My lady’s tongue is like the meadow blades, That cut you stroking them with idle hand. —
我的夫人的舌头就像是草地的刀片，只要随便碰触就能割伤你。 —

Nice cutting is her function: she divides With spiritual edge the millet-seed, And makes intangible savings.
善于切割是她的本领：她用精神之刃分开小米种子，做着无形的储蓄。

As Mr. Casaubon’s carriage was passing out of the gateway, it arrested the entrance of a pony phaeton driven by a lady with a servant seated behind. —
卡索邦先生的马车正要离开大门时，一辆由一位女士驾驶的小马车停在了入口处，后座坐着一个仆人。 —

It was doubtful whether the recognition had been mutual, for Mr. Casaubon was looking absently before him; —
对于是否已经相互认出来还存疑，因为卡索邦先生恍惚地凝视前方； —

but the lady was quick-eyed, and threw a nod and a “How do you do?” in the nick of time. —
但女士眼尖，恰好在最关键时刻向他打招呼：“你好吗？” —

In spite of her shabby bonnet and very old Indian shawl, it was plain that the lodge-keeper regarded her as an important personage, from the low curtsy which was dropped on the entrance of the small phaeton.
尽管她的破旧帽子和非常老旧的印度披肩，看起来门房似乎视她为重要人物，因为在小马车进门时，他低下了一个礼。

“Well, Mrs. Fitchett, how are your fowls laying now?” —
“嘿，菲切特夫人，你家的鸡现在下蛋情况怎样？” —

said the high-colored, dark-eyed lady, with the clearest chiselled utterance.
那位脸色红润、眼睛炯炯的女士清晰地说道。

“Pretty well for laying, madam, but they’ve ta’en to eating their eggs: —
“下蛋还行，但它们现在开始吃蛋了； —

I’ve no peace o’ mind with ‘em at all.”
我完全不能安心。”

“Oh, the cannibals! Better sell them cheap at once. —
“哦，这些人渣！还是赶紧便宜处理它们吧。 —

What will you sell them a couple? One can’t eat fowls of a bad character at a high price.”
卖一对多少钱？坏脾气的鸡不能卖得太贵。”

“Well, madam, half-a-crown: I couldn’t let ‘em go, not under.”
“卖半个皇冠吧，夫人：我不能便宜卖。”

“Half-a-crown, these times! Come now–for the Rector’s chicken-broth on a Sunday. —
“这个时候卖半个皇冠！来吧，为教区牧师礼拜天的鸡汤。 —

He has consumed all ours that I can spare. —
我能提供的都被他消化了。” —

You are half paid with the sermon, Mrs. Fitchett, remember that. —
你只有半份的薪水，费奇特夫人，请记住这一点。 —

Take a pair of tumbler-pigeons for them–little beauties. —
给他们带一对翻滚鸽子–小美人。 —

You must come and see them. You have no tumblers among your pigeons.”
你一定要过来看看。你的鸽子里没有滚鸽。

“Well, madam, Master Fitchett shall go and see ‘em after work. —
“嗯，夫人，费奇特先生下班后会去看的。他对新品种很感兴趣，为了讨好你。” —

He’s very hot on new sorts; to oblige you.”
“讨好我！这将是他所做的最好买卖。

“Oblige me! It will be the best bargain he ever made. —
一对教堂鸽子换一对那些吃自己蛋的邪恶的西班牙鸡！” —

A pair of church pigeons for a couple of wicked Spanish fowls that eat their own eggs! —
不要你和费奇特吹嘘得太多，这就是了！ —

Don’t you and Fitchett boast too much, that is all!”
跟着这番话，马车向前开去，留下费奇特夫人笑着缓慢摇着头，并发出“当然，当然！”的感叹。

The phaeton was driven onwards with the last words, leaving Mrs. Fitchett laughing and shaking her head slowly, with an interjectional “Surely, surely!” —
可以推断出若不是主教夫人说话偏直，且有点吝啬，她们的乡间生活会显得乏味些。 —

–from which it might be inferred that she would have found the country-side somewhat duller if the Rector’s lady had been less free-spoken and less of a skinflint. —
事实上，无论是新西特还是提普顿的农民和工人，如果没有有关卡德沃拉夫人说和做的故事，他们会感觉生活缺乏一些乐趣： —

Indeed, both the farmers and laborers in the parishes of Freshitt and Tipton would have felt a sad lack of conversation but for the stories about what Mrs. Cadwallader said and did: —
一个无可估量高贵出身的女士，仿佛从未知的伯爵族裔中来，以最亲切的方式拉低价格，开玩笑，尽管用一种透露她身份的话语风格。 —

a lady of immeasurably high birth, descended, as it were, from unknown earls, dim as the crowd of heroic shades–who pleaded poverty, pared down prices, and cut jokes in the most companionable manner, though with a turn of tongue that let you know who she was. —
这样一个女士给名位和信仰增添了一份邻里之谊，减轻了未经转换的什一税的痛苦。 —

Such a lady gave a neighborliness to both rank and religion, and mitigated the bitterness of uncommuted tithe. —
一个更加模范的、带有一丝酸涩尊严的人物不会促进他们对三十九条教义的理解，也不会使社会更加团结。 —

A much more exemplary character with an infusion of sour dignity would not have furthered their comprehension of the Thirty-nine Articles, and would have been less socially uniting.
布鲁克先生从不同的角度看待卡德沃拉夫人的优点，在他独自坐在图书馆时，听到她被宣布进来时，有些退避了。

Mr. Brooke, seeing Mrs. Cadwallader’s merits from a different point of view, winced a little when her name was announced in the library, where he was sitting alone.
汤姆和Mary走来，但走来的不是使得嫦娥降临大地这个节日失落的子弹，而是因为他们的步子嘎吱作响而令人心烦。

“I see you have had our Lowick Cicero here,” she said, seating herself comfortably, throwing back her wraps, and showing a thin but well-built figure. —
“我看你和我们的洛威克·西塞罗谈得不错嘛，”她说着，舒适地坐下来，解开披霞，展示出一副纤瘦但修长的身材。 —

“I suspect you and he are brewing some bad polities, else you would not be seeing so much of the lively man. —
“我怀疑你们两个都在策划一些糟糕的政治阴谋，否则你们就不会跟这个活泼的家伙走得这么近。 —

I shall inform against you: remember you are both suspicious characters since you took Peel’s side about the Catholic Bill. I shall tell everybody that you are going to put up for Middlemarch on the Whig side when old Pinkerton resigns, and that Casaubon is going to help you in an underhand manner: —
我会告密的：记住，自从你们在天主教法案问题上站在皮尔一边以来，你们都是可疑人物了。 —

going to bribe the voters with pamphlets, and throw open the public-houses to distribute them. Come, confess!”
我要告诉每个人，你们计划在老平克顿辞职时以怀公党的身份竞选中尚镇，而卡索本将以暗中帮助你们：

“Nothing of the sort,” said Mr. Brooke, smiling and rubbing his eye-glasses, but really blushing a little at the impeachment. —
用小册子贿赂选民，然后在酒馆里免费发放。 —

“Casaubon and I don’t talk politics much. —
快承认吧！” —

He doesn’t care much about the philanthropic side of things; punishments, and that kind of thing. —
“一点也不是，”布鲁克先生笑着擦拭眼镜，但实际上对这一指控有点尴尬。 —

He only cares about Church questions. That is not my line of action, you know.”
“卡索本和我很少谈政治。

“Ra-a-ther too much, my friend. I have heard of your doings. —
他对慈善事业那方面不太感兴趣；惩罚之类的事情。 —

Who was it that sold his bit of land to the Papists at Middlemarch? —
他只在意教会问题。你应该知道这不是我的行动方向。” —

I believe you bought it on purpose. You are a perfect Guy Faux. See if you are not burnt in effigy this 5th of November coming. —
“有些太多了，我的朋友。我曾听说过你的所作所为。 —

Humphrey would not come to quarrel with you about it, so I am come.”
是谁把他的土地卖给中尚镇的天主教徒的？我相信你是故意买下的。你简直就是个“盖·福克斯”。看看你这个十一月五日是否会被人挂在鼓楼上的稻草人上。

“Very good. I was prepared to be persecuted for not persecuting–not persecuting, you know.”
亨弗裡不会因此而跟你发生争执，所以我来了。”

“There you go! That is a piece of clap-trap you have got ready for the hustings. —
“很好。我做好了为了不迫害而受迫害的准备–不迫害，你懂的。” —

Now, do not let them lure you to the hustings, my dear Mr. Brooke. —
“你去吧！这是你为选举竞选准备的一句老掉牙之词。 —

A man always makes a fool of himself, speechifying: —
一个男人总是在自说自话中出丑： —

there’s no excuse but being on the right side, so that you can ask a blessing on your humming and hawing. —
没有借口，只有站在正确的一边，这样你才能为你的犹豫唧唧提个福。 —

You will lose yourself, I forewarn you. You will make a Saturday pie of all parties’ opinions, and be pelted by everybody.”
我事先警告你，你会迷失自己。你会把各方意见搅在一块做成一个杂烩饼，然后被所有人投掷。

“That is what I expect, you know,” said Mr. Brooke, not wishing to betray how little he enjoyed this prophetic sketch–“what I expect as an independent man. —
“这正是我所期望的，你知道,” 布鲁克先生说，不想暴露出他对这番预言式的描绘并不怎么高兴——”作为一个独立的人，我期望这样。 —

As to the Whigs, a man who goes with the thinkers is not likely to be hooked on by any party. —
至于这些辉格党人，跟着思想家走的人不太可能被任何党派吸引。 —

He may go with them up to a certain point–up to a certain point, you know. —
他可能跟到一定程度——只到一定程度，你知道。 —

But that is what you ladies never understand.”
但你们女士们永远不理解这一点。

“Where your certain point is? No. I should like to be told how a man can have any certain point when he belongs to no party–leading a roving life, and never letting his friends know his address. —
“你所说的那个确定程度在哪里？不，我很想听听当一个人不属于任何一个党派时，他如何有任何确定程度——过着漂泊的生活，让朋友根本不知道他的地址。 —

`Nobody knows where Brooke will be–there’s no counting on Brooke’–that is what people say of you, to be quite frank. —
‘没有人知道布鲁克会去哪——布鲁克就是这样,’——人们这样对你评价，坦率地说。 —

Now, do turn respectable. How will you like going to Sessions with everybody looking shy on you, and you with a bad conscience and an empty pocket?”
现在，要变得体面起来了。你会喜欢跟着每个人一起坐着冷漠地对待你，而你则良心不安、口袋空空吗？”

“I don’t pretend to argue with a lady on politics,” said Mr. Brooke, with an air of smiling indifference, but feeling rather unpleasantly conscious that this attack of Mrs. Cadwallader’s had opened the defensive campaign to which certain rash steps had exposed him. —
“我不打算和一位女士就政治问题进行争论,” 布鲁克先生说，带着一种若无其事的微笑，但却感到有点不太自在，因为卡德沃拉夫人的这次攻击打开了对抗防御的序幕，他做了某些轻率的举动导致了这种情况。 —

“Your sex are not thinkers, you know–varium et mutabile semper–that kind of thing. —
“你们女性不是思想家，你们知道的——varium et mutabile semper——那种东西。 —

You don’t know Virgil. I knew”–Mr. Brooke reflected in time that he had not had the personal acquaintance of the Augustan poet–“I was going to say, poor Stoddart, you know. —
你们不懂维吉尔的。我曾——布鲁克先生及时反省，他并没有认识过那位奥古斯都时期的诗人——”我本来想说的是，可怜的斯托达特，你知道的。 —

That was what he said. You ladies are always against an independent attitude–a man’s caring for nothing but truth, and that sort of thing. —
那就是他说的。你们女士们总是反对独立的态度——一个男人只在乎真理之类的事情。 —

And there is no part of the county where opinion is narrower than it is here–I don’t mean to throw stones, you know, but somebody is wanted to take the independent line; —
而这里没有比这里意见更狭隘的地方了——我不是说要扔石头，你知道，但这里需要有人采取独立立场； —

and if I don’t take it, who will?”
如果我不接受，谁会接受呢？

“Who? Why, any upstart who has got neither blood nor position. —
谁？为什么不是那些既没有血统又没有地位的暴发户。 —

People of standing should consume their independent nonsense at home, not hawk it about. And you! —
有身份的人应该在家里享受他们的独立胡说八道，不要四处兜售。而你！ —

who are going to marry your niece, as good as your daughter, to one of our best men. —
要把你的侄女，就像你的女儿一样好，嫁给我们最好的人之一。 —

Sir James would be cruelly annoyed: it will be too hard on him if you turn round now and make yourself a Whig sign-board.”
如果你现在改变主意，让自己变成一个辉格党人的招牌，对詹姆斯先生来说将是太残酷了。

Mr. Brooke again winced inwardly, for Dorothea’s engagement had no sooner been decided, than he had thought of Mrs. Cadwallader’s prospective taunts. —
再一次，布鲁克先生内心一阵疼痛，因为多萝西娅的订婚一决定下来，他就想到了卡德沃拉德夫人未来可能会讽刺他。 —

It might have been easy for ignorant observers to say, “Quarrel with Mrs. Cadwallader;” —
对于无知的观察者来说，说“和卡德沃拉德夫人吵架”可能很容易。 —

but where is a country gentleman to go who quarrels with his oldest neighbors? —
但是一个乡绅要去哪里寻求与他最老的邻居吵架的解决方案呢？ —

Who could taste the fine flavor in the name of Brooke if it were delivered casually, like wine without a seal? —
如果像没有封条的葡萄酒那样随意地提及布鲁克这个名字，谁能品尝到其中的细腻风味呢？ —

Certainly a man can only be cosmopolitan up to a certain point.
肯定一个人只能在一定程度上变得世故。

“I hope Chettam and I shall always be good friends; —
“我希望切特姆和我能一直成为好朋友； —

but I am sorry to say there is no prospect of his marrying my niece,” said Mr. Brooke, much relieved to see through the window that Celia was coming in.
但遗憾的是目前看不到他娶我的侄女的希望，” 布鲁克先生说，看到窗外塞莉亚进来了，松了口气。

“Why not?” said Mrs. Cadwallader, with a sharp note of surprise. —
“为什么不？” 卡德沃拉德夫人惊讶地说了一句。 —

“It is hardly a fortnight since you and I were talking about it.”
“才不到两周前我们还在谈论这件事呢。”

“My niece has chosen another suitor–has chosen him, you know. I have had nothing to do with it. —
我侄女已选择了另一个求婚者–已选择了他，你知道。我与此无关。 —

I should have preferred Chettam; and I should have said Chettam was the man any girl would have chosen. —
我本想选切特姆；而且我本以为切特姆才是任何女孩会选择的那个人。 —

But there is no accounting for these things. —
但这些事情是无法解释的。 —

Your sex is capricious, you know.”
你们女人是善变的，你知道。

“Why, whom do you mean to say that you are going to let her marry?” —
“噢，你要说你要让她嫁给谁呢？” —

Mrs. Cadwallader’s mind was rapidly surveying the possibilities of choice for Dorothea.
卡德沃勒夫人的脑中迅速地考虑着多丽西亚的可能选择。

But here Celia entered, blooming from a walk in the garden, and the greeting with her delivered Mr. Brooke from the necessity of answering immediately. —
但此时西莉亚走进来了，散发着刚从花园散步回来的青春活力，以及她的问候让布鲁克先生免去了立即回答的必要。 —

He got up hastily, and saying, “By the way, I must speak to Wright about the horses,” shuffled quickly out of the room.
他急忙站起来说：“对了，我必须去和赖特谈谈马的事情。”然后赶快离开了房间。

“My dear child, what is this?–this about your sister’s engagement?” said Mrs. Cadwallader.
“我亲爱的孩子，这是怎么一回事？–这是关于你姐姐的订婚吗？”卡德沃勒夫人说。

“She is engaged to marry Mr. Casaubon,” said Celia, resorting, as usual, to the simplest statement of fact, and enjoying this opportunity of speaking to the Rector’s wife alone.
“她订婚要嫁给卡索邦先生。”西莉亚像往常一样，简单陈述事实，这次是享受着单独和牧师夫人说话的机会。

“This is frightful. How long has it been going on?”
“这太可怕了。这已经进行了多久？”

“I only knew of it yesterday. They are to be married in six weeks.”
“我昨天才得知。他们将在六周内结婚。”

“Well, my dear, I wish you joy of your brother-in-law.”
“噢，我亲爱的，恭喜你有了嫂子。”

“I am so sorry for Dorothea.”
“我真为多丽西亚感到难过。”

“Sorry! It is her doing, I suppose.”
“难过！这是她的主意，我想。”

“Yes; she says Mr. Casaubon has a great soul.”
“是的; 她说卡索邦先生有一颗伟大的灵魂。”

“With all my heart.”
“我全心全意地同意。”

“Oh, Mrs. Cadwallader, I don’t think it can be nice to marry a man with a great soul.”
“哦，卡德沃拉夫人，我想嫁给一个有伟大灵魂的男人不可能很好。”

“Well, my dear, take warning. You know the look of one now; —
“嗯，我亲爱的，谨记。你现在知道这类人的样子； —

when the next comes and wants to marry you, don’t you accept him.”
当下一个要求娶你的人来的时候，你不要接受他。”

“I’m sure I never should.”
“我肯定我永远不会。”

“No; one such in a family is enough. So your sister never cared about Sir James Chettam? —
“不; 一个家庭里这样的人就够了。所以你姐姐从来没在乎詹姆斯·车特姆?” —

What would you have said to him for a brother-in-law?”
“你要是把他当做妹夫，我会很喜欢的。我敢肯定他会是个好丈夫。

“I should have liked that very much. I am sure he would have been a good husband. —
只是，”西莉亚补充道，脸上微微泛红（她有时候呼吸的时候好像也会发红），“我不认为他会适合多萝西娅。” —

Only,” Celia added, with a slight blush (she sometimes seemed to blush as she breathed), “I don’t think he would have suited Dorothea.”
“不够高尚吗?”

“Not high-flown enough?”
“朵朵很严格。她对每件事情都考虑很多，对人说话也很挑剔。

“Dodo is very strict. She thinks so much about everything, and is so particular about what one says. —
詹姆斯爵士似乎从来没有取悦过她。” —

Sir James never seemed to please her.”
“她肯定是鼓励了他。这不太光彩。”

“She must have encouraged him, I am sure. That is not very creditable.”
“请不要生朵朵的气; 她看不清事情。”

“Please don’t be angry with Dodo; she does not see things. —
“肯定, 妳们刚才在谈论什么?” —

She thought so much about the cottages, and she was rude to Sir James sometimes; —
她经常想着那些小屋，有时对詹姆斯爵士很粗鲁; —

but he is so kind, he never noticed it.”
但他非常善良，从未注意到这一点。“

“Well,” said Mrs. Cadwallader, putting on her shawl, and rising, as if in haste, “I must go straight to Sir James and break this to him. —
“好吧，”卡德沃勒夫人戴上披肩，急匆匆地站起来说，“我必须直接去找詹姆斯爵士，告诉他这个消息。 —

He will have brought his mother back by this time, and I must call. Your uncle will never tell him. —
他此时应该已经把他的母亲接回来了，我必须去拜访。你的叔叔永远不会告诉他这个消息。 —

We are all disappointed, my dear. Young people should think of their families in marrying. —
我们大家都很失望，亲爱的。年轻人结婚时应该考虑到家庭。 —

I set a bad example–married a poor clergyman, and made myself a pitiable object among the De Bracys–obliged to get my coals by stratagem, and pray to heaven for my salad oil. —
我给了个坏榜样–嫁给了一个贫穷的牧师，使自己在德布雷西家族中成为一个可怜的形象–被迫耍手腕弄煤，祈求上天保佑我的沙拉油。 —

However, Casaubon has money enough; I must do him that justice. —
不过，卡索本有足够的钱；我必须承认这一点。 —

As to his blood, I suppose the family quarterings are three cuttle-fish sable, and a commentator rampant. —
至于他的家世，我想家族的纹章是三只墨鱼乌色，前肢抬起的解释者。 —

By the bye, before I go, my dear, I must speak to your Mrs. Carter about pastry. —
顺便说一下，在我走之前，亲爱的，我必须和你的老卡特夫人谈谈糕点事。 —

I want to send my young cook to learn of her. —
我想派我的年轻厨师去向她学习。 —

Poor people with four children, like us, you know, can’t afford to keep a good cook. —
像我们这样有四个孩子的穷人，你懂的，负担不起雇佣一个好的厨师。 —

I have no doubt Mrs. Carter will oblige me. —
我相信卡特夫人会帮助我的。 —

Sir James’s cook is a perfect dragon.”
詹姆斯爵士的厨师简直是一个恶龙。”

In less than an hour, Mrs. Cadwallader had circumvented Mrs. Carter and driven to Freshitt Hall, which was not far from her own parsonage, her husband being resident in Freshitt and keeping a curate in Tipton.
不到一小时，卡德沃勒夫人已经设法穿过卡特夫人，驾车来到福雷西特庄园，这庄园离她牧师府很近，她的丈夫在福雷西特定居，而在蒂普顿留着一个管理者。

Sir James Chettam had returned from the short journey which had kept him absent for a couple of days, and had changed his dress, intending to ride over to Tipton Grange. —
詹姆斯·切特姆爵士已经从短途旅行中返回，换好衣服，打算骑马前往蒂普顿农场。 —

His horse was standing at the door when Mrs. Cadwallader drove up, and he immediately appeared there himself, whip in hand. —
当卡德沃勒太太驾车抵达时，他的马站在门口，他立即出现在那里，手拿着鞭子。 —

Lady Chettam had not yet returned, but Mrs. Cadwallader’s errand could not be despatched in the presence of grooms, so she asked to be taken into the conservatory close by, to look at the new plants; —
切特姆夫人还没有回来，但卡德沃勒太太的差事不能在仆人的面前进行，所以她要求被带到附近的温室，去看看新种的植物； —

and on coming to a contemplative stand, she said–
当他停下来冥思时，她说–

“I have a great shock for you; I hope you are not so far gone in love as you pretended to be.”
“我有一个很大的震惊给你；希望你并没有像你假装的那样深深爱着。”

It was of no use protesting, against Mrs. Cadwallader’s way of putting things. —
反对卡德沃勒太太这样说的方式是没有用的。 —

But Sir James’s countenance changed a little. —
但詹姆斯爵士的表情微微变化了一下。 —

He felt a vague alarm.
他感到一种隐隐的恐慌。

“I do believe Brooke is going to expose himself after all. —
“我确实相信布鲁克毕竟会暴露自己。 —

I accused him of meaning to stand for Middlemarch on the Liberal side, and he looked silly and never denied it–talked about the independent line, and the usual nonsense.”
我指责他打算代表自由党在中部马彼尔登选举，他看起来很愚蠢，从未否认过——谈论独立候选、常规胡扯。

“Is that all?” said Sir James, much relieved.
“这就是全部吗？” 詹姆斯爵士松了口气。

“Why,” rejoined Mrs. Cadwallader, with a sharper note, “you don’t mean to say that you would like him to turn public man in that way–making a sort of political Cheap Jack of himself?”
“嘿,” 卡德沃拉太太加了一把更尖锐的调子，”你不是说你想让他这样变成公众人物吧——把自己弄成一种政治上的廉价牛皮玩具？”

“He might be dissuaded, I should think. He would not like the expense.”
“我认为他可以被劝阻。他不会喜欢那种开支。”

“That is what I told him. He is vulnerable to reason there–always a few grains of common-sense in an ounce of miserliness. —
“这就是我告诉他的。在那方面他是容易受到理智劝说的——在苛吝里总有几分常识。 —

Miserliness is a capital quality to run in families; it’s the safe side for madness to dip on. —
苛吝是一种很好的家族财富；这是疯狂倾向可靠的一面。 —

And there must be a little crack in the Brooke family, else we should not see what we are to see.”
而且布鲁克家一定有点裂痕，否则我们不会看到我们将看到的事情。

“What? Brooke standing for Middlemarch?”
“什么？布鲁克要参加马彼尔登的选举吗？”

“Worse than that. I really feel a little responsible. —
“比那更糟糕。我真觉得有点责任。 —

I always told you Miss Brooke would be such a fine match. —
我总是告诉你布鲁克小姐会是那么好的配偶。 —

I knew there was a great deal of nonsense in her–a flighty sort of Methodistical stuff. —
我知道她身上有很多庸俗的东西——一种飘忽不定的 Methodistical 信仰。 —

But these things wear out of girls. However, I am taken by surprise for once.”
但这些东西会逐渐在女孩身上消失。然而，这次我却感到吃惊。”

“What do you mean, Mrs. Cadwallader?” said Sir James. His fear lest Miss Brooke should have run away to join the Moravian Brethren, or some preposterous sect unknown to good society, was a little allayed by the knowledge that Mrs. Cadwallader always made the worst of things. —
“卡德沃拉太太，你是什么意思？” 朝圣爵士问道。他担心布鲁克小姐会跑去加入摩拉维亚弟兄会，或者是某个上流社交圈子从未听说过的荒唐派别，这种担忧在得知卡德沃拉太太总是把事情说得夸大之后稍微平息了一些。 —

“What has happened to Miss Brooke? Pray speak out.”
“发生了什么事，布鲁克小姐？请说清楚。”

“Very well. She is engaged to be married.” —
“非常好。她订婚了。” —

Mrs. Cadwallader paused a few moments, observing the deeply hurt expression in her friend’s face, which he was trying to conceal by a nervous smile, while he whipped his boot; —
卡德沃勒夫人停顿了几秒钟，观察着朋友脸上那深深受伤的表情，他试图用紧张的微笑掩饰，同时抽打着自己的靴子； —

but she soon added, “Engaged to Casaubon.”
但她很快补充道，“订婚对象是卡索邦。”

Sir James let his whip fall and stooped to pick it up. —
詹姆斯爵士让鞭子掉下来，弯腰捡起来。 —

Perhaps his face had never before gathered so much concentrated disgust as when he turned to Mrs. Cadwallader and repeated, “Casaubon?”
或许他的脸之前从未聚集过如此浓厚的厌恶表情，当他转向卡德沃勒夫人并重复道，“卡索邦？”

“Even so. You know my errand now.”
“正是如此。现在你知道我的使命了。”

“Good God! It is horrible! He is no better than a mummy!” —
“天啊！这太可怕了！他简直犹如一具木乃伊！” —

(The point of view has to be allowed for, as that of a blooming and disappointed rival.)
（必须允许从一位绽放而失望的对手的角度看问题。）

“She says, he is a great soul.–A great bladder for dried peas to rattle in!” said Mrs. Cadwallader.
“她说，他是一位伟大的灵魂。– 用来哐哐作响的干豆的一个大气囊！” 凯德沃勒夫人说。

“What business has an old bachelor like that to marry?” —
“像那样的老光棍到底有什么资格结婚呢？” —

said Sir James. “He has one foot in the grave.”
詹姆斯爵士说，“他已经快进入坟墓了。”

“He means to draw it out again, I suppose.”
“我想他准备再把脚拔出来。”

“Brooke ought not to allow it: he should insist on its being put off till she is of age. —
“布鲁克不应该允许这种事发生：他应该坚持推迟婚礼直到她成年。 —

She would think better of it then. What is a guardian for?”
那时她可能会考虑得更周全。监护人有何用处？”

“As if you could ever squeeze a resolution out of Brooke!”
“仿佛你能从布鲁克那里挤出一个决定！”

“Cadwallader might talk to him.”
卡德沃勒可能会跟他谈谈。

“Not he! Humphrey finds everybody charming. I never can get him to abuse Casaubon. —
才不呢！亨弗里觉得每个人都迷人。我永远无法让他抨击卡索邦。 —

He will even speak well of the bishop, though I tell him it is unnatural in a beneficed clergyman; —
他甚至会说教区主教好话，虽然我告诉他，对一个享有福利的牧师来说是不自然的； —

what can one do with a husband who attends so little to the decencies? —
对于一个对礼仪注意如此之少的丈夫，我们能怎么办呢？ —

I hide it as well as I can by abusing everybody myself. Come, come, cheer up! —
我尽量隐藏，自己似乎比别人更爱抨击。来，振作起来吧！ —

you are well rid of Miss Brooke, a girl who would have been requiring you to see the stars by daylight. —
你摆脱了布鲁克小姐，她要求你白天看星星会让你喘不过气来。 —

Between ourselves, little Celia is worth two of her, and likely after all to be the better match. —
私下里说，小西莉亚比她值得两倍，并且最终可能会是更好的配对。 —

For this marriage to Casaubon is as good as going to a nunnery.”
因为和卡索邦的婚姻就像进修道院一样。

“Oh, on my own account–it is for Miss Brooke’s sake I think her friends should try to use their influence.”
“哦，出于我的利益——我认为她的朋友应该尽量运用影响。

“Well, Humphrey doesn’t know yet. But when I tell him, you may depend on it he will say, Why not? --- <span><tang1>嗯，亨弗里还不知道。但当我告诉他时，你可以相信他会说，为什么不呢？ —

Casaubon is a good fellow–and young–young enough.’ —
卡索邦是个好家伙——而且年轻——足够年轻。 —

These charitable people never know vinegar from wine till they have swallowed it and got the colic. —
这些慈善家直到吞下去并引起肠绞痛之前都分不清是醋还是葡萄酒。 —

However, if I were a man I should prefer Celia, especially when Dorothea was gone. —
无论如何，如果我是个男人，我会更倾向于西莉亚，尤其是在多萝西娅走后。 —

The truth is, you have been courting one and have won the other. —
事实上，你追求了一个，赢得了另一个。 —

I can see that she admires you almost as much as a man expects to be admired. —
我看得出她几乎像一个男人期待被钦佩那样钦佩你。” —

If it were any one but me who said so, you might think it exaggeration. Good-by!”
如果不是我说的话，你可能会认为这是夸张。再见！

Sir James handed Mrs. Cadwallader to the phaeton, and then jumped on his horse. —
詹姆斯先生把卡德沃勒太太送上驾驶车，然后跳上了自己的马。 —

He was not going to renounce his ride because of his friend’s unpleasant news–only to ride the faster in some other direction than that of Tipton Grange.
他并不会因为朋友的不愉快消息而放弃骑行，只是在其他方向骑得更快。

Now, why on earth should Mrs. Cadwallader have been at all busy about Miss Brooke’s marriage; —
现在，为什么卡德沃勒太太会忙着马苏尔小姐的婚姻呢？ —

and why, when one match that she liked to think she had a hand in was frustrated, should she have straightway contrived the preliminaries of another? —
而且，当她喜欢的一场婚姻彻底失败时，她为什么立刻安排了另一场演练？ —

Was there any ingenious plot, any hide-and-seek course of action, which might be detected by a careful telescopic watch? —
有任何巧妙的密谋，任何捉迷藏的行动，可以通过仔细的望远镜观察来发现吗？ —

Not at all: a telescope might have swept the parishes of Tipton and Freshitt, the whole area visited by Mrs. Cadwallader in her phaeton, without witnessing any interview that could excite suspicion, or any scene from which she did not return with the same unperturbed keenness of eye and the same high natural color. —
一点都没有：即使望远镜可以扫过蒂普顿和弗雷希尔这两个教区，也无法看到任何会引起怀疑的会晤，或者她没有以同样冷静的敏锐眼光和相同的高色调回来的情景。 —

In fact, if that convenient vehicle had existed in the days of the Seven Sages, one of them would doubtless have remarked, that you can know little of women by following them about in their pony-phaetons. —
实际上，如果那辆方便的车辆在七贤之日存在，其中一位无疑会指出，通过追随她们在小型马车中四处转悠，你不会对妇女有多少了解。 —

Even with a microscope directed on a water-drop we find ourselves making interpretations which turn out to be rather coarse; —
即使对着水滴使用显微镜，我们发现自己做出的解释却相当粗糙； —

for whereas under a weak lens you may seem to see a creature exhibiting an active voracity into which other smaller creatures actively play as if they were so many animated tax-pennies, a stronger lens reveals to you certain tiniest hairlets which make vortices for these victims while the swallower waits passively at his receipt of custom. —
因为在用弱镜头观察时，你似乎看到一个表现出活跃贪婪的生物，其他更小的生物活跃地扮演着它们就像它们是许多活动的洗税硬币，而用更强的放大镜则向你揭示了为这些受害者而制造涡流的微小细毛，而吞咽者则被动地等待着他们的税款。 —

In this way, metaphorically speaking, a strong lens applied to Mrs. Cadwallader’s match-making will show a play of minute causes producing what may be called thought and speech vortices to bring her the sort of food she needed. —
换句话说，对卡德沃勒太太的做媒活动采用强烈的放大镜会显示出微小原因的作用，产生了可以称之为思想和言语漩涡，为她带来了她需要的食物。 —

Her life was rurally simple, quite free from secrets either foul, dangerous, or otherwise important, and not consciously affected by the great affairs of the world. —
她的生活在乡下是简单的，完全没有任何肮脏、危险或其他重要的秘密，并且并无意受到世界大事的影响。 —

All the more did the affairs of the great world interest her, when communicated in the letters of high-born relations: —
当用高贵亲戚的信件传达时，世界大事更让她感兴趣： —

the way in which fascinating younger sons had gone to the dogs by marrying their mistresses; —
一些迷人年轻公子们因娶情妇而走上糜烂之路的方式； —

the fine old-blooded idiocy of young Lord Tapir, and the furious gouty humors of old Lord Megatherium; —
年轻的塔皮尔勋爵的高贵愚蠢行为，以及老麋兽勋爵愤怒的痛风体液； —

the exact crossing of genealogies which had brought a coronet into a new branch and widened the relations of scandal,–these were topics of which she retained details with the utmost accuracy, and reproduced them in an excellent pickle of epigrams, which she herself enjoyed the more because she believed as unquestionably in birth and no-birth as she did in game and vermin. —
在精确的基因谱系交叉中，将冠冕带入一个新的支系并扩大丑闻的关系，这些都是她以极高准确性记住的细节，她用一串优美的警句将它们重现出来，她自己更享受其中的乐趣，因为她对血统和非血统的信仰像对猎物和害虫一样坚不可摧。 —

She would never have disowned any one on the ground of poverty: —
她永远不会因为贫穷而否认任何人: —

a De Bracy reduced to take his dinner in a basin would have seemed to her an example of pathos worth exaggerating, and I fear his aristocratic vices would not have horrified her. —
一个身陷穷困，不得不用碗吃饭的德布雷西就会让她觉得是一个值得夸大的悲剧示例，我害怕他的贵族式堕落也不会让她感到震惊。 —

But her feeling towards the vulgar rich was a sort of religious hatred: —
但她对于庸俗的富人的感情却是一种宗教仇恨: —

they had probably made all their money out of high retail prices, and Mrs. Cadwallader detested high prices for everything that was not paid in kind at the Rectory: —
他们很可能是在高昂的零售价格中赚取了所有的钱，卡德沃勒夫人憎恨一切不是在教区以实物支付的高价格： —

such people were no part of God’s design in making the world; —
这样的人显然并非上帝在创造世界时所设想的一部分; —

and their accent was an affliction to the ears. —
他们的口音更是一种伤害人耳朵的折磨。 —

A town where such monsters abounded was hardly more than a sort of low comedy, which could not be taken account of in a well-bred scheme of the universe. —
一个这种怪物盛行的城镇几乎只能算是一出低级喜剧，根本不能被纳入一个有教养的宇宙谱系之中。 —

Let any lady who is inclined to be hard on Mrs. Cadwallader inquire into the comprehensiveness of her own beautiful views, and be quite sure that they afford accommodation for all the lives which have the honor to coexist with hers.
如果有任何女士倾向于苛刻对待卡德沃勒夫人，请探究她那美丽观念的广泛性，并确定它们是否容纳了所有与她共存的生命的荣幸。

With such a mind, active as phosphorus, biting everything that came near into the form that suited it, how could Mrs. Cadwallader feel that the Miss Brookes and their matrimonial prospects were alien to her? —
思维活跃如磷，可将一切接近的事物咬碎成她满意的形态，卡德沃勒夫人怎么会觉得布鲁克小姐们及其婚姻前景与她无关呢? —

especially as it had been the habit of years for her to scold Mr. Brooke with the friendliest frankness, and let him know in confidence that she thought him a poor creature. —
尤其当多年来她一直习惯于友好坦率地责备布鲁克先生，私下告诉他她认为他是个软弱的人。 —

From the first arrival of the young ladies in Tipton she had prearranged Dorothea’s marriage with Sir James, and if it had taken place would have been quite sure that it was her doing: —
自年轻女士们来蒂普顿以来，她就事先策划了多萝西娅和詹姆斯爵士的婚姻，如果真的发生了，她会对此信心百倍： —

that it should not take place after she had preconceived it, caused her an irritation which every thinker will sympathize with. —
事情最终没有按照她的计划发生，这让她很不舒服，每一个有思想的人都会对此表示同情就是了。 —

She was the diplomatist of Tipton and Freshitt, and for anything to happen in spite of her was an offensive irregularity. —
她是蒂普顿和弗雷希特的外交家，对于任何事情不顾她反对而发生都视为一种得罪人的不正常状况。 —

As to freaks like this of Miss Brooke’s, Mrs. Cadwallader had no patience with them, and now saw that her opinion of this girl had been infected with some of her husband’s weak charitableness: —
就像布鲁克小姐这样的偏执态度，卡德沃勒夫人无法容忍，现在她意识到她对这个女孩的看法已经受到了她丈夫某些薄弱慈善心的影响： —

those Methodistical whims, that air of being more religious than the rector and curate together, came from a deeper and more constitutional disease than she had been willing to believe.
那种宗教狂热的怪念头，比教区牧师和助理牧师加起来更虔诚的神色，其实源自她心底更深层次更本质的疾病，她不愿意承认这一点。

“However,” said Mrs. Cadwallader, first to herself and afterwards to her husband, “I throw her over: —
然而，”卡德沃拉太太对自己说，然后对丈夫说，”我不再考虑她了。 —

there was a chance, if she had married Sir James, of her becoming a sane, sensible woman. —
如果她嫁给詹姆斯爵士，可能会变成一个理智、明智的女人。 —

He would never have contradicted her, and when a woman is not contradicted, she has no motive for obstinacy in her absurdities. —
他永远不会反驳她，而当一个女人没有人反驳她时，就没有任何理由固执己见了。 —

But now I wish her joy of her hair shirt.”
但现在我祝愿她在悔悟之中快乐。

It followed that Mrs. Cadwallader must decide on another match for Sir James, and having made up her mind that it was to be the younger Miss Brooke, there could not have been a more skilful move towards the success of her plan than her hint to the baronet that he had made an impression on Celia’s heart. —
这样便是卡德沃拉太太为詹姆斯爵士找到另一位配偶的决定，而当她决定是小布鲁克小姐的时候，她对男爵示意这一点不仅对她的计划成功有极大帮助。 —

For he was not one of those gentlemen who languish after the unattainable Sappho’s apple that laughs from the topmost bough–the charms which
因为他并不是那种 languish after the unattainable Sappho’s apple that laughs from the topmost bough–the charms which 的绅士，这些魅力 “Smile like the knot of cowslips on the cliff, not to be come at by the willing hand.”

“Smile like the knot of cowslips on the cliff, Not to be come at by the willing hand.”
他没有 sonnets 要写，他并不认为自己不是他钟爱的女人的首选对象是很让他愉快的事情。

He had no sonnets to write, and it could not strike him agreeably that he was not an object of preference to the woman whom he had preferred. —
已经知道了多罗西娅选择了卡萨邦先生，使他的感情受伤并放松了。 —

Already the knowledge that Dorothea had chosen Mr. Casaubon had bruised his attachment and relaxed its hold. —
虽然詹姆斯爵士是一个狩猎者，但他对待女人的感情与对待松鸡和狐狸的感情不同，他并没有把未来的妻子视为只值得追逐刺激的猎物。 —

Although Sir James was a sportsman, he had some other feelings towards women than towards grouse and foxes, and did not regard his future wife in the light of prey, valuable chiefly for the excitements of the chase. —
他也没有像了解原始部落习俗那样，认为为了婚姻纽带的历史连续性，必须通过理想的格斗，近似手持战斧，来争取她。 —

Neither was he so well acquainted with the habits of primitive races as to feel that an ideal combat for her, tomahawk in hand, so to speak, was necessary to the historical continuity of the marriage-tie. —
相反，他有一种使我们对那些喜欢我们的人感到亲密，并使我们对那些冷漠的人感到不情愿的可爱虚荣心，也有一种良好的感恩本性，仅仅想到一个女人对他有好意就会从他心中向她洒下点点柔情。 —

On the contrary, having the amiable vanity which knits us to those who are fond of us, and disinclines us to those who are indifferent, and also a good grateful nature, the mere idea that a woman had a kindness towards him spun little threads of tenderness from out his heart towards hers.
于是，詹姆斯爵士骑了半个小时比平常要快的速度，朝远离蒂普顿庄园的方向前进，然后放慢了脚步，最终转入一条更短的回头路。

Thus it happened, that after Sir James had ridden rather fast for half an hour in a direction away from Tipton Grange, he slackened his pace, and at last turned into a road which would lead him back by a shorter cut. —
在他内心激起各种感情的推动下，他最终决定还是去蒂普顿庄园，就好像没有发生任何新事情一样。 —

Various feelings wrought in him the determination after all to go to the Grange to-day as if nothing new had happened. —
获悉那个见解后，卡德沃拉太太必须为詹姆斯爵士安排另一场婚事，而她已下定决心让詹姆斯爵士跟小布鲁克姐妹结合，对于她向男爵暗示他已经博得西莉娅的青睐，为她的计划成功而采取的行动再合适不过。 —

He could not help rejoicing that he had never made the offer and been rejected; —
他欣喜地意识到自己从未向对方求婚而遭到拒绝； —

mere friendly politeness required that he should call to see Dorothea about the cottages, and now happily Mrs. Cadwallader had prepared him to offer his congratulations, if necessary, without showing too much awkwardness. —
出于纯粹的友好礼仪，他应该去看望多丽西亚有关小屋的事情，幸运的是卡德沃拉夫人已经帮他准备了恭喜的话，以免显得太尴尬； —

He really did not like it: giving up Dorothea was very painful to him; —
他其实并不喜欢这样：放弃多丽西亚让他非常痛苦； —

but there was something in the resolve to make this visit forthwith and conquer all show of feeling, which was a sort of file-biting and counter-irritant. —
但他下定决心立刻去拜访并控制住所有情感外露的决心中有一种像是用锉刀咬牙坚持的逆刺； —

And without his distinctly recognizing the impulse, there certainly was present in him the sense that Celia would be there, and that he should pay her more attention than he had done before.
尽管他并没有明确意识到推动他的动机，但他确实有意识到西莉亚会在那里，他应该比以前更关注她；

We mortals, men and women, devour many a disappointment between breakfast and dinner-time; —
我们凡人，无论男女，每天在早餐和晚餐之间吞下许多失望； —

keep back the tears and look a little pale about the lips, and in answer to inquiries say, “Oh, nothing!” —
抑制住眼泪，嘴唇微微发白，回答询问时说：“哦，没事！” —

Pride helps us; and pride is not a bad thing when it only urges us to hide our own hurts–not to hurt others.
自尊心帮助了我们；而当自尊心只能促使我们隐藏自己的伤痛时，它并不是一件坏事–不要伤害他人。