評(píng)論
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They comprised a little English, and a deal of Latin - names of things, declensions of articles and substantives, exercises thereon, and preliminary rules - a trifle of orthography, a glance at ancient history, a wink or two at modern ditto, a few tables, two or three weights and measures, and a little general information. When poor Paul had spelt out number two, he found he had no idea of number one; fragments whereof afterwards obtruded themselves into number three, which slided into number four, which grafted itself on to number two. So that whether twenty Romuluses made a Remus, or hic haec hoc was troy weight, or a verb always agreed with an ancient Briton, or three times four was Taurus a bull, were open questions with him.
在這些書(shū)中，有幾本英文的，有很多是拉丁文的——物品的名稱(chēng)，冠詞與實(shí)詞的變格，相應(yīng)的練習(xí)以及初步的規(guī)則——少量的正字法，古代史一瞥，現(xiàn)代史略窺，幾張表格，兩三種度量衡以及一些一般知識(shí)，當(dāng)可憐的保羅按照音節(jié)讀到數(shù)字二的時(shí)候，他發(fā)現(xiàn)他已沒(méi)有數(shù)字一的概念了；它的一些片斷后來(lái)侵入了數(shù)字三，數(shù)字三滑進(jìn)了數(shù)字四，數(shù)字四又嫁接到數(shù)字二上。因此，究竟二十個(gè)羅穆盧斯①是不是構(gòu)成一個(gè)瑞穆斯②；hichaechoc③是不是金衡制；動(dòng)詞是不是與古代的不列顛經(jīng)常一致；或者三乘四是不是金牛座，對(duì)他來(lái)說(shuō)，這些全都是沒(méi)有解決的問(wèn)題。
'Oh, Dombey, Dombey!' said Miss Blimber, 'this is very shocking.'
“啊，董貝，董貝！”布林伯小姐說(shuō)道，“這是很令人震驚的！”
'If you please,' said Paul, 'I think if I might sometimes talk a little to old Glubb, I should be able to do better.'
“對(duì)不起，”保羅說(shuō)道，“如果我有時(shí)可以跟老格拉布稍稍談些話的話，我想我能夠好一些?！?/div>
'Nonsense, Dombey,' said Miss Blimber. 'I couldn't hear of it. This is not the place for Glubbs of any kind. You must take the books down, I suppose, Dombey, one by one, and perfect yourself in the day's instalment of subject A, before you turn at all to subject B. I am sorry to say, Dombey, that your education appears to have been very much neglected.'
'Very well,' returned Miss Blimber; 'but this is all very different indeed from anything of that sort, Dombey, and I couldn't think of permitting it. As to having been weak, you must begin to be strong. And now take away the top book, if you please, Dombey, and return when you are master of the theme.'
“胡扯，董貝，”布林伯小姐說(shuō)道，“這是我不能容忍的。不論是什么樣的格拉布，這里都不是允許他們進(jìn)來(lái)的地方。我想，董貝，您應(yīng)當(dāng)把這些書(shū)一本一本地拿到樓下去，今天首先把給您指定的課題甲完全弄明白，然后再轉(zhuǎn)到課題乙?，F(xiàn)在，董貝，請(qǐng)您把頂上面的那本書(shū)拿走。等您精通了里面的內(nèi)容，再回到這里來(lái)。”
Miss Blimber expressed her opinions on the subject of Paul's uninstructed state with a gloomy delight, as if she had expected this result, and were glad to find that they must be in constant communication. Paul withdrew with the top task, as he was told, and laboured away at it, down below: sometimes remembering every word of it, and sometimes forgetting it all, and everything else besides: until at last he ventured upstairs again to repeat the lesson, when it was nearly all driven out of his head before he began, by Miss Blimber's shutting up the book, and saying, 'Good, Dombey!' a proceeding so suggestive of the knowledge inside of her, that Paul looked upon the young lady with consternation, as a kind of learned Guy Faux, or artificial Bogle, stuffed full of scholastic straw.
布林伯小姐懷著憂悶而高興的心情對(duì)保羅未受過(guò)教育、無(wú)知無(wú)識(shí)的狀態(tài)這個(gè)問(wèn)題發(fā)表她的意見(jiàn)，仿佛她已預(yù)料到這個(gè)結(jié)果，并且高興地看到，他們今后將會(huì)經(jīng)常來(lái)往。保羅遵照吩咐，拿了頂上的那本書(shū)離開(kāi)了房間，并在樓下用心地學(xué)習(xí)著；有時(shí)他記住其中的每個(gè)詞，有時(shí)則把它們和其他一切東西全都忘得干干凈凈，最后他終于大著膽子又上樓去背誦課文；在他沒(méi)有開(kāi)始之前，布林伯小姐把書(shū)本一合，說(shuō)聲“往下背，董貝！”，這就把那些課文從他頭腦中幾乎全部驅(qū)趕了出去；布林伯小姐的這種做法十分有力地向人們提醒她有滿肚子的學(xué)問(wèn)，所以保羅驚惶失措地看著她，仿佛她是學(xué)識(shí)淵博的蓋伊·福克斯，或者是個(gè)塞滿了學(xué)術(shù)稻草的人妖④。
He acquitted himself very well, nevertheless; and Miss Blimber, commending him as giving promise of getting on fast, immediately provided him with subject B; from which he passed to C, and even D before dinner. It was hard work, resuming his studies, soon after dinner; and he felt giddy and confused and drowsy and dull. But all the other young gentlemen had similar sensations, and were obliged to resume their studies too, if there were any comfort in that. It was a wonder that the great clock in the hall, instead of being constant to its first inquiry, never said, 'Gentlemen, we will now resume our studies,' for that phrase was often enough repeated in its neighbourhood. The studies went round like a mighty wheel, and the young gentlemen were always stretched upon it.
然而他還是應(yīng)付得很好；布林伯小姐稱(chēng)贊他有希望迅速取得進(jìn)步，立即把課題乙給了他；然后又轉(zhuǎn)到了課題丙，甚至在吃午飯之前就轉(zhuǎn)到了課題丁。這是艱巨的工作，吃完午飯之后立即繼續(xù)學(xué)習(xí)。他覺(jué)得眼花繚亂，腦子胡涂，昏昏欲睡，沉悶乏味。如果這里有什么值得安慰的東西的話，那就是所有其他的年輕的先生們也有著類(lèi)似的情緒，可是也都必須繼續(xù)學(xué)習(xí)。奇怪的是，前廳中的大鐘總是不斷重復(fù)它的第一個(gè)問(wèn)題，從來(lái)不曾說(shuō)過(guò)，“先生們，我們現(xiàn)在來(lái)繼續(xù)學(xué)習(xí)，”雖然這句話在它鄰近的場(chǎng)所是經(jīng)常重復(fù)說(shuō)的。學(xué)習(xí)就像一個(gè)巨大的輪子向前轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)著，這些年輕的先生們經(jīng)常伸開(kāi)四肢躺在上面。
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①羅穆盧斯（Romulus）：古羅馬傳說(shuō)中古羅馬的建國(guó)者，馬耳斯（Mars）的兒子，古羅馬的守護(hù)神。
②瑞穆斯（Remus）：馬耳斯生雙子：羅穆盧斯及瑞穆斯。在修筑羅馬城墻時(shí)，兄弟之間發(fā)生了爭(zhēng)吵，羅穆盧斯殺死了瑞穆斯。
③hichaechoc：拉丁文中的指示代詞。
④蓋伊·福克斯（GuyFawks）：英國(guó)1605年火藥陰謀案的主犯，詳見(jiàn)第五章注釋。在火藥陰謀案發(fā)生一周年時(shí)，孩子們舉著?？怂沟哪Ｋ葡裼涡?，模似像中塞滿了稻草，最后把它燒掉。
