Departed Days 分别时刻
文章来源:未知 文章作者:meng 发布时间:2010-05-17 02:43 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

In the year of our Lord, 1867, there came to work at No. 145 Broadway a thin, prematurely1 old and gray young man of not more than twenty-six years. No one seemed to know anything about him, and he soon dropped into our ranks and came and went day after day without eliciting2(诱发,刺激) much interest on the part of those around him. He was very quiet, and seldom spoke3 unless addressed, but then in a low and sweetly musical voice. That he was intelligent and well educated everybody conceded(承认,退让) , but he manifested(显示,证明) no disposition4(性情,倾向) to mix with the general throng5(人群,众多) ; and thus it happened that the general throng, without thinking much about it, came to speak of him with more respect than the appellation6(名称,称呼) given him would imply as “old George Phipps,” and to leave him pretty much to himself. He sat right across the aisle7(通道,走廊) from me, and I often studied his sad though pleasant face, and ere long(不久,很快) put his name down in my mind with those of some other men I had met, and whom I may briefly8 describe by stating that they were men with histories. Yes, I was moderately sure that George Phipps had a history, and I longed to know what it was, and give him my young and boyish(男孩的) friendship for all it was worth. But months passed, and we knew no more of our associate than we did when he came, except that he was a magnificent operator, and that he was as sweet as a day in June, though as sad, as I have indicated, as the melancholy9(忧愁,悲哀) and sighing days of the later autumn. His voice and manner always reminded me of the falling of the hectic10(兴奋的,狂热的) October leaves, the surging of the autumn wind through leafless branches. But the glorious sunbeams(阳光) were always resting on his head, making sweet and loveable his life and character.

One night we had a severe sleet11(雨夹雪) storm, and hardly a wire was left intact in any direction. The full force had been ordered on duty waiting for the lines to come “O.K.” and sal about in little knots, telling stories and speculating on the chances of being kept on duty until morning. For a time I formed one of a little company, but not being particularly interested in the topic of discussion, and seeing George Phipps sitting alone, I approached him. After a short exchange of common-places, I asked, abruptly12:

“Are you a married man, Mr. Phipps?”

The reply came slowly: “No.”

If that little monosyllable(单音节词) had been kept on ice for a century it could not have been colder. I saw that I had been imprudent(轻率的,鲁莽的) , that I had awkwardly touched a chord in the man’s heart that was sacred. I was very sorry, and being very young and inexperienced in hiding my emotions, I made a failure of it. The tears came into my eyes, my lip trembled, and I felt wretched. He saw the state of things at a glance, and said, kindly13:

“I beg your pardon, John, I didn’t mean to be rude, but I had just been thinking of events scarcely six years old, but such bitter, hopeless memories that it seems as if I had lived a thousand years since the page on which they are written was turned down in the book of Fate—turned down forever.”

He paused, and I said nothing. “I have never spoken of these things,” he continued, “but I think I was something like you at twenty; how sadly I have changed since then!”

He stopped again, and then continued: “I don’t mind telling you my story, if you would care to hear it;” and as I eagerly answered, “Do tell me,” he resumed: “It is a sad story, my little friend, it concerns a woman. Some say, hearts do not break, others, that women’s hearts do sometimes, but that a man’s is tough, and can bear disaster to the affections without material injury. May be it is true, generally speaking, but there are exceptions—the exceptions, I suppose,” he said, musingly14, “that philosophers(哲学家) would tell you prove the rule. You see me to-day old and prematurely gray. I have never been a dissipated(沉迷酒色的,放荡的) man. I inherited a fine constitution from my father. I have lived regularly and have never suffered from disease, but I am as you see me, nevertheless. Do you ask me if I am heart broken? I can not say that, but I have mourned over dead and buried hopes for five years, and God’s beautiful world will never look so fair and sweet again to me as the hour when I close my eyes upon it forever.”

He moved slightly in his chair, and said, as if studying on the matter, “It looks like a case of broken heart, don’t it?”



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1 prematurely nlMzW4     
adv.过早地,贸然地
参考例句:
  • She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产,肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了,不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句
2 eliciting f08f75f51c1af2ad2f06093ec0cc0789     
n. 诱发, 引出 动词elicit的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • He succeeded in eliciting the information he needed from her. 他从她那里问出了他所需要的信息。
  • A criminal trial isn't a tribunal for eliciting the truth. 刑事审讯并非是一种要探明真相的审判。
3 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
4 disposition GljzO     
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署
参考例句:
  • He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
  • He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。
5 throng sGTy4     
n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集
参考例句:
  • A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。
  • The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。
6 appellation lvvzv     
n.名称,称呼
参考例句:
  • The emperor of Russia Peter I was given the appellation " the Great ".俄皇彼得一世被加上了“大帝”的称号。
  • Kinsfolk appellation is the kinfolks system reflection in language.亲属称谓是亲属制度在语言中的反应。
7 aisle qxPz3     
n.(教堂、教室、戏院等里的)过道,通道
参考例句:
  • The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
  • The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。
8 briefly 9Styo     
adv.简单地,简短地
参考例句:
  • I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
  • He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
9 melancholy t7rz8     
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。
10 hectic jdZzk     
adj.肺病的;消耗热的;发热的;闹哄哄的
参考例句:
  • I spent a very hectic Sunday.我度过了一个忙乱的星期天。
  • The two days we spent there were enjoyable but hectic.我们在那里度过的两天愉快但闹哄哄的。
11 sleet wxlw6     
n.雨雪;v.下雨雪,下冰雹
参考例句:
  • There was a great deal of sleet last night.昨夜雨夹雪下得真大。
  • When winter comes,we get sleet and frost.冬天来到时我们这儿会有雨夹雪和霜冻。
12 abruptly iINyJ     
adv.突然地,出其不意地
参考例句:
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
13 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
14 musingly ddec53b7ea68b079ee6cb62ac6c95bf9     
adv.沉思地,冥想地
参考例句:
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