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Archer contemplated with awe the two slender faded figures, seated side by side in a kind of viceregal rigidity,
阿切尔敬畏地思忖着这两个瘦弱的人，他们肩并肩坐在那儿，像总督一样严肃。
mouthpieces of some remote ancestral authority which fate compelled them to wield,
是命运强迫他们做了远古祖先的权威代言人，
when they would so much rather have lived in simplicity and seclusion,
尽管他们可能巴不得深居简出，
digging invisible weeds out of the perfect lawns of Skuytercliff, and playing Patience together in the evenings.
在斯库特克利夫的草坪上挖除杂草，晚上一起玩纸牌游戏。
Mr. van der Luyden was the first to speak.
范德卢顿先生第一个开口。
"You really think this is due to some--some intentional interference of Lawrence Lefferts's?" he enquired, turning to Archer.
“你真的以为这是劳伦斯·莱弗茨故意——捣乱的结果吗？”他转向阿切尔问道。
"I'm certain of it, sir.
“我敢肯定，大人。
Larry has been going it rather harder than usual lately--if cousin Louisa won't mind my mentioning it—
拉里最近特别放荡——但愿路易莎舅妈不介意我提这事——
having rather a stiff affair with the postmaster's wife in their village, or some one of that sort;
和他们村邮电局长的妻子还是什么人打得火热；
and whenever poor Gertrude Lefferts begins to suspect anything, and he's afraid of trouble, he gets up a fuss of this kind, to show how awfully moral he is,
每当格特鲁德·莱弗茨产生怀疑，他担心要出乱子的时候，就挑起这类事端，以显示他多么讲道德，
and talks at the top of his voice about the impertinence of inviting his wife to meet people he doesn't wish her to know.
他扯着嗓门嚷嚷，说邀请他妻子去见他不愿让她见的人是多么不合适。
He's simply using Madame Olenska as a lightning-rod; I've seen him try the same thing often before."
他纯粹是利用奥兰斯卡夫人做避雷针，他这种把戏我以前见得够多了。”
"The LEFFERTSES!--" said Mrs. van der Luyden.
“莱弗茨这家人！——”范德卢顿太太说。
"The LEFFERTSES!--" echoed Mrs. Archer. "What would uncle Egmont have said of Lawrence Lefferts's pronouncing on anybody's social position?
“莱弗茨这家人！——”阿切尔太太应声说。“假若埃格蒙特舅舅听到劳伦斯·莱弗茨对别人社会地位的看法，他会说什么呢？
It shows what Society has come to."
这说明上流社会已经到了什么地步了。”
"We'll hope it has not quite come to that," said Mr. van der Luyden firmly.
“我们但愿还没到那种地步，”范德卢顿先生坚定地说。
"Ah, if only you and Louisa went out more!" sighed Mrs. Archer.
“唉，要是你和路易莎多出去走走就好了！”阿切尔太太叹息道。
But instantly she became aware of her mistake.
然而她立即意识到了自己的错误。
The van der Luydens were morbidly sensitive to any criticism of their secluded existence.
范德卢顿夫妇对有关他们隐居生活的任何批评都敏感得要命。
They were the arbiters of fashion, the Court of last Appeal, and they knew it, and bowed to their fate.
他们是时尚的仲裁人，是终审法院，而且他们深知这一点，并听从命运的安排。
But being shy and retiring persons, with no natural inclination for their part, they lived as much as possible in the sylvan solitude of Skuytercliff,
但由于他们都属于怯懦畏缩的人，对他们的职责天生缺乏热情，所以他们尽可能多地住在斯库特克利夫幽僻的庄园中，
and when they came to town, declined all invitations on the plea of Mrs. van der Luyden's health.
进城的时候也以范德卢顿太太的健康为由，谢绝一切邀请。
