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“Today, I believe I shall forego delivering my prepared lecture,” Dr. Kenshaw went on in a more even voice, “and let you do the talking. Perhaps it would be moot to hear a few outside reading reports this morning. All of you doubtless are aware that these reports were due last week, although I had not expected to call for them at once. Let us begin forthwith. When your name is called, you will rise and read your report to the class.”
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● 教授用了几个典雅的字，如第一句的forego（=abstain from，这里似以译作“暂停”为妥）和第二句的moot（=debatable，该不该这样做是值得讨论的）。
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● a few outside reading reports：几篇课外阅读的报告。
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● due last week：上星期就该缴了。I had not expected…：我本来不打算马上就催你们缴。forthwith=immediately。
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“Mr. Abbot!” he called, Mr. Abbot stammered an excuse. Dr. Kenshaw passed coldly on to Miss Adams, making no comment. All through the A’s it was the same. But with the B’s an ashen, spectacled Miss Ballentyne stood up and began reading in a droning voice her report on “The Economic Consequence of the Peace.“Obviously Dr. Kenshaw was not listening to her. His hard little eyes under craggy brows were moving up one row and down the other, eager for a victim. On the back row, Charlie Wingate’s propped legs had given way and he had slipped far down into his seat, fast asleep. When Dr. Kenshaw’s preying eyes reached Charlie they stopped moving. Someone tittered nervously and then was silent as Dr. Kenshaw jerked his head round in the direction of the noise. Miss Ballentyne droned on.
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● stammered an excuse：结结巴巴地说了一个理由（例如“做好了忘了带来了”或“上星期有病了”等）。
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● making no comment：教授“不加评论”；并不责备他。
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● All through the A’s：凡A字开头的学生，统统无法应命。
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● ashen, spectacled：脸色灰白，鼻架眼镜的。droning：很单调的声音。她的读书报告的题目是：《和平对于经济上的影响》。
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● hard little eyes：小小的冷酷的眼睛。craggy brows：像岩石似的凸出的眉毛。up one row and down the other：一排一排地看。eager for a victim：一心要找个学生来出气。
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● given way：软了下来（本来是挺直的）。fast asleep：睡熟。
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● preying eyes：虎视眈眈择人而噬的眼睛。they stopped moving：（拆烂污的）学生已经捉到，教授的眼睛也无劳左右搜索了。
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● tittered nervously：神经紧张地偷偷笑了一下。jerked his head round：脑袋突然转了过去，追查谁在偷笑。
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When she had finished, Dr. Kenshaw said dryly, “Very good, Miss Ballentyne, very good indeed. Er…ah…would someone be kind enough to arouse the recumbent young gentleman in the last row?”
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There was a murmur of laughter while everyone turned to look at Milton Weismann nudging Charlie Wingate. Charlie sprang up quickly. Dr. Kenshaw was running down the list of names in his small record book.
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● dryly：冷淡地。arouse：唤醒。recumbent：身体躺着的。这也是一个典雅的字。这一句话的礼貌很周到，但是也很刻薄。全句用虚拟式，不用命令式，这是非常客气的请求：不知哪一位……？称学生为young gentleman，很典雅，但是语带讽刺。
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● Milton Weismann：Wingate的邻座同学。nudging：用肘轻推。
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● running down the list of names：名字一个一个地看下去。record book：记学生成绩的小册子。
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“Mr. …ah…Wingate, isn’t it? Mr. Wingate, your report.”
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“Pardon me, sir?”
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“Mr. Wingate, what was the title of the book assigned to you for report in the class?”
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”Theory of the Leisure Class by Veblen, sir.”
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● 教授拿教室座位次序和点名册子名单次序一对照，知道这位学生名叫Wingate，但没有十分把握，所以前面吞吞吐吐了一下。
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● Pardon me, sir? 学生恐怕没有听清楚教授的话。
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● Thorstein Veblen（1857—1929）：美国经济学家，他的那本《有闲阶级论》（1899年出版）是经济学名著，据说非常艰深难懂，无怪那个学生读得叫苦连天。
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