Chapter 3
It was a small but very comfortable andsunny room that Mrs. Wickett let to him.[1]Thehouse itself was ugly and pretentious[2]; but thatdidn't matter[3]; it was convenient, that was themain thing[4]. For he liked, if the weather weremild enough[5], to stroll[6]across[7]to the playingfields in an afternoon and watch the games[8]. Heliked to smile and exchange a few words with[9]theboys when they touched their caps to him[10]. Hemade a special point of[11]getting to[12]know[13]allthe new boys and having them to tea[14]with himduring their first term. He always ordered[15]awalnut cake[16]with pink icing[17]from Red-daway's[18], in the village, and during the winter term there were crumpets[19], too -- a little pile ofthem in front of the fire, soaked in butter[20]so thatthe bottom one[21]lay in a little shallow pool[22]. Hisguests found it fun to watch him make tea[23]--mixing careful spoonfuls[24]from different cad-dies[25]. And he would ask the new boys wherethey lived, and if[26]they had family connections atBrookfield. He kept watch to see that their plateswere never empty[27], and punctually at five, afterthe session[28]had lasted an hour[29], he wouldglance at the clock and say: 'Well -- umph -- it'sbeen very delightful -- umph -- meeting you likethis[30]-- I'm sorry -- umph -- you can't stay[31] …'And he would smile and shake handswith[32]them in the porch[33], leaving them torace[34]across the road to the School with theircomments[35]. 'Decent old boy, Chips.[36]Gives you[37]a jolly good tea[38], anyhow, and you doknow[39]when he wants you to push off[40] …'
And Chips also would be making his com-ments[41] —to Mrs. Wickett when she entered hisroom to clear away the remains of the party[42]. 'Amost -- umph -- interesting time[43], Mrs. Wickett.Young Branksome[44]tells me -- umph -- that hisuncle was Major Collingwood[45]-- the Colling-wood we had here[46]in -- umph -- nought-two[47],I think it was[48]. Dear me[49], I remember Colling-wood very well. I once thrashed[50]him -- umph --for climbing on to the gymnasium roof[51]-- to geta ball out of the gutter. Might have -- umph -- bro-ken his neck, the young fool.[52]Do you rememberhim, Mrs. Wickett? He must have been in yourtime.[53]'
[1] It was a small but very comfortable andsunny room that Mrs. Wickett let to him是Mrs.Wickett let to him (Chips) a small but very com-fortable and sunny room的强调句式。这里的let是过去式。
[2] pretentious [prɪ'tenʃəs]装模作样的，矫饰的
[3] matter关系重要。didn't matter无关紧要，主要用于否定句、疑问句和条件从句中。
[4] the main thing主要的事
[5] if the weather were mild enough要是天气相当温暖的话。were是虚拟语气，这里指过去的事实，照理这个were该改作was。
[6] stroll [strəʊl]散步
[7] across=across the road穿过马路（他所寄寓的Mrs. Wickett家在学校对马路。）
[8] games体育比赛
[9] exchange a few words with…和……谈几句话
[10] touched [tʌtʃt] their caps to him手举到帽边向他敬礼。
[11] made a special point of特别注意做到……make a point of是习语，意思是“注意做到（某一点）”。
[12] getting to（后接不定式）渐渐达到（目的），渐渐养成（习惯）
[13] know认识
[14] having them to tea请他们来吃茶点。tea茶点（名词）。
[15] ordered定购；叫店家送来[16] walnut ['wɔ:lnət] cake核桃糕
[17] icing（加在糕饼上的）糖霜
[18] Reddaway's ['redəweɪz]=Reddaway'sShop。Reddaway是店主的姓（英美人常用店主的姓作为店名）。
[19] crumpets ['krʌmpɪts]薄饼
[20] soaked [səʊkt] in butter浸在（因在火炉面前受热而融化的）黄油中。soaked过去分词，修饰a little pile of them (crumpets)。
[21] the bottom one（一叠中）最底下的一个饼
[22] lay in a little shallow pool平摊在小小的浅潭里。lay是lie的过去式。
[23] His guests found it fun to watch himmake tea他的客人们（指学生）看他泡茶觉得很有趣。it是虚词，=to watch him make tea。fun是不可数名词，注意：前面不用a。make tea泡茶。
[24] mixing careful spoonfuls把一匙一匙小心盛装的东西混和起来。
[25] caddies ['kædɪz]茶叶罐头
[26] if=whether
[27] kept watch to see that their plates werenever empty注意做到碟子永远不空（随时吃完随时添）
[28] session指Chips和来访学生的茶会
[29] lasted an hour=lasted for an hour持续一小时
[30] it's been very delightful -- umph --meeting you like this=meeting you like this --umph -- has been very delightful.it虚词，不仅可以引起that -clause和不定式，还可引起名词或动名词。
[31] you can't stay你们不能再待下去了（该走了）。
[32] shake hands with和……握手
[33] porch [pɔ:tʃ]门廊
[34] race（争先恐后地）奔
[35] comments ['kɒments]评语。名词和动词读音相同。
[36] Decent old boy, Chips.=Chips is a decentold boy.old boy。
[37] Gives you=He gives you.口语中有时省去主语。
[38] a jolly good tea一顿很好的茶点。jolly是口语，副词，=very。
[39] do know是know的着重式，do要重读。
[40] push off离去
[41] And Chips also would be making hiscomments而Chips也常有他的评语。修辞学书中往往说句子不宜用and或but开头，事实上在英美人作品中很常见；这里甚至用And放在一节的开头。would be making=would make，用进行时比较生动；would表示过去经常的行为，已屡见前。
[42] clear away the remains of the party收拾掉茶会残留下来的东西。remains这里指杯盘和吃剩的茶点。party=tea party.
[43] A most -- umph -- interesting time=I'vehad a most -- umph -- interesting time我刚才和这些学生谈了一会儿，觉得很有趣。
[44] Young Branksome ['bræŋksəm]年轻的布兰克森
[45] Major ['meɪdʒə] Collingwood['kɒlɪŋwʊd]科林伍德少校
[46] the Collingwood we had here在我们这里念过书的那个科林伍德。we had here前省去whom或that。
[47] nought-two ['nɔ:t'tu:]零二年（指1902年）
[48] I think it was.=I think it was nought-two
[49] Dear me表示惊奇、失望、同情等的感叹词
[50] thrashed [θræʃt]打（尤指用棍棒、鞭子打）
[51] gymnasium [dʒɪm'neɪzjəm] roof体育馆的屋顶
[52] Might have -- umph -- broken his neck,the young fool.=The young fool might have --umph -- broken his neck.这小傻瓜准会——嗯——折断颈骨（而死）呢。（虚拟语气，含有“如果不是被我发现而打一顿”的意思，但这个条件从句省去了。）
[53] He must have been in your time.他（在这里念书）一定是你（在校服务）的时候。musthave been这里是“（过去）谅必是”的意思。