小说搜索     点击排行榜   最新入库
首页 » 英文短篇小说 » The Complete Stories Of Evelyn Waugh » The Sympahtetic Passenger
选择底色: 选择字号:【大】【中】【小】
The Sympahtetic Passenger
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。

As Mr. James shut the side door behind him, radio music burst from every window of his house. Agnes, in the kitchen, was tuned1 in to one station; his wife, washing her hair in the bathroom, to another.
The competing programmes followed him to the garage and into the lane.
He had twelve miles to drive to the station, and for the first five of them he remained in a black mood.
He was in most matters a mild-tempered person—in all matters, it might be said, except one; he abominated2 the wireless3.
It was not merely that it gave him no pleasure; it gave active pain, and, in the course of years, he had come to regard the invention as being directed deliberately4 against himself, a conspiracy5 of his enemies to disturb and embitter6 what should have been the placid7 last years of his life.
He was far from being an old man; he was, in fact, in his middle fifties; he had retired8 young, almost precipitously, as soon as a small legacy9 had made it possible. He had been a lover of quiet all his life.
Mrs. James did not share this preference.
Now they were settled in a small country house, twelve miles from a suitable cinema.
The wireless, for Mrs. James, was a link with the clean pavements and bright shop windows, a communion with millions of fellow beings.
Mr. James saw it in just that light too. It was what he minded most—the violation10 of his privacy. He brooded with growing resentment11 on the vulgarity of womankind.
In this mood he observed a burly man of about his own age signalling to him for a lift from the side of the road. He stopped.
“I wonder if by any chance you are going to the railway station?” The man spoke12 politely with a low, rather melancholy13 voice.
“I am; I have to pick up a parcel. Jump in.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
The man took his place beside Mr. James. His boots were dusty, and he sank back in his seat as though he had come from far and was weary.
He had very large, ugly hands, close-cut grey hair, a bony, rather sunken face.
For a mile or so he did not speak. Then he asked suddenly, “Has this car got a wireless?”
“Certainly not.”
“What is that knob for?” He began examining the dashboard. “And that?”
“One is the self-starter. The other is supposed to light cigarettes. It does not work. If,” he continued sharply, “you have stopped me in the hope of hearing the wireless, I can only suggest that I put you down and let you try your luck on someone else.”
“Heaven forbid,” said his passenger. “I detest14 the thing.”
“So do I.”
“Sir, you are one among millions. I regard myself as highly privileged in making your acquaintance.”
“Thank you. It is a beastly invention.”
The passenger’s eyes glowed with passionate15 sympathy. “It is worse. It is diabolical16.”
“Very true.”
“Literally diabolical. It is put here by the devil to destroy us. Did you know that it spread the most terrible diseases?”
“I didn’t know. But I can well believe it.”
“It causes cancer, tuberculosis17, infantile paralysis18, and the common cold. I have proved it.”
“It certainly causes headaches,” said Mr. James.
“No man,” said his passenger, “has suffered more excruciating headaches than I.
“They have tried to kill me with headaches. But I was too clever for them. Did you know that the BBC has its own secret police, its own prisons, its own torture chambers19?”
“I have long suspected it.”
“I know. I have experienced them. Now it is the time of revenge.”
Mr. James glanced rather uneasily at his passenger and drove a little faster.
“I have a plan,” continued the big man. “I am going to London to put it into execution. I am going to kill the Director-General. I shall kill them all.”
They drove on in silence. They were nearing the outskirts20 of the town when a larger car driven by a girl drew abreast21 of them and passed. From inside it came the unmistakable sounds of a jazz band. The big man sat up in his seat, rigid22 as a pointer.
“Do you hear that?” he said. “She’s got one. After her, quick.”
“No good,” said Mr. James. “We can never catch that car.”
“We can try. We shall try, unless,” he said with a new and more sinister23 note in his voice, “unless you don’t want to.”
Mr. James accelerated. But the large car was nearly out of sight.
“Once before,” said his passenger, “I was tricked. The BBC sent one of their spies. He was very like you. He pretended to be one of my followers24; he said he was taking me to the Director-General’s office. Instead he took me to a prison. Now I know what to do with spies. I kill them.” He leaned towards Mr. James.
“I assure you, my dear sir, you have no more loyal supporter than myself. It is simply a question of cars. I cannot overtake her. But no doubt we shall find her at the station.”
“We shall see. If we do not, I shall know whom to thank, and how to thank him.”
They were in the town now and making for the station. Mr. James looked despairingly at the policeman on point duty, but was signalled on with a negligent25 flick26 of the hand. In the station yard the passenger looked round eagerly.
“I do not see that car,” he said.
Mr. James fumbled27 for a second with the catch of the door and then tumbled out. “Help!” he cried. “Help! There’s a madman here.”
With a great shout of anger the man dodged28 round the front of the car and bore down on him.
At that moment three men in uniforms charged out of the station doorway29. There was a brief scuffle; then, adroitly30, they had their man strapped31 up.
“We thought he’d make for the railway,” said their chief. “You must have had quite an exciting drive, sir.”
Mr. James could scarcely speak. “Wireless,” he muttered weakly.
“Ho, he’s been talking to you about that, has he? Then you’re very lucky to be here to tell us. It’s his foible, as you might say. I hope you didn’t disagree with him.”
“No,” said Mr. James. “At least, not at first.”
“Well, you’re luckier than some. He can’t be crossed, not about wireless. Gets very wild. Why, he killed two people and half killed a third last time he got away. Well, many thanks for bringing him in so nicely, sir. We must be getting him home.”
Home. Mr. James drove back along the familiar road.
“Why,” said his wife when he entered the house. “How quick you’ve been. Where’s the parcel?”
“I think I must have forgotten it.”
“How very unlike you. Why, you’re looking quite ill. I’ll run in and tell Agnes to switch off the radio. She can’t have heard you come in.”
“No,” said Mr. James, sitting down heavily. “Not switch off radio. Like it. Homely32.”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 tuned b40b43fd5af2db4fbfeb4e83856e4876     
adj.调谐的,已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调
参考例句:
  • The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味,老少皆宜。
  • The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 abominated 9a795eb0770526b797cce369e9ab4a49     
v.憎恶,厌恶,不喜欢( abominate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He had always abominated the foreign devils' contraptions. 老通宝向来仇恨小轮船这一类洋鬼子的东西! 来自汉英文学 - 春蚕
3 wireless Rfwww     
adj.无线的;n.无线电
参考例句:
  • There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
  • Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。
4 deliberately Gulzvq     
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地
参考例句:
  • The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
  • They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。
5 conspiracy NpczE     
n.阴谋,密谋,共谋
参考例句:
  • The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
  • He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。
6 embitter cqfxZ     
v.使苦;激怒
参考例句:
  • The loss of all his money embitters the old man.失去全部的钱,使这位老人甚为痛苦。
  • Hops serve to embitter beer.酒花的作用是使啤酒发苦。
7 placid 7A1yV     
adj.安静的,平和的
参考例句:
  • He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
  • You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。
8 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
参考例句:
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
9 legacy 59YzD     
n.遗产,遗赠;先人(或过去)留下的东西
参考例句:
  • They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
  • He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。
10 violation lLBzJ     
n.违反(行为),违背(行为),侵犯
参考例句:
  • He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说,那是违反规则的。
  • He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。
11 resentment 4sgyv     
n.怨愤,忿恨
参考例句:
  • All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
  • She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。
12 spoke XryyC     
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。
13 melancholy t7rz8     
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的
参考例句:
  • All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
  • He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过,他感到很郁闷。
14 detest dm0zZ     
vt.痛恨,憎恶
参考例句:
  • I detest people who tell lies.我恨说谎的人。
  • The workers detest his overbearing manner.工人们很讨厌他那盛气凌人的态度。
15 passionate rLDxd     
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的
参考例句:
  • He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
  • He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。
16 diabolical iPCzt     
adj.恶魔似的,凶暴的
参考例句:
  • This maneuver of his is a diabolical conspiracy.他这一手是一个居心叵测的大阴谋。
  • One speaker today called the plan diabolical and sinister.今天一名发言人称该计划阴险恶毒。
17 tuberculosis bprym     
n.结核病,肺结核
参考例句:
  • People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
  • Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。
18 paralysis pKMxY     
n.麻痹(症);瘫痪(症)
参考例句:
  • The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
  • The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
19 chambers c053984cd45eab1984d2c4776373c4fe     
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅
参考例句:
  • The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间:Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网
20 outskirts gmDz7W     
n.郊外,郊区
参考例句:
  • Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
  • They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。
21 abreast Zf3yi     
adv.并排地;跟上(时代)的步伐,与…并进地
参考例句:
  • She kept abreast with the flood of communications that had poured in.她及时回复如雪片般飞来的大批信件。
  • We can't keep abreast of the developing situation unless we study harder.我们如果不加强学习,就会跟不上形势。
22 rigid jDPyf     
adj.严格的,死板的;刚硬的,僵硬的
参考例句:
  • She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
  • The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严,几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。
23 sinister 6ETz6     
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的
参考例句:
  • There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
  • Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值,而且包藏祸心。
24 followers 5c342ee9ce1bf07932a1f66af2be7652     
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件
参考例句:
  • the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
  • The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。
25 negligent hjdyJ     
adj.疏忽的;玩忽的;粗心大意的
参考例句:
  • The committee heard that he had been negligent in his duty.委员会听说他玩忽职守。
  • If the government is proved negligent,compensation will be payable.如果证明是政府的疏忽,就应支付赔偿。
26 flick mgZz1     
n.快速的轻打,轻打声,弹开;v.轻弹,轻轻拂去,忽然摇动
参考例句:
  • He gave a flick of the whip.他轻抽一下鞭子。
  • By a flick of his whip,he drove the fly from the horse's head.他用鞭子轻抽了一下,将马头上的苍蝇驱走。
27 fumbled 78441379bedbe3ea49c53fb90c34475f     
(笨拙地)摸索或处理(某事物)( fumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 乱摸,笨拙地弄; 使落下
参考例句:
  • She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief. 她在她口袋里胡乱摸找手帕。
  • He fumbled about in his pockets for the ticket. 他(瞎)摸着衣兜找票。
28 dodged ae7efa6756c9d8f3b24f8e00db5e28ee     
v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 );回避
参考例句:
  • He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时,他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》
29 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
参考例句:
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
30 adroitly adroitly     
adv.熟练地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He displayed the cigarette holder grandly on every occasion and had learned to manipulate it adroitly. 他学会了一套用手灵巧地摆弄烟嘴的动作,一有机会就要拿它炫耀一番。 来自辞典例句
  • The waitress passes a fine menu to Molly who orders dishes adroitly. 女服务生捧来菜单递给茉莉,后者轻车熟路地点菜。 来自互联网
31 strapped ec484d13545e19c0939d46e2d1eb24bc     
adj.用皮带捆住的,用皮带装饰的;身无分文的;缺钱;手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词);用皮带抽打;包扎;给…打绷带
参考例句:
  • Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
32 homely Ecdxo     
adj.家常的,简朴的;不漂亮的
参考例句:
  • We had a homely meal of bread and cheese.我们吃了一顿面包加乳酪的家常便餐。
  • Come and have a homely meal with us,will you?来和我们一起吃顿家常便饭,好吗?


欢迎访问英文小说网

©英文小说网 2005-2010

有任何问题,请给我们留言,管理员邮箱:[email protected]  站长QQ :点击发送消息和我们联系56065533