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首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Hector's Inheritance or The Boys of Smith Institute » CHAPTER IX. THE CLASS IN VIRGIL.
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CHAPTER IX. THE CLASS IN VIRGIL.
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 Presently the class in Virgil was called up. To this class Hector had been assigned, though it had only advanced about half through the third book of the AEneid, while Hector was in the fifth.
“As there is no other class in Virgil, Roscoe, you had better join the one we have. It will do you no harm to review.”
“Very well, sir,” said Hector.
The class consisted of five boys, including Hector. Besides Jim Smith, Wilkins, Bates and Johnson belonged to it. As twenty-five lines had been assigned for a lesson, Hector had no difficulty in preparing himself, and that in a brief time. The other boys were understood to have studied the lesson out of school.
Bates read first, and did very fairly. Next came Jim Smith, who did not seem quite so much at home in Latin poetry as on the playground. He pronounced the Latin words in flagrant violation1 of all the rules of quantity, and when he came to give the English meaning, his translation was a ludicrous farrago of nonsense. Yet, poor Mr. Crabb did not dare, apparently2, to characterize it as it deserved.
“I don’t think you have quite caught the author’s meaning, Mr. Smith,” he said. By the way, Jim was the only pupil to whose name he prefixed the title “Mr.”
“I couldn’t make anything else out of it,” muttered Jim.
“Perhaps some other member of the class may have been more successful! Johnson, how do you read it?”
“I don’t understand it very well, sir.”
“Wilkins, were you more successful?”
“No, sir.”
“Roscoe, can you translate the passage?”
“I think so, sir.”
“Proceed, then.”
Hector at once gave a clear and luminous3 rendering4 of the passage, and his version was not only correct, but was expressed in decent English. This is a point in which young classical scholars are apt to fail.
Mr. Crabb was not in the habit of hearing such good translations, and he was surprised and gratified.
“Very well! Very well, indeed, Roscoe,” he said, approvingly. “Mr. Smith, you may go on.”
“He’d better go ahead and finish it,” said Smith, sulkily. “He probably got it out of a pony5.”
My young readers who are in college or classical schools, will understand that a “pony” is an English translation of a classical author.
“He is mistaken!” said Hector, quietly. “I have never seen a translation of Virgil.”
Mr. Smith shrugged6 his shoulders, and drew down the corners of his mouth, intending thereby7 to express his incredulity.
“I hope no boy will use a translation,” said the usher8; “it will make his work easier for the time being, but in the end it will embarrass him. Roscoe, as you have commenced, you may continue. Translate the remainder of the passage.”
Hector did so, exhibiting equal readiness.
The other boys took their turns, and then words were given out to parse9. Here Jim Smith showed himself quite at sea; though the usher, as it was evident, selected the easiest words for him, he made a mistake in every one. Apparently he was by no means certain which of the words were nouns, and which verbs, and as to the relations which they sustained to other words in the sentence he appeared to have very little conception.
At length the recitation was over. It had demonstrated one thing, that in Latin scholarship Hector was far more accurate and proficient10 than any of his classmates, while Jim Smith stood far below all the rest.
“What in the world can the teacher be thinking of, to keep such an ignoramus in the class?” thought Hector. “He doesn’t know enough to join a class in the Latin Reader.”
The fact was, that Jim Smith was unwilling11 to give up his place as a member of the highest class in Latin, because he knew it would detract from his rank in the school. Mr. Crabb, to whom every recitation was a torture, had one day ventured to suggest that it would be better to drop into the Caesar class; but he never ventured to make the suggestion again, so unfavorably was it received by his backward pupil. He might, in the case of a different pupil, have referred the matter to the principal, but Socrates Smith was sure to decide according to the wishes of his nephew, and did not himself possess knowledge enough of the Latin tongue to detect his gross mistakes.
After a time came recess12. Hector wished to arrange the books in his desk, and did not go out.
Mr. Crabb came up to his desk and said: “Roscoe, I must compliment you on your scholarship. You enter at the head. You are in advance of all the other members of the class.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Hector, gratified.
“There is one member of the class who is not competent to remain in it.”
“Yes, sir; I observed that.”
“But he is unwilling to join a lower class. It is a trial to me to hear his daily failures, but, perhaps, he would do no better anywhere else. He would be as incompetent13 to interpret Caesar as Virgil, I am afraid.”
“So I should suppose, sir.”
“By the way, Roscoe,” said the usher, hurriedly; “let me caution you against irritating Smith. He is the principal’s nephew, and so we give him more scope.”
“He seems to me a bully,” said Hector.
“So he is.”
“I can’t understand why the boys should give in to him as they do.”
“He is taller and stronger than the other boys. Besides, he is backed up by the principal. I hope you won’t get into difficulty with him.”
“Thank you, Mr. Crabb. Your caution is kindly14 meant, but I am not afraid of this Jim—Smith. I am quite able to defend myself if attacked.”
“I hope so,” said the usher; but he scanned Hector’s physical proportions doubtfully, and it was very clear that he did not think him a match for the young tyrant15 of the school.
Meanwhile, Jim Smith and his schoolfellows were amusing themselves in the playground.
“Where’s that new fellow?” asked Jim, looking back to see whether he had come out.
“He didn’t come out,” said Bates.
Jim nodded his head vigorously:
“Just as I expected,” he said. “He knows where he is well off.”
“Do you think he was afraid to come?” asked Bates.
“To be sure he was. He knew what to expect.”
“Are you going to thrash him?” asked Johnson.
“I should say I might.”
“He’s a very good Latin scholar,” remarked Wilkins.
“He thinks he is!” sneered16 Jim.
“So Mr. Crabb appears to think.”
“That for old Crabb!” said Jim, contemptuously, snapping his fingers. “He don’t know much himself. I’ve caught him in plenty of mistakes.”
This was certainly very amusing, considering Smith’s absolute ignorance of even the Latin rudiments17, but the boys around him did not venture to contradict him.
“But it don’t make any difference whether he knows Latin or not,” proceeded Jim. “He has been impudent18 to me, and he shall suffer for it. I was hoping to get a chance at him this recess, but it’ll keep.”
“You might spoil his appetite for dinner,” said Bates, who was rather a toady19 to Jim.
“That’s just exactly what I expect to do; at any rate, for supper. I’ve got to have a reckoning with that young muff.”
The recess lasted fifteen minutes. At the end of that time the schoolbell rang, and the boys trooped back into the schoolroom.
Hector sat at his desk looking tranquil20 and at ease. He alone seemed unaware21 of the fate that was destined22 for him.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 violation lLBzJ     
n.违反(行为),违背(行为),侵犯
参考例句:
  • He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说,那是违反规则的。
  • He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。
2 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
3 luminous 98ez5     
adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的
参考例句:
  • There are luminous knobs on all the doors in my house.我家所有门上都安有夜光把手。
  • Most clocks and watches in this shop are in luminous paint.这家商店出售的大多数钟表都涂了发光漆。
4 rendering oV5xD     
n.表现,描写
参考例句:
  • She gave a splendid rendering of Beethoven's piano sonata.她精彩地演奏了贝多芬的钢琴奏鸣曲。
  • His narrative is a super rendering of dialect speech and idiom.他的叙述是方言和土语最成功的运用。
5 pony Au5yJ     
adj.小型的;n.小马
参考例句:
  • His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
  • They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。
6 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 thereby Sokwv     
adv.因此,从而
参考例句:
  • I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市,因此对它不怎么熟悉。
  • He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民,因而得到了投票权。
8 usher sK2zJ     
n.带位员,招待员;vt.引导,护送;vi.做招待,担任引座员
参考例句:
  • The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
  • They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。
9 parse 9LHxp     
v.从语法上分析;n.从语法上分析
参考例句:
  • I simply couldn't parse what you just said.我完全无法对你刚说的话作语法分析。
  • It causes the parser to parse an NP.它调用分析程序分析一个名词短语。
10 proficient Q1EzU     
adj.熟练的,精通的;n.能手,专家
参考例句:
  • She is proficient at swimming.她精通游泳。
  • I think I'm quite proficient in both written and spoken English.我认为我在英语读写方面相当熟练。
11 unwilling CjpwB     
adj.不情愿的
参考例句:
  • The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
  • His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。
12 recess pAxzC     
n.短期休息,壁凹(墙上装架子,柜子等凹处)
参考例句:
  • The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
  • Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。
13 incompetent JcUzW     
adj.无能力的,不能胜任的
参考例句:
  • He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。
  • He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。
14 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
15 tyrant vK9z9     
n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人
参考例句:
  • The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant.该国处在一个专制暴君的统治之下。
  • The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。
16 sneered 0e3b5b35e54fb2ad006040792a867d9f     
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
  • It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。
17 rudiments GjBzbg     
n.基础知识,入门
参考例句:
  • He has just learned the rudiments of Chinese. 他学汉语刚刚入门。
  • You do not seem to know the first rudiments of agriculture. 你似乎连农业上的一点最起码的常识也没有。
18 impudent X4Eyf     
adj.鲁莽的,卑鄙的,厚颜无耻的
参考例句:
  • She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
  • The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。
19 toady CJ8zr     
v.奉承;n.谄媚者,马屁精
参考例句:
  • He flung it in my teeth that I was a toady.他责备我是个马屁精。
  • Arrogance has no defense against a toady.傲慢防不了谄媚者。
20 tranquil UJGz0     
adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的
参考例句:
  • The boy disturbed the tranquil surface of the pond with a stick. 那男孩用棍子打破了平静的池面。
  • The tranquil beauty of the village scenery is unique. 这乡村景色的宁静是绝无仅有的。
21 unaware Pl6w0     
a.不知道的,未意识到的
参考例句:
  • They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
  • I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。
22 destined Dunznz     
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句:
  • It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
  • The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。


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