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When he reached the stud-farm a glance showed him that the horse was not what he wanted; nevertheless he took a turn behind it in order to prove to himself that he was not in a hurry.
到了种马场，看了一眼他就明白没有他中意的马匹；尽管如此，他还是在里面转了一圈，以便向自己证明他并没有仓促行事。
But at three o'clock he shook out the reins over the trotters and turned into the by-roads leading to Portsmouth.
但到了3点钟，他便抖开马缰，踏上了通向普茨茅斯的小路。
The wind had dropped and a faint haze on the horizon showed that a fog was waiting to steal up the Saconnet on the turn of the tide; but all about him fields and woods were steeped in golden light.
风已经停了，地平线上一层薄霭预示着退潮后大雾将悄悄淹没沙克耐特；但他周围的田野、树林却笼罩在金色的阳光里。
He drove past grey-shingled farm-houses in orchards, past hay-fields and groves of oak, past villages with white steeples rising sharply into the fading sky; and at last, after stopping to ask the way of some men at work in a field, he turned down a lane between high banks of goldenrod and brambles.
他驾车一路驶过果园里灰色木顶的农舍、干草场和橡树林；还驶过许多村落，村里礼拜堂的白色尖顶耸人昏暗的天空；最后，他停车向田间耕作的几个人问过路后，转进一条小巷。路两侧的高坡上长满了黄花和荆棘，
At the end of the lane was the blue glimmer of the river; to the left, standing in front of a clump of oaks and maples, he saw a long tumble-down house with white paint peeling from its clapboards.
巷子尽头是一条碧波粼粼的河，在河左边一丛橡树和枫树林前，他看到一幢破败不堪的长房子，护墙板上的白漆都已脱落。
On the road-side facing the gateway stood one of the open sheds in which the New Englander shelters his farming implements and visitors "hitch" their "teams."
大门正面的路旁有一个敞开的棚屋，新英格兰人用它存放农具，来访的客人则把牲口拴在里面。
Archer, jumping down, led his pair into the shed, and after tying them to a post turned toward the house.
阿切尔从车上跳下来，把两匹马牵进棚屋，系在木桩上，转身朝房舍走去。
The patch of lawn before it had relapsed into a hay- field; but to the left an overgrown box-garden full of dahlias and rusty rose-bushes encircled a ghostly summer- house of trellis-work that had once been white, surmounted by a wooden Cupid who had lost his bow and arrow but continued to take ineffectual aim.
房前的一块草坪已沦落成干草场，但左边那片疯长的矩形花园里却满是大雨花和变成铁锈色的玫瑰丛，环绕着一个幽灵般的格子结构的凉亭。凉亭原是白色，顶部有一个丘比特木雕像，他手中弓箭全无，却继续劳而无功地瞄着准。
Archer leaned for a while against the gate. No one was in sight, and not a sound came from the open windows of the house: a grizzled Newfoundland dozing before the door seemed as ineffectual a guardian as the arrowless Cupid.
阿切尔倚着门呆了一会儿，四顾无人，房内大开的窗户里也没有声响：一只灰白色的纽芬兰犬在门前打盹，看来也和丢了箭的丘比特一样成了没用的守护者。
It was strange to think that this place of silence and decay was the home of the turbulent Blenkers; yet Archer was sure that he was not mistaken.
令人不可思议的是，这个死气沉沉、衰落破败的地方竟是爱热闹的布兰克一家的住所；但阿切尔确信没有找错地方。
For a long time he stood there, content to take in the scene, and gradually falling under its drowsy spell; but at length he roused himself to the sense of the passing time.
他在那儿伫立良久，心满意足地观看着眼前的场景，并渐渐受到它使人昏昏欲睡的魔力的影响；但他终于清醒过来，意识到时间在流逝。
Should he look his fill and then drive away?
他是不是看个够就赶车离开呢？
He stood irresolute, wishing suddenly to see the inside of the house, so that he might picture the room that Madame Olenska sat in.
他站在那儿，犹豫不定，突然又想看一看房子里面的情景，那样，就可以想象奥兰斯卡夫人起居的房间了。
There was nothing to prevent his walking up to the door and ringing the bell; if, as he supposed, she was away with the rest of the party, he could easily give his name, and ask permission to go into the sitting-room to write a message.
他可以毫无顾忌地走上前去拉响门铃；假如像他推测的那样，奥兰斯卡夫人已经和参加宴会的其他人一起走了，那么他可以轻而易举地报上姓名，并请求进起居室留个便条。
But instead, he crossed the lawn and turned toward the box-garden.
然而他没有那样做，反而穿过草坪，向矩形花园走去。
As he entered it he caught sight of something bright-coloured in the summer-house, and presently made it out to be a pink parasol.
一进花园，他就看见凉亭里有一件色彩鲜艳的东西，并马上认出那是把粉红色的遮阳伞。
The parasol drew him like a magnet: he was sure it was hers.
它像磁石般吸引着他：他确信那是她的。
He went into the summer-house, and sitting down on the rickety seat picked up the silken thing and looked at its carved handle, which was made of some rare wood that gave out an aromatic scent.
他走进凉亭，坐在东倒西歪的座位上，捡起那把丝质阳伞，细看雕花的伞柄。它是由稀有木料制成的，散发着香气。
Archer lifted the handle to his lips.
阿切尔把伞柄举到唇边。
He heard a rustle of skirts against the box, and sat motionless, leaning on the parasol handle with clasped hands, and letting the rustle come nearer without lifting his eyes.
他听到花园对面一阵悉悉索索的裙裾声。他坐在那儿一动不动，双手紧握的伞柄，听凭悉索声越来越近而不抬眼去看，
He had always known that this must happen...
他早就知道这情景迟早会发生……
"Oh, Mr. Archer!" exclaimed a loud young voice; and looking up he saw before him the youngest and largest of the Blenker girls, blonde and blowsy, in bedraggled muslin.
“啊，是阿切尔先生！”一个年轻洪亮的声音喊道；他抬起头，只见布兰克家最小却最高大的女儿站在面前：
A red blotch on one of her cheeks seemed to show that it had recently been pressed against a pillow, and her half-awakened eyes stared at him hospitably but confusedly.
金发碧眼，但长得粗俗，穿着脏兮兮的棉布衣服，脸颊上一块红色的印痕仿佛向人宣告她刚刚才离开枕头。她睡眼惺松地盯着他，热情而又困惑不解。
