The Scarlet Letter — Page 9
场景中的另一个人物是准备出海的水手,他来寻求一张通行证;或者是刚刚抵港的水手,面色苍白、身体虚弱,来寻求一张入院的证明。
Another figure in the scene is the outward-bound sailor in quest of a protection; or the recently arrived one, pale and feeble, seeking a passport to the hospital.
我们也不能忘记那些驾驶锈迹斑斑的小纵帆船、从英属殖民地运来柴火的船长们;他们是一群样貌粗犷的老水手,没有扬基人那种机敏利落的气质,却为我们日渐衰败的贸易贡献着不可忽视的一份力量。
Nor must we forget the captains of the rusty little schooners that bring firewood from the British provinces; a rough-looking set of tarpaulins, without the alertness of the Yankee aspect, but contributing an item of no slight importance to our decaying trade.
将这些人物聚集在一起——有时确实如此,再加上其他形形色色的人使这个群体更加多样——在那段时间里,海关便成了一个热闹纷繁的场所。
Cluster all these individuals together, as they sometimes were, with other miscellaneous ones to diversify the group, and, for the time being, it made the Custom-House a stirring scene.
然而,更多时候,当你登上台阶时,你会看到——若是夏天,便在门廊里,若是寒冷或天气恶劣,便在各自的房间里——一排德高望重的老人,坐在老式的椅子上,椅子的后腿抵着墙壁向后倾斜着。
More frequently, however, on ascending the steps, you would discern—in the entry, if it were summer time, or in their appropriate rooms, if wintry or inclement weather—a row of venerable figures, sitting in old-fashioned chairs, which were tipped on their hind legs back against the wall.
他们有时打着瞌睡,偶尔也能听到他们彼此交谈,声音介于说话与鼾声之间,带着那种懒散无力的神态——这种神态是济贫院的住客所特有的,也是所有依靠施舍、垄断劳工或其他任何手段而非自身独立努力为生的人所共有的。
Oftentimes they were asleep, but occasionally might be heard talking together, in voices between speech and a snore, and with that lack of energy that distinguishes the occupants of almshouses, and all other human beings who depend for subsistence on charity, on monopolized labor, or anything else, but their own independent exertions.
这些老先生——像马太一样坐在税关收税,却不大可能像他那样被召去执行使徒的差遣——都是海关的官员。
These old gentlemen—seated, like Matthew, at the receipt of customs, but not very liable to be summoned thence, like him, for apostolic errands—were Custom-House officers.
Vocabulary
- another
- 另一个,又一个,不同的事物
- figure
- 人物,数字,身影,轮廓
- in
- 在...里面,在...期间
- the
- 定冠词,特指某个或某些人或物
- scene
- 场景,现场,景象,事件
- is
- 是,存在,位于
- sailor
- 水手,海员,航海者
- quest
- 寻求,探险,冒险旅程
- of
- 的,属于,来自
- protection
- 保护,防护,庇护
- or
- 或者,或,要么
- recently
- 最近,近来,不久前
- arrived
- 到达,抵达,来临
- one
- 一个,某个人,任何人
- pale
- 苍白的,淡色的,暗淡的
- and
- 和,与,以及
- feeble
- 虚弱的,无力的,微弱的
- seeking
- 寻找,追求,寻求
- passport
- 护照,通行证,进入许可
- to
- 到,向,朝向
- hospital
- 医院,医疗机构
- must
- 必须,必然,一定
- we
- 我们,我和别人
- forget
- 忘记,遗忘,忽视
- captains
- 船长,队长,首领
- rusty
- 生锈的,陈旧的,久不用的
- little
- 小的,少量的,短暂的
- that
- 那个,那件事,用来引导从句
- bring
- 带来,携带,引起
- from
- 来自,从...开始
- British
- 英国的,不列颠的
- provinces
- 省份,地区,领域
- set
- 集合,组,套,放置
- without
- 没有,缺少,在...外面
- Yankee
- 美国人,北方人,美式的
- aspect
- 方面,外观,特征
- but
- 但是,然而,除了
- contributing
- 贡献,促成,投稿
- an
- 一个,不定冠词
- item
- 项目,物品,条目
- no
- 不,否定,没有
- slight
- 轻微的,细小的,纤细的
- importance
- 重要性,重要,价值
- our
- 我们的,属于我们
- decaying
- 衰退的,腐烂的,衰落的
- trade
- 贸易,交易,行业
- all
- 所有,全部,完全
- these
- 这些,这样的
- individuals
- 个人,个体,独立的人
- together
- 一起,共同,在一起
- as
- 作为,当...时候,如同
- they
- 他们,她们,它们
- sometimes
- 有时候,偶尔,间或
- were
- 是,在...时候,曾经
- with
- 和,用,带有
- other
- 其他的,另外的,别的
- ones
- 一些,某些,那些
- group
- 群体,组,团体
- for
- 为了,因为,对于
- time
- 时间,时代,次数
- being
- 存在,生物,为了
- it
- 它,这个,那个
- made
- 制造,使得,成为
- stirring
- 激动的,热闹的,令人兴奋的
- More
- 更多,较多,进一步
- frequently
- 经常,频繁地,常常
- however
- 然而,但是,无论如何
- on
- 在...上,继续,关于
- ascending
- 上升的,向上的,攀升
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