(单词翻译:单击)
小说原文
Whenever a young gentleman was taken in hand by Doctor Blimber, he might consider himself sure of a pretty tight squeeze. The Doctor only undertook the charge of ten young gentlemen, but he had, always ready, a supply of learning for a hundred, on the lowest estimate; and it was at once the business and delight of his life to gorge the unhappy ten with it.
每当一位年轻人被布林伯博士接到手里的时候,他可以毫无疑问地受到很紧的一握。博士只管理十位年轻人,但是按照最低的估计,他肚子里准备好的学问足够供应给一百个人享用。把这些学问供给这十位不幸的人狼吞虎咽,吃得饱饱的,既是他的职业,又是他的生活乐趣。
In fact, Doctor Blimber's establishment was a great hot-house, in which there was a forcing apparatus incessantly at work. All the boys blew before their time. Mental green-peas were produced at Christmas, and intellectual asparagus all the year round. Mathematical gooseberries (very sour ones too) were common at untimely seasons, and from mere sprouts of bushes, under Doctor Blimber's cultivation. Every description of Greek and Latin vegetable was got off the driest twigs of boys, under the frostiest circumstances. Nature was of no consequence at all. No matter what a young gentleman was intended to bear, Doctor Blimber made him bear to pattern, somehow or other.
实际上,布林伯博士的学校是一个很大的温室,里面有一个催熟的器械在连续不停地运转。所有的孩子们都过早地成熟了。精神的青豌豆在圣诞节的时候就生产出来了;智力的龙须菜则全年都有。数学的醋栗(也是很酸的)在不合时令的季节中寻常无奇,它们藏身在布林伯博士栽培的灌木嫩枝之中。各色品种的希腊语与拉丁语蔬菜是在结霜冻冰的情况下,从孩子们干枯的细枝中采摘下来的。天性是完全无关紧要的。不管原来打算让一位年轻人结什么果实,布林伯博士不知怎么的都是让他按照规定的样式结出果实来。
This was all very pleasant and ingenious, but the system of forcing was attended with its usual disadvantages. There was not the right taste about the premature productions, and they didn't keep well. Moreover, one young gentleman, with a swollen nose and an excessively large head (the oldest of the ten who had 'gone through' everything), suddenly left off blowing one day, and remained in the establishment a mere stalk. And people did say that the Doctor had rather overdone it with young Toots, and that when he began to have whiskers he left off having brains.
这些全都是很有趣、很巧妙的,但催熟的制度也附带产生出它通常的一些缺点。早熟产品的滋味不是正味,它们也不好保存。而且,有一位鼻子发肿、头长得特别大的年轻人(他是这十个人当中年龄最大的一个,他经受过了一切),有一天突然停止生长,只是以一株茎杆的形式留在学校里。人们都说,博士对年轻的图茨搞得太过头了,当他开始留起连鬓胡子的时候,他却停止培育脑子了。
There young Toots was, at any rate; possessed of the gruffest of voices and the shrillest of minds; sticking ornamental pins into his shirt, and keeping a ring in his waistcoat pocket to put on his little finger by stealth, when the pupils went out walking; constantly falling in love by sight with nurserymaids, who had no idea of his existence; and looking at the gas-lighted world over the little iron bars in the left-hand corner window of the front three pairs of stairs, after bed-time, like a greatly overgrown cherub who had sat up aloft much too long.
不管怎么样,年轻的图茨还是住在布林伯博士的学校里;他有极为粗哑的嗓音和极为可怜的智力;衬衫上插着饰针;背心口袋里装着一枚戒指,当学生们出去散步的时候,他就偷偷地把它带在小指头上;他经常一见钟情地爱上了培养苗木的年轻女工们,而她们连有没有他这个人都不知道;在就寝时间以后,他通过前面第三层楼左角上的窗子的小铁格子望着外面煤气灯照亮的世界,就像一个长得太大、在高空中坐得太久的天使。
The Doctor was a portly gentleman in a suit of black, with strings at his knees, and stockings below them. He had a bald head, highly polished; a deep voice; and a chin so very double, that it was a wonder how he ever managed to shave into the creases. He had likewise a pair of little eyes that were always half shut up, and a mouth that was always half expanded into a grin, as if he had, that moment, posed a boy, and were waiting to convict him from his own lips. Insomuch, that when the Doctor put his right hand into the breast of his coat, and with his other hand behind him, and a scarcely perceptible wag of his head, made the commonest observation to a nervous stranger, it was like a sentiment from the sphynx, and settled his business.
博士是一位仪表堂堂的绅士,穿一套黑衣服,膝盖上有一根带子把下面的袜子系紧。他的秃头十分光亮;声音低沉;下巴是双层的,他刮胡子的时候怎么能刮进那些折缝中是件奇事。他还有一双小眼睛经常是半闭着的;一张嘴巴半开着,显出似笑非笑的样子,仿佛他在那时刚盘问过一个孩子,现在正等待着他亲自认罪。当博士把右手伸进上衣的胸口,另一只手搁在背后,脑袋几乎觉察不到地摇晃一下,向一位紧张不安的陌生人发表一些极为平淡无奇的意见的时候,他的那些意见就像是出自斯芬克斯①的金玉良言,并把他的事情给解决了。
The Doctor's was a mighty fine house, fronting the sea. Not a joyful style of house within, but quite the contrary. Sad-coloured curtains, whose proportions were spare and lean, hid themselves despondently behind the windows. The tables and chairs were put away in rows, like figures in a sum; fires were so rarely lighted in the rooms of ceremony, that they felt like wells, and a visitor represented the bucket; the dining-room seemed the last place in the world where any eating or drinking was likely to occur; there was no sound through all the house but the ticking of a great clock in the hall, which made itself audible in the very garrets; and sometimes a dull cooing of young gentlemen at their lessons, like the murmurings of an assemblage of melancholy pigeons.
博士的学校是一座宏大的精美的房屋,面对着海。房屋里面的格调并不令人喜悦,而是恰恰相反。黯淡的窗帘粗陋、狭窄,垂头丧气地躲藏在窗子后面。桌子和椅子像算术题中的数字一样,一行一行地排列着;举行典礼的房间十分难得生火,因此它们觉得自己就像水井,来访的客人就像投进井中的水桶一样;餐厅似乎是世界上最后一个可以吃喝的地方;除了前厅里一只大钟滴嗒滴嗒的响声外,整个房屋里没有其他声音,而那只大钟走动的声音就连顶楼里也能听到;有时也传来年轻人上课时发出的低沉的喊声,就像一群忧郁的鸽子的咕咕声一样。
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①斯芬克斯(sphynx):希腊神话中有翼的狮身女面怪物。
重点解释
注释:delight n. 高兴
vi. 高兴
vt. 使高兴
例句:
(1) The children watched the clowns with keen delight .
孩子们兴趣浓厚地观看小丑表演。
(2) It was a positive delight to hear her sing so beautifully.
听到她如此美妙的歌唱真是一件十足的乐事。
(3) The nature of life is to delight in all possible loopholes.
生命的本性就是以所有可能出现的漏洞为乐。
(4) However, its appearance now is hardly likely to delight new investors.
然而,此法案的表面说法是几乎无法取悦于外国投资商。
(5) "The Billionaire's Vinegar" is full of detail that will delight wine lovers.
亿万富翁的醋一书中充满了会令葡萄酒爱好者们兴奋不已的细节描写。
(6) This compliment made her heart stop beating, and then beat fast with delight.
这番恭维把她的心抓住了,快乐得直跳。
(7) To my delight, he can walk now.
让我高兴的是他现在能走路了。
(8) To our delight, we passed the final exam.
使我们高兴的是,我们通过了期末考试。
(9) To our great delight we saw a great valley.
令我们高兴的是,我们看到了一个大峡谷。
(10) Let students go to share successful delight.
让学生们去分享成功的喜悦。
taste n. 味道;品味;审美
vt. 尝;体验
vi. 尝起来;有…的味道
[ 过去式tasted 过去分词tasted 现在分词tasting ]
词组:
taste of 体验;有…味道
good taste 高品味;味道纯正
in taste 得体的,大方的;高雅的,有礼的
taste for 对…的喜爱;对…的爱好
sweet taste 甜味
bitter taste 味苦,苦味
bad taste 低级趣味,粗俗;坏品味
have a taste 尝一尝;品尝一下
sharp taste 辛辣味
taste of life 生活的滋味
sense of taste 味觉
in good taste 大方的;得体的
sour taste 酸味;口酸
taste note 品酒记录
acquired taste 嗜好;爱好
taste bud [解]味蕾
have a taste for 爱好;对…有兴趣
refined taste 高雅的品味
pungent taste 刺激味;辛辣味
in bad taste 不礼貌;粗俗
例句:
(1) Add milk and sugar to taste.
随你的囗味加牛奶和糖。
(2) Everyone has his own taste.
每个人都有自己的品味。
(3) How about a taste of three in one?
或是一次旅游就能感受三个国家的风情呢?
(4) And all I can taste is this moment.
何况我唯一能品味的就是此时。
(5) And you know how good bananas taste!
你知道香蕉有多好吃吧!
(6) Can you taste the garlic in this stew?
你尝得出肉里有大蒜味儿吗?。
(7) It appeared that he had a taste for music.
看来他对音乐还有一定的鉴赏力。
(8) I hope you can taste Beijing Duck someday.
我希望你有机会尝一尝北京烤鸭。