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'And, Wal'r,' said the Captain, when they took their seats at table, if your Uncle's the man I think him, he'll bring out the last bottle of the Madeira on the present occasion.'
'No, no, Ned,' returned the old man. 'No! That shall be opened when Walter comes home again.'
'Well said!' cried the Captain. 'Hear him!'
'There it lies,' said Sol Gills, 'down in the little cellar, covered with dirt and cobwebs. There may be dirt and cobwebs over you and me perhaps, Ned, before it sees the light.'
'Hear him! 'cried the Captain. 'Good morality! Wal'r, my lad. Train up a fig-tree in the way it should go, and when you are old sit under the shade on it. Overhaul the - Well,' said the Captain on second thoughts, 'I ain't quite certain where that's to be found, but when found, make a note of. Sol Gills, heave ahead again!'
'But there or somewhere, it shall lie, Ned, until Wally comes back to claim it,' said the old man. 'That's all I meant to say.'
'And well said too,' returned the Captain; 'and if we three don't crack that bottle in company, I'll give you two leave to.'
Notwithstanding the Captain's excessive joviality, he made but a poor hand at the smoky tongue, though he tried very hard, when anybody looked at him, to appear as if he were eating with a vast apetite. He was terribly afraid, likewise, of being left alone with either Uncle or nephew; appearing to consider that his only chance of safety as to keeping up appearances, was in there being always three together. This terror on the part of the Captain, reduced him to such ingenious evasions as running to the door, when Solomon went to put his coat on, under pretence of having seen an extraordinary hackney-coach pass: and darting out into the road when Walter went upstairs to take leave of the lodgers, on a feint of smelling fire in a neighbouring chimney. These artifices Captain Cuttle deemed inscrutable by any uninspired observer.
Walter was coming down from his parting expedition upstairs, and was crossing the shop to go back to the little parlour, when he saw a faded face he knew, looking in at the door, and darted towards it.
'Mr Carker!' cried Walter, pressing the hand of John Carker the Junior. 'Pray come in! This is kind of you, to be here so early to say good-bye to me. You knew how glad it would make me to shake hands with you, once, before going away. I cannot say how glad I am to have this opportunity. Pray come in.'
'It is not likely that we may ever meet again, Walter,' returned the other, gently resisting his invitation, 'and I am glad of this opportunity too. I may venture to speak to you, and to take you by the hand, on the eve of separation. I shall not have to resist your frank approaches, Walter, any more.
There was a melancholy in his smile as he said it, that showed he had found some company and friendship for his thoughts even in that.
“沃尔，”当他们在桌旁坐下的时候，船长说道，“如果你舅舅是我所想的那种人，遇上今天这样的日子，他是会取出他最后的那瓶马德拉白葡萄酒的。”
“不，不，内德，”老人回答道，“不，那瓶酒等沃尔特重新回到家里时再打开。”
“说得好！”船长喊道，“听他说吧！”
“它躺在那里，”所尔·吉尔斯说，“躺在下面的小地窖里，上面覆盖着尘土和蜘蛛网。在它重见阳光之前，内德，也许你和我身上也已覆盖着尘土和蜘蛛网了。”
“听他说吧！”船长喊道，“极妙的寓意！沃尔，我的孩子，栽一株无花果，让它好好长大，等你老了，就坐在树荫下休息。翻一下——不过，”船长想了一下，说，“我不能很肯定从哪本书里可以找到这句话；可是你要是收到的话，请把它记下来。所尔·吉尔斯。重新往前用力拉吧①！”
“可是它得躺在那里或别的什么地方，内德，直到沃利回来要求喝它的时候，”老人说道，“这就是我所想要说的一切。”
“说得也不错，”船长回答道，“如果我们三人不能一起打开那瓶酒的话，那么我允许你们两人把我的那份也喝掉！”
船长虽然谈笑风生，十分兴高采烈，但他对付那条熏黑的舌头的本领却怪差劲，尽管当有人看着他的时候，他极力装出胃口很好地吃着。而且，他很害怕和舅舅或外甥单独在一起，好像他认为，他要保持这种春风满面的神态，唯一安全的机会是三个人老待在一起。船长由于怀有这种恐惧心理，他就想出了好些机智的逃避方法：当所罗门走去穿外衣的时候，他就假装看到一辆不同寻常的出租马车经过而跑到门口；当沃尔特上楼去跟房客们告别时，他就假装闻到邻近烟囱的火焦味而冲到街上。船长认为，没有灵感的观察者是很难看破他的这些巧计的。
沃尔特去楼上告别之后走下楼来，正穿过店铺向小客厅走回的时候，他看到一张他认识的憔悴的脸正向门里探望，就立即向他急冲过去。
“卡克先生！”沃尔特紧握着约翰·卡克先生的手，喊道，“请进来吧！您真客气，起得这么早来向我告别。您知道，我多么高兴能在离别之前再跟您握一次手啊。我说不出我是多么高兴能有这个机会。请进来吧！”
“我们不见得以后还能再见面了，沃尔特，”那一位委婉地谢绝了他的邀请，“我也因为有这个机会而感到高兴。在即将离别之前，我也许可以不揣冒昧地来跟您说说话和握握手。沃尔特，我将不再迫不得已反对您坦率地跟我接近了”。
当他说这些话的时候，在他的微笑中还带有一些忧郁的东西，这表明他甚至在沃尔特要跟他接近的想法本身中也看到了关怀与友谊。
重点讲解
一.present：n.礼物, 现在 adj.出席的, 现在的, 当前的, 存在的 v.提出, 赠送, 呈现
【语法用法】
at present，for the present都属于固定搭配格式，不能修改成at the present，in present等其他格式。前者指“现在”，后者指“暂时”；
at present同presently意思不同，但前者常用于现在时，表示“目前”，后者则常用于将来时，表示“一会儿”；
present和gift的比较：present指“礼物”，但gift可以不是“礼物”。Birthday/Christmas gift中，gift属于礼物。在别人需要而将东西送给他时，如一本旧书或是把书捐给图书馆，都属于gift，但不算送“礼”；
表示“把…送给（某人)”的几种说法：{He presented a book to her.
He presented her with a book.
He made her a present of a book.
He made a present of a book to her.
值得注意的是，present 作动词时，很少有双宾语。}
present作形容词时，常用于名词后，指“出席的”。
There are other people present.
还有其他人出席。
【错句举例与错句分析】
错句: Go to the post office and wait there; I will come at present.
订正: Go to the post office and wait there; I will presently.
翻译: 你到邮局那等会，我一会就来。
分析: 表示“一会儿”，用presently，at present常用现在时，表“现在”。
【词义辨析】
modern, contemporary, current, recent, present, up-to-date
这些形容词均有“现代的、当代的”之意。
modern指现代或近代，时期可长可短；也可指新颖、时髦的。
contemporary仅指当今这个时代，不涉及任何过去的时代，但可表示不同的人或物存在于同一时代。
current指目前存在和发生的。
recent表示新近的，最近的，时间的长短依据所修饰的人或物而定。
present是这些词中语气最强的一个。指现在正发生、起作用的。
up-to-date一般用于非正式场合，指很时新、能反映当前的最新发展。
offer, present, propose, volunteer
这些动词均含“提出、提供”之意。
offer最普通用词，多指主动提出或提供意见或东西等，但是否接受由对方自行决定。
present既可指提出意见、建议等，又可指拿出某物供人欣赏或赠送。
propose指直接而主动地提出问题或建议等，也指在讨论或争辨中提出具体意见或建议。
volunteer与offer同义，侧重出于自愿，而不是奉命做某事。
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。