Perhaps it was.[91]He remembered that first tremendous ordeal[92]of taking prep[93]; a September sunset[94]more than half a century ago; Big Hall[95]full of lusty barbarians ready to pounce on him as their legitimate prey[96]. His youth[97], fresh-complexioned[98], high-collared, and side-whiskered[99](odd fashions people followed in those days[100]), at the mercy of[101]five hundred unprincipled ruffians[102]to whom the baiting of new masters was a fine art[103], an exciting sport, and something of[104]a tradition[105]. Decent little beggars individually[106], but, as a mob, just pitiless and implacable[107]. The sudden hush[108]as he took his place at the desk on the dais[109]; the scowl he assumed to cover his inward nervousness[110]; the tall clock ticking behind him and the smells of ink and varnish; the last blood-red rays slanting in slabs through the stained-glass windows[111]. Someone dropped a desk lid. Quickly, he must take everyone by surprise[112]; he must show that there was no nonsense about him[113]. 'You there in the fifth row -- you with the red hair -- what's your name?' -- 'Colley[114], sir.' -- 'Very well, Colley, you have a hundred lines[115].' No trouble at all after that[116]. He had won his first round[117].
And years later[118], when Colley was an alderman[119]of the City of London[120]and a baronet[121]and various other things[122], he sent his son (also red-haired) to Brookfield, and Chips would say: 'Colley, your father was the first boy I ever punished[123]when I came here twenty-five years ago. He deserved it[124]then, and you deserve it now?' How they all laughed; and how Sir Richard[125]laughed when his son wrote home[126]the story in next Sunday's letter!
And again, years after that, many years after that[127], there was an even better[128]joke. For another Colley[129]had just arrived -- son of the Colley who was a son of the first Colley. And Chips would say, punctuating his remarks with that little 'umph-um'[130]that had by then[131]become a habit with him: 'Colley, you are -- umph -- a splendid[132]example of -- umph -- inherited traditions[133]. I remember your grandfather[134]-- umph -- he could never grasp the Ablative Absolute[135]. A stupid fellow, your grandfather.[136]And your father, too -- umph -- I remember him -- he used to[137]sit at that far desk[138]by the wall[139]-- he wasn't much better, either[140]. But I do believe -- my dear Colley -- that you are -- umph -- the biggest fool of the lot[141]!' Roars of laughter.
A great joke, this growing old -- but a sad joke, too[142], in a way[143]. And as Chips sat by his fire with autumn gales rattling[144]the windows, the waves of humour and sadness[145]swept over him very often until tears[146]fell, so that when Mrs. Wickett came in with his cup of tea she did not know whether he had been laughing or crying. And neither did Chips himself.[147]
[91] Perhaps it was.=Perhaps it was the secret of it.
[92] tremendous [tr?'mend?s] ordeal [?:'d??l]可怕的磨難
[93] taking prep主持預(yù)備課（prep見第5頁注釋19）
[94] sunset日落時
[95] Big Hall（Brookfield學(xué)校中的）大禮堂
[96] lusty barbarians [bɑ:'be?r??nz] ready to pounce on him as their legitimate [l?'d??t?m?t] prey強(qiáng)壯的野人們（指學(xué)生們，說他們的粗野）準(zhǔn)備隨時向他撲擊上來，當(dāng)作他們合法的獵物。（用legitimate是說學(xué)生認(rèn)為作弄新教師是理所當(dāng)然的，有譏刺的意思。）
[97] His youth他的青春（這里用抽象的“他的青春”指他這青春時代的人）
[98] fresh-complexioned神清氣爽的
[99] side-whiskered兩頰有須的
[100] odd fashions people followed in those days=odd fashions which（或that）people followed in those days
[101] at the mercy of在……掌握之中；任……處置
[102] ruffians流氓們（指那些搗蛋學(xué)生）[103] the baiting of new masters was a fine art作弄新教師是一種巧妙的藝術(shù)。a fine art有“拿手好戲”的意思；比較：the fine arts美術(shù)，或泛指藝術(shù)。
[104] something of=in some sense or degree
[105] tradition [tr?'d?? ?n]傳統(tǒng)的風(fēng)氣
[106] Decent ['di:snt] little beggars individually [??nd?'v?d???l?] =They are little beggars individually他們一個個分別而論都是些循規(guī)蹈矩的小家伙。little beggars=youngsters，是戲謔語。
[107] implacable [?m'pl?k?bl]無法使其鎮(zhèn)定的
[108] The sudden hush和后面the scowl, the smells, the last blood-red rays一連串名詞后面都只有修飾語，沒有謂語。這種以名詞或名詞詞組構(gòu)成的單部句（one-member sentence），在文藝作品中很多，可稱為“名詞句”。
[109] took his place at the desk on the dais ['de??s]在講臺上的書桌前就位（不一定是坐是立）
[110] the scowl [ska?l] he assumed to cover ['k?v?] his inward ['?nw?d] nervousness為掩蓋他內(nèi)心的緊張而做出的皺眉的樣子。the scowl后省去which（或that）。
[111] the last blood-red rays slanting in slabs through the stained-glass windows一片片血紅的殘陽穿過彩色玻璃窗斜射進(jìn)來。
[112] he must take everyone by surprise他定要使人人都吃一驚。he must…（Chips想）他必須……（用must而不用had to…，表示he當(dāng)時的想法。下面的he must也是這樣。）
[113] there was no nonsense about him他（Chips）不容胡鬧
[114] Colley ['k?l?]考利，姓
[115] you have a hundred lines罰你抄一百行拉丁文（英國學(xué)校的一種罰則）
[116] No trouble at all after that.=There was no trouble at all after that.在那以后就沒有麻煩了。
[117] won his first round勝了第一個回合。round一局；一場。
[118] years later若干年后。years修飾later。
[119] alderman ['?:ld?m?n]英國的市政官，次于市長（mayor）
[120] the City of London倫敦市區(qū)（比通稱的London范圍?。?/p>
[121] baronet ['b?r?n?t]從男爵
[122] and various other things還有各種其他頭銜
[123] the first boy I ever punished=the first boy that I ever punished
[124] deserved it應(yīng)得處罰。it指上句所說的處罰這件事，未必一定要有個名詞（如punishment）做它的先行詞。
[125] Sir Richard ['r?t??d]=Sir Richard Colley，就是上文第一個Colley。因為他是baronet，所以稱Sir。注意Sir用在baronet和knight（爵士）的姓名或名之前，不可用于姓的前面，和Mr.的用法不同。
[126] wrote home把……寫在家信中[127] years after that, many years after that許多許多年以后（這里，推想起來，當(dāng)是二十多年之后。）
[128] even better甚至更好
[129] another Colley又一個姓考利的（他是第三代的Colley了）
[130] punctuating ['p??ktj?e?t??] his remarks with that little 'umph-um'用那“嗯，嗯”之聲（像標(biāo)點一般）夾雜在他說的話里。umph可讀作含糊的[m]，也可讀作[?mf]；um可讀作[?m]。
[131] by then到那時候，不遲于那個時候
[132] splendid出色的；這里是諧語，有譏刺義。
[133] inherited [?n'her?t?d] traditions繼承的傳統(tǒng)
[134] your grandfather指第一個Colley
[135] Ablative ['?bl?t?v] Absolute ['?bs?lju:t]（拉丁語法中的）奪格獨(dú)立結(jié)構(gòu)。
[136] A stupid fellow, your grandfather.=Your grandfather was a stupid fellow.這種省去連系動詞而把主語和表語倒置的句型，口語中常有。
[137] used to…（過去）常?！?。在現(xiàn)代英語中只用過去式used to，不用現(xiàn)在式use to。又，used本當(dāng)讀[ju:zd]，但在used to這一習(xí)語中讀[ju:st]。
[138] that far desk那個遠(yuǎn)離講臺的課桌
[139] by the wall靠墻的
[140] wasn't much better, either也并不好多少。either也；用在否定句中。
[141] the lot全體，一批。這里指Colley祖孫三個。
[142] A great joke, this growing old -- but a sad joke, too=This growing old is a great joke -- but a sad joke, too這樣一年年變老（的情況）是一個大笑話，……，漸入老境的這個情況既可笑，又可悲。
[143] in a way就某一方面而論；多少有些是習(xí)語。
[144] rattling使震動而發(fā)出格格聲[145] waves of humour ['hju:m?] and sadness浪潮般的一陣陣幽默和憂傷。humour也讀作['ju:m?]，那是老式的讀法。
[146] tears [t??z]淚珠；是不可數(shù)名詞。注意：動詞tear（撕）讀[te?]，不要混淆。
[147] And neither did Chips himself Chips本人也不（知道）。And neither=Neither.
