chapter 10

Miss Ranville, Rev¹. Mr. Toop, Miss Mullins, Mr. Winter.

Mr. W. — Miss Mullins, look at Miss Ranville: what a picture of good humor.

Miss M. — Oh, you satirical creature!

Mr. W. — Do you know why she is so angry? she expected to dance with Captain Grig, and by some mistake, the Cambridge Professor got hold of her: isn’t he a handsome man?

Miss M. — Oh, you droll² wretch³!

Mr. W. — Yes, he’s a fellow of college — fellows mayn’t marry, Miss Mullins — poor fellows, ay, Miss Mullins?

Miss M. — La!

Mr. W. — And Professor of Phlebotomy in the University. He flatters himself he is a man of the world, Miss Mullins, and always dances in the long vacation.

Miss M. — You malicious⁴, wicked monster!

Mr. W. — Do you know Lady Jane Ranville? Miss Ranville’s mamma. A ball once a year; footmen in canary-colored livery: Baker⁵ Street; six dinners in the season; starves all the year round; pride and poverty, you know; I’ve been to her ball ONCE. Ranville Ranville’s her brother, and between you and me — but this, dear Miss Mullins, is a profound secret — I think he’s a greater fool than his sister.

Miss M. — Oh, you satirical, droll, malicious, wicked thing you!

Mr. W. — You do me injustice⁶, Miss Mullins, indeed you do.

[Chaine Anglaise.]

1 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

2 droll   

adj.古怪的，好笑的

参考例句：

• The band have a droll sense of humour.这个乐队有一种滑稽古怪的幽默感。
• He looked at her with a droll sort of awakening.他用一种古怪的如梦方醒的神情看着她.

3 wretch   

n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人

参考例句：

• You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。
• The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。

4 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

5 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

6 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。