(单词翻译:单击)
故事原文'With your usual happy discrimination, my dear Paul,' resumed Mrs Chick, 'you have hit the point at once. Our darling is altogether as stout as we could wish. The fact is, that his mind is too much for him. His soul is a great deal too large for his frame. I am sure the way in which that dear child talks!'said Mrs Chick, shaking her head; 'no one would believe. His expressions, Lucretia, only yesterday upon the subject of Funerals!
你一向明察秋毫,我亲爱的保罗,奇克夫人回答道,你一下就说对了。我们的小乖乖完全不像我们所希望的那么健壮。事实是:他脑子里想的事情太多了。就他那小小的身体来说,他的心灵太大了。说实在的,这乖孩子说话的方式,奇克夫人摇摇头,说道,没有谁能相信。就在昨天,卢克丽霞,他关于殡葬所说的那些话!
'I am afraid,' said Mr Dombey, interrupting her testily, 'that some of those persons upstairs suggest improper subjects to the child. He was speaking to me last night about his - about his Bones,' said Mr Dombey, laying an irritated stress upon the word. 'What on earth has anybody to do with the - with the - Bones of my son? He is not a living skeleton, I suppose.
我担心,董贝先生急躁地打断了她的话,楼上那些人当中有什么人向这孩子谈到了一些不合适的话题。昨天夜里他跟我说起他的——说起他的骨头,董贝先生在这个词上愤怒地加重了语气,世界上谁跟——跟我的儿子的骨头有什么关系?我想,他不是一个活着的骷髅①。
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①活着的骷髅:狄更斯写作《董贝父子》时,伦敦杂耍场中演出的人物中有一位绰号为活着的骷髅(livingskeleton)的极坏的人。
'Very far from it,' said Mrs Chick, with unspeakable expression.
'I hope so,' returned her brother. 'Funerals again! who talks to the child of funerals? We are not undertakers, or mutes,or grave-diggers, I believe.'
完全不是,奇克夫人用难以形容的表情说道。
我希望是这样,她的哥哥回答道。又说什么殡葬的事情!谁向孩子 说起殡葬的事情的?我相信,我们不是殡仪事业的经营人,不是雇用的送丧人,也不是掘墓人。
'Very far from it,' interposed Mrs Chick, with the same profound expression as before.
完全不是,奇克夫人插嘴道,她的表情与刚才同样意味深长。
'Then who puts such things into his head?' said Mr Dombey. 'Really I was quite dismayed and shocked last night. Who puts such things into his head, Louisa?'
那么是谁把这些东西装进他的脑子里的呢?董贝先生说道。我昨天夜里确实十分惊奇,十分愤慨。谁把这些东西装进他的脑子里的呢,路易莎?
'My dear Paul,' said Mrs Chick, after a moment's silence, 'it is of no use inquiring. I do not think, I will tell you candidly that Wickam is a person of very cheerful spirit, or what one would call a - '
'A daughter of Momus,' Miss Tox softly suggested.
我亲爱的保罗,奇克夫人沉默了片刻,说道,问这个问题没有用。坦率地跟你说吧,我认为威肯姆大嫂并不是一位性格快快活活的人,人们不可能把她称为——
莫墨斯的女儿①,托克斯小姐轻声提示道。
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①莫墨斯的女儿(daughterofMomus):莫墨斯亦译摩摩斯,是希腊神话中夜神的儿子,嘲弄之神。据说,他曾责怪赫费斯托斯创造人时没有在胸口留下小洞以便能看出人的内心思想活动;又传说,他因为未能在阿佛罗狄忒身上找到任何可以嘲笑的不是之处而气得炸裂开来。莫墨斯的女儿或儿子:指爱嘲弄的人,滑稽的人,也就是性格快活的人。
'Exactly so,' said Mrs Chick; 'but she is exceedingly attentive and useful, and not at all presumptuous; indeed I never saw a more biddable woman. I would say that for her, if I was put upon my trial before a Court of Justice.'
'Well! you are not put upon your trial before a Court of Justice, at present, Louisa,' returned Mr Dombey, chafing,' and therefore it don't matter.
正是这样,奇克夫人说道:不过她是极为殷勤、极为有用的,而且一点也不自以为是;确实,我从没有见过比她更柔顺的女人了。
'If the dear child,' said Mrs Chick, in the tone of one who was summing up what had been previously quite agreed upon, instead of saying it all for the first time, 'is a little weakened by that last attack, and is not in quite such vigorous health as we could wish; and if he has some temporary weakness in his system, and does occasionally seem about to lose, for the moment, the use of his - '
如果这亲爱的孩子,奇克夫人继续说道,她的语气是把事前已取得一致意见的话总结一下的语气,而不是把这些话第一次说出来的语气,由于受到上次打击,身体稍稍虚弱下来,不像我们所希望的那么精神饱满、健康壮实的话,如果他的体质暂时有些虚弱,而且有时似乎暂时不能使用他的——讲解注释
注释:undertaker n. 承担者;承办人;殡仪业者
动词形式:undertake vt. 承担,保证;从事;同意;试图
[ 过去式undertook 过去分词undertaken 现在分词undertaking ]
例句:
(1). We can only do (undertake) simple mending.
我们只受理简单的缝补。
(2). I can undertake that you will enjoy the play.
我能保证你将喜欢这出戏。
(3). We could undertake the work for the time being.
我们可以暂时从事这项工作。
(4). Who will undertake responsibility for this work?
谁将承担这项工作的责任?
(5). I'll leave you to undertake an important mission.
我要让你承担一项重要使命。
(6). The company had have to undertake heavy liability.
这家公司已经不得不承担沉重的债务。
(7). The procedure is difficult to undertake, of course.
当然,这个过程很难实施。
(8). The decision to undertake an MBA is an important one.
读工商管理硕(MBA)是很重要的决定。
2. suggest
vt.
(1). 提出,提议,建议:
The specialist suggested that children should not eat too much sugar.
专家建议儿童不该吃太多的食糖。
(2). 推荐,举荐:
It was suggested that he be the chairman of the meeting.
他被举荐为大会主席。
(3). (事物)使人想到,使人联想到:
The music suggests a still night.
这种音乐令人联想到宁静的夜晚。
(4). (间接地)表明,意思是:
OK,silence suggests agreement.
对,沉默就表示同意。
(5). 暗示:
She suggested that she did not want me to tell the truth.
她暗示我不要说出实情。