The Life of George Borrow
 小说分类
选择字号：【大】【中】【小】
关灯
护眼
CHAPTER VII In a Lawyer’s Office

关注小说网官方公众号（noveltingroom），原版名著免费领。


 Doubts were very frequently expressed in Borrow’s lifetime as to his having really been articled to a solicitor1, but that point has been set at rest by reference to the Record Office.  Borrow was articled to Simpson and Rackham of Tuck’s Court, St. Giles’s, Norwich, “for the term of five years”—from March, 1819, to March, 1824,—and these five years were spent in and about Norwich, and were full of adventure of a kind with which the law had nothing to do.  If Borrow had had the makings of a lawyer he could not have entered the profession under happier auspices2.  The firm was an old established one even in his day.  It had been established in Tuck’s Court as Simpson and Rackham, then it became Rackham and Morse, Rackham, Cooke and Rackham, and Rackham and Cooke; finally, Tom Rackham, a famous Norwich man in his day, moved to another office, and the firm of lawyers who at present occupy the original offices is called Leathes Prior and Sons.  Borrow has told us frankly3 what a poor lawyer’s clerk he made—he was always thinking of things remote from that profession, of gypsies, of prize-fighters, and of word-makers.  Yet he loved the head of the firm, William Simpson, who must have been a kind and tolerant guide to the curious youth.  Simpson was for a time Town Clerk of Norwich, and his portrait hangs in the Blackfriars Hall.  Borrow went to live with Mr. Simpson in the Upper Close near the Grammar School.  Archdeacon Groome recalled having seen Borrow “reserved and solitary” haunting the precincts of the playground; another schoolboy, William Drake, remembered him as “tall, spare, dark-complexioned.” [50]
 
Borrow tells us how at this time he studied the Welsh language and later the Danish; his master said that his inattention would assuredly make him a bankrupt, and his father sighed over his eccentric and impracticable son.  p. 51The passion for languages had indeed caught hold of Borrow.  Among my Borrow papers I find a memorandum4 in the handwriting of his stepdaughter, in which she says:
 
I have often heard his mother say, that when a mere5 child of eight or nine years, all his pocket-money was spent in purchasing foreign Dictionaries and Grammars; he formed an acquaintance with an old woman who kept a bookstall in the market-place of Norwich, whose son went voyages to Holland with cattle, and brought home Dutch books, which were eagerly bought by little George.  One day the old woman was crying, and told him that her son was in prison.  “For doing what?” asked the child.  “For taking a silk handkerchief out of a gentleman’s pocket.”  “Then,” said the boy, “your son stole the pocket handkerchief?”  “No dear, no, my son did not steal,—he only glyfaked.”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 solicitor vFBzb     
n.初级律师，事务律师
参考例句：
  • The solicitor's advice gave me food for thought.律师的指点值得我深思。
  • The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case.律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。
2 auspices do0yG     
n.资助，赞助
参考例句：
  • The association is under the auspices of Word Bank.这个组织是在世界银行的赞助下办的。
  • The examination was held under the auspices of the government.这次考试是由政府主办的。
3 frankly fsXzcf     
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
  • To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
  • Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。
4 memorandum aCvx4     
n.备忘录，便笺
参考例句：
  • The memorandum was dated 23 August,2008.备忘录上注明的日期是2008年8月23日。
  • The Secretary notes down the date of the meeting in her memorandum book.秘书把会议日期都写在记事本上。
5 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
6 grooms b9d1c7c7945e283fe11c0f1d27513083     
n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗
参考例句：
  • Plender end Wilcox became joint grooms of the chambers. 普伦德和威尔科克斯成为共同的贴身侍从。 来自辞典例句
  • Egypt: Families, rather than grooms, propose to the bride. 埃及：在埃及，由新郎的家人，而不是新郎本人，向新娘求婚。 来自互联网
7 undoubtedly Mfjz6l     
adv.确实地，无疑地
参考例句：
  • It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
  • He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。
8 varied giIw9     
adj.多样的，多变化的
参考例句：
  • The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
  • The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。
9 aspirations a60ebedc36cdd304870aeab399069f9e     
强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音
参考例句：
  • I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
  • The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。
10 linguist K02xo     
n.语言学家；精通数种外国语言者
参考例句：
  • I used to be a linguist till I become a writer.过去我是个语言学家，后来成了作家。
  • Professor Cui has a high reputation as a linguist.崔教授作为语言学家名声很高。
11 celebrated iwLzpz     
adj.有名的，声誉卓著的
参考例句：
  • He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
  • The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。
12 averse 6u0zk     
adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的
参考例句：
  • I don't smoke cigarettes,but I'm not averse to the occasional cigar.我不吸烟，但我不反对偶尔抽一支雪茄。
  • We are averse to such noisy surroundings.我们不喜欢这么吵闹的环境。
13 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
14 quack f0JzI     
n.庸医；江湖医生；冒充内行的人；骗子
参考例句：
  • He describes himself as a doctor,but I feel he is a quack.他自称是医生，可是我感觉他是个江湖骗子。
  • The quack was stormed with questions.江湖骗子受到了猛烈的质问。
15 divulged b0a9e80080e82c932b9575307c26fe40     
v.吐露，泄露( divulge的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • He divulged nothing to him save the terrible handicap of being young. 他想不出个所以然来，只是想到自己年纪尚幼，极端不利。 来自辞典例句
  • The spy divulged the secret plans to the enemy. 那名间谍把秘密计划泄漏给敌人。 来自辞典例句
16 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
17 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
18 lodgings f12f6c99e9a4f01e5e08b1197f095e6e     
n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍
参考例句：
  • When he reached his lodgings the sun had set. 他到达公寓房间时，太阳已下山了。
  • I'm on the hunt for lodgings. 我正在寻找住所。
19 discourse 2lGz0     
n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述
参考例句：
  • We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
  • He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。
20 impairs 866bc0da43dd90e04b6073750ff1e87c     
v.损害，削弱( impair的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
  • Smoking impairs our health. 吸烟会损害我们的健康。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Almost anything that impairs liver function can cause hepatitis. 任何有损于肝功能的因素，几乎都会引起肝炎。 来自辞典例句
21 nil 7GgxO     
n.无，全无，零
参考例句：
  • My knowledge of the subject is practically nil.我在这方面的知识几乎等于零。
  • Their legal rights are virtually nil.他们实际上毫无法律权利。
22 prosecuted Wk5zqY     
a.被起诉的
参考例句：
  • The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
  • The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。
23 regale mUUxT     
v.取悦，款待
参考例句：
  • He was constantly regaled with tales of woe.别人老是给他讲些倒霉事儿来逗他开心。
  • He loved to regale his friends with tales about the many memorable characters he had known as a newspaperman.他喜欢讲些他当记者时认识的许多名人的故事给朋友们消遣。
24 prolix z0fzz     
adj.罗嗦的；冗长的
参考例句：
  • Too much speaking makes it a little prolix.说那么多，有些罗嗦了。
  • Her style is tediously prolix.她的文章冗长而乏味。
25 subscribes 9b0145af9c3657ee49d881e38790e2a2     
v.捐助( subscribe的第三人称单数 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意
参考例句：
  • The library subscribes to 40 magazines. 这个图书馆订购四十种杂志。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • He subscribes to a number of journals concerning his subject. 他订阅了许多与他的学科有关的杂志。 来自辞典例句
26 sufficiently 0htzMB     
adv.足够地，充分地
参考例句：
  • It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
  • The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

分享到：


返回目录

英语听力 |  手机版  |  网页版
©英文小说网 2005-2010