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He supposed that his readings in anthropology caused him to take such a coarse view of what was after all a simple and natural demonstration of family feeling;
他想可能是因为他读了些人类学的书，才对家族感情这种单纯与自然的表露持如此粗俗的看法；
but when he remembered that the Wellands did not expect the wedding to take place till the following autumn,
想起韦兰夫妇指望明年秋天才举办婚礼，
and pictured what his life would be till then, a dampness fell upon his spirit.
他展望这段时间的生活，心里像泼上一盆冷水。
"Tomorrow," Mrs. Welland called after him, "we'll do the Chiverses and the Dallases";
“明天，”韦兰太太在他身后喊道，“我们去奇弗斯家和达拉斯家。”
and he perceived that she was going through their two families alphabetically, and that they were only in the first quarter of the alphabet.
他发现她准备按字母顺序走遍他们的两个家族，而他们目前仅仅处于字母表的前四分之一。
He had meant to tell May of the Countess Olenska's request--her command, rather--that he should call on her that afternoon;
他本打算告诉梅，奥兰斯卡伯爵夫人要求——或者不如说命令——他今天下午去看她，
but in the brief moments when they were alone he had had more pressing things to say.
可是在他俩单独一起的短暂时刻，他还有更要紧的事要讲，
Besides, it struck him as a little absurd to allude to the matter.
而且他觉得提这件事有点不合情理。
He knew that May most particularly wanted him to be kind to her cousin;
他知道，梅特别希望他善待她的表姐。
was it not that wish which had hastened the announcement of their engagement?
不正是出于这种愿望，才加快了他们订婚消息的宣布吗？
It gave him an odd sensation to reflect that, but for the Countess's arrival,
他心里产生了一种奇怪的感觉，因为他想到，若不是伯爵夫人的到来，
he might have been, if not still a free man, at least a man less irrevocably pledged.
即使他不再是一个自由人，至少也不会像现在这样无可挽回地受着婚约的束缚。
But May had willed it so, and he felt himself somehow relieved of further responsibility
可这一切都是梅的意愿，他不由觉得自己无须承担更多的责任；
--and therefore at liberty,if he chose, to call on her cousin without telling her.
因而只要他乐意，他完全可以去拜访她的表姐，而无须事先告诉她。
As he stood on Madame Olenska's threshold curiosity was his uppermost feeling.
他站在奥兰斯卡夫人住宅的门口，心里充满了好奇。
He was puzzled by the tone in which she had summoned him; he concluded that she was less simple than she seemed.
她约他前来时的口吻令他困惑不解，他断定她并不像表面上那样单纯。
The door was opened by a swarthy foreign-looking maid,
一位黑黝黝的异国面孔的女佣开了门。
with a prominent bosom under a gay neckerchief, whom he vaguely fancied to be Sicilian.
她胸部高高隆起，戴着花哨的围巾，他隐隐约约觉得她是个西西里人。
She welcomed him with all her white teeth,
她露出满口洁白的牙齿欢迎他，
and answering his enquiries by a head-shake of incomprehension led him through the narrow hall into a low firelit drawing- room.
对他的问询困惑地摇了摇头，带他穿过狭窄的门廊，进了一间生了火的低矮客厅。
The room was empty, and she left him, for an appreciable time,
客厅里空无一人，她把他留在那儿，给他足够的时间琢磨，
to wonder whether she had gone to find her mistress, or whether she had not understood what he was there for,
她是去找女主人呢，还是原本就没弄明白他来此有何贵干。
and thought it might be to wind the clock--of which he perceived that the only visible specimen had stopped.
或者她会以为他是来给时钟上弦的吧——他发觉惟一看得见的那只钟已经停了摆。
