“A foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.”
Proverbs, chap. x. verse 1.
Corrupted1 by sloth2 and contaminated by evil company, the idle apprentice3, having tired the patience of his master, is sent to sea, in the hope that the being removed from the vices4 of the town, and the influence of his wicked companions, joined with the hardships and perils6 of a seafaring life, might effect that reformation of which his friends despaired while he continued on shore. See him then in the ship’s boat, accompanied by his afflicted7 mother, making towards the vessel8 in which he is to embark9. The disposition10 of the different figures in the boat, and the expression of their countenances11, tell us plainly, that his evil pursuits and incorrigible13 wickedness are the subjects of their discourse14. The waterman significantly directs his attention to a figure on a gibbet, as emblematical15 of his future fate, should he not turn from the evil of his ways; and the boy shows him a cat-o’-nine-tails, expressive16 of the discipline that awaits him on board of ship; these admonitions, however, he notices only by the application of his fingers to his forehead, in the form of horns, jestingly telling them to look at Cuckold’s Point, which they have just passed; he then throws his indentures17 into the water with an air of contempt, that proves how little he is affected18 by his present condition, and how little he regards the persuasions19 and tears of a fond mother, whose heart seems ready to burst with grief at the fate of her darling son, and perhaps her only stay; for her dress seems to intimate that she is a widow. Well then might Solomon say, that “a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother;” for we here behold20 her who had often rejoiced in the prospect21 of her child being a prop22 to her in the decline of life, lamenting23 his depravity, and anticipating with horror the termination of his evil course. One would naturally imagine, from the common course of things, that this scene would have awakened24 his reflection, and been the means of softening25 the ruggedness26 of his disposition — that some tender ideas would have crossed his mind and melted the obduracy27 of his heart; but he continues hardened and callous28 to every admonition.
The group of figures composing this print has been copied by the ingenious Lavater; with whose appropriate remarks we conclude our present description. “Observe,” says this great analyst29 of the human countenance12, “in the annexed30 group, that unnatural31 wretch32, with the infernal visage, insulting his supplicating33 mother; the predominant character on the three other villain-faces, though all disfigured by effrontery34, is cunning and ironical35 malignity36. Every face is a seal with this truth engraved37 on it: ‘Nothing makes a man so ugly as vice5; nothing renders the countenance so hideous38 as villainy.’”

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1
corrupted
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(使)败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)腐化; 引起(计算机文件等的)错误; 破坏 | |
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2
sloth
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n.[动]树懒;懒惰,懒散 | |
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3
apprentice
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n.学徒,徒弟 | |
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4
vices
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缺陷( vice的名词复数 ); 恶习; 不道德行为; 台钳 | |
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5
vice
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n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的 | |
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6
perils
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极大危险( peril的名词复数 ); 危险的事(或环境) | |
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afflicted
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使受痛苦,折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
vessel
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n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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embark
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vi.乘船,着手,从事,上飞机 | |
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10
disposition
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n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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11
countenances
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n.面容( countenance的名词复数 );表情;镇静;道义支持 | |
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12
countenance
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n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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13
incorrigible
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adj.难以纠正的,屡教不改的 | |
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14
discourse
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n.论文,演说;谈话;话语;vi.讲述,著述 | |
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emblematical
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adj.标志的,象征的,典型的 | |
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16
expressive
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adj.表现的,表达…的,富于表情的 | |
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17
indentures
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vt.以契约束缚(indenture的第三人称单数形式) | |
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18
affected
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adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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19
persuasions
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n.劝说,说服(力)( persuasion的名词复数 );信仰 | |
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20
behold
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v.看,注视,看到 | |
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21
prospect
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n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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22
prop
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vt.支撑;n.支柱,支撑物;支持者,靠山 | |
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23
lamenting
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adj.悲伤的,悲哀的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的现在分词 ) | |
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awakened
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v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到 | |
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softening
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变软,软化 | |
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ruggedness
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险峻,粗野; 耐久性; 坚固性 | |
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27
obduracy
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n.冷酷无情,顽固,执拗 | |
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28
callous
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adj.无情的,冷淡的,硬结的,起老茧的 | |
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29
analyst
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n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家 | |
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30
annexed
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[法] 附加的,附属的 | |
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31
unnatural
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adj.不自然的;反常的 | |
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32
wretch
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n.可怜的人,不幸的人;卑鄙的人 | |
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33
supplicating
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v.祈求,哀求,恳求( supplicate的现在分词 ) | |
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34
effrontery
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n.厚颜无耻 | |
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35
ironical
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adj.讽刺的,冷嘲的 | |
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malignity
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n.极度的恶意,恶毒;(病的)恶性 | |
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engraved
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v.在(硬物)上雕刻(字,画等)( engrave的过去式和过去分词 );将某事物深深印在(记忆或头脑中) | |
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38
hideous
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adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
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