雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第11章 Part 6大綱
Whenever a young gentleman was taken in hand by Doctor Blimber, he might consider himself sure of a pretty tight squeeze. The Doctor only undertook the charge of ten young gentlemen, but he had, always ready, a supply of learning for a hundred, on the lowest estimate; and it was at once the business and delight of his life to gorge the unhappy ten with it.
In fact, Doctor Blimber's establishment was a great hot-house, in which there was a forcing apparatus incessantly at work. All the boys blew before their time. Mental green-peas were produced at Christmas, and intellectual asparagus all the year round. Mathematical gooseberries (very sour ones too) were common at untimely seasons, and from mere sprouts of bushes, under Doctor Blimber's cultivation. Every description of Greek and Latin vegetable was got off the driest twigs of boys, under the frostiest circumstances. Nature was of no consequence at all. No matter what a young gentleman was intended to bear, Doctor Blimber made him bear to pattern, somehow or other.
實際上，布林伯博士的學校是一個很大的溫室，裏面有一個催熟的器械在連續不停地運轉。所有的孩子們都過早地成熟了。精神的青豌豆在聖誕節的時候就生產出來了；智力的龍鬚菜則全年都有。數學的醋栗（也是很酸的）在不合時令的季節中尋常無奇，它們藏身在布林伯博士栽培的灌木嫩枝之中。各色品種的希臘語與拉丁語蔬菜是在結霜凍冰的情況下，從孩子們乾枯的細枝中採摘下來的。天性是完全無關緊要的。不管原來打算讓一位年輕人結什麼果實，布林伯博士不知怎麼的都是讓他按照規定的樣式結出果實來。This was all very pleasant and ingenious, but the system of forcing was attended with its usual disadvantages. There was not the right taste about the premature productions, and they didn't keep well. Moreover, one young gentleman, with a swollen nose and an excessively large head (the oldest of the ten who had 'gone through' everything), suddenly left off blowing one day, and remained in the establishment a mere stalk. And people did say that the Doctor had rather overdone it with young Toots, and that when he began to have whiskers he left off having brains.
這些全都是很有趣、很巧妙的，但催熟的制度也附帶產生出它通常的一些缺點。早熟產品的滋味不是正味，它們也不好保存。而且，有一位鼻子發腫、頭長得特別大的年輕人（他是這十個人當中年齡最大的一個，他“經受過了”一切），有一天突然停止生長，只是以一株莖杆的形式留在學校裏。人們都說，博士對年輕的圖茨搞得太過頭了，當他開始留起連鬢鬍子的時候，他卻停止培育腦子了。
There young Toots was, at any rate; possessed of the gruffest of voices and the shrillest of minds; sticking ornamental pins into his shirt, and keeping a ring in his waistcoat pocket to put on his little finger by stealth, when the pupils went out walking; constantly falling in love by sight with nurserymaids, who had no idea of his existence; and looking at the gas-lighted world over the little iron bars in the left-hand corner window of the front three pairs of stairs, after bed-time, like a greatly overgrown cherub who had sat up aloft much too long.
不管怎麼樣，年輕的圖茨還是住在布林伯博士的學校裏；他有極爲粗啞的嗓音和極爲可憐的智力；襯衫上插着飾針；背心口袋裏裝着一枚戒指，當學生們出去散步的時候，他就偷偷地把它帶在小指頭上；他經常一見鍾情地愛上了培養苗木的年輕女工們，而她們連有沒有他這個人都不知道；在就寢時間以後，他通過前面第三層樓左角上的窗子的小鐵格子望着外面煤氣燈照亮的世界，就像一個長得太大、在高空中坐得太久的天使。The Doctor was a portly gentleman in a suit of black, with strings at his knees, and stockings below them. He had a bald head, highly polished; a deep voice; and a chin so very double, that it was a wonder how he ever managed to shave into the creases. He had likewise a pair of little eyes that were always half shut up, and a mouth that was always half expanded into a grin, as if he had, that moment, posed a boy, and were waiting to convict him from his own lips. Insomuch, that when the Doctor put his right hand into the breast of his coat, and with his other hand behind him, and a scarcely perceptible wag of his head, made the commonest observation to a nervous stranger, it was like a sentiment from the sphynx, and settled his business.
博士是一位儀表堂堂的紳士，穿一套黑衣服，膝蓋上有一根帶子把下面的襪子繫緊。他的禿頭十分光亮；聲音低沉；下巴是雙層的，他刮鬍子的時候怎麼能刮進那些折縫中是件奇事。他還有一雙小眼睛經常是半閉着的；一張嘴巴半開着，顯出似笑非笑的樣子，彷彿他在那時剛盤問過一個孩子，現在正等待着他親自認罪。當博士把右手伸進上衣的胸口，另一隻手擱在背後，腦袋幾乎覺察不到地搖晃一下，向一位緊張不安的陌生人發表一些極爲平淡無奇的意見的時候，他的那些意見就像是出自斯芬克斯①的金玉良言，並把他的事情給解決了。The Doctor's was a mighty fine house, fronting the sea. Not a joyful style of house within, but quite the contrary. Sad-coloured curtains, whose proportions were spare and lean, hid themselves despondently behind the windows. The tables and chairs were put away in rows, like figures in a sum; fires were so rarely lighted in the rooms of ceremony, that they felt like wells, and a visitor represented the bucket; the dining-room seemed the last place in the world where any eating or drinking was likely to occur; there was no sound through all the house but the ticking of a great clock in the hall, which made itself audible in the very garrets; and sometimes a dull cooing of young gentlemen at their lessons, like the murmurings of an assemblage of melancholy pigeons.
博士的學校是一座宏大的精美的房屋，面對着海。房屋裏面的格調並不令人喜悅，而是恰恰相反。黯淡的窗簾粗陋、狹窄，垂頭喪氣地躲藏在窗子後面。桌子和椅子像算術題中的數字一樣，一行一行地排列着；舉行典禮的房間十分難得生火，因此它們覺得自己就像水井，來訪的客人就像投進井中的水桶一樣；餐廳似乎是世界上最後一個可以吃喝的地方；除了前廳裏一隻大鐘滴嗒滴嗒的響聲外，整個房屋裏沒有其他聲音，而那隻大鐘走動的聲音就連頂樓裏也能聽到；有時也傳來年輕人上課時發出的低沉的喊聲，就像一羣憂鬱的鴿子的咕咕聲一樣。--------①斯芬克斯（sphynx）：希臘神話中有翼的獅身女面怪物。註釋：delight n. 高興
vi. 高興
vt. 使高興
例句：
(1) The children watched the clowns with keen delight .
孩子們興趣濃厚地觀看小丑表演。
(2) It was a positive delight to hear her sing so beautifully.
聽到她如此美妙的歌唱真是一件十足的樂事。
(3) The nature of life is to delight in all possible loopholes.
生命的本性就是以所有可能出現的漏洞爲樂。
(4) However, its appearance now is hardly likely to delight new investors.
然而，此法案的表面說法是幾乎無法取悅於外國投資商。
(5) "The Billionaire's Vinegar" is full of detail that will delight wine lovers.
億萬富翁的醋一書中充滿了會令葡萄酒愛好者們興奮不已的細節描寫。
(6) This compliment made her heart stop beating, and then beat fast with delight.
這番恭維把她的心抓住了，快樂得直跳。
(7) To my delight, he can walk now.
讓我高興的是他現在能走路了。
(8) To our delight, we passed the final exam.
使我們高興的是，我們通過了期末考試。
(9) To our great delight we saw a great valley.
令我們高興的是，我們看到了一個大峽谷。
(10) Let students go to share successful delight.
讓學生們去分享成功的喜悅。
taste n. 味道；品味；審美
vt. 嘗；體驗
vi. 嚐起來；有…的味道
[ 過去式tasted 過去分詞tasted 現在分詞tasting ]
詞組：
taste of 體驗；有…味道
good taste 高品味；味道純正
in taste 得體的，大方的；高雅的，有禮的
taste for 對…的喜愛；對…的愛好
sweet taste 甜味
bitter taste 味苦，苦味
bad taste 低級趣味，粗俗；壞品味
have a taste 嘗一嘗；品嚐一下
sharp taste 辛辣味
taste of life 生活的滋味
sense of taste 味覺
in good taste 大方的；得體的
sour taste 酸味；口酸
taste note 品酒記錄
acquired taste 嗜好；愛好
taste bud [解]味蕾
have a taste for 愛好；對…有興趣
refined taste 高雅的品味
pungent taste 刺激味；辛辣味
in bad taste 不禮貌；粗俗
例句：
(1) Add milk and sugar to taste.
隨你的囗味加牛奶和糖。
(2) Everyone has his own taste.
每個人都有自己的品味。
(3) How about a taste of three in one?
或是一次旅遊就能感受三個國家的風情呢？
(4) And all I can taste is this moment.
何況我唯一能品味的就是此時。
(5) And you know how good bananas taste!
你知道香蕉有多好吃吧！
(6) Can you taste the garlic in this stew?
你嘗得出肉裏有大蒜味兒嗎?。
(7) It appeared that he had a taste for music.
看來他對音樂還有一定的鑑賞力。
(8) I hope you can taste Beijing Duck someday.
我希望你有機會嘗一嘗北京烤鴨。
