A disputation on schools held on the road between Mr Abraham Adams and Joseph; and a discovery not unwelcome to them both.

Our travellers, having well refreshed themselves at the gentleman’s house, Joseph and Fanny with sleep, and Mr Abraham Adams with ale and tobacco, renewed their journey with great alacrity¹; and pursuing the road into which they were directed, travelled many miles before they met with any adventure worth relating. In this interval² we shall present our readers with a very curious discourse³, as we apprehend⁴ it, concerning public schools, which passed between Mr Joseph Andrews and Mr Abraham Adams.

They had not gone far before Adams, calling to Joseph, asked him, “If he had attended to the gentleman’s story?” He answered, “To all the former part.” — “And don’t you think,” says he, “he was a very unhappy man in his youth?” — “A very unhappy man, indeed,” answered the other. “Joseph,” cries Adams, screwing up his mouth, “I have found it; I have discovered the cause of all the misfortunes which befel him: a public school, Joseph, was the cause of all the calamities⁵ which he afterwards suffered. Public schools are the nurseries of all vice⁶ and immorality⁷. All the wicked fellows whom I remember at the university were bred at them. — Ah, Lord! I can remember as well as if it was but yesterday, a knot of them; they called them King’s scholars, I forget why — very wicked fellows! Joseph, you may thank the Lord you were not bred at a public school; you would never have preserved your virtue⁸ as you have. The first care I always take is of a boy’s morals; I had rather he should be a blockhead than an atheist

点击收听单词发音  

1 alacrity
n.敏捷，轻快，乐意
参考例句：
Although the man was very old,he still moved with alacrity.他虽然很老，动作仍很敏捷。 He accepted my invitation with alacrity.他欣然接受我的邀请。

2 interval
n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息
参考例句：
The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。 There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。

3 discourse
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。

4 apprehend
vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑
参考例句：
I apprehend no worsening of the situation.我不担心局势会恶化。 Police have not apprehended her killer.警察还未抓获谋杀她的凶手。

5 calamities
n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事
参考例句：
They will only triumph by persevering in their struggle against natural calamities. 他们只有坚持与自然灾害搏斗，才能取得胜利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 One moment's false security can bring a century of calamities. 图一时之苟安，贻百年之大患。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 vice
n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的
参考例句：
He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。 They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 immorality
n. 不道德, 无道义
参考例句：
All the churchmen have preached against immorality. 所有牧师都讲道反对不道德的行为。 Where the European sees immorality and lawlessness, strict law rules in reality. 在欧洲人视为不道德和无规则的地方，事实上都盛行着一种严格的规则。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

8 virtue
n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力
参考例句：
He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。 You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

9 atheist
n.无神论者
参考例句：
She was an atheist but now she says she's seen the light.她本来是个无神论者，可是现在她说自己的信仰改变了。 He is admittedly an atheist.他被公认是位无神论者。

10 immortal
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！

11 scourged
鞭打( scourge的过去式和过去分词 )； 惩罚，压迫
参考例句：
He was scourged by the memory of his misdeeds. 他对以往的胡作非为的回忆使得他精神上受惩罚。 Captain White scourged his crew without mercy. 船长怀特无情地鞭挞船员。

12 nay
adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者
参考例句：
He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。 Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

13 initiated
n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入
参考例句：
He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。 The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

14 epitome
n.典型，梗概
参考例句：
He is the epitome of goodness.他是善良的典范。 This handbook is a neat epitome of everyday hygiene.这本手册概括了日常卫生的要点。

15 innocence
n.无罪；天真；无害
参考例句：
There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。 The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

16 villains
n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼
参考例句：
The impression of villains was inescapable. 留下恶棍的印象是不可避免的。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Some villains robbed the widow of the savings. 有几个歹徒将寡妇的积蓄劫走了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

17 attain
vt.达到，获得，完成
参考例句：
I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。 His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

18 esteem
n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作
参考例句：
I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。 The veteran worker ranks high in public love and esteem.那位老工人深受大伙的爱戴。

19 infancy
n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期
参考例句：
He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。 Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

20 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。

21 inclination
n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好
参考例句：
She greeted us with a slight inclination of the head.她微微点头向我们致意。 I did not feel the slightest inclination to hurry.我没有丝毫着急的意思。

22 corrupted
（使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏
参考例句：
The body corrupted quite quickly. 尸体很快腐烂了。 The text was corrupted by careless copyists. 原文因抄写员粗心而有讹误。

23 scourges
带来灾难的人或东西，祸害( scourge的名词复数 )； 鞭子
参考例句：
Textile workers suffer from three scourges -- noise, dust and humidity. 纱厂工人的三大威胁，就是音响、尘埃和湿气。 来自汉英文学 - 现代散文 Believe, if Internet remains great scourges, also won't have present dimensions. 相信，如果互联网仍然是洪水猛兽，也不会有现在的规模。

24 winding
n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈
参考例句：
A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。 The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

25 rivulet
n.小溪，小河
参考例句：
The school is located near the rivulet.学校坐落在小河附近。 They passed the dry bed of a rivulet.他们跨过了一道干涸的河床。

26 ascent
n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高
参考例句：
His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。 Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮，电梯开始缓慢上升。

27 boughs
大树枝( bough的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。 A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。

28 skilful
(=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的
参考例句：
The more you practise,the more skilful you'll become.练习的次数越多，熟练的程度越高。 He's not very skilful with his chopsticks.他用筷子不大熟练。

29 delightful
adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
参考例句：
We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。 Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

30 fowl
n.家禽，鸡，禽肉
参考例句：
Fowl is not part of a traditional brunch.禽肉不是传统的早午餐的一部分。 Since my heart attack,I've eaten more fish and fowl and less red meat.自从我患了心脏病后，我就多吃鱼肉和禽肉，少吃红色肉类。

31 distress
n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛
参考例句：
Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。 Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

32 generosity
n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为
参考例句：
We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。 We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。