Mrs. Trunnion erects1 a Tyranny in the Garrison2, while her Husband conceives an affection for his Nephew Perry, who manifests a peculiarity3 of disposition4 even in his tender years.
Having exercised herself three months in such pious5 amusements, she appeared again in the world; but her misfortune had made such an impression on her mind, that she could not bear the sight of a child, and trembled whenever conversation happened to turn upon a christening. Her temper, which was naturally none of the sweetest, seemed to have imbibed6 a double proportion of souring from her disappointment; of consequence, her company was not much coveted7, and she found very few people disposed to treat her with those marks of consideration which she looked upon as her due. This neglect detached her from the society of an unmannerly world; she concentrated the energy of all her talents in the government of her own house, which groaned8 accordingly under her arbitrary sway; and in the brandy-bottle found ample consolation9 for all the affliction she had undergone.
As for the commodore, he in a little time weathered his disgrace, after having sustained many severe jokes from the lieutenant10, and now his chief aim being to be absent from his own house as much as possible, he frequented the public-house more than ever, more assiduously cultivated the friendship of his brother-in-law, Mr. Pickle11, and in the course of their intimacy12 conceived an affection for his nephew Perry, which did not end but with his life. Indeed it must be owned that Trunnion was not naturally deficient13 in the social passions of the soul, which though they were strangely warped14, disguised, and overborne by the circumstance of his boisterous15 life and education, did not fail to manifest themselves occasionally through the whole course of his behaviour.
As all the hopes of propagating his own name had perished, and his relations lay under the interdiction16 of his hate, it is no wonder that through the familiarity and friendly intercourse17 subsisting18 between him and Mr. Gamaliel, he contracted a liking19 for the boy, who by this time entered the third year of his age, and was indeed a very handsome, healthy, and promising20 child; and what seemed to ingratiate him still more with his uncle, was a certain oddity of disposition, for which he had been remarkable21 even from his cradle. It is reported of him, that before the first year of his infancy22 was elapsed, he used very often, immediately after being dressed, in the midst of the caresses23 which were bestowed24 upon him by his mother, while she indulged herself in the contemplation of her own happiness, all of a sudden to alarm her with a fit of shrieks25 and cries, which continued with great violence till he was stripped to the skin with the utmost expedition by order of his affrighted parent, who thought his tender body was tortured by the misapplication of some unlucky pill; and when he had given them all this disturbance26 and unnecessary trouble, he would he sprawling27 and laughing in their faces, as if he ridiculed28 the impertinence of their concern. Nay30, it is affirmed, that one day, when an old woman who attended in the nursery had by stealth conveyed a bottle of cordial waters to her mouth, he pulled his nurse by the sleeve, by a slight glance detected the theft, and tipped her the wink31 with a particular slyness of countenance32, as if he had said, with a sneer33, “Ay, ay, that is what you must all come to.” But these instances of reflection in a babe nine months old are so incredible, that I look upon them as observations, founded upon imaginary recollection, when he was in a more advanced age, and his peculiarities34 of temper became much more remarkable; of a piece with the ingenious discoveries of those sagacious observers, who can discern something evidently characteristic in the features of any noted35 personage whose character they have previously36 heard explained. Yet without pretending to specify37 at what period of his childhood this singularity first appeared, I can with great truth declare, that when he first attracted the notice and affection of his uncle, it was plainly perceivable.
One would imagine he had marked out the commodore as a proper object of ridicule29, for almost all his little childish satire38 was leveled against him. I will not deny that he might have been influenced in this particular by the example and instruction of Mr. Hatchway, who delighted in superintending the first essays of his genius. As the gout had taken up its residence in Mr. Trunnion’s great toe, from whence it never removed, no not for a day, little Perry took great pleasure in treading by accident on this infirm member; and when his uncle, incensed39 by the pain, used to damn him for a hell-begotten brat40, he would appease41 him in a twinkling, by returning the curse with equal emphasis, and asking what was the matter with old Hannibal Tough? an appellation42 by which the lieutenant had taught him to distinguish this grim commander.
Neither was this the only experiment he tried upon the patience of the commodore, with whose nose he used to take indecent freedoms, even. while he was fondled on his knee. In one month he put him to the expense of two guineas in seal-skin; by picking his pocket of divers43 tobacco-pouches, all of which he in secret committed to the flames. Nor did the caprice of his disposition abstain44 from the favourite beverage45 of Trunnion, who more than once swallowed a whole draught46 in which his brother’s snuff-box had been emptied, before he perceived the disagreeable infusion47; and one day, when the commodore had chastised48 him by a gentle tap with his cane49, he fell flat on the floor as if he had been deprived of all sense and motion, to the terror and amazement50 of the striker; and after having filled the whole house with confusion and dismay, opened his eyes, and laughed heartily51 at the success of his own imposition.
It would be an endless and perhaps no very agreeable task, to enumerate52 all the unlucky pranks53 he played upon his uncle and others, before he attained54 the fourth year of his age; about which time he was sent, with an attendant, to a day-school in the neighbourhood, that (to use his good mother’s own expression) he might be out of harm’s way. Here, however, he made little progress, except in mischief55, which he practised with impunity56, because the school-mistress would run no risk of disobliging a lady of fortune, by exercising unnecessary severities upon her only child. Nevertheless, Mrs. Pickle was not so blindly partial as to be pleased with such unseasonable indulgence. Perry was taken out of the hands of this courteous57 teacher, and committed to the instruction of a pedagogue58, who was ordered to administer such correction as the boy should in his opinion deserve. This authority he did not neglect to use, his pupil was regularly flogged twice a day; and after having been subjected to this course of discipline for the space of eighteen months, declared the most obstinate59, dull, and untoward60 genius that ever had fallen under his cultivation61; instead of being reformed, he seemed rather hardened and confirmed in his vicious inclinations62, and was dead to all sense of fear as well as shame.
His mother was extremely mortified63 at these symptoms of stupidity, which she considered as an inheritance derived64 from the spirit of his father, and consequently insurmountable by all the efforts of human care. But the commodore rejoiced over the ruggedness65 of his nature, and was particularly pleased when, upon inquiry66, he found that Perry had beaten all the boys in the school; a circumstance from which he prognosticated everything that was fair and fortunate in his future fate: observing, that at his age he himself was just such another. The boy, who was now turned of six, having profited so little under the birch of his unsparing governor, Mrs. Pickle was counselled to send him to a boarding-school not far from London, which was kept by a certain person very eminent67 for his successful method of education. This advice she the more readily embraced, because at that time she found herself pretty far gone with another child that she hoped would console her for the disappointment she had met with in the unpromising talents of Perry, or at any rate divide her concern, so as to enable her to endure the absence of either.
1 erects | |
v.使直立,竖起( erect的第三人称单数 );建立 | |
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2 garrison | |
n.卫戍部队;驻地,卫戍区;vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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3 peculiarity | |
n.独特性,特色;特殊的东西;怪癖 | |
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4 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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5 pious | |
adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的 | |
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6 imbibed | |
v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 );喝;吸取;吸气 | |
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7 coveted | |
adj.令人垂涎的;垂涎的,梦寐以求的v.贪求,觊觎(covet的过去分词);垂涎;贪图 | |
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8 groaned | |
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦 | |
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9 consolation | |
n.安慰,慰问 | |
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10 lieutenant | |
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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11 pickle | |
n.腌汁,泡菜;v.腌,泡 | |
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12 intimacy | |
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行 | |
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13 deficient | |
adj.不足的,不充份的,有缺陷的 | |
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14 warped | |
adj.反常的;乖戾的;(变)弯曲的;变形的v.弄弯,变歪( warp的过去式和过去分词 );使(行为等)不合情理,使乖戾, | |
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15 boisterous | |
adj.喧闹的,欢闹的 | |
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16 interdiction | |
n.禁止;封锁 | |
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17 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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18 subsisting | |
v.(靠很少的钱或食物)维持生活,生存下去( subsist的现在分词 ) | |
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19 liking | |
n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢 | |
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20 promising | |
adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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21 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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22 infancy | |
n.婴儿期;幼年期;初期 | |
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23 caresses | |
爱抚,抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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24 bestowed | |
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25 shrieks | |
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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26 disturbance | |
n.动乱,骚动;打扰,干扰;(身心)失调 | |
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27 sprawling | |
adj.蔓生的,不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 );蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着) | |
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28 ridiculed | |
v.嘲笑,嘲弄,奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29 ridicule | |
v.讥讽,挖苦;n.嘲弄 | |
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30 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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31 wink | |
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁 | |
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32 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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33 sneer | |
v.轻蔑;嘲笑;n.嘲笑,讥讽的言语 | |
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34 peculiarities | |
n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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35 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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36 previously | |
adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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37 specify | |
vt.指定,详细说明 | |
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38 satire | |
n.讽刺,讽刺文学,讽刺作品 | |
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39 incensed | |
盛怒的 | |
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40 brat | |
n.孩子;顽童 | |
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41 appease | |
v.安抚,缓和,平息,满足 | |
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42 appellation | |
n.名称,称呼 | |
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43 divers | |
adj.不同的;种种的 | |
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44 abstain | |
v.自制,戒绝,弃权,避免 | |
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45 beverage | |
n.(水,酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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46 draught | |
n.拉,牵引,拖;一网(饮,吸,阵);顿服药量,通风;v.起草,设计 | |
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47 infusion | |
n.灌输 | |
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48 chastised | |
v.严惩(某人)(尤指责打)( chastise的过去式 ) | |
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49 cane | |
n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的 | |
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50 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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51 heartily | |
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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52 enumerate | |
v.列举,计算,枚举,数 | |
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53 pranks | |
n.玩笑,恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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54 attained | |
(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况) | |
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55 mischief | |
n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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56 impunity | |
n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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57 courteous | |
adj.彬彬有礼的,客气的 | |
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58 pedagogue | |
n.教师 | |
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59 obstinate | |
adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
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60 untoward | |
adj.不利的,不幸的,困难重重的 | |
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61 cultivation | |
n.耕作,培养,栽培(法),养成 | |
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62 inclinations | |
倾向( inclination的名词复数 ); 倾斜; 爱好; 斜坡 | |
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63 mortified | |
v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 );伤害(人的感情);克制;抑制(肉体、情感等) | |
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64 derived | |
vi.起源;由来;衍生;导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 );(从…中)得到获得;源于;(从…中)提取 | |
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65 ruggedness | |
险峻,粗野; 耐久性; 坚固性 | |
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66 inquiry | |
n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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67 eminent | |
adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的 | |
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