铜山毛榉案 36惨案发生(2)

"Then, pray¹, sit down, and let us hear it, for there are several points on which I must confess² that I am still in the dark."

"那么，请坐下来，让我们听听看。因为我必须承认这桩事情里面还有几点我仍然不太明白。"

"I will soon make it clear to you," said she; "and I'd have done so before now if I could ha' got out from the cellar³.

"我就会对你们讲明白的，"她说，"我早就可以这样做，要是我能早点从地窖里出来的话。

If there's police-court business over this,

如果这件事要闹到违警罪法庭上去，

you'll remember that I was the one that stood your friend, and that I was Miss Alice's friend too.

你要记住我是作为朋友站在你们一边的，我也是艾丽丝小姐的朋友。

She was never happy at home, Miss Alice wasn't, from the time that her father married⁴ again.

她在家里从来就不愉快，自从她的父亲再娶时期，艾丽丝小姐就一直郁郁不乐。

She was slighted⁵ like and had no say in anything, but it never really became bad for her until after she met Mr. Fowler at a friend's house.

她在家里受到怠慢，对任何事情都没有发言权，但是她在朋友家里碰到福勒先生之前，她的情况确实还不算很坏。

As well as I could learn, Miss Alice had rights of her own by will,

根据我所听到的，根据遗嘱，艾丽丝小姐有她自己的权利，

but she was so quiet and patient, she was, that she never said a word about them, but just left everything in Mr. Rucastle's hands.

但是她是如此安静和忍让，从来不曾讲过一句关于这权利的话，而将一切都交给鲁卡斯尔先生处理。

He knew he was safe with her; but when there was a chance of a husband coming forward,

他知道和她在一块可以很放心，但是一旦一个丈夫要挤进来的时候，

who would ask for all that the law would give him, then her father thought it time to put a stop on it.

那他一定会要求在法律范围内应该给他的东西，于是她的父亲认为是该制止这件事发生的时候了。

He wanted her to sign a paper, so that whether she married or not, he could use her money.

他要他女儿签署一个字据，声明不管她结婚与否，他都可以用她的钱。

When she wouldn't do it, he kept on worrying her until she got brain⁶ -- fever, and for six weeks was at death's door.

由于她不愿意签，他一直闹到她得了脑炎，六个星期濒临于死亡的边缘。

Then she got better at last, all worn⁷ to a shadow⁸, and with her beautiful hair cut off;

最后她逐渐康复，但是已经骨瘦如柴，并且把美丽的头发也剪掉了；

but that didn't make no change in her young man, and he stuck to her as true as man could be."

但是这些都不能使她的年轻的男朋友变心，他对她仍然十二分的忠诚。"

1 pray   

v.祈祷，祈求；请求，恳求

参考例句：

• We pray to God to deliver us from evil.我们祈求上帝把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。
• We pray you to set the child free.我们恳求你放了这个孩子。

2 confess   

vt.承认，坦白；vi.承认，坦白，忏悔

参考例句：

• Many Christians regularly confess their guilty actions and thoughts to a priest.很多基督徒都定期向牧师忏悔他们的罪行和恶念。
• I confess to some suspicion of your honesty.我承认对你的诚实有所怀疑。

3 cellar   

n.地窖，地下室，酒窖

参考例句：

• He took a bottle of wine from the cellar.他从酒窖里拿出一瓶酒。
• The little girl hid away in the cellar.小姑娘藏在地下室里。

4 married   

adj.已婚的；与…结婚的

参考例句：

• I heard John got married.我听说约翰结婚了。
• They got married last autumn.他们在去年秋季结婚。

5 slighted   

v.轻蔑，忽视，怠慢( slight的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He slighted no one. 他不轻视任何人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He slighted my efforts. 他看不起我所作的努力。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 brain   

n.头脑，电脑，智慧

参考例句：

• The brain needs a continuous supply of blood.大脑需要不断供给血液。
• Her brain has no room for math.她没有数学头脑。

7 worn   

adj.用旧的，疲倦的；vbl.wear的过去分词

参考例句：

• The child's trousers have worn through at the knees.孩子裤子的膝盖处磨破了。
• My shoes are worn out.我的鞋子穿坏了。

8 shadow   

n.阴影，荫，影子，影像，阴暗，预兆，少许，隐蔽处，庇护；vt.遮蔽，使朦胧，预示

参考例句：

• Every light has its shadow.是灯都有影。
• The trees throw a shadow on the grass.树木在草地上投下了阴影。