Of the monstrous1 neglect of education in England, and the disregard of it by the State as a means of forming good or bad citizens, and miserable2 or happy men, private schools long afforded a notable example. Although any man who had proved his unfitness for any other occupation in life, was free, without examination or qualification, to open a school anywhere; although preparation for the functions he undertook, was required in the surgeon who assisted to bring a boy into the world, or might one day assist, perhaps, to send him out of it; in the chemist, the attorney, the butcher, the baker3, the candlestick maker4; the whole round of crafts and trades, the schoolmaster excepted; and although schoolmasters, as a race, were the blockheads and impostors who might naturally be expected to spring from such a state of things, and to flourish in it; these Yorkshire schoolmasters were the lowest and most rotten round in the whole ladder. Traders in the avarice5, indifference6, or imbecility of parents, and the helplessness of children; ignorant, sordid7, brutal8 men, to whom few considerate persons would have entrusted9 the board and lodging10 of a horse or a dog; they formed the worthy11 cornerstone of a structure, which, for absurdity12 and a magnificent high-minded Laissez-Aller neglect, has rarely been exceeded in the world.
We hear sometimes of an action for damages against the unqualified medical practitioner13, who has deformed14 a broken limb in pretending to heal it. But, what of the hundreds of thousands of minds that have been deformed for ever by the incapable15 pettifoggers who have pretended to form them!
I make mention of the race, as of the Yorkshire schoolmasters, in the past tense. Though it has not yet finally disappeared, it is dwindling16 daily. A long day’s work remains17 to be done about us in the way of education, Heaven knows; but great improvements and facilities towards the attainment18 of a good one, have been furnished, of late years.
I cannot call to mind, now, how I came to hear about Yorkshire schools when I was a not very robust19 child, sitting in bye-places near Rochester Castle, with a head full of Partridge, Strap20, Tom Pipes, and Sancho Panza; but I know that my first impressions of them were picked up at that time, and that they were somehow or other connected with a suppurated abscess that some boy had come home with, in consequence of his Yorkshire guide, philosopher, and friend, having ripped it open with an inky pen-knife. The impression made upon me, however made, never left me. I was always curious about Yorkshire schools—fell, long afterwards and at sundry21 times, into the way of hearing more about them—at last, having an audience, resolved to write about them.
With that intent I went down into Yorkshire before I began this book, in very severe winter time which is pretty faithfully described herein. As I wanted to see a schoolmaster or two, and was forewarned that those gentlemen might, in their modesty22, be shy of receiving a visit from the author of the “Pickwick Papers,” I consulted with a professional friend who had a Yorkshire connexion, and with whom I concerted a pious23 fraud. He gave me some letters of introduction, in the name, I think, of my travelling companion; they bore reference to a supposititious little boy who had been left with a widowed mother who didn’t know what to do with him; the poor lady had thought, as a means of thawing24 the tardy25 compassion26 of her relations in his behalf, of sending him to a Yorkshire school; I was the poor lady’s friend, travelling that way; and if the recipient27 of the letter could inform me of a school in his neighbourhood, the writer would be very much obliged.
I went to several places in that part of the country where I understood the schools to be most plentifully28 sprinkled, and had no occasion to deliver a letter until I came to a certain town which shall be nameless. The person to whom it was addressed, was not at home; but he came down at night, through the snow, to the inn where I was staying. It was after dinner; and he needed little persuasion29 to sit down by the fire in a warm corner, and take his share of the wine that was on the table.
I am afraid he is dead now. I recollect30 he was a jovial31, ruddy, broad-faced man; that we got acquainted directly; and that we talked on all kinds of subjects, except the school, which he showed a great anxiety to avoid. “Was there any large school near?” I asked him, in reference to the letter. “Oh yes,” he said; “there was a pratty big ‘un.” “Was it a good one?” I asked. “Ey!” he said, “it was as good as anoother; that was a’ a matther of opinion”; and fell to looking at the fire, staring round the room, and whistling a little. On my reverting32 to some other topic that we had been discussing, he recovered immediately; but, though I tried him again and again, I never approached the question of the school, even if he were in the middle of a laugh, without observing that his countenance33 fell, and that he became uncomfortable. At last, when we had passed a couple of hours or so, very agreeably, he suddenly took up his hat, and leaning over the table and looking me full in the face, said, in a low voice: “Weel, Misther, we’ve been vara pleasant toogather, and ar’ll spak’ my moind tiv’ee. Dinnot let the weedur send her lattle boy to yan o’ our school-measthers, while there’s a harse to hoold in a’ Lunnun, or a gootther to lie asleep in. Ar wouldn’t mak’ ill words amang my neeburs, and ar speak tiv’ee quiet loike. But I’m dom’d if ar can gang to bed and not tellee, for weedur’s sak’, to keep the lattle boy from a’ sike scoondrels while there’s a harse to hoold in a’ Lunnun, or a gootther to lie asleep in!” Repeating these words with great heartiness34, and with a solemnity on his jolly face that made it look twice as large as before, he shook hands and went away. I never saw him afterwards, but I sometimes imagine that I descry35 a faint reflection of him in John Browdie.
In reference to these gentry36, I may here quote a few words from the original preface to this book.
“It has afforded the Author great amusement and satisfaction, during the progress of this work, to learn, from country friends and from a variety of ludicrous statements concerning himself in provincial37 newspapers, that more than one Yorkshire schoolmaster lays claim to being the original of Mr. Squeers. One worthy, he has reason to believe, has actually consulted authorities learned in the law, as to his having good grounds on which to rest an action for libel; another, has meditated38 a journey to London, for the express purpose of committing an assault and battery on his traducer39; a third, perfectly40 remembers being waited on, last January twelve-month, by two gentlemen, one of whom held him in conversation while the other took his likeness41; and, although Mr. Squeers has but one eye, and he has two, and the published sketch42 does not resemble him (whoever he may be) in any other respect, still he and all his friends and neighbours know at once for whom it is meant, because—the character is so like him.
“While the Author cannot but feel the full force of the compliment thus conveyed to him, he ventures to suggest that these contentions43 may arise from the fact, that Mr. Squeers is the representative of a class, and not of an individual. Where imposture44, ignorance, and brutal cupidity45, are the stock in trade of a small body of men, and one is described by these characteristics, all his fellows will recognise something belonging to themselves, and each will have a misgiving46 that the portrait is his own.
“The Author’s object in calling public attention to the system would be very imperfectly fulfilled, if he did not state now, in his own person, emphatically and earnestly, that Mr. Squeers and his school are faint and feeble pictures of an existing reality, purposely subdued47 and kept down lest they should be deemed impossible. That there are, upon record, trials at law in which damages have been sought as a poor recompense for lasting48 agonies and disfigurements inflicted49 upon children by the treatment of the master in these places, involving such offensive and foul50 details of neglect, cruelty, and disease, as no writer of fiction would have the boldness to imagine. And that, since he has been engaged upon these Adventures, he has received, from private quarters far beyond the reach of suspicion or distrust, accounts of atrocities51, in the perpetration of which upon neglected or repudiated52 children, these schools have been the main instruments, very far exceeding any that appear in these pages.”
This comprises all I need say on the subject; except that if I had seen occasion, I had resolved to reprint a few of these details of legal proceedings53, from certain old newspapers.
One other quotation54 from the same Preface may serve to introduce a fact that my readers may think curious.
“To turn to a more pleasant subject, it may be right to say, that there are two characters in this book which are drawn55 from life. It is remarkable56 that what we call the world, which is so very credulous57 in what professes58 to be true, is most incredulous in what professes to be imaginary; and that, while, every day in real life, it will allow in one man no blemishes59, and in another no virtues60, it will seldom admit a very strongly-marked character, either good or bad, in a fictitious61 narrative62, to be within the limits of probability. But those who take an interest in this tale, will be glad to learn that the Brothers Cheeryble live; that their liberal charity, their singleness of heart, their noble nature, and their unbounded benevolence63, are no creations of the Author’s brain; but are prompting every day (and oftenest by stealth) some munificent64 and generous deed in that town of which they are the pride and honour.”
If I were to attempt to sum up the thousands of letters, from all sorts of people in all sorts of latitudes65 and climates, which this unlucky paragraph brought down upon me, I should get into an arithmetical difficulty from which I could not easily extricate66 myself. Suffice it to say, that I believe the applications for loans, gifts, and offices of profit that I have been requested to forward to the originals of the Brothers Cheeryble (with whom I never interchanged any communication in my life) would have exhausted67 the combined patronage68 of all the Lord Chancellors69 since the accession of the House of Brunswick, and would have broken the Rest of the Bank of England.
The Brothers are now dead.
There is only one other point, on which I would desire to offer a remark. If Nicholas be not always found to be blameless or agreeable, he is not always intended to appear so. He is a young man of an impetuous temper and of little or no experience; and I saw no reason why such a hero should be lifted out of nature.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
monstrous
|
|
| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
miserable
|
|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
baker
|
|
| n.面包师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
maker
|
|
| n.制造者，制造商 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
avarice
|
|
| n.贪婪；贪心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
indifference
|
|
| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
sordid
|
|
| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
brutal
|
|
| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
entrusted
|
|
| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
lodging
|
|
| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
absurdity
|
|
| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
practitioner
|
|
| n.实践者，从事者；(医生或律师等)开业者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
deformed
|
|
| adj.畸形的；变形的；丑的，破相了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
incapable
|
|
| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
dwindling
|
|
| adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
remains
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
attainment
|
|
| n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
robust
|
|
| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
strap
|
|
| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
sundry
|
|
| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
modesty
|
|
| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
pious
|
|
| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
thawing
|
|
| n.熔化，融化v.（气候）解冻( thaw的现在分词 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
tardy
|
|
| adj.缓慢的，迟缓的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
compassion
|
|
| n.同情，怜悯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
recipient
|
|
| a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
plentifully
|
|
| adv. 许多地，丰饶地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
persuasion
|
|
| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
recollect
|
|
| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
jovial
|
|
| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
reverting
|
|
| 恢复( revert的现在分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
countenance
|
|
| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
heartiness
|
|
| 诚实，热心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
descry
|
|
| v.远远看到；发现；责备 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
gentry
|
|
| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
provincial
|
|
| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
meditated
|
|
| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
traducer
|
|
| n.诽谤者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
40
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
likeness
|
|
| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
sketch
|
|
| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
contentions
|
|
| n.竞争( contention的名词复数 )；争夺；争论；论点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
imposture
|
|
| n.冒名顶替，欺骗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
cupidity
|
|
| n.贪心，贪财 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
misgiving
|
|
| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
subdued
|
|
| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
lasting
|
|
| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
inflicted
|
|
| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
foul
|
|
| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
atrocities
|
|
| n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
repudiated
|
|
| v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
proceedings
|
|
| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
quotation
|
|
| n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
remarkable
|
|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
credulous
|
|
| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
professes
|
|
| 声称( profess的第三人称单数 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
blemishes
|
|
| n.（身体的）瘢点( blemish的名词复数 )；伤疤；瑕疵；污点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
virtues
|
|
| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
fictitious
|
|
| adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
narrative
|
|
| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
benevolence
|
|
| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
munificent
|
|
| adj.慷慨的，大方的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
latitudes
|
|
| 纬度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
extricate
|
|
| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
exhausted
|
|
| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
patronage
|
|
| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
chancellors
|
|
| 大臣( chancellor的名词复数 )； （某些美国大学的）校长； （德国或奥地利的）总理； （英国大学的）名誉校长 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |