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It was all very well to whisper that he had been "helped" to leave England by the international banking-house in which he had been employed;
虽然有传闻说，他是由雇佣他的国际银行“帮助”离开英国的，
he carried off that rumour as easily as the rest--
但他对这一谣言跟对其他谣言一样满不在乎。
though New York's business conscience was no less sensitive than its moral standard--he carried everything before him,
尽管纽约的商业良心跟它的道德准则一样地敏感，但他搬走了挡在前面的一切障碍，
and all New York into his drawing-rooms,
并把全纽约的人搬进了他的客厅。
and for over twenty years now people had said they were "going to the Beauforts'"
二十多年来，人们说起“要去博福特家”，
with the same tone of security as if they had said they were going to Mrs. Manson Mingott's,
那口气就跟说去曼森·明戈特太太家一样地心安理得，
and with the added satisfaction of knowing they would get hot canvas-back ducks and vintage wines,
外加一种明知会享受灰背野鸭与陈年佳酿——
instead of tepid Veuve Clicquot without a year and warmed-up croquettes from Philadelphia.
而非劣酒与炸丸子——的满足。
Mrs. Beaufort, then, had as usual appeared in her box just before the Jewel Song;
于是，跟往常一样，博福特太太在《朱厄尔之歌》开唱之前准时出现在她的包厢里；
and when, again as usual, she rose at the end of the third act, drew her opera cloak about her lovely shoulders, and disappeared,
她又跟往常一样在第三幕结束时站了起来，拉一拉披在她可爱的肩膀上的歌剧斗篷，退场了。
New York knew that meant that half an hour later the ball would begin.
全纽约的人都明白，这意味着半小时后舞会即将开始。
The Beaufort house was one that New Yorkers were proud to show to foreigners, especially on the night of the annual ball.
博福特的家是纽约人乐于向外国人炫耀的一处住宅，尤其是在举办一年一度的舞会的晚上。
The Beauforts had been among the first people in New York to own their own red velvet carpet
博福特夫妇是纽约第一批拥有自己的红丝绒地毯的人，
and have it rolled down the steps by their own footmen, under their own awning, instead of hiring it with the supper and the ball-room chairs.
他们在自己的凉棚下面，让自己的男仆把地毯从门阶上铺下来；而不是像预订晚餐和舞厅用的椅子一样从外面租来。
They had also inaugurated the custom of letting the ladies take their cloaks off in the hall,
他们还开创了让女士们在门厅里脱下斗篷的风习，
instead of shuffling up to the hostess's bedroom and recurling their hair with the aid of the gas-burner;
而不是把斗篷乱堆到楼上女主人的卧室里，再用煤气喷嘴重卷头发。
Beaufort was understood to have said that
据悉博福特曾经说过，
he supposed all his wife's friends had maids who saw to it that they were properly coiffees when they left home.
他认为妻子所有的朋友出门时都已由女佣替她们做好了头发。
Then the house had been boldly planned with a ball-room,
而且，那幢带舞厅的住宅设计得十分气派，
so that, instead of squeezing through a narrow passage to get to it (as at the Chiverses')
人们不必穿过狭窄的过道，像奇弗斯家那样，
one marched solemnly down a vista of enfiladed drawing- rooms (the sea-green, the crimson and the bouton d'or),
便可昂首阔步地从两排相对的客厅，海绿色的、猩红色的金黄色的中间走进舞厅。
seeing from afar the many-candled lustres reflected in the polished parquetry,
从远处即可看到映在上光镶花地板上的许多蜡烛的光辉，
and beyond that the depths of a conservatory where camellias and tree-ferns arched their costly foliage over seats of black and gold bamboo.
再往远处看，可以望见一座温室的深处，山茶与桫楞的枝叶在黑、黄两色的竹椅上空形成拱顶。
