at least:最少;至少;起码
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2. ...but again I am sure he will do his utmost not to appear a mere gauche provincial dog.
do one' s utmost:尽最大努力;竭尽所能
造__________________
美丽心灵
The Integrity of "Ugly"
佚名 / Anonymous
Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tom dog. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love.
The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye and the other should have been was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot appeared to have been baby broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner. His tail has long age been lost, leaving only the smallest stub, which he would constantly jerk and twitch.
Ugly would have been a dark grey tabby, striped-type, except for the sores covering his head, neck, even his shoulders with thick, yellowing scabs. Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction, “That’s one UGLY dog.”
All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw rocks at him, hosed him down, and squirted him when he tried to come in their homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky body around feet in forgiveness.
Whenever he spied children, he would come running, barking frantically and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love. If you ever picked him up, he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earrings, whatever he could find.