a chirstmas carol 圣诞欢歌 英语 原版

a chirstmas carol 圣诞欢歌 英语 原版 A Christmas Carol 尼岷 by 尼岷 Charles Dickens 尼岷Preface 尼岷I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book to raise the Ghost of an Idea which shall not put my readers out of humour withthemselves with each other with the season or with me. May it haunt their house pleasantly and no one wish to lay it. 尼岷Their faithful Friend and Servant 尼岷C. D. 尼岷December 1843 尼岷List of Characters 尼岷BOB CRATCHIT clerk to Ebenezer Scrooge 尼岷PETER CRATCHIT a son of the preceding 尼岷TIM CRATCHIT ‘Tiny Tim a cripple youngest son of Bob Cratchit 尼岷MR FEZZIWIG a kind-hearted jovial old merchant 尼岷FRED Scrooges nephew 尼岷 GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST a phantom showing things past 尼岷GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT a spirit of a kind generous and hearty nature 尼岷GHOST OF CHRISTMAS YET TO COME an apparition showing the shadows of things which yet may happen 尼岷GHOST OF JACOB MARLEY a spectre of Scrooges former partner in business 尼岷JOE a marine-store dealer and receiver of stolen goods 尼岷EBENEZER SCROOGE a grasping covetous old man the surviving partner of the firm of Scrooge and Marley 尼岷MR TOPPER a bachelor 尼岷DICK WILKINS a fellow apprentice of BELLE a comely matron an old sweetheart of Scrooges 尼岷Scrooges 尼岷 CAROLINE wife of one of Scrooges debtors 尼岷MRS CRATCHIT wife of Bob Cratchit 尼岷BELINDA AND MARTHA CRATCHIT daughters of the preceding 尼岷 MRS DILBER a laundress 尼岷FAN the sister of Scrooge 尼岷MRS FEZZIWIG the worthy partner of Mr Fezziwig 尼岷 Stave One - Marleys Ghost 尼岷Marley was dead to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergymanthe clerk the undertaker and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooges name was good upon Change for anything hechose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a doornail. 尼岷Mind I dont mean to say that I know of my own knowledge what there is particularly dead about a doornail. I might have beeninclined myself to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is inthe simile and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it or the countrys done for. You will therefore permit me to repeatemphatically that Marley was as dead as a doornail. 尼岷Scrooge knew he was dead Of course he did. How could it be otherwise Scrooge and he were partners for I dont know howmany years. Scrooge was his sole executor his sole administrator his sole assign his sole residuary legatee his sole friend andsole mourner. And even Scrooge was not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event but that he was an excellent man of business onthe very day of the funeral and solemnised it with an undoubted bargain. 尼岷The mention of Marleys funeral brings me back to the point I started from. There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This mustbe distinctly understood or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. If we were not perfectly convincedthat Hamlets father died before the play began there would be nothing more remarkable in his taking a stroll at night in aneasterly wind upon his own ramparts than there would be in a breezy spot say St Pauls Churchyard for instance literally toastonish his sons weak mind. 尼岷Scrooge never painted out Old Marleys name. There it stood years afterwards above the warehouse door: Scrooge and Marley.The firm was known as Scrooge and Marley. Sometimes people new to the business called Scrooge Scrooge and sometimesMarley but he answered to both names. It was all the same to him. 尼岷Oh but he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone Scrooge a squeezing wrenching grasping scraping clutching covetousold sinner Hard and sharp as flint from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire secret and self-contained andsolitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features nipped his pointed nose shrivelled his cheek stiffened his gaitmade his eyes red his thin lips blue and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head and on hiseyebrows and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him he iced his office in the dog-days anddidnt thaw it one degree at Christmas. 尼岷External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blewwas bitterer than he no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose no pelting rain less open to entreaty. Foul weather didntknow where to have him. The heaviest rain and snow and hail and sleet could boast of the advantage over him in only onerespect. They often ‘came down handsomely and Scrooge never did. 尼岷Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say with gladsome looks ‘My dear Scrooge how are you When will you come to seeme No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle no children asked him what it was oclock no man or woman ever once in allhis life enquired the way to such and such a place of Scrooge. Even the blind mens dogs appeared to know him and when theysaw him coming on would tug their owners into doorways and up courts and then would wag their tails as though they said‘No eye at all is better than an evil eye dark master 尼岷But what did Scrooge care It was the very thing he liked. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life warning all humansympathy to keep its distance was what the knowing ones call ‘nuts to Scrooge. 尼岷Once upon a time of all the good days in the year on Christmas Eve old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It was coldbleak biting weather foggy withal and he could hear the people in the court outside go wheezing up and down beating theirhands upon their breasts and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them. The City clocks had only just gonethree but it was quite dark already it had not been light all day and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouringoffices like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole and was so densewithout that although the court was of the narrowest the houses opposite were mere phantoms. To see the dingy cloud comedrooping down obscuring everything one might have thought that nature lived hard by and was brewing on a large scale. 尼岷The door of Scrooges counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk who in a dismal little cell beyond asort of tank was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire but the clerks fire was so very much smaller that it looked likeone coal. But he couldnt replenish it for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room and so surely as the clerk came in with theshovel the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter andtried to warm himself at the candle in which effort not being a man of strong imagination he failed. 尼岷‘A merry Christmas uncle God save you cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooges nephew who came upon him soquickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach. 尼岷‘Bah said Scrooge. ‘Humbug 尼岷He had so heated himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost this nephew of Scrooges that he was all in a glow his face wasruddy and handsome his eyes sparkled and his breath smoked again. 尼岷‘Christmas a humbug uncle said Scrooges nephew. ‘You dont mean that I am sure 尼岷‘I do said Scrooge. ‘Merry Christmas What right have you to be merry What reason have you to be merry Youre poor enough.尼岷‘Come then returned the nephew gaily. ‘What right have you to be dismal What reason have you to be morose Youre richenough. 尼岷Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment said ‘Bah again and followed it up with ‘Humbug 尼岷‘Dont be cross uncle said the nephew. 尼岷‘What else can I be returned the uncle ‘when I live in such a world of fools as this Merry Christmas Out upon merry ChristmasWhats Christmastime to you but a time for paying bills without money a time for finding yourself a year older and not an hourricher a time for balancing your books and having every item in em through a round dozen of months presented dead againstyou If I could work my will said Scrooge indignantly ‘every idiot who goes about with ‘‘Merry Christmas on his lips should beboiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should 尼岷‘Uncle pleaded the nephew. 尼岷‘Nephew returned the uncle sternly ‘keep Christmas in your own way and let me keep it in mine. 尼岷‘Keep it repeated Scrooges nephew. ‘But you dont keep it. 尼岷‘Let me leave it alone then said Scrooge. ‘Much good may it do you Much good it has ever done you 尼岷‘There are many things from which I might have derived good by which I have not profited I dare say returned the nephew‘Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmastime when it has come round apart from theveneration due to its sacred name and origin if anything belonging to it can be apart from that as a good time a kind forgivingcharitable pleasant time the only time I know of in the long calendar of the year when men and women seem by one consentto open their shut-up hearts freely and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave andnot another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore uncle though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver inmy pocket I believe that it has done me good and will do me good and I say God bless it 尼岷The clerk in the tank involuntarily applauded. Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety he poked the fire andextinguished the last frail spark for ever. 尼岷‘Let me hear another sound from you said Scrooge ‘and youll keep your Christmas by losing your situation Youre quite apowerful speaker sir he added turning to his nephew. ‘I wonder you dont go into Parliament. 尼岷‘Dont be angry uncle. Come Dine with us tomorrow. 尼岷Scrooge said that he would see him Yes indeed he did. He went the whole length of the expression and said that he would seehim in that extremity first. 尼岷‘But why cried Scrooges nephew. ‘Why 尼岷‘Why did you get married said Scrooge. 尼岷‘Because I fell in love. 尼岷‘Because you fell in love growled Scrooge as if that were the only one thing in the world more ridiculous than a merryChristmas. ‘Good-afternoon 尼岷‘Nay uncle but you never came to see me before that happened. Why give it as a reason for not coming now 尼岷‘Good-afternoon said Scrooge. 尼岷‘I want nothing from you I ask nothing of you why cannot we be friends 尼岷‘Good-afternoon said Scrooge. 尼岷‘I am sorry with all my heart to find you so resolute. We have never had any quarrel to which I have been a party. But I havemade the trial in homage to Christmas and Ill keep my Christmas humour to the last. So A Merry Christmas uncle 尼岷‘Good-afternoon said Scrooge. 尼岷‘And a Happy New Year 尼岷‘Good-afternoon said Scrooge. 尼岷His nephew left the room without an angry word notwithstanding. He stopped at the outer door to bestow the greetings of theseason on the clerk who cold as he was was warmer than Scrooge for he returned them cordially. 尼岷‘Theres another fellow muttered Scrooge who overheard him: ‘my clerk with fifteen shillings a week and a wife and familytalking about a merry Christmas. Ill retire to Bedlam. 尼岷This lunatic in letting Scrooges nephew out had let two other people in. They were portly gentlemen pleasant to behold andnow stood with their hats off in Scrooges office. They had books and papers in their hands and bowed to him. 尼 岷‘Scrooge and Marleys I believe said one of the gentlemen referring to his list. ‘Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr Scrooge orMr Marley 尼岷‘Mr Marley has been dead these seven years Scrooge replied. ‘He died seven years ago this very night. 尼岷‘We have no doubt his liberality is well represented by his surviving partner said the gentleman presenting his credentials. 尼岷It certainly was for they had been two kindred spirits. At the ominous word ‘liberality Scrooge frowned and shook his headand handed the credentials back. 尼岷‘At this festive season of the year Mr Scrooge said the gentleman taking up a pen ‘it is more than usually desirable that weshould make some slight provision for the poor and destitute who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are inwant of common necessaries hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts sir. 尼岷‘Are there no prisons asked Scrooge. 尼岷‘Plenty of prisons said the gentleman laying down the pen again. 尼岷‘And the Union workhouses demanded Scrooge. ‘Are they still in operation 尼岷‘They are. Still returned the gentleman ‘I wish I could say they were not. .