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Preface
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 The story of "THE POOR GENTLEMAN," now given in our language for the first time, is one of the series in which M. Conscience has delineated various grades of female character in positions of trial. In "The Village Innkeeper" he has shown the weaker traits of woman distracted between an inborn1 sense of propriety2 and a foolish ambition for high, life. In the "Conscript" his heroine displays the nobler virtues3 of uncorrupted humble4 life; and, with few characters, taken from the lowest walks, he shows the triumph of honest, straightforward5 earnestness and pertinacious6 courage, even when they are brought in conflict with authority. "The Poor Gentleman" closes the series; and, selecting a heroine from the educated classes of his country-people M. Conscience has demonstrated how superior a genuine woman becomes to all the mishaps7 of fortune, and how successfully she subdues8 that imaginary fate before which so many are seen to fall.
 
It would be difficult to describe this remarkable9 work without analyzing11 the tale and criticizing its personages. This would anticipate the author and mar10 the interest of his story. We must confine ourselves, therefore, to general remarks on its structure and characteristics.
 
Pontmartin, the distinguished12 French feuilletonist, says, in one of his "Literary Chats," that these simple stories are "pearls set in Flemish gold,—a gold which alchemysts seek for in alembics and furnaces, but which Conscience has found in the inexhaustible veins13 of nature." "The Poor Gentleman," he remarks, "is a tale of not more than a hundred and fifty pages; but I would not give its shortest chapter for all the romances I ever read. The perplexed14 De Vlierbeck—who ought to have had Caleb Balderstone for a servant—is one of those characters that engrave15 themselves indelibly on our memory." In every trait and detail the author has attained16 a photographic minuteness; which, while it is distinct and sharp, never interferes17 with that motion, breadth, and picturesque18 effect that impart life and reality to a story. Nor can we doubt that it will be read and re-read as long as there is a particle of that feeling among us which installed the Vicar of Wakefield, Paul and Virginia, the Crock of Gold, the Sketch-book, and the Tales of a Traveller, among the heirlooms of every tasteful household. The "Tales of Flemish Life" are additions to that rare stock of home-literature which is at once amiable19 and gentle, simple and affectionate, familiar and tender, and which meets a quick response from every honest heart and earnest spirit.
 
If it be objected that the stories are too short and sketchy20 for the praise that has been bestowed21 on them, it may be answered that in their translation we have had the best opportunity to observe the skill, power, and perception of character which constitute their real merit. Simple as they seem, they are written with masterly art. In design, elaborateness, tone, and finish, they resemble the works of the Flemish School which have made us familiar with the Low Countries and their people through the pictures of Ruysdael, Teniers, and Ostade. There is scarcely a leaf that does not display some of those recondite22 or evanescent secrets of human nature which either escape ordinary writers, or, when found by them, are spread out over volume instead of being condensed into a page.
 
Baltimore, August, 1856.
 
THE TRANSLATOR.

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1 inborn R4wyc     
adj.天生的,生来的,先天的
参考例句:
  • He is a man with an inborn love of joke.他是一个生来就喜欢开玩笑的人。
  • He had an inborn talent for languages.他有语言天分。
2 propriety oRjx4     
n.正当行为;正当;适当
参考例句:
  • We hesitated at the propriety of the method.我们对这种办法是否适用拿不定主意。
  • The sensitive matter was handled with great propriety.这件机密的事处理得极为适当。
3 virtues cd5228c842b227ac02d36dd986c5cd53     
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处
参考例句:
  • Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
  • She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。
4 humble ddjzU     
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低
参考例句:
  • In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见,他将在选举中获胜。
  • Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。
5 straightforward fFfyA     
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的
参考例句:
  • A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
  • I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
6 pertinacious YAkyB     
adj.顽固的
参考例句:
  • I can affirm that he is tenacious and pertinacious as are few.我可以肯定,像他那样不屈不挠、百折不回的人是十分罕见的。
  • Questions buzzed in his head like pertinacious bees.一连串问题在他脑子里盘旋着,就象纠缠不休的蜜蜂。
7 mishaps 4cecebd66139cdbc2f0e50a83b5d60c5     
n.轻微的事故,小的意外( mishap的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • a series of mishaps 一连串的倒霉事
  • In spite of one or two minor mishaps everything was going swimmingly. 尽管遇到了一两件小小的不幸,一切都进行得很顺利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
8 subdues a17341993ff4953d38203463fe108cf4     
征服( subdue的第三人称单数 ); 克制; 制服
参考例句:
  • In China postman subdues all wearing green color. 在中国邮递员都穿绿色制服。
  • He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me. 这位神、就是那为我伸冤、使众民服在我以下的。
9 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
10 mar f7Kzq     
vt.破坏,毁坏,弄糟
参考例句:
  • It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
  • Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。
11 analyzing be408cc8d92ec310bb6260bc127c162b     
v.分析;分析( analyze的现在分词 );分解;解释;对…进行心理分析n.分析
参考例句:
  • Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据,暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
  • He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然,他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句
12 distinguished wu9z3v     
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的
参考例句:
  • Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
  • A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。
13 veins 65827206226d9e2d78ea2bfe697c6329     
n.纹理;矿脉( vein的名词复数 );静脉;叶脉;纹理
参考例句:
  • The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的,感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 perplexed A3Rz0     
adj.不知所措的
参考例句:
  • The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛,走了又回来,犹豫不决,总怕上当受骗。
  • The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。
15 engrave qjKzH     
vt.(在...上)雕刻,使铭记,使牢记
参考例句:
  • It is difficult to engrave in marble.在大理石上雕刻是困难的。
  • The jeweller will engrave the inside of the ring with her name.珠宝匠将在戒指的内表面上刻上她的名字。
16 attained 1f2c1bee274e81555decf78fe9b16b2f     
(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况)
参考例句:
  • She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
  • Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。
17 interferes ab8163b252fe52454ada963fa857f890     
vi. 妨碍,冲突,干涉
参考例句:
  • The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
  • That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。
18 picturesque qlSzeJ     
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的
参考例句:
  • You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
  • That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。
19 amiable hxAzZ     
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的
参考例句:
  • She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
  • We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。
20 sketchy ZxJwl     
adj.写生的,写生风格的,概略的
参考例句:
  • The material he supplied is too sketchy.他提供的材料过于简略。
  • Details of what actually happened are still sketchy.对于已发生事实的详细情况知道的仍然有限。
21 bestowed 12e1d67c73811aa19bdfe3ae4a8c2c28     
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • It was a title bestowed upon him by the king. 那是国王赐给他的头衔。
  • He considered himself unworthy of the honour they had bestowed on him. 他认为自己不配得到大家赋予他的荣誉。
22 recondite oUCxf     
adj.深奥的,难解的
参考例句:
  • Her poems are modishly experimental in style and recondite in subject-matter.她的诗在风格上是时髦的实验派,主题艰深难懂。
  • To a craftsman,the ancient article with recondite and scholastic words was too abstruse to understand.可是对一个车轮师父而言,这些之乎者也的文言文是太深而难懂的。


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