Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were. —
斯嘉丽·奥哈拉并非美丽动人，但当时她那种迷人的魅力很少有人能察觉到，就像塔尔顿兄弟一样。 —

In her face were too sharply blended the delicate features of her mother, a Coast aristocrat of French descent, and the heavy ones of her florid Irish father. —
她的脸上混合着母亲的精致特征（她的母亲是法国血统的海岸贵族）和父亲的粗糙特征（她的父亲是苍白的爱尔兰人）。 —

But it was an arresting face, pointed of chin, square of jaw. —
然而，她的脸颊犀利而引人注目，下巴方正。 —

Her eyes were pale green without a touch of hazel, starred with bristly black lashes and slightly tilted at the ends. —
她的眼睛是苍白的绿色，没有一丝褐色，睫毛浓密，微微向上倾斜。 —

Above them, her thick black brows slanted upward, cutting a startling oblique line in her magnolia-white skin—that skin so prized by Southern women and so carefully guarded with bonnets, veils and mittens against hot Georgia suns.
她浓密的黑眉在眼上方向上斜，与她那象牙白皮肤形成了鲜明的斜线，这种肤色在南方女性中非常受珍视，经常戴帽子、面纱和手套来保护免受炎热的乔治亚阳光的侵害。

Seated with Stuart and Brent Tarleton in the cool shade of the porch of Tara, her father’s plantation, that bright April afternoon of 1861, she made a pretty picture. —
1861年4月的一个明亮下午，在她父亲位于塔拉的庄园的凉爽门廊里，她与斯图尔特和布伦特·塔尔顿兄弟坐在一起，构成了一幅美丽的画面。 —

Her new green flowered-muslin dress spread its twelve yards of billowing material over her hoops and exactly matched the flat-heeled green morocco slippers her father had recently brought her from Atlanta. —
她新买的绿色花布罗纹裙子在她的裙撑下扩展开，正好与她父亲最近从亚特兰大带给她的绿色平底莫洛哥皮鞋相得益彰。 —

The dress set off to perfection the seventeen-inch waist, the smallest in three counties, and the tightly fitting basque showed breasts well matured for her sixteen years. —
那裙子完美地衬托出她十七英寸的细腰，这是三个县中最细的腰，贴身的紧身上衣展示出她十六岁时发育得很好的胸部。 —

But for all the modesty of her spreading skirts, the demureness of hair netted smoothly into a chignon and the quietness of small white hands folded in her lap, her true self was poorly concealed. —
尽管她的裙摆宽大端庄，头发整齐地扎在一个髻子上，白皙的小手叠放在膝上，但她真实的自我并没有被很好地隐藏起来。 —

The green eyes in the carefully sweet face were turbulent, willful, lusty with life, distinctly at variance with her decorous demeanor. —
那双绿眼睛在她那小巧甜美的脸庞上显得动荡、倔强、充满生机，与她正派的举止格格不入。 —

Her manners had been imposed upon her by her mother’s gentle admonitions and the sterner discipline of her mammy; —
她的礼仪是她母亲温柔的告诫和她保姆强硬的管教所灌输给她的，而她的眼睛是她自己的。 —

her eyes were her own.
她的眼睛是她自己的。

On either side of her, the twins lounged easily in their chairs, squinting at the sunlight through tall mint-garnished glasses as they laughed and talked, their long legs, booted to the knee and thick with saddle muscles, crossed negligently. —
她身边，两个双胞胎轻松地靠着椅子，透过高高装饰着薄荷的玻璃杯，眯着眼看着阳光，一边笑着一边说着话，他们长长的腿蓄着到膝盖的靴子稀疏的坐在一起。 —

Nineteen years old, six feet two inches tall, long of bone and hard of muscle, with sunburned faces and deep auburn hair, their eyes merry and arrogant, their bodies clothed in identical blue coats and mustard-colored breeches, they were as much alike as two bolls of cotton.
十九岁，身高六英尺两英寸，骨骼修长，肌肉结实，晒得黝黑的脸上长着深红色的头发，眼睛快活而傲慢，他们身穿相同的蓝色外套和芥末色马裤，他们就像两个棉花绵球一样相似。

Outside, the late afternoon sun slanted down in the yard, throwing into gleaming brightness the dogwood trees that were solid masses of white blossoms against the background of new green. —
外面，傍晚的阳光斜照在庭院里，使白杜鹃树在新绿的背景下成为闪亮的白花丛。 —

The twins’ horses were hitched in the driveway, big animals, red as their masters’ hair; —
双胞胎的马被系在车道上，它们是大动物，毛色像它们主人的头发一样红； —

and around the horses’ legs quarreled the pack of lean, nervous possum hounds that accompanied Stuart and Brent wherever they went. —
围绕着马脚争吵不休的是伴随斯图尔特和布伦特走到哪里的一群瘦长而紧张的负鼠猎狗。 —

A little aloof, as became an aristocrat, lay a black-spotted carriage dog, muzzle on paws, patiently waiting for the boys to go home to supper.
一只有点疏离感的，像贵族一样成为的黑斑马车狗，嘴巴懒懒地搁在爪子上，耐心地等待着男孩们回家吃晚饭。

Between the hounds and the horses and the twins there was a kinship deeper than that of their constant companionship. —
在猎犬、马匹和双胞胎之间存在着一种比常伴的亲密关系更深的血缘关系。 —

They were all healthy, thoughtless young animals, sleek, graceful, high-spirited, the boys as mettlesome as the horses they rode, mettlesome and dangerous but, withal, sweet-tempered to those who knew how to handle them.
他们都是健康、无忧无虑的小动物，毛发光滑，姿态优雅，精神饱满，男孩们就像他们骑的马一样精力充沛而又具有危险性，但对于那些知道如何处理它们的人来说，它们又是温和的。

Although born to the ease of plantation life, waited on hand and foot since infancy, the faces of the three on the porch were neither slack nor soft. —
尽管从小就享受庄园生活的便利，自幼就被人伺候着，但这三个人的脸既不懒散也不柔软。 —

They had the vigor and alertness of country people who have spent all their lives in the open and troubled their heads very little with dull things in books. —
他们拥有乡村人的活力和警觉性，他们一生都在户外度过，对于乏味的书本东西几乎没有过多的困扰。 —

Life in the north Georgia county of Clayton was still new and, according to the standards of Augusta, Savannah and Charleston, a little crude. —
佐治亚北部的克莱顿县的生活仍然很新颖，并且在奥古斯塔、萨凡纳和查尔斯顿的标准中，可以说有点粗糙。 —

The more sedate and older sections of the South looked down their noses at the up-country Georgians, but here in north Georgia, a lack of the niceties of classical education carried no shame, provided a man was smart in the things that mattered. —
在南方，更为平静、年长的地区看不起低级的佐治亚人，但在北佐治亚，缺乏古典教育并不可耻，只要一个人在重要的事情上足够聪明。 —

And raising good cotton, riding well, shooting straight, dancing lightly, squiring the ladies with elegance and carrying one’s liquor like a gentleman were the things that mattered.
种好棉花，骑好马，射击准确，轻盈地跳舞，优雅地陪伴女士们，并像绅士那样喝酒，这些才是重要的事情。

In these accomplishments the twins excelled, and they were equally outstanding in their notorious inability to learn anything contained between the covers of books. —
在这些技能方面，双胞胎出类拔萃，并且他们同样显著地无法学到书本上的任何知识。 —

Their family had more money, more horses, more slaves than any one else in the County, but the boys had less grammar than most of their poor Cracker neighbors.
他们的家族比县里其他人拥有更多的钱、更多的马匹、更多的奴隶，但这两个男孩掌握的语法比他们穷苦的低级白种人邻居还少。

It was for this precise reason that Stuart and Brent were idling on the porch of Tara this April afternoon. —
正是因为这个确切的原因，斯图尔特和布伦特才在塔拉农舍的门廊上闲荡，这是四月的一个下午。 —

They had just been expelled from the University of Georgia, the fourth university that had thrown them out in two years; —
他们刚被佐治亚大学开除，这是他们在两年内被开除的第四所大学。 —

and their older brothers, Tom and Boyd, had come home with them, because they refused to remain at an institution where the twins were not welcome. —
而他们的哥哥汤姆和波伊德与他们一同回家，因为他们拒绝留在那里不受欢迎的机构。 —

Stuart and Brent considered their latest expulsion a fine joke, and Scarlett, who had not willingly opened a book since leaving the Fayetteville Female Academy the year before, thought it just as amusing as they did.
斯图尔特和布伦特认为他们最近的开除是一个很好笑的玩笑，而斯嘉丽，自从前一年离开费耶特维尔女子学院后就再也没有自愿打开过一本书，她觉得这和他们一样有趣。

“I know you two don’t care about being expelled, or Tom either,” she said. “But what about Boyd? —
“我知道你们两个不在乎被开除，汤姆也一样，”她说。”但是博伊德呢？ —

He’s kind of set on getting an education, and you two have pulled him out of the University of Virginia and Alabama and South Carolina and now Georgia. —
他很渴望接受教育，而你们两个却把他从弗吉尼亚大学、阿拉巴马大学、南卡罗来纳大学和乔治亚大学都拉了出来。 —

He’ll never get finished at this rate.”
这样下去他永远都无法毕业。

“Oh, he can read law in Judge Parmalee’s office over in Fayetteville,” answered Brent carelessly. —
“哦，他可以在费耶特维尔的帕马利法官办公室里读法律，”布伦特漫不经心地回答。 —

“Besides, it don’t matter much. We’d have had to come home before the term was out anyway.”
“而且，这没多大关系。无论如何，在学期结束之前我们都得回家。”

“Why?”
“为什么？”

“The war, goose! The war’s going to start any day, and you don’t suppose any of us would stay in college with a war going on, do you?”
“战争，你笨蛋！战争随时都会爆发，你难道认为我们会在战争期间还留在大学吗？”

“You know there isn’t going to be any war,” said Scarlett, bored. “It’s all just talk. —
“你知道不会有战争的，”斯嘉丽无聊地说道。”这都只是些说说而已。 —

Why, Ashley Wilkes and his father told Pa just last week that our commissioners in Washington would come to—to—an—amicable agreement with Mr. Lincoln about the Confederacy. —
为什么呢，阿什利·威尔克斯和他的父亲上周刚告诉过爸爸，我们在华盛顿的代表将会与林肯先生就邦联问题达成友好协议。 —

And anyway, the Yankees are too scared of us to fight. —
而且，北方佬们也太害怕我们，不敢与我们交战。 —

There won’t be any war, and I’m tired of hearing about it.”
不会有战争的，我已经听够了。

“Not going to be any war!” cried the twins indignantly, as though they had been defrauded.
“不会有战争！”双胞胎们愤然地喊道，仿佛他们被欺骗了一样。

“Why, honey, of course there’s going to be a war,” said Stuart. —
“亲爱的，当然会有战争，”斯图尔特说道。 —

“The Yankees may be scared of us, but after the way General Beauregard shelled them out of Fort Sumter day before yesterday, they’ll have to fight or stand branded as cowards before the whole world. —
“北方佬们也许害怕我们，但是在前天博尔戈德将军轰下森特堡后，他们将不得不战斗，否则在全世界面前被贴上懦弱的标签。 —

Why, the Confederacy—”
为什么，邦联——”

Scarlett made a mouth of bored impatience.
斯嘉丽厌烦地撇了撇嘴。

“If you say ‘war’ just once more, I’ll go in the house and shut the door. —
“如果你再说一次‘战争’，我就进屋关上门。 —

I’ve never gotten so tired of any one word in my life as ‘war,’ unless it’s ‘secession.’ —
我从来没这么厌烦过某个词，除非是‘分离’。” —

Pa talks war morning, noon and night, and all the gentlemen who come to see him shout about Fort Sumter and States’ Rights and Abe Lincoln till I get so bored I could scream! —
爸爸整天早上、中午和晚上都在谈论战争，来看他的绅士们也喊着关于萨姆特堡和各州权利以及亚伯拉罕·林肯的事情，弄得我无聊得想尖叫！ —

And that’s all the boys talk about, too, that and their old Troop. There hasn’t been any fun at any party this spring because the boys can’t talk about anything else. —
男孩们也仅仅谈论这些，还有他们所属的旅团。这个春天的任何聚会都没有乐趣，因为男孩们谈不了其他事情。 —

I’m mighty glad Georgia waited till after Christmas before it seceded or it would have ruined the Christmas parties, too. —
我很庆幸乔治亚州在圣诞节后才宣布脱离，否则圣诞派对也就毁了。 —

If you say ‘war’ again, I’ll go in the house.”
如果你再提到“战争”，我就要回屋了。

She meant what she said, for she could never long endure any conversation of which she was not the chief subject. —
她说的是真心话，因为她无法忍受任何没有她作为主要话题的谈话。 —

But she smiled when she spoke, consciously deepening her dimple and fluttering her bristly black lashes as swiftly as butterflies’ wings. —
但她一边说话一边笑了，有意识地加深她的酒窝，迅速地扇动她粗糙的黑睫毛，就像蝴蝶的翅膀一样。 —

The boys were enchanted, as she had intended them to be, and they hastened to apologize for boring her. —
男孩们被她迷住了，她的本意就是这样，他们赶紧为自己的无聊道歉。 —

They thought none the less of her for her lack of interest. Indeed, they thought more. —
他们对她的兴趣不减分毫。事实上，他们更加欣赏她。 —

War was men’s business, not ladies’, and they took her attitude as evidence of her femininity.
战争是男人的事情，不是女人的事情，他们认为她的态度证明了她的女性气质。

Having maneuvered them away from the boring subject of war, she went back with interest to their immediate situation.
在将他们从关于战争这个无聊的话题上转移开之后，她对他们当前的情况很感兴趣地回过头去。

“What did your mother say about you two being expelled again?”
“你们俩被开除了，你妈妈说了什么？”

The boys looked uncomfortable, recalling their mother’s conduct three months ago when they had come home, by request, from the University of Virginia.
男孩们感到不舒服，想起了三个月前他们按照请求从弗吉尼亚大学回家时他们母亲的行为。

“Well,” said Stuart, “she hasn’t had a chance to say anything yet. —
“嗯，” 斯图尔特说道，”她还没有机会说什么。 —

Tom and us left home early this morning before she got up, and Tom’s laying out over at the Fontaines’ while we came over here.”
今天早上我们俩在她起床之前就离家出走了，汤姆住在方丹家，而我们过来这里了。”

“Didn’t she say anything when you got home last night?”
“昨晚你们回家的时候她没有说什么吗？”

“We were in luck last night. Just before we got home that new stallion Ma got in Kentucky last month was brought in, and the place was in a stew. —
“我们昨晚运气不错。就在我们回家之前，马儿妈在肯塔基买的那匹新种马被带了进来，整个地方乱糟糟的。 —

The big brute—he’s a grand horse, Scarlett; —
那匹大块头——真是一匹了不起的马，斯嘉丽；被引退了。” —

you must tell your pa to come over and see him right away—he’d already bitten a hunk out of his groom on the way down here and he’d trampled two of Ma’s darkies who met the train at Jonesboro. —
你必须告诉你爸立刻过来见他——他在来这里的路上已经咬了一口他的骑手，并且他还把我们家的两个黑奴踩伤了。 —

And just before we got home, he’d about kicked the stable down and half-killed Strawberry, Ma’s old stallion. —
刚刚我们回到家，他把马厩踢得差点儿倒塌，而且差点把我妈的老战马Strawberry给踢死了一半。 —

When we got home, Ma was out in the stable with a sackful of sugar smoothing him down and doing it mighty well, too. —
当我们回家时，我妈正在马厩里用一袋糖糖顺着它的皮。她做得相当好。 —

The darkies were hanging from the rafters, popeyed, they were so scared, but Ma was talking to the horse like he was folks and he was eating out of her hand. —
那些黑奴吓得眼珠子都瞪出来了，他们吊在横梁上，但是我妈却像对待朋友一样同马说话，而它也饶有兴致地吃着我妈手里的东西。 —

There ain’t nobody like Ma with a horse. And when she saw us she said: —
没人能像我妈那样对待马。当她看到我们的时候，她说道： —

‘In Heaven’s name, what are you four doing home again? You’re worse than the plagues of Egypt!’ —
“天哪，你们四个又回来了？你们可比埃及的瘟疫还厉害！” —

And then the horse began snorting and rearing and she said: ‘Get out of here! —
这时马开始喷着气，踱步，她说：“滚出去！ —

Can’t you see he’s nervous, the big darling? I’ll tend to you four in the morning!’ —
你们看不出他紧张吗，大家伙？明天早上我会管教你们四个！” —

So we went to bed, and this morning we got away before she could catch us and left Boyd to handle her.”
所以我们上床睡觉了，今早在她追上我们之前我们逃掉了，把事情留给了波伊德处理。

“Do you suppose she’ll hit Boyd?” Scarlett, like the rest of the County, could never get used to the way small Mrs. Tarleton bullied her grown sons and laid her riding crop on their backs if the occasion seemed to warrant it.
“你觉得她会打波伊德吗？”像县里其他人一样，斯嘉丽永远也无法习惯这个小个子的塔尔顿太太如何欺负她的成年儿子，甚至用鞭子抽他们一顿，如果她觉得有必要的话。

Beatrice Tarleton was a busy woman, having on her hands not only a large cotton plantation, a hundred negroes and eight children, but the largest horse-breeding farm in the state as well. —
比阿特丽斯·塔尔顿是个忙碌的女人，手上不仅有一座大型棉花种植园、一百个黑奴和八个孩子，还有全州最大的马场。 —

She was hot-tempered and easily plagued by the frequent scrapes of her four sons, and while no one was permitted to whip a horse or a slave, she felt that a lick now and then didn’t do the boys any harm.
她脾气暴躁，容易被她四个儿子经常闯祸的事情惹恼，虽然谁也不能打马或奴隶，但她觉得偶尔打打孩子并没有什么伤害。

“Of course she won’t hit Boyd. She never did beat Boyd much because he’s the oldest and besides he’s the runt of the litter,” said Stuart, proud of his six feet two. —
“当然她不会打波伊德。因为他是最大的，而且他是这窝狗仔中最短的，所以她从来没怎么打过波伊德，”斯图尔特得意地说，他有两米两的身高。 —

“That’s why we left him at home to explain things to her. God’lmighty, Ma ought to stop licking us! —
“这就是为什么我们把他留在家里解释给她听的原因。天哪，妈妈应该停止打我们了！ —

We’re nineteen and Tom’s twenty-one, and she acts like we’re six years old.”
“我们19岁，汤姆21岁，她行为却像我们六岁一样。”

“Will your mother ride the new horse to the Wilkes barbecue tomorrow?”
“你妈妈明天会骑新马去威尔克斯家的烧烤吗？”

“She wants to, but Pa says he’s too dangerous. And, anyway, the girls won’t let her. —
“她想去，可是爸爸说那匹马太危险了。而且，无论如何，女孩们也不会让她去的。” —

They said they were going to have her go to one party at least like a lady, riding in the carriage.”
“他们说起码要让她像个淑女一样去参加一次宴会，坐着马车。”

“I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow,” said Scarlett. “It’s rained nearly every day for a week. —
“我希望明天不要下雨，”斯嘉丽说。“已经下了一个星期几乎每天都下雨了。” —

There’s nothing worse than a barbecue turned into an indoor picnic.”
“没什么比把烧烤变成室内野餐更糟糕的了。”

“Oh, it’ll be clear tomorrow and hot as June,” said Stuart. “Look at that sunset. —
“哦，明天会晴朗而且炎热，就像六月一样，”斯图尔特说。“看这个日落。我从来没见过这么红的，只要看日落就能判断天气。” —

I never saw one redder. You can always tell weather by sunsets.”
他们望着杰拉尔德·奥哈拉新犁过的无尽亩地，向红色的地平线望去。

They looked out across the endless acres of Gerald O’Hara’s newly plowed cotton fields toward the red horizon. —
现在太阳在弗林特河对岸的山丘后方闪耀成一团红光，四月的温暖正在转为微弱但宜人的凉意。 —

Now that the sun was setting in a welter of crimson behind the hills across the Flint River, the warmth of the April day was ebbing into a faint but balmy chill.
“It’s rained nearly every day for a week. There’s nothing worse than a barbecue turned into an indoor picnic.”

Spring had come early that year, with warm quick rains and sudden frothing of pink peach blossoms and dogwood dappling with white stars the dark river swamp and far-off hills. —
那年春天提前到来，带着温暖的细雨和粉红色的桃花和白色的红柳花在黑暗的河沼和远山中泛着波浪。 —

Already the plowing was nearly finished, and the bloody glory of the sunset colored the fresh-cut furrows of red Georgia clay to even redder hues. —
犁地工作已经快完成了，鲜血般的壮丽落日将新割的乔治亚红土色彩变得更红。 —

The moist hungry earth, waiting upturned for the cotton seeds, showed pinkish on the sandy tops of furrows, vermilion and scarlet and maroon where shadows lay along the sides of the trenches. —
湿漉漉的饥渴大地仰望着等待着棉花种子，沙土上呈现出粉红色，在沟渠边沿的阴影处则呈现赤红色和栗色。 —

The whitewashed brick plantation house seemed an island set in a wild red sea, a sea of spiraling, curving, crescent billows petrified suddenly at the moment when the pink-tipped waves were breaking into surf. —
那粉刷成白色的砖制种植园大厦宛如一个被野性的红色海洋所包围的孤岛，海水在浪尖处仿佛一瞬间被冰封。 —

For here were no long, straight furrows, such as could be seen in the yellow clay fields of the flat middle Georgia country or in the lush black earth of the coastal plantations. —
这里没有那种长而直的犁沟，就像黄土中平坦的乔治亚中部地区或沿海种植园里肥沃的黑土那样。 —

The rolling foothill country of north Georgia was plowed in a million curves to keep the rich earth from washing down into the river bottoms.
北乔治亚的起伏山丘被开垦成无数的弯曲，以防止富饶的土壤被冲刷到河底。

It was a savagely red land, blood-colored after rains, brick dust in droughts, the best cotton land in the world. —
它是一片可怕的红地，下雨后血红色，旱季时砖尘飞扬，是世界上最好的棉花土地。 —

It was a pleasant land of white houses, peaceful plowed fields and sluggish yellow rivers, but a land of contrasts, of brightest sun glare and densest shade. —
这是一片宜人的土地，有白色的房屋、宁静的耕地和缓慢的黄色河流，但也是一个充满对比的土地，阳光最明亮的地方和阴影最浓密的地方并存。 —

The plantation clearings and miles of cotton fields smiled up to a warm sun, placid, complacent. —
种植园的空地和茫茫棉田面对温暖的阳光笑靥如花，安宁而满足。 —

At their edges rose the virgin forests, dark and cool even in the hottest noons, mysterious, a little sinister, the soughing pines seeming to wait with an age-old patience, to threaten with soft sighs: —
在边界处，矗立着原始森林，即使在最炎热的正午，也是阴暗凉爽的，神秘而有点邪恶，呼呼作响的松树似乎怀着古老的耐心，轻声警告： —

“Be careful! Be careful! We had you once. —
“小心！小心！我们曾经拥有你们。 —

We can take you back again.”
我们可以再次将你们带走。”

To the ears of the three on the porch came the sounds of hooves, the jingling of harness chains and the shrill careless laughter of negro voices, as the field hands and mules came in from the fields. —
用三个人在门廊上的耳朵去倾听，可以听到蹄声、车辕链的叮当声和黑奴们高兴而轻率的笑声，因为他们和骡马从田地归来。 —

From within the house floated the soft voice of Scarlett’s mother, Ellen O’Hara, as she called to the little black girl who carried her basket of keys. —
从屋里飘出了斯嘉丽的母亲埃伦·奥哈拉的声音，她对那个拿着钥匙篮子的小黑女孩喊道。 —

The high-pitched, childish voice answered “Yas’m,” and there were sounds of footsteps going out the back way toward the smokehouse where Ellen would ration out the food to the home-coming hands. —
高亢的、孩子气的声音回答说：“是，太太”，同时传来了向烟房走去的脚步声，那里是埃伦发放食物给归来的工人的地方。 —

There was the click of china and the rattle of silver as Pork, the valet-butler of Tara, laid the table for supper.
当餐具发出响声和银器发出刺耳的声音时，塔拉庄园的贴身男仆波克已经为晚餐摆好了桌子。

At these last sounds, the twins realized it was time they were starting home. —
听到最后的声音，双胞胎意识到是时候回家了。 —

But they were loath to face their mother and they lingered on the porch of Tara, momentarily expecting Scarlett to give them an invitation to supper.
但是他们不愿面对母亲，他们在塔拉庄园的门廊上逗留，暂时期待着斯嘉丽请他们吃晚饭。

“Look, Scarlett. About tomorrow,” said Brent. “Just because we’ve been away and didn’t know about the barbecue and the ball, that’s no reason why we shouldn’t get plenty of dances tomorrow night. —
“听着，斯嘉丽。关于明天的事。”布伦特说。“仅仅因为我们外出不知道有烧烤和舞会，这并不意味着我们明天晚上不能跳很多舞。 —

You haven’t promised them all, have you?”
你没有答应完所有人，对吧？”

“Well, I have! How did I know you all would be home? —
“哦，答应了！我怎么知道你们会回来呢？” —

I couldn’t risk being a wallflower just waiting on you two.”
“我不能冒险成为一个无动于衷的墙花，只是等着你们两个。”

“You a wallflower!” The boys laughed uproariously.
“你成为墙花了！”男孩们大笑不止。

“Look, honey. You’ve got to give me the first waltz and Stu the last one and you’ve got to eat supper with us. —
“听着，亲爱的。你得跟我跳第一支华尔兹，给斯图跳最后一支，还有得跟我们一起吃晚饭。” —

We’ll sit on the stair landing like we did at the last ball and get Mammy Jincy to come tell our fortunes again.”
“我们就像上次舞会上那样坐在楼梯平台上，让珍茜阿姨再给我们来算命。”

“I don’t like Mammy Jincy’s fortunes. You know she said I was going to marry a gentleman with jet-black hair and a long black mustache, and I don’t like black-haired gentlemen.”
“我不喜欢珍茜阿姨的命运预测。你知道她说我要嫁给一个黑发黑胡子的绅士，我可不喜欢黑发绅士。”

“You like ‘em red-headed, don’t you, honey?” —
“那你是喜欢红发的，对吧，亲爱的？” —

grinned Brent. “Now, come on, promise us all the waltzes and the supper.”
布伦特咧嘴笑道。“好了，许诺我们所有的华尔兹和晚餐。”

“If you’ll promise, we’ll tell you a secret,” said Stuart.
“如果你们答应，我们就告诉你一个秘密。”斯图尔特说道。

“What?” cried Scarlett, alert as a child at the word.
“是什么？” 斯嘉丽着急地问，听到这个词就像个孩子一样。

“Is it what we heard yesterday in Atlanta, Stu? If it is, you know we promised not to tell.”
“是昨天我们在亚特兰大听到的吗，斯图？如果是的话，你知道我们答应不告诉别人。”

“Well, Miss Pitty told us.”
“嗯，是皮蒂小姐告诉我们的。”

“Miss Who?”
“皮蒂小姐是谁？”

“You know, Ashley Wilkes’ cousin who lives in Atlanta, Miss Pittypat Hamilton—Charles and Melanie Hamilton’s aunt.”
“你知道的，阿什利·威尔克斯的表姐，住在亚特兰大的皮蒂帕特·哈密尔顿，查尔斯和梅拉妮·哈密尔顿的姑姑。”

“I do, and a sillier old lady I never met in all my life.”
“是的，我认识她，她是我一生中见过的最傻的老太太。”

“Well, when we were in Atlanta yesterday, waiting for the home train, her carriage went by the depot and she stopped and talked to us, and she told us there was going to be an engagement announced tomorrow night at the Wilkes ball.”
“嗯，昨天我们在亚特兰大等待回家的火车时，她的马车从车站经过并和我们聊了起来，她告诉我们明天晚上在威尔克斯舞会上会有一个订婚的宣布。”

“Oh. I know about that,” said Scarlett in disappointment. —
“哦，我知道这件事，”斯嘉丽失望地说道。 —

“That silly nephew of hers, Charlie Hamilton, and Honey Wilkes. —
“她那愚蠢的侄子查理·汉密尔顿和霍尼·威尔克斯。” —

Everybody’s known for years that they’d get married some time, even if he did seem kind of lukewarm about it.”
“大家多年来都知道他们迟早会结婚，即使他似乎对此并不热衷。”

“Do you think he’s silly?” questioned Brent. “Last Christmas you sure let him buzz round you plenty.”
“你觉得他愚蠢吗？”布伦特问道。“去年圣诞节的时候，你可是让他纠缠得够呛。”

“I couldn’t help him buzzing,” Scarlett shrugged negligently. “I think he’s an awful sissy.”
“我没办法不让他纠缠，”斯嘉丽漫不经心地耸了耸肩。“我觉得他纯属一个矬子。”

“Besides, it isn’t his engagement that’s going to be announced,” said Stuart triumphantly. —
“另外，宣布的并不是他的订婚，”司徒得意洋洋地说道。 —

“It’s Ashley’s to Charlie’s sister, Miss Melanie!”
“而是艾希礼和查理的妹妹梅拉妮小姐的订婚！”

Scarlett’s face did not change but her lips went white—like a person who has received a stunning blow without warning and who, in the first moments of shock, does not realize what has happened. —
斯嘉丽的脸没有变化，但她的嘴唇却变得苍白，像是一个毫无准备地遭受了沉重打击的人，在震惊的最初时刻还没有意识到发生了什么。 —

So still was her face as she stared at Stuart that he, never analytic, took it for granted that she was merely surprised and very interested.
她的脸一动不动地盯着斯图尔特，他从来不善分析，只是认为她只是感到惊讶和非常感兴趣。

“Miss Pitty told us they hadn’t intended announcing it till next year, because Miss Melly hasn’t been very well; —
“皮蒂小姐告诉我们他们原本打算明年才宣布，因为梅莉小姐身体不太好； —

but with all the war talk going around, everybody in both families thought it would be better to get married soon. —
但是随着战争谈论的传播，两个家族中的每个人都认为尽快结婚会更好。 —

So it’s to be announced tomorrow night at the supper intermission. —
所以明天晚上在晚宴休息时间宣布。 —

Now, Scarlett, we’ve told you the secret, so you’ve got to promise to eat supper with us.”
现在，斯嘉丽，我们告诉了你这个秘密，所以你必须答应和我们一起吃晚饭。

“Of course I will,” Scarlett said automatically.
“当然，我会的，”斯嘉丽机械地说道。

“And all the waltzes?”
“还有所有的华尔兹舞曲？”

“All.”
“全部都可以。”

“You’re sweet! I’ll bet the other boys will be hopping mad.”
“你真是太好了！我敢打赌其他男孩们会非常生气的。”

“Let ‘em be mad,” said Brent. “We two can handle ‘em. Look, Scarlett. —
“让他们生气去吧，”布伦特说道。”我们两个可以应付得了他们。看，斯嘉丽。 —

Sit with us at the barbecue in the morning.”
在明天的烧烤野餐上和我们一起坐吧。”

“What?”
“什么？”

Stuart repeated his request.
斯图尔特重复了他的请求。

“Of course.”
“当然了。”

The twins looked at each other jubilantly but with some surprise. —
双胞胎欣喜地看着对方，但也有些惊讶。 —

Although they considered themselves Scarlett’s favored suitors, they had never before gained tokens of this favor so easily. —
尽管他们认为自己是斯嘉丽钟意的追求者，但他们以前从未如此轻易地得到过这种钟意的表示。 —

Usually she made them beg and plead, while she put them off, refusing to give a Yes or No answer, laughing if they sulked, growing cool if they became angry. —
通常她让他们乞求，恳求，同时拒绝给出是或否的答案，如果他们生气了她会轻笑，如果他们生气了她会变得冷淡。 —

And here she had practically promised them the whole of tomorrow—seats by her at the barbecue, all the waltzes (and they’d see to it that the dances were all waltzes! —
而这次她几乎承诺给他们一整天的时间 – 烧烤时与她一起坐，所有的华尔兹（而且他们会确保所有的舞曲都是华尔兹！），还有晚宴之间的休息时间。这值得他们被大学开除。 —

) and the supper intermission. This was worth getting expelled from the university.
充满新热情的他们在原地逗留，谈论着烧烤和舞会、阿什利·威尔克斯和梅兰妮·汉密尔顿，互相打断、开玩笑并为邀请晚宴而不断暗示。

Filled with new enthusiasm by their success, they lingered on, talking about the barbecue and the ball and Ashley Wilkes and Melanie Hamilton, interrupting each other, making jokes and laughing at them, hinting broadly for invitations to supper. —
过了一段时间，他们才意识到斯嘉丽几乎没有什么话要说。 —

Some time had passed before they realized that Scarlett was having very little to say. —
斯嘉丽去参加大学毕业典礼。 —

The atmosphere had somehow changed. Just how, the twins did not know, but the fine glow had gone out of the afternoon. —
气氛不知何故发生了变化。双胞胎们不知道具体是怎么回事，但下午失去了美好的光辉。 —

Scarlett seemed to be paying little attention to what they said, although she made the correct answers. —
斯嘉丽似乎并不在意他们说的话，尽管她回答得很正确。 —

Sensing something they could not understand, baffled and annoyed by it, the twins struggled along for a while, and then rose reluctantly, looking at their watches.
感觉到了一些他们无法理解的东西，双胞胎们感到困惑和恼火，他们艰难地走了一段时间，然后不情愿地站起来，看了看手表。

The sun was low across the new-plowed fields and the tall woods across the river were looming blackly in silhouette. —
太阳低照在新耕种的田地上，河对岸的高大树林在剪影中显得黑暗笼罩。 —

Chimney swallows were darting swiftly across the yard, and chickens, ducks and turkeys were waddling and strutting and straggling in from the fields.
炉管燕子迅速地穿越院子，鸡、鸭和火鸡从田地里一溜烟地走进来。

Stuart bellowed: “Jeems!” And after an interval a tall black boy of their own age ran breathlessly around the house and out toward the tethered horses. —
斯图尔特大喊道：”吉姆斯！” 过了一会儿，一个个子高高的黑人男孩气喘吁吁地绕过屋子，朝着栓着的马跑去。 —

Jeems was their body servant and, like the dogs, accompanied them everywhere. —
吉姆斯是他们的侍从，和狗一样，随处陪伴着他们。 —

He had been their childhood playmate and had been given to the twins for their own on their tenth birthday. —
他曾是他们的童年玩伴，并在他们十岁生日那天给了双胞胎作为他们自己的礼物。 —

At the sight of him, the Tarleton hounds rose up out of the red dust and stood waiting expectantly for their masters. —
一看到他，塔莱顿家的猎犬们从红土中蹦了起来，带着期待站在那里等待着主人。 —

The boys bowed, shook hands and told Scarlett they’d be over at the Wilkeses’ early in the morning, waiting for her. —
两个男孩鞠躬、握手，告诉斯嘉丽他们会早上早早去威尔克斯家等她。 —

Then they were off down the walk at a rush, mounted their horses and, followed by Jeems, went down the avenue of cedars at a gallop, waving their hats and yelling back to her.
然后他们便冲下台阶，骑上马，杰姆斯紧随其后，他们沿着雪松林荫大道飞奔而去，挥舞着帽子，向她大喊着。

When they had rounded the curve of the dusty road that hid them from Tara, Brent drew his horse to a stop under a clump of dogwood. —
当他们绕过笼罩在尘土中的弯道时，布伦特在一丛山茱萸的下面把马停了下来。 —

Stuart halted, too, and the darky boy pulled up a few paces behind them. —
斯图尔特也停了下来，黑奴男孩在他们的几步后面停了下来。 —

The horses, feeling slack reins, stretched down their necks to crop the tender spring grass, and the patient hounds lay down again in the soft red dust and looked up longingly at the chimney swallows circling in the gathering dusk. —
感到缰绳松懈的马伸长了脖子，低头吃起嫩嫩的春草，耐心地躺下来，渴望地仰望着在浓浓暮色中盘旋的烟囱燕。 —

Brent’s wide ingenuous face was puzzled and mildly indignant.
布伦特宽大的天真脸上带着困惑和轻微的愤懑。

“Look,” he said. “Don’t it look to you like she would of asked us to stay for supper?”
“你看,“他说。”难道你不觉得她本来会请我们留下吃晚饭吗?”

“I thought she would,” said Stuart. “I kept waiting for her to do it, but she didn’t. —
“我本来以为她会的，”斯图尔特说。”我一直等着她那样做，但她没有。 —

What do you make of it?”
你有什么想法?”

“I don’t make anything of it. But it just looks to me like she might of. —
“我对此一无所知。但我觉得她可能会这样做。 —

After all, it’s our first day home and she hasn’t seen us in quite a spell. —
毕竟，今天是我们回家的第一天，她已经有一段时间没见到我们了。 —

And we had lots more things to tell her.”
而且我们还有很多事情要告诉她。

“It looked to me like she was mighty glad to see us when we came.”
“我觉得她见到我们来的时候很高兴。

“I thought so, too.”
“我也是这么想的。”

“And then, about a half-hour ago, she got kind of quiet, like she had a headache.”
“然后，大约半个小时前，她有点安静，好像头疼了。

“I noticed that but I didn’t pay it any mind then. What do you suppose ailed her?”
“我注意到了，但当时我并没有放在心上。你觉得她怎么了?”

“I dunno. Do you suppose we said something that made her mad?”
“我不知道。难道我们说了什么让她生气的事吗?”

They both thought for a minute.
两人都思考了一分钟。

“I can’t think of anything. Besides, when Scarlett gets mad, everybody knows it. —
“我想不出来。而且，当斯嘉丽生气的时候，每个人都会知道。 —

She don’t hold herself in like some girls do.”
她不会像有些女孩那样藏着掖着自己生气。

“Yes, that’s what I like about her. She don’t go around being cold and hateful when she’s mad—she tells you about it. —
“是的，这就是我喜欢她的地方。当她生气时，她不会冷漠和憎恨，而是会告诉你。 —

But it was something we did or said that made her shut up talking and look sort of sick. —
但是我们做或说了什么让她闭嘴了，看起来有些不舒服。 —

I could swear she was glad to see us when we came and was aiming to ask us to supper.”
我发誓她见到我们时很高兴，准备邀请我们来吃晚饭。

“You don’t suppose it’s because we got expelled?”
“你不会以为是因为我们被开除了吧?”

“Hell, no! Don’t be a fool. She laughed like everything when we told her about it. —
“当然不是！当我们告诉她时，她笑得像个疯子。 —

And besides Scarlett don’t set any more store by book learning than we do.”
除此之外，斯嘉丽对书本知识的看重不亚于我们。

Brent turned in the saddle and called to the negro groom.
布伦特转身对那个黑人侍从喊道。

“Jeems!”
“吉姆斯！”

“Suh?”
“是的，先生？”

“You heard what we were talking to Miss Scarlett about?”
“你听到我们和斯嘉丽小姐说什么了吗？”

“Nawsuh, Mist’ Brent! Huccome you think Ah be spyin’ on w’ite folks?”
“没有，先生布伦特！你怎么会觉得我会监听白人的对话呢？”

“Spying, my God! You darkies know everything that goes on. —
“监听，天哪！你们黑人什么都知道。我亲眼看见你偷偷绕过门廊的拐角，蹲在墙边的山茉莉丛里。 —

Why, you liar, I saw you with my own eyes sidle round the corner of the porch and squat in the cape jessamine bush by the wall. —
你听见我们说的任何事情可能让斯嘉丽生气或伤到她的感情吗？” —

Now, did you hear us say anything that might have made Miss Scarlett mad— or hurt her feelings?”
现在，你这个骗子，我亲眼看见你趁我们不注意时从我面前绕过去，蹲在丛林中，我看见你蹲在那里，你听到我们说的话了吗？可能使斯嘉丽生气或伤害她的感情的话？”

Thus appealed to, Jeems gave up further pretense of not having overheard the conversation and furrowed his black brow.
因此受到诱导，Jeems不再假装没有听到这个对话，皱起他那黑黑的眉头。

“Nawsuh, Ah din’ notice y’all say anything ter mek her mad. —
“嗨，我没有注意到你们有什么话让她生气。” —

Look ter me lak she sho glad ter see you an’ sho had missed you, an’ she cheep along happy as a bird, tell ‘bout de time y’all got ter talkin’ ‘bout Mist’ Ashley an’ Miss Melly Hamilton gittin’ mah’ied. —
“看上去她很高兴见到你，好像非常想念你，她开心地说着，直到你们谈到阿什利先生和梅丽·汉密尔顿结婚的事情。” —

Den she quiet down lak a bird w’en de hawk fly ober.”
“然后她就像小鸟一样安静下来，就像鹰飞过时。

The twins looked at each other and nodded, but without comprehension.
双胞胎们相视点头，但并没有理解。

“Jeems is right. But I don’t see why,” said Stuart. “My Lord! —
“吉姆说得对。可我不明白为什么，”斯图尔特说道，“天哪！对她来说，阿什利除了朋友之外什么都不是。” —

Ashley don’t mean anything to her, ‘cept a friend. —
“她并不是喜欢他。她疯狂的是我们。” —

She’s not crazy about him. It’s us she’s crazy about.”
“她疯狂的是我们。”

Brent nodded an agreement.
布伦特点头表示同意。

“But do you suppose,” he said, “that maybe Ashley hadn’t told her he was going to announce it tomorrow night and she was mad at him for not telling her, an old friend, before he told everybody else? —
“但是你认为，”他说，“也许阿什利没有告诉她明天晚上他将要宣布这个消息，所以她生他的气，因为在告诉其他人之前，作为一个老朋友，他没有告诉她吗？ —

Girls set a big store on knowing such things first.”
女孩们非常看重知道这类事情。”

“Well, maybe. But what if he hadn’t told her it was tomorrow? —
“嗯，也许。但是如果他没有告诉她是明天呢？ —

It was supposed to be a secret and a surprise, and a man’s got a right to keep his own engagement quiet, hasn’t he? —
这应该是个秘密和惊喜，一个人有权保守自己的订婚消息，不是吗？ —

We wouldn’t have known it if Miss Melly’s aunt hadn’t let it out. —
如果梅莉小姐的姑姑没有泄露出来，我们也不会知道。 —

But Scarlett must have known he was going to marry Miss Melly sometime. —
但是斯嘉丽肯定知道他以后会娶梅莉小姐。 —

Why, we’ve known it for years. The Wilkes and Hamiltons always marry their own cousins. —
为什么呢，我们多年来都知道这个。威尔克斯和汉密尔顿家族总是娶自己的堂兄妹。 —

Everybody knew he’d probably marry her some day, just like Honey Wilkes is going to marry Miss Melly’s brother, Charles.”
每个人都知道他很可能有一天会娶她，就像霍尼·威尔克斯要嫁给梅莉小姐的弟弟查尔斯一样。”

“Well, I give it up. But I’m sorry she didn’t ask us to supper. —
“好吧，我放弃了。但是我很遗憾她没有邀请我们吃晚饭。 —

I swear I don’t want to go home and listen to Ma take on about us being expelled. —
我发誓我不想回家听妈妈抱怨我们被开除了。” —

It isn’t as if this was the first time.”
“好像这不是第一次。”

“Maybe Boyd will have smoothed her down by now. —
“也许鲍伊现在已经平息她了。” —

You know what a slick talker that little varmint is. —
“你知道那只小家伙说话是多么有技巧。” —

You know he always can smooth her down.”
“你知道他总是能安抚她。”

“Yes, he can do it, but it takes Boyd time. —
“是的，他能做到，但鲍伊需要时间。” —

He has to talk around in circles till Ma gets so confused that she gives up and tells him to save his voice for his law practice. —
“他必须绕来绕去，直到妈妈非常困惑，放弃争吵，告诉他把声音留给他的律师事务所。” —

But he ain’t had time to get good started yet. —
“但他还没有开始完全安抚她。” —

Why, I’ll bet you Ma is still so excited about the new horse that she’ll never even realize we’re home again till she sits down to supper tonight and sees Boyd. And before supper is over she’ll be going strong and breathing fire. —
“咱们回家了妈妈还沉浸在新马的兴奋中，可能直到晚餐时她才意识到我们又回来了。在晚餐过程中，她会变得很激动，火冒三丈。” —

And it’ll be ten o’clock before Boyd gets a chance to tell her that it wouldn’t have been honorable for any of us to stay in college after the way the Chancellor talked to you and me. —
“等到晚上十点钟，鲍伊才有机会告诉她，我们在校长对你和我发表那番话之后，留在大学是不道德的。” —

And it’ll be midnight before he gets her turned around to where she’s so mad at the Chancellor she’ll be asking Boyd why he didn’t shoot him. —
“到了午夜，她会对校长生气到问鲍伊为什么没开枪打死他。” —

No, we can’t go home till after midnight.”
不，我们不能在午夜之前回家。

The twins looked at each other glumly. They were completely fearless of wild horses, shooting affrays and the indignation of their neighbors, but they had a wholesome fear of their red-haired mother’s outspoken remarks and the riding crop that she did not scruple to lay across their breeches.
孪生兄弟黯然相互看着。他们对野马、枪战和邻居们的愤怒完全无所畏惧，但是他们对他们火红头发的母亲直言不讳的言辞和她毫不犹豫地用骑马鞭抽打他们的马裤，却有一种健康的恐惧。

“Well, look,” said Brent. “Let’s go over to the Wilkes. —
“嗯，听着，”布伦特说。“我们去威尔克斯家吧。 —

Ashley and the girls’ll be glad to have us for supper.”
阿什利和女孩们会高兴有我们一起吃晚饭的。”

Stuart looked a little discomforted.
斯图尔特看起来有点不安。

“No, don’t let’s go there. They’ll be in a stew getting ready for the barbecue tomorrow and besides—”
“不，别去那里。他们正在为明天的烧烤会准备，而且——”

“Oh, I forgot about that,” said Brent hastily. “No, don’t let’s go there.”
“哦，我忘了这件事，”布伦特急忙说。“不，别去那里。”

They clucked to their horses and rode along in silence for a while, a flush of embarrassment on Stuart’s brown cheeks. —
他们驱马前行，沉默了一会儿，斯图尔特棕色的脸颊泛起尴尬的红晕。 —

Until the previous summer, Stuart had courted India Wilkes with the approbation of both families and the entire County. —
直到前年夏天，斯图尔特正式追求印第亚·威尔克斯，得到了两家人和整个县的认可。 —

The County felt that perhaps the cool and contained India Wilkes would have a quieting effect on him. —
县里觉得冷静而自律的印度·威尔克斯或许对他有镇定作用。 —

They fervently hoped so, at any rate. And Stuart might have made the match, but Brent had not been satisfied. —
他们至少热切地希望如此。或许斯图尔特可以成功牵线，但布伦特并不满意。 —

Brent liked India but he thought her mighty plain and tame, and he simply could not fall in love with her himself to keep Stuart company. —
布伦特喜欢印度，但他觉得她相当平淡无奇，无法爱上她只为了陪伴斯图尔特。 —

That was the first time the twins’ interest had ever diverged, and Brent was resentful of his brother’s attentions to a girl who seemed to him not at all remarkable.
那是双胞胎的兴趣第一次分道扬镳，布伦特对他的兄弟对一个在他看来并不出众的女孩的关注心生怨愤。

Then, last summer at a political speaking in a grove of oak trees at Jonesboro, they both suddenly became aware of Scarlett O’Hara. They had known her for years, and, since their childhood, she had been a favorite playmate, for she could ride horses and climb trees almost as well as they. —
然后，在去年夏天的一次在琼斯伯勒郡橡树林中的政治演讲中，他们突然意识到了斯嘉丽·奥哈拉。多年来他们一直认识她，自从他们小的时候她就是个受欢迎的玩伴，因为她骑马和爬树都很好。 —

But now to their amazement she had become a grown-up young lady and quite the most charming one in all the world.
但是现在他们大为惊讶地发现她已经长大成人了，而且成为了全世界最迷人的年轻女子。

They noticed for the first time how her green eyes danced, how deep her dimples were when she laughed, how tiny her hands and feet and what a small waist she had. —
他们第一次注意到了她眼睛的翠绿如舞、她笑起来的深深酒窝、她纤小的手脚和纤细的腰身。 —

Their clever remarks sent her into merry peals of laughter and, inspired by the thought that she considered them a remarkable pair, they fairly outdid themselves.
他们聪明的话语让她开心地笑，受到她把他们视为非凡的一对的启发，他们简直表现得出类拔萃。

It was a memorable day in the life of the twins. —
对于双胞胎来说，那是一个难忘的日子。 —

Thereafter, when they talked it over, they always wondered just why they had failed to notice Scarlett’s charms before. —
随后他们在谈论中总是纳闷为什么之前他们没有注意到斯嘉丽的魅力。 —

They never arrived at the correct answer, which was that Scarlett on that day had decided to make them notice. —
他们从来没有得出正确的答案，而正确的答案是那天斯嘉丽决定让他们注意到她。 —

She was constitutionally unable to endure any man being in love with any woman not herself, and the sight of India Wilkes and Stuart at the speaking had been too much for her predatory nature. —
她生来无法忍受有任何男人爱上不是她自己的女人，而听到印第亚·威尔克斯和斯图尔特的演讲时对她的掠夺本性来说实在是太过分了。 —

Not content with Stuart alone, she had set her cap for Brent as well, and with a thoroughness that overwhelmed the two of them.
她不满足于只追求斯图尔特，还对布伦特产生了兴趣，而且以一种彻底压倒他们的方式。

Now they were both in love with her, and India Wilkes and Letty Munroe, from Lovejoy, whom Brent had been half-heartedly courting, were far in the back of their minds. —
现在他们两个都爱上了她，而印第安娜·威尔克斯和来自洛夫乔伊的莱蒂·蒙罗，布伦特之前并不是真心追求的那个人，已经远远走到他们的脑后。 —

Just what the loser would do, should Scarlett accept either one of them, the twins did not ask. —
失败者将要做什么，如果斯嘉丽接受了他们其中的一个，双胞胎并没有问。 —

They would cross that bridge when they came to it. —
他们到了那个时候再处理这个问题。 —

For the present they were quite satisfied to be in accord again about one girl, for they had no jealousies between them. —
就现在来说，他们对于一个女孩的意见是一致的，他们之间没有嫉妒之情。 —

It was a situation which interested the neighbors and annoyed their mother, who had no liking for Scarlett.
这是一个引起邻居兴趣和他们妈妈反感的局面，她对斯嘉丽毫无好感。

“It will serve you right if that sly piece does accept one of you,” she said. —
“要是那个狡猾的家伙接受了你们其中的一个，那就是你们自找的，”她说。 —

“Or maybe she’ll accept both of you, and then you’ll have to move to Utah, if the Mormons’ll have you—which I doubt. —
“或者也许她会接受你们两个，然后你们就得搬到犹他州去，如果摩门教会会接纳你们的话——我对此表示怀疑。 —

..All that bothers me is that some one of these days you’re both going to get lickered up and jealous of each other about that two-faced, little, green-eyed baggage, and you’ll shoot each other. —
…唯一让我担心的是，总有一天你们两个会喝醉了，因为那个虚伪的、小眼睛的绿色货色而嫉妒对方，然后你们会互相开枪。 —

But that might not be a bad idea either.”
但这也许不是个坏主意。”

Since the day of the speaking, Stuart had been uncomfortable in India’s presence. —
自从那次谈话以来，斯图尔特在印度面前感到不自在。 —

Not that India ever reproached him or even indicated by look or gesture that she was aware of his abruptly changed allegiance. —
并不是因为印度责备过他，甚至从表情和手势上也没有暗示她知道他突然改变了立场。 —

She was too much of a lady. But Stuart felt guilty and ill at ease with her. —
她是个非常有教养的女士。但是斯图尔特感到内疚和不安。 —

He knew he had made India love him and he knew that she still loved him and, deep in his heart, he had the feeling that he had not played the gentleman. —
他知道自己让印度爱上了他，并且知道她仍然爱着他，而且在内心深处，他觉得自己没有做出绅士的行为。 —

He still liked her tremendously and respected her for her cool good breeding, her book learning and all the sterling qualities she possessed. —
他仍然非常喜欢她，并且因为她冷静的优雅、博学多才和所有优秀的品质而对她表示尊敬。 —

But, damn it, she was just so pallid and uninteresting and always the same, beside Scarlett’s bright and changeable charm. —
但是，该死的，她只是如此苍白和无趣，总是一成不变，而斯佳丽却有着明亮和多变的魅力。 —

You always knew where you stood with India and you never had the slightest notion with Scarlett. —
你总是知道和印度处在什么位置，而对斯佳丽则一无所知。 —

That was enough to drive a man to distraction, but it had its charm.
这足以让一个人心烦意乱，但它也有着它自己的魅力。

“Well, let’s go over to Cade Calvert’s and have supper. —
“好吧，我们去凯德·卡尔弗特家吃晚饭吧。 —

Scarlett said Cathleen was home from Charleston. —
斯嘉丽说凯瑟琳从查尔斯顿回来了。 —

Maybe she’ll have some news about Fort Sumter that we haven’t heard.”
也许她会有一些我们没听过的关于萨姆特堡的消息。

“Not Cathleen. I’ll lay you two to one she didn’t even know the fort was out there in the harbor, much less that it was full of Yankees until we shelled them out. —
“不是凯瑟琳。我打两赌她甚至不知道堡垒在港口里，更别说那里满是洋基，直到我们炮击他们出来。 —

All she’ll know about is the balls she went to and the beaux she collected.”
她只会知道自己参加的舞会和追求的情人。

“Well, it’s fun to hear her gabble. And it’ll be somewhere to hide out till Ma has gone to bed.”
“嗯，听她没完没了地说话还是有意思的。而且那会是一个可以躲避，直到妈妈上床的地方。

“Well, hell! I like Cathleen and she is fun and I’d like to hear about Caro Rhett and the rest of the Charleston folks; —
“唉！我喜欢凯瑟琳，她很有趣，我想听听关于卡罗·瑞特和其他查尔斯顿人的事情； —

but I’m damned if I can stand sitting through another meal with that Yankee stepmother of hers.”
但我真不敢忍受再与她那个洋基继母一起共进晚餐了。

“Don’t be too hard on her, Stuart. She means well.”
“别太苛刻她了，斯图尔特。她是好心的。

“I’m not being hard on her. I feel sorry for her, but I don’t like people I’ve got to feel sorry for. And she fusses around so much, trying to do the right thing and make you feel at home, that she always manages to say and do just exactly the wrong thing. —
“我不是对她苛刻。我为她感到难过，但我不喜欢我必须为她感到难过的人。而且她围绕着你，试图让你感到宾至如归，结果总是偏偏做错一切。 —

She gives me the fidgets! And she thinks Southerners are wild barbarians. She even told Ma so. —
她让我感到焦躁不安！她还认为南方人是野蛮人。她甚至告诉妈妈。 —

She’s afraid of Southerners. Whenever we’re there she always looks scared to death. —
她害怕南方人。每次我们去那里，她看起来都吓得要死。 —

She reminds me of a skinny hen perched on a chair, her eyes kind of bright and blank and scared, all ready to flap and squawk at the slightest move anybody makes.”
她让我想起一只搭在椅子上的皮包骨母鸡，她的眼睛明亮而空洞，充满恐惧，随时准备对任何动作振翅和尖叫。

“Well, you can’t blame her. You did shoot Cade in the leg.”
“嗯，你不能责怪她。你当时确实射中了卡德的腿。”

“Well, I was lickered up or I wouldn’t have done it,” said Stuart. —
“嗯，我当时喝醉了，否则我不会这么做，” Stuart说道。 —

“And Cade never had any hard feelings. Neither did Cathleen or Raiford or Mr. Calvert. —
“卡德从来没有对此有过任何恶意。Cathleen、Raiford或者Mr. Calvert也没有。 —

It was just that Yankee stepmother who squalled and said I was a wild barbarian and decent people weren’t safe around uncivilized Southerners.”
只是那个北方的继母大声喊叫，说我是一个野蛮的野蛮人，善良的人们在不文明的南方人身边得不到安全保障。

“Well, you can’t blame her. She’s a Yankee and ain’t got very good manners; —
“嗯，你不能怪她。她是一个北方人，没什么礼貌； —

and, after all, you did shoot him and he is her stepson.”

“Well, hell! That’s no excuse for insulting me! —
而且，毕竟你射伤了他，他是她的继子。 —

You are Ma’s own blood son, but did she take on that time Tony Fontaine shot you in the leg? —
“哎呀！这也不是辱骂我的借口！ —

No, she just sent for old Doc Fontaine to dress it and asked the doctor what ailed Tony’s aim. —
不，她只是派人去找老医生Fontaine给他包扎，并问医生托尼的瞄准有什么问题。 —

Said she guessed licker was spoiling his marksmanship. —
她说猜想是酒精影响了他的瞄准。 —

Remember how mad that made Tony?”
记得托尼有多生气吗？

Both boys yelled with laughter.
两个男孩一起笑个不停。

“Ma’s a card!” said Brent with loving approval. —
“妈妈真好玩！” 布伦特充满爱意地说。 —

“You can always count on her to do the right thing and not embarrass you in front of folks.”
“她总是做正确的事情，不会在人前让你尴尬。”

“Yes, but she’s mighty liable to talk embarrassing in front of Father and the girls when we get home tonight,” said Stuart gloomily. —
“是的，但她在我们今晚回家时，很有可能在父亲和姑娘们面前说些尴尬的话，” 斯图尔特郁闷地说。 —

“Look, Brent. I guess this means we don’t go to Europe. —
“看，布伦特。我猜这意味着我们不能去欧洲了。 —

You know Mother said if we got expelled from another college we couldn’t have our Grand Tour.”
你知道，妈妈说如果我们再被学校开除，就不能去做我们的大旅行了。”

“Well, hell! We don’t care, do we? What is there to see in Europe? —
“嗯，见鬼！我们不在乎，对吧？欧洲有什么好看的？ —

I’ll bet those foreigners can’t show us a thing we haven’t got right here in Georgia. —
我敢打赌，那些外国人没法给我们看到我们在乔治亚州就拥有的东西。 —

I’ll bet their horses aren’t as fast or their girls as pretty, and I know damn well they haven’t got any rye whisky that can touch Father’s.”
我打赌他们的马不如我们的快，他们的女孩不如我们的漂亮，我敢肯定他们没有父亲的威士忌那么好喝。”

“Ashley Wilkes said they had an awful lot of scenery and music. —
“阿什利·威尔克斯说他们有很多壮丽的风景和音乐。” —

Ashley liked Europe. He’s always talking about it.”
“阿什利喜欢欧洲。他总是谈论它。”

“Well—you know how the Wilkes are. They are kind of queer about music and books and scenery. —
“嗯，你知道威尔克斯一家是什么样的。他们对音乐、书籍和风景有点古怪。” —

Mother says it’s because their grandfather came from Virginia. —
“妈妈说那是因为他们的祖父来自弗吉尼亚。” —

She says Virginians set quite a store by such things.”
“她说弗吉尼亚人非常看重这些东西。”

“They can have ‘em. Give me a good horse to ride and some good licker to drink and a good girl to court and a bad girl to have fun with and anybody can have their Europe. —
“那些东西给他们吧。给我一匹好马骑，一些好酒喝，一个好女孩交往，一个坏女孩一起玩，任何人都可以有他们的欧洲。” —

..What do we care about missing the Tour? Suppose we were in Europe now, with the war coming on? —
“..我们在乎错过旅行吗？假设我们现在在欧洲，战争就要来了，我们能回家得越快越好。比起去欧洲，我宁愿参加战争。” —

We couldn’t get home soon enough. I’d heap rather go to a war than go to Europe.”
“我也是，随时都行…看，布伦特！我知道我们去哪里吃晚饭。”

“So would I, any day…Look, Brent! I know where we can go for supper. —
“让我们骑过沼泽到阿贝尔·温德的地方，告诉他我们四个都回来了，准备好训练了。” —

Let’s ride across the swamp to Abel Wynder’s place and tell him we’re all four home again and ready for drill.”
“真是个好主意！” 布伦特兴奋地说。

“That’s an idea!” cried Brent with enthusiasm. —
“确实是！” 布伦特兴奋地说。 —

“And we can hear all the news of the Troop and find out what color they finally decided on for the uniforms.”
“而且我们可以听到队伍的所有消息，了解他们最终决定的制服颜色是什么。”

“If it’s Zouave, I’m damned if I’ll go in the troop. —
“如果是佐瓦服，我可不会加入队伍。” —

I’d feel like a sissy in those baggy red pants. —
“穿那些宽松的红裤子，我会感觉自己像个娘娘腔。” —

They look like ladies’ red flannel drawers to me.”
“对我来说，它们看起来像是女士们的红白格子内裤。”

“Is y’all aimin’ ter go ter Mist’ Wynder’s? —
“你们打算去温德家吗？” —

‘Cause ef you is, you ain’ gwine git much supper,” said Jeems. “Dey cook done died, an’ dey ain’ bought a new one. —
“如果你们去的话，晚饭就别指望吃太多了，”Jeems说。“厨子已经死了，他们还没买个新的。” —

Dey got a fe’el han’ cookin’, an’ de niggers tells me she is de wustest cook in de state.”
“他们请了一个煮饭的临时工，黑人们告诉我她是全州最糟糕的厨师。”

“Good God! Why don’t they buy another cook?”
“天哪！他们为什么不请个新的厨师？”

“Huccome po’ w’ite trash buy any niggers? Dey ain’ never owned mo’n fo’ at de mostes’.”
“穷白垃圾怎么可能买得起奴隶？他们最多也就拥有四个。”

There was frank contempt in Jeems’ voice. —
Jeems的声音中透着明确的鄙视。 —

His own social status was assured because the Tarletons owned a hundred negroes and, like all slaves of large planters, he looked down on small farmers whose slaves were few.
他自己的社会地位得到了保证，因为塔尔顿家族拥有一百个奴隶，像所有大种植园奴隶一样，他看不起那些奴隶很少的小农场主。

“I’m going to beat your hide off for that,” cried Stuart fiercely. —
“我要教训你一顿，”斯图尔特愤怒地喊道。 —

Don’t you call Abel Wynder ‘po’ white.’ Sure he’s poor, but he ain’t trash; —
你难道不会称呼Abel Wynder为”穷白人”吗？他虽然贫穷，但他不是垃圾； —

and I’m damned if I’ll have any man, darky or white, throwing off on him. —
而且，我恨不得任何一个人，无论是黑人还是白人，都不敢对他说三道四。 —

There ain’t a better man in this County, or why else did the Troop elect him lieutenant?”
这个县没有比他更好的人了，要不然部队为什么选择他当中尉呢？

“Ah ain’ never figgered dat out, mahseff,” replied Jeems, undisturbed by his master’s scowl. —
“我自己从来没想明白过，”杰姆斯平静地回答，对主人的怒容不以为意。 —

“Look ter me lak dey’d ‘lect all de awficers frum rich gempmum, ‘stead of swamp trash.”
“看起来他们是从富吉普林什么的地方选举所有的官员，而不是从沼泽垃圾那里选。

“He ain’t trash! Do you mean to compare him with real white trash like the Slatterys? —
“他并不是垃圾！你是在拿他和像斯莱特里那样的真正垃圾白人作比较吗？ —

Able just ain’t rich. He’s a small farmer, not a big planter, and if the boys thought enough of him to elect him lieutenant, then it’s not for any darky to talk impudent about him. —
阿贝尔只是不富有而已。他是个小农民，不是大庄园主，如果男孩们足够重视他选他当中尉，那么就没资格有任何黑人对他撒娇。 —

The Troop knows what it’s doing.”
部队知道自己在做什么。

The troop of cavalry had been organized three months before, the very day that Georgia seceded from the Union, and since then the recruits had been whistling for war. —
这个骑兵队成立于三个月前，正是乔治亚州退出联邦的那一天，此后招募的新兵一直在为战争做准备。 —

The outfit was as yet unnamed, though not for want of suggestions. —
这个单位至今没有名字，尽管不缺建议。 —

Everyone had his own idea on that subject and was loath to relinquish it, just as everyone had ideas about the color and cut of the uniforms. —
每个人对这个问题都有自己的想法，都不愿放弃，就像每个人对制服的颜色和裁剪方式都有自己的想法一样。 —

“Clayton Wild Cats,” “Fire Eaters,” “North Georgia Hussars,” “Zouaves,” “The Inland Rifles” (although the Troop was to be armed with pistols, sabers and bowie knives, and not with rifles), “The Clayton Grays,” “The Blood and Thunderers,” “The Rough and Readys,” all had their adherents. —
“克雷顿野猫”、“吞火者”、“北乔治亚轻骑兵”、“祖瓦夫人”、“内陆步枪队”（尽管该骑兵队使用的是手枪、军刀和宝剑，而不是步枪）、“克雷顿灰骑兵”、“血与雷电者”、“粗犷而迅猛者”等都有自己的支持者。 —

Until matters were settled, everyone referred to the organization as the Troop and, despite the high-sounding name finally adopted, they were known to the end of their usefulness simply as “The Troop.”
在事情解决之前，每个人都称该组织为骑兵队，并且尽管最终采用了高权威的名称，他们一直到失去用途时都被简称为“骑兵队”。

The officers were elected by the members, for no one in the County had had any military experience except a few veterans of the Mexican and Seminole wars and, besides, the Troop would have scorned a veteran as a leader if they had not personally liked him and trusted him. —
军官由成员选举产生，因为县里没有人有过任何军事经验，除了一些墨西哥和塞米诺尔战争的老兵，而且，如果他们不喜欢和相信一个老兵作为领导者，这个骑兵队会轻视他。 —

Everyone liked the four Tarleton boys and the three Fontaines, but regretfully refused to elect them, because the Tarletons got lickered up too quickly and liked to skylark, and the Fontaines had such quick, murderous tempers. —
大家都喜欢塔尔顿家的四个男孩和方丹家的三个男孩，但遗憾的是他们没有被选上，因为塔尔顿家的男孩们喝醉得太快，喜欢胡闹，而方丹家的男孩脾气暴躁，容易动怒。 —

Ashley Wilkes was elected captain, because he was the best rider in the County and because his cool head was counted on to keep some semblance of order. —
阿什利·威尔克斯当选为队长，因为他是该县最好的骑手，而且大家相信他冷静的头脑可以保持一定的秩序。 —

Raiford Calvert was made first lieutenant, because everybody liked Raif, and Able Wynder, son of a swamp trapper, himself a small farmer, was elected second lieutenant.
雷福德·卡尔弗特当选为一等副官，因为大家都喜欢雷福德，并且阿布尔·温德尔，一个沼泽猎人的儿子，自己是个小农民，当选为二等副官。

Abel was a shrewd, grave giant, illiterate, kind of heart, older than the other boys and with as good or better manners in the presence of ladies. —
阿贝尔是个精明、庄重的巨人，不识字，心地善良，比其他男孩年长，对待女士的礼貌至少与他们一样好，甚至更好。 —

There was little snobbery in the Troop. Too many of their fathers and grandfathers had come up to wealth from the small farmer class for that. —
队伍里没有太多势利之人。因为太多父辈和祖辈是从小农民阶层崛起而来的。 —

Moreover, Able was the best shot in the Troop, a real sharpshooter who could pick out the eye of a squirrel at seventy-five yards, and, too, he knew all about living outdoors, building fires in the rain, tracking animals and finding water. —
此外，埃布尔是部队中最好的射手，一个真正的神枪手，可以在七十五码外逐个击中松鼠的眼睛。而且，他对户外生活非常了解，懂得在雨中生火，追踪动物和找水源。 —

The Troop bowed to real worth and moreover, because they liked him, they made him an officer. —
部队对真正的优秀成员表示尊敬，而且还因为他受欢迎，于是让他成为了一名军官。 —

He bore the honor gravely and with no untoward conceit, as though it were only his due. —
他庄重地承担这份荣誉，没有任何过分的自负，仿佛这只是他的应得之物。 —

But the planters’ ladies and the planters’ slaves could not overlook the fact that he was not born a gentleman, even if their men folks could.
但种植园主的妇女和奴隶们无法忽视一个事实，即他并不是出生在绅士家族，即使他们的男性家庭成员可以容忍。

In the beginning, the Troop had been recruited exclusively from the sons of planters, a gentleman’s outfit, each man supplying his own horse, arms, equipment, uniform and body servant. —
起初，部队只招募种植园主的儿子，一个绅士的组织，每个人都要提供自己的马匹、武器、装备、制服和随从。 —

But rich planters were few in the young county of Clayton, and, in order to muster a full-strength troop, it had been necessary to raise more recruits among the sons of small farmers, hunters in the backwoods, swamp trappers, Crackers and, in a very few cases, even poor whites, if they were above the average of their class.
但在年轻的克莱顿县中，富有的种植园主并不多，为了组建一支满编的部队，有必要从小农场主的儿子，后山的猎人，沼泽陷阱捕捉者，贫穷的白人中招募更多的士兵，只要他们的水平超过平均水平。

These latter young men were as anxious to fight the Yankees, should war come, as were their richer neighbors; —
这些年轻人和他们更富有的邻居一样，如果战争爆发，他们也渴望与北方人作战。 —

but the delicate question of money arose. Few small farmers owned horses. —
但是问题出现在金钱上。很少有小农民拥有马匹。 —

They carried on their farm operations with mules and they had no surplus of these, seldom more than four. —
他们使用骡子进行农场操作，而且他们没有多余的骡子，往往只有四匹。 —

The mules could not be spared to go off to war, even if they had been acceptable for the Troop, which they emphatically were not. —
即使骡子符合部队的要求（实际上并不符合），也不能让它们离开去参战。 —

As for the poor whites, they considered themselves well off if they owned one mule. —
至于贫穷的白人，如果他们拥有一匹骡子，就算是生活富裕了。 —

The backwoods folks and the swamp dwellers owned neither horses nor mules. —
后山居民和沼泽居民都没有马匹和骡子。 —

They lived entirely off the produce of their lands and the game in the swamp, conducting their business generally by the barter system and seldom seeing five dollars in cash a year, and horses and uniforms were out of their reach. —
他们完全依靠土地上的农产品和沼泽地里的野生动物生活，通常通过物物交换的方式进行交易，一年很少看到五美元现金，马匹和制服是他们无法触及的。 —

But they were as fiercely proud in their poverty as the planters were in their wealth, and they would accept nothing that smacked of charity from their rich neighbors. —
但是他们在贫困中同样自豪，就像富有的种植者一样自尊，他们不愿接受富邻的一丝一毫带有慈善意味的东西。 —

So, to save the feelings of all and to bring the Troop up to full strength, Scarlett’s father, John Wilkes, Buck Munroe, Jim Tarleton, Hugh Calvert, in fact every large planter in the County with the one exception of Angus MacIntosh, had contributed money to completely outfit the Troop, horse and man. —
为了保护所有人的感受，并让军队保持完整的实力，斯嘉丽的父亲约翰·威尔克斯、巴克·芒罗、吉姆·塔勒顿、休·卡尔弗特，实际上是除了安格斯·麦金托什之外，县里的每个大农场主都捐款全力装备这个军队，包括马匹和人员。 —

The upshot of the matter was that every planter agreed to pay for equipping his own sons and a certain number of the others, but the manner of handling the arrangements was such that the less wealthy members of the outfit could accept horses and uniforms without offense to their honor.
结果是每个农场主同意为自己的儿子和一定数量的其他人支付装备费，但处理安排的方式使得装备不那么富裕的成员可以接受马匹和制服，而不损害他们的荣誉。

The Troop met twice a week in Jonesboro to drill and to pray for the war to begin. —
这支队伍每周两次在琼斯伯勒集会，进行操练，并为战争的开始祈祷。 —

Arrangements had not yet been completed for obtaining the full quota of horses, but those who had horses performed what they imagined to be cavalry maneuvers in the field behind the courthouse, kicked up a great deal of dust, yelled themselves hoarse and waved the Revolutionary-war swords that had been taken down from parlor walls. —
尚未完成关于获得足够数量的马匹的安排，但那些有马的人在法院后面的田地里进行他们认为是骑兵演习，掀起了大量尘土，大声呐喊，挥舞从客厅墙上拿下的革命战争剑。 —

Those who, as yet, had no horses sat on the curb in front of Bullard’s store and watched their mounted comrades, chewed tobacco and told yarns. —
尚未拥有马匹的人则坐在布拉德百货商店前的路边沿上，看着骑马的同伴，嚼着烟草，讲着段子。 —

Or else engaged in shooting matches. There was no need to teach any of the men to shoot. —
或者参加射击比赛。没有必要教导任何人如何射击。 —

Most Southerners were born with guns in their hands, and lives spent in hunting had made marksmen of them all.
大多数南方人生来就手持枪支，长期狩猎的生活使他们都成为了枪手。

From planters’ homes and swamp cabins, a varied array of firearms came to each muster. —
每次集会，各种各样的枪支都会从种植园主的住宅和沼泽小屋带来。 —

There were long squirrel guns that had been new when first the Alleghenies were crossed, old muzzle-loaders that had claimed many an Indian when Georgia was new, horse pistols that had seen service in 1812, in the Seminole wars and in Mexico, silver-mounted dueling pistols, pocket derringers, double- barreled hunting pieces and handsome new rifles of English make with shining stocks of fine wood.
那里有长枪，它们穿越阿勒根尼山脉时曾是新的；有旧的装填复膛枪，它们在佐治亚州刚刚建立时就向很多印第安人开了枪；有马枪，它们在1812年、塞米诺尔战争和墨西哥战争中都曾服役；有银装双打枪，便携双排枪和闪亮细木制把柄的英国制猎枪。

Drill always ended in the saloons of Jonesboro, and by nightfall so many fights had broken out that the officers were hard put to ward off casualties until the Yankees could inflict them. —
杰克逊堡的演习总是在酒吧结束，而到傍晚时分，打斗事件如此之多，以至于官员们难以阻止伤亡，直到南方联邦的人们能够反击。 —

It was during one of these brawls that Stuart Tarleton had shot Cade Calvert and Tony Fontaine had shot Brent. The twins had been at home, freshly expelled from the University of Virginia, at the time the Troop was organized and they had joined enthusiastically; —
就在其中一次斗殴发生的时候，斯图尔特·泰尔顿射中了凯德·卡尔弗特，而托尼·方丹射中了布伦特。在Troop成立时，双胞胎刚刚被强制退学，他们热情地加入了队伍； —

but after the shooting episode, two months ago, their mother had packed them off to the state university, with orders to stay there. —
但在这次枪击事件发生两个月后，他们的母亲将他们打发到了州立大学，并命令他们待在那里。 —

They had sorely missed the excitement of the drills while away, and they counted education well lost if only they could ride and yell and shoot off rifles in the company of their friends.
他们非常想念训练的兴奋，如果他们能与朋友们一起骑马、呐喊和射击，那么失去一点学识也无妨。

“Well, let’s cut across country to Abel’s,” suggested Brent. “We can go through Mr. O’Hara’s river bottom and the Fontaine’s pasture and get there in no time.”
“好吧，我们穿过阿贝尔的田野走捷径吧。我们可以穿过奥哈拉先生的河底和方丹家的牧场，很快就能到那儿。”

“We ain’ gwine git nothin’ ter eat ‘cept possum an’ greens,” argued Jeems.
“我们除了鼩鼱和绿叶什么都吃不到，”杰姆斯争论道。

“You ain’t going to get anything,” grinned Stuart. —
“你什么都得不到，”斯图尔特咧嘴一笑。 —

“Because you are going home and tell Ma that we won’t be home for supper.”
“因为你要回家告诉妈妈我们今晚不回家吃晚饭。”

“No, Ah ain’!” cried Jeems in alarm. “No, Ah ain’! —
“不，我不会！”杰姆斯惊慌地喊道。”不，我不会！” —

Ah doan git no mo’ fun outer havin’ Miss Beetriss lay me out dan y’all does. —
我从让班杰明老师责罚我身上没有获得比你们更多的乐趣。 —

Fust place she’ll ast me huccome Ah let y’all git expelled agin. —
首先，她会问我为什么让你们再次被开除。 —

An’ nex’ thing, huccome Ah din’ bring y’all home ternight so she could lay you out. —
然后，她会问我为什么今晚没把你们带回家来，这样她就可以责罚你们。 —

An’ den she’ll light on me lak a duck on a June bug, an’ fust thing Ah know Ah’ll be ter blame fer it all. —
然后她会像鸭子捉虫子一样找我的麻烦，我会成为这一切的罪魁祸首。 —

Ef y’all doan tek me ter Mist’ Wynder’s, Ah’ll lay out in de woods all night an’ maybe de patterollers git me, ‘cause Ah heap ruther de patterollers git me dan Miss Beetriss when she in a state.”
如果你们不带我去Wynder先生家，我就在树林里待一整晚，说不定被警察抓到，但我宁愿被警察抓也不愿面对她生气的样子。

The twins looked at the determined black boy in perplexity and indignation.
双胞胎们困惑而愤怒地看着这个坚定的黑孩子。

“He’d be just fool enough to let the patterollers get him and that would give Ma something else to talk about for weeks. —
“他简直够傻的，竟然让警察抓他，这样一来妈妈又有新的谈资了。我发誓，黑鬼真是麻烦，有时候我觉得废奴主义者的想法是对的。” —

I swear, darkies are more trouble. Sometimes I think the Abolitionists have got the right idea.”
“唔，让Jeems面对我们不愿面对的事情是不对的。我们得带他一起去。”

“Well, it wouldn’t be right to make Jeems face what we don’t want to face. We’ll have to take him. —
“但是，听着，你这个胆大的黑傻瓜，如果你在Wynder家的黑鬼面前摆架子，暗示我们一直都吃炸鸡和火腿，而他们只有兔子和负鼠几乎什么都没有，我就……我就告诉妈妈。而且我们也不会让你和我们一同去战争。” —

But, look, you impudent black fool, if you put on any airs in front of the Wynder darkies and hint that we all the time have fried chicken and ham, while they don’t have nothing but rabbit and possum, I’ll—I’ll tell Ma. And we won’t let you go to the war with us, either.”
“摆架子？我对那些廉价的黑人摆架子？不，先生，我有更好的修养。”

“Airs? Me put on airs fo’ dem cheap niggers? Nawsuh, Ah got better manners. —
“Well, it wouldn’t be right to make Jeems face what we don’t want to face. We’ll have to take him. (唔，让Jeems面对我们不愿面对的事情是不对的。我们得带他一起去。)” —

Ain’ Miss Beetriss taught me manners same as she taught y’all?”
“Ain’ Miss Beetriss教我礼仪一样教你们吗？”

“She didn’t do a very good job on any of the three of us,” said Stuart. “Come on, let’s get going.”
“她对我们三个人都没做好工作，”斯图尔特说。“走吧，咱们走吧。”

He backed his big red horse and then, putting spurs to his side, lifted him easily over the split rail fence into the soft field of Gerald O’Hara’s plantation. —
他退后他那匹红色的大马，然后，刺激马腹，轻松地把它跃过杰拉尔德·奥哈拉庄园的拆分栅栏，进入柔软的田野。 —

Brent’s horse followed and then Jeems’, with Jeems clinging to pommel and mane. —
布伦特的马跟上，然后是吉姆斯的马，吉姆斯抓着马鞍和马鬃不放。 —

Jeems did not like to jump fences, but he had jumped higher ones than this in order to keep up with his masters.
吉姆斯不喜欢跳过栅栏，但为了跟上他的主人，他已经跳过比这更高的栅栏。

As they picked their way across the red furrows and down the hill to the river bottom in the deepening dusk, Brent yelled to his brother:
当他们穿过红色犁沟，沿着山坡向河谷底部走去时，天色愈发昏暗，布伦特大声对他的兄弟喊道：

“Look, Stu! Don’t it seem like to you that Scarlett WOULD have asked us to supper?”
“看，斯图尔特！难道你不觉得斯嘉丽应该请我们吃晚餐吗？”

“I kept thinking she would,” yelled Stuart. “Why do you suppose…”
“我一直以为她会，请问你觉得为什么…” 斯图尔特大声喊道。