有声名著之双城记Book1 Chapter03

　　有声名著之双城记 Chapter03

       CHAPTER IIIThe Night Shadows

       Wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature isconstituted to be that profound secret and mystery to everyother. A solemn consideration, when enter a great city bynight, that every one of those darkly clustered housesencloses its own secret; that every room in every one of themencloses its own secret; that every beating heart in thehundreds of thousands of breasts there, is, if some of itsimaginings, a secret to the heart nearest it! Something of theawfulness, even of Death itself, is referable to this. No morecan I turn the leaves of this dear book that loved, and vainlyhope in time to read it all. No more can I look into thedepths of this unfathomable water, wherein as momentary¹ lightsglanced into it, I have had glimpses of buried treasure andother things submerged. It was appointed that the book shouldshut with a spring, for ever and for ever, when I had read buta page. It was appointed that the water should be locked in aneternal frost, when the light was playing on its surface, andI stood in ignorance on the shore. My friend is dead, myneighbour is dead, my love the darling of my soul, is dead; itis the inexorable consolidation² and perpetuation³ of the secretthat was always in that individuality, and which I shall carryin mine to my life's end. In any of the burial-places of thiscity through which I pass, is there a sleeper⁴ more inscrutablethan it busy inhabitants are, in their innermost personality,to me or than I am to them?
As to this, his natural and not to be alienated⁵ inheritancethe messenger on horseback had exactly the same possession asthe King, the first Minister of State, or the richest merchantin London. So with the three passengers shut up i' the narrowcompass of one lumbering⁶ old mail-coach; the were mysteries toone another, as complete as if each ha been in his own coachand six, or his own coach and sixty, with the breadth of acounty between him and the next.
The messenger rode back at an easy trot⁷, stopping prettyoften at ale-houses by the way to drink, but evincing tendencyto keep his own counsel, and to keep his hat cocked over hiseyes. He had eyes that assorted⁸ very well with thatdecoration, being of a surface black, with no depth in thecolour or form, and much too near together--as if they wereafraid of being found out in something, singly, if they kepttoo far apart. They had a sinister⁹ expression, under an oldcocked-hat like a three-cornered spittoon, and over a greatmuffler for the chin and throat, which descended¹⁰ nearly to thewearer's knees. When he stopped for drink, he moved thismuffler with his left hand, only while he poured his liquor inwith his right; as soon as that was done, he muffled¹¹ again.
No, Jerry, no!' said the messenger, harping¹² on one theme ashe rode. `It wouldn't do for you, Jerry. Jerry, you honesttradesman, it wouldn't suit your line of business! Recalled--!
Bust<sup>13</sup> me if I don't think he'd been a drinking!'
His message perplexed<sup>14</sup> his mind to that degree that he wasfain, several times, to take off his hat to scratch his head.
Except on the crown, which was raggedly<sup>15</sup> bald, he had stiffblack hair, standing<sup>16</sup> jaggedly all over it, and growing downhill almost to his broad, blunt nose. It was so like smith'swork, so much more like the top of a strongly spiked<sup>17</sup> wall thana head of hair, that the best of players at leap-frog mighthave declined him, as the most dangerous man in the world togo over.
While he trotted<sup>18</sup> back with the message he was to deliver tothe night watchman in his box at the door of Tellson's Bank,by Temple Bar, who was to deliver it to greater authoritieswithin, the shadows of the night took such shapes to him asarose out of the message, and took such shapes to the mare<sup>19</sup> asarose out of her private topics of uneasiness. They seemed tobe numerous, for she shied at every shadow on the road.
What time, the mail-coach lumbered<sup>20</sup>, jolted<sup>21</sup>, rattled<sup>22</sup>, andbumped upon its tedious way, with its three fellow-inscrutables inside. To whom, likewise, the shadows of thenight revealed themselves, in the forms their dozing<sup>23</sup> eyes andwandering thoughts suggested.
Tellson's Bank had a run upon it in the mail. As the bankpassenger--with an arm drawn<sup>24</sup> through the leathern strap<sup>25</sup>, whichdid what lay in it to keep him from pounding against the nextpassenger, and driving him into his comer, whenever the coachgot a special jolt--nodded in his place, with half-shut eyes,the little coach-windows, and the coach-lamp dimly gleamingthrough them, and the bulky bundle of opposite passenger,became the bank, and did a great stroke of business. Therattle of the harness was the chink of money, and more draftswere honoured in five minutes than even Tellson's, with allits foreign and home connexion, ever paid in thrice the time.
Then the strong-rooms underground, at Tellson's, with such oftheir valuable stores and secrets as were known to thepassenger (and it was not a little that he knew about them),opened before him, and he went in among them with the greatkeys and the feebly-burning candle, and found them safe, andstrong, and sound, and still, just as he had last seen them.
But, though the bank was almost always with him, and thoughthe coach (in a confused way, like the presence of pain underan opiate) was always with him, there was another current ofimpression that never ceased to run, all through the night. Hewas on his way to dig some one out of a grave.
Now, which of the multitude of faces that showed themselvesbefore him was the true face of the buried person, the shadowsof the night did not indicate; but they were all the faces ofa man of five-and-forty by years, and they differedprincipally in the passions they expressed, and in theghastliness of their worn and wasted state. Pride, contempt,defiance, stubbornness, submission<sup>26</sup>, lamentation<sup>27</sup>, succeeded oneanother; so did varieties of sunken cheek, cadaverous colour,emaciated hands and figures. But the face was in the main oneface, and every head was prematurely<sup>28</sup> white. A hundred timesthe dozing passenger inquired of this spectre:
`Buried how long?'
The answer was always the same: `Almost eighteen years.'
`You had abandoned all hope of being dug out?'
`Long ago.'
`You know that you are recalled to life?'
`They tell me so.
`I hope you care to live?'
`I can't say.'
`Shall I show her to you? Will you come and see he''
The answers to this question were various and contradictory²⁹.
Sometimes the broken reply was, `Wait! It would kill me if Isaw her too soon.' Sometimes, it was given in a tender rain oftears, and then it was `Take me to her.' Sometimes it wasstaring and bewildered, and then it was, `I don't know her. Idon't understand.'
After such imaginary discourse<sup>30</sup>, the passenger in his fancywould dig, and dig, dig--now, with a spade, now with a greatkey, now with his hands--to dig this wretched creature out.
Got out at last, with earth hanging about his face and hair,he would suddenly fall away to dust. The passenger would thenstart to himself and lower the window, to get the reality ofmist and rain on his cheek.
Yet even when his eyes were opened on the mist and rain, onthe moving patch of light from the lamps, and the hedge at theroadside retreating by jerks, the night shadow's outside thecoach would fall into the train of the night shadows within.
The real Banking-house by Temple Bar, the real business of thepast day, the real strong-rooms, the real express sent afterhim, and the real message returned, would all be there. Out ofthe midst of them, the ghostly face would rise, and he wouldaccost it again.
`Buried how long?'
`Almost eighteen years.
`I hope you care to live?'
`I can't say.'
Dig--dig--dig--until an impatient movement from one of thetwo passengers would admonish<sup>31</sup> him to pull up the window, drawhis arm securely through the leathern strap, and speculateupon the two slumbering<sup>32</sup> forms, until his mind lost its hold ofthem, and they again slid away into the bank and the grave.
`Buried how long?'
`Almost eighteen years.'
`You had abandoned all hope of being dug out?'
`Long ago.'
The words were still in his hearing as just spoken--distinctly in his hearing as ever spoken words had been in hislife--when the weary passenger started to the consciousness ofdaylight, and found that the shadows of the night were gone.
He lowered the window, and looked out at the rising sun.
There was a ridge<sup>33</sup> of ploughed land, with a plough upon itwhere it had been left last night when the horses wereunyoked; beyond, a quiet coppice-wood, in which many leaves ofburning red and golden yellow still remained upon the trees.
Though the earth was cold and wet, the sky was clear, and thesun rose bright, placid<sup>34</sup>, and beautiful.
`Eighteen years!' said the passenger, looking at the sun.
`Gracious Creator of day! To be buried alive for eighteenyears!'

1 momentary   

adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的

参考例句：

• We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。
• I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。

2 consolidation   

n.合并,巩固

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

3 perpetuation   

n.永存，不朽

参考例句：

• Are there some on going policies that encourage its perpetuation? 现在是否有一些持续的政策令这会根深蒂固？ 来自互联网
• Does the mental perpetuation exist? 存在心理的永恒吗？ 来自互联网

4 sleeper   

n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺

参考例句：

• I usually go up to London on the sleeper. 我一般都乘卧车去伦敦。
• But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. 但首先他解释说自己睡觉很沉。

5 alienated   

adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• His comments have alienated a lot of young voters. 他的言论使许多年轻选民离他而去。
• The Prime Minister's policy alienated many of her followers. 首相的政策使很多拥护她的人疏远了她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 lumbering   

n.采伐林木

参考例句：

• Lumbering and, later, paper-making were carried out in smaller cities. 木材业和后来的造纸都由较小的城市经营。
• Lumbering is very important in some underdeveloped countries. 在一些不发达的国家，伐木业十分重要。

7 trot   

n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧

参考例句：

• They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。
• The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。

8 assorted   

adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的

参考例句：

• There's a bag of assorted sweets on the table.桌子上有一袋什锦糖果。
• He has always assorted with men of his age.他总是与和他年令相仿的人交往。

9 sinister   

adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的

参考例句：

• There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
• Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值，而且包藏祸心。

10 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

11 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 harping   

n.反复述说

参考例句：

• Don't keep harping on like that. 别那样唠叨个没完。
• You're always harping on the samestring. 你总是老调重弹。

13 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

14 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

15 raggedly   

破烂地，粗糙地

参考例句：

• The crowd was shouting raggedly now, instead of in chorus as at first. 群众杂乱地喊着，比第一次的口号稍稍见得不整齐。 来自子夜部分
• I took the cigarette he offered, drawing at it raggedly. 我接过他给的烟，在上面胡乱地画起来。

16 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

17 spiked   

adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的

参考例句：

• The editor spiked the story. 编辑删去了这篇报道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They wondered whether their drinks had been spiked. 他们有些疑惑自己的饮料里是否被偷偷搀了烈性酒。 来自辞典例句

18 trotted   

小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走

参考例句：

• She trotted her pony around the field. 她骑着小马绕场慢跑。
• Anne trotted obediently beside her mother. 安妮听话地跟在妈妈身边走。

19 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

20 lumbered   

砍伐（lumber的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• A rhinoceros lumbered towards them. 一头犀牛笨重地向他们走来。
• A heavy truck lumbered by. 一辆重型卡车隆隆驶过。

21 jolted   

（使）摇动， （使）震惊( jolt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• She was jolted out of her reverie as the door opened. 门一开就把她从幻想中惊醒。

22 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

23 dozing   

v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡

参考例句：

• The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。
• He never falters in his determination. 他的决心从不动摇。

24 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

25 strap   

n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎

参考例句：

• She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
• The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。

26 submission   

n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出

参考例句：

• The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。
• No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。

27 lamentation   

n.悲叹，哀悼

参考例句：

• This ingredient does not invite or generally produce lugubrious lamentation. 这一要素并不引起，或者说通常不产生故作悲伤的叹息。 来自哲学部分
• Much lamentation followed the death of the old king. 老国王晏驾，人们悲恸不已。 来自辞典例句

28 prematurely   

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

29 contradictory   

adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立

参考例句：

• The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
• What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

30 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。

31 admonish   

v.训戒；警告；劝告

参考例句：

• I will tactfully admonish him not to behave like this again.我会婉转的规诫他不要再这样做。
• Admonish your friends privately,but praise them openly.要私下告戒朋友，但是要公开夸奖朋友。

32 slumbering   

微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• It was quiet. All the other inhabitants of the slums were slumbering. 贫民窟里的人已经睡眠静了。
• Then soft music filled the air and soothed the slumbering heroes. 接着，空中响起了柔和的乐声，抚慰着安睡的英雄。

33 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

34 placid   

adj.安静的，平和的

参考例句：

• He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
• You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。