Eminent4, however, in that art as was Dr. Arne, his eminence5 was to that art alone confined. Thoughtless, dissipated, and careless, he neglected, or rather scoffed6 at all other but musical reputation. And he was so little scrupulous7 in his ideas of propriety8, that he took pride, rather than shame, in being publicly classed, even in the decline of life, as a man of pleasure.
Such a character was ill qualified9 to form or to protect the morals of a youthful pupil; and it is probable that not a notion of such a duty ever occurred to Dr. Arne; so happy was his self-complacency in the fertility of his invention and the
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ease of his compositions, and so dazzled by the brilliancy of his success in his powers of melody—which, in truth, for the English stage, were in sweetness and variety unrivalled—that, satisfied and flattered by the practical exertions10 and the popularity of his fancy, he had no ambition, or, rather, no thought concerning the theory of his art.
The depths of science, indeed, were the last that the gay master had any inclination11 to sound; and, in a very short time, through something that mingled12 jealousy13 with inability, the disciple14 was wholly left to work his own way as he could through the difficulties of his professional progress.
Had neglect, nevertheless, been the sole deficiency that young Burney had had to lament15, it would effectually have been counteracted16 by his own industry: but all who are most wanting to others, are most rapacious17 of services for themselves; and the time in which the advancement18 of the scholar ought to have been blended with the advantage of the teacher, was almost exclusively seized upon for the imposition of laborious19 tasks of copying music: and thus, a drudgery20 fitted for those who have no talents to cultivate; or those who, in possessing them, are driven from their enjoyment21 by
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distress22, filled up nearly the whole time of the student, and constituted almost wholly the directions of the tutor.
点击收听单词发音
1 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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2 portrayed | |
v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 );描述;描绘;描画 | |
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3 nominally | |
在名义上,表面地; 应名儿 | |
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4 eminent | |
adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的 | |
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5 eminence | |
n.卓越,显赫;高地,高处;名家 | |
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6 scoffed | |
嘲笑,嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7 scrupulous | |
adj.审慎的,小心翼翼的,完全的,纯粹的 | |
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8 propriety | |
n.正当行为;正当;适当 | |
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9 qualified | |
adj.合格的,有资格的,胜任的,有限制的 | |
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10 exertions | |
n.努力( exertion的名词复数 );费力;(能力、权力等的)运用;行使 | |
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11 inclination | |
n.倾斜;点头;弯腰;斜坡;倾度;倾向;爱好 | |
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12 mingled | |
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
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13 jealousy | |
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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14 disciple | |
n.信徒,门徒,追随者 | |
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15 lament | |
n.悲叹,悔恨,恸哭;v.哀悼,悔恨,悲叹 | |
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16 counteracted | |
对抗,抵消( counteract的过去式 ) | |
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17 rapacious | |
adj.贪婪的,强夺的 | |
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18 advancement | |
n.前进,促进,提升 | |
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19 laborious | |
adj.吃力的,努力的,不流畅 | |
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20 drudgery | |
n.苦工,重活,单调乏味的工作 | |
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21 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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22 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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