True eccentrics never deliberately set out to draw attention to themselves. They disregard social conventions without being conscious that they are doing anything extraordinary. The invariably wins them the love and respect of others, for they add colour to the dull routine of everyday life.
    真正的怪人从不刻意把注意力聚焦在自己身上。他们无视社会风俗，意识不到他们正在做不寻常的事情。他们总能赢得别人的尊敬和爱戴，因为他们为单调的生活添加了一抹亮色。
    PS: set out to, 打算…
    PS++: draw attention to, 聚焦于…
    PS++++: without being conscious that, 意识不到…
    PS++++++: win sb. sth, 为某人赢得某物
    PS++++++++: add colour to dull routine life, 为乏味的生活添加一抹亮色，dull routine life, 乏味的、按部就班的生活

    Up to the time of his death, Richard Colson was one of the most notable figures in our town. He was a shrewd and wealthy businessman, but most people in the town hardly knew anything about this side of his life.
    理查德·科尔森生前是我们镇上几个最有名的人之一。他是个精明强干且富有的商人，但是我们镇上的大部分人都对他这方面的生活毫无了解。
    PS: Up to the time, 直到…

    He was known to us all as Dickie and his eccentricity had become legendary long before his death.
    他以迪基的名字为人所知，早在他去世前，他的古怪行为就成了传奇故事。
    PS: be known to…, 以…为人所知

    Dickie disliked snobs intensely. Though he owned a large car, he hardly ever used it, preferring always to go on foot. Even when it was raining heavily, he refused to carry an umbrella.
    迪基非常不喜欢势利小人。虽然他有一辆大车，他却几乎不开它，而更喜欢步行。即使下很大雨，他也拒绝带雨伞。

    One day, he walked into an expensive shop after having been caught in a particular heavy shower. He wanted to buy a £300 watch for his wife, but he was in such a bedraggled condition that an assistant refused to serve him.
    某天，他淋了一场大雨，像一只落汤鸡般走入了一家奢侈的店铺。他想给老婆买一块300英镑的手表，但是他是如此的拖泥带水，以至于服务员都拒绝服务他。
    PS: be caught in, 卷入
    PS++: in such a condition，如此…

    Dickie left the shop without a word and returned carrying a large cloth bag. As it was extremely heavy, he dumped it on the counter. The assistant asked him to leave, but Dickie paid no attention to him and requested to see the manager.
    迪基一言不发地离开了商店，然后带了一个大布包回来。因为太重了，所以他直接把布袋扔在了柜台上。服务员要求他离开，他丝毫不理会，并要求见经理。
    PS: without a word, 一言不发

    Recognising who the costomer was, the manager was most apologetic and reprimanded the assistant severely.
    在认出客人之后，经理表示了最大的歉意并狠狠地训斥了服务员。
    PS: be most apologetic，表示最大的歉意

    When Dickie was given the watch, he presented the assistant with the cloth bag. It contained £300 in pannies. He insisted on the assistant’s counting the money before he leave — 30,000 pannies in all!
    当迪基拿到手表时，他把布包拿给服务员。里边有价值300英镑的便士硬币！他坚持要服务员在他离开之前数完这30000个便士硬币！

    On another occasion, he invited a number of important critics to see his private collection of modern paintings. This exhibition received a great deal of attention in the press, for though the pictures were supposed to be the work of famous artists, they had in fact been painted by Dickie.
    另一件事，他邀请了很多著名的评论家去看他的私人现代画藏品。这次展会在出版界掀起了很大的波澜， 因为这些画表面上是著名画家画的，但实际上就是迪基自己画的！
    PS: on another occation, 另一件事
    PS++: be supposed to be, 似乎是，似是而非

    It took him four years to stage his elaborate joke simply to prove that critics don’t always know what they are talking about!
    他花了四年的时间去准备这个详尽的笑话，仅仅为了证明评论家们并不知道自己在说啥！
    PS: stage, 准备、策划

    =============================================
    补充知识：关于下雨的几个讲法
    1. 毛毛雨, 用drizzling
    It’s drizzling.
    在下毛毛雨了

    2. 阵雨，用shower；雷阵雨用thunder shower.
    There will be a thunder shower tomorrow afternoon.
    明天下午有雷阵雨

    3. 大雨，用pour或者cats and dogs
    It’s pouring outside.
    It rains cats and dogs.
    外边正在下大雨

    或者downpour
    It’s a great downpour.
    好大一场雨。

    补充：广东话里，下雨又叫“下狗屎”