名著精讀《飄》第二章 第4節

Scarlett heard the stairs groan and she got softly to her feet. When Mammy returned she would resume her lecture on Scarlett’s breach of hospitality, and Scarlett felt that she could not endure prating about such a trivial matter when her heart was breaking. As she stood, hesitant, wondering where she could hide until the ache in her breast subsided a little, a thought came to her, bringing a small ray of hope. Her father had ridden over to Twelve Oaks, the Wilkes plantation, that afternoon to offer to buy Dilcey, the broad wife of his valet, Pork. Dilcey was head woman and midwife at Twelve Oaks, and, since the marriage six months ago, Pork had deviled his master night and day to buy Dilcey, so the two could live on the same plantation. That afternoon, Gerald, his resistance worn thin, had set out to make an offer for Dilcey.

聽到樓梯格格作響，思嘉便輕輕站起身來。嬤嬤一回來又要重複那番責備她不懂禮貌的話了，可思嘉覺得正當自己心酸的時候，實在無法忍受叨叨這種雞毛蒜皮的小事。她就猶豫不定地站着，不知該躲到哪裏去讓痛苦的心情略略平息，這時她忽然起了一個念頭，這給她帶來了一線微弱的希望。原來那天下午她父親騎馬到威爾克斯家的農場“十二橡樹”村去了，是爲了商量購買他那位管家波克的迪爾茜。迪爾茜是“十二橡樹”村的女領班，自從六個月前結婚以來，波克就沒日沒夜地纏着要主人把她買過來，好讓他們兩口子住在一起。那天下午傑拉爾德實在已抵擋不住，只得動身到那邊去商量購買迪爾茜的事。

　
Surely, thought Scarlett, Pa will know whether this awful story is true. Even if he hasn’t actually heard anything this afternoon, perhaps he’s noticed something, sensed some excitement in the Wilkes family. If I can just see him privately before supper, perhaps I’ll find out the truth—that it’s just one of the twins’ nasty practical jokes.

當然，思嘉想，爸爸會知道這個可怕的傳聞不是真的。就算今天下午他的確沒有聽到什麼消息，他也可能注意到了某些跡象，感覺到威爾克斯家有什麼叫人興奮的事情吧。要是我能在吃晚飯前一個人看見他，說不定就能弄個明白----原來不過是那哥兒倆的一個缺德的玩笑罷了。
　
It was time for Gerald’s return and, if she expected to see him alone, there was nothing for her to do except meet him where the driveway entered the road. She went quietly down the front steps, looking carefully over her shoulder to make sure Mammy was not observing her from the upstairs windows. Seeing no broad black face, turbaned in snowy white, peering disapprovingly from between fluttering curtains, she boldly snatched up her green flowered skirts and sped down the path toward the driveway as fast as her small ribbon-laced slippers would carry her.
　　
傑拉爾德該回來了。如果她想單獨見他，她也無須麻煩，只要在車道進入大路的口子上迎接他就行了。她悄悄地走下屋前的臺階，又回過頭來仔細看看，要弄清楚嬤嬤的確沒有在樓上窗口觀望。她沒有看見那張圍着雪白頭巾的黑色闊臉在晃動的窗簾間不滿地窺探，便大膽地撩起那件綠花布裙，沿着石徑向車道快快地跑去，只要那又鑲有鍛帶的小便鞋允許，她是能跑多快就跑多快的。

n v. 呻吟

He was heard to groan.
有人聽見他在呻吟。

itality n. 好客，殷勤

Mrs Brown is known for her hospitality.
布郎太太以好客聞名。

ide vi. 沉沒，平息

He waited until the applause had subsided.
他一直等到掌聲平息後才繼續下去。

l['devl] vt. 加料，惹惱

stance n. 抵抗力，反抗，反抗行動;阻力，電阻;反對 adj. 抵抗的

Her resistance to the proposal has crumpled.
她對這個建議的牴觸情緒已化爲烏有了。

y['nɑ:sti] adj. 令人作嘔的，污穢的，低劣的，難懂的，危害的

He is a person with a nasty mind.
他是個思想骯髒的人。

n. 同等的人，貴族 vi. 凝視，窺視

She peers through the mist, trying to find the right path.
她透過霧眯着眼看，想找出正確的路。

pprovingly adv. 不以爲然地，不贊成地，非難地

ch n. 搶奪，碎片，一陣，一瞬間，一點點 v. 奪取，搶劫，抓住

The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.
老鷹抓住小雞飛走了。