But the most thorough investigation of a radio-active pedigree is found in Rutherford's classical researches on the successive disintegration products of radium, in order to follow the evidence on which his results are founded, we must describe more fully the process of decay of the activity of a simple radio-active substance. The decay of activity of the body known as uranium-X is shown in a falling curve (Fig. It will be seen that, in each successive 22 days, the activity falls to half the value it possessed at the beginning.英文原著 · 《Darwin and Modern Science》
The chalk-flints decay externally, which, according to Berzelius ("Edin. New Phil. Journal," late number), is owing to the flints containing a small proportion of alkali; but, besides this external decay, the whole body is affected by exposure of a few years, so that they will not break with clean faces for building.英文原著 · 《More Letters of Charles Darwin Volume I》
"You'd get visions. They wouldn't be divine visions. If you took small quantities very discreetly you might get a temporary quickening. But the swift result of all repeated drug-taking is, I can assure you, moral decay--rapid moral decay. To touch drugs habitually is to become hopelessly unpunctual, untruthful, callously selfish and insincere. I am talking mere textbook, mere everyday common-places, to you when I tell you that."英文原著 · 《Soul of a Bishop》
I merely mean to indicate in the broadest outline what I conceive to have been its general trend. Regarded from the industrial point of view the evolution has been from uniformity to diversity of function: regarded from the political point of view, it has been from democracy to despotism. With the later history of monarchy, especially with the decay of despotism and its displacement by forms of government better adapted to the higher needs of humanity, we are not concerned in this enquiry: our theme is the growth, not the decay, of a great and, in its time, beneficent institution.英文原著 · 《The Golden Bough》
"Decayed, indeed," said the dark man, "pitifully decayed. If you be gentle the more shame on you."
Mr. Lovel was almost whining. "I swear I am honest. I do my master's commissions and report what I learn."
"Aye, sir, but how do you learn it? By playing the imposter and winning your way into an unsuspecting confidence. To you friendship is a tool and honour a convenience. You cheat in every breath you draw.英文原著 · 《The Path of the King》
Let's take decay. Now what is decay? It's fire. It burns up wood and other things. You never thought of that? Of course not. This sidewalk here and this feed store, the trees down the street there--they're all on fire. They're burning up.英文原著 · 《Winesburg,Ohio》
You know, what caught my eye is the humility in the face of inevitable decay.美剧 · 《Billions》
Or is it a furtherance of moral decay that needs to be curtailed in order to preserve liberty of thought?美剧 · 《Billions》