月亮和六便士 第3章(1)

 　　Chapter 3 第三章

　　But all this is by the way. 但是这一切都是题外之言。

　　I was very young when I wrote my first book.  我写第一本书的时候非常年轻，

　　By a lucky chance it excited attention, and various persons sought my acquaintance. 但由于偶然的因缘这本书引起了人们的注意，不少人想要同我结识。

　　It is not without melancholy¹ that I wander among my recollections of the world of letters in London when first, bashful but eager, I was introduced to it.  我刚刚被引进伦敦文学界的时候，心情又是热切又是羞涩；现在回忆起当时的种种情况，不无凄凉之感。

　　It is long since I frequented it, and if the novels that describe its present singularities are accurate much in it is now changed.  很久我没有到伦敦去了，如果现在出版的小说里面的描写是真，伦敦一定发生了很大变化了。

　　The venue² is different.  文人聚会的地点已经改变了。

　　Chelsea and Bloomsbury have taken the place of Hampstead, Notting Hill Gate, and High Street, Kensington.  柴尔西和布鲁姆斯伯里取代了汉普斯台德、诺廷山门、高街和肯星顿的地位。

　　Then it was a distinction to be under forty, but now to be more than twenty-five is absurd.  当时年纪不到四十岁就被看作了不起的人物，如今过了二十五岁就会让人觉得滑稽可笑了。

　　I think in those days we were a little shy of our emotions, and the fear of ridicule³ tempered the more obvious forms of pretentiousness⁴.  我想在过去的日子里我们都羞于使自己的感情外露，因为怕人嘲笑，所以都约束着自己不给人以傲慢自大的印象。

　　I do not believe that there was in that genteel Bohemia an intensive culture of chastity,  我并不认为当时风雅放浪的诗人作家执身如何端肃，

　　but I do not remember so crude a promiscuity⁵ as seems to be practised in the present day.  但我却不记得那时候文艺界有今天这么多风流韵事。

　　We did not think it hypocritical to draw over our vagaries⁶ the curtain of a decent silence.  我们对自己的一些荒诞不经的行为遮上一层保持体面的缄默，并不认为这是虚伪。

　　The spade was not invariably called a bloody⁷ shovel⁸.  我们讲话讲究含蓄，并不总是口无遮拦，说什么都直言不讳。

　　Woman had not yet altogether come into her own. 女性们那时也还没有完全取得绝对自主的地位。

　　I lived near Victoria Station, and I recall long excursions by bus to the hospitable⁹ houses of the literary.  我住在维多利亚车站附近；我还记得我到一些殷勤好客的文艺家庭中去作客总要乘车在市区兜很大的圈子，

　　In my timidity I wandered up and down the street while I screwed up my courage to ring the bell;  因为羞怯的心理作祟，我往往在街上来来回回走好几遍才鼓起勇气去按门铃。

　　and then, sick with apprehension¹⁰, was ushered¹¹ into an airless room full of people.  然后，我心里捏着一把汗，被让进一间高朋满座、闷得透不过气的屋子。

　　I was introduced to this celebrated¹² person after that one, and the kind words they said about my book made me excessively uncomfortable.  我被介绍给这位名士、那位巨擘，这些人对我的著作所说的恭维话让我感到坐立不安。

　　I felt they expected me to say clever things, and I never could think of any till after the party was over.  我知道他们都等着我说几句隽词妙语，可是直到茶会开完了，我仍然想不出什么有风趣的话来。

　　I tried to conceal¹³ my embarrassment¹⁴ by handing round cups of tea and rather ill-cut bread-and-butter.  为了遮盖自己窘态，我就张罗着给客人倒茶送水，把切得不成形的涂着黄油的面包递到人们手里。

　　I wanted no one to take notice of me, so that I could observe these famous creatures at my ease and listen to the clever things they said. 我希望的是谁都别注意我，让我心神宁静地观察一下这些知名人士，好好听一听他们妙趣横生的言语。

　　I have a recollection of large, unbending women with great noses and rapacious¹⁵ eyes,  我记得我遇见不少身材壮硕、腰板挺得笔直的女人。这些女人生着大鼻头，目光炯炯，

　　who wore their clothes as though they were armour;  衣服穿在她们身上好象披着一挂甲胄；

　　and of little, mouse-like spinsters, with soft voices and a shrewd glance.  我也看到许多象小老鼠似的瘦小枯干的老处女，说话柔声细气，眼睛滴溜溜乱转。

　　I never ceased to be fascinated by their persistence¹⁶ in eating buttered toast with their gloves on,  我对她们那种总是戴着手套吃黄油吐司的怪毛病常常感到十分好笑；

　　and I observed with admiration¹⁷ the unconcern with which they wiped their fingers on their chair when they thought no one was looking.  她们认为没有人看见的时候就偷偷在椅子上揩手指头，这让我看着也十分佩服。

　　It must have been bad for the furniture, but I suppose the hostess took her revenge on the furniture of her friends when, in turn, she visited them.  这对主人的家具肯定不是件好事，但是我想在轮到主人到这些人家里作客的时候，肯定也会在她朋友的家具上进行报复的。

　　Some of them were dressed fashionably, and they said they couldn't for the life of them see why you should be dowdy¹⁸ just because you had written a novel;  这些女人有的衣着入时，她们说她们无论如何也看不出一个人为什么只因为写了一本小说就要穿得邋里邋遢。

　　if you had a neat figure you might as well make the most of it, and a smart shoe on a small foot had never prevented an editor from taking your "stuff." 如果你的身段苗条为什么不能尽量把它显示出来呢？俊俏的小脚穿上时髦的鞋子绝不会妨碍编辑采用你的稿件。

1 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

2 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

3 ridicule   

v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄

参考例句：

• You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不该嘲笑不幸的人。
• Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒谬的错误和古怪的服装常会引起人们的讪笑。

4 pretentiousness   

n.矫饰；炫耀；自负；狂妄

参考例句：

• Such pretentiousness cannot reflect truth but is an obstacle to truth. 这种装腔作势的东西，不能反映真理，而是妨害真理的。 来自互联网
• This is not your exclusive unrivalled skill. What do you base your pretentiousness on? 这又不是你的独家绝活儿，你凭什么拿糖呀？ 来自互联网

5 promiscuity   

n.混杂，混乱；（男女的）乱交

参考例句：

• Promiscuity went unpunished, divorce was permitted. 乱交挨不着惩罚，离婚办得成手续。 来自英汉文学
• There is also no doubt that she falls into promiscuity at last. 同时无疑她最后也堕入性乱。 来自互联网

6 vagaries   

n.奇想( vagary的名词复数 )；异想天开；异常行为；难以预测的情况

参考例句：

• The vagaries of fortune are indeed curious.\" 命运的变化莫测真是不可思议。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• The vagaries of inclement weather conditions are avoided to a certain extent. 可以在一定程度上避免变化莫测的恶劣气候影响。 来自辞典例句

7 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

8 shovel   

n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出

参考例句：

• He was working with a pick and shovel.他在用镐和铲干活。
• He seized a shovel and set to.他拿起一把铲就干上了。

9 hospitable   

adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的

参考例句：

• The man is very hospitable.He keeps open house for his friends and fellow-workers.那人十分好客，无论是他的朋友还是同事，他都盛情接待。
• The locals are hospitable and welcoming.当地人热情好客。

10 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

11 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

13 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

14 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

15 rapacious   

adj.贪婪的，强夺的

参考例句：

• He had a rapacious appetite for bird's nest soup.他吃燕窝汤吃个没够。
• Rapacious soldiers looted the houses in the defeated city.贪婪的士兵洗劫了被打败的城市。

16 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

17 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

18 dowdy   

adj.不整洁的；过旧的

参考例句：

• She was in a dowdy blue frock.她穿了件不大洁净的蓝上衣。
• She looked very plain and dowdy.她长得非常普通，衣也过时。