The Lamplighter.docx
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- 上传时间:2023-07-10
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The Lamplighter.docx
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TheLamplighter
TheLamplighterbyCharlesDickens'IfyoutalkofMurphyandFrancisMoore,gentlemen,'saidthelamplighterwhowasinthechair,'Imeantosaythatneitherof'emeverhadanymoretodowiththestarsthanTomGrighad.'
'AndwhathadHEtodowith'em?
'askedthelamplighterwhoofficiatedasvice.
'Nothingatall,'repliedtheother;'justexactlynothingatall.'
'Doyoumeantosayyoudon'tbelieveinMurphy,then?
'demandedthelamplighterwhohadopenedthediscussion.
'ImeantosayIbelieveinTomGrig,'repliedthechairman.
'WhetherIbelieveinMurphy,ornot,isamatterbetweenmeandmyconscience;andwhetherMurphybelievesinhimself,ornot,isamatterbetweenhimandhisconscience.Gentlemen,Idrinkyourhealths.'
Thelamplighterwhodidthecompanythishonour,wasseatedinthechimney-cornerofacertaintavern,whichhasbeen,timeoutofmind,theLamplighters'HouseofCall.Hesatinthemidstofacircleoflamplighters,andwasthecacique,orchiefofthetribe.
Ifanyofourreadershavehadthegoodfortunetobeholdalamplighter'sfuneral,theywillnotbesurprisedtolearnthatlamplightersareastrangeandprimitivepeople;thattheyrigidlyadheretooldceremoniesandcustomswhichhavebeenhandeddownamongthemfromfathertosonsincethefirstpubliclampwaslightedoutofdoors;thattheyintermarry,andbetroththeirchildrenininfancy;thattheyenterintonoplotsorconspiracies(forwhoeverheardofatraitorouslamplighter?
);thattheycommitnocrimesagainstthelawsoftheircountry(therebeingnoinstanceofamurderousorburglariouslamplighter);thattheyare,inshort,notwithstandingtheirapparentlyvolatileandrestlesscharacter,ahighlymoralandreflectivepeople:
havingamongthemselvesasmanytraditionalobservancesastheJews,andbeing,asabody,ifnotasoldasthehills,atleastasoldasthestreets.Itisanarticleoftheircreedthatthefirstfaintglimmeringoftruecivilisationshoneinthefirststreet-lightmaintainedatthepublicexpense.Theytracetheirexistenceandhighpositioninthepublicesteem,inadirectlinetotheheathenmythology;andholdthatthehistoryofPrometheushimselfisbutapleasantfable,whereofthetrueheroisalamplighter.
'Gentlemen,'saidthelamplighterinthechair,'Idrinkyourhealths.'
'Andperhaps,Sir,'saidthevice,holdinguphisglass,andrisingalittlewayoffhisseatandsittingdownagain,intokenthatherecognisedandreturnedthecompliment,'perhapsyouwilladdtothatcondescensionbytellinguswhoTomGrigwas,andhowhecametobeconnectedinyourmindwithFrancisMoore,Physician.'
'Hear,hear,hear!
'criedthelamplightersgenerally.
'TomGrig,gentlemen,'saidthechairman,'wasoneofus;andithappenedtohim,asitdon'toftenhappentoapubliccharacterinourline,thathehadhiswhat-you-may-call-itcast.'
'Hishead?
'saidthevice.
'No,'repliedthechairman,'nothishead.'
'Hisface,perhaps?
'saidthevice.'No,nothisface.''Hislegs?
''No,nothislegs.'Noryethisarms,norhishands,norhisfeet,norhischest,allofwhichwereseverallysuggested.
'Hisnativity,perhaps?
'
'That'sit,'saidthechairman,awakeningfromhisthoughtfulattitudeatthesuggestion.'Hisnativity.That'swhatTomhadcast,gentlemen.'
'Inplaster?
'askedthevice.
'Idon'trightlyknowhowit'sdone,'returnedthechairman.'ButIsupposeitwas.'
Andtherehestoppedasifthatwereallhehadtosay;whereupontherearoseamurmuramongthecompany,whichatlengthresolveditselfintoarequest,conveyedthroughthevice,thathewouldgoon.Thisbeingexactlywhatthechairmanwanted,hemusedforalittletime,performedthatagreeableceremonywhichispopularlytermedwettingone'swhistle,andwentonthus:
'TomGrig,gentlemen,was,asIhavesaid,oneofus;andImaygofurther,andsayhewasanornamenttous,andsuchaoneasonlythegoodoldtimesofoilandcottoncouldhaveproduced.Tom'sfamily,gentlemen,werealllamplighters.'
'Nottheladies,Ihope?
'askedthevice.
'Theyhadtalentenoughforit,Sir,'rejoinedthechairman,'andwouldhavebeen,butfortheprejudicesofsociety.Letwomenhavetheirrights,Sir,andthefemalesofTom'sfamilywouldhavebeeneveryoneof'eminoffice.Butthatemancipationhasn'tcomeyet,andhadn'tthen,andconsequentlytheyconfinedthemselvestothebosomsoftheirfamilies,cookedthedinners,mendedtheclothes,mindedthechildren,comfortedtheirhusbands,andattendedtothehouse-keepinggenerally.It'sahardthinguponthewomen,gentlemen,thattheyarelimitedtosuchasphereofactionasthis;veryhard.
'IhappentoknowallaboutTom,gentlemen,fromthecircumstanceofhisunclebyhismother'sside,havingbeenmyparticularfriend.His(that'sTom'suncle's)fatewasamelancholyone.Gaswasthedeathofhim.Whenitwasfirsttalkedof,helaughed.Hewasn'tangry;helaughedatthecredulityofhumannature."Theymightaswelltalk,"hesays,"oflayingonaneverlastingsuccessionofglow-worms;"andthenhelaughedagain,partlyathisjoke,andpartlyatpoorhumanity.
'Incourseoftime,however,thethinggotground,theexperimentwasmade,andtheylightedupPallMall.Tom'sunclewenttoseeit.I'veheardthathefelloffhisladderfourteentimesthatnight,fromweakness,andthathewouldcertainlyhavegoneonfallingtillhekilledhimself,ifhislasttumblehadn'tbeenintoawheelbarrowwhichwasgoinghisway,andhumanelytookhimhome.
"Iforeseeinthis,"saysTom'sunclefaintly,andtakingtohisbedashespoke-"Iforeseeinthis,"hesays,"thebreakingupofourprofession.There'snomoregoingtheroundstotrimbydaylight,nomoredribblingdownoftheoilonthehatsandbonnetsofladiesandgentlemenwhenonefeelsinspirits.Anylowfellowcanlightagas-lamp.Andit'sallup."Inthisstateofmind,hepetitionedthegovernmentfor-Iwantawordagain,gentlemen-whatdoyoucallthatwhichtheygivetopeoplewhenit'sfoundout,atlast,thatthey'veneverbeenofanyuse,andhavebeenpaidtoomuchfordoingnothing?
'
'Compensation?
'suggestedthevice.
'That'sit,'saidthechairman.'Compensation.Theydidn'tgiveithim,though,andthenhegotveryfondofhiscountryallatonce,andwentaboutsayingthatgaswasadeath-blowtohisnativeland,andthatitwasaplotoftheradicalstoruinthecountryanddestroytheoilandcottontradeforever,andthatthewhaleswouldgoandkillthemselvesprivately,outofsheerspiteandvexationatnotbeingcaught.Atlasthegotright-downcracked;calledhistobacco-pipeagas-pipe;thoughthistearswerelamp-oil;andwentonwithallmannerofnonsenseofthatsort,tillonenighthehunghimselfonalamp-ironinSaintMartin'sLane,andtherewasanendofHIM.
'Tomlovedhim,gentlemen,buthesurvivedit.Heshedatearoverhisgrave,gotverydrunk,spokeafuneralorationthatnightinthewatch-house,andwasfinedfiveshillingsforit,inthemorning.Somemenarenonetheworseforthissortofthing.Tomwasoneof'em.Hewentthatveryafternoononanewbeat:
asclearinhishead,andasfreefromfeverasFatherMathewhimself.
'Tom'snewbeat,gentlemen,was-Ican'texactlysaywhere,forthathe'dnevertell;butIknowitwasinaquietpartoftown,wherethereweresomequeeroldhouses.IhavealwayshaditinmyheadthatitmusthavebeensomewherenearCanonburyTowerinIslington,butthat'samatterofopinion.Whereveritwas,hewentuponit,withabran-newladder,awhitehat,abrownhollandjacketandtrousers,ablueneck-kerchief,andasprigoffull-blowndoublewall-flowerinhisbutton-hole.Tomwasalwaysgenteelinhisappearance,andIhaveheardfromthebestjudges,thatifhehadlefthisladderathomethatafternoon,youmighthavetookhimforalord.
'Hewasalwaysmerry,wasTom,andsuchasinger,thatiftherewasanyencouragementfornativetalent,he'dhavebeenattheopera.
Hewasonhisladder,lightinghisfirstlamp,andsingingtohimselfinamannermoreeasilytobeconceivedthandescribed,whenhehearstheclockstrikefive,andsuddenlyseesanoldgentlemanwithatelescopeinhishand,throwupawindowandlookathimveryhard.
'Tomdidn'tknowwhatcouldbepassinginthisoldgentleman'smind.Hethoughtitlikelyenoughthathemightbesayingwithinhimself,"Here'sanewlamplighter-agood-lookingyoungfellow-shallIstandsomethingtodrink?
"Thinkingthispossible,hekeepsquitestill,pretendingtobeveryparticularaboutthewick,andlooksattheoldgentlemansideways,seemingtotakenonoticeofhim.
'Gentlemen,hewasoneofthestrangestandmostmysterious-lookingfilesthateverTomclappedhiseyeson.Hewasdressedallslovenlyanduntidy,inagreatgownofakindofbed-furniturepattern,withacapofthesameonhishead;andalongoldflappedwaistcoat;withnobraces,nostrings,veryfewbuttons-inshort,withhardlyanyofthoseartificialcontrivancesthatholdsocietytogether.Tomknewbythesesigns,andbyhisnotbeingshaved,andbyhisnotbeingover-clean,andbyasortofwisdomnotquiteawake,inhisface,thathewasascientificoldgentleman.HeoftentoldmethatifhecouldhaveconceivedthepossibilityofthewholeRoyalSocietybeingboileddownintooneman,heshouldhavesaidtheoldgentleman'sbodywasthatBody.
'Theoldgentlemanclapsthetelescopetohiseye,looksallround,seesnobodyelseinsight,staresatTomagain,andcriesoutveryloud:
'"Hal-loa!
"
'"Halloa,Sir,"saysTomfromtheladder;"andhalloaagain,ifyoucometothat."'"Here'sanextraordinaryfulfilment,"saystheoldgentleman,"ofapredictionoftheplanets."'"Isthere?
"saysTom."I'mv
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