写在前面的话
英语阅读有精读和泛读之分。两者也是相辅相成、不可偏废的，只是要求有所不同。泛读从“量”来要求，广泛浏览，达到见多识广，可以容许“不求甚解”；精读则从“质”来要求，务必一词、一句都弄得清清楚楚；每个词的正确发音，它的词性、在文中的意义、色彩、搭配、用法以及在句子中的作用；每个短语、每个从句在文中的作用和相互关系；每个句子的语法结构，有否倒装或省略等，句型有无习惯上的特殊之处，以及句子的精确含义。这一切都弄清楚了，才能弄清每一章节的意思和各章节之间的联系。这才算是语言方面真正读懂了，才能理解全文讲的是什么，是怎样讲的，才谈得上文艺欣赏、文艺评论和翻译。
我们的连载就是为精读而编写的，也可以说是试图回答“怎样读”的问题的一个探索性的答案。
精读读懂以后，还希望能反复诵读，因为对于外语学习来说，懂和熟是两回事；懂而不熟，可以说并没有完成学习任务。“熟读唐诗三百首，不会吟诗也会吟。”熟读不但可以加深理解，提高阅读水平、鉴赏水平，而且直接有助于写和译，间接有助于听和说——达到全面学好英语的目的。
作者介绍 本小说作者詹姆斯·希尔顿（James Hilton）1900年9月9日生于英国兰开夏郡（Lancashire）利城（Leign）。他在剑桥大学学习期间就开始为报刊写稿。第一次世界大战后，他遍游欧洲，一度寄居维也纳。他的第一部长篇小说《凯瑟琳自己》（Catherine Herself）出版时，他才十八岁。1933年出版《失去的地平线》（Lost Horizon），同年冬天发表《再会，契普斯先生》，轰动一时。1939年，他去美国，1941年出版《无心的收获》（Random Harvest）。这三部小说都曾拍摄成电影，颇为成功。英语词典中有“Shangri-la”（ [ˌʃæŋgrɪ'lɑ:]香格里拉）一词，原作“世外桃源”解，后又衍生出其他意义，并一度在俚语中被用来指“厕所”，——这个词就出于希尔顿的《失去的地平线》。契普斯（其实是小说人物契宾先生——Mr. Chipping——的绰号）也已在英语国家很大一部分人中间像亲人、老朋友一样熟悉，一样亲切。
作品介绍《再会，契普斯先生》原先是希尔顿为英国《不列颠周刊》（British Weekly）的圣诞节增刊所写的，时在1933年。翌年重新在美国《大西洋月刊》（Atlantic Monthly）上发表，随后美国和英国相继出版单行本，英国广播公司（BBC）还曾连续广播，后来又拍摄成电影，曾在我国放映，片名《万世师表》。1938年，俞亢咏将小说开头四章详加注释，在葛传椝主编的《竞文英文杂志》上连载介绍，颇受读者欢迎。
小说用极其生动、轻快的笔调描绘契普斯一生在布鲁克菲尔德（Brookfield）公学的教书生涯和他的恋爱、婚姻和为人，情意悱恻，妙趣横生。同时，从布鲁克菲尔德这偏僻的一隅反映出英帝国在19世纪末、20世纪初开始没落的情景，反映了当时社会的动荡和人们思想的变迁。艺术风格和语言都是我们上面所说的“新而不怪”，是学习现代英语和英国文学的一本好书。
《再会，契普斯先生》在许多国家都有译本，并广泛被学校用作教材或课外读物。
Chapter 1
When you are getting on in years [1] (but not ill, of course), you get very sleepy at times[2], and the hours seem to pass like lazy cattle moving across a landscape[3]. It was like that for Chips [4]as the autumn term progressed and the days shortened till it was actually dark enough to light the gas before call-over [5]. For [6] Chips, like some old sea-captain, still measured time by the signals of the past; and well he might [7], for he lived at Mrs. Wickett's [8], just across the road from the School[9]. He had been there more than a decade [10], ever since [11] he finally gave up his mastership [12]; and it was Brookfield far more than Greenwich time that both he and his landlady kept [13]. 'Mrs. Wickett,' Chips would sing out [14], in that jerky, high-pitched voice [15] that had still a good deal of[16]sprightliness[17]in it, 'you might[18]bring me a cup of tea before prep[19], will you?'
When you are getting on in years it is nice to sit by the fire[20]and drink a cup of tea and listen to the school bell sounding dinner, call-over, prep, and lights out[21]. Chips always wound up the clock[22]after that last bell[23]; then he put the wire guard[24]in front of the fire, turned out the gas[25], and carried a detective novel to bed[26]. Rarely did he read more than a page of it[27]before sleep came swiftly and peacefully, more like a mystic intensifying of perception than any changeful entrance into another world[28]. For[29]his days and nights were equally full of[30]dreaming.
He was getting on in years (but not ill, of course); indeed, as Doctor Merivale[31]said, there was really nothing the matter with[32]him. 'My dear fellow, you're fitter[33]than I am,' Merivale would say, sipping a glass of sherry[34]when he called every fortnight or so[35]. 'You're past the age when people get these horrible diseases; you're one of the few lucky ones who're going to die a really natural death[36]. That is[37], of course, if you die at all[38]. You're such a remarkable old boy[39]that one never knows[40].' But when Chips had a cold[41]or when east winds roared over the fenlands, Merivale would sometimes take Mrs. Wickett aside[42]in the lobby[43]and whisper: 'Look after him, you know[44]. His chest ... it puts a strain on his heart.[45]Nothing really wrong with him[46]-- only anno domini[47], but that's the most fatal complaint[48]of all, in the end[49] …'
[1] getting on in years渐渐老了；上年纪
[2] at times时常；是习语
[3] a landscape一片风景
[4] Chips [tʃɪps]契普斯，本书主人公，其实这是他的绰号；他姓Chipping ['tʃɪpɪŋ]，但学生们都称他Chips。
[5] the days shortened till it was actually dark enough to light the gas before call-over白日一天短一天，短到在点名之前已经暗得要点煤气灯。it指天色；gas指煤气灯。call-over=roll-call点名。日长的时候当在点名之后才点灯。
[6] For并列连词，引起一个全句。
[7] well he might=he might well measure['meʒə]time by the signals of the past. well=reasonably.
[8] at Mrs. Wickett's. ['wɪkɪts]=at Mrs. Wickett's house or home.
[9] across the road from the School在这所学校对面。across the road from也可作across from。School专指Brookfield ['brʊkfi:ld]公学，所以用大写开首，参见下文。
[10] decade ['dekeɪd]十年
[11] ever since自从；比since语气重，有“自从……以来一向”的意思。
[12] give up ['gɪv 'ʌp] his mastership放弃他的教员职位。
[13] it was Brookfield far more than Greenwich ['grɪnɪdʒ] time that both he and his landlady ['læn'leɪdɪ] kept是both he and his landlady kept Brookfield far more than Greenwich time的强调句，意思是说“他和他的女房东所遵照的时间，与其说是格林威治（世界标准）时间，远不如说是布鲁克菲尔德时间。”Brookfield英国地名，也是当地的学校名，这里指Brookfield time。Greenwich在英国伦敦附近，为本初子午线经过的地方。
[14] would sing out时常高声喊道。would表示过去惯常的行为。
[15] jerky, high-pitched ['haɪ'pɪtʃt] voice断断续续的，音调高的声音
[16] a good deal of许多（后面接不可数名词）
[17] sprightliness ['spraɪtlɪnɪs]生气勃勃
[18] you might意思相当于I request you to，是一种客气的祈使句式。句末附加疑问will you，也是客气的语气。
[19] before prep在上预备课之前。prep学生用语，是preparation的简写。
[20] sit by the fire坐在火炉旁边。fire火炉中的火。
[21] the school bell sounding dinner, call-over, prep, and lights out学校的钟声响起，通知吃晚饭、点名、上预备课和熄灯。dinner正餐，一般是晚上的一顿主餐，不是supper。
[22] wound [waʊnd] up the clock给钟上发条；开钟。wound是wind [waɪnd]的过去式。
[23] after that last bell最后一次敲钟（指熄灯钟）之后
[24] wire guard（放在火炉前的）金属丝安全罩
[25] turned out the gas关掉煤气
[26] to bed就寝；并不着重“到床上去”。这里的bed带有抽象的意思。
[27] Rarely did he read more than a page of it=He rarely read [red] more than a page of it.因略有否定意味的副词rarely放在句首，所以句中主谓倒装。
[28] more like a mystic intensifying of perception than any changeful entrance into another world（修饰sleep）更像是一种神秘的感知强化，而不像是任何变幻莫测的世界切换。因Chips年迈，醒时所见反不如梦中所见的清楚。
[29] For并列连词，引起一个全句。
[30] full of充满
[31] Doctor Merivale ['merɪveɪl]梅里韦尔医生
[32] the matter with=amiss with, wrong with，对于……失常的。the matter有形容词的作用。
[33] fitter更健康的
[34] sherry ['ʃerɪ]西班牙等地产的葡萄酒；雪利酒
[35] called every fortnight or so每（隔）两星期左右来访一次
[36] 're going to die a really natural death将真正自然地死去。die a natural death指因年老或疾病而死，有别于因事故、遇害、自杀等而死。
[37] That is那就是说；即
[38] if you die at all承接上句，省去主句you're going to die a really natural death。
[39] old boy老头儿，也作对男子的昵称
[40] one never knows人们无从逆料（他究竟如何）。这里有“也许他竟会不死”的含义。one泛指“人们”。
[41] had a cold伤风
[42] take Mrs. Wickett aside把Mrs. Wickett拉到旁边
[43] lobby前室；门廊
[44] you know你该知道（谈话中常用的口头语）
[45] His chest ... it puts a strain on his heart.这里it是赘词。作者用省略号表示医生说了His chest后停顿了一下，再接下去说时，插入一个it代his chest。put a strain on his heart增加他心脏的负担；压迫心脏。
[46] Nothing really wrong with him=There is nothing really wrong with him他并不真有什么毛病。wrong with=上文的the matter with。
[47] anno domini ['ænəʊ'dɒmɪnaɪ]（口语）老年；一般用大写，原义是“公元”。
[48] fatal complaint致命的疾病
[49] in the end到底；究竟
(……to be continued)
