Confessions of a Tradesman
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PREFACE

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 It is a particular, and not altogether pleasant, feature of literary work in Britain that should an author make a certain amount of success with a book on one particular topic, it is thenceforward tacitly assumed that he must stick to that topic, assaying no other on pain of being mercilessly taken to task by the critics. Or what is worse, damned with faint praise. With this knowledge very vividly1 impressed upon me, I have hitherto refrained from writing upon a subject with which I have most intimate and painful acquaintance, and one that should appeal to a far wider circle of readers than any of my previous books have done. It is the subject of the small, struggling tradesman or shop-keeper.
 
I may, I trust, be permitted to remind my good friends, the public, to whom I owe so great a debt, that prior to going to sea I was, as some writers love to say, not entirely2 unconnected with trade, having for two or three years been employed with varying degrees of unsuccess by small tradesmen as an errand[Pg viii] boy, etc. In this wise (although I feel sure that none of my employers would have suspected me of it), I absorbed some germs of a commercial spirit, did at any rate acquire the rudiments3 of trade, although in most irregular and entirely erratic4 ways.
 
During my sea-career, these germs lay entirely dormant5, unfruitful; but they were undoubtedly6 tenacious7 of life, as we learn that disease germs always are; and so, when I forsook8 the sea upon an offer of a job ashore9, a fitting environment aroused them, and they sprang into active life. Not of course immediately, a period of incubation was needed. It was readily forthcoming. At the age of twenty-five, I

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1 vividly tebzrE     
adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地
参考例句：
  • The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
  • The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。
2 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。
3 rudiments GjBzbg     
n.基础知识，入门
参考例句：
  • He has just learned the rudiments of Chinese. 他学汉语刚刚入门。
  • You do not seem to know the first rudiments of agriculture. 你似乎连农业上的一点最起码的常识也没有。
4 erratic ainzj     
adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的
参考例句：
  • The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
  • The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。
5 dormant d8uyk     
adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的
参考例句：
  • Many animals are in a dormant state during winter.在冬天许多动物都处于睡眠状态。
  • This dormant volcano suddenly fired up.这座休眠火山突然爆发了。
6 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。
7 tenacious kIXzb     
adj.顽强的，固执的，记忆力强的，粘的
参考例句：
  • We must learn from the tenacious fighting spirit of Lu Xun.我们要学习鲁迅先生韧性的战斗精神。
  • We should be tenacious of our rights.我们应坚决维护我们的权利。
8 forsook 15e454d354d8a31a3863bce576df1451     
forsake的过去式
参考例句：
  • He faithlessly forsook his friends in their hour of need. 在最需要的时刻他背信弃义地抛弃朋友。
  • She forsook her worldly possessions to devote herself to the church. 她抛弃世上的财物而献身教会。
9 ashore tNQyT     
adv.在(向)岸上，上岸
参考例句：
  • The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
  • He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。
10 deliberately Gulzvq     
adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地
参考例句：
  • The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
  • They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。
11 berth yt0zq     
n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊
参考例句：
  • She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
  • They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。
12 thrift kI6zT     
adj.节约，节俭；n.节俭，节约
参考例句：
  • He has the virtues of thrift and hard work.他具备节俭和勤奋的美德。
  • His thrift and industry speak well for his future.他的节俭和勤勉预示着他美好的未来。
13 provident Atayg     
adj.为将来做准备的，有先见之明的
参考例句：
  • A provident father plans for his children's education.有远见的父亲为自己孩子的教育做长远打算。
  • They are provident statesmen.他们是有远见的政治家。
14 notably 1HEx9     
adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地
参考例句：
  • Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
  • A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。
15 improvident nybyW     
adj.不顾将来的，不节俭的，无远见的
参考例句：
  • Her improvident speech at the meeting has set a stone rolling.她在会上的发言缺乏远见，已产生严重后果。
  • He must bear the consequences of his improvident action.他必须对自己挥霍浪费所造成的后果负责。
16 devoid dZzzx     
adj.全无的，缺乏的
参考例句：
  • He is completely devoid of humour.他十分缺乏幽默。
  • The house is totally devoid of furniture.这所房子里什么家具都没有。
17 elasticity 8jlzp     
n.弹性，伸缩力
参考例句：
  • The skin eventually loses its elasticity.皮肤最终会失去弹性。
  • Every sort of spring has a definite elasticity.每一种弹簧都有一定的弹性。
18 curbed a923d4d9800d8ccbc8b2319f1a1fdc2b     
v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • Advertising aimed at children should be curbed. 针对儿童的广告应受到限制。 来自辞典例句
  • Inflation needs to be curbed in Russia. 俄罗斯需要抑制通货膨胀。 来自辞典例句
19 miserable g18yk     
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
  • It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
  • Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
20 lured 77df5632bf83c9c64fb09403ae21e649     
吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
  • The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
  • Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。
21 unearthed e4d49b43cc52eefcadbac6d2e94bb832     
出土的（考古）
参考例句：
  • Many unearthed cultural relics are set forth in the exhibition hall. 展览馆里陈列着许多出土文物。
  • Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。
22 toil WJezp     
vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事
参考例句：
  • The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
  • Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。
23 toiled 599622ddec16892278f7d146935604a3     
长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉
参考例句：
  • They toiled up the hill in the blazing sun. 他们冒着炎炎烈日艰难地一步一步爬上山冈。
  • He toiled all day long but earned very little. 他整天劳碌但挣得很少。
24 amassing hzmzBn     
v.积累，积聚( amass的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • The study of taxonomy must necessarily involve the amassing of an encyclopaedic knowledge of plants. 分类学研究一定要积累广博的植物知识。 来自辞典例句
  • Build your trophy room while amassing awards and accolades. 建立您的奖杯积累奖项和荣誉。 来自互联网
25 eminent dpRxn     
adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的
参考例句：
  • We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
  • He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。
26 strenuous 8GvzN     
adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的
参考例句：
  • He made strenuous efforts to improve his reading. 他奋发努力提高阅读能力。
  • You may run yourself down in this strenuous week.你可能会在这紧张的一周透支掉自己。
27 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。

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