Their attempt to bribe the clerk had failed.

贿赂那位办事员的企图没有成功。

Insolvent tenants openly defied the collector of the waterrate from their ten-roomed strongholds, and existed for weeks without any visible means of procuring that necessary fluid.

无偿付能力的房客，公然反抗收缴的八居室要塞的水费的办事员，尽管看有办法获得这种生活所必需的液体，可已经继续生存好几个礼拜了。