three men on the bummel(眉倖椀剛議繁)-及11嫗
梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈��梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈��梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ● 辛指欺云匈競何��
!!!!隆堋響頼��紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響��
some judicious praise。 I said�此�
;Watching you do this is of real use to me。 It is not only your skill
and dexterity that fascinates me�察�it is your cheery confidence in yourself�察�
your inexplicable hopefulness�察�that does me good。;
Thus encouraged�察�he set to work to refix the gear´case。 He stood the
bicycle against the house�察�and worked from the off side。 Then he stood it
against a tree�察 �and worked from the near side。 Then I held it for him�察�
while he lay on the ground with his head between the wheels�察�and worked
at it from below�察 �and dropped oil upon himself。 Then he took it away
from me�察�and doubled himself across it like a pack´saddle�察�till he lost his
balance and slid over on to his head。 Three times he said�此�
;Thank Heaven�察�that's right at last� ─�
And twice he said�此�
;No�察�I'm damned if it is after all� ─�
What he said the third time I try to forget。
Then he lost his temper and tried bullying the thing。 The bicycle�察�I
was glad to see�察 �showed spirit�察 �and the subsequent proceedings
degenerated into little else than a rough´and´tumble fight between him and
the machine。 One moment the bicycle would be on the gravel path�察�and
he on top of it�察�the next�察�the position would be reversedhe on the gravel
path�察�the bicycle on him。 Now he would be standing flushed with victory�察�
the bicycle firmly fixed between his legs。 But his triumph would be
short´lived。 By a sudden�察 �quick movement it would free itself�察 �and�察�
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turning upon him�察�hit him sharply over the head with one of its handles。
At a quarter to one�察�dirty and dishevelled�察�cut and breeding�察�he said�此�
;I think that will do�察─�and rose and wiped his brow。
The bicycle looked as if it also had had enough of it。 Which had
received most punishment it would have been difficult to say。 I took him
into the back kitchen�察 �where�察 �so far as was possible without soda and
proper tools�察�he cleaned himself�察�and sent him home。
The bicycle I put into a cab and took round to the nearest repairing
shop。 The foreman of the works came up and looked at it。
;What do you want me to do with that�拭─�said he。
;I want you�察─�I said�察 �so far as is possible�察�to restore it。;
;It's a bit far gone�察─�said he�察 �but I'll do my best。;
He did his best�察�which came to two pounds ten。 But it was never the
same machine again�察 �and at the end of the season I left it in an agent's
hands to sell。 I wished to deceive nobody�察 �I instructed the man to
advertise it as a last year's machine。 The agent advised me not to
mention any date。 He said�此�
;In this business it isn't a question of what is true and what isn't�察�it's a
question of what you can get people to believe。 Now�察�between you and
me�察�it don't look like a last year's machine�察�so far as looks are concerned�察�it
might be a ten´year old。 We'll say nothing about date�察�we'll just get what
we can。;
I left the matter to him�察�and he got me five pounds�察�which he said was
more than he had expected。
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle�此 �you can
;overhaul; it�察�or you can ride it。 On the whole�察�I am not sure that a man
who takes his pleasure overhauling does not have the best of the bargain。
He is independent of the weather and the wind�察 �the state of the roads
troubles him not。 Give him a screw´ hammer�察�a bundle of rags�察�an oil´
can�察�and something to sit down upon�察�and he is happy for the day。 He has
to put up with certain disadvantages�察 �of course�察 �there is no joy without
alloy。 He himself always looks like a tinker�察 �and his machine always
suggests the idea that�察�having stolen it�察�he has tried to disguise it�察�but as he
rarely gets beyond the first milestone with it�察�this�察�perhaps�察�does not much
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THREE MEN ON THE BUMMEL
matter。 The mistake some people make is in thinking they can get both
forms of sport out of the same machine。 This is impossible�察�no machine
will stand the double strain。 You must make up your mind whether you
are going to be an ;overhauler; or a rider。 Personally�察 �I prefer to ride�察�
therefore I take care to have near me nothing that can tempt me to
overhaul。 When anything happens to my machine I wheel it to the
nearest repairing shop。 If I am too far from the town or village to walk�察�I
sit by the roadside and wait till a cart comes along。 My chief danger�察�I
always find�察 �is from the wandering overhauler。 The sight of a broken´
down machine is to the overhauler as a wayside corpse to a crow�察 �he
swoops down upon it with a friendly yell of triumph。 At first I used to
try politeness。 I would say�此�
;It is nothing�察�don't you trouble。 You ride on�察�and enjoy yourself�察�I
beg it of you as a favour�察�please go away。;
Experience has taught me�察�however�察�that courtesy is of no use in such
an extremity。 Now I say�此�
;You go away and leave the thing alone�察 �or I will knock your silly
head off。;
And if you look determined�察 �and have a good stout cudgel in your
hand�察�you can generally drive him off。
George came in later in the day。 He said�此�
;Well�察�do you think everything will be ready�拭─�
I said�此 �Everything will be ready by Wednesday�察 �except�察 �perhaps�察�
you and Harris。;
He said�此 �Is the tandem all right�拭─�
;The tandem�察─�I said�察 �is well。;
He said�此 �You don't think it wants overhauling�拭─�
I replied�此 �Age and experience have taught me that there are few
matters concerning which a man does well to be positive。 Consequently�察�
there remain to me now but a limited number of questions upon which I
feel any degree of certainty。 Among such still´unshaken beliefs�察�however�察�
is the conviction that that tandem does not want overhauling。 I also feel
a presentiment that�察�provided my life is spared�察�no human being between
now and Wednesday morning is going to overhaul it。;
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George said�此 �I should not show temper over the matter�察 �if I were
you。 There will come a day�察�perhaps not far distant�察�when that bicycle�察�
with a couple of mountains between it and the nearest repairing shop�察�will�察�
in spite of your chronic desire for rest�察 �HAVE to be overhauled。 Then
you will clamour for people to tell you where you put the oil´can�察 �and
what you have done with the screw´hammer。 Then�察 �while you exert
yourself holding the thing steady against a tree�察 �you will suggest that
somebody else should clean the chain and pump the back wheel。;
I felt there was justice in George's rebukealso a certain amount of
prophetic wisdom。 I said�此�
;Forgive me if I seemed unresponsive。