The suggestion sent a ray of hope in all their breasts, but I would have nothing to do with it. 这个提示使每个人心头闪现了一线希望，但是我却认为这纯粹是想入非非。

　　If that were so, he would hardly have been such a fool as to give his partner his address, I retorted acidly.  “如果是这种情况，他就不会做出那种傻事来，把自己的地址告诉他的伙友，”我以尖酸的口吻驳斥说，

　　"Anyhow, there's one thing I'm positive of, he didn't go away with anyone. He's not in love. Nothing is farther from his thoughts."  “不管怎么说，有一件事我绝对敢保证，他并不是同别人一块走的。他没有爱上谁。他的脑子里一点儿也没想到这种事。”

　　There was a pause while they reflected over my words. 谈话中断了一会儿，他们在思索我这一番话。

　　Well, if what you say is true, said Mrs. MacAndrew at last, "things aren't so bad as I thought." “好吧，如果你说的是真的，”麦克安德鲁太太最后开口说，“事情倒不像我想的那么糟。”

　　Mrs. Strickland glanced at her, but said nothing.  思特里克兰德太太看了她一眼，没有吭声。

　　She was very pale now, and her fine brow was dark and lowering.  她的脸色这时变得非常苍白，秀丽的眉毛显得很黑，向下低垂着。

　　I could not understand the expression of her face.  我不能理解她脸上的这种神情。

　　Mrs. MacAndrew continued: If it's just a whim, he'll get over it. 麦克安德鲁太太又接着说：如果这只是一时心血来潮，那过不了多久他就厌倦了。

　　Why don't you go over to him, Amy? hazarded the Colonel.  “你为什么不找他去啊，阿美？”上校出了个主意，

　　"There's no reason why you shouldn't live with him in Paris for a year. We'll look after the children. I dare say he'd got stale.  “你完全可以同他一起在巴黎住一年。孩子由我们照管。我敢说他不久就会厌倦了。

　　Sooner or later he'll be quite ready to come back to London, and no great harm will have been done." 早晚有一天他会回心转意，准备回伦敦来。一场风波就算过去了。”

　　"I wouldn't do that," said Mrs. MacAndrew. "I'd give him all the rope he wants.  “要是我就不那么做，”麦克安德鲁太太说，“他爱怎么样我就让他怎么样。

　　He'll come back with his tail between his legs and settle down again quite comfortably." Mrs. MacAndrew looked at her sister coolly.  有一天他会夹着尾巴回家来，老老实实地过他的舒服日子。”说到这里，麦克安德鲁太太冷冷地看了她妹妹一眼。

　　"Perhaps you weren't very wise with him sometimes. Men are queer creatures, and one has to know how to manage them."  “你同他一起生活，也许有些时候太不聪明了。男人都是些奇怪的动物，你该知道怎样驾御他们。”

　　Mrs. MacAndrew shared the common opinion of her sex that a man is always a brute to leave a woman who is attached to him, but that a woman is much to blame if he does.  麦克安德鲁太太和大多数女性的见解相同，认为男人们都是一些没有心肝的畜类，总想丢开倾心爱着他们的女人，但是一旦他真的做出这种事来，更多的过错是在女人这一方面。

　　Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connait pas. 感情有理智所根本不能理解的理由。（法语）

　　Mrs. Strickland looked slowly from one to another of us. 思特里克兰德太太的眼睛痴痴呆呆地从一个人的脸上移到另一个人脸上。

　　He'll never come back, she said. “他永远也不会回来了。”她说。

　　Oh, my dear, remember what we've just heard.  “啊，亲爱的，你要记住刚才咱们听到的那些话。

　　He's been used to comfort and to having someone to look after him.  他已经过惯了舒适生活，过惯了有人照料他的日子。

　　How long do you think it'll be before he gets tired of a scrubby room in a scrubby hotel? Besides, he hasn't any money. He must come back. 你想他在那种破烂的小旅馆里，破烂的房间里能待得了多久吗？再说，他没有什么钱。他一定会回来的。”