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● withdrawal：退出（政界）。follow：一生为公众服务之后，“继”之以退隐。
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“Far from the madding crowd,” he had said, gazing at the reporters expressionlessly. “The declining years spent in solitude and contemplation. Possibly in some rustic retreat.”
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This hint had not been received without a measure of cynicism; one reporter from the chief opposition paper had led the questioning which followed.
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● Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife：本是Thomas Gray诗中的句子。madding即mad，远离疯狂的人群。
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● he had said：此人在八月初公开表示要竞选，但是在此之前，他“曾经”暗示过要退休。他的再度竞选，既是“过去”的事，他一切关于退休的话，当然都是属于“过去的过去”。本文第一句用了It was early in August，决定了时间先后的标准。在此以前所发生的事，该用过去完成时态。
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● the reporters：记者们，这是在记者招待会上。
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● declining years：晚年，衰龄。spent：是过去分词。这是不完全句子。some rustic retreat：某处乡村偏僻的地方。retreat也可解作隐居的地方，或不受人打扰的地方。如宿舍里太闹不能读书，一定要在图书馆里才读得成书，那么图书馆也就是你的retreat。
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● hint：暗示。received：（被动语态）领受，听到。那些记者听见此话，并不相信。not…without：两重否定，即成肯定。a measure of：某些分量的。cynicism：此字很难译，《简明牛津字典》把cynical解作incredulous of human goodness：不相信天下有好人好事；把cynic解作sneering fault-finder：抱冷笑的态度专找别人错处的人。这样说法虽然简单一点，但还算能道出cynicism这一种态度的要义。（普通英汉字典把它译成“犬儒主义”，这样非得大讲哲学史上这个字的来源不可了。）
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● the chief opposition paper：反对党方面一家主要的报纸。the questioning：发问，发问是那个记者领导（led）的。which followed=which followed the hint。
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“Tell us, Governor,” he had said (for, as Skeffington had twice been governor of the state, the courtesy title lingered long after the office itself had been lost), “just how would you propose to adjust yourself to this rustic life? Wouldn’t it be pretty quiet? What would you do?”
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● Governor：州长。the state：这里指Massachusetts。Skeffington是市长，为什么人家称他做州长呢？
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● courtesy title：礼貌上的尊称。lingered：停留不走；继续被人使用。the office：州长那个职位。
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● just：用以加重how的语气。propose：建议；这里当然是自己向自己建议，想办法。adjust yourself to：调整改变，以求适应。
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● pretty（用作副词）=fairly：略为。
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● 这几段的对话，我们可以想象美国政界要人所召开的记者招待会上，是可以听得到的。读者不妨给自己一个测验：这种话我能脱口而出吗？哪一天能讲到这个样子，英文会话可以说已经学通了。
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“Read,” Skeffington had replied promptly, “and reflect.“At this his pale blue eyes had closed, and an expression of extraordinary benignity crossed the full, faintly veined and rather handsome face; the long, heavy head inclined perceptibly forward, and the reporters found themselves looking at the silver crown of his hair. It was almost as if, in anticipation, he were paying pious tribute to the time of ultimate retreat.
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● promptly：不加思索地。reflect：思想。
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● At this：说到这里。下面就是说明上面说过的a certain dreaminess了。benignity：慈祥。crossed the…face：掠过他的脸。他的脸是丰满的，青筋隐约可见（vein：静脉），相当清秀。
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● long, heavy head：脑袋长而且厚实。perceptibly：可看得见地。眼睛闭了，头往前倾：正是像耽于冥想的样子。the silver crown of his hair：一头银发。
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● in anticipation：心里先行准备。paying tribute：致敬。pious：虔敬的。ultimate：最后的。
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The reporter had coughed. “We know you’ve always been a great reader, Governor,” he had said, a trifle sardonically. “Any idea of the kind of books you’d take with you?”
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Skeffington’s reply, made with eyes still closed, had been characteristically elusive. “The great books,” he had said.
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The reporter had been persistent. “Which great books, Governor?”
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● coughed：想必是假咳，干咳。
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● great reader：读书很多的人。a trifle sardonically：略带讥讽。
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