4.The Coffee-house was the great resort by day.The Cocoa-Tree was the most celebrated Tory house；the St.James‘s，that most frequented by Whigs.A Club then meant a company of men who met regularly on certain evenings in a tavern for supper and conversation.
5.The use of mahogany for furniture，the more general adoption of carpets，and the improvement of earthenware，made household life more refined and comfortable；but the low-ceiled rooms and the narrow windows of the houses still gave but an insufficient supply of light and air.
6.The most remarkable part of a lady’s dress was the Hoop，a kind of cage on which the flowered brocade of the skirt was extended to an enormous size.Every lady also carried a Fan，of which she made constant use-furling，opening，fluttering it ceaselessly.Her face was spotted with black patches，which at a certain time had a political meaning，Tory ladies wearing the spotson the left temple，and Whigs on the right.
7.The dress worn by a gentleman was stiff and artificial.A huge periwig，white being most prized，flowed with bushy curls on his shoulders，at the beginning of the period.This gave way to powdered hair，tied behind in an enormous queue.His coat was of claret velvet，or of sky-blue silk，heavily bordered with gold or silver lace；his vest of flowered silk extended its flaps half-way to the knee；his three-cornered hat was carried under his arm，an empty form；knee-breeches，silk stockings，and diamond-buckled shoes completed his costume.
8.At the evening parties，which were called ridottos or drums，gambling was practised to a terrible extent.It was indeed the great vice of the age.Gentlemen gambled at their clubs，ladies in their boudoirs；and it was no uncommon thing to lose or to win ？10，000in a single night at cards or at dice.The stately minuet was the fashionable dance；but there were gayer movements also，such as the cotillon and the coranto.Duels constantly resulted from these evening assemblies：the usual places for deciding these “affairs of honour”were Hyde Park Ring，or the grassy space behind Montague House.
9.The behaviour of people in church contrasted strangely with that now usual.A lady came to stare about her，to flutter her fan，and to greet her friends.A gentleman made his bow all round，refreshed himself with snuff，and settled down to sleep.When the preacher concluded a passage of striking eloquence，or made an apt political allusion，the congregation often raised a loud Hum of approval.
10.Bath，Epsom，and Tunbridge Wells were the principal provincial places of resort.There all the follies of metropolitan life were acted over again，with the difference of rural surroundings.The constant embroilments with France and Spain，as well as the insecurity of travel，prevented the natives of Britain from visiting the Continent，except on rare occasions.
11.The authors of this time belonged to one of two classes.A fortunate writer attracted the attention of some eminent statesman，who gave him a pension or a sinecure，and employed his pen in the writing of pamphlets favourable to certain public measures.Most writers，however，were denizens of “Grub Street，”-a locality where the most hapless and improvident literarymen herded together，eking out a scanty livelihood by compiling books anddrudging for booksellers.
中文阅读
1.在18世纪，用于将商店和民居彼此区别开来的不是数字，而是悬挂在每个门上吱嘎作响的标志物。这些东西如今主要限于客栈使用，但是“蓝野猪”、“金钥匙”、“展翅的雄鹰”以及类似标志物，那时候却在各个街道上绚丽多彩地闪耀。
2.出租马车多得数不清，但是轿子却是城市中最时髦的运输工具。船夫也让乘客在他们的摆渡船上沿楼梯排列整齐。到了晚上，油灯昏暗地照着街道，那些夜行的人，通常会雇一名拿火炬的人，在他们跟前举着火把照路。不过，这些“火炬手”往往是伦敦众多窃贼的同谋。
3.晚上大街上的另一个麻烦之源，主要是贵族流氓或其他放纵青年团伙的骚扰。这些人“带着蛮横和放纵四处游荡”，他们不将孱弱的城市巡卫们放在眼里，在城市主干道上招摇过市，意图袭击自己偶然撞上的倒霉市民。
4.咖啡店是白天的好去处。“可可树”是最著名的托利党人去的咖啡店，而“圣詹姆士”咖啡店则是辉格党人最常去的地方。那时的俱乐部，还只表示一群在特定夜晚经常聚在一起的人，到某个酒店共进晚餐和谈心。
5.用红木做家具，地毯的较普遍使用以及陶器的发展，使得家庭生活越更加讲究、更加舒适；但是，低天花板房间和屋里的窄窗户仍然只能提供不充足的光线和空气。
6.女性服装最显眼的部分是“撑裙箍”，其实就是一个笼子，将裙子上绣花的锦缎撑到很大的尺寸。每个妇女都还要带一把扇子并不停地使用--无休止地折起、打开、扇动。她的脸上点缀以黑色的饰颜片，这种装饰物在特定时期有着政治含义，托利党的妇女将饰颜片贴在左太阳穴处，而辉格党的女士则贴在右边。
7.绅士们穿的衣服既古板又做作。在这一时期最初阶段，男士们戴上巨大的假发（白色的最上档次），浓密的卷发向下平滑地搭在肩膀上。后来，这种样式让位于点状的假发，浓密而整齐地贴在脑袋后面。他的外套是暗紫红色的天鹅绒或者天蓝色的丝绸制成的，边缘处镶有很多金边或银边；他的有鲜花装饰的丝制马甲，前沿向下垂到一半直到膝盖处；他的三角帽夹在腋窝里，根本不实用；加上齐膝的短裤、丝袜以及带有方形扣的鞋子，便构成了他的装束。
8.在被称为“歌舞会”或“鼓会”的晚间聚会上，赌博已经进行到了无以复加的程度。它实际上是那个时代的一大恶习。绅士们在他们的俱乐部赌博，女人们则在闺房里赌，仅玩一夜的纸牌或掷一晚上的骰子便输赢1万英磅，并不是什么罕见的事情。高雅的“米哀奴舞”是很流行的舞蹈，不过也有更加欢快的舞种如“四对舞”和“库特兰舞”。这些晚间聚会经常会导致决斗，解决这些“有关脸面的事”的常见场所是海德公园圆形决斗场，或者是蒙他圭别墅后面的绿草空地。
9.教堂里人们的行为与现在常见的相比，显得很奇怪。某位女士瞪着眼走进来，扇着扇子，向她的朋友打招呼。一位绅士四处鞠躬，嗅着鼻子提神，然后坐下睡觉。当传教士滔滔不绝地讲完一段话，或者打一个颇有政治意味的比喻时，与会者一般会洪亮地发出一声“嗯哼”以示赞同。
10.巴斯、埃普索姆和囤布里奇韦尔斯是主要的省级胜地。在那里，城市生活中的所有糗事一再上演，只不过换成了不同的乡村背景罢了。与法国和西班牙连绵不断的纠纷，再加上旅行无法保证安全，便阻碍了英国本地人到美洲大陆参观，在非常时期更是如此。
11.这一时期的作家都属于两个阶层中的某一个。少数作家能吸引一些杰出政治家的注意，后者给他一份养老金或一份闲职，用他的笔杆子写一些迎合某些社会标准的小册子。然而多数作家不过是“格拉布街”a的居民。最不幸的和最没出息的文人墨客群居于此地，通过编辑图书和替书商干活勉强糊口。
a Grub Street，穷作家聚居区。--译者注
142
GEORGE IV
乔治四世
1820to 1830A.D.-10years（公元1820~1830年，在位10年）Arctic，northern；polar.
grave，serious.
had to be given up，could not be proved.injured，wronged；badly treated.passage，water-way.
polished，refined.
repealed，no longer regarded as laws；done away with.
subject to，ruled over by.
1.Soon after the Prince Regent had become King，a plot was formed to murder the Prime Minister and the other members of the Government，to break open the prisons，and to set London on fire；but the plot was discovered，and the ringleaders were executed.
2.George the Fourth had for twenty-five years been married to Caroline of Brunswick；but he had used her very cruelly，and she had long been forced to live away from him.On his coming to the throne，however，she returned to England to claim her position as Queen.