前言

秘方简介

常用词列表

Stave 1

Stave 2

STAVE ONE

MARLEY'S GHOST

Marley was dead 死去的, to begin with. There is no doubt 怀疑 what‧ever 无论什么 about that. The register 寄存器 of his burial 葬礼 was signed 符号 by the clergy‧man 牧师, the clerk 店员, the under‧take 承担, and the chief 主要；首领 mourner 悼. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change for any‧thing 任何东西 he chose 挑选:choose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead 死去的 as a door 门-nail 钉子.

Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge 知识；了解, what there is particularly 特别 dead about a door- nail. I might have been inclined 倾斜, myself 我, to regard 认为 a coffin 棺材- nail as the deadest 死去的 piece 块 of ironmongery in the trade 贸易. But the wisdom 智慧 of our ancestors 祖先 is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall 将要 not disturb 打扰 it, or the Country's done for. You will, therefore 因此, permit 许可 me to repeat 重复, emphatically 重点, that Marley was as dead 死去的 as a door 门-nail 钉子.

Scrooge knew know he was dead? Of course he did. How could it be other‧wise 否则? Scrooge and he were partners 伙伴 for I don't know how many years. Scrooge was his sole 唯一 executor, his sole 唯一 administrator 管理员, his sole 唯一 assign 分配, his sole 唯一 residuary legatee, his sole 唯一 friend 朋友, and sole 唯一 mourner 悼. And even Scrooge was not so dreadfully 可怕 cut 砍 up by the sad 悲哀的 event 事件, but that he was an excellent 卓越的 man of business on the very day of the funeral 葬礼, and solemnised it with an undoubted bar‧gain 讨价还价；交易.

The mention 提到 of Marley's funeral brings me back to the point I started from. There is no doubt 怀疑 that Marley was dead 死去的. This must be distinctly 历历 understood 懂:understand, or nothing wonderful 精彩 can come of the story 故事 I am going to relate 相关. If we were not perfectly 完美地，完满地 convinced 说服 that Hamlet's Father 父亲 died 死亡 before the play began begin, there would be nothing more many remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 in his taking a stroll 漫步 at night, in an easterly wind 风, upon his own ramparts, than there would be in any other middle 中部-aged 年龄 gentle‧man 先生 rashly 皮疹 turning out after dark 黑暗的 in a breezy spot 地点—say St. Paul's Church-yard 院子, for instance 例—literally 按照字面 to astonish 使惊讶 his son 儿子's weak 柔弱的 mind.

Scrooge never painted 描绘；颜料 out Old Marley's name. There it stood stand, years after‧ward 之后, above 之上 the ware‧house 仓库 door 门: Scrooge and Marley. The firm 坚固的 was known know as Scrooge and Marley. Sometimes 有时 people new to the business called Scrooge Scrooge, and sometimes Marley, but he answered 答复 to both names. It was all the same to him.

Oh! but he was a tight 紧的-fisted 拳头 hand at the grind‧stone 磨碎‧石头, Scrooge! a squeezing 挤, wrenching 扳手, grasping 把握, scraping 擦, clutching 离合器, covetous, old sinner 罪! Hard 硬；困难的 and sharp 敏锐的 as flint, from which no steel 钢 had ever 永远；曾经 struck 敲击:strike out generous 慷慨的 fire 火; secret 秘密, and self 自己-contained 包含, and solitary 孤 as an oyster 牡蛎. The cold 寒冷的 within 在内 him froze 使结冰；不动:freeze his old features 特征, nipped 掐 his pointed nose 鼻子, shrivelled his cheek 脸颊, stiffened 弄硬 his gait; made his eyes red 红色的, his thin 薄的 lips 嘴唇 blue 蓝色; and spoke 讲:speak out shrewdly 精明 in his grating 炉排 voice 嗓音. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eye‧brow 眉, and his wiry chin 下巴. He carried 运送；支撑 his own low 低的 temperature 温度 always about with him; he iced 冰 his office 办公室 in the dog 狗-days; and didn't thaw 解冻 it one degree 度 at Christmas 圣诞节.

External 外面的；外表的；来自外部的 heat 热 and cold 寒冷的 had little influence 影响 on Scrooge. No warmth 温暖 could warm 暖和的, no wintry weather 天气 chill 寒意 him. No wind 风 that blew 吹；殴打:blow was bitterer 苦的 than he, no falling 落下 snow 雪；下雪 was more many intent 意图 upon its purpose 目的, no pelting rain 雨 less little open to entreaty. Foul weather 天气 didn't know where to have him. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail 冰雹, and sleet could boast 自夸 of the advantage 有利条件 over him in only one respect 尊重. They often "came down" hand‧some 英俊 and Scrooge never did.

Nobody 没有人 ever 永远；曾经 stopped 停止 him in the street 街 to say, with glad‧some 高兴的‧一些 looks, "My dear 亲爱的 Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?" No beggars 乞丐 implored him to bestow 赐给 a trifle 琐事, no children asked him what it was o' clock 钟, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired 打听 the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. Even the blind 失明的 men's dogs 狗 appeared 出现 to know him; and, when they saw see him coming on, would tug 拖船 their owners 所有者 into door‧way 门口 and up courts 法院; and then would wag 摇摆 their tails 尾 as though they said, "No eye at all is better well than an evil 邪恶的 eye, dark 黑暗的 master 主人；硕士!"

But what did Scrooge care 关心? It was the very thing he liked. To edge 边 his way along 一起 the crowded 人群；拥挤 paths 小路 of life, warning 警告 all human 人 sympathy 同情 to keep its distance 距离, was what the knowing ones call " nuts 螺母" to Scrooge.

Once upon a time—of all the good days in the year, on Christmas 圣诞节 Eve—old Scrooge sat 坐:sit busy 忙碌的 in his counting 数；总数-house. It was cold 寒冷的, bleak 苍凉, biting 咬 weather 天气: foggy withal: and he could hear the people in the court 法院 out‧side 在外面 go wheezing up and down, beating 打败 their hands upon their breasts 乳房, and stamping 邮票 their feet upon the pavement 路面 stones 石头 to warm 暖和的 them. The City clocks 钟 had only just gone three, but it was quite 相当 dark 黑暗的 already 早已；已经—it had not been light all day—and candles 蜡烛 were flaring 闪光 in the windows 窗 of the neighbouring offices 办公室, like ruddy smears 涂抹 upon the palpable brown 棕色的 air 天空. The fog 多雾路段 came pouring 淋；倒 in at every chink and key‧hole 钥匙‧洞, and was so dense 稠密 without, that, although 尽管 the court 法院 was of the narrowest 狭窄的, the houses opposite 相对的 were mere 仅仅 phantoms. To see the dingy cloud 云 come drooping down, obscuring 朦胧 every‧thing 每件事物, one might have thought think that nature lived hard 硬；困难的 by and was brewing 酿造 on a large scale 规模.

The door 门 of Scrooge's counting 数；总数-house was open, that he might keep his eye upon his clerk 店员, who in a dismal 惨淡 little cell 细胞 beyond 超过, a sort 分类 of tank 容器, was copying 复制品 letters 信. Scrooge had a very small fire 火, but the clerk 店员's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal 煤. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept keep the coal-box 盒；耳光 in his own room; and so surely 肯定地，想必，无疑地 as the clerk 店员 came in with the shovel 铲, the master 主人；硕士 predicted 预测 that it would be necessary 必要的 for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white 白色的 comforter 安慰, and tried to warm 暖和的 him‧self 他自己 at the candle 蜡烛; in which effort 努力, not being 存在 a man of strong 强的 imagination 想像力, he failed 失败.

"A merry 愉快的 Christmas 圣诞节, uncle 叔叔! God save 节省 you!" cried 哭，叫喊 a cheerful 快乐 voice 嗓音. It was the voice of Scrooge's nephew 侄子, who came upon him so quickly 迅速地 that this was the first intimation he had of his approach 靠近.

"Bah!" said Scrooge. "Humbug!"

He had so heated 热 him‧self 他自己 with rapid 快速的 walking 走；步行同道 in the fog 多雾路段 and frost 霜, this nephew 侄子 of Scrooge's, that he was all in a glow 辉光; his face was ruddy and hand‧some 英俊; his eyes sparkled 火花, and his breath 呼吸 smoked 烟 again.

" Christmas 圣诞节 a humbug, uncle 叔叔!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure 确信的?"

"I do," said Scrooge. " Merry 愉快的 Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason 理由 have you to be merry? You're poor 贫穷的 enough."

"Come, then," returned 回转 the nephew 侄子 gaily 快乐的. "What right have you to be dismal 惨淡? What reason 理由 have you to be morose? You're rich 富有的 enough."

Scrooge, having no better well answer 答复 ready 准备好的 on the spur 骨刺 of the moment 瞬间, said, "Bah!" again; and followed it up with "Humbug!"

"Don't be cross 穿过；十字, uncle 叔叔!" said the nephew 侄子.

"What else 其他 can I be," returned 回转 the uncle, "when I live in such a world of fools 愚人 as this? Merry 愉快的 Christmas 圣诞节! Out upon merry Christmas! What's Christmas-time to you but a time for paying bills 账单 without money 钱; a time for finding your‧self 你自己 a year older, and not an hour 小时 richer 富有的; a time for balancing 平衡 your books 书, and having every item 项目 in 'em through a round 圆形的；围绕 dozen （一）打；十二 of months 月 presented dead 死去的 against you? If I could work my will," said Scrooge indignantly, "every idiot 白痴 who goes about with ' Merry 愉快的 Christmas 圣诞节' on his lips 嘴唇 should be boiled 煮沸 with his own pudding 布丁, and buried 埋葬 with a stake 赌注 of holly through his heart 心. He should!"

" Uncle 叔叔!" pleaded 求情 the nephew 侄子.

" Nephew!" returned 回转 the uncle sternly 严肃, "keep Christmas 9 in your own way, and let me keep it in mine 我的."

"Keep it!" repeated 重复 Scrooge's nephew. "But you don't keep it."

"Let me leave it alone 单独的, then," said Scrooge. "Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever 永远；曾经 done you!"

"There are many things from which I might have derived 派生 good, by which I have not profited 收益, I dare 敢 say," returned 回转 the nephew 侄子; "Christmas 10 among 之间 the rest 休息，其余. But I am sure 确信的 I have always thought think of Christmas 11-time, when it has come round 圆形的；围绕— apart 相隔 from the veneration due 由于 to its sacred 神圣的 name and origin 起源, if any‧thing 任何东西 belonging 属于 to it can be apart 相隔 from that—as a good time; a kind, for‧give 原谅, charitable 慈善, pleasant 可爱的 time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar 日历 of the year, when men and women seem by one consent 同意 to open their shut 关闭-up hearts 心 freely 自由的, and to think of people below 在下面 them as if they really were fellow 同伴-passengers 乘客 to the grave 坟墓；严重的, and not another race 赛跑 of creatures 动物；生物 bound 必定；跳 on other journeys 旅行. And therefore 因此, uncle 叔叔, though it has never put a scrap 废料 of gold 金 or silver 银 in my pocket 口袋, I believe 信任 that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless 祝福 it!"

The clerk 店员 in the tank 容器 involuntarily 非自愿 applauded 鼓掌欢迎. Becoming immediately 立即，马上 sensible 明智 of the impropriety, he poked 戳 the fire 火, and extinguished 扑灭 the last frail 脆弱 spark 火花 for ever 永远；曾经.

"Let me hear another sound 声音 from you," said Scrooge, "and you'll keep your Christmas 12 by losing 失去 your situation 处境! You're quite 相当 a powerful 强大 speaker 发言人，演讲人, sir 先生," he added 增加, turning to his nephew 侄子. "I wonder 琢磨；奇妙 you don't go into Parliament."

"Don't be angry 生气的, uncle 叔叔. Come! Dine 吃饭 with us to-morrow."

Scrooge said that he would see him——Yes, indeed 的确 he did. He went the whole 全部的 length 长度 of the expression 表现, and said that he would see him in that extremity first.

"But why?" cried 哭，叫喊 Scrooge's nephew 10. "Why?"

"Why did you get married 结婚?" said Scrooge.

"Because I fell 落下:fall in love 爱."

"Because you fell in love!" growled 吠声 Scrooge, as if that were the only one thing in the world more many ridiculous 荒谬 than a merry 愉快的 Christmas 13. "Good after‧noon 下午!"

"Nay, uncle 8, but you never came to see me before that happened 发生. Why give it as a reason 理由 for not coming now?"

"Good afternoon," said Scrooge.

"I want nothing from you; I ask nothing of you; why cannot we be friends 朋友?"

"Good afternoon!" said Scrooge.

"I am sorry 对不起的, with all my heart 心, to find you so resolute. We have never had any quarrel 争吵 to which I have been a party 社交聚会. But I have made the trial 试验；审判 in homage 尊敬 to Christmas 14, and I'll keep my Christmas 15 humour to the last. So A Merry 愉快的 Christmas, uncle 9!"

"Good after‧noon 下午," said Scrooge.

"And A Happy 幸福的 New Year!"

"Good afternoon!" said Scrooge.

His nephew 11 left 左边；留下；离开 the room without an angry 生气的 word, notwithstanding 虽然. He stopped 停止 at the outer door 门 to bestow 赐给 the greetings 欢迎 of the season 季节 on the clerk 店员, who, cold 寒冷的 as he was, was warmer 暖和的 than Scrooge; for he returned 回转 them cordially.

"There's another fellow 同伴," muttered 咕哝 Scrooge, who over‧hear 偷听 him: "my clerk, with fifteen 十五 shillings 一毛钱 a week, and a wife 妻子 and family, talking 说话 about a merry 愉快的 Christmas. I'll retire 退休 to Bedlam."

This lunatic 疯子, in letting Scrooge's nephew 12 out, had let two other people in. They were portly 港口 gentlemen, pleasant 可爱的 to behold 不料, and now stood stand, with their hats 帽子 off, in Scrooge's office 办公室. They had books 书 and papers 纸；报纸 in their hands, and bowed 弓 to him.

"Scrooge and Marley's, I believe 信任," said one of the gentlemen, referring 提到 to his list 清单. "Have I the pleasure 愉快 of addressing 地址 Mr. Scrooge, or Mr. Marley?"

"Mr. Marley has been dead 7 these seven 七 years," Scrooge replied 回答. "He died 死亡 seven 七 years ago 以前, this very night."

"We have no doubt 怀疑 his liberality is well represented 代表 by his surviving 生存 partner 伙伴," said the gentle‧man 先生, presenting his credentials 凭据.

It certainly was; for they had been two kind‧red 种类‧红色的 spirits 精神. At the ominous 不祥的 word "liberality" Scrooge frowned 皱眉, and shook 摇晃:shake his head, and handed the credentials 凭据 back.

"At this festive 欢乐的 season 季节 of the year, Mr. Scrooge," said the gentleman, taking up a pen 笔, "it is more many than usually desirable 合意 that we should make some slight 微小的 provision 规定 for the poor 贫穷的 and destitute, who suffer 受痛苦 greatly at the present time. Many thou‧sand 千 are in want of common 普通的 necessaries 必要的; hundreds 百 of thou‧sand 千 are in want of common comforts 安慰, sir 先生."

"Are there no prisons 监狱?" asked Scrooge.

" Plenty 丰富 of prisons," said the gentle‧man 先生, laying 放置 down the pen 笔 again.

"And the Union 同盟 workhouses?" demanded 要求 Scrooge. "Are they still in operation 操作?"

"They are. Still," returned 回转 the gentle‧man 先生, "I wish 希望 I could say they were not."

"The Treadmill and the Poor 贫穷的 Law are in full 满的 vigour, then?" said Scrooge.

"Both very busy 忙碌的, sir 先生."

"Oh! I was afraid 害怕的, from what you said at first, that something had occurred 发生 to stop 停止 them in their useful 有用 course," said Scrooge. "I am very glad 高兴的 to hear it."

"Under the impression 印象 that they scarcely 缺乏的 furnish 陈设 Christian cheer 欢呼 of mind or body 身体 to the multitude 苠," returned 6 the gentle‧man 先生, "a few of us are endeavouring to raise 提升；种 a fund 基金；专款；资金 to buy 购买 the Poor 贫穷的 some meat 肉 and drink 喝（酒）, and means of warmth 温暖. We choose 挑选 this time, because it is a time, of all others 别的, when Want is keenly 热切的 felt feel, and Abundance rejoices 欢庆. What shall 将要 I put you down for?"

"Nothing!" Scrooge replied 回答.

"You wish 希望 to be anonymous 匿名?"

"I wish to be left 左边；留下；离开 alone 单独的," said Scrooge. "Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer 答复. I don't make merry 10 myself 我 at Christmas, and I can't afford 买得起 to make idle 无意义的 people merry 11. I help to support 支持 the establishments 机构 I have mentioned 提到—they cost enough; and those who are badly 很糟地 off must go there."

"Many can't go there; and many would rather die 死亡."

"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better well do it, and decrease 减少 the surplus 剩余 population 人口. Besides 而且— excuse 原谅 me—I don't know that."

"But you might know it," observed 观察 the gentle‧man 先生.

"It's not my business," Scrooge returned 7. "It's enough for a man to under‧stand 懂 his own business, and not to interfere 干预 with other people's. Mine 我的 occupies 占据 me constantly 总是；经常地，不断地. Good after‧noon 下午, gentlemen!"

Seeing clearly that it would be use‧less 无用 to pursue 追求 their point, the gentlemen withdrew. Scrooge resumed 恢复 his labours with an improved 改进 opinion 意见 of him‧self 他自己, and in a more many facetious temper 性情 than was usual with him.

Meanwhile 同时 the fog 多雾路段 and darkness 黑暗 thickened 变浓厚 so, that people ran run about with flaring 闪光 links 链接, proffering their services to go before horses 马 in carriages 运输, and conduct 进行 them on their way. The ancient 古代的 tower 塔 of a church, whose 谁的 gruff old bell 钟 was always peeping 窥视 slily down at Scrooge out of a Gothic window 窗 in the wall 墙, became become invisible 无形, and struck 敲击:strike the hours 小时 and quarters 四分之一 in the clouds 云, with tremulous vibrations 振动 after‧ward 之后, as if its teeth were chattering 喋喋不休 in its frozen 使结冰；不动:freeze head up there. The cold 寒冷的 became become intense 强烈的，极度的. In the main 主要的 street 街, at the corner 角落 of the court 法院, some labourers were repairing 修理 the gas 气体-pipes 管子, and had lighted light a great fire 火 in a brazier, round 圆形的；围绕 which a party 社交聚会 of ragged 抹布 men and boys were gathered 收集: warming 暖和的 their hands and winking 眨眼 their eyes before the blaze 火焰 in rapture. The water-plug 插头 being 存在 left 左边；留下；离开 in solitude 孤独, its over‧flow 溢出 suddenly 突然；猛地，骤然 congealed, and turned to misanthropic ice 冰. The brightness 亮度 of the shops 商店, where holly sprigs and berries 梅；浆果 crackled 裂纹 in the lamp 灯 heat 热 of the windows 窗, made pale 苍白的 faces ruddy as they passed 走过. Poulterers' and grocers' trades 贸易 became become a splendid 壮观的 joke 笑话: a glorious 辉煌 page‧ant 页‧蚂蚁, with which it was next to impossible 不可能的 to believe 信任 that such dull 钝的；没兴趣 principles 原理 as bar‧gain 讨价还价；交易 and sale 卖 had any‧thing 任何东西 to do. The Lord 主 Mayor, in the strong‧hold 据点 of the mighty 威武 Mansion House, gave give orders to his fifty 五十 cooks 烹调 and butlers 男管家 to keep Christmas as a Lord Mayor's house‧hold 家庭 should; and even the little tailor 裁缝, whom 谁 he had fined 好的 five shillings 一毛钱 on the previous 以前 Monday for being 存在 drunk 醉的 and blood 血-thirsty 渴 in the streets 街, stirred 搅动 up to-morrow's pudding 布丁 in his garret, while his lean 靠 wife 妻子 and the baby 婴儿 sallied out to buy 购买 the beef 牛肉.

Foggier yet, and colder 寒冷的! Piercing, searching 搜寻, biting 咬 cold 寒冷的. If the good St. Dunstan had but nipped 掐 the Evil 邪恶的 Spirit 精神's nose 鼻子 with a touch 触摸 of such weather 天气 as that, instead 代替 of using his familiar 熟悉的 weapons 武器, then indeed 的确 he would have roared 咆哮 to lusty purpose 目的. The owner of one scant 很少的 young nose 鼻子, gnawed and mumbled 咕哝 by the hungry 饥饿 cold 寒冷的 as bones 骨头 are gnawed by dogs 狗, stooped 哈腰 down at Scrooge's key‧hole 钥匙‧洞 to regale him with a Christmas carol; but, at the first sound 声音 of

Scrooge seized 抓住 the ruler 规则 with such energy 能源 of action 行动, that the singer 歌唱家，歌手 fled in terror 恐怖, leaving the key‧hole 钥匙‧洞 to the fog 多雾路段, and even more many congenial frost 霜.

At length 长度 the hour 小时 of shutting 关闭 up the counting 数；总数-house arrived 到达. With an ill 生病-will Scrooge dismounted from his stool 粪便, and tacitly 默 admitted 许可进入 the fact to the expect‧ant 期望‧蚂蚁 clerk 8 in the tank 容器, who instantly 瞬间 snuffed his candle 蜡烛 out, and put on his hat 帽子.

"You'll want all day to-morrow, I suppose 假定?" said Scrooge.

"If quite 相当 convenient 方便的, sir 先生."

"It's not convenient," said Scrooge, "and it's not fair 公平；美丽. If I was to stop 停止 half 一半的-a-crown 王冠 for it, you'd think your‧self 你自己 ill 生病 used, I'll be bound 必定；跳?"

The clerk 9 smiled 微笑 faintly 微弱的.

"And yet," said Scrooge, "you don't think me ill used when I pay a day's wages 工资 for no work."

The clerk 10 observed 观察 that it was only once a year.

"A poor 贫穷的 excuse 原谅 for picking 挑选 a man's pocket 口袋 every twenty 二十-fifth of December!" said Scrooge, buttoning 按钮 his great-coat 上衣 to the chin 下巴. "But I suppose 假定 you must have the whole 全部的 day. Be here all the earlier next morning 早晨."

The clerk 11 promised 允诺 that he would; and Scrooge walked 走；步行同道 out with a growl 吠声. The office 办公室 was closed in a twinkling 眨眼, and the clerk 12, with the long ends of his white 白色的 comforter 安慰 dangling 吊着 below 在下面 his waist 腰 (for he boasted 自夸 no great-coat 上衣), went down a slide 滑落 on Cornhill, at the end of a lane 车道 of boys, twenty 二十 times, in honour of its being 存在 Christmas-eve 前夕, and then ran run home to Camden Town 城镇 as hard 硬；困难的 as he could pelt, to play at blind‧man 失明的‧男人's buff 浅黄色.

Scrooge took his melancholy 愁绪 dinner 正餐 in his usual melancholy 愁绪 tavern 酒馆; and having read all the news‧paper 报纸, and beguiled the rest 休息，其余 of the evening 傍晚 with his banker 银行；岸's book 书, went home to bed 床. He lived in chambers 室 which had once belonged 属于 to his deceased 死亡 partner 伙伴. They were a gloomy 阴沉 suite 套房 of rooms, in a lowering pile 堆 of building 建造 up ayard 院子, where it had so little business to be, that one could scarcely 缺乏的 help fancying 想像 it must have run there when it was a young house, playing at hide 隐藏-and-seek 寻求 with other houses, and have forgotten 忘记:forget the way out again. It was old enough now, and dreary 凄凉 enough; for nobody 没有人 lived in it but Scrooge, the other rooms being 存在 all let out as offices 办公室. Theyard 院子 was so dark 黑暗的 that even Scrooge, who knew know its every stone 石头, was fain to grope 摸索 with his hands. The fog 多雾路段 and frost 霜 so hung 悬挂:hang about the black 黑色 old gate‧way 网关 of the house, that it seemed as if the Genius of the Weather 天气 sat 坐:sit in mournful meditation 冥想 on the threshold 阈.

Now, it is a fact that there was nothing at all particular 特别的 about the knocker 敲 on the door 6, except 把…除外 that it was very large. It is also a fact that Scrooge had seen see it, night and morning 早晨, during his whole 全部的 residence 住宅 in that place; also that Scrooge had as little of what is called fancy 想像 about him as any man in the City of London, even including 包括—which is a bold 胆大的；醒目的 word—the corporation 公司, aldermen, and livery. Let it also be borne 生；熊:bear in mind that Scrooge had not bestowed 赐给 one thought think on Marley since his last mention 提到 of his seven 七-years'-dead 8 partner 伙伴 that after‧noon 下午. And then let any man explain 讲解 to me, if he can, how it happened 发生 that Scrooge, having his key 钥匙 in the lock 锁 of the door 7, saw see in the knocker 敲, without its undergoing 经历 any intermediate 中间 process 过程；步骤 of change—not a knocker, but Marley's face.

Marley's face. It was not in impenetrable shadow 阴影, as the other objects 物体；反对 in theyard 院子 were, but had a dismal 惨淡 light about it, like a bad 坏的 lobster 龙虾 in a dark 黑暗的 cellar 地窖. It was not angry 生气的 or ferocious 凶猛, but looked at Scrooge as Marley used to look: with ghostly 鬼 spectacles 场面；眼镜 turned up on its ghostly 鬼 fore‧head 前额. The hair 头发 was curiously 好奇的 stirred 搅动, as if by breath 呼吸 of hot 热的 air 天空; and, though the eyes were wide 宽的 open, they were perfectly 完美地，完满地 motion‧less 运动‧少. That, and its livid colour, made it horrible 可怕; but its horror 恐怖 seemed to be in spite 恶意 of the face, and beyond 超过 its control 控制, rather than a part of its own expression 表现.

As Scrooge looked fixedly at this phenomenon 现象，存在的事物, it was a knocker 敲 again.

To say that he was not startled 惊吓, or that his blood 血 was not conscious 有意识的 of a terrible 可怕的 sensation 感觉 to which it had been a stranger 奇怪；陌生 from infancy 婴儿期, would be untrue 不确实. But he put his hand upon the key 钥匙 he had relinquished 放弃, turned it sturdily 粗壮, walked 走；步行同道 in, and lighted light his candle 蜡烛.

He did pause 暂停, with a moment 瞬间's irresolution, before he shut 关闭 the door 8; and he did look cautiously 小心的 behind 之后 it first, as if he half 一半的 expected to be terrified 惊吓 with the sight 视力 of Marley's pig‧tail 猪‧尾 sticking 棍；粘贴 out into the hall 过道. But there was nothing on the back of the door 9, except 把…除外 the screws 螺丝钉 and nuts 螺母 that held hold the knocker 敲 on, so he said, "Pooh, pooh!" and closed it with a bang 砰.

The sound 声音 resounded 回响 through the house like thunder 雷声. Every room above 之上, and every cask in the wine 葡萄酒 merchant 商人's cellars 地窖 below 在下面, appeared 出现 to have a separate 分开 peal of echoes 回声 of its own. Scrooge was not a man to be frightened 使惊恐 by echoes 回声. He fastened 系牢 the door, and walked 走；步行同道 across 穿过 the hall 过道, and up the stairs 楼梯: slowly 缓慢地，慢吞吞地, too: trimming 修剪 his candle 蜡烛 as he went.

You may talk 说话 vaguely 依稀 about driving 驾驶 a coach 教练 and six 6 up a good old flight 飞行 of stairs, or through a bad 坏的 young Act of Parliament; but I mean to say you might have got get a hearse up that stair‧case 楼梯, and taken it broad‧wise 宽阔的‧明智的；聪明的, with the splinter 碎片-bar 条；酒吧 towards the wall 墙, and the door towards the balustrades: and done it easy 容易的. There was plenty 丰富 of width 宽度 for that, and room to spare 节省；多余的；备用件; which is perhaps 或许 the reason 理由 why Scrooge thought think he saw see a locomotive 机车 hearse going on before him in the gloom 愁云. Half 一半的-a- dozen （一）打；十二 gas 气体-lamps 灯 out of the street 街 wouldn't have lighted light the entry 条目 too well, so you may suppose 假定 that it was pretty 漂亮的 dark 黑暗的 with Scrooge's dip 浸.

Up Scrooge went, not caring 关心 a button 按钮 for that. Darkness is cheap 便宜的, and Scrooge liked it. But, before he shut 关闭 his heavy 厚实；重的 door, he walked 走；步行同道 through his rooms to see that all was right. He had just enough recollection 回忆 of the face to desire 希望 to do that.

Sitting-room, bed‧room 卧室, lumber 木料-room. All as they should be. Nobody 没有人 under the table 桌；表, nobody under the sofa 沙发; a small fire 火 in the grate 炉排; spoon 匙 and basin 盆 ready 准备好的; and the little sauce‧pan 平底锅 of gruel (Scrooge had a cold 7 in his head) upon the hob. Nobody under the bed 床; nobody in the closet 壁橱; nobody in his dressing 衣服-gown 袍, which was hanging 悬挂 up in a suspicious 可疑的 attitude 态度 against the wall 墙. Lumber-room as usual. Old fire 6-guard 警卫, old shoes 鞋, two fish 鱼 baskets 篮, washing 洗-stand on three legs 腿, and a poker 捅火钩；扑克.

Quite 相当 satisfied 使满意, he closed his door, and locked 锁 him‧self 他自己 in; double 双的 locked himself in, which was not his custom 习惯. Thus 于是 secured 安全 against surprise 使惊奇, he took off his cravat; put on his dressing 衣服-gown 袍 and slip‧per 拖鞋, and his night‧cap 夜‧盖; and sat 坐:sit down before the fire 7 to take his gruel.

It was a very low 低的 fire 8 indeed 的确; nothing on such a bitter 苦的 night. He was obliged 责成 to sit 坐 close to it, and brood 窝 over it, before he could extract 提取 the least 最小的 sensation 感觉 of warmth 温暖 from such a handful 少数 of fuel 汽油. The fire 9-place was an old one, built build by some Dutch merchant 商人 long ago 以前, and paved 铺平 all round 圆形的；围绕 with quaint 精巧 Dutch tiles 瓦, designed 设计，计划 to illustrate 说明 the Scriptures. There were Cains and Abels, Pharaoh's daughters 女儿, Queens of Sheba, Angelic messengers 信使 descending 下来 through the air 天空 on clouds 云 like feather 羽毛 beds 床, Abrahams, Belshazzars, Apostles putting off to sea 海 in butter 黄油-boats 小船, hundreds 百 of figures to attract 吸引 his thoughts; and yet that face of Marley, seven 七 years dead 9, came like the ancient 古代的 Prophet's rod 杆, and swallowed 吞 up the whole 全部的. If each smooth 光滑的 tile 瓦 had been a blank 空白 at first, with power to shape 形状 some picture 照片 on its surface 表面 from the disjointed fragments 分段 of his thoughts, there would have been a copy 复制品 of old Marley's head on every one.

"Humbug!" said Scrooge; and walked 走；步行同道 across 穿过 the room.

After several turns he sat 坐:sit down again. As he threw 投掷:throw his head back in the chair 椅子, his glance 一瞥 happened 发生 to rest 休息，其余 upon a bell 钟, a disused bell, that hung 悬挂:hang in the room, and communicated 通信, for some purpose 目的 now forgotten 忘记:forget, with a chamber 室 in the highest story 故事 of the building 建造. It was with great astonishment 惊愕, and with a strange 奇怪；陌生, inexplicable dread 恐惧, that, as he looked, he saw see this bell 钟 begin to swing 摇摆. It swung 摇摆:swing so softly 软的 in the outset 开始 that it scarcely 缺乏的 made a sound 声音; but soon 立刻 it rang 戒指；打电话:ring out loudly 响亮的, and so did every bell 钟 in the house.

This might have lasted half 一半的 a minute 分, or a minute, but it seemed an hour 小时. The bells 钟 ceased 停止, as they had begun begin, together 同时. They were succeeded 成功 by a clan‧king 氏族‧国王 noise 噪音, deep 深的 down below 在下面, as if some person were dragging 拖拽 a heavy 厚实；重的 chain 链子 over the casks in the wine 葡萄酒 merchant 商人's cellar 地窖. Scrooge then remembered 记得 to have heard hear that ghosts 鬼 in haunted 出没 houses were described 描写 as dragging 拖拽 chains 链子.

The cellar 地窖 door flew 飞；苍蝇:fly open with a booming 繁荣 sound 声音, and then he heard hear the noise 噪音 much louder 响亮的 on the floors 地面 below 在下面; then coming up the stairs 楼梯; then coming straight 直的 towards his door.

"It's humbug still!" said Scrooge. "I won 赢:win't believe 信任 it."

His colour changed, though, when, without a pause 暂停, it came on through the heavy 厚实；重的 door, and passed 走过 into the room before his eyes. Upon its coming in, the dying 死亡 flame 火焰 leaped 飞跃 up, as though it cried 哭，叫喊, "I know him! Marley's Ghost!" and fell 落下:fall again.

The same face: the very same. Marley in his pig‧tail 猪‧尾, usual waist‧coat 腰‧上衣, tights 紧的, and boots 靴；鞋; the tassels on the latter 后者的 bristling 鬃, like his pig‧tail 猪‧尾, and hiscoat 上衣-skirts 裙子, and the hair 头发 upon his head. The chain 链子 he drew 绘画:draw was clasped 钩 about his middle 中部. It was long, and wound 创伤 about him like a tail 尾; and it was made (for Scrooge observed 观察 it closely) of cash 现金-boxes 盒；耳光, keys 钥匙, padlocks, ledgers 总帐, deeds 行为, and heavy 厚实；重的 purses 钱包 wrought 锻 in steel 钢. His body 身体 was trans‧parent 透明; so that Scrooge, observing 观察 him, and looking through his waist‧coat 腰‧上衣, could see the two buttons 按钮 on hiscoat 上衣 behind 之后.

Scrooge had often heard hear it said that Marley had no bowels 肠, but he had never believed 信任 it until now.

No, nor 也不 did he believe 信任 it even now. Though he looked the phantom through and through, and saw see it standing before him; though he felt feel the chilling 寒意 influence 影响 of its death 死亡-cold 8 eyes; and marked 斑点；标注 the very texture 质地 of the folded 折叠 kerchief bound 必定；跳 about its head and chin 下巴, which wrapper 包 he had not observed 观察 before; he was still incredulous, and fought 战斗:fight against his senses.

"How now!" said Scrooge, caustic and cold 9 as ever 永远；曾经. "What do you want with me?"

"Much!"—Marley's voice 嗓音, no doubt 怀疑 about it.

"Who are you?"

"Ask me who I was."

"Who were you, then?" said Scrooge, raising 提升；种 his voice. "You're particular 特别的, for a shade 遮阳；阴." He was going to say "to a shade," but substituted 替代 this, as more many appropriate 适当.

"In life I was your partner 伙伴, Jacob Marley."

"Can you—can you sit 坐 down?" asked Scrooge, looking doubtfully 疑 at him.

"I can."

"Do it, then."

Scrooge asked the question, because he didn't know whether 是否 a ghost 鬼 so trans‧parent 透明 might find him‧self 他自己 in a condition 状态 to take a chair 椅子; and felt feel that, in the event 事件 of its being 存在 impossible 不可能的, it might involve 参与，包括 the necessity 必须 of an embarrassing 阻碍 explanation 说明. But the Ghost sat 坐:sit down on the opposite 相对的 side of the fire-place, as if he were quite 相当 used to it.

"You don't believe 信任 in me," observed 观察 the Ghost.

"I don't," said Scrooge.

"What evidence 证据 would you have of my reality 现实 beyond 超过 that of your own senses?"

"I don't know," said Scrooge.

"Why do you doubt 怀疑 your senses?"

"Because," said Scrooge, "a little thing affects 影响 them. A slight 微小的 disorder 混乱 of the stomach 胃 makes them cheats 欺骗. You may be an undigested bit 一点 of beef 牛肉, a blot 斑点 of mustard 芥末, a crumb 屑 of cheese 奶酪, a fragment 分段 of an underdone potato 土豆. There's more many of gravy 卤 than of grave 坟墓；严重的 about you, what‧ever 无论什么 you are!"

Scrooge was not much in the habit 习惯 of cracking 破裂 jokes 笑话, nor 也不 did he feel in his heart 心 by any means waggish then. The truth 真理 is, that he tried to be smart 聪明, as a means of distracting 转移 his own attention 注意, and keeping down his terror 恐怖; for the spectre's voice 嗓音 disturbed 打扰 the very marrow 骨髓 in his bones 骨头.

To sit 坐 staring 盯着看，凝视，注视 at those fixed 固定 glazed 釉 eyes in silence 沉默, for a moment 瞬间, would play, Scrooge felt feel, the very deuce with him. There was something very awful 糟糕的, too, in the spectre's being 存在 provided with an infernal atmosphere 大气层 of his own. Scrooge could not feel it himself 6, but this was clearly the case; for though the Ghost sat 坐:sit perfectly 完美地，完满地 motion‧less 运动‧少, its hair 头发, andskirts 裙子, and tassels were still agitated 激荡 as by the hot 热的 vapour from an oven 烤箱.

"You see this tooth‧pick 牙‧挑选?" said Scrooge, returning 回转 quickly 迅速地 to the charge 装载, for the reason 理由 just assigned 分配; and wishing 希望, though it were only for a second, to divert 转移 the vision 视力's stony gaze 凝视 from himself 7.

"I do," replied 回答 the Ghost.

"You are not looking at it," said Scrooge.

"But I see it," said the Ghost, "notwithstanding 虽然."

"Well!" returned 8 Scrooge, "I have but to swallow 吞 this, and be for the rest 休息，其余 of my days persecuted 迫害 by a legion 军团 of goblins, all of my own creation 创建. Humbug, I tell you; humbug!"

At this the spirit 精神 raised 提升；种 a frightful cry 哭，叫喊, and shook 摇晃:shake its chain 链子 with such a dismal 惨淡 and appalling 惊恐 noise 噪音, that Scrooge held hold on tight 紧的 to his chair 椅子, to save 节省 himself 8 from falling 落下 in a swoon. But how much greater was his horror 恐怖 when the phantom, taking off the band‧age 绷带 round 圆形的；围绕 his head, as if it were too warm 暖和的 to wear 穿着 indoors 室内的, its lower 低的 jaw 下巴 dropped 放下；滴；掉 down upon its breast 乳房!

Scrooge fell 落下:fall upon his knees 膝, and clasped 钩 his hands before his face.

" Mercy 宽容!" he said. "Dreadful apparition, why do you trouble 麻烦 me?"

"Man of the worldly mind!" replied 回答 the Ghost, "do you believe 6 in me or not?"

"I do," said Scrooge. "I must. But why do spirits 精神 walk 走；步行同道 the earth 地球, and why do they come to me?"

"It is required 需要；有赖于；要求 of every man," the Ghost returned 9, "that the spirit 精神 within 在内 him should walk abroad 到国外 among 之间 his fellow 同伴-men, and travel 旅行 far and wide 宽的; and, if that spirit 精神 goes not forth 向前 in life, it is condemned 谴责 to do so after death 死亡. It is doomed 厄运 to wander 漫步 through the world— oh, woe 荣辱与共 is me!—and witness 目击；目击者 what it cannot share 股, but might have shared 股 on earth 地球, and turned to happiness 幸福!"

Again the spectre raised 提升；种 a cry 哭，叫喊, and shook 摇晃:shake its chain 链子 and wrung its shadowy 神出鬼没 hands.

"You are fettered," said Scrooge, trembling 发抖. "Tell me why?"

"I wear 穿着 the chain I forged 锻造 in life," replied 回答 the Ghost. "I made it link 链接 by link 链接, andyard 院子 by yard; I girded it on of my own free 自由的-will, and of my own free-will I wore 穿着:wear it. Is its pattern 模式 strange 奇怪；陌生 to you?"

Scrooge trembled 发抖 more many and more many.

"Or would you know," pursued 追求 the Ghost, "the weight 重量 and length 长度 of the strong 强的 coil 盘 you bear 生；熊 your‧self 你自己? It was full 满的 as heavy 厚实；重的 and as long as this, seven 七 Christmas-eves 前夕 ago 以前. You have laboured on it since. It is a ponderous chain 链子!"

Scrooge glanced 一瞥 about him on the floor 地面, in the expectation 期望 of finding himself 9 surrounded 包围 by some fifty 五十 or sixty 六十 fathoms of iron 铁器 cable 电线, but he could see nothing.

"Jacob!" he said imploringly. "Old Jacob Marley, tell me more many! Speak 讲 comfort 安慰 to me, Jacob!"

"I have none 没有人 to give," the Ghost replied 回答. "It comes from other regions 地区, Ebenezer Scrooge, and is conveyed 传达 by other ministers 大臣, to other kinds of men. Nor 也不 can I tell you what I would. A very little more many is all permitted 许可 to me. I cannot rest 休息，其余, I cannot stay 停留, I cannot linger 萦绕 any‧where 任何地方. My spirit 精神 never walked 走；步行同道 beyond 超过 our counting 数；总数-house— mark 斑点；标注 me;—in life my spirit never roved 漫游 beyond the narrow 狭窄的 limits 限制 of our money 钱-changing hole 洞; and weary 厌倦 journeys 旅行 lie 躺；说谎 before me!"

It was a habit 习惯 with Scrooge, when‧ever 随时 he became become thoughtful 周到, to put his hands in his breeches pockets 口袋. Pondering on what the Ghost had said, he did so now, but without lifting 举起 up his eyes, or getting off his knees 膝.

"You must have been very slow 慢的 about it, Jacob," Scrooge observed 观察 in a business-like manner 方式, though with humility 谦逊 and deference 尊重.

" Slow!" the Ghost repeated 重复.

"Seven 七 years dead 10," mused 沉思 Scrooge. "And travelling 旅行 all the time?"

"The whole 全部的 time," said the Ghost. "No rest 休息，其余, no peace 和平. Incessant torture 拷打 of remorse 悔恨."

"You travel 旅行 fast 快的?" said Scrooge.

"On the wings 翅膀 of the wind 风," replied 6 the Ghost.

"You might have got get over a great quantity 量 of ground 地面 in seven 七 years," said Scrooge.

The Ghost, on hearing this, set up another cry 哭，叫喊, and clanked its chain 链子 so hideously 可怕 in the dead 11 silence 沉默 of the night, that the Ward would have been justified 为…辩护；证明…正当；是…的正当理由 in indicting 起诉 it for a nuisance 讨厌事.

"Oh! captive 俘虏, bound 必定；跳, and double 双的-ironed 铁器," cried 哭，叫喊 the phantom, "not to know that ages 年龄 of incessant labour, by immortal 不朽 creatures 动物；生物, for this earth 地球 must pass 走过 into eternity 永恒 before the good of which it is susceptible 易感 is all developed! Not to know that any Christian spirit 6 working kindly in its little sphere 领域, what‧ever 无论什么 it may be, will find its mortal 凡人 life too short 短的 for its vast 广大 means of usefulness 用处! Not to know that no space 空间 of regret 后悔 can make amends 修改 for one life's opportunities 机会 misused 滥用! Yet such was I! Oh, such was I!"

"But you were always a good man of business, Jacob," faltered 衰退 Scrooge, who now began begin to apply 用于 this to himself.

"Business!" cried 哭，叫喊 the Ghost, wringing 拧 its hands again. " Mankind 人类 was my business. The common 普通的 welfare 津贴，福利 was my business; charity 慈善, mercy 宽容, forbearance, and benevolence were, all, my business. The dealings 很多；对付 of my trade 贸易 were but a drop 放下；滴；掉 of water in the comprehensive 全面的；综合的；详尽的 ocean 洋 of my business!"

It held hold up its chain 链子 at arm 手臂's length 长度, as if that were the cause 原因；引起 of all its unavailing grief 哀思, and flung it heavily 很大，沉重地 upon the ground 地面 again.

"At this time of the rolling 翻滚；摇晃 year," the spectre said, "I suffer 受痛苦 most many. Why did I walk 走；步行同道 through crowds 人群；拥挤 of fellow 同伴-beings 蜜蜂 with my eyes turned down, and never raise 提升；种 them to that blessed 祝福 Star 星 which led lead the Wise 明智的；聪明的 Men to a poor 贫穷的 abode? Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted 进行 me?"

Scrooge was very much dismayed 沮丧 to hear the spectre going on at this rate 速度, and began begin to quake exceedingly 非常.

"Hear me!" cried 哭，叫喊 the Ghost. "My time is nearly gone."

"I will," said Scrooge. "But don't be hard 硬；困难的 upon me! Don't be flowery, Jacob! Pray 祈祷!"

"How it is that I appear 出现 before you in a shape 形状 that you can see, I may not tell. I have sat 6 invisible 无形 beside 旁边；除了 you many and many a day."

It was not an agree‧able 合适的 idea 主意. Scrooge shivered 发抖, and wiped 擦 the perspiration from his brow 眉头.

"That is no light part of my penance," pursued 追求 the Ghost. "I am here to-night to warn 警告 you that you have yet a chance 机会 and hope 希望 of escaping 逃脱 my fate 命运. A chance and hope of my pro‧cure 促成, Ebenezer."

"You were always a good friend 朋友 to me," said Scrooge. "Thankee!"

"You will be haunted 出没," resumed 恢复 the Ghost, "by Three Spirits."

Scrooge's countenance 面容 fell 落下:fall almost as low 低的 as the Ghost's had done.

"Is that the chance and hope you mentioned 提到, Jacob?" he demanded 要求 in a faltering 衰退 voice 6.

"It is."

"I—I think I'd rather not," said Scrooge.

"Without their visits 访问," said the Ghost, "you cannot hope to shun 顺 the path 小路 I tread 踏. Expect the first to-morrow when the bell 钟 tolls 收费 One."

"Couldn't I take 'em all at once, and have it over, Jacob?" hinted 暗示 Scrooge.

"Expect the second on the next night at the same hour 小时. The third, upon the next night when the last stroke 一击;轻抚 of Twelve has ceased 停止 to vibrate 颤动. Look to see me no more many; and look that, for your own sake 缘故, you remember 记得 what has passed 走过 between us!"

When it had said these words, the spectre took its wrapper 包 from the table 桌；表, and bound 必定；跳 it round 圆形的；围绕 its head as before. Scrooge knew know this by the smart 聪明 sound 声音 its teeth made when the jaws 下巴 were brought bring together 同时 by the band‧age 绷带. He ventured 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 to raise 提升；种 his eyes again, and found find his super‧natural 超自然 visitor 访问者 con‧front 面对 him in an erect 直立 attitude 态度, with its chain 8 wound 创伤 over and about its arm 手臂.

The apparition walked 6 backward 向后的 from him; and, at every step 步；走 it took, the window 窗 raised 提升；种 itself 本身 a little, so that, when the spectre reached 到达 it, it was wide 宽的 open. It beckoned 招手 Scrooge to approach 靠近, which he did. When they were within 在内 two paces 步伐，速度 of each other, Marley's Ghost held hold up its hand, warning 警告 him to come no nearer. Scrooge stopped 停止.

Not so much in obedience 遵守 as in surprise 使惊奇 and fear 害怕; for, on the raising 提升；种 of the hand, he became become sensible 明智 of confused 使困窘 noises 噪音 in the air 天空; incoherent sounds 声音 of lamentation and regret 后悔; wailings 哀号 inexpressibly sorrowful and self 自己-accusatory. The spectre, after listening 倾听 for a moment 瞬间, joined 连接 in the mournful dirge; and floated 漂浮 out upon the bleak 苍凉, dark 6 night.

Scrooge followed to the window 窗: desperate 殊死 in his curiosity 好奇心. He looked out.

The air 天空 was filled 装满 with phantoms, wandering 漫步 hither and thither in rest‧less 不安 haste 匆忙, and moaning 呻吟 as they went. Every one of them wore 穿着:wear chains 链子 like Marley's Ghost; some few (they might be guilty 有罪的；内疚的 governments) were linked 链接 together 同时; none 没有人 were free 自由的. Many had been personally 亲自 known know to Scrooge in their lives. He had been quite 相当 familiar 熟悉的 with one old ghost 鬼 in a white 白色的 waist‧coat 腰‧上衣, with a monstrous 滔天 iron 铁器 safe 安全的 attached 连接 to its ankle 踝, who cried 6 piteously at being 存在 unable 无法 to assist 帮助；协助；援助 a wretched 不幸的人 woman with an infant 婴儿, whom 谁 it saw see below 在下面 upon a door‧step 门阶. The misery 痛苦 with them all was, clearly, that they sought to interfere 干预, for good, in human 人 matters, and had lost 失去的 the power for ever 6.

Whether 是否 these creatures 动物；生物 faded 褪去 into mist 薄雾, or mist 薄雾 enshrouded them, he could not tell. But they and their spirit 7 voices 嗓音 faded together 同时; and the night became become as it had been when he walked 7 home.

Scrooge closed the window 窗, and examined 检查 the door by which the Ghost had entered 进入. It was double 双的 locked 锁, as he had locked it with his own hands, and the bolts 螺栓 were undisturbed. He tried to say "Humbug!" but stopped 停止 at the first syllable 音节. And being 8, from the emotion 情感 he had undergone, or the fatigues 疲劳 of the day, or his glimpse 一瞥 of the Invisible World, or the dull 钝的；没兴趣 conversation 交谈 of the Ghost, or the lateness of the hour 小时, much in need of repose, went straight 直的 to bed 床 without undressing 脱衣服, and fell 落下:fall asleep 睡着的 upon the instant 瞬间.

---

STAVE TWO

THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS

When Scrooge awoke 醒着的:awake it was so dark 7, that, looking out of bed, he could scarcely 缺乏的 distinguish 区分 the trans‧parent 透明 window 窗 from the opaque 不透明 walls 墙 of his chamber 室. He was endeavouring to pierce 刺穿 the darkness 黑暗 with his ferret 鼬 eyes, when the chimes 钟 of a neighbouring church struck 敲击:strike the four quarters 四分之一. So he listened 倾听 for the hour 小时.

To his great astonishment 惊愕, the heavy 厚实；重的 bell 钟 went on from six 6 to seven 七, and from seven 七 to eight 八, and regularly 经常 up to twelve 十二; then stopped 停止. Twelve! It was past 过去的 two when he went to bed 床. The clock 钟 was wrong 有毛病的. An icicle must have got get into the works. Twelve!

He touched 触摸 the spring 春季 of his repeater 重复, to correct 正确的 this most many preposterous clock 钟. Its rapid 快速的 little pulse 脉冲 beat 打败 twelve 十二, and stopped 停止.

"Why, it isn't possible," said Scrooge, "that I can have slept 睡:sleep through a whole 全部的 day and far into another night. It isn't possible that any‧thing 任何东西 has happened 发生 to the sun 太阳, and this is twelve 十二 at noon 正午!"

The idea 主意 being 9 an alarming 警告 one, he scrambled 争夺 out of bed 床, and groped 摸索 his way to the window 窗. He was obliged 责成 to rub 擦 the frost 霜 off with the sleeve 袖 of his dressing 衣服-gown 袍 before he could see any‧thing 任何东西; and could see very little then. All he could make out was, that it was still very foggy and extremely 非常；极端；极其 cold 10, and that there was no noise 噪音 of people running to and fro 来来往往, and making a great stir 搅动, as there unquestionably would have been if night had beaten 打败:beat off bright 明亮的 day, and taken possession 所有物 of the world. This was a great relief 宽慰, because "Three days after sight 视力 of this First of Exchange 交换 pay to Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge or his order," and so forth 向前, would have become a mere 仅仅 United States security 安全 if there were no days to count 数；总数 by.

Scrooge went to bed 床 again, and thought think, and thought think, and thought think it over and over, and could make nothing of it. The more many he thought think, the more many perplexed 困扰 he was; and, the more many he endeavoured not to think, the more many he thought think.

Marley's Ghost bothered 烦 him exceedingly 非常. Every time he resolved 解决 within 在内 himself, after mature 成熟的 inquiry 调查, that it was all a dream 梦想, his mind flew 飞；苍蝇:fly back again, like a strong 强的 spring 春季 released 发布, to its first position 位置, and presented the same problem to be worked all through, "Was it a dream or not?"

Scrooge lay 放置 in this state until the chime 钟 had gone three quarters 四分之一 more many, when he remembered 记得, on a sudden 突然的, that the Ghost had warned 警告 him of a visitation when the bell 钟 tolled 收费 one. He resolved 解决 to lie 躺；说谎 awake 醒着的 until the hour 6 was passed 走过; and, considering that he could no more many go to sleep 睡 than go to Heaven 天, this was, perhaps 或许, the wisest 明智的；聪明的 resolution 解析度 in his power.

The quarter 四分之一 was so long, that he was more many than once convinced 说服 he must have sunk 淹没:sink into a doze unconsciously 不知不觉, and missed 错过；想念 the clock 钟. At length 长度 it broke 破；断:break upon his listening 倾听 ear 耳朵.

"Ding, dong!"

"A quarter 四分之一 past 过去的," said Scrooge, counting 数；总数.

"Ding, dong!"

" Half 一半的 past," said Scrooge.

"Ding, dong!"

"A quarter to it," said Scrooge.

"Ding, dong!"

"The hour 7 itself 本身," said Scrooge triumphantly 凯, "and nothing else 其他!"

He spoke 讲:speak before the hour 8 bell 钟 sounded 声音, which it now did with a deep 深的, dull 钝的；没兴趣, hollow 空的, melancholy 愁绪 One. Light flashed 使闪光 up in the room upon the instant 瞬间, and the curtains 窗帘 of his bed 7 were drawn 绘画:draw.

The curtains of his bed 8 were drawn aside 在旁边, I tell you, by a hand. Not the curtains at his feet, nor 也不 the curtains at his back, but those to which his face was addressed 地址. The curtains of his bed 9 were drawn 绘画:draw aside 在旁边; and Scrooge, starting up into a half 一半的-recumbent attitude 态度, found find himself face to face with the unearthly 挖掘 visitor 访问者 who drew 绘画:draw them: as close to it as I am now to you, and I am standing in the spirit 8 at your elbow 弯头.

It was a strange 奇怪；陌生 figure—like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed 看法 through some super‧natural 超自然 medium 中, which gave give him the appearance 外貌 of having receded 退 from the view 看法, and being 10 diminished 减少 to a child's proportions 比例. Its hair 头发, which hung 悬挂:hang about its neck 颈 and down its back, was white 白色的, as if with age 年龄; and yet the face had not a wrinkle 皱纹 in it, and the tenderest 纤弱的 bloom 盛开 was on the skin 皮. The arms 手臂 were very long and muscular 肌肉发达; the hands the same, as if its hold were of uncommon 罕见 strength 力量. Its legs 腿 and feet, most many delicately 微妙的；纤弱的 formed, were, like those upper 上面的 members, bare 光秃秃的. It wore 穿着:wear a tunic of the purest 纯的 white 白色的; and round 圆形的；围绕 its waist 腰 was bound 必定；跳 a lustrous belt 腰带, the sheen of which was beautiful 美丽. It held hold a branch 树枝 of fresh 新鲜的 green 绿色的 holly in its hand: and, in singular 单数 contradiction 矛盾 of that wintry emblem 徽, had its dress 衣服 trimmed 修剪 with summer 夏 flowers 花. But the strangest 奇怪；陌生 thing about it was, that from thecrown 王冠 of its head there sprung a bright 明亮的 clear jet 喷射 of light, by which all this was visible 可以看见的；可视的; and which was doubt‧less 毫无疑问， the occasion 机会 of its using, in its duller 钝的；没兴趣 moments 瞬间, a great extinguisher 扑灭 for a cap 盖, which it now held hold under its arm 手臂.

Even this, though, when Scrooge looked at it with increasing 增加 steadiness, was not its strangest 奇怪；陌生 quality 质量. For, as its belt 腰带 sparkled 火花 and glittered 闪光, now in one part and now in another, and what was light one instant 瞬间 at another time was dark 8, so the figure itself 本身 fluctuated 波动 in its distinctness: being 11 now a thing with one arm 手臂, now with one leg 腿, now with twenty 二十 legs 腿, now a pair 一副 of legs without a head, now a head without a body 身体: of which dissolving 溶解 parts no out‧line 概述；轮廓线 would be visible 可以看见的；可视的 in the dense 稠密 gloom 愁云 wherein 其中， they melted 熔化 away. And, in the very wonder 琢磨；奇妙 of this, it would be itself 本身 again; distinct 不同 and clear as ever 7.

"Are you the Spirit 9, sir 先生, whose 谁的 coming was foretold to me?" asked Scrooge.

"I am!"

The voice 7 was soft 软的 and gentle 温和的. Singularly low 低的, as if, instead 代替 of being 12 so close beside 旁边；除了 him, it were at a distance 距离.

"Who and what are you?" Scrooge demanded 要求.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past 过去的."

"Long Past?" inquired 打听 Scrooge; observant of its dwarfish stature 身材.

"No. Your past."

Perhaps 或许 Scrooge could not have told tell any‧body 任何人 why, if anybody could have asked him; but he had a special 特殊的 desire 希望 to see the Spirit in his cap 盖; and begged 乞讨 him to be covered 覆盖.

"What!" exclaimed 喊叫 the Ghost, "would you so soon 立刻 put out, with worldly hands, the light I give? Is it not enough that you are one of those whose 谁的 passions 激情，热情；强烈情感 made this cap 盖, and force me through whole 6 trains 火车；训练 of years to wear 穿着 it low 低的 upon my brow 眉头?"

Scrooge reverently disclaimed all intention 意图 to offend 触怒 or any knowledge 知识；了解 of having wilfully "bonneted 帽子" the Spirit at any period 时期，时间 of his life. He then made bold 胆大的；醒目的 to inquire 打听 what business brought bring him there.

"Your welfare 津贴，福利!" said the Ghost.

Scrooge expressed 表达 himself much obliged 责成, but could not help thinking that a night of unbroken rest 6 would have been more many conducive 有利于 to that end. The Spirit must have heard hear him thinking, for it said immediately 立即，马上:

"Your reclamation, then. Take heed!"

It put out its strong 强的 hand as it spoke 讲:speak, and clasped 钩 him gently 温和的 by the arm 手臂.

" Rise 上升! and walk 走；步行同道 with me!"

It would have been in vain 徒劳的 for Scrooge to plead 求情 that the weather 天气 and the hour 9 were not adapted 改变；适应于 to pedestrian 行人 purposes 目的; that bed 10 was warm 暖和的, and the thermometer a long way below 在下面 freezing 使结冰；不动; that he was clad 包层的 but lightly in his slip‧per 拖鞋, dressing 衣服-gown 袍, and night‧cap 夜‧盖; and that he had a cold 11 upon him at that time. The grasp 把握, though gentle 温和的 as a woman's hand, was not to be resisted 抵抗. He rose 上升:rise: but, finding that the Spirit made towards the window 窗, clasped 钩 its robe 长袍 in supplication.

"I am a mortal 凡人," Scrooge remonstrated, "and liable 容易 to fall 落下."

" Bear 生；熊 but a touch 触摸 of my hand there," said the Spirit, laying 放置 it upon his heart 心, "and you shall 将要 be upheld in more many than this!"

As the words were spoken 口头讲的, they passed 走过 through the wall 墙, and stood stand upon an open country road 路, with fields 田 on either 任一个 hand. The city had entirely 完全；彻底；完整地 vanished 消失. Not a vestige of it was to be seen see. The darkness 黑暗 and the mist 薄雾 had vanished 消失 with it, for it was a clear, cold, winter 冬 day, with the snow 雪；下雪 upon the ground 地面.

"Good Heaven 天!" said Scrooge, clasping 钩 his hands together 同时 as he looked about him. "I was bred 养育；繁殖:breed in this place. I was a boy here!"

The Spirit gazed 凝视 upon him mildly 温柔的. Its gentle 温和的 touch 触摸, though it had been light and instantaneous 瞬间, appeared 出现 still present to the old man's sense of feeling. He was conscious 有意识的 of a thou‧sand 千 odours floating 漂浮 in the air 天空, each one connected 连接 with a thou‧sand 千 thoughts, and hopes 希望, and joys 喜悦, and cares 关心 long, long forgotten 忘记:forget!

"Your lip 嘴唇 is trembling 发抖," said the Ghost. "And what is that upon your cheek 脸颊?"

Scrooge muttered 咕哝, with an unusual 异常 catching 抓；赶上 in his voice 8, that it was a pimple; and begged 乞讨 the Ghost to lead him where he would.

"You recollect the way?" inquired 打听 the Spirit.

" Remember 记得 it!" cried 7 Scrooge with fervour; "I could walk 走；步行同道 it blind‧fold 失明的‧折叠."

" Strange 奇怪；陌生 to have forgotten 忘记:forget it for so many years!" observed 6 the Ghost. "Let us go on."

They walked 8 along 一起 the road 路, Scrooge recognising every gate 门, and post 邮件, and tree 树, until a little market 交易-town 城镇 appeared 出现 in the distance 距离, with its bridge 桥, its church, and winding 风 river 河. Some shaggy ponies 小马 now were seen see trotting 小跑 towards them with boys upon their backs, who called to other boys in country gigs 演出 and carts 运货马车, driven 驾驶:drive by farmers 农场主. All these boys were in great spirits 精神, and shouted 呼喊 to each other, until the broad 宽阔的 fields 田 were so full 满的 of merry 13 music 音乐, that the crisp 脆 air 6 laughed 笑 to hear it.

"These are but shadows 阴影 of the things that have been," said the Ghost. "They have no consciousness 意识 of us."

The jocund travellers came on; and as they came, Scrooge knew know and named them every one. Why was he rejoiced 欢庆 beyond 超过 all bounds 必定；跳 to see them? Why did his cold eye glisten 闪亮, and his heart 心 leap 飞跃 up as they went past 6? Why was he filled 装满 with gladness when he heard hear them give each other Merry 14 Christmas, as they parted at cross 穿过；十字-roads 路 and by-ways for their several homes? What was merry 15 Christmas to Scrooge? Out upon merry 16 Christmas! What good had it ever 8 done to him?

"The school is not quite 6 deserted 沙漠；抛弃," said the Ghost. "A solitary 孤 child, neglected 疏忽 by his friends 朋友, is left 左边；留下；离开 there still."

Scrooge said he knew know it. And he sobbed 哭泣.

They left the high- road 路 by a well- remembered 记得 lane 车道, and soon 立刻 approached 靠近 a mansion 大厦 of dull 钝的；没兴趣 red 红色的 brick 砖, with a little weather 天气-cock 公鸡 surmounted cupola on the roof 屋顶 and a bell 9 hanging 悬挂 in it. It was a large house, but one of broken 破碎的 for‧tune 命运: for the spacious 宽敞 offices 办公室 were little used, their walls 墙 were damp 微湿的 and mossy, their windows 窗 broken 破碎的, and their gates 门 decayed 腐烂. Fowls clucked and strutted 支撑 in the stables 稳定; and the coach 教练-houses and sheds 棚 were over‧run 泛滥 with grass 草. Nor 也不 was it more many retentive of its ancient 古代的 state within 在内; for, entering 进入 the dreary 凄凉 hall 过道, and glancing 一瞥 through the open doors 门 of many rooms, they found find them poorly 贫穷的 furnished 陈设, cold, and vast 广大. There was an earthly 地球 savour in the air 7, a chilly 寒冷 bareness in the place, which associated 关联 itself 本身 some‧how 某种方法 with too much getting up by candle 蜡烛-light, and not too much to eat 吃.

They went, the Ghost and Scrooge, across 穿过 the hall 过道, to a door at the back of the house. It opened before them, and disclosed 透露 a long, bare 光秃秃的, melancholy 愁绪 room, made barer 光秃秃的 still by lines of plain 平原；明显 deal 很多；对付 forms and desks 书桌. At one of these a lonely 孤独的 boy was reading near a feeble 微弱 fire; and Scrooge sat 7 down upon a form, and wept weep to see his poor 7 forgotten 忘记:forget self 自己 as he had used to be.

Not a latent 潜 echo 回声 in the house, not a squeak 吱 and scuffle from the mice behind 之后 the panelling 面板, not a drip 滴 from the half 6-thawed 解冻 water-spout in the dull 钝的；没兴趣yard 院子 behind, not a sigh 叹 among 之间 the leaf‧less 叶子‧少 boughs of one despondent poplar, not the idle 无意义的 swinging 摇摆 of an empty 空的 store‧house 商店‧房屋 door, no, not a clicking 点击 in the fire, but fell 6 upon the heart 心 of Scrooge with softening 软的:soft influence 影响, and gave give a freer 自由的 pass‧age 通道 to his tears 撕裂；泪.

The Spirit touched 触摸 him on the arm 手臂, and pointed to his younger self 自己, intent 意图 upon his reading. Suddenly 突然；猛地，骤然 a man in foreign 外国的 garments 服装: wonderfully 奇妙 real and distinct 不同 to look at: stood stand out‧side 在外面 the window 7, with an axe 斧子 stuck 棍；粘贴:stick in his belt 腰带, and leading by the bridle an ass laden 载货 with wood 木材；树林.

"Why, it's Ali Baba!" Scrooge exclaimed 喊叫 in ecstasy 狂喜. "It's dear 亲爱的 old honest 诚实的 Ali Baba! Yes, yes, I know. One Christmas-time when yonder solitary 孤 child was left 左边；留下；离开 here all alone 单独的, he did come, for the first time, just like that. Poor 8 boy! And Valentine," said Scrooge, "and his wild 野生的 brother 兄弟, Orson; there they go! And what's his name, who was put down in his drawers 抽屉, asleep 睡着的, at the gate 门 of Damascus; don't you see him? And the Sultan's Groom turned upside 上边 down by the Genii: there he is upon his head! Serve 服务；（为…）工作 him right! I'm glad 高兴的 of it. What business had he to be married 结婚 to the Princess?"

To hear Scrooge expending 花费 all the earnestness of his nature on such subjects 主题, in a most many extra‧ordinary 非凡的 voice 9 between laughing 笑 and crying 哭，叫喊; and to see his heightened 变高 and excited 使兴奋 face; would have been a surprise 使惊奇 to his business friends 朋友 in the City, indeed 的确.

"There's the Parrot!" cried 8 Scrooge. " Green 绿色的 body 身体 and yellow 黄色的 tail 尾, with a thing like a lettuce 生菜 growing 生长；种植 out of the top 顶 of his head; there he is! Poor 9 Robin Crusoe he called him, when he came home again after sailing 航行；帆 round 7 the island 岛. 'Poor 10 Robin Crusoe, where have you been, Robin Crusoe?' The man thought think he was dreaming 梦想, but he wasn't. It was the Parrot, you know. There goes Friday, running for his life to the little creek 溪! Halloa! Hoop! Halloo!"

Then, with a rapidity of transition 转变；过渡 very foreign 外国的 to his usual character 性格, he said, in pity 怜悯 for his former 以前的 self 自己, "Poor 11 boy!" and cried 9 again.

"I wish 希望," Scrooge muttered 咕哝, putting his hand in his pocket 口袋, and looking about him, after drying 干燥 his eyes with his cuff 袖口: "but it's too late now."

"What is the matter?" asked the Spirit.

"Nothing," said Scrooge. "Nothing. There was a boy singing 唱 a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should like to have given give him something: that's all."

The Ghost smiled 微笑 thoughtfully 沉思地, and waved 波浪 its hand: saying, as it did so, "Let us see another Christmas!"

Scrooge's former 以前的 self 自己 grew 生长；种植:grow larger at the words, and the room became become a little darker 黑暗的 and more many dirty 肮脏. The panels 面板 shrunk, the windows 窗 cracked 破裂; fragments 分段 of plaster 灰泥 fell 7 out of the ceiling 天花板, and the naked 裸 laths were shown show instead 代替; but how all this was brought bring about Scrooge knew know no more many than you do. He only knew know that it was quite 7 correct 正确的: that every‧thing 每件事物 had happened 发生 so; that there he was, alone 单独的 again, when all the other boys had gone home for the jolly 欢乐 holidays 假日.

He was not reading now, but walking 走；步行同道 up and down despairingly. Scrooge looked at the Ghost, and, with a mournful shaking 摇晃 of his head, glanced 一瞥 anxiously 焦急的 towards the door.

It opened; and a little girl, much younger than the boy, came darting 镖 in, and, putting her arms 手臂 about his neck 颈, and often kissing 接吻 him, addressed 地址 him as her " dear 亲爱的, dear brother 兄弟."

"I have come to bring you home, dear brother!" said the child, clapping 拍 her tiny 小 hands, and bending 弯曲 down to laugh 笑. "To bring you home, home, home!"

"Home, little Fan 扇子?" returned the boy.

"Yes!" said the child, brimful of glee. "Home for good and all. Home for ever 9 and ever. Father 父亲 is so much kinder than he used to be, that home's like Heaven 天! He spoke 讲:speak so gently 温和的 to me one dear 亲爱的 night when I was going to bed 11, that I was not afraid 害怕的 to ask him once more many if you might come home; and he said Yes, you should; and sent 派遣；送:send me in a coach 教练 to bring you. And you're to be a man!" said the child, opening her eyes; "and are never to come back here; but first we're to be together 同时 all the Christmas long, and have the merriest time in all the world."

"You are quite 8 a woman, little Fan 扇子!" exclaimed 喊叫 the boy.

She clapped 拍 her hands and laughed 笑, and tried to touch 触摸 his head; but, being 13 too little, laughed again, and stood stand on tiptoe to embrace 拥抱 him. Then she began begin to drag 拖拽 him, in her childish 幼稚 eagerness, towards the door; and he, nothing loath to go, accompanied 陪 her.

A terrible 可怕的 voice in the hall 过道 cried, "Bring down Master 主人；硕士 Scrooge'sbox 盒；耳光, there!" and in the hall appeared 出现 the school‧master 学校‧主人；硕士 himself, who glared 强光 on Master Scrooge with a ferocious 凶猛 condescension, and threw 投掷:throw him into a dreadful 可怕 state of mind by shaking 摇晃 hands with him. He then conveyed 传达 him and his sister 姐妹 into the veriest old well of a shivering 发抖 best 最好 parlour that ever was seen see, where the maps 地图 upon the wall 墙, and the celestial 天上 and terrestrial 陆生 globes 地球 in the windows 窗, were waxy with cold. Here he produced 生产 a decanter of curiously 好奇的 light wine 葡萄酒, and a block 块 of curiously heavy 厚实；重的 cake 蛋糕, and administered 管理 instalments of those dainties to the young people: at the same time sending 派遣；送 out a meagre servant 仆人 to offer 提供 a glass 玻璃 of "something" to the post‧boy 邮件‧男孩 who answered 答复 that he thanked 谢谢 the gentleman 8, but, if it was the same tap 敲；龙头；汲取（液体） as he had tasted 品尝 before, he had rather not. Master 主人；硕士 Scrooge's trunk 树干 being by this time tied 打结；系上；关系 on to the top 顶 of the chaise, the children bade the school‧master 学校‧主人；硕士 good-bye 再见 right willingly 甘心; and, getting into it, drove 驾驶:drive gaily 快乐的 down the garden 菜园；花园 sweep 打扫; the quick 快的 wheels 轮子 dashing 短跑 the hoar frost 霜 and snow 雪；下雪 from off the dark 9 leaves of the evergreens like spray 喷雾.

"Always a delicate 微妙的；纤弱的 creature 动物；生物, whom 谁 a breath 呼吸 might have withered 枯萎," said the Ghost. "But she had a large heart 心!"

"So she had," cried Scrooge. "You're right. I will not gain‧say 获得‧说 it, Spirit. God forbid 禁止!"

"She died 死亡 a woman," said the Ghost, "and had, as I think, children."

"One child," Scrooge returned.

" True 真正的," said the Ghost. "Your nephew 13!"

Scrooge seemed uneasy 不安 in his mind; and answered 答复 briefly 短时间地, "Yes."

Although 尽管 they had but that moment 瞬间 left 左边；留下；离开 the school behind 之后 them, they were now in the busy 忙碌的 thoroughfares of a city, where shadowy 神出鬼没passengers 乘客 passed 走过 and repassed; where shadowy 神出鬼没 carts 运货马车 and coaches 教练 battled 与…作战 for the way, and all the strife 争吵 and tumult of a real city were. It was made plain 平原；明显 enough, by the dressing 衣服 of the shops 商店, that here, too, it was Christmas-time again; but it was evening 傍晚, and the streets 街 were lighted light up.

The Ghost stopped 6 at a certain ware‧house 仓库 door, and asked Scrooge if he knew know it.

"Know it!" said Scrooge. "Was I apprenticed 学徒 here?"

They went in. At sight 视力 of an old gentleman 9 in a Welsh wig 假发, sitting 坐 behind 之后 such a high desk 书桌, that if he had been two inches 英寸 taller 身高；高的, he must have knocked 敲 his head against the ceiling 天花板, Scrooge cried in great excitement 激动:

"Why, it's old Fezziwig! Bless 祝福 his heart 7, it's Fezziwig alive 活的；有生命的 again!"

Old Fezziwig laid 放置:lay down his pen 笔, and looked up at the clock 钟, which pointed to the hour of seven 七. He rubbed 擦 his hands; adjusted 改变；调节 his capacious waist‧coat 腰‧上衣; laughed 笑 all over himself, from his shoes 鞋 to his organ 器官；机构 of benevolence; and called out, in a comfort‧able 舒服；自在, oily, rich 富有的, fat 肥的, jovial voice:

"Yo ho, there! Ebenezer! Dick!"

Scrooge's former 以前的 self 自己, now grown 生长；种植:grow a young man, came briskly 轻快 in, accompanied 陪 by his fellow 同伴-'prentice.

"Dick Wilkins, to be sure 确信的!" said Scrooge to the Ghost. " Bless 祝福 me, yes. There he is. He was very much attached 连接 to me, was Dick. Poor Dick! Dear 亲爱的, dear!"

"Yo ho, my boys!" said Fezziwig. "No more many work to-night. Christmas-eve 前夕, Dick. Christmas, Ebenezer! Let's have the shutters 快门 up," cried old Fezziwig with a sharp 敏锐的 clap 拍 of his hands, "before a man can say Jack Robinson!"

You wouldn't believe 7 how those two fellows 同伴 went at it! They charged 装载 into the street 街 with the shutters 快门—one, two, three—had 'em up in their places—four, five, six 6— barred 条；酒吧 'em and pinned 钉 'em—seven 七, eight 八, nine 九—and came back before you could have got get to twelve 十二, panting 喘气 like race 赛跑- horses 马.

"Hilli-ho!" cried old Fezziwig, skipping 跳跃 down from the high desk 书桌 with wonderful 精彩 agility. "Clear away, my lads 小伙子, and let's have lots 大量；份额 of room here! Hilli-ho, Dick! Chirrup, Ebenezer!"

Clear away! There was nothing they wouldn't have cleared away, or couldn't have cleared away, with old Fezziwig looking on. It was done in a minute 分. Every movable was packed 一群 off, as if it were dismissed 解雇 from public life for ever‧more 永远；曾经‧更; the floor 地面 was swept 打扫:sweep and watered, thelamps 灯 were trimmed 修剪, fuel 汽油 was heaped 堆 upon the fire; and the ware‧house 仓库 was as snug, and warm 暖和的, and dry 干燥, and bright 明亮的 a ball 球-room as you would desire 希望 to see upon a winter 冬's night.

In came a fiddler 小提琴 with a music 音乐- book 书, and went up to the lofty 高远 desk 书桌, and made an orchestra 乐队 of it, and tuned 曲调 like fifty 五十 stomachaches. In came Mrs. Fezziwig, one vast 广大 substantial 大量的 smile 微笑. In came the three Miss 错过；想念 Fezziwigs, beaming 梁 and lovable. In came the six 6 young followers 信徒 whose 谁的 hearts 心 they broke 破；断:break. In came all the young men and women employed 雇用 in the business. In came the house‧maid 房屋‧女佣, with her cousin 堂兄妹 the baker 烤. In came the cook 烹调, with her brother 兄弟's particular 特别的 friend 朋友 the milk‧man 奶‧男人. In came the boy from over the way, who was suspected 怀疑；嫌疑犯 of not having board 板，上船 enough from his master 主人；硕士; trying to hide 隐藏 himself behind 6 the girl from next door but one, who was proved 证明 to have had her ears 耳朵 pulled 拉 by her mistress 情妇. In they all came, one after another; some shyly 害羞, some boldly 胆大的；醒目的, some gracefully 优美, some awkwardly 难堪, some pushing 推, some pulling 拉; in they all came, any how and every how. Away they all went, twenty 二十 couple 两；双 at once; hands half 7 round 8 and back again the other way; down the middle 中部 and up again; round 9 and round 10 in various 各种 stages 阶段 of affectionate 亲热 grouping; old top 顶 couple always turning up in the wrong 有毛病的 place; new top couple starting off again as soon 立刻 as they got get there; all top couples 两；双 at last, and not a bottom 底部 one to help them! When this result was brought bring about, old Fezziwig, clapping 拍 his hands to stop 停止 the dance 跳舞, cried out, "Well done!" and the fiddler 小提琴 plunged 跳水 his hot 热的 face into a pot 罐 of porter 搬运工, especially 尤其地 provided for that purpose 目的. But, scorning 鄙视 rest 7 upon his reappearance, he instantly 瞬间 began begin again, though there were no dancers 舞蹈家 yet, as if the other fiddler 小提琴 had been carried 运送；支撑 home, exhausted 排气, on a shutter 关闭, and he were a bran-new man resolved 解决 to beat 打败 him out of sight 视力, or perish 沦.

There were more many dances 跳舞, and there were forfeits 丧失, and more many dances, and there was cake 蛋糕, and there was negus, and there was a great piece 块 of Cold Roast 烤, and there was a great piece of Cold Boiled, and there were mince 剁碎-pies 馅饼, and plenty 丰富 of beer 啤酒. But the great effect 影响 of the evening 傍晚 came after the Roast and Boiled, when the fiddler 小提琴 (an artful dog 狗, mind! The sort 分类 of man who knew know his business better well than you or I could have told tell it him!) struck 敲击:strike up " Sir 先生 Roger de Coverley." Then old Fezziwig stood stand out to dance 跳舞 with Mrs. Fezziwig. Top 顶 couple 两；双, too; with a good stiff 严厉的 piece 块 of work cut 砍 out for them; three or four and twenty 二十 pair 一副 of partners 伙伴; people who were not to be trifled 琐事 with; people who would dance 跳舞, and had no notion 概念 of walking 走；步行同道.

But if they had been twice 两次 as many—ah! four times—old Fezziwig would have been a match 比赛；火柴 for them, and so would Mrs. Fezziwig. As to her, she was worthy 值得 to be his partner 伙伴 in every sense of the term 学期. If that's not high praise 赞扬, tell me higher, and I'll use it. A positive 正 light appeared 出现 to issue from Fezziwig's calves. They shone 发光:shine in every part of the dance 跳舞 like moons 月亮. You couldn't have predicted 预测, at any given give time, what would become of them next. And when old Fezziwig and Mrs. Fezziwig had gone all through the dance; advance 往前推 and retire 退休, both hands to your partner 伙伴, bow 弓 and curtsy, cork 软木塞-screw 螺丝钉, thread 线-the-needle 针, and back again to your place; Fezziwig " cut 砍"— cut so deftly, that he appeared 6 to wink 眨眼 with his legs 腿, and came upon his feet again without a stagger 错开.

When the clock 钟 struck 敲击:strike eleven 十一, this domestic 国内 ball 球 broke 破；断:break up. Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig took their stations 站, one on either 任一个 side the door, and, shaking 摇晃 hands with every person individually 单个 as he or she went out, wished 希望 him or her a Merry 17 Christmas. When every‧body 每人 had retired 退休 but the two 'prentices, they did the same to them; and thus 于是 the cheerful 快乐 voices 嗓音 died 死亡 away, and the lads 小伙子 were left 7 to their beds 床; which were under a counter 反；表面 in the back-shop 商店.

During the whole 7 of this time Scrooge had acted like a man out of his wits 风趣. His heart 8 and soul 灵魂 were in the scene 场面, and with his former 以前的 self 自己. He corroborated every‧thing 每件事物, remembered 记得 everything, enjoyed 享有 everything, and underwent the strangest 奇怪；陌生 agitation 搅动. It was not until now, when the bright 明亮的 faces of his former 以前的 self 8 and Dick were turned from them, that he remembered 记得 the Ghost, and became become conscious 有意识的 that it was looking full 满的 upon him, while the light upon its head burnt 烧:burn very clear.

"A small matter," said the Ghost, "to make these silly 愚蠢 folks 民间 so full of gratitude 感谢."

"Small!" echoed 回声 Scrooge.

The Spirit signed 符号 to him to listen 倾听 to the two apprentices 学徒, who were pouring 淋；倒 out their hearts 心 in praise 赞扬 of Fezziwig; and, when he had done so, said:

"Why! Is it not? He has spent 用过的 but a few pounds 敲打；英镑 of your mortal 凡人 money 钱: three or four, perhaps 或许. Is that so much that he deserves 应受 this praise 赞扬?"

"It isn't that," said Scrooge, heated 热 by the remark 注意；评论, and speaking 讲 unconsciously 不知不觉 like his former 以前的, not his latter 后者的 self 9. "It isn't that, Spirit. He has the power to render 给予 us happy 幸福的 or unhappy 不快乐; to make our service light or burden‧some 负荷，重负‧一些; a pleasure 愉快 or a toil 辛劳. Say that his power lies 躺；说谎 in words and looks; in things so slight 微小的 and insignificant 微不足道 that it is impossible 不可能的 to add 增加 and count 数；总数 'em up: what then? The happiness 幸福 he gives is quite 9 as great as if it cost a for‧tune 命运."

He felt feel the Spirit's glance 一瞥, and stopped 7.

"What is the matter?" asked the Ghost.

"Nothing particular 特别的," said Scrooge.

"Something, I think?" the Ghost insisted 咬定.

"No," said Scrooge, "no. I should like to be able 能够的 to say a word or two to my clerk 13 just now. That's all."

His former 以前的 self 10 turned down thelamps 灯 as he gave give utterance 发声 to the wish 希望; and Scrooge and the Ghost again stood stand side by side in the open air 8.

"My time grows 生长；种植 short 短的," observed 7 the Spirit. " Quick 快的!"

This was not addressed 地址 to Scrooge, or to any one whom 谁 he could see, but it produced 生产 an immediate 立即的 effect 影响. For again Scrooge saw see himself. He was older now; a man in the prime 主要 of life. His face had not the harsh 苛刻 and rigid 死板 lines of later years; but it had begun begin to wear 穿着 the signs 符号 of care 关心 and avarice. There was an eager 渴望的, greedy 贪婪, rest‧less 不安 motion 运动 in the eye, which showed show the passion 激情，热情；强烈情感 that had taken root 根, and where the shadow 阴影 of the growing 生长；种植 tree 树 would fall 落下.

He was not alone 单独的, but sat 8 by the side of a fair 公平；美丽 young girl in a mourning 悼 dress 衣服: in whose 谁的 eyes there were tears 撕裂；泪, which sparkled 火花 in the light that shone 发光:shine out of the Ghost of Christmas Past 7.

"It matters little," she said softly 软的. "To you, very little. Another idol 偶像 has displaced 顶替 me; and, if it can cheer 欢呼 and comfort 安慰 you in time to come as I would have tried to do, I have no just cause 原因；引起 to grieve 悼."

"What Idol has displaced 顶替 you?" he rejoined 归队.

"A golden 金色的 one."

"This is the even-handed dealing 很多；对付 of the world!" he said. "There is nothing on which it is so hard 硬；困难的 as poverty 贫穷; and there is nothing it professes 宣称 to condemn 谴责 with such severity 严重 as the pursuit 追求 of wealth 财产!"

"You fear 害怕 the world too much," she answered 答复 gently 温和的. "All your other hopes 希望 have merged 合并 into the hope 希望 of being beyond 超过 the chance 机会 of its sordid reproach 责备. I have seen see your nobler 高尚的 aspirations 心愿 fall 落下 off one by one, until the master 主人；硕士 passion 激情，热情；强烈情感, Gain 获得, engrosses you. Have I not?"

"What then?" he retorted 反驳. "Even if I have grown 生长；种植:grow so much wiser 明智的；聪明的, what then? I am not changed towards you."

She shook 摇晃:shake her head.

"Am I?"

"Our contract 合同 is an old one. It was made when we were both poor, and content 内容 to be so, until, in good season 季节, we could improve 改进 our worldly for‧tune 命运 by our patient 有耐性的 industry. You are changed. When it was made you were another man."

"I was a boy," he said impatiently 不耐烦.

"Your own feeling tells you that you were not what you are," she returned. "I am. That which promised 允诺 happiness 幸福 when we were one in heart 9 is fraught 误人子弟 with misery 痛苦 now that we are two. How often and how keenly 热切的 I have thought think of this I will not say. It is enough that I have thought think of it, and can release 发布 you."

"Have I ever sought release 发布?"

"In words. No. Never."

"In what, then?"

"In a changed nature; in an altered 改变 spirit; in another atmosphere 大气层 of life; another Hope 希望 as its great end. In every‧thing 每件事物 that made my love 爱 of any worth 值得的 or value in your sight 视力. If this had never been between us," said the girl, looking mildly 温柔的, but with steadiness, upon him, "tell me, would you seek 寻求 me out and try to win 赢 me now? Ah, no!"

He seemed to yield 屈服 to the just‧ice 正义 of this sup‧position SUP‧位置 in spite 恶意 of himself. But he said, with a struggle 挣扎；搏斗, "You think not."

"I would gladly 高兴的 think other‧wise 否则 if I could," she answered 答复. " Heaven 天 knows! When I have learned 学习:learn a Truth 真理 like this, I know how strong 强的 and irresistible 不可抗拒 it must be. But if you were free 自由的 to-day, to-morrow, yesterday 昨天, can even I believe 8 that you would choose 挑选 a dowerless girl—you who, in your very confidence 信心 with her, weigh 称重 every‧thing 每件事物 by Gain 获得: or, choosing 挑选 her, if for a moment 瞬间 you were false 虚伪的 enough to your one guiding 引路 principle 原理 to do so, do I not know that your repentance and regret 后悔 would surely 肯定地，想必，无疑地 follow? I do; and I release 发布 you. With a full 满的 heart 10, for the love 爱 of him you once were."

He was about to speak 讲; but, with her head turned from him, she resumed 恢复.

"You may—the memory 记忆 of what is past 8 half 8 makes me hope 6 you will—have pain 痛苦 in this. A very, very brief 简要 time, and you will dismiss 解雇 the recollection 回忆 of it gladly 高兴的, as an unprofitable dream 梦想, from which it happened 发生 well that you awoke 醒着的:awake. May you be happy 幸福的 in the life you have chosen 挑选:choose!"

She left 8 him, and they parted.

"Spirit!" said Scrooge, "show me no more many! Conduct 进行 me home. Why do you delight 快乐 to torture 拷打 me?"

"One shadow 阴影 more many!" exclaimed 喊叫 the Ghost.

"No more many!" cried Scrooge. "No more many! I don't wish 希望 to see it. Show me no more many!"

But the relentless 狠 Ghost pinioned him in both his arms 手臂, and forced him to observe 观察 what happened 6 next.

They were in another scene 场面 and place; a room, not very large or hand‧some 英俊, but full 6 of comfort 安慰. Near to the winter 冬 fire sat 9 a beautiful 美丽 young girl, so like that last that Scrooge believed 信任 it was the same, until he saw see her, now a comely matron, sitting 坐 opposite 相对的 her daughter 女儿. The noise 噪音 in this room was perfectly 完美地，完满地 tumultuous, for there were more many children there than Scrooge in his agitated 激荡 state of mind could count 数；总数; and, unlike 不像 the celebrated 庆祝 herd 放牧 in the poem 诗, they were not forty 四十 children conducting 进行 themselves 他们自己 like one, but every child was conducting 进行 itself 本身 like forty 四十. The consequences 后果 were uproarious beyond 7 belief 信; but no one seemed to care 关心; on the contrary 相反, the mother 母亲 and daughter 女儿 laughed 笑 heartily 爽朗, and enjoyed 享有 it very much; and the latter 后者的, soon 立刻 beginning to mingle 交融 in the sports 运动, got get pillaged by the young brigands most many ruthlessly 无情. What would I not have given give to be one of them! Though I never could have been so rude 粗鲁的, no, no! I wouldn't for the wealth 财产 of all the world have crushed 压破 that braided 编织 hair 头发, and torn 撕裂；泪:tear it down; and, for the precious 宝贵的 little shoe 鞋, I wouldn't have plucked 采摘 it off, God bless 祝福 my soul 灵魂! to save 节省 my life. As to measuring 测量 her waist 腰 in sport 运动, as they did, bold 胆大的；醒目的 young brood 窝, I couldn't have done it; I should have expected my arm 6 to have grown 生长；种植:grow round 11 it for a punishment 惩罚, and never come straight 直的 again. And yet I should have dearly 亲爱的 liked, I own, to have touched 触摸 her lips 嘴唇; to have questioned her, that she might have opened them; to have looked upon the lashes 睫毛 of her down‧cast 往下‧演员 eyes, and never raised 提升；种 a blush 脸红; to have let loose 松的 waves 波浪 of hair 头发, an inch 英寸 of which would be a keep‧sake 保持‧缘故 beyond 8 price 价格: in short 短的, I should have liked, I do confess 供认, to have had the lightest licence of a child, and yet to have been man enough to know its value.

But now a knocking 敲 at the door was heard hear, and such a rush 仓促 immediately 立即，马上 ensued 接踵而至 that she, with laughing 笑 face and plundered 掠夺 dress 衣服, was borne 生；熊:bear towards it in the centre of a flushed 红晕 and boisterous group, just in time to greet 欢迎 the father 父亲, who came home attended 出席 by a man laden 载货 with Christmas toys 玩具 and presents. Then the shouting 呼喊 and the struggling 挣扎；搏斗, and the onslaught 猛攻 that was made on the defenceless porter 搬运工! The scaling 规模 him, with chairs 椅子 for ladders 梯子, to dive 潜水 into his pockets 口袋, despoil him of brown 棕色的-paper 纸；报纸 parcels 包袱, hold on tight 紧的 by his cravat, hug 拥抱 him round the neck 颈, pummel his back, and kick 踢 his legs 腿 in irrepressible affect‧ion 感情! The shouts 呼喊 of wonder 琢磨；奇妙 and delight 快乐 with which the development 发展，成长 of every pack‧age 包装 was received 收到! The terrible 可怕的 announcement 公告 that the baby 婴儿 had been taken in the act of putting a doll 娃娃's frying 油炸；炒-pan 平底锅 into his mouth 口, and was more many than suspected 怀疑；嫌疑犯 of having swallowed 吞 a fictitious turkey 火鸡, glued 胶 on a wooden 木制的 platter! The immense 极大的 relief 宽慰 of finding this a false 虚伪的 alarm 警告! The joy 喜悦, and gratitude 感谢, and ecstasy 狂喜! They are all indescribable alike 同样的. It is enough that by degrees 度, the children and their emotions 情感 got get out of the parlour, and, by one stair 楼梯 at a time, up to the top 6 of the house, where they went to bed, and so sub‧side 塌陷.

And now Scrooge looked on more many attentively 注意的 than ever, when the master 7 of the house, having his daughter 女儿 leaning 靠 fondly 喜欢的 on him, sat down with her and her mother 母亲 at his own fire‧side 火‧边；面; and when he thought think that such another creature 动物；生物, quite as graceful 优美 and as full 7 of promise 允诺, might have called him father 父亲, and been a spring 春季-time in the haggard winter 冬 of his life, his sight 视力 grew 生长；种植:grow very dim 暗淡 indeed 的确.

"Belle," said the husband 丈夫, turning to his wife 妻子 with a smile 微笑, "I saw see an old friend 朋友 of yours this afternoon 7."

"Who was it?"

" Guess 推测!"

"How can I? Tut, don't I know?" she added 增加 in the same breath 呼吸, laughing 笑 as he laughed 笑. "Mr. Scrooge."

"Mr. Scrooge it was. I passed 6 his office 办公室 window 8; and as it was not shut 关闭 up, and he had a candle 蜡烛 inside 里面的, I could scarcely 缺乏的 help seeing him. His partner 伙伴 lies 躺；说谎 upon the point of death 死亡, I hear; and there he sat alone 单独的. Quite alone in the world, I do believe 9."

"Spirit!" said Scrooge in a broken 破碎的 voice, "remove 去掉 me from this place."

"I told tell you these were shadows 阴影 of the things that have been," said the Ghost. "That they are what they are, do not blame 指责 me!"

"Remove 去掉 me!" Scrooge exclaimed 喊叫. "I cannot bear 生；熊 it!"

He turned upon the Ghost, and seeing that it looked upon him with a face in which in some strange 奇怪；陌生 way there were fragments 分段 of all the faces it had shown show him, wrestled 搏斗 with it.

"Leave me! Take me back! Haunt me no longer!"

In the struggle 挣扎；搏斗—if that can be called a struggle in which the Ghost, with no visible 可以看见的；可视的 resistance 抵抗 on its own part, was undisturbed by any effort 努力 of its adversary 对手—Scrooge observed 8 that its light was burning 烧 high and bright 明亮的; and dimly 暗淡 connecting 连接 that with its influence 影响 over him, he seized 抓住 the extinguisher 扑灭 cap 盖, and by a sudden 突然的 action 行动 pressed 压 it down upon its head.

The Spirit dropped 放下；滴；掉 beneath 之下 it, so that the extinguisher 扑灭 covered 覆盖 its whole 8 form; but, though Scrooge pressed it down with all his force, he could not hide 隐藏 the light, which streamed 河流 from under it in an unbroken flood 洪水 upon the ground 地面.

He was conscious 有意识的 of being exhausted 排气, and over‧come 战胜 by an irresistible 不可抗拒 drowsiness; and, further 更远的, of being in his own bed‧room 卧室. He gave give the cap 盖 a parting squeeze 挤, in which his hand relaxed 放松; and had barely 光秃秃的 time to reel 卷轴 to bed before he sank 淹没:sink into a heavy 7 sleep 睡.

---