A DULL DAY

 The sun may be shining when you read this, but it was a dull day when it was written.

 

The sky is an ugly, drab smudge. There is no sun, no rain, no wind, nothing.

 

Across the street is a house. It is a stupid house, full of stupid people. I know them. I wish I didn’t. There are many people you are sorry to have met.

 

It’s too close to have a fire and too cold to do without one. Is anything hollower and drearier¹ than a fireless fireplace?

 

A bird is on a tree outdoors. He is not singing. His head is all drawn² down into his shoulders. He is just sitting there hating himself.

 

80

A number of people have passed by the window. They are the dullest, homeliest bunch of human creatures I ever saw. I hate them all.

 

A crash—the hired girl has just smashed one of our best plates, an extra fine Sunday plate with gold on it. The only reason I don’t go out and give her a dressing-down is because I hate to move.

 

Why move? Such a day as this you are no happier anywhere than where you are. If you must be miserable³ why spread it around?

 

Old Mrs. Grumpet has just called. She has told the missus for the nth time about her troubles. She has all the diseases she ever heard of. As soon as she hears of a new one she goes and has it. She has more symptoms than a patent-medicine almanac. And it’s all along of that blue mass she took 81 just before Austey was born. She’s a dreadful, vast, steamy creature.

 

She has left an aroma⁴ of added wretchedness in the house. We opened the window to admit some fresh air, and the flies came in. I loathe⁵ flies.

 

I chased them with a fly-swatter and broke an expensive vase. All vases must some day be shattered, as all men must die.

 

All women must die, too, and all children, also all dogs, cats, horses, cows, and grizzly⁶ bears. A hundred years from now everybody and everything will be dead. There will be a new crop. After awhile they, too, will die. What’s the use?

 

The gas-stove is out of fix this morning. So am I. So is the universe.

 

There is no news in the paper. Newspapers are all poor. Why read? Aren’t you miserable enough as you are?

 

82

I am trying to have a vacation and enjoy myself. This morning I played a game of tennis and was beaten by a poor boob that played worse than I. Then I played two games of solitaire. Lost both.

 

I went to the cupboard to see——. Nothing there but grape-juice.

 

The weather is thickening. It is going to rain. It is hours and hours till bedtime.

 

1 drearier   

使人闷闷不乐或沮丧的( dreary的比较级 )； 阴沉的； 令人厌烦的； 单调的

参考例句：

2 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

3 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

4 aroma   

n.香气，芬芳，芳香

参考例句：

• The whole house was filled with the aroma of coffee.满屋子都是咖啡的香味。
• The air was heavy with the aroma of the paddy fields.稻花飘香。

5 loathe   

v.厌恶，嫌恶

参考例句：

• I loathe the smell of burning rubber.我厌恶燃着的橡胶散发的气味。
• You loathe the smell of greasy food when you are seasick.当你晕船时，你会厌恶油腻的气味。

6 grizzly   

adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊

参考例句：

• This grizzly liked people.这只灰熊却喜欢人。
• Grizzly bears are not generally social creatures.一般说来，灰熊不是社交型动物。