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If the educational equipment which Gerald brought to America was scant, he did not even know it. Nor would he have cared if he had been told. His mother had taught him to read and to write a clear hand. He was adept at ciphering. And there his book knowledge stopped. The only Latin he knew was the responses of the Mass and the only history the manifold wrongs of Ireland. He knew no poetry save that of Moore and no music except the songs of Ireland that had come down through the years. While he entertained the liveliest respect for those who had more book learning than he, he never felt his own lack. And what need had he of these things in a new country where the most ignorant of bogtrotters had made great fortunes? in this country which asked only that a man be strong and unafraid of work?

到美国来之前，杰拉尔德没有受过多少教育，可是他对此并不怎么有自知之明。其实，即使别人给他指出，他也不会在意。他母亲教过他读书写字。他很善于作算术题。他的书本知识就只这些。他唯一懂得的拉丁文是作弥撒时应答牧师的用语，唯一的历史知识则是爱尔兰的种种冤屈。他在诗歌方面，只知道穆尔的作品，音乐则限于历代流传下来的爱尔兰歌曲。他尽管对那些比他较有学问的人怀有敬意，可是从来也不感觉到自己的缺陷。而且，在一个新的国家，在一个连那些最愚昧的爱尔兰人也在此发了大财的国家，在一个只要求你强壮不怕干活的国家，他需要这些东西干什么呢？

　
Nor did James and Andrew, who took him into their store in Savannah, regret his lack of education. His clear hand, his accurate figures and his shrewd ability in bargaining won their respect, where a knowledge of literature and a fine appreciation of music, had young Gerald possessed them, would have moved them to snorts of contempt. America, in the early years of the century, had been kind to the Irish. James and Andrew, who had begun by hauling goods in covered wagons from Savannah to Georgia’s inland towns, had prospered into a store of their own, and Gerald prospered with them.
　
詹姆斯和安德鲁并不认为自己很少受教育是一桩憾事。他们收留杰拉尔德进了他们的萨凡纳的商店。他的字迹清楚，算数算得准确，与顾客谈起生意来也很精明，因此赢得了两位哥哥的期重；至于文学知识和欣赏音乐的修养，年轻的杰拉尔德即使具有，也只会引其他们的嗤笑。在本世纪初，美国对爱尔兰人还很和气，詹姆斯和安德鲁开始时用帆布篷车从萨凡纳往佐治亚的内地城镇运送货物，后来赚了钱便自己开店，杰拉尔德也就跟着他们发迹了。

He liked the South, and he soon became, in his own opinion, a Southerner. There was much about the South—and Southerners—that he would never comprehend; but, with the wholeheartedness that was his nature, he adopted its ideas and customs, as he understood them, for his own—poker and horse racing, red-hot politics and the code duello, States’ Rights and damnation to all Yankees, slavery and King Cotton, contempt for white trash and exaggerated courtesy to women. He even learned to chew tobacco. There was no need for him to acquire a good head for whisky, he had been born with one.
　　
他喜欢南方，并且自己以为很快就成了南方人。的确，关于南方和南方人，有许多东西是他永远也不会理解的，不过，南方人的有些思想习惯，如玩扑克，赛马，争论政治和举行决斗，争取州权和咒骂北方佬，维护奴隶制和棉花至上主义，轻视下流白人和过分讨好妇女，等等，他一旦理解便全心全意地接受，并成为他自己的了。他甚至学会了咀嚼烟叶。至于喝威士忌的本领，他生来就已经具备，那是不用学的。

词汇释义

1.scant[skænt] adj. 不充分的，不足的 v. 减缩，限制，忽略

The movers gave me a scant hour's notice of their arrival.
搬家的人只通知给我们短短的一小时，他们就来了。

2.ciphering n. 计算，算出

3.manifold n. 多种，复印本，多支管 adj. 多种的，多方面的 v. 复写，繁殖，增多

The uses of this machine are manifold.
这台机器有多种用途。

4.poetry n. 诗歌，诗意

His poetry was published last year.
他的诗集去年发表了。

5.entertain v. 娱乐，招待，怀抱

He cut off a bunch of grapes to entertain us.
他剪下一串葡萄招待我们。

6.ignorant adj. 不知道的，无知的，愚昧的

I'm ignorant of his plan.
我对他的计划一无所知。

7.bogtrotter n. 爱尔兰人

8.shrewd adj. 精明的

His skill in negotiating earned him a reputation as a shrewd tactician.
他的谈判技巧使他赢得了精明战略家的名声。

9.appreciation n. 欣赏，感激，鉴识，评价，增值

She shows little appreciation of good music.
她对于好音乐几乎没有欣赏能力。

10.possess vt. 持有，支配

The police asked me if I possessed a gun.
警察问我是否有枪。

11.snort v. 喷着气弄响鼻子，哼着鼻子，嘶嘶响着排气 n. 鼻息，满杯

He snorted out a reply.
他气呼呼地回答。

12.hauling n. 搬运，运输 动词haul的现在分词形式

It was a long haul home, carrying our bags up the hill.
背着这些袋子上山回家，真是长途运输。

13.prosper vi. 繁盛，成功，兴旺

The farm prospered through good management.
由于管理有方，农场兴旺发达。

14.wholeheartedness 全心全意,全神贯注

15.damnation n. 非难，被罚下地狱，诅咒 int. <古>糟了! 该死! 完了！

The bad man will suffer eternal damnation.
坏人将会受到永远的惩罚。

16.exaggerated adj. 言过其辞的，夸大的 动词exaggerate的过去式和过去分词

The reports were greatly exaggerated.
报告被严重夸大了。

难句解析

1.If the educational equipment which Gerald brought to America was scant, he did not even know it. Nor would he have cared if he had been told.

【难句解析】第三句是否定词前置的部分倒装，部分倒装即只把谓语的一部分（如助动词、情态动词等）放到主语前，或把句子的强调成分提前。如：Not until yesterday did little John change his mind.小约翰直到昨天才改变了主意。

【句子翻译】到美国来之前，杰拉尔德没有受过多少教育，可是他对此并不怎么有自知之明。其实，即使别人给他指出，他也不会在意。

2.He knew no poetry save that of Moore and no music except the songs of Ireland that had come down through the years.

【难句解析】no...except...“除了...外没有...”，例句：I have no real friends except you.除了你，我没有真正的朋友。

【句子翻译】他唯一懂得的拉丁文是作弥撒时应答牧师的用语，唯一的历史知识则是爱尔兰的种种冤屈。他在诗歌方面，只知道穆尔的作品，音乐则限于历代流传下来的爱尔兰歌曲。

3.His clear hand, his accurate figures and his shrewd ability in bargaining won their respect, where a knowledge of literature and a fine appreciation of music, had young Gerald possessed them, would have moved them to snorts of contempt.

【难句解析】第一句的主语是his clear hand...in bargaining；第二句的where有对比的意味，意思是“而...”，第三句是假设句，是had提前的部分倒装句。

【句子翻译】他的字迹清楚，算数算得准确，与顾客谈起生意来也很精明，因此赢得了两位哥哥的期重；至于文学知识和欣赏音乐的修养，年轻的杰拉尔德即使具有，也只会引其他们的嗤笑。