The Life of George Borrow
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CHAPTER XX “The Children of the Open Air”

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 Behold George Borrow, then, in a comfortable home on the banks of Oulton Broad—a family man.  His mother—sensible woman—declines her son’s invitation to live with the newly-married pair.  She remains1 in the cottage at Norwich where her husband died.  The Borrows were married in April, 1840, by May they had settled at Oulton.  It was a pleasantly secluded2 estate, and Borrow’s wife had £450 a year.  He had, a month before his marriage, written to Mr. Brandram to say that he had a work nearly ready for publication, and “two others in a state of forwardness.”  The title of the first of these books he enclosed in his letter.  It was The Zincali: Or an Account of the Gypsies of Spain.  Mr. Samuel Smiles, in his history of the House of Murray—A Publisher and his Friends—thus relates the circumstances of its publication:—
 
In November 1840 a tall, athletic3 gentleman in black called upon Mr. Murray offering a MS. for perusal4 and publication. . . .  Mr. Murray could not fail to be taken at first sight with this extraordinary man.  He had a splendid physique, standing5 six feet two in his stockings, and he had brains as well as muscles, as his works sufficiently6 show.  The book now submitted was of a very uncommon7 character, and neither the author nor the publisher were very sanguine8 about its success.  Mr. Murray agreed, after perusal, to print and publish 750 copies of The Gypsies in Spain, and divide the profits with the author.
 
It was at the suggestion of Richard Ford9, then the greatest living English authority on Spain, that Mr. Murray published the book.  It did not really commence to sell until The Bible in Spain came a year or so later to bring the author reputation.  From November, 1840, to June, 1841, only three hundred copies had been sold in spite of friendly reviews in some half-dozen journals, including The Athenæum and The Literary Gazette.  The first edition, it may be mentioned, contained on its title-page a description of the author as p. 148“late agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society in Spain.”  There is very marked compression in the edition now in circulation, and a perusal of the first edition reveals many interesting features that deserve to be restored for the benefit of the curious.  But nothing can make The Zincali a great piece of literature.  It was summarised by the Edinburgh Review at the time as “a hotch-potch of the jockey, tramper,

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1 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
参考例句：
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
2 secluded wj8zWX     
adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句：
  • Some people like to strip themselves naked while they have a swim in a secluded place. 一些人当他们在隐蔽的地方游泳时，喜欢把衣服脱光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • This charming cottage dates back to the 15th century and is as pretty as a picture, with its thatched roof and secluded garden. 这所美丽的村舍是15世纪时的建筑，有茅草房顶和宁静的花园，漂亮极了，简直和画上一样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 athletic sOPy8     
adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的
参考例句：
  • This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
  • He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。
4 perusal mM5xT     
n.细读，熟读；目测
参考例句：
  • Peter Cooke undertook to send each of us a sample contract for perusal.彼得·库克答应给我们每人寄送一份合同样本供阅读。
  • A perusal of the letters which we have published has satisfied him of the reality of our claim.读了我们的公开信后，他终于相信我们的要求的确是真的。
5 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
6 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。
7 uncommon AlPwO     
adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的
参考例句：
  • Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
  • Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。
8 sanguine dCOzF     
adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的
参考例句：
  • He has a sanguine attitude to life.他对于人生有乐观的看法。
  • He is not very sanguine about our chances of success.他对我们成功的机会不太乐观。
9 Ford KiIxx     
n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过
参考例句：
  • They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
  • If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。
10 philologist 77eb2f9d617b1352ec24786ae1f0bd82     
n.语言学者，文献学者
参考例句：
  • Syme was a philologist, a specialist in Newspeak. 赛姆是语言学家，也是新话专家。 来自英汉文学
11 missionary ID8xX     
adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士
参考例句：
  • She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
  • I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。
12 eloquent ymLyN     
adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的
参考例句：
  • He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩，胜过最好的演说家。
  • These ruins are an eloquent reminder of the horrors of war.这些废墟形象地提醒人们不要忘记战争的恐怖。
13 temperament 7INzf     
n.气质，性格，性情
参考例句：
  • The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
  • Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。
14 obsessed 66a4be1417f7cf074208a6d81c8f3384     
adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的
参考例句：
  • He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
  • The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。
15 glamour Keizv     
n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住
参考例句：
  • Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
  • The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。
16 cult 3nPzm     
n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜
参考例句：
  • Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书，但有一定的崇拜者。
  • The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。
17 lore Y0YxW     
n.传说；学问，经验，知识
参考例句：
  • I will seek and question him of his lore.我倒要找上他，向他讨教他的渊博的学问。
  • Early peoples passed on plant and animal lore through legend.早期人类通过传说传递有关植物和动物的知识。
18 sarcastic jCIzJ     
adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的
参考例句：
  • I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。
  • She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。
19 judgment e3xxC     
n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见
参考例句：
  • The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
  • He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
20 immortal 7kOyr     
adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的
参考例句：
  • The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
  • The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！
21 anecdotes anecdotes     
n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • amusing anecdotes about his brief career as an actor 关于他短暂演员生涯的趣闻逸事
  • He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman. 他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 knaves bc7878d3f6a750deb586860916e8cf9b     
n.恶棍，无赖( knave的名词复数 )；（纸牌中的）杰克
参考例句：
  • Give knaves an inch and they will take a yard. 我一日三餐都吃得很丰盛。 来自互联网
  • Knaves and robbers can obtain only what was before possessed by others. 流氓、窃贼只能攫取原先由别人占有的财富。 来自互联网
23 rascal mAIzd     
n.流氓；不诚实的人
参考例句：
  • If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
  • The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。
24 vile YLWz0     
adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的
参考例句：
  • Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？
  • Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。
25 interspersed c7b23dadfc0bbd920c645320dfc91f93     
adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
  • Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
  • The grass was interspersed with beds of flowers. 草地上点缀着许多花坛。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
26 kindled d35b7382b991feaaaa3e8ddbbcca9c46     
（使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光
参考例句：
  • We watched as the fire slowly kindled. 我们看着火慢慢地燃烧起来。
  • The teacher's praise kindled a spark of hope inside her. 老师的赞扬激起了她内心的希望。
27 predecessors b59b392832b9ce6825062c39c88d5147     
n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身
参考例句：
  • The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
28 prematurely nlMzW4     
adv.过早地，贸然地
参考例句：
  • She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句
29 vagaries 594130203d5d42a756196aa8975299ad     
n.奇想( vagary的名词复数 )；异想天开；异常行为；难以预测的情况
参考例句：
  • The vagaries of fortune are indeed curious.\" 命运的变化莫测真是不可思议。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • The vagaries of inclement weather conditions are avoided to a certain extent. 可以在一定程度上避免变化莫测的恶劣气候影响。 来自辞典例句
30 courteous tooz2     
adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的
参考例句：
  • Although she often disagreed with me,she was always courteous.尽管她常常和我意见不一，但她总是很谦恭有礼。
  • He was a kind and courteous man.他为人友善，而且彬彬有礼。
31 entirely 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。
32 clamorous OqGzj     
adj.吵闹的，喧哗的
参考例句：
  • They are clamorous for better pay.他们吵吵嚷嚷要求增加工资。
  • The meeting began to become clamorous.会议开始变得喧哗了。
33 testament yyEzf     
n.遗嘱；证明
参考例句：
  • This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
  • It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。
34 decadence taLyZ     
n.衰落，颓废
参考例句：
  • The decadence of morals is bad for a nation.道德的堕落对国家是不利的。
  • His article has the power to turn decadence into legend.他的文章具有化破朽为神奇的力量。
35 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的
参考例句：
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
36 doomed EuuzC1     
命定的
参考例句：
  • The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
  • A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。
37 appreciation Pv9zs     
n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨
参考例句：
  • I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
  • I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
38 blizzard 0Rgyc     
n.暴风雪
参考例句：
  • The blizzard struck while we were still on the mountain.我们还在山上的时候暴风雪就袭来了。
  • You'll have to stay here until the blizzard blows itself off.你得等暴风雪停了再走。
39 dedications dc6a42911d354327bba879801a5173db     
奉献( dedication的名词复数 )； 献身精神； 教堂的)献堂礼； （书等作品上的）题词
参考例句：
40 withheld f9d7381abd94e53d1fbd8a4e53915ec8     
withhold过去式及过去分词
参考例句：
  • I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
41 derived 6cddb7353e699051a384686b6b3ff1e2     
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
参考例句：
  • Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
42 vindicates 26f0341519264de67e8e89cf32258283     
n.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的名词复数 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的第三人称单数 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护
参考例句：
  • The success of the operation completely vindicates my faith in the doctor. 手术的成功完全证明我对这大夫的信任是正确的。 来自辞典例句
  • In one sense the verdict vindicates the Bush administration. 在某种意义上，有罪宣判证明了布什当局是正确的。 来自互联网
43 controversy 6Z9y0     
n.争论，辩论，争吵
参考例句：
  • That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
  • We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。
44 picturesque qlSzeJ     
adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的
参考例句：
  • You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
  • That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。
45 philologists 653530ee0ab46a503524c0f8ca125b66     
n.语文学( philology的名词复数 )
参考例句：
46 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的
参考例句：
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
47 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。

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