雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第12章 Part 12
They comprised a little English, and a deal of Latin - names of things, declensions of articles and substantives, exercises thereon, and preliminary rules - a trifle of orthography, a glance at ancient history, a wink or two at modern ditto, a few tables, two or three weights and measures, and a little general information. When poor Paul had spelt out number two, he found he had no idea of number one; fragments whereof afterwards obtruded themselves into number three, which slided into number four, which grafted itself on to number two. So that whether twenty Romuluses made a Remus, or hic haec hoc was troy weight, or a verb always agreed with an ancient Briton, or three times four was Taurus a bull, were open questions with him.
'Oh, Dombey, Dombey!' said Miss Blimber, 'this is very shocking.'
“啊，董貝，董貝！”布林伯小姐說道，“這是很令人震驚的！”'If you please,' said Paul, 'I think if I might sometimes talk a little to old Glubb, I should be able to do better.'
“對不起，”保羅說道，“如果我有時可以跟老格拉布稍稍談些話的話，我想我能夠好一些。”
'Nonsense, Dombey,' said Miss Blimber. 'I couldn't hear of it. This is not the place for Glubbs of any kind. You must take the books down, I suppose, Dombey, one by one, and perfect yourself in the day's instalment of subject A, before you turn at all to subject B. I am sorry to say, Dombey, that your education appears to have been very much neglected.'
'Very well,' returned Miss Blimber; 'but this is all very different indeed from anything of that sort, Dombey, and I couldn't think of permitting it. As to having been weak, you must begin to be strong. And now take away the top book, if you please, Dombey, and return when you are master of the theme.'“胡扯，董貝，”布林伯小姐說道，“這是我不能容忍的。不論是什麼樣的格拉布，這裏都不是允許他們進來的地方。我想，董貝，您應當把這些書一本一本地拿到樓下去，今天首先把給您指定的課題甲完全弄明白，然後再轉到課題乙。現在，董貝，請您把頂上面的那本書拿走。等您精通了裏面的內容，再回到這裏來。”
Miss Blimber expressed her opinions on the subject of Paul's uninstructed state with a gloomy delight, as if she had expected this result, and were glad to find that they must be in constant communication. Paul withdrew with the top task, as he was told, and laboured away at it, down below: sometimes remembering every word of it, and sometimes forgetting it all, and everything else besides: until at last he ventured upstairs again to repeat the lesson, when it was nearly all driven out of his head before he began, by Miss Blimber's shutting up the book, and saying, 'Good, Dombey!' a proceeding so suggestive of the knowledge inside of her, that Paul looked upon the young lady with consternation, as a kind of learned Guy Faux, or artificial Bogle, stuffed full of scholastic straw.布林伯小姐懷着憂悶而高興的心情對保羅未受過教育、無知無識的狀態這個問題發表她的意見，彷彿她已預料到這個結果，並且高興地看到，他們今後將會經常來往。保羅遵照吩咐，拿了頂上的那本書離開了房間，並在樓下用心地學習着；有時他記住其中的每個詞，有時則把它們和其他一切東西全都忘得乾乾淨淨，最後他終於大着膽子又上樓去背誦課文；在他沒有開始之前，布林伯小姐把書本一合，說聲“往下背，董貝！”，這就把那些課文從他頭腦中幾乎全部驅趕了出去；布林伯小姐的這種做法十分有力地向人們提醒她有滿肚子的學問，所以保羅驚惶失措地看着她，彷彿她是學識淵博的蓋伊·福克斯，或者是個塞滿了學術稻草的人妖④。
He acquitted himself very well, nevertheless; and Miss Blimber, commending him as giving promise of getting on fast, immediately provided him with subject B; from which he passed to C, and even D before dinner. It was hard work, resuming his studies, soon after dinner; and he felt giddy and confused and drowsy and dull. But all the other young gentlemen had similar sensations, and were obliged to resume their studies too, if there were any comfort in that. It was a wonder that the great clock in the hall, instead of being constant to its first inquiry, never said, 'Gentlemen, we will now resume our studies,' for that phrase was often enough repeated in its neighbourhood. The studies went round like a mighty wheel, and the young gentlemen were always stretched upon it.然而他還是應付得很好；布林伯小姐稱讚他有希望迅速取得進步，立即把課題乙給了他；然後又轉到了課題丙，甚至在吃午飯之前就轉到了課題丁。這是艱鉅的工作，吃完午飯之後立即繼續學習。他覺得眼花繚亂，腦子胡塗，昏昏欲睡，沉悶乏味。如果這裏有什麼值得安慰的東西的話，那就是所有其他的年輕的先生們也有着類似的情緒，可是也都必須繼續學習。奇怪的是，前廳中的大鐘總是不斷重複它的第一個問題，從來不曾說過，“先生們，我們現在來繼續學習，”雖然這句話在它鄰近的場所是經常重複說的。學習就像一個巨大的輪子向前轉動着，這些年輕的先生們經常伸開四肢躺在上面。
--------①羅穆盧斯（Romulus）：古羅馬傳說中古羅馬的建國者，馬耳斯（Mars）的兒子，古羅馬的守護神。
②瑞穆斯（Remus）：馬耳斯生雙子：羅穆盧斯及瑞穆斯。在修築羅馬城牆時，兄弟之間發生了爭吵，羅穆盧斯殺死了瑞穆斯。
③hichaechoc：拉丁文中的指示代詞。
④蓋伊·福克斯（GuyFawks）：英國1605年火藥陰謀案的主犯，詳見第五章註釋。在火藥陰謀案發生一週年時，孩子們舉着福克斯的模似像遊行，模似像中塞滿了稻草，最後把它燒掉。
重點解釋:
preliminary
n. 準備；預賽；初步措施
adj. 初步的；開始的；預備的
[ 複數preliminaries ]
例句：
(1) Results such as these are preliminary.
這些研究結果都僅是初探皮毛。
(2) They have made a preliminary investigation.
他們已經做了初步的調查。
(3) Movies at the preliminary stage were silent.
電影在初期是無聲的。
(4) He made the preliminary motions of departure.
他作了一些離開的準備動作。
(5) The preliminary exploration in this area was done.
本論文在此方面做了初步探索。
(6) The decision is preliminary and was not announced.
該決定只是初步檢查結果，還未予以宣佈。
(7) We only seek to offer some simple preliminary opinions.
大家都對這個疑案提出自己的見解。
(8) We only seek to offer some simple preliminary opinions.
我們只是簡單地提出以上初步的意見。
go around
四處走動；供應；（消息）流傳
(1) Love makes the world go around.
愛做世界四處走動。
(2) OK , let's go around the table.
好讓咱們順著桌子來。
(3) Love makes this world go around.
愛使這個世界運轉。
(4) I don't want to go around here barefoot.
我不想在這裏光着腳板走路。
(5) There is plenty of blame to go around.
該被指責的做法有很多。
(6) What can go around the earth without rockets?
除了火箭還有什麼可以繞過地球？
(7) Right, on we go, plenty of pots to go around.
好了，讓我們繼續，還有好多罐子足夠分配啊。
(8) What can go around the earth without rockets?
什麼可以不用火箭而繞着地球轉？
(9) The road was under repair, so we had to go around.
這條路正在修理中，所以我們只好繞道而
