Part 3 In The Shadow Chapter 16

Other sad weeks followed on, till it was early February, fine,temperate weather. Yann had just come from his shipowner's where hehad received his wages for the last summer's fishery, fifteen hundredfrancs, which, according to the custom of the family, he carried tohis mother. The catch had been a good one, and he returned wellpleased.

　　Nearing Ploubazlanec, he spied a crowd by the side of the road. An oldwoman was gesticulating with her stick, while the street boys mockedand laughed around her. It was Granny Moan. The good old granny whomSylvestre had so tenderly loved--her dress torn and bedraggled--hadnow become one of those poor old women, almost fallen back in secondchildhood, who are followed and ridiculed¹ along their roads. The sighthurt him cruelly.

　　The boys of Ploubazlanec had killed her cat, and she angrily anddespairingly threatened them with her stick. "Ah, if my poor lad hadonly been here! for sure, you'd never dared do it, you young rascals²!"It appeared that as she ran after them to beat them, she had fallendown; her cap was awry³, and her dress covered with mud; they calledout that she was tipsy (as often happens to those poor old "grizzling"people in the country who have met misfortune).

　　But Yann clearly knew that that was not true, and that she was a veryrespectable old woman, who only drank water.

　　"Aren't you ashamed?" roared he to the boys.

　　He was very angry, and his voice and tone frightened them, so that inthe twinkling of an eye they all took flight, frightened and confusedbefore "Long Gaos."Gaud, who was just returning from Paimpol, bringing home her work forthe evening, had seen all this from afar, and had recognised Granny inthe group. She eagerly rushed forward to learn what the matter was,and what they had done to her; seeing the cat, she understood it all.

　　She lifted up her frank eyes to Yann, who did not look aside; neitherthought of avoiding each other now; but they both blushed deeply andthey gazed rather startled at being so near one another; but withouthatred, almost with affection, united as they were in this commonimpulse of pity and protection.

　　The school-children had owed a grudge⁴ to the poor dead grimalkin forsome time, because he had a black, satanic look; though he was reallya very good cat, and when one looked closely at him, he was soft andcaress-inviting of coat. They had stoned him to death, and one of hiseyes hung out. The poor old woman went on grumbling⁵, shaking withemotion, and carrying her dead cat by the tail, like a dead rabbit.

　　"Oh, dear, oh, dear! my poor boy, my poor lad, if he were only here;for sure, they'd never dared a-do it."Tears were falling down in her poor wrinkles; and her rough blue-veined hands trembled.

　　Gaud had put her cap straight again, and tried to comfort her withsoothing words. Yann was quite indignant to think that little childrencould be so cruel as to do such a thing to a poor aged⁶ woman and herpet. Tears almost came into his eyes, and his heart ached for the poorold dame⁷ as he thought of Sylvestre, who had loved her so dearly, andthe terrible pain it would have been to him to see her thus, underderision and in misery⁸.

　　Gaud excused herself as if she were responsible for her state. "Shemust have fallen down," she said in a low voice; " 'tis true her dressisn't new, for we're not very rich, Monsieur Yann; but I mended itagain only yesterday, and this morning when I left home I'm sure shewas neat and tidy."He looked at her steadfastly⁹, more deeply touched by that simpleexcuse than by clever phrases or self-reproaches and tears. Side byside they walked on to the Moans' cottage. He always had acknowledgedher to be lovelier than any other girl, but it seemed to him that shewas even more beautiful now in her poverty and mourning. She wore agraver look, and her gray eyes had a more reserved expression, andnevertheless seemed to penetrate¹⁰ to the inner depth of the soul. Herfigure, too, was thoroughly¹¹ formed. She was twenty-three now, in thefull bloom of her loveliness. She looked like a genuine fisher'sdaughter, too, in her plain black gown and cap; yet one could notprecisely tell what gave her that unmistakable token of the lady; itwas involuntary and concealed¹² within herself, and she could not beblamed for it; only perhaps her bodice was a trifle nicer fitting thanthe others, though from sheer inborn¹³ taste, and showed to advantageher rounded bust¹⁴ and perfect arms. But, no! the mystery was revealedin her quiet voice and look.

1 ridiculed   

v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Biosphere 2 was ultimately ridiculed as a research debade, as exfravagant pseudoscience. 生物圈2号最终被讥讽为科研上的大失败，代价是昂贵的伪科学。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She ridiculed his insatiable greed. 她嘲笑他的贪得无厌。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 rascals   

流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人

参考例句：

• "Oh, but I like rascals. "唔，不过我喜欢流氓。
• "They're all second-raters, black sheep, rascals. "他们都是二流人物，是流氓，是恶棍。

3 awry   

adj.扭曲的，错的

参考例句：

• She was in a fury over a plan that had gone awry. 计划出了问题，她很愤怒。
• Something has gone awry in our plans.我们的计划出差错了。

4 grudge   

n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做

参考例句：

• I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
• I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。

5 grumbling   

adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的

参考例句：

• She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。
• We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。

6 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

7 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

8 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。

9 steadfastly   

adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝

参考例句：

• So he sat, with a steadfastly vacant gaze, pausing in his work. 他就像这样坐着，停止了工作，直勾勾地瞪着眼。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• Defarge and his wife looked steadfastly at one another. 德伐日和他的妻子彼此凝视了一会儿。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

10 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

11 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。

12 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

13 inborn   

adj.天生的，生来的，先天的

参考例句：

• He is a man with an inborn love of joke.他是一个生来就喜欢开玩笑的人。
• He had an inborn talent for languages.他有语言天分。

14 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。