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第十四章 患难见真情(4)

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While I was giving but absent answers to the questions Miss Matty was putting—almost as absently—we heard a clumping sound on the stairs, and a whispering outside the door, which indeed once opened and shut as if by some invisible agency.

正当我心不在焉地回答着马蒂小姐同样心不在焉地提出的问题时,我们听到楼梯上有噔噔的脚步声,门外还有人在窃窃私语,门确实好像被什么看不见的力量开了一下又关上了。

After a little while Martha came in, dragging after her a great tall young man, all crimson with shyness, and finding his only relief in perpetually sleeking down his hair.

过了一会儿玛莎进来了,拽着一个高大的年轻人,他因羞怯而满脸通红,唯一的缓解方式就是不停地捋着自己的头发。

“Please, ma’am, he’s only Jem Hearn,” said Martha, by way of an introduction; and so out of breath was she that I imagine she had had some bodily struggle before she could overcome his reluctance to be presented on the courtly scene of Miss Matilda Jenkyns’s drawing-room.

“求求您了,太太,他就是杰姆·赫恩。”玛莎介绍说,她上气不接下气,我猜她一定是费了肢体上的好大劲才把他拽到客厅,他肯定不愿意在玛蒂尔达·詹金斯小姐的客厅这样威严的地方被介绍给她。

“And please, ma’am, he wants to marry me off-hand.

“还有,太太,他想马上和我结婚。(注:对未婚女士的称呼为miss,对已婚女士的称呼为lady,尊称未婚或已婚女士均可用ma'am。)

And please, ma’am, we want to take a lodger—just one quiet lodger, to make our two ends meet; and we’d take any house conformable; and, oh dear Miss Matty, if I may be so bold, would you have any objections to lodging with us?

还有,太太,我们想招一位房客一起住——只要一位安静的房客,这样我们就能收支相抵了;我们愿意接受任何合适的房子;还有,哦,亲爱的马蒂小姐,如果我可以冒昧地问一句,您反对和我们一起住吗?

Jem wants it as much as I do.” [To Jem ]—“You great oaf! Why can’t you back me!—

杰姆和我一样希望您和我们同住。”[对杰姆说]:“你这个笨蛋!快帮我说话!

But he does want it all the same, very bad—don’t you, Jem?—

但是他确实很希望这样,非常希望——是不是,杰姆?

only, you see, he’s dazed at being called on to speak before quality.”

只是,你知道的,让他在有身份的人面前发言,他就有点晕了。”

“It’s not that,” broke in Jem. “It’s that you’ve taken me all on a sudden, and I didn’t think for to get married so soon—and such quick words does flabbergast a man.

“不是那样的,”杰姆插嘴说,“是你突然同意和我结婚,我没想到这么快就要结婚了——而且这么快的话确实会让男人吃惊。

It’s not that I’m against it, ma’am” (addressing Miss Matty), “only Martha has such quick ways with her when once she takes a thing into her head; and marriage, ma’am—marriage nails a man, as one may say.

我并不是反对结婚,太太”(对马蒂小姐说),“只是玛莎脑子里一有了主意,就会立刻去做,而婚姻,太太——婚姻会让男人定下来,可以这么说。

I dare say I shan’t mind it after it’s once over.”

我敢说,这事已经过去了,我不再介意了。”

“Please, ma’am,” said Martha—who had plucked at his sleeve, and nudged him with her elbow, and otherwise tried to interrupt him all the time he had been speaking—“don’t mind him, he’ll come to;

“求求你,太太,”玛莎说,杰姆说话的时候,她一直扯他的袖子,用手肘轻推他,或者想打断他,“别理他,他会想明白的;

’twas only last night he was an-axing me, and an-axing me, and all the more because I said I could not think of it for years to come, and now he’s only taken aback with the suddenness of the joy; but you know, Jem, you are just as full as me about wanting a lodger.” (Another great nudge.)

昨晚他还一直缠着我,就因为我说我好几年都没想过这事,就更缠着我了,现在他只是被这突如其来的喜悦吓了一跳;可你知道,杰姆,你和我一样,都很想找个房客。”(又使劲推了一下。)(注:'twas即it was的方言形式,an-axing即axing的方言形式,在进行时态ing动词前加a或an。)

“Ay! If Miss Matty would lodge with us—otherwise I’ve no mind to be cumbered with strange folk in the house,” said Jem, with a want of tact which I could see enraged Martha, who was trying to represent a lodger as the great object they wished to obtain, and that, in fact, Miss Matty would be smoothing their path and conferring a favour, if she would only come and live with them.

“是的!如果马蒂小姐愿意和我们住在一起,否则我可不想和陌生人挤在一起。”杰姆说,他不太会说话,我看得出这让玛莎很生气,她正试图把房客说成是他们渴望得到的重要人物,甚至如果马蒂小姐愿意来和他们住,那将是在为他们铺平道路,帮他们一个大忙。

Miss Matty herself was bewildered by the pair; their, or rather Martha’s sudden resolution in favour of matrimony staggered her, and stood between her and the contemplation of the plan which Martha had at heart.

马蒂小姐自己也被这两人搞糊涂了;他们,或者更确切地说,玛莎突然决定结婚让她感到震惊,也让她无法思考玛莎心中的计划。

Miss Matty began— “Marriage is a very solemn thing, Martha.”

马蒂小姐开始说道:“婚姻是一件非常严肃的事情,玛莎。”

“It is indeed, ma’am,” quoth Jem. “Not that I’ve no objections to Martha.”

“确实,太太。”杰姆说道,“并不是我对玛莎有意见。”(注:方言中双重否定可以表否定。)

“You’ve never let me a-be for asking me for to fix when I would be married,” said Martha—her face all a-fire, and ready to cry with vexation—“and now you’re shaming me before my missus and all.”

“你从来不让我安宁,总是问我什么时候确定要结婚,”玛莎说,她满脸通红,气得快要哭了,“现在你又让我在女主人和大家面前丢脸。”

“Nay, now! Martha don’t ee! Don’t ee! Only a man likes to have breathing-time,” said Jem, trying to possess himself of her hand, but in vain.

“别!玛莎,别哭!别哭!只是男人想有点喘息的时间,”杰姆说,试图握住她的手,但没有成功。(注:ee即weep)

Then seeing that she was more seriously hurt than he had imagined, he seemed to try to rally his scattered faculties, and with more straightforward dignity than, ten minutes before, I should have thought it possible for him to assume, he turned to Miss Matty, and said, “I hope, ma’am, you know that I am bound to respect every one who has been kind to Martha.

接着,他看到她比他想象的更伤心,于是似乎试图振作起他那已经分散的精神,摆出明显的庄重态度(十分钟前我以为他不能表现得如此庄重),并转向马蒂小姐说道:“太太,我希望您知道我一定会尊重每一个对玛莎好的人。

I always looked on her as to be my wife—some time; and she has often and often spoken of you as the kindest lady that ever was;

我一直把她当作我的妻子——总有一天会是的;她也常说您是世上最善良的女士;

and though the plain truth is, I would not like to be troubled with lodgers of the common run, yet if, ma’am, you’d honour us by living with us, I’m sure Martha would do her best to make you comfortable; and I’d keep out of your way as much as I could, which I reckon would be the best kindness such an awkward chap as me could do.”

虽然说实话,我不喜欢被普通房客打扰,但如果太太您愿意赏光和我们一起住,我相信玛莎会尽力让您过得舒适;我也会尽量不打扰您,我想这是像我这样笨手笨脚的人能做的最大的善事了。”

Miss Matty had been very busy with taking off her spectacles, wiping them, and replacing them; but all she could say was, “Don’t let any thought of me hurry you into marriage: pray don’t. Marriage is such a very solemn thing!”

马蒂小姐一直忙着取下眼镜,擦拭干净,再重新戴上;但她只能说:“别因为想着我而仓促结婚:千万别这样。婚姻是一件非常严肃的事情!”

“But Miss Matilda will think of your plan, Martha,” said I, struck with the advantages that it offered, and unwilling to lose the opportunity of considering about it.

“可是玛蒂尔达小姐会考虑你的计划的,玛莎,”我说,我被这个计划的有利之处打动了,不愿意错过考虑它的机会,

“And I’m sure neither she nor I can ever forget your kindness; nor yours either, Jem.”

“我敢肯定,她和我都永远不会忘记你的好意;也不会忘记你,杰姆。”

“Why, yes, ma’am! I’m sure I mean kindly, though I’m a bit fluttered by being pushed straight ahead into matrimony, as it were, and mayn’t express myself conformable.

“是啊,太太!我真的是出于好心,尽管我因为被直接推进了婚姻有点慌乱,可以这么说,也许我的表达不太合适。

But I’m sure I’m willing enough, and give me time to get accustomed; so, Martha, wench, what’s the use of crying so, and slapping me if I come near?”

但我肯定是愿意结婚的,只要给我点时间去习惯;所以玛莎,好姑娘,你哭哭啼啼、我一靠近就打我,有什么用呢?”

This last was sotto voce, and had the effect of making Martha bounce out of the room, to be followed and soothed by her lover.

这最后一句是轻声说的,结果玛莎一下子蹦出了房间,她的情人也跟了出去安慰她。

重点单词   查看全部解释    
obtain [əb'tein]

想一想再看

vt. 获得,得到
vi. 通用,流行,存在

 
vain [vein]

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adj. 徒劳的,无效的,自负的,虚荣的

联想记忆
scene [si:n]

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n. 场,景,情景

 
kindness ['kaindnis]

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n. 仁慈,好意

联想记忆
plain [plein]

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n. 平原,草原
adj. 清楚的,坦白的,简

 
bold [bəuld]

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adj. 大胆的,粗体的,醒目的,无礼的,陡峭的

 
awkward ['ɔ:kwəd]

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adj. 笨拙的,尴尬的,(设计)别扭的

 
relief [ri'li:f]

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n. 减轻,解除,救济(品), 安慰,浮雕,对比

联想记忆
possess [pə'zes]

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vt. 持有,支配

 
overcome [.əuvə'kʌm]

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vt. 战胜,克服,(感情等)压倒,使受不了

联想记忆

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