狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第15章Part8
As these reflections presented themselves to the Captain's mind, and by slow degrees assumed this shape and form, his visage cleared like a doubtful morning when it gives place to a bright noon. His eyebrows, which had been in the highest degree portentous, smoothed their rugged bristling aspect, and became serene; his eyes, which had been nearly closed in the severity of his mental exercise, opened freely; a smile which had been at first but three specks - one at the right-hand corner of his mouth, and one at the corner of each eye - gradually overspread his whole face, and, rippling up into his forehead, lifted the glazed hat: as if that too had been aground with Captain Cuttle,and were now, like him, happily afloat again.
Finally, the Captain left off biting his nails, and said, 'Now, Wal'r, my boy, you may help me on with them slops.' By which the Captain meant his coat and waistcoat.
船長終於不再咬指甲，說：“現在，沃爾特，我的孩子，你幫我穿上衣服吧！”船長指的是他的外衣和背心。Walter little imagined why the Captain was so particular in the arrangement of his cravat, as to twist the pendent ends into a sort of pigtail, and pass them through a massive gold ring with a picture of a tomb upon it, and a neat iron railing, and a tree, in memory of some deceased friend. Nor why the Captain pulled up his shirt-collar to the utmost limits allowed by the Irish linen below, and by so doing decorated himself with a complete pair of blinkers; nor why he changed his shoes, and put on an unparalleled pair of ankle-jacks, which he only wore on extraordinary occasions. The Captain being at length attired to his own complete satisfaction, and having glanced at himself from head to foot in a shaving-glass which he removed from a nail for that purpose, took up his knotted stick, and said he was ready.
沃爾特想不出，船長系領帶爲什麼會那麼用心，他把垂下的兩端擰成像辮子一樣的東西，然後穿進一個大金戒指中，戒指上刻着一幅圖畫，畫中有一座墳墓、一條潔淨的鐵欄杆和一株樹，它是紀念某個死去的朋友的。沃爾特也想不出船長爲什麼把襯衫領子使勁往上拉，拉到下面的愛爾蘭亞麻布襯衫所許可的最大限度，這樣一來他看上去就有了一副完好的遮眼罩來裝飾自己了。沃爾特也想不出，船長爲什麼脫下鞋子，換上那雙世上無雙的短靴，那是他在不尋常的場合才穿的。船長終於穿着完畢，自己完全感到稱心滿意；他從牆釘上取下一面修臉用的鏡子，從頭到腳把自己打量了一番，然後拿起他那根多節的手杖說，他已經準備好了。
The Captain's walk was more complacent than usual when they got out into the street; but this Walter supposed to be the effect of the ankle-jacks, and took little heed of. Before they had gone very far, they encountered a woman selling flowers; when the Captain stopping short, as if struck by a happy idea, made a purchase of the largest bundle in her basket: a most glorious nosegay, fan-shaped, some two feet and a half round, and composed of all the jolliest-looking flowers that blow.
當他們走上街道的時候，船長的步態比往常顯得更加躊躇滿志，但沃爾特以爲那是由於短靴的作用，對它並不注意。他們沒走多遠，遇到一位賣花的女人，船長突然停下腳步，彷彿心血來潮，閃出一個巧妙主意似的；他把她籃子裏最大的一束花買下來，那是一個極爲光彩奪目、芳香四溢的花束，形狀像扇子，周圍約有兩英尺半，全都由最鮮豔的花朵組成。Armed with this little token which he designed for Mr Dombey, Captain Cuttle walked on with Walter until they reached the Instrument-maker's door, before which they both paused.
卡特爾船長準備了這份打算送給董貝先生的禮品之後，跟沃爾特繼續向前走去，直到他們到達儀器製造商門前，兩人才都停下腳步。一ent:n.禮物, 現在 adj.出席的, 現在的, 當前的, 存在的 v.提出, 贈送, 呈現
【語法用法】
at present，for the present都屬於固定搭配格式，不能修改成at the present，in present等其他格式。前者指“現在”，後者指“暫時”；
at present同presently意思不同，但前者常用於現在時，表示“目前”，後者則常用於將來時，表示“一會兒”；
present和gift的比較：present指“禮物”，但gift可以不是“禮物”。Birthday/Christmas gift中，gift屬於禮物。在別人需要而將東西送給他時，如一本舊
書或是把書捐給圖書館，都屬於gift，但不算送“禮”；
表示“把…送給（某人)”的幾種說法：{He presented a book to her.
He presented her with a book.
He made her a present of a book.
He made a present of a book to her.
值得注意的是，present 作動詞時，很少有雙賓語。}
present作形容詞時，常用於名詞後，指“出席的”。
There are other people present.
還有其他人出席。
【錯句舉例與錯句分析】
錯句: Go to the post office and wait there; I will come at present.
訂正: Go to the post office and wait there; I will presently.
翻譯: 你到郵局那等會，我一會就來。
分析: 表示“一會兒”，用presently，at present常用現在時，表“現在”。
【詞義辨析】
rn, contemporary, current, recent, present, up-to-date
這些形容詞均有“現代的、當代的”之意。
modern指現代或近代，時期可長可短；也可指新穎、時髦的。
contemporary僅指當今這個時代，不涉及任何過去的時代，但可表示不同的人或物存在於同一時代。
current指目前存在和發生的。
recent表示新近的，最近的，時間的長短依據所修飾的人或物而定。
present是這些詞中語氣最強的一個。指現在正發生、起作用的。
up-to-date一般用於非正式場合，指很時新、能反映當前的最新發展。
r, present, propose, volunteer
這些動詞均含“提出、提供”之意。
offer最普通用詞，多指主動提出或提供意見或東西等，但是否接受由對方自行決定。
present既可指提出意見、建議等，又可指拿出某物供人欣賞或贈送。
propose指直接而主動地提出問題或建議等，也指在討論或爭辨中提出具體意見或建議。
volunteer與offer同義，側重出於自願，而不是奉命做某事。
二e:n.暫停, 中止, 猶豫不決 vi.停頓, 中止
【詞義辨析】
k, rest, pause, interval, recess, cease, stop, end
這些名詞均含有“中止，停止，休息”之意。
break非正式用詞，指突然的或短時間的中止，如工作或活動期間短暫休息。
rest指統稱的休息。
pause指短暫的中斷或停止，含再進行下去的意味。
interval指一齣戲在幕與幕之間，音樂會上下串場之間或演出中預先安排的休息；也可泛指事件之間的一段時間。
recess正式用詞，指業務活動或工作中短暫的或長時間的休息。
cease正式用詞，側重逐漸結束某活動或狀態，含永遠結束的意味。
stop普通用詞，指迅速或突然中止某行爲、活動或狀態。
end多指“自然的結束”。
e, pause, stop, halt, quit, end
這些動詞均含有“停止”之意。
cease指逐漸、徐徐中止某種狀態的存在。書面用詞。
pause指暫時的、瞬間的停頓，隱含有再進行之意。
stop指動作、運行、進展等被停下來，含突然、斷然的意味。
halt側重突然地、決定性地終止、停止某一活動。
quit指最終徹底停止某事，有時暗示遭到失敗或面臨挫折。
end多指“自然的結束”。如：
The book ends on page 364．
該書在第364頁結束。
【例句用法】
There was a pregnant pause before she answered my question.
她耐人尋味地停頓了一下才回答我的問題。
His words were followed by a pregnant pause.
他說完話，接着是一段意味深長的停頓。
