What can we infer from Thackery’s description abou

单项选择题

Washington Irving was America’s first man of letters to be known internationally. His works were received enthusiastically both in England and in the United States. He was, in fact, one of the most successful writers of his time in either country, delighting a large general public and at the same time winning the admiration of fellow writers like Scott in Britain and Poe and Hawthorne in the United States. The respect in which he was held was partly owing to the man himself, with his warm friendliness, his good sense, his politeness, his gay spirits, his artistic integrity, his love of both the Old World and the New World. Thackery described Irving as"a gentleman, who, though himself born in no very high sphere, was most finished, polished, witty; socially the equal of the most refined Europeans". In England he was granted an honorary degree from Oxford—an unusual honor for a citizen of a young, uncultured nation—and he received the medal of the Royal Society of Literature; America made him ambassador to Spain. Irving’s background provides little to explain his literary achievements. A gifted but delicate child, he had little schooling. He studied law, but without zeal, and never did practice seriously. He was immune to his strict Presbyterian(长老会教徒的)home environment, frequenting both social gatherings and the theater.

What can we infer from Thackery’s description about Irving

A．Irving tried to show elegance in society.
B．Irving’s parents were not aristocratic(贵族的) .
C．Irving’s social grace was as same as most refined Europeans.
D．Irving was inferior to Europeans of refinement.