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首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Andy Gordon The Fortunes of A Young Janitor » CHAPTER XXVIII. ANDY ARRIVES IN CATO.
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CHAPTER XXVIII. ANDY ARRIVES IN CATO.
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 Mary Ann was an overgrown girl, with red arms and prominent knuckles1, and no personal beauty to speak of. She was good-natured, however, and thus had an advantage over her mother.
She stared at the two guests as they sat up to the table, and was evidently favorably impressed by the appearance of Andy, who was a good-looking boy. Peter did not appear to please her so much, and merely received a look.
Mrs. Simpson was bustling2 about the kitchen and adjoining room, and left Mary Ann to entertain her guests. The girl showed her partiality for Andy by putting three sausages on his plate, and only two on Peter’s; but the latter took no notice of the discrimination, but set to work at once on his share.
Mary Ann looked at Andy with what she meant to be an engaging smile, though it looked more like a broad grin.
“I hope you like the sassidges?” she said.
“They are very good, thank you,” replied Andy, politely.
He spoke3 correctly, for Mrs. Simpson was famed for the excellence4 of her sausages, of which she annually5 made a large stock, part of which were sent to market.{170}
“They was made out of one of our best hogs,” said Mary Ann, with engaging frankness.
“I don’t think I ever ate better,” said Andy.
“They’re hunky!” chimed in Peter, with his mouth full.
“Is you travelin’ far?” asked Mary Ann, who was not very well versed6 in grammar.
“Not very,” answered Andy.
“Be you a peddler?”
“No; but I may take up the business some time.”
“If you ever do, be sure to call round and see us, whenever you come our way,” said the young lady.
“I certainly will. I shan’t forget your nice sausages.”
“Won’t you have another?” asked Mary Ann, looking pleased.
“No, thank you.”
“I will,” said Peter.
Mary Ann supplied his wants, though not with as good a grace as she would have done for his companion.
“I guess you’ll have some pie?” she suggested, to Andy.
“Thank you.”
A liberal slice of apple pie was put on his plate. Andy would have preferred a clean plate, as sausages and apple pie do not go well together, but he did not care to be so particular.{171}
The pie was good, also, and our hero, whose appetite was of that kind sometimes described as “healthy,” felt that he was getting his full money’s worth. As for Peter, he ate as if he were ravenous7, and, not being engaged in conversation, like Andy, was able to give his undivided attention to the subject in hand.
“How are you gettin’ on, young men?” asked Mrs. Simpson, as she passed through the room.
“Bully!” mumbled8 Peter, whose utterance9 was somewhat impeded10 by the half section of apple pie which he had thrust into his mouth.
“Your daughter is taking excellent care of us,” said Andy.
Mary Ann looked delighted at this tribute to her attention, and mentally pronounced Andy the handsomest and most polite boy she had ever chanced to meet.
“What is your name?” she inquired, by no means bashful.
“You may call me Henry Miller,” said Andy, using his assumed name for the first time.
“That’s a nice name,” said Mary Ann.
“Do you think so?” asked Andy, smiling.
“I’ve got a nice name myself,” said Peter, complacently11.
“What’s your name?” asked the young lady, indifferently.
“My name’s Peter Jenks.”{172}
“I don’t like it,” said Mary Ann, decidedly, looking unfavorably at the red-headed boy.
“You wouldn’t like to be Mrs. Jenks?” asked Peter, grinning.
“No, I wouldn’t. I don’t want to marry no red head.”
“Maybe you’d like him better,” said Peter, pointing to Andy. “I guess anybody would.”
Andy was amused. He saw that he had made a conquest of the young lady, but did not feel much flattered. He would have been perfectly12 willing to transfer all her admiration13 to his companion, if the young lady had been willing.
When the dinner was over the two boys rose from the table, and, bidding good-by to Mary Ann and her mother, left the farmhouse14.
“I say, that was a hunky dinner,” said Peter.
“It was very good, indeed.”
“It was enough sight better than I got at old Brackett’s.”
“Don’t they live well there?”
“No, they don’t. The old woman ain’t much of a cook. Besides, she’s mean. We didn’t have pie, only now and then, and she’d cut a pie into eight pieces, and there wasn’t no chance of a second slice for me.”
“By the way, Peter,” said Andy, with a sudden thought, “how would you like to work at a hotel?”{173}
“First class!” answered Peter, promptly15.
“Were you ever in Seneca?”
“Once.”
“You know the way, then?”
“Yes; straight ahead.”
“The landlord of the hotel there offered me a place, to work round the hotel and stable, for five dollars a month and board.”
“Why didn’t you take it?”
“I didn’t care to, just now.”
“I wish I could get it,” said Peter, wistfully.
“I think you can. Go straight there, and tell the landlord you were sent to him by a boy you met on the road. He’ll know it was I who sent you, and I shouldn’t wonder if you’d get the place.”
“I’ll do it,” said Peter, with a look of determination; “but I don’t see why you don’t go back and take it yourself?”
“Oh, I don’t care for it,” said Andy.
Peter would have been very much surprised had he known that Andy’s reason for declining to enter the landlord’s services was on account of his desire to step into the old place which he had just left with so much disgust.
“You must have a lot of money,” he said.
“Oh, no,” said Andy, laughing. “What makes you think so?”
“You wouldn’t give up a good place if you hadn’t.”{174}
“Haven’t you given up your place, Peter?”
“Yes; but it wasn’t a good one. I’m much obliged to you for the dinner you’ve given me.”
“Oh, you are quite welcome. I suppose we part here. Of course you’ll go right on to Seneca, while I trudge16 on to Cato.”
“Yes,” said Peter. “I’ll try for that place before night.”
“I hope you’ll get it.”
So the two boys parted, and Andy kept on. He felt considerably17 more comfortable now that he had eaten a hearty18 dinner, but did not feel like walking rapidly. There was plenty of time to get to Cato, for he was not over five miles away.
“I guess I’ll go round to see Mr. Brackett to-night,” thought our hero, “so as to reach him before he has had a chance to hire another boy. I expect, from Peter’s account, I shan’t have a very pleasant time, but I shall soon see how the land lies, and whether there is any chance of helping19 uncle Simon or not. If I don’t get enough to eat, there’s one comfort—I have money in my pocket, and I can buy something outside. Money’s a pretty good friend, under all circumstances.”
Arrived in the village, Andy walked slowly along the road, keeping his eyes wide open.
A little in advance of him he saw an old man, with white hair, who was walking slowly, and appeared rather feeble. 
“I shouldn’t be surprised if that is uncle Simon,” he thought. “I’ll speak to him, and try to find out.”

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1 knuckles c726698620762d88f738be4a294fae79     
n.(指人)指关节( knuckle的名词复数 );(指动物)膝关节,踝v.(指人)指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 );(指动物)膝关节,踝
参考例句:
  • He gripped the wheel until his knuckles whitened. 他紧紧握住方向盘,握得指关节都变白了。
  • Her thin hands were twisted by swollen knuckles. 她那双纤手因肿大的指关节而变了形。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 bustling LxgzEl     
adj.喧闹的
参考例句:
  • The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
  • This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。
3 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
4 excellence ZnhxM     
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德
参考例句:
  • His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
  • My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。
5 annually VzYzNO     
adv.一年一次,每年
参考例句:
  • Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
  • They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
6 versed bffzYC     
adj. 精通,熟练
参考例句:
  • He is well versed in history.他精通历史。
  • He versed himself in European literature. 他精通欧洲文学。
7 ravenous IAzz8     
adj.极饿的,贪婪的
参考例句:
  • The ravenous children ate everything on the table.饿极了的孩子把桌上所有东西吃掉了。
  • Most infants have a ravenous appetite.大多数婴儿胃口极好。
8 mumbled 3855fd60b1f055fa928ebec8bcf3f539     
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话,可我没太听清楚。
  • George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。
9 utterance dKczL     
n.用言语表达,话语,言语
参考例句:
  • This utterance of his was greeted with bursts of uproarious laughter.他的讲话引起阵阵哄然大笑。
  • My voice cleaves to my throat,and sob chokes my utterance.我的噪子哽咽,泣不成声。
10 impeded 7dc9974da5523140b369df3407a86996     
阻碍,妨碍,阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Work on the building was impeded by severe weather. 楼房的施工因天气恶劣而停了下来。
  • He was impeded in his work. 他的工作受阻。
11 complacently complacently     
adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地
参考例句:
  • He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
  • "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装,"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
12 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
13 admiration afpyA     
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
参考例句:
  • He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
  • We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
14 farmhouse kt1zIk     
n.农场住宅(尤指主要住房)
参考例句:
  • We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
  • We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。
15 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
16 trudge uK2zq     
v.步履艰难地走;n.跋涉,费力艰难的步行
参考例句:
  • It was a hard trudge up the hill.这趟上山是一次艰难的跋涉。
  • The trudge through the forest will be tiresome.长途跋涉穿越森林会令人疲惫不堪。
17 considerably 0YWyQ     
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上
参考例句:
  • The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
  • The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。
18 hearty Od1zn     
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的
参考例句:
  • After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了,他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
  • We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。
19 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。


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