But when the cruel black night had set regularly in, a dim sleek17 soft drizzle18 began to fall, and all hopes or fears of frost were at an end. Slowly and gently it came down, wrapping the streets as with a damp pall19; stealing quietly in under umbrellas; eating its way through the thickest broadcloth, matting the hair and hanging in dank, unwholesome beads20 on the beards of all unlucky enough to be exposed to it. It meant mischief21, this drizzle, and it carried out its intention. Omnibus-drivers and cabmen knew it at once from long experience, donned their heavy tarpaulin-capes, and made up their minds for the worst. The professional beggars knew it too. The pavement-chalking tramp, who had selected a tolerably dry spot under the lee of a wall, no sooner felt its first damp breath than he blew out his paper-lantern, put the candle into his pocket, stamped out as much of the mackerel and the ship at sea as he had already stencilled22, and made off. The man in the exemplary shirt-collar and apron23, who had planted himself before the chemist's window to procure24 an extra death-tinge from the light reflected from the blue bottle, packed up his linen25 and decamped, fearing lest his stock-in-trade--his virtue26 and his lucifers--might be injured by damp. The brass27 bands which had been playing outside the public-houses shouldered their instruments and went inside; the vendors28 of secondhand books covered their openly-displayed stock with strips of baize and dismissed their watchful29 boys, conscious that no petty thief would risk the weather for so small a prey30. The hot-potato men blew fiercer jets of steam out of their tin kitchens, as though calling on the public to defy dull care and comfort themselves with an antidote31 to the general wretchedness; and the policemen stamped solemnly and slowly round their beats, as men impressed with the full knowledge that, as there was not the remotest chance of their being relieved from their miserable32 fate until the morning, they might as well bear themselves with as much dignity as possible under the circumstances.
It was bad everywhere; but in no place at the West-end of London was it so bad as at the Regent Circus. There the great tide of humanity had been ebbing33 and flowing all day; there hapless females in shoals had struggled across the roaring sea of Oxford34 Street, some conveyed by the crossing-sweeper, some drifting helplessly under the poles of omnibuses and the wheels of hansom cabs. There the umbrellas of the expectant omnibus-seekers jostled each other with extra virulence35; and there the edges of the pavements were thick with dark alluvial36 deposits kicked hither and thither37 by the feet of thousands. All day there had been a bustle38 and a roar round this spot; and at ten o'clock at night it had but little diminished. Omnibus-conductors, like kites and vultures, clawed and wrangled39 over the bodies of their victims, who in a miserable little flock huddled40 together in a corner, and dashed out helplessly and without purpose as each lumbering41 vehicle drew up. Intermingled with these were several vagabond boys, whose animal spirits no amount of wet or misery42 could quell43, and who constituted themselves a kind of vedette or outpost-guard, giving warning of the approach of the different omnibuses in much pleasantly familiar speech, "Now, guv'nor, for Bayswater! Hatlas comin' up! Ready now for Nottin' 'Ill!"
At the back of the little crowd, sheltering herself under the lee of the houses, stood a slight female figure, a mere slight slip of a girl, dressed only in a clinging gown and a miserable tightly-drawn shawl. Her worn bonnet44 was pulled over her face, her arms were clasped before her, and she stood in a doorway45 almost motionless. The policeman tramping leisurely46 by had at first imagined her to be an omnibus-passenger waiting for a vehicle; but some twenty minutes after he had first noticed her, finding her still in the same position, he took advantage of a pretended trial of the security of various street-doors to scrutinise her appearance. To the man versed47 in such matters the miserable garb48 told its own tale--its wearer was a pauper49; and a beggar the man in office surmised50, although the girl had made no plaint, had uttered no word, had remained immovable and statue-like, gazing blankly before her. The policeman had been long enough in the force to know that the girl's presence in the doorway was an offence in the eyes of the law; but he was a kindly51-hearted Somersetshire man, and he performed his duty in as pleasant a way as he could, by gently pulling a corner of the drabbled shawl, and saying, "You musn't stand here, lass; you must move on, please." The shawl-wearer never looked up or spoke52 but shivering slightly, stepped out into the dank mist, and floated, phantom-like, across the road.
Gliding53 up the upper part of Regent Street, keeping close to the houses, and walking with her head bent54 down and her arms always folded tightly across her breast, she struck off into a bystreet to the right, and, crossing Oxford Market, seemed hesitating which way to turn. For an instant she stopped before the window of an eating-house, where thick columns of steam were yet playing round the attenuated55 remains56 of joints57, or casting a greasy58 halo round slabs59 of pudding. As the girl gazed at these wretched remnants of a wretched feast, she raised her head, her eyes glistened60, her pinched nostrils61 dilated62, and for an instant her breath came thick and fast; then, drawing her shawl more tightly round her, and bending her head to avoid as much as possible the rain, which came thickly scudding63 on the rising wind, she hurried on, and only stopped for shelter under the outstretched blind of a little chandler's shop--a wretched shelter, for the blind was soaked through, and the rain dripped from it in little pools, and the wind shook it in its frame, and eddied64 underneath65 it with a wet and gusty66 whirl; but there was something of comfort to the girl in the warm look of the gaslit shop, in the smug rotund appearance of the chandler, in the distant glimmer67 of the fire on the glazed68 door of the parlour at the back. Staring vacantly before him while mechanically patting a conical lump of lard, not unlike the bald cranium of an elderly gentleman, the chandler became aware of the girl's face at the window; and seeing Want legibly inscribed69 by Nature's never-erring hand on every feature of that face, and being a humane70 man, he was groping in the till for some small coin to bestow71 in charity, when from the back room came a sharp shrill72 voice, "Jim, time to shut up!" and at the sound of the voice the chandler hastily retreated, and, a small boy suddenly appearing, pulled up the overhanging blind, and having lost its shelter, the girl set forth73 again.
But her course was nearly at an end. To avoid a troop of boys who, arm-in-arm, came breasting up the street singing the burden of a negro-song, she turned off again into the main thoroughfare, and had barely gained the broad shadow of the sharp-steepled church in Langham Place, when she felt her legs sinking under her, her brain reeling, her heart throbbing74 in her breast like a ball of fire. She tottered75 and clung to the church-railing for support. In the next instant she was surrounded by a little crowd, in which she had a vision of painted faces and glistening76 silks, a dream of faint words of commiseration77 overborne by mocking laughter and ribald oaths, oaths made more fearful still by being uttered in foreign accents, of bitter jests and broad hints of drunkenness and shame; finally, of the strident voice of the policeman telling her again to "move on!" The dead faintness, consequent on cold and wet and weariness and starvation, passed away for the time, and she obeyed the mandate78. Passively she crept away a few steps up a deserted79 bystreet until her tormentors had left her quite alone; then she sunk down, shivering, on a doorstep, and burying her face in her tattered80 shawl, felt that her end was come.
There she remained, the dead damp cold striking through her lower limbs and chilling them to stone, while her head was one blazing fire. Gradually her limbs became numbed81 and lost to all sensation, a sickening empty pain was round her heart, a dead apathy82 settling down over her mind and brain. The tramping of feet was close upon her, the noise of loud voices, the ringing shouts of loud laughter, were in her ears; but she never raised her head from the tattered shawl, nor by speech or motion did she give the smallest sign of life. Men passed her constantly, all making for one goal, the portico83 next to that in which she had sunk down helpless--men with kindly hearts attuned84 to charity, who, had they known the state of the wretched wayfarer85, would have exerted themselves bravely in her succour, but whom a London life had so inured86 to spectacles of casual misery and vice87, that a few only cast a passing glance on the stricken woman and passed on. They came singly and in twos and threes; but none spoke to her, none noticed her save by a glance and a shoulder shrug88.
Then, as the icy hands of Cold and Want gradually stealing over her seemed to settle round the region of her heart, the girl gave one low faint cry, "God help me! it's come at last--God help me!" and fell back in a dead swoon.
点击收听单词发音
1 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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2 dabs | |
少许( dab的名词复数 ); 是…能手; 做某事很在行; 在某方面技术熟练 | |
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3 congealed | |
v.使凝结,冻结( congeal的过去式和过去分词 );(指血)凝结 | |
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4 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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5 parody | |
n.打油诗文,诙谐的改编诗文,拙劣的模仿;v.拙劣模仿,作模仿诗文 | |
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6 lurking | |
潜在 | |
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7 filth | |
n.肮脏,污物,污秽;淫猥 | |
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8 perils | |
极大危险( peril的名词复数 ); 危险的事(或环境) | |
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9 aggravating | |
adj.恼人的,讨厌的 | |
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10 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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11 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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12 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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13 thaw | |
v.(使)融化,(使)变得友善;n.融化,缓和 | |
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14 gutters | |
(路边)排水沟( gutter的名词复数 ); 阴沟; (屋顶的)天沟; 贫贱的境地 | |
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15 lugubriously | |
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16 locomotion | |
n.运动,移动 | |
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17 sleek | |
adj.光滑的,井然有序的;v.使光滑,梳拢 | |
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18 drizzle | |
v.下毛毛雨;n.毛毛雨,蒙蒙细雨 | |
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19 pall | |
v.覆盖,使平淡无味;n.柩衣,棺罩;棺材;帷幕 | |
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20 beads | |
n.(空心)小珠子( bead的名词复数 );水珠;珠子项链 | |
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21 mischief | |
n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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22 stencilled | |
v.用模板印(文字或图案)( stencil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23 apron | |
n.围裙;工作裙 | |
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24 procure | |
vt.获得,取得,促成;vi.拉皮条 | |
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25 linen | |
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的 | |
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26 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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27 brass | |
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器 | |
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28 vendors | |
n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 );小贩;(房屋等的)卖主;卖方 | |
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29 watchful | |
adj.注意的,警惕的 | |
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30 prey | |
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 | |
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31 antidote | |
n.解毒药,解毒剂 | |
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32 miserable | |
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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33 ebbing | |
(指潮水)退( ebb的现在分词 ); 落; 减少; 衰落 | |
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34 Oxford | |
n.牛津(英国城市) | |
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35 virulence | |
n.毒力,毒性;病毒性;致病力 | |
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36 alluvial | |
adj.冲积的;淤积的 | |
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37 thither | |
adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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38 bustle | |
v.喧扰地忙乱,匆忙,奔忙;n.忙碌;喧闹 | |
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39 wrangled | |
v.争吵,争论,口角( wrangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40 huddled | |
挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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41 lumbering | |
n.采伐林木 | |
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42 misery | |
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
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43 quell | |
v.压制,平息,减轻 | |
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44 bonnet | |
n.无边女帽;童帽 | |
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45 doorway | |
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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46 leisurely | |
adj.悠闲的;从容的,慢慢的 | |
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47 versed | |
adj. 精通,熟练 | |
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48 garb | |
n.服装,装束 | |
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49 pauper | |
n.贫民,被救济者,穷人 | |
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50 surmised | |
v.臆测,推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 );揣测;猜想 | |
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51 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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52 spoke | |
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 | |
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53 gliding | |
v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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54 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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55 attenuated | |
v.(使)变细( attenuate的过去式和过去分词 );(使)变薄;(使)变小;减弱 | |
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56 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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57 joints | |
接头( joint的名词复数 ); 关节; 公共场所(尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所) (非正式); 一块烤肉 (英式英语) | |
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58 greasy | |
adj. 多脂的,油脂的 | |
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59 slabs | |
n.厚板,平板,厚片( slab的名词复数 );厚胶片 | |
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60 glistened | |
v.湿物闪耀,闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61 nostrils | |
鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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62 dilated | |
adj.加宽的,扩大的v.(使某物)扩大,膨胀,张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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63 scudding | |
n.刮面v.(尤指船、舰或云彩)笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的现在分词 ) | |
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64 eddied | |
起漩涡,旋转( eddy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65 underneath | |
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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66 gusty | |
adj.起大风的 | |
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67 glimmer | |
v.发出闪烁的微光;n.微光,微弱的闪光 | |
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68 glazed | |
adj.光滑的,像玻璃的;上过釉的;呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式);上釉于,上光;(目光)变得呆滞无神 | |
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69 inscribed | |
v.写,刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 );内接 | |
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70 humane | |
adj.人道的,富有同情心的 | |
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71 bestow | |
v.把…赠与,把…授予;花费 | |
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72 shrill | |
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫 | |
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73 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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74 throbbing | |
a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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75 tottered | |
v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 );踉跄;蹒跚;摇摇欲坠 | |
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76 glistening | |
adj.闪耀的,反光的v.湿物闪耀,闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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77 commiseration | |
n.怜悯,同情 | |
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78 mandate | |
n.托管地;命令,指示 | |
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79 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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80 tattered | |
adj.破旧的,衣衫破的 | |
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81 numbed | |
v.使麻木,使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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82 apathy | |
n.漠不关心,无动于衷;冷淡 | |
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83 portico | |
n.柱廊,门廊 | |
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84 attuned | |
v.使协调( attune的过去式和过去分词 );调音 | |
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85 wayfarer | |
n.旅人 | |
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86 inured | |
adj.坚强的,习惯的 | |
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87 vice | |
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的 | |
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88 shrug | |
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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