包邮英语文学导论(短篇故事与小说卷)

　　《英语文学导论（短篇故事与小说卷）》：　　11 Though concerning the self-indulgent habits of Turkey I had my own private surmises，yet touclung Nippers I was well persuaded that whatever might be his faults in other respects，he was，at least，a temperate young man. But indeed，nature herself seemed to have been his vintner，and at hiss birth charged him so thoroughly with an irritable，brandy-like disposition，that all subsequent potations were needless. When I consider how，amid the stillness of my chambers，Nippers would sometimes impatiently rise from his seat，and stooping over his table，spread his arms wide apart，seize the whole desk，and move it，and jerk it，with a grim，grinding motion on the floor，as if the table were a perverse voluntary agent，intent on thwarting and vexing him；I plainly perceive that for Nippers，brandy and water were altogether superfluous.　　12 It was fortunate for me that，owing to its peculiar cause - indigestion - the imtability and consequent nervousness of Nippers，were mainly observable in the moming，while in the aftemoon he was comparatively mild. So that Turkey's paroxysms only coming on about twelve o'clock，I never had to do with their eccentricities at one time. Their fits relieved each other like guards. When Nippers' was on，Turkey's was off；and vice versa. This was a good natural arrangement under the circumstances.　　13 Ginger Nut，the third on my list，was a lad some twelve years old. His father was a carman，ambitious of seeing his son on the bench instead of a cart，before he died. So he sent him to my office as student at law，errand boy，and cleaner and sweeper，at the rate of one dollar a week. He had a little desk to himself，but he did not use it much. Upon inspection，the drawer exhibited a great array of the shells of various sorts of nuts. Indeed，to this quick-witted youth the whole noble science of the law was contained in a nut-shell. Not the least among the employments of Ginger Nut，as well as one which he discharged with the most alacrity ， was his duty as cake and apple purveyor for Turkey and Nippers. Copying law papers being proverbially a dry，husky sort of business，my two scriveners were fain to moisten their mouths very often with Spitzenbergs to be had at the numerous stalls nigh the Custom House and Post Office. Also，they sent Ginger Nut very frequently for that peculiar cake - small，flat，round，and very spicy - after wluch he had been named by them. Of a cold moming when business was but dull，Turkey would gobble up scores of these cakes，as if they were mere wafers - indeed they sell them at the rate of six or eight for a penny - the scrape of his pen blending with the crunching of the crisp particles in lus mouth. Of all the fiery aftemoon blunders and flumed rashnesses of Turkey，was his once moistening a ginger-cake between his lips，and clapping it on to a mortgage for a seal. I came within an ace of dismissing him then. But he mollified me by making an oriental bow，and saying-"With submission， sir， it was generous of me to find you in stationery on my own account."　　14 Now my original business - that of a conveyancer and title hunter，and drawer-up of recondite documents of all sorts - was considerably increased by receiving the master's office. There was now great work for scriveners. Not only must I push the clerks already with me，but I must have additional help.　　15 In answer to my advertisement，a motionless young man one moming，stood upon my office threshold，the door being open，for it was summer. I can see that figure now - pallidly neat，pitiably respectable，incurably forlorn！ It was Bartleby.　　16 After a few words touching his qualifications，I engaged him，glad to have among my corps of copyists a man of so singularly sedate an aspect，which I thought nught operate beneficially upon the ffighty temper of Turkey，and the fiery one of Nippers.　　17 I should have stated before that ground glass folding-doors divided my premises into two parts，one of which was occupied by my scriveners，the other by myself. According to my humor I threw open these doors，or closed them. I resolved to assign Bartleby a comer by the folding-doors，but on my side of them，so as to have this quiet man within easy call，in case any triffing thing was to be done. I placed his desk close up to a small side-window in that part of the room，a window which originally had afforded a lateral view of certain grimy back-yards and bricks，but which，owing to subsequent erections，commanded at present no view at all，though it gave some light. Within three feet of the panes was a wall，and the light came down from far above，between two lofty buildings，as from a very small operung in a dome.　　Still further to a satisfactory arrangement，I procured a high green folding screen，which might entirely isolate Bartleby from my sight，though not remove him from my voice. And thus，in a manner，privacy and society were conjoined.　　18 At first Bartleby did an extraordinary quantity of writing. As if long famishing for something to copy，he seemed to gorge himself on my documents. There was no pause for　　digestion. He ran a day and rught line，copying by sun-light and by candle-light. I should have been quite delighted with his application，had he been cheerfully industrious. But he wrote on silently，palely，mechanically.　　……