Size and Tears

When on the sandy shore I sit,

Beside the salt sea-wave,

And fall into a weeping fit

Because I dare not shave —

A little whisper at my ear

Enquires¹ the reason of my fear.

I answer “If that ruffian Jones

Should recognise me here,

He’d bellow² out my name in tones

Offensive to the ear:

He chaffs me so on being stout³

(A thing that always puts me out).”

Ah me! I see him on the cliff!

Farewell, farewell to hope,

If he should look this way, and if

He’s got his telescope!

To whatsoever⁴ place I flee,

My odious⁵ rival follows me!

For every night, and everywhere,

I meet him out at dinner;

And when I’ve found some charming fair,

And vowed⁷ to die or win her,

The wretch⁸ (he’s thin and I am stout)

Is sure to come and cut me out!

The girls (just like them!) all agree

To praise J. Jones, Esquire:

I ask them what on earth they see

About him to admire?

They cry “He is so sleek⁹ and slim,

It’s quite a treat to look at him!”

They vanish in tobacco smoke,

Those visionary maids —

I feel a sharp and sudden poke¹⁰

Between the shoulder-blades —

“Why, Brown, my boy! Your growing stout!”

(I told you he would find me out!)

“My growth is not YOUR business, Sir!”

“No more it is, my boy!

But if it’s YOURS, as I infer,

Why, Brown, I give you joy!

A man, whose business prospers¹¹ so,

Is just the sort of man to know!

“It’s hardly safe, though, talking here —

I’d best get out of reach:

For such a weight as yours, I fear,

Must shortly sink the beach!” —

Insult me thus because I’m stout!

I vow⁶ I’ll go and call him out!

1 enquires   

打听( enquire的第三人称单数 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问

参考例句：

• I should make a few discreet enquires about the firm before you sign anything. 我应该先审慎打探一下这家公司的底细，然后您再签字。
• They enjoy popularity among our customers and the customers make enquires ceaseless. 在客户中受到极大欢迎，并且需求不断。

2 bellow   

v.吼叫，怒吼；大声发出，大声喝道

参考例句：

• The music is so loud that we have to bellow at each other to be heard.音乐的声音实在太大，我们只有彼此大声喊叫才能把话听清。
• After a while,the bull began to bellow in pain.过了一会儿公牛开始痛苦地吼叫。

4 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

5 odious   

adj.可憎的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• The judge described the crime as odious.法官称这一罪行令人发指。
• His character could best be described as odious.他的人格用可憎来形容最贴切。

6 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

7 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

8 wretch   

n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人

参考例句：

• You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。
• The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。

9 sleek   

adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢

参考例句：

• Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
• The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。

10 poke   

n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。
• Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。

11 prospers   

v.成功，兴旺( prosper的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Whatever prospers my business is welcome. 凡使我生意兴隆者皆竭诚欢迎。 来自辞典例句
• Whatever prospers my business is good. 任何使我生意兴隆的都是好的。 来自辞典例句