PREFATORY LETTER.

 PROF. HENRY W. FARNAM:

 

Dear Sir:—My motives¹ in writing this jejune² little volume are, as you are aware, two:

 

1st. There seems to be no story told in this country of the Japanese boy's life by a Japanese boy himself. The following rambling³ sketches⁴ are incoherent and extremely meagre, I own; but you must remember that they are a boy's talks. Give him encouragement, and he will tell you more.

 

2d. The most important of my reasons is my desire to obtain the means to prosecute⁵ the studies I have taken up in America. Circumstances have obliged me to make my own way in this hard world. If I knew of a better step I should not have resorted to an indiscreet juvenile⁶ publication—a publication, moreover, of my own idle experiences, and in a language the alphabet of which I learned but a few years ago.

 

To you my sincere acknowledgments are due for encouraging me to write these pages. This kindness is but one of many, of which the public has no knowledge.

 

I am, sir,

Yours very truly.

SHIUKICHI SHIGEMI

 

NEW HAVEN⁷. CT., September, 1889.

1 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

2 jejune   

adj.枯燥无味的，贫瘠的

参考例句：

• They were of great service in correcting my jejune generalizations.他们纠正了我不成熟的泛泛之论，帮了我大忙。
• I detected a jejune air that had not inbed me before.我感到一种沉闷的空气，这种感觉是以前从来没有的。

3 rambling   

adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的

参考例句：

• We spent the summer rambling in Ireland. 我们花了一个夏天漫游爱尔兰。
• It was easy to get lost in the rambling house. 在布局凌乱的大房子里容易迷路。

4 sketches   

n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概

参考例句：

• The artist is making sketches for his next painting. 画家正为他的下一幅作品画素描。
• You have to admit that these sketches are true to life. 你得承认这些素描很逼真。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

6 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

7 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。