂 | |
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51
dual
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adj.双的;二重的,二元的 | |
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52
disintegrates
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n.(使)破裂[分裂,粉碎],(使)崩溃( disintegrate的名词复数 )v.(使)破裂[分裂,粉碎],(使)崩溃( disintegrate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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53
faculty
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n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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flattened
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[医](水)平扁的,弄平的 | |
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visualize
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vt.使看得见,使具体化,想象,设想 | |
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dealing
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n.经商方法,待人态度 | |
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sensory
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adj.知觉的,感觉的,知觉器官的 | |
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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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awaken
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vi.醒,觉醒;vt.唤醒,使觉醒,唤起,激起 | |
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yearning
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a.渴望的;向往的;怀念的 | |
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insignificant
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adj.无关紧要的,可忽略的,无意义的 | |
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62
yearns
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渴望,切盼,向往( yearn的第三人称单数 ) | |
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infinitely
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adv.无限地,无穷地 | |
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64
blurred
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v.(使)变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 );(使)难以区分;模模糊糊;迷离 | |
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heed
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v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心 | |
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immortality
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n.不死,不朽 | |
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67
illustrates
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给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 ); 说明; 表明; (用示例、图画等)说明 | |
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flickering
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adj.闪烁的,摇曳的,一闪一闪的 | |
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69
dwellers
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n.居民,居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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dweller
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n.居住者,住客 | |
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joyful
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adj.欢乐的,令人欢欣的 | |
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illustrating
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给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 ); 说明; 表明; (用示例、图画等)说明 | |
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dreary
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adj.令人沮丧的,沉闷的,单调乏味的 | |
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abdomen
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n.腹,下腹(胸部到腿部的部分) | |
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faculties
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n.能力( faculty的名词复数 );全体教职员;技巧;院 | |
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aspires
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v.渴望,追求( aspire的第三人称单数 ) | |
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curb
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n.场外证券市场,场外交易;vt.制止,抑制 | |
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curbed
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v.限制,克制,抑制( curb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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harmonious
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adj.和睦的,调和的,和谐的,协调的 | |
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virtuous
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adj.有品德的,善良的,贞洁的,有效力的 | |
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auxiliaries
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n.助动词 ( auxiliary的名词复数 );辅助工,辅助人员 | |
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laborers
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n.体力劳动者,工人( laborer的名词复数 );(熟练工人的)辅助工 | |
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laborer
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n.劳动者,劳工 | |
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auxiliary
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adj.辅助的,备用的 | |
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warrior
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n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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exempt
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adj.免除的;v.使免除;n.免税者,被免除义务者 | |
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warriors
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武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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full-time
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adj.满工作日的或工作周的,全时间的 | |
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symposium
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n.讨论会,专题报告会;专题论文集 | |
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recollected
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adj.冷静的;镇定的;被回忆起的;沉思默想的v.记起,想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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91
previously
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adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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corroded
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已被腐蚀的 | |
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