【有声英语文学名著】不会发生在这里(29)
时间:2019-01-26 作者:英语课 分类:有声英语文学名著
英语课
It Can't Happen Here
by Sinclair Lewis
Chapter 29
The propaganda throughout the country was not all to the New Underground; not even most of it; and though the pamphleteers for the N.U., at home and exiled abroad, included hundreds of the most capable professional journalists of America, they were cramped 1 by a certain respect for facts which never enfeebled the press agents for Corpoism. And the Corpos had a notable staff. It included college presidents, some of the most renowned 2 among the radio announcers who aforetime had crooned their affection for mouth washes and noninsomniac coffee, famous ex-war-correspondents, ex-governors, former vice-presidents of the American Federation 3 of Labor 4, and no less an artist than the public relations counsel of a princely corporation of electrical-goods manufacturers.
The newspapers everywhere might no longer be so wishily-washily liberal as to print the opinions of non-Corpos; they might give but little news from those old-fashioned and democratic countries, Great Britain, France, and the Scandinavian states; might indeed print almost no foreign news, except as regards the triumphs of Italy in giving Ethiopia good roads, trains on time, freedom from beggars and from men of honor, and all the other spiritual benefactions of Roman civilization. But, on the other hand, never had newspapers shown so many comic strips--the most popular was a very funny one about a preposterous 5 New Underground crank, who wore mortuary black with a high hat decorated with crêpe and who was always being comically beaten up by M.M.'s. Never had there been, even in the days when Mr. Hearst was freeing Cuba, so many large red headlines. Never so many dramatic drawings of murders--the murderers were always notorious anti-Corpos. Never such a wealth of literature, worthy 6 its twenty-four-hour immortality 7, as the articles proving, and proving by figures, that American wages were universally higher, commodities universally lower-priced, war budgets smaller but the army and its equipment much larger, than ever in history. Never such righteous polemics 8 as the proofs that all non-Corpos were Communists.
Almost daily, Windrip, Sarason, Dr. Macgoblin, Secretary of War Luthorne, or Vice-President Perley Beecroft humbly 9 addressed their Masters, the great General Public, on the radio, and congratulated them on making a new world by their example of American solidarity--marching shoulder to shoulder under the Grand Old Flag, comrades in the blessings 10 of peace and comrades in the joys of war to come.
Much-heralded movies, subsidized by the government (and could there be any better proof of the attention paid by Dr. Macgoblin and the other Nazi 11 leaders to the arts than the fact that movie actors who before the days of the Chief were receiving only fifteen hundred gold dollars a week were now getting five thousand?), showed the M.M.'s driving armored motors at eighty miles an hour, piloting a fleet of one thousand planes, and being very tender to a little girl with a kitten.
Everyone, including Doremus Jessup, had said in 1935, "If there ever is a Fascist 13 dictatorship here, American humor and pioneer independence are so marked that it will be absolutely different from anything in Europe."
For almost a year after Windrip came in, this seemed true. The Chief was photographed playing poker 14, in shirtsleeves and with a derby on the back of his head, with a newspaperman, a chauffeur 15, and a pair of rugged 16 steel-workers. Dr. Macgoblin in person led an Elks 17' brass 18 band and dived in competition with the Atlantic City bathing-beauties. It was reputably reported that M.M.'s apologized to political prisoners for having to arrest them, and that the prisoners joked amiably 19 with the guards . . . at first.
All that was gone, within a year after the inauguration 20, and surprised scientists discovered that whips and handcuffs hurt just as sorely in the clear American air as in the miasmic 21 fogs of Prussia.
Doremus, reading the authors he had concealed 22 in the horsehair sofa--the gallant 23 Communist, Karl Billinger, the gallant anti-Communist, Tchernavin, and the gallant neutral, Lorant--began to see something like a biology of dictatorships, all dictatorships. The universal apprehension 24, the timorous 25 denials of faith, the same methods of arrest--sudden pounding on the door late at night, the squad 26 of police pushing in, the blows, the search, the obscene oaths at the frightened women, the third degree by young snipe of officials, the accompanying blows and then the formal beatings, when the prisoner is forced to count the strokes until he faints, the leprous beds and the sour stew 27, guards jokingly shooting round and round a prisoner who believes he is being executed, the waiting in solitude 28 to know what will happen, till men go mad and hang themselves--
Thus had things gone in Germany, exactly thus in Soviet 29 Russia, in Italy and Hungary and Poland, Spain and Cuba and Japan and China. Not very different had it been under the blessings of liberty and fraternity in the French Revolution. All dictators followed the same routine of torture, as if they had all read the same manual of sadistic 30 etiquette 31. And now, in the humorous, friendly, happy-go-lucky land of Mark Twain, Doremus saw the homicidal maniacs 32 having just as good a time as they had had in central Europe.
America followed, too, the same ingenious finances as Europe. Windrip had promised to make everybody richer, and had contrived 33 to make everybody, except for a few hundred bankers and industrialists 34 and soldiers, much poorer. He needed no higher mathematicians 35 to produce his financial statements: any ordinary press agent could do them. To show a 100 per cent economy in military expenditures 36, while increasing the establishment 700 per cent, it had been necessary only to charge up all expenditures for the Minute Men to non-military departments, so that their training in the art of bayonet-sticking was debited 37 to the Department of Education. To show an increase in average wages one did tricks with "categories of labor" and "required minimum wages," and forgot to state how many workers ever did become entitled to the "minimum," and how much was charged as wages, on the books, for food and shelter for the millions in the labor camps.
It all made dazzling reading. There had never been more elegant and romantic fiction.
Even loyal Corpos began to wonder why the armed forces, army and M.M.'s together, were being so increased. Was a frightened Windrip getting ready to defend himself against a rising of the whole nation? Did he plan to attack all of North and South America and make himself an emperor? Or both? In any case, the forces were so swollen 38 that even with its despotic power of taxation 39, the Corpo government never had enough. They began to force exports, to practice the "dumping" of wheat, corn, timber, copper 40, oil, machinery 41. They increased production, forced it by fines and threats, then stripped the farmer of all he had, for export at depreciated 42 prices. But at home the prices were not depreciated but increased, so that the more we exported, the less the industrial worker in America had to eat. And really zealous 43 County Commissioners 45 took from the farmer (after the patriotic 46 manner of many Mid-Western counties in 1918) even his seed grain, so that he could grow no more, and on the very acres where once he had raised superfluous 47 wheat he now starved for bread. And while he was starving, the Commissioners continued to try to make him pay for the Corpo bonds which he had been made to buy on the instalment plan.
But still, when he did finally starve to death, none of these things worried him.
There were bread lines now in Fort Beulah, once or twice a week.
The hardest phenomenon of dictatorship for a Doremus to understand, even when he saw it daily in his own street, was the steady diminution 48 of gayety among the people.
America, like England and Scotland, had never really been a gay nation. Rather it had been heavily and noisily jocular, with a substratum of worry and insecurity, in the image of its patron saint, Lincoln of the rollicking stories and the tragic 49 heart. But at least there had been hearty 50 greetings, man to man; there had been clamorous 51 jazz for dancing, and the lively, slangy catcalls of young people, and the nervous blatting of tremendous traffic.
All that false cheerfulness lessened 52 now, day by day.
The Corpos found nothing more convenient to milk than public pleasures. After the bread had molded, the circuses were closed. There were taxes or increased taxes on motorcars, movies, theaters, dances, and ice-cream sodas 53. There was a tax on playing a phonograph or radio in any restaurant. Lee Sarason, himself a bachelor, conceived of super-taxing bachelors and spinsters, and contrariwise of taxing all weddings at which more than five persons were present.
Even the most reckless youngsters went less and less to public entertainments, because no one not ostentatiously in uniform cared to be noticed, these days. It was impossible to sit in a public place without wondering which spies were watching you. So all the world stayed home--and jumped anxiously at every passing footstep, every telephone ring, every tap of an ivy 54 sprig on the window.
The score of people definitely pledged to the New Underground were the only persons to whom Doremus dared talk about anything more incriminating than whether it was likely to rain, though he had been the friendliest gossip in town. Always it had taken ten minutes longer than was humanly possible for him to walk to the Informer office, because he stopped on every corner to ask after someone's sick wife, politics, potato crop, opinions about Deism, or luck at fishing.
As he read of rebels against the régime who worked in Rome, in Berlin, he envied them. They had thousands of government agents, unknown by sight and thus the more dangerous, to watch them; but also they had thousands of comrades from whom to seek encouragement, exciting personal tattle, shop talk, and the assurance that they were not altogether idiotic 55 to risk their lives for a mistress so ungrateful as Revolution. Those secret flats in great cities--perhaps some of them really were filled with the rosy 56 glow they had in fiction. But the Fort Beulahs, anywhere in the world, were so isolated 57, the conspirators 58 so uninspiringly familiar one to another, that only by inexplicable 59 faith could one go on.
Now that Lorinda was gone, there certainly was nothing very diverting in sneaking 60 round corners, trying to look like somebody else, merely to meet Buck 61 and Dan Wilgus and that good woman, Sissy!
Buck and he and the rest--they were such amateurs. They needed the guidance of veteran agitators 62 like Mr. Ailey and Mr. Bailey and Mr. Cailey.
Their feeble pamphlets, their smearily printed newspaper, seemed futile 63 against the enormous blare of Corpo propaganda. It seemed worse than futile, it seemed insane, to risk martyrdom in a world where Fascists 64 persecuted 65 Communists, Communists persecuted Social-Democrats, Social-Democrats persecuted everybody who would stand for it; where "Aryans" who looked like Jews persecuted Jews who looked like Aryans and Jews persecuted their debtors 66; where every statesman and clergyman praised Peace and brightly asserted that the only way to get Peace was to get ready for War.
What conceivable reason could one have for seeking after righteousness in a world which so hated righteousness? Why do anything except eat and read and make love and provide for sleep that should be secure against disturbance 67 by armed policemen?
He never did find any particularly good reason. He simply went on.
In June, when the Fort Beulah cell of the New Underground had been carrying on for some three months, Mr. Francis Tasbrough, the golden quarryman, called on his neighbor, Doremus.
"How are you, Frank?"
"Fine, Remus. How's the old carping critic?"
"Fine, Frank. Still carping. Fine carping weather, at that. Have a cigar?"
"Thanks. Got a match? Thanks. Saw Sissy yesterday. She looks fine."
"Yes, she's fine. I saw Malcolm driving by yesterday. How did he like it in the Provincial 69 University, at New York?"
"Oh, fine--fine. He says the athletics 70 are grand. They're getting Primo Carnera over to coach in tennis next year--I think it's Carnera--I think it's tennis--but anyway, the athletics are fine there, Malcolm says. Say, uh, Remus, there's something I been meaning to ask you. I, uh--The fact is--I want you to be sure and not repeat this to anybody. I know you can be trusted with a secret, even if you are a newspaperman--or used to be, I mean, but--The fact is (and this is inside stuff; official), there's going to be some governmental promotions 71 all along the line--this is confidential 72, and it comes to me straight from the Provincial Commissioner 44, Colonel Haik. Luthorne is finished as Secretary of War--he's a nice fellow, but he hasn't got as much publicity 73 for the Corpos out of his office as the Chief expected him to. Haik is to have his job, and also take over the position of High Marshal of the Minute Men from Lee Sarason--I suppose Sarason has too much to do. Well then, John Sullivan Reek 74 is slated 75 to be Provincial Commissioner; that leaves the office of District Commissioner for Vermont-New Hampshire empty, and I'm one of the people being seriously considered. I've done a lot of speaking for the Corpos, and I know Dewey Haik very well--I was able to advise him about erecting 76 public buildings. Of course there's none of the County Commissioners around here that measure up to a district commissionership--not even Dr. Staubmeyer--certainly not Shad Ledue. Now if you could see your way clear to throw in with me, your influence would help--"
"Good heavens, Frank, the worst thing you could have happen, if you want the job, is to have me favor you! The Corpos don't like me. Oh, of course they know I'm loyal, not one of these dirty, sneaking anti-Corpos, but I never made enough noise in the paper to please 'em."
"That's just it, Remus! I've got a really striking idea. Even if they don't like you, the Corpos respect you, and they know how long you've been important in the State. We'd all be greatly pleased if you came out and joined us. Now just suppose you did so and let people know that it was my influence that converted you to Corpoism. That might give me quite a leg-up. And between old friends like us, Remus, I can tell you that this job of District Commissioner would be useful to me in the quarry 68 business, aside from the social advantages. And if I got the position, I can promise you that I'd either get the Informer taken away from Staubmeyer and that dirty little stinker, Itchitt, and given back to you to run absolutely as you pleased--providing, of course, you had the sense to keep from criticizing the Chief and the State. Or, if you'd rather, I think I could probably wangle a job for you as military judge (they don't necessarily have to be lawyers) or maybe President Peaseley's job as District Director of Education--you'd have a lot of fun out of that!--awfully amusing the way all the teachers kiss the Director's foot! Come on, old man! Think of all the fun we used to have in the old days! Come to your senses and face the inevitable 77 and join us and fix up some good publicity for me. How about it--huh, huh?"
Doremus reflected that the worst trial of a revolutionary propagandist was not risking his life, but having to be civil to people like Future-Commissioner Tasbrough.
He supposed that his voice was polite as he muttered, "Afraid I'm too old to try it, Frank," but apparently 78 Tasbrough was offended. He sprang up and tramped away grumbling 79, "Oh, very well then!"
"And I didn't give him a chance to say anything about being realistic or breaking eggs to make an omelet," regretted Doremus.
The next day Malcolm Tasbrough, meeting Sissy on the street, made his beefy most of cutting her. At the time the Jessups thought that was very amusing. They thought the occasion less amusing when Malcolm chased little David out of the Tasbrough apple orchard 80, which he had been wont 81 to use as the Great Western Forest where at any time one was rather more than likely to meet Kit 12 Carson, Robin 82 Hood 83, and Colonel Lindbergh hunting together.
Having only Frank's word for it, Doremus could do no more than hint in Vermont Vigilance that Colonel Dewey Haik was to be made Secretary of War, and give Haik's actual military record, which included the facts that as a first lieutenant 84 in France in 1918, he had been under fire for less than fifteen minutes, and that his one real triumph had been commanding state militia 85 during a strike in Oregon, when eleven strikers had been shot down, five of them in the back.
Then Doremus forgot Tasbrough completely and happily.
by Sinclair Lewis
Chapter 29
The propaganda throughout the country was not all to the New Underground; not even most of it; and though the pamphleteers for the N.U., at home and exiled abroad, included hundreds of the most capable professional journalists of America, they were cramped 1 by a certain respect for facts which never enfeebled the press agents for Corpoism. And the Corpos had a notable staff. It included college presidents, some of the most renowned 2 among the radio announcers who aforetime had crooned their affection for mouth washes and noninsomniac coffee, famous ex-war-correspondents, ex-governors, former vice-presidents of the American Federation 3 of Labor 4, and no less an artist than the public relations counsel of a princely corporation of electrical-goods manufacturers.
The newspapers everywhere might no longer be so wishily-washily liberal as to print the opinions of non-Corpos; they might give but little news from those old-fashioned and democratic countries, Great Britain, France, and the Scandinavian states; might indeed print almost no foreign news, except as regards the triumphs of Italy in giving Ethiopia good roads, trains on time, freedom from beggars and from men of honor, and all the other spiritual benefactions of Roman civilization. But, on the other hand, never had newspapers shown so many comic strips--the most popular was a very funny one about a preposterous 5 New Underground crank, who wore mortuary black with a high hat decorated with crêpe and who was always being comically beaten up by M.M.'s. Never had there been, even in the days when Mr. Hearst was freeing Cuba, so many large red headlines. Never so many dramatic drawings of murders--the murderers were always notorious anti-Corpos. Never such a wealth of literature, worthy 6 its twenty-four-hour immortality 7, as the articles proving, and proving by figures, that American wages were universally higher, commodities universally lower-priced, war budgets smaller but the army and its equipment much larger, than ever in history. Never such righteous polemics 8 as the proofs that all non-Corpos were Communists.
Almost daily, Windrip, Sarason, Dr. Macgoblin, Secretary of War Luthorne, or Vice-President Perley Beecroft humbly 9 addressed their Masters, the great General Public, on the radio, and congratulated them on making a new world by their example of American solidarity--marching shoulder to shoulder under the Grand Old Flag, comrades in the blessings 10 of peace and comrades in the joys of war to come.
Much-heralded movies, subsidized by the government (and could there be any better proof of the attention paid by Dr. Macgoblin and the other Nazi 11 leaders to the arts than the fact that movie actors who before the days of the Chief were receiving only fifteen hundred gold dollars a week were now getting five thousand?), showed the M.M.'s driving armored motors at eighty miles an hour, piloting a fleet of one thousand planes, and being very tender to a little girl with a kitten.
Everyone, including Doremus Jessup, had said in 1935, "If there ever is a Fascist 13 dictatorship here, American humor and pioneer independence are so marked that it will be absolutely different from anything in Europe."
For almost a year after Windrip came in, this seemed true. The Chief was photographed playing poker 14, in shirtsleeves and with a derby on the back of his head, with a newspaperman, a chauffeur 15, and a pair of rugged 16 steel-workers. Dr. Macgoblin in person led an Elks 17' brass 18 band and dived in competition with the Atlantic City bathing-beauties. It was reputably reported that M.M.'s apologized to political prisoners for having to arrest them, and that the prisoners joked amiably 19 with the guards . . . at first.
All that was gone, within a year after the inauguration 20, and surprised scientists discovered that whips and handcuffs hurt just as sorely in the clear American air as in the miasmic 21 fogs of Prussia.
Doremus, reading the authors he had concealed 22 in the horsehair sofa--the gallant 23 Communist, Karl Billinger, the gallant anti-Communist, Tchernavin, and the gallant neutral, Lorant--began to see something like a biology of dictatorships, all dictatorships. The universal apprehension 24, the timorous 25 denials of faith, the same methods of arrest--sudden pounding on the door late at night, the squad 26 of police pushing in, the blows, the search, the obscene oaths at the frightened women, the third degree by young snipe of officials, the accompanying blows and then the formal beatings, when the prisoner is forced to count the strokes until he faints, the leprous beds and the sour stew 27, guards jokingly shooting round and round a prisoner who believes he is being executed, the waiting in solitude 28 to know what will happen, till men go mad and hang themselves--
Thus had things gone in Germany, exactly thus in Soviet 29 Russia, in Italy and Hungary and Poland, Spain and Cuba and Japan and China. Not very different had it been under the blessings of liberty and fraternity in the French Revolution. All dictators followed the same routine of torture, as if they had all read the same manual of sadistic 30 etiquette 31. And now, in the humorous, friendly, happy-go-lucky land of Mark Twain, Doremus saw the homicidal maniacs 32 having just as good a time as they had had in central Europe.
America followed, too, the same ingenious finances as Europe. Windrip had promised to make everybody richer, and had contrived 33 to make everybody, except for a few hundred bankers and industrialists 34 and soldiers, much poorer. He needed no higher mathematicians 35 to produce his financial statements: any ordinary press agent could do them. To show a 100 per cent economy in military expenditures 36, while increasing the establishment 700 per cent, it had been necessary only to charge up all expenditures for the Minute Men to non-military departments, so that their training in the art of bayonet-sticking was debited 37 to the Department of Education. To show an increase in average wages one did tricks with "categories of labor" and "required minimum wages," and forgot to state how many workers ever did become entitled to the "minimum," and how much was charged as wages, on the books, for food and shelter for the millions in the labor camps.
It all made dazzling reading. There had never been more elegant and romantic fiction.
Even loyal Corpos began to wonder why the armed forces, army and M.M.'s together, were being so increased. Was a frightened Windrip getting ready to defend himself against a rising of the whole nation? Did he plan to attack all of North and South America and make himself an emperor? Or both? In any case, the forces were so swollen 38 that even with its despotic power of taxation 39, the Corpo government never had enough. They began to force exports, to practice the "dumping" of wheat, corn, timber, copper 40, oil, machinery 41. They increased production, forced it by fines and threats, then stripped the farmer of all he had, for export at depreciated 42 prices. But at home the prices were not depreciated but increased, so that the more we exported, the less the industrial worker in America had to eat. And really zealous 43 County Commissioners 45 took from the farmer (after the patriotic 46 manner of many Mid-Western counties in 1918) even his seed grain, so that he could grow no more, and on the very acres where once he had raised superfluous 47 wheat he now starved for bread. And while he was starving, the Commissioners continued to try to make him pay for the Corpo bonds which he had been made to buy on the instalment plan.
But still, when he did finally starve to death, none of these things worried him.
There were bread lines now in Fort Beulah, once or twice a week.
The hardest phenomenon of dictatorship for a Doremus to understand, even when he saw it daily in his own street, was the steady diminution 48 of gayety among the people.
America, like England and Scotland, had never really been a gay nation. Rather it had been heavily and noisily jocular, with a substratum of worry and insecurity, in the image of its patron saint, Lincoln of the rollicking stories and the tragic 49 heart. But at least there had been hearty 50 greetings, man to man; there had been clamorous 51 jazz for dancing, and the lively, slangy catcalls of young people, and the nervous blatting of tremendous traffic.
All that false cheerfulness lessened 52 now, day by day.
The Corpos found nothing more convenient to milk than public pleasures. After the bread had molded, the circuses were closed. There were taxes or increased taxes on motorcars, movies, theaters, dances, and ice-cream sodas 53. There was a tax on playing a phonograph or radio in any restaurant. Lee Sarason, himself a bachelor, conceived of super-taxing bachelors and spinsters, and contrariwise of taxing all weddings at which more than five persons were present.
Even the most reckless youngsters went less and less to public entertainments, because no one not ostentatiously in uniform cared to be noticed, these days. It was impossible to sit in a public place without wondering which spies were watching you. So all the world stayed home--and jumped anxiously at every passing footstep, every telephone ring, every tap of an ivy 54 sprig on the window.
The score of people definitely pledged to the New Underground were the only persons to whom Doremus dared talk about anything more incriminating than whether it was likely to rain, though he had been the friendliest gossip in town. Always it had taken ten minutes longer than was humanly possible for him to walk to the Informer office, because he stopped on every corner to ask after someone's sick wife, politics, potato crop, opinions about Deism, or luck at fishing.
As he read of rebels against the régime who worked in Rome, in Berlin, he envied them. They had thousands of government agents, unknown by sight and thus the more dangerous, to watch them; but also they had thousands of comrades from whom to seek encouragement, exciting personal tattle, shop talk, and the assurance that they were not altogether idiotic 55 to risk their lives for a mistress so ungrateful as Revolution. Those secret flats in great cities--perhaps some of them really were filled with the rosy 56 glow they had in fiction. But the Fort Beulahs, anywhere in the world, were so isolated 57, the conspirators 58 so uninspiringly familiar one to another, that only by inexplicable 59 faith could one go on.
Now that Lorinda was gone, there certainly was nothing very diverting in sneaking 60 round corners, trying to look like somebody else, merely to meet Buck 61 and Dan Wilgus and that good woman, Sissy!
Buck and he and the rest--they were such amateurs. They needed the guidance of veteran agitators 62 like Mr. Ailey and Mr. Bailey and Mr. Cailey.
Their feeble pamphlets, their smearily printed newspaper, seemed futile 63 against the enormous blare of Corpo propaganda. It seemed worse than futile, it seemed insane, to risk martyrdom in a world where Fascists 64 persecuted 65 Communists, Communists persecuted Social-Democrats, Social-Democrats persecuted everybody who would stand for it; where "Aryans" who looked like Jews persecuted Jews who looked like Aryans and Jews persecuted their debtors 66; where every statesman and clergyman praised Peace and brightly asserted that the only way to get Peace was to get ready for War.
What conceivable reason could one have for seeking after righteousness in a world which so hated righteousness? Why do anything except eat and read and make love and provide for sleep that should be secure against disturbance 67 by armed policemen?
He never did find any particularly good reason. He simply went on.
In June, when the Fort Beulah cell of the New Underground had been carrying on for some three months, Mr. Francis Tasbrough, the golden quarryman, called on his neighbor, Doremus.
"How are you, Frank?"
"Fine, Remus. How's the old carping critic?"
"Fine, Frank. Still carping. Fine carping weather, at that. Have a cigar?"
"Thanks. Got a match? Thanks. Saw Sissy yesterday. She looks fine."
"Yes, she's fine. I saw Malcolm driving by yesterday. How did he like it in the Provincial 69 University, at New York?"
"Oh, fine--fine. He says the athletics 70 are grand. They're getting Primo Carnera over to coach in tennis next year--I think it's Carnera--I think it's tennis--but anyway, the athletics are fine there, Malcolm says. Say, uh, Remus, there's something I been meaning to ask you. I, uh--The fact is--I want you to be sure and not repeat this to anybody. I know you can be trusted with a secret, even if you are a newspaperman--or used to be, I mean, but--The fact is (and this is inside stuff; official), there's going to be some governmental promotions 71 all along the line--this is confidential 72, and it comes to me straight from the Provincial Commissioner 44, Colonel Haik. Luthorne is finished as Secretary of War--he's a nice fellow, but he hasn't got as much publicity 73 for the Corpos out of his office as the Chief expected him to. Haik is to have his job, and also take over the position of High Marshal of the Minute Men from Lee Sarason--I suppose Sarason has too much to do. Well then, John Sullivan Reek 74 is slated 75 to be Provincial Commissioner; that leaves the office of District Commissioner for Vermont-New Hampshire empty, and I'm one of the people being seriously considered. I've done a lot of speaking for the Corpos, and I know Dewey Haik very well--I was able to advise him about erecting 76 public buildings. Of course there's none of the County Commissioners around here that measure up to a district commissionership--not even Dr. Staubmeyer--certainly not Shad Ledue. Now if you could see your way clear to throw in with me, your influence would help--"
"Good heavens, Frank, the worst thing you could have happen, if you want the job, is to have me favor you! The Corpos don't like me. Oh, of course they know I'm loyal, not one of these dirty, sneaking anti-Corpos, but I never made enough noise in the paper to please 'em."
"That's just it, Remus! I've got a really striking idea. Even if they don't like you, the Corpos respect you, and they know how long you've been important in the State. We'd all be greatly pleased if you came out and joined us. Now just suppose you did so and let people know that it was my influence that converted you to Corpoism. That might give me quite a leg-up. And between old friends like us, Remus, I can tell you that this job of District Commissioner would be useful to me in the quarry 68 business, aside from the social advantages. And if I got the position, I can promise you that I'd either get the Informer taken away from Staubmeyer and that dirty little stinker, Itchitt, and given back to you to run absolutely as you pleased--providing, of course, you had the sense to keep from criticizing the Chief and the State. Or, if you'd rather, I think I could probably wangle a job for you as military judge (they don't necessarily have to be lawyers) or maybe President Peaseley's job as District Director of Education--you'd have a lot of fun out of that!--awfully amusing the way all the teachers kiss the Director's foot! Come on, old man! Think of all the fun we used to have in the old days! Come to your senses and face the inevitable 77 and join us and fix up some good publicity for me. How about it--huh, huh?"
Doremus reflected that the worst trial of a revolutionary propagandist was not risking his life, but having to be civil to people like Future-Commissioner Tasbrough.
He supposed that his voice was polite as he muttered, "Afraid I'm too old to try it, Frank," but apparently 78 Tasbrough was offended. He sprang up and tramped away grumbling 79, "Oh, very well then!"
"And I didn't give him a chance to say anything about being realistic or breaking eggs to make an omelet," regretted Doremus.
The next day Malcolm Tasbrough, meeting Sissy on the street, made his beefy most of cutting her. At the time the Jessups thought that was very amusing. They thought the occasion less amusing when Malcolm chased little David out of the Tasbrough apple orchard 80, which he had been wont 81 to use as the Great Western Forest where at any time one was rather more than likely to meet Kit 12 Carson, Robin 82 Hood 83, and Colonel Lindbergh hunting together.
Having only Frank's word for it, Doremus could do no more than hint in Vermont Vigilance that Colonel Dewey Haik was to be made Secretary of War, and give Haik's actual military record, which included the facts that as a first lieutenant 84 in France in 1918, he had been under fire for less than fifteen minutes, and that his one real triumph had been commanding state militia 85 during a strike in Oregon, when eleven strikers had been shot down, five of them in the back.
Then Doremus forgot Tasbrough completely and happily.
a.狭窄的
- The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤,但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
- working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作
adj.著名的,有名望的,声誉鹊起的
- He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
- She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。
n.同盟,联邦,联合,联盟,联合会
- It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
- Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
- We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
- He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
adj.荒谬的,可笑的
- The whole idea was preposterous.整个想法都荒唐透顶。
- It would be preposterous to shovel coal with a teaspoon.用茶匙铲煤是荒谬的。
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的
- I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
- There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。
n.不死,不朽
- belief in the immortality of the soul 灵魂不灭的信念
- It was like having immortality while you were still alive. 仿佛是当你仍然活着的时候就得到了永生。
n.辩论术,辩论法;争论( polemic的名词复数 );辩论;辩论术;辩论法
- He enjoys polemics, persuasion, and controversy. 他喜欢辩论、说服和争议。 来自辞典例句
- The modes of propaganda are opportunistic and the polemics can be vicious. 宣传的模式是投机取巧的,诡辩是可恶性的。 来自互联网
adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地
- We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。
- "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的,先生,”约翰恭顺地说道。
n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福
- Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马,焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
n.纳粹分子,adj.纳粹党的,纳粹的
- They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻,并出面求和。
- Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。
n.用具包,成套工具;随身携带物
- The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
- The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。
adj.法西斯主义的;法西斯党的;n.法西斯主义者,法西斯分子
- The strikers were roughed up by the fascist cops.罢工工人遭到法西斯警察的殴打。
- They succeeded in overthrowing the fascist dictatorship.他们成功推翻了法西斯独裁统治。
n.扑克;vt.烙制
- He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌,把钱都输光了。
- I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了,可以玩些花样。
n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机;v.为…开车
- The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。
- She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的
- Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
- The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。
n.麋鹿( elk的名词复数 )
- So I arranged for a gathering at the local Elks Club on January 25. 1月25日我安排在当地慈善互助会见面。 来自互联网
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器
- Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
- Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
adv.和蔼可亲地,亲切地
- She grinned amiably at us. 她咧着嘴向我们亲切地微笑。
- Atheists and theists live together peacefully and amiably in this country. 无神论者和有神论者在该国和睦相处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
n.开幕、就职典礼
- The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
- Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的
- The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
- I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的
- Huang Jiguang's gallant deed is known by all men. 黄继光的英勇事迹尽人皆知。
- These gallant soldiers will protect our country.这些勇敢的士兵会保卫我们的国家的。
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑
- 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。
adj.胆怯的,胆小的
- She is as timorous as a rabbit.她胆小得像只兔子。
- The timorous rabbit ran away.那只胆小的兔子跑开了。
n.班,小队,小团体;vt.把…编成班或小组
- The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
- A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。
n.炖汤,焖,烦恼;v.炖汤,焖,忧虑
- The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
- There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方
- People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。
- They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。
adj.苏联的,苏维埃的;n.苏维埃
- Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
- Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。
adj.虐待狂的
- There was a sadistic streak in him.他有虐待狂的倾向。
- The prisoners rioted against mistreatment by sadistic guards.囚犯因不堪忍受狱警施虐而发动了暴乱。
n.礼仪,礼节;规矩
- The rules of etiquette are not so strict nowadays.如今的礼仪规则已不那么严格了。
- According to etiquette,you should stand up to meet a guest.按照礼节你应该站起来接待客人。
n.疯子(maniac的复数形式)
- Hollywood films misrepresented us as drunks, maniacs and murderers. 好莱坞电影把我们歪曲成酒鬼、疯子和杀人凶手。 来自辞典例句
- They're not irrational, potentially homicidal maniacs, to start! 他们不是非理性的,或者有杀人倾向的什么人! 来自电影对白
adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的
- There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。
- The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。
n.工业家,实业家( industrialist的名词复数 )
- This deal will offer major benefits to industrialists and investors. 这笔交易将会让实业家和投资者受益匪浅。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The government has set up a committee of industrialists and academics to advise it. 政府已成立了一个实业家和学者的委员会来为其提供建议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
数学家( mathematician的名词复数 )
- Do you suppose our mathematicians are unequal to that? 你以为我们的数学家做不到这一点吗? 来自英汉文学
- Mathematicians can solve problems with two variables. 数学家们可以用两个变数来解决问题。 来自哲学部分
n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 );使用;(尤指金钱的)支出额;(精力、时间、材料等的)耗费
- We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了,下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》
v.记入(账户)的借方( debit的过去式和过去分词 )
- Your current account is automatically debited with the amount of your purchase. 你购物的金额会自动记入账戶借方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The money will be debited from your account. 钱会记入你账戶的借方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀
- Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着,她的双腿已经肿了。
- A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她,她的手臂肿起来了。
n.征税,税收,税金
- He made a number of simplifications in the taxation system.他在税制上作了一些简化。
- The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的
- The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
- Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构
- Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗?
- Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。
v.贬值,跌价,减价( depreciate的过去式和过去分词 );贬低,蔑视,轻视
- Fixed assets are fully depreciated. 折旧足额。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- Shares in the company have depreciated. 该公司的股票已经贬值。 来自辞典例句
adj.狂热的,热心的
- She made zealous efforts to clean up the classroom.她非常热心地努力清扫教室。
- She is a zealous supporter of our cause.她是我们事业的热心支持者。
n.(政府厅、局、处等部门)专员,长官,委员
- The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
- He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。
n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 );长官;委员;政府部门的长官
- The Commissioners of Inland Revenue control British national taxes. 国家税收委员管理英国全国的税收。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The SEC has five commissioners who are appointed by the president. 证券交易委员会有5名委员,是由总统任命的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的
- His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
- The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。
adj.过多的,过剩的,多余的
- She fined away superfluous matter in the design. 她删去了这图案中多余的东西。
- That request seemed superfluous when I wrote it.我这样写的时候觉得这个请求似乎是多此一举。
n.减少;变小
- They hope for a small diminution in taxes.他们希望捐税能稍有减少。
- He experienced no diminution of his physical strength.他并未感觉体力衰落。
adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的
- The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
- Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的
- After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了,他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
- We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。
adj.吵闹的,喧哗的
- They are clamorous for better pay.他们吵吵嚷嚷要求增加工资。
- The meeting began to become clamorous.会议开始变得喧哗了。
减少的,减弱的
- Listening to the speech through an interpreter lessened its impact somewhat. 演讲辞通过翻译的嘴说出来,多少削弱了演讲的力量。
- The flight to suburbia lessened the number of middle-class families living within the city. 随着迁往郊外的风行,住在城内的中产家庭减少了。
n.苏打( soda的名词复数 );碱;苏打水;汽水
- There are plenty of sodas in the refrigerator. 冰箱里有很多碳酸饮料。 来自辞典例句
- Two whisky and sodas, please. 请来两杯威士忌苏打。 来自辞典例句
n.常青藤,常春藤
- Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
- The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。
adj.白痴的
- It is idiotic to go shopping with no money.去买东西而不带钱是很蠢的。
- The child's idiotic deeds caused his family much trouble.那小孩愚蠢的行为给家庭带来许多麻烦。
adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的
- She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作,生活看上去很美好。
- She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。
adj.与世隔绝的
- His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
- Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。
n.共谋者,阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )
- The conspirators took no part in the fighting which ensued. 密谋者没有参加随后发生的战斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The French conspirators were forced to escape very hurriedly. 法国同谋者被迫匆促逃亡。 来自辞典例句
adj.无法解释的,难理解的
- It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的,现在已经无法说清楚了。
- There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。
a.秘密的,不公开的
- She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
- She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走,躲开采访者。
n.雄鹿,雄兔;v.马离地跳跃
- The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
- The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。
n.(尤指政治变革的)鼓动者( agitator的名词复数 );煽动者;搅拌器;搅拌机
- The mud is too viscous, you must have all the agitators run. 泥浆太稠,你们得让所有的搅拌机都开着。 来自辞典例句
- Agitators urged the peasants to revolt/revolution. 煽动者怂恿农民叛变(革命)。 来自辞典例句
adj.无效的,无用的,无希望的
- They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败,他们全部被杀,无一幸免。
- Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。
n.法西斯主义的支持者( fascist的名词复数 )
- The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists. 老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
(尤指宗教或政治信仰的)迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 ); 烦扰,困扰或骚扰某人
- Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
- Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。
n.债务人,借方( debtor的名词复数 )
- Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Never in a debtors' prison? 从没有因债务坐过牢么? 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
n.动乱,骚动;打扰,干扰;(身心)失调
- He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
- You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。
n.采石场;v.采石;费力地找
- Michelangelo obtained his marble from a quarry.米开朗基罗从采石场获得他的大理石。
- This mountain was the site for a quarry.这座山曾经有一个采石场。
adj.省的,地方的;n.外省人,乡下人
- City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
- Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。
n.运动,体育,田径运动
- When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
- Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中,我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。
促进( promotion的名词复数 ); 提升; 推广; 宣传
- All services or promotions must have an appeal and wide application. 所有服务或促销工作都必须具有吸引力和广泛的适用性。
- He promptly directed the highest promotions and decorations for General MacArthur. 他授予麦克阿瑟将军以最高的官阶和勋奖。
adj.秘(机)密的,表示信任的,担任机密工作的
- He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
- We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。
n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告
- The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
- He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事,只当它是一种宣传手法。
v.发出臭气;n.恶臭
- Where there's reek,there's heat.哪里有恶臭,哪里必发热。
- That reek is from the fox.那股恶臭是狐狸发出的。
用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )
- Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
- Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。
v.使直立,竖起( erect的现在分词 );建立
- Nations can restrict their foreign trade by erecting barriers to exports as well as imports. 象设置进口壁垒那样,各国可以通过设置出口壁垒来限制对外贸易。 来自辞典例句
- Could you tell me the specific lift-slab procedure for erecting buildings? 能否告之用升板法安装楼房的具体程序? 来自互联网
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的
- Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
- The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
- An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
- He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的
- She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。
- We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。
n.果园,果园里的全部果树,(美俚)棒球场
- My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
- Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。
adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯
- He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
- It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。
n.知更鸟,红襟鸟
- The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
- We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟,知道春天要到了。
n.头巾,兜帽,覆盖;v.罩上,以头巾覆盖
- She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
- The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员
- He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
- He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官,递上了一张简短的便条进去。