时间:2018-12-18 作者:英语课 分类:128 The Zombie Project


英语课

  The third person Graham Greene

Somewhere behind the cakestall a man was whistling and Martins knew the tune 1. He turned and waited. Was it fear or excitement that made his heart beat-or just the memories that tune ushered 2 in, for life had always quickened when Harry 3 came, came just as he came now, as though nothing much had happened, nobody had been lowered into a grave or found with cut throat in a basement, came with his amused, deprecating, take-it-or-leave-it manner-and of course one always took it.

“Harry.”

“Hullo, Rollo.”

Don’t picture Harry Lime as a smooth scoundrel. He wasn’t that. The picture I have of him on my files is an excellent one: he is caught by a street photographer with his stocky legs apart, big shoulders a little hunched 4, a belly 5 that has known too much good for too long, on his face a look of cheerful rascality 6, a geniality 7, a recognition that his happiness will make the world’s day. Now he didn’t make the mistake of putting out a hand that might have been rejected, but instead just patted Martins on the elbow and said, “How are thing?”

“We’re got to talk, Harry.”

“Of course.”

“Alone.”

“We couldn’t be more alone than here.”

He had always known the ropes, and even in the smashed pleasure park he knew them, tipping the woman in charge of the Wheel, so that they might have a car to themselves. He said, “Lovers used to do this in the old days, but they haven’t the money to spare, poor devils, now,” and he looked out of the window of the swaying, rising car at the figures diminishing below with what looked like genuine commiseration 8.

Very slowly on one side of them the city sank; very slowly on the other the great cross-girders of the Wheel rose into sight. As the horizon slid away the Danube became visible, and the piers 9 of the Reichsbru(..)cke lifted above the houses. “Well,” Harry said, “it’s good to see you, Rollo.”

“I was at your funeral.”

“That was pretty smart of me, wasn’t it?”

“Not so smart for your girl. She was there too-in tears.”

“She’s a good little thing,” Harry said. “I’m very fond of her.”

“I didn’t believe the police when they told me about you.”

“Harry said, I wouldn’t have asked you to come if I’d known what was going to happen, but I didn’t think the police were on to me.”

“Were you going to cut me in on the spoils?”

“I’ve never kept you out of anything, old man, yet.” He stood with his back to the door as the car swung upwards 10, and smiled back at Rollo Martins, who could remember him in just such an attitude in a secluded 11 corner of the school-quad, saying, “I’ve learned a way to get out at night. It’s absolutely safe. You are the only one I’m letting in on it.” For the first time Rollo Martins looked back through the years without admiration 12, as he thought: He’s never grown up. Marlowe’s devils wore squibs attached to their tails: evil was like Peter Pan-it carried with it the horrifying 13 and horrible gift of eternal youth.

Martins said, “Have you ever visited the children’s hospital? Have you seen any of your victims?”

Harry took a look at the toy landscape below and came away from the door. “I never feel quite safe in these things,” he said. He felt the back of the door with his hand, as though he were afraid that it might fly open and launch him into that iron-ribbed space. “Victims?” he asked. “Don’t be melodramatic, Rollo. Look down there,” he went on, pointing through the window at the people moving like black flies at the base of the Wheel. Would you really feel any pity if one of those dots stopped moving-for ever? If I said you can have twenty thousand pounds for every dot that stops, would you really, old man, tell me to keep my money-without hesitation 14? Or would you calculate how many dots you could afford to spare? Free of income tax, old man. Free of income tax.” He gave his boyish conspiratorial 15 smile. “It’s the only way to save nowadays.”

“Couldn’t you have stuck to tyres?”

“Like Cooler? No, I’ve always been ambitious.”

“You are finished now. The police know everything.”

“But they can’t catch me, Rollo, you’ll see. I’ll pop up again. You can’t keep a good man down?

The car swung to a standstill at the highest point of the curve and Harry turned his back and gazed out of the window. Martins thought: One good shove and I could break the glass, and he pictured the body falling, falling, through the iron struts 16, a piece of carrion 17 dropping among the flies. He said, “You know the police are planning to dig up your body. What will they find?”

“Harbin,” Harry replied with simplicity 18. He turned away from the window and said,” Look at the sky.”

The car had reached the top of the Wheel and hung there motionless, while the stain of the sunset ran in streaks 19 over the wrinkled papery sky beyond the black girders.

“Why did the Russians try to take Anna Schmidt?”

“She had false papers, old man.”

“Who told them?”

“The price of living in this zone, Rollo, is service. I have to give them a little information now and then.”

“I thought perhaps you were just trying to get her here-because she was your girl? Because you wanted her? ”

“Harry smiled. I haven’t all that influence.”

“What would have happened to her?”

“Nothing very serious. She’d have been sent back to Hungary. There’s nothing against her really. A year in a labour camp perhaps. She’d be infinitely 20 better off in her own country than being pushed around by the British police.”

“She hasn’t told them anything about you.”

She’s a good little thing, Harry repeated with satisfaction and pride.”

“She loves you.”

“Well, I gave her a good time while it lasted.”

“And I love her.”

“That’s fine, old man. Be kind of her. She’s worth it. I’m glad.” He gave the impression of having arranged everything to everybody’s satisfaction. “And you can help to keep her mouth shut. Not that she knows anything that matters.”

“I’d like to knock you through the window.”

“But you won’t, old man. Our quarrels never last long. You remember that fearful one in the Monaco, when we swore we were through. I’d trust you anywhere, Rollo. Kurtz tried to persuade me not to come, but I know you. Then he tried to persuade me to, well, arrange an accident. He told me it would be quite easy in this car.”

“Except that I’m the stronger man.”

“But I’ve got the gun. You don’t think a bullet wound would show when you hit that ground?” again the car began to move, dialing slowly down, until the flies were midgets, were recognizable human beings. “What fools we are, Rollo, talking like this, as if I’d do that to you-or you to me.” He turned his back and leaned his face against the glass. One thrust. .. “How much do you earn a year with your Westerns, old man?”

“A thousand.”

“Taxed. I earn thirty thousand free. It’s the fashion. In these days, old man, nobody thinks in terms of human beings. Governments don’t, so why should we? They talk of the people and the proletariat, and I talk of the mugs. It’s the same thing. They have their five year plans and so have I.”

“You used to be a Catholic.”

“Oh, I still believe, old man. In God and mercy and all that. I’m not hurting anybody’s soul by what I do. The dead are happier dead. They don’t miss much here, poor devils,” he added with that odd touch of genuine pity, as the car reached the platform and the faces of the doomed-to-be-victims, the tired pleasure-hoping Sunday faces, peered in at them. “I could cut you in, you know. It would be useful. I have no one left in the Inner City.”

“Except Cooler? And Winkler?”

“You really mustn’t turn policeman, old man. They passed out of the car and he put his hand again on Martin’s elbow. That was a joke: I know you won’t. Have you heard anything of old Bracer recently?”

“I had a card at Christmas.”

“Those were the days, old man. Those were the days. I’ve got to leave you here. We’ll see each other sometime. If you are in a jam, you can always get me at Kurtz’s.” He moved away and, turning waved the hand he had had the tact 21 not to offer: it was like the whole past moving off under a cloud. Martins suddenly called after him. “Don’t trust me, Harry,” but there was too great a distance now between them for the words to carry.



1 tune
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
2 ushered
v.引,领,陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )
  • The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
  • A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 harry
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
4 hunched
(常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦)耸肩弓身的,伏首前倾的
  • He sat with his shoulders hunched up. 他耸起双肩坐着。
  • Stephen hunched down to light a cigarette. 斯蒂芬弓着身子点燃一支烟。
5 belly
n.肚子,腹部;(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分,膛
  • The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
  • His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。
6 rascality
流氓性,流氓集团
7 geniality
n.和蔼,诚恳;愉快
  • They said he is a pitiless,cold-blooded fellow,with no geniality in him.他们说他是个毫无怜悯心、一点也不和蔼的冷血动物。
  • Not a shade was there of anything save geniality and kindness.他的眼神里只显出愉快与和气,看不出一丝邪意。
8 commiseration
n.怜悯,同情
  • I offered him my commiseration. 我对他表示同情。
  • Self- commiseration brewed in her heart. 她在心里开始自叹命苦。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
9 piers
n.水上平台( pier的名词复数 );(常设有娱乐场所的)突堤;柱子;墙墩
  • Most road bridges have piers rising out of the vally. 很多公路桥的桥墩是从河谷里建造起来的。 来自辞典例句
  • At these piers coasters and landing-craft would be able to discharge at all states of tide. 沿岸航行的海船和登陆艇,不论潮汐如何涨落,都能在这种码头上卸载。 来自辞典例句
10 upwards
adv.向上,在更高处...以上
  • The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
  • The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
11 secluded
adj.与世隔绝的;隐退的;偏僻的v.使隔开,使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词)
  • Some people like to strip themselves naked while they have a swim in a secluded place. 一些人当他们在隐蔽的地方游泳时,喜欢把衣服脱光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • This charming cottage dates back to the 15th century and is as pretty as a picture, with its thatched roof and secluded garden. 这所美丽的村舍是15世纪时的建筑,有茅草房顶和宁静的花园,漂亮极了,简直和画上一样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 admiration
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
  • He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
  • We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
13 horrifying
a.令人震惊的,使人毛骨悚然的
  • He went to great pains to show how horrifying the war was. 他极力指出战争是多么的恐怖。
  • The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate. 战争的可能性太可怕了,真不堪细想。
14 hesitation
n.犹豫,踌躇
  • After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天,他终于直说了。
  • There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。
15 conspiratorial
adj.阴谋的,阴谋者的
  • She handed the note to me with a conspiratorial air. 她鬼鬼祟祟地把字条交给了我。 来自辞典例句
  • It was enough to win a gap-toothed, conspiratorial grin. 这赢得对方咧嘴一笑。 来自互联网
16 struts
(框架的)支杆( strut的名词复数 ); 支柱; 趾高气扬的步态; (尤指跳舞或表演时)卖弄
  • The struts are firmly braced. 那些支柱上得很牢靠。
  • The Struts + EJB framework is described in part four. 三、介绍Struts+EJB框架的技术组成:Struts框架和EJB组件技术。
17 carrion
n.腐肉
  • A crow of bloodthirsty ants is attracted by the carrion.一群嗜血的蚂蚁被腐肉所吸引。
  • Vultures usually feed on carrion or roadkill.兀鹫通常以腐肉和公路上的死伤动物为食。
18 simplicity
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯
  • She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
  • The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。
19 streaks
n.(与周围有所不同的)条纹( streak的名词复数 );(通常指不好的)特征(倾向);(不断经历成功或失败的)一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 );使布满条纹
  • streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
  • Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
20 infinitely
adv.无限地,无穷地
  • There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
  • The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。
21 tact
n.机敏,圆滑,得体
  • She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
  • Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。
学英语单词
a juggler
agricultural steel
allochthonic ground water
ampersands
angiospermous wood
antirheoscope
biogecchemistry
bone-up
boudewijn kanaal
brages
burglar alarm system
cam journal
chordal node
comparison interval
crystal ballsmanship
cut it short
Cxorvotone
daystrom power plant automation language (dapal)
De Steeg
demand report
descriptive anthropologies
DGAF
disrank
district attorneys
dot system
dry forest zone
Elaeagnus tutcheri
elisia
endo('s) agar
enlighting
flat-tax
G stone
garnet-mica schist
gifford
hand hackle
harnes(s)ing
heavy oil partial oxidation process
heemantic
herculaneums
hexamminecobalt (III)chloride
horizontal position of welding
hycanthone
hygrophorus borealiss
instrument tube routing
iridium(vi) selenide
Kifuli
knocked down condition
lancaster method of instruction
lapsus linguae
latrans
lifetaker
lip swelling
long-term credit facility
maritime buoyage
Marmagao(Mormugao)
median plates of wingbase
microthrombi
minimization of Boolean function
MittelEuropean
moulded shoes
multibit branch
neutral absorption
next generation Internet
Nicholas, Saint
OCTT
olinton
PBIB
Pentaceros
phenylalanine aminotransferase
place under restraint
polystichum falcatum
precise orientation
primary head vein
Puerto Alfonso
recovery pending
red alarm light
relief grinding
response to
resultant tool force
ringing pilot lamp
round bottomed flask
Royal Naval Reserve
runoff erosion
safety car
salmon-eye locus
Sandro
sarpo
scroll-paintings
self-presentations
septenary notation
split run
spoil the Egyptians
Spondias pinnata Kurz
straight flange design
street corners
Sumprabum
super sifter
tentative standard
underground river
victoria's secret
wear inhibitor
wh-what