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经典名著:弗洛斯河上的磨坊38
添加时间:2024-05-11 14:07:37 浏览次数: 作者:未知
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  • The Hard-Won Triumph

    Three weeks later, when Dorlcote Mill was at its prettiest moment in all the year,—the great chestnuts1 in blossom, and the grass all deep and daisied,—Tom Tulliver came home to it earlier than usual in the evening, and as he passed over the bridge, he looked with the old deep-rooted affection at the respectable red brick house, which always seemed cheerful and inviting2 outside, let the rooms be as bare and the hearts as sad as they might inside. There is a very pleasant light in Tom’s blue-gray eyes as he glances at the house-windows; that fold in his brow never disappears, but it is not unbecoming; it seems to imply a strength of will that may possibly be without harshness, when the eyes and mouth have their gentlest expression. His firm step becomes quicker, and the corners of his mouth rebel against the compression which is meant to forbid a smile.

    The eyes in the parlour were not turned toward the bridge just then, and the group there was sitting in unexpectant silence,—Mr Tulliver in his arm-chair, tired with a long ride, and ruminating3 with a worn look, fixed4 chiefly on Maggie, who was bending over her sewing while her mother was making the tea.

    They all looked up with surprise when they heard the well-known foot.

    “Why, what’s up now, Tom?” said his father. “You’re a bit earlier than usual.”

    “Oh, there was nothing more for me to do, so I came away. Well, mother!”

    Tom went up to his mother and kissed her, a sign of unusual good-humour with him. Hardly a word or look had passed between him and Maggie in all the three weeks; but his usual incommunicativeness at home prevented this from being noticeable to their parents.

    “Father,” said Tom, when they had finished tea, “do you know exactly how much money there is in the tin box?”

    “Only a hundred and ninety-three pound,” said Mr Tulliver. “You’ve brought less o’ late; but young fellows like to have their own way with their money. Though I didn’t do as I liked before I was of age.” He spoke5 with rather timid discontent.

    “Are you quite sure that’s the sum, father?” said Tom. “I wish you would take the trouble to fetch the tin box down. I think you have perhaps made a mistake.”

    “How should I make a mistake?” said his father, sharply. “I’ve counted it often enough; but I can fetch it, if you won’t believe me.”

    It was always an incident Mr Tulliver liked, in his gloomy life, to fetch the tin box and count the money.

    “Don’t go out of the room, mother,” said Tom, as he saw her moving when his father was gone upstairs.

    “And isn’t Maggie to go?” said Mrs Tulliver; “because somebody must take away the things.”

    “Just as she likes,” said Tom indifferently.

    That was a cutting word to Maggie. Her heart had leaped with the sudden conviction that Tom was going to tell their father the debts could be paid; and Tom would have let her be absent when that news was told! But she carried away the tray and came back immediately. The feeling of injury on her own behalf could not predominate at that moment.

    Tom drew to the corner of the table near his father when the tin box was set down and opened, and the red evening light falling on them made conspicuous6 the worn, sour gloom of the dark-eyed father and the suppressed joy in the face of the fair-complexioned son. The mother and Maggie sat at the other end of the table, the one in blank patience, the other in palpitating expectation.

    Mr Tulliver counted out the money, setting it in order on the table, and then said, glancing sharply at Tom:

    “There now! you see I was right enough.”

    He paused, looking at the money with bitter despondency.

    “There’s more nor three hundred wanting; it’ll be a fine while before I can save that. Losing that forty-two pound wi’ the corn was a sore job. This world’s been too many for me. It’s took four year to lay this by; it’s much if I’m above ground for another four year. I must trusten to you to pay ’em,” he went on, with a trembling voice, “if you keep i’ the same mind now you’re coming o’ age. But you’re like enough to bury me first.”

    He looked up in Tom’s face with a querulous desire for some assurance.

    “No, father,” said Tom, speaking with energetic decision, though there was tremor7 discernible in his voice too, “you will live to see the debts all paid. You shall pay them with your own hand.”

    His tone implied something more than mere8 hopefulness or resolution. A slight electric shock seemed to pass through Mr Tulliver, and he kept his eyes fixed on Tom with a look of eager inquiry9, while Maggie, unable to restrain herself, rushed to her father’s side and knelt down by him. Tom was silent a little while before he went on.

    “A good while ago, my uncle Glegg lent me a little money to trade with, and that has answered. I have three hundred and twenty pounds in the bank.”

    His mother’s arms were round his neck as soon as the last words were uttered, and she said, half crying:

    “Oh, my boy, I knew you’d make iverything right again, when you got a man.”

    But his father was silent; the flood of emotion hemmed10 in all power of speech. Both Tom and Maggie were struck with fear lest the shock of joy might even be fatal. But the blessed relief of tears came. The broad chest heaved, the muscles of the face gave way, and the gray-haired man burst into loud sobs11. The fit of weeping gradually subsided12, and he sat quiet, recovering the regularity13 of his breathing. At last he looked up at his wife and said, in a gentle tone:

    “Bessy, you must come and kiss me now—the lad has made you amends14. You’ll see a bit o’ comfort again, belike.”

    When she had kissed him, and he had held her hand a minute, his thoughts went back to the money.

    “I wish you’d brought me the money to look at, Tom,” he said, fingering the sovereigns on the table; “I should ha’ felt surer.”

    “You shall see it to-morrow, father,” said Tom. “My uncle Deane has appointed the creditors15 to meet to-morrow at the Golden Lion, and he has ordered a dinner for them at two o’clock. My uncle Glegg and he will both be there. It was advertised in the ‘Messenger’ on Saturday.”

    “Then Wakem knows on’t!” said Mr Tulliver, his eye kindling16 with triumphant17 fire. “Ah!” he went on, with a long-drawn guttural enunciation18, taking out his snuff-box, the only luxury he had left himself, and tapping it with something of his old air of defiance19. “I’ll get from under his thumb now, though I must leave the old mill. I thought I could ha’ held out to die here—but I can’t——we’ve got a glass o’ nothing in the house, have we, Bessy?”

    “Yes,” said Mrs Tulliver, drawing out her much-reduced bunch of keys, “there’s some brandy sister Deane brought me when I was ill.”

    “Get it me, then; get it me. I feel a bit weak.”

    “Tom, my lad,” he said, in a stronger voice, when he had taken some brandy-and-water, “you shall make a speech to ’em. I’ll tell ’em it’s you as got the best part o’ the money. They’ll see I’m honest at last, and ha’ got an honest son. Ah! Wakem ’ud be fine and glad to have a son like mine,—a fine straight fellow,—i’stead o’ that poor crooked20 creatur! You’ll prosper21 i’ the world, my lad; you’ll maybe see the day when Wakem and his son ’ull be a round or two below you. You’ll like enough be ta’en into partnership22, as your uncle Deane was before you,—you’re in the right way for’t; and then there’s nothing to hinder your getting rich. And if ever you’re rich enough—mind this—try and get th’ old mill again.”

    Mr Tulliver threw himself back in his chair; his mind, which had so long been the home of nothing but bitter discontent and foreboding, suddenly filled, by the magic of joy, with visions of good fortune. But some subtle influence prevented him from foreseeing the good fortune as happening to himself.

    “Shake hands wi’ me, my lad,” he said, suddenly putting out his hand. “It’s a great thing when a man can be proud as he’s got a good son. I’ve had that luck.”

    Tom never lived to taste another moment so delicious as that; and Maggie couldn’t help forgetting her own grievances23. Tom was good; and in the sweet humility24 that springs in us all in moments of true admiration25 and gratitude26, she felt that the faults he had to pardon in her had never been redeemed27, as his faults were. She felt no jealousy28 this evening that, for the first time, she seemed to be thrown into the background in her father’s mind.

    There was much more talk before bedtime. Mr Tulliver naturally wanted to hear all the particulars of Tom’s trading adventures, and he listened with growing excitement and delight. He was curious to know what had been said on every occasion; if possible, what had been thought; and Bob Jakin’s part in the business threw him into peculiar29 outbursts of sympathy with the triumphant knowingness of that remarkable30 packman. Bob’s juvenile31 history, so far as it had come under Mr Tulliver’s knowledge, was recalled with that sense of astonishing promise it displayed, which is observable in all reminiscences of the childhood of great men.

    It was well that there was this interest of narrative32 to keep under the vague but fierce sense of triumph over Wakem, which would otherwise have been the channel his joy would have rushed into with dangerous force. Even as it was, that feeling from time to time gave threats of its ultimate mastery, in sudden bursts of irrelevant33 exclamation34.

    It was long before Mr Tulliver got to sleep that night; and the sleep, when it came, was filled with vivid dreams. At half-past five o’clock in the morning, when Mrs Tulliver was already rising, he alarmed her by starting up with a sort of smothered35 shout, and looking round in a bewildered way at the walls of the bedroom.

    “What’s the matter, Mr Tulliver?” said his wife. He looked at her, still with a puzzled expression, and said at last:

    “Ah!—I was dreaming—did I make a noise?—I thought I’d got hold of him.”



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    1 chestnuts [t'ʃesnʌts] 113df5be30e3a4f5c5526c2a218b352f   第9级
    n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 );栗色;栗树;栗色马
    参考例句:
    • A man in the street was selling bags of hot chestnuts. 街上有个男人在卖一包包热栗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • Talk of chestnuts loosened the tongue of this inarticulate young man. 因为栗子,正苦无话可说的年青人,得到同情他的人了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
    2 inviting [ɪnˈvaɪtɪŋ] CqIzNp   第8级
    adj.诱人的,引人注目的
    参考例句:
    • An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room. 一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
    • The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar. 这间厨房的味道温暖诱人,使人感到亲切温馨。
    3 ruminating [ˈru:məˌneɪtɪŋ] 29b02bd23c266a224e13df488b3acca0   第10级
    v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 );反复考虑;反刍;倒嚼
    参考例句:
    • He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth. 他坐在那儿沉思,轻轻地抚弄着桌布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • He is ruminating on what had happened the day before. 他在沉思前一天发生的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    4 fixed [fɪkst] JsKzzj   第8级
    adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
    参考例句:
    • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet? 你们俩选定婚期了吗?
    • Once the aim is fixed, we should not change it arbitrarily. 目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
    5 spoke [spəʊk] XryyC   第11级
    n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
    参考例句:
    • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company. 他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
    • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre. 辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
    6 conspicuous [kənˈspɪkjuəs] spszE   第7级
    adj.明眼的,惹人注目的;炫耀的,摆阔气的
    参考例句:
    • It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health. 很明显,抽烟对健康有害。
    • Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous. 它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。
    7 tremor [ˈtremə(r)] Tghy5   第9级
    n.震动,颤动,战栗,兴奋,地震
    参考例句:
    • There was a slight tremor in his voice. 他的声音有点颤抖。
    • A slight earth tremor was felt in California. 加利福尼亚发生了轻微的地震。
    8 mere [mɪə(r)] rC1xE   第7级
    adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
    参考例句:
    • That is a mere repetition of what you said before. 那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
    • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer. 再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
    9 inquiry [ɪn'kwaɪərɪ] nbgzF   第7级
    n.打听,询问,调查,查问
    参考例句:
    • Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem. 许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
    • The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons. 调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。
    10 hemmed [hemd] 16d335eff409da16d63987f05fc78f5a   第10级
    缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 ); 包围
    参考例句:
    • He hemmed and hawed but wouldn't say anything definite. 他总是哼儿哈儿的,就是不说句痛快话。
    • The soldiers were hemmed in on all sides. 士兵们被四面包围了。
    11 sobs ['sɒbz] d4349f86cad43cb1a5579b1ef269d0cb   第7级
    啜泣(声),呜咽(声)( sob的名词复数 )
    参考例句:
    • She was struggling to suppress her sobs. 她拼命不让自己哭出来。
    • She burst into a convulsive sobs. 她突然抽泣起来。
    12 subsided [səbˈsaidid] 1bda21cef31764468020a8c83598cc0d   第9级
    v.(土地)下陷(因在地下采矿)( subside的过去式和过去分词 );减弱;下降至较低或正常水平;一下子坐在椅子等上
    参考例句:
    • After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后,部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚, 暴风雨已经过去,四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
    13 regularity [ˌregjuˈlærəti] sVCxx   第7级
    n.规律性,规则性;匀称,整齐
    参考例句:
    • The idea is to maintain the regularity of the heartbeat. 问题就是要维持心跳的规律性。
    • He exercised with a regularity that amazed us. 他锻炼的规律程度令我们非常惊讶。
    14 amends [ə'mendz] AzlzCR   第7级
    n. 赔偿
    参考例句:
    • He made amends for his rudeness by giving her some flowers. 他送给她一些花,为他自己的鲁莽赔罪。
    • This country refuses stubbornly to make amends for its past war crimes. 该国顽固地拒绝为其过去的战争罪行赔罪。
    15 creditors [k'redɪtəz] 6cb54c34971e9a505f7a0572f600684b   第8级
    n.债权人,债主( creditor的名词复数 )
    参考例句:
    • They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    16 kindling [ˈkɪndlɪŋ] kindling   第9级
    n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式
    参考例句:
    • There were neat piles of kindling wood against the wall. 墙边整齐地放着几堆引火柴。
    • "Coal and kindling all in the shed in the backyard." “煤,劈柴,都在后院小屋里。” 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
    17 triumphant [traɪˈʌmfənt] JpQys   第9级
    adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的
    参考例句:
    • The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital. 部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
    • There was a positively triumphant note in her voice. 她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。
    18 enunciation [ɪˌnʌnsɪ'eɪʃn] wtRzjz   第11级
    n.清晰的发音;表明,宣言;口齿
    参考例句:
    • He is always willing to enunciate his opinions on the subject of politics. 他总是愿意对政治问题发表意见。> enunciation / I9nQnsI5eIFn; I9nQnsI`eFEn/ n [C, U]。 来自辞典例句
    • Be good at communicating,sense of responsibility,the work is careful,the enunciation is clear. 善于沟通,责任心强,工作细致,口齿清晰。 来自互联网
    19 defiance [dɪˈfaɪəns] RmSzx   第8级
    n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗
    参考例句:
    • He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning. 他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
    • He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance. 他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。
    20 crooked [ˈkrʊkɪd] xvazAv   第7级
    adj.弯曲的;不诚实的,狡猾的,不正当的;v.弯成钩形(crook的过去式和过去分词)
    参考例句:
    • He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him. 他弯了弯手指,示意我们到他那儿去。
    • You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads. 在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。
    21 prosper [ˈprɒspə(r)] iRrxC   第7级
    vi.成功,兴隆,昌盛;荣vt.使……成功;使……昌盛;使……繁荣
    参考例句:
    • With her at the wheel, the company began to prosper. 有了她当主管,公司开始兴旺起来。
    • It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper. 我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。
    22 partnership [ˈpɑ:tnəʃɪp] NmfzPy   第8级
    n.合作关系,伙伴关系
    参考例句:
    • The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation. 这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
    • Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company. 马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。
    23 grievances [ɡ'ri:vnsɪz] 3c61e53d74bee3976a6674a59acef792   第9级
    n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 );苦衷;不满;牢骚
    参考例句:
    • The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
    • He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    24 humility [hju:ˈmɪləti] 8d6zX   第9级
    n.谦逊,谦恭
    参考例句:
    • Humility often gains more than pride. 谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
    • His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility. 他的声音还是那么温和,甚至有点谦卑。
    25 admiration [ˌædməˈreɪʃn] afpyA   第8级
    n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
    参考例句:
    • He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene. 他对风景之美赞不绝口。
    • We have a great admiration for the gold medalists. 我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
    26 gratitude [ˈgrætɪtju:d] p6wyS   第7级
    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。
    27 redeemed [rɪ'di:md] redeemed   第8级
    adj. 可赎回的,可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式
    参考例句:
    • She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。
    • He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's. 他从当铺赎回手表。
    28 jealousy [ˈdʒeləsi] WaRz6   第7级
    n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌
    参考例句:
    • Some women have a disposition to jealousy. 有些女人生性爱妒忌。
    • I can't support your jealousy any longer. 我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。
    29 peculiar [pɪˈkju:liə(r)] cinyo   第7级
    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。
    30 remarkable [rɪˈmɑ:kəbl] 8Vbx6   第7级
    adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
    参考例句:
    • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills. 她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
    • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines. 这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
    31 juvenile [ˈdʒu:vənaɪl] OkEy2   第8级
    n.青少年,少年读物;adj.青少年的,幼稚的
    参考例句:
    • For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner. 身为成年人,他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
    • Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate. 青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。
    32 narrative [ˈnærətɪv] CFmxS   第7级
    n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的
    参考例句:
    • He was a writer of great narrative power. 他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
    • Neither author was very strong on narrative. 两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。
    33 irrelevant [ɪˈreləvənt] ZkGy6   第8级
    adj.不恰当的,无关系的,不相干的
    参考例句:
    • That is completely irrelevant to the subject under discussion. 这跟讨论的主题完全不相关。
    • A question about arithmetic is irrelevant in a music lesson. 在音乐课上,一个数学的问题是风马牛不相及的。
    34 exclamation [ˌekskləˈmeɪʃn] onBxZ   第8级
    n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词
    参考例句:
    • He could not restrain an exclamation of approval. 他禁不住喝一声采。
    • The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers. 作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号,以引起读者的注意。
    35 smothered [ˈsmʌðəd] b9bebf478c8f7045d977e80734a8ed1d   第9级
    (使)窒息, (使)透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 ); 覆盖; 忍住; 抑制
    参考例句:
    • He smothered the baby with a pillow. 他用枕头把婴儿闷死了。
    • The fire is smothered by ashes. 火被灰闷熄了。

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