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I did not like to hear of this “important meeting,” for, though I did not know much about business, I feared it confirmed what my father said: however, I thought, ill news always came fast enough, so I resolved to say nothing about my alarm, and merely told her that my father was well, and sent his kind regards to her.
我不喜欢听到这个“重要会议”，因为虽然我对生意了解不多，但我担心这证实了父亲所说的话：然而，我想，坏消息总是来得够快的，所以我决定不说出我的惊慌，只是告诉她我父亲很好，并向她转达了他的亲切问候。
She kept turning over and admiring her letter.
她不停地把信翻过来欣赏。
At last she spoke— “I remember their sending one to Deborah just like this; but that I did not wonder at, for everybody knew she was so clear-headed.
最后她说话了：“我记得他们给黛博拉也寄了一封这样的信；但我并不感到惊讶，因为大家都知道她头脑清醒。
I am afraid I could not help them much; indeed, if they came to accounts, I should be quite in the way, for I never could do sums in my head.
我恐怕帮不了他们多少忙；说实在的，要是他们算起账来，我会完全碍事的，因为我从来不会心算。
Deborah, I know, rather wished to go, and went so far as to order a new bonnet for the occasion: but when the time came she had a bad cold; so they sent her a very polite account of what they had done.
黛博拉，我知道，她挺想去参加会议的，甚至还为此特意定制了一顶新帽子。但到了出发的时候，她却得了重感冒，所以他们给她寄去了一封非常客气的信，详细描述了他们在会议上做了什么。
Chosen a director, I think it was.
好像是选了一位董事。
Do you think they want me to help them to choose a director?
你认为他们是想让我帮他们选择一位董事吗？
I am sure I should choose your father at once!”
我肯定会立刻选择你的父亲！”
“My father has no shares in the bank,” said I.
“我父亲在这家银行里没有股份。”我说。
“Oh, no! I remember. He objected very much to Deborah’s buying any, I believe.
“哦，不！我记起来了。他非常反对黛博拉买任何股份，我想是这样。
But she was quite the woman of business, and always judged for herself; and here, you see, they have paid eight per cent. All these years.”
但她很有商业头脑，总是自己做判断；你看这里，他们支付了8%的利息。这些年来一直都是。”
It was a very uncomfortable subject to me, with my half-knowledge; so I thought I would change the conversation, and I asked at what time she thought we had better go and see the fashions.
这对我来说是个非常不舒服的话题，因为我只对情况一知半解；所以我想我应该换个话题，我问她觉得我们什么时候去看时装比较好。
“Well, my dear,” she said, “the thing is this: it is not etiquette to go till after twelve; but then, you see, all Cranford will be there, and one does not like to be too curious about dress and trimmings and caps with all the world looking on.
“嗯，亲爱的，”她说，“事情是这样的：十二点过后再去才合乎礼节；但是你知道，克兰福德所有人都会去，在众目睽睽之下，谁也不愿意对服装、装饰和帽子表现得太好奇。
It is never genteel to be over-curious on these occasions.
在这种场合，过分好奇是不文雅的。
Deborah had the knack of always looking as if the latest fashion was nothing new to her; a manner she had caught from Lady Arley, who did see all the new modes in London, you know.
黛博拉有这种本领，她总是表现得好像最新的时尚对她来说并不是什么新鲜事；这是她从阿利夫人那里学来的一种风度，你知道的，阿利夫人确实在伦敦看到了所有的新款式。
So I thought we would just slip down—for I do want this morning, soon after breakfast half-a-pound of tea—and then we could go up and examine the things at our leisure, and see exactly how my new silk gown must be made; and then, after twelve, we could go with our minds disengaged, and free from thoughts of dress.”
所以我想我们可以溜去——因为我今天早上确实想去，早饭后喝了半磅茶叶后——然后我们可以上去，从容地看各种东西，好好看看我的新丝绸长袍要怎么做；然后，十二点以后，我们可以随意地去逛逛，不用想关于衣服的事。”
We began to talk of Miss Matty’s new silk gown.
我们开始谈论马蒂小姐的新丝绸长袍。
I discovered that it would be really the first time in her life that she had had to choose anything of consequence for herself: for Miss Jenkyns had always been the more decided character, whatever her taste might have been; and it is astonishing how such people carry the world before them by the mere force of will.
我发现这将是她有生以来第一次不得不自己为自己选择某种重要的东西：因为不管詹金斯小姐的品味如何，她一直是更有主见的人；这样的人仅凭意志力就能掌控身边的世界，这也是挺令人惊讶的。
Miss Matty anticipated the sight of the glossy folds with as much delight as if the five sovereigns, set apart for the purchase, could buy all the silks in the shop;
马蒂小姐期待着看到那些光滑的褶皱，就像那五枚专门用来购买长袍的金币可以买下店里所有的丝绸一样高兴；
and (remembering my own loss of two hours in a toyshop before I could tell on what wonder to spend a silver threepence) I was very glad that we were going early, that dear Miss Matty might have leisure for the delights of perplexity.
而且（想到我自己要在一家玩具店耗费两个小时，才知道该把一枚三便士银币花在什么奇妙物件上）我很高兴我们可以早点去，亲爱的马蒂小姐可以不慌不忙地享受挑花了眼的乐趣。
If a happy sea-green could be met with, the gown was to be sea-green: if not, she inclined to maize, and I to silver gray; and we discussed the requisite number of breadths until we arrived at the shop-door.
如果能找到一种令人愉快的海绿色，那么长袍就做成海绿色的：如果找不到，她倾向于玉米色，而我倾向于银灰色；我们一路上还讨论了所需的宽度，直到我们到达商店门口。
We were to buy the tea, select the silk, and then clamber up the iron corkscrew stairs that led into what was once a loft, though now a fashion show-room.
我们要去买茶叶，挑选丝绸，然后爬上螺旋形的铁楼梯，进入曾经是阁楼的地方，不过现在是一个时装展览厅。
The young men at Mr Johnson’s had on their best looks; and their best cravats, and pivoted themselves over the counter with surprising activity.
约翰逊先生店里的年轻伙计们个个都穿戴上了他们最好的行头，系着最漂亮的领结，以惊人的敏捷在柜台前后转来转去。
They wanted to show us upstairs at once; but on the principle of business first and pleasure afterwards, we stayed to purchase the tea.
他们想马上带我们上楼；但我们本着先办事后娱乐的原则，还是留下来购买茶叶。
Here Miss Matty’s absence of mind betrayed itself.
马蒂小姐的心不在焉暴露无遗。
If she was made aware that she had been drinking green tea at any time, she always thought it her duty to lie awake half through the night afterward (I have known her take it in ignorance many a time without such effects), and consequently green tea was prohibited the house; yet to-day she herself asked for the obnoxious article, under the impression that she was talking about the silk.
如果她意识到自己在任何时候喝了绿茶，那么她总是认为自己有责任在之后的半个夜晚里保持清醒（我知道她很多次在不知情的情况下喝了绿茶却没有失眠），因此绿茶被禁止进入家里；然而今天她自己却要求喝这种令人讨厌的东西，而她以为自己在谈论绿色丝绸。
However, the mistake was soon rectified; and then the silks were unrolled in good truth.
然而，错误很快就被纠正了，然后丝绸真正被展开了。
