AFriendinNeed参考模板.docx

AFriendinNeed参考模板.docx

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AFriendinNeed参考模板

AFriendinNeed

SomersetMaugham

 Somepeopleseemeasytounderstand:

theircharacterappearsobviousonfirstmeeting.Appearances,however,canbe deceptive. （虚伪的）

 ForthirtyyearsnowIhavebeenstudyingmyfellowmen.Idonotknowverymuchaboutthem.I shrug myshoulderswhenpeopletellmethattheirfirstimpressionsofapersonarealwaysright.Ithinktheymusthavesmallinsightorgreatvanity.FormyownpartIfindthatthelongerIknowpeoplethemoretheypuzzleme.

ThesereflectionshaveoccurredtomebecauseIreadinthismorning'spaperthatEdwardHydeBurtonhaddiedatKobe.HewasamerchantandhehadbeeninbusinessinJapanformanyyears.Iknewhimverylittle,butheinterestedmebecauseoncehegavemeagreatsurprise.UnlessIhadheardthestoryfromhisownlips,Ishouldneverhavebelievedthathewascapableofsuchanaction.Itwasmorestartlingbecausebothinappearanceandmannerhesuggestedavery 

definite type.Hereifeverwasamanallofapiece.Hewasatinylittlefellow,notmuchmorethanfivefeetfourinheight,andveryslender（柔弱的）,withwhitehair,aredfacemuchwrinkled（有皱纹的）,andblueeyes.IsupposehewasaboutsixtywhenIknewhim.Hewasalwaysneatlyandquietlydressedin accordance withhisageandstation（身份）. 

  ThoughhisofficeswereinKobe,BurtonoftencamedowntoYokohama.Ihappenedononeoccasiontobespendingafewdaysthere,waitingforaship,andIwasintroducedtohimattheBritishClub.Weplayedbridgetogether.Heplayedagoodgameandagenerousone.Hedidnottalkverymuch,eitherthenorlaterwhenwewerehavingdrinks,butwhathesaidwassensible.Hehadaquiet,dryhumor.Heseemedtobepopularattheclubandafterwards,whenhehadgone,theydescribedhimasoneofthebest.IthappenedthatwewerebothstayingattheGrandHotelandnextdayheaskedmetodinewithhim.Imethiswife,fat,elderly,andsmiling,andhistwodaughters.Itwasevidentlyaunitedand 

affectionate（深情的） family.IthinkthechiefthingthatstruckmeaboutBurtonwashiskindliness.Therewassomethingverypleasinginhismildblueeyes.Hisvoicewasgentle;youcouldnotimaginethathecouldpossiblyraiseitinanger;hissmilewasbenign.（温和的）Herewasamanwhoattractedyoubecauseyoufeltinhimarealloveforhisfellows.Atthesametimehelikedhisgameofcardsandhiscocktail,hecouldtellwithpointagoodandspicystory,andinhisyouthhehadbeensomethingofanathlete.Hewasarichmanandhehadmadeeverypennyhimself.Isupposeonethingthatmadeyoulikehimwasthathewassosmallandfrail;hearousedyourinstincts

（天性）ofprotection.Youfeltthathecouldnotbeartohurtafly.

OneafternoonIwassittinginthelounge（休息厅）oftheGrandHotelwhenBurtoncameinandseatedhimselfinthechairnexttomine. 

   "Whatdoyousaytoalittledrink?

" 

   Heclappedhishandsforaboyandorderedtwogin fizzes.Astheboybroughtthemamanpassedalongthestreetoutsideandseeingmewavedhishand. 

  "DoyouknowTurner?

"saidBurtonasInoddedagreeting. 

  "I'vemethimattheclub.I'mtoldhe'saremittance（汇款）man." 

  "Yes,Ibelieveheis.Wehaveagoodmanyhere." 

  "Heplaysbridgewell."

 "Theygenerallydo.Therewasafellowherelastyear,oddlyenoughanamesakeofmine,whowasthebestbridgeplayerIevermet.IsupposeyounevercameacrosshiminLondon.LennyBurtonhecalledhimself.Ibelievehe'dbelongedtosomeverygoodclubs." "No,Idon'tbelieveIrememberthename." 

"Hewasquitearemarkableplayer.Heseemedtohaveaninstinctaboutthecards.Itwasuncanny（神秘的）.Iusedtoplaywithhimalot.HewasinKobeforsometime." 

   Burtonsipped（喝）hisgin（酒）fizz.

 "It'sratherafunnystory,"hesaid."Hewasn'tabadchap.

（小伙子）Ilikedhim.Hewasalwayswell-dressedandsmart-looking.Hewashandsomeinawaywithcurlyhairandpink-and-whitecheeks.Womenthoughtalotofhim.Therewasnoharminhim,youknow,hewasonlywild.Ofcoursehedranktoomuch.Thosesortoffellowsalwaysdo.Abitofmoneyusedtocomeonforhimonceaquarterandhemadeabitmorebycard-playing.Hewonagooddealofmine,Iknowthat."

  Burtongaveakindlychuckle.Iknewfrommyownexperiencethathecouldlosemoneyatbridgewithagoodgrace.Hestrokedhisshaven（削发的）chin（下巴）withhisthinhand;theveins（脉）stoodoutonitanditwasalmosttransparent. 

"Isupposethatiswhyhecametomewhenhewentbroke,thatandthefactthathewasanamesakeofmine.Hecametoseemeinmyofficeonedayandaskedmeforajob.Iwasrathersurprised.Hetoldmethattherewasnomoremoneycomingfromhomeandhewantedtowork.Iaskedhimhowoldhewas. 

"'Thirty-five,'hesaid. 

"'Andwhathaveyoubeendoinghitherto（迄今为止）?

'Iaskedhim. 

"'Well,nothingverymuch,'hesaid. 

"Icouldn'thelplaughing. 

"'I'mafraidIcan'tdoanythingforyoujustyet,'Isaid.'Comebackandseemeinanotherthirty-fiveyears,andI'llseewhatIcando.'

 "Hedidn'tmove.Hewentratherpale.Hehesitatedforamomentandthenhetoldmethathehadhadbadluckatcardsforsometime.Hehadn'tbeenwillingtosticktobridge,he'dbeenplayingpoker,andhe'dgottrimmed（平衡的）.Hehadn'tapenny.He'd pawned everythinghehad.Hecouldn'tpayhishotelbillandtheywouldn'tgivehimanymorecredit.Hewasdownandout.Ifhecouldn'tgetsomethingtodohe'dhavetocommitsuicide." 

 "Ilookedathimforabit.Icouldseenowthathewasalltopieces.He'dbeendrinkingmorethanusualandhelookedfifty.Thegirlswouldn'thavethoughtsomuchofhimifthey'dseenhimthen. 

"'Wellisn'tthereanythingyoucandoexceptplaycards?

'Iaskedhim. 

   "'Icanswim,'hesaid. 

   "'Swim!

' 

   "Icouldhardlybelievemyears;itseemedsuchaninsane（愚蠢的）answertogive. 

   "'Iswamformyuniversity.'

   "Igotsomeglimmering（隐光）ofwhathewasdrivingat.I'veknowntoomanymenwhowerelittletingodsattheiruniversitytobeimpressedbyit. 

   "'IwasaprettygoodswimmermyselfwhenIwasayoungman,'Isaid. 

   "SuddenlyIhadanidea." 

   Pausinginhisstory,Burtonturnedtome.

   "DoyouknowKobe?

"heasked. 

   "No,"Isaid,"Ipassedthroughitonce,butIonlyspentanightthere." 

   "Thenyoudon'tknowtheShioyaClub.WhenIwasayoungmanIswamfromthereroundthebeacon（灯塔）andlandedatthecreekofTarumi.It'soverthreemilesandit'sratherdifficultonaccountofthecurrentsroundthebeacon.Well,Itoldmyyoungnamesake（同姓的人）aboutitandIsaidtohimthatifhe'ddoitI'dgivehimajob. 

 "Icouldseehewasrathertakenaback. 

   "'Yousayyou'reaswimmer,'Isaid. 

   "'I'mnotinverygoodcondition,'heanswered. 

   "Ididn'tsayanything.I 

shrugged myshoulders.Helookedatmeforamomentandthenhenodded. 

   "'Allright,'hesaid.'Whendoyouwantmetodoit?

'

   "Ilookedatmywatch.Itwasjustafterten. 

   "'Theswimshouldn'ttakeyoumuchoveranhourandaquarter.I'lldriveroundtothecreekathalfpasttwelveandmeetyou.I'lltakeyoubacktotheclubtodressandthenwe'llhavelunchtogether.' 

   "'Done,'hesaid.

   "Weshookhands.Iwishedhimgoodluckandheleftme.IhadalotofworktodothatmorningandIonlyjustmanagedtogettothecreekatTarumiathalfpasttwelve.ButIneedn'thavehurried;heneverturnedup." 

   "Didhefunk（惊恐）itatthelastmoment?

"Iasked. 

   "No,hedidn'tfunkit.Hestartedallright.Butofcoursehe'druinedhisconstitution

（组成）bydrinkanddissipation.Thecurrentsroundthebeaconweremorethanhecouldmanage.Wedidn'tgetthebodyforaboutthreedays."

 Ididn'tsayanythingforamomentortwo.Iwasatrifle（琐碎）shocked.ThenIaskedBurtonaquestion. 

  "Whenyoumadehimthatofferofajob,didyouknowhe'dbedrowned?

（溺死）" 

  Hegavealittlemildchuckleandhelookedatmewiththosekindandcandidblueeyesofhis.Herubbedhischinwithhishand. 

  "Well,Ihadn'tgotavacancy（空缺）inmyofficeatthemoment."

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