A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

those who are badly off 沒錢的must go there

in a more facetious滑稽的temper than was usual with him

proffering奉獻their services to go before horses in carriages

gruff粗噁的 old bell

its teeth were chattering喋喋不休, 嘮叨 in its frozen head up there.


lighted a great fire in a brazier火盆

a party of ragged襤褸men and boys were gathered

congealed凝結, 癱瘓,

turned to misanthropic厭世ice

in the stronghold根據地 of the mighty Mansion House

garret閣樓

his lean wife and the baby sallied出擊out to buy the beef

nose, gnawed咬 and mumbled抿著咀嚼 by the hungry cold as bones are gnawed by dogs

to regale娛樂 him witha Christmas carol:

dismounted from his stool

tacitly心照不宣地 admitted the fact to the expectant clerk in the Tank

walked out with a growl咆哮

comforter 長的毛織圍巾dangling below his waist (for he
boasted no great-coat)

beguiled 輕鬆地消磨the rest of the evening with his
banker's-book,

was fain 樂意to grope 觸莫with his hands

aldermen郡長

Let it also be borne in mind that …

ferocious兇猛的

The hair was curiously stirred, as if by breath or hot air

have a separate peal 隆隆聲of echoes of its own

Scrooge was not a man to be frightened by echoes.

coach-and-six (coach-and-four四匹馬拉的大馬車)

hearse柩車

broadwise緯向,

balustrades欄杆

lumber-room破舊東西堆藏室

the little saucepan of gruel 稀粥 (Scrooge had a cold in his head) upon the hob壁爐擱架

brood over憂悶地沉思 it

hundreds of figures to attract his thoughts; and yet that face of Marley, seven years dead, came like the ancient Prophet's rod, and swallowed up the whole.

"Humbug哄騙!"

In the outset (in the beginning)

ledgers賬簿

"How now!" said Scrooge, caustic刻薄的, 譏諷的, 尖利刺人的 and cold as ever.

sat down on the opposite side of the fireplace壁爐

in the habit of cracking jokes 說笑話

waggish滑稽的

the spectre's voice disturbed the very marrow in his bones


A legion眾多, 大量of goblins


"You are fettered把...上腳鐐, 束縛," said Scrooge, trembling.

"I wear the chain I forged編造in life," replied the Ghost.

It is a ponderous沈重的; 笨重的; 粗大的chain!"

in life my spirit never roved徘徊beyond the narrow limits of our
money-changing hole; and weary journeys lie before me!"

in a business-like manner, though with humility and deference服從; 遵從.

"No rest, no peace. Incessant torture of remorse."

unavailing無益的; 無用的; 徒勞的grief

Don't be flowery (常含貶義)詞藻華麗的, Jacob! Pray!

you cannot hope to shun躲開, 避開, 迴避the path I tread

sounds of lamentation and regret; wailings inexpressibly sorrowful and
self-accusatory

STAVE詩節; 詩句


endeavouring to pierce the darkness with his ferret雪貂, 白鼬eyes

preposterous十分荒謬的, 可笑的; 反常的; 乖戾的cloc

the more he endeavoured not to think, the more he thought

Every time he resolved within himself, that….

a visitation

Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back

round its waist was bound a lustrous有光澤的; 光亮的belt

the sheen光輝, 光澤of which was beautiful

green holly【植】冬青; 冬青屬植物[U][C]

wintry emblem象徵; 標誌

Scrooge reverently恭敬地; 虔誠地disclaimed all intention to offend

He then made bold to inquire what business brought him there.

reclamation廢物回收利用, 再造, 再生

in supplication懇求, 哀求; 祈禱, 祈求.

"I am a mortal人, 凡人[C][P1]," Scrooge remonstrated抗議(說); 反對(道); 告誡(說), "and liable to易患...的; 易...的[(+to)] fall."


Not a vestige (常用於否定形式)一點兒, 絲毫of it was to be seen.

country gigs二輪單馬車and carts (馬、牛等拉的)二輪(或四輪)運貨車

jocund歡樂的, 快活的, 高興的travellers

with a little weathercock-surmounted覆蓋在...頂上; 裝在...頂上[H] cupola【建】穹頂, 圓屋頂; 圓頂閣

Fowls clucked (母雞)咯咯的叫聲and strutted在...上趾高氣揚地走in the stables



brimful盈滿的of glee

stood on tiptoe to embrace him

drag him, in her childish eagerness, towards the door

veriest完全的

You're right. I will not gainsay (通常用於否定句或疑問句中)否認; 反駁; 反對it, Spirit.

all the strife衝突, 爭鬥, 傾軋and tumult吵鬧; 喧譁of a real city

adjusted his capacious (心胸等)寬大的waistcoat

Let's have the shutters百葉窗; 活動遮板[P] up

fiddler plunged his hot face into a pot of porter【英】黑啤酒

there was negus尼加斯酒(由葡萄酒加熱水、肉豆蔻、檸檬汁等而成)

"Sir Roger de Coverley." {Roger de (or of) Coverley (also Sir Roger de Coverley or ...Coverly) is the name of an English country dance and a Scottish country dance (also known as The Haymakers).}

she was worthy to be his partner in every sense of the term

bow and curtsey (女子的)屈膝禮[C], corkscrew作螺旋式移動; 曲折行進, thread-the-needle,

deftly靈巧地; 熟練地; 敏捷地

During the whole of this time, …

begun to wear the signs of care and avarice貪婪, 貪慾

the master-passion, Gain, engrosses使全神貫注 you

is fraught充滿...的; 伴隨...的with misery

a dowerless girl

May you be happy in the life you have chosen!

Why do you delight to torture me?"

the relentless殘酷的, 無情的Ghost pinioned縛住(人)的雙臂him in both his arms

a comely秀麗的, 漂亮的, 悅目的 matron (尤指有身分的)已婚女子; 遺孀

got pillaged搶劫, 掠奪by the young brigands盜賊, 土匪

keepsake紀念品

boisterous喧鬧的; 愛鬧的; 狂歡的

the onslaught突擊, 猛攻

despoil掠奪; 剝奪him of brown-paper parcels

pommel用柄端打; 用拳頭連續打his back

"How can I? Tut (表示不耐煩、指責等)嘖! 噓!, don't I know?"

AWAKING in the middle of a prodigiously異常地, 驚人地tough snore

pitch-and-toss擲硬幣遊戲

rhinoceros犀牛

in the predicament尷尬的處境, 困境; 危境

holly【植】冬青; 冬青屬植物[U][C]

mistletoe【植】槲寄生

petrification成為化石of a hearth壁爐地面; 爐床[C]

the dogged頑固的, 固執的Scrooge

Girded包圍 round its middle was an antique scabbard鞘[C]

"You have never seen the like of me before!" exclaimed
the Spirit. "Never," Scrooge made answer to it.
"Have never walked forth with the younger members of
my family; meaning (for I am very young) my elder brothers
born in these later years?" pursued the Phantom.

if you have aught【古】任何事物, 任何一部分 to teach me, let me profit by it

in deep furrows溝; 車轍; 航跡

sooty煤煙的; 被煤煙覆蓋的

shovelling用鏟鏟(起); 用鐵鍬挖away on the housetops

parapets (陽臺、橋邊等的)低矮擋牆或欄杆, 女兒牆

facetious滑稽的; 好開玩笑的


lolling懶洋洋地倚靠(或躺等)[Q] at the doors

in their apoplectic中風的opulence財富; 豐富

like Spanish Friars (天主教的)化緣修士[C]

demurely裝成端莊地; 認真地

people's mouths might water gratis免費as they passed

filberts【植】歐洲榛樹


squat蹲, 蹲踞, 蹲下and swarthy黑黝黝的; 黑皮膚的

entreating and beseeching懇求; 哀求to be carried home

twine合股線; 麻線; 細繩

canisters罐; 茶筒

bilious壞脾氣的

steeples尖塔; 尖頂

revellers縱酒狂歡者; 尋歡作樂的人[C]

sprinkled灑, 噴淋; 撒incense on their dinners

cramp限制; 約束; 妨礙these people's opportunities of innocent
enjoyment

bigotry盲從; 偏執, 頑固

our kith and kin

squat蹲, 蹲踞, 蹲下and swarthy黑黝黝的; 黑皮膚的

entreating and beseeching懇求; 哀求to be carried home

twine合股線; 麻線; 細繩

canisters罐; 茶筒

bilious壞脾氣的

steeples尖塔; 尖頂

revellers縱酒狂歡者; 尋歡作樂的人[C]

sprinkled灑, 噴淋; 撒incense on their dinners

cramp限制; 約束; 妨礙these people's opportunities of innocent
enjoyment

bigotry盲從; 偏執, 頑固
our kith and kin

with officious過分殷勤的zeal

his threadbare (衣服)穿舊的, 破爛的clothes darned up織補and brushed, to look seasonable合於時宜的; 應時的

he bore a little crutch丁形柺杖, (支在腋下的)撐拐, and had his limbs supported by an iron frame

with a sudden declension傾斜; 下降; 衰微in his high spirits

crammed塞滿的; 擠滿的spoons into their mouths

Eked增加, 補充[(+out)] out by apple-sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family


bedight【古】裝飾with Christmas holly stuck into the top

Two tumblers平底無腳酒杯; 一杯的容量, and a custard-cup without a handle.

the chestnuts on the fire sputtered噴濺and cracked noisily

adamant堅定不移的

rebuke指責, 非難; 訓斥,

such an odious可憎的, 可惡的, 令人作嘔的, stingy吝嗇的, 小氣的, hard,
unfeeling無情的, 冷酷的man

The children drank the toast after her.

the Ogre食人魔鬼; 怪物of the family

which was not dispelled驅散for full five minutes

apprentice at a milliner's女帽製造(販賣)商

had a plaintive悲傷的, 憂鬱的, 哀愁的little voice

exulted狂喜; 歡欣鼓舞

kenned【古】看到, 看著

furze【植】荊豆(花)

blithe歡樂的; 快活的

grog烈酒

Gale強風

helmsman舵手 at the wheel

It was a great surprise to Scrooge, to…

It was a much greater surprise to Scrooge to …

looking at that same nephew with approving affability

a man more blest幸福的; 被祝福的; 可喜的(bless的過去式與過去分詞)in a laugh than Scrooge's nephew

I'll cultivate建立, 加強(友誼); 結交(朋友等) his acquaintance.

while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing
in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and
good-humour

not a bit behindhand遲; 慢; 滯延

With a dimpled, surprised-looking, capital【口】頂好的, 第一流的face

He's a comical滑稽的; 詼諧的; 古怪的old fellow

Scrooge's niece's sisters, and all the other ladies, expressed
the same opinion.

with the lace tucker (婦女的)花邊抵肩, 領布

revelled著迷, 陶醉in another laugh

He may rail責罵; 挑剔; 抱怨at Christmas till he dies

they sung a Glee重唱曲or Catch

he softened more and more

without resorting to經常去[(+to)] the sexton教堂司事's spade that buried Jacob
Marley

smothering使窒息, 使透不過氣來; 把...悶死himself among the curtains

made a feint佯攻, 虛擊of endeavouring to seize you

an affront公開侮辱; 有意冒犯to your understanding

sidled 側身而行; 羞怯地走; 悄悄地走off in the direction of the plump sister

his conduct was the most execrable該咒的; 可憎恨的

menagerie動物園; 獸欄(或籠)

an ass驢子

inasmuch在...的限度內; 在...範圍內; 因為, 由於, 鑑於as

diverted逗...開心, 娛樂, 轉移; 使分心their thoughts from Mr. Scrooge


He has given us plenty of merriment

a glass of mulled (酒)加糖、香料熱飲的wine

Uncle Scrooge had imperceptibly不可覺地become so gay and light
of heart, that he would have pledged為...祝願; 向...祝酒the unconscious
company in return

almshouse貧民所, 救濟院

abject糟透的; 淒苦的; 難堪的

scowling皺眉; 沈下臉, 顯怒容

wolfish貪婪的; 狼吞虎嚥的

a stale陳舊的, 腐壞的and shrivelled乾枯的; 皺縮的 hand, like that of age, had

shreds碎片, 碎條; 破布

sat enthroned使(國王、主教等)登位; 立...為王

devils lurked潛伏, 埋伏, 偷偷地行動

menacing威脅的

the words choked themselves

for your factious好搞派別活動的purposes

a solemn Phantom, draped (用打褶的布等)覆蓋[(+with/in)]; 垂掛(布、窗簾等)[(+around/over)]; 裝飾and hooded

it was tall and stately有威嚴的, 莊重的; 高貴的

"You …… us," Scrooge pursued (追問).

he, though he stretched his own (eyes) to the utmost,
could see nothing

The night is waning衰落; 沒落; 消逝fast

encompass圍繞; 包圍

chinked (硬幣等的)撞擊聲; 叮噹聲[C] the money in their pockets,

a red-faced gentleman with a pendulous搖擺的; 動盪不定的, 下垂的excrescence自然的長出物(如指甲、頭發) on the end of his nose, that shook like the gills (魚)鰓of a turkey-cock.

They could scarcely be supposed to have any bearing關係, 關聯on the death of Jacob,

they had some latent潛伏的, 潛在的moral 道德上的教訓; 寓意for his own improvemen

he had been revolving in his mind a change of life

slipshod穿著不整潔的; 懶散的

archways拱門

cesspools污水坑; 糞坑; 污穢場所

disgorged吐出, 嘔出their offences of smell