读毛姆小说《面纱》学英文

每次出门都会带一本纸质书。多是平时不怎么读的英文小说，飞机上不让用电子设备时拿出来读。

这次读的是毛姆的 The Painted Veil，中文一般译成《面纱》，也有人把它译成《爱在遥远的附近》。飞机上看了一半，今早刚把余下的补完。

小说就是讲个故事，内容方面就不剧透了，我也写不出什么深刻的书评。从小说中精选了一些语言点，也分享给你。

物作主语

和中文相比，英文中更喜欢用物作主语。一来让描写有拟人效果，二来让句子更简洁。

比如，想说「她慌了」，我们第一反应可能会说 She paniced，而小说中用的是 Panic seized her。类似的还有：

• …but here again her parsimony balked her ambition.

• It was so frightening that Kitty, her nerves failing her, opened her mouth to scream.

• Her happiness, sometimes almost more than she could bear, renewed her beauty.

熟词生义

下面加粗的单词什么意思？

先自己猜一下，然后点一下空白处就能看到参考答案。

She awoke with a start.

She gave him the shadow of a smile.

I've often heard his wife chaff him about his conquests.

I don't think he's very expansive with you.

It embarrassed Kitty that this shy woman should be so demonstrative.

There were a few white hairs on the temple, but they were becoming.

How unfortunate to be called Dorothy! It dated you.

有没有掌握这些熟词生义的捷径呢？是不是每查一个词都要学它所有的意思？

见一个，觉得不对劲，查查词典就好了。每天查几十次词典是学英语的常态，若有所疑，查个明白。这就是捷径呀。

好用习语

毛姆还是挺爱用习语。这些习语除了是常见说法，出自人物之口时也能反映他们的性格。

我挑了几个常见实用的。

• He’s got Colonel Yu in his pocket.

Have got someone in one's pocket 字面意思是「把某人放到口袋里」，可以理解为这个人完全听命于你。

当我们想说被一个人「吃定」了，就可以用这个表达。

• Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

字面意思是想知道布丁好不好吃，你得吃了才知道。因此这个习语表示「只有通过体验才能判断事物的好坏」，也就是咱们常说的「是骡子是马拉出来溜溜」。

这句话出自无耻渣男 Charlie，好想打他诶。

• Of course he'll get on. He knows all the official ropes.
  

get on 的意思很多，常见的可以表示「年纪大了」「变老」，在这里 get on 表示「飞黄腾达」「成功」。

类似的说法书中还出现了 go far：He had seemed then a young man of promise and her father said he would go far.

know the ropes 无比常见，必须掌握呀：

• If we’re in for it we’re in for it. We shall just have to brazen it out.
  

in for something 表示「注定遭遇某事」，brazen it out 可以理解为「厚着脸皮挨过去」，也就是死猪不怕开水烫那种。

这句话也是出自 Charlie，他想说的是如果被发现偷情那就被发现吧，咱们到时候硬着头皮不要脸就行了。

• He’s far and away the best bridge player at the Club.

far and away 在书中多次出现，后面长接形容词比较级或最高级，表示程度之高。这段话可以理解为他是当之无愧的桥牌顶级高手。

• That is his stock in trade. He’s made a science of popularity. He has the gift of making every one he meets feel that he is the one person in the world he wants to see.

stock in trade 表示「一贯做法」，也就是咱们常说的「套路」。

后面的 He'made a science of... 不是什么习语，但是很实用，当我们想说某人攻于心计总是套路别人时就可以套用。比如那些玩弄别人情感的 PUA 们，是不是就是 make a science of love？

最后，这个自学吧：

She could not know what the future had in store for her, but she felt in herself the strength to accept whatever was to come with a light and buoyant spirit.

这句话也送给你我

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