血字的研究 52犹他之花(2)

On the farm thus acquired John Ferrier built himself a substantial log- house, which received so many additions in succeeding years that it grew into a roomy villa¹.

费瑞厄就这样获得了他的一份土地。他在这篇土地上建筑了一座坚实的木屋。这座木屋由于逐年增建，渐渐成了一所宽敞的别墅。

He was a man of a practical turn of mind, keen in his dealings and skilful² with his hands.

费瑞厄是一个重视实际的人，为人处世精明，长于技艺。

His iron constitution enabled him to work morning and evening at improving and tilling his lands.

他的体格也十分健壮，这就使他能够从早到晚，孜孜不倦地在他的土地上进行耕作和改良。

Hence it came about that his farm and all that belonged to him prospered³ exceedingly.

因此，他的田庄非常兴旺。

In three years he was better off than his neighbours, in six he was well-to-do, in nine he was rich, and in twelve there were not half a dozen men in the whole of Salt Lake City who could compare with him.

三年之内，他便赶过了他的邻居；六年之中就成为小康之家；九年，他就十分富有了；到了十二年之后，整个盐湖城地方，能够和他比拟的便不到五、六个人了。

From the great inland sea to the distant Wasatch Mountains there was no name better known than that of John Ferrier.

从盐湖这个内陆海起，一直到遥远的瓦撒起山区为止，在这个地区以内，再没有比约翰·费瑞厄的声名更大的了。

There was one way and only one in which he offended the susceptibilities of his co-religionists.

但是，只有一件事，费瑞厄却伤害了他同教人的感情。

No argument or persuasion⁴ could ever induce him to set up a female establishment after the manner of his companions.

这便是，不管怎样和他争论，不管怎样向他劝说，都不能使他按照他的伙伴们那种方式娶妻成家。

He never gave reasons for this persistent⁵ refusal, but contented⁶ himself by resolutely⁷ and inflexibly⁸ adhering to his determination.

他从来没有说明他一再拒绝这样做的理由究竟是什么，他只是坚决而毫不动摇地固执己见。

There were some who accused him of lukewarmness in his adopted religion, and others who put it down to greed of wealth and reluctance⁹ to incur¹⁰ expense.

因此，有些人指责他对于他所信奉的宗教并不虔诚。也有一些人认为他是吝啬财物，不肯破费。

Others, again, spoke¹¹ of some early love affair, and of a fair-haired girl who had pined away on the shores of the Atlantic.

还有一些人猜测他早先必定有过一番恋爱经历，也许在大西洋沿岸有过一位金发女郎，曾经为他憔悴而死。

Whatever the reason, Ferrier remained strictly¹² celibate¹³.

不管原因是什么，费瑞厄却依然故我地过着严谨的独身生活。

In every other respect he conformed to the religion of the young settlement, and gained the name of being an orthodox and straight-walking man.

除了这一点以外，在其他各个方面，他对于这个新兴殖民地上的这个宗教却是奉行不懈的，而且被公认为是一个笃信正教、行为正派的人。

Lucy Ferrier grew up within the log-house, and assisted her adopted father in all his undertakings¹⁴.

露茜·费瑞厄在这个木屋中长大片来，她帮助义父处理一切事务。

The keen air of the mountains and the balsamic odour of the pine trees took the place of nurse and mother to the young girl.

山区清新的空气和松林中飘溢的脂香，都象慈母般地抚育着这个年轻的少女。

As year succeeded to year she grew taller and stronger, her cheek more ruddy and her step more elastic¹⁵.

岁月一年又一年地过去了，露茜也一年年长大成人了；她长得亭亭玉立，十分健美，她的面颊愈见娇艳，她的步态也日益轻盈。

Many a wayfarer¹⁶ upon the high road which ran by Ferrier's farm felt long-forgotten thoughts revive in his mind as he watched her lithe¹⁷, girlish figure tripping through the wheatfields,

多少路人在经过费瑞厄家田庄旁的大道时，瞧见露茜苗条的少女身影轻盈地穿过麦田。

or met her mounted upon her father's mustang, and managing it with all the ease and grace of a true child of the West.

或者碰见她骑着她父亲的马，显出道地的西部少年所具有的那种成熟而又优美的姿态，往日的情景不禁浮上人们的心头

So the bud blossomed into a flower, and the year which saw her father the richest of the farmers left her as fair a specimen¹⁸ of American girlhood as could be found in the whole Pacific slope.

当年的葩蕾今天已经开放成一朵好花。这些年来，岁月一面使她的父亲变成了农民中最富裕的人，同时，也使她长成为太平洋沿岸整个山区里难得的一个标致的美洲少女。

1 villa   

n.别墅，城郊小屋

参考例句：

• We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
• We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

2 skilful   

(=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的

参考例句：

• The more you practise,the more skilful you'll become.练习的次数越多，熟练的程度越高。
• He's not very skilful with his chopsticks.他用筷子不大熟练。

3 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

4 persuasion   

n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派

参考例句：

• He decided to leave only after much persuasion.经过多方劝说，他才决定离开。
• After a lot of persuasion,she agreed to go.经过多次劝说后，她同意去了。

5 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

6 contented   

adj.满意的，安心的，知足的

参考例句：

• He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
• The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

7 resolutely   

adj.坚决地，果断地

参考例句：

• He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。
• He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。

8 inflexibly   

adv.不屈曲地，不屈地

参考例句：

• These are very dynamic people, but they manifest inflexibly in relating to the world. 这是一些很有力量的人，但他们在与这个世界的联系中表现地过于强硬而难于妥协。 来自互联网

9 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

10 incur   

vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇

参考例句：

• Any costs that you incur will be reimbursed in full.你的所有花费都将全额付还。
• An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business.一个企业为了维持营业,就不得不承担一定的费用和开支。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

13 celibate   

adj.独身的，独身主义的；n.独身者

参考例句：

• He had defended the institution of a celibate priesthood.他捍卫了独身牧师制度。
• The instinct of the celibate warned him to hold back.单身汉的本能告诫他回头是岸。

14 undertakings   

企业( undertaking的名词复数 )； 保证； 殡仪业； 任务

参考例句：

• The principle of diligence and frugality applies to all undertakings. 勤俭节约的原则适用于一切事业。
• Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight of military operations. 此举要求军事上战役中所需要的准确布置和预见。

15 elastic   

n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的

参考例句：

• Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
• These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。

16 wayfarer   

n.旅人

参考例句：

• You are the solitary wayfarer in this deserted street.在这冷寂的街上，你是孤独的行人。
• The thirsty wayfarer was glad to find a fresh spring near the road.口渴的徒步旅行者很高兴在路边找到新鲜的泉水。

17 lithe   

adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的

参考例句：

• His lithe athlete's body had been his pride through most of the fifty - six years.他那轻巧自如的运动员体格，五十六年来几乎一直使他感到自豪。
• His walk was lithe and graceful.他走路轻盈而优雅。

18 specimen   

n.样本，标本

参考例句：

• You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。
• This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。