She had no parents and was married from the house of an aunt in Ealing[47]. On the night before the wedding, when Chips left the house to return to his hotel, she said, with mock gravity:[48]'This is an occasion, you know -- this last farewell of ours.[49]I feel rather like a new boy beginning his first term with you. Not scared[50], mind you[51] —but just, for once, in a thoroughly respectful mood[52]. Shall I call you "sir”[53]-- or would "Mr. Chips" be the right thing[54]? "Mr. Chips" , I think.[55]Good-bye, then -- Goodbye, Mr. Chips ...'(A hansom[56]clop-clopping[57]in the roadway[58]; green pale gas lamps flickering on a wet pavement; newsboys shouting something about South Africa[59]; Sherlock Holmes[60]in Baker Street[61].)
'Good-bye, Mr. Chips ...'
[47] was married from the house of an aunt in Ealing ['i:liŋ]被从伊林(地名,在伦敦之西)的姑母(或姨母等)家嫁出去。
[48] with mock gravity ['grævɪtɪ]装出一本正经的样子。
[49] This is an occasion [ə'keɪʒən] , you know -- this last farewell of ours.你知道,这是个重大的时刻——我们这回最后的告别。occasion重大时刻。you know是插入语。this last farewell of ours与句首的主语This同位。把结婚前夜的告别说成是他们之间最后的告别,因结婚后一起生活,无需再告别。
[50] Not scared是I'm not scared的简略说法。scared惊慌的,是形容词。
[51] mind you请你注意我的话;亦作mind,口语中常用;you是mind的主语。
[52] just, for once, in a thoroughly ['θʌrəlɪ] respectful mood只是仅此一回地心情无限恭敬起来。(平时对Chips很随便,这一下对他毕恭毕敬起来。)for once就这一次,是习语。in a thoroughly respectful mood同Not scared并列、对比。
[53] Shall I call you“sir”我可否称你‘先生’?sir(不带姓名)是对陌生人或上司等的称呼。注意对英国knight和baronet两种爵士称Sir(大写,后接姓名或名,如Sir John Smith或Sir John),是另一回事。
[54] the right thing恰当的称呼
[55] "Mr. Chips ", I think.=I think I shall call you "Mr. Chips". Chips实际上是Chipping的绰号,已见前。
[56] hansom一种马车(驾车人坐在车顶后面)
[57] clop-clopping发出得得的马蹄声
[58] roadway车行道(别于人行道而言)
[59] newsboys shouting something about South Africa报童们叫喊着关于南非的新闻。按:当时英国正在非洲南部与荷尔人的后代布尔人进行战争,历史上称为“布尔战争”(Boer War, 1899—1902)。
[60] Sherlock ['ʃɜ:lTk] Holmes [həʊmz]福尔摩斯(英国小说家Conan Doyle所著一系列侦探小说中的主人公。当时第一部福尔摩斯探案The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes(1901)刚出版,轰动一时。)
[61] Baker Street小说中福尔摩斯居住的街道。这一节括号中四个名词词组,有声有色地描绘了Chips和Katherine在结婚前夜分手时的周围情景。