《远大前程》第4章 一份从陌生人那里来的礼品(1)

Chapter 4 A present from a stranger

第4章 一份从陌生人那里来的礼品

I desperately¹ wanted to be accepted by Estella．

我不顾死活地想被艾丝黛拉所接受。

I realized I could never become well-educated just by attending old Mrs Wopsle's evening school，

我认识到，只参加陈旧的伍甫赛夫人的夜校，

so I asked Mr Wopsle's cousin Biddy to teach me everything she knew．

不可能成为有良好教养的人。因此，我要求伍甫赛先生的表妹毕蒂，把她所有的知识都教给我，

She helped me as much as she could，but I knew it would take a long time to reach Estella's level．

她尽全力帮助我。但是，我知道要达到艾丝黛拉的水平，需要花费很长的时间。

One evening I went to fetch Joe from the village pub², where my sister sometimes allowed him to smoke his pipe and have a beer．

一天晚上，我想去镇上的小酒店接乔。有时，我姐姐允许他在这儿抽烟斗和喝点啤酒。

Mr Wopsle and Joe were sitting with a stranger，a man I'd never seen before．

伍甫赛先生和乔正在同一个陌生人坐着，这个人我以前从没见过。

One of his eyes was half closed,and he wore a big hat which covered most of his head．

他的一只眼半闭着，戴着一顶大帽子几乎把他的头都盖住。

He suddenly looked interested when I arrived，and rubbed his leg in a rather strange way．

当我到来时，他突然感兴趣地看着，并用一种奇特的方式，磨蹭着腿。

He had just ordered hot rum for the three of them．

他刚为他们三人要了热朗姆酒。

It' s lonely country round here，gentlemen，he said．Yes，said Joe，just marshes³ down to the river．

这里周围是一个孤独的农村吗？先生们。他说。是的，乔说，过了沼泽地就是河。

Do people ever spend the night on the marshes？

人们总是要天黑才到沼泽地里吗？

No，replied Joe，except an escaped prisoner⁴ sometimes．Difficult to find，they are．

不是，乔回答说，有时除了逃犯，他们很难去发现。

Went out to look for one once，me，and Mr Wopsle，and young Pip here．Didn't we，Pip？

我和伍甫赛先生，还有这儿的小匹普出去寻找过一次，是吗？匹普。

Yes，Joe.

是的，乔。

The stranger looked at me with his good eye．

陌生人用他的好眼睛看着我。

What's his name？Pip？Your son，is he？

他的名字叫什么？匹普？你的儿子，是吗？

The boy is the blacksmith's wife's brother，explained Mr Wopsle in his official church clerk's voice．

这个孩子是铁匠妻子的弟弟，伍甫赛先生用他那正式的教堂职员腔调解释说。

1 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

2 pub   

n.[英]旅馆，小店，酒馆

参考例句：

• He is the landlord of this pub.他是这家酒店的店主。
• They saw that four large men marched into the pub.他们看到四个彪形大汉走进了酒吧。

3 marshes   

n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。
• We had to cross the marshes. 我们不得不穿过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 prisoner   

n.俘虏，囚犯，被监禁的人

参考例句：

• The soldier reported that a prisoner was at large.士兵报告说一名囚犯在逃。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。