A Christmas Carol.docx

A Christmas Carol.docx

《A Christmas Carol.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《A Christmas Carol.docx（52页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

AChristmasCarol

AChristmasCarol

byCharlesDickens

Introduction

IhaveendeavouredinthisGhostlylittlebook,toraisetheGhostofanIdea,whichshallnotputmyreadersoutofhumourwiththemselves,witheachother,withtheseason,orwithme.Mayithaunttheirhousespleasantly,andnoonewishtolayit.

TheirfaithfulFriendandServant,

C.D.December,1843.

1-Marley'sGhost

Marleywasdead:

tobeginwith.Thereisnodoubtwhateveraboutthat.Theregisterofhisburialwassignedbytheclergyman,theclerk,theundertaker,andthechiefmourner.Scroogesignedit.AndScrooge'snamewasgoodupon'Change,foranythinghechosetoputhishandto.

OldMarleywasasdeadasadoor-nail.

Mind!

Idon'tmeantosaythatIknow,ofmyownknowledge,whatthereisparticularlydeadaboutadoor-nail.Imighthavebeeninclined,myself,toregardacoffin-nailasthedeadestpieceofironmongeryinthetrade.Butthewisdomofourancestorsisinthesimile;andmyunhallowedhandsshallnotdisturbit,ortheCountry'sdonefor.Youwillthereforepermitmetorepeat,emphatically,thatMarleywasasdeadasadoor-nail.

Scroogeknewhewasdead?

Ofcoursehedid.Howcoulditbeotherwise?

ScroogeandhewerepartnersforIdon'tknowhowmanyyears.Scroogewashissoleexecutor,hissoleadministrator,hissoleassign,hissoleresiduarylegatee,hissolefriend,andsolemourner.AndevenScroogewasnotsodreadfullycutupbythesadevent,butthathewasanexcellentmanofbusinessontheverydayofthefuneral,andsolemniseditwithanundoubtedbargain.ThementionofMarley'sfuneralbringsmebacktothepointIstartedfrom.ThereisnodoubtthatMarleywasdead.Thismustbedistinctlyunderstood,ornothingwonderfulcancomeofthestoryIamgoingtorelate.IfwewerenotperfectlyconvincedthatHamlet'sFatherdiedbeforetheplaybegan,therewouldbenothingmoreremarkableinhistakingastrollatnight,inaneasterlywind,uponhisownramparts,thantherewouldbeinanyothermiddle-agedgentlemanrashlyturningoutafterdarkinabreezyspot--saySaintPaul'sChurchyardforinstance--literallytoastonishhisson'sweakmind.

ScroogeneverpaintedoutOldMarley'sname.Thereitstood,yearsafterwards,abovethewarehousedoor:

ScroogeandMarley.ThefirmwasknownasScroogeandMarley.SometimespeoplenewtothebusinesscalledScroogeScrooge,andsometimesMarley,butheansweredtobothnames.Itwasallthesametohim.

Oh!

Buthewasatight-fistedhandatthegrind-stone,Scrooge!

asqueezing,wrenching,grasping,scraping,clutching,covetous,oldsinner!

Hardandsharpasflint,fromwhichnosteelhadeverstruckoutgenerousfire;secret,andself-contained,andsolitaryasanoyster.Thecoldwithinhimfrozehisoldfeatures,nippedhispointednose,shrivelledhischeek,stiffenedhisgait;madehiseyesred,histhinlipsblue;andspokeoutshrewdlyinhisgratingvoice.Afrostyrimewasonhishead,andonhiseyebrows,andhiswirychin.Hecarriedhisownlowtemperaturealwaysaboutwithhim;heicedhisofficeinthedogdays;anddidn'tthawitonedegreeatChristmas.

ExternalheatandcoldhadlittleinfluenceonScrooge.Nowarmthcouldwarm,nowintryweatherchillhim.Nowindthatblewwasbittererthanhe,nofallingsnowwasmoreintentuponitspurpose,nopeltingrainlessopentoentreaty.Foulweatherdidn'tknowwheretohavehim.Theheaviestrain,andsnow,andhail,andsleet,couldboastoftheadvantageoverhiminonlyonerespect.Theyoften`camedown'handsomely,andScroogeneverdid.

Nobodyeverstoppedhiminthestreettosay,withgladsomelooks,`MydearScrooge,howareyou?

Whenwillyoucometoseeme?

'Nobeggarsimploredhimtobestowatrifle,nochildrenaskedhimwhatitwaso'clock,nomanorwomaneveronceinallhislifeinquiredthewaytosuchandsuchaplace,ofScrooge.Eventheblindmen'sdogsappearedtoknowhim;andwhentheysawhimcomingon,wouldtugtheirownersintodoorwaysandupcourts;andthenwouldwagtheirtailsasthoughtheysaid,`Noeyeatallisbetterthananevileye,darkmaster!

'

ButwhatdidScroogecare!

Itwastheverythingheliked.Toedgehiswayalongthecrowdedpathsoflife,warningallhumansympathytokeepitsdistance,waswhattheknowingonescall`nuts'toScrooge.

Onceuponatime--ofallthegooddaysintheyear,onChristmasEve--oldScroogesatbusyinhiscounting-house.Itwascold,bleak,bitingweather:

foggywithal:

andhecouldhearthepeopleinthecourtoutside,gowheezingupanddown,beatingtheirhandsupontheirbreasts,andstampingtheirfeetuponthepavementstonestowarmthem.Thecityclockshadonlyjustgonethree,butitwasquitedarkalready--ithadnotbeenlightallday--andcandleswereflaringinthewindowsoftheneighbouringoffices,likeruddysmearsuponthepalpablebrownair.Thefogcamepouringinateverychinkandkeyhole,andwassodensewithout,thatalthoughthecourtwasofthenarrowest,thehousesoppositeweremerephantoms.Toseethedingycloudcomedroopingdown,obscuringeverything,onemighthavethoughtthatNaturelivedhardby,andwasbrewingonalargescale.

ThedoorofScrooge'scounting-housewasopenthathemightkeephiseyeuponhisclerk,whoinadismallittlecellbeyond,asortoftank,wascopyingletters.Scroogehadaverysmallfire,buttheclerk'sfirewassoverymuchsmallerthatitlookedlikeonecoal.Buthecouldn'treplenishit,forScroogekeptthecoal-boxinhisownroom;andsosurelyastheclerkcameinwiththeshovel,themasterpredictedthatitwouldbenecessaryforthemtopart.Whereforetheclerkputonhiswhitecomforter,andtriedtowarmhimselfatthecandle;inwhicheffort,notbeingamanofastrongimagination,hefailed.

`AmerryChristmas,uncle!

Godsaveyou!

'criedacheerfulvoice.ItwasthevoiceofScrooge'snephew,whocameuponhimsoquicklythatthiswasthefirstintimationhehadofhisapproach.

`Bah!

'saidScrooge,`Humbug!

'

Hehadsoheatedhimselfwithrapidwalkinginthefogandfrost,thisnephewofScrooge's,thathewasallinaglow;hisfacewasruddyandhandsome;hiseyessparkled,andhisbreathsmokedagain.`Christmasahumbug,uncle!

'saidScrooge'snephew.`Youdon'tmeanthat,Iamsure?

'

`Ido,'saidScrooge.`MerryChristmas!

Whatrighthaveyoutobemerry?

Whatreasonhaveyoutobemerry?

You'repoorenough.'

`Come,then,'returnedthenephewgaily.`Whatrighthaveyoutobedismal?

Whatreasonhaveyoutobemorose?

You'rerichenough.'

Scroogehavingnobetteranswerreadyonthespurofthemoment,said`Bah!

'again;andfolloweditupwith`Humbug.'

`Don'tbecross,uncle!

'saidthenephew.

`WhatelsecanIbe,'returnedtheuncle,`whenIliveinsuchaworldoffoolsasthis?

MerryChristmas!

OutuponmerryChristmas!

What'sChristmastimetoyoubutatimeforpayingbillswithoutmoney;atimeforfindingyourselfayearolder,butnotanhourricher;atimeforbalancingyourbooksandhavingeveryitemin'emthrougharounddozenofmonthspresenteddeadagainstyou?

IfIcouldworkmywill,'saidScroogeindignantly,`everyidiotwhogoesaboutwith"MerryChristmas"onhislips,shouldbeboiledwithhisownpudding,andburiedwithastakeofhollythroughhisheart.Heshould!

'

`Uncle!

'pleadedthenephew.

`Nephew!

'returnedtheunclesternly,`keepChristmasinyourownway,andletmekeepitinmine.'

`Keepit!

'repeatedScrooge'snephew.`Butyoudon'tkeepit.'

`Letmeleaveitalone,then,'saidScrooge.`Muchgoodmayitdoyou!

Muchgoodithaseverdoneyou!

'

`TherearemanythingsfromwhichImighthavederivedgood,bywhichIhavenotprofited,Idaresay,'returnedthenephew.`Christmasamongtherest.ButIamsureIhavealwaysthoughtofChristmastime,whenithascomeround--apartfromthevenerationduetoitssacrednameandorigin,ifanythingbelongingtoitcanbeapartfromthat--asagoodtime;akind,forgiving,charitable,pleasanttime:

theonlytimeIknowof,inthelongcalendaroftheyear,whenmenandwomenseembyoneconsenttoopentheirshut-upheartsfreely,andtothinkofpeoplebelowthemasiftheyreallywerefellow-passengerstothegrave,andnotanotherraceofcreaturesboundonotherjourneys.Andtherefore,uncle,thoughithasneverputascrapofgoldorsilverinmypocket,Ibelievethatithasdonemegood,andwilldomegood;andIsay,Godblessit!

'

TheclerkintheTankinvoluntarilyapplauded.Becomingimmediatelysensibleoftheimpropriety,hepokedthefire,andextinguishedthelastfrailsparkforever.

`Letmehearanothersoundfromyou,'saidScrooge,`andyou'llkeepyourChristmasbylosingyoursituation!

You'requiteapowerfulspeaker,sir,'headded,turningtohisnephew.`Iwonderyoudon'tgointoParliament.'

`Don'tbeangry,uncle.Come!

Dinewithustomorrow.'

Scroogesaidthathewouldseehim--yes,indeedhedid.Hewentthewholelengthoftheexpression,andsaidthathewouldseehiminthatextremityfirst.

`Butwhy?

'criedScrooge'snephew.`Why?

'

`Whydidyougetmarried?

'saidScrooge.

`BecauseIfellinlove.'

`Becauseyoufellinlove!

'growledScrooge,asifthatweretheonlyonethingintheworldmoreridiculousthanamerryChristmas.`Goodafternoon!

'

`Nay,uncle,butyounevercametoseemebeforethathappened.Whygiveitasareasonfornotcomingnow?

'

`Goodafternoon,'saidScrooge.

`Iwantnothingfromyou;Iasknothingofyou;whycannotwebefriends?

'

`Goodafternoon,'saidScrooge.

`Iamsorry,withallmyheart,tofindyousoresolute.Wehaveneverhadanyquarrel,towhichIhavebeenaparty.ButIhavemadethetrialinhomagetoChristmas,andI'llkeepm