雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第11章 Part 4大綱

'Ten years,' croaked the unsympathetic Pipchin, with a frosty glistening of her hard grey eye, and a dreary shaking of her bent head, 'is a long time.'

“十年，”毫無同情心的皮普欽用哭喪的聲音說道，她那冷酷的灰色眼睛冷若冰霜地閃了一下光，低垂的頭陰鬱地搖晃了一下，“是很長的時間。”

'It depends on circumstances, returned Mr Dombey; 'at all events, Mrs Pipchin, my son is six years old, and there is no doubt, I fear, that in his studies he is behind many children of his age - or his youth,' said Mr Dombey, quickly answering what he mistrusted was a shrewd twinkle of the frosty eye, 'his youth is a more appropriate expression. Now, Mrs Pipchin, instead of being behind his peers, my son ought to be before them; far before them. There is an eminence ready for him to mount upon. There is nothing of chance or doubt in the course before my son. His way in life was clear and prepared, and marked out before he existed. The education of such a young gentleman must not be delayed. It must not be left imperfect. It must be very steadily and seriously undertaken, Mrs Pipchin.'

“這取決於境況如何，”董貝先生回答道；“不管怎麼樣，皮普欽太太，我的兒子已經六歲了；我擔心，跟他同樣年齡或者說跟他同樣處於少年時期的許多孩子相比，他在學習上毫無疑問已經落後了。”他迅速地回答了那隻冷若冰霜的眼睛中發出的一道他覺得是狡獪的眼光，“跟他同樣處於少年時期——這個說法更恰當。可是，皮普欽太太，我的兒子不能落在他的同輩人的後面，而應當超過他們，遠遠地超過他們。有一個高地正等待着他去攀登。在我的兒子的未來的生活路程中沒有什麼聽憑機會擺佈或存在疑問的東西。他的生活道路是沒有障礙的，預先準備好的，在他出生之前就已經籌劃定了的。這樣一位年輕紳士的教育是不應該耽誤的。不應該讓它處於不完善的狀態。它必須很堅定很認真地進行，皮普欽太太。”

'Well, Sir,' said Mrs Pipchin, 'I can say nothing to the contrary.'

“唔，先生，”皮普欽太太說道，“我不會有什麼異議。”

'I was quite sure, Mrs Pipchin,' returned Mr Dombey, approvingly, 'that a person of your good sense could not, and would not.'

“我完全相信，皮普欽太太，”董貝先生贊同地說道，“像您這樣有卓越見識的人是不會，也不願意有異議的。”

'There is a great deal of nonsense - and worse - talked about young people not being pressed too hard at first, and being tempted on, and all the rest of it, Sir,' said Mrs Pipchin, impatiently rubbing her hooked nose. 'It never was thought of in my time, and it has no business to be thought of now. My opinion is "keep 'em at it".'

“現在人們談論着各種烏七八糟的廢話，——比廢話還不如——，說什麼對年輕人開始不要強迫得太厲害，而應當循循善誘，其他等等，先生，”皮普欽太太不耐煩地擦了擦她的鉤鼻，說道，“在我做孩子的時候，從來沒有這樣一些想法。現在也用不着這樣去想。我的意見是，‘強迫他們去做’。”

'My good madam,' returned Mr Dombey, 'you have not acquired your reputation undeservedly; and I beg you to believe, Mrs Pipchin, that I am more than satisfied with your excellent system of management, and shall have the greatest pleasure in commending it whenever my poor commendation - ' Mr Dombey's loftiness when he affected to disparage his own importance, passed all bounds - 'can be of any service. I have been thinking of Doctor Blimber's, Mrs Pipchin.'

“我的好夫人，”董貝先生回答道，“您真是名不虛傳；請您相信，皮普欽太太，我對您優良的管理制度非常滿意；只要我不足掛齒的推薦意見能有什麼用的話，我將會十分高興來推薦它。”——當董貝先生假裝貶低自己的重要性時，他的高傲是超越一切限度的——，“我一直在考慮布林伯博士的學校，皮普欽太太。”

'My neighbour, Sir?' said Mrs Pipchin. 'I believe the Doctor's is an excellent establishment. I've heard that it's very strictly conducted, and there is nothing but learning going on from morning to night.'

“我的近鄰嗎，先生？”皮普欽太太說道。“我相信這位博士的學校是一所優秀的學校。我聽說管理很嚴格，從早到晚除了學習不幹別的。”

'And it's very expensive,' added Mr Dombey.

“而且費用很貴，”董貝先生補充道。

'And it's very expensive, Sir,' returned Mrs Pipchin, catching at the fact, as if in omitting that, she had omitted one of its leading merits.

“而且費用很貴，”皮普欽太太回答道；她緊緊抓住這個事實，彷彿遺漏了這一點，她就遺漏了它的最主要的優點之一似的。

註釋：perfect adj. 完美的；最好的；精通的
vt. 使完美；使熟練
n. 完成式
perfect oneself in 精通；熟練；完全掌握
perfect for 應用範圍；對…是完美的
詞組：
perfect harmony 水乳交融；完美無諧波；十分和諧
perfect market 完全市場
perfect man 完美無缺的人
perfect day 天氣極好
perfect balance 理想均衡
perfect condition 理想狀態
present perfect [語]現在完成時
perfect competition 完全（自由）競爭
perfect circle 完整的圓圈；正圓
perfect state 理想狀態
perfect form 完成式；完全型；正確幾何形狀
perfect gas 理想氣體；完美氣體
present perfect tense 現在完成式
perfect stranger 完全不認識的人
perfect weather 極好的天氣
past perfect （動詞的）過去完成時
perfect number 完全數
past perfect tense 過去完成時
例句：
(1) This be a perfect safety play .
這是一種絕對安全打法。
(2) Then life would be perfect.
那麼，生活就會完美。
(3) You look perfect in that hair style.
這個髮型使你看上去非常漂亮。
(4) Nothing is perfect, it seems to say.
沒有什麼東西是完美的，它似乎在說。
(5) To an economist, of course, this all makes perfect sense.
當然，對於經濟學家來說，這一切很好理解。
(6) Since God is conceived to be omnipotent , He is a perfect being.
因爲上帝被說成是萬能的，所以他是完美無缺的。
(7) In common parlance, it is the perfect soldier, the "eternal sentry".
通俗一點說，地雷是一名絕佳的戰士、永久的“哨兵”。
(8) Rewrite the following sentences using the Present Perfect Passive Voice .
用現在完成時的被動語態改寫下列句子。
(9) The need to prepare Mr Obama's 2012 election campaign gives him the perfect excuse.
需要準備奧巴馬2012年的選舉正好給了他一個完美的藉口。
(10) Then, write a quick summary of the conversation and why you are perfect for the job.
然後，寫一個談話的快速摘要以及爲什麼你非常適合這份工作。

night n. 夜晚，晚上；黑暗，黑夜
adj. 夜晚的，夜間的
詞組：
at night 在夜裏
last night 昨晚
in the night 在夜裏
by night adv. 在夜裏
all night 整夜
every night 每個夜晚
into the night 入夜；直到夜裏
good night 晚安，再見
night sky 夜天
the night before 前一天晚上
night after night 一夜又一夜
late at night 在深夜；深更半夜
from morning till night 從早到晚
night and day 日以繼夜地
tomorrow night 明天晚上
the other night 前兩天的夜裏；不久前的一個夜晚
all night long 整夜，通宵
late night 深夜
night vision 夜視；微光攝像電視
night out 節日的夜晚；外出的一夜
例句：
(1) It is night when they wake up.
當他們醒來的時候已經是晚上了。
(2) Can I pay for one night first?
我能否先付一晚上的錢。
(3) A bad day never has a good night.
糟糕的一天也不會有美好的夜晚。
(4) At night I have no energy.
到了晚上我一點精力都沒了。
(5) Night descends quickly in the tropics.
熱帶地區黑夜來得很快。
(6) One night, Joseph had a strange dream.
有一天夜晚，約瑟夫作了個怪夢。
(7) I warn you not to go out alone at night.
我警告你晚上不要一個人單獨外出。
(8) I made your birthday cake last night, too.
昨晚上我也給你做好了生日蛋糕。