血字的研究 07演绎法(2)

My health forbade me from venturing out unless the weather was exceptionally genial¹,

除非是天气特别晴和，我的健康情况又不允许我到外面去；

and I had no friends who would call upon me and break the monotony of my daily existence.

同时，我又没有什么好友来访，足以打破我单调的日常生活。

Under these circumstances, I eagerly hailed the little mystery which hung around my companion,

在这种情况下，我自然就对围绕在我伙伴周围的这个小小的秘密发生了极大的兴趣，

and spent much of my time in endeavouring to unravel² it.

并且把大部分时间消磨在设法揭穿这个秘密上。

He was not studying medicine. He had himself, in reply to a question, confirmed Stamford’s opinion upon that point.

他并不是在研究医学。在回答我的一个问题的时候，他自己证实了斯坦弗在这一点上的说法是正确的。

Neither did he appear to have pursued any course of reading which might fit him for a degree in science

他既不象是为了获得科学学位而在研究任何学科，

or any other recognized portal which would give him an entrance into the learned world.

也不象是在采取其他任何一般的途径，使他能够进入学术界。

Yet his zeal³ for certain studies was remarkable⁴,

然而他对某些方面研究工作的热忱却是惊人的；

and within eccentric limits his knowledge was so extraordinarily⁵ ample and minute that his observations have fairly astounded⁶ me.

在一些稀奇古怪的知识领域以内，他的学识却是异常的渊博，因此，他往往出语惊人。

Surely no man would work so hard or attain⁷ such precise information unless he had some definite end in view.

肯定地说，如果不是为了某种一定的目的，一个人决不会这样辛勤地工作，以求获得这样确切的知识的。

Desultory⁸ readers are seldom remarkable for the exactness of their learning.

因为漫无目标、无书不读的人，他们的知识很难是非常精湛的。

No man burdens his mind with small matters unless he has some very good reason for doing so.

除非是为了某种充分的理由，否则绝不会有人愿意在许多细微末节上这样花费精力。

His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge.

他的知识疲乏的一面，正如他的知识丰富的一面同样地惊人。

Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing.

关于现代文学、哲学和政治方面，他几乎一无所知。

Upon my quoting Thomas Carlyle, he inquired in the naivest⁹ way who he might be and what he had done.

当我引用托马斯·卡莱耳的文章的时候，他傻里傻气地问我卡莱耳究竟是什么人，他干过些什么事情。

My surprise reached a climax¹⁰,

最使我惊讶不止的是：

however, when I found incidentally that he was ignorant of the Copernican Theory and of the composition of the Solar System.

我无意中发现他竟然对于哥白尼学说以及太阳系的构成，也全然不解。

That any civilized¹¹ human being in this nineteenth century should not be aware that

当此十九世纪，一个有知识的人居然不知道

the earth travelled round the sun appeared to me to be such an extraordinary fact that I could hardly realize it.

地球绕着太阳运行的道理，这件怪事简直令我难以理解。

“You appear to be astonished,” he said, smiling at my expression of surprise.

他看到我吃惊的样子，不觉微笑着说："你似乎感到吃惊吧。

“Now that I do know it I shall do my best to forget it.”

即使我懂得这些，我也要尽力把它忘掉。"

“To forget it!”

"把它忘掉！"

“You see,” he explained,

他解释道："你要知道，

“I consider that a man’s brain originally is like a little empty attic¹², and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose.

我认为人的脑子本来象一间空空的小阁楼，应该有选择地把一些家具装进去。

A fool takes in all the lumber¹³ of every sort that he comes across,

只有傻瓜才会把他碰到的各种各样的破烂杂碎一古脑儿装进去。

so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out,

这样一来，那些对他有用的知识反而被挤了出来；

or at best is jumbled¹⁴ up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it.

或者，最多不过是和许多其他的东西掺杂在一起。因此，在取用的时候也就感到困难了。

Now the skilful¹⁵ workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic.

所以一个会工作的人，在他选择要把一些东西装进他的那间小阁楼似的头脑中去的时候，

He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work,

他确实是非常仔细小心的。除了工作中有用的工具以外，

but of these he has a large assortment¹⁶, and all in the most perfect order.

他什么也不带进去，而这些工具又样样具备，有条有理。

It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic¹⁷ walls and can distend¹⁸ to any extent.

如果认为这间小阁楼的墙壁富有弹性，可以任意伸缩，那就错了。

Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before.

请相信我的话，总有一天，当你增加新知识的时候，你就会把以前所熟习的东西忘了。

It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.”

所以最要紧的是，不要让一些无用的知识把有用的挤出去。"

“But the Solar System!” I protested.

我分辩说："可是，那是太阳系的问题啊！"

“What the deuce is it to me?” he interrupted impatiently: “you say that we go round the sun.

他不耐烦地打断我的话说："这与我又有什么相干？你说咱们是绕着太阳走的，

If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work.”

可是，即使咱们绕着月亮走，这对于我或者对于我的工作又有什么关系呢？"

1 genial   

adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的

参考例句：

• Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
• He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友，也是友善待客的主人。

2 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

3 zeal   

n.热心，热情，热忱

参考例句：

• Revolutionary zeal caught them up,and they joined the army.革命热情激励他们，于是他们从军了。
• They worked with great zeal to finish the project.他们热情高涨地工作，以期完成这个项目。

4 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

6 astounded   

v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶

参考例句：

• His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。
• How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话？我感到大为震惊。

7 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。

8 desultory   

adj.散漫的，无方法的

参考例句：

• Do not let the discussion fragment into a desultory conversation with no clear direction.不要让讨论变得支离破碎，成为没有明确方向的漫谈。
• The constables made a desultory attempt to keep them away from the barn.警察漫不经心地拦着不让他们靠近谷仓。

9 naivest   

naive（幼稚的）的最高级形式

参考例句：

10 climax   

n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点

参考例句：

• The fifth scene was the climax of the play.第五场是全剧的高潮。
• His quarrel with his father brought matters to a climax.他与他父亲的争吵使得事态发展到了顶点。

11 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

12 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

13 lumber   

n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动

参考例句：

• The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
• They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。

14 jumbled   

adj.混乱的；杂乱的

参考例句：

• Books, shoes and clothes were jumbled together on the floor. 书、鞋子和衣服胡乱堆放在地板上。
• The details of the accident were all jumbled together in his mind. 他把事故细节记得颠三倒四。

15 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。

16 assortment   

n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集

参考例句：

• This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。
• She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。

17 elastic   

n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的

参考例句：

• Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
• These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。

18 distend   

vt./vi.（使）扩大，（使）扩张

参考例句：

• The stomachs of starving people often distend.饥民的腹部常鼓得大大的。
• The patients were asked to micturate to distend the urethra.采用患者自行排尿方法充盈尿道。