本文摘选自英国作家奥尔德斯·赫胥黎的Selected Snobberies，讨论世上种种势利现象。作者最为世人所知的代表作是《美丽新世界》。承接前文//www.greatytc.com/writer#/notebooks/43043565/notes/60904532

Disease-snobbery is only one out of a great multitude of snobberies, of which now some, now others take pride of place in general esteem.

1. pride of place 头等重要的位置；首要地位；傲慢

2. 翻译：因疾病而生之势利仅是众多的势利中的一种，在这众多的势利中，有时有这样或那样的势利在人们心目中独尊其位。

For snobberies ebb and flow; their empire rises, declines, and falls in the most approved historical manner.

3. ebb：n. 退潮；衰退；衰落  vi. 衰退；衰落；潮退；减少

    ebb and flow 潮的涨落,盛衰,消长

4. 翻译：因为势利也有盛衰消长，他们的帝国也以最为公认的历史方式兴盛、衰落、消亡。

What were good snobberies a hundred years ago are now out of fashion. Thus, the snobbery of family is everywhere on the decline.

5. 翻译：一百年以前的好势利感现在已经过时了，因此，家庭出身的势利感在各地都在衰落之中。

The snobbery of culture, still strong, has now to wrestle with an organized and active low-browism, with a snobbery of ignorance and stupidity unique, so far as I know, in the whole of history.

6. wrestle  vi. 斗争；摔跤； vt. 与摔跤；与…搏斗

    wrestle with全力对付，努力克服

7. low-brow  adj. 缺乏文化修养的；庸俗的，低俗的  n. 教养浅薄的人,下里巴人

    low-browism  n.大老粗主义

    high-brow  adj. 文化修养高的  n. 文化修养高的人，阳春白雪

8. The snobbery of culture （主语）has to wrestle with an organized and active low-browism（宾语①），(wrestle) with a snobbery of ignorance and stupidity.

9.  翻译：仍在盛行的文化势利感现在必须和有组织的、活跃的大老粗主义，以及就我所知在整个历史上独一无二的无知愚昧势利力量去拼搏。

Hardly less characteristic of our age is that repulsive booze-snobbery(狂饮势利感) born of American Prohibition.

10. hardly(几乎不) less(较少的): 双重否定，意思为“一点也不，几乎一样”

11. repulsive  adj. 令人厌恶的,可憎的

repulsively  adv.冷淡地

repulse  n.拒绝；击退  vt.拒绝；驱逐；憎恶

repulsion  n.排斥；反驳；反感；厌恶

repulsiveness  n.排斥；厌恶

12. American Prohibition：1920-1933美国禁酒令，凡是制造、售卖乃至于运输酒精含量超过0.5%以上的饮料皆属违法。自己在家里喝酒不算犯法，但与朋友共饮或举行酒宴则属违法，最高可被罚款1000美元及监禁半年。 21岁以上的人才能买到酒，并需要出示年龄证明，而且只能到限定的地方购买。

13. 翻译：几乎同样反映了我们时代特征的是那令人厌恶的产生于美国禁酒时期的对狂饮的势利感。

The malefic influences of this snobbery are rapidly spreading all over the world. Even in France, where the existence of so many varieties of delicious wine had hitherto imposed a judicious connoisseurship(鉴赏力) and has led to the branding of mere drinking as a brutish solecism, even in France ,the American booze-snobbery, with its odious accompaniments —— a taste for hard drinks in general and for cocktails in particular is making headway among the rich.

14. malefic  adj. 有害的；邪恶的

15. hitherto  adv. 到目前为止

16. judicious  adj. 明智的;明断的

judiciously  adv.明智而审慎地；明断地

judging  adj.决断型  vi.判断（judge的现在分词）；评判  vt.判断；审判（judge的现在分词）

judgment  n.判断；裁判；判决书；辨别力

judiciousness  n.明智

17. brutish adj. 粗野的；残忍的；野兽般的

brute  adj.残忍的；无理性的  n.畜生；残暴的人

brutal  adj.残忍的；野蛮的，不讲理的

brutally  adv.残忍地；野蛮地；兽性地

brutishly  adv.残酷地；粗野地

brutalize  vi.变粗暴；变残忍  vt.残酷地对待；使像野兽般残忍，使变得残酷无情

brutalization  n.兽性；残酷

18. solecism  n.失礼,无礼

19. odious  adj. 讨厌的；可憎的

20. Even in France, where the existence of so many varieties of delicious wine had hitherto imposed a judicious connoisseurship(鉴赏力) and has led to the branding of mere drinking as a brutish solecism, even in France ,the American booze-snobbery, with its odious accompaniments —— a taste for hard drinks in general and for cocktails in particular —— is making headway among the rich.

这个句子比较长，可以稍微拆分一下，两个并列主语各引导从句，这样就容易理解多了。

主语①Even in France, where the existence of so many varieties of delicious wine (where引导的从句形容France,法国有各种各样的美酒) had hitherto imposed a judicious connoisseurship （各种美酒使得他们有品酒的鉴赏力） and  has led to the branding of mere drinking as a brutish solecism（各种美酒使得他们将喝烈酒视为失礼行为）；

主语② even in France ,the American booze-snobbery, with its odious accompaniments （即使在法国，美国狂饮势利感及其伴随而来的可憎的爱好）—— a taste for hard drinks in general and for cocktails in particular （美国狂饮的行为：通常喜欢喝烈酒，特别是爱喝鸡尾酒）

主语①+主语② is making headway among the rich.

21. 翻译：这种势利的有害影响正迅速扩散到全世界。即使在法国，由于有这样多不同种类的葡萄美酒，一直使品酒时极有鉴赏力，而把喝烈酒视为粗野的失礼行为；即使在法国，美国的狂饮势利感及其伴随而来的可憎的爱好——通常喜欢喝烈酒，特别是爱喝鸡尾酒——在有钱人中大有进展。

Booze-snobbery has now made it socially permissible, and in some circles (圈子)even rather creditable, for well-brought-up men and (this is the novelty新鲜的) well-brought up women of all ages, from fifteen to seventy, to be seen drunk, if not in public, at least in the very much tempered privacy of a party.

22. 这一句也比较好理解，将插入语①and in some circles even rather creditable，插入语②for well-brought-up men and well-brought up women of all ages, from fifteen to seventy，插入语③ if not in public, at least in the very much tempered privacy of a party拿掉，剩下的就是句子主干了。

Booze-snobbery has made it permissible to be seen drunk.

23. 翻译：由于这一势利感，有教养的男子和（这一点很新鲜）从15岁到70岁之间的有教养的妇女，如果还不能在大庭广众之下喝醉酒，至少在稍微公开的私人聚会上喝醉酒，这种行为社会是允许的，而且在某些圈子里还是相当受赞赏的。