評論
打印
Before leaving the premises, the Captain, somewhat to the astonishment of the clerks, looked round from a central point of view, and took a general survey of the officers part and parcel of a project in which his young friend was nearly interested. The strong-room excited his especial admiration; but, that he might not appear too particular, he limited himself to an approving glance, and, with a graceful recognition of the clerks as a body, that was full of politeness and patronage, passed out into the court. Being promptly joined by Mr Perch, he conveyed that gentleman to the tavern, and fulfilled his pledge—hastily, for Perch's time was precious.
船長離開辦公樓之前，從一個中心點環顧四周，對公司辦公室進行了全面觀察；他認為這個辦公室是他年輕的朋友密切關心的事業的一個不可分割的部分；他這樣做，使得公司的職員們多少感到有些驚奇。金庫特別引起他的羨慕，但是，為了不顯得小氣，他僅僅贊許地粗看了一眼；接著，他彬彬有禮，露出恩人氣派，端莊得體地向全體職員欠身行禮，表示感謝；然后走向庭院。珀奇先生很快就跟了上來；他就把這位先生領進小酒店，毫不遲延地履行了他的諾言，因為珀奇的時間是寶貴的。
'I'll give you for a toast,' said the Captain, 'Wal'r!'
“我建議為沃爾干杯！”船長說道。
'Who?' submitted Mr Perch.
“為誰？”珀奇先生溫順地問道。
'Wal'r!' repeated the Captain, in a voice of thunder.
“沃爾！”船長用雷鳴般的大聲重復道。
Mr Perch, who seemed to remember having heard in infancy that there was once a poet of that name, made no objection; but he was much astonished at the Captain's coming into the City to propose a poet; indeed, if he had proposed to put a poet's statue up—say Shakespeare's for example—in a civic thoroughfare, he could hardly have done a greater outrage to Mr Perch's experience. On the whole, he was such a mysterious and incomprehensible character, that Mr Perch decided not to mention him to Mrs Perch at all, in case of giving rise to any disagreeable consequences.
珀奇先生似乎記得在幼年時代聽人說過，從前有一位詩人是姓這個姓的，所以沒有反對。但是他很奇怪，船長為什么到城里來建議為一位詩人的健康干杯；說真的，如果他建議在城市的一條大街上建立一位詩人（比方說，莎士比亞）的塑像，那還不至于超越珀奇先生的見聞。總之。他是一位十分神秘和莫測高深的人物，因此珀奇先生決定根本不向珀奇太太談起他，以免發生任何不愉快的后果。
