chapter 2

 One day Gerasim betook himself to a friend from his village, who lived at the extreme outer edge of Moscow, near Sokolnik. The man was coachman to a merchant by the name of Sharov, in whose service he had been for many years. He had ingratiated himself with his master, so that Sharov trusted him absolutely and gave every sign of holding him in high favour. It was the man’s glib¹ tongue, chiefly, that had gained him his master’s confidence. He told on all the servants, and Sharov valued him for it.

 

Gerasim approached and greeted him. The coachman gave his guest a proper reception, served him with tea and something to eat, and asked him how he was doing.

 

“Very badly, Yegor Danilych,” said Gerasim. “I’ve been without a job for weeks.”

 

“Didn’t you ask your old employer² to take you back?”

 

“I did.”

 

“He wouldn’t take you again?”

 

“The position was filled already.”

 

“That’s it. That’s the way you young fellows are. You serve your employers³ so-so, and when you leave your jobs, you usually have muddied up the way back to them. You ought to serve your masters so that they will think a lot of you, and when you come again, they will not refuse you, but rather dismiss⁴ the man who has taken your place.”

 

“How can a man do that? In these days there aren’t any employers like that, and we aren’t exactly angels, either.”

 

“What’s the use of wasting words? I just want to tell you about myself. If for some reason or other I should ever have to leave this place and go home, not only would Mr. Sharov, if I came back, take me on again without a word, but he would be glad to, too.”

 

Gerasim sat there downcast. He saw his friend was boasting⁵, and it occurred to him to gratify him.

 

“I know it,” he said. “But it’s hard to find men like you, Yegor Danilych. If you were a poor worker, your master would not have kept you twelve years.”

 

Yegor smiled. He liked the praise.

 

“That’s it,” he said. “If you were to live and serve as I do, you wouldn’t be out of work for months and months.”

 

Gerasim made no reply.

 

Yegor was summoned⁶ to his master.

 

“Wait a moment,” he said to Gerasim. “I’ll be right back.”

 

“Very well.”

1 glib   

adj.圆滑的，油嘴滑舌的

参考例句：

• His glib talk sounds as sweet as a song.他说的比唱的还好听。
• The fellow has a very glib tongue.这家伙嘴油得很。

2 employer   

n.雇用方，雇主

参考例句：

• My employer deducted ten pounds from my wages this week.我的雇主从我本周的工钱中扣除了十英镑。
• His monthly salary is paid into the bank by his employer.他的月薪由雇主替他存入银行。

3 employers   

雇主( employer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias. 雇主必须公平而毫无成见地考虑所有求职者。
• The onus is on employers to follow health and safety laws. 雇主有义务遵行健康安全法。

4 dismiss   

v.解雇，开除；把（某人）打发走；解散

参考例句：

• The committee has decided to dismiss him.委员会已决定辞退他。
• Please dismiss all doubts about it. 请打消对此事的一切顾虑。

5 boasting   

v.有（引以为荣的事物）( boast的现在分词 )；扬言；粗堑石头

参考例句：

• He's always boasting about how clever his children are. 他总是自吹他的小孩是多么聪明。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This chap likes to exaggerate and is good at nothing but boasting. 这个人言过其实，就会吹牛皮放大炮。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 summoned   

传唤( summon的过去式和过去分词 )； 召唤； 传讯（出庭）； 鼓起（勇气）

参考例句：

• He was summoned to appear before the magistrates. 他被传唤在地方法院出庭。
• The students were summoned in turn to be interviewed. 学生依次被召入进行口试。