world holds suffering and misfortune in abhorrence; it dreads them



like the plague; it never hesitates between vice and trouble, for vice

is a luxury. Ill-fortune may possess a majesty of its own, but society



can belittle it and make it ridiculous by an epigram. Society draws

caricatures, and in this way flings in the teeth of fallen kings the



affronts which it fancies it has received from them; society, like the

Roman youth at the circus, never shows mercy to the fallen gladiator;



mockery and money are its vital necessities. "Death to the weak!" That

is the oath taken by this kind of Equestrian order, instituted in



their midst by all the nations of the world; everywhere it makes for

the elevation of the rich, and its motto is deeply graven in hearts



that wealth has turned to stone, or that have been reared in

aristocratic prejudices.



Assemble a collection of school-boys together. That will give you a

society in miniature, a miniature which represents life more truly,



because it is so frank and artless; and in it you will always find

poor isolated beings, relegated to some place in the general



estimations between pity and contempt, on account of their weakness

and suffering. To these the Evangel promises heaven hereafter. Go



lower yet in the scale of organized creation. If some bird among its

fellows in the courtyard sickens, the others fall upon it with their



beaks, pluck out its feathers, and kill it. The whole world, in

accordance with its character of egotism, brings all its severity to



bear upon wretchedness that has the hardihood to spoil its

festivities, and to trouble its joys.



Any sufferer in mind or body, any helpless or poor man, is a pariah.

He had better remain in his solitude; if he crosses the boundary-line,



he will find winter everywhere; he will find freezing cold in other

men's looks, manners, words, and hearts; and lucky indeed is he if he



does not receive an insult where he expected that sympathy would be

expended upon him. Let the dying keep to their bed of neglect, and age



sit lonely by its fireside. Portionless maids, freeze and burn in your

solitary attics. If the world tolerates misery of any kind, it is to



turn it to account for its own purposes, to make some use of it,

saddle and bridle it, put a bit in its mouth, ride it about, and get



some fun out of it.

Crotchety spinsters, ladies' companions, put a cheerful face upon it,



endure the humors of your so-called benefactress, carry her lapdogs

for her; you have an English poodle for your rival, and you must seek



to understand the moods of your patroness, and amuse her, and--keep

silence about yourselves. As for you, unblushing parasite, uncrowned



king of unliveried servants, leave your real character at home, let

your digestion keep pace with your host's laugh when he laughs, mingle



your tears with his, and find his epigrams amusing; if you want to

relieve your mind about him, wait till he is ruined. That is the way



the world shows its respect for the unfortunate; it persecutes them,

or slays them in the dust.



Such thoughts as these welled up in Raphael's heart with the

suddenness of poeticinspiration. He looked around him, and felt the



influence of the forbidding gloom that society breathes out in order

to rid itself of the unfortunate; it nipped his soul more effectually



than the east wind grips the body in December. He locked his arms over

his chest, set his back against the wall, and fell into a deep



melancholy. He mused upon the meagre happiness that this depressing

way of living can give. What did it amount to? Amusement with no



pleasure in it, gaiety without gladness, joyless festivity, fevered

dreams empty of all delight, firewood or ashes on the hearth without a



spark of flame in them. When he raised his head, he found himself

• recommend [,rekə´mend] vt.推荐；使受欢迎 (初中英语单词)


• consult [kən´sʌlt] v.商量；磋商；请教 (初中英语单词)


• previous [´pri:viəs] a.先，前，以前的 (初中英语单词)


• treatment [´tri:tmənt] n.待遇；对待；治疗 (初中英语单词)


• employment [im´plɔimənt] n.工作；职业；雇用 (初中英语单词)


• intelligence [in´telidʒəns] n.智力；消息 (初中英语单词)


• strongly [´strɔŋli] ad.强烈地；强有力地 (初中英语单词)


• assist [ə´sist] v.协助；援助；搀扶 (初中英语单词)


• obtain [əb´tein] v.获得；买到；得到承认 (初中英语单词)


• succession [sək´seʃən] n.继任；继承(权) (初中英语单词)


• twilight [´twailait] n.黎明；黄昏 (初中英语单词)


• sunset [´sʌnset] n.日落；晚霞 (初中英语单词)


• phrase [freiz] n.短语；词组；措词 (初中英语单词)


• whisper [´wispə] v.耳语 n.低语；沙沙声 (初中英语单词)


• confusion [kən´fju:ʒən] n.混乱(状态)；骚乱 (初中英语单词)


• impulse [´impʌls] n.推动(力)；冲动；刺激 (初中英语单词)


• definite [´definit] a.确定的，明确的 (初中英语单词)


• vision [´viʒən] n.视觉；想象力；幻影 (初中英语单词)


• relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• astonishment [ə´stɔniʃmənt] n.吃惊；惊异 (初中英语单词)


• absent [´æbsənt, əb´sent] a.不在的 vt.使缺席 (初中英语单词)


• revenge [ri´vendʒ] vt.报复 n.报仇；报复 (初中英语单词)


• invisible [in´vizəbəl] a.看不见的；无形的 (初中英语单词)


• wealth [welθ] n.财富，财产 (初中英语单词)


• ability [ə´biliti] n.(办事)能力；才干 (初中英语单词)


• aspect [´æspekt] n.面貌；神色；方向 (初中英语单词)


• hidden [´hid(ə)n] hide 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• violent [´vaiələnt] a.强暴的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)


• hostile [´hɔstail] a.敌方的，敌意的 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• complaint [kəm´pleint] n.抱怨；叫屈 (初中英语单词)


• forbid [fə´bid] vt.禁止，不许，阻止 (初中英语单词)


• contrary [´kɔntrəri] a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词)


• screen [skri:n] n.银幕 vt.遮蔽 (初中英语单词)


• refuge [´refju:dʒ] v.&n.避难(所)；庇护 (初中英语单词)


• sovereign [´sɔvrin] a.至高无上的 n.君主 (初中英语单词)


• apparent [ə´pærənt] a.显然的；表面上的 (初中英语单词)


• sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)


• distress [di´stres] n.痛苦 vt.使苦恼 (初中英语单词)


• suffering [´sʌfəriŋ] n.痛苦；灾害 (初中英语单词)


• luxury [´lʌkʃəri] n.奢侈(品)；享受 (初中英语单词)


• majesty [´mædʒisti] n.壮丽；崇高；尊严 (初中英语单词)


• collection [kə´lekʃən] n.收集；征收；募捐 (初中英语单词)


• creation [kri´eiʃən] n.创作；作品；创造 (初中英语单词)


• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)


• helpless [´helpləs] a.无助的，无依靠的 (初中英语单词)


• insult [in´sʌlt, ´insʌlt] n.&vt.侮辱；损害 (初中英语单词)


• neglect [ni´glekt] vt.&n.疏忽；忽视；忽略 (初中英语单词)


• lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)


• freeze [fri:z] v.结冰；凝固；冷淡 (初中英语单词)


• misery [´mizəri] n.痛苦；悲惨；穷困 (初中英语单词)


• cheerful [´tʃiəful] a.快乐的；高兴的 (初中英语单词)


• unfortunate [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunit] a.不幸的，运气差的 (初中英语单词)


• amount [ə´maunt] n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词)


• amusement [ə´mju:zmənt] n.娱乐；文娱设施 (初中英语单词)


• soothe [su:ð] vt.安慰；镇定；减轻 (高中英语单词)


• approval [ə´pru:vəl] n.赞成，批准，认可 (高中英语单词)


• alternate [ɔ:l´tə:nit, ´ɔ:ltə:neit] a.交替的 v.轮流 (高中英语单词)


• melancholy [´melənkəli] n.忧郁 a.忧郁的 (高中英语单词)


• shadowy [´ʃædəui] a.有阴影的；模糊的 (高中英语单词)


• illusion [i´lu:ʒən] n.幻觉；幻影；错觉 (高中英语单词)


• marquis [´mɑ:kwis] n.侯爵 (高中英语单词)


• gloomy [´glu:mi] a.昏暗的；忧郁的 (高中英语单词)


• impatient [im´peiʃənt] a.不耐烦的，急躁的 (高中英语单词)


• harmless [´hɑ:mləs] a.无害的，无恶意的 (高中英语单词)


• reproach [ri´prəutʃ] vt.&n.责备；指责；耻辱 (高中英语单词)


• royalty [´rɔiəlti] n.王位；特权阶层；版税 (高中英语单词)


• loneliness [´ləunliniz] n.孤独，寂寞 (高中英语单词)


• dominion [də´miniən] n.主权；统治权；领地 (高中英语单词)


• pretence [pri´tens] n.假装；托词；无理要求 (高中英语单词)


• misfortune [mis´fɔ:tʃən] n.不幸；灾祸 (高中英语单词)


• plague [pleig] n.瘟疫 vt.使…染疫 (高中英语单词)


• ridiculous [ri´dikjuləs] a.荒谬的；可笑的 (高中英语单词)


• circus [´sə:kəs] n.马戏(团)；圆形广场 (高中英语单词)


• elevation [,eli´veiʃən] n.高度；晋升；高尚 (高中英语单词)


• miniature [´miniətʃə] n.缩样 a.雏型的 (高中英语单词)


• contempt [kən´tempt] n.轻蔑；受辱；不顾 (高中英语单词)


• hereafter [hiər´ɑ:ftə] ad.&n.将来；来世 (高中英语单词)


• courtyard [´kɔ:tjɑ:d] n.院子，庭院 (高中英语单词)


• solitude [´sɔlitju:d] n.孤独；寂寞；荒凉 (高中英语单词)


• bridle [´braidl] n.(马)笼头；束缚 (高中英语单词)


• so-called [´sou ´kɔ:ld] a.所谓的，号称的 (高中英语单词)


• amusing [ə´mju:ziŋ] a.有趣的 (高中英语单词)


• inspiration [,inspi´reiʃən] n.鼓舞；灵感；启发 (高中英语单词)


• hearth [hɑ:θ] n.炉边；家庭(生活) (高中英语单词)


• utility [ju:´tiliti] n.有用 a.有各种用途的 (英语四级单词)


• gathering [´gæðəriŋ] n.集会，聚集 (英语四级单词)


• peculiarly [pi´kju:liəli] ad.特有地；古怪地 (英语四级单词)


• sentimental [,senti´mentl] a.感伤的；多愁善感的 (英语四级单词)


• invalid [in´vælid] n.病人 a.无效的 (英语四级单词)


• momentary [´məuməntəri] a.瞬息间的 (英语四级单词)


• corpse [kɔ:ps] n.尸体 (英语四级单词)


• naturalist [´nætʃərəlist] n.自然主义者 (英语四级单词)


• seemingly [´si:miŋli] ad.表面上；似乎 (英语四级单词)


• luxurious [lʌg´zjuəriəs] a.奢侈的；豪华的 (英语四级单词)


• humility [hju:´militi] n.谦逊，谦让 (英语四级单词)


• dispense [di´spens] v.分配；施与；执行 (英语四级单词)


• instinctively [in´stiŋktivli] ad.本能地 (英语四级单词)


• unlucky [ʌn´lʌki] a.倒霉的，不幸的 (英语四级单词)


• bodily [´bɔdili] a.身体的 ad.亲自 (英语四级单词)


• severity [si´veriti] n.严厉；严重；苛刻 (英语四级单词)


• sufferer [´sʌfərə] n.受苦的人；患者 (英语四级单词)


• digestion [di´dʒestʃən] n.消化(力) (英语四级单词)


• gladness [´glædnis] n.愉快，高兴，喜悦 (英语四级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• involuntary [in´vɔləntəri] a.无意识的；非自愿的 (英语六级单词)


• selfishness [´selfiʃnis] n.自私；不顾别人 (英语六级单词)


• fleeting [´fli:tiŋ] a.飞逝的，疾驰的 (英语六级单词)


• unmoved [ʌn´mu:vd] a.无动于衷的；坚定的 (英语六级单词)


• insight [´insait] n.洞悉；洞察力；见识 (英语六级单词)


• coolness [´ku:lnis] n.凉，凉爽；冷静 (英语六级单词)


• varnish [´vɑ:niʃ] n.清漆 vt.上清漆；粉饰 (英语六级单词)


• loathsome [´ləuðsəm] a.讨厌的，令人作呕的 (英语六级单词)


• phantom [´fæntəm] n.幽灵；幻影 a.幻想的 (英语六级单词)


• minded [´maindid] a.有…心的 (英语六级单词)


• robust [rəu´bʌst] a.强建的；茁壮的 (英语六级单词)


• fireside [´faiəsaid] n.炉边；家；家庭生活 (英语六级单词)


• parasite [´pærəsait] n.寄生动(植)物；食客 (英语六级单词)


• poetic [pəu´etik] a.理想化了的 (英语六级单词)


• gaiety [´geəti] n.欢乐；乐事；华丽 (英语六级单词)


• festivity [fe´stiviti] n.节日；喜庆日；庆祝 (英语六级单词)


• firewood [´faiəwud] n.柴，薪 (英语六级单词)