中國(guó)文化概覽

1、遼寧大學(xué)博士研究生教材,遼寧大學(xué)公共基礎(chǔ)學(xué)院,Chapter III At The Tailors (在裁縫店),by J. B. Priestley Priestley, born in 1894, went to London in 1922 where he soon made a reputation as an essayist and critic. He also

2、 wrote novels and plays.,At The Tailors,1. Between the chaos (亂雜擾攘) of Regent Street and the opulent bustle (喧囂繁忙 ) of New Bond Street is a little region that is curiously hushed (出奇地寧?kù)o). It is made up of short streets

3、 that pretend to run parallel (平行排列) to one another, but actually go off at all angles (四通八達(dá)).At a first glance these streets appear to be filled with the offices of very old firms of family solicitors (家庭律師事務(wù)所).,At Th

4、e Tailors,Many of their windows have severe wire screens (嚴(yán)實(shí)的鐵絲護(hù)欄). The establishments there have a certain air of dignified secrecy（建筑物帶有幾分高貴的神秘感）, not unlike（與…別無二致） that of servants of the old school, those impas

5、sive butlers (冷冰冰的男管家的神情) who appeared to know nothing, but really knew everything.There is little evidence that anything is being sold in this part of the world.,At The Tailors,The electric-light bills must be v

6、ery modest indeed, for there are no flashing signs to assault the eye (奪目),no gaudily dressed windows to tempt the feet to loiter (沒有布置得花枝招展的櫥窗引人駐足 ). Whatever the season, no sales are held there. You are not invi

7、ted to stop a moment longer than you may wish to do.,At The Tailors,Now and then you catch sight of a roll of cloth, a pair of riding breeches, or, perhaps, a sober (素淡的) little drawing of a gentleman in evening

8、clothes, and as you pass you can hear these things whispering “If you are a gentleman and wish to wear the clothes that a gentleman should wear, kindly make an appointment here and we will see what we can do for you

9、(我們將為您服務(wù)).”,At The Tailors,Money, of course, is not mentioned, this being impossible in all such gentlemanly transactions (紳士般的交易中是不可能提到錢的). For this is the region, Savile Row, Conduit Street, Maddox Street, and the re

10、st, of the tailors or—rather—the tailors (可以說是最優(yōu)秀的裁縫店的聚集之地). Enter it wearing a cheap ready-made suit, and immediately the poor thing begins to bag in some places and shrivel up in others (這可憐的家伙便這兒 松松垮垮，那兒皺皺巴巴).,At

11、 The Tailors,If you have the audacity (真有膽子) (as I once had) actually to walk into one of these establishments wearing a ready-made suit, you will regret it. Nothing is said, but a glance from one of the higher officia

12、ls here strips you and quietly deposits your apparel in the dust-bin (讓你脫下衣服，悄悄地把它扔到垃圾箱里去).2. The hush here is significant. It might be described as old-world, and for a very good reason, too.,At The Tailors,In a new w

13、orld in which anything will do so long as it arrives quickly and easily (講究迅速和便捷的新世界里), this region has fallen sadly behind the times. It is still engaged in the old quest for perfection (它仍執(zhí)著于人們?cè)?jīng)對(duì)完美的尋求). Behind the

14、se wire screens the search for the absolute still goes on. Tailoring here remains one of the arts (在這兒，裁縫始終是一門藝術(shù)).,At The Tailors,There are men in this quarter who could announce in all sincerity (毫無矯飾地告訴人們) that trous

15、ers are beauty, beauty trousers, and that is all we know and need to know. (褲即是美，美即是褲，這便是我們所知道也只需要知道的一切。)For them the smallest seam they sew can give thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears. (即使縫合的是最小的縫隙也能引發(fā)令人欲

16、哭無淚的思索。)That they are artists and not tradesmen is proved by the fact that, unlike tradesmen, they do not labour to please their customers, but to please themselves. (他們不像商人那樣竭力取悅顧客，而是要取悅自己。),The Original,trousers

17、are beauty，beauty trousers (褲即是美，美即是褲)… This is apparently a parody of two lines from Keats’ (濟(jì)慈) poem Ode On a Grecian Urn：“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” - that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know．(美即

18、是真理，真理即是美，這便是你所知道也只需要知道的一切。)For them the smallest seam they sew (即使是最細(xì)小的針腳也能引發(fā)令人欲哭無淚的思索)… This is a parody of two lines from Wordsworth’s (華茲華斯) 0de On Intimations of Immortality： To me the meanest flower that b

19、lows can give Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears． (即使是最平庸的花香吹拂也能引發(fā)我欲哭無淚的思索。),At The Tailors,A tailor who is a mere shopkeeper （僅僅就是一個(gè)開店的裁縫的話）fits you until you are satisfied. These artists （而那些藝術(shù)家

20、們）go on fitting you until they are satisfied, and that means they continue long after you have lost all interest in the matter. You stand there, a mere body or lay figure（僅僅是具僵尸或衣服架子）, and they still go on delicately r

21、ipping out sleeves and collars with their little penknives, pinning and unpinning （而他們?nèi)匀粌?yōu)雅精細(xì)地 將領(lǐng)口和袖子用筆刀割開，用別針別了又拆，拆了又別）,,At The Tailors,and making mysterious signs with chalk（拿畫粉做一些看不懂的記號(hào)）, and you have long ce

22、ased to understand what all the bother is about（搞不懂費(fèi)這些勁來干嘛）. And even then they may tell you, quietly but firmly, that they must have another fitting. That they should do this to me is proof positive of their disinte

23、rested passion for the art of tailoring （證明了他們對(duì)裁縫藝術(shù)的熱愛不帶任何偏見）.,At The Tailors,3. I never walk into my own tailor’s without feeling apologetic（不無歉意）. I know I am unworthy of their efforts. It is as if a man without a

24、n ear for music（沒有音樂細(xì)胞）should be invited to spend an evening with the Lener Quartet（萊納四重奏樂隊(duì)共度夜晚）. I am the kind of man who can make any suit of clothes look shabby and undistinguished（看起來就破破爛爛、毫不起眼）after about a fortni

25、ght’s wear.,At The Tailors,Perhaps the fact that I always carry about with me two or three fairly large pipes, matches, about two ounces of tobacco, a wallet, chequebook（支票簿）, diary, fountain-pen, knife, odd keys, an

26、d loose change, to say nothing of old letters, may have something to do with it. I can never understand how a man can contrive（設(shè)法） to look neat and spruce and do anything else（人何以在保持衣冠楚楚的同時(shí)還能干別的事）.,At The Tailors,Wea

27、ring clothes properly seems to me to be a full-time job, and as I happen to have a great many other, more important or more amusing, things to do, I cheerfully bag and sag and look as if I have slept in my suits（就像睡覺沒脫

28、衣服一樣）. I can say this cheerfully here, but once I am inside my tailor’s I immediately begin to feel apologetic（心生愧疚 ）.,At The Tailors,They do not say anything, but there is mournful reproach （悲傷的責(zé)備的神情）in their eyes as

29、they turn them upon their ruined sonnets and sonatas（被糟蹋了的“十四行詩(shī)”和“奏鳴曲”）. One day I shall call upon them in evening clothes because I fancy they are not so bad as the lounge suits （晚裝）.But I do not know; they may see

30、enormities （一大堆毛?。?where I see nothing; and so perhaps I had better keep the fate of their masterpieces hidden from them（不讓他們看到自己大作的遭遇為妙 ）.,At The Tailors,Possibly they whisper to one another, when they see me slouching

31、in（無精打采地）, looking like a man who might buy his clothes through the post: “He’s one of those gentlemen who’re a bit careless during the day（是那種白天有點(diǎn)粗枝大葉的人）. I shouldn’t wonder,” I hear them adding wistfully（渴望）, anxio

32、us to convince themselves, “if he takes trouble at night.”,At The Tailors,4. They have their revenge, though, when they get me inside one of their horrible cubicles（小隔間）, for a fitting. By the time I have been inside o

33、ne of those places ten minutes I have not a shred of（絲毫）self-respect left. It is worse than being at the barber’s, and fully equal to being at the dentist’s.,At The Tailors,To stand like a dummy, to be simply a shape o

34、f flesh and bone（像個(gè)模型一樣傻站著，純粹一副骨頭架子的樣子）, is bad enough, but what make it much worse are the mirrors and the lighting. These mirrors go glimmering away into infinity（鏡中影象綿延無窮無盡）. At each side is a greeny-gold tunnel（一

35、條條泛著綠光的金色隧道）. I do not mind that, having only a slight distaste for (不喜歡) tunnels and hardly any at all for infinity. But I do not like all those images of myself.,At The Tailors,Wherever I look, I see a man whose appe

36、arance does not please me. His head seems rather too big for his body, his body rather too big for his legs （頭大身小，身大腿?。? In that merciless bright light, his face looks fattish and somewhat sodden （毫不留情的亮光把臉照得胖乎乎的，還有點(diǎn)

37、呆頭呆腦）. There is something vaguely dirty（渾身臟兮兮的） about him.,At The Tailors,The clothes he is wearing, apart from the particular garment he is trying on at the moment, look baggy, wrinkled, and shabby（松松垮垮、皺皺巴巴、破破爛爛）

38、.He does not pay enough attention to his collar, his boots. His hair wants cutting, and another and closer shave would do him good. In full face（正臉）he does not inspire confidence.,At The Tailors,His profile（側(cè)面）, ho

39、wever, is simply ridiculous, and the back view of him is really horrible（背影更是不堪入目）.And a woman and several children are tied to a fellow like that（居然還有女人和孩子要靠這樣一個(gè)家伙生活）! Incredible（難以想象）that a man can take such a face

40、 and carcase about with him, and yet entertain a tolerably good opinion of himself（竟然有人成天這副模樣，而且還自我感覺良好）!,At The Tailors,As I think of these things, it is possible that I smile a little.That is what it feels like - smi

41、ling a little（我覺得是微微笑了一笑）; but immediately twenty images in that cubicle break into ghostly grins, produce wrinkles from nowhere, show distorted acres of cheek and jowl. （隔間里那20個(gè)面孔齜牙咧嘴地笑起來，一道道皺紋不知從哪兒鉆了出來，臉頰和下巴被扭曲得

42、不成人形。）And there is no looking away（不堪入目）.,At The Tailors,5. Meanwhile, the tailors themselves, so neat, so clean, so deft（衣冠楚楚，技巧嫻熟）, are busy with the pins and the chalk. They are at home（得心應(yīng)手）in these little halls

43、of mirrors, and so look well in them from every possible angle of reflection. They pretend a certain subservience（裝得畢恭畢敬）, but it is the idlest of pretences.,At The Tailors,They know—and they know that I know—that I am

44、 but a shadow of myself, a puppet （玩偶）in their hands. Their opinions, such as they are（對(duì)也好錯(cuò)也罷）, seem to be those of most moderate sensible men （似乎都出自彬彬有禮、知書達(dá)禮的人之口）, but even if they murmured that it was high time the

45、 Spanish Inquisition was established in this island, （該在英吉利島上建立西班牙宗教裁判所了）I should have to agree with them.,At The Tailors,They are not all alike, these fitters, or cutters, or whatever they are. Thus my usual tr

46、ouser man is quite different from my usual coat man. He is smaller and livelier, more bustling （四下忙活）, more given to cheerful gossip（說長(zhǎng)道短）. A long and intimate acquaintance with（親密接觸） trousers has made him far more dem

47、ocratic and earthy （粗俗）.There are times when I feel I can almost hold my own with him（跟他平起平坐）.,At The Tailors,On the other hand, the coat man is quietly tremendous （相當(dāng)棒）. He has one of those tight （臉繃得緊緊的）, healthy-l

48、ooking, clean-shaven faces, like a brownish apple; and look something between a priest, a surgeon, and a solicitor who occasionally rides to hounds. （有幾分牧師、外科醫(yī)生和偶爾出去追蹤調(diào)查的律師的特點(diǎn)） Everything about him is clear, polis

49、hed, and speckless （精心修飾、干凈整潔）.,At The Tailors,He regards me with about the same amount of interest that I give to another man’s coat.When he once condescended to tell（屈尊大駕，跟我講起） me about his boy (who is at a public sc

50、hool) I felt immensely flattered（受寵若驚）and rushed to agree with（趕緊表示同意）everything he said. For a few minutes I was really alive, almost sharing the honours with my coat. But then he became serious again and took out a

51、 pin somewhere and made another chalk-mark.,At The Tailors,6. I can understand the feelings of those people who are compelled to live with great artists. I can also understand the inner meaning of the old saying about

52、nine tailors making a man（九個(gè)裁縫方抵一漢）. They have so little common humanity, these artists of the pins and chalk（舞針弄線的藝術(shù)家們很難有普通人那樣的性情）, that it must be difficult to wring out of nine of them folly and friendliness enoug

53、h to make an ordinary citizen （想從九個(gè)裁縫身上榨出一個(gè)普通人身上的愚蠢和友善確實(shí)不易）.,At The Tailors,But now that the dandies are all dead and gone（愛打扮的公子哥兒們都已西去）, theirs must be a lonely world. Will they accept these few words of tribute from

54、 a pocket-stuffer, a rumpler and crumpler, a bagger? （像我這樣一個(gè)成天兜里鼓鼓囊囊，衣服皺皺巴巴、松松垮垮的人，裁縫們會(huì)接受我的寥寥頌詞嗎？）,Notes,1．Regent Street，New Bond Street—Both are busy streets in the fashionable West End of London．2．Sales—B

55、argain sales at which goods are sold at reduced prices．The word is often capitalized when used in this sense．3．Savile Row，Conduit Street，Maddox Street—These streets are the region of the tailors who

56、cater to the wealthy and fashionable people in London.4．the tailors—In italics the is emphasized and pronounced【6i:】．It means “the very” or “the best of their kind”．,Notes,5．trousers are beauty，beauty trousers… T

57、his is apparently a parody of two lines from Keats’ poem Ode On a Grecian Urn：“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” - that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know．6．For them the smallest seam they sew… This

58、 is a parody of two lines from Wordsworth’s 0de On Intimations of Immortality： To me the meanest flower that blows can give Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears．7．lay figure—An artist’s

59、 jointed wooden model of the human body, on which drapery is arranged to get the proper effect．,Notes,8．the Lener Quartet—A well-known Hungarian string quartet, founded in 1920．9．These mirrors go glim

60、mering away into infinity—The images reflected in the mirrors (opposite each other on the walls of the cubicles) seem to be stretching in a never-ending line．10.the Spanish Inquisition—The tribunal es

61、tablished by the Catholic Church in Spain in the 15th century for the discovery and suppression of heresy and the punishment of heretics. It was notorious for its cruel and extreme practices．,No

62、tes,11. who is at a public school—A public school in England is in fact a very expensive private school for the children of wealthy families．The coat marl whose son is at a public school regards him

63、self as a member of the upper class and wants to be treated as such．12. nine tailors make a man—This is an old expression of contempt at the expense of tailors．It implies that a tailor is so much m