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But New York had so long resigned itself to Medora that only a few old ladies shook their heads over Ellen's gaudy clothes,
然而纽约早已对梅多拉听之任之，只有几位老夫人对埃伦花哨俗气的穿着摇摇头，
while her other relations fell under the charm of her high colour and high spirits.
而另外的亲属却被她红扑扑的脸色与勃勃生气征服了。
She was a fearless and familiar little thing, who asked disconcerting questions, made precocious comments, and possessed outlandish arts,
她是个大胆的、无拘无束的小姑娘，爱问些不相宜的问题，发表早熟的议论，且掌握一些域外的艺术形式，
such as dancing a Spanish shawl dance and singing Neapolitan love-songs to a guitar.
比如跳西班牙披肩舞，伴着吉他唱那不勒斯情歌。
Under the direction of her aunt (whose real name was Mrs. Thorley Chivers,
在姑妈（她的真名是索利·奇弗斯太太，
but who, having received a Papal title, had resumed her first husband's patronymic,
但她接受教皇所授爵位后恢复了第一任丈夫的姓，
and called herself the Marchioness Manson, because in Italy she could turn it into Manzoni)
自称曼森侯爵夫人，因为在意大利这个姓可以改为曼佐尼）指导下，
the little girl received an expensive but incoherent education, which included "drawing from the model," a thing never dreamed of before,
小姑娘接受的教育虽开支昂贵却很不连贯，其中包括以前做梦都想不到的“照模特的样子画像”，
and playing the piano in quintets with professional musicians.
与职业乐师一起弹钢琴五重奏。
Of course no good could come of this;
这样的教育当然是无益的。
and when, a few years later, poor Chivers finally died in a mad- house, his widow (draped in strange weeds) again pulled up stakes and departed with Ellen,
几年之后，可怜的奇弗斯终于死在疯人院里，他的遗孀（穿着奇特的丧服）又一次收摊搬家，带着埃伦走了。
who had grown into a tall bony girl with conspicuous eyes.
这时埃伦已长成一个又高又瘦的大姑娘，两只眼睛分外引人注意。
For some time no more was heard of them;
有一段时间她们音讯全无，
then news came of Ellen's marriage to an immensely rich Polish nobleman of legendary fame, whom she had met at a ball at the Tuileries,
后来消息传来，说埃伦嫁给了在杜伊勒利宫舞会上认识的一位富有传奇色彩的波兰贵族富翁，
and who was said to have princely establishments in Paris, Nice and Florence,
据说他在巴黎、尼斯和佛罗伦萨都拥有豪华住宅，
a yacht at Cowes, and many square miles of shooting in Transylvania.
在考斯有一艘游艇，在特兰西瓦尼亚还有许多平方英里的猎场。
She disappeared in a kind of sulphurous apotheosis,
正当人们说得沸沸扬扬之时，她却突然销声匿迹了。
and when a few years later Medora again came back to New York, subdued, impoverished, mourning a third husband, and in quest of a still smaller house,
又过了几年，梅多拉为第三位丈夫服着丧，又一次穷困潦倒地回到纽约，寻找一所更小的房子。
people wondered that her rich niece had not been able to do something for her.
这时，人们不禁纳闷，她那富有的侄女怎么不伸出手来帮帮她。
Then came the news that Ellen's own marriage had ended in disaster,
后来又传来了埃伦本人婚姻不幸终结的消息，
and that she was herself returning home to seek rest and oblivion among her kinsfolk.
她自己也要回家，到亲属中求得安息与忘却。
