WITH THE acquisition of Grenouille, the House of Giuseppe Baidini began its ascent1 to national, indeed European renown3. The Persian chimes never stopped ringing, the herons never stopped spewing in the shop on the Pont-au-Change.
The very first evening, Grenouille had to prepare a large demijohn full of Nuit Napolitaine, of which over eighty flacons were sold in the course of the next day. The fame of the scent2 spread like wildfire. Chenier’s eyes grew glassy from the moneys paid and his back ached from all the deep bows he had to make, for only persons of high, indeed highest, rank-or at least the servants of persons of high and highest rank- appeared. One day the door was flung back so hard it rattled4; in stepped the footman of Count d’Argenson and shouted, as only footmen can shout, that he wanted five bottles of this new scent. Chenier was still shaking with awe5 fifteen minutes later, for Count d’Argenson was commissary and war minister to His Majesty6 and the most powerful man in Paris.
While Chenier was subjected to the onslaught of customers in the shop, Baidini had shut himself up in his laboratory with his new apprentice8. He justified9 this state of affairs to Chenier with a fantastic theory that he called “division of labor7 and increased productivity.” For years, he explained, he had patiently watched while Pelissier and his ilk-despisers of the ancient craft, all-had enticed10 his customers away and made a shambles11 of his business. His forbearance was now at an end. He was accepting their challenge and striking back at these cheeky parvenus12, and, what was more, with their own weapons. Every season, every month, if necessary every week, he would play trumps13, a new perfume. And what perfumes they would be! He would draw fully14 upon his creative talents. And for that it was necessary that he- assisted only by an unskilled helper-would be solely15 and exclusively responsible for the production of scents16, while Chenier would devote himself exclusively to their sale. By using such modern methods, they would open a new chapter in the history of perfumery, sweeping17 aside their competitors and growing incomparably rich-yes, he had consciously and explicitly18 said “they,” because he intended to allow his old and trusted journeyman to share a given percentage of these incomparable riches.
Only a few days before, Chenier would have regarded such talk as a sign of his master’s incipient19 senility. “Ready for the Charite,” he would have thought. “It won’t be long now before he lays down the pestle20 for good.” But now he was not thinking at all. He didn’t get around to it, he simply had too much to do. He had so much to do that come evening he was so exhausted21 he could hardly empty out the cashbox and siphon off his cut. Not in his wildest dreams would he have doubted that things were not on the up and up, though Baldini emerged from his laboratory almost daily with some new scent.
And what scents they were! Not just perfumes of high, indeed highest, quality, but also cremes and powders, soaps, hair tonics22, toilet waters, oils.... Everything meant to have a fragrance23 now smelled new and different and more wonderful than ever before. And as if bewitched, the public pounced24 upon everything, absolutely everything-even the newfangled scented25 hair ribbons that Baldini created one day on a curious whim26. And price was no object. Everything that Baldini produced was a success. And the successes were so overwhelming that Chenier accepted them as natural phenomena27 and did not seek out their cause. That perhaps the new apprentice, that awkward gnome28, who was housed like a dog in the laboratory and whom one saw sometimes when the master stepped out, standing29 in the background wiping off glasses and cleaning mortars-that this cipher30 of a man might be implicated31 in the fabulous32 blossoming of their business, Chenier would not have believed had he been told it.
Naturally, the gnome had everything to do with it. Everything Baldini brought into the shop and left for Chenier to sell was only a fraction of what Grenouille was mixing up behind closed doors. Baldini couldn’t smell fast enough to keep up with him. At times he was truly tormented33 by having to choose among the glories that Grenouille produced. This sorcerer’s apprentice could have provided recipes for all the perfumers of France without once repeating himself, without once producing something of inferior or even average quality. As a matter of fact, he could not have provided them with recipes, i.e., formulas, for at first Grenouille still composed his scents in the totally chaotic34 and unprofessional manner familiar to Baldini, mixing his ingredients impromptu35 and in apparent wild confusion. Unable to control the crazy business, but hoping at least to get some notion of it, Baldini demanded one day that Grenouille use scales, measuring glasses, and the pipette when preparing his mixtures, even though he considered them unnecessary; further, he was to get used to regarding the alcohol not as another fragrance, but as a solvent36 to be added at the end; and, for God’s sake, he would simply have to go about things more slowly, at an easier and slower pace, as befitted a craftsman37.
Grenouille did it. And for the first time Baldini was able to follow and document the individual maneuvers38 of this wizard. Paper and pen in hand, constantly urging a slower pace, he sat next to Grenouille and jotted39 down how many drams of this, how many level measures of that, how many drops of some other ingredient wandered into the mixing bottles. This was a curious after-the-fact method for analyzing40 a procedure; it employed principles whose very absence ought to have totally precluded41 the procedure to begin with. But by employing this method, Baldini finally managed to obtain such synthetic42 formulas. How it was that Grenouille could mix his perfumes without the formulas was still a puzzle, or better, a miracle, to Baldini, but at least he had captured this miracle in a formula, satisfying in part his thirst for rules and order and preventing the total collapse43 of his perfumer’s universe.
In due time he ferreted out the recipes for all the perfumes Grenouille had thus far invented, and finally he forbade him to create new scents unless he, Baldini, was present with pen and paper to observe the process with Argus eyes and to document it step by step. In his fastidious, prickly hand, he copied his notes, soon consisting of dozens of formulas, into two different little books-one he locked in his fireproof safe and the other he always carried with him, even sleeping with it at night. That reassured44 him. For now, should he wish, he could himself perform Gre-nouille’s miracles, which had on first encounter so profoundly shaken him. He believed that by collecting these written formulas, he could exorcise the terrible creative chaos45 erupting from his apprentice. Also the fact that he no longer merely stood there staring stupidly, but was able to participate in the creative process by observing and recording46 it, had a soothing47 effect on Baldini and strengthened his self-confidence. After a while he even came to believe that he made a not insignificant48 contribution to the success of these sublime49 scents. And when he had once entered them in his little books and entrusted50 them to his safe and his bosom51, he no longer doubted that they were now his and his alone.
But Grenouille, too, profited from the disciplined procedures Baldini had forced upon him. He was not dependent on them himself. He never had to look up an old formula to reconstruct a perfume weeks or months later, for he never forgot an odor. But by using the obligatory52 measuring glasses and scales, he learned the language of perfumery, and he sensed instinctively53 that the knowledge of this language could be of service to him. After a few weeks Grenouille had mastered not only the names of all the odors in Baldini’s laboratory, but he was also able to record the formulas for his perfumes on his own and, vice54 versa, to convert other people’s formulas and instructions into perfumes and other scented products. And not merely that! Once he had learned to express his fragrant55 ideas in drops and drams, he no longer even needed the intermediate step of experimentation56. When Baldini assigned him a new scent, whether for a handkerchief cologne, a sachet, or a face paint, Grenouille no longer reached for flacons and powders, but instead simply sat himself down at the table and wrote the formula straight out. He had learned to extend the journey from his mental notion of a scent to the finished perfume by way of writing down the formula. For him it was a detour57. In the world’s eyes-that is, in Baldini’s-it was progress. Grenouille’s miracles remained the same. But the recipes he now supplied along with therii removed the terror, and that was for the best. The more Grenouille mastered the tricks and tools of the trade, the better he was able to express himself in the conventional language of perfumery-and the less his master feared and suspected him. While still regarding him as a person with exceptional olfactory58 gifts, Baldini no longer considered him a second Frangipani or, worse, some weird59 wizard-and that was fine with Grenouille. The regulations of the craft functioned as a welcome disguise. He virtually lulled60 Baldini to sleep with his exemplary procedures, weighing ingredients, swirling62 the mixing bottles, sprinkling the test handkerchief. He could shake it out almost as delicately, pass it beneath his nose almost as elegantly as his master. And from time to time, at well-spaced intervals63, he would make mistakes that could not fail to capture Baldini’s notice: forgetting to filter, setting the scales wrong, fixing the percentage of ambergris tincture in the formula ridiculously high. And took his scoldings for the mistakes, correcting them then most conscientiously64. Thus he managed to lull61 Baldini into the illusion that ultimately this was all perfectly65 normal. He was not out to cheat the old man after all. He truly wanted to learn from him. Not how to mix perfumes, not how to compose a scent correctly, not that of course! In that sphere, there was no one in the world who could have taught him anything, nor would the ingredients available in Baldini’s shop have even begun to suffice for his notions about how to realize a truly great perfume. The scents he could create at Baldini’s were playthings compared with those he carried within him and that he intended to create one day. But for that, he knew, two indispensable prerequisites66 must be met. The first was the cloak of middle-class respectability, the status of a journeyman at the least, under the protection of which he could indulge his true passions and follow his true goals unimpeded. The second was the knowledge of the craft itself, the way in which scents were produced, isolated67, concentrated, preserved, and thus first made available for higher ends. For Grenouille did indeed possess the best nose in the world, both analytical68 and visionary, but he did not yet have the ability to make those scents realities.
收听单词发音 |
1
ascent
|
|
| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
scent
|
|
| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
renown
|
|
| n.声誉，名望 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
rattled
|
|
| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
awe
|
|
| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
majesty
|
|
| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
labor
|
|
| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
apprentice
|
|
| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
justified
|
|
| a.正当的，有理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
enticed
|
|
| 诱惑，怂恿( entice的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
shambles
|
|
| n.混乱之处；废墟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
parvenus
|
|
| n.暴富者( parvenu的名词复数 )；暴发户；新贵；傲慢自负的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
trumps
|
|
| abbr.trumpets 喇叭；小号；喇叭形状的东西；喇叭筒v.（牌戏）出王牌赢（一牌或一墩）( trump的过去式 )；吹号公告，吹号庆祝；吹喇叭；捏造 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
solely
|
|
| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
scents
|
|
| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
sweeping
|
|
| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
explicitly
|
|
| ad.明确地，显然地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
incipient
|
|
| adj.起初的，发端的，初期的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
pestle
|
|
| n.杵 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
exhausted
|
|
| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
tonics
|
|
| n.滋补品( tonic的名词复数 )；主音；奎宁水；浊音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
fragrance
|
|
| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
pounced
|
|
| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
scented
|
|
| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
whim
|
|
| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
phenomena
|
|
| n.现象 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
gnome
|
|
| n.土地神；侏儒，地精 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
cipher
|
|
| n.零；无影响力的人；密码 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
implicated
|
|
| adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
fabulous
|
|
| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
tormented
|
|
| 饱受折磨的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
chaotic
|
|
| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
impromptu
|
|
| adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
solvent
|
|
| n.溶剂；adj.有偿付能力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
craftsman
|
|
| n.技工，精于一门工艺的匠人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
maneuvers
|
|
| n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
jotted
|
|
| v.匆忙记下( jot的过去式和过去分词 )；草草记下，匆匆记下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
analyzing
|
|
| v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
precluded
|
|
| v.阻止( preclude的过去式和过去分词 )；排除；妨碍；使…行不通 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
synthetic
|
|
| adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
collapse
|
|
| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
reassured
|
|
| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
chaos
|
|
| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
recording
|
|
| n.录音，记录 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
soothing
|
|
| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
insignificant
|
|
| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
sublime
|
|
| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
entrusted
|
|
| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
bosom
|
|
| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
obligatory
|
|
| adj.强制性的，义务的，必须的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
instinctively
|
|
| adv.本能地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
vice
|
|
| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
fragrant
|
|
| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
experimentation
|
|
| n.实验，试验，实验法 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
detour
|
|
| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
olfactory
|
|
| adj.嗅觉的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
weird
|
|
| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
lulled
|
|
| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
lull
|
|
| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
swirling
|
|
| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
intervals
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
conscientiously
|
|
| adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
prerequisites
|
|
| 先决条件，前提( prerequisite的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
isolated
|
|
| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
analytical
|
|
| adj.分析的；用分析法的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |