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There was no such place as Staggs's Gardens. It had vanished from the earth. Where the old rotten summer-houses once had stood, palaces now reared their heads, and granite columns of gigantic girth opened a vista to the railway world beyond. The miserable waste ground, where the refuse-matter had been heaped of yore, was swallowed up and gone; and in its frowsy stead were tiers of warehouses, crammed with rich goods and costly merchandise.
可是斯塔格斯花园这个地方已经不存在了，它已经从地面上消失了。古老、破烂的凉亭从前曾经所在的地方，如今宫殿耸立，显露峥嵘；围长粗大的花岗石柱子伸展开一片路景，通向外面的铁路世界。往昔堆积垃圾的污秽的荒地已经被吞没和消失了；过去霉臭难闻的场所现在出现了一排排堆满了贵重货物与高价商品的货栈。
The old by-streets now swarmed with passengers and vehicles of every kind: the new streets that had stopped disheartened in the mud and waggon-ruts, formed towns within themselves, originating wholesome comforts and conveniences belonging to themselves, and never tried nor thought of until they sprung into existence. Bridges that had led to nothing, led to villas, gardens, churches, healthy public walks. The carcasses of houses, and beginnings of new thoroughfares, had started off upon the line at steam's own speed, and shot away into the country in a monster train.'
先前冷僻清静的街道，如今行人熙来攘往，各种车辆川流不息；原先在泥泞与车辙中令人灰心丧气、中断通行的地方，现在新的街道形成了自成体系的城镇，生产着各种有益于身心、使生活舒适方便的物品与设施，在这些物品与设施没有出现之前，一般的人们从没有进行过这种尝试或产生过这种念头的。原先不通向任何地方的桥梁，如今通向别墅、花园、教堂和有益于健康的公共散步场。房屋骨架和新的通道的初期预制品正装在火车这个怪物内，飞速地运往郊外。
As to the neighbourhood which had hesitated to acknowledge the railroad in its straggling days, that had grown wise and penitent, as any Christian might in such a case, and now boasted of its powerful and prosperous relation. There were railway patterns in its drapers' shops,and railway journals in the windows of its newsmen. There were railway hotels, office-houses, lodging-houses, boarding-houses; railway plans,maps, views, wrappers, bottles, sandwich-boxes, and time-tables; railway hackney-coach and stands; railway omnibuses, railway streets and buildings, railway hangers-on and parasites, and flatterers out of all calculation.
至于附近的居民，他们在铁路最初蜿蜒伸展的日子中还打不定主意是否承认它；后来像任何一位基督徒在这种情况下都可能表现的那样，变得聪明起来，翻然悔悟，现在都在夸耀这位强大、兴隆的亲戚。布店里织物上印有铁路图案，卖报人的橱窗中陈列着铁路杂志。这里有铁路旅馆，铁路办公楼，铁路公寓，铁路寄宿处；有铁路平面图，铁路地图，铁路风景画，铁路包装纸，铁路酒瓶，铁路三明治包装匣和铁路时刻表；有铁路出租马车和铁路出租马车停车处；有铁路公共汽车，铁路街道和铁路大楼；有铁路食客；铁路寄生虫和数不胜数的铁路马屁精。
There was even railway time observed in clocks, as if the sun itself had given in. Among the vanquished was the master chimney-sweeper,whilom incredulous at Staggs's Gardens, who now lived in a stuccoed house three stories high, and gave himself out, with golden flourishes upon a varnished board, as contractor for the cleansing of railway chimneys by machinery.
甚至还有钟表那样准的铁路时间，仿佛太阳它自己已经认输让步了似的。在被铁路征服的人们中间，有清扫烟囱的工长，这在过去在斯塔格斯花园中是难以令人置信的；如今他住在一座墁上灰泥的三层楼房中，在一块油漆招牌上用金色的花体字书写广告，自称是用机器清扫铁路烟囱的承包人了。
重点讲解
一.vanish:vi.消失, 绝迹, 不见了 vt.消失
【词义辨析】
vanish, disappear, fade, evaporate
这些动词均有“消失”之意。
vanish语气强，指完全、往往是神秘而突然的消失，不留任何蛛丝马迹。
disappear普通用词，强调从视线或脑海中消失。这消失可能是暂时的、突然的或永久的，视上下文而定。
fade侧重逐渐消失。
evaporate指像水蒸发时那样悄然逝去，也指某人悄悄地、突然退出或离去。
【例句用法】
After the alien spacecraft had hovered over the park for a short time, it vanished.
那只外星来的宇宙飞船在公园上空盘旋了一会儿之后就不见了。
Many types of animals have now vanished from the earth.
很多种类的动物现在已经从地球上绝迹了。
二.observe:v.观察, 遵守, 注意到 v.庆祝, 评论
【词义辨析】
look, see, watch, observe, witness
这些动词均有“看”之意。
look侧重“看”的动作。
see指看见。
watch指用眼睛跟随某物，以便对每一个变化、运动等进行观察。
observe侧重以客观的态度进行观察。
witness指当场看见，亲眼看见。
【例句用法】
The police have been observing his movements.
警方一直监视着他的一举一动。
Do you observe Christmas?
你有过圣诞节的习俗吗？
三.board:n.木板, 布告板, 董事会, 船舷或机舱, 伙食, 舞台 v.登(飞机、车、船等), 接受乘客, 有偿提供食宿, 搭伙, 用木板覆盖
【语法用法】
on board of the steamer/ship，on board the steamer/ship,on board ship这几种表达方式都常见。注意on board of ship是错误的表达；
在美式英语中，on board通常解释“上车”，“在车上”或“在飞机上”，而在英式英语中则解释为“上船”和“在船上”。
【错句举例与错句分析】
错句: He made friend with Joan on board of a steamship.
订正: He made friend with Joan on board a steamship.
翻译: 他同约翰在一艘轮船上成为朋友。
分析: 没有on board of ship用法，去掉of。
【例句用法】
Mary is a workers' representative on the Board.
玛丽是理事会的工人代表。
I'm boarding with a friend.
我在一友人处寄膳宿。