月亮和六便士 第四十六章(2)

 My friend's appearance suggested that he was now in the same predicament, and I prepared myself to cultivate an agreeable acquaintance. 从我这位朋友的仪表来看，今天他的境遇一点也不比那时好；我决定同他交个朋友。

The society of beach-combers always repays the small pains you need be at to enjoy it. 同这些在南海群岛的流浪汉相处，尽管得付出一点小代价，但总不会叫你吃亏的。

They are easy of approach and affable in conversation. 这些人很容易接近，谈起话来很殷勤。

They seldom put on airs, and the offer of a drink is a sure way to their hearts. 他们很少摆架子，只要一杯水酒，就一定能把他们的心打动。

You need no laborious¹ steps to enter upon familiarity with them, 要想同他们混熟，用不着走一段艰辛的路途，只要对他们的闲扯洗耳恭听，

and you can earn not only their confidence, but their gratitude², by turning an attentive³ ear to their discourse⁴. 他们就不但对你非常信任，而且还会对你满怀感激。

They look upon conversation as the great pleasure of life, thereby⁵ proving the excellence⁶ of their civilisation⁷, 他们把谈话看做是生活的最大乐趣，用以证明自己出色的修养。

and for the most part they are entertaining talkers. 这些人大多数谈话都很有风趣。

The extent of their experience is pleasantly balanced by the fertility of their imagination. 他们的阅历很广，又善于运用丰富的想象力。

It cannot be said that they are without guile⁸, but they have a tolerant respect for the law, when the law is supported by strength. 不能说这些人没有某种程度的欺诈，但是他们对法律还是非常容忍，尽量遵守，只要法律有强大靠山的时候。

It is hazardous⁹ to play poker¹⁰ with them, but their ingenuity¹¹ adds a peculiar¹² excitement to the best game in the world. 同他们玩牌是件危险的勾当，但是他们那种头脑敏捷会使这一最有趣的游戏平添了极大的刺激。

I came to know Captain Nichols very well before I left Tahiti, and I am the richer for his acquaintance. 在我离开塔希提之前，已经同尼柯尔斯船长混得很熟了，我同他的这段交情只有使我的经验更加丰富。

I do not consider that the cigars and whisky he consumed at my expense 尽管我招待了他许多雪茄和威士忌

(he always refused cocktails¹³, since he was practically a teetotaller), （他从来不喝鸡尾酒，因为他实际上是个戒酒主义者），

and the few dollars, borrowed with a civil air of conferring a favour upon me, that passed from my pocket to his, 尽管他带着一副施恩于人的温文有礼的神气向我借钱，好几块银币从我的口袋转到了他的口袋里去，

were in any way equivalent to the entertainment he afforded me. 我还是觉得他让我享受到的乐趣大大超过了我付出的代价。

I remained his debtor¹⁴. 自始至终他都是我的债主。

I should be sorry if my conscience, insisting on a rigid¹⁵ attention to the matter in hand, forced me to dismiss him in a couple of lines. 如果我听从作者的良心，不肯走离本题，只用几行简单的文字就把尼柯尔斯打发掉，我会感到对不起他的。

I do not know why Captain Nichols first left England. 我不知道尼柯尔斯船长最初为什么要离开英国。

It was a matter upon which he was reticent¹⁶, and with persons of his kind a direct question is never very discreet¹⁷. 这是一个他讳莫如深的话题；对于像他这样的人直接问这类事也是很不谨慎的。

He hinted at undeserved misfortune, and there is no doubt that he looked upon himself as the victim of injustice¹⁸. 从他的话语里听得出来，他曾经受了不白之冤。毫无疑问，他把自己看作是执法不公的牺牲品。

My fancy played with the various forms of fraud and violence, 我的想象却总爱把他同某种诈骗或暴行联系起来。

and I agreed with him sympathetically when he remarked that the authorities in the old country were so damned technical. 当他谈到英国当局执法过于机械时，我非常同情地表示同意。

But it was nice to see that any unpleasantness he had endured in his native land had not impaired¹⁹ his ardent²⁰ patriotism²¹. 令人高兴的是，即使他在家乡有过什么不愉快的遭遇，他的爱国热情却并未因此受到任何损伤。

He frequently declared that England was the finest country in the world, sir, 他常对我说，英国是全世界最了不起的国家，

and he felt a lively superiority over Americans, Colonials, Dagos, Dutchmen, and Kanakas. 他觉得自己比哪国人都优越得多，不管什么美国人、殖民地人、达哥人、荷兰人，或是卡纳加人，全不在他眼里。

1 laborious   

adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅

参考例句：

• They had the laborious task of cutting down the huge tree.他们接受了伐大树的艰苦工作。
• Ants and bees are laborious insects.蚂蚁与蜜蜂是勤劳的昆虫。

2 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

3 attentive   

adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的

参考例句：

• She was very attentive to her guests.她对客人招待得十分周到。
• The speaker likes to have an attentive audience.演讲者喜欢注意力集中的听众。

4 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

5 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

6 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

7 civilisation   

n.文明，文化，开化，教化

参考例句：

• Energy and ideas are the twin bases of our civilisation.能源和思想是我们文明的两大基石。
• This opera is one of the cultural totems of Western civilisation.这部歌剧是西方文明的文化标志物之一。

8 guile   

n.诈术

参考例句：

• He is full of guile.他非常狡诈。
• A swindler uses guile;a robber uses force.骗子用诈术；强盗用武力。

9 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

10 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• 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。

11 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

12 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

13 cocktails   

n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物

参考例句：

• Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来，我们喝鸡尾酒，吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
• Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句

14 debtor   

n.借方，债务人

参考例句：

• He crowded the debtor for payment.他催逼负债人还债。
• The court granted me a lien on my debtor's property.法庭授予我对我债务人财产的留置权。

15 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

16 reticent   

adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的

参考例句：

• He was reticent about his opinion.他有保留意见。
• He was extremely reticent about his personal life.他对自己的个人生活讳莫如深。

17 discreet   

adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的

参考例句：

• He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
• It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。

18 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

19 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 ardent   

adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的

参考例句：

• He's an ardent supporter of the local football team.他是本地足球队的热情支持者。
• Ardent expectations were held by his parents for his college career.他父母对他的大学学习抱着殷切的期望。

21 patriotism   

n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism.他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。