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● If they were：假如他们知道（were aware）。very small circulation：很小的销路。substantially increased：着实增加。大家都要来订你们的报纸来引火生炉子了。
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● gentlemen：各位先生，指各报记者。这个问题已经充分得到解答，别的还有什么问题吗？
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It had been a typical enough interview, save for the suggestion of retirement. None of Skeffington’s opponents quite believed in this, but on the other hand, neither could they afford to discount it. On the whole, any hint of this kind was felt to be encouraging rather than otherwise, especially when related to certain other signs. For example, there were the heartening rumors of Skeffington’s ill health: among the true optimists it was confidently whispered that a mysterious disease was devouring his brain bit by bit, so that now there occurred intervals in every day during which he reverted to the habits of his childhood and expressed a desire to play marbles or hide-and-seek. The newspaper whose combustibility Skeffington had praised offered support of a more oblique kind. It began to run editorials reminding the voters that while the life span of man undoubtedly had been prolonged, the problem of senectitude had by no means been conquered, and that aged men in positions of public trust could constitute a definite hazard.
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● interview：访问。typical enough：有足够代表性的。他往常跟记者们的谈话，也是语带刻薄的。此次谈话若有什么与以前不同之处，那就是他提到了退休（retirement）。save意即except，但save较古雅。
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● discount it：对于此话半信半疑，把这句话打折扣。neither could they afford：如不相信此话，对他们自己也有害处。
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● any hint of this kind：任何这一类的暗示（关于他的退休）。
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● encouraging rather than otherwise：他的政敌觉得有鼓励的作用，此种作用大于别种作用。related是过去分词，形容hint。他自己既暗示要退休，这种暗示同别种迹象（signs）联系起来时，政敌们更有跃跃欲试取而代之之意。
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● heartening和前面的encouraging相仿，都是从他的政敌的立场说话的。optimists也是政敌之中的乐观主义者。rumors：谣言。
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● it was confidently whispered中的it是代替后面的that a mysterious…这个clause。
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● devouring：吞噬。there occurred中的there和普通there is中的there相仿，没有什么特别意义。intervals：短时期。reverted to：回复到。play marbles：玩（彩石或玻璃的）弹子。hide-and-seek：捉迷藏。
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● combustibility：易燃性。support：（对于上述谣言之）支持。oblique：间接的。
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● run：连续发表。（竞选也是run，run这个字的用处真大。）life span：生命的长度，寿命。
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● senectitude：衰老。此字罕用，美国有些报纸的社论文章做得很古雅，这种罕用字、僻字、古字有时也会搬出来。舞文弄墨，为中外所共喜，不能独责美国报纸的社论作者也。（此处没有用引号，但是这种句子很像有些报纸里社论的句子。）
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● that aged men 中的that是连接词，也是连前面reminding the voters使选民们勿忘此事。aged men in positions of public trust：老年人而居高位，身负万民重托。constitute=make up：形成。hazard：危险。（这种种话无非要叫市长真的任满不干。）
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But Skeffington smashed them all in a matter of minutes.
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On his seventy-second birthday Frank Skeffington had lunch with his nephew, and over the meal told him of his plan to run again. That night, at a birthday dinner given him by the party leaders, he made the announcement public. It was substantially the same announcement that he had delivered in private that noon.
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● smashed：打碎。a matter of有about之意：不消几分钟，把敌方的流言都打碎了。
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● announcement：呼应全文开头的announced his decision。
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● delivered in private：私下表示的。
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“My decision represents a submission to the will of the populace,” he said, “and is against my very personal desire. I had hoped, at the end of my current term, to retire to a well-earned rest, but unfortunately one look at the names of those who have declared themselves as candidates for this office forced me to change my decisions. Why, the mind positively boggles at the presumption of these men! As one looks down this bold list one would think that the only qualification necessary to run for mayor of this great city was to be without any qualification whatever. This is a time for experience, for leadership; I cannot abandon this fine city to the care of such fumbling hands. And so, dutifully if reluctantly, I submit my name to you once again, realizing full well that while my own health and rest are important, it is far more important that this city of ours should not be allowed to revert to Government by Pygmies!”
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● 这段话是市长在生日宴会上，对党内显要发表的谈话。市长年逾古稀，但是所说的话还是虎虎有生气，话里还骂了人。
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● submission to：屈服于（人民的意志）。
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● I had hoped：用过去完成时态，那是因为同本句的另一动词forced比较而得。forced在后，hoped在前，但是forced也是过去的事，所以一个用过去式，一个用过去完成式。my current term：这一届任期。a well-earned rest：凭劳力挣来的休息；做了几十年公仆，老来也该享享清福。one look：一看。这一看使我改变了主意。
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● boggles：突然受惊，因此停止不前。presumption：胆大妄为。
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● As one looks down和前面的one look不同。这里的one不是“一次”，而是“某个人”，即说话的人自己。this bold list：胆大的人的名单。他们凭什么资格来竞选市长？我们将要以为，竞选市长的唯一资格就是没有什么资格；只有“一无所长，一无足取”的人才配来做这个大城市的市长。
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