← Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus

Frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus — Page 9

English → Chinese Preface Level 7/10

The master is a person of an excellent disposition and is remarkable in the ship for his gentleness and the mildness of his discipline.

这位船长是一个性情极好的人，在船上以其温和的性格和宽厚的管理风格而著称。

This circumstance, added to his well-known integrity and dauntless courage, made me very desirous to engage him.

这一点，加上他众所周知的正直品格和无畏的勇气，使我非常渴望聘用他。

A youth passed in solitude, my best years spent under your gentle and feminine fosterage, has so refined the groundwork of my character that I cannot overcome an intense distaste to the usual brutality exercised on board ship: I have never believed it to be necessary, and when I heard of a mariner equally noted for his kindliness of heart and the respect and obedience paid to him by his crew, I felt myself peculiarly fortunate in being able to secure his services.

我的青年时光在孤独中度过，最美好的岁月在您温柔而慈爱的抚育下流逝，这使我的性格根基得到了如此的陶冶，以至于我无法克服对船上惯常粗暴行为的强烈厌恶：我从未认为那是必要的，因此当我听说有一位水手既以心地善良著称，又深受船员的尊重和服从，我便觉得自己能够得到他的效力实属万幸。

I heard of him first in rather a romantic manner, from a lady who owes to him the happiness of her life.

我第一次听说他，是以一种颇为浪漫的方式，从一位将自己一生幸福归功于他的女士那里得知的。

This, briefly, is his story.

简而言之，他的故事是这样的。

Some years ago he loved a young Russian lady of moderate fortune, and having amassed a considerable sum in prize-money, the father of the girl consented to the match.

几年前，他爱上了一位家境普通的俄罗斯年轻女士，在他积累了一笔可观的奖金之后，女方的父亲同意了这门婚事。

He saw his mistress once before the destined ceremony; but she was bathed in tears, and throwing herself at his feet, entreated him to spare her, confessing at the same time that she loved another, but that he was poor, and that her father would never consent to the union.

他在预定的婚礼之前见过他的心上人一次；但她泪流满面，跪倒在他脚下，恳求他放过她，同时坦言她爱的是另一个人，但那人贫穷，她的父亲绝不会同意他们的结合。

My generous friend reassured the suppliant, and on being informed of the name of her lover, instantly abandoned his pursuit.

我这位慷慨的朋友安慰了那位哀求者，并在得知她情人的名字之后，立刻放弃了自己的追求。

Vocabulary

这位: zhè wèi — This person (polite measure word for people).
船长: chuán zhǎng — Ship captain; commander of a vessel.
是: shì — Is; to be; linking verb.
一个: yī gè — One; a single (general measure word).
性情: xìng qíng — Temperament; natural disposition or character.
极好: jí hǎo — Extremely good; excellent in quality.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
人: rén — Person; human being.
在: zài — At; in; located at a place.
船上: chuán shàng — On board the ship; aboard.
以: yǐ — By means of; with; because of.
其: qí — His; her; its; their (formal pronoun).
温和: wēn hé — Gentle; mild-mannered; moderate in temperament.
性格: xìng gé — Personality; character traits of a person.
和: hé — And; together with; harmonious.
宽厚: kuān hòu — Generous and tolerant; magnanimous in conduct.
管理: guǎn lǐ — Management; to manage or administer something.
风格: fēng gé — Style; characteristic manner of doing things.
而: ér — And; but; conjunction linking clauses.
著称: zhù chēng — To be well known for; famous for something.
这: zhè — This; referring to something nearby.
一点: yī diǎn — This point; a little; a small aspect.
加上: jiā shàng — In addition to; plus; added together with.
他: tā — He; him; third-person male pronoun.
众所周知: zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī — As everyone knows; universally acknowledged fact.
正直: zhèng zhí — Upright; honest and morally principled.
品格: pǐn gé — Moral character; integrity and personal qualities.
无畏: wú wèi — Fearless; without fear or timidity.
勇气: yǒng qì — Courage; bravery in facing difficulty.
使: shǐ — To cause; to make; to enable something.
我: wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun.
非常: fēi cháng — Very; extremely; unusually so.
渴望: kě wàng — To eagerly desire; to long for something.
聘用: pìn yòng — To hire; to employ someone for a position.
青年: qīng nián — Youth; young people; early years of life.
时光: shí guāng — Time; period of time; passing moments.
孤独: gū dú — Lonely; solitary; feeling of isolation.
中: zhōng — In; within; among; middle.
度过: dù guò — To spend time; to pass through a period.
最: zuì — Most; superlative degree modifier.
美好: měi hǎo — Beautiful; wonderful; pleasant and cherished.
岁月: suì yuè — Years; the passage of time; life's seasons.
您: nín — You (polite/formal form of address).
温柔: wēn róu — Tender; gentle; soft in manner or touch.
慈爱: cí ài — Loving kindness; affectionate parental love.
抚育: fǔ yù — To nurture; to raise and care for lovingly.
下: xià — Under; beneath; below a certain condition.
流逝: liú shì — To pass away; time slipping by gradually.
根基: gēn jī — Foundation; roots; fundamental basis of character.
得到: dé dào — To obtain; to receive; to gain something.
了: le — Particle indicating completion or change of state.
如此: rú cǐ — Such; like this; to this extent.
陶冶: táo yě — To cultivate; to mold one's character or taste.
以至于: yǐ zhì yú — To the extent that; so much so that.
无法: wú fǎ — Unable to; cannot; no way to do something.
克服: kè fú — To overcome; to conquer a difficulty or feeling.
对: duì — Toward; regarding; directed at something.
惯常: guàn cháng — Habitual; customary; usual practice or behavior.
粗暴: cū bào — Rough; brutal; harsh and violent in manner.
行为: xíng wéi — Behavior; conduct; actions of a person.
强烈: qiáng liè — Strong; intense; powerful in degree or force.
厌恶: yàn wù — Disgust; aversion; strong dislike toward something.
从未: cóng wèi — Never; at no time in the past.
认为: rèn wéi — To think; to believe; to consider something true.
那: nà — That; referring to something distant.
必要: bì yào — Necessary; essential; required for a purpose.
因此: yīn cǐ — Therefore; for this reason; consequently.
当: dāng — When; at the time that something occurs.
听说: tīng shuō — To hear that; to learn from others' speech.
有: yǒu — To have; there is; to exist.
一位: yī wèi — One person (polite measure word).
水手: shuǐ shǒu — Sailor; seaman; crew member on a ship.
既: jì — Both; already; used in correlative constructions.
心地: xīn dì — Heart; inner nature; one's disposition or intentions.
善良: shàn liáng — Kind-hearted; good-natured; benevolent by character.
又: yòu — Also; again; additionally; furthermore.
深受: shēn shòu — Deeply received; greatly enjoyed or experienced.
船员: chuán yuán — Crew member; person working on a ship.
尊重: zūn zhòng — Respect; to show regard and esteem for someone.
服从: fú cóng — To obey; to comply with orders or authority.
便: biàn — Then; consequently; thereupon (formal connector).
觉得: jué de — To feel; to think; to perceive subjectively.
自己: zì jǐ — Oneself; self; one's own person.
能够: néng gòu — To be able to; capable of doing something.
效力: xiào lì — To serve; to work for; to render service.
实属: shí shǔ — Truly is; genuinely constitutes (formal expression).
万幸: wàn xìng — Extremely lucky; great fortune; a blessing indeed.
第一次: dì yī cì — The first time; initial occurrence of something.
一种: yī zhǒng — A kind of; a type of something.
颇为: pō wéi — Quite; rather; considerably (formal degree adverb).
浪漫: làng màn — Romantic; idealistic; full of romantic feeling.
方式: fāng shì — Way; method; manner of doing something.
从: cóng — From; since; following a source or origin.
将: jiāng — Will; about to; future tense marker (formal).
一生: yī shēng — A lifetime; one's whole life.
幸福: xìng fú — Happiness; well-being; a state of joyful contentment.
归功于: guī gōng yú — To credit to; to attribute success to someone.
女士: nǚ shì — Lady; Ms.; polite address for a woman.
那里: nà lǐ — There; that place; from that location.
得知: dé zhī — To learn; to come to know a fact.
简而言之: jiǎn ér yán zhī — In short; to put it briefly; in a nutshell.
故事: gù shì — Story; tale; narrative account of events.
这样: zhè yàng — Like this; in this way; such as follows.
几年前: jǐ nián qián — A few years ago; several years in the past.
爱上: ài shàng — To fall in love with; to become enamored.
家境: jiā jìng — Family financial circumstances; household economic situation.
普通: pǔ tōng — Ordinary; common; average; not special or wealthy.
俄罗斯: É luó sī — Russia; the country of Russia.
年轻: nián qīng — Young; youthful in age.
积累: jī lěi — To accumulate; to build up over time.
一笔: yī bǐ — A sum of; a lump amount of money.
可观: kě guān — Considerable; sizeable; impressive in amount.
奖金: jiǎng jīn — Bonus; prize money; financial reward.
之后: zhī hòu — After; afterwards; following a certain event.
女方: nǚ fāng — The woman's side; the bride's party.
父亲: fù qīn — Father; male parent.
同意: tóng yì — To agree; to consent; to approve of something.
这门: zhè mén — This (measure word for marriage matters).
婚事: hūn shì — Marriage matter; wedding arrangement or proposal.
预定: yù dìng — To schedule; to pre-arrange; to reserve in advance.
婚礼: hūn lǐ — Wedding ceremony; marriage celebration.
之前: zhī qián — Before; prior to a certain time or event.
见过: jiàn guò — To have met; to have seen someone before.
心上人: xīn shàng rén — Sweetheart; beloved person; the one you love.
一次: yī cì — Once; one time; a single occasion.
但: dàn — But; however; expressing contrast or exception.
她: tā — She; her; third-person female pronoun.
泪流满面: lèi liú mǎn miàn — Tears streaming down face; crying profusely.
跪倒: guì dǎo — To kneel down; to fall to one's knees.
脚下: jiǎo xià — At someone's feet; beneath one's feet.
恳求: kěn qiú — To implore; to plead earnestly with someone.
放过: fàng guò — To let go; to spare; to release from obligation.
同时: tóng shí — At the same time; simultaneously; meanwhile.
坦言: tǎn yán — To openly admit; to confess candidly and honestly.
爱: ài — Love; to love someone or something deeply.
另一个人: lìng yī gè rén — Another person; someone else entirely.
那人: nà rén — That person; the person in question.
贫穷: pín qióng — Poor; impoverished; lacking financial resources.
绝不会: jué bù huì — Absolutely will not; never under any circumstances.
他们: tā men — They; them; third-person plural pronoun.
结合: jié hé — To unite; to join together in marriage or partnership.
慷慨: kāng kǎi — Generous; magnanimous; giving without hesitation.
朋友: péng yǒu — Friend; companion; close associate.
安慰: ān wèi — To comfort; to console someone in distress.
那位: nà wèi — That person (polite measure word for people).
哀求者: āi qiú zhě — The supplicant; person making a sorrowful plea.
并: bìng — And; moreover; simultaneously (formal conjunction).
情人: qíng rén — Lover; romantic partner; sweetheart.
名字: míng zi — Name; given name of a person.
立刻: lì kè — Immediately; at once; without any delay.
放弃: fàng qì — To give up; to abandon; to relinquish a pursuit.
追求: zhuī qiú — To pursue; to court someone romantically; to seek.

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