In the year of our Lord, 1867, there came to work at No. 145 Broadway a thin, prematurely old and gray young man of not more than twenty-six years. No one seemed to know anything about him, and he soon dropped into our ranks and came and went day after day without eliciting（诱发，刺激） much interest on the part of those around him. He was very quiet, and seldom spoke unless addressed, but then in a low and sweetly musical voice. That he was intelligent and well educated everybody conceded（承认，退让） , but he manifested（显示，证明） no disposition（性情，倾向） to mix with the general throng（人群，众多） ; and thus it happened that the general throng, without thinking much about it, came to speak of him with more respect than the appellation（名称，称呼） given him would imply as “old George Phipps,” and to leave him pretty much to himself. He sat right across the aisle（通道，走廊） from me, and I often studied his sad though pleasant face, and ere long（不久，很快） put his name down in my mind with those of some other men I had met, and whom I may briefly describe by stating that they were men with histories. Yes, I was moderately sure that George Phipps had a history, and I longed to know what it was, and give him my young and boyish（男孩的） friendship for all it was worth. But months passed, and we knew no more of our associate than we did when he came, except that he was a magnificent operator, and that he was as sweet as a day in June, though as sad, as I have indicated, as the melancholy（忧愁，悲哀） and sighing days of the later autumn. His voice and manner always reminded me of the falling of the hectic（兴奋的，狂热的） October leaves, the surging of the autumn wind through leafless branches. But the glorious sunbeams（阳光） were always resting on his head, making sweet and loveable his life and character.
One night we had a severe sleet（雨夹雪） storm, and hardly a wire was left intact in any direction. The full force had been ordered on duty waiting for the lines to come “O.K.” and sal about in little knots, telling stories and speculating on the chances of being kept on duty until morning. For a time I formed one of a little company, but not being particularly interested in the topic of discussion, and seeing George Phipps sitting alone, I approached him. After a short exchange of common-places, I asked, abruptly:
“Are you a married man, Mr. Phipps?”
The reply came slowly: “No.”
If that little monosyllable（单音节词） had been kept on ice for a century it could not have been colder. I saw that I had been imprudent（轻率的，鲁莽的） , that I had awkwardly touched a chord in the man’s heart that was sacred. I was very sorry, and being very young and inexperienced in hiding my emotions, I made a failure of it. The tears came into my eyes, my lip trembled, and I felt wretched. He saw the state of things at a glance, and said, kindly: