ON BEING IN THE BLUES

　　I can enjoy feeling melancholy¹, and there is a good deal ofsatisfaction about being thoroughly² miserable³; but nobody likes a fitof the blues⁴. Nevertheless, everybody has them; notwithstandingwhich, nobody can tell why. There is no accounting⁶ for them. You arejust as likely to have one on the day after you have come into a largefortune as on the day after you have left your new silk umbrella inthe train. Its effect upon you is somewhat similar to what wouldprobably be produced by a combined attack of toothache, indigestion,and cold in the head. You become stupid, restless, and irritable;rude to strangers and dangerous toward your friends; clumsy, maudlin,and quarrelsome; a nuisance to yourself and everybody about you.

While it is on you can do nothing and think of nothing, though feelingat the time bound to do something. You can't sit still so put on yourhat and go for a walk; but before you get to the corner of the streetyou wish you hadn't come out and you turn back. You open a book andtry to read, but you find Shakespeare trite⁷ and commonplace, Dickensis dull and prosy, Thackeray a bore, and Carlyle too sentimental⁸. Youthrow the book aside and call the author names. Then you "shoo" thecat out of the room and kick the door to after her. You think youwill write your letters, but after sticking at "Dearest Auntie: I findI have five minutes to spare, and so hasten to write to you," for aquarter of an hour, without being able to think of another sentence,you tumble the paper into the desk, fling the wet pen down upon thetable-cloth, and start up with the resolution of going to see theThompsons. While pulling on your gloves, however, it occurs to youthat the Thompsons are idiots; that they never have supper; and thatyou will be expected to jump the baby. You curse the Thompsons anddecide not to go.

By this time you feel completely crushed. You bury your face in yourhands and think you would like to die and go to heaven. You pictureto yourself your own sick-bed, with all your friends and relationsstanding round you weeping. You bless them all, especially the youngand pretty ones. They will value you when you are gone, so you say toyourself, and learn too late what they have lost; and you bitterlycontrast their presumed regard for you then with their decided⁹ want ofveneration now.

These reflections make you feel a little more cheerful, but only for abrief period; for the next moment you think what a fool you must be toimagine for an instant that anybody would be sorry at anything thatmight happen to you. Who would care two straws (whatever preciseamount of care two straws may represent) whether you are blown up, orhung up, or married, or drowned? Nobody cares for you. You neverhave been properly appreciated, never met with your due deserts in anyone particular. You review the whole of your past life, and it ispainfully apparent that you have been ill-used from your cradle.

Half an hour's indulgence in these considerations works you up into astate of savage¹⁰ fury against everybody and everything, especiallyyourself, whom anatomical reasons alone prevent your kicking.

Bed-time at last comes, to save you from doing something rash, and youspring upstairs, throw off your clothes, leaving them strewn all overthe room, blow out the candle, and jump into bed as if you had backedyourself for a heavy wager¹¹ to do the whole thing against time. Thereyou toss and tumble about for a couple of hours or so, varying themonotony by occasionally jerking the clothes off and getting out andputting them on again. At length you drop into an uneasy and fitfulslumber, have bad dreams, and wake up late the next morning.

At least, this is all we poor single men can do under thecircumstances. Married men bully¹² their wives, grumble¹³ at the dinner,and insist on the children's going to bed. All of which, creating, asit does, a good deal of disturbance¹⁴ in the house, must be a greatrelief to the feelings of a man in the blues, rows being the only formof amusement in which he can take any interest.

The symptoms of the infirmity are much the same in every case, but theaffliction itself is variously termed. The poet says that "a feelingof sadness comes o'er him." 'Arry refers to the heavings of hiswayward heart by confiding¹⁵ to Jimee that he has "got the bloominghump." Your sister doesn't know what is the matter with her to-night.

She feels out of sorts altogether and hopes nothing is going tohappen. The every-day young man is "so awful glad to meet you, oldfellow," for he does "feel so jolly miserable this evening." As formyself, I generally say that "I have a strange, unsettled feelingto-night" and "think I'll go out."By the way, it never does come except in the evening. In thesun-time, when the world is bounding forward full of life, we cannotstay to sigh and sulk. The roar of the working day drowns the voicesof the elfin sprites that are ever singing their low-toned _miserere_in our ears. In the day we are angry, disappointed, or indignant, butnever "in the blues" and never melancholy. When things go wrong atten o'clock in the morning we--or rather you--swear and knock thefurniture about; but if the misfortune comes at ten P.M., we readpoetry or sit in the dark and think what a hollow world this is.

But, as a rule, it is not trouble that makes us melancholy. Theactuality is too stern a thing for sentiment. We linger to weep overa picture, but from the original we should quickly turn our eyes away.

There is no pathos¹⁷ in real misery¹⁸: no luxury in real grief. We do nottoy with sharp swords nor hug a gnawing¹⁹ fox to our breast for choice.

When a man or woman loves to brood over a sorrow and takes care tokeep it green in their memory, you may be sure it is no longer a painto them. However they may have suffered from it at first, therecollection has become by then a pleasure. Many dear old ladies whodaily look at tiny shoes lying in lavender-scented drawers, and weepas they think of the tiny feet whose toddling²⁰ march is done, andsweet-faced young ones who place each night beneath their pillow somelock that once curled on a boyish head that the salt waves have kissedto death, will call me a nasty cynical²¹ brute²² and say I'm talkingnonsense; but I believe, nevertheless, that if they will askthemselves truthfully whether they find it unpleasant to dwell thus ontheir sorrow, they will be compelled to answer "No." Tears are assweet as laughter to some natures. The proverbial Englishman, we knowfrom old chronicler Froissart, takes his pleasures sadly, and theEnglishwoman goes a step further and takes her pleasures in sadnessitself.

I am not sneering²³. I would not for a moment sneer²⁴ at anything thathelps to keep hearts tender in this hard old world. We men are coldand common-sensed enough for all; we would not have women the same.

No, no, ladies dear, be always sentimental and soft-hearted, as youare--be the soothing²⁵ butter to our coarse dry bread. Besides,sentiment is to women what fun is to us. They do not care for ourhumor, surely it would be unfair to deny them their grief. And whoshall say that their mode of enjoyment²⁶ is not as sensible as ours?

Why assume that a doubled-up body, a contorted, purple face, and agaping mouth emitting a series of ear-splitting shrieks²⁷ point to astate of more intelligent happiness than a pensive²⁸ face reposing²⁹ upona little white hand, and a pair of gentle tear-dimmed eyes lookingback through Time's dark avenue upon a fading past?

I am glad when I see Regret walked with as a friend--glad because Iknow the saltness has been washed from out the tears, and that thesting must have been plucked from the beautiful face of Sorrow ere wedare press her pale lips to ours. Time has laid his healing hand uponthe wound when we can look back upon the pain we once fainted underand no bitterness or despair rises in our hearts. The burden is nolonger heavy when we have for our past troubles only the same sweetmingling of pleasure and pity that we feel when old knight-heartedColonel Newcome answers "_adsum_" to the great roll-call, or when Tomand Maggie Tulliver, clasping hands through the mists that havedivided them, go down, locked in each other's arms, beneath theswollen waters of the Floss.

Talking of poor Tom and Maggie Tulliver brings to my mind a saying ofGeorge Eliot's in connection with this subject of melancholy. Shespeaks somewhere of the "sadness of a summer's evening." Howwonderfully true--like everything that came from that wonderfulpen--the observation is! Who has not felt the sorrowful enchantmentof those lingering sunsets? The world belongs to Melancholy then, athoughtful deep-eyed maiden³⁰ who loves not the glare of day. It is nottill "light thickens and the crow wings to the rocky wood" that shesteals forth³¹ from her groves³². Her palace is in twilight³³ land. It isthere she meets us. At her shadowy gate she takes our hand in hersand walks beside us through her mystic realm. We see no form, butseem to hear the rustling³⁴ of her wings.

Even in the toiling³⁵ hum-drum city her spirit comes to us. There is asomber presence in each long, dull street; and the dark river creepsghostlike under the black arches, as if bearing some hidden secretbeneath its muddy waves.

In the silent country, when the trees and hedges loom¹⁶ dim and blurredagainst the rising night, and the bat's wing flutters in our face, andthe land-rail's cry sounds drearily³⁶ across the fields, the spell sinksdeeper still into our hearts. We seem in that hour to be standing⁵ bysome unseen death-bed, and in the swaying of the elms we hear the sighof the dying day.

A solemn sadness reigns³⁷. A great peace is around us. In its lightour cares of the working day grow small and trivial, and bread andcheese--ay, and even kisses--do not seem the only things worthstriving for. Thoughts we cannot speak but only listen to flood inupon us, and standing in the stillness under earth's darkening dome,we feel that we are greater than our petty lives. Hung round withthose dusky curtains, the world is no longer a mere³⁸ dingy³⁹ workshop,but a stately temple wherein man may worship, and where at times inthe dimness his groping hands touch God's.

1 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

2 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

3 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

4 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

7 trite   

adj.陈腐的

参考例句：

• The movie is teeming with obvious and trite ideas.这部电影充斥着平铺直叙的陈腐观点。
• Yesterday,in the restaurant,Lorraine had seemed trite,blurred,worn away.昨天在饭店里，洛兰显得庸俗、堕落、衰老了。

8 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

11 wager   

n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌

参考例句：

• They laid a wager on the result of the race.他们以竞赛的结果打赌。
• I made a wager that our team would win.我打赌我们的队会赢。

12 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

13 grumble   

vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声

参考例句：

• I don't want to hear another grumble from you.我不愿再听到你的抱怨。
• He could do nothing but grumble over the situation.他除了埋怨局势之外别无他法。

14 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

15 confiding   

adj.相信人的，易于相信的v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的现在分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等）

参考例句：

• The girl is of a confiding nature. 这女孩具有轻信别人的性格。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Celia, though confiding her opinion only to Andrew, disagreed. 西莉亚却不这么看，尽管她只向安德鲁吐露过。 来自辞典例句

16 loom   

n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近

参考例句：

• The old woman was weaving on her loom.那位老太太正在织布机上织布。
• The shuttle flies back and forth on the loom.织布机上梭子来回飞动。

17 pathos   

n.哀婉，悲怆

参考例句：

• The pathos of the situation brought tears to our eyes.情况令人怜悯，看得我们不禁流泪。
• There is abundant pathos in her words.她的话里富有动人哀怜的力量。

18 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

19 gnawing   

a.痛苦的，折磨人的

参考例句：

• The dog was gnawing a bone. 那狗在啃骨头。
• These doubts had been gnawing at him for some time. 这些疑虑已经折磨他一段时间了。

20 toddling   

v.（幼儿等）东倒西歪地走( toddle的现在分词 )；蹒跚行走；溜达；散步

参考例句：

• You could see his grandson toddling around in the garden. 你可以看到他的孙子在花园里蹒跚行走。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She fell while toddling around. 她摇摇摆摆地到处走时摔倒了 来自辞典例句

21 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

22 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

23 sneering   

嘲笑的，轻蔑的

参考例句：

• "What are you sneering at?" “你冷笑什么？” 来自子夜部分
• The old sorceress slunk in with a sneering smile. 老女巫鬼鬼崇崇地走进来，冷冷一笑。

24 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

25 soothing   

adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的

参考例句：

• Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
• His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。

26 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

27 shrieks   

n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• shrieks of fiendish laughter 恶魔般的尖笑声
• For years, from newspapers, broadcasts, the stages and at meetings, we had heard nothing but grandiloquent rhetoric delivered with shouts and shrieks that deafened the ears. 多少年来， 报纸上， 广播里， 舞台上， 会场上的声嘶力竭，装腔做态的高调搞得我们震耳欲聋。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

28 pensive   

a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的

参考例句：

• He looked suddenly sombre,pensive.他突然看起来很阴郁，一副忧虑的样子。
• He became so pensive that she didn't like to break into his thought.他陷入沉思之中,她不想打断他的思路。

29 reposing   

v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His parents were now reposing in the local churchyard. 他的双亲现在长眠于本地教堂墓地。 来自辞典例句
• The picture shows a nude reposing on a couch. 这幅画表现的是一个人赤身体躺在长沙发上。 来自辞典例句

30 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

31 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

32 groves   

树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The early sun shone serenely on embrowned groves and still green fields. 朝阳宁静地照耀着已经发黄的树丛和还是一片绿色的田地。
• The trees grew more and more in groves and dotted with old yews. 那里的树木越来越多地长成了一簇簇的小丛林，还点缀着几棵老紫杉树。

33 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

34 rustling   

n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的

参考例句：

• the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze 树木在微风中发出的沙沙声
• the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声

35 toiling   

长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉

参考例句：

• The fiery orator contrasted the idle rich with the toiling working classes. 这位激昂的演说家把无所事事的富人同终日辛劳的工人阶级进行了对比。
• She felt like a beetle toiling in the dust. She was filled with repulsion. 她觉得自己像只甲虫在地里挣扎，心中涌满愤恨。

36 drearily   

沉寂地，厌倦地，可怕地

参考例句：

• "Oh, God," thought Scarlett drearily, "that's just the trouble. "啊，上帝！" 思嘉沮丧地想，"难就难在这里呀。
• His voice was utterly and drearily expressionless. 他的声调，阴沉沉的，干巴巴的，完全没有感情。

37 reigns   

n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期

参考例句：

• In these valleys night reigns. 夜色笼罩着那些山谷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The Queen of Britain reigns, but she does not rule or govern. 英国女王是国家元首，但不治国事。 来自辞典例句

38 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

39 dingy   

adj.昏暗的，肮脏的

参考例句：

• It was a street of dingy houses huddled together. 这是一条挤满了破旧房子的街巷。
• The dingy cottage was converted into a neat tasteful residence.那间脏黑的小屋已变成一个整洁雅致的住宅。