1. perch：to sit on or near the edge of something 坐在…（的边缘）上；栖息于；停留于•We perched on bar stools and had a beer.我们坐在酒吧高凳上，喝了一杯啤酒。•A blackbird was perching on the gate.一只乌鸫停落在大门上。
2. crag：a high rough mass of rock which sticks out from the land around it 悬崖，峭壁
3. sustenance：food 食物 •During this freezing weather, the food put out by householders is the only form of sustenance that the birds have.在这种严寒的天气里，住户放在外面的食物成了鸟儿唯一的粮食。the ability of food to provide people and animals with what they need to make them strong and healthy 营养•A stick of celery does not provide much sustenance.一把芹菜提供不了多少营养。
4. rivalling：to be as good, clever, beautiful, etc. as someone or something else 可与…相媲美，比得上•No computer can rival a human brain for/in complexity.没有任何电脑比得上人脑复杂。•The beauty of the country is only rivalled by (= is equal to) the violence of its politics.该国的美丽风光非同寻常，而其国内政治的残暴同样惊世骇俗。
5. dwell：to live in a place or in a particular way 居住，栖身•She dwelt in remote parts of Asia for many years.她在亚洲偏远地区居住了很多年。
6. scanty：smaller in size or amount than is considered necessary or is hoped for 少量的；不足的；缺乏的•scanty evidence/information不充分的证据／资讯
7. yoke：something which connects two things or people, usually in a way that unfairly limits freedom 纽带，联结；（通常指）束缚，枷锁•the yoke of marriage婚姻纽带•Both countries had thrown off the communist yoke.两国都已经摆脱了帝国主义的枷锁。
8. conqueror：someone who has conquered a country or its people 征服者；胜利者
9. spoil：goods, advantages, profits, etc. that you get by your actions or because of your position or situation 战利品，掠夺物；权力地位的连带利益，获益 ； 肥缺•The spoils of victory/war included mounds of treasure and armour.胜利／战争的战利品包括大量的财物和盔甲。
10. contend：to compete in order to win something 竞争；争夺
•There are three world-class tennis players contending for this title.有三位世界顶级网球选手争夺这项冠军。•He's contending against someone with twice his experience.他在和经验比他丰富一倍的人竞争。
11. descend：ADVANCED intransitive or transitive formal，to go or come down 下降；走下；降下•The path descended steeply into the valley.这条路很陡，一直通到山谷。•Jane descended the stairs.简走下了楼梯。
12. fling：to do something with a lot of enthusiasm 全心投入在…上，投身于•Tom has really flung himself into his work this year.今年汤姆确实全心投入在工作上。
13. hostile：unfriendly and not liking or agreeing with something 不友善的；敌对的；反对的•a hostile crowd不友善的人群
•The President had a hostile reception in Ohio this morning.总统今天早上在俄亥俄州受到了不友善的接待。•I'm not hostile to (= against) the idea of change as such.我并不反对作这样的改变。
14. admixture：something that is added to something else 混合物；附加剂•Platinum combines with phosphorus and arsenic and is seldom found without an admixture of related metals.铂见于含磷、砷的铂化合物中，并且绝大多数情况下都和一些铂族金属共存。
15. massacre：an act of killing a lot of people 大屠杀；残杀 •He ordered the massacre of 2, 000 women and children.他下令屠杀了2000名妇女和儿童。
16. intermingle:to become mixed together 混合，混在一起 •The flavours intermingle to produce a very unusual taste.多种味道混合在一起产生了一种非常独特的口味。•Fact is intermingled with fiction throughout the book.写实和虚构交织在一起，贯穿整本书的始终。
17. captive:a person or animal whose ability to move or act freely is limited by being closed in a space; a prisoner, especially a person held by the enemy during a war 囚徒；猎获物；（尤指）战俘•When the town was recaptured, we found soldiers who had been captives for several years.夺回该镇后，我们找到了被俘数年的士兵。
18. surmount: to deal successfully with a difficulty or problem 克服（困难）；解决（问题）•They managed to surmount all opposition/objections to their plans.他们设法摆平了对他们计划的所有反对意见。•There are still a few technical problems/obstacles/hurdles to be surmounted before the product can be put on sale to the public.在这个产品对大众销售之前，还有一些技术问题要解决。
19. genealogy:(the study of) the history of the past and present members of a family 家谱（学），宗谱（学）；家系，世系•I became interested in the genealogy of my family.我对我家的家史产生了兴趣。
20. homage:deep respect and often praise shown for a person or god 崇敬，敬意•On this occasion we pay homage to him for his achievements.在此我们谨就他取得的成就向他表示敬意。
