美国语文第五册 第304期:弗吉尼亚人(6)

 　　No such sumptuous¹ funeral had ever been seen in the country as that which Madam Esmond Warrington ordained² for her father, 有史以来，弗吉尼亚全州从未经历过如此奢华盛大的送葬，沃林顿·埃斯蒙德夫人授权为她的父亲操办的这场葬礼，

　　who would have been the first to smile at that pompous³ grief. 冲着这场炫耀于世的风光，那位离去的逝者恐怕最先笑出声来。

　　The little lads of Castlewood, almost smothered⁴ in black trains and hatbands, 卡斯尔伍德家族两位少年身穿黑色曳尾礼服，

　　headed the procession and were followed by my Lord Fairfax, from Greenway Court, 戴着缀有黑色缎带的礼帽，走在送葬队伍前列，

　　by his Excellency the Governor of Virginia (with his coach), by the Randolphs, the Careys, the Harrisons, the Washingtons, and many others; 心情压抑得几乎喘不过气来。少年身后跟随有格林威法院的费尔法克斯勋爵、尊贵的弗吉尼亚州州长阁下（乘坐他的四轮马车赶来）、伦道夫夫妇、卡雷斯夫妇、哈里森斯夫妇、华盛顿夫妇以及众多宾客.

　　for the whole country esteemed⁵ the departed gentleman, whose goodness, whose high talents, 全州对这位逝去的名流之士致以敬意，埃斯蒙德先生的良好美德、出众才华、

　　whose benevolence⁶ and unobtrusive urbanity, had earned for him the just respect of his neighbors. 仁慈宽厚以及不事张扬的温文尔雅赢得了周边居民的恰当尊重。

　　When informed of the event, the family of Colonel Esmond's stepson, the Lord Castlewood of Hampshire in England, 埃斯蒙德先生的上校继子，英国汉普郡卡斯尔伍德勋爵一家接到这一不幸的消息，

　　asked to be at the charges of the marble slab⁷ which recorded the names and virtues⁸ of his lordship's mother and her husband; 并被要求承担继父大理石墓碑的所有费用，碑上镌刻母亲的勋爵身份与她丈夫的贵族头衔，还有夫妇俩的一生善行。

　　and after due time of preparation, the monument was set up, exhibiting the arms and coronet of the Esmonds, 经过一段时间准备，那块纪念碑已矗立起来，碑面刻有埃斯蒙德夫妇戎装照与爵位冕冠，

　　supported by a little, chubby⁹ group of weeping cherubs¹⁰, and reciting an epitaph which for once did not tell any falsehoods. 下面衬有一排胖乎乎的哭泣小天使，小家伙们正在朗诵这篇未见任何漏洞谎言的墓志铭。

1 sumptuous   

adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的

参考例句：

• The guests turned up dressed in sumptuous evening gowns.客人们身着华丽的夜礼服出现了。
• We were ushered into a sumptuous dining hall.我们被领进一个豪华的餐厅。

2 ordained   

v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定

参考例句：

• He was ordained in 1984. 他在一九八四年被任命为牧师。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was ordained priest. 他被任命为牧师。 来自辞典例句

3 pompous   

adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities.他有点自大，自视甚高。
• He is a good man underneath his pompous appearance. 他的外表虽傲慢，其实是个好人。

4 smothered   

（使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制

参考例句：

• He smothered the baby with a pillow. 他用枕头把婴儿闷死了。
• The fire is smothered by ashes. 火被灰闷熄了。

5 esteemed   

adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为

参考例句：

• The art of conversation is highly esteemed in France. 在法国十分尊重谈话技巧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He esteemed that he understood what I had said. 他认为已经听懂我说的意思了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 benevolence   

n.慈悲，捐助

参考例句：

• We definitely do not apply a policy of benevolence to the reactionaries.我们对反动派决不施仁政。
• He did it out of pure benevolence. 他做那件事完全出于善意。

7 slab   

n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上

参考例句：

• This heavy slab of oak now stood between the bomb and Hitler.这时笨重的橡木厚板就横在炸弹和希特勒之间了。
• The monument consists of two vertical pillars supporting a horizontal slab.这座纪念碑由两根垂直的柱体构成，它们共同支撑着一块平板。

8 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

9 chubby   

adj.丰满的，圆胖的

参考例句：

• He is stocky though not chubby.他长得敦实，可并不发胖。
• The short and chubby gentleman over there is our new director.那个既矮又胖的绅士是我们的新主任。

10 cherubs   

小天使，胖娃娃( cherub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The high stern castle was a riot or carved gods, demons, knights, kings, warriors, mermaids, cherubs. 其尾部高耸的船楼上雕满了神仙、妖魔鬼怪、骑士、国王、勇士、美人鱼、天使。
• Angels, Cherubs and Seraphs-Dignity, glory and honor. 天使、小天使、六翼天使－尊严、荣耀和名誉。