单身贵族案 31真相大白(8)

Lord St. Simon had by no means relaxed his rigid¹ attitude,

圣西蒙勋爵一点没有放松他那僵硬的姿势，

but had listened with a frowning brow and a compressed lip to this long narrative².

而是皱着眉头，紧绷着嘴唇，在听着这篇冗长的叙述。

"Excuse me," he said, "but it is not my custom to discuss my most intimate personal affairs in this public manner."

"对不起，"他说，"这样公开地讨论纯属我个人的私事，我是很不习惯的。"

"Then you won't forgive me? You won't shake hands before I go?"

"那么说，你不肯原谅我了？你不肯在我走以前和我握一下手吗？"

"Oh, certainly, if it would give you any pleasure."

"噢，当然可以，如果这样做会使你高兴的话。"

He put out his hand and coldly grasped that which she extended to him.

他伸出他的手，冷淡地握了一个她伸过来的手。

"I had hoped," suggested Holmes, "that you would have joined us in a friendly supper."

"我本来希望，"福尔摩斯提议说，"你能和我们共进一顿友好的晚餐。"

"I think that there you ask a little too much," responded his Lordship.

"我觉得，你的要求有点过份了，"勋爵回答说。

"I may be forced to acquiesce³ in these recent developments, but I can hardly be expected to make merry over them.

"我可能被迫默认最近的事态发展，但也别指望我会很高兴。

I think that with your permission I will now wish you all a very good-night."

我想如果你们许可的话，我现在祝你们各位晚安。"

He included us all in a sweeping⁴ bow and stalked out of the room.

他向我们大家很快地鞠了个躬，就昂首阔步地走出了房间。

"Then I trust that you at least will honour me with your company," said Sherlock Holmes.

"那么，我相信，至少你们不会不给我点面子吧，"歇洛克·福尔摩斯说。

"It is always a joy to meet an American, Mr. Moulton,

"结交一个美国人，总是令人愉快的，莫尔顿先生，

for I am one of those who believe that the folly⁵ of a monarch⁶ and the blundering of a minister in far-gone years

许多人包括我在内相信，多年以前的一位君王的愚蠢行为和一位大臣的错误，

will not prevent our children from being some day citizens of the same world-wide country

将不会妨碍我们的子孙在某一天成为同一世界大国的公民，

under a flag which shall be a quartering of the Union Jack⁷ with the Stars and Stripes."

在这个国土上，飘扬着米字旗和星条旗镶嵌在一起的国旗。"

1 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

2 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

3 acquiesce   

vi.默许，顺从，同意

参考例句：

• Her parents will never acquiesce in such an unsuitable marriage.她的父母决不会答应这门不相宜的婚事。
• He is so independent that he will never acquiesce.他很有主见，所以绝不会顺从。

4 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

5 folly   

n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话

参考例句：

• Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
• Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

6 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

7 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。