-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
有声名著之双城记
CHAPTER XIIThe Fellow of Delicacy1
MR. STRYVER having made up his mind to that magnanimousbestowal of good fortune on the Doctor's daughter, resolved tomake her happiness known to her before he left town for theLong Vacation. After some mental debating of the point, hecame to the conclusion that it would be as well to get all thepreliminaries done with, and they could then arrange at theirleisure whether he should give her his hand a week or twobefore Michaelmas Term, or in the little Christmas vacationbetween it and Hilary.
As to the strength of his case, he had not a doubt about it,but clearly saw his way to' the verdict. Argued with the juryon substantial worldly grounds--the only grounds ever worthtaking into account--it was a plain case, and had not a weakspot in it. He called himself for the plaintiff, there was nogetting over his evidence, the counsel for the defendant3 threwup his brief, and the jury did not even turn to consider.
After trying it, Stryver, C. J., was satisfied that no plainercase could be.
Accordingly, Mr. Stryver inaugurated the Long Vacation with aformal proposal to take Miss Manette to Vauxhall Gardens; thatfailing, to Ranelagh; that unaccountably failing too, itbehoved him to present himself in Soho, and there declare hisnoble mind.
Towards Soho, therefore, Mr. Steer4 shouldered his way fromthe Temple, while the bloom of the Long Vacation's infancy5 wasstill upon it. Anybody who had seen him projecting himselfinto Soho while he was yet on Saint Dunstan's side of TempleBar, bursting in his full-blown way along the pavement, to thejostlement of all weaker people, might have seen how safe andstrong he was.
His way taking him past Tellson's, and he both banking6 atTellson's and knowing Mr. Lorry as the intimate friend of theManettes, it entered Mr. Stryver's mind to enter the bank, andreveal to Mr. Lorry the brightness of the Soho horizon. So, hepushed open the door with the weak rattle7 in its throat,stumbled down the two steps, got past the two ancientcashiers, and shouldered himself into the musty back closetwhere Mr. Lorry sat at great books ruled for figures, withperpendicular iron bars to his window as if that were ruledfor figures too, and everything under the clouds were a sum.
`Halloa!' said Mr. Stryver. `How do you do? I hope you arewell!'
It was Stryver's grand peculiarity8 that he always seemed toobig for any place, or space. He was so much too big forTellson's, that old clerks in distant corners looked up withlooks of remonstrance9, as though he squeezed them against thewall. The House itself, magnificently reading the paper quitein the far-off perspective, lowered displeased10, as if theStryver head had been butted11 into its responsible waistcoat.
The discreet12 Mr. Lorry said, in a sample tone of the voice hewould recommend under the circumstances, `How do you do, Mr.
Stryver? How do you do, sir?' and shook hands. There was apeculiarity in his manner of shaking hands, always to be seenin any clerk at Tellson's who shook hands with a customer whenthe House pervaded13 the air. He shook in a self-abnegating way,as one who shook for Tellson and Co.
`Can I do anything for you, Mr. Stryver?' asked Mr. Lorry, inhis business character.
`Why, no, thank you; this is a private visit to yourself, Mr.
Lorry; I have come for a private word.'
`Oh indeed!' said Mr. Lorry, bending down his ear, while hiseye strayed to the House afar off.
`I am going,' said Mr. Stryver, leaning his armsconfidentially on the desk: whereupon, although it was a largedouble one, there appeared to be not half desk enough for him:
`I am going to make an offer of myself in marriage to youragreeable little friend, Miss Manette, Mr. Lorry.'
Oh dear me!' cried Mr. Lorry, rubbing his chin, and lookingat his visitor dubiously14.
`Oh dear me, sir?' repeated Stryver, drawing back.
`Oh dear you, sir? What may your meaning be, Mr. Lorry?'
`My meaning,' answered the man of business, `is, of course,friendly and appreciative15, and that it does you the greatestcredit, and--in short, my meaning is everything you coulddesire. But--really, you know, Mr. Stryver ---' Mr. Lorrypaused, and shook his head at him in the oddest manner, as ifhe were compelled against his will to add, internally, `youknow there really is so much too much of you!'
`Well!' said Stryver, slapping the desk with his contentioushand, opening his eyes wider, and taking a long breath, `if Iunderstand you, Mr. Lorry, I'll be hanged!'
Mr. Lorry adjusted his little wig16 at both ears as a meanstowards that end, and bit the feather of a pen.
`D--n it all, sir!' said Stryver, staring at him, `am I noteligible?'
`Oh dear yes! Yes. Oh yes, you're eligible17!' said Mr. Lorry.
`If you say eligible, you are eligible.'
`Am I not prosperous?' asked Stryver.
`Oh! if you come to prosperous, you are prosperous,' said Mr.
Lorry.
`And advancing?'
`If you come to advancing, you know,' said Mr. Lorry,delighted to be able to make another admission, `nobody candoubt that.'
`Then what on earth is your meaning, Mr. Lorry?' demandedStryver, perceptibly crestfallen18.
1 delicacy | |
n.精致,细微,微妙,精良;美味,佳肴 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 tune | |
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 defendant | |
n.被告;adj.处于被告地位的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 steer | |
vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 infancy | |
n.婴儿期;幼年期;初期 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 banking | |
n.银行业,银行学,金融业 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 rattle | |
v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 peculiarity | |
n.独特性,特色;特殊的东西;怪癖 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 remonstrance | |
n抗议,抱怨 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 displeased | |
a.不快的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 butted | |
对接的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 discreet | |
adj.(言行)谨慎的;慎重的;有判断力的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 pervaded | |
v.遍及,弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 dubiously | |
adv.可疑地,怀疑地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 appreciative | |
adj.有鉴赏力的,有眼力的;感激的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 wig | |
n.假发 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 eligible | |
adj.有条件被选中的;(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 crestfallen | |
adj. 挫败的,失望的,沮丧的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 forensic | |
adj.法庭的,雄辩的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 forensically | |
adv.forensic(法庭的,法庭用的;法医的;公开辩论的,论争的)的变形 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 forefinger | |
n.食指 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 infinitely | |
adv.无限地,无穷地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 mincing | |
adj.矫饰的;v.切碎;切碎 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 veins | |
n.纹理;矿脉( vein的名词复数 );静脉;叶脉;纹理 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 justified | |
a.正当的,有理的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 recollect | |
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 explicit | |
adj.详述的,明确的;坦率的;显然的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 judgment | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 chambers | |
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 concussion | |
n.脑震荡;震动 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 tactician | |
n. 战术家, 策士 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 preoccupied | |
adj.全神贯注的,入神的;被抢先占有的;心事重重的v.占据(某人)思想,使对…全神贯注,使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 follies | |
罪恶,时事讽刺剧; 愚蠢,蠢笨,愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 repented | |
对(自己的所为)感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 generosity | |
n.大度,慷慨,慷慨的行为 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 erring | |
做错事的,错误的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 winking | |
n.瞬眼,目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮 | |
参考例句: |
|
|