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Book 2, Chapter 32.
第二册，第32章。
“At the court of the Tuileries," said Mr. Sillerton Jackson with his reminiscent smile, "such things were pretty openly tolerated."
“在杜伊勒利宫的宫廷里，”西勒顿先生面带怀旧的笑容说，“这种事情是很公开的。”
The scene was the van der Luydens' black walnut dining-room in Madison Avenue, and the time the evening after Newland Archer's visit to the Museum of Art.
地点是麦迪逊大街范德卢顿家黑胡桃木的餐厅，时间是阿切尔参观艺术馆的翌日傍晚。
Mr. and Mrs. van der Luyden had come to town for a few days from Skuytercliff, whither they had precipitately fled at the announcement of Beaufort's failure.
范德卢顿先生与太太从斯库特克利夫回城小住几日，他们是在宣告博福特破产消息时慌忙逃到那儿去的。
It had been represented to them that the disarray into which society had been thrown by this deplorable affair made their presence in town more necessary than ever.
听说这一悲惨事件使社交界陷入一片混乱，这使得他们俩在城里露面显得越发重要。
It was one of the occasions when, as Mrs. Archer put it, they "owed it to society" to show themselves at the Opera, and even to open their own doors.
事态又到了十分关键的时刻，正如阿切尔太太说的，到歌剧院露露面、甚至打开他们家的大门，是他们“对社交界义不容辞的责任”。
"It will never do, my dear Louisa, to let people like Mrs. Lemuel Struthers think they can step into Regina's shoes.
“亲爱的露易莎，让莱姆尔·斯特拉瑟斯太太那样的人以为她们可以取代里吉纳，这绝对不行。
It is just at such times that new people push in and get a footing.
那些新人正是利用这种时机闯进来，取得立足之地的。
It was owing to the epidemic of chicken-pox in New York the winter Mrs. Struthers first appeared that the married men slipped away to her house while their wives were in the nursery.
斯特拉瑟斯太太初到纽约的那年冬天，正是由于水痘的流行，才让那些已婚男人趁妻子呆在育儿室的机会溜到她家里去的。
You and dear Henry, Louisa, must stand in the breach as you always have."
路易莎，你和亲爱的亨利一定要像以往那样担当中流砥柱啊。”
Mr. and Mrs. van der Luyden could not remain deaf to such a call, and reluctantly but heroically they had come to town, unmuffled the house, and sent out invitations for two dinners and an evening reception.
范德卢顿先生与太太对这样的召唤总不能充耳不闻，于是他们勉强却很勇敢地回到了城里，重开门庭，并发出请柬要举办两场宴会和一场晚会。
On this particular evening they had invited Sillerton Jackson, Mrs. Archer and Newland and his wife to go with them to the Opera, where Faust was being sung for the first time that winter.
这天晚上，他们邀请了西勒顿·杰克逊、阿切尔太太、纽兰和妻子一起去歌剧院，去听今年冬天首场演出的《浮士德》。
Nothing was done without ceremony under the van der Luyden roof, and though there were but four guests the repast had begun at seven punctually, so that the proper sequence of courses might be served without haste before the gentlemen settled down to their cigars.
在范德卢顿的屋檐下事事少不了客套，尽管只有4位客人，就餐也在7点钟准时开始，所以一道道菜肴有条不紊地用过之后，绅士们还可以安下心来抽一支雪茄。
Archer had not seen his wife since the evening before. He had left early for the office, where he had plunged into an accumulation of unimportant business.
阿切尔自昨晚还没见过妻子的面。他一早就去了事务所，埋头于累积下的一堆业务琐事，下午一位上司又意外地召见了他。
In the afternoon one of the senior partners had made an unexpected call on his time; and he had reached home so late that May had preceded him to the van der Luydens', and sent back the carriage.
所以他回到家已经很晚了，梅已经提前去了范德卢顿家，并把马车打发了回来。
Now, across the Skuytercliff carnations and the massive plate, she struck him as pale and languid; but her eyes shone, and she talked with exaggerated animation.
此刻，隔着斯库特克利夫的石榴花和一大堆菜盘，她给他的印象是苍白与疲倦，不过她那双眼睛依然很亮，讲话时有点儿过分活跃。
The subject which had called forth Mr. Sillerton Jackson's favourite allusion had been brought up Archer fancied not without intention by their hostess.
引出西勒顿·杰克逊得意的典故的是女主人提出的话题，阿切尔猜想她并非无意。
The Beaufort failure, or rather the Beaufort attitude since the failure, was still a fruitful theme for the drawing- room moralist; and after it had been thoroughly examined and condemned Mrs. van der Luyden had turned her scrupulous eyes on May Archer.
博福特的破产，或者说博福特破产后的态度，依然是客厅伦理学家卓有成效的话题，在对其进行彻底调查与谴责之后，范德卢顿太太国不转睛地注视着梅·阿切尔。
"Is it possible, dear, that what I hear is true?
“亲爱的，我听人说的这件事能是真的吗？据说有人曾看到你外婆明戈特的马车停在博福特太太的大门口。”
I was told your grandmother Mingott's carriage was seen standing at Mrs. Beaufort's door."
引人注意的是，她不再用教名称呼那位犯了众怒的夫人了。
It was noticeable that she no longer called the offending lady by her Christian name.
梅的脸上泛起了红晕，阿切尔太太急忙插言说：
May's colour rose, and Mrs. Archer put in hastily: "If it was, I'm convinced it was there without Mrs. Mingott's knowledge."
“假如是真的，我相信明戈特太太也不知其事。”
"Ah, you think--?" Mrs. van der Luyden paused, sighed, and glanced at her husband.
“啊，你认为--？”范德卢顿太太打住话头，叹了口气，瞥了丈夫一眼。
"I'm afraid," Mr. van der Luyden said,
“恐怕是，”范德卢顿先生说，
"that Madame Olenska's kind heart may have led her into the imprudence of calling on Mrs. Beaufort."
“奥兰斯卡夫人的善心，可能促使她唐突地去看望了博福特太太。”
"Or her taste for peculiar people," put in Mrs. Archer in a dry tone, while her eyes dwelt innocently on her son's.
“或者说是她对特殊人物的兴趣，”阿切尔太太语气冷淡地说，同时傻乎乎地用眼睛紧盯着儿子。
"I'm sorry to think it of Madame Olenska," said Mrs. van der Luyden; and Mrs. Archer murmured: "Ah, my dear--and after you'd had her twice at Skuytercliff!"
“我很遗憾这种事与奥兰斯卡夫人联系在一起，”范德卢顿太太说。阿切尔太太咕哝道：“啊，亲爱的--而且是你在斯库特克利夫接待了她两次之后！”
It was at this point that Mr. Jackson seized the chance to place his favourite allusion.
杰克逊先生正是在这个节骨眼上抓住机会，提出了他得意的典故。
"At the Tuileries," he repeated, seeing the eyes of the company expectantly turned on him, "the standard was excessively lax in some respects; and if you'd asked where Morny's money came from--! Or who paid the debts of some of the Court beauties..."
“在杜伊勒利宫，”他重复道，发现大伙都把期待的目光转向了他，“对某些问题的规范是很不严格的；假若你问到莫尼的钱是哪儿来的--或者谁为宫里的美人付债……”
"I hope, dear Sillerton," said Mrs. Archer, "you are not suggesting that we should adopt such standards?"
“亲爱的西勒顿，”阿切尔太太说，“我希望你不是在建议我们也接受这种规范吧？”
"I never suggest," returned Mr. Jackson imperturbably.
“我决不会建议的，”杰克逊先生冷静地回答道。
"But Madame Olenska's foreign bringing-up may make her less particular--"
“不过奥兰斯卡夫人在国外所受的教养可能使她不太讲究--”
"Ah," the two elder ladies sighed.
“唉，”两位年长的夫人叹了口气。
"Still, to have kept her grandmother's carriage at a defaulter's door!" Mr. van der Luyden protested; and Archer guessed that he was remembering, and resenting, the hampers of carnations he had sent to the little house in Twenty-third Street.
“尽管如此，也不该将她祖母的马车停在一个赖债的家伙门口呀！”范德卢顿先生反对说。阿切尔猜测他可能是想起了他送到23街那座小房子里的那几篮子康乃馨，并因此而愤愤然。
