美国语文第六册 第29期:受惊的艺术家(5)

 　　Despair lent him strength to walk, and to carry his burden. 幸好他还有踯躅着走路的力气。

　　On his way, he passed a house, about which there was a crowd. 在路上，他路过一幢房子，只见一群人在那儿围观。

　　He drew nigh, asked what was going on, and received for an answer, that there was to be a sale of many specimens¹ of art, collected by an amateur in the course of thirty years. 他气喘吁吁地问出了什么事情，有人告诉他说，里面售卖许多艺术品，是一位藏家历经三十年收集之大成。

　　It has often happened that collections made with infinite pains by the proprietor², have been sold without mercy or discrimination after his death. 经常有这种事情，藏家付出很大心血收集的藏品，在他身故后被无情地拍卖，其中的精品也被不加区分地贱卖了。

　　Something whispered to the weary Duhobret, that here would be the market for his picture. 有人对虚弱不堪的杜霍布赖特小声说，他的这幅画会碰到识货的买家的。

　　It was a long way yet to the house of the picture dealer³, and he made up his mind at once. 这儿离那位画商的店还有长长的一段路，听别人这么讲他马上鼓足勇气。

　　He worked his way through the crowd, dragged himself up the steps, and, after many inquiries⁴, found the auctioneer. 他穿过人群，拖着沉重的双腿上了台阶，多方打听后才找到那位拍卖商。

　　That personage was a busy man, with a handful of papers; 那人很忙，手里拿着好几张画，

　　he was inclined to notice somewhat roughly the interruption of the lean, sallow hunchback, imploring⁵ as were his gesture and language. 他高兴地注意到这位消瘦、略微有些驼背说话吞吞吐吐，于是用手势和言语来试探他。

　　"What do you call your picture?" at length, said he, carefully looking at it. “你怎么看你的画？”他终于开口道，仔细打量这幅画。

　　"It is a view of the Abbey of Newburg, with its village and the surrounding landscape," replied the eager and trembling artist. “画的是纽伯格修道院，背景是所在的村庄和周围的景色。”这位急切的艺术家连忙说，声音有些颤抖。

　　The auctioneer again scanned it contemptuously, and asked what it was worth. 这位拍卖商又轻蔑地瞥了一眼画作，试探着问他打算卖多少钱。

1 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 proprietor   

n.所有人；业主；经营者

参考例句：

• The proprietor was an old acquaintance of his.业主是他的一位旧相识。
• The proprietor of the corner grocery was a strange thing in my life.拐角杂货店店主是我生活中的一个怪物。

3 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

4 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 imploring   

恳求的，哀求的

参考例句：

• Those calm, strange eyes could see her imploring face. 那平静的，没有表情的眼睛还能看得到她的乞怜求情的面容。
• She gave him an imploring look. 她以哀求的眼神看着他。