《围城》（Fortress Besieged）经典段落赏析

The sky gradually darkened at the approached of a storm. The rickshaw（黄包车） pullers quickened their pace, saying the weather was about to get worse. The sky seemed to have overheard their remark and responded with a thunderous（像打雷似的） roar （咆哮）from the air as though several dozen brass drums（黄铜鼓） were rolling on the floor of the heavens. Ever since morning the air had been oppressive, as though it were holding its breath. Suddenly the sky sprang at some point, and the wind outside came rushing in gusts（一阵狂风）. The yellowing vegetation awoke momentarily（暂时地，立刻） from its slumbers（睡眠）, sighing（叹息） gently and rustling（瑟瑟作响） softly. The earth seemed like the afternoon rain, which had seemed like sweat （汗）oozing （渗出）from the hot, stuffy （封闭的）sky. The rain came down harder and harder, as though the drops were scrambling（争取） to get to the ground first, too impatient to line up in rows. Pushing and shoving（推挤）, they united in solid blocks（块状固体） of cold water, which splashed（溅落） down in wild confusion（混乱）.

一、语法与词汇解析：

1. at the approach of：接近，在…将要到来的时候e.g. at the approach of dawn the little boy came home.

2. quicken the pace（步速，步伐）：加快脚步，步伐 Quick pace is the texture（文理，本质，实质） of modern life.

3. be about to do：正准备，正要做某事 e.g. I am about to go out when suddenly the door bell rings.

4. seem to do似乎好像 It seems as if it is going to rain. /It seems to rain.

5.overhear无意中听到，偷听（合成词，overcome）I happened to overhear what they whispered.

6. remark 评论，言辞，交谈 The remark lead to further controversial things among the people.

7. roar 与soar的区别：I can hear a lion’s roar in the movie Lion King.  Soar：增长，高飞 Inflation expectations soar and the central bank（央行） loses control of prices.

8. as though=as if It seems as if it is going to rain.

9. roll ：打滚，转动，卷 Roll on the summer vacation. 暑假快来吧！

10. Ever since morning the air had been oppressive, as though it were holding its breath. 从早晨开始空气就很压抑，好像天空窒息了一般。Ever since引导过去完成时，发生在过去的过去（从那时候的早上一直延续到“当时”）主语从句，it指代the air.

11. spring at：向…跳去，一跃 spring：弹簧，泉水，萌发，春天。At some point：在某一时刻 The cat made a spring at the mouse.那只猫一跃而起扑向老鼠。

12. in gusts：一阵一阵地 The students set off even though the wind was blowing in gusts.

13.  awake：意识到，醒悟，觉悟 People always need to awake to the reality in the life.人们必须时刻在生活中面对现实。

14. momentarily：瞬间的，短暂的，立刻：The exam will begin momentarily.考试马上开始。

15.  slumber沉睡，蛰伏 I will summon you from slumber. 我讲把你从沉睡中唤醒。

16. sigh：I don’t know why young people always sigh again and again in modern life.我不明白为什么现在的年轻人总喜欢叹息。

17. ooze from：Blood ooze from my lips in such a dry day.这么干燥的天气我嘴唇都流血了。

18. scramble：争夺，混乱，攀登 Our main task was to prevent any scramble for the presidential nomination.我们的主要任务是房子在总统候选人提名的问题上发生争吵。

19. line up in rows：按队排列着 She is arranging the chairs in rows. 她把椅子排成一排一排的。

20. splash：飞溅The water splash. 水飞溅起来了；splash down：溅落：The hot and dogs came down in splash. 瓢泼大雨哗哗而落。

21. confusion：（Confucius孔子）The meeting was in wild confusion. 会场一片混乱。

二、剖析Fortress Besieged的主旨大意和艺术特色：

Marriage is like a fortress besieged：those who are outside want to get in, and those who are inside want to get out.

---French proverb

“围城”是对一种人生情境的形象概括，也是对一种心理意态的巧妙把捉。“围城”所描绘的，乃是人类理想主义和幻想破灭的永恒循环。古往今来，多少人都是从自以为天佑神助开始，而从意识到造化弄人结束。《围城》中时起时伏，处处申说的，都是理想的不断升腾和一再破灭。许多人终身处于“围城”境遇而不察，因此，“围城”完全可以作为人类身处困境、屡遭挫折的象征。

钱钟书先生运用多种修辞手法：比喻、拟人、反讽、引用、象征等多种修辞手法把内心深处的深刻感受、人生体验和对时世的态度不露痕迹地用比喻外化成文学语言，形成了独具特色的“钱钟书式的修辞”。《围城》对官场腐败、政府无能、学术虚伪、社会落后等都不失时机的进行嘲弄讽刺，钱钟书的笔触及了那十里洋场的政界、银行界、新闻界、和工商界的丑陋。钱钟书先生更站在形而上至形而下的角度高度讽刺这些社会现象，他的讽刺早已远远超出那个社会，超越了那个时代。