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her child a shock like that of the affair at Presles, she continues in
a state of constant fear, and, by the manner in which his wife boasted
of Oscar every time he obtained the slightest success, Clapart knew
the extent of her secret uneasiness, and he took pains to rouse it on
every occasion.
"Well, Madame," Clapart would say, "Oscar is doing better than I even
hoped. That journey to Presles was only a heedlessness of youth. Where
can you find young lads who do not commit just such faults? Poor
child! he bears his privations heroically! If his father had lived, he
would never have had any. God grant he may know how to control his
passions!" etc., etc.
While all these catastrophes were happening in the rue de Vendome and
the rue de Bethisy, Clapart, sitting in the chimney corner, wrapped in
an old dressing-gown, watched his wife, who was engaged over the fire
in their bedroom in simultaneously making the family broth, Clapart's
"tisane," and her own breakfast.
"Mon Dieu! I wish I knew how the affair of yesterday ended. Oscar was
to breakfast at the Rocher de Cancale and spend the evening with a
marquise--"
"Don't trouble yourself! Sooner or later you'll find out about your
swan," said her husband. "Do you really believe in that marquise?
Pooh! A young man who has senses and a taste for extravagance like
Oscar can find such ladies as that on every bush--if he pays for them.
Some fine morning you'll find yourself with a load of debt on your
back."
"You are always trying to put me in despair!" cried Madame Clapart.
"You complained that my son lived on your salary, and never has he
cost you a penny. For two years you haven't had the slightest cause of
complaint against him; here he is second clerk, his uncle and Monsieur
Moreau pay all expenses, and he earns, himself, a salary of eight
hundred francs. If we have bread to eat in our old age we may owe it
all to that dear boy. You are really too unjust--"
"You call my foresightunjust, do you?" replied the invalid, crossly.
Just then the bell rang loudly. Madame Clapart ran to open the door,
and remained in the outer room with Moreau, who had come to soften the
blow which Oscar's new folly would deal to the heart of his poor
mother.
"What! he gambled with the money of the office?" she cried, bursting
into tears.
"Didn't I tell you so, hey?" said Clapart, appearing like a spectre at
the door of the salon whither his curiosity had brought him.
"Oh! what shall we do with him?" said Madame Clapart, whose grief made
her impervious to Clapart's taunt.
"If he bore my name," replied Moreau, "I should wait composedly till
he draws for the conscription, and if he gets a fatal number I should
not provide him with a substitute. This is the second time your son
has committed a folly out of sheer vanity. Well, vanity may inspire
fine deeds in war and may advance him in the career of a soldier.
Besides, six years of military service will put some lead into his
head; and as he has only his last legal examination to pass, it won't
be much ill-luck for him if he doesn't become a lawyer till he is
twenty-six; that is, if he wants to continue in the law after paying,
as they say, his tax of blood. By that time, at any rate, he will have
been severely punished, he will have learned experience, and
contracted habits of subordination. Before making his probation at the
bar he will have gone through his probations in life."
"If that is your decision for a son," said Madame Clapart, "I see that
the heart of a father is not like that of a mother. My poor Oscar a
common soldier!--"
"Would you rather he flung himself headforemost into the Seine after
committing a dishonorable action? He cannot now become a solicitor; do
you think him steady and wise enough to be a barrister? No. While his
reason is maturing, what will he become? A dissipated fellow. The
discipline of the army will, at least, preserve him from that."
"Could he not go into some other office? His uncle Cardot has promised
to pay for his substitute; Oscar is to dedicate his graduating thesis
to him."
At this moment carriage-wheels were heard, and a hackney-coach
containing Oscar and all his worldlybelongings stopped before the
door. The luckless young man came up at once.
"Ah! here you are, Monsieur Joli-Coeur!" cried Clapart.
Oscar kissed his mother, and held out to Moreau a hand which the
latter refused to take. To this rebuff Oscar replied by a reproachful
look, the boldness of which he had never shown before. Then he turned
on Clapart.
"Listen to me, monsieur," said the youth, transformed into a man. "You
worry my poor mother devilishly, and that's your right, for she is,
a state of constant fear, and, by the manner in which his wife boasted
of Oscar every time he obtained the slightest success, Clapart knew
the extent of her secret uneasiness, and he took pains to rouse it on
every occasion.
"Well, Madame," Clapart would say, "Oscar is doing better than I even
hoped. That journey to Presles was only a heedlessness of youth. Where
can you find young lads who do not commit just such faults? Poor
child! he bears his privations heroically! If his father had lived, he
would never have had any. God grant he may know how to control his
passions!" etc., etc.
While all these catastrophes were happening in the rue de Vendome and
the rue de Bethisy, Clapart, sitting in the chimney corner, wrapped in
an old dressing-gown, watched his wife, who was engaged over the fire
in their bedroom in simultaneously making the family broth, Clapart's
"tisane," and her own breakfast.
"Mon Dieu! I wish I knew how the affair of yesterday ended. Oscar was
to breakfast at the Rocher de Cancale and spend the evening with a
marquise--"
"Don't trouble yourself! Sooner or later you'll find out about your
swan," said her husband. "Do you really believe in that marquise?
Pooh! A young man who has senses and a taste for extravagance like
Oscar can find such ladies as that on every bush--if he pays for them.
Some fine morning you'll find yourself with a load of debt on your
back."
"You are always trying to put me in despair!" cried Madame Clapart.
"You complained that my son lived on your salary, and never has he
cost you a penny. For two years you haven't had the slightest cause of
complaint against him; here he is second clerk, his uncle and Monsieur
Moreau pay all expenses, and he earns, himself, a salary of eight
hundred francs. If we have bread to eat in our old age we may owe it
all to that dear boy. You are really too unjust--"
"You call my foresightunjust, do you?" replied the invalid, crossly.
Just then the bell rang loudly. Madame Clapart ran to open the door,
and remained in the outer room with Moreau, who had come to soften the
blow which Oscar's new folly would deal to the heart of his poor
mother.
"What! he gambled with the money of the office?" she cried, bursting
into tears.
"Didn't I tell you so, hey?" said Clapart, appearing like a spectre at
the door of the salon whither his curiosity had brought him.
"Oh! what shall we do with him?" said Madame Clapart, whose grief made
her impervious to Clapart's taunt.
"If he bore my name," replied Moreau, "I should wait composedly till
he draws for the conscription, and if he gets a fatal number I should
not provide him with a substitute. This is the second time your son
has committed a folly out of sheer vanity. Well, vanity may inspire
fine deeds in war and may advance him in the career of a soldier.
Besides, six years of military service will put some lead into his
head; and as he has only his last legal examination to pass, it won't
be much ill-luck for him if he doesn't become a lawyer till he is
twenty-six; that is, if he wants to continue in the law after paying,
as they say, his tax of blood. By that time, at any rate, he will have
been severely punished, he will have learned experience, and
contracted habits of subordination. Before making his probation at the
bar he will have gone through his probations in life."
"If that is your decision for a son," said Madame Clapart, "I see that
the heart of a father is not like that of a mother. My poor Oscar a
common soldier!--"
"Would you rather he flung himself headforemost into the Seine after
committing a dishonorable action? He cannot now become a solicitor; do
you think him steady and wise enough to be a barrister? No. While his
reason is maturing, what will he become? A dissipated fellow. The
discipline of the army will, at least, preserve him from that."
"Could he not go into some other office? His uncle Cardot has promised
to pay for his substitute; Oscar is to dedicate his graduating thesis
to him."
At this moment carriage-wheels were heard, and a hackney-coach
containing Oscar and all his worldlybelongings stopped before the
door. The luckless young man came up at once.
"Ah! here you are, Monsieur Joli-Coeur!" cried Clapart.
Oscar kissed his mother, and held out to Moreau a hand which the
latter refused to take. To this rebuff Oscar replied by a reproachful
look, the boldness of which he had never shown before. Then he turned
on Clapart.
"Listen to me, monsieur," said the youth, transformed into a man. "You
worry my poor mother devilishly, and that's your right, for she is,
- instant [´instənt]
a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词) - charming [´tʃɑ:miŋ] a.可爱的；极好的 (初中英语单词)
- laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)
- sharply [´ʃɑ:pli] ad.锋利地；剧烈地 (初中英语单词)
- monsieur [mə´sjə:] n.先生 (初中英语单词)
- nephew [´nevju:, ´nɛfju] n.侄子；外甥 (初中英语单词)
- monkey [´mʌŋki] n.猴子 v.乱弄；胡闹 (初中英语单词)
- failure [´feiljə] n.失败；衰竭；破产 (初中英语单词)
- repair [ri´peə] v.&n.修理，修补 (初中英语单词)
- mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)
- triumph [´traiəmf] n.胜利 vi.得胜，战胜 (初中英语单词)
- unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)
- genius [´dʒi:niəs] n.天才(人物)；天赋 (初中英语单词)
- briefly [´bri:fli] ad.简短地；简略地 (初中英语单词)
- lawyer [´lɔ:jə] n.律师；法学家 (初中英语单词)
- estate [i´steit] n.财产；庄园；等级 (初中英语单词)
- therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
- sincere [sin´siə] a.真挚的；直率的 (初中英语单词)
- conclusion [kən´klu:ʒən] n.结束；结论；推论 (初中英语单词)
- vanity [´væniti] n.虚荣；自负；空虚 (初中英语单词)
- reward [ri´wɔ:d] n.&v.报答；报酬；奖赏 (初中英语单词)
- poverty [´pɔvəti] n.贫穷(乏，瘠)；不足 (初中英语单词)
- capable [´keipəbəl] a.有能力；能干的 (初中英语单词)
- measure [´meʒə] n.量度；范围 vt.测量 (初中英语单词)
- constant [´kɔnstənt] a.坚定的；坚贞的 (初中英语单词)
- extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)
- commit [kə´mit] vt.犯(罪)；把…判处 (初中英语单词)
- yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
- soften [´sɔfən] v.使(变)软(柔和) (初中英语单词)
- curiosity [,kjuəri´ɔsiti] n.好奇；奇事；珍品 (初中英语单词)
- substitute [´sʌbstitju:t] n.代理人 v.代替，取代 (初中英语单词)
- career [kə´riə] n.经历；生涯；职业 (初中英语单词)
- examination [ig,zæmi´neiʃən] n.检查；考试；检验 (初中英语单词)
- preserve [pri´zə:v] v.保藏 n.保藏物 (初中英语单词)
- concerned [kən´sə:nd] a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- furiously [´fjuəriəsli] ad.狂怒地；有力地 (高中英语单词)
- document [´dɔkjumənt] n.公文；文件；证件 (高中英语单词)
- generosity [,dʒenə´rɔsiti] n.慷慨；慷慨的行为 (高中英语单词)
- plague [pleig] n.瘟疫 vt.使…染疫 (高中英语单词)
- related [ri´leitid] a.叙述的；有联系的 (高中英语单词)
- marquis [´mɑ:kwis] n.侯爵 (高中英语单词)
- sensitive [´sensitiv] a.敏感的；感光的 (高中英语单词)
- studied [´stʌdid] a.故意的；有计划的 (高中英语单词)
- severely [si´viəli] ad.剧烈地；严格地 (高中英语单词)
- learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)
- dedicate [´dedikeit] vt.献给；献身于 (高中英语单词)
- scrape [skreip] v.&n.刮，削，擦；搔 (英语四级单词)
- protector [prə´tektə] n.保护者；防御者 (英语四级单词)
- delighted [di´laitid] a.高兴的；喜欢的 (英语四级单词)
- uneasiness [ʌn´i:zinis] n.不安，担忧；不自在 (英语四级单词)
- happening [´hæpəniŋ] n.事件，偶然发生的事 (英语四级单词)
- simultaneously [,siməl´teinjəsli] ad.同时，一起 (英语四级单词)
- extravagance [iks´trævigəns] n.奢侈；极端 (英语四级单词)
- trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
- foresight [´fɔ:sait] n.先见，深谋远虑 (英语四级单词)
- unjust [ʌn´dʒʌst] a.不公平(正)的 (英语四级单词)
- invalid [in´vælid] n.病人 a.无效的 (英语四级单词)
- worldly [´wə:ldli] a.现世的；世俗的 (英语四级单词)
- belongings [bi´lɔŋiŋz] n.所有物；行李 (英语四级单词)
- boldness [´bəuldnis] n.大胆；冒失；显著 (英语四级单词)
- mademoiselle [,mædəmə´zel] n.小姐；法国女教师 (英语六级单词)
- venomous [´venəməs] a.有毒的；恶意的 (英语六级单词)
- solicitor [sə´lisitə] n.律师；掮客 (英语六级单词)
- rebuff [ri´bʌf] n.&vt.拒绝；漠视 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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