Such was the carriage of Alderman Popkins, as it made its appearance at Terracina. The courier who had preceded it, to order horses, and who was a Neapolitan, had given a magnificent account of the riches and greatness of his master, blundering with all an Italian’s splendor9 of imagination about the alderman’s titles and dignities; the host had added his usual share of exaggeration, so that by the time the alderman drove up to the door, he was Milor—Magnifico—Principe—the Lord knows what!
The alderman was advised to take an escort to Fondi and Itri, but he refused. It was as much as a man’s life was worth, he said, to stop him on the king’s highway; he would complain of it to the ambassador at Naples; he would make a national affair of it. The principezza Popkins, a fresh, motherly dame10, seemed perfectly11 secure in the protection of her husband, so omnipotent12 a man in the city. The signorini Popkins, two fine bouncing girls, looked to their brother Tom, who had taken lessons in boxing; and as to the dandy himself, he was sure no scaramouch of an Italian robber would dare to meddle13 with an Englishman. The landlord shrugged14 his shoulders and turned out the palms of his hands with a true Italian grimace15, and the carriage of Milor Popkins rolled on.
They passed through several very suspicious places without any molestation16. The Misses Popkins, who were very romantic, and had learnt to draw in water colors, were enchanted17 with the savage18 scenery around; it was so like what they had read in Mrs. Radcliffe’s romances, they should like of all things to make sketches19. At length, the carriage arrived at a place where the road wound up a long hill. Mrs. Popkins had sunk into a sleep; the young ladies were reading the last works of Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron, and the dandy was hectoring the postilions from the coach box. The Alderman got out, as he said, to stretch his legs up the hill. It was a long winding20 ascent21, and obliged him every now and then to stop and blow and wipe his forehead with many a pish! and phew! being rather pursy and short of wind. As the carriage, however, was far behind him, and toiling22 slowly under the weight of so many well-stuffed trunks and well-stuffed travellers, he had plenty of time to walk at leisure.
On a jutting23 point of rock that overhung the road nearly at the summit of the hill, just where the route began again to descend24, he saw a solitary25 man seated, who appeared to be tending goats. Alderman Popkins was one of your shrewd travellers that always like to be picking up small information along the road, so he thought he’d just scramble26 up to the honest man, and have a little talk with him by way of learning the news and getting a lesson in Italian. As he drew near to the peasant he did not half like his looks. He was partly reclining on the rocks wrapped in the usual long mantle27, which, with his slouched hat, only left a part of a swarthy visage, with a keen black eye, a beetle28 brow, and a fierce moustache to be seen. He had whistled several times to his dog which was roving about the side of the hill. As the Alderman approached he rose and greeted him. When standing29 erect30 he seemed almost gigantic, at least in the eyes of Alderman Popkins; who, however, being a short man, might be deceived.
The latter would gladly now have been back in the carriage, or even on ‘change in London, for he was by no means well pleased with his company. However, he determined31 to put the best face on matters, and was beginning a conversation about the state of the weather, the baddishness of the crops, and the price of goats in that part of the country, when he heard a violent screaming. He ran to the edge of the rock, and, looking over, saw away down the road his carriage surrounded by robbers. One held down the fat footman, another had the dandy by his starched32 cravat33, with a pistol to his head; one was rummaging34 a portmanteau, another rummaging the principezza’s pockets, while the two Misses Popkins were screaming from each window of the carriage, and their waiting maid squalling from the dickey.
Alderman Popkins felt all the fury of the parent and the magistrate35 Roused within him. He grasped his cane36 and was on the point of scrambling37 down the rocks, either to assault the robbers or to read the riot act, when he was suddenly grasped by the arm. It was by his friend the goatherd, whose cloak, falling partly off, discovered a belt stuck full of pistols and stilettos. In short, he found himself in the clutches of the captain of the band, who had stationed himself on the rock to look out for travellers and to give notice to his men.
A sad ransacking38 took place. Trunks were turned inside out, and all the finery and the frippery of the Popkins family scattered39 about the road. Such a chaos40 of Venice beads41 and Roman mosaics42; and Paris bonnets43 of the young ladies, mingled44 with the alderman’s night-caps and lamb’s wool stockings, and the dandy’s hair-brushes, stays, and starched cravats45.
The gentlemen were eased of their purses and their watches; the ladies of their jewels, and the whole party were on the point of being carried up into the mountain, when fortunately the appearance of soldiery at a distance obliged the robbers to make off with the spoils they had secured, and leave the Popkins family to gather together the remnants of their effects, and make the best of their way to Fondi.
When safe arrived, the alderman made a terrible blustering46 at the inn; threatened to complain to the ambassador at Naples, and was ready to shake his cane at the whole country. The dandy had many stories to tell of his scuffles with the brigands47, who overpowered him merely by numbers. As to the Misses Popkins, they were quite delighted with the adventure, and were occupied the whole evening in writing it in their journals. They declared the captain of the band to be a most romantic-looking man; they dared to say some unfortunate lover, or exiled nobleman: and several of the band to be very handsome young men—“quite picturesque48!”
“In verity,” said mine host of Terracina, “they say the captain of the band is un galant uomo.”
“To dare to meddle with Englishmen!” said Mr. Hobbs.
“And such a family as the Popkinses!” said Mr. Dobbs.
“They ought to come upon the country for damages!” said Mr. Hobbs.
“Our ambassador should make a complaint to the government of Naples,” said Mr. Dobbs.
“If they did not, we should declare war against them!” said Dobbs.
The Englishman was a little wearied by this story, and by the ultra zeal51 of his countrymen, and was glad when a summons to their supper relieved him from a crowd of travellers. He walked out with his Venetian friends and a young Frenchman of an interesting demeanor52, who had become sociable53 with them in the course of the conversation. They directed their steps toward the sea, which was lit up by the rising moon. The Venetian, out of politeness, left his beautiful wife to be escorted by the Englishman. The latter, however, either from shyness or reserve, did not avail himself of the civility, but walked on without offering his arm. The fair Venetian, with all her devotion to her husband, was a little nettled54 at a want of gallantry to which her charms had rendered her unaccustomed, and took the proffered55 arm of the Frenchman with a pretty air of pique56, which, however, was entirely57 lost upon the phlegmatic58 delinquent59.
Not far distant from the inn they came to where there was a body of soldiers on the beach, encircling and guarding a number of galley60 slaves, who were permitted to refresh themselves in the evening breeze, and to sport and roll upon the sand.
“It was difficult,” the Frenchman observed, “to conceive a more frightful61 mass of crime than was here collected. The parricide62, the fratricide, the infanticide, who had first fled from justice and turned mountain bandit, and then, by betraying his brother desperadoes, had bought a commutation of punishment, and the privilege of wallowing on the shore for an hour a day, with this wretched crew of miscreants63!”
The remark of the Frenchman had a strong effect upon the company, particularly upon the Venetian lady, who shuddered64 as she cast a timid look at this horde65 of wretches66 at their evening relaxation67. “They seemed,” she said, “like so many serpents, wreathing and twisting together.”
The Frenchman now adverted68 to the stories they had been listening to at the inn, adding, that if they had any further curiosity on the subject, he could recount an adventure which happened to himself among the robbers and which might give them some idea of the habits and manners of those beings. There was an air of modesty69 and frankness about the Frenchman which had gained the good-will of the whole party, not even excepting the Englishman. They all gladly accepted his proposition; and as they strolled slowly up and down the seashore, he related the following adventure.
点击收听单词发音
1 epitome | |
n.典型,梗概 | |
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2 morsel | |
n.一口,一点点 | |
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3 snug | |
adj.温暖舒适的,合身的,安全的;v.使整洁干净,舒适地依靠,紧贴;n.(英)酒吧里的私房 | |
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4 rattling | |
adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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5 gaping | |
adj.口的;张口的;敞口的;多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 );张开,张大 | |
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6 hoyden | |
n.野丫头,淘气姑娘 | |
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7 bluff | |
v.虚张声势,用假象骗人;n.虚张声势,欺骗 | |
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8 devoutly | |
adv.虔诚地,虔敬地,衷心地 | |
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9 splendor | |
n.光彩;壮丽,华丽;显赫,辉煌 | |
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10 dame | |
n.女士 | |
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11 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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12 omnipotent | |
adj.全能的,万能的 | |
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13 meddle | |
v.干预,干涉,插手 | |
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14 shrugged | |
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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15 grimace | |
v.做鬼脸,面部歪扭 | |
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16 molestation | |
n.骚扰,干扰,调戏;折磨 | |
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17 enchanted | |
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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18 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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19 sketches | |
n.草图( sketch的名词复数 );素描;速写;梗概 | |
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20 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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21 ascent | |
n.(声望或地位)提高;上升,升高;登高 | |
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22 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 | |
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23 jutting | |
v.(使)突出( jut的现在分词 );伸出;(从…)突出;高出 | |
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24 descend | |
vt./vi.传下来,下来,下降 | |
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25 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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26 scramble | |
v.爬行,攀爬,杂乱蔓延,碎片,片段,废料 | |
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27 mantle | |
n.斗篷,覆罩之物,罩子;v.罩住,覆盖,脸红 | |
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28 beetle | |
n.甲虫,近视眼的人 | |
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29 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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30 erect | |
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 | |
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31 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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32 starched | |
adj.浆硬的,硬挺的,拘泥刻板的v.把(衣服、床单等)浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33 cravat | |
n.领巾,领结;v.使穿有领结的服装,使结领结 | |
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34 rummaging | |
翻找,搜寻( rummage的现在分词 ); 海关检查 | |
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35 magistrate | |
n.地方行政官,地方法官,治安官 | |
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36 cane | |
n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的 | |
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37 scrambling | |
v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞 | |
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38 ransacking | |
v.彻底搜查( ransack的现在分词 );抢劫,掠夺 | |
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39 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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40 chaos | |
n.混乱,无秩序 | |
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41 beads | |
n.(空心)小珠子( bead的名词复数 );水珠;珠子项链 | |
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42 mosaics | |
n.马赛克( mosaic的名词复数 );镶嵌;镶嵌工艺;镶嵌图案 | |
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43 bonnets | |
n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 );(烟囱等的)覆盖物;(苏格兰男子的)无边呢帽;(女子戴的)任何一种帽子 | |
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44 mingled | |
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
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45 cravats | |
n.(系在衬衫衣领里面的)男式围巾( cravat的名词复数 ) | |
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46 blustering | |
adj.狂风大作的,狂暴的v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的现在分词 );咆哮;(风)呼啸;狂吹 | |
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47 brigands | |
n.土匪,强盗( brigand的名词复数 ) | |
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48 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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49 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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50 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 | |
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51 zeal | |
n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
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52 demeanor | |
n.行为;风度 | |
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53 sociable | |
adj.好交际的,友好的,合群的 | |
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54 nettled | |
v.拿荨麻打,拿荨麻刺(nettle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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55 proffered | |
v.提供,贡献,提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56 pique | |
v.伤害…的自尊心,使生气 n.不满,生气 | |
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57 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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58 phlegmatic | |
adj.冷静的,冷淡的,冷漠的,无活力的 | |
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59 delinquent | |
adj.犯法的,有过失的;n.违法者 | |
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60 galley | |
n.(飞机或船上的)厨房单层甲板大帆船;军舰舰长用的大划艇; | |
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61 frightful | |
adj.可怕的;讨厌的 | |
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62 parricide | |
n.杀父母;杀亲罪 | |
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63 miscreants | |
n.恶棍,歹徒( miscreant的名词复数 ) | |
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64 shuddered | |
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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65 horde | |
n.群众,一大群 | |
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66 wretches | |
n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 );可怜的人;恶棍;坏蛋 | |
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67 relaxation | |
n.松弛,放松;休息;消遣;娱乐 | |
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68 adverted | |
引起注意(advert的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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69 modesty | |
n.谦逊,虚心,端庄,稳重,羞怯,朴素 | |
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