CHAPTER XVI CORIN DISCOURSES ON KARMA

“I like that man,” announced Corin succinctly¹.

 

John grunted².

 

“I like him,” announced Corin again, stirring his coffee.

 

“I’ve heard you make that remark at least ten times since his departure,” quoth John, and somewhat sarcastically³, be it stated.

 

“It is possible,” returned Corin coolly, “that you will hear me make it at least ten times more. Of course I’ll allow that he isn’t in the picture. In fact he’s entirely⁴ out of the picture; he strikes an incongruous note. It requires a readjustment of all one’s preconceived notions to see him in that old-world setting up yonder.”

 

John groaned⁵ inwardly.

 

“Yet you cannot deny,” pursued Corin, “that there is a pleasing strength and virility⁶ about him. I had allowed myself to imagine him as a small [Pg 139]hustling man, a cross between the brisk commercial traveller and the hard-headed mechanic, with perhaps a touch of the oily waiter thrown in. And now,” went on Corin musingly⁷, “I perceive that he is a big man——”

 

“Your eyesight would be strangely deficient⁸ if you didn’t perceive it,” broke in John.

 

“A silent man——”

 

“He hadn’t a chance of getting a word in edgeways when you appeared upon the scene,” interpolated John.

 

“A thoughtful man——”

 

“It is to be hoped he was able to assimilate a few of the thoughts you thrust down his throat,” quoth John grimly.

 

“Hang the stupid little complications of life,” he was thinking. There was a tiny note of trouble in his eyes.

 

“If you mean that I thrust my ideas upon him unwanted,” said Corin with dignity, “allow me to remark that you are mistaken. I observed interest, intelligent interest, in his face.”

 

“And you pretend to being short-sighted,” interposed John.

 

“The idea,” continued Corin, “of his having [Pg 140]worked out his debt of karma for sins committed in former lives, and being, therefore, now able to enter upon his birthright, appealed to him. It distinctly appealed to him. He said, ‘I guess that’s a new handle to take hold of,’ more than once.”

 

“That doesn’t say it was an inviting⁹ one,” retorted John.

 

“I’m a fool to be worried about such a trifling¹⁰ absurdity,” he thought.

 

“There is much,” said Corin didactically, “that is uninviting at the outset, but which, on further acquaintance, proves of extraordinary interest. Also, for my part, rather let me grasp Truth however uninviting she may appear, than dally¹¹ with the most pleasing of lies.”

 

John laughed.

 

“I wonder,” went on Corin, “what precise debt of karma the family at the Castle owes this man, that he is to be the instrument for their unseating.”

 

“According to you,” returned John, “since he has paid off his own debt, and gained reward, he is obliged to unseat someone.”

 

Corin sighed.

 

“I fear,” he said, “that I shall never be able [Pg 141]to make you perceive the law and order, the strict justice in the universe. If reward is gained at the expense of another, it is merely because that other deserves that the reward should be so gained.”

 

John laughed a second time. Argument in this quarter was futile¹², and he knew it. His friendship with Corin was always a matter of some slight amusement and puzzlement to him, when he chanced to consider the subject. It is certainly somewhat difficult to conceive wherein precisely¹³ the attraction between them existed, having in view their diametrically opposite opinions.

 

“Confound the man,” thought John, and it was not on Corin those thoughts were centred, “why couldn’t he have been all that I had pictured him?”

 

“You can laugh,” said Corin severely¹⁴, “but it is very certain that you can bring no arguments to refute mine.”

 

“My dear man,” responded John, “I could bring twenty million, but it’s like pouring water into a sieve¹⁵ to propound¹⁶ them to you. I believe I have heard a tale of a monk¹⁷ being once sent by a saint to fetch water in a sieve; and when, at the end of several journeys, he ventured to remonstrate¹⁸ at [Pg 142]the futility¹⁹ of the journey, it was pointed²⁰ out to him that at all events the sieve had been cleansed²¹ by the process. I don’t know whether my arguments would have a like effect on your mind, but I confess I am too lazy to try.”

 

“Your simile²² savours of an insult,” retorted Corin. “But I’ll leave you to your own mode of thought. I know it to be hide-bound, iron-cast. Now, in this man I see plastic material; he needs but careful moulding. I shall pursue my acquaintance with him with interest.”

 

John laughed a third time. But behind the laughter in his eyes was still that little indefinable note of trouble.

1 succinctly   

adv.简洁地；简洁地，简便地

参考例句：

• He writes simply and succinctly, rarely adding too much adornment. 他的写作风格朴实简练，很少添加饰词。 来自互联网
• No matter what question you are asked, answer it honestly and succinctly. 总之，不管你在面试中被问到什么问题，回答都要诚实而简明。 来自互联网

2 grunted   

（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说

参考例句：

• She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
• She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。

3 sarcastically   

adv.挖苦地，讽刺地

参考例句：

• 'What a surprise!' Caroline murmured sarcastically.“太神奇了!”卡罗琳轻声挖苦道。
• Pierce mocked her and bowed sarcastically. 皮尔斯嘲笑她，讽刺地鞠了一躬。

4 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

5 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 virility   

n.雄劲，丈夫气

参考例句：

• He wanted his sons to become strong,virile,and athletic like himself.他希望他的儿子们能长得像他一样强壮、阳刚而又健美。
• He is a tall,virile man with rugged good looks.他是个身材高大、体魄健壮、相貌粗犷英俊的男子。

7 musingly   

adv.沉思地，冥想地

参考例句：

8 deficient   

adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的

参考例句：

• The crops are suffering from deficient rain.庄稼因雨量不足而遭受损害。
• I always have been deficient in selfconfidence and decision.我向来缺乏自信和果断。

9 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

10 trifling   

adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的

参考例句：

• They quarreled over a trifling matter.他们为这种微不足道的事情争吵。
• So far Europe has no doubt, gained a real conveniency,though surely a very trifling one.直到现在为止,欧洲无疑地已经获得了实在的便利，不过那确是一种微不足道的便利。

11 dally   

v.荒废(时日)，调情

参考例句：

• You should not dally away your time.你不应该浪费时间。
• One shouldn't dally with a girl's affection.一个人不该玩弄女孩子的感情。

12 futile   

adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的

参考例句：

• They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
• Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。

13 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

14 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

15 sieve   

n.筛，滤器，漏勺

参考例句：

• We often shake flour through a sieve.我们经常用筛子筛面粉。
• Finally,it is like drawing water with a sieve.到头来，竹篮打水一场空。

16 propound   

v.提出

参考例句：

• Zoologist Eugene Morton has propounded a general theory of the vocal sounds that animals make.动物学家尤金·莫顿提出了一个有关动物发声的概括性理论。
• we propound the proposal for building up the financial safety area.我们提出了创建金融安全区的构想。

17 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

18 remonstrate   

v.抗议，规劝

参考例句：

• He remonstrated with the referee.他向裁判抗议。
• I jumped in the car and went to remonstrate.我跳进汽车去提出抗议。

19 futility   

n.无用

参考例句：

• She could see the utter futility of trying to protest. 她明白抗议是完全无用的。
• The sheer futility of it all exasperates her. 它毫无用处，这让她很生气。

20 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

21 cleansed   

弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The nurse cleansed the wound before stitching it. 护士先把伤口弄干净后才把它缝合。
• The notorious Hell Row was burned down in a fire, and much dirt was cleansed away. 臭名远场的阎王路已在一场大火中化为乌有，许多焦土灰烬被清除一空。

22 simile   

n.直喻，明喻

参考例句：

• I believe this simile largely speaks the truth.我相信这种比拟在很大程度上道出了真实。
• It is a trite simile to compare her teeth to pearls.把她的牙齿比做珍珠是陈腐的比喻。