Book 4 Chapter 6 Unpopularity

The archdeacon and the bellringer, as we have already said, were but little loved by the populace great and small, in the vicinity of the cathedral. When Claude and Quasimodo went out together, which frequently happened, and when they were seen traversing in company, the valet behind the master, the cold, narrow, and gloomy streets of the block of Notre-Dame, more than one evil word, more than one ironical¹ quaver, more than one insulting jest greeted them on their way, unless Claude Frollo, which was rarely the case, walked with head upright and raised, showing his severe and almost august brow to the dumbfounded jeerers.

Both were in their quarter like "the poets" of whom Régnier speaks,--

"All sorts of persons run after poets, As warblers fly shrieking² after owls³."

Sometimes a mischievous⁴ child risked his skin and bones for the ineffable⁵ pleasure of driving a pin into Quasimodo's hump. Again, a young girl, more bold and saucy⁶ than was fitting, brushed the priest's black robe, singing in his face the sardonic⁷ ditty, "niche⁸, niche, the devil is caught." Sometimes a group of squalid old crones, squatting⁹ in a file under the shadow of the steps to a porch, scolded noisily as the archdeacon and the bellringer passed, and tossed them this encouraging welcome, with a curse: "Hum! there's a fellow whose soul is made like the other one's body!" Or a band of schoolboys and street urchins¹⁰, playing hop-scotch, rose in a body and saluted¹¹ him classically, with some cry in Latin: "~Eia! eia! Claudius cum claudo~!"

But the insult generally passed unnoticed both by the priest and the bellringer. Quasimodo was too deaf to hear all these gracious things, and Claude was too dreamy.

教堂一带的大人和小孩都不大喜欢副主教和敲钟人，这我们已经说过了。好多次克洛德和伽西莫多一块儿外出，当人们看见他主仆俩相偕穿过圣母院附近那些荒僻狭窄而且被泥泞弄得阴暗潮湿的街道时，就冲他们说几句恶言，几声讥讽或几句嘲骂来凌辱他们，而克洛德只管昂头走路，让那些拦路谩骂的家伙看着他那严峻的额头而目瞪口呆，不过这种情况一般是很少的。

他俩在这种处境中倒有些象雷尼埃在《诗人们》里所说的：各种各样的人跟在诗人们身后行进，好象猫头鹰背后有啭鸟飞鸣。

有时，某个顽童为了获得在伽西莫多的驼背上插进一根针去的那种难以形容的快乐，竟不惜用自己的皮肉去冒险。有时，某个漂亮的姑娘，愉快地羞怯地抓住副主教的黑袍边儿，当面对他唱这支挖苦的曲子：“停下，停下，魔鬼给捉住啦！”有几次，一群妇女并排挤坐在大门前台阶的阴暗处，当副主教和敲钟人走过的时候，她们就嘀嘀咕咕，一面咒骂一面朝他们喊出这类使人心里高兴的话：“咳！这人的灵魂同那人的躯体是一样的呀！”有时一群学生或者正在玩踢石子游戏的孩子，一齐站起来，文雅地用拉丁话向他们致敬：“呀！呀！克洛德同跛子呀！”

但这种伤害往往是在副主教和敲钟人不知不觉之中进行的，伽西莫多太聋，克洛德太耽于梦幻，都听不见所有这些赏心悦耳的话。

1 ironical   

adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的

参考例句：

• That is a summary and ironical end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
• From his general demeanour I didn't get the impression that he was being ironical.从他整体的行为来看，我不觉得他是在讲反话。

2 shrieking   

v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They were all shrieking with laughter. 他们都发出了尖锐的笑声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 owls   

n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句

4 mischievous   

adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的

参考例句：

• He is a mischievous but lovable boy.他是一个淘气但可爱的小孩。
• A mischievous cur must be tied short.恶狗必须拴得短。

5 ineffable   

adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的

参考例句：

• The beauty of a sunset is ineffable.日落的美是难以形容的。
• She sighed a sigh of ineffable satisfaction,as if her cup of happiness were now full.她发出了一声说不出多么满意的叹息，仿佛她的幸福之杯已经斟满了。

6 saucy   

adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的

参考例句：

• He was saucy and mischievous when he was working.他工作时总爱调皮捣蛋。
• It was saucy of you to contradict your father.你顶撞父亲，真是无礼。

7 sardonic   

adj.嘲笑的，冷笑的，讥讽的

参考例句：

• She gave him a sardonic smile.她朝他讥讽地笑了一笑。
• There was a sardonic expression on her face.她脸上有一种嘲讽的表情。

8 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

9 squatting   

v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• They ended up squatting in the empty houses on Oxford Road. 他们落得在牛津路偷住空房的境地。
• They've been squatting in an apartment for the past two years. 他们过去两年来一直擅自占用一套公寓。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 urchins   

n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 )；淘气鬼；猬；海胆

参考例句：

• Some dozen barefooted urchins ganged in from the riverside. 几十个赤足的顽童从河边成群结队而来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• People said that he had jaundice and urchins nicknamed him "Yellow Fellow." 别人说他是黄胆病，孩子们也就叫他“黄胖”了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

11 saluted   

v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂

参考例句：

• The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
• He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》