Vocabulary of La Morte Amoureuse (《死靈之戀》筆記)

Note about Post Structure (關于內容結構的說明）

After a systematic evolution, the structure of my note of NEKOPARA Extra is quite satisfactory from my perspective, for which I make no further addition to it. As a challenge set for myself, I will attempt to comprehend this novel with no Chinese translation as reference, which takes the usual section of Translation away from this note in the meantime. Also, though common in this novel, ecclesiastical terminologies are not of interest to me and therefore often skipped.

上一篇關于貓娘樂園外傳的筆記在其前者的結構基礎上做了大量升級，我對成果還是相當滿意，因而打算在這篇筆記中直接沿襲之前的格式，但與此同時我打算挑戰一下自己，在不依靠中文譯本的情況下完成這部小說的閱讀，所以我拿掉了原結構中的翻譯板塊，這里還要提一下在原作中大量出現的基督教相關術語，由于我個人不是很感興趣，故大部分時候一并略過，

Chapter 1: A Strange Story (第一章：奇幻的故事)

Words (單詞)

tale

cn. Story; an actual or fictitious narrative of an event. (（尤指包含離奇內容的）故事)

To you I can refuse nothing; but I should not relate such a tale to any less experienced mind.

party

cn. A person or group involved in an enterprise; a participant or accessory. (當事人，參與方)

Usage (用法): be a party to something

So strange were the circumstances of my story, that I can scarcely believe myself to have ever actually been a party to them.

diabolic

a. Appropriate to a devil, especially in degree of wickedness or cruelty. (惡魔般的)

For more than three years I remained the victim of a most singular and diabolical illusion.

English "diabolic" and French "diabolique" are derivative adjectives from French "diable", Italian "diavolo" and Spanish "diablo", which could together be traced back to Latin "diabolus", which means "devil". This word has a Greek upstream meaning "slanderer" and bears the fruit "devil" in Modern English. It also reminds me of Blizzard's Diablo, with eponymous Diablo being the most famous hostile boss in this game.

和英語中的形容詞“diabolic”，法語中的形容詞“diabolique”同源的名詞是法語的“diable”，意大利語的“diavolo”和西班牙語的“diablo”，這些詞都來源于拉丁語中代表惡魔的“diabolus”，并可追溯至希臘語中的“誹謗者”一詞，這條演化線也產生了現代英語中的“devil”，當然說到這些就不得不提暴雪的游戲“暗黑破壞神”（英文名 Diablo），其中最有名的反派 boss 迪亞波羅的英文名就是“diablo”，

lead

vt. To pass or go through; live. (過（生活）)

Usage (用法): lead a life of something

Poor country priest though I was, I led every night in a dream— would to God it had been all a dream!— a most worldly life, a damning life, a life of a Sardanapalus.

well-nigh

ad. Nearly; almost. (幾乎，非常接近)

One single look too freely cast upon a woman well-nigh caused me to lose my soul; but finally by the grace of God and the assistance of my patron saint, I succeeded in casting out the evil spirit that possessed me.

connoisseur

cn. A person of informed and discriminating taste. (鑒賞家)

Usage (用法): a connoisseur of something

By day I was a priest of the Lord, occupied with prayer and sacred things; by night, from the instant that I closed my eyes I became a young nobleman, a fine connoisseur in women, dogs, and horses; gambling, drinking, and blaspheming; and when I awoke at early daybreak, it seemed to me, on the other hand, that I had been sleeping, and had only dreamed that I was a priest.

Though English word "connoisseur" was borrowed from French as was, Modern French modified it by using "connaisseur" instead at present. Most materials that I resorted to mention the usage as "a connoisseur of" instead of "a connoisseur in". Therefore, the text might indicate that the hero, as a young nobleman, was amongst women, dogs and horses.

“Connoisseur”源于法語，但這個詞的拼寫在現代法語中已經變成了“connaisseur”，值得注意的是許多語料顯示“某方面的行家”應該用介詞“of”，這里的介詞“in”似乎強調的是男主所過的群芳環繞，寶馬雕車的貴族生活，

somnambulistic

a. Relating to the person who suffers from an act or an instance of walking or performing another activity associated with wakefulness while asleep or in a sleeplike state. (患夢游癥般的)

Of this somnambulistic life there now remains to me only the recollection of certain scenes and words which I cannot banish from my memory; but although I never actually left the walls of my presbytery, one would think to hear me speak that I were a man who, weary of all worldly pleasures, had become a religious, seeking to end a tempestuous life in the service of God, rather than an humble seminarist who has grown old in this obscure curacy, situated in the depths of the woods and even isolated from the life of the century.

"Somn" from Latin "somnus" means "sleep" and "ambul" from Latin "ambulare" means "to walk". "Somnambulist" is then a noble version of English "sleepwalker". It is the same with the situation of "noctambulation", where "noct" from Latin "nox" means "night". By the way, well-known "ambulance" also contains "ambul", which was a French term for a field hospital that can "walk" across the battlefield.

“Somnambulistic”一詞中“somn”源于拉丁語“somnus”指睡眠，而“ambul”源于拉丁語“ambulare”指行走，故全詞指“夢游癥患者有關的”，“Somnambulist”就相當于血統更高貴的“sleepwalker”，“Noctambulation”（夜行）一詞也是類似的模式，其中“noct”源于拉丁語“nox”指夜晚，當然，說到“ambul”就不得不提一嘴“ambulance”，它最開始是一個法語詞匯，指可在戰場上移動的野戰醫院，

think

vt. To call to mind; remember. (想起)

Usage (用法): think to do something

Of this somnambulistic life there now remains to me only the recollection of certain scenes and words which I cannot banish from my memory; but although I never actually left the walls of my presbytery, one would think to hear me speak that I were a man who, weary of all worldly pleasures, had become a religious, seeking to end a tempestuous life in the service of God, rather than an humble seminarist who has grown old in this obscure curacy, situated in the depths of the woods and even isolated from the life of the century.

insensate

a. Lacking sense or the power to reason. (失去判斷力的，無理性的)

Yes, I have loved as none in the world ever loved—with an insensate and furious passion—so violent that I am astonished it did not cause my heart to burst asunder.

asunder

ad. Into separate parts or pieces. (破成碎塊，散成碎片)

Yes, I have loved as none in the world ever loved—with an insensate and furious passion—so violent that I am astonished it did not cause my heart to burst asunder.

"Asunder" or "sunder" is cognate with German "sondern".

副詞“asunder”和動詞“sunder”同源于德語“sondern”，

vocation

cn. A calling of an individual by God, especially for a religious career. (圣召，神召)

Collocations (搭配): find a vocation; pursue a vocation

Usages (用法): a vocation for something; a vocation to something

From my earliest childhood I had felt a vocation to the priesthood, so that all my studies were directed with that idea in view.

"Vocation" could implies the inclination or aptness for a certain kind of work, therefore referring in particular to that to the priesthood in theology.

“Vocation”可以指對某種職業的使命感，在神學中專指對神職的使命感，即所謂的“圣召”，

infirm

a. Weak in body or mind, especially from old age or disease. (（尤指因年邁而長期）病弱的)

Twice a year only I saw my infirm and aged mother, and in those visits were comprised my sole relations with the outer world.

It reminds me of "indecent" in academic writing, where we substitute "bad" with it to maintain the formal style. "Infirm" works alike from my perspective.

這里出現的“infirm”讓我想起了在學術寫作中常用于替換“bad”的“indecent”，兩者有異曲同工之妙，

irrevocable

a. Impossible to retract or revoke. (不可改變的)

I regretted nothing; I felt not the least hesitation at taking the last irrevocable step; I was filled with joy and impatience.

"Irrevocable" is derived from "revoke" and is cognate with "voice", which is from Latin "vocare" meaning "to call".

“Irrevocable”衍生于“revoke”并和“voice”同源，這一系列的詞均來源于拉丁語中表示“叫喊”的“vocare”，

betroth

vt. (archaic) To promise to give in marriage. (使訂婚)

Never did a betrothed lover count the slow hours with more feverish ardor; I slept only to dream that I was saying mass; I believed there could be nothing in the world more delightful than to be a priest; I would have refused to be a king or a poet in preference.

Unusual letters "tro" in "betroth" sign its primary nature. Common word "true" initially means "faithful, steadfast", which is cognate with "betroth" here and German "Treue". It suggests that the core of marriage as "being faithful" in the early stage.

“Betroth”中出現了現代英語中不常見的字母組合“tro”，它保留了部分早期英語的特征，如今現代英語的常用詞“true”最開始的含義是“忠誠堅定的”，而這個語意就來自于和“betroth”有關的流變，并于現代德語中表示忠誠的“Treue”同源，“Betroth”的詞源學同時也告訴我們當時婚約的核心就是忠貞，

ardor

vt. Intensity of emotion, especially strong desire, enthusiasm, or devotion. (激情)

Never did a betrothed lover count the slow hours with more feverish ardor; I slept only to dream that I was saying mass; I believed there could be nothing in the world more delightful than to be a priest; I would have refused to be a king or a poet in preference.

conceive

vi. To form or hold an idea. (構想)

Collocations (搭配): broadly conceive; narrowly conceive

Usage (用法): conceive of something

My ambition could conceive of no loftier aim.

"Conceive" could also be used as transitive verb, with "conceive that+ clause" being an advanced version of "think that+ clause".

“Conceive”也可以用作及物動詞，比方說代替“think”去引導從句，

inexplicable

a. Difficult or impossible to explain or account for. (無法說明的)

I tell you this in order to show you that what happened to me could not have happened in the natural order of things, and to enable you to understand that I was the victim of an inexplicable fascination.

sustain

vt. To support from below; keep from falling or sinking. (支撐)

At last the great day came. I walked to the church with a step so light that I fancied myself sustained in air, or that I had wings upon my shoulders.

In most cases we use the derived meaning of "sustain", with its original meaning "support" being taken less.

其實“支撐”才是“sustain”的本意，只不過在大多數情況下我們采用的是它的比喻義罷了，

venerable

a. Worthy of reverence, especially by religious or historical association. (德高望重的)

The bishop, a venerable old man, seemed to me God the Father leaning over his Eternity, and I beheld Heaven through the vault of the temple.

vault

cn. An arched structure, usually of masonry or concrete, serving to cover a space. (拱頂，穹頂)

The bishop, a venerable old man, seemed to me God the Father leaning over his Eternity, and I beheld Heaven through the vault of the temple.

imprudent

a. Unwise or indiscreet; not prudent. (輕率的)

Ah, truly spake Job when he declared that the imprudent man is one who hath not made a covenant with his eyes!

sanctuary

cn. The holiest part of a sacred place, as the part of a Christian church around the altar. (圣堂)

I accidentally lifted my head, which until then I had kept down, and beheld before me, so close that it seemed that I could have touched her—although she was actually a considerable distance from me and on the further side of the sanctuary railing—a young woman of extraordinary beauty, and attired with royal magnificence.

In Blizzard's Overwatch, a match in Nepal may consist of three maps, one of which is the indoor "Sanctuary".

在暴雪的游戲 守望先鋒 里，尼泊爾這張地圖包括三張小圖，其中“圣所”的英文就是“sanctuary”，

railing

cn. A structure made of a rail, often connecting a series of upright members, that is used as a guard or barrier or for support, as on a balcony or next to a staircase. (（通常指金屬或木頭的）欄桿，圍欄)

I accidentally lifted my head, which until then I had kept down, and beheld before me, so close that it seemed that I could have touched her—although she was actually a considerable distance from me and on the further side of the sanctuary railing—a young woman of extraordinary beauty, and attired with royal magnificence.

attire

vt. To dress or clothe, especially in fine or elaborate garments. (著裝)

I accidentally lifted my head, which until then I had kept down, and beheld before me, so close that it seemed that I could have touched her—although she was actually a considerable distance from me and on the further side of the sanctuary railing—a young woman of extraordinary beauty, and attired with royal magnificence.

taper

cn. A small or very slender candle. (細枝小蠟燭)

The bishop, so radiantly glorious but an instant before, suddenly vanished away, the tapers paled upon their golden candlesticks like stars in the dawn, and a vast darkness seemed to fill the whole church.

With "candlestick" being not "a stick of candle" but the object holding a candle, the "taper" means, however, a slender kind of candle here.

注意“candlestick”指的是燭臺而非蠟燭，這里“taper”指的才是蠟燭，專指細長的小蠟燭，

revelation

un. A manifestation of divine will or truth. (啟示)

The charming creature appeared in bright relief against the background of that darkness, like some angelic revelation.

On contrary to the "arrival" in our mind, angel without a material existence might concretize itself through "manifestation", which is also named "revelation", the noun of "reveal".

說到“天使降臨”我們可能會想到“arrival”這個詞，但是天使的降臨其實是形成一個新的物質物體的程序，這種具象化程序在神學中用“reveal”（指揭露）的名詞形式“revelation”來表述，

prismatic

a. Brilliantly colored; iridescent. (燦爛耀眼的)

In another minute, nevertheless, I reopened my eyes, for through my eyelashes I still beheld her, all sparkling with prismatic colors, and surrounded with such a purple penumbra as one beholds in gazing at the sun.

thence

ad. From that place; from there. (從那里)

The greatest painters, who followed ideal beauty into heaven itself, and thence brought back to earth the true portrait of the Madonna, never in their delineations even approached that wildly beautiful reality which I saw before me.

bearing

sn. A person’s demeanor, including posture and gestures. (舉止，風度)

She was rather tall, with a form and bearing of a goddess.

diadem

vt. To adorn with or as if with a crown. (加冕)

Her hair, of a soft blonde hue, was parted in the midst and flowed back over her temples in two rivers of rippling gold; she seemed a diademed queen.

"Diadem", being cognate with French diadème, is from Latin "diadema" "cloth band worn around the head as a sign of royalty", which is further originates from Greek. Herein, "dia-" means "cross" and "dema" from "dein" means "to bind".

“Diadem”和法語“diadème”源于拉丁語“diadem”，指皇室成員在頭上佩戴的衣帶，追溯至希臘語它來自于“diadein”一詞，其中“dia-”表示“穿過”，“dein”表示“連結”，

bluish

a. Somewhat blue. (略帶藍色的)

Her forehead, bluish-white in its transparency, extended its calm breadth above the arches of her eyebrows, which by a strange singularity were almost black, and admirably relieved the effect of sea-green eyes of unsustainable vivacity and brilliancy.

Color words like "bluish" are boring. I remember my senior laboratory colleague used "yellowish" to describe a novel compound in her paper, which incurred our discussion over its necessity.

像“bluish”這樣的顏色詞匯多少有點無趣，我記得我的師姐在論文里描繪化合物的顏色用了一個“yellowish”，我還和另一個師姐討論過這個詞的必要性，

Reference:\(\quad\)Anal. Chem. 2021, 93, 5267?5276（參考資料見左側鏈接）

vivacity

un. The quality or condition of being vivacious; liveliness. (活潑)

Her forehead, bluish-white in its transparency, extended its calm breadth above the arches of her eyebrows, which by a strange singularity were almost black, and admirably relieved the effect of sea-green eyes of unsustainable vivacity and brilliancy.

limpidity

cn. Characterized by transparent clearness; pellucid. (清澈透明)

They had a life, a limpidity, an ardor, a humid light which I have never seen in human eyes; they shot forth rays like arrows, which I could distinctly see enter my heart.

English "limpid" and French "limpide" are both from Latin "limpidus" "clear" and further from "limpa" "water goddess".

英語“limpid”和法語“limpide”同源，都來自表示“清澈”的拉丁語“limpidus”，而這可能來源于水之女神的名字“limpa”，

spring

vi. To develop or originate. (出現)

Usages (用法): spring from someone; spring from something

That woman was either an angel or a demon, perhaps both. Assuredly she never sprang from the flank of Eve, our common mother.

lustrous

a. Having a sheen or glow; gleaming. (光彩熠熠的)

Teeth of the most lustrous pearl gleamed in her ruddy smile, and at every inflection of her lips little dimples appeared in the satiny rose of her adorable cheeks.

I thought of "lust" as its root at first and got confused in my first three times of reading this. After my consulting dictionary, I remembered "lustre" in French and got the key of it. Anyway, "lustrous" is quite different from "lustful".

我一開始以為“lustrous”是“lust”來的，看了三遍也沒看明白這個句子怎么理解，查了字典我才想起來“lustrous”和法語的“lustre”才是同源的，和“lustful”差別很大，

ruddy

a. Having a healthy, reddish color. (紅潤的)

Teeth of the most lustrous pearl gleamed in her ruddy smile, and at every inflection of her lips little dimples appeared in the satiny rose of her adorable cheeks.

inflection

a. A change of curvature from convex to concave or vice versa. (彎曲)

Teeth of the most lustrous pearl gleamed in her ruddy smile, and at every inflection of her lips little dimples appeared in the satiny rose of her adorable cheeks.

dimple

cn. A small natural indentation in the flesh on a part of the human body, especially in the cheek or on the chin. (（尤指人面部的）酒窩)

Teeth of the most lustrous pearl gleamed in her ruddy smile, and at every inflection of her lips little dimples appeared in the satiny rose of her adorable cheeks.

satiny

a. Like satin; smooth; glossy. (緞子似的)

Teeth of the most lustrous pearl gleamed in her ruddy smile, and at every inflection of her lips little dimples appeared in the satiny rose of her adorable cheeks.

regal

a. Belonging to or befitting a monarch. (帝王的)

There was a delicacy and pride in the regal outline of her nostrils bespeaking noble blood.

nostril

cn. Either of the external openings of the nose; a naris. (鼻孔)

There was a delicacy and pride in the regal outline of her nostrils bespeaking noble blood.

bespeak

vt. To be or give a sign of; indicate. (暗示；表明)

There was a delicacy and pride in the regal outline of her nostrils bespeaking noble blood.

agate

cn. A fine-grained, fibrous variety of chalcedony with colored bands or irregular clouding. (瑪瑙)

Agate gleams played over the smooth lustrous skin of her half-bare shoulders, and strings of great blonde pearls— almost equal to her neck in beauty of color—descended upon her bosom.

undulate

vi. To move in waves or with a smooth, wavelike motion. (波動，起伏)

From time to time she elevated her head with the undulating grace of a startled serpent or peacock, thereby imparting a quivering motion to the high lace ruff which surrounded it like a silver trellis-work.

impart

vt. To pass on; transmit. (傳播)

From time to time she elevated her head with the undulating grace of a startled serpent or peacock, thereby imparting a quivering motion to the high lace ruff which surrounded it like a silver trellis-work.

Perhaps I'm impacted or impaired by a recent perverted homonym, I somehow find myself somewhat confused about "impart", "impact" and "impair"...

我突然發現我好像弄混了“impart”，“impact”和“impair”，不能排除這是受到最近網上垃圾諧音梗的影響，

ruff

cn. A stiffly starched frilled or pleated circular collar of lace, muslin, or other fine fabric, worn by men and women in the 1500s and 1600s. (（16及17世紀歐洲人衣服上的）輪狀皺領)

From time to time she elevated her head with the undulating grace of a startled serpent or peacock, thereby imparting a quivering motion to the high lace ruff which surrounded it like a silver trellis-work.

trellis

cn. A structure of open latticework, especially one used as a support for vines and other climbing plants. (（植物生長攀爬的）棚，架)

From time to time she elevated her head with the undulating grace of a startled serpent or peacock, thereby imparting a quivering motion to the high lace ruff which surrounded it like a silver trellis-work.

ermine

un. White fur of a weasel (Mustela erminea) native to northern regions, having a black-tipped tail and dark brown fur that in winter changes to white. (白鼬毛皮)

She wore a robe of orange-red velvet, and from her wide ermine-lined sleeves there peeped forth patrician hands of infinite delicacy, and so ideally transparent that, like the fingers of Aurora, they permitted the light to shine through them.

Ermine is a fabric of great value in European society, which is commonly used as formal clothes decoration of kings, queens, etc.

在歐洲社會里，白鼬皮是一種珍貴的皮草，在正裝上使用白鼬皮甚至是皇室的象征，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

line

vt. To fit a covering to the inside surface of. (襯)

She wore a robe of orange-red velvet, and from her wide ermine-lined sleeves there peeped forth patrician hands of infinite delicacy, and so ideally transparent that, like the fingers of Aurora, they permitted the light to shine through them.

patrician

cn. A member of an aristocracy; an aristocrat. (貴族)

She wore a robe of orange-red velvet, and from her wide ermine-lined sleeves there peeped forth patrician hands of infinite delicacy, and so ideally transparent that, like the fingers of Aurora, they permitted the light to shine through them.

"Patrician", from Latin "patricius", is quite an excellent example of etymology analysis, where "patri" from Latin "pater" means "father".

“Patrician”這個詞很值得從詞源學的角度研究一下，它源于拉丁語“patricius”，指古羅馬時代的貴族，其中“patri”來自于指父親的“pater”，

escape

vt. To be outside the memory or understanding of; fail to be remembered or understood by. (被忘掉)

All these details I can recollect at this moment as plainly as though they were of yesterday, for notwithstanding I was greatly troubled at the time, nothing escaped me; the faintest touch of shading, the little dark speck at the point of the chin, the imperceptible down at the corners of the lips, the velvety floss upon the brow, the quivering shadows of the eyelashes upon the cheeks—I could notice everything with astonishing lucidity of perception.

speck

cn. A small spot, mark, or discoloration. (斑點)

All these details I can recollect at this moment as plainly as though they were of yesterday, for notwithstanding I was greatly troubled at the time, nothing escaped me; the faintest touch of shading, the little dark speck at the point of the chin, the imperceptible down at the corners of the lips, the velvety floss upon the brow, the quivering shadows of the eyelashes upon the cheeks—I could notice everything with astonishing lucidity of perception.

floss

un. Short or waste silk fibers, especially from the outer surface of the cocoon of a silkworm. (絲線)

All these details I can recollect at this moment as plainly as though they were of yesterday, for notwithstanding I was greatly troubled at the time, nothing escaped me; the faintest touch of shading, the little dark speck at the point of the chin, the imperceptible down at the corners of the lips, the velvety floss upon the brow, the quivering shadows of the eyelashes upon the cheeks—I could notice everything with astonishing lucidity of perception.

lucidity

un. The quality, state, or art of clarity in thought and style. (（人）頭腦清醒)

All these details I can recollect at this moment as plainly as though they were of yesterday, for notwithstanding I was greatly troubled at the time, nothing escaped me; the faintest touch of shading, the little dark speck at the point of the chin, the imperceptible down at the corners of the lips, the velvety floss upon the brow, the quivering shadows of the eyelashes upon the cheeks—I could notice everything with astonishing lucidity of perception.

"Lucidity" is from Latin "lucere" meaning "to shine" and further "lux" meaning "light". However, it's meaning has shifted to focusing on some abstract "being clear".

“Lucidity”源于拉丁語中指“發光”的“lucere”，進而源于指“光”的“lux”，但在現代英語里“lucidity”更偏向于指一些抽象的“明亮”狀態，

pincer

pn. A grasping tool having two parts hinged together to work in opposition. (鉗子)

A frightful anguish commenced to torture my heart as with red-hot pincers.

but

ad. Merely; just; only. (僅僅)

A frightful anguish commenced to torture my heart as with red-hot pincers. Every successive minute seemed to me at once but a second and yet a century.

The most unacceptable disturbance in reading comprehension is subjectivity. I was trapped in finding a way to meet my pre-existing understanding of slow-motion time. However, it is a combination of "minute seemed 'only' a second" and "minute seemed a century" here, where "and yet" acts as "but". It manifested a time-view in contradiction indeed.

做閱讀理解切忌犯主觀臆斷的錯誤，我一看到這個句子就覺得是作“度日如年”解釋，湊了很久也沒有進展，但這里實際上是用表轉折的“and yet”連接了“minute seemed 'only' a second”和“minute seemed a century”兩個系表結構，

shred

pn. A long irregular strip that is cut or torn off. (細條，碎片)

Collocation (搭配): tattered shreds

Usage (用法): be in(to) shreds

Thus it is, doubtless, that so many poor novices take the veil, though they have resolved to tear it into shreds at the moment when called upon to utter the vows.

cope

cn. A long ecclesiastical vestment worn over an alb or surplice. (斗篷式祭衣，大圓衣)

All those eyes, all those wills seem to weigh down upon you like a cope of lead; and, moreover, measures have been so well
taken, everything has been so thoroughly arranged beforehand and after a fashion so evidently irrevocable, that the will yields to the weight of circumstances and utterly breaks down.

yield

vi. To give up, as in defeat; surrender or submit. (屈服)

All those eyes, all those wills seem to weigh down upon you like a cope of lead; and, moreover, measures have been so well
taken, everything has been so thoroughly arranged beforehand and after a fashion so evidently irrevocable, that the will yields to the weight of circumstances and utterly breaks down.

disdain

un. A feeling or show of contempt and aloofness; scorn. (輕視，蔑視，鄙視)

Collocations (搭配): glacial disdain; aristocratic disdain; haughty disdain

Usages (用法): be in disdain; disdain for someone; disdain for something

Her look had at first been one of caressing tenderness; it changed to an air of disdain and of mortification, as though at not having been able to make itself understood.

mortification

cn. Discipline of the body and the appetites by self-denial or self-inflicted privation, especially when undertaken for religious reasons. (禁欲)

Her look had at first been one of caressing tenderness; it changed to an air of disdain and of mortification, as though at not having been able to make itself understood.

"Mort" from Latin "mors" means "death" and "mortify" from Latin "mortificare" means "make dead". From the very beginning, "mortification" implied the action of killing the flesh and suppressing bodily desires.

“mortification”一詞中“mort”源于拉丁語“mors”指死亡，類似的“mortify”源于拉丁語“mortificare”指使死亡，這個詞的本意就是指殺死肉體，也就是抑制肉體的種種欲望，

palate

cn. The roof of the mouth; taste. (腭)

With an effort of will sufficient to have uprooted a mountain, I strove to cry out that I would not be a priest, but I could not speak; my tongue seemed nailed to my palate, and I found it impossible to express my will by the least syllable of negation.

shriek

vi. To make a sound similar to a shriek. (尖叫)

Usage (用法): shriek at someone

Though fully awake, I felt like one under the influence of a nightmare, who vainly strives to shriek out the one word upon which life depends.

martyrdom

un. Extreme suffering of any kind. (極大的痛苦)

She seemed conscious of the martyrdom I was undergoing, and, as though to encourage me, she gave me a look replete with divinest promise.

"Martyrdom" means the death of a martyr. Its figurative meaning is used here.

“Martyrdom”的本義是殉道，這里用其比喻義，

replete

a. Abundantly supplied; abounding. (充滿的)

She seemed conscious of the martyrdom I was undergoing, and, as though to encourage me, she gave me a look replete with divinest promise.

aught

pron. Anything whatever; any part. (任何事物)

I am Beauty, I am Youth, I am Life. Come to me! Together we shall be Love. Can Jehovah offer thee aught in exchange?

—Clarimonde

chalice

cn. A cup for the consecrated wine of the Eucharist. (（基督教儀式中用金或銀裝飾的）圣餐杯)

Fling forth the wine of that chalice, and thou art free.

—Clarimonde

pavilion

cn. An ornate tent. (華美的帳篷)

Thou shalt sleep in my bosom upon a bed of massy gold under a silver pavilion, for I love thee and would take thee away from thy God, before whom so many noble hearts pour forth floods of love which never reach even the steps of His throne!

—Clarimonde

sonorous

a. Having or producing sound. (有聲的)

These words seemed to float to my ears in a rhythm of infinite sweetness, for her look was actually sonorous, and the utterances of her eyes were reechoed in the depths of my heart as though living lips had breathed them into my life.

renounce

vt. To decide or declare that one will no longer adhere to (a belief or position); reject. (棄絕)

I felt myself willing to renounce God, and yet my tongue mechanically fulfilled all the formalities of the ceremony.

"Renounce", being cognate with French "renoncer", from Latin "renuntiare" means "bring back word; protest against". It is true that Modern English uses "re-" to express "again". However, back to the age of Latin, "re-" also conveyed the meaning of "against".

“Renounce”和法語中的“renoncer”同源，都來自拉丁語“renuntiare”指說反話或反對，要注意的是這里“re-”的前綴，現代英語中它大多數時候指“再一次”，但拉丁語中這個前綴可以表示“反對”之意，

beseech

vt. Pray, petition, beg eagerly for; implore urgently. (懇求，乞求)

The fair one gave me another look, so beseeching, so despairing the keen blades seemed to pierce my heart, and I felt my bosom transfixed by more swords than those of Our Lady of Sorrows.

transfix

vt. To pierce or impale with a pointed weapon or object. (（用長的、尖利的物體）刺穿)

The fair one gave me another look, so beseeching, so despairing the keen blades seemed to pierce my heart, and I felt my bosom transfixed by more swords than those of Our Lady of Sorrows.

I used to resort to "penetrate" for this meaning, which seems to focus more on the result than that sense of sharpness.

我原來在寫到被利器“貫穿”這個意思的時候常用“penetrated”湊合，它更多表達的是被穿過的結果而體現不出刺穿動作的鋒利感，“transfix”彌補了這個缺憾，

Phrases (短語)

by the grace of god

ad. By the direction, blessings, or assistance of a higher power (e.g., God). (承蒙上帝的恩典)

One single look too freely cast upon a woman well-nigh caused me to lose my soul; but finally by the grace of God and the assistance of my patron saint, I succeeded in casting out the evil spirit that possessed me.

"Grace" here means an excellence or power granted by God.

這里“grace”一詞指的是來自上帝的恩典，恩寵，

not in the least

ad. Not at all or in any way. (一點也不)

I regretted nothing; I felt not the least hesitation at taking the last irrevocable step; I was filled with joy and impatience.

Honestly I am uncertain about the expression here. In my opinion, "I didn't feel the least hesitation", "I felt no hesitation" or "I hesitated not in the least" seem more formal.

這里的表述很奇怪，我認為“I didn't feel the least hesitation”，“I felt no hesitation”或者“I hesitated not in the least”都比這里的表述標準，

as though

conj. Similar to, likened to, or fashioned after something like it were the truth. (好像)

All these details I can recollect at this moment as plainly as though they were of yesterday, for notwithstanding I was greatly troubled at the time, nothing escaped me; the faintest touch of shading, the little dark speck at the point of the chin, the imperceptible down at the corners of the lips, the velvety floss upon the brow, the quivering shadows of the eyelashes upon the cheeks—I could notice everything with astonishing lucidity of perception.

Expressions (其它表達)

"disturb the ashes of memory"

My story is a strange and terrible one; and though I am sixty-six years of age, I scarcely dare even now to disturb the ashes of that memory.

"would to God"

Poor country priest though I was, I led every night in a dream— would to God it had been all a dream!— a most worldly life, a damning life, a life of a Sardanapalus.

"Would to God" seems to be an idiom traced back to Genesis, which means "wish" but is more emphatic.

“Would to God”似乎是一個可以追溯至《舊約·創世紀》的習慣表達，用于表達強烈的希望，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"a life of a Sardanapalus"

Poor country priest though I was, I led every night in a dream— would to God it had been all a dream!— a most worldly life, a damning life, a life of a Sardanapalus.

Sardanapalus (or Sardanapallus) is a legendary king (might be the last king) of Assyria, which alludes to tragic fate here. Also, some documents suggest that Sardanapalus led a sybaritic life while I'm not sure if it implies some sensual stories of the lovers here.

Sardanapalus（又作 Sardanapallus）是傳說中亞述帝國的末代君王，在此被用于代指悲劇的命運，有一些資料顯示 Sardanapalus 是一位驕奢淫逸的君主，從這個角度思考，或許作者用此典也是在暗示主角故事中的情欲成分，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"in a vague sort of way"

My world was confined by the walls of the college and the seminary. I knew in a vague sort of a way that there was something called Woman, but I never permitted my thoughts to dwell on such a subject, and I lived in a state of perfect innocence.

Sadly is not an entry to refer in my chosen dictionary while many materials suggest that it is somewhat a idiom to say "in a somehow sort of way", which is probably an allosteric form of "in a sort of somehow way".

雖然我沒在詞典里找到這個詞條，但許多語料都顯示“in a XX sort of way”是一個相對固定的說法，而其語意就相當于“in a sort of XX way”，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"were comprised"

Twice a year only I saw my infirm and aged mother, and in those visits were comprised my sole relations with the outer world.

The difference between Chinese and English should be noticed here, where we might directly say, in Chinese, "those visits" comprise "my relations with the outer world" while English works on maintaining the composition relation logical, resorting to passive voice for an objective narration.

這里我們可以關注一下英語和漢語在敘述上的區別：漢語可能直接會用“那些拜訪（的經歷）構成了我與外界的全部聯系”這樣的表述；但在英語中合乎邏輯的組成關系更為重要，由于“拜訪”并不能直接構成“聯系”，英語采用了被動語態的敘述去忽略“構成聯系”的具體物件，

"a covenant with someone's eyes"

Ah, truly spake Job when he declared that the imprudent man is one who hath not made a covenant with his eyes! I accidentally lifted my head, which until then I had kept down, and beheld before me, so close that it seemed that I could have touched her—although she was actually a considerable distance from me and on the further side of the sanctuary railing—a young woman of extraordinary beauty, and attired with royal magnificence.

It is another allusion from the Old Testament. In Job, Job defensed his own integrity, avoiding lust by "making a covenant with his eyes" and no longer "gazing at a virgin". "Covenant" here means agreement or pact and "spake", "hath" are archaic forms of "spoke" and "has" respectively.

這里是用了另一個《圣經》中的典故，《舊約·約伯記》記載約伯為了排除色欲的傭訓，保存他自身的純正而“與眼睛立約”，不再“戀戀瞻望處女”，這里“covenant”一詞指“契約”，“spake”和“hath”分別是“spoke”和“has”的古寫法，

References: one\(\quad\)two\(\quad\)three（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"scales fall from someone's eyes"

I accidentally lifted my head, which until then I had kept down, and beheld before me, so close that it seemed that I could have touched her—although she was actually a considerable distance from me and on the further side of the sanctuary railing—a young woman of extraordinary beauty, and attired with royal magnificence. It seemed as though scales had suddenly fallen from my eyes.

"pale like stars in the dawn"

The bishop, so radiantly glorious but an instant before, suddenly vanished away, the tapers paled upon their golden candlesticks like stars in the dawn, and a vast darkness seemed to fill the whole church.

"herself"

The charming creature appeared in bright relief against the background of that darkness, like some angelic revelation. She seemed herself radiant, and radiating light rather than receiving it.

It cost me a lot to find "seem" as a transitive verb in material and I failed. Later I was reminded that "herself" could be for emphasizing here. "She seemed herself radiant" might be an allosteric "she seemed radiant herself".

我通過各種渠道想找“seem”的及物用法，但似乎這個詞永遠都是不及物來用，后來有前輩提醒我這里的“herself”可能起一種強調作用，也就是說原句相當于“she seemed radiant herself”的變構，

"behold through someone's eyelashes"

I lowered my eyelids, firmly resolved not to again open them, that I might not be influenced by external objects, for distraction had gradually taken possession of me until I hardly knew what I was doing.
In another minute, nevertheless, I reopened my eyes, for through my eyelashes I still beheld her, all sparkling with prismatic colors, and surrounded with such a purple penumbra as one beholds in gazing at the sun.

"Eyelashes" are those short hairs fringing the edge of the eyelid. Here, the hero's "beholding through his eyelashes" suggests that he remained his head low while couldn't help to steal a glance at the beauty.

“Eyelash”指的是睫毛，顯然當一個人“透過他的眉毛看面前的人”的時候他頭的姿態是向下的，這里暗示男主即使低著頭但還是忍不住去看女主的美貌，

"purple penumbra"

In another minute, nevertheless, I reopened my eyes, for through my eyelashes I still beheld her, all sparkling with prismatic colors, and surrounded with such a purple penumbra as one beholds in gazing at the sun.

"portrait of the Madonna"

Oh, how beautiful she was! The greatest painters, who followed ideal beauty into heaven itself, and thence brought back to earth the true portrait of the Madonna, never in their delineations even approached that wildly beautiful reality which I saw before me.

"Madonna" means the Virgin Mary, especially as depicted in art.

“Madonna”常用于特指藝術品描繪的圣母瑪麗亞的形象，

"rippling gold"

Her hair, of a soft blonde hue, was parted in the midst and flowed back over her temples in two rivers of rippling gold; she seemed a diademed queen.

"fingers of Aurora"

She wore a robe of orange-red velvet, and from her wide ermine-lined sleeves there peeped forth patrician hands of infinite delicacy, and so ideally transparent that, like the fingers of Aurora, they permitted the light to shine through them.

Roman "Aurora" (or Greek "Eos") is the goddess of dawn in Greek and Roman mythology. Homer used "rosy-fingered" in his The Odyssey to describe Dawn, which later became a famous epithet.

羅馬神話里的歐若拉和希臘神話里的厄俄斯司掌黎明、曙光，荷馬曾在《奧德賽》中用“rosy-fingered”（本意指“如玫瑰色手指一般的”）的表述去描寫曙光女神將光明降于世間的情狀，此后這演變為一個著名的別稱，

References: one\(\quad\)two（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"Jehovah"

I am Beauty, I am Youth, I am Life. Come to me! Together we shall be Love. Can Jehovah offer thee aught in exchange?

—Clarimonde

"Jehovah" is the personal name of God in Old Testament, which was translated from Hebrew. It also has variants like "Jahveh" or "Yahweh". It was not until I saw this entry that I understand the origin of "Jenova" in Final Fantasy Ⅶ. My friend told me that Japanese role-laying games (JRPGs) are always portraying anything ecclesiastical as nothing good.

“Jehovah”譯作“耶和華”，它譯自希伯來語，是《舊約》中上帝的名字，“Jahveh”和“Yahweh”也是相關聯的一些變體，看到這些我才意識到 最侄訓想Ⅶ 里那個“萬惡之源”的 Jenova 拼寫應該就是來源于此，聽說日本的 RPG 游戲的確是有這種“教會都是壞東西”的爛梗，

"Our Lady of Sorrows"

The fair one gave me another look, so beseeching, so despairing the keen blades seemed to pierce my heart, and I felt my bosom transfixed by more swords than those of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Both "Our Lady of Sorrows" and "Mater Dolorosa" are the titles given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which refer to the sufferings she endured as the Mother of Jesus.

“Our Lady of Sorrows”和"Mater Dolorosa"都是給圣母瑪麗亞的稱號，這些稱號側重于表現她作為耶齠訓督的母親所受的各種苦難，

About Grammar (語法碎片)

Second person pronouns in Early Modern English (早期現代英語中的第二人稱代詞)

If thou wilt be mine, I shall make thee happier than God Himself in His paradise. The angels themselves will be jealous of thee. Tear off that funeral shroud in which thou art about to wrap thyself. I am Beauty, I am Youth, I am Life. Come to me!

—Clarimonde

Shakespeare's language launched the transition from Middle English to Early Modern English. Its pronouns were similar to what we use today, with the main difference lying in the second person pronouns like "thou", "thee" and "thy" we abolish today. My German teacher often talks about the significance of table in German learning. It is, however, a universal strategy for language learning from my perspectives. The table of second person pronouns in Early Modern English goes vide infra:

Number	Nominative	Oblique	Genitive	Possessive	Reflexive
Singular	thou	thee	thy / thine	thine	thyself
Plural	ye	you	your	yours	yourselves

莎翁的寫作標志著英語從中古英語開始轉向早期現代英語，除了第二人稱代詞以外，這時它的人稱代詞和現代英語已經相差無幾，這些我們現在已然不再使用的“thou”，“thee”，“thy”也隨之成為了早期現代英語的一種鮮明標志，我的德語老師常常強調表格在德語學習中的重要性，但其實我認為表格對學習所有語言都一樣重要，如下是早期現代英語中的第二人稱代詞表：

數	主格	賓格	屬格（形容詞性物主代詞）	所有格（名詞性物主代詞）	反身代詞
單數	thou	thee	thy / thine	thine	thyself
復數	ye	you	your	yours	yourselves

References: one\(\quad\)two（參考資料見左側鏈接）

Chapter 2: Root Imperishable (第二章：不滅之根)

Words (單詞)

consummate

vt. To bring to completion or fruition; conclude. (完結)

ALL was consummated: I had become a priest.

affiance

vt. (archaic) To bind in a pledge of marriage; betroth. (使訂婚)

The maiden who beholds her affianced lover suddenly fall dead at her side, the mother bending over the empty cradle of her child, Eve seated at the threshold of the gate of Paradise, the miser who finds a stone substituted for his stolen treasure, the poet who accidentally permits the only manuscript of his finest work to fall into the fire, could not wear a look so despairing, so inconsolable.

This one is even more archaic than "betroth" that it is forgotten by the Cambridge Dictionary, while its etymology analysis is as interesting as the other. Being cognate with French "fiancer" and famous "fiancée", "affiance" originates from Latin "fidare" meaning "to trust" and "fides" meaning "faith".

看起來“affiance”比“betroth”還要過時，劍橋詞典甚至沒有收錄這個詞，但是它的詞源學值得一提，和“betroth”有點類似的是“affiance”源于拉丁語中同樣表示“忠實”的“fides”，現代法語中表示“訂婚”，產生如今廣泛使用的“未婚妻”“fiancée”一詞的“fiancer”和與之同源，

threshold

cn. A piece of wood or stone placed beneath a door; a doorsill. (門檻)

The maiden who beholds her affianced lover suddenly fall dead at her side, the mother bending over the empty cradle of her child, Eve seated at the threshold of the gate of Paradise, the miser who finds a stone substituted for his stolen treasure, the poet who accidentally permits the only manuscript of his finest work to fall into the fire, could not wear a look so despairing, so inconsolable.

The origin of "threshold" still remains elusive. A spelling of "thresh-hold" also appears in this novel, which is in line with a theory that the former moiety of "threshold" was from "thresh". Its original sense of "stamping, treading" was obsolete, but, through a specialization of "separating grains from husks by stamping", the word itself survived to simply indicate "separating grains from husks".

“Threshold”的詞源學界尚未完全弄清，本書后文中另出現了一個“thresh-hold”的拼寫，正支持了“threshold”前半部分來源于“thresh”的假說，“Thresh”一詞最開始指“跺腳，踏腳”，后來具體化指“通過腳踏的方式給谷物脫粒”，現在它的原意被廢用，只剩下指“脫粒”這一含義，

miser

cn. One who lives very meagerly in order to hoard money. (守財奴)

The maiden who beholds her affianced lover suddenly fall dead at her side, the mother bending over the empty cradle of her child, Eve seated at the threshold of the gate of Paradise, the miser who finds a stone substituted for his stolen treasure, the poet who accidentally permits the only manuscript of his finest work to fall into the fire, could not wear a look so despairing, so inconsolable.

"Miser" was from "miserable", with its original sense being obsolete, and shifted to imply "money-hoarding person". Money is the root of all evil, right?

“Miser”的確是源自表示“痛苦的”的“miserable”，但現在它的原意被廢棄了，只用來指守財奴，這很好理解，畢竟“錢是萬惡之源”嘛，

inconsolable

a. Impossible or difficult to console; despondent. (傷心欲絕的)

The maiden who beholds her affianced lover suddenly fall dead at her side, the mother bending over the empty cradle of her child, Eve seated at the threshold of the gate of Paradise, the miser who finds a stone substituted for his stolen treasure, the poet who accidentally permits the only manuscript of his finest work to fall into the fire, could not wear a look so despairing, so inconsolable.

livid

a. Ashen or pallid. (面色蒼白的)

As for myself, I staggered toward the door of the church, livid as death, my forehead bathed with a sweat bloodier than that of Calvary; I felt as though I were being strangled; the vault seemed to have flattened down upon my shoulders, and it seemed to me that my head alone sustained the whole weight of the dome.

strangle

vt. To kill by squeezing the throat so as to choke or suffocate; throttle. (扼死，勒死)

Usage (用法): strangle with something

As for myself, I staggered toward the door of the church, livid as death, my forehead bathed with a sweat bloodier than that of Calvary; I felt as though I were being strangled; the vault seemed to have flattened down upon my shoulders, and it seemed to me that my head alone sustained the whole weight of the dome.

garb

vt. To clothe; dress. (穿（某種特定式樣的）服裝)

At the corner of a street, while the young priest's attention was momentarily turned in another direction, a negro page, fantastically garbed, approached me, and without pausing on his way slipped into my hand a little pocket-book with gold-embroidered corners, at the same time giving me a sign to hide it.

embroider

vt. To ornament with needlework. (刺繡)

At the corner of a street, while the young priest's attention was momentarily turned in another direction, a negro page, fantastically garbed, approached me, and without pausing on his way slipped into my hand a little pocket-book with gold-embroidered corners, at the same time giving me a sign to hide it.

clasp

cn. A fastening, such as a hook or buckle, used to hold two or more objects or parts together. (搭扣)

I concealed it in my sleeve, and there kept it until I found myself alone in my cell. Then I opened the clasp.

celebrate

vt. To make widely known; display. (使聞名)

So little acquainted was I at that time with the things of this world that I had never heard of Clarimonde, celebrated as she was, and I had no idea as to where die Concini Palace was situated.

hazard

vt. To venture (something). (冒險提出（尤指猜測、建議等）)

I hazarded a thousand conjectures, each more extravagant than the last; but, in truth, I cared little whether she were a great lady or a courtesan, so that I could but see her once more.

conjecture

cn. Opinion or judgment based on inconclusive or incomplete evidence; guesswork. (猜測)

Usages (用法): a conjecture about something; a conjecture as to something

I hazarded a thousand conjectures, each more extravagant than the last; but, in truth, I cared little whether she were a great lady or a courtesan, so that I could but see her once more.

courtesan

cn. A woman prostitute, especially one whose clients are members of a royal court or men of high social standing. (高級妓女)

I hazarded a thousand conjectures, each more extravagant than the last; but, in truth, I cared little whether she were a great lady or a courtesan, so that I could but see her once more.

A reviewer of an early manuscript of this note wondered the exact difference between "courtesan" and "prostitute". From a view of etymology, "courtesan" from Italian "cortigiana" is an euphemism literally meaning "woman of the court". It might therefore mean prostitute but for different clients anyway while I, having heard of the extreme difficulty for a woman to be involved with history, do not really take it. Recently I read a little about Cleopatra and noticed that some historians also evaluated her as "a queenly courtesan", which made me reaffirm my perspective that "courtesan" could somewhat be a title sometimes.

本筆記草稿的審稿者日前就“courtesan”一詞提問，好奇它和普通妓女相比“具體是在哪里高級”，從詞源學的角度分析，“courtesan”一詞源于意大利語的“cortigiana”，字面意義指“宮廷中的女人”，但這可能只是一種委婉表達而已，雖然說這樣看起來“courtesan”也就是只是服務物件高端一點的妓女罷了，但我并不完全這么認為，畢竟說實話，能載入史冊的女性絕非等閑之輩，我最近讀了一點關于埃及艷后的材料，看到有的史學家將其評價為“女王身份的 courtesan”，這么說來我覺得“courtesan”的含金量又提高了，

References: one\(\quad\)two（參考資料見左側鏈接）

suffice

vi. To be equal to a specified task; be capable. (足夠)

Usage (用法): suffice to do something

That woman had completely taken possession of me. One look from her had sufficed to change my very nature.

"Suffice" is to "sufficient" what "differ" is to "different".

類比“differ”和“different”的關系，“suffice”可以用來替換“sufficient”相關的表達，

reiterate

vt. To say or do again or repeatedly. (反復地說)

I only needed to close my eyes in order to see her distinctly as though she were actually present; and I reiterated to myself the words she had uttered in my ear at the church porch: "Unhappy man! Unhappy man! What hast thou done?"

funereal

a. Mournful; gloomy; dismal. (哀悼的)

I comprehended at last the full horror of my situation, and the funereal and awful restraints of the state into which I had just entered became clearly revealed to me.

I am not sure about the source, but "funeral" and "funereal" are absolutely different words, where adjective "funeral" means "related to noun 'funeral'" while "funereal" means "suitable for noun 'funeral'".

我沒太查明白詞源，但毫無疑問“funeral”和“funereal”是兩個單詞，前者作形容詞表示“與葬禮有關的”，而后者則表示“適于葬禮的”，

chaste

a. Abstaining from sexual relations that are not sanctioned by certain religious laws or moral principles. (貞潔的)

To be a priest!—that is, to be chaste, to never love, to observe no distinction of sex or age, to turn from the sight of all beauty, to put out one's own eyes, to hide forever crouching in the chill shadows of some church or cloister, to visit none but the dying, to watch by unknown corpses, and ever bear about with one the black soutane as a garb of mourning for one's self, so that your very dress might serve as a pall for your coffin.

cloister

cn. A place, especially a monastery or convent, devoted to religious seclusion. (修道院)

To be a priest!—that is, to be chaste, to never love, to observe no distinction of sex or age, to turn from the sight of all beauty, to put out one's own eyes, to hide forever crouching in the chill shadows of some church or cloister, to visit none but the dying, to watch by unknown corpses, and ever bear about with one the black soutane as a garb of mourning for one's self, so that your very dress might serve as a pall for your coffin.

"Cloister" originally means the covered walk around a quadrangle in a religious institution and implies the institution itself here.

“Cloister”一開始指的是宗教建筑中的回廊，在文學作品中也代指宗教建筑，

about

ad. All around; on every side. (到處)

To be a priest!—that is, to be chaste, to never love, to observe no distinction of sex or age, to turn from the sight of all beauty, to put out one's own eyes, to hide forever crouching in the chill shadows of some church or cloister, to visit none but the dying, to watch by unknown corpses, and ever bear about with one the black soutane as a garb of mourning for one's self, so that your very dress might serve as a pall for your coffin.

From my perspective, "about" may mean "everywhere", according to the "ever" ahead.

我認為這里的“about”是和前文時間角度的“ever”對應，表達空間角度的“到處”之意，

pall

cn. A cover for a coffin, bier, or tomb, often made of black, purple, or white velvet. (棺罩，墓布)

To be a priest!—that is, to be chaste, to never love, to observe no distinction of sex or age, to turn from the sight of all beauty, to put out one's own eyes, to hide forever crouching in the chill shadows of some church or cloister, to visit none but the dying, to watch by unknown corpses, and ever bear about with one the black soutane as a garb of mourning for one's self, so that your very dress might serve as a pall for your coffin.

subterranean

a. Situated or operating beneath the earth's surface; underground. (地下的)

And I felt life rising within me like a subterranean lake, expanding and overflowing; my blood leaped fiercely through my arteries; my long-restrained youth suddenly burst into active being, like the aloe which blooms but once in a hundred years, and then bursts into blossom with a clap of thunder.

aloe

cn. Succulent plants having rosettes of leaves usually with fiber like hemp and spikes of showy flowers; found chiefly in Africa. (蘆薈)

And I felt life rising within me like a subterranean lake, expanding and overflowing; my blood leaped fiercely through my arteries; my long-restrained youth suddenly burst into active being, like the aloe which blooms but once in a hundred years, and then bursts into blossom with a clap of thunder.

It is true that Aloe vera can bloom and much more frequently than once a hundred years, but, strictly restricted by temperature and humidity, it is still rare to see.

事實上蘆薈（Aloe vera）是會開花的， 而且肯定不是說一百年才一次，但開花需要嚴苛的溫濕度條件，即使在現代園藝看來也有一定難度，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

clap

cn. A sudden, loud, explosive sound. (霹靂聲)

And I felt life rising within me like a subterranean lake, expanding and overflowing; my blood leaped fiercely through my arteries; my long-restrained youth suddenly burst into active being, like the aloe which blooms but once in a hundred years, and then bursts into blossom with a clap of thunder.

pretext

cn. A reason or excuse given to hide the real reason for something. (借口)

What could I do in order to see Clarimonde once more? I had no pretext to offer for desiring to leave the seminary, not knowing any person in the city.

Though "pre-text" makes sense, "text" from Latin "texere" means "to weave" originally.

雖然就按照“pre-text”分割單詞理解成“預先的文字”似乎就講得通，但我們應該把“text”追溯回拉丁語的“texere”，那時它指“編織”，

inextricable

a. So intricate or entangled as to make escape impossible. (錯綜復雜的)

I tried to remove the bars of the window; but it was at a fearful height from the ground, and I found that as I had no ladder it would be useless to think of escaping thus. And, furthermore, I could descend thence only by night in any event, and afterward how should I be able to find my way through the inextricable labyrinth of streets?

spouse

cn. A person's partner in marriage. (配偶)

Were I not a priest I could have seen her every day; I might have been her lover, her spouse. Instead of being wrapped in this dismal shroud of mine I would have had garments of silk and velvet, golden chains, a sword, and fair plumes like other handsome young cavaliers. My hair, instead of being dishonored by the tonsure, would flow down upon my neck in waving curls; I would have a fine waxed mustache; I would be a gallant.

—Romuald

dismal

a. Causing gloom or depression; dreary. (憂郁的)

Were I not a priest I could have seen her every day; I might have been her lover, her spouse. Instead of being wrapped in this dismal shroud of mine I would have had garments of silk and velvet, golden chains, a sword, and fair plumes like other handsome young cavaliers. My hair, instead of being dishonored by the tonsure, would flow down upon my neck in waving curls; I would have a fine waxed mustache; I would be a gallant.

—Romuald

plume

cn. A large feather, cluster of feathers, or similar ornament worn on a helmet, hat, or horse's harness. (羽飾)

Were I not a priest I could have seen her every day; I might have been her lover, her spouse. Instead of being wrapped in this dismal shroud of mine I would have had garments of silk and velvet, golden chains, a sword, and fair plumes like other handsome young cavaliers. My hair, instead of being dishonored by the tonsure, would flow down upon my neck in waving curls; I would have a fine waxed mustache; I would be a gallant.

—Romuald

tonsure

cn. The act of shaving the head or part of the head, especially as a preliminary to becoming a priest or a member of a monastic order. (削發，剃度)

Were I not a priest I could have seen her every day; I might have been her lover, her spouse. Instead of being wrapped in this dismal shroud of mine I would have had garments of silk and velvet, golden chains, a sword, and fair plumes like other handsome young cavaliers. My hair, instead of being dishonored by the tonsure, would flow down upon my neck in waving curls; I would have a fine waxed mustache; I would be a gallant.

—Romuald

articulate

vt. To utter (a speech sound) by making the necessary movements of the speech organs. (清晰吐字)

Collocations (搭配): carefully articulate; well articulate; poorly articulate

But one hour passed before an altar, a few hastily articulated words, had forever cut me off from the number of the living, and I had myself sealed down the stone of my own tomb; I had with my own hand bolted the gate of my prison!

don

vt. To put on (clothing or an ornament, for example). (穿戴上)

The sky was beautifully blue; the trees had donned their spring robes; nature seemed to be making parade of an ironical joy.

beau

cn. A male companion or friend with whom one has a sexual or romantic relationship. (情郎)

The Place was filled with people, some going, others coming; young beaux and young beauties were sauntering in couples toward the groves and gardens; merry youths passed by, cheerily trolling refrains of drinking songs—it was all a picture of vivacity, life, animation, gayety, which formed a bitter contrast with my mourning and my solitude.

"Beau" from French means "beautiful", which is a singular masculine adjective with its plural being "beaux". Seems that English has taken it all.

“Beau”是一個陽性單數的法語形容詞，指“美麗的”，它的復數形式是“beaux”，顯然英語把這些屈折變化都照單全收了，

saunter

vi. To walk at a leisurely pace; stroll. (散步)

Collocation (搭配): casually saunter

Usages (用法): saunter along something; saunter through something

The Place was filled with people, some going, others coming; young beaux and young beauties were sauntering in couples toward the groves and gardens; merry youths passed by, cheerily trolling refrains of drinking songs—it was all a picture of vivacity, life, animation, gayety, which formed a bitter contrast with my mourning and my solitude.

troll

vt. To sing heartily. (盡情唱歌)

The Place was filled with people, some going, others coming; young beaux and young beauties were sauntering in couples toward the groves and gardens; merry youths passed by, cheerily trolling refrains of drinking songs—it was all a picture of vivacity, life, animation, gayety, which formed a bitter contrast with my mourning and my solitude.

"Trolling" also implies the deliberate provoking action on the Internet.

“Troll”也可以指在網路上“引戰”，

refrain

cn. A phrase, verse, or group of verses repeated at intervals throughout a song or poem, especially at the end of each stanza. (（尤指不同的節之間的）副歌，疊歌)

Collocations (搭配): a constant refrain; a familiar refrain; take up a refrain

The Place was filled with people, some going, others coming; young beaux and young beauties were sauntering in couples toward the groves and gardens; merry youths passed by, cheerily trolling refrains of drinking songs—it was all a picture of vivacity, life, animation, gayety, which formed a bitter contrast with my mourning and my solitude.

gaiety

un. A state of joyful exuberance or merriment; vivacity. (快樂)

The Place was filled with people, some going, others coming; young beaux and young beauties were sauntering in couples toward the groves and gardens; merry youths passed by, cheerily trolling refrains of drinking songs—it was all a picture of vivacity, life, animation, gayety, which formed a bitter contrast with my mourning and my solitude.

"Gay" has a long history of implying "happy", with "homosexual" being a 20c. meaning. The etymology dictionary suggests a semantic flipflop among kids for "sad". Emmm... I should surf the Internet more often, probably.

其實直到 20 世紀“gay”才開始指和“同性戀”有關的意思，長久以來它就是指“快樂的”，一個有趣的事情是詞源詞典說現在年輕人中這個詞發生了詞義反轉，開始指“悲傷的”，我沒有見過，或許是我沖浪不夠多的緣故？

puerile

a. Immature, especially in being silly or trivial; childish. (幼稚的，傻氣的)

On the steps of the gate sat a young mother playing with her child. She kissed its little rosy mouth still im-pearled with drops of milk, and performed, in order to amuse it, a thousand divine little puerilities such as only mothers know how to invent.

This one is from French "puéril" meaning "childish" and further Latin "puer" meaning "child, boy".

“Puerile”來自法語中指“幼稚的”的“puéril”，源于拉丁語中指“兒童”的“puer”，

fling

vt. To throw with violence. (猛扔)

I could not endure that spectacle. I closed the window with violence, and flung myself on my bed, my heart filled with frightful hate and jealousy, and gnawed my fingers and my bedcovers like a tiger that has passed ten days without food.

writhe

vi. To make twisting bodily movements, as in pain or struggle. (痛苦地蠕動)

I know not how long I remained in this condition, but at last, while writhing on the bed in a fit of spasmodic fury, I suddenly perceived the Abbe Serapion, who was standing erect in the centre of the room, watching me attentively.

fit

cn. A sudden outburst of emotion. (情感爆發)

Collocations (搭配): have a fit; burst into a fit; collapse in(to) a fit; erupt in(to) a fit; fall into a fit

Usages (用法): a fit of something; be in a fit

I know not how long I remained in this condition, but at last, while writhing on the bed in a fit of spasmodic fury, I suddenly perceived the Abbe Serapion, who was standing erect in the centre of the room, watching me attentively.

Anyway, it is interesting to see that "fit" can imply both "healthy" and "an epileptic seizure".

盡管從詞源學的角度是可以解釋的，但是“fit”既可以指“健康的”又可以指“癲癇發作”還是很有意思，

spasmodic

a. Happening intermittently; fitful. (間歇性的)

I know not how long I remained in this condition, but at last, while writhing on the bed in a fit of spasmodic fury, I suddenly perceived the Abbe Serapion, who was standing erect in the centre of the room, watching me attentively.

transpire

vi. To come about; happen or occur. (發生)

"Romuald, my friend, something very extraordinary is transpiring within you," observed Serapion, after a few
moments' silence.

pious

a. Earnestly compliant in the observance of religion; reverent or devout. (虔誠的)

Your conduct is altogether inexplicable. You—always so quiet, so pious, so gentle—you to rage in your cell like a wild beast!

—Abbe Serapion

heed

un. Close attention; notice. (注意)

Take heed, brother—do not listen to the suggestions of the devil.

—Abbe Serapion

consecrate

vt. To dedicate solemnly to a service or goal. (（尤指為宗教而）奉獻，獻身)

The Evil Spirit, furious that you have consecrated yourself forever to the Lord, is prowling around you like a ravening wolf and making a last effort to obtain possession of you.

—Abbe Serapion

A more common meaning of it is "sanctify", as in Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, like "But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.".

該詞更常見的意思其實是“圣化”，亞伯拉罕·林肯《葛底斯堡演講》中“但是，從更廣泛的意義上來說，這塊土地我們不能夠奉獻，我們不能夠圣化，我們不能夠神化，曾經在這里戰斗過的勇士們，活著的和去世的，已經把這塊土地神圣化了，這遠不是我們微薄的力量所能增減的，”的“圣化”對應的就是“consecrate”一詞，（采張培基先生譯文）

prowl

vi. To rove furtively or with predatory intent. (（為打獵而）潛行游蕩)

The Evil Spirit, furious that you have consecrated yourself forever to the Lord, is prowling around you like a ravening wolf and making a last effort to obtain possession of you.

—Abbe Serapion

raven

vi. To seek or seize prey or plunder. (掠食)

The Evil Spirit, furious that you have consecrated yourself forever to the Lord, is prowling around you like a ravening wolf and making a last effort to obtain possession of you.

—Abbe Serapion

cuirass

cn. A piece of armor for protecting the breast and back, often consisting of two pieces fastened together. (胸甲)

Instead of allowing yourself to be conquered, my dear Romuald, make to yourself a cuirass of prayers, a buckler of mortifications, and combat the enemy like a valiant man; you will then assuredly overcome him.

—Abbe Serapion

buckler

cn. A small, round shield either carried or worn on the arm. (圓盾)

Instead of allowing yourself to be conquered, my dear Romuald, make to yourself a cuirass of prayers, a buckler of mortifications, and combat the enemy like a valiant man; you will then assuredly overcome him.

—Abbe Serapion

install

vt. To induct into an office, rank, or position. (正式就職)

The priest who had charge of it has just died, and Monseigneur the Bishop has ordered me to have you installed there at once.

—Abbe Serapion

retire

vi. To move away or withdraw, as for rest or seclusion. (離開)

I responded with an inclination of the head, and the Abbe retired.

interpose

vt. To insert or introduce between parts. (插入)

To leave to-morrow without having been able to see her again, to add yet another barrier to the many already interposed between us, to lose forever all hope of being able to meet her, except, indeed, through a miracle!

unbosom

vt. To confide (one's thoughts or feelings). (吐露（心事）)

Even to write her, alas! would be impossible, for by whom could I despatch my letter? With my sacred character of priest, to whom could I dare unbosom myself, in whom could I confide?

confide

vi. To disclose private matters in confidence. (吐露，傾訴（秘密）)

Even to write her, alas! would be impossible, for by whom could I despatch my letter? With my sacred character of priest, to whom could I dare unbosom myself, in whom could I confide?

artifice

cn. Deception or trickery. (詭計)

Then suddenly recurred to me the words of the Abbe Serapion regarding the artifices of the devil; and the strange character of the adventure, the supernatural beauty of Clarimonde, the phosphoric light of her eyes, the burning imprint of her hand, the agony into which she had thrown me, the sudden change wrought within me when all my piety vanished in a single instant—these and other things clearly testified to the work of the Evil One, and perhaps that satiny hand was but the glove which concealed his claws.

Phrases (短語)

in succession

ad. Coming one after another. (接連)

I kissed the place upon my hand which she had touched, and I repeated her name over and over again for hours in succession.

When it comes to "in succession", we have to compare "continuous", "constant", "continual", "consecutive" and "successive". All of they are seemingly implying "keep going", but "continuous" suggests "an uninterrupted entire" while "continual", "consecutive" and "successive" suggest "many repeated units". In another figurative sort of way, we may play the flute "continuously" but may only play the dram "continual". "Constant", in the middle, may convey these two types of meaning together.

提到“in succession”就不得不說一下“continuous”、“constant”、“continual”、“consecutive”和“successive”這四個詞的辨析，它們都表達類似于“一直的”這么一個意思，但又有所不同，“Continuous”強調事物是沒有中斷的整體；“continual”、“consecutive”和“successive”用于一個“小事件”不斷重復發生的情況；而“constant”同時涵蓋這兩種表意，換句話說，不停吹笛子是一個“continuous”的行為，而不停打鼓似乎是一個“continual”的行為，

in any event

ad. Regardless; whatever happens; in any case. (無論如何)

I tried to remove the bars of the window; but it was at a fearful height from the ground, and I found that as I had no ladder it would be useless to think of escaping thus. And, furthermore, I could descend thence only by night in any event, and afterward how should I be able to find my way through the inextricable labyrinth of streets?

Expressions (其它表達)

"never deeper anguish"

Never was deeper anguish painted on human face than upon hers. The maiden who beholds her affianced lover suddenly fall dead at her side, the mother bending over the empty cradle of her child, Eve seated at the threshold of the gate of Paradise, the miser who finds a stone substituted for his stolen treasure, the poet who accidentally permits the only manuscript of his finest work to fall into the fire, could not wear a look so despairing, so inconsolable. All the blood had abandoned her charming face, leaving it whiter than marble; her beautiful arms hung lifelessly on either side of her body as though their muscles had suddenly relaxed, and she sought the support of a pillar, for her yielding limbs almost betrayed her.

"a sweat bloodier than that of Calvary"

As for myself, I staggered toward the door of the church, livid as death, my forehead bathed with a sweat bloodier than that of Calvary; I felt as though I were being strangled; the vault seemed to have flattened down upon my shoulders, and it seemed to me that my head alone sustained the whole weight of the dome.

It is quite elusive for me. "Bloody" could be implying 1) the color of blood, but there should not be a comparative then; 2) an intensive, but there should not be a comparative then either; 3) the situation of being covered or stained with blood, resulting like "my sweating is more appalling than a Calvary's bleeding", which also seems strange but better than the former two. I am not sure.

這里的“bloody”還蠻難理解的，如果作為“血色的”講或者認為它是表達強調語氣的標志都很難解釋后面的這個比較，相比而言“bloody”似乎更有可能指的是流血的狀態，表達“我流汗看起來比一名流血的騎士更觸目驚心”，

"breath will into someone's life"

That woman had completely taken possession of me. One look from her had sufficed to change my very nature. She had breathed her will into my life, and I no longer lived in myself, but in her and for her.

"to be a priest"

To be a priest!—that is, to be chaste, to never love, to observe no distinction of sex or age, to turn from the sight of all beauty, to put out one's own eyes, to hide forever crouching in the chill shadows of some church or cloister, to visit none but the dying, to watch by unknown corpses, and ever bear about with one the black soutane as a garb of mourning for one's self, so that your very dress might serve as a pall for your coffin.

Chapter 3: Sea-green Eyes (第三章：海藍色的眼睛)

Words (單詞)

mule

cn. The sterile hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, characterized by long ears and a short mane. (騾子)

Two mules freighted with our miserable valises awaited us at the gate.

valise

cn. A small piece of hand luggage. (旅行包)

Two mules freighted with our miserable valises awaited us at the gate.

blind

cn. Something, such as a window shade or a Venetian blind, that hinders vision or shuts out light. (百葉窗；窗簾)

As we passed along the streets of the city, I gazed attentively at all the windows and balconies in the hope of seeing Clarimonde, but it was yet early in the morning, and the city had hardly opened its eyes. Mine sought to penetrate the blinds and window-curtains of all the palaces before which we were passing.

edifice

cn. A building, especially one of imposing appearance or size. (宏偉建筑)

By a singular optical effect one edifice, which surpassed in height all the neighboring buildings that were still dimly veiled by the vapors, towered up, fair and lustrous with the gilding of a solitary beam of sunlight— although actually more than a league away it seemed quite near.

English "edifice" is from French "édifice", further from Latin "aedificare" "to erect a building" and "aedes" "temple, sanctuary".

英語的“edifice”來自法語的“édifice”，源于拉丁語名詞“aedes”和派生的動詞“aedificare”，前者表示“寺廟，圣所”，后者表示“建造建筑”，

league

cn. A unit of distance equal to 3.0 statute miles (4.8 kilometers). (里格（長度單位，等于三英里）)

By a singular optical effect one edifice, which surpassed in height all the neighboring buildings that were still dimly veiled by the vapors, towered up, fair and lustrous with the gilding of a solitary beam of sunlight— although actually more than a league away it seemed quite near.

turret

cn. A small tower or tower-shaped projection on a building. (角樓)

The smallest details of its architecture were plainly distinguishable—the turrets, the platforms, the window-casements, and even the swallow-tailed weather-vanes.

casement

cn. A window sash that opens outward by means of hinges. (門式窗)

The smallest details of its architecture were plainly distinguishable—the turrets, the platforms, the window-casements, and even the swallow-tailed weather-vanes.

weathervane

cn. A device that pivots on a vertical spindle to indicate wind direction. (風向標)

The smallest details of its architecture were plainly distinguishable—the turrets, the platforms, the window-casements, and even the swallow-tailed weather-vanes.

It is a compound from "weather" and "vane", i.e., "blade in a wheel moved by air", which is also an example of many compound having lost their hyphens in development.

“Weathervane”是由“天氣”和“輪葉”兩個詞合成而來的，它在誕生之初仍包含一個連字符，連字符使用頻率下降也是現代英語單詞發展的一個趨勢，

rugged

a. Having a rough irregular surface. (崎嶇的)

Oh, did she know that at that very hour, all feverish and restless—from the height of the rugged road which separated me from her and which, alas!

gable

cn. The generally triangular section of wall at the end of a pitched roof, occupying the space between the two slopes of the roof. (三角墻)

The shadow gained the palace, and the scene became to the eye only a motionless ocean of roofs and gables, amid which one mountainous undulation was distinctly visible.

gait

cn. A particular way or manner of moving on foot. (步態)

Collocations (搭配): a rolling gait; a strolling gait; a stumbling gait; a wabbling gait

Usage (用法): with a gait

Serapion urged his mule forward, my own at once followed at the same gait, and a sharp angle in the road at last hid the city of S—— forever from my eyes, as I was destined never to return thither.

thither

ad. To or toward that place; in that direction; there. (到那兒)

Serapion urged his mule forward, my own at once followed at the same gait, and a sharp angle in the road at last hid the city of S—— forever from my eyes, as I was destined never to return thither.

cock

cn. A weathervane shaped like a rooster; a weathercock. (風信雞)

At the close of a weary three-days' journey through dismal country fields, we caught sight of the cock upon the steeple of the church which I was to take charge of, peeping above the trees, and after having followed some winding roads fringed with thatched cottages and little gardens, we found ourselves in front of the facade, which certainly possessed few features of magnificence.

thatch

un. Plant stalks or foliage, such as reeds or palm fronds, used for roofing. (茅草)

vt. To cover with or as if with thatch. (用茅草覆寫屋頂)

At the close of a weary three-days' journey through dismal country fields, we caught sight of the cock upon the steeple of the church which I was to take charge of, peeping above the trees, and after having followed some winding roads fringed with thatched cottages and little gardens, we found ourselves in front of the facade, which certainly possessed few features of magnificence.

molding (moulding)

cn. An embellishment in strip form, made of wood or other structural material, that is used to decorate or finish a surface, such as the wall of a room or building or the surface of a door or piece of furniture. (裝飾線條)

A porch ornamented with some mouldings, and two or three pillars rudely hewn from sandstone; a tiled roof with counterforts of the same sandstone as the pillars—that was all.

hew

vt. To make or shape with or as if with an axe. (劈刻)

A porch ornamented with some mouldings, and two or three pillars rudely hewn from sandstone; a tiled roof with counterforts of the same sandstone as the pillars—that was all.

frigid

a. Stiff and formal in manner. (古板的)

It was a house of the most extreme simplicity and frigid cleanliness.

Commonly meaning "cold", this "blue blood" word is from Latin "frigidus" cold, chill, cool".

“Frigid”的常見意思還是“寒冷的”，它直接來自表示“寒冷的”的拉丁語“frigidus”，可謂血統純正，

habit

cn. A distinctive set of clothing or style of dressing, especially of a religious order. (（修道士或修女穿的）長袍)

A few chickens were picking up some oats scattered upon the ground; accustomed, seemingly, to the black habit of ecclesiastics, they showed no fear of our presence and scarcely troubled themselves to get out of our way.

wheeze

vi. To breathe with difficulty, producing a hoarse whistling sound. (（因呼吸困難而）發出粗重的呼吸聲)

A hoarse, wheezy barking fell upon our ears, and we saw an aged dog running toward us.

blear

vt. To blur or redden (the eyes). (使眼花)

It was my predecessor's dog. He had dull bleared eyes, grizzled hair, and every mark of the greatest age to which a dog can possibly attain.

grizzle

vt. To make or become gray. (使變灰)

It was my predecessor's dog. He had dull bleared eyes, grizzled hair, and every mark of the greatest age to which a dog can possibly attain.

parlor

cn. A room in a private home set apart for the entertainment of visitors. (客廳)

A very old woman, who had been the housekeeper of the former cure, also came to meet us, and after having invited me into a little back parlor, asked whether I in-tended to retain her.

"Parlor" is French-origin. "Parler" in French means "to speak", which contributes to "parloir" meaning "visiting room".

法語中從指“說話”的“parler”產生了指“會客廳”的“parloir”，后者被英語吸收產生了“parlor”，

bequeath

vt. To leave or give (personal property) by will. (遺贈給)

A very old woman, who had been the housekeeper of the former cure, also came to meet us, and after having invited me into a little back parlor, asked whether I in-tended to retain her. I replied that I would take care of her, and the dog, and the chickens, and all the furniture her master had bequeathed her at his death.

transport

vt. To cause to feel strong emotion, especially joy; carry away; enrapture. (使欣喜若狂)

I replied that I would take care of her, and the dog, and the chickens, and all the furniture her master had bequeathed her at his death. At this she became fairly transported with joy, and the Abbe Serapion at once paid her the price which she asked for her little property.

This interesting sense might from a metaphor of "carry away with strong feelings".

“Transport”的這個語意可能可以類比漢語的“魂不守舍”，但絕大多數是指欣喜激動使人失去自制力，

promenade

vi. To go on a leisurely walk. (散步)

One evening while promenading in my little garden along the walks bordered with box-plants, I fancied that I saw through the elm-trees the figure of a woman, who followed my every movement, and that I beheld two sea-green eyes gleaming through the foliage; but it was only an illusion, and on going round to the other side of the garden, I could find nothing except a footprint on the sanded walk—a footprint so small that it seemed to have been made by the foot of a child.

It was borrowed from French "promenade", originating from Latin "prominare" "to drive (animals) onward" where "pro-" meant "forth" and "minare" from "minari" meant "to threat".

英語“promenade”直接來源于法語，其發源可追溯至拉丁語中表示“驅趕動物”的“prominare”一詞，其中“pro-”前綴指“向前”，而“minare”源于“minari”指“脅迫”，

elm

cn. Any of various deciduous trees of the genus Ulmus, characteristically having arching or curving branches, serrate leaves with asymmetric bases, and small winged fruit. (榆樹)

One evening while promenading in my little garden along the walks bordered with box-plants, I fancied that I saw through the elm-trees the figure of a woman, who followed my every movement, and that I beheld two sea-green eyes gleaming through the foliage; but it was only an illusion, and on going round to the other side of the garden, I could find nothing except a footprint on the sanded walk—a footprint so small that it seemed to have been made by the foot of a child.

foliage

un. A cluster of leaves. (枝葉)

One evening while promenading in my little garden along the walks bordered with box-plants, I fancied that I saw through the elm-trees the figure of a woman, who followed my every movement, and that I beheld two sea-green eyes gleaming through the foliage; but it was only an illusion, and on going round to the other side of the garden, I could find nothing except a footprint on the sanded walk—a footprint so small that it seemed to have been made by the foot of a child.

nook

cn. A hidden or secluded spot. (隱蔽處)

The garden was enclosed by very high walls. I searched every nook and corner of it, but could discover no one there.

scrupulous

a. Conscientious and exact; painstaking. (審慎認真的)

For a whole year I lived thus, filling all the duties of my calling with the most scrupulous exactitude, praying and fasting, exhorting and lending ghostly aid to the sick, and bestowing alms even to the extent of frequently depriving myself of the very necessaries of life.

"Scrupulous" is derived from "scruple" meaning "pang of conscience". Cognate with French "scrupule", it was from Latin "scrupulus" "uneasiness, anxiety, pricking of conscience", which is literally a diminutive of "scrupus" "sharp stone or pebble". This semantic extension was allegedly due to an analogy of having a pebble in one's shoe from Cicero.

“Scrupulous”的原名詞是“scruple”，指“道德顧慮”，他和法語的“scrupule”都來自拉丁語的“scrupulus”，這是“scrupus”（小石子）的小化詞，傳說這個引申義源自西塞羅的一個比喻，他說這個道德顧慮的不安好比有小石子進了鞋子，

exhort

vi. To make an urgent appeal. (規勸)

For a whole year I lived thus, filling all the duties of my calling with the most scrupulous exactitude, praying and fasting, exhorting and lending ghostly aid to the sick, and bestowing alms even to the extent of frequently depriving myself of the very necessaries of life.

ghostly

a. Of or relating to the soul or spirit; spiritual. (靈魂的)

For a whole year I lived thus, filling all the duties of my calling with the most scrupulous exactitude, praying and fasting, exhorting and lending ghostly aid to the sick, and bestowing alms even to the extent of frequently depriving myself of the very necessaries of life.

arid

a. Lacking interest or feeling; lifeless and dull. (枯燥的)

But I felt a great aridness within me, and the sources of grace seemed closed against me.

refrain

cn. A repeated utterance or theme. (常說的話)

I never found that happiness which should spring from the fulfillment of a holy mission: my thoughts were far away, and the words of Clarimonde were ever upon my lips like an involuntary refrain.

We talked about this earlier in Chapter 2, where it was a musical jargon. Here it remains similar sense.

在第二章里這個詞作為音樂術語出現過一次，這一次出現大同小異，

venial

a. Easily excused or forgiven; pardonable. (（錯誤）輕微的)

Through having but once lifted my eyes to look upon a woman, through one fault apparently so venial, I have for years remained a victim to the most miserable agonies, and the happiness of my life has been destroyed forever.

inward

a. Of, relating to, or existing in the thoughts or mind. (內心的)

I will not longer dwell upon those defeats, or on those inward victories invariably followed by yet more terrible falls, but will at once proceed to the facts of my story.

poniard

cn. A dagger typically having a slender three- or four-sided blade. (三角刃匕首)

One night my doorbell was long and violently rung. The aged housekeeper arose and opened to the stranger, and the figure of a man, whose complexion was deeply bronzed, and who was richly clad in a foreign costume, with a poniard at his girdle, appeared under the rays of Barbara's lantern.

girdle

cn. A belt or sash worn around the waist. (腰帶)

One night my doorbell was long and violently rung. The aged housekeeper arose and opened to the stranger, and the figure of a man, whose complexion was deeply bronzed, and who was richly clad in a foreign costume, with a poniard at his girdle, appeared under the rays of Barbara's lantern.

without

prep. At, on, to, or toward the outside or exterior of. (在……的外側)

Two horses black as the night itself stood without the gate, pawing the ground with impatience, and veiling their chests with long streams of smoky vapor exhaled from their nostrils.

stirrup

cn. A flat-based loop or ring hung from either side of a horse's saddle to support the rider's foot in mounting and riding; a stirrup iron. (馬鐙)

Collocation (搭配): stand (up) in stirrup

Usage (用法): in a stirrup

Two horses black as the night itself stood without the gate, pawing the ground with impatience, and veiling their chests with long streams of smoky vapor exhaled from their nostrils. He held the stirrup and aided me to mount upon one; then, merely laying his hand upon the pummel of the saddle, he vaulted on the other, pressed the animal's sides with Ms knees, and loosened rein.

rein

cn. Either of two long narrow straps attached to each end of the bit of a bridle and used by a rider or driver to control a horse or other animal. (韁繩)

Usage (用法): on a rein

Two horses black as the night itself stood without the gate, pawing the ground with impatience, and veiling their chests with long streams of smoky vapor exhaled from their nostrils. He held the stirrup and aided me to mount upon one; then, merely laying his hand upon the pummel of the saddle, he vaulted on the other, pressed the animal's sides with Ms knees, and loosened rein.

bridle

cn. A harness, consisting of a headstall, bit, and reins, fitted about a horse's head and used to restrain or guide the animal. (馬籠頭)

The horse bounded forward with the velocity of an arrow. Mine, of which the stranger held the bridle, also started off at a swift gallop, keeping up with his companion.

gallop

cn. A gait of a horse, faster than a canter, in which all four feet are off the ground at the same time during each stride. (（馬）飛跑，疾馳)

Collocations (搭配): break into a gallop

Usages (用法): at a gallop; at full gallop

The horse bounded forward with the velocity of an arrow. Mine, of which the stranger held the bridle, also started off at a swift gallop, keeping up with his companion.

Confused about the word "gait" in the entry, I searched the Internet and realized that "gait of horse" is a crucial concept in equestrian. Five main gaits of horse in descending order of velocity are gallop, canter, trot, walk and back.

一開始我看到詞條里“gait”（步態）這個詞還很詫異，一查才發現這里面大有名堂，馬的步態是馬術里面一個至關重要的概念，從快到慢分為“襲步”、“跑步”、“快步”和“慢步”，它們在英文中分別對應四個不同的名詞，

References: one\(\quad\)two（參考資料見左側鏈接）

streak

vt. To spread in streaks. (使成條狀)

The horse bounded forward with the velocity of an arrow. Mine, of which the stranger held the bridle, also started off at a swift gallop, keeping up with his companion. We devoured the road. The ground flowed backward beneath us in a long streaked line of pale gray, and the black silhouettes of the trees seemed fleeing by us on either side like an army in rout.

rout

cn. A disorderly retreat or flight following defeat. (潰退)

Collocations (搭配): a total rout; end in rout; turn into rout

The horse bounded forward with the velocity of an arrow. Mine, of which the stranger held the bridle, also started off at a swift gallop, keeping up with his companion. We devoured the road. The ground flowed backward beneath us in a long streaked line of pale gray, and the black silhouettes of the trees seemed fleeing by us on either side like an army in rout.

wake

cn. The visible track of turbulence left by something moving through water. (尾跡)

The showers of bright sparks which flew from the stony road under the irons both feet of our horses remained glowing in our wake like a fiery trail; and had any one at that hour of the night beheld us both— my guide and myself—he must have taken us for two spectres riding upon nightmares.

fiery

a. Burning or glowing. (火一般的)

The showers of bright sparks which flew from the stony road under the irons both feet of our horses remained glowing in our wake like a fiery trail; and had any one at that hour of the night beheld us both— my guide and myself—he must have taken us for two spectres riding upon nightmares.

The spelling seems interesting. In English, the spelling of "fire" underwent three steps, that is, "fyr" in Old English, "fier" in Middle English and "fire" in Modern English. "Fiery" is exactly a sign of the incompleteness of the last conversion.

這里的拼寫值得一說，“fire”其實經歷了從古英語的“fyr”到中古英語的“fier”再到現代英語的變化，其中后一步變化并不是完全的，“fiery”這個詞恰恰就是這種不完全的標志，

flit

vi. To move about rapidly and nimbly. (輕快地飛（或移動）)

Witch-fires ever and anon flitted across the road before us, and the night-birds shrieked fearsomely in the depth of the woods beyond, where we beheld at intervals glow the phosphorescent eyes of wildcats.

mane

cn. The long hair along the top and sides of the neck of certain mammals, such as a horse or a male lion. (鬃毛)

Collocations (搭配): a flowing mane; a shaggy mane; a tousled mane; a think mane; a luxuriant mane; shake someone's mane; toss someone's mane; braid someone's mane

The manes of the horses became more and more dishevelled, the sweat streamed over their flanks, and their breath came through their nostrils hard and fast.

unearthly

a. Unnaturally strange and frightening. (恐怖的)

The manes of the horses became more and more dishevelled, the sweat streamed over their flanks, and their breath came through their nostrils hard and fast. But when he found them slacking pace, the guide reanimated them by uttering a strange, guttural, unearthly cry, and the gallop recommenced with fury.

hoof

cn. The horny sheath covering the toes or lower part of the foot of a mammal of the orders Perissodactyla and Artiodactyla, such as a horse, ox, or deer. (蹄)

At last the whirlwind race ceased; a huge black mass pierced through with many bright points of light suddenly rose before us, the hoofs of our horses echoed louder upon a great vaulted archway which darkly yawned between two enormous towers.

It might mean the sound of horse hoof here, while I found no directly matching entry in the dictionary.

這個“hoof”應該是指的馬蹄聲，但是詞典里沒有完全一致的義項，

yawn

vi. To open wide; gape. (大開)

At last the whirlwind race ceased; a huge black mass pierced through with many bright points of light suddenly rose before us, the hoofs of our horses echoed louder upon a great vaulted archway which darkly yawned between two enormous towers.

landing

cn. An intermediate platform on a flight of stairs. (樓梯間的平臺)

Servants with torches were crossing the courtyard in every direction, and above, lights were ascending and descending from landing to landing.

arcade

cn. A series of arches supported by columns, piers, or pillars, either freestanding or attached to a wall to form a gallery. (拱廊)

I obtained a confused glimpse of vast masses of architecture—columns, arcades, flights of steps, stairways—a royal voluptuousness and elfin magnificence of construction worthy of fairyland.

I, a game player, have known this word as "arcade game", but it was initially a architecture terminology related to arch, later the shopping arcade with arcades above and finally the arcade game center in such an arcade.

作為一個游戲玩家我首先了解到的是“arcade”指“街機游戲”的義項，但這個義項是其實是最后發展出來的，它最初是指建筑學中的拱廊，由于商業街往往采用這種拱廊建筑形式而兼指商業街，所謂街機游戲（arcade (game)），指的其實是像這樣商業街里常見的街機廳（arcade (game center)）里的游戲，

voluptuous

a. Relating to, providing, or arising from sensual pleasure. (滿足感官的)

I obtained a confused glimpse of vast masses of architecture—columns, arcades, flights of steps, stairways—a royal voluptuousness and elfin magnificence of construction worthy of fairyland.

elfin

a. Having a magical quality or charm; fairylike. (有魔力的)

I obtained a confused glimpse of vast masses of architecture—columns, arcades, flights of steps, stairways—a royal voluptuousness and elfin magnificence of construction worthy of fairyland.

Literally, "elfin" was from "elf", meaning "Relating to or suggestive of an elf".

從詞形就能看出“elfin”這個詞是來自“elf（精靈）”，它的本意是指有關精靈的，

tablet

cn. A set of thin sheets or leaves used as a writing surface fastened together, as in a book. (便箋本)

A negro page—the same who had before brought me the tablet from Clarimonde, and whom I instantly recognized—approached to aid me in dismounting, and the major-domo, attired in black velvet with a gold chain about his neck, advanced to meet me, supporting himself upon an ivory cane.

major-domo

cn. The head steward or butler in the household of a sovereign or great noble. (大管家)

A negro page—the same who had before brought me the tablet from Clarimonde, and whom I instantly recognized—approached to aid me in dismounting, and the major-domo, attired in black velvet with a gold chain about his neck, advanced to meet me, supporting himself upon an ivory cane.

wan

a. Unnaturally pale, as from physical or emotional distress. (蒼白的)

A prie-dieu stood at the foot of the bed,; a bluish flame flickering in a bonze patera filled all the room with a wan, deceptive light, here and there bringing out in the darkness at intervals some projection of furniture or cornice.

cornice

cn. A horizontal molded projection that crowns or completes a building or wall. (飛檐)

A prie-dieu stood at the foot of the bed,; a bluish flame flickering in a bonze patera filled all the room with a wan, deceptive light, here and there bringing out in the darkness at intervals some projection of furniture or cornice.

sumptuous

a. Of a size or splendor suggesting great expense; lavish. (奢華的)

A broken black mask, a fan, and disguises of every variety, which were lying on the arm-chairs, bore witness that death had entered suddenly and unannounced into that sumptuous dwelling.

"Sum" in "sumptuous" is identical to that in "consume", which was from Latin "sumere" "to borrow, buy, spend, eat, drink, consume, employ, take, take up". A house consuming a lot is sumptuous and therefore lavish.

該詞里的“sum”和“consume”里的是相同的含義，同樣來自表示“吃、喝、消耗”的拉丁語“sumere”，一個家庭日常消耗多其實也就等價于生活奢侈，

reverie

cn. A state of abstracted musing; daydreaming. (白日夢)

But my fervor gradually weakened, and I fell insensibly into a reverie.

This one was from French "rêverie" "daydream".

英語“reverie”來自法語表示“白日夢”的“rêverie”，

fetid

a. Having an offensive odor. (惡臭的)

That chamber bore no semblance to a chamber of death. In lieu of the fetid and cadaverous odors which I had been accustomed to breathe during such funereal vigils, a languorous vapor of Oriental perfume— I know not what amorous odor of woman—softly floated through the tepid air.

cadaverous

a. Suggestive of death; corpselike. (死尸的)

That chamber bore no semblance to a chamber of death. In lieu of the fetid and cadaverous odors which I had been accustomed to breathe during such funereal vigils, a languorous vapor of Oriental perfume— I know not what amorous odor of woman—softly floated through the tepid air.

From "cadaverous" meaning "corpselike", we can grasp that "cadaver" means "corpse", which was from Latin "cadere" "fall". Something fallen could be a metaphor for the dead.

既然“cadaverous”指的是“死尸般的”，那我們不難猜到前一半“cadaver”指的是“死尸”，從字面意義來看，拉丁語“cadare”的本意是“倒下”，而“倒下的東西”用來暗示“死者”也順理成章，

vigil

cn. A watch kept during normal sleeping hours. (守夜)

Collocations (搭配): a all-night vigil; a constant vigil; a bedside vigil; keep vigil; maintain vigil

Usage (用法): a vigil over someone

That chamber bore no semblance to a chamber of death. In lieu of the fetid and cadaverous odors which I had been accustomed to breathe during such funereal vigils, a languorous vapor of Oriental perfume— I know not what amorous odor of woman—softly floated through the tepid air.

languor

un. Lack of physical or mental energy; listlessness. (慵懶)

That chamber bore no semblance to a chamber of death. In lieu of the fetid and cadaverous odors which I had been accustomed to breathe during such funereal vigils, a languorous vapor of Oriental perfume— I know not what amorous odor of woman—softly floated through the tepid air.

tepid

a. Moderately warm; lukewarm. (溫熱的)

That chamber bore no semblance to a chamber of death. In lieu of the fetid and cadaverous odors which I had been accustomed to breathe during such funereal vigils, a languorous vapor of Oriental perfume— I know not what amorous odor of woman—softly floated through the tepid air.

contrived

a. Obviously planned or calculated; not spontaneous or natural; labored. (人造的)

Collocations (搭配): highly contrived; somewhat contrived; carefully contrived; cleverly contrived; deliberately contrived

That pale light seemed rather a twilight gloom contrived for voluptuous pleasure than a substitute for the yellow-flickering watch tapers which shine by the side of corpses.

damask

un. A rich patterned fabric of cotton, linen, silk, or wool. (緞子)

The red damask curtains, decorated with large flowers worked in embroidery, and looped up with gold bullion, permitted me to behold the fair dead, lying at full length, with hands joined upon her bosom.

"Damask" means "cloth from Damascus".

“Damask”的字面意義是“來自大馬士革的布”，

bullion

un. Gold or silver considered with respect to quantity rather than value. (大量金銀)

The red damask curtains, decorated with large flowers worked in embroidery, and looped up with gold bullion, permitted me to behold the fair dead, lying at full length, with hands joined upon her bosom.

hanging

np. Something, such as a tapestry, that is hung. (帷幕)

She was covered with a linen wrapping of dazzling whiteness, which formed a strong contrast with the gloomy purple of the hangings, and was of so fine a texture that it concealed nothing of her body's charming form, and allowed the eye to follow those beautiful outlines— undulating like the neck of a swan— which even death had not robbed of their supple grace.

supple

a. Moving and bending with agility; limber. (柔韌的)

She was covered with a linen wrapping of dazzling whiteness, which formed a strong contrast with the gloomy purple of the hangings, and was of so fine a texture that it concealed nothing of her body's charming form, and allowed the eye to follow those beautiful outlines— undulating like the neck of a swan— which even death had not robbed of their supple grace.

alabaster

un. A dense, translucent, white or tinted fine-grained gypsum. (雪花石膏)

She seemed an alabaster statue executed by some skilful sculptor to place upon the tomb of a queen, or rather, perhaps, like a slumbering maiden over whom the silent snow had woven a spotless veil.

alcove

cn. A recess or partly enclosed extension connected to or forming part of a room. (凹室)

The air of the alcove intoxicated me, that febrile perfume of half-faded roses penetrated my very brain, and I commenced to pace restlessly up and down the chamber, pausing at each turn before the bier to contemplate the graceful corpse lying beneath the transparency of its shroud.

febrile

a. Of, relating to, or characterized by fever; feverish. (狂熱的)

The air of the alcove intoxicated me, that febrile perfume of half-faded roses penetrated my very brain, and I commenced to pace restlessly up and down the chamber, pausing at each turn before the bier to contemplate the graceful corpse lying beneath the transparency of its shroud.

Latin "fabris" "fever" descended to both Modern French "fièvre" and Modern German "Fieber". The phoneme substitution in French also contributed to "fever" in Modern English, while "febrile" and most Germanic languages inherited letter "b".

相比于“fever”，其實“febrile”更能體現拉丁詞源“fabris（發熱）”的痕跡，這也和日耳曼語族的大多數成員一致（如德語的“Fieber”），而“fever”中出現的換音實際上是受到法語“fièvre”的影響，

bier

cn. A stand on which a corpse or a coffin containing a corpse is placed before burial. (停尸架)

The air of the alcove intoxicated me, that febrile perfume of half-faded roses penetrated my very brain, and I commenced to pace restlessly up and down the chamber, pausing at each turn before the bier to contemplate the graceful corpse lying beneath the transparency of its shroud.

contemplate

vt. A stand on which a corpse or a coffin containing a corpse is placed before burial. (審視)

The air of the alcove intoxicated me, that febrile perfume of half-faded roses penetrated my very brain, and I commenced to pace restlessly up and down the chamber, pausing at each turn before the bier to contemplate the graceful corpse lying beneath the transparency of its shroud.

throng

vt. To crowd into; fill. (蜂擁向)

Wild fancies came thronging to my brain. I thought to myself that she might not, perhaps, be really dead; that she might only have feigned death for the purpose of bringing me to her castle, and then declaring her love.

feign

vt. To give a false appearance of. (裝作)

Wild fancies came thronging to my brain. I thought to myself that she might not, perhaps, be really dead; that she might only have feigned death for the purpose of bringing me to her castle, and then declaring her love.

afflict

vt. To cause grievous physical or mental suffering to. (折磨)

Usage (用法): be afflicted with something

And then I asked myself: "Is this indeed Clarimonde? What proof have I that it is she? Might not that black page have passed into the service of some other lady? Surely, I must be going mad to torture and afflict myself thus!"

repose

n. The act of resting or the state of being at rest. (憩眠)

That exquisite perfection of bodily form, although purified and made sacred by the shadow of death, affected me more voluptuously than it should have done, and that repose so closely resembled slumber that one might well have mistaken it for such.

coy

a. Affectedly and often flirtatiously shy or modest. (（尤指女性）害羞的)

I forgot that I had come there to perform a funeral ceremony; I fancied myself a young bridegroom entering the chamber of the bride, who all modestly hides her fair face, and through coyness seeks to keep herself wholly veiled.

"Quiet" and "coy" are the same to some extent, both of them originated from Latin "quietus" "resting, at rest" but diverged in French. While Old French kept "quiet" and passed it to Modern English, it also transformed it into "quei" and later "coi", which could be found today in phrase like "rester coi" and brought about English "coy".

從詞源學的角度來說，“quiet”和“coy”是一個詞，它們都來自拉丁語“quietus（休息）”，在法語中才發生了分化，古法語一方面保留了“quiet”的拼寫，另一方面也將其詞形變化為“quei”和“coi”，其中后者如今仍在少量使用（如表示張口結舌的俗語“rester coi”），而這也是英語“coy”的直接來源，

shudder

vi. To shiver convulsively, as from fear or revulsion. (戰栗)

Heartbroken with grief, yet wild with hope, shuddering at once with fear and pleasure, I bent over her and grasped the corner of the sheet.

slab

cn. A broad, flat, thick piece, as of stone or cheese. (厚片)

Heartbroken with grief, yet wild with hope, shuddering at once with fear and pleasure, I bent over her and grasped the corner of the sheet. I lifted it back, holding my breath all the while through fear of waking her. My arteries throbbed with such violence that I felt them hiss through my temples, and the sweat poured from my forehead in streams, as though I had lifted a mighty slab of marble.

coquetry

un. Dalliance; flirtation. (調情)

There, indeed, lay Clarimonde, even as I had seen her at the church on the day of my ordination. She was not less charming than then. With her, death seemed but a last coquetry.

It is quite easy to anticipate its French descent, not for the "qu" combination but for its intrinsic French style. Modern French does have a "coqueter" indeed.

雖然說字形里有“qu”的字母組合這種明顯標志，但就是只看解釋應該也能猜出這個詞是法語源的（笑死），的確如此，其在現代法語中的對應是“coqueter”一詞，

pallor

un. Extreme or unnatural paleness. (蒼白)

The pallor of her cheeks, the less brilliant carnation of her lips, her long eyelashes lowered and relieving their dark fringe against that white skin, lent her an unspeakably seductive aspect of melancholy chastity and metal suffering; her long loose hair, still intertwined with some little blue flowers, made a shining pillow for her head, and veiled the nudity of her shoulders with its thick ringlets; her beautiful hands, purer, more diaphanous than the Host, were crossed on her bosom in an attitude of pious rest and silent prayer, which served to counteract all that might have proven otherwise too alluring—even after death —in the exquisite roundness and ivory polish of her bare arms from which the pearl bracelets had not yet been removed.

melancholy

a. Feeling, showing, or expressing depression of the spirits; sad or dejected. (憂郁的)

The pallor of her cheeks, the less brilliant carnation of her lips, her long eyelashes lowered and relieving their dark fringe against that white skin, lent her an unspeakably seductive aspect of melancholy chastity and metal suffering; her long loose hair, still intertwined with some little blue flowers, made a shining pillow for her head, and veiled the nudity of her shoulders with its thick ringlets; her beautiful hands, purer, more diaphanous than the Host, were crossed on her bosom in an attitude of pious rest and silent prayer, which served to counteract all that might have proven otherwise too alluring—even after death —in the exquisite roundness and ivory polish of her bare arms from which the pearl bracelets had not yet been removed.

We have to expound this for its profound nature. "Melancholy" could also act as a noun meaning "depression". Literally, "melan" means "black" and "choly" means "bile". "Black bile" is one of the four cardinal humors of human according to ancient Greek Humorism of Hippocrates, which held that variant mixtures of blood, phlegm, choler (yellow bile), and melancholy (black bile) in different people determined their physical conditions. Galen later developed this theory by connecting four humors with four main dispositions, creating the concepts of sanguine (passionate), phlegmatic (apathetic), choleric (bad-tempered) and melancholic (depressed). Such theory ruled the European Middle Ages for thousands of years throughout the development of all Indo-European languages, leaving marks in a diversity of languages from German "Melancholie" to Spanish "melancolia" and French "mélancolie".

這個地方很值得一說，“Melancholy”也可以作名詞表示“憂郁”，從字面來看“melancholy”指的是“黑膽汁”，而這是古希臘時期 Hippocrates 在體液學說中提出的四大體液之一，他認為人體由血液，粘液，黃膽汁和黑膽汁四種液體構成，這四種液體的不同比例導致了人外在的不同生理狀態，古羅馬的 Galen 后來發展了這種學說，將這四種體液和人的四種主要氣質聯系起來，認為多血質表現為樂觀，粘液質表現為冷靜，膽汁質表現為易怒，抑郁質表現為憂郁，這一套理論統領西方醫學直至文藝復興時期，并隨著同時進行的印歐語系語言發展在各種語言中留下了痕跡，以本詞為例，你可以在德語中找到“Melancholie”，在西班牙語中找到“melancolia”，在法語中找到“mélancolie”等等，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

ringlet

np. A long, spirally curled lock of hair. (長卷發)

The pallor of her cheeks, the less brilliant carnation of her lips, her long eyelashes lowered and relieving their dark fringe against that white skin, lent her an unspeakably seductive aspect of melancholy chastity and metal suffering; her long loose hair, still intertwined with some little blue flowers, made a shining pillow for her head, and veiled the nudity of her shoulders with its thick ringlets; her beautiful hands, purer, more diaphanous than the Host, were crossed on her bosom in an attitude of pious rest and silent prayer, which served to counteract all that might have proven otherwise too alluring—even after death —in the exquisite roundness and ivory polish of her bare arms from which the pearl bracelets had not yet been removed.

diaphanous

a. Sufficiently thin or airy as to be translucent. (（尤指布料）又透又薄的，薄如蟬翼的)

The pallor of her cheeks, the less brilliant carnation of her lips, her long eyelashes lowered and relieving their dark fringe against that white skin, lent her an unspeakably seductive aspect of melancholy chastity and metal suffering; her long loose hair, still intertwined with some little blue flowers, made a shining pillow for her head, and veiled the nudity of her shoulders with its thick ringlets; her beautiful hands, purer, more diaphanous than the Host, were crossed on her bosom in an attitude of pious rest and silent prayer, which served to counteract all that might have proven otherwise too alluring—even after death —in the exquisite roundness and ivory polish of her bare arms from which the pearl bracelets had not yet been removed.

polish

un. Smoothness or shininess of surface or finish. (光潔)

The pallor of her cheeks, the less brilliant carnation of her lips, her long eyelashes lowered and relieving their dark fringe against that white skin, lent her an unspeakably seductive aspect of melancholy chastity and metal suffering; her long loose hair, still intertwined with some little blue flowers, made a shining pillow for her head, and veiled the nudity of her shoulders with its thick ringlets; her beautiful hands, purer, more diaphanous than the Host, were crossed on her bosom in an attitude of pious rest and silent prayer, which served to counteract all that might have proven otherwise too alluring—even after death —in the exquisite roundness and ivory polish of her bare arms from which the pearl bracelets had not yet been removed.

Originally "polish" was a verb, but it can also act as a noun for describing the appearance of a polished surface.

“Polish”一開始是作為動詞使用，但是它也可以作為名詞，指被打磨表面的光潔的質地，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

breathe

vi. To exhale air or another gas. (呼氣)

Vainly did I wish that I could have gathered all my life into one mass that I might give it all to her, and breathe into her chill remains the flame which devoured me.

Not only can "breathe" convey the sense of "respiring" (both inhaling and exhaling), it can also imply a one-way action either inhaling or exhaling.

“Breathe”不僅可以指“呼吸”，也可以指單純的吸氣或者呼氣，

mingle

vt. To mix or bring together in combination. (（使）相混)

Collocation (搭配): freely mingle

Usage (用法): mingle something with something

The night advanced, and feeling the moment of eternal separation approach, I could not deny myself the last sad sweet pleasure of imprinting a kiss upon the dead lips of her who had been my only love. . . . Oh, miracle! A faint breath mingled itself with my breath, and the mouth of Clarimonde responded to the passionate pressure of mine.

ineffable

a. Incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable. (不可言喻的)

Her eyes unclosed, and lighted up with something of their former brilliancy; she uttered a long sigh, and uncrossing her arms, passed them around my neck with a look of ineffable delight.

You might have found "fable" in "ineffable". Also cognate with "affable" and "fabulous", these words containing "fab" were descended from Latin "fari" "to speak" through French.

你可能從“ineffable”中找到了“fable”這個單詞，事實上它們確實有親緣關系，包括“affable”和“fabulous”在內的這些詞中的“fab”字母組合都源于拉丁語表示“說”的“fari”，它們經由法語傳入英語，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

languish

vi. To become downcast or pine away in longing. (變憔悴)

"Ah, it is thou, Romuald!" she murmured in a voice languishingly sweet as the last vibrations of a harp.

harp

cn. A musical instrument consisting of a triangular frame formed by a soundbox, a pillar, and a curved neck, and having strings stretched between the soundbox and the neck that are plucked with the fingers. (豎琴)

"Ah, it is thou, Romuald!" she murmured in a voice languishingly sweet as the last vibrations of a harp.

ail

vt. To cause physical or mental pain or uneasiness to; trouble. (使處境困難)

What ailed thee, dearest? I waited so long for thee that I am dead; but we are now betrothed; I can see thee and visit thee.

—Clarimonde

extremity

cn. The outermost or farthest point or portion. (末端)

The last remaining leaf of the white rose for a moment palpitated at the extremity of the stalk like a butterfly's wing, then it detached itself and flew forth through the open casement, bearing with it the soul of Clarimonde.

Phrases (短語)

ever and anon

ad. (archaic) Occasionally; now and then. (有時)

Witch-fires ever and anon flitted across the road before us, and the night-birds shrieked fearsomely in the depth of the woods beyond, where we beheld at intervals glow the phosphorescent eyes of wildcats.

Like "then" in "now and then", "anon" basically means "later, soon".

這里的“anon”指的是“不久后”，這和同樣表示“有時”的“now and then”不謀而合，

in lieu of

prep. Instead of something; in place of something. (取代)

That chamber bore no semblance to a chamber of death. In lieu of the fetid and cadaverous odors which I had been accustomed to breathe during such funereal vigils, a languorous vapor of Oriental perfume— I know not what amorous odor of woman—softly floated through the tepid air.

"Lieu" is an archaic word means "place".

該詞組中“lieu”一詞指的就是“位置”，等價于“place”，但其本身現已廢棄不用，

Expressions (其它表達)

"city opens its eyes"

As we passed along the streets of the city, I gazed attentively at all the windows and balconies in the hope of seeing Clarimonde, but it was yet early in the morning, and the city had hardly opened its eyes.

"half-tint"

The shadow of a great cloud hung, over all the city; the contrasting colors of its blue and red roofs were lost in the uniform half-tint, through which here and there floated upward, like white flakes of foam, the smoke of freshly kindled fires. By a
singular optical effect one edifice, which surpassed in height all the neighboring buildings that were still dimly veiled by the vapors, towered up, fair and lustrous with the gilding of a solitary beam of sunlight— although actually more than a league away it seemed quite near.

Here, "half-tint" is obviously a metaphor for the later "vapor".

這里的“half-tint”呼應了下文里描述建筑被霧氣覆寫的情況，

"devour the road"

The horse bounded forward with the velocity of an arrow. Mine, of which the stranger held the bridle, also started off at a swift gallop, keeping up with his companion. We devoured the road. The ground flowed backward beneath us in a long streaked line of pale gray, and the black silhouettes of the trees seemed fleeing by us on either side like an army in rout.

"odorous tear"

A prie-dieu stood at the foot of the bed,; a bluish flame flickering in a bonze patera filled all the room with a wan, deceptive light, here and there bringing out in the darkness at intervals some projection of furniture or cornice. In a chiselled urn upon the table there was a faded white rose, whose leaves—excepting one that still held—had all fallen, like odorous tears, to the foot of the vase.

"dazzling whiteness"

She was covered with a linen wrapping of dazzling whiteness, which formed a strong contrast with the gloomy purple of the hangings, and was of so fine a texture that it concealed nothing of her body's charming form, and allowed the eye to follow those beautiful outlines— undulating like the neck of a swan— which even death had not robbed of their supple grace. She seemed an alabaster statue executed by some skilful sculptor to place upon the tomb of a queen, or rather, perhaps, like a slumbering maiden over whom the silent snow had woven a spotless veil.

"sacred by the shadow of death"

That exquisite perfection of bodily form, although purified and made sacred by the shadow of death, affected me more voluptuously than it should have done, and that repose so closely resembled slumber that one might well have mistaken it for such.

"a last coquetry"

There, indeed, lay Clarimonde, even as I had seen her at the church on the day of my ordination. She was not less charming than then. With her, death seemed but a last coquetry.

"counteract"

The pallor of her cheeks, the less brilliant carnation of her lips, her long eyelashes lowered and relieving their dark fringe against that white skin, lent her an unspeakably seductive aspect of melancholy chastity and metal suffering; her long loose hair, still intertwined with some little blue flowers, made a shining pillow for her head, and veiled the nudity of her shoulders with its thick ringlets; her beautiful hands, purer, more diaphanous than the Host, were crossed on her bosom in an attitude of pious rest and silent prayer, which served to counteract all that might have proven otherwise too alluring—even after death —in the exquisite roundness and ivory polish of her bare arms from which the pearl bracelets had not yet been removed.

I thought a lot when reading this, wondering why Romuald regarded Clarimonde's pious gesture as a counteraction to her allurement while many netizens might find it provocative in similar situation. I later conceived of an explanation that they are just adopting different thinking routes. For many netizens searching "seasonings" on the Internet, they are expecting naughty contents as results anyway, e.g., when they were checking a story-containing picture set of a nun coser, they assured that it would end with corruption-like hot scenes; as for our hero, mainly because of his religious chastity, he was admiring Clarimonde with a view of aesthetic. The Internet having its Rule 34, I would like to re-definite a "porncorology (porncore-logy)" basing on such concept.

這段內容讓我思考良久，我主要想不通在很多網友看來顯然讓 Clarimonde “更色”的姿勢在 Romuald 眼中怎么就真能沖淡她的美色，我覺得這個問題還是在于大家的思考進路是不一樣的：許多人就是沖著看所謂“福利”去的，他們會自動去補全從眼見內容到色情內容之間的發展，舉個例子說，如果這有一組演繹情節的修女角色扮演套圖，大家可能會猜這個后面有沒有墮落橋段；但是我們男主受這個宗教影響頗深，他看 Clarimonde 單純是一種審美體驗，其實這個現象也不是什么新鮮東西，多年以前就有人提出了所謂的“網路守則第34條”，我最近打算用“色核學（關于色核視角的研究）”來描述這種事情，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"dew of my tears"

I resumed my position, bending my face above her, and bathing her cheeks with the warm dew of my tears.

"last vibration of a harp"

"Ah, it is thou, Romuald!" she murmured in a voice languishingly sweet as the last vibrations of a harp.

"adieu"

Adieu, Romuald, adieu! I love thee. That is all I wished to tell thee, and I give thee back the life which thy kiss for a moment recalled. We shall soon meet again.

—Clarimonde

"Adieu" is a French word for farewell from Old French as a contraction of "A Dieu (vous) commant" "I commend (you) to God". It was a similar process to generate Spanish "adiós" from "A Dios encomiendo tu alma".

“Adieu”是法語中的道別語，其源自古法語，是“A Dieu (vous) commant（把你托付給上帝）”的縮略語，西班牙語的“adiós”與之類似，是由同義的“A Dios encomiendo tu alma”縮略而來，

"palpitate"

A furious whirlwind suddenly burst in the window, and entered the chamber. The last remaining leaf of the white rose for a moment palpitated at the extremity of the stalk like a butterfly's wing, then it detached itself and flew forth through the open casement, bearing with it the soul of Clarimonde.

Chapter 4: A Victim (第四章：受害者)

Words (單詞)

yelp

vi. To utter a short, sharp bark or cry. (（因疼痛而）尖叫)

On seeing me open my eyes, the old woman uttered a cry of joy, the dog yelped and wagged his tail, but I was still so weak that I could not speak a single word or make the slightest motion.

wag

vt. To move (a body part) rapidly from side to side or up and down, as in playfulness, agreement, or admonition. (（使）（尤指尾巴或手指）擺動，搖)

Collocation (搭配): furiously wag

On seeing me open my eyes, the old woman uttered a cry of joy, the dog yelped and wagged his tail, but I was still so weak that I could not speak a single word or make the slightest motion.

whither

ad. To what place, result, or condition. (去哪兒)

Those three days do not reckon in my life, nor could I ever imagine whither my spirit had departed during those three days; I have no recollection of aught relating to them.

litter

cn. An enclosed or curtained couch mounted on shafts and used to carry a single passenger. (轎子)

Barbara told me that the same coppery-complexioned man who came to seek me on the night of my departure from the presbytery, had brought me back the next morning in a close litter, and departed immediately afterward.

ere

prep. Previous to; before. (在……之前)

At first I thought I had been the victim of some magical illusion, but ere long the recollection of other circumstances, real and palpable in themselves, came to forbid that supposition.

"Ere long" is similar to "before long", meaning "soon".

“Ere”相當于“before”，“ere long”相當于“before long”，指“不久后”，

palpable

a. Capable of being handled, touched, or felt; tangible. (可感知的，易察覺的)

At first I thought I had been the victim of some magical illusion, but ere long the recollection of other circumstances, real and palpable in themselves, came to forbid that supposition.

It was from Latin "palpare" "to touch gently, stroke".

該詞直接源于拉丁語，其原動詞是表示“撫摸”的“palpare”，

apparel

un. Clothing, especially outer garments; attire. (服裝)

I could not believe that I had been dreaming, since Barbara as well as myself had seen the strange man with his two black horses, and described with exactness every detail of his figure and apparel.

testify

vi. To serve as evidence. (證明)

Usage (用法): testify to something; testify against something

One morning I found the Abbe Serapion in my room. Barbara had advised him that I was ill, and he had come with all speed to see me. Although this haste on his part testified to an affectionate interest in me, yet his visit did not cause me the pleasure which it should have done.

inquisitorial

a. Extremely inquisitive or prying. (尋根究底的)

The Abbe Serapion had something penetrating and inquisitorial in his gaze which made me feel very ill at ease.

Compare to "inquisitive", "inquisitorial" detoured through "inquisitor" "official of the ecclesiastical court of the Inquisition", which made this word cold with granite.

試與“inquisitive”比較，從”inquisitor“衍生而來的“inquisitorial”會讓人聯想到冷酷的宗教裁判官，程度更深，

clairvoyance

un. Acute intuitive insight or perceptiveness. (洞察力)

At the first glance he divined my interior trouble, and I hated him for his clairvoyance.

It is a French-origin word from "clairvoyant" "clear-seeing", which could also imply all kinds of paranormal perceptions.

該詞來源于形容詞性的“clairvoyant”是在法語中產生的，“clair”指“清楚”而“voyant”是“看”的現在分詞形式，該詞也可以用于指各種超自然的感知能力，

hypocritical

a. Falsely claiming feelings; being deceptive. (虛偽的)

While he inquired after my health in hypocritically honeyed accents, he constantly kept his two great yellow lion-eyes fixed upon me, and plunged his look into my soul like a sounding lead.

premonition

cn. A warning in advance; a forewarning. (預警)

Usages (用法): a premonition about something; a premonition of something

At last, without any premonition, but as though repeating a piece of news which he had recalled on the instant, and feared might otherwise be forgotten subsequently, he suddenly said, in a clear vibrant voice, which rang in my ears like the trumpets of the Last Judgment:

banquet

cn. An elaborate, sumptuous meal; a feast. (宴會)

Collocations (搭配): a grand banquet; a lavish banquet; a lavish banquet; a sumptuous banquet; hold a banquet; arrange a banquet

Usages (用法): at a banquet; at the banquet; a banquet for someone

The great courtesan Clarimonde died a few days ago, at the close of an orgie which lasted eight days and eight nights. It was something infernally splendid. The abominations of the banquets of Belshazzar and Cleopatra were reenacted there.

swarthy

a. Having a dark complexion or color. (（膚色）黝黑的)

The guests were served by swarthy slaves who spoke an unknown tongue, and who seemed to me to be veritable demons.

—Abbe Serapion

veritable

a. Being truly so called; real or genuine. (不折不扣的)

The guests were served by swarthy slaves who spoke an unknown tongue, and who seemed to me to be veritable demons.

—Abbe Serapion

livery

cn. A distinctive uniform worn by the male servants of a household. (（仆人的）制服)

The livery of the very least among them would have served for the gala-dress of an emperor.

—Abbe Serapion

violent

a. Caused by unexpected force or injury rather than by natural causes. (死于非命的)

There have always been very strange stories told of this Clarimonde, and all her lovers came to a violent or miserable end.

—Abbe Serapion

refrain

vi. To hold oneself back; forbear from doing something. (忍住)

Collocation (搭配): deliberately refrain

Usage (用法): refrain from something

I could not refrain from starting when I heard him utter the name of Clarimonde, and this news of her death, in addition to the pain it caused me by reason of its coincidence with the nocturnal scenes I had witnessed, filled me with an agony and terror which my face betrayed, despite my utmost endeavors to appear composed.

It is the third time for "refrain" to show up, with its sense being the most common one.

“Refrain”已經是第三次出現在本篇筆記中了，這次它是終于是以常見的動詞形式出現，

start

vi. To move one's body or a part of it suddenly or involuntarily. (嚇一跳)

I could not refrain from starting when I heard him utter the name of Clarimonde, and this news of her death, in addition to the pain it caused me by reason of its coincidence with the nocturnal scenes I had witnessed, filled me with an agony and terror which my face betrayed, despite my utmost endeavors to appear composed.

utmost

a. Of the highest or greatest degree, amount, or intensity; most extreme. (極度的)

I could not refrain from starting when I heard him utter the name of Clarimonde, and this news of her death, in addition to the pain it caused me by reason of its coincidence with the nocturnal scenes I had witnessed, filled me with an agony and terror which my face betrayed, despite my utmost endeavors to appear composed.

It IS a native English word from "utmest", double superlative of Old English "ut" "out".

這是一個英語原生的詞匯，來自古英語中表示“外部的”的“ut”，它的雙重最高級（double superlative）是“utmest”，

lest

conj. So that someone or something not; in case someone or something might. (以免)

My son, I must warn you that you are standing with foot raised upon the brink of an abyss; take heed lest you fall therein.

—Abbe Serapion

scanty

a. Small or insufficient in amount, size, or extent. (少量的)

Her only garment was the linen winding-sheet which had shrouded her when lying upon the bed of death. She sought to gather its folds over her bosom as though ashamed of being so scantily clad, but her little hand was not equal to the task.

"Scantily clad" seems to be a fixed usage similar to "half-clothed" or "underclothed".

這里的“scantily clad”似乎是一個表達“穿著暴露”的習慣表達，等價于常用的“half-clothed”，

drapery

un. Cloth or clothing gracefully arranged in loose folds. (布料)

She was so white that the color of the drapery blended with that of her flesh under the pallid rays of the lamp.

betray

vt. To make known unintentionally. (（無意）泄露)

Enveloped with this subtle tissue which betrayed all the contours of her body, she seemed rather the marble statue of some fair antique bather than a woman endowed with life.

This one is... magnificent, which choked all descriptions within my imagination for such a scene. It shows the vagueness without using violent "translucent", surprisingly highlighting the secret allurement of a curvaceous contour in the meantime.

這個詞震撼到了我，以至于我現在想在評價里客觀敘述這個場景都感到詞窮，一方面它在不使用僵硬的“translucent”的情況下很好地表達了那種若隱若現之感；另一方面，使用“betray”暗指了女性身體曲線那種不宜直說的傭訓力，

contour

cn. The outline of a figure, body, or mass. (輪廓，曲線)

Enveloped with this subtle tissue which betrayed all the contours of her body, she seemed rather the marble statue of some fair antique bather than a woman endowed with life.

It was from French and originated from Latin "contornare" "to go around". "Tour" in Modern French still covers the meaning of "circumference".

這也是一個法語詞，詞源在拉丁語表示“環繞”的“contornare”，直到今天，現代法語中“tour”一詞仍包含“周長”這一義項，

save

prep. With the exception of; except. (除……以外)

She placed the lamp on the table and seated herself at the foot of my bed; then bending toward me, she said, in that voice at once silvery clear and yet velvety in its sweet softness, such as I never heard from any lips save hers:

afar

ad. From, at, or to a great distance. (從遠處)

I have kept thee long in waiting, dear Romuald, and it must have seemed to thee that I had forgotten thee. But I come from afar off, very far off, and from a land whence no other has ever yet returned.

—Clarimonde

The entry alone seems elusive, so I searched some materials and conceived that "afar off", "afar" and "from afar" are frequently used adverb structure, which carry similar meanings to "at a distance", "in the distance" and "at a distance" respectively. Do not be that serious for the "from afar off" here, which whatsoever means something related to "far".

只看這個解釋可能沒什么頭緒，我查了一些語料，除了單獨出現以外“afar”還可以構成“afar off”和“from afar”的結構作狀語，其中“afar”單獨多作“在遠處”講，而后兩者多作“從遠處”講，這里原文的“from afar off”也沒啥好糾結的，反正 Clarimonde 就是從很遠的遠方來的，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

whence

conj. Out of which place; from or out of which. (從那里)

I have kept thee long in waiting, dear Romuald, and it must have seemed to thee that I had forgotten thee. But I come from afar off, very far off, and from a land whence no other has ever yet returned.

—Clarimonde

hither

ad. To or toward this place. (到這里)

Oh what sad faces and fearful things I have seen on my way hither!

—Clarimonde

reinstate

vt. To restore to a previous condition or position. (（使）恢復原處)

What difficulty my soul, returned to earth through the power of will alone, has had in finding its body and reinstating itself therein!

—Clarimonde

ponderous

a. Difficult to maneuver or control because of great bulk or weight. (沉重的)

What terrible efforts I had to make ere I could lift the ponderous slab with which they had covered me!

—Clarimonde

wherewith

pron. The thing or things with which. (用那個)

I confess to my shame that I had entirely forgotten the advice of the Abbe Serapion and the sacred office wherewith I had been invested

tremor

cn. A state or feeling of nervousness, worry, or excitement. (哆嗦)

Collocations (搭配): a faint tremor; an icy tremor; an icy tremor; send a tremor; control the tremor

Usages (用法): with a tremor; a tremor of something

The fresh coolness of Clarimonde skin penetrated my own, and I felt voluptuous tremors pass over my whole body.

It is cognate with "tremble".

該詞和“tremble”同源，

negligent

a. Careless or nonchalant. (隨意的)

She had drawn her feet up beneath her, and squatted down on the edge of the couch in an attitude full of negligent coquetry.

become

vt. To show to advantage; look good with. (使好看)

From time to time she passed her little hand through my hair and twisted it into curls, as though trying how a new style of wearing it would become my face.

prattle

un. Idle or meaningless chatter; babble. (閑扯)

From time to time she passed her little hand through my hair and twisted it into curls, as though trying how a new style of wearing it would become my face. I abandoned myself to her hands with the most guilty pleasure, while she accompanied her gentle play with the prettiest prattle.

delirium

un. A state of uncontrolled excitement or emotion. (亢奮)

Ah, the fair, unspeakably happy existence, the beautiful golden life we shall live together! And when shall we depart, my fair sir?

—Clarimonde

"To-morrow! To-morrow!" I cried in my delirium.

It was directly descended from Latin "deliriare" "be crazy, rave".

該詞直接來自表示“發狂”的“deliriare”一詞，

toilet

cn. Dress; attire; costume. (服裝)

In the meanwhile I shall have opportunity to change my toilet, for this is a little too light and in nowise suited for a voyage.

—Clarimonde

forthwith

ad. At once; immediately. (立刻)

I must also forthwith notify all my friends who believe me dead, and mourn for me as deeply as they are capable of doing.

—Clarimonde

leaden

a. Lacking liveliness or sparkle; dull. (沉悶的)

The lamp went out, the curtains closed again, and all became dark; a leaden, dreamless sleep fell on me and held me unconscious until the morning following.

Phrases (短語)

on (someone's) part

ad. As far as is related to, regards, or concerns someone; to the degree that someone is involved or a part (of something). (關于某人)

One morning I found the Abbe Serapion in my room. Barbara had advised him that I was ill, and he had come with all speed to see me. Although this haste on his part testified to an affectionate interest in me, yet his visit did not cause me the pleasure which it should have done.

inquire after someone

vi. To ask how one is doing, especially regarding their health. (詢問（健康狀況）)

While he inquired after my health in hypocritically honeyed accents, he constantly kept his two great yellow lion-eyes fixed upon me, and plunged his look into my soul like a sounding lead.

Though it is not standard "someone" here, the sense remains the same that "inquiring after" is "asking about well-being".

這里“after”后并沒有按照詞典上的標準形式接“人”，但是“inquire after”本身仍是表達對健康狀況的詢問，

in truth

ad. In reality; actually; truthfully. (事實上)

All her words were accompanied with the most impassioned caresses, which bewildered my sense and my reason to such an extent, that I did not fear to utter a frightful blasphemy for the sake of consoling her, and to declare that I loved her as much as God.

Her eyes rekindled and shone like chrysoprases. "In truth?—in very truth?—as much as God!" she cried, flinging her beautiful arms around me.

Expressions (其它表達)

"sounding lead"

While he inquired after my health in hypocritically honeyed accents, he constantly kept his two great yellow lion-eyes fixed upon me, and plunged his look into my soul like a sounding lead.

"Sound" is a kind of water body, from which derived the verb "sounding" "depth measuring". Traditionally it was conducted with a long rope and lead weight, generating "sounding line", "sounding lead", etc. Moreover, "sound out" means "question about someone's opinion" basing on such concept.

首先“sound”在水文學里好像是一種水體的名詞，從這衍生出其作動詞指“測量水深”，測量水深的傳統方式是利用鉛垂線，從此誕生了“sounding line”，“sounding lead”等一系列名詞，還有值得一提的是“sound out”這個詞組指“詢問某人的看法”，其中“sound”也是這個意思，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"trumpets of the Last Judgment"

cn. A warning in advance; a forewarning. (預警)

At last, without any premonition, but as though repeating a piece of news which he had recalled on the instant, and feared might otherwise be forgotten subsequently, he suddenly said, in a clear vibrant voice, which rang in my ears like the trumpets of the Last Judgment:

It is an allusion from the New Testament. In Revelation, God releasing His wrath on the sinful earth, with seven angels blowing seven trumpets in sequence. The last trumpet means therefore the final woe.

這里用了一個《圣經》中的典故，《新約·啟示錄》記載上帝審判有罪者，七名天使依次吹號將忿怒降在地上，此處的“last trumpet”因此意味著最終的災禍，

References: one\(\quad\)two\(\quad\)three（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"banquet of Belshazzar and Cleopatra"

The great courtesan Clarimonde died a few days ago, at the close of an orgie which lasted eight days and eight nights. It was something infernally splendid. The abominations of the banquets of Belshazzar and Cleopatra were reenacted there.

—Abbe Serapion

There are two separate feast stories about these two historical figures. Belshazzar's story was from the Old Testament. In Daniel, Belshazzar, the last king of ancient Babylon, made a great feast and drank with the golden vessels from the house of God in Jerusalem, praising the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. God made fingers of a human appear and write on the wall to announce the ending of ancient Babylon. The historians also supported that the fall of ancient Babylon was related to a read sumptuous feast in history. For another, the one of Cleopatra is not so directly relevant to the fall of ancient Egypt but seemed more legendary. Probably as part of her diplomacy, she allegedly bet with Mark Antony to hold a most sumptuous banquet and dissolved a pearl into vinegar for drinking, which astonished Antony.

這里提到的兩位歷史名人歸屬于兩個截然不同的盛宴故事，古巴比倫的最后一位國王 Belshazzar 的故事出自《舊約·但以理書》，他設擺盛筵，用從耶路撒冷殿中所掠的金銀器皿飲酒，贊美金、銀、銅、鐵、木、石所造的神，上帝顯出人的指頭，在墻上寫下文字宣告古巴比倫帝國的滅亡，據當今的歷史學家考證，這么一場盛筵真實存在（雖然沒有神跡），并且確實導致了都城的陷落，埃及艷后 Cleopatra 的故事則并不直接與滅國有關，或許是作為她外交手腕的一部分，據傳她和 Mark Antony 立下賭約置辦世間最奢華的宴會，在她的宴會上她將一枚珍珠投入醋中溶解一飲而盡，令 Antony 呆立當場，

References: one\(\quad\)two\(\quad\)three\(\quad\)four（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"Beelzebub"

There have always been very strange stories told of this Clarimonde, and all her lovers came to a violent or miserable end. They used to say that she was a ghoul, a female vampire; but I believe she was none other than Beelzebub himself.

—Abbe Serapion

Beelzebub with his characteristic wings has sometimes been called "lord of the files", but he is one of Hell’s most powerful demons, taking second place only to Satan or even usurping him to become "prince of the devils". Whatsoever, it is clear that he is always convincing men to worship false gods, which lines with the implication here.

Beelzebub 以標志性的翅膀而獲得了“蒼蠅王”的別號，但其實他是地獄中最強大的惡魔之一，其地位僅次于 Satan，在一些神學研究者看來甚至超越 Satan 而有“惡魔王子”的稱號，無論如何，學界公認的是 Beelzebub 始終在誘使人類信仰偽神，這里 Abbe Serapion 用的也是此意，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"a rosy transparency"

She bore in her hand a little lamp, shaped like those which are placed in tombs, and its light lent her fingers a rosy transparency, which extended itself by lessening degrees even to the opaque and milky whiteness of her bare arm.

They second clause here describes that even the are of Clarimonde seemed transparent to lamp light due to lack of blood, with the light on her fingers seeming to flow under her skin along her limb.

這里的第二個從句意在體現 Clarimonde 肉體由于缺少血液而表現出的透明感，照亮她手指上的光似乎是在她的手臂之中向軀干方向流去，

"still the same"

But dead or living, statue or woman, shadow or body, her beauty was still the same, only that the green light pf her eyes was less brilliant, and her mouth, once so warmly crimson, was only tinted with a faint tender rosy-ness, like that of her cheeks.

"that voice"

She placed the lamp on the table and seated herself at the foot of my bed; then bending toward me, she said, in that voice at once silvery clear and yet velvety in its sweet softness, such as I never heard from any lips save hers:

"afar off"

I have kept thee long in waiting, dear Romuald, and it must have seemed to thee that I had forgotten thee. But I come from afar off, very far off, and from a land whence no other has ever yet returned. There is neither sun nor moon in that land whence I come: all is but space and shadow; there is neither road nor pathway: no earth for the foot, no air for the wing; and nevertheless behold me here, for Love is stronger than Death and must conquer him in the end.

—Clarimonde

Narration from Clarimonde reminds me of a more direct experiment of the realm of the dead from the Dark Lady in Edge of Night, that it was "the grand landscape of all the world's suffering and all the evils of the infinite" and "the endless void, the dark, unknown realm of anguish".

Clarimonde 在此處對死者之國的描述讓我想起了《夜幕的邊際》一書中黑暗女士更直接的體驗，她稱其“匯集了世上所有的苦難和萬古所有的邪惡”，是“無窮無盡的黑暗虛空，無人涉足的苦痛之國”，（個人翻譯）

"fatal moment"

I loved thee long ere I saw thee, dear Romuald, and sought thee everywhere. Thou wast my dream, and I first saw thee in the church at the fatal moment.

—Clarimonde

"woe is me"

Woe is me, unhappy one that I am! I can never have thy heart all to myself, I whom thou didst recall to life with a kiss—dead Clarimonde, who for thy sake bursts asunder the gates of the tomb, and comes to consecrate to thee a life which she has resumed only to make thee happy!

—Clarimonde

It is initially an idiom from the Bible, but also famous for its appearance in Hemlet. It was basically an exclamation of lamentation for one's misfortune but only a humorous way to say that one is sad or upset about something now.

這是一個出自《圣經》的俗語，莎翁在《哈姆雷特》里也用過該句，其本意是表達對悲慘命運的喟嘆，但如今多作為一種戲謔的幽默說法，

References: one\(\quad\)two（參考資料見左側鏈接）

About Grammar (語法碎片)

some "old-fashioned" words (一些“過時”的詞)

Since it is so, thou wilt come with me; thou wilt follow me whithersoever I desire. Thou wilt cast away thy ugly black habit. Thou shalt be the proudest and most envied of cavaliers; thou shalt be my lover!

—Clarimonde

Just for the record, this is not about grammar but a tentative analysis of some words that are actually not old-fashioned, either. I mean... I had always been refraining from writing this for fear of making mistakes, while it was the passion of Clarimonde made me put pen to paper. We have talked about words like "thence", "hither" and "whence" in this note, which were strange but interestingly relative. Their senses are arranged as the table vide infra:

	...here	...there	...where
from...	hence	thence	whence
to...	hither	thither	whither

As you can see, common "hence" is actually one of them and some others may appear in formal literatures sometimes. Limited to my own competence, I am not sure about their exact etymology, but I can tell that they testify to English's belonging to Germanic languages. In this sentence, these six are further involved with the contraction format of "whatsoever", which could generate six more longer words.

有話在先，其實這部分并不是關于語法的，而只是一點詞匯分析；分析的詞也并不是什么真就過時了的詞，我其實一早就很想寫這個部分但是又沒什么把握，直到看到這里 Clarimonde 又一次飽含深情地使用相關的詞，我才覺得這下不得不寫了，其實這篇筆記里像“thence”、“hither”和“whence”這樣的詞已經出現了多次，這些詞雖然看起來有點怪異，但也很容易看出其中有所關聯，具體的詞按照含義整理如下表：

	……這里	……那里	……哪兒
從……	hence	thence	whence
到……	hither	thither	whither

從表中我們可以看到幾乎屬于常用詞的“hence”，而其他部分詞在一些正式文獻中也有所使用，遺憾的是我自己語言學水平連入門都不到，我并沒有把握講清楚這組詞的詞源學，但它們的源頭和日耳曼語族密切關聯，這也是英語這門語言血統分類的重要證明，在這句話里“whither”一詞進一步按照“whatsoever”的形式構成縮略詞，按照這種方式又會誕生六個更長的詞了，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

Chapter 5: Serapion's Mattock (第五章：Serapion 的鶴嘴鋤)

Words (單詞)

presentiment

cn. A sense that something is about to occur; a premonition. (（不祥的）預感)

I finally persuaded myself that it was a mere vapor of my 'heated imagination. Nevertheless its sensations had been so vivid that it was difficult to persuade myself that they were not real, and it was not without some presentiment of what was going to happen that I got into bed at last, after having prayed God to drive far from me all thoughts of evil, and to protect the chastity of my slumber.

sprightly

a. Full of spirit and vitality; lively; brisk. (精力充沛的)

The curtains again parted, and I beheld Clarimonde, not as on the former occasion, pale in her pale winding-sheet, with the violets of death upon her cheeks, but gay, sprightly, jaunty, in a superb traveling dress of green velvet, trimmed with gold lace, and looped up on either side to allow a glimpse of satin petticoat.

"Spright" in "sprightly" is a variant of "sprite" meaning "pixie", with "sprightly" implying the brisk state of sprites.

“Sprightly”中的“spright”是“sprite”的一個變體，指“小精靈”，該詞的本意因而指如“小精靈一般活潑的”，

jaunty

a. Sprightly; lively. (輕松活潑的)

The curtains again parted, and I beheld Clarimonde, not as on the former occasion, pale in her pale winding-sheet, with the violets of death upon her cheeks, but gay, sprightly, jaunty, in a superb traveling dress of green velvet, trimmed with gold lace, and looped up on either side to allow a glimpse of satin petticoat.

Seems that "jaunty" was from an attempt of rendering French "gentil" "nice, kind" into English according to its pronunciation.

該詞好像來自把法語中表示“友善的”的“gentil”依據讀音轉入英語的嘗試，

petticoat

cn. A girl's or woman's undergarment, worn under a dress or skirt, that is often full and trimmed with ruffles or lace. (女士襯裙)

The curtains again parted, and I beheld Clarimonde, not as on the former occasion, pale in her pale winding-sheet, with the violets of death upon her cheeks, but gay, sprightly, jaunty, in a superb traveling dress of green velvet, trimmed with gold lace, and looped up on either side to allow a glimpse of satin petticoat.

It was originally a padded of men to wear under their armors, but soon prevailed the European clothing in mid-15c., becoming a typical feminine garment and even a metaphor for women.

Petticoat 一開始是戰士們穿在盔甲下方作為襯墊的一種著裝，但在其十五世紀中葉被引入日常裝束后風靡歐洲，以至于一度成為女性的代表著裝和女性身份的代名詞，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

felt

un. A fabric of matted, compressed animal fibers, such as wool or fur, sometimes mixed with vegetable or synthetic fibers. (毛氈)

Her blonde hair escaped in thick ringlets from beneath a broad black felt hat, decorated with white feathers whimsically twisted into various shapes.

whimsy

un. An unusual, unexpected, or fanciful idea; a whim. (異想天開)

Her blonde hair escaped in thick ringlets from beneath a broad black felt hat, decorated with white feathers whimsically twisted into various shapes.

champ

vt. To bite or chew upon noisily. (大聲咀嚼)

The horses are becoming impatient of delay and champing their bits at the door. We ought to have been by this time at least ten leagues distant from here.

—Clarimonde

Later "bit" means the metal mouthpiece of bridle, it was an objective description here with transitive "champ". However, "champ at the bit" with intransitive "champ" is now an idiom for one's eager or impatient to do something.

此句后面出現的“bit”指的是馬的嚼鐵，原句是客觀描述馬在咬嚼鐵的情況，用的是“champ”的及物用法，但現在包含不及物“champ”的“champ at the bit”本身成為了一個俗語，用于指做某事前急不可耐的狀態，

daub

cn. A crude, amateurish painting or picture. (拙劣的畫作)

I was no longer the same person, and I could not even recognize myself. I resembled my former self no more than a finished statue resembles a block of stone. My old face seemed but a coarse daub of the one reflected in the mirror.

coxcomb

cn. A conceited dandy; a fop. (紈绔公子)

The spirit of my costume penetrated my very skin, and within ten minutes more I had become something of a coxcomb.

"Coxcomb" was derived from "cockscomb" "the fleshy crest (comb) on head of a rooster", perhaps for its being showy.

“Coxcomb”來自同音的“cockscomb（雞冠子）”一詞，我認為可能是因為公雞天然給人一種很張揚的感覺，

fecundate

vt. To impregnate; fertilize. (使受孕)

Those horses must have been Spanish genets born of mares fecundated by a zephyr, for they were fleet as the wind itself, and the moon, which had just risen at our departure to light us on the way, rolled over the sky like a wheel detached from her own chariot.

To be specific about this hybridization, "genet" is a variant of "jennet" "a small Spanish saddle horse" and "mare" means "female horse". Its father is zephyr, whose expansion quod vide Words => zephyr.

此處對這個馬的雜交作一點說明，這里的“genet”是西班牙小馬“jennet”的另一種拼寫，用其母馬（mare）作為母本，而父本是風（參見 單詞 => zephyr），

zephyr

cn. A gentle breeze. (微風)

Those horses must have been Spanish genets born of mares fecundated by a zephyr, for they were fleet as the wind itself, and the moon, which had just risen at our departure to light us on the way, rolled over the sky like a wheel detached from her own chariot.

I thought of Zephyrus at once, but it is "a zephyr" here, which means the breeze itself... Nevertheless, word "zephyr" was from Zephyrus, whose name could be spelled as Zephyros or Zephyr in fact (but must be capitalized). He was the god of the west wind in Greek mythology, where four cardinal directions were corresponding to four gods of wind respectively. They were Eurus (East Wind), Notus (South Wind), Zephyrus (West Wind) and Boreas (North Wind), or Anemoi altogether. Anemoi could be in the guise of horses to drew the chariot of Zeus, with their offspring drew some other chariots of god. I trying hard to comprehend it, my mind wobbled for three times when it occurred to me that 1) it might be hard for a god to copulate with a mare; 2) but Zephyrus could transform into a horse; 3) it was "a zephyr" in the text. In the meantime, a friend of mine told me that the copulation between gods and animals were common. Well... that's cool.

我看到這段話當時想到的就是 Zephyrus，但這里實際上是可數名詞“a zephyr”，也就是說讓母馬受孕的就是風……但是呢，“zephyr”這個詞來自 Zephyrus 的名字不假，他是希臘神話里的西風之神，名字其實也可以拼寫作 Zephyros 或 Zephyr，但必須大寫，希臘神話里四方各有一位風神，它們是東風之神 Eurus，南風之神 Notus，西風之神 Zephyrus 和北風之神 Boreas，這四位風神合稱 Anemoi，Anemoi 可以以馬的姿態出現，他們為 Zeus 拉車，他們的后代為其他一些神拉車，我一邊查資料一遍理解這段文字，事實上不斷推翻理解總計三次，我開始想是不是神不太好和馬交配，接著查到資料發現 Zephyrus 可以變成馬，最后又終于意識到原文是“a zephyr”，與此同時，我的一個朋友還提醒我說希臘神話里“神和動物交配還蠻常見的”……確實是我孤陋寡聞了……

References: one\(\quad\)two\(\quad\)three（參考資料見左側鏈接）

hard

ad. Near in space or time; close. (靠近)

Soon we came upon a level plain where, hard by a clump of trees, a carriage with four vigorous horses awaited us.

exert

vt. To bring to bear; exercise. (施加影響)

In that hour I had forgotten everything, and I no more remembered having ever been a priest than I remembered what I had been doing in my mother's womb, so great was the fascination which the evil spirit exerted upon me.

libertine

cn. One who acts without moral restraint; a dissolute person. (放蕩鬼)

The exquisite young lord and libertine railed at the priest, the priest loathed the dissolute habits of the young lord. Two spirals entangled and confounded the one with the other, yet never touching, would afford a fair representation of this bucolic life which I lived.

It was directly from Latin "libertinus" "condition of a freedman", with "liber" could be found nowadays in French "liber" or English "liberal".

該詞源于拉丁語“libertinus”，原指“被解放的奴隸”，“Liber”這一詞根如今可在法語“liber”和英語“liberal”中找到，

rail

vt. To express objections or criticisms in bitter, harsh, or abusive language. (怒斥)

The exquisite young lord and libertine railed at the priest, the priest loathed the dissolute habits of the young lord. Two spirals entangled and confounded the one with the other, yet never touching, would afford a fair representation of this bucolic life which I lived.

loathe

vt. To dislike (someone or something) greatly; abhor. (憎惡)

The exquisite young lord and libertine railed at the priest, the priest loathed the dissolute habits of the young lord. Two spirals entangled and confounded the one with the other, yet never touching, would afford a fair representation of this bucolic life which I lived.

dissolute

a. Lacking moral restraint; indulging in sensual pleasures or vices. (放蕩的)

The exquisite young lord and libertine railed at the priest, the priest loathed the dissolute habits of the young lord. Two spirals entangled and confounded the one with the other, yet never touching, would afford a fair representation of this bucolic life which I lived.

bucolic

a. Of or characteristic of the countryside or its people; rustic. (田園的)

The exquisite young lord and libertine railed at the priest, the priest loathed the dissolute habits of the young lord. Two spirals entangled and confounded the one with the other, yet never touching, would afford a fair representation of this bucolic life which I lived.

anomaly

cn. One that is peculiar, irregular, abnormal, or difficult to classify. (例外事物)

It was an anomaly for which I could not account—whether I believed myself to be the cure of the little village of C——, or II Signor Romualdo, the titled lover of Clarimonde.

gondola

cn. A lightweight narrow barge with ends that curve up into a point, propelled with a single oar from the stern and used on the canals of Venice. (貢多拉)

It was a palace well worthy of a king. We had each our gondola, our barcarolli in family livery, our music hall, and our special poet.

I do not know Italian at all, with relevant resource on the Internet being unfortunately limited, and am not sure about it. There is no doubt that "gondola" is the Venice-specific oar, which is accepted by English, while "barcarolli" here seemed controversial. On the one hand it seems an Italian plural form of "barcarolle" while its parallel structures used singular noun; on the other, English accepts "barcarolle" as the song of Venetian gondolier while it does not make sense in the context. Putting it directly into the Italian-English dictionary returned no result of interest but a similar "barcarola" "the song of Venetian gondolier", which was mentioned in the origin of English "barcarolle". According to the context, it is likely that "barcarolli" here means the gondoliers themselves so that they can be "in family livery", but I found only an ambiguous reference from Britannica for it.

我一點都不懂意大利語，網上的資源也很有限，這里我屬實沒太看明白，“Gondola”一詞已經被收入了英語，就指威尼斯特有的小船貢多拉；但是這里后面“barcarolli”一詞卻讓人一頭霧水，從這個結尾的字母“i”來看它可能是意大利語的一個復數名詞，但是我在意大利語詞典里卻并沒有找到它按規則反推的單數形式，另一邊，令人詫異的是英語詞典收錄了似乎是其單數的“barcarolle”，指貢多拉船工的特色船歌，但這在句子里講不通，“Barcarolle”的百科頁面同時提到了它來自意大利語“barcarola”，我查了一下這個詞找得到并是指船歌，以我個人的觀點，這里只有可能指“船工”才能契合下文的“in family livery”（家族制服），《不列顛百科全書》提到意大利語“barcarola”能指船工，但意大利語詞典似乎并不這么說，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

retinue

sn. The retainers or attendants accompanying a high-ranking person. (扈從)

As for me, I had the retinue of a prince's son, and I was regarded with as much reverential respect as though I had been of the family of one of the twelve Apostles or the four Evangelists of the Most Serene Republic.、

reverence

un. A feeling of profound awe and respect and often love. (崇敬)

As for me, I had the retinue of a prince's son, and I was regarded with as much reverential respect as though I had been of the family of one of the twelve Apostles or the four Evangelists of the Most Serene Republic.

insolent

a. (archaic) Presumptuous and insulting in manner or speech; arrogant. (侮慢的)

I would not have turned aside to allow even the Doge to pass, and I do not believe that since Satan fell from heaven, any creature was ever prouder or more insolent than I.

ruin

vt. To reduce to poverty or bankruptcy. (（遭受）破產)

I went to the Ridotto, and played with a luck which seemed absolutely infernal. I received the best of all society—the sons of ruined families, women of the theatre, shrewd knaves, parasites, hectoring swashbucklers.

knave

cn. A dishonest man; rogue. (惡棍)

I went to the Ridotto, and played with a luck which seemed absolutely infernal. I received the best of all society—the sons of ruined families, women of the theatre, shrewd knaves, parasites, hectoring swashbucklers.

hector

vi. To behave like a bully; swagger. (威嚇)

I went to the Ridotto, and played with a luck which seemed absolutely infernal. I received the best of all society—the sons of ruined families, women of the theatre, shrewd knaves, parasites, hectoring swashbucklers.

Hector from Homer's Iliad is the eponym of verb "hector", who was the leader of Trojan and always encouraged his fellows to fight.

動詞“hector”源于荷馬史詩 Illad 中 Trojan 一方的領袖 Hector，他在戰場上能激勵本方的戰士英勇奮戰，

smashbuckler

cn. A flamboyant swordsman or adventurer. (舞刀弄劍者)

I went to the Ridotto, and played with a luck which seemed absolutely infernal. I received the best of all society—the sons of ruined families, women of the theatre, shrewd knaves, parasites, hectoring swashbucklers.

dissipation

un. Wasteful expenditure or consumption. (放蕩)

But notwithstanding the dissipation of such a life, I always remained faithful to Clarimonde.

excite

vt. To elicit or arouse (a reaction or emotion, for example). (激發（情感）)

But notwithstanding the dissipation of such a life, I always remained faithful to Clarimonde. I loved her wildly. She would have excited satiety itself, and chained inconstancy.

A more basic meaning of "excite" is about "arousing" feelings.

“Excite”本意其實是指激發情感，

satiety

un. The condition of being full or gratified beyond the point of satisfaction; surfeit. (滿足)

But notwithstanding the dissipation of such a life, I always remained faithful to Clarimonde. I loved her wildly. She would have excited satiety itself, and chained inconstancy.

sooth

un. (archaic) Truth; reality. (事實)

Usage (用法): in sooth

To have Clarimonde was to have twenty mistresses; aye, to possess all women; so mobile, so varied of aspect, so fresh in new charms was she all in herself— a very chameleon of a woman, in sooth.

don

vt. To put on (clothing or an ornament, for example). (穿上)

She made you commit with her the infidelity you would have committed with another, by donning to perfection the character, the attraction, the style of beauty of the woman who appeared to please you.

It is quite subtle but amusing. It seems that Clarimonde might be well acquainted with the story of "Yu the Great taming the floods".

雖然實際上很難說，但這句看起來還蠻逗的，想必 Clarimonde 是對大禹治水的故事有所研究，

espouse

vt. To take in marriage; marry. (嫁娶)

A Foscari even went so far as to offer to espouse her.

overture

Collocations (搭配): friendly overtures; diplomatic overtures; sexual overtures; make overtures; reject overtures; spurn overtures

Usages (用法): overtures of something

pn. An act, offer, or proposal that indicates readiness to undertake a course of action or open a relationship. (友好姿態)

A Foscari even went so far as to offer to espouse her. She rejected all his overtures.

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

penance

un. An act of self-mortification or devotion performed voluntarily to show sorrow for a sin or other wrongdoing. (悔罪)

Collocations (搭配): do penance; perform penance

Usages (用法): as a penance; in penance; penance for

I would have been perfectly happy but for a cursed nightmare which recurred every night, and in which I believed myself to be a poor village cure, practicing mortification and penance for my excesses during the day.

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

malady

cn. A disease, disorder, or ailment. (疾病)

The physicians who were summoned could not comprehend the nature of her malady and knew not how to treat it.

Obviously it is cognate with French "malade", where "mal-" carries the meaning of "bad".

該詞和法語的“malade”是同源詞，其中“mal-”這個前綴包含了“不好的”之意，

gash

cn. A long deep cut. (深長的傷口)

Collocations (搭配): a deep gash; a nasty gash; get a gash

Usages (用法): a gash on something

In the act of cutting some fruit I accidentally inflicted rather a deep gash on my finger.

I have to say it was kind of funny to inflict "a gash on finger" when cutting fruit.

能在切水果的時候在手指上寫出一道用“gash”來描述的傷口多少也是有點搞笑，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

gush

vi. To flow forth suddenly in great volume. (涌出)

The blood immediately gushed forth in a little purple jet, and a few drops spurted upon Clarimonde.

spurt

vi. To gush forth suddenly in a jet. (噴出)

The blood immediately gushed forth in a little purple jet, and a few drops spurted upon Clarimonde.

"Gush", "jet", "spurt", together with the aforementioned "gash" are excellent descriptions for a terribly bleeding wound. Perhaps I should not, but the bloodbath scene they compose and the nature of an accident from cutting fruit conflicted so dramatically that I can hardly doubt Romuald's intention of cutting artery to feed his beloved. Oh my gosh it was touching, XD.

除了前文的“gash”這里又連續出現了“gush”，“jet”，“spurt”等詞，在描述出血嚴重的傷口上可謂無所不用其極，但是說實話這種“慘烈”的場面和“切水果傷到手”這件事多少有點不搭，讓我有點想笑，我很難不理解成 Romuald 是故意切開手指動脈給他的愛人獻血的，大概這就是愛吧，

oblong

a. Deviating from a square, circular, or spherical form by being elongated in one direction. (變狹長的)

Gradually her eyelids half closed, and the pupils of her green eyes became oblong instead of round.

It was not her eyes' squinting but her pupils' becoming oblong, which is actually abnormal for human.

注意這里并不是說 Clarimonde 瞇起了眼睛，而是她的瞳孔發生了變形，對人類來說這完全是一種例外性狀，

Reference:\(\quad\)J. Neurosurg. 1983, 58, 566–568（參考資料見左側鏈接）

coax

vt. To obtain by persistent persuasion. (誘哄以得到)

Usages (用法): coax something out of someone; coax something from someone

From time to time she paused in order to kiss my hand, then she would recommence to press her lips to the lips of the wound in order to coax forth a few more ruddy drops.

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

plight

sn. A situation, especially a bad or unfortunate one. (困境)

Collocations (搭配): a desperate plight; a tragic plight

Usages (用法): recognize a plight; alleviate a plight; ignore a plight

Wretched young man, into how terrible a plight have you fallen.

—Abbe Serapion

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

repast

cn. A meal or the food eaten or provided at a meal. (餐)

At last one evening, while looking into a mirror whose traitorous position she had not taken into account, I saw Clarimonde in the act of emptying a powder into the cup of spiced wine which she had long been in the habit of preparing after our repasts.

It is cognate with Modern French "repas", with both of them originating from Latin "repastus" "meal".

該詞和現代法語的“repas”同源，兩者均來自拉丁語中表示“餐”的“repastus”，

unguent

cn. A salve for soothing or healing; an ointment. (藥膏)

Although she swallowed only a few drops, the fear of weakening me soon seized her, and she carefully tied a little band around my arm, afterward rubbing the wound with an unguent which immediately cicatrized it.

cicatrize

vt. To heal or become healed by the formation of scar tissue. (使形成疤痕)

Although she swallowed only a few drops, the fear of weakening me soon seized her, and she carefully tied a little band around my arm, afterward rubbing the wound with an unguent which immediately cicatrized it.

factitious

a. Produced artificially rather than by a natural process. (虛假的)

The Abbe Serapion was right. Notwithstanding this positive knowledge, however, I could not cease to love Clarimonde, and I would gladly of my own accord have, given her all the blood she required to sustain her factitious life.

It was from Latin "facticius" "artificial", which is the past participle adjective of "facere" "to do". "Faire" in Modern French witnessed such an evolution in the same time. On the other side of Germanic languages, we have "tun" "to do" in Modern German and "do" in Modern English. These two branches shared a common PIE root "*dhe-" "to put, to set, to do" despite their appearances diverged a lot nowadays.

該詞直接來源于拉丁語中表示“人造的”的“facticius”一詞，后者是動詞“facere”（做）的過去分詞派生的形容詞，同屬羅曼語族的現代法語用“faire”表示“做”，兩者的親緣性十分直觀；日耳曼語族中則有一些外觀迥異的詞表示“做”，比如現代德語的“tun”和現代英語的“do”，追溯到原始印歐語，語言學家推定他們來源于共同的詞根“*dhe-”，

plead

vi. To appeal earnestly; beg. (懇求)

Usages (用法): plead with someone; plead for something

The woman seemed to plead with me for the vampire, and what I had already heard and seen sufficed to reassure me completely.

With the word being common, it is noteworthy that an intransitive usage with preposition "with" is popular.

雖然這是一個簡單的單詞，但是它配合介詞“with”表達“懇求某人”的不及物用法仍值得注意，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

narcotic

a. Of or relating to narcotics, their effects, or their use. (麻醉劑般的，毒品般的)

I carefully avoided ever making the least reference to the narcotic drink she had prepared for me, or to the incident of the pin, and we lived in the most perfect harmony.

Most of the drugs are anesthetics in nature, which affects the nervous system and alters consciousness, bringing out euphoria and devastating addiction. Modern English "narcotic", Modern French "narcotique" and Modern German "narkotisch" are cognate, which could be traced back to word meaning "make numb" in Greek.

我們常說的毒品中大多數的藥學本質都是麻醉劑，它們直接作用于人的神經系統，影響人的意識從而產生欣快感，但同時伴隨著可怕的成癮性，你可以在現代法語和現代德語中分別找到“narcotique”和“narkotisch”，它們都是這里的“narcotic”的同源詞，這組詞可以追溯至希臘語，其詞源的含義就是“使麻木”，

subdue

vt. To subjugate (a region or people, for example) by military force. (壓制)

Yet my priestly scruples commenced to torment me more than ever, and I was at a loss to imagine what new penance I could invent in order to mortify and subdue my flesh.

defile

vt. To debase the pureness or excellence of; corrupt. (玷污)

Although these visions were involuntary, and though I did not actually participate in anything relating to them, I could not dare to touch the body of Christ with hands so impure and a mind defiled by such debauches whether real or imaginary.

debauch

cn. The act or a period of debauchery. (淫逸)

Although these visions were involuntary, and though I did not actually participate in anything relating to them, I could not dare to touch the body of Christ with hands so impure and a mind defiled by such debauches whether real or imaginary.

drowsy

a. Produced or characterized by sleepiness. (睡意朦朧的)

I held my eyelids open with my fingers, and stood for hours together leaning upright against the wall, fighting sleep with all my might; but the dust of drowsiness invariably gathered upon my eyes at last, and finding all resistance useless, I would have to let my arms fall in the extremity of despairing weariness, and the current of slumber would again bear me away to the perfidious shores.

perfidy

un. Deliberate breach of faith; calculated violation of trust; treachery. (背信棄義)

I held my eyelids open with my fingers, and stood for hours together leaning upright against the wall, fighting sleep with all my might; but the dust of drowsiness invariably gathered upon my eyes at last, and finding all resistance useless, I would have to let my arms fall in the extremity of despairing weariness, and the current of slumber would again bear me away to the perfidious shores.

vehement

a. Characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction; fervid. (（感情）強烈的)

Serapion addressed me with the most vehement exhortations, severely reproaching me for my softness and want of fervor.

Origin of this word is still ambiguous, a plausible explanation goes that it was from "vehe-" "lacking" and "mens" "mind".

該詞的詞源仍未有定論，一種可能的解釋將其拆開為兩部分，其中“vehe-”指“缺乏”，而“mens”指“心智”，

reproach

vt. To express disapproval of, criticism of, or disappointment in (someone). (責備)

Serapion addressed me with the most vehement exhortations, severely reproaching me for my softness and want of fervor.

disinter

vt. To dig up or remove from a grave or tomb; exhume. (掘尸)

It is necessary that we shall disinter her remains, and that you shall behold in how pitiable a state the object of your love is.

—Abbe Serapion

delude

vt. To cause to hold a false belief; deceive thoroughly. (蒙騙)

For my part, I was so tired of this double life that I at once consented, desiring to ascertain beyond a doubt whether a priest or a gentleman had been the victim of delusion.

wend

vt. To proceed on or along; go. (走)

The Abbe Serapion provided himself with a mattock, a lever, and a lantern, and at midnight we wended our way to the cemetery of ——, the location and place of which were perfectly familiar to him.

epitaph

cn. An inscription on a tombstone in memory of the one buried there. (墓志銘)

Collocations (搭配): a fitting epitaph; stand as an epitaph

Usages (用法): an epitaph for someone; an epitaph on someone; an epitaph to something

After having directed the rays of the dark lantern upon the inscriptions of several tombs, we came at last upon a great slab, half concealed by huge weeds and devoured by mosses and parasitic plants, whereupon we deciphered the opening lines of the epitaph:

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

toil

un. Exhausting labor or effort. (苦工)

Collocations (搭配): relentless toil; unremitting toil

Darker and more silent than the night itself, I stood by and watched him do it, while he, bending over his dismal toil, streamed with sweat, panted, and his hard-coming breath seemed to have the harsh tone of a death rattle.

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

wretch

cn. A person regarded as base, mean, or despicable. (惡棍)

It was a weird scene, and had any persons from without beheld us, they would assuredly have taken us rather for profane wretches and shroud-stealers than for priests of God.

grim

a. Repellent or horrifying. (令人不快的)

There was something grim and fierce in Serapion's zeal which lent him the air of a demon rather than of an apostle or an angel, and his great aquiline face, with all its stern features brought out in strong relief by the lantern-light, had something fearsome in it which enhanced the unpleasant fancy.

It is a pure Germanic word, cognate with Modern German "Grimm" "fury".

該詞具有純粹的日耳曼血統，現代德語表示“怒火”的“Grimm”與之同源，

aquiline

a. Curved or hooked like an eagle's beak. (鷹鉤狀的)

There was something grim and fierce in Serapion's zeal which lent him the air of a demon rather than of an apostle or an angel, and his great aquiline face, with all its stern features brought out in strong relief by the lantern-light, had something fearsome in it which enhanced the unpleasant fancy.

hideous

a. Causing great harm or fear; terrible. (極壞的)

I felt an icy sweat come out upon my forehead in huge beads, and my hair stood up with a hideous fear.

Though seemingly relative to "hide", it is actually cognate with Modern French "hideux" "gruesome, abhorrent".

即使看起來很像“hide”，該詞和“hide”并沒有親緣關系，反倒是現代法語中的“hideux”和其同源，

austere

a. Strict or severe in discipline; ascetic. (苦行僧的)

Within the depths of my own heart I felt that the act of the austere Serapion was an abominable sacrilege; and I could have prayed that a triangle of fire would issue from the entrails of the dark clouds, heavily rolling above us, to reduce him to cinders.

sacrilege

cn. Desecration, profanation, misuse, or theft of something regarded as sacred. (褻瀆行為)

Within the depths of my own heart I felt that the act of the austere Serapion was an abominable sacrilege; and I could have prayed that a triangle of fire would issue from the entrails of the dark clouds, heavily rolling above us, to reduce him to cinders.

It is not hard to find "sacr" as "sacre" in "sacrilege", but why the whole word contributes to the opposite meaning? Dating back to Latin, it was a contraction of phrase "sacrum legere" "to steal sacred things".

“Sacrilege”一詞中的“sacr”顯然和“sacre”有關，那為什么全詞會表達一個恰恰相反的意思呢？實際上“sacrilege”來自拉丁短語“sacrum legere”的縮略，而后者的意思是“竊取圣物”，

entrails

pn. Internal parts. (內部)

Within the depths of my own heart I felt that the act of the austere Serapion was an abominable sacrilege; and I could have prayed that a triangle of fire would issue from the entrails of the dark clouds, heavily rolling above us, to reduce him to cinders.

reduce

vt. To turn into powder; pulverize. (徹底摧毀)

Within the depths of my own heart I felt that the act of the austere Serapion was an abominable sacrilege; and I could have prayed that a triangle of fire would issue from the entrails of the dark clouds, heavily rolling above us, to reduce him to cinders.

cinder

cn. A small piece of burned or partly burned substance, such as coal, that is not reduced to ashes but is incapable of further combustion. (灰燼)

Within the depths of my own heart I felt that the act of the austere Serapion was an abominable sacrilege; and I could have prayed that a triangle of fire would issue from the entrails of the dark clouds, heavily rolling above us, to reduce him to cinders.

Remember Cinderella? In Chinese we translated it to "灰姑娘", where "姑娘" means "girl, maiden" while "灰" remains ambiguous. I have been taking it for granted till today that it was an adjective meaning "gray". Though the ashes are gray for sure, I have never made a guess that it could be the noun "ashes" itself. The opening lyrics from the original film Cinderella went that "Cinderella, you're as lovely as your name, [...] Though you're dressed in rags, you wear an air of queenly grace", which proved that name "Cinderella" means "little ashes" by its nature.

還記得迪士尼童話里的灰姑娘（Cinderella）嗎，這么翻譯其實大有講究，直到今天我都以為這里的“灰”指的是形容詞“灰色的”，但是它其實指的是灰色的“灰燼”，原版電影 Cinderella 的開場詞說“Cinderella，你像你的名字一樣可愛，【……】即使你穿的破爛，仍然是優美的女皇”，這無疑道出了“灰姑娘”一名的用意所在，

References: one\(\quad\)two\(\quad\)three（參考資料見左側鏈接）

cypress

cn. Any of various evergreen trees or shrubs of the genus Cupressus, native to Eurasia and North America and having opposite, scalelike leaves and globose woody cones. (柏樹)

The owls which had been nestling in the cypress-trees, startled by the gleam of the lantern, flew against it from time to time, striking their dusty wings against its panes, and uttering plaintive cries of lamentation;

plaintive

a. Expressing sorrow; mournful or melancholy. (傷感的)

The owls which had been nestling in the cypress-trees, startled by the gleam of the lantern, flew against it from time to time, striking their dusty wings against its panes, and uttering plaintive cries of lamentation;

"Plaintive" was not "plain-tive" but "plaint-ive". Though we sometimes emphasize the existence of "-tive" or "-sive" in English, the suffix is actually "-ive" from Latin "-ivus". Regarding that most Roman words bypass French to join English, we should also compare it with masculine suffix "-if" and feminine suffix "-ive" in French.

切不可看到“plain”就望文生義，該詞的實際構成是“plaint-ive”，盡管我們在英語中有時強調“-tive”或者“-sive”結尾的單詞，但這里真正的后綴是來自拉丁語“-ivus”的“-ive”，由于許多羅曼語族的單詞都是經由法語進入英語中的，我們也應當關注一下法語中的同源詞綴以期比較，它們是陽性后綴“-if”和陰性后綴“-ive”，

sinister

a. Suggesting or threatening harm or evil. (不祥的)

wild foxes yelped in the far darkness, and a thousand sinister noises detached themselves from the silence.

plank

cn. A piece of lumber cut thicker than a board. (木板)

At last Serapion's mattock struck the coffin itself, making its planks reecho with a deep sonorous sound, with that terrible sound nothingness utters when stricken.

sonorous

a. Having or producing a full, deep, or rich sound. (渾厚的)

At last Serapion's mattock struck the coffin itself, making its planks reecho with a deep sonorous sound, with that terrible sound nothingness utters when stricken.

nothingness

un. The condition or quality of being nothing; nonexistence. (虛無)

At last Serapion's mattock struck the coffin itself, making its planks reecho with a deep sonorous sound, with that terrible sound nothingness utters when stricken.

winding-sheet

cn. Shroud. (裹尸布)

her white winding-sheet made but one fold from her head to her feet.

calcine

vt. To heat (a substance) to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point, causing loss of moisture, reduction or oxidation, and the decomposition of carbonates and other compounds. (焙燒)

Poor Clarimonde had no sooner been touched by the blessed spray than her beautiful body crumbled into dust, and became only a shapeless and frightful mass of cinders and half-calcined bones.

inexorable

a. Impossible to stop, alter, or resist; inevitable. (不可阻擋的)

"Behold your mistress, my Lord Romuald!" cried the inexorable priest, as he pointed to these sad remains.

wherefore

ad. For what purpose or reason; why. (為什么)

Wherefore have hearkened to that imbecile priest?

—Clarimonde

hearken

vi. (archaic) To listen attentively; give heed. (傾聽)

Wherefore have hearkened to that imbecile priest?

—Clarimonde

imbecile

cn. A person who is considered foolish or stupid. (蠢人)

Wherefore have hearkened to that imbecile priest?

—Clarimonde

Modern English "imbecile" and Modern French "imbécile" were from Latin "imbecillus" "(body) weak, feeble", with its sense shifting to "mentally weak" later in mid-18c..

現代英語中的“imbecile”和現代法語中的“imbécile”都源于拉丁語“imbecillus”，其本指身體上的孱弱，到十八世紀中葉該詞的含義遷移至同時指“思想孱弱”（也就是愚蠢），這才有了今天該詞的粗俗表意，

regret

vt. To remember with a feeling of loss or sorrow; mourn. (悼念)

Adieu! Thou wilt yet regret me!

—Clarimonde

Phrases (短語)

to perfection

ad. Extremely well. (完美地)

She made you commit with her the infidelity you would have committed with another, by donning to perfection the character, the attraction, the style of beauty of the woman who appeared to please you.

of (one's) own accord

ad. Voluntarily; of one's own free will. (自愿的)

The Abbe Serapion was right. Notwithstanding this positive knowledge, however, I could not cease to love Clarimonde, and I would gladly of my own accord have, given her all the blood she required to sustain her factitious life.

lay bare (something)

vt. To divulge, explain, or reveal something not previously known publicly. (公開)

And what harm had I ever done thee that thou shouldst violate my poor tomb, and lay bare the miseries of my nothingness?

—Clarimonde

Expressions (其它表達)

"Venetian crystal"

She hurriedly arranged my hair, and this done, held up before me a little pocket mirror of Venetian crystal, rimmed with silver filigree-work, and playfully asked: "How dost find thyself now? Wilt engage me for thy valet de chambre?"

"Crystal" here is glass rather than natural rock crystal. Venice has always been the most famous origin of world-class glass since 13c., at the latest. In 15c., craftsman was able to make Cristallo, i.e., clear glass that approximated rock crystal in appearance.

這里的“crystal”指的并非是天然水晶，而是玻璃，威尼斯自十三世紀甚至更早就開始生產世界頂尖水平的玻璃制品，并在十五世紀的時候制出了透明度可以媲美天然水晶的玻璃，稱之為 Cristallo，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"valet de chambre"

She hurriedly arranged my hair, and this done, held up before me a little pocket mirror of Venetian crystal, rimmed with silver filigree-work, and playfully asked: "How dost find thyself now? Wilt engage me for thy valet de chambre?"

French "valet de chambre" literally means "bedroom servant", while you can also use French-origin "chamber valet", lol. Seems that English also borrowed this phrase from French.

“Valet de chambre”是法語，字面意思是指貼身仆人，當然由于這里兩個名詞都被引入了英語，你可以直接說“chamber valet”而非“bedroom servant”，當然，現在整個詞組也是英語了（笑死），

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"no longer the same person"

I was no longer the same person, and I could not even recognize myself. I resembled my former self no more than a finished statue resembles a block of stone. My old face seemed but a coarse daub of the one reflected in the mirror.

"moon chariot"

Those horses must have been Spanish genets born of mares fecundated by a zephyr, for they were fleet as the wind itself, and the moon, which had just risen at our departure to light us on the way, rolled over the sky like a wheel detached from her own chariot.

In Greek mythology, the moon you see in the sky is actually a chariot of the goddess of the moon. However, there were more than one goddesses of the moon, among which Selene was more likely the one deserved "the owner of moon chariot" while Artemis, a later owner of it, was more likely the one occurred to your mind as a result of her frequent being mentions in literatures.

希臘神話認為我們所看到的月亮其實是月之女神駕駛的月之戰車，但由于月之女神不止一位，戰車的主人也沒有標準答案，一般來說我們提到月之戰車的主人說的還是 Selene，但是一般人提到月之女神想到的可能是 Artemis，畢竟后者在文學作品中出現更頻繁，

References: one\(\quad\)two（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"fleet as the wind"

Those horses must have been Spanish genets born of mares fecundated by a zephyr, for they were fleet as the wind itself, and the moon, which had just risen at our departure to light us on the way, rolled over the sky like a wheel detached from her own chariot. We beheld her on the right leaping from tree to tree, and putting herself out of breath in the effort to keep up with us.

"dream"

From that night my nature seemed in some sort to have become halved, and there were two men within me, neither of whom knew the other. At one moment I believed my-self a priest who dreamed nightly that he was a gentleman, at another that I was a gentleman who dreamed he was a priest. I could no longer distinguish the dream from the reality, nor could I discover where the reality began or where ended the dream.

It reminds me of the saying from Inception that "you never really remember the beginning of a dream".

這讓我想起《盜夢空間》里提到的“你永遠想不起夢的開頭”，

"II Signor Romualdo"

It was an anomaly for which I could not account—whether I believed myself to be the cure of the little village of C——, or II Signor Romualdo, the titled lover of Clarimonde.

The uppercase "i" and lowercase "L" deceived me into believing that it was Roman numeral "Ⅱ", which also reminded me of famous "Barcode God of War" in some FPS game. After some deviation of searching "number/order in Italian name", it occurred to me that it might be a capitalized "il", which is a definite article in Italian. Also, an Italian name for men is always ends with letter "o", with Italian "II Signor Romualdo" being equivalent to English "The Mister Romuald".

眾所周知小寫“L”和大寫“i”不好分辨（所以才有 FPS 游戲里的“條形碼戰神”），我下意識把原文當作了羅馬數字“Ⅱ”，查了半天意大利語名字里是否會有數字序號，后來我突然意識到這個可能是首字母大寫的“il”，一查發現它在意大利語里是定冠詞，另一點要說的是男主的名字變成了“Romualdo”，這是因為意大利語里男性的名字往往都是以字母“o”結尾，

References: one\(\quad\)two（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"Titians"

We dwelt in a great palace on the Canaleio, filled with frescoes and statues, and containing two Titians in the noblest style of the great master, which were hung in Clarimonde's chamber.

Tiziano Vecelli(o) (or Titian) is the greatest Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school, who hardly left the city of Venice during his lifetime. Though without concreted evidence, I assume that "Titians" means "some works of Titian" here. In accord with the context, he produced several famous frescoes, which are painted on fresh, moist plaster with pigments dissolved in water, during his early years.

Tiziano Vecelli(o) 又稱 Titian（提香），他是意大利文藝復興時期威尼斯畫派的代表畫家，他一生極少離開這座城市，此處原文”Titians“我猜測指的就是 Titian 的作品，很遺憾我沒有在網上找到這樣用法的例子，但文本中提到了”fresco“，這指的是濕壁畫，而 Titian 在生涯早期的確創作過不少優秀的濕壁畫作品，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"twelve Apostles or the four Evangelists"

As for me, I had the retinue of a prince's son, and I was regarded with as much reverential respect as though I had been of the family of one of the twelve Apostles or the four Evangelists of the Most Serene Republic.

These two are from the Bible. "Apostle" means "one who is sent out", Jesus Christ had twelve apostles as the first messengers of the gospel, among which Judas Iscariot was notorious for betraying Jesus; An "evangelist" is someone who proclaims good news and, therefore, a preacher of the gospel. It were the four evangelist who wrote the four Gospels. Here, the hero was with divine right that surpassed the authority of local administration.

這兩個詞都來源于《圣經》，“apostle”指“使徒”而“evangelist”指“傳福音的人”，耶齠訓督的十二使徒是福音的第一批信使，其中最著名的大概就是背叛耶穌的加略人猶大；“傳福音的人”特指四福音書的人類作者，他們也四處傳講福音，這里作者用典是想說明男主當時具有一種宗教權威，這種權勢甚至壓過了地方行政長官，

References: one\(\quad\)two\(\quad\)three（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"the Most Serene Republic"

As for me, I had the retinue of a prince's son, and I was regarded with as much reverential respect as though I had been of the family of one of the twelve Apostles or the four Evangelists of the Most Serene Republic.

"Most Serene" (Italian "Serenissima") is a Byzantine title bestowed upon the Doge and the Signoria at first as an indicator of sovereignty, it then extended to the entire Republic of Venice. It is still available at present in names of some micronations like San Marino, which also has a long-form name Most Serene Republic of San Marino.

這里的“Most Serene”對應著意大利語“Serenissima”，字面意義指“最安寧的”，它一開始其實是拜占庭帝國給威尼斯地方掌權者的頭銜，是一種權力的象征，后來該頭銜推廣到指當時的威尼斯共和國，今天我們仍能在一些小國的國名中見到這種頭銜，比如圣馬力諾，其全名就包含了“Most Serene”這一頭銜，

References: one\(\quad\)two\(\quad\)three\(\quad\)four\(\quad\)five（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"insolent"

I would not have turned aside to allow even the Doge to pass, and I do not believe that since Satan fell from heaven, any creature was ever prouder or more insolent than I.

"Doge" here is a Venetian dialect for Italian "duce", which means "duke" in English. The famous dog occurred to my mind at my seeing this word, and it is more amusing that someone did make a meme about it.

這里“doge”這個詞源于意大利語威尼斯方言對“duce”（公爵）一詞的拼寫，我看到這個詞就想起了那只著名的狗，一搜發現網友還真的做了這個表情包，

Reference:\(\quad\)here（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"the Ridotto"

I went to the Ridotto, and played with a luck which seemed absolutely infernal. I received the best of all society—the sons of ruined families, women of the theatre, shrewd knaves, parasites, hectoring swashbucklers.

Besides the waterways and gondola, Venice is also famous for its casinos and Carnival celebrations. You may have heard of "The Venetian" as grand casino in Macao, China and that it is, which is, according to a friend of mine, said to have Venice-like decoration within. Both cognate "casinò" and "ridotto" here mean casino in Italian; As a tradition of Venetian Carnival, people wear characteristic masks to hide their appearance for great fun. It is noteworthy that there is something common underlying, which allows a pursuit of pleasure regardless of the social identity.

除了標志性的水路和貢多拉，威尼斯的賭場和狂歡節也舉世聞名，你可能聽說過中國澳門的“威尼斯人”賭場，我一個朋友說其裝潢的確是模仿了威尼斯的標志性風光，事實上賭場（casino）一詞就是源于意大利語“casinò”，而這里的“ridotto”也表達“賭場”之意；另一方面，威尼斯狂歡節以參加者戴上面具縱情狂歡的傳統而聞名，在這兩種文化背后的精神是共通的，即人們可以拋下社會地位的差距去一同享受快樂，

References: one\(\quad\)two（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"chain inconstancy"

But notwithstanding the dissipation of such a life, I always remained faithful to Clarimonde. I loved her wildly. She would have excited satiety itself, and chained inconstancy.

"the Ancients of the Council of Ten"

She returned my love a hundred-fold, and it was in vain that the young patricians and even the Ancients of the Council of Ten made her the most magnificent proposals.

Here, "the Council of Ten" is mentioned as a group of superior patricians, which was established to police the patrician order and was granted with the power of secret police, espionage, and counterespionage. The history then emphasized the importance of military power for politics once again that it soon exerted a strong influence on financial and diplomatic administration.

我們不難看出這里提到“十人委員會”指的是一群貴族中的貴族，該組織設立之初只是掌管著威尼斯的秘密警察和間諜與反間諜事務，但正如歷史無數次證明的那樣，這個掌握軍事力量的組織迅速攫取了強大的政治影響力，并在經濟和外交等方面深刻影響了威尼斯，

References: one\(\quad\)two\(\quad\)three（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"A Foscari"

A Foscari even went so far as to offer to espouse her.

It is common to indicate a member of certain family with "a [family name]". In Tomb Raider Series, Lara Croft follows in her father's footsteps to be an archaeologist and is sometimes called as "a young Croft". Here, Foscari implies the family of doge Francesco Foscari, under whom Venice first undertook conquests on the Italian mainland.

英語里可以用不定冠詞加姓的方式去指該家族的成員，在《古墓麗影》系列中，Lara Croft 是跟隨其父親的腳步而成為一名考古學家的，她在游戲中有時也被以這種方式稱呼，此處 Foscari 指的應該是威尼斯總督 Francesco Foscari 的家族，他領導下的威尼斯發動了對米蘭的戰爭并首次占領了意大利本土的領土，

References: one\(\quad\)two（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"a wine from Xeres or Syracuse"

She swallowed the blood in little mouthfuls, slowly and carefully, like a connoisseur tasting a wine from Xeres or Syracuse.

It not hard to guess that both "Xeres" and "Syracuse" are wine production regions. "Xeres" is transliterated from Spanish "Jerez" and is often further transliterated into famous "Sherry", which produced eponymous amber-like white wine; "Syracuse" is meanwhile from Italian "Siracusa" on famous Sicily (Sicilia in Italian).

首先不難看出這里的“Xeres”和“Syracuse”都是葡萄酒產區，其中前者來自西班牙語“Jerez”的音譯，在英語中又往往寫作“Sherry”，這里出產的白葡萄酒因特殊工藝而可呈現琥珀般的顏色，這就是享譽世界的雪莉酒；后者指的則是西西里島上的錫拉庫薩（意大利語寫作 Siracusa），

References: one\(\quad\)two\(\quad\)three（參考資料見左側鏈接）

"my blood"

Drink, and may my love infiltrate itself throughout thy body together with my blood!

—Romuald

If I were Romuald... I mean... How can I bargain about my poor circulation medium for even a little when beloved Clarimonde is intriguing nothing but to spoil me more? It is definitely fine by me.

我覺得這太對了，就是說如果 Clarimonde 是不遺余力為我付出，我憑什么能吝嗇自己回圈系統里那點破液體呢？

"dust of drowsiness"

I held my eyelids open with my fingers, and stood for hours together leaning upright against the wall, fighting sleep with all my might; but the dust of drowsiness invariably gathered upon my eyes at last, and finding all resistance useless, I would have to let my arms fall in the extremity of despairing weariness, and the current of slumber would again bear me away to the perfidious shores.

"current of slumber"

I held my eyelids open with my fingers, and stood for hours together leaning upright against the wall, fighting sleep with all my might; but the dust of drowsiness invariably gathered upon my eyes at last, and finding all resistance useless, I would have to let my arms fall in the extremity of despairing weariness, and the current of slumber would again bear me away to the perfidious shores.

"bend over"

Darker and more silent than the night itself, I stood by and watched him do it, while he, bending over his dismal toil, streamed with sweat, panted, and his hard-coming breath seemed to have the harsh tone of a death rattle.

I found no direct result in The Free Dictionary while it seems to be a brief version of "bend one's head over something", which means "bury oneself in something".

直接在 The Free Dictionary 里搜沒有結果，但是我感覺這個是“bend one's head over something”的縮略形式，大意還是指“專心致志于某事”，

"lamentation"

The owls which had been nestling in the cypress-trees, startled by the gleam of the lantern, flew against it from time to time, striking their dusty wings against its panes, and uttering plaintive cries of lamentation; wild foxes yelped in the far darkness, and a thousand sinister noises detached themselves from the silence.

"nothingness utters"

At last Serapion's mattock struck the coffin itself, making its planks reecho with a deep sonorous sound, with that terrible sound nothingness utters when stricken.

Acknowledgements （致謝）

I sincerely thanks Prof. Lan He from Hunan University for her generous help and contribution to the entries vide infra:

• Chapter 1 => Words => but
• Chapter 1 => Phrases => think to
• Chapter 1 => Expressions => "herself"

Mme Yi-Chun Yu from Hunan University for her generous help and contribution to the entries vide infra:

• Chapter 1 => About Grammar => Second person pronouns in Early Modern English

M. Zheng-Peng Zeng from Hunan University for his generous help and contribution to the entries vide infra:

• Chapter 2 => Words => courtesan
• Chapter 2 => Phrases => in succession

And I thanks M. Xing Ni from Wuhan University of Science and Technology for his contribution to the entries vide infra:

• Chapter 1 => Expressions => "Jehovah"

M. Tian-Qi Yang from China University of Geosciences for his contribution to the entries vide infra:

• Chapter 4 => Expressions => "sounding lead"

M. Ming-rui Xiao from Wuhan University of Technology for his contribution to the entries vide infra:

• Chapter 5 => Words => zephyr

我由衷感謝湖南大學何嵐教授對以下條目的慷慨幫助：

• 第一章 => 單詞 => but
• 第一章 => 短語 => think to
• 第一章 => 其它表達 => "herself"

湖南大學余意純老師對以下條目的慷慨幫助：

• 第一章 => 語法碎片 => 早期現代英語中的第二人稱代詞

湖南大學曾正鵬先生對以下條目的慷慨幫助:

• 第二章 => 單詞 => courtesan
• 第二章 => 短語 => in succession

此外，我感謝武漢科技大學倪行先生對以下條目的貢獻：

• 第一章 => 其它表達 => "Jehovah"

中國地質大學（武漢）楊天奇先生對以下條目的貢獻：

• 第四章 => 其它表達 => "sounding lead"

武漢理工大學肖明睿先生對以下條目的貢獻：

• 第五章 => 單詞 => zephyr

Portal to Catalog of More Notes （鏈接：英語寫作學習筆記目錄）

Portal: here （點左側鏈接直達頁面）

by Syl & Sylvia @ 2023-03-26 19:23:55 @ Changsha, Yuelu District
originally post @ https://www.cnblogs.com @ 2023-03-26

轉載請註明出處，本文鏈接：https://www.uj5u.com/qita/548218.html

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