AN ABRIDGMENT OF ALL THAT IS PLEASANT IN MAN.

And lo! amongst all these appear’d a creature,
So small, he almost might a twin have been,
With Miss Crachami—dwarfish quite in stature¹,
Yet well proportion’d—neither fat nor lean,
His face of marvellously pleasant feature.
So short and sweet a man was never seen—
All thought him charming at the first beginning—
Alas², ere long they found him far too winning!
[Pg 38]
He seem’d in love with chance—and chance repaid
His ardent³ passion with her fondest smile,
The sunshine of good luck, without a shade,
He staked and won—and won and staked—the bile
It stirr’d of many a man and many a maid,
To see at every venture how that vile⁴
Small gambler snatch’d—and how he won them too—
A living Pam, omnipotent⁵ at loo!

1 stature   

n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材

参考例句：

• He is five feet five inches in stature.他身高5英尺5英寸。
• The dress models are tall of stature.时装模特儿的身材都较高。

2 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

3 ardent   

adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的

参考例句：

• He's an ardent supporter of the local football team.他是本地足球队的热情支持者。
• Ardent expectations were held by his parents for his college career.他父母对他的大学学习抱着殷切的期望。

4 vile   

adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的

参考例句：

• Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？
• Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。

5 omnipotent   

adj.全能的，万能的

参考例句：

• When we are omnipotent we shall have no more need of science.我们达到万能以后就不需要科学了。
• Money is not omnipotent,but we can't survive without money.金钱不是万能的，但是没有金钱我们却无法生存。