# 第三册 Lesson 49 The ideal servant 理想的仆人

## 一、课文原文

It is a good thing my aunt Harriet died years ago. If she were alive today she would not be able to air her views on her favourite topic of conversation: domestic servants. Aunt Harriet lived in that leisurely age when servants were employed to do housework. She had a huge, rambling country house called 'The Gables'. She was sentimentally attached to this house, for even though it was far too big for her needs, she persisted in living there long after her husband's death. Before she grew old, Aunt Harriet used to entertain lavishly. I often visited The Gables when I was a boy. No matter how many guests were present, the great house was always immaculate. The parquet floors shone like mirrors; highly polished silver was displayed in gleaming glass cabinets; even my uncle's huge collection of books was kept miraculously free from dust. Aunt Harriet presided over an invisible army of servants that continuously scrubbed, cleaned, and polished. She always referred to them as 'the shifting population', for they came and went with such frequency that I never even got a chance to learn their names. Though my aunt pursued what was, in those days, an enlightened policy, in that she never allowed her domestic staff to work more than eight hours a day, she was extremely difficult to please. While she always criticized the fickleness of human nature, she carried on an unrelenting search for the ideal servant to the end of her days, even after she had been sadly disillusioned by Bessie.

Bessie worked for Aunt Harriet for three years. During that time she so gained my aunt's confidence, that she was put in charge of the domestic staff. Aunt Harriet could not find words to praise Bessie's industriousness and efficiency. In addition to all her other qualifications, Bessie was an expert cook. She acted the role of the perfect servant for three years before Aunt Harriet discovered her 'little weakness'. After being absent from The Gables for a week, my aunt unexpectedly returned one afternoon with a party of guests and instructed Bessie to prepare dinner. Not only was the meal well below the usual standard, but Bessie seemed unable to walk steadily. She bumped into the furniture and kept mumbling about the guests. When she came in with the last course — a huge pudding — she tripped on the carpet and the pudding went flying through the air, narrowly missed my aunt, and crashed on the dining table with considerable force. Though this caused great mirth among the guests, Aunt Harriet was horrified. She reluctantly came to the conclusion that Bessie was drunk. The guests had, of course, realized this from the moment Bessie opened the door for them and, long before the final catastrophe, had had a difficult time trying to conceal their amusement. The poor girl was dismissed instantly. After her departure, Aunt Harriet discovered that there were piles of empty wine bottles of all shapes and sizes neatly stacked in what had once been Bessie's wardrobe. They had mysteriously found their way there from the wine cellar!

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| rambling | /ˈræmblɪŋ/ | adj. | 杂乱延伸的 | rambling country house 宽大杂乱的乡间宅邸 |
| lavishly | /ˈlævɪʃli/ | adv. | 慷慨地，奢华地 | entertain lavishly 盛宴款待 |
| immaculate | /ɪˈmækjʊlət/ | adj. | 一尘不染的 | the house was always immaculate 房子总是一尘不染 |
| parquet | /ˈpɑːkeɪ/ | n. | 镶木地板 | parquet floors 镶木地板 |
| scrub | /skrʌb/ | v. | 擦洗 | scrubbed, cleaned, and polished 擦洗、清洁、抛光 |
| fickle | /ˈfɪkl/ | adj. | 变化无常的 | fickleness of human nature 人性的善变 |
| unrelenting | /ˌʌnrɪˈlentɪŋ/ | adj. | 不屈不挠的 | unrelenting search 坚持不懈的寻找 |
| disillusion | /ˌdɪsɪˈluːʒən/ | v. | 使幻想破灭 | sadly disillusioned 痛苦地幻想破灭 |
| industriousness | /ɪnˈdʌstriəsnəs/ | n. | 勤勉 | praise Bessie's industriousness 赞扬贝西的勤勉 |
| mumble | /ˈmʌmbl/ | v. | 含糊地说 | kept mumbling about 嘟嘟囔囔地说 |
| mirth | /mɜːθ/ | n. | 欢笑 | caused great mirth 引起大笑 |
| horrify | /ˈhɒrɪfaɪ/ | v. | 使震惊 | Aunt Harriet was horrified 姑妈震惊了 |

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. 虚拟语气（与现在事实相反）

> **If she were alive today** she **would not be able to** air her views...

if从句用过去式were，主句用would + 动词原形。

### 2. not only...but (also)... 倒装

> **Not only was** the meal well below the usual standard, **but** Bessie seemed unable to walk steadily.

not only置于句首引起部分倒装。

### 3. so...that... 结果状语从句

> During that time she **so** gained my aunt's confidence, **that** she was put in charge of the domestic staff.

### 4. in that 因为（书面语）

> She pursued what was an enlightened policy, **in that** she never allowed her domestic staff to work more than eight hours a day.

in that = because; for the reason that

## 四、重点句型分析

### 1. air one's views 发表观点
> She would not be able to **air her views** on her favourite topic.

### 2. preside over 管理，主持
> Aunt Harriet **presided over** an invisible army of servants.

### 3. in charge of 负责，主管
> She was put **in charge of** the domestic staff.

### 4. 长难句分析
> Though my aunt pursued what was, in those days, an enlightened policy, in that she never allowed her domestic staff to work more than eight hours a day, she was extremely difficult to please.

Though引导让步从句；what引导宾语从句作pursued的宾语；in that引导原因从句；主句为she was extremely difficult to please。

## 五、课文翻译

哈丽特姑妈多年前就去世了，这是件好事。如果她今天还活着，她将无法就她最喜欢的话题——家仆——发表看法了。哈丽特姑妈生活在那个雇佣仆人做家务的悠闲年代。她有一栋叫做"山墙宅"的宽大杂乱的乡间宅邸。她对这栋房子感情深厚，因为即使它远远超出了她的需要，她在丈夫去世很久后仍坚持住在那里。在年老之前，哈丽特姑妈常常设宴款待客人。小时候我经常去"山墙宅"做客。无论有多少客人，这座大宅总是一尘不染。镶木地板光亮如镜；高度抛光的银器陈列在闪闪发亮的玻璃柜里；甚至我叔父的大量藏书也奇迹般地一尘不染。哈丽特姑妈统率着一支看不见的仆人大军，他们不停地擦洗、清洁和抛光。她总是把他们称为"流动人口"，因为他们来去频繁，我甚至没有机会知道他们的名字。虽然姑妈奉行在当时算是开明的政策——她从不让家仆每天工作超过八小时——但她极难取悦。她总是批评人性的善变，却坚持不懈地寻找理想的仆人，直到生命的最后一天，即使在被贝西痛苦地使她幻想破灭之后也是如此。

贝西为哈丽特姑妈工作了三年。在此期间，她赢得了姑妈的信任，被任命负责管理家仆。哈丽特姑妈找不到足够的词来赞扬贝西的勤勉和效率。除了其他所有资质之外，贝西还是一位出色的厨师。她扮演了三年完美仆人的角色，直到哈丽特姑妈发现了她的"小毛病"。在离开"山墙宅"一周后，姑妈一天下午带着一群客人突然回来，吩咐贝西准备晚餐。饭菜不仅远低于平时的标准，而且贝西似乎走路都不稳了。她撞到家具上，还不断含糊地提到客人。当她端着最后一道菜——一个巨大的布丁——进来时，她被地毯绊了一下，布丁飞过空中，险些砸到姑妈，然后重重地摔在了餐桌上。虽然这在客人中引起了哄堂大笑，但哈丽特姑妈惊恐万分。她勉强得出结论：贝西喝醉了。当然，客人们从贝西给他们开门的那一刻就意识到了这一点，在最终的事故发生之前，他们一直努力忍住不笑。可怜的姑娘立刻被解雇了。她走后，哈丽特姑妈发现在贝西曾经用过的衣柜里整整齐齐地堆放着一堆各种形状和大小的空酒瓶。它们不知怎么从酒窖里跑到了那里！

## 六、语言点精讲

### 写作手法
1. **人物塑造**：通过行为和态度刻画哈丽特姑妈挑剔却开明的矛盾性格
2. **喜剧效果**：贝西喝醉的场面描写充满喜剧色彩
3. **幽默结尾**：空酒瓶神秘地从酒窖"跑"到衣柜

### 文化背景
- 英国维多利亚时代和爱德华时代有大量家庭雇用仆人
- "The Gables"是典型的英国乡间宅邸名称
- 布丁（pudding）是英国传统甜点

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **虚拟语气**：与现在事实相反的条件句
2. **倒装句**：not only前置引起的倒装
3. **词汇搭配**：preside over, in charge of, air one's views
4. **写作练习**：用幽默笔调描述一个性格独特的人物

## 八、本课小结

本课以幽默笔调讲述了哈丽特姑妈寻找理想仆人的经历和贝西的"小毛病"。语法重点是虚拟语气（与现在相反）、not only倒装和in that原因从句。词汇方面掌握lavishly、immaculate、fickle、disillusion等核心词。写作上学习人物塑造和喜剧效果的营造。