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叶雷 译
读书笔记
是否公开那天下午，位于内维尔广场的圣彼得教堂刚结束了一场洗礼仪式，艾伯特·爱德华·福尔曼仍然身披司事长袍。长袍已经半旧，他倒是有一件新的，但专门留在葬礼或婚礼（社会名流常常选择在内维尔广场的圣彼得教堂举办这些仪式）上穿。他把那件新长袍叠得方正笔挺，仿佛它不是羊驼毛织物，而是一件传了千秋万代的青铜器。他春风得意地披着这件长袍，因为它光荣地象征着他的职位。一旦脱下它（回家前他不得不这么做），他总有点儿张皇失措，仿佛衣不蔽体。他为这件长袍劳神费心，亲手把它熨烫得平整顺滑。在这个教堂做司事的十六年间，他有过一件又一件这样的长袍，但穿坏时总也舍不得扔掉，而是全部拿牛皮纸整整齐齐地包好，放在卧房衣橱最底下的抽屉里。
读书笔记
是否公开司事默默地埋首工作，换掉了大理石圣水盘上的描漆木盖，拿走了一张专门为一位年迈体衰的老太太搬来的椅子。只需等牧师从更衣室出来，他进去打扫干净便能回家了。片刻之后，他看见牧师从圣坛前走过，对祭台微微屈了一下膝，沿耳堂走了过来。但他仍旧穿着法衣。
读书笔记
是否公开“他在那里磨蹭什么呢？”司事喃喃自语道，“难道他不知道我着急回家喝下午茶吗？”
读书笔记
是否公开这位新到任的牧师才四十出头，面色红润，干劲冲天。对于前任牧师，艾伯特·爱德华依然念兹在兹。那位老派的牧师，做起布道来总是从容不迫，清亮的声音宛如珍珠落玉盘，还频繁与身份高贵的教区居民共同外出用膳。他喜欢让教堂里的事物井然有序，但从不苛求，不像这个新任牧师，每件事都事必躬亲。不过，艾伯特·爱德华深谙隐忍之道。圣彼得教堂坐落于上等街区，教区居民高贵优雅，而新任牧师来自伦敦东区[1]，自然不能指望他立刻从这些贵族身上学会谨慎而得体的行事风度。
读书笔记
是否公开“瞧他那风风火火的轻浮样子！”艾伯特·爱德华说，“不过假以时日，他总会成熟起来的。”
读书笔记
是否公开牧师走下耳堂，走到不用抬高音量就能让司事听清楚的地方便停下脚步。教堂是肃穆神圣之地，不容许高声说话。
读书笔记
是否公开“福尔曼，你能到更衣室来一下吗？我有事情跟你说。”
读书笔记
是否公开“我现在就过去，先生。”
读书笔记
是否公开牧师等他走近，他们便一道穿过了教堂。
读书笔记
是否公开“我觉得这次洗礼仪式十分成功，先生。您一抱起婴儿，他就不哭了，真是厉害。”
读书笔记
是否公开“确实经常如此，我也注意到了，”牧师说，露出一丝微笑，“毕竟我处理这种场面也是个老手了。”
读书笔记
是否公开牧师一直为此暗暗自豪着。他知道把婴儿抱起来的窍门，知道怎样立刻止住婴儿啼哭。那些目睹披着白色法袍的牧师将抱在他臂弯中的婴儿安抚下来的母亲和保姆常常对他赞不绝口，对此，牧师也并非毫无意识。司事知道牧师喜欢听到别人夸赏他这一项天才的技能。
读书笔记
是否公开牧师把艾伯特·爱德华领进更衣室。艾伯特·爱德华发现里面坐着两位教会委员，小小地吃了一惊。他没看见他们进去。他们和蔼可亲地向他点头示意。
读书笔记
是否公开“午安，阁下。午安，先生。”他逐一问候两位教会委员。
读书笔记
是否公开两位教会委员可谓年高德劭。艾伯特当了多久司事，他们几乎就当了多久教会委员。此刻，他们正坐在一张端庄典雅的大餐桌旁，那是前任牧师许多年前从意大利带回来的。新牧师在两人之间的空椅子上坐下。艾伯特·爱德华隔着桌子面朝他们站着，微微有些不安，心下疑惑发生了什么事。他还记得有一次琴师闯了祸，他们是如何不惜一切代价把事情掩盖了起来。内维尔广场的圣彼得教堂是如此尊贵，绝对不能卷入丑闻。牧师的脸红彤彤的，温和的表情里，透着一丝尘埃落定后的安详，但两位教会委员的表情却略显不安。
读书笔记
是否公开“牧师刚才肯定一直对他们纠缠不休来着，肯定，”司事暗暗想道，“他诱使他们做出违心的事情。就是这样，我敢保证。”
读书笔记
是否公开但艾伯特·爱德华那张棱角分明的脸并没有出卖这些想法。他生就贵族般的容貌，此刻恭恭敬敬站在那里，不卑不亢。在觅得这份神职工作之前，他一直是名男仆，但他只在钟鸣鼎食之家当差，他的态度举止是无可挑剔的。最开始的时候，他在一个巨贾之家做杂役，一步步从四等男仆升为一等男仆。后来，他在一位高贵的寡妇家中当了一年男管家，家中大小事务一概任他处置。圣彼得教堂的职位空缺出来时，他正在一位退休大使的家里管事，手下有两个人。他高大瘦削，不苟言笑，威严持重，即使看起来不像一位公爵，至少也像一名专门扮演公爵角色的老派演员。他有心机，有魄力，有自信。雇主都对他称赏不已。
读书笔记
是否公开牧师爽快干脆地开了口。
读书笔记
是否公开“福尔曼，我们要跟你说一件非常尴尬的事情。你已经在这里工作了很多年，我想爵爷阁下和会长阁下与我意见一致，认为你在任期间出色地履行了职责，获得了众人的认可。”
读书笔记
是否公开两位教会委员点点头。
读书笔记
是否公开“但前几天我忽然发现了一个很严重的问题，我觉得自己有义务告知教会委员们。你竟然不识字，这实在是太令我惊讶了。”
读书笔记
是否公开司事面不改色。
读书笔记
是否公开“前任牧师也知晓这一情况，先生，”他回应道，“他说这无关痛痒。他总说这个世界上的教育实在多得令他难以承受。”
读书笔记
是否公开“我从未听说过如此惊人之事，”会长喊起来，“按您的意思，您在这里足足当了十六年司事，却未能学会读书写字？”
读书笔记
是否公开“我十二岁就出来当差了，先生。最初那户人家的厨师试过教我，但我学得云里雾里。后来我忙于生计，一直没有时间念书。我从没感觉到有念书的必要。我常常想，现在的年轻人念书念得实在太多，他们本可以用这些时间做更有意义的事情。”
读书笔记
是否公开“可是，难道您不关心新闻吗？”另一位教会委员说，“难道您从未动过写信的念头吗？”
读书笔记
是否公开“亲爱的阁下，虽然我不识字，但我自有办法。况且近几年报纸上满是照片，我很清楚这个世界上发生着什么事。我的妻子很是识得几个字，如果我需要写信，她会帮助我。而且，我对赛马和彩票之类的事情也不感兴趣。”
读书笔记
是否公开两位教会委员不安地瞥了牧师一眼，便低头看向桌子。
读书笔记
是否公开“是这样，福尔曼，我已经和这两位委员详细讨论过此事，他们也认为这简直是天方夜谭。内维尔广场的圣彼得教堂大名鼎鼎，绝不能聘请一个不识字的司事。”
读书笔记
是否公开艾伯特·爱德华瘦黄的脸涨得通红。他窘迫地挪动着双脚，一言不发。
读书笔记
是否公开“请你理解我的苦衷，福尔曼，我丝毫没有埋怨你的意思。你非常称职，人品和能力都无可挑剔。但你这种可悲的无知很有可能给我们带来难以预料的灾难，我们无权铤而走险。小心驶得万年船，而且这也是原则问题。”
读书笔记
是否公开“为什么您不能尝试学习一下呢，福尔曼？”会长问道。
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是否公开“不，先生，恐怕不行，已经太迟了。您也知道，我已经上年纪了。如果我年轻时都记不住那些字，现在就更记不住了。”
读书笔记
是否公开“我们也不是要赶你走，福尔曼，”牧师说，“但委员们和我已经达成共识。我们会给你三个月时间，如果到时你没有任何改观，恐怕就要请你另谋高就了。”
读书笔记
是否公开对这位新牧师，艾伯特·爱德华从未萌生过好感。当初他们把圣彼得教堂交至他手中，艾伯特便明言这将铸成大错。这个教区如此高贵，他与之格格不入。艾伯特稍稍站直了一些。他也算得上是才德兼备，他要维护自己的尊严。
读书笔记
是否公开“非常抱歉，先生，恐怕那对我已经没有什么意义了。我已经过了学习新事物的年纪。这么多年来，我不识字也过得很好。我不想说我有多么了不起，那样做没什么意思。但平心而论，我很感谢仁慈的上帝安排我如此过活，而我也可谓兢兢业业。即使我现在能学会读书写字，也不愿意浪费时间。”
读书笔记
是否公开“如果你固执己见，福尔曼，恐怕这里容不下你了。”
读书笔记
是否公开“好的，先生，我非常理解。等您找到新人来接替我的位置，我马上递交辞呈。”
读书笔记
是否公开当艾伯特·爱德华在牧师和两位教会委员身后关上大门的时候，他的举止一如既往地恭敬有礼。然而，他无论如何也无法继续装出一副若无其事的模样来捍卫自己的尊严。他的嘴唇不住地颤抖。他拖着沉沉的脚步走回更衣室，把司事长袍挂在属于他的钩子上。它见证过无数豪华的葬礼和华丽的婚礼，一场场都历历在目。他叹了一口气。他把更衣室收拾得井然有序、一尘不染，披上大衣，拿起帽子，穿过耳堂，锁上教堂大门，转过身去。他魂不守舍地横越广场，悲不自胜。他没有走向那条通往他家的路，即便家中正有一杯上好的浓茶在等着他，他转入了错误的路口。他沿街缓缓而行，一颗心沉沉地直往下坠，不知何以自处。他并不想回去给富贵人家当差，毕竟他已经自己当家做主这么多年了，因为不论牧师和教会委员如何信口雌黄，这些年一直都是他在运营内维尔广场的圣彼得教堂，他怎么能再回去受那样的委屈。他确实存了一大笔钱，但迟早会坐吃山空，而且生活成本逐年攀高。他竟也要为此等事情焦心劳思！圣彼得教堂的司事本应是终身职位，就如罗马教皇一般。他常常幻想自己死后第一个礼拜日的场景，牧师将在晚祷时充满赞赏之情地追思他，说：艾伯特·爱德华·福尔曼于漫长之任职期间恪尽职守，谦恭守礼，其嘉言懿行，堪为模范。他喟然长叹。艾伯特·爱德华不沾烟酒，但他不是个不懂变通的人。也就是说，晚饭时可以喝一杯啤酒，精疲力竭之时也会抽烟解乏。他想，此时此刻一根香烟可以平复他的心情，但他没带烟在身上，便环顾四周，想找到一间出售金箔牌香烟的店铺。视线范围之内没有，他继续往前走。那是一条长长的街道，街上开满各色店铺，却独独没有香烟店。
读书笔记
是否公开“真是奇怪了。”艾伯特·爱德华说。
读书笔记
是否公开他折回去，重新走了一趟。确实没有香烟店。他站定了，若有所思地前后打量这条街。
读书笔记
是否公开“我不可能是唯一一个走在这条街上，同时又想买一包香烟的人。”他说，“要是有人在这里开一间小香烟店，难道不是非常有利可图吗？一间卖香烟和糖果的小店。”
读书笔记
是否公开他灵光一闪。
读书笔记
是否公开“这是个好机会，”他说，“真是意外收获。”
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是否公开他转身回家喝茶。
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是否公开“艾伯特，你怎么一声不吭的？”他妻子说。
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是否公开“我在想事情。”他说。
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是否公开他反复彻底地把这件事考虑清楚之后，第二天又到那条街去，幸运地觅得一家心仪的小店铺。二十四小时后，他租下了它。一个月后，艾伯特·爱德华·福尔曼永远地离开内维尔广场的圣彼得教堂，开创了自己的事业，成为一名烟草商和报刊经销商。他妻子说，作为堂堂的教堂司事，此等行径简直是堕落无耻。但他回应说，人不得不跟上潮流，教堂已然不是从前的教堂，今后他要自食其力。香烟店大获成功，仅仅过了一年左右，他就发现自己可以开一间分店，聘一位经理来打理。他另觅没有香烟店的长街，正巧碰上一家店铺招租，便租下来，备足货。分店也获利丰厚。于是他想，他既然能开一家分店，为什么不干脆多开几家，便开始在伦敦四处走动，每发现一条既没有香烟店又有店铺招租的长街，就把店铺租下来。十年间，他开了不下十间分店，日进斗金。他每周一去各间分店巡视一番，收取每周的进款，把它们存入银行。
读书笔记
是否公开一天早上，他正要把一大捆钞票和一大包沉沉的银币存入银行，司库说经理想见他。他被引进一间办公室，经理忙上前跟他握手。
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是否公开“福尔曼先生，我想跟您谈谈您在我们银行的存款。请问您知道具体数目吗？”
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是否公开“确切的数字说不上来，先生，但我知道大概有多少。”
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是否公开“不计您今天的存款，目前共有三万英镑出头。把这样一笔巨款存在银行不太上算，我建议您拿去投资。”
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是否公开“我不想冒险，先生。我知道把它们存在银行很安全。”
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是否公开“您完全可以放心。我们会给您列出一份保证收益的金边债券名单。收益率比存在我们银行要高得多。”
读书笔记
是否公开福尔曼先生那张贵族般的脸上露出困惑的表情。“我从未接触过股票债券之类的，这要麻烦您全权处理了。”他说。
读书笔记
是否公开经理微笑道：“我们会竭尽所能。下次您只要来签署委托书即可。”
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是否公开“这倒不难，”艾伯特犹疑地说，“但我怎么知道您让我签的是什么？”
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是否公开“我想您应该会先看看委托书的内容。”经理说，语气中隐隐地透出一丝尖刻。
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是否公开福尔曼先生向经理微微一笑，打消他的疑虑。
读书笔记
是否公开“先生，事实上，我不识字。我知道这听起来很奇怪，但事实就是这样，我是个文盲。我只会写自己的名字，而且是为了做生意才学会的。”
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是否公开经理惊讶得从椅子上跳了起来。
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是否公开“我这辈子从未听说过如此不可思议的事情。”
读书笔记
是否公开“就是这样，先生。我一直没机会学识字，等到有机会，出于某个原因，我却不愿意学了。我有点儿倔。”
读书笔记
是否公开经理盯着他，仿佛他是一只史前怪兽。
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是否公开“您是说，您不识字，却把生意做得这么大，还积攒起一笔三万英镑的财富？天啊，要是您识字，现在该从事多么了不起的事业啊！”
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是否公开“我还真知道答案，先生。”福尔曼先生说，他那一如既往的高贵的脸上挂着一丝微笑，“那样的话，我现在会在内维尔广场的圣彼得教堂任职司事。”
读书笔记
是否公开There had been a christening that afternoon at St Peter’s, Neville Square, and Albert Edward Foreman still wore his verger’s gown. He kept his new one, its folds as full and stiff as though it were made not of alpaca but of perennial bronze, for funerals and weddings (St Peter’s, Neville Square, was a church much favoured by the fashionable for these ceremonies) and now he wore only his second-best. He wore it with complacence, for it was the dignified symbol of his office, and without it (when he took it off to go home) he had the disconcerting sensation of being somewhat insufficiently clad. He took pains with it; he pressed it and ironed it himself. During the sixteen years he had been verger of this church he had had a succession of such gowns, but he had never been able to throw them away when they were worn out and the complete series, neatly wrapped up in brown paper, lay in the bottom drawers of the wardrobe in his bedroom.
读书笔记
是否公开我的读书笔记
仅对会员开放网友的读书笔记
仅对会员开放The verger busied himself quietly, replacing the painted wooden cover on the marble font, taking away a chair that had been brought for an infirm old lady, and waited for the vicar to have finished in the vestry so that he could tidy up in there and go home. Presently he saw him walk across the chancel, genuflect in front of the high altar, and come down the aisle; but he still wore his cassock.
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仅对会员开放网友的读书笔记
仅对会员开放What’s he ’anging about for? the verger said to himself. "Don’t ’e know I want my tea?"
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仅对会员开放The vicar had been but recently appointed, a red-faced energetic man in the early forties, and Albert Edward still regretted his predecessor, a clergyman of the old school who preached leisurely sermons in a silvery voice and dined out a great deal with his more aristocratic parishioners. He liked things in church to be just so, but he never fussed; he was not like this new man who wanted to have his finger in every pie. But Albert Edward was tolerant. St Peter’s was in a very good neighbourhood and the parishioners were a very nice class of people. The new vicar had come from the East End and he couldn’t be expected to fall in all at once with the discreet ways of his fashionable congregation.
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仅对会员开放All this ’ustle, said Albert Edward. "But give ’im time, he’ll learn."
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仅对会员开放When the vicar had walked down the aisle so far that he could address the verger without raising his voice more than was becoming in a place of worship he stopped.
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仅对会员开放Foreman, will you come into the vestry for a minute. I have something to say to you.
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仅对会员开放Very good, sir.
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仅对会员开放The vicar waited for him to come up and they walked up the church together.
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仅对会员开放A very nice christening, I thought, sir. Funny ’ow the baby stopped cryin’ the moment you took him.
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仅对会员开放I’ve noticed they very often do, said the vicar, with a little smile. "After all I’ve had a good deal of practice with them."
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仅对会员开放It was a source of subdued pride to him that he could nearly always quiet a whimpering infant by the manner in which he held it and he was not unconscious of the amused admiration with which mothers and nurses watched him settle the baby in the crook of his surpliced arm. The verger knew that it pleased him to be complimented on his talent.
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仅对会员开放The vicar preceded Albert Edward into the vestry. Albert Edward was a trifle surprised to find the two churchwardens there. He had not seen them come in. They gave him pleasant nods.
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仅对会员开放Good afternoon, my lord. Good afternoon, sir, he said to one after the other.
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仅对会员开放They were elderly men, both of them, and they had been churchwardens almost as long as Albert Edward had been verger. They were sitting now at a handsome refectory table that the old vicar had brought many years before from Italy and the vicar sat down in the vacant chair between them. Albert Edward faced them, the table between him and them, and wondered with slight uneasiness what was the matter. He remembered still the occasion on which the organist had got into trouble and the bother they had all had to hush things up. In a church like St Peter’s, Neville Square, they couldn’t afford a scandal. On the vicar’s red face was a look of resolute benignity, but the others bore an expression that was slightly troubled.
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仅对会员开放He’s been naggin’ them, he ’as, said the verger to himself. "He’s jockeyed them into doin’ something, but they don’t ’alf like it. That’s what it is, you mark my words."
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仅对会员开放But his thoughts did not appear on Albert Edward’s clean-cut and distinguished features. He stood in a respectful but not obsequious attitude. He had been in service before he was appointed to his ecclesiastical office, but only in very good houses, and his deportment was irreproachable. Starting as a page-boy in the household of a merchant-prince, he had risen by due degrees from the position of fourth to first footman, for a year he had been single-handed butler to a widowed peeress, and, till the vacancy occurred at St Peter’s, butler with two men under him in the house of a retired ambassador. He was tall, spare, grave, and dignified. He looked, if not like a duke, at least like an actor of the old school who specialized in dukes’ parts. He had tact, firmness, and self-assurance. His character was unimpeachable.
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仅对会员开放The vicar began briskly.
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仅对会员开放Foreman, we’ve got something rather unpleasant to say to you. You’ve been here a great many years and I think his lordship and the general agree with me that you’ve fulfilled the duties of your office to the satisfaction of everybody concerned.
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仅对会员开放The two churchwardens nodded.
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仅对会员开放But a most extraordinary circumstance came to my knowledge the other day and I felt it my duty to impart it to the churchwardens. I discovered to my astonishment that you could neither read nor write.
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仅对会员开放The verger’s face betrayed no sign of embarrassment.
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仅对会员开放The last vicar knew that, sir, he replied. "He said it didn’t make no difference. He always said there was a great deal too much education in the world for ’is taste."
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仅对会员开放It’s the most amazing thing I ever heard, cried the general. "Do you mean to say that you’ve been verger of this church for sixteen years and never learned to read or write?"
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仅对会员开放I went into service when I was twelve, sir. The cook in the first place tried to teach me once, but I didn’t seem to ’ave the knack for it, and then what with one thing and another I never seemed to ’ave the time. I’ve never really found the want of it. I think a lot of these young fellows waste a rare lot of time readin’ when they might be doin’ something useful.
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仅对会员开放But don’t you want to know the news? said the other churchwarden. "Don’t you ever want to write a letter?"
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仅对会员开放No, me lord, I seem to manage very well without. And of late years now they’ve all these pictures in the papers I get to know what’s goin’ on pretty well. Me wife’s quite a scholar and if I want to write a letter she writes it for me. It’s not as if I was a bettin’ man.
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仅对会员开放The two churchwardens gave the vicar a troubled glance and then looked down at the table.
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仅对会员开放Well, Foreman, I’ve talked the matter over with these gentlemen and they quite agree with me that the situation is impossible. At a church like St Peter’s, Neville Square, we cannot have a verger who can neither read nor write.
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仅对会员开放Albert Edward’s thin, sallow face reddened and he moved uneasily on his feet, but he made no reply.
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仅对会员开放Understand me, Foreman, I have no complaint to make against you. You do your work quite satisfactorily; I have the highest opinion both of your character and of your capacity; but we haven’t the right to take the risk of some accident that might happen owing to your lamentable ignorance. It’s a matter of prudence as well as of principle.
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仅对会员开放But couldn’t you learn, Foreman? asked the general.
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仅对会员开放No, sir, I’m afraid I couldn’t, not now. You see, I’m not as young as I was and if I couldn’t seem able to get the letters in me ’ead when I was a nipper I don’t think there’s much chance of it now.
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仅对会员开放We don’t want to be harsh with you, Foreman, said the vicar. "But the churchwardens and I have quite made up our minds. We’ll give you three months and if at the end of that time you cannot read and write I’m afraid you’ll have to go."
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仅对会员开放Albert Edward had never liked the new vicar. He’d said from the beginning that they’d made a mistake when they gave him St Peter’s. He wasn’t the type of man they wanted with a classy congregation like that. And now he straightened himself a little. He knew his value and he wasn’t going to allow himself to be put upon.
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仅对会员开放I’m very sorry, sir, I’m afraid it’s no good. I’m too old a dog to learn new tricks. I’ve lived a good many years without knowin’ ’ow to read and write, and without wishin’ to praise myself, self-praise is no recommendation, I don’t mind sayin’ I’ve done my duty in that state of life in which it ’as pleased a merciful providence to place me, and if I could learn now I don’t know as I’d want to.
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仅对会员开放In that case, Foreman, I’m afraid you must go.
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仅对会员开放Yes, sir, I quite understand. I shall be ’appy to ’and in my resignation as soon as you’ve found somebody to take my place.
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仅对会员开放But when Albert Edward with his usual politeness had closed the church door behind the vicar and the two churchwardens he could not sustain the air of unruffled dignity with which he had borne the blow inflicted upon him and his lips quivered. He walked slowly back to the vestry and hung up on its proper peg his verger’s gown. He sighed as he thought of all the grand funerals and smart weddings it had seen. He tidied everything up, put on his coat, and hat in hand walked down the aisle. He locked the church door behind him. He strolled across the square, but deep in his sad thoughts he did not take the street that led him home, where a nice strong cup of tea awaited him; he took the wrong turning. He walked slowly along. His heart was heavy. He did not know what he should do with himself. He did not fancy the notion of going back to domestic service; after being his own master for so many years, for the vicar and churchwardens could say what they liked, it was he that had run St Peter’s, Neville Square, he could scarcely demean himself by accepting a situation. He had saved a tidy sum, but not enough to live on without doing something, and life seemed to cost more every year. He had never thought to be troubled with such questions. The vergers of St Peter’s, like the popes of Rome, were there for life. He had often thought of the pleasant reference the vicar would make in his sermon at evensong the first Sunday after his death to the long and faithful service, and the exemplary character of their late verger, Albert Edward Foreman. He sighed deeply. Albert Edward was a non-smoker and a total abstainer, but with a certain latitude; that is to say he liked a glass of beer with his dinner and when he was tired he enjoyed a cigarette. It occurred to him now that one would comfort him and since he did not carry them he looked about him for a shop where he could buy a packet of Gold Flake. He did not at once see one and walked on a little. It was a long street, with all sorts of shops in it, but there was not a single one where you could buy cigarettes.
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仅对会员开放That’s strange, said Albert Edward.
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仅对会员开放To make sure he walked right up the street again. No, there was no doubt about it. He stopped and looked reflectively up and down.
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仅对会员开放I can’t be the only man as walks along this street and wants a fag, he said. "I shouldn’t wonder but what a fellow might do very well with a little shop here. Tobacco and sweets, you know."
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仅对会员开放He gave a sudden start.
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仅对会员开放That’s an idea, he said. "Strange ’ow things come to you when you least expect it."
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仅对会员开放He turned, walked home, and had his tea.
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仅对会员开放You’re very silent this afternoon, Albert, his wife remarked.
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仅对会员开放I’m thinkin’, he said.
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仅对会员开放He considered the matter from every point of view and next day he went along the street and by good luck found a little shop to let that looked as though it would exactly suit him. Twenty-four hours later he had taken it, and when a month after that he left St Peter’s, Neville Square, for ever, Albert Edward Foreman set up in business as a tobacconist and newsagent. His wife said it was a dreadful come-down after being verger of St Peter’s, but he answered that you had to move with the times, the church wasn’t what it was, and ’enceforward he was going to render unto Caesar what was Caesar’s. Albert Edward did very well. He did so well that in a year or so it struck him that he might take a second shop and put a manager in. He looked for another long street that hadn’t got a tobacconist in it and when he found it, and a shop to let, took it and stocked it. This was a success too. Then it occurred to him that if he could run two he could run half a dozen, so he began walking about London, and whenever he found a long street that had no tobacconist and a shop to let he took it. In the course of ten years he had acquired no less than ten shops and he was making money hand over fist. He went round to all of them himself every Monday, collected the week’s takings, and took them to the bank.
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仅对会员开放One morning when he was there paying in a bundle of notes and a heavy bag of silver the cashier told him that the manager would like to see him. He was shown into an office and the manager shook hands with him.
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仅对会员开放Mr. Foreman, I wanted to have a talk to you about the money you’ve got on deposit with us. d’you know exactly how much it is?
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仅对会员开放Not within a pound or two, sir; but I’ve got a pretty rough idea.
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仅对会员开放Apart from what you paid in this morning it’s a little over thirty thousand pounds. That’s a very large sum to have on deposit and I should have thought you’d do better to invest it.
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仅对会员开放I wouldn’t want to take no risk, sir. I know it’s safe in the bank.
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仅对会员开放You needn’t have the least anxiety. We’ll make you out a list of absolutely gilt-edged securities. They’ll bring you in a better rate of interest than we can possibly afford to give you.
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仅对会员开放A troubled look settled on Mr. Foreman’s distinguished face. "I’ve never ’ad anything to do with stocks and shares and I’d ’ave to leave it all in your ’ands," he said.
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仅对会员开放The manager smiled. "We’ll do everything. All you’ll have to do next time you come in is just to sign the transfers."
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仅对会员开放I could do that all right, said Albert uncertainly. "But ’ow should I know what I was signin’?"
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仅对会员开放I suppose you can read, said the manager a trifle sharply.
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仅对会员开放Mr. Foreman gave him a disarming smile.
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仅对会员开放Well, sir, that’s just it. I can’t. I know it sounds funny-like, but there it is, I can’t read or write, only me name, an’ I only learnt to do that when I went into business.
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仅对会员开放The manager was so surprised that he jumped up from his chair.
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仅对会员开放That’s the most extraordinary thing I ever heard.
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仅对会员开放You see, it’s like this, sir, I never ’ad the opportunity until it was too late and then some’ow I wouldn’t. I got obstinate-like.
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仅对会员开放The manager stared at him as though he were a prehistoric monster.
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仅对会员开放And do you mean to say that you’ve built up this important business and amassed a fortune of thirty thousand pounds without being able to read or write? Good God, man, what would you be now if you had been able to?
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仅对会员开放I can tell you that, sir, said Mr. Foreman, a little smile on his still aristocratic features. "I’d be verger of St Peter’s, Neville Square."
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christen ['krɪsn] |
v.为 ... 施洗礼;为 ... 命名 |
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Albert [ˈælbət] |
n.艾伯特(男子名) |
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Foreman ['fɔːmən] |
n.领班;工头;陪审团团长 |
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gown [ɡaʊn] |
n.长袍;长外衣 |
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perennial [pə'reniəl] |
adj.永久的;反复出现的;多年生的 |
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disconcert [ˌdɪskən'sɜːt] |
v.使困惑;使仓皇失措;使尴尬 |
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succession [sək'seʃn] |
n.连续;继承权;继位 |
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altar ['ɔːltə(r)] |
n.(教堂内的)圣坛;祭坛 |
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aisle [aɪl] |
n.侧廊;(席位间的)通道 |
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verger ['vɜːdʒə(r)] |
n.执权杖的人;教堂之司事 |
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energetic [ˌenə'dʒetɪk] |
adj.精力旺盛的;有力的;能量的 |
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dine [daɪn] |
v.用正餐;进餐 |
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fuss [fʌs] |
n.(神经质的)兴奋，激动；紧张；急躁; |
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tolerant ['tɒlərənt] |
adj.宽容的;容忍的 |
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vicar ['vɪkə(r)] |
n.(教区或教堂)牧师;代理人 |
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subdue [səb'djuː] |
v.使服从;压制;减弱 |
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whimper ['wɪmpə(r)] |
n.呜咽;啜泣;怨声 |
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crook [krʊk] |
n.钩;曲柄杖;弯曲;骗子 |
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compliment ['kɒmplɪmənt] |
n.称赞;恭维;(复数)致意 |
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jockey ['dʒɒki] |
vt. 欺骗；诱使; |
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butler ['bʌtlə(r)] |
n.男管家;仆役长 |
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vacancy ['veɪkənsi] |
n.空缺;空白;失神 |
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dignify ['dɪɡnɪfaɪ] |
vt.使高贵;使增辉;抬高…的身价;将…美其名为 |
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brisk [brɪsk] |
adj.敏锐的;活泼的;活跃的;轻快的;凛冽的 |
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unpleasant [ʌn'pleznt] |
adj.使人不愉快的;讨厌的;不合意的;不友好的，粗鲁的 |
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lordship ['lɔːdʃɪp] |
n.阁下;贵族权力 |
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churchwarden [ˌtʃɜːtʃ'wɔːdn] |
n.教会委员;陶制的长烟斗 |
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felted ['feltɪd] |
v. 把 ... 制成毡(使 ... 粘结) |
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amaze [ə'meɪz] |
vt.使吃惊;使惊异 |
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knack [næk] |
n.技巧;诀窍 |
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uneasily [ʌn'iːzɪli] |
adv.不安地;局促地 |
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satisfactorily [ˌsætɪs'fæktərəli] |
adv.满意地;圆满地 |
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ignorance ['ɪɡnərəns] |
n.无知;愚昧 |
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nipper ['nɪpə(r)] |
n. 钳子; 螯 |
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providence ['prɒvɪdəns] |
n.天意;天命 |
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quiver ['kwɪvə(r)] |
v.颤抖;振动 |
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stroll [strəʊl] |
n.闲逛;漫步 |
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fancy ['fænsi] |
n. 【C】设想；幻想；空想; |
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scarcely ['skeəsli] |
adv.几乎不;简直不;刚刚;决不 |
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pope [pəʊp] |
n.罗马教皇 |
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packet ['pækɪt] |
n.小袋 |
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Flake [fleɪk] |
n.薄片;小片;火花 |
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reflectively [rɪ'flektɪv] |
adj.反射的;反映的;沉思的 |
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bundle ['bʌndl] |
n.捆;束 |
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disarm [dɪs'ɑːm] |
v.放下武器;裁军;解除武装;缓和 |
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prehistoric [ˌpriːhɪ'stɒrɪk] |
adj.史前的;陈腐的 |
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amass [ə'mæs] |
v.积聚;收集 |
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aristocratic [ˌærɪstə'krætɪk] |
adj.贵族的;赞成贵族政治的;爱挑剔的 |
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verger ['vɜːdʒə(r)] |
n.执权杖的人;教堂之司事 |
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