AS pleasing hours as any that I spent in London were connected with the Thames—a murky1 little stream above London Bridge, compared with such vast bodies as the Hudson and the Mississippi, but utterly2 delightful3. I saw it on several occasions,—once in a driving rain off London Bridge, where twenty thousand vehicles were passing in the hour, it was said; once afterward4 at night when the boats below were faint, wind-driven lights and the crowd on the bridge black shadows. I followed it in the rain from Blackfriars Bridge, to the giant plant of the General Electric Company at Chelsea one afternoon, and thought of Sir Thomas More, and Henry VIII, who married Anne Boleyn at the Old Church near Battersea Bridge, and wondered what they would think of this modern powerhouse. What a change from Henry VIII and Sir Thomas More to vast, whirling electric dynamos and a London subway system!
Another afternoon, bleak5 and rainy, I reconnoitered the section lying between Blackfriars Bridge and Tower Bridge and found it very interesting from a human, to say nothing of a river, point of view; I question whether in some ways it is not the most interesting region in London, though it gives only occasional glimpses of the river. London is curious. It is very modern in spots. It is too much like New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Boston; but here between Blackfriars Bridge and the Tower, along Upper and Lower Thames Street, I found something90 that delighted me. It smacked6 of Dickens, of Charles II, of Old England, and of a great many forgotten, far-off things which I felt, but could not readily call to mind. It was delicious, this narrow, winding7 street, with high walls,—high because the street was so narrow,—and alive with people bobbing along under umbrellas or walking stodgily8 in the rain. Lights were burning in all the stores and warehouses9, dark recesses10 running back to the restless tide of the Thames, and they were full of an industrious11 commercial life.
It was interesting to me to think that I was in the center of so much that was old, but for the exact details I confess I cared little. Here the Thames was especially delightful. It presented such odd vistas12. I watched the tumbling tide of water, whipped by gusty13 wind where moderate-sized tugs14 and tows were going by in the mist and rain. It was delicious, artistic15, far more significant than quiescence16 and sunlight could have made it. I took note of the houses, the doorways17, the quaint18, winding passages, but for the color and charm they did not compare with the nebulous, indescribable mass of working boys and girls and men and women which moved before my gaze. The mouths of many of them were weak, their noses snub, their eyes squint19, their chins undershot, their ears stub, their chests flat. Most of them had a waxy20, meaty look, but for interest they were incomparable. American working crowds may be much more chipper, but not more interesting. I could not weary of looking at them.
Lastly I followed the river once more all the way from Cleopatra’s Needle to Chelsea one heavily downpouring afternoon and found its mood varying splendidly though never once was it anything more than black-gray, changing at times from a pale or almost sunlit yellow to a solid leaden-black hue21. It looked at times as though something remarkable22 were about to happen, so weirdly23 greenish-yellow was the sky above the water; and the tall chimneys of Lambeth over the way, appearing and disappearing in the mist, were irresistible24. There is a certain kind of barge25 which plies26 up and down the Thames with a collapsible mast and sail which looks for all the world like something off the Nile. These boats harmonize with the smoke and the gray, lowery skies. I was never weary of looking at them in the changing light and mist and rain. Gulls27 skimmed over the water here very freely all the way from Blackfriars to Battersea, and along the Embankment they sat in scores, solemnly cogitating28 the state of the weather, perhaps. I was delighted with the picture they made in places, greedy, wide-winged, artistic things.
Finally I had a novel experience with these same gulls one Sunday afternoon. I had been out all morning reconnoitering strange sections of London, and arrived near Blackfriars Bridge about one o’clock. I was attracted by what seemed to me at first glance thousands of gulls, lovely clouds of them, swirling29 about the heads of several different men at various points along the wall. It was too beautiful to miss. It reminded me of the gulls about the steamer at Fishguard. I drew near. The first man I saw was feeding them minnows out of a small box he had purchased for a penny, throwing the tiny fish aloft in the air and letting the gulls dive for them. They ate from his hand, circled above and about his head, walked on the wall before him, their jade30 bills and salmon-pink feet showing delightfully31.
I was delighted, and hurried to the second. It was the same. I found the vender32 of small minnows near by, a man who sold them for this purpose, and purchased a few boxes. Instantly I became the center of another swirling cloud, wheeling and squeaking33 in hungry anticipation34.92 It was a great sight. Finally I threw out the last minnows, tossing them all high in the air, and seeing not one escape, while I meditated35 on the speed of these birds, which, while scarcely moving a wing, rise and fall with incredible swiftness. It is a matter of gliding36 up and down with them. I left, my head full of birds, the Thames forever fixed37 in mind.
I went one morning in search of the Tower, and coming into the neighborhood of Eastcheap witnessed that peculiar38 scene which concerns fish. Fish dealers39, or at least their hirelings, always look as though they had never known a bath and are covered with slime and scales, and here, they wore a peculiar kind of rubber hat on which tubs or pans of fish could be carried. The hats were quite flat and round and reminded me of a smashed “stovepipe” as the silk hat has been derisively40 called. The peasant habit of carrying bundles on the head was here demonstrated to be a common characteristic of London.
On another morning I visited Pimlico and the neighborhood of Vincent Square. I was delighted with the jumble41 of life I found there, particularly in Strutton Ground and Churton Street. Horse Ferry Road touched me as a name and Lupus Street was strangely suggestive of a hospital, not a wolf.
It was here that I encountered my first coster cart, drawn42 by the tiniest little donkey you ever saw, his ears standing43 up most nobly and his eyes suggesting the mellow44 philosophy of indifference45. The load he hauled, spread out on a large table-like rack and arranged neatly46 in baskets, consisted of vegetables—potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce47 and the like. A bawling48 merchant or peddler followed in the wake of the cart, calling out his wares49. He was not arrayed in coster uniform, however, as it has been pictured in America. I was delighted to93 listen to the cockney accent in Strutton Ground where “’Ere you are, Lydy,” could be constantly heard, and “Foine potytoes these ’ere, Madam, hextra noice.”
In Earl Street I found an old cab-yard, now turned into a garage, where the remnants of a church tower were visible, tucked away among the jumble of other things. I did my best to discover of what it had been a part. No one knew. The ex-cabman, now dolefully washing the wheels of an automobile50, informed me that he had “only been workin’ ’ere a little wile,” and the foreman could not remember. But it suggested a very ancient English world—as early as the Normans. Just beyond this again I found the saddest little chapel51—part of an abandoned machine-shop, with a small hand-bell over the door which was rung by means of a piece of common binding-twine! Who could possibly hear it, I reflected. Inside was a wee chapel, filled with benches constructed of store boxes and provided with an altar where some form of services was conducted. There was no one to guard the shabby belongings52 of the place and I sat down and meditated at length on the curiosity of the religious ideal.
In another section of the city where I walked—Hammersmith—and still another—Seven Kings—I found conditions which I thought approximated those in the Bronx, New York, in Brooklyn, in Chicago and elsewhere. I could not see any difference between the lines of store-front apartment houses in Seven Kings and Hammersmith and Shepherd’s Bush for that matter, and those in Flatbush, Brooklyn or the South End of Philadelphia. You saw the difference when you looked at the people and, if you entered a tavern53, America was gone on the instant. The barmaid settled that and the peculiar type of idler found here. I recall in Seven Kings being entertained by the appearance of the working-men94 assembled, their trousers strapped54 about the knees, their hats or caps pulled jauntily55 awry56. Always the English accent was strong and, at times, here in London, it became unintelligible57 to me. They have a lingo58 of their own. In the main I could make it out, allowing for the appearance or disappearance59 of “h’s” at the most unexpected moments.
The street cars in the outlying sections are quite the same as in America and the variety of stores about as large and bright. In the older portions, however, the twisting streets, the presence of the omnibus in great numbers, and of the taxi-stands at the more frequented corners, the peculiar uniforms of policemen, mail-men, street-sweepers (dressed like Tyrolese mountaineers), messenger-boys, and the varied60 accoutrements of the soldiery gave the great city an individuality which caused me to realize clearly that I was far from home—a stranger in a strange land. As charming as any of the spectacles I witnessed were the Scotch61 soldiers in bare legs, kilts, plaid and the like swinging along with a heavy stride like Norman horses or—singly—making love to a cockney English girl on a ’bus top perhaps. The English craze for pantomime was another thing that engaged my curious attention and why any reference to a mystic and presumably humorous character known as “Dirty Dick” should evoke62 such volumes of applause.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
murky
|
|
| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
utterly
|
|
| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
delightful
|
|
| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
afterward
|
|
| adv.后来；以后 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
bleak
|
|
| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
smacked
|
|
| 拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
winding
|
|
| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
stodgily
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
9
warehouses
|
|
| 仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
recesses
|
|
| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
industrious
|
|
| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
vistas
|
|
| 长条形景色( vista的名词复数 )； 回顾； 展望； （未来可能发生的）一系列情景 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
gusty
|
|
| adj.起大风的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
tugs
|
|
| n.猛拉( tug的名词复数 )；猛拖；拖船v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
artistic
|
|
| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
quiescence
|
|
| n.静止 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
doorways
|
|
| n.门口，门道( doorway的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
quaint
|
|
| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
squint
|
|
| v. 使变斜视眼, 斜视, 眯眼看, 偏移, 窥视; n. 斜视, 斜孔小窗; adj. 斜视的, 斜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
waxy
|
|
| adj.苍白的；光滑的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
hue
|
|
| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
remarkable
|
|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
weirdly
|
|
| 古怪地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
irresistible
|
|
| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
barge
|
|
| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
plies
|
|
| v.使用（工具）( ply的第三人称单数 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
gulls
|
|
| n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
cogitating
|
|
| v.认真思考，深思熟虑( cogitate的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
swirling
|
|
| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
jade
|
|
| n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
delightfully
|
|
| 大喜，欣然 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
vender
|
|
| n.小贩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
squeaking
|
|
| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
anticipation
|
|
| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
meditated
|
|
| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
gliding
|
|
| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
dealers
|
|
| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
derisively
|
|
| adv. 嘲笑地，嘲弄地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
jumble
|
|
| vt.使混乱，混杂；n.混乱；杂乱的一堆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
mellow
|
|
| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
indifference
|
|
| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
neatly
|
|
| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
lettuce
|
|
| n.莴苣；生菜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
bawling
|
|
| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
wares
|
|
| n. 货物, 商品 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
automobile
|
|
| n.汽车，机动车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
chapel
|
|
| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
belongings
|
|
| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
tavern
|
|
| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
strapped
|
|
| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
jauntily
|
|
| adv.心满意足地；洋洋得意地；高兴地；活泼地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
awry
|
|
| adj.扭曲的，错的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
unintelligible
|
|
| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
lingo
|
|
| n.语言不知所云，外国话，隐语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
disappearance
|
|
| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
varied
|
|
| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
scotch
|
|
| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
evoke
|
|
| vt.唤起，引起，使人想起 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |