寫在前面的話
英語閱讀有精讀和泛讀之分。兩者也是相輔相成、不可偏廢的，只是要求有所不同。泛讀從“量”來要求，廣泛瀏覽，達(dá)到見多識廣，可以容許“不求甚解”；精讀則從“質(zhì)”來要求，務(wù)必一詞、一句都弄得清清楚楚；每個(gè)詞的正確發(fā)音，它的詞性、在文中的意義、色彩、搭配、用法以及在句子中的作用；每個(gè)短語、每個(gè)從句在文中的作用和相互關(guān)系；每個(gè)句子的語法結(jié)構(gòu)，有否倒裝或省略等，句型有無習(xí)慣上的特殊之處，以及句子的精確含義。這一切都弄清楚了，才能弄清每一章節(jié)的意思和各章節(jié)之間的聯(lián)系。這才算是語言方面真正讀懂了，才能理解全文講的是什么，是怎樣講的，才談得上文藝欣賞、文藝評論和翻譯。
我們的連載就是為精讀而編寫的，也可以說是試圖回答“怎樣讀”的問題的一個(gè)探索性的答案。
精讀讀懂以后，還希望能反復(fù)誦讀，因?yàn)閷τ谕庹Z學(xué)習(xí)來說，懂和熟是兩回事；懂而不熟，可以說并沒有完成學(xué)習(xí)任務(wù)。“熟讀唐詩三百首，不會吟詩也會吟?！笔熳x不但可以加深理解，提高閱讀水平、鑒賞水平，而且直接有助于寫和譯，間接有助于聽和說——達(dá)到全面學(xué)好英語的目的。
作者介紹 本小說作者詹姆斯·希爾頓（James Hilton）1900年9月9日生于英國蘭開夏郡（Lancashire）利城（Leign）。他在劍橋大學(xué)學(xué)習(xí)期間就開始為報(bào)刊寫稿。第一次世界大戰(zhàn)后，他遍游歐洲，一度寄居維也納。他的第一部長篇小說《凱瑟琳自己》（Catherine Herself）出版時(shí)，他才十八歲。1933年出版《失去的地平線》（Lost Horizon），同年冬天發(fā)表《再會，契普斯先生》，轟動一時(shí)。1939年，他去美國，1941年出版《無心的收獲》（Random Harvest）。這三部小說都曾拍攝成電影，頗為成功。英語詞典中有“Shangri-la”（ [????gr?'lɑ:]香格里拉）一詞，原作“世外桃源”解，后又衍生出其他意義，并一度在俚語中被用來指“廁所”，——這個(gè)詞就出于希爾頓的《失去的地平線》。契普斯（其實(shí)是小說人物契賓先生——Mr. Chipping——的綽號）也已在英語國家很大一部分人中間像親人、老朋友一樣熟悉，一樣親切。
作品介紹《再會，契普斯先生》原先是希爾頓為英國《不列顛周刊》（British Weekly）的圣誕節(jié)增刊所寫的，時(shí)在1933年。翌年重新在美國《大西洋月刊》（Atlantic Monthly）上發(fā)表，隨后美國和英國相繼出版單行本，英國廣播公司（BBC）還曾連續(xù)廣播，后來又拍攝成電影，曾在我國放映，片名《萬世師表》。1938年，俞亢詠將小說開頭四章詳加注釋，在葛傳椝主編的《競文英文雜志》上連載介紹，頗受讀者歡迎。
小說用極其生動、輕快的筆調(diào)描繪契普斯一生在布魯克菲爾德（Brookfield）公學(xué)的教書生涯和他的戀愛、婚姻和為人，情意悱惻，妙趣橫生。同時(shí)，從布魯克菲爾德這偏僻的一隅反映出英帝國在19世紀(jì)末、20世紀(jì)初開始沒落的情景，反映了當(dāng)時(shí)社會的動蕩和人們思想的變遷。藝術(shù)風(fēng)格和語言都是我們上面所說的“新而不怪”，是學(xué)習(xí)現(xiàn)代英語和英國文學(xué)的一本好書。
《再會，契普斯先生》在許多國家都有譯本，并廣泛被學(xué)校用作教材或課外讀物。
Chapter 1
When you are getting on in years [1] (but not ill, of course), you get very sleepy at times[2], and the hours seem to pass like lazy cattle moving across a landscape[3]. It was like that for Chips [4]as the autumn term progressed and the days shortened till it was actually dark enough to light the gas before call-over [5]. For [6] Chips, like some old sea-captain, still measured time by the signals of the past; and well he might [7], for he lived at Mrs. Wickett's [8], just across the road from the School[9]. He had been there more than a decade [10], ever since [11] he finally gave up his mastership [12]; and it was Brookfield far more than Greenwich time that both he and his landlady kept [13]. 'Mrs. Wickett,' Chips would sing out [14], in that jerky, high-pitched voice [15] that had still a good deal of[16]sprightliness[17]in it, 'you might[18]bring me a cup of tea before prep[19], will you?'
When you are getting on in years it is nice to sit by the fire[20]and drink a cup of tea and listen to the school bell sounding dinner, call-over, prep, and lights out[21]. Chips always wound up the clock[22]after that last bell[23]; then he put the wire guard[24]in front of the fire, turned out the gas[25], and carried a detective novel to bed[26]. Rarely did he read more than a page of it[27]before sleep came swiftly and peacefully, more like a mystic intensifying of perception than any changeful entrance into another world[28]. For[29]his days and nights were equally full of[30]dreaming.
He was getting on in years (but not ill, of course); indeed, as Doctor Merivale[31]said, there was really nothing the matter with[32]him. 'My dear fellow, you're fitter[33]than I am,' Merivale would say, sipping a glass of sherry[34]when he called every fortnight or so[35]. 'You're past the age when people get these horrible diseases; you're one of the few lucky ones who're going to die a really natural death[36]. That is[37], of course, if you die at all[38]. You're such a remarkable old boy[39]that one never knows[40].' But when Chips had a cold[41]or when east winds roared over the fenlands, Merivale would sometimes take Mrs. Wickett aside[42]in the lobby[43]and whisper: 'Look after him, you know[44]. His chest ... it puts a strain on his heart.[45]Nothing really wrong with him[46]-- only anno domini[47], but that's the most fatal complaint[48]of all, in the end[49] …'
[1] getting on in years漸漸老了；上年紀(jì)
[2] at times時(shí)常；是習(xí)語
[3] a landscape一片風(fēng)景
[4] Chips [t??ps]契普斯，本書主人公，其實(shí)這是他的綽號；他姓Chipping ['t??p??]，但學(xué)生們都稱他Chips。
[5] the days shortened till it was actually dark enough to light the gas before call-over白日一天短一天，短到在點(diǎn)名之前已經(jīng)暗得要點(diǎn)煤氣燈。it指天色；gas指煤氣燈。call-over=roll-call點(diǎn)名。日長的時(shí)候當(dāng)在點(diǎn)名之后才點(diǎn)燈。
[6] For并列連詞，引起一個(gè)全句。
[7] well he might=he might well measure['me??]time by the signals of the past. well=reasonably.
[8] at Mrs. Wickett's. ['w?k?ts]=at Mrs. Wickett's house or home.
[9] across the road from the School在這所學(xué)校對面。across the road from也可作across from。School專指Brookfield ['br?kfi:ld]公學(xué)，所以用大寫開首，參見下文。
[10] decade ['deke?d]十年
[11] ever since自從；比since語氣重，有“自從……以來一向”的意思。
[12] give up ['g?v '?p] his mastership放棄他的教員職位。
[13] it was Brookfield far more than Greenwich ['gr?n?d?] time that both he and his landlady ['l?n'le?d?] kept是both he and his landlady kept Brookfield far more than Greenwich time的強(qiáng)調(diào)句，意思是說“他和他的女房東所遵照的時(shí)間，與其說是格林威治（世界標(biāo)準(zhǔn)）時(shí)間，遠(yuǎn)不如說是布魯克菲爾德時(shí)間?！盉rookfield英國地名，也是當(dāng)?shù)氐膶W(xué)校名，這里指Brookfield time。Greenwich在英國倫敦附近，為本初子午線經(jīng)過的地方。
[14] would sing out時(shí)常高聲喊道。would表示過去慣常的行為。
[15] jerky, high-pitched ['ha?'p?t?t] voice斷斷續(xù)續(xù)的，音調(diào)高的聲音
[16] a good deal of許多（后面接不可數(shù)名詞）
[17] sprightliness ['spra?tl?n?s]生氣勃勃
[18] you might意思相當(dāng)于I request you to，是一種客氣的祈使句式。句末附加疑問will you，也是客氣的語氣。
[19] before prep在上預(yù)備課之前。prep學(xué)生用語，是preparation的簡寫。
[20] sit by the fire坐在火爐旁邊。fire火爐中的火。
[21] the school bell sounding dinner, call-over, prep, and lights out學(xué)校的鐘聲響起，通知吃晚飯、點(diǎn)名、上預(yù)備課和熄燈。dinner正餐，一般是晚上的一頓主餐，不是supper。
[22] wound [wa?nd] up the clock給鐘上發(fā)條；開鐘。wound是wind [wa?nd]的過去式。
[23] after that last bell最后一次敲鐘（指熄燈鐘）之后
[24] wire guard（放在火爐前的）金屬絲安全罩
[25] turned out the gas關(guān)掉煤氣
[26] to bed就寢；并不著重“到床上去”。這里的bed帶有抽象的意思。
[27] Rarely did he read more than a page of it=He rarely read [red] more than a page of it.因略有否定意味的副詞rarely放在句首，所以句中主謂倒裝。
[28] more like a mystic intensifying of perception than any changeful entrance into another world（修飾sleep）更像是一種神秘的感知強(qiáng)化，而不像是任何變幻莫測的世界切換。因Chips年邁，醒時(shí)所見反不如夢中所見的清楚。
[29] For并列連詞，引起一個(gè)全句。
[30] full of充滿
[31] Doctor Merivale ['mer?ve?l]梅里韋爾醫(yī)生
[32] the matter with=amiss with, wrong with，對于……失常的。the matter有形容詞的作用。
[33] fitter更健康的
[34] sherry ['?er?]西班牙等地產(chǎn)的葡萄酒；雪利酒
[35] called every fortnight or so每（隔）兩星期左右來訪一次
[36] 're going to die a really natural death將真正自然地死去。die a natural death指因年老或疾病而死，有別于因事故、遇害、自殺等而死。
[37] That is那就是說；即
[38] if you die at all承接上句，省去主句you're going to die a really natural death。
[39] old boy老頭兒，也作對男子的昵稱
[40] one never knows人們無從逆料（他究竟如何）。這里有“也許他竟會不死”的含義。one泛指“人們”。
[41] had a cold傷風(fēng)
[42] take Mrs. Wickett aside把Mrs. Wickett拉到旁邊
[43] lobby前室；門廊
[44] you know你該知道（談話中常用的口頭語）
[45] His chest ... it puts a strain on his heart.這里it是贅詞。作者用省略號表示醫(yī)生說了His chest后停頓了一下，再接下去說時(shí)，插入一個(gè)it代his chest。put a strain on his heart增加他心臟的負(fù)擔(dān)；壓迫心臟。
[46] Nothing really wrong with him=There is nothing really wrong with him他并不真有什么毛病。wrong with=上文的the matter with。
[47] anno domini ['?n??'d?m?na?]（口語）老年；一般用大寫，原義是“公元”。
[48] fatal complaint致命的疾病
[49] in the end到底；究竟
(……to be continued)
