英语精读连载Good-Bye,Mr.Chips《再会，契普斯先生》8

So there he lived, at Mrs. Wickett's, with his quiet enjoyments of reading and talking and remembering; an old man, white-haired and only a little bald[103], still fairly active for his years[104], drinking tea, receiving callers, busying himself with[105]corrections for the next edition of the Brookfeldian Directory[106], writing his occasional letters[107]in thin, spidery, but very legible script[108]. He had new masters to tea[109], as well as[110]new boys. There were two of them[111]that autumn term, and as they were leaving after their visit, one of them commented: 'Quite a character, the old boy, isn't he?[112]All that fuss about mixing the tea -- a typical bachelor[113], if ever there was one[114].'

Which[115]was oddly incorrect[116]; because Chips was not a bachelor at all. He had married[117]; though it was so long ago that[118]none of the staff at Brookfield could remember his wife.

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[103] bald [bɔ:ld]秃顶的

[104] fairly active for his years拿他的年纪来说，算是相当活跃的了。for就……而论。

[105] busying himself with以（事情、工作）使自己忙碌；忙于……

[106] Brookfeldian Directory [dɪ'rektərɪ]布鲁克菲尔德人名录

[107] occasional ['keɪʒənl] letters偶尔写的书信

[108] in thin, spidery, but very legible ['ledʒəbl] script用细小而清楚的字体写成的。spidery（字迹）细长的。

[109] had new masters to tea请新教师们来吃茶点。

[110] as well as在……以外

[111] them指new masters。

[112] Quite a character ['kærɪktə] , the old boy, isn't he?=The old boy is quite a character, isn't he? old boy对人昵称，已见前注，这里指Chips。character有突出性格的人。[113] All that fuss about mixing the tea -- a typical ['tɪpɪkəl] bachelor ['bætʃələ]制茶时手忙脚乱的种种样子——一个典型的独身汉。这个句子中没有谓语动词；破折号前后两个名词词组，虽然在语法上没有关系（不能说是省去连系动词的主语与表语的关系），但在逻辑上的关系很清楚。

[114] if ever there was one假如世间有个典型的独身汉的话。意即“没有则已；要是有，那就是Chips。”ever有“在任何时候”的意思。one=a typical bachelor.

[115] Which有些语法家认为不能用which引起一句句子，更不能用which引起一节；事实上英美作家常有这样用的。这里就用which代替上节所说Chips是typical bachelor的话，引起新的一节。

[116] oddly incorrect错得奇怪（看下文自明）

[117] had married结过婚。marry和be married略有不同：前者指结婚的行动，后者指结婚的状态。

[118] so long ago that…时间如此久远，以至于……