The duke and duchess were extremely glad to see how readily Don Quixote fell in with their scheme; —
公爵和公爵夫人非常高兴看到唐吉诃德多么乐意地配合他们的计划； —

but at this moment Sancho observed, “I hope this senora duenna won’t be putting any difficulties in the way of the promise of my government; —
但此时桑丘注意到，“希望这位阿姨大人不会为我的政务承诺带来任何困难； —

for I have heard a Toledo apothecary, who talked like a goldfinch, say that where duennas were mixed up nothing good could happen. —
因为我听过一个托莱多的药剂师说，他滔滔不绝，说任何与阿姨大人扯上关系的事情都不会有好结果。 —

God bless me, how he hated them, that same apothecary! —
天哪，他是多么讨厌她们啊，那位药剂师！ —

And so what I’m thinking is, if all duennas, of whatever sort or condition they may be, are plagues and busybodies, what must they be that are distressed, like this Countess Three-skirts or Three-tails! —
所以我在想，如果所有的阿姨大人，不论是什么样或条件，都是麻烦和多管闲事的话，那像这个三衣裙女伯爵或三尾女伯爵会是什么样子！ —

— for in my country skirts or tails, tails or skirts, it’s all one.”
在我国，衣裙或尾巴，尾巴或衣裙，一个意思。

“Hush, friend Sancho,” said Don Quixote; —
“安静，桑丘朋友，”唐吉诃德说； —

“since this lady duenna comes in quest of me from such a distant land she cannot be one of those the apothecary meant; —
“既然这位阿姨大人为了我远道而来，她不能是那位药剂师所指的那种人； —

moreover this is a countess, and when countesses serve as duennas it is in the service of queens and empresses, for in their own houses they are mistresses paramount and have other duennas to wait on them.”
再者，这是一位伯爵夫人，当伯爵夫人作为阿姨大人服侍时，是为了皇后和女皇服务，因为在她们自己的家中，她们是至高无上的女主人，有其他阿姨大人伺候她们。”

To this Dona Rodriguez, who was present, made answer, “My lady the duchess has duennas in her service that might be countesses if it was the will of fortune; —
听到这里，在场的多娜·罗德里格斯回答说，“我的夫人公爵夫人的侍女如果运气好也许会成为伯爵夫人； —

‘but laws go as kings like;’ let nobody speak ill of duennas, above all of ancient maiden ones; —
‘但是法律就像国王一样开展；’不要讲阿姨大人的坏话，尤其是古老的阿姨大人； —

for though I am not one myself, I know and am aware of the advantage a maiden duenna has over one that is a widow; —
因为虽然我自己不是，但我知道，并且意识到少女阿姨大人比寡妇阿姨大人有优势； —

but ‘he who clipped us has kept the scissors.’”
但‘剪我们头发的人留了剪刀。’”

“For all that,” said Sancho, “there’s so much to be clipped about duennas, so my barber said, that ‘it will be better not to stir the rice even though it sticks.’”
“尽管如此，”桑丘说，“关于阿姨大人，有太多可以剪的地方，就像我的理发师说的那样，‘即使粘在一起，最好也不要搅动大米’。”

“These squires,” returned Dona Rodriguez, “are always our enemies; —
“这些侍从，”多娜·罗德里格斯回答道，“总是我们的敌人；”. —

and as they are the haunting spirits of the antechambers and watch us at every step, whenever they are not saying their prayers (and that’s often enough) they spend their time in tattling about us, digging up our bones and burying our good name. —
因为他们是靠近大厅的鬼魂，他们时刻关注着我们，除非在念祈祷(这种情况经常发生)，否则他们就会花时间对我们进行谴责，挖开我们的秘密，埋葬我们的名声。 —

But I can tell these walking blocks that we will live in spite of them, and in great houses too, though we die of hunger and cover our flesh, be it delicate or not, with widow’s weeds, as one covers or hides a dunghill on a procession day. —
但我告诉这些行尸走肉，我们将活下去，而且还会住在豪宅里，即使我们饥饿而死，无论我们的肉体是柔嫩还是不堪一击，我们也会用寡妇的服装掩盖，就像在游行日用裹尸布掩盖或隐藏粪坑一样。 —

By my faith, if it were permitted me and time allowed, I could prove, not only to those here present, but to all the world, that there is no virtue that is not to be found in a duenna.”
“要是我有机会，有时间，我可以证明给在座的所有人，也可以证明给全世界人，没有一种美德不是待有些院姑身上能找到的。”

“I have no doubt,” said the duchess, “that my good Dona Rodriguez is right, and very much so; —
“我毫不怀疑，”公爵夫人说，“我亲爱的多娜·罗德里格斯是对的，而且非常正确； —

but she had better bide her time for fighting her own battle and that of the rest of the duennas, so as to crush the calumny of that vile apothecary, and root out the prejudice in the great Sancho Panza’s mind.”
但她最好等待合适的时机，为自己和其他院姑辩护，旨在打击那个卑鄙的药剂师的诽谤，根除大圣保卓·潘萨心中的偏见。”

To which Sancho replied, “Ever since I have sniffed the governorship I have got rid of the humours of a squire, and I don’t care a wild fig for all the duennas in the world.”
圣保卓回答说，“自从我嗅到了做总督的味道，我已经摆脱了侍从的习惯，我不在乎世界上所有的院姑。”

They would have carried on this duenna dispute further had they not heard the notes of the fife and drums once more, from which they concluded that the Distressed Duenna was making her entrance. —
要是还能听到一次笛子和鼓的声音，他们料想受困的院姑再次出现。 —

The duchess asked the duke if it would be proper to go out to receive her, as she was a countess and a person of rank.
公爵夫人问公爵是否合适出去迎接她，因为她是一位伯爵夫人，也算是有身份的人。

“In respect of her being a countess,” said Sancho, before the duke could reply, “I am for your highnesses going out to receive her; —
“就她是伯爵夫人而言，”在公爵回答之前，圣保卓说，“我建议陛下们出去迎接她； —

but in respect of her being a duenna, it is my opinion you should not stir a step.”
但就她是院姑来说，我认为你们不该动一步。”

“Who bade thee meddle in this, Sancho?” said Don Quixote.
“谁让你在此事上插手了，圣保卓？”唐·吉拉德说。

“Who, senor?” said Sancho; “I meddle for I have a right to meddle, as a squire who has learned the rules of courtesy in the school of your worship, the most courteous and best-bred knight in the whole world of courtliness; —
“是谁，长官？”圣保卓说，“我插手是因为我有权插手，作为一名在你尊敬的礼仪学校学到礼数规矩的侍从，在整个有礼貌的骑士界中，您是最有礼貌、最有修养的骑士； —

and in these things, as I have heard your worship say, as much is lost by a card too many as by a card too few, and to one who has his ears open, few words.”
就像我听您说过的那样，对于这些事情，一张扑克牌太多或太少都会损失很多，一个留心的人，少言寡语。”

“Sancho is right,” said the duke; “we’ll see what the countess is like, and by that measure the courtesy that is due to her.”
公爵说：“圣保卓是对的，我们会看看伯爵夫人是什么样子，根据这一标准给予她应有的礼遇。”

And now the drums and fife made their entrance as before; —
此时，鼓和笛再次响起进场； —

and here the author brought this short chapter to an end and began the next, following up the same adventure, which is one of the most notable in the history.
作者将这一短章结束，开始下一章，继续同一历险，这是历史上最显著的历险之一。