1705000860
“I hear you’re going away for a year, Professor Millen,” Tom Howell said, standing respectfully before Professor Millen’s office desk. Then he added, in a dutiful tone, “To work on your book.”
1705000861
1705000862
“Yes,” Professor Millen said, “to work on my book.” Then, as though recollecting himself, he made a little gesture toward the chair in front of the desk, and said, “Won’t you have a seat, Howell?”
1705000863
1705000864
“Are you going to finish it in a year?” Howell asked, and sat down.
1705000865
1705000866
● in a dutiful tone：用恭恭敬敬的语调。dutiful：尽（学生对老师之）责的。To work on your book补充第一句的going away，表示出国的目的。
1705000867
1705000868
● recollecting himself：恢复镇定。突然有学生来访，米伦教授忘了该请来客先坐下，然后再同他说话。
1705000869
1705000870
“I still have a little research to do. I have to settle a few points—points which can’t be settled in libraries in this country. I have to do some work yet in one of the great English libraries.” Professor Millen paused, looking over the green lawn outside his office window. “But I’ll get it written within the year. Practically everything is in order. Though, of course,” he paused, again looking at Tom Howell, who listened respectfully and with what seemed interest, “I’ll have to do a good deal of retouching—style and so on, you know—” he waved his hand modestly in the air, “when I get back.”
1705000871
1705000872
● research：研究。settle：解决。
1705000873
1705000874
● yet：还有。在美国已经做了不少工作，还有些工作，一定（have to）要到英国图书馆去做。
1705000875
1705000876
● practically=almost。in order：有秩序的，安排好了。
1705000877
1705000878
● with interest：有兴趣地。with what seemed interest：听者有一种似乎是有兴趣的表情。米伦教授不敢断定那位学生对于他的写作计划真发生兴趣。
1705000879
1705000880
● retouching：小小的修改，润饰。到英国去还不能完稿，回国以后，对于文字及其他方面，还要有很多的（a good deal of）修饰。
1705000881
1705000882
“I’m hoping—” the boy hesitated, fumbling in his pocket to draw out a folded paper, “I’m hoping to be able to go abroad next year. If I can make it. That’s what I wanted to see you about, Professor Millen.”
1705000883
1705000884
“Anything I can do, I’ll be glad to do.”
1705000885
1705000886
“It’s a scholarship. A French scholarship, and I was hoping you’d recommend me. I have had a lot of work with you, and all. The French Department will recommend me, but I have done my minor in English, you know. What you’d say would count a lot.”
1705000887
1705000888
● hesitated：吞吞吐吐地说。fumbling：摸索。next year：下学年，可能就是同年秋天。
1705000889
1705000890
● If I can make it：假如能走得成的话。这句话没有说完全，意思是跟着上面那一句来的。
1705000891
1705000892
● scholarship：奖学金。I was hoping you’d (=you would) recommend me意思比I am hoping you’ll recommend me委婉。用现在式显得太迫切，用过去式只是表示“我在来看你之前”或是“知道有这个奖学金的机会的时候，我是这样希望”。现在是不是也这样希望，没有明言，对方如加拒绝，两方都不致太难堪。recommend：推荐。
1705000893
1705000894
● and all=and everything else：我曾跟着你学习过，还有别的种种（关系）。这两个字有点含糊，但说话的人恐怕也不想指明什么，含糊一点好。
1705000895
1705000896
● The French Department：法语系，是此君的主系（major），英文系是他的辅系（minor）。
1705000897
1705000898
● 最后一句用虚拟式，也显得很客气。“我不知道你会不会保荐我，假如你保荐我的话，那么你所说的（what you would say）将很起作用。”
1705000899
1705000900
“Howell,” Professor Millen said, judicially putting the tips of his fingers together and inspecting the boy, “I’ve never had a better student than you are. Possibly never one as good. I’ll say that in my recommendation. I’ll write a strong one.” He felt his enthusiasm mounting as he spoke, and a warmth suffused him as though at the prospect of some piece of happiness, some success for himself.
1705000901
1705000902
● judicially：像法官似的（把两手手指对顶起来）。inspecting：仔细地看。
1705000903
1705000904
● Possibly never one as good.=Possibly I’ve never had a student as good as you are.
1705000905
1705000906
● that：那件事实，即“你是个杰出的好学生”。
1705000907
1705000908
● a strong one=a strong recommendation：一封强有力的推荐信。
1705000909
[
上一页 ]
[ :1.70500086e+09 ]
[
下一页 ]