铜山毛榉案 05当事人到访(2)

"There is a well-known agency for governesses in the West End called Westaway's,

"西区有一家出名的叫作韦斯塔韦的家庭女教师介绍所，

and there I used to call about once a week in order to see whether anything had turned up which might suit me.

我每星期都要到那里探望是否有适合我的职业。

Westaway was the name of the founder¹ of the business, but it is really managed by Miss Stoper.

韦斯塔韦是这家营业所创办人的名字，但是实际上经理人是一位斯托珀小姐。

She sits in her own little office, and the ladies who are seeking employment wait in an anteroom,

她坐在她自己的小办公室里，求职的妇女等候在前面的接待室里，

and are then shown in one by one, when she consults her ledgers² and sees whether she has anything which would suit them.

然后逐个被领进屋，她则查阅登记簿，看看是否有适合她们的职业。

Well, when I called last week I was shown into the little office as usual, but I found that Miss Stoper was not alone.

唔，上个星期当我照常被领进那间小办公室时，我发现斯托珀小姐并不是单独一个人在那里。

A prodigiously³ stout⁴ man with a very smiling face and a great heavy chin which rolled down in fold upon fold over his throat sat at her elbow

一个异常粗壮的男人，又大又厚的下巴一层摞一层地挂到他的喉部，笑容满面地坐在她肘边，

with a pair of glasses on his nose, looking very earnestly at the ladies who entered.

鼻子上戴着一副眼镜，正仔细地观察进来的妇女。

As I came in he gave quite a jump in his chair and turned quickly to Miss Stoper.

当我走进里面时，他在椅子上着实颤动了一下，很快转身面向斯托珀小姐。

'That will do,' said he; 'I could not ask for anything better. Capital! capital!'

'这就行，'他说，'我不能要求比这更好的了。好极了！好极了！'

He seemed quite enthusiastic and rubbed his hands together in the most genial⁵ fashion.

他仿佛十分热情，搓着两手，表现出最亲切不过的样子。他

He was such a comfortable-looking man that it was quite a pleasure to look at him.

这种和气的神态，使人看了感到很愉快。

1 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

2 ledgers   

n.分类账( ledger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The ledgers and account books had all been destroyed. 分类账本和账簿都被销毁了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ledgers had all been destroyed. 账簿都被销毁了。 来自辞典例句

3 prodigiously   

adv.异常地，惊人地，巨大地

参考例句：

• Such remarks, though, hardly begin to explain that prodigiously gifted author Henry James. 然而这样的说法，一点也不能解释这个得天独厚的作家亨利·詹姆斯的情况。 来自辞典例句
• The prices of farms rose prodigiously. 农场的价格飞快上涨。 来自互联网

4 stout   

adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的

参考例句：

• He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
• The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。

5 genial   

adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的

参考例句：

• Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
• He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友，也是友善待客的主人。