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'Major,' said Mr Dombey, reddening, 'I hope you do not hint at anything so absurd on the part of Miss Tox as — '
'Dombey,' returned the Major, 'I hint at nothing. But Joey B. has lived in the world, Sir: lived in the world with his eyes open, Sir, and his ears cocked: and Joe tells you, Dombey, that there's a devilish artful and ambitious woman over the way.'
Mr Dombey involuntarily glanced over the way; and an angry glance he sent in that direction, too.
'That's all on such a subject that shall pass the lips of Joseph Bagstock,' said the Major firmly. 'Joe is not a tale—bearer, but there are times when he must speak, when he will speak! — confound your arts, Ma'am,' cried the Major, again apostrophising his fair neighbour, with great ire, — 'when the provocation is too strong to admit of his remaining silent.'
The emotion of this outbreak threw the Major into a paroxysm of horse's coughs, which held him for a long time. On recovering he added:
'And now, Dombey, as you have invited Joe — old Joe, who has no other merit, Sir, but that he is tough and hearty — to be your guest and guide at Leamington, command him in any way you please, and he is wholly yours. I don't know, Sir,' said the Major, wagging his double chin with a jocose air, 'what it is you people see in Joe to make you hold him in such great request, all of you; but this I know, Sir, that if he wasn't pretty tough, and obstinate in his refusals, you'd kill him among you with your invitations and so forth, in double—quick time.'
Mr Dombey, in a few words, expressed his sense of the preference he received over those other distinguished members of society who were clamouring for the possession of Major Bagstock. But the Major cut him short by giving him to understand that he followed his own inclinations, and that they had risen up in a body and said with one accord, 'J. B., Dombey is the man for you to choose as a friend.'
“少校，”董贝先生红着脸说道，“我希望您说到托克斯小姐的时候，别暗示任何荒谬绝伦的事情——”
“董贝，”少校回答道，“我什么也没有暗示。但是乔埃·白是生活在这个世界上的，先生，是张开眼睛生活在这个世界上的，先生，他的耳朵也是竖起来的；乔告诉您，董贝，就在路对过，有一个非常非常狡猾和野心勃勃的女人。”
董贝先生不由得向广场对过望了一眼；他朝那个方向投射过去的是愤怒的眼光。
“约瑟夫·白格斯托克在这个问题上想要讲的话，没有半句留在嘴里的了，”少校斩钉截铁地说道，“乔不是个搬弄是非的人，但有时候，当挑衅强烈得叫他不能再沉默下去的时候，他必须说，他·想·要说——您那该死的奸计，夫人！”少校又火冒三丈地向着他的女邻居大声喊道。
这突然爆发的感情激动又引起少校发出一阵马的咳嗽般的声音，把他折磨了好久；当他恢复过来以后，他又继续说道：
“现在，董贝，既然您邀请乔——老乔当您的客人和莱明顿的向导，那就请随意指挥他吧，他是完全属于您的。他没有别的优点，先生，但他是坚强不屈和诚恳热情的。我不知道，先生，”少校带着诙谐的神气，摇摆着他的双下巴颏，说道，“你们这些人在乔身上看到了什么，使你们全都向他提出了这样重大的请求；不过我明白，如果他不是坚强不屈、顽抗到底地拒绝这些邀请的话，那么你们就会用请贴及其他一类东西把他的这条命加快一倍地断送了。”
董贝先生三言两语地表示他认识到，社会上其他杰出的人物全都争争吵吵地想把白格斯托克少校据为己有，而少校对他本人的偏爱则超过他们之上。但是少校立刻打断他，让他明白，他是根据自己的心意行事的；他的这些心意全都一致起立，用一个声调对他说，“乔·白，董贝是您应当选来做朋友的人。”
重点讲解
一.absurd：adj.荒唐的, 可笑的, 不合理的 n.荒唐
【词义辨析】
absurd, ridiculous
这两个形容词均含有“荒谬的”之意
absurd普通用词，强调指违背常理的荒谬。
ridiculous强调荒谬到令人发笑的地步。
【例句用法】
We have no intention of lying down under these absurd allegations.
对这些荒谬的指控我们是不甘受辱的。
He looked absurd in that get-up.
他穿著那套衣服看上去怪模怪样的。
二.choose：v.选择, 决定
【词义辨析】
choose, select, elect, pick, prefer, opt
这些动词均含有“选择”之意。
choose普通用词，侧重根据个人意愿和判断从众多的对象中进行选择，着重被选者的优点。
select书面用词，具有庄严、正式的感情色彩。强调精选。
elect指按照一定的规章或法律，用投票等方式进行的认真慎重的选择。
pick口语用词，多指从个人角度仔细挑选，也含任意挑选之意。
prefer强调个人偏爱，不一定有选择的行动。
opt多指在几种可能性之间进行选择。
【例句用法】
Free will makes us able to choose our way of life.
自由的意志使我们可以选择自己的生活方式。
He chose not to go home until later.
他决定晚一点才回家。