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Book 2, Chapter 27.
第二册，第27章。
Wall Street, the next day, had more reassuring reports of Beaufort's situation.
第二天，有关博福特的处境，华尔街有了更多安慰性的报道。
They were not definite, but they were hopeful.
这些报道虽不十分明确，却很有希望。
It was generally understood that he could call on powerful influences in case of emergency, and that he had done so with success; and that evening, when Mrs. Beaufort appeared at the Opera wearing her old smile and a new emerald necklace, society drew a breath of relief.
人们听说，遇到紧急情况他可以请求有权势的大人物帮忙，而他在这方面已经取得成功。这天晚上，当博福特太太戴着一串祖母绿的新项链，面带熟悉的笑容出现在歌剧场上时，社交界宽慰地舒了一口气。
New York was inexorable in its condemnation of business irregularities.
纽约社会对生意场中不轨行为的谴责是毫不留情的。
So far there had been no exception to its tacit rule that those who broke the law of probity must pay; and every one was aware that even Beaufort and Beaufort's wife would be offered up unflinchingly to this principle.
迄今为止，这项不言而喻的规矩尚无一个例外：破坏这项诚实法则的人都必须付出代价；人人都清楚，即使是博福特和博福特的妻子，也会被毫不犹豫地端出来，作为这项法则的祭品。
But to be obliged to offer them up would be not only painful but inconvenient.
然而不得已将他们端出来，不仅是件费力的事，且会带来诸多不便。
The disappearance of the Beauforts would leave a considerable void in their compact little circle; and those who were too ignorant or too careless to shudder at the moral catastrophe bewailed in advance the loss of the best ball-room in New York.
博福特夫妇的消失将会在他们紧密的小圈子里造成相当大的空白；而那些过于无知、过于粗心、因而不会为道德灾难而惊恐的人们，已经为要失去纽约最好的舞厅而提前发出悲哀的叹息了。
Archer had definitely made up his mind to go to Washington.
阿切尔已打定主意要去华盛顿。
He was waiting only for the opening of the law-suit of which he had spoken to May, so that its date might coincide with that of his visit; but on the following Tuesday he learned from Mr. Letterblair that the case might be postponed for several weeks.
他只盼着他对梅讲的那件诉讼开庭，以便其日期可能与他的拜访巧合。然而第二周的周二，他从莱特布赖先生那儿得知案子可能要推迟几个星期。
Nevertheless, he went home that afternoon determined in any event to leave the next evening.
尽管如此，这天下午他回家后依然决定，无论如何要在翌日傍晚动身。
The chances were that May, who knew nothing of his professional life, and had never shown any interest in it, would not learn of the postponement, should it take place, nor remember the names of the litigants if they were mentioned before her; and at any rate he could no longer put off seeing Madame Olenska. There were too many things that he must say to her.
侥幸的是梅对他的职业生活一无所知，而已从来没表露过任何兴趣，她大概不会了解延期的事，即使知道了，在她面前提起当事人的名字，她也不会记得。而不管怎样，他不能再推迟去见奥兰斯卡夫人了，他有太多太多的事必须对她讲。
On the Wednesday morning, when he reached his office, Mr. Letterblair met him with a troubled face.
星期三上午他到了办公室，看见莱特布赖先生满面愁容。
Beaufort, after all, had not managed to "tide over"; but by setting afloat the rumour that he had done so he had reassured his depositors, and heavy payments had poured into the bank till the previous evening, when disturbing reports again began to predominate.
博福特到底还是未能设法“过关”。但他通过散布自己已度过难关的谣言，让他的存款人安了心，截止前一天傍晚，大量的付款源源不断地注入银行，而这时，令人不安的报道才又开始占据上风。
In consequence, a run on the bank had begun, and its doors were likely to close before the day was over.
结果向银行的挤兑又开始了，不等今天结束，银行很可能就得关门。
The ugliest things were being said of Beaufort's dastardly manoeuvre, and his failure promised to be one of the most discreditable in the history of Wall Street.
人们纷纷议论博福特丑恶的懦夫行径，他的失败可能成为华尔街历史上最可耻的事件。
The extent of the calamity left Mr. Letterblair white and incapacitated.
灾难的严重性使莱特布赖先生脸色煞白，一筹莫展。
"I've seen bad things in my time; but nothing as bad as this. Everybody we know will be hit, one way or another.
“我一生见过很多糟糕的事情，但没有一次比这一件更糟糕。我们认识的每一个人都会这样那样地受到打击。
And what will be done about Mrs. Beaufort? What CAN be done about her?
博福特太太该怎么办呢？她又能怎么办？
I pity Mrs. Manson Mingott as much as anybody: coming at her age, there's no knowing what effect this affair may have on her. She always believed in Beaufort--she made a friend of him!
我同样也很同情曼森·明戈特太太：到了她这样的年纪，不知道这事会对她产生什么影响、她一直信任博福特--还把他当成朋友呢！
And there's the whole Dallas connection: poor Mrs. Beaufort is related to every one of you.
还有达拉斯家的全部亲戚，可怜的博福特太太与你们每个人都有亲戚关系。
Her only chance would be to leave her husband--yet how can any one tell her so?
她惟一的机会是离开她丈夫--可怎么能对她讲呢？
Her duty is at his side; and luckily she seems always to have been blind to his private weaknesses."
留在他身边是她的本分，幸运的是她似乎一直对他私下的癖好视而不见。”
There was a knock, and Mr. Letterblair turned his head sharply. "What is it? I can't be disturbed."
传来一声敲门声，莱特布赖猛地转过头去。“什么事？别来打扰我。”
A clerk brought in a letter for Archer and withdrew. Recognising his wife's hand, the young man opened the envelope and read: "Won't you please come up town as early as you can?
一位职员送来一封给阿切尔的信，接着便出去了。年轻人认出是他妻子的笔迹，便打开信封，读道：“请尽快进城来好吗？
Granny had a slight stroke last night.
昨晚外婆有点犯病，
In some mysterious way she found out before any one else this awful news about the bank.
她很神秘地最先发现了有关银行的可怕消息。
Uncle Lovell is away shooting, and the idea of the disgrace has made poor Papa so nervous that he has a temperature and can't leave his room.
洛弗尔舅舅外出打猎去了，可怜的爸爸十分害怕丢脸，竞发起烧来，不能出门。
Mamma needs you dreadfully, and I do hope you can get away at once and go straight to Granny's."
妈妈非常需要你来，我也希望你立刻动身，直接到外婆家去。”
Archer handed the note to his senior partner, and a few minutes later was crawling northward in a crowded horse-car, which he exchanged at Fourteenth Street for one of the high staggering omnibuses of the Fifth Avenue line.
阿切尔将信递给他的上司，几分钟之后他便坐上拥挤的马拉街车，慢吞吞向北驶去。在14街他又换乘第五大街专线一辆摇摇晃晃的公共马车。
It was after twelve o'clock when this laborious vehicle dropped him at old Catherine's.
过了12点，那笨重的交通工具才把他丢在老凯瑟琳家的门前。
The sitting-room window on the ground floor, where she usually throned, was tenanted by the inadequate figure of her daughter, Mrs. Welland, who signed a haggard welcome as she caught sight of Archer; and at the door he was met by May.
平时由她君临的一楼起居室窗口被她女儿韦兰太太不相称的身影占据了。后者看见阿切尔，憔悴的脸上露出欢迎的神色。梅在门口迎住他。
The hall wore the unnatural appearance peculiar to well-kept houses suddenly invaded by illness: wraps and furs lay in heaps on the chairs, a doctor's bag and overcoat were on the table, and beside them letters and cards had already piled up unheeded.
门厅的外观有些异样，这是整洁住宅在突遭疾病袭击时的特有现象：椅子上一堆堆的披肩和皮衣，桌上摆着医生的提包和外套，旁边堆着无人留意的信件与名片。
