(单词翻译:单击)
原文欣赏
Chapter 19 Walter goes away
The wooden Midshipman at the Instrument-maker's door, like the hard-hearted little Midshipman he was, remained supremely indifferent to Walter's going away, even when the very last day of his sojourn in the back parlour was on the decline. With his quadrant at his round black knob of an eye, and his figure in its old attitude of indomitable alacrity, the Midshipman displayed his elfin small-clothes to the best advantage, and, absorbed in scientific pursuits, had no sympathy with worldly concerns. He was so far the creature of circumstances, that a dry day covered him with dust, and a misty day peppered him with little bits of soot, and a wet day brightened up his tarnished uniform for the moment, and a very hot day blistered him; but otherwise he was a callous, obdurate, conceited Midshipman, intent on his own discoveries, and caring as little for what went on about him, terrestrially, as Archimedes at the taking of Syracuse.
Such a Midshipman he seemed to be, at least, in the then position of domestic affairs. Walter eyed him kindly many a time in passing in and out; and poor old Sol, when Walter was not there, would come and lean against the doorpost, resting his weary wig as near the shoe-buckles of the guardian genius of his trade and shop as he could. But no fierce idol with a mouth from ear to ear, and a murderous visage made of parrot's feathers, was ever more indifferent to the appeals of its savage votaries, than was the Midshipman to these marks of attachment.
Walter's heart felt heavy as he looked round his old bedroom, up among the parapets and chimney-pots, and thought that one more night already darkening would close his acquaintance with it, perhaps for ever. Dismantled of his little stock of books and pictures, it looked coldly and reproachfully on him for his desertion, and had already a foreshadowing upon it of its coming strangeness. 'A few hours more,' thought Walter, 'and no dream I ever had here when I was a schoolboy will be so little mine as this old room. The dream may come back in my sleep, and I may return waking to this place, it may be: but the dream at least will serve no other master, and the room may have a score, and every one of them may change, neglect, misuse it.'
But his Uncle was not to be left alone in the little back parlour, where he was then sitting by himself; for Captain Cuttle, considerate in his roughness, stayed away against his will, purposely that they should have some talk together unobserved: so Walter, newly returned home from his last day's bustle, descended briskly, to bear him company.
第十九章 沃尔特离别
仪器制造商门口的木制海军军官候补生就像铁石心肠的小海军军官候补生一样,对沃尔特的离别一直极为漠不关心,甚至当沃尔特有后客厅逗留的最后一天即将消逝时也依然一样。象限仪紧挨着他像肉瘤般的一只圆鼓鼓的黑眼睛,身形像往日一样呈现出一副朝气蓬勃、不屈不挠的姿态,海军军官候补生尽量炫耀着他的像小精灵般的短裤,并埋头于科学研究,对于世俗的忧虑没有丝毫同情。他是个受环境支配的人儿;气候干燥的日子,他满身尘土;薄雾弥漫的日子,他身上复盖着点点煤烟的碎屑;下雨的日子,他失去了光泽的制服顿时焕然一新,闪闪发亮;炎热的日子,他的皮肤被晒出泡来;但是他在其他方面却是个麻木不仁、冷酷无情、自高自大的海军军官候补生,专心致志于自己的发现,对周围尘世间发生的事情不闻不问,就像阿基米得在叙拉古被围时一样。
至少,在目前家中发生大事的情况下,他就是这样的一位海军军官候补生。沃尔特进进出出时向他亲切地定神看了许多次;当沃尔特不在家时,可怜的老所尔就出来靠在门柱上,把他那疲倦的戴着假发的脑袋尽量挨近这位他的店铺与营业的天才守卫者的鞋扣;可是海军军官候补生对这些向他作出的亲热殷勤的表示完全无动于衷,就像那残忍凶猛的偶像一样,嘴巴咧得大大的,由鹦鹉羽毛做成的脸孔露出一副杀气腾腾的凶相,对于他那些尚未开化的崇拜者们的恳求根本漠不关心。
沃尔特环视着他居住多年的卧室,向上望到女儿墙和烟囱;天已经黑了,这时他想到这个夜晚过去,他就要跟它也许永久分离,心情感到沉重不堪。他的一些书籍和图画已经搬走,卧室由于他的遗弃,冷淡地、责备地望着他,并早已对他未来的疏远投下了阴影。“再过几个小时之后,”沃尔特想,“这个房间就不再属于我了,就像我当小学生时在这里做过的梦一样不再属于我了一样。在我睡觉的时候,梦也许还会回来,我也许还会醒着回到这个地方,但这梦至少不会回到新的主人的脑子里去了;这房间今后也许会有二十个新主人,他们每个人也许都会改变它、冷落它或不正当地使用它。”
可是,不能让舅舅独自待在后面的小客厅里。这时,他正一个人坐在那里呢,因为卡特尔船长虽然性格粗犷,但却很能体贴人,他这时故意违背自己的心愿,没有来到,为的是使他们舅甥两人在没有旁人在场的情况下一块儿聊聊。所以,沃尔特经过最后一天的奔忙以后一回到家里,就急忙下楼去陪伴他。
重点讲解
一.remain:v.剩余, 逗留, 留下, 依然, 保持 n.剩余物, 遗迹, 残骸
【语法用法】
remain解释为“保持”,“依然”时,后常接表语。
He remained faithful to his wife all his life.
For a long time he remained a bachelor.
将I remain用在书信来往中,在客套话之前时,应注意:
不可用于第一次写信中,最好用Iam。
remain后面的yours是表语,虽中间无须加逗号,但人们仍习惯用。
I remain的用法如今已经不普遍使用了。
在商业信函中,表示客套一般用I (We) beg to remain。
【词义辨析】
remain, linger, stay
这些动词均有“停留,逗留”之意。
remain指某人或某物仍留在原处或保持原来的状态。
linger着重因愉快的事而使人不愿离开。
stay普通用词,多指人在某地暂时逗留。有时可指较长时间的居留。
【例句用法】
I remain in London until May.
我在伦敦一直呆到五月。
He remained poor all his life.
他终生贫穷。
二.company:n.公司, 商号, 陪伴, 同伴, 客人, [军]连, 一群 v.陪伴
【语法用法】
company作名词指“客人”时前面不加冠词a或the.
We had company at dinner.
company 作名词指“公司”时,可用作单数或复数,不过存在and时必须要用复数形式。
The cinema company is/are holding a meeting.
Smith and Company are holding a meeting.
company作名词指“公司”时,前面有无and意义不同,如Smith和其他人合办的公司叫Smith and Company,这种情况下company前不加冠词the,也可以叫The Smith Company。
只要是没有and 或&符号的,前面用The或不用The都可以。有时有多个姓,如Smith, Jones, and Company, Smith and Jones Company, The Smith and Jones Company(这里and后面并不直接跟Company,可以加冠词the)。
【词义辨析】
company, corporation, firm
这些名词均可表示“公司”之意。
company多指生产或销售产品的公司、商号,也可指经办服务性项目的公司。
corporation多指一个人拥有或多人联办的大公司,也指在其它地区或国家拥有分公司的公司。
firm含义广泛,可指公司、商行或商号。规模可大可小,经营、管理的人员可多可少。
【例句用法】
I hate going out alone: I take my daughter for company.
我不愿独自一人出门,带女儿作个伴。
His father asked him to avoid bad company.
他父亲要他不要交坏朋友。