评论
打印
True eccentrics never deliberately set out to draw attention to themselves.
真正古怪的人从不有意引人注意
They disregard social conventions without being conscious
他们不顾社会习俗
that they are doing anything extraordinary.
意识不到自己所作所为有什么特殊之处
This invariably wins them the love and respect of others,
他们总能赢得别人的喜爱与尊敬
for they add colour to the dull routine of everyday life.
因为他们给平淡单一的日常生活增添了色彩
Up to the time of his death,
理查德·科尔森生前
Richard Colson was one of the most notable figures in our town.
是我们镇上最有名望的人之一
He was a shrewd and wealthy businessman,
他是个精明能干 有钱的商人
but most people in the town hardly knew anything about this side of his life.
但镇上大部分人对他生活中的这一个方面几乎一无所知
He was known to us all as Dickie
大家都管他叫迪基
and his eccentricity had become legendary long before he died.
早在他去世前很久 他的古怪行为就成了传奇故事了
Dickie disliked snobs intensely.
迪基痛恨势利小人
Though he owned a large car, he hardly ever used it,
尽管他有一辆豪华小轿车 但却很少使用
preferring always to go on foot.
常常喜欢以步代车
Even when it was raining heavily, he refused to carry an umbrella.
即使大雨倾盆 他也总是拒绝带伞
One day, he walked into an expensive shop
一天 他遇上一场瓢泼大雨 淋得透湿
after having been caught in a particularly heavy shower.
他走进一家高级商店
He wanted to buy a 300 pound watch for his wife,
要为妻子买一块价值300英镑的手表
but he was in such a bedraggled condition
但店员见他浑身泥水的样子
that an assistant refused to serve him.
竟不肯接待他
Dickie left the shop without a word
迪基二话没说就走了
and returned carrying a large cloth bag.
一会儿 他带着一个大布口袋回到店里
As it was extremely heavy, he dumped it on the counter.
布袋很沉 他重重地把布袋扔在柜台上
The assistant asked him to leave,
店员让迪基走开
but Dickie paid no attention to him and requested to see the manager.
他置之不理 并要求见经理
Recognizing who the customer was,
经理认出了这位顾客
the manager was most apologetic
表示了深深的歉意
and reprimanded the assistant severely.
还严厉地训斥了店员
When Dickie was given the watch,
店员为迪基拿出了那块手表
he presented the assistant with the cloth bag.
迪基把布口袋递给他
It contained 300 pounds in pennies.
口袋里面装着300镑的便士
He insisted on the assistant's counting the money before he left,
他坚持要店员点清那些硬币后他才离去
30,000 pennies in all!
这些硬币加在一起共有30000枚
On another occasion, he invited a number of important critics
还有一次 他邀请一些著名评论家
to see his private collection of modern paintings.
来参观他私人收藏的现代画
This exhibition received a great deal of attention in the press,
这次展览引起报界广泛注意
for though the pictures were supposed to be the work of famous artists,
因为这些画名义上是名家的作品
they had in fact been painted by Dickie.
事实上是迪基自己画的
It took him four years to stage this elaborate joke
他花了4年时间策划这出精心设计的闹剧
simply to prove that critics do not always know what they are talking about.
只是想证明评论家们有时并不解他们所谈论的事情
