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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
General Westmoreland, General Grove1, distinguished2 guests, and gentlemen of the Corps3!
As I was leaving the hotel this morning, a doorman asked me, "Where are you bound for, General?" And when I replied, "West Point," he remarked, "Beautiful place. Have you ever been there before?"
No human being could fail to be deeply moved by such a tribute as this [Thayer Award]. Coming from a profession I have served so long, and a people I have loved so well, it fills me with an emotion I cannot express. But this award is not intended primarily to honor a personality, but to symbolize4 a great moral code -- the code of conduct and chivalry5 of those who guard this beloved land of culture and ancient descent. That is the animation6 of this medallion. For all eyes and for all time, it is an expression of the ethics7 of the American soldier. That I should be integrated in this way with so noble an ideal arouses a sense of pride and yet of humility8 which will be with me always: Duty, Honor, Country.
Those three hallowed words reverently9 dictate10 what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain11 faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.
Unhappily, I possess neither that eloquence12 of diction, that poetry of imagination, nor that brilliance13 of metaphor14 to tell you all that they mean. The unbelievers will say they are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant15 phrase. Every pedant16, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every troublemaker17, and I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely19 different character, will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule20.
But these are some of the things they do. They build your basic character. They mold you for your future roles as the custodians21 of the nation's defense22. They make you strong enough to know when you are weak, and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid. They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble23 and gentle in success; not to substitute words for actions, not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge; to learn to stand up in the storm but to have compassion24 on those who fall; to master yourself before you seek to master others; to have a heart that is clean, a goal that is high; to learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; to reach into the future yet never neglect the past; to be serious yet never to take yourself too seriously; to be modest so that you will remember the simplicity25 of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness26 of true strength. They give you a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor27 of the emotions, a freshness of the deep springs of life, a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of an appetite for adventure over love of ease. They create in your heart the sense of wonder, the unfailing hope of what next, and the joy and inspiration of life. They teach you in this way to be an officer and a gentleman.
And what sort of soldiers are those you are to lead? Are they reliable? Are they brave? Are they capable of victory? Their story is known to all of you. It is the story of the American man-at-arms. My estimate of him was formed on the battlefield many, many years ago, and has never changed. I regarded him then as I regard him now -- as one of the world's noblest figures, not only as one of the finest military characters, but also as one of the most stainless28. His name and fame are the birthright of every American citizen. In his youth and strength, his love and loyalty29, he gave all that mortality can give.
He needs no eulogy30 from me or from any other man. He has written his own history and written it in red on his enemy's breast. But when I think of his patience under adversity, of his courage under fire, and of his modesty31 in victory, I am filled with an emotion of admiration32 I cannot put into words. He belongs to history as furnishing one of the greatest examples of successful patriotism33. He belongs to posterity34 as the instructor35 of future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom. He belongs to the present, to us, by his virtues36 and by his achievements. In 20 campaigns, on a hundred battlefields, around a thousand campfires, I have witnessed that enduring fortitude37, that patriotic38 self-abnegation, and that invincible39 determination which have carved his statue in the hearts of his people. From one end of the world to the other he has drained deep the chalice40 of courage.
As I listened to those songs [of the glee club], in memory's eye I could see those staggering columns of the First World War, bending under soggy packs, on many a weary march from dripping dusk to drizzling41 dawn, slogging ankle-deep through the mire42 of shell-shocked roads, to form grimly for the attack, blue-lipped, covered with sludge and mud, chilled by the wind and rain, driving home to their objective, and for many, to the judgment43 seat of God.
I do not know the dignity of their birth, but I do know the glory of their death.
They died unquestioning, uncomplaining, with faith in their hearts, and on their lips the hope that we would go on to victory.
Always, for them: Duty, Honor, Country; always their blood and sweat and tears, as we sought the way and the light and the truth.
And 20 years after, on the other side of the globe, again the filth44 of murky45 foxholes46, the stench of ghostly trenches47, the slime of dripping dugouts; those boiling suns of relentless48 heat, those torrential rains of devastating49 storms; the loneliness and utter desolation of jungle trails; the bitterness of long separation from those they loved and cherished; the deadly pestilence50 of tropical disease; the horror of stricken areas of war; their resolute51 and determined52 defense, their swift and sure attack, their indomitable purpose, their complete and decisive victory -- always victory. Always through the bloody53 haze54 of their last reverberating55 shot, the vision of gaunt, ghastly men reverently following your password of: Duty, Honor, Country.
The code which those words perpetuate56 embraces the highest moral laws and will stand the test of any ethics or philosophies ever promulgated57 for the uplift of mankind. Its requirements are for the things that are right, and its restraints are from the things that are wrong.
The soldier, above all other men, is required to practice the greatest act of religious training -- sacrifice.
In battle and in the face of danger and death, he discloses those divine attributes which his Maker18 gave when he created man in his own image. No physical courage and no brute58 instinct can take the place of the Divine help which alone can sustain him.
However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country is the noblest development of mankind.
You now face a new world -- a world of change. The thrust into outer space of the satellite, spheres, and missiles mark the beginning of another epoch59 in the long story of mankind. In the five or more billions of years the scientists tell us it has taken to form the earth, in the three or more billion years of development of the human race, there has never been a more abrupt60 or staggering evolution. We deal now not with things of this world alone, but with the illimitable distances and as yet unfathomed mysteries of the universe. We are reaching out for a new and boundless61 frontier.
We speak in strange terms: of harnessing the cosmic energy; of making winds and tides work for us; of creating unheard synthetic62 materials to supplement or even replace our old standard basics; to purify sea water for our drink; of mining ocean floors for new fields of wealth and food; of disease preventatives to expand life into the hundreds of years; of controlling the weather for a more equitable63 distribution of heat and cold, of rain and shine; of space ships to the moon; of the primary target in war, no longer limited to the armed forces of an enemy, but instead to include his civil populations; of ultimate conflict between a united human race and the sinister64 forces of some other planetary galaxy65; of such dreams and fantasies as to make life the most exciting of all time.
And through all this welter of change and development, your mission remains66 fixed67, determined, inviolable: it is to win our wars.
Everything else in your professional career is but corollary to this vital dedication68. All other public purposes, all other public projects, all other public needs, great or small, will find others for their accomplishment69. But you are the ones who are trained to fight. Yours is the profession of arms, the will to win, the sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute for victory; that if you lose, the nation will be destroyed; that the very obsession70 of your public service must be: Duty, Honor, Country.
Others will debate the controversial issues, national and international, which divide men's minds; but serene71, calm, aloof72, you stand as the Nation's war-guardian, as its lifeguard from the raging tides of international conflict, as its gladiator in the arena73 of battle. For a century and a half you have defended, guarded, and protected its hallowed traditions of liberty and freedom, of right and justice.
Let civilian74 voices argue the merits or demerits of our processes of government; whether our strength is being sapped by deficit75 financing, indulged in too long, by federal paternalism grown too mighty76, by power groups grown too arrogant77, by politics grown too corrupt78, by crime grown too rampant79, by morals grown too low, by taxes grown too high, by extremists grown too violent; whether our personal liberties are as thorough and complete as they should be. These great national problems are not for your professional participation80 or military solution. Your guidepost stands out like a ten-fold beacon81 in the night: Duty, Honor, Country.
You are the leaven82 which binds83 together the entire fabric84 of our national system of defense. From your ranks come the great captains who hold the nation's destiny in their hands the moment the war tocsin sounds. The Long Gray Line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country.
This does not mean that you are war mongers.
On the contrary, the soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.
But always in our ears ring the ominous85 words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: "Only the dead have seen the end of war."
The shadows are lengthening86 for me. The twilight87 is here. My days of old have vanished, tone and tint88. They have gone glimmering89 through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous90 beauty, watered by tears, and coaxed91 and caressed92 by the smiles of yesterday. I listen vainly, but with thirsty ears, for the witching melody of faint bugles93 blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll. In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle94 of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield.
But in the evening of my memory, always I come back to West Point.
Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country.
Today marks my final roll call with you, but I want you to know that when I cross the river my last conscious thoughts will be of The Corps, and The Corps, and The Corps.
I bid you farewell.
收听单词发音 |
1
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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symbolize
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| vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表 | |
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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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animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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ethics
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| n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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10
dictate
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| v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令 | |
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regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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metaphor
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| n.隐喻，暗喻 | |
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flamboyant
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| adj.火焰般的，华丽的，炫耀的 | |
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pedant
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| n.迂儒；卖弄学问的人 | |
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troublemaker
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| n.惹是生非者，闹事者，捣乱者 | |
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maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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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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ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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custodians
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| n.看守人，保管人( custodian的名词复数 ) | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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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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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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meekness
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| n.温顺，柔和 | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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stainless
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| adj.无瑕疵的，不锈的 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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30
eulogy
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| n.颂词；颂扬 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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instructor
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| n.指导者，教员，教练 | |
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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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fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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chalice
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| n.圣餐杯；金杯毒酒 | |
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drizzling
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| 下蒙蒙细雨，下毛毛雨( drizzle的现在分词 ) | |
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mire
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| n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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filth
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| n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥 | |
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murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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foxholes
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| n.散兵坑( foxhole的名词复数 ) | |
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trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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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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pestilence
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| n.瘟疫 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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reverberating
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| 回响，回荡( reverberate的现在分词 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射 | |
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56
perpetuate
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| v.使永存，使永记不忘 | |
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57
promulgated
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| v.宣扬（某事物）( promulgate的过去式和过去分词 )；传播；公布；颁布（法令、新法律等） | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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epoch
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| n.(新)时代；历元 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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synthetic
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| adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品 | |
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equitable
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| adj.公平的；公正的 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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galaxy
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| n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物) | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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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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dedication
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| n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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obsession
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| n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感) | |
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serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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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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arena
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| n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台 | |
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civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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deficit
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| n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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rampant
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| adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的 | |
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participation
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| n.参与，参加，分享 | |
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beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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leaven
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| v.使发酵；n.酵母；影响 | |
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binds
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| v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 )；装订；捆绑；（用长布条）缠绕 | |
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fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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lengthening
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的现在分词 )； 加长 | |
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87
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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88
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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90
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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91
coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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92
caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93
bugles
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| 妙脆角，一种类似薯片但做成尖角或喇叭状的零食； 号角( bugle的名词复数 )； 喇叭； 匍匐筋骨草； （装饰女服用的）柱状玻璃（或塑料）小珠 | |
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94
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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