Do you think a cat would lie down before it? Can you poke it? If you can't poke it, it is a fraud. To poke a wood-fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world. The crowning human virtue in a man is to let his wife poke the fire. I do not know how any virtue whatever is possible over an imitation gas-log. What a sense of insincerity the family must have, if they indulge in the hypocrisy of gathering about it. With this center of untruthfulness, what must the life in the family be?英文原著 · 《The Complete Writings-1》
"Send for the kitchen poker, sir: I'll soon unlock it."
"Fetch the kitchen poker," said Vane. "Good gracious! sir," said Cooper; "he only wants that to knock all our brains out. You have no idea of his strength and ferocity."
"Well lied, Cooper," said Alfred ironically. "Fetch _me_ the poker," said Vane. Cooper went for it, and came back with the key instead. The door was opened, and they all entered. Alfred looked under the bed.英文原著 · 《Hard Cash》
That priest is the poker. Made of a material more merciless and warlike than the other instruments of domesticity, hammered on the anvil and born itself in the flame, the poker is strong enough to enter the burning fiery furnace, and, like the holy children, not be consumed. In this heroic service it is often battered and twisted, but is the more honourable for it, like any other soldier who has been under fire.英文原著 · 《A Miscellany of Men》
So you see what a fellow misses by having to go to the show in the afternoon, like the girls and the a-b-abs. The boys from across the tracks get to go at night. They have all the fun. When they go they don't have to poke along, and poke along, and keep hold of hands so as not to get lost. Aw, hurry up, can't you? Don't you hear the band playing? It'll be all over before we get there.英文原著 · 《Back Home》
The Temperance commissioners In awful conclave sat, Their noses into this to poke To poke them into that - In awful conclave sat they, And swore a solemn oath, That snuff should make no Briton sneeze, That smokers all to smoke should cease, They swore to conquer both.英文原著 · 《Cambridge Pieces》
Nancy put her hand roughly before the woman's mouth. "Hold your tongue, ye great soft--" And, without finishing her sentence, she darted to the chimney and seized the hand with both her own and pulled it with such violence that the wrist followed it through the masonry, and a roar was heard. "Hold on to my waist, Polly," she cried. "Jenny, take the poker, and that string, and tie his hand to it while we hold on. Quick! quick! Are ye asleep?"
Thus adjured, the mite got the poker against the wall and tried to tie the wrist to it. This, however, was not easy, the hand struggled so desperately.英文原著 · 《Foul Play》