今天公众号“高斋翻硕”给大家分享西奥多·德莱赛（Theodore Dreiser）的小说《嘉莉妹妹》（Sister Carrie）节选的单词解析。译文是裘常柱的版本。
When a girl leaves her home at eighteen, she does one of two things. Either she falls into saving hands and becomes better, or she rapidly assumes the cosmopolitanstandard of virtue and becomes worse. Of an intermediate balance, under thecircumstances, there is no possibility. The city has its cunning wiles, no less than theinfinitely smaller and mere human tempter. There are large forces which allure with all the soulfulness of expression possible in the most cultured human. The gleam of a thousand lights is often as effective as the persuasive light in a wooing and fascinating eye. Half the undoing of the unsophisticated and natural mind is accomplished by forces wholly superhuman.
一个十八岁的姑娘离家出门，她的遭遇不外乎两种。不是碰到好人相助而好起来，就是迅即接受花花世界的道德标准而堕落下去。在这样的环境里，要保持中间状态是不可能的。大都市里到处是狡诈的骗局，其程度并不差于比它小得多的装着人样的诱惑者。有的是巨大的力量，会像修养到家的人那样用激情来骗人上当。万点灯火的闪耀和乞爱挑情的眼波，就影响人的道德而言，具有同样的魔力。天真未凿的心灵，多半是由压根儿超出于人力之上的力量所败坏的。
第一句：When a girl leaves her home at eighteen, she does one of two things.
一个十八岁的姑娘离家出门，她的遭遇不外乎两种。
1. leave one’s home 离开某人的家。
2. one of two things 两种情况中的一种，两件事中其一。如金融时报上有这么一句话：
It also proves you need one of two things to to make it to the top.
这件事还证明，要名列榜首，你需要以下两样东西中的至少一样。
第二句：Either she falls into saving hands and becomes better, or she rapidly assumes the cosmopolitan standard of virtue and becomes worse.
不是碰到好人相助而好起来，就是迅即接受花花世界的道德标准而堕落下去。
1. fall into 陷入，属于，碰到。如金融时报上有这么一句话：
According to the book, The Ethical Executive , it seems she was falling into four traps that office workers commonly fall into.
根据《有道德的高管》（The Ethical Executive）一书，她似乎落入了办公室职员经常遇到的四种陷阱。
2. saving hands（也可以说a saving hand）援助之手。如谷歌图书《王佐良全集》上有这么一句话：
Then it was, at this crisis of my fate, that my poor orphan companion, who had herself met with little but injuries in this world, stretched out a saving hand to me.
在这个命运的紧急关头，我的这位孤苦伶仃的友伴虽然自己从人世所得唯有损害，却向我伸出了救援之手。
3. assume [əˈsuːm] v. 假定；假设；认为；承担（责任），接受。如世行官网上有这么一句话：
I look forward to working with Minister Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, who has graciously agreed to assume the Chair of the Committee.
巴林财政大臣阿勒哈利法（Al-Khalifa）已欣然接受继任发展委员主席一职，我非常期待我们的合作。
4. cosmopolitan [ˌkɑːzməˈpɑːlɪtən] adj. 世界性的；全球各国的；受各国文化影响的；见过世面的；见识广的。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
The club has a cosmopolitan atmosphere.
这个俱乐部具有世界文化的气氛。
5. virtue [ˈvɜːrtʃuː] n. 高尚的道德；正直的品性；美德；优秀品质；良好习惯；优点。如汉英大词典上有这么一句话：
He excels in virtue.
他品德高尚。
第三句：Of an intermediate balance, under the circumstances, there is no possibility.
在这样的环境里，要保持中间状态是不可能的。
1. intermediate [ˌɪntərˈmiːdiət] adj. 之间的，中间的；中级的；中等的；适合中等程度者的。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
You should consider breaking the journey with intermediate stopovers at airport hotels.
你应该考虑将旅程分为几段，中途在机场旅馆稍作停留。
2. balance [ˈbæləns] n. 均衡；平衡；余额。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
Try to keep a balance between work and relaxation.
尽量保持工作与休闲均衡。
3. circumstance [ˈsɜːrkəmstæns] n. 条件；环境；状况；境况；境遇。如汉英大词典上有这么一句话：
Difficult circumstances can temper one’s will.
艰苦的环境能磨炼人的意志。
第四句：The city has its cunning wiles, no less than the infinitely smaller and mere human tempter.
大都市里到处是狡诈的骗局，其程度并不差于比它小得多的装着人样的诱惑者。
1. cunning [ˈkʌnɪŋ] adj. 狡猾的；奸诈的；诡诈的；灵巧的；精巧的；巧妙的。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
He was as cunning as a fox.
他像狐狸一样狡猾。
2. wiles [waɪlz] n. 花招；诡计；奸计。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
She claimed that women “use their feminine wiles to get on.”
她声称女人“靠她们的小聪明来达到目的”。
3. mere [mɪr] adj. 仅仅的；只不过；只凭……就足以。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
You’ve got the job. The interview will be a mere formality.
你已经得到了这份工作。面试不过是个形式。
4. tempter [ˈtemptər] n. 引诱者；诱惑者。
第五句：There are large forces which allure with all the soulfulness of expression possible in the most cultured human.
有的是巨大的力量，会像修养到家的人那样用激情来骗人上当。
1. allure [əˈlʊr] vi. 引诱；诱惑；勾引诱人；吸引人。如外研社英语同义词辨析词典上有这么一句话：
He was allured from the country.
他被诱出国。
2. soulfulness 充满感情，深情，激情。
3. cultured [ˈkʌltʃərd] adj. 有教养的；有修养的；文雅的。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
He is a suave, cool and cultured man.
他是个世故、冷静、有教养的人。
第六句：The gleam of a thousand lights is often as effective as the persuasive light in a wooing and fascinating eye.
万点灯火的闪耀和乞爱挑情的眼波，就影响人的道德而言，具有同样的魔力。
1. gleam [ɡliːm] n. 微光（常指反光）；少量；（感情的）表露，闪现。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
In the light from the hall, her hair had a golden gleam.
在大厅灯光的照射下，她的头发闪着金色的光芒。
2. persuasive [pərˈsweɪsɪv] adj. 有说服力的；令人信服的。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
What do you think were some of the more persuasive arguments on the other side?
你认为对方哪些观点更有说服力？
3. woo [wuː] v. 争取……的支持；寻求……的赞同；追求（异性）；求爱。如雅思阅读理解中有这么一句话：
Before a middle class guy can even consider wooing a lady, he must first ensure that he has a decent vehicle.
一位中产阶层的男士在考虑追求一位女士之前，他必须先要确保有一辆体面的轿车。
第七句：Half the undoing of the unsophisticated and natural mind is accomplished by forces wholly superhuman.
天真未凿的心灵，多半是由压根儿超出于人力之上的力量所败坏的。
1. undoing [ʌnˈduːɪŋ] n. 失败的原因。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
That one mistake was his undoing.
他一失足即成千古恨。
2. unsophisticated [ˌʌnsəˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd] adj. 单纯的；阅历浅的；涉世不深的；不谙世故的；不复杂的。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
She was quite unsophisticated in the ways of the world.
她胸无城府。
3. superhuman [ˌsuːpərˈhjuːmən] adj. 超出常人的；非凡的。如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：
Officers were terrified of his superhuman strength.
军官们被他超凡的力量吓坏了。
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