MR. GRADGRIND walked homeward from the school, in a state of considerable satisfaction. It was his school, and he intended it to be a model. He intended every child in it to be a model - just as the young Gradgrinds were all models.
There were five young Gradgrinds, and they were models every one. They had been lectured at, from their tenderest years; coursed, like little hares. Almost as soon as they could run alone, they had been made to run to the lecture-room. The first object with which they had an association, or of which they had a remembrance, was a large black board with a dry Ogre chalking ghastly white figures on it.
Not that they knew, by name or nature, anything about an Ogre Fact forbid! I only use the word to express a monster in a lecturing castle, with Heaven knows how many heads manipulated into one, taking childhood captive, and dragging it into gloomy statistical1 dens2 by the hair.
No little Gradgrind had ever seen a face in the moon; it was up in the moon before it could speak distinctly. No little Gradgrind had ever learnt the silly jingle3, Twinkle, twinkle, little star; how I wonder what you are! No little Gradgrind had ever known wonder on the subject, each little Gradgrind having at five years old dissected4 the Great Bear like a Professor Owen, and driven Charles's Wain like a locomotive engine-driver. No little Gradgrind had ever associated a cow in a field with that famous cow with the crumpled5 horn who tossed the dog who worried the cat who killed the rat who ate the malt, or with that yet more famous cow who swallowed Tom Thumb: it had never heard of those celebrities6, and had only been introduced to a cow as a graminivorous ruminating7 quadruped with several stomachs.
To his matter-of-fact home, which was called Stone Lodge8, Mr. Gradgrind directed his steps. He had virtually retired9 from the wholesale10 hardware trade before he built Stone Lodge, and was now looking about for a suitable opportunity of making an arithmetical figure in Parliament. Stone Lodge was situated11 on a moor12 within a mile or two of a great town - called Coketown in the present faithful guide-book.
A very regular feature on the face of the country, Stone Lodge was. Not the least disguise toned down or shaded off that uncompromising fact in the landscape. A great square house, with a heavy portico14 darkening the principal windows, as its master's heavy brows overshadowed his eyes. A calculated, cast up, balanced, and proved house. Six windows on this side of the door, six on that side; a total of twelve in this wing, a total of twelve in the other wing; four-and-twenty carried over to the back wings. A lawn and garden and an infant avenue, all ruled straight like a botanical account- book. Gas and ventilation, drainage and water-service, all of the primest quality. Iron clamps and girders, fire-proof from top to bottom; mechanical lifts for the housemaids, with all their brushes and brooms; everything that heart could desire.
Everything? Well, I suppose so. The little Gradgrinds had cabinets in various departments of science too. They had a little conchological cabinet, and a little metallurgical cabinet, and a little mineralogical cabinet; and the specimens15 were all arranged and labelled, and the bits of stone and ore looked as though they might have been broken from the parent substances by those tremendously hard instruments their own names; and, to paraphrase16 the idle legend of Peter Piper, who had never found his way into their nursery, If the greedy little Gradgrinds grasped at more than this, what was it for good gracious goodness' sake, that the greedy little Gradgrinds grasped it!
Their father walked on in a hopeful and satisfied frame of mind. He was an affectionate father, after his manner; but he would probably have described himself (if he had been put, like Sissy Jupe, upon a definition) as 'an eminently17 practical' father. He had a particular pride in the phrase eminently practical, which was considered to have a special application to him. Whatsoever18 the public meeting held in Coketown, and whatsoever the subject of such meeting, some Coketowner was sure to seize the occasion of alluding19 to his eminently practical friend Gradgrind. This always pleased the eminently practical friend. He knew it to be his due, but his due was acceptable.
He had reached the neutral ground upon the outskirts20 of the town, which was neither town nor country, and yet was either spoiled, when his ears were invaded by the sound of music. The clashing and banging band attached to the horse-riding establishment, which had there set up its rest in a wooden pavilion, was in full bray21. A flag, floating from the summit of the temple, proclaimed to mankind that it was 'Sleary's Horse-riding' which claimed their suffrages22. Sleary himself, a stout23 modern statue with a money-box at its elbow, in an ecclesiastical niche24 of early Gothic architecture, took the money. Miss Josephine Sleary, as some very long and very narrow strips of printed bill announced, was then inaugurating the entertainments with her graceful25 equestrian26 Tyrolean flower-act. Among the other pleasing but always strictly27 moral wonders which must be seen to be believed, Signor Jupe was that afternoon to 'elucidate28 the diverting accomplishments29 of his highly trained performing dog Merrylegs.' He was also to exhibit 'his astounding30 feat13 of throwing seventy-five hundred-weight in rapid succession backhanded over his head, thus forming a fountain of solid iron in mid-air, a feat never before attempted in this or any other country, and which having elicited31 such rapturous plaudits from enthusiastic throngs32 it cannot be withdrawn33.' The same Signor Jupe was to 'enliven the varied34 performances at frequent intervals35 with his chaste36 Shaksperean quips and retorts.' Lastly, he was to wind them up by appearing in his favourite character of Mr. William Button, of Tooley Street, in 'the highly novel and laughable hippo- comedietta of The Tailor's Journey to Brentford.'
Thomas Gradgrind took no heed37 of these trivialities of course, but passed on as a practical man ought to pass on, either brushing the noisy insects from his thoughts, or consigning38 them to the House of Correction. But, the turning of the road took him by the back of the booth, and at the back of the booth a number of children were congregated39 in a number of stealthy attitudes, striving to peep in at the hidden glories of the place.
This brought him to a stop. 'Now, to think of these vagabonds,' said he, 'attracting the young rabble40 from a model school.'
A space of stunted41 grass and dry rubbish being between him and the young rabble, he took his eyeglass out of his waistcoat to look for any child he knew by name, and might order off. Phenomenon almost incredible though distinctly seen, what did he then behold42 but his own metallurgical Louisa, peeping with all her might through a hole in a deal board, and his own mathematical Thomas abasing43 himself on the ground to catch but a hoof44 of the graceful equestrian Tyrolean flower-act!
Dumb with amazement45, Mr. Gradgrind crossed to the spot where his family was thus disgraced, laid his hand upon each erring46 child, and said:
'Louisa!! Thomas!!'
Both rose, red and disconcerted. But, Louisa looked at her father with more boldness than Thomas did. Indeed, Thomas did not look at him, but gave himself up to be taken home like a machine.
'In the name of wonder, idleness, and folly47!' said Mr. Gradgrind, leading each away by a hand; 'what do you do here?'
'Wanted to see what it was like,' returned Louisa, shortly.
'What it was like?'
'Yes, father.'
There was an air of jaded48 sullenness49 in them both, and particularly in the girl: yet, struggling through the dissatisfaction of her face, there was a light with nothing to rest upon, a fire with nothing to burn, a starved imagination keeping life in itself somehow, which brightened its expression. Not with the brightness natural to cheerful youth, but with uncertain, eager, doubtful flashes, which had something painful in them, analogous50 to the changes on a blind face groping its way.
She was a child now, of fifteen or sixteen; but at no distant day would seem to become a woman all at once. Her father thought so as he looked at her. She was pretty. Would have been self-willed (he thought in his eminently practical way) but for her bringing-up.
'Thomas, though I have the fact before me, I find it difficult to believe that you, with your education and resources, should have brought your sister to a scene like this.'
'I brought him, father,' said Louisa, quickly. 'I asked him to come.'
'I am sorry to hear it. I am very sorry indeed to hear it. It makes Thomas no better, and it makes you worse, Louisa.'
She looked at her father again, but no tear fell down her cheek.
'You! Thomas and you, to whom the circle of the sciences is open; Thomas and you, who may be said to be replete51 with facts; Thomas and you, who have been trained to mathematical exactness; Thomas and you, here!' cried Mr. Gradgrind. 'In this degraded position! I am amazed.'
'I was tired, father. I have been tired a long time,' said Louisa.
'Tired? Of what?' asked the astonished father.
'I don't know of what - of everything, I think.'
'Say not another word,' returned Mr. Gradgrind. 'You are childish. I will hear no more.' He did not speak again until they had walked some half-a-mile in silence, when he gravely broke out with: 'What would your best friends say, Louisa? Do you attach no value to their good opinion? What would Mr. Bounderby say?' At the mention of this name, his daughter stole a look at him, remarkable52 for its intense and searching character. He saw nothing of it, for before he looked at her, she had again cast down her eyes!
'What,' he repeated presently, 'would Mr. Bounderby say?' All the way to Stone Lodge, as with grave indignation he led the two delinquents53 home, he repeated at intervals 'What would Mr. Bounderby say?' - as if Mr. Bounderby had been Mrs. Grundy.
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statistical
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| adj.统计的，统计学的 | |
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dens
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| n.牙齿，齿状部分；兽窝( den的名词复数 )；窝点；休息室；书斋 | |
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jingle
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| n.叮当声，韵律简单的诗句；v.使叮当作响，叮当响，押韵 | |
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dissected
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| adj.切开的，分割的，（叶子）多裂的v.解剖（动物等）( dissect的过去式和过去分词 )；仔细分析或研究 | |
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crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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celebrities
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| n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉 | |
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ruminating
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| v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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10
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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portico
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| n.柱廊，门廊 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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paraphrase
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| vt.将…释义，改写；n.释义，意义 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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alluding
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| 提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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bray
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| n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫 | |
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suffrages
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| （政治性选举的）选举权，投票权( suffrage的名词复数 ) | |
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niche
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| n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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equestrian
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| adj.骑马的；n.马术 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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elucidate
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| v.阐明，说明 | |
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accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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throngs
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| n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群，挤满( throng的第三人称单数 ) | |
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33
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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chaste
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| adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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38
consigning
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的现在分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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congregated
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| （使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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41
stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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42
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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abasing
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| 使谦卑( abase的现在分词 )； 使感到羞耻； 使降低（地位、身份等）； 降下 | |
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hoof
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| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
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45
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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erring
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| 做错事的，错误的 | |
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47
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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48
jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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49
sullenness
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| n. 愠怒, 沉闷, 情绪消沉 | |
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50
analogous
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| adj.相似的；类似的 | |
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51
replete
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| adj.饱满的，塞满的；n.贮蜜蚁 | |
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52
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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53
delinquents
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| n.（尤指青少年）有过失的人，违法的人( delinquent的名词复数 ) | |
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