美国语文第五册 第248期:暴躁易怒的妻子(2)

 　　Cooke? But, there are so many Cookes. Can’t you distinguish her any way? Has she no Christian¹ name? 库克？但是，叫库克的太多了，你难道记不住什么特别的？她没有教名吗？

　　Emma, I think. Yes, Emma. 爱玛，我想想，噢，对了，她叫爱玛。

　　Emma Cooke? No; it can not be my friend Emma Cooke; for I am sure she was cut out for an old maid. 爱玛·库克？不会的，不可能是我的朋友爱玛·库克，我知道，她可是个天生的老处女。

　　This lady seems to me to be cut out for a good wife. 依我看，那位女士倒是天生的好妻子。

　　Maybe so. I am sure I’ll never go to see her. 或许吧。我知道了，我绝对不会去看她，

　　Pray, my dear, how came you to see so much of her? 请问一下，亲爱的，你恐怕见过她很多次吧？

　　I have seen very little of her, my dear. 我很少见到她，亲爱的，

　　I only saw her two or three times before she was married. 她结婚前，我见到她两三次。

　　Then, my dear, how could you decide that she was cut out for a good wife? 既然这样，亲爱的，你怎么就能断定，她天生就是个好妻子呢？

　　I am sure you could not judge of her by seeing her only two or three times, and before she was married. 我觉得，她结婚前，即便你见上三两次，恐怕也不能做出如此判断吧。

　　Indeed, my love, that is a very just observation. 不错，宝贝儿，恰恰就是那少见的印象。

　　I understand that compliment perfectly², and thank you for it, my dear. 我太清楚你的恭维了，谢谢你，亲爱的。

　　I must own I can bear anything better than irony³. 我必须承认，我什么都吃得住，就是吃不了你的冷嘲热讽。

　　Irony? my dear, I was perfectly in earnest. 冷嘲热讽？亲爱的，我可是相当认真的。

　　Yes, yes; in earnest; so I perceive; 是的，是的，相当认真，这样，我才能觉察到。

　　I may naturally be dull of apprehension⁴, but my feelings are quick enough; I comprehend too well. 我生来理性愚钝，可就是感性太快，领悟力极强。

　　Yes, it is impossible to judge of a woman before marriage, or to guess what sort of a wife she will make. 这么说吧，婚姻前不可能对一个女人做出正确判断，或者猜测你的妻子属于什么类型，

　　I presume you speak from experience; you have been disappointed yourself, and repent⁵ your choice. 我推测你这样说由于你的经验之谈，你一直对自己感到沮丧，那么后悔当初的选择。

　　My dear, what did I say that was like this? Upon my word, I meant no such thing. 亲爱的，我说了什么？难道有这些意思？回想我说的话，完全不是这么回事，

　　I really was not thinking of you in the least. 我压根没想到你会这么想。

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

3 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

4 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

5 repent   

v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔

参考例句：

• He has nothing to repent of.他没有什么要懊悔的。
• Remission of sins is promised to those who repent.悔罪者可得到赦免。