时间:2018-12-31 作者:英语课 分类:英语名著名段背诵精华


英语课

The pleasant family


When in an hour they crowded into a cab to go home, I strolled idly to my club. I was perhaps a little lonely, and it was with a touch of envy that I thought of the pleasant family life of which I had had a glimpse. They seemed devoted 1 to one another. They had little private jokes of their own which, unintelligible 2 to the outsider, amused them enormously. Perhaps Charles Strickland was dull judged by a standard that demanded above all things verbal scintillation; but his intelligence was adequate to his surroundings, and that is a passport, not only to reasonable success, but still more to happiness. Mrs. Strickland was a charming woman, and she loved him. I pictured their lives, troubled by no untoward 3 adventure, honest, decent, and, by reason of those two upstanding, pleasant children, so obviously destined 4 to carry on the normal traditions of their race and station, not without significance. They would grow old insensibly; they would see their son and daughter come to years of reason, marry in due course —— the one a pretty girl, future mother of healthy children; the other a handsome, manly 5 fellow, obviously a soldier; and at last, prosperous in their dignified 6 retirement 7, beloved by their descendants, after a happy, not unuseful life, in the fullness of their age they would sink into the grave.


——Excerpt from the Moon and Sixpennce by W. Somerset Maugham


一个钟头以后,这一家挤上一辆马车回家去了,我也一个人懒散地往俱乐部踱去。我也许感到有一点寂寞,回想我刚才瞥见的这种幸福家庭生活,心里不无艳羡之感。这一家人感情似乎非常融洽。他们说一些外人无从理解的小笑话,笑得要命。如果纯粹从善于辞令这一角度衡量一个人的智慧,也许查理斯。思特里克兰德算不得聪明,但是在他自己的那个环境里,他的智慧还是绰绰有余的,这不仅是事业成功的敲门砖,而且是生活幸福的保障。思特里克兰德太太是一个招人喜爱的女人,她很爱她的丈夫。我想象着这一对夫妻的生活,不受任何灾殃祸变的干扰,诚实、体面,两个孩子更是规矩可爱,肯定会继承和发扬这一家人的地位和传统。在不知不觉间,他们俩的年纪越来越老,儿女却逐渐长大成人,到了一定的年龄,就会结婚成家——一个已经出息成美丽的姑娘,将来还会生育活泼健康的孩子;另一个则是仪表堂堂的男子汉,显然会成为一名军人。最后这一对夫妻告老引退,受到子孙敬爱,过着富足、体面的晚年。他们幸福的一生并未虚度,直到年寿已经很高,才告别了人世。


——摘自《月亮与六便士》威廉•萨默塞特•毛姆



adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
adj.无法了解的,难解的,莫明其妙的
  • If a computer is given unintelligible data, it returns unintelligible results.如果计算机得到的是难以理解的数据,它给出的也将是难以理解的结果。
  • The terms were unintelligible to ordinary folk.这些术语一般人是不懂的。
adj.不利的,不幸的,困难重重的
  • Untoward circumstances prevent me from being with you on this festive occasion.有些不幸的事件使我不能在这欢庆的时刻和你在一起。
  • I'll come if nothing untoward happens.我要是没有特殊情况一定来。
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的
  • It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
  • The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。
adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地
  • The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
  • He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务,并希望别人效之。
a.可敬的,高贵的
  • Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中,他始终沉默以保持尊严。
  • He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。
n.退休,退职
  • She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
  • I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。
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