🔊 Charlotte, half way up the "monumental" staircase, had begun by waiting alone--waiting to be rejoined by her companion, who had gone down all the way, as in common kindness bound, and who, his duty performed, would know where to find her. She was meanwhile, though extremely apparent, not perhaps absolutely advertised; but she would not have cared if she had been--so little was it, by this time, her first occasion of facing society with a consciousness materially, with a confidence quite splendidly, enriched. For a couple of years now she had known as never before what it was to look "well"--to look, that is, as well as she had always felt, from far back, that, in certain conditions, she might. On such an evening as this, that of a great official party in the full flush of the London springtime, the conditions affected her, her nerves, her senses, her imagination, as all profusely present; so that perhaps at no moment yet had she been so justified of her faith as at the particular instant of our being again concerned with her, that of her chancing to glance higher up from where she stood and meeting in consequence the quiet eyes of Colonel Assingham, who had his elbows on the broad balustrade of the great gallery overhanging the staircase and who immediately exchanged with her one of his most artlessly familiar signals. This simplicity of his visual attention struck her, even with the other things she had to think about, as the quietest note in the whole high pitch--much, in fact, as if she had pressed a finger on a chord or a key and created, for the number of seconds, an arrest of vibration, a more muffled thump. The sight of him suggested indeed that Fanny would be there, though so far as opportunity went she had not seen her. This was about the limit of what it could suggest.

夏洛特攀上那座“宏伟”的楼梯,走到一半时,她开始独自等候--等候她的同伴归来。他出于惯常的善意,一直下到楼梯底层,履行完义务后,自会知道在哪里找到她。此刻她虽异常显眼,却也并非完全招摇；但即便真被注目,她也毫不在乎--因为到了这个时候,她已不再是头一回带着一种物质上充实、信心上光彩夺目的自觉面对社交界。近两年来,她前所未有地懂得了什么叫“看起来出色”--也就是说,看起来就像她长久以来一直感觉到的那样,在某些条件下,她本就可以如此。在这样的夜晚--一个盛大的官方晚宴,正值伦敦春意最浓之际--种种条件包围着她,她的神经、感官和想象力,都感到丰沛的在场；因此,也许还从未有过这样一刻,让她对自己的信念如此笃定,正如我们再次关注她的这个特定瞬间:她偶然从所站之处向上望去,正对上阿辛厄姆上校平静的目光。他双肘支在俯瞰楼梯的大画廊的宽阔栏杆上,立刻与她交换了一个他最具天真意味的熟悉信号。他这种质朴的视觉关注,尽管她还有别的事要考虑,却在整片高昂的氛围中显得最为沉静--犹如她用指尖按住琴弦或琴键,在短短几秒内制造出震颤的停顿,一声更闷的撞击。看到他的身影,她不禁想到范妮可能也在场,尽管就机会而言,她尚未见到她。这便是他能暗示的全部了。

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monumental /ˌmɒnjʊˈmentl/

adj. 巨大的；不朽的➕

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profusely /prəˈfjuːsli/

adv. 丰富地；大量地➕

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artlessly /ˈɑːrtləsli/

adv. 天真地；自然地➕

🔊 The air, however, had suggestions enough--it abounded in them, many of them precisely helping to constitute those conditions with which, for our young woman, the hour was brilliantly crowned. She was herself in truth crowned, and it all hung together, melted together, in light and colour and sound: the unsurpassed diamonds that her head so happily carried, the other jewels, the other perfections of aspect and arrangement that made her personal scheme a success, the proved private theory that materials to work with had been all she required and that there were none too precious for her to understand and use--to which might be added lastly, as the strong-scented flower of the total sweetness, an easy command, a high enjoyment, of her crisis. For a crisis she was ready to take it, and this ease it was, doubtless, that helped her, while she waited, to the right assurance, to the right indifference, to the right expression, and above all, as she felt, to the right view of her opportunity for happiness--unless indeed the opportunity itself, rather, were, in its mere strange amplitude, the producing, the precipitating cause. The ordered revellers, rustling and shining, with sweep of train and glitter of star and clink of sword, and yet, for all this, but so imperfectly articulate, so vaguely vocal--the double stream of the coming and the going, flowing together where she stood, passed her, brushed her, treated her to much crude contemplation and now and then to a spasm of speech, an offered hand, even in some cases to an unencouraged pause; but she missed no countenance and invited no protection: she fairly liked to be, so long as she might, just as she was--exposed a little to the public, no doubt, in her unaccompanied state, but, even if it were a bit brazen, careless of queer reflections on the dull polish of London faces, and exposed, since it was a question of exposure, to much more competent recognitions of her own. She hoped no one would stop--she was positively keeping herself; it was her idea to mark in a particular manner the importance of something that had just happened. She knew how she should mark it, and what she was doing there made already a beginning.

然而,空气里暗示充足--它们比比皆是,其中许多恰恰构成了那些条件,对我们的年轻女子而言,这些条件令这个时刻璀璨加冕。她本人确实已被加冕,一切交织、融合于光影与声音之中:她头上那串无可匹敌的钻石,其他珠宝,还有外貌与装扮的完美无缺,使她个人的设计大获成功；她早已证明的私下理论是,她只需要可用的材料,而且再珍贵的材料她也懂得运用--最后再加一点,如同整片甜美中浓郁的香花:她从容掌控、尽情享受着自己的危机。因为她已将此刻视为一场危机,而这份从容无疑帮助她在等待中获得了得体的自信、恰当的漠然、适宜的表情,以及--她感到--尤其获得了看待自己幸福机遇的正确眼光--除非机遇本身,以其奇异般的广阔,反而是催生和促成的原因。盛装的宾客们沙沙作响,熠熠生辉,裙裾拖曳,星光闪烁,剑声叮当,然而尽管如此,他们却只有不完整的言谈,含糊的语声--来来往往的双流在她站处汇合,擦身而过,带来许多粗率的注视,偶尔还有几句言语、一只伸出的手,甚至在某些情况下,一个无人鼓励的停顿；但她没有错过任何面孔,也不寻求任何庇护:她非常喜欢,只要可能,就保持原样--虽然独自一人,无疑有些暴露于公众,但即便有点大胆,她也不在乎那些对伦敦面孔呆板光泽的古怪反思；而且,既然说到暴露,她更在乎的是那些更有资格的认可。她希望没人停下来--她正在特意保持自己；她的想法是以一种特别的方式标记刚刚发生的一件重要事情。她知道该如何标记,而她在那儿正在做的事情已经开了个头。

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abounded /əˈbaʊndɪd/

v. 充满；丰富➕

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crowned /kraʊnd/

v. 加冕；使圆满➕

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amplitude /ˈæmplɪtjuːd/

n. 幅度；宽广➕

🔊 When presently, therefore, from her standpoint, she saw the Prince come back she had an impression of all the place as higher and wider and more appointed for great moments; with its dome of lustres lifted, its ascents and descents more majestic, its marble tiers more vividly overhung, its numerosity of royalties, foreign and domestic, more unprecedented, its symbolism of "State" hospitality both emphasised and refined. This was doubtless a large consequence of a fairly familiar cause, a considerable inward stir to spring from the mere vision, striking as that might be, of Amerigo in a crowd; but she had her reasons, she held them there, she carried them in fact, responsibly and overtly, as she carried her head, her high tiara, her folded fan, her indifferent, unattended eminence; and it was when he reached her and she could, taking his arm, show herself as placed in her relation, that she felt supremely justified. It was her notion of course that she gave a glimpse of but few of her grounds for this discrimination--indeed of the most evident alone; yet she would have been half willing it should be guessed how she drew inspiration, drew support, in quantity sufficient for almost anything, from the individual value that, through all the picture, her husband's son-in-law kept for the eye, deriving it from his fine unconscious way, in the swarming social sum, of outshining, overlooking and overtopping. It was as if in separation, even the shortest, she half forgot or disbelieved how he affected her sight, so that reappearance had, in him, each time, a virtue of its own--a kind of disproportionate intensity suggesting his connection with occult sources of renewal. What did he do when he was away from her that made him always come back only looking, as she would have called it, "more so?" Superior to any shade of cabotinage, he yet almost resembled an actor who, between his moments on the stage, revisits his dressing-room and, before the glass, pressed by his need of effect, retouches his makeup. The Prince was at present, for instance, though he had quitted her but ten minutes before, still more than then the person it pleased her to be left with--a truth that had all its force for her while he made her his care for their conspicuous return together to the upper rooms. Conspicuous beyond any wish they could entertain was what, poor wonderful man, he couldn't help making it; and when she raised her eyes again, on the ascent, to Bob Assingham, still aloft in his gallery and still looking down at her, she was aware that, in spite of hovering and warning inward voices, she even enjoyed the testimony rendered by his lonely vigil to the lustre she reflected.

因此,当不一会儿,她从自己的视角看到王子回来时,她感到整个场所变得更为宏大开阔,更适合伟大时刻:它的拱顶吊灯升起,楼梯的上下更加庄严,大理石台阶更加生动地悬垂,中外皇室成员的人数前所未有,“国宾”款待的象征意义既被强调又被精致化。这无疑是相当熟悉的原因带来的巨大后果,来自于仅仅是看到亚美利哥在人群中--尽管那景象可能很引人注目--却激发了相当强烈的内心波动；但她有她的理由,她将它们握在手中,事实上,她负责而公开地带着它们,就像她带着自己的头、她那高高的冠冕、折起的扇子,以及她那淡漠而无伴的尊贵；当他走到她身边,她可以挽住他的手臂,显示自己处于与他相关的位置时,她感到自己被彻底证明正确。当然,她的本意是只透露她如此判断的少数理由--实际上仅仅是最明显的那些；但她也会半情愿地让人猜到她如何从她丈夫的女婿在整幅画面中为眼睛所保持的个体价值中汲取灵感、汲取支持,足以应付几乎任何事情,这种价值源于他那种浑然不觉的优雅方式,在熙攘的社会总和中,他总是出类拔萃、居高临下。仿佛在分离中,即使是最短暂的分离,她也会半遗忘或怀疑他如何影响她的视觉,所以每次重现都有其自身的优点--一种不成比例的热度,暗示他与某种隐秘的更新源泉有关。当他离开她时,他做了什么,以至于每次回来都只能让她觉得--用她的话说--更加“出色”？他高于任何卖弄的阴影,却又几乎像个演员,在舞台间歇回到化妆间,在镜子前,出于对效果的需求,补补妆容。例如,亲王此刻--尽管他十分钟前才离开她--却比那时更加是她乐于与之独处的那个人--这个真理在她扶着他一起引人注目地回到上层房间时,对她产生了全部力量。他无法避免地让他们的出现比他们可能希望的更加引人注目,可怜而了不起的人；当她再次抬起眼睛,在上楼时,看到鲍勃·阿辛厄姆仍然高踞在画廊里,仍然低头看着她,她意识到,尽管心中盘旋着警告的声音,她甚至享受着他孤独守望对她闪耀光芒的见证。

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standpoint /ˈstændpɔɪnt/

n. 立场；观点➕

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majestic /məˈdʒestɪk/

adj. 雄伟的；壮丽的➕

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unprecedented /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/

adj. 空前的；史无前例的➕

🔊 He was always lonely at great parties, the dear Colonel--it wasn't in such places that the seed he sowed at home was ever reaped by him; but nobody could have seemed to mind it less, to brave it with more bronzed indifference; so markedly that he moved about less like one of the guests than like some quite presentable person in charge of the police arrangements or the electric light. To Mrs. Verver, as will be seen, he represented, with the perfect good faith of his apparent blankness, something definite enough; though her bravery was not thereby too blighted for her to feel herself calling him to witness that the only witchcraft her companion had used, within the few minutes, was that of attending Maggie, who had withdrawn from the scene, to her carriage. Notified, at all events, of Fanny's probable presence, Charlotte was, for a while after this, divided between the sense of it as a fact somehow to reckon with and deal with, which was a perception that made, in its degree, for the prudence, the pusillanimity of postponement, of avoidance--and a quite other feeling, an impatience that presently ended by prevailing, an eagerness, really, to be suspected, sounded, veritably arraigned, if only that she might have the bad moment over, if only that she might prove to herself, let alone to Mrs. Assingham also, that she could convert it to good; if only, in short, to be "square," as they said, with her question. For herself indeed, particularly, it wasn't a question; but something in her bones told her that Fanny would treat it as one, and there was truly nothing that, from this friend, she was not bound in decency to take. She might hand things back with every tender precaution, with acknowledgments and assurances, but she owed it to them, in any case, and it to all Mrs. Assingham had done for her, not to get rid of them without having well unwrapped and turned them over.

亲爱的上校在大型聚会中总是孤独的--他在家里播下的种子,在这样的地方是永远不会收获的；但没有人能比他更不在乎,更以古铜色的淡漠无视它；以至于他走动起来不像一位宾客,更像某个负责警察安排或电灯的体面人士。对阿辛厄姆夫人来说,正如我们将看到的,他以他那表面空白的完美诚意,代表了某种足够明确的东西；尽管她的勇气并未因此受挫到无法感到自己正召唤他作证:她的同伴在短短几分钟内施展的唯一魔法,就是护送已离场的玛吉去她的马车。总之,得知范妮很可能在场,夏洛特在之后的一段时间里,分裂于两种感觉之间:一种是将此视为一个需要应对和处理的事实,这种认知在一定程度上导致了谨慎、懦弱的拖延和回避--另一种则是一种极不耐烦,最终占了上风,一种急切,真的,想被怀疑、被试探、甚至被传讯,只要能度过那糟糕的时刻,只要能向自己--更不用说向阿辛厄姆夫人--证明她能把它转化为好事；简而言之,只要能像他们所说的那样,与她的问题“持平”。对她自己而言,这根本不算问题；但她骨子里感到范妮会把它当作问题,而且她实在有责任体面地接受从这位朋友那里来的任何东西。她可以用最温柔的谨慎、感谢和保证将东西退回,但无论如何,她欠这些东西一份尊重,也欠阿辛厄姆夫人为她所做的一切,她不能不看也不翻地就把它们扔掉。

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blighted /ˈblaɪtɪd/

v. 破坏；使枯萎➕

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prudence /ˈpruːdns/

n. 谨慎；明智➕

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pusillanimity /ˌpjuːsɪləˈnɪməti/

n. 胆怯；懦弱➕

🔊 Tonight, as happened--and she recognised it more and more, with the ebbing minutes, as an influence of everything about her--tonight exactly, she would, no doubt, since she knew why, be as firm as she might at any near moment again hope to be for going through that process with the right temper and tone. She said, after a little, to the Prince, "Stay with me; let no one take you; for I want her, yes, I do want her to see us together, and the sooner the better"--said it to keep her hand on him through constant diversions, and made him, in fact, by saying it, profess a momentary vagueness. She had to explain to him that it was Fanny Assingham, she wanted to see--who clearly would be there, since the Colonel never either stirred without her or, once arrived, concerned himself for her fate; and she had, further, after Amerigo had met her with "See us together? why in the world? hasn't she often seen us together?" to inform him that what had elsewhere and otherwise happened didn't now matter and that she at any rate well knew, for the occasion, what she was about. "You're strange, cara mia," he consentingly enough dropped; but, for whatever strangeness, he kept her, as they circulated, from being waylaid, even remarking to her afresh as he had often done before, on the help rendered, in such situations, by the intrinsic oddity of the London "squash," a thing of vague, slow, senseless eddies, revolving as in fear of some menace of conversation suspended over it, the drop of which, with some consequent refreshing splash or spatter, yet never took place. Of course she was strange; this, as they went, Charlotte knew for herself: how could she be anything else when the situation holding her, and holding him, for that matter, just as much, had so the stamp of it? She had already accepted her consciousness, as we have already noted, that a crisis, for them all, was in the air; and when such hours were not depressing, which was the form indeed in which she had mainly known them, they were apparently in a high degree exhilarating.

今晚,恰巧--她越来越认识到,随着时间流逝,这是周围一切的影响--今晚,毫无疑问,既然她知道为什么,她将会像在近期任何时刻所期望的那样坚定,以便用正确的态度和语调完成这个过程。过了一会儿,她对王子说:“陪着我；别让人把你带走；因为我想让她,是的,我确实想让她看到我们在一起,越快越好。”--她这么说,是为了在不断的干扰中抓住他,而事实上,她这么说让他一时有些茫然。她不得不向他解释,她想见的是范妮·阿辛厄姆--她显然会在那里,因为上校从不独自外出,而且一旦到达,也不会关心她的下落；她还进一步--在亚美利哥回应她“看到我们在一起？为什么？难道她没见过我们在一起吗？”之后--告诉他,别处发生的事现在不重要,而且她很清楚地知道自己此刻在做什么。“你很奇怪,亲爱的。”他相当顺从地低声说；但不管多么奇怪,他还是在人流中保护着她,不让别人截住她,甚至像他以前常做的那样,再次对她评论说,在这样的场合下,伦敦的“熙攘人群”,一种模糊、缓慢、毫无意义的漩涡,仿佛害怕某种悬在头上的谈话威胁而旋转,但那威胁的滴落--以及随之而来的令人清爽的飞溅或泼洒--却从未发生。当然,她很奇怪；这么走着,夏洛特自己也知道:当处境这样抓住她,也抓着他--同样如此--时,她还能有什么别的感觉呢？她已经接受了她的意识,正如我们已经注意到的,一场危机对他们所有人来说已悬在空气中；而当这样的时刻不令人沮丧时--实际上这是她主要经历的形式--它们显然非常令人振奋。

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ebbing /ˈebɪŋ/

v. 退潮；衰退➕

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diversions /daɪˈvɜːʃnz/

n. 转移；娱乐➕

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intrinsic /ɪnˈtrɪnsɪk/

adj. 固有的；内在的➕

🔊 Later on, in a corner to which, at sight of an empty sofa, Mrs. Assingham had, after a single attentive arrest, led her with a certain earnestness, this vision of the critical was much more sharpened than blurred. Fanny had taken it from her: yes, she was there with Amerigo alone, Maggie having come with them and then, within ten minutes, changed her mind, repented and departed. "So you're staying on together without her?" the elder woman had asked; and it was Charlotte's answer to this that had determined for them, quite indeed according to the latter's expectation, the need of some seclusion and her companion's pounce at the sofa. They were staying on together alone, and--oh distinctly!--it was alone that Maggie had driven away, her father, as usual, not having managed to come. " 'As usual'--?" Mrs. Assingham had seemed to wonder; Mr. Verver's reluctances not having, she in fact quite intimated, hitherto struck her. Charlotte responded, at any rate, that his indisposition to go out had lately much increased--even though tonight, as she admitted, he had pleaded his not feeling well. Maggie had wished to stay with him--for the Prince and she, dining out, had afterwards called in Portland Place, whence, in the event, they had brought her, Charlotte, on. Maggie had come but to oblige her father--she had urged the two others to go without her; then she had yielded, for the time, to Mr. Verver's persuasion. But here, when they had, after the long wait in the carriage, fairly got in; here, once up the stairs, with the rooms before them, remorse had ended by seizing her: she had listened to no other remonstrance, and at present therefore, as Charlotte put it, the two were doubtless making together a little party at home. But it was all right--so Charlotte also put it: there was nothing in the world they liked better than these snatched felicities, little parties, long talks, with "I'll come to you tomorrow," and "No, I'll come to you," make-believe renewals of their old life. They were fairly, at times, the dear things, like children playing at paying visits, playing at "Mr. Thompson" and "Mrs. Fane," each hoping that the other would really stay to tea. Charlotte was sure she should find Maggie there on getting home--a remark in which Mrs. Verver's immediate response to her friend's inquiry had culminated. She had thus, on the spot, the sense of having given her plenty to think about, and that moreover of liking to see it even better than she had expected. She had plenty to think about herself, and there was already something in Fanny that made it seem still more.

后来,在角落里,阿辛厄姆夫人一看到空沙发,便带着某种认真劲儿,经过一次专注的停顿后,将她拉了过去,这种对危急的看法被大大地锐化而非模糊了。范妮从她那儿得知:是的,她独自与亚美利哥一道,玛吉与他们一起来了,但不到十分钟就改变了主意,后悔并离开了。“所以你们俩撇下她继续呆在这儿？”年长些的女人问道；而夏洛特对此的回答,完全如后者所料,决定了她们需要找点僻静之处,以及她的同伴扑向沙发的举动。他们俩独自呆在一起,而且--显然！--是玛吉独自驾车离开的,她父亲像往常一样没能来。“‘像往常一样’？”阿辛厄姆夫人似乎很惊讶；实际上她暗示范弗维尔先生的躲避此前并未引起她的注意。夏洛特回答说,他最近不愿意出门的情况大大增加了--尽管她承认今晚他声称自己不舒服。玛吉想留下来陪他--因为王子和她外出吃饭后,又顺路去了波特兰广场,在那儿,最后他们把她--夏洛特--带上了。玛吉来是为了让父亲高兴--她曾催促另外两个人不带她先走；然后她一时屈从了弗维尔先生的劝说。但是在这里,当他们在马车里等了很久,终于进了门之后；在这里,一上楼梯,看到面前的房间,悔恨终于攫住了她:她没有听从任何其他劝告,因此现在,正如夏洛特所说,两人大概正在家里一起开个小派对。但这一切很好--夏洛特也这么说:世界上没有比这些偷来的幸福更让他们喜欢的事了,小聚会,长谈,说着“我明天去找你”和“不,我去找你”,仿佛在重温旧日生活。他们有时候,这些可爱的人,简直像玩串门游戏的孩子,玩“汤普森先生”和“费恩太太”,都希望对方真的留下来喝茶。夏洛特确信自己回家时会在那儿见到玛吉--这个评论在阿辛厄姆夫人对她朋友询问的即时回答中达到了高潮。她于是立刻感到自己给了她很多思考的材料,而且更感到自己看到它比预想中更好。她自己也有许多要思考的,而且范妮身上已经有些东西让这一切更加如此。

🔊

earnestness /ˈɜːnɪstnəs/

n. 认真；诚挚➕

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seclusion /sɪˈkluːʒn/

n. 隐居；隔离➕

🔊

remorse /rɪˈmɔːrs/

n. 懊悔；自责➕

🔊 "You say your husband's ill? He felt too ill to come?"

“你说你丈夫病了？他觉得自己病得不能来？”

🔊 "No, my dear--I think not. If he had been too ill I wouldn't have left him."

“不,亲爱的--我想不是。如果他病得太重,我是不会离开他的。”

🔊 "And yet Maggie was worried?" Mrs. Assingham asked.

“而玛吉担心了？” 阿辛厄姆夫人问道。

🔊 "She worries, you know, easily. She's afraid of influenza--of which he has had, at different times, though never with the least gravity, several attacks."

“你知道,她很容易担心。她害怕流感--他得过几次,尽管从不严重。”

🔊

influenza /ˌɪnflʊˈenzə/

n. 流感➕

🔊 "But you're not afraid of it?"

“但你不怕？”

🔊 Charlotte had for a moment a pause; it had continued to come to her that really to have her case "out," as they said, with the person in the world to whom her most intimate difficulties had oftenest referred themselves, would help her, on the whole, more than hinder; and under that feeling all her opportunity, with nothing kept back; with a thing or two perhaps even thrust forward, seemed temptingly to open. Besides, didn't Fanny at bottom half expect, absolutely at the bottom half want, things?--so that she would be disappointed if, after what must just have occurred for her, she didn't get something to put between the teeth of her so restless rumination, that cultivation of the fear, of which our young woman had already had glimpses, that she might have "gone too far" in her irrepressible interest in other lives. What had just happened--it pieced itself together for Charlotte--was that the Assingham pair, drifting like everyone else, had had somewhere in the gallery, in the rooms, an accidental concussion; had it after the Colonel, over his balustrade, had observed, in the favouring high light, her public junction with the Prince. His very dryness, in this encounter, had, as always, struck a spark from his wife's curiosity, and, familiar, on his side, with all that she saw in things, he had thrown her, as a fine little bone to pick, some report of the way one of her young friends was "going on" with another. He knew perfectly--such at least was Charlotte's liberal assumption--that she wasn't going on with anyone, but she also knew that, given the circumstances, she was inevitably to be sacrificed, in some form or another, to the humorous intercourse of the inimitable couple. The Prince meanwhile had also, under coercion, sacrificed her; the Ambassador had come up to him with a message from Royalty, to whom he was led away; after which she had talked for five minutes with Sir John Brinder, who had been of the Ambassador's company and who had rather artlessly remained with her. Fanny had then arrived in sight of them at the same moment as someone else she didn't know, someone who knew Mrs. Assingham and also knew Sir John. Charlotte had left it to her friend's competence to throw the two others immediately together and to find a way for entertaining her in closer quarters. This was the little history of the vision, in her, that was now rapidly helping her to recognise a precious chance, the chance that mightn't again soon be so good for the vivid making of a point. Her point was before her; it was sharp, bright, true; above all it was her own. She had reached it quite by herself; no one, not even Amerigo--Amerigo least of all, who would have nothing to do with it--had given her aid.

夏洛特停顿了一下；她越来越感到,真要跟这个世界上她最私密的难题常常倾诉的对象“彻底摊牌”,从总体上对她更有益而非有害；在这种感觉下,她所有的机会--毫无保留,甚至也许还推出一两件事--似乎诱人地敞开了。再说,难道范妮心底里不抱半分期待,绝对在心底里不想要一些事吗？--所以,如果在她刚才肯定遇到的事情之后,她没能得到一些东西来塞进她那不停反刍的思虑的牙齿之间,那种对她可能在自己无法抑制的对他人生活的兴趣中“走得太近”的恐惧的培育（我们年轻女子早已瞥见过这种恐惧）,她难道不会失望吗？刚才发生的事情--在夏洛特脑海中拼凑起来--是阿辛厄姆夫妇像其他人一样飘荡,在画廊某处,房间里,发生了偶然的碰撞；在那之后,上校在他的栏杆边,在有利的高光下,观察了她与王子公开的接头。他那种冷冷的态度,一如既往,从他妻子的好奇心爆出了火花；而他呢,熟知她看穿一切的本事,便像抛出一根小骨头让她挑拣一样,向她报告了他的一个年轻朋友是如何与另一个“走得太近”。他完全知道--至少夏洛特是这样宽宏地假设--她并没有跟任何人走得太近,但她也知道,鉴于情况,她不可避免地要被牺牲掉,以某种形式,为了这对无可比拟的夫妇的幽默交流。与此同时,亲王也在压力下牺牲了她:大使走上前来,带着王室的口信,他被带走了；之后她和约翰·布林德爵士谈了五分钟,后者是大使的随从,相当天真地留在了她身边。范妮随后看到他们俩,同时还有另一个她不认识的人,那人认识阿辛厄姆夫人,也认识约翰爵士。夏洛特让她的朋友去应付,将另外两人立刻撮合在一起,并找到一种方式在更近的地方接待她。这便是她视野中的小故事,现在正迅速帮她认出一次宝贵的机会,一次不久后可能不会再这么好的机会,来生动地表明一个观点。她的观点就在眼前；它尖锐、明亮、真实；最重要的是,它属于她自己。她完全是独自达到的；没有一个人,包括亚美利哥--亚美利哥最不会帮她--给过她帮助。

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temptingly /ˈtemptɪŋli/

adv. 诱人地➕

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rumination /ˌruːmɪˈneɪʃn/

n. 沉思；反复思考➕

🔊

intercourse /ˈɪntəkɔːrs/

n. 交流；交往➕

🔊 To make it now with force for Fanny Assingham's benefit would see her further, in the direction in which the light had dawned, than any other spring she should, yet awhile, doubtless, be able to press. The direction was that of her greater freedom--which was all in the world she had in mind. Her opportunity had accordingly, after a few minutes of Mrs. Assingham's almost imprudently interested expression of face, positively acquired such a price for her that she may, for ourselves, while the intensity lasted, rather resemble a person holding out a small mirror at arm's length and consulting it with a special turn of the head. It was, in a word, with this value of her chance that she was intelligently playing when she said in answer to Fanny's last question: "Don't you remember what you told me, on the occasion of something or other, the other day? That you believe there's nothing I'm afraid of? So, my dear, don't ask me!"

现在为范妮·阿辛厄姆的利益有力地提出这一点,将比她在短时间内能压下的任何其他弹簧都更能让她在曙光初现的方向上走得更远。那个方向是她更大的自由--这就是她心中所想的一切。因此,几分钟后,看到阿辛厄姆夫人脸上几乎轻率的感兴趣表情,她的机会对她而言已获得了如此高的价值,以至于对我们来说,当这种强度持续时,她颇像一个拿着小镜子伸出臂膀,偏着头仔细端详的人。简而言之,她就是在明智地利用这个机会的价值,当她在回答范妮最后的问题时说:“你不记得你前几天因为某件事告诉我的话吗？你说你相信没有什么是让我害怕的。所以,亲爱的,别问我！”

🔊

dawned /dɔːnd/

v. 破晓；开始出现➕

🔊

imprudently /ɪmˈpruːdntli/

adv. 轻率地➕

🔊 "Mayn't I ask you," Mrs. Assingham returned, "how the case stands with your poor husband?"

“我可不可以问你,” 阿辛厄姆夫人回答,“你那可怜的丈夫情况如何？”

🔊 "Certainly, dear. Only, when you ask me as if I mightn't perhaps know what to think, it seems to me best to let you see that I know perfectly what to think."

“当然可以,亲爱的。只是,你问我的样子好像我可能不知道该怎么想似的,这样看来,最好还是让你知道,我完全知道该怎么想。”

🔊

perfectly /ˈpɜːrfɪktli/

adv. 完美地；完全地➕

🔊 Mrs. Assingham hesitated; then, blinking a little, she took her risk. "You didn't think that if it was a question of anyone's returning to him, in his trouble, it would be better you yourself should have gone?"

阿辛厄姆夫人犹豫了一下；然后眨了眨眼,她冒了个险。“你难道不觉得,如果问题是有人该回到他身边,在他困难的时候,你本人应该回去更好吗？”

🔊

hesitated /ˈhɛzɪteɪtɪd/

v. 犹豫,迟疑➕

🔊 Well, Charlotte's answer to this inquiry visibly shaped itself in the interest of the highest considerations. The highest considerations were good humour, candour, clearness and, obviously, the real truth. "If we couldn't be perfectly frank and dear with each other, it would be ever so much better, wouldn't it? that we shouldn't talk about anything at all; which, however, would be dreadful--and we certainly, at any rate, haven't yet come to it. You can ask me anything under the sun you like, because, don't you see? you can't upset me."

嗯,夏洛特对这个询问的回答,明显地是在最高考量的利益下形成的。最高考量是良好的幽默、坦诚、清晰,以及显然,真实的真相。“如果我们不能完全坦诚、亲爱地对待彼此,那么最好什么都不要谈,对吧？那太可怕了--但我们无论如何还没到那一步。随便你问什么,因为,你明白吗？你动摇不了我。”

🔊

inquiry /ɪnˈkwaɪəri/

n. 询问,调查➕

🔊

candour /ˈkændər/

n. 坦率,直率➕

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clearness /ˈklɪərnəs/

n. 清晰,清楚➕

🔊

dreadful /ˈdredfəl/

adj. 可怕的,糟糕的➕

🔊 "I'm sure, my dear Charlotte," Fanny Assingham laughed, "I don't want to upset you."

“我相信,我亲爱的夏洛特,” 范妮·阿辛厄姆笑道,“我不想让你动摇。”

🔊 "Indeed, love, you simply couldn't even if you thought it necessary--that's all I mean. Nobody could, for it belongs to my situation that I'm, by no merit of my own, just fixed--fixed as fast as a pin stuck, up to its head, in a cushion. I'm placed--I can't imagine anyone more placed. There I am!"

“确实,亲爱的,你根本做不到,即使你认为有必要--这就是我的意思。没人能做到,因为我的处境决定了,我没有自己的功劳,就是固定--固定得像一根大头针,牢牢插在垫子里。我被安排得妥妥帖帖--我想象不出还有谁比我更被安排得妥妥帖帖了。我就在那儿！”

🔊

merit /ˈmɛrɪt/

n. 优点,价值；功劳➕

🔊

cushion /ˈkʊʃən/

n. 垫子,靠垫➕

🔊 Fanny had indeed never listened to emphasis more firmly applied, and it brought into her own eyes, though she had reasons for striving to keep them from betrayals, a sort of anxiety of intelligence. "I dare say--but your statement of your position, however you see it, isn't an answer to my inquiry. It seems to me, at the same time, I confess," Mrs. Assingham added, "to give but the more reason for it. You speak of our being 'frank.' How can we possibly be anything else? If Maggie has gone off through finding herself too distressed to stay, and if she's willing to leave you and her husband to show here without her, aren't the grounds of her preoccupation more or less discussable?"

范妮确实从未听过如此坚定的强调,这使她的眼里--尽管她努力不让它们泄露什么--流露出一种智力上的焦虑。“我敢说--但你对你自己地位的描述,不管你怎么看,并没有回答我的问题。不过同时,我承认,” 阿辛厄姆夫人补充道,“这反而给了它更多理由。你说我们‘坦诚’。我们还能有什么别的做法？如果玛吉因为发现自己太痛苦而离开,而且她愿意让你和她丈夫在这里露面而不带她,那么她忧心忡忡的理由是否多少可以讨论？”

🔊

emphasis /ˈɛmfəsɪs/

n. 强调,重点➕

🔊

firmly /ˈfɜːrmli/

adv. 坚定地,牢牢地➕

🔊

applied /əˈplaɪd/

v. 应用；施加➕

🔊

striving /ˈstraɪvɪŋ/

v. 努力,奋斗➕

🔊

betrayals /bɪˈtreɪəlz/

n. 背叛,出卖➕

🔊

anxiety /æŋˈzaɪəti/

n. 焦虑,担忧➕

🔊

intelligence /ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns/

n. 智力,情报➕

🔊

confess /kənˈfɛs/

v. 承认,坦白➕

🔊

discussable /dɪˈskʌsəbəl/

adj. 可讨论的,可商议的➕

🔊

distressed /dɪˈstrɛst/

adj. 痛苦的,苦恼的➕

🔊

preoccupation /priˌɒkjʊˈpeɪʃən/

n. 全神贯注,关注的重点➕

🔊 "If they're not," Charlotte replied, "it's only from their being, in a way, too evident. They're not grounds for me--they weren't when I accepted Adam's preference that I should come tonight without him: just as I accept, absolutely, as a fixed rule, all his preferences. But that doesn't alter the fact, of course, that my husband's daughter, rather than his wife, should have felt she could, after all, be the one to stay with him, the one to make the sacrifice of this hour--seeing, especially, that the daughter has a husband of her own in the field." With which she produced, as it were, her explanation. "I've simply to see the truth of the matter--see that Maggie thinks more, on the whole, of fathers than of husbands. And my situation is such," she went on, "that this becomes immediately, don't you understand? a thing I have to count with."

“如果它们不可讨论,” 夏洛特回答,“那只是因为它们在某种程度上太明显了。它们对我来说不是理由--当我接受亚当今晚不带我来的意愿时就不是:正如我绝对接受他所有偏好一样,作为固定规则。但这当然不改变这个事实:我丈夫的女儿,而不是他的妻子,觉得自己毕竟可以成为留在他身边的那个人,成为牺牲这个时刻的人--特别是考虑到女儿自己也嫁了个丈夫。” 她继而说出了她的解释。“我只是看到事实的真相--看到玛吉总体上更考虑父亲而非丈夫。而我的处境是,”她继续说,“这立刻成了我必须应对的事情,你明白吗？”

🔊

evident /ˈɛvɪdənt/

adj. 明显的,清楚的➕

🔊

preference /ˈprɛfərəns/

n. 偏好,偏爱➕

🔊

sacrifice /ˈsækrɪfaɪs/

n. 牺牲➕

🔊

alter /ˈɔːltər/

v. 改变,修改➕

🔊

explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/

n. 解释,说明➕

🔊 Mrs. Assingham, vaguely heaving, panting a little but trying not to show it, turned about, from some inward spring, in her seat. "If you mean such a thing as that she doesn't adore the Prince--!"

阿辛厄姆夫人模糊地喘着气,有点急促,但努力不表现出来,她因某种内在的冲动在座位上转过身来。“你的意思是,她并不崇拜王子--！”

🔊

vaguely /ˈveɪɡli/

adv. 模糊地,含糊地➕

🔊

heaving /ˈhiːvɪŋ/

v. 起伏,喘息➕

🔊

panting /ˈpæntɪŋ/

v. 气喘,喘息➕

🔊

inward /ˈɪnwərd/

adj. 内部的,内心的➕

🔊

adore /əˈdɔːr/

v. 崇拜,爱慕➕

🔊 "I don't say she doesn't adore him. What I say is that she doesn't think of him. One of those conditions doesn't always, at all stages, involve the other. This is just how she adores him," Charlotte said. "And what reason is there, in the world, after all, why he and I shouldn't, as you say, show together? We've shown together, my dear," she smiled, "before."

“我没说她不崇拜他。我说的是她不考虑他。这两种状况在所有的阶段并不总是相互包含。她就是这样崇拜他的,” 夏洛特说。“而且,究竟有什么理由,在这世上,为什么他和我不能像你说的那样一起露面呢？我们以前一起露过面,亲爱的,”她笑道。

🔊

involve /ɪnˈvɒlv/

v. 涉及,包含➕

🔊 Her friend, for a little, only looked at her--speaking then with abruptness. "You ought to be absolutely happy. You live with such good people."

她的朋友只是看了她一会儿--然后突然说道:“你应该是绝对幸福的。你和这么好的人生活在一起。”

🔊

abruptness /əˈbrʌptnəs/

n. 突然,唐突➕

🔊 The effect of it, as well, was an arrest for Charlotte; whose face, however, all of whose fine and slightly hard radiance, it had caused, the next instant, further to brighten. "Does one ever put into words anything so fatuously rash? It's a thing that must be said, in prudence, for one--by somebody who's so good as to take the responsibility: the more that it gives one always a chance to show one's best manners by not contradicting it. Certainly, you'll never have the distress, or whatever, of hearing me complain."

这对夏洛特来说也是一种停滞；她的脸,然而,她全部那精致而略带坚硬的光彩,立刻因此更加明亮了。“有人会把如此愚蠢而轻率的话说出口吗？这是一句必须由别人--某个好心承担起这个责任的人--替自己说的话,那么就更应该用最好的礼貌不反驳它。当然,你永远不会听到我抱怨,不管是痛苦还是别的什么。”

🔊

arrest /əˈrɛst/

n. 逮捕；停止,吸引➕

🔊

radiance /ˈreɪdiəns/

n. 光辉,光芒➕

🔊

instant /ˈɪnstənt/

n. 瞬间,片刻➕

🔊

brighten /ˈbraɪtən/

v. 变亮,使开心➕

🔊

fatuously /ˈfætʃuəsli/

adv. 愚蠢地,荒谬地➕

🔊

rash /ræʃ/

adj. 轻率的,鲁莽的➕

🔊

contradicting /ˌkɒntrəˈdɪktɪŋ/

v. 反驳,相矛盾➕

🔊

distress /dɪˈstrɛs/

n. 痛苦,苦恼➕

🔊

complain /kəmˈpleɪn/

v. 抱怨,投诉➕

🔊 "Truly, my dear, I hope in all conscience not!" and the elder woman's spirit found relief in a laugh more resonant than was quite advised by their pursuit of privacy.

“确实,亲爱的,我衷心希望不会！” 并且年长些的女人通过一声比他们追求私密所建议的更响亮的笑声找到了精神解脱。

🔊

conscience /ˈkɒnʃəns/

n. 良心,道德心➕

🔊

spirit /ˈspɪrɪt/

n. 精神,灵魂➕

🔊

relief /rɪˈliːf/

n. 解脱,缓解➕

🔊

resonant /ˈrɛzənənt/

adj. 洪亮的,共鸣的➕

🔊

advised /ədˈvaɪzd/

adj. 经考虑的建议；明智的➕

🔊

pursuit /pərˈsjuːt/

n. 追求,追赶➕

🔊

privacy /ˈprɪvəsi/

n. 隐私,私密➕

🔊 To this demonstration her friend gave no heed. "With all our absence after marriage, and with the separation from her produced in particular by our so many months in America, Maggie has still arrears, still losses to make up--still the need of showing how, for so long, she simply kept missing him. She missed his company--a large allowance of which is, in spite of everything else, of the first necessity to her. So she puts it in when she can--a little here, a little there, and it ends by making up a considerable amount. The fact of our distinct establishments--which has, all the same, everything in its favour," Charlotte hastened to declare, "makes her really see more of him than when they had the same house. To make sure she doesn't fail of it she's always arranging for it--which she didn't have to do while they lived together. But she likes to arrange," Charlotte steadily proceeded; "it peculiarly suits her; and the result of our separate households is really, for them, more contact and more intimacy. Tonight, for instance, has been practically an arrangement. She likes him best alone. And it's the way," said our young woman, "in which he best likes her. It's what I mean therefore by being 'placed.' And the great thing is, as they say, to 'know' one's place. Doesn't it all strike you," she wound up, "as rather placing the Prince too?"

她的朋友没有理会这个表示。“婚后我们分开,尤其是我们在美国那么多个月的分离,玛吉仍然有亏欠,有损失要弥补--仍然需要表明她这么久以来只是想念他。她需要他的陪伴--尽管有别的因素,但这对她来说是首要的。所以她一有机会就补上它--这里一点,那里一点,最后积少成多。我们分开居住的事实--尽管如此,这也有种种好处,” 夏洛特急忙声明,“让她真的比他们住同一栋房子时见到他更多。为了确保她不缺这个,她总是安排着--而他们一起住时她不必这么做。但她喜欢安排,” 夏洛特平静地继续；“这特别适合她；我们分开居住的结果实际上对他们来说意味着更多的接触和亲密。比如说,今晚实际上就是一次安排。她最喜欢他单独一个人。而这是,”我们年轻女子说,“他最喜欢她的方式。所以这就是我所说的‘被安排’。伟大之处在于,正如他们所说,‘知道’自己的位置。这一切难道不也让你觉得,”她结束道,“多少是把王子也安排了吗？”

🔊

demonstration /ˌdɛmənˈstreɪʃən/

n. 展示,示威➕

🔊

heed /hiːd/

n. 注意,留心➕

🔊

absence /ˈæbsəns/

n. 缺席,缺乏➕

🔊

separation /ˌsɛpəˈreɪʃən/

n. 分离,分开➕

🔊

arrears /əˈrɪərz/

n. 欠款,未完成的工作➕

🔊

allowance /əˈlaʊəns/

n. 津贴,允许量➕

🔊

necessity /nɪˈsɛsɪti/

n. 必要性,必需品➕

🔊

considerable /kənˈsɪdərəbəl/

adj. 相当大的,重要的➕

🔊

distinct /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

adj. 不同的,清晰的➕

🔊

establishments /ɪˈstæblɪʃmənts/

n. 机构,企业➕

🔊

favour /ˈfeɪvər/

n. 赞同,恩惠➕

🔊

hastened /ˈheɪsənd/

v. 急忙,赶紧➕

🔊

declare /dɪˈklɛər/

v. 宣布,声明➕

🔊

steadily /ˈstɛdɪli/

adv. 稳定地,持续地➕

🔊

proceeded /prəˈsiːdɪd/

v. 继续进行➕

🔊

peculiarly /pɪˈkjuːljərli/

adv. 特别地,独特地➕

🔊

intimacy /ˈɪntɪməsi/

n. 亲密,亲近➕

🔊

practically /ˈpræktɪkli/

adv. 实际上,几乎➕

🔊

arrangement /əˈreɪndʒmənt/

n. 安排,布置➕

🔊 Fanny Assingham had at this moment the sense as of a large heaped dish presented to her intelligence and inviting it to a feast--so thick were the notes of intention in this remarkable speech. But she also felt that to plunge at random, to help herself too freely, would--apart from there not being at such a moment time for it--tend to jostle the ministering hand, confound the array and, more vulgarly speaking, make a mess. So she picked out, after consideration, a solitary plum. "So placed that you have to arrange?"

范妮·阿辛厄姆此刻感到一大盘堆积的菜肴呈现在她的智慧面前,邀请它享用宴席--这段非凡的讲话中意图的标记如此密集。但她也感到,任意下叉,过于随意地取用--除了此刻没有时间之外--会碰倒端菜的手,搅乱排列,更粗俗地说,弄得一团糟。所以她经过考虑,挑出了一颗孤零零的李子。“所以你得安排？”

🔊

heaped /hiːpt/

adj. 堆满的,堆积的➕

🔊

presented /prɪˈzɛntɪd/

v. 呈现,提出➕

🔊

feast /fiːst/

n. 盛宴,节日➕

🔊

intention /ɪnˈtɛnʃən/

n. 意图,目的➕

🔊

remarkable /rɪˈmɑːrkəbəl/

adj. 非凡的,显著的➕

🔊

plunge /plʌndʒ/

v. 投入,跳入➕

🔊

random /ˈrændəm/

adj. 随机的,随意的➕

🔊

freely /ˈfriːli/

adv. 自由地,慷慨地➕

🔊

jostle /ˈdʒɒsəl/

v. 推挤,拥挤➕

🔊

ministering /ˈmɪnɪstərɪŋ/

adj. 服务的,照顾的➕

🔊

confound /kənˈfaʊnd/

v. 使困惑,混淆➕

🔊

array /əˈreɪ/

n. 阵列,排列➕

🔊

vulgarly /ˈvʌlɡərli/

adv. 粗俗地,通俗地➕

🔊

mess /mɛs/

n. 混乱,脏乱➕

🔊

consideration /kənˌsɪdəˈreɪʃən/

n. 考虑,斟酌➕

🔊

solitary /ˈsɒlɪtəri/

adj. 单独的,孤独的➕

🔊 "Certainly I have to arrange."

“当然我得安排。”

🔊 "And the Prince also--if the effect for him is the same?"

“而王子也是--如果对他的效果相同？”

🔊 "Really, I think, not less."

“真的,我想,不差。”

🔊 "And does he arrange," Mrs. Assingham asked, "to make up his arrears?" The question had risen to her lips--it was as if another morsel, on the dish, had tempted her. The sound of it struck her own ear, immediately, as giving out more of her thought than she had as yet intended; but she quickly saw that she must follow it up, at any risk, with simplicity, and that what was simplest was the ease of boldness. "Make them up, I mean, by coming to see you?"

“那他安排,” 阿辛厄姆夫人问道,“是为了补上他的亏欠？” 问题涌到她嘴边--仿佛盘子里另一块食物诱惑了她。它的声音立刻让她自己听到,比她迄今意图表达的更多；但她很快看出,无论如何,她必须简单地跟上去,最简便是大胆的轻松。“我的意思是,他通过来看你来弥补？”

🔊

morsel /ˈmɔːsəl/

n. 一小口,少量（食物或信息）➕

🔊

simplicity /sɪmˈplɪsəti/

n. 简单,朴素➕

🔊

boldness /ˈbəʊldnəs/

n. 大胆,勇敢➕

🔊 Charlotte replied, however, without, as her friend would have phrased it, turning a hair. She shook her head, but it was beautifully gentle. "He never comes."

夏洛特回答时,却像她朋友会说的那样,连眉毛都没动一下。她摇了摇头,却优美地温柔。“他从没来过。”

🔊

turning a hair /ˈtɜːnɪŋ ə heər/

phr. （习语）面不改色,毫无反应➕

🔊 "Oh!" said Fanny Assingham: with which she felt a little stupid. "There it is. He might so well, you know, otherwise."

“哦！” 范妮·阿辛厄姆说；随之她感到有点蠢。“就是这样。他其实也可以,你知道,否则。”

🔊

otherwise /ˈʌðərwaɪz/

adv. 否则；在其他方面➕

🔊 " 'Otherwise'?"--and Fanny was still vague.

“‘否则’？”--范妮仍然模糊。

🔊

vague /veɪɡ/

adj. 模糊的,不明确的➕

🔊 It passed, this time, over her companion, whose eyes, wandering, to a distance, found themselves held. The Prince was at hand again; the Ambassador was still at his side; they were stopped a moment by a uniformed personage, a little old man, of apparently the highest military character, bristling with medals and orders. This gave Charlotte time to go on. "He has not been for three months." And then as with her friend's last word in her ear: " 'Otherwise'--yes. He arranges otherwise. And in my position," she added, "I might too. It's too absurd we shouldn't meet."

这次,它掠过她的同伴,她的眼睛徘徊着,望向远处,被吸引住了。亲王又在附近了；大使仍在他身边；他们被一个穿制服的人物--一个矮小的老人,显然是最高的军事人物,挂满了勋章和绶带--拦住了一会儿。这给了夏洛特时间继续说。“他三个月没来了。”然后,仿佛朋友的话还在耳边:“‘否则’--是的。他另有安排。而在我的位置上,”她补充道,“我也可能。我们不见面太荒谬了。”

🔊

Ambassador /æmˈbæsədər/

n. 大使,使节➕

🔊

uniformed /ˈjuːnɪfɔːmd/

adj. 穿制服的➕

🔊

personage /ˈpɜːsənɪdʒ/

n. 要人,知名人士➕

🔊

bristling /ˈbrɪslɪŋ/

adj. 充满的,竖立的（毛发等）➕

🔊

absurd /əbˈsɜːrd/

adj. 荒谬的,可笑的➕

🔊 "You've met, I gather," said Fanny Assingham, "tonight."

“你们今晚见面了,我猜,” 范妮·阿辛厄姆说。

🔊 "Yes--as far as that goes. But what I mean is that I might--placed for it as we both are--go to see him."

“是的--就这点而言。但我的意思是,我也可以--既然我们俩都被这样安排--去看他。”

🔊 "And do you?" Fanny asked with almost mistaken solemnity.

“那你去了吗？” 范妮带着几乎弄巧成拙的严肃问道。

🔊

solemnity /səˈlemnəti/

n. 庄严,严肃➕

🔊 The perception of this excess made Charlotte, whether for gravity or for irony, hang fire a minute. "I have been. But that's nothing," she said, "in itself, and I tell you of it only to show you how our situation works. It essentially becomes one, a situation, for both of us. The Prince's, however, is his own affair--I meant but to speak of mine."

这种过度的察觉使夏洛特--无论出于严肃还是讽刺--迟疑了一分钟。“我去过。但这本身不算什么,”她说,“我告诉你只是为了向你展示我们的处境是如何运作的。它本质上成了我们俩的一个处境。亲王的处境是他自己的事--我只想说我的。”

🔊

perception /pərˈsepʃən/

n. 感知,认识,看法➕

🔊

excess /ɪkˈses/

n. 过度,过量➕

🔊

gravity /ˈɡrævəti/

n. 重力；严重性；庄重➕

🔊

irony /ˈaɪrəni/

n. 讽刺,反讽➕

🔊

hang fire /hæŋ ˈfaɪər/

phr. （习语）延迟,犹豫不决➕

🔊

essentially /ɪˈsenʃəli/

adv. 本质上,根本上➕

🔊 "Your situation's perfect," Mrs. Assingham presently declared.

“你的处境很完美,” 阿辛厄姆夫人随即宣称。

🔊 "I don't say it isn't. Taken, in fact, all round, I think it is. And I don't, as I tell you, complain of it. The only thing is that I have to act as it demands of me."

“我没说不是。事实上,全面考虑,我认为是的。而且,我告诉你,我并不抱怨。唯一的问题是,我必须按照它的要求行事。”

🔊

demands /dɪˈmændz/

v. 要求；需要（动词第三人称单数形式）➕

🔊 "To 'act'?" said Mrs. Assingham with an irrepressible quaver.

“去‘行事’？” 阿辛厄姆夫人带着无法抑制的颤抖说道。

🔊

irrepressible /ˌɪrɪˈpresəbl/

adj. 抑制不住的,无法控制的➕

🔊

quaver /ˈkweɪvər/

n. 颤抖,颤音➕

🔊 "Isn't it acting, my dear, to accept it? I do accept it. What do you want me to do less?"

“接受它,我亲爱的,不就是在行事吗？我接受它。你希望我做更少的事吗？”

🔊 "I want you to believe that you're a very fortunate person."

“我想让你相信你是一个非常幸运的人。”

🔊

fortunate /ˈfɔːrtʃənət/

adj. 幸运的,交好运的➕

🔊 "Do you call that less?" Charlotte asked with a smile. "From the point of view of my freedom I call it more. Let it take, my position, any name you like."

“你把这叫做更少？” 夏洛特微笑着问。“从我的自由角度来看,我称之为更丰富。随你怎么称呼我的位置。”

🔊 "Don't let it, at any rate,"--and Mrs. Assingham's impatience prevailed at last over her presence of mind--"don't let it make you think too much of your freedom."

“无论如何,别让它--” 阿辛厄姆夫人的不耐烦终于压倒了她的镇定--“别让它让你想太多你的自由。”

🔊

impatience /ɪmˈpeɪʃəns/

n. 不耐烦,急躁➕

🔊

prevailed /prɪˈveɪld/

v. 占上风,获胜➕

🔊

presence of mind /ˈprezəns əv maɪnd/

n. phrase. 镇定,沉着➕

🔊 "I don't know what you call too much--for how can I not see it as it is? You'd see your own quickly enough if the Colonel gave you the same liberty--and I haven't to tell you, with your so much greater knowledge of everything, what it is that gives such liberty most. For yourself personally of course," Charlotte went on, "you only know the state of neither needing it nor missing it. Your husband doesn't treat you as of less importance to him than some other woman."

“我不知道你所谓的‘太多’是什么意思--因为我又怎能不按它本来的样子看呢？如果上校给你同样的自由,你很快就会体会到你自己的--而且我不需要告诉你,凭你那更广博的知识,是什么给了那样的自由最大可能。对你个人而言,当然,” 夏洛特继续说,“你只知道既不需要也不缺少它。你的丈夫并没有让你觉得自己不如别的女人重要。”

🔊

Colonel /ˈkɜːnəl/

n. 上校（陆军、海军陆战队或空军的军衔）➕

🔊 "Ah, don't talk to me of other women!" Fanny now overtly panted. "Do you call Mr. Verver's perfectly natural interest in his daughter--?"

“啊,别跟我提别的女人！” 范妮现在公然气喘吁吁地说。“你把弗维尔先生对他女儿完全自然的兴趣叫做--？”

🔊

overtly /əʊˈvɜːtli/

adv. 公开地,明显地➕

🔊 "The greatest affection of which he is capable?" Charlotte took it up in all readiness. "I do distinctly--and in spite of my having done all I could think of--to make him capable of a greater. I've done, earnestly, everything I could--I've made it, month after month, my study. But I haven't succeeded--it has been vividly brought home to me tonight." However," she pursued, "I've hoped against hope, for I recognise that, as I told you at the time, I was duly warned." And then as she met in her friend's face the absence of any such remembrance: "He did tell me that he wanted me just because I could be useful about her." With which Charlotte broke into a wonderful smile. "So you see I am!"

“他所能给予的最大的爱？” 夏洛特很爽快地接话。“我确实这么认为--尽管我已尽我所能去让他有能力给予更多。我认真地做了我所能做的一切--我月复一月地研究它。但我没有成功--今晚生动地向我展示了这一点。不过,”她继续道,“我一直抱着希望,因为我承认,正如我当时告诉你的,我得到了适当的警告。”然后当她看到朋友脸上没有任何记忆时,她说:“他确实告诉过我,他要我就是因为我能对她有用。” 说着,夏洛特露出了一个灿烂的笑容。“所以你看,我是有用的！”

🔊

affection /əˈfekʃən/

n. 喜爱,感情➕

🔊

readiness /ˈredɪnəs/

n. 准备就绪,乐意➕

🔊

distinctly /dɪˈstɪŋktli/

adv. 清楚地,明显地➕

🔊

earnestly /ˈɜːnɪstli/

adv. 认真地,诚挚地➕

🔊

vividly /ˈvɪvɪdli/

adv. 生动地,鲜明地➕

🔊

hoped against hope /hoʊpt əˈɡenst hoʊp/

phr. v. 抱一线希望,明知不可能仍抱希望➕

🔊

duly /ˈdjuːli/

adv. 适当地,按时地➕

🔊

remembrance /rɪˈmembrəns/

n. 记忆,纪念➕

🔊 It was on Fanny Assingham's lips for the moment to reply that this was, on the contrary, exactly what she didn't see; she came in fact within an ace of saying: "You strike me as having quite failed to help his idea to work--since, by your account, Maggie has him not less, but so much more, on her mind. How in the world, with so much of a remedy, comes there to remain so much of what was to be obviated?" But she saved herself in time, conscious above all that she was in presence of still deeper things than she had yet dared to fear, that there was "more in it" than any admission she had made represented--and she had held herself familiar with admissions: so that, not to seem to understand where she couldn't accept, and not to seem to accept where she couldn't approve, and could still less, with precipitation, advise, she invoked the mere appearance of casting no weight whatever into the scales of her young friend's consistency. The only thing was that, as she was quickly enough to feel, she invoked it rather to excess. It brought her, her invocation, too abruptly to her feet. She brushed away everything. "I can't conceive, my dear, what you're talking about!"

范妮·阿辛厄姆此刻差点要回答说,这恰恰是她没看到的；她事实上差点脱口而出:“你给我的印象是,你完全没能帮助他的想法生效--因为根据你的说法,玛吉非但没有减轻,反而更把他放在心上。这世上有这么多弥补手段,怎么可能还有这么多本应被避免的东西？”但她及时忍住了,首先意识到她所面对的是比她之前敢于担心的更深层的事情,其中“有更多”,超过她所做的任何承认所代表的--而她一直认为自己很熟悉各种承认:所以,为了不显得理解她无法接受的东西,也不显得接受她无法认可的东西,更不能仓促给出建议,她仅仅假装对自己的年轻朋友的一致性不施加任何影响。唯一的问题是,她很快就感到,自己这样做有点过分了。这种求助使她过于突然地站了起来。她拂开一切。“我无法理解,亲爱的,你在说什么！”

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within an ace of /wɪˈðɪn ən eɪs əv/

prep. phrase. 差一点,几乎➕

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remedy /ˈremədi/

n. 补救方法,治疗➕

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obviated /ˈɒbvieɪtɪd/

v. 消除,避免➕

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conscious /ˈkɒnʃəs/

adj. 有意识的,察觉的➕

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admission /ədˈmɪʃən/

n. 承认,入场➕

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precipitation /prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃən/

n. 仓促,急躁；降水➕

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invoked /ɪnˈvəʊkt/

v. 援引,祈求➕

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consistency /kənˈsɪstənsi/

n. 一致性,连贯性➕

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invocation /ˌɪnvəˈkeɪʃən/

n. 祈祷,援引➕

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abruptly /əˈbrʌptli/

adv. 突然地,唐突地➕

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conceive /kənˈsiːv/

v. 想象,构想,怀孕➕

🔊 Charlotte promptly rose then, as might be, to meet it, and her colour, for the first time, perceptibly heightened. She looked, for the minute, as her companion had looked--as if twenty protests, blocking each other's way, had surged up within her. But when Charlotte had to make a selection, her selection was always the most effective possible. It was happy now, above all, for being made not in anger but in sorrow. "You give me up then?"

夏洛特随即起身,仿佛去迎接它,她的脸色第一次明显加深。她看上去,一时间,像她的同伴刚才那样--仿佛二十种抗议互相阻塞,在她内心翻涌。但当夏洛特必须做出选择时,她的选择总是最有效的。此刻它最让人欣慰的是,它不是出于愤怒,而是出于悲伤。“那么你放弃我了？”

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promptly /ˈprɒmptli/

adv. 迅速地,立即➕

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perceptibly /pərˈseptəbli/

adv. 明显地,可察觉地➕

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heightened /ˈhaɪtənd/

v. 提高,加强➕

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protests /ˈprəʊtests/

n. 抗议,反对➕

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surged /sɜːrdʒd/

v. 涌起,激增➕

🔊 "Give you up--?"

“放弃你--？”

🔊 "You forsake me at the hour of my life when it seems to me I most deserve a friend's loyalty? If you do you're not just, Fanny; you're even, I think," she went on, "rather cruel; and it's least of all worthy of you to seem to wish to quarrel with me in order to cover your desertion." She spoke, at the same time, with the noblest moderation of tone, and the image of high, pale, lighted disappointment she meanwhile presented, as of a creature patient and lonely in her splendour, was an impression so firmly imposed that she could fill her measure to the brim and yet enjoy the last word, as it is called in such cases, with a perfection void of any vulgarity of triumph. She merely completed, for truth's sake, her demonstration. "What is a quarrel with me but a quarrel with my right to recognise the conditions of my bargain? But I can carry them out alone," she said as she turned away. She turned to meet the Ambassador and the Prince, who, their colloquy with their Field-Marshal ended, were now at hand and had already, between them, she was aware, addressed her a remark that failed to penetrate the golden glow in which her intelligence was temporarily bathed. She had made her point, the point she had foreseen she must make; she had made it thoroughly and once for all, so that no more making was required; and her success was reflected in the faces of the two men of distinction before her, unmistakably moved to admiration by her exceptional radiance. She at first but watched this reflection, taking no note of any less adequate form of it possibly presented by poor Fanny--poor Fanny left to stare at her incurred "score," chalked up in so few strokes on the wall; then she took in what the Ambassador was saying, in French, what he was apparently repeating to her.

“在我生命中最需要朋友忠诚的时刻,你抛弃我？如果你这样,你就不公平,范妮；你甚至,我想,”她继续道,“相当残忍；而且最不像你的是,似乎想跟我吵架来掩盖你的背叛。”她同时以最高尚克制的语气说话,而她呈现出的那副高尚、清冷、失望的形象--作为一个在光环中忍耐而孤独的生物--是一种如此牢固地施加的印象,以至于她可以斟满自己的杯子,同时又以毫无任何庸俗胜利的完美享有最后的发言权。她仅仅为了真相完成了她的论证。“跟我吵架,跟吵架我承认我讨价还价的条件权利有什么区别？但我可以独自执行它们,”她说着转过身去。她转过身去迎接大使和王子,他们与陆军元帅的谈话已经结束,此刻就在近旁,而且她意识到,他们俩之间已经对她说了句什么,但她没有听清,因为它未能穿透那片金色光辉,她的理智正暂时沐浴其中。她已经表明了观点,那个她预见到必须表明的观点；她彻底地、一劳永逸地表明了它,所以不需要再表明什么了；而她的成功反映在她面前两位杰出男士的脸上,他们无疑被她的非凡光辉所感动。她起初只是观察这种反映,没有注意到任何较逊色的形式,可能是可怜的范妮展现的--可怜的范妮被留下来,瞪着她所欠下的“账”,仅用几划就记在墙上；然后她听清了大使在说什么,用法语,显然是在重复给她听。

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forsake /fərˈseɪk/

v. 抛弃,遗弃➕

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loyalty /ˈlɔɪəlti/

n. 忠诚,忠心➕

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worthy /ˈwɜːrði/

adj. 值得的,应得的➕

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desertion /dɪˈzɜːrʃən/

n. 抛弃,遗弃➕

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noblest /ˈnəʊblɪst/

adj. 最高尚的,最贵族的（noble的最高级）➕

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moderation /ˌmɒdəˈreɪʃən/

n. 适度,节制➕

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splendour /ˈsplendər/

n. 光辉,壮丽➕

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imposed /ɪmˈpəʊzd/

v. 强加,征收➕

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brim /brɪm/

n. 边缘,帽檐➕

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perfection /pərˈfekʃən/

n. 完美,完善➕

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void /vɔɪd/

adj. 空的,无效的➕

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vulgarity /vʌlˈɡærəti/

n. 粗俗,庸俗➕

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triumph /ˈtraɪəmf/

n. 胜利,成功➕

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bargain /ˈbɑːrɡɪn/

n. 交易,便宜货➕

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colloquy /ˈkɒləkwi/

n. 谈话,对话➕

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Field-Marshal /fiːld ˈmɑːrʃəl/

n. 陆军元帅➕

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penetrate /ˈpenɪtreɪt/

v. 穿透,渗透➕

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glow /ɡloʊ/

n. 光辉,发热➕

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temporarily /ˈtempərerɪli/

adv. 暂时地➕

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bathed /beɪðd/

v. 沐浴,沉浸➕

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foreseen /fɔːrˈsiːn/

v. 预见,预知➕

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thoroughly /ˈθʌrəli/

adv. 彻底地,全面地➕

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once for all /wʌns fɔːr ɔːl/

adv. phr. 一劳永逸地,最终地➕

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distinction /dɪˈstɪŋkʃən/

n. 区别,荣誉➕

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unmistakably /ˌʌnmɪˈsteɪkəbli/

adv. 无疑地,明确地➕

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admiration /ˌædməˈreɪʃən/

n. 钦佩,赞赏➕

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exceptional /ɪkˈsepʃənl/

adj. 卓越的,例外的➕

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adequate /ˈædɪkwət/

adj. 足够的,适当的➕

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incurred /ɪnˈkɜːrd/

v. 招致,引起➕

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chalked up /tʃɔːkt ʌp/

phr. v. 记录,归因于➕

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strokes /stroʊks/

n. 笔画,一击➕

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apparently /əˈpærəntli/

adv. 显然地,表面上➕

🔊 "A desire for your presence, Madame, has been expressed en tres-haut lieu, and I've let myself in for the responsibility, to say nothing of the honour, of seeing, as the most respectful of your friends, that so august an impatience is not kept waiting." The greatest possible Personage had, in short, according to the odd formula of societies subject to the greatest personages possible, "sent for" her, and she asked, in her surprise, "What in the world does he want to do to me?" only to know, without looking, that Fanny's bewilderment was called to a still larger application, and to hear the Prince say with authority, indeed with a certain prompt dryness: "You must go immediately--it's a summons." The Ambassador, using authority as well, had already somehow possessed himself of her hand, which he drew into his arm, and she was further conscious as she went off with him that, though still speaking for her benefit, Amerigo had turned to Fanny Assingham. He would explain afterwards--besides which she would understand for herself. To Fanny, however, he had laughed--as a mark, apparently, that for this infallible friend no explanation at all would be necessary.

“夫人,有人表达了希望您出现在上层的意愿,而我已经担起了责任--更不用说这份荣幸--作为您最尊敬的朋友之一,确保如此尊贵的不耐烦不会久等。”简而言之,根据那些受制于最尊贵人物的社会的奇特公式,最伟大的人物“传唤”了她,她惊讶地问:“他到底想对我做什么？”却只意识到--无需张望--范妮的困惑被扩大到了更大的应用范畴,并听到王子以其权威--甚至带着某种迅速的干涩--说道:“你必须马上去--这是召见。”大使也运用着权威,已经以某种方式握住了她的手,并将她挽入自己的臂弯；当她与他一同离去时,她进一步意识到,尽管仍在为她说话,亚美利哥已经转向了范妮·阿辛厄姆。他稍后会解释--此外,她自己也会明白。而对范妮,他却笑了--显然,是为了表明,对于这位可靠的朋友来说,根本无需任何解释。

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let myself in for /let maɪˈself ɪn fɔːr/

phr. v. 使自己陷入（麻烦等）➕

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respectful /rɪˈspektfl/

adj. 尊敬的,恭敬的➕

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august /ɔːˈɡʌst/

adj. 威严的,令人敬畏的➕

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formula /ˈfɔːrmjələ/

n. 公式,方案➕

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subject to /ˈsʌbdʒɪkt tuː/

adj. phr. 受制于,易受...的➕

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sent for /sent fɔːr/

phr. v. 派人去请,召唤➕

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bewilderment /bɪˈwɪldərmənt/

n. 困惑,迷茫➕

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application /ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃən/

n. 应用,申请,努力➕

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authority /əˈθɔːrəti/

n. 权威,当局➕

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dryness /ˈdraɪnəs/

n. 干燥,冷淡➕

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summons /ˈsʌmənz/

n. 传唤,召唤➕

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possessed /pəˈzest/

v. 拥有,具有➕

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infallible /ɪnˈfæləbl/

adj. 一贯正确的,绝对可靠的➕

Part Third – Chapter one (第一章)