铜山毛榉案 06当事人到访(3)

'You are looking for a situation, miss?' he asked. 'Yes, sir.'

'你是来寻找职业的吧，小姐？'他问。'是的，先生。'

'As governess?' 'Yes, sir.'

'做家庭女教师？' '是的，先生。'

'And what salary do you ask?'

'你要求多少薪水？'

'I had 4 pounds a month in my last place with Colonel Spence Munro.'

'我以前在斯彭斯·芒罗上校处是每月四英镑。'

'Oh, tut, tut! sweating, rank sweating!' he cried, throwing his fat hands out into the air like a man who is in a boiling passion.

'哎哟，啧！啧！苛刻啊，这够苛刻的，'他一面嚷着，一面伸出一双肥胖的手，好像情绪激动的人那样，在空中挥舞。

'How could anyone offer so pitiful a sum to a lady with such attractions and accomplishments¹?'

'怎么会有人出这么可怜的小数目给这样有吸引力和造诣的一位女士？'

'My accomplishments, sir, may be less than you imagine,' said I. 'A little French, a little German, music, and drawing...'

'我的造诣么，先生，可能不如你所想象的那么深，'我说，'懂一点法文，懂一点德文、音乐和绘画...'

'Tut, tut!' he cried. 'This is all quite beside the question.

'啧，啧！'他喊着，'这些都不是主要问题。

The point is, have you or have you not the bearing and deportment of a lady? There it is in a nutshell.

关键是你有没有一位有教养妇女的举止和风度？简单地说就是这一句话。

If you have not, you are not fitted for the rearing of a child who may some day play a considerable part in the history of the country.

你若是没有，那你就不适宜于教育一个将来有一天也许会对国家的历史起很大作用的孩子。

But if you have, why, then, how could any gentleman ask you to condescend² to accept anything under the three figures?

但是倘若你有，那么，为什么竟有一位先生好意思要求你屈尊俯就接受少于三位数的数目的薪金？

Your salary with me, madam, would commence at 100 pounds a year.'

小姐，你在我这里的薪水，要从一百镑一年开始。'

You may imagine, Mr. Holmes, that to me, destitute³ as I was, such an offer seemed almost too good to be true.

你可以想象，福尔摩斯先生，这样的待遇，在我这样穷得不名一文的人看来几乎是好得难以令人相信啊！

The gentleman, however, seeing perhaps the look of incredulity upon my face, opened a pocket-book and took out a note.

可是这位先生，大概看见我脸上怀疑的表情，便打开钱包，拿出一张钞票。

'It is also my custom,' said he, smiling in the most pleasant fashion until his eyes were just two little shining slits⁴ amid the white creases⁵ of his face,

'这也是我的习惯，'他说，甜蜜蜜地笑得两只眼睛在他那布满皱纹的白脸上只剩下两条发亮的细缝，

'to advance to my young ladies half their salary beforehand, so that they may meet any little expenses of their journey and their wardrobe.'

'预付一半薪金给我的年轻的小姐，好让她们应付旅费上的零星开支和添置些服装！'

1 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 condescend   

v.俯就，屈尊；堕落，丢丑

参考例句：

• Would you condescend to accompany me?你肯屈尊陪我吗？
• He did not condescend to answer.He turned his back on me.他不愿屈尊回答我的问题。他不理睬我。

3 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

4 slits   

n.狭长的口子，裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开，撕开( slit的第三人称单数 )；在…上开狭长口子

参考例句：

• He appears to have two slits for eyes. 他眯着两眼。
• "You go to--Halifax,'she said tensely, her green eyes slits of rage. "你给我滚----滚到远远的地方去！" 她恶狠狠地说，那双绿眼睛冒出了怒火。

5 creases   

（使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的第三人称单数 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹

参考例句：

• She smoothed the creases out of her skirt. 她把裙子上的皱褶弄平。
• She ironed out all the creases in the shirt. 她熨平了衬衣上的所有皱褶。