“And now, Marie,” said St. Clare, “your golden days are dawning. —
“现在，玛丽，”圣克莱尔说，“你的黄金时代即将来临。 —

Here is our practical, business-like New England cousin, who will take the whole budget of cares off your shoulders, and give you time to refresh yourself, and grow young and handsome. —
这是我们务实的、来自新英格兰的堂姐，她将把所有的事务烦扰从你的肩膀上卸下，给你时间去休息，让自己变得年轻和漂亮。 —

The ceremony of delivering the keys had better come off forthwith.”
交接钥匙的仪式最好立刻进行。”

This remark was made at the breakfast-table, a few mornings after Miss Ophelia had arrived.
在欧肥利娅女士抵达几天之后的一个早晨，这句话是在早餐桌上说的。

“I’m sure she’s welcome,” said Marie, leaning her head languidly on her hand. —
“我肯定她是受欢迎的，”玛丽懒洋洋地把头靠在手上说。 —

“I think she’ll find one thing, if she does, and that is, that it’s we mistresses that are the slaves, down here.”
“我认为她会发现一件事，那就是我们这些主人才是真正的奴隶，住在这里。”

“O, certainly, she will discover that, and a world of wholesome truths besides, no doubt,” said St. Clare.
“哦，当然，她会发现那个，还有许多健康的真理呢，毫无疑问，”圣克莱尔说。

“Talk about our keeping slaves, as if we did it for our convenience,” said Marie. “I’m sure, if we consulted that, we might let them all go at once.”
“说我们养奴隶，好像是为了我们的便利，”玛丽说。“我确信，如果我们考虑‘那个’，我们可以立刻让他们全部走。”

Evangeline fixed her large, serious eyes on her mother’s face, with an earnest and perplexed expression, and said, simply, “What do you keep them for, mamma?”
伊万吉琳把她那双大而认真的眼睛盯着妈妈的脸，表情认真而困惑，简单地说：“妈妈，你为什么要养他们？”

“I don’t know, I’m sure, except for a plague; they are the plague of my life. —
“我不知道，我确实不知道，除了为了一种灾祸；他们是我生活中的灾祸。 —

I believe that more of my ill health is caused by them than by any one thing; —
我相信造成我的病痛的更多是因为他们，而不是因为其他事情； —

and ours, I know, are the very worst that ever anybody was plagued with.”
我知道，我们的奴隶是任何人被折磨得最厉害的。”

“O, come, Marie, you’ve got the blues, this morning,” said St. Clare. “You know ’t isn’t so. —
“哦，玛丽，今天早上你郁闷了，”圣克莱尔说。“你知道不是这样的。 —

There’s Mammy, the best creature living,–what could you do without her?”
有曼咪，这世界上最好的生物，–没有她，你能做什么？”

“Mammy is the best I ever knew,” said Marie; —
“曼咪是我所知道最好的，”玛丽说； —

“and yet Mammy, now, is selfish–dreadfully selfish; —
“而且马米现在是自私的–非常自私； —

it’s the fault of the whole race.”
这是整个种族的过错。”

“Selfishness is a dreadful fault,” said St. Clare, gravely.
“自私确实是一个可怕的过错，”圣克莱尔沉重地说。

“Well, now, there’s Mammy,” said Marie, “I think it’s selfish of her to sleep so sound nights; —
“嗯，现在就有马米，”玛丽说，“我觉得她晚上睡得那么沉是自私的； —

she knows I need little attentions almost every hour, when my worst turns are on, and yet she’s so hard to wake. —
她知道我在我最糟糕的时候几乎每个小时都需要小心翼翼，但她却那么难叫醒。 —

I absolutely am worse, this very morning, for the efforts I had to make to wake her last night.”
为了叫醒她，我绝对今天早上更糟了。”

“Hasn’t she sat up with you a good many nights, lately, mamma?” said Eva.
“她最近不是一直陪你一起守夜吗，妈妈？”伊娃说。

“How should you know that?” said Marie, sharply; “she’s been complaining, I suppose.”
“你怎么知道的？”玛丽尖锐地说；“她抱怨了，我猜。”

“She didn’t complain; she only told me what bad nights you’d had,–so many in succession.”
“她没有抱怨；她只是告诉我你最近夜里睡得不好，–连续那么多个夜晚。”

“Why don’t you let Jane or Rosa take her place, a night or two,” said St. Clare, “and let her rest?”
“为什么不让简或罗莎接替她一两个晚上，圣克莱尔，让她休息一下？”圣克莱尔说。

“How can you propose it?” said Marie. “St. Clare, you really are inconsiderate. —
“你怎么能提这个建议？”玛丽说。”圣克莱尔，你真是太不体贴了。 —

So nervous as I am, the least breath disturbs me; —
我现在这么紧张，一点风都会吵到我； —

and a strange hand about me would drive me absolutely frantic. —
陌生人在我周围会让我完全疯掉。 —

If Mammy felt the interest in me she ought to, she’d wake easier,–of course, she would. —
如果马米对我像她应该的那样感兴趣，她会更容易醒来，–当然会的。 —

I’ve heard of people who had such devoted servants, but it never was my luck;” and Marie sighed.
我听说有些人有这样忠诚的仆人，但我从来没有那么幸运；”玛丽叹了口气。

Miss Ophelia had listened to this conversation with an air of shrewd, observant gravity; —
奥菲利娅小姐一边认真地聆听这段对话，一边带着机智、观察入微的神情； —

and she still kept her lips tightly compressed, as if determined fully to ascertain her longitude and position, before she committed herself.
她仍然紧抿着嘴唇，仿佛决心在表态前充分确定自己的经度和位置。

“Now, Mammy has a sort of goodness,” said Marie; —
“现在，玛米有一种种类的善良，”玛丽说道； —

“she’s smooth and respectful, but she’s selfish at heart. —
“她表面上是温顺和尊敬的，但实际上她心里很自私。 —

Now, she never will be done fidgeting and worrying about that husband of hers. —
现在，她总是忙着担心她的丈夫。 —

You see, when I was married and came to live here, of course, I had to bring her with me, and her husband my father couldn’t spare. —
你看，当我结婚来到这里的时候，当然，我必须带她来，而她的丈夫——我的父亲舍不得。 —

He was a blacksmith, and, of course, very necessary; —
他是个铁匠，当然，非常重要； —

and I thought and said, at the time, that Mammy and he had better give each other up, as it wasn’t likely to be convenient for them ever to live together again. —
我当时想并且说，玛米和他最好放弃对方，因为他们再也不可能方便地住在一起了。 —

I wish, now, I’d insisted on it, and married Mammy to somebody else; —
现在我希望我坚持了，并把玛米嫁给了别人； —

but I was foolish and indulgent, and didn’t want to insist. —
但当时我愚蠢宠爱，不想坚持。 —

I told Mammy, at the time, that she mustn’t ever expect to see him more than once or twice in her life again, for the air of father’s place doesn’t agree with my health, and I can’t go there; —
我当时告诉玛米，她再也不可能见到他多于一两次了，因为父亲那里的空气对我的健康不好，我不能去那里； —

and I advised her to take up with somebody else; but no-she wouldn’t. —
我建议她和别人在一起；但她不愿意。 —

Mammy has a kind of obstinacy about her, in spots, that everybody don’t see as I do.”
玛米有种别人看不到的固执脾气。”

“Has she children?” said Miss Ophelia.
“她有孩子吗？”奥菲利娅小姐问道。

“Yes; she has two.”
“有，她有两个。”

“I suppose she feels the separation from them?”
“我想她感觉到了与他们的分离？”

“Well, of course, I couldn’t bring them. They were little dirty things–I couldn’t have them about; —
“当然，我不能带他们来。他们那些脏东西–我不能让他们在身边； —

and, besides, they took up too much of her time; —
而且，他们占用了太多她的时间； —

but I believe that Mammy has always kept up a sort of sulkiness about this. —
但我相信Mammy对此一直保持着某种不满情绪。 —

She won’t marry anybody else; and I do believe, now, though she knows how necessary she is to me, and how feeble my health is, she would go back to her husband tomorrow, if she only could. —
她不会和别人结婚；而我相信，尽管她知道自己对我的重要性，以及我的健康有多虚弱，如果可以的话，她明天就会回到她的丈夫那里。 —

I do, indeed,” said Marie; “they are just so selfish, now, the best of them.”
“我 真的 相信，”“玛丽说；”“现在，他们都是如此自私。

“It’s distressing to reflect upon,” said St. Clare, dryly.
“令人沮丧地反思，”圣克莱冷冷地说。

Miss Ophelia looked keenly at him, and saw the flush of mortification and repressed vexation, and the sarcastic curl of the lip, as he spoke.
Ophelia小姐仔细地看着他，看到了尴尬和被压抑的恼怒的潮红以及他说话时嘴角挖苦的弯曲。

“Now, Mammy has always been a pet with me,” said Marie. “I wish some of your northern servants could look at her closets of dresses,–silks and muslins, and one real linen cambric, she has hanging there. —
“现在，Mammy一直是我宠爱的人，”玛丽说道。“我希望你们北方的仆人能看看她的衣橱里的衣服，丝绸和薄纱，还有一件真正的亚麻府绸，她挂在那里。” —

I’ve worked sometimes whole afternoons, trimming her caps, and getting her ready to go to a party. —
我有时整个下午都在处理她的帽子，让她准备好去参加派对。 —

As to abuse, she don’t know what it is. She never was whipped more than once or twice in her whole life. —
至于虐待，她不知道是什么。她一生中只被鞭打过一两次。 —

She has her strong coffee or her tea every day, with white sugar in it. —
她每天都喝浓咖啡或茶，里面加着白糖。 —

It’s abominable, to be sure; but St. Clare will have high life below-stairs, and they every one of them live just as they please. —
这是可恶的，当然；但是St. Clare在楼下过高贵的生活，他们每一个都想怎么样就怎么样。 —

The fact is, our servants are over-indulged. —
事实是，我们的仆人被过分放纵了。 —

I suppose it is partly our fault that they are selfish, and act like spoiled children; —
我想这在一定程度上是我们的错，他们变得自私，表现得像被宠坏的孩子； —

but I’ve talked to St. Clare till I am tired.”
但我已经对St. Clare谈到厌倦了。

“And I, too,” said St. Clare, taking up the morning paper.
“我也是，”St. Clare说着，拿起早报。

Eva, the beautiful Eva, had stood listening to her mother, with that expression of deep and mystic earnestness which was peculiar to her. —
美丽的Eva一直站在那里听着她母亲说话，带着那种深沉而神秘的热切表情，这是她独有的。 —

She walked softly round to her mother’s chair, and put her arms round her neck.
她轻轻地走到她母亲的椅子旁，抱住她的脖子。

“Well, Eva, what now?” said Marie.
“那么，Eva，怎么了？”玛丽说。

“Mamma, couldn’t I take care of you one night–just one? —
“妈妈，我不能照顾你一个晚上吗——就一个晚上吗？我知道我不会让你紧张，我也不会睡觉。 —

I know I shouldn’t make you nervous, and I shouldn’t sleep. —
”Ich will nicht, dass du dich unwohl fühlst.” Eva以与您独处的方式表达了她对母亲的爱意。 —

I often lie awake nights, thinking–”
我经常在晚上躺着想着——

“O, nonsense, child–nonsense!” said Marie; “you are such a strange child!”
“哦，胡说，孩子——胡说！”玛丽说，“你真是一个奇怪的孩子！”

“But may I, mamma? I think,” she said, timidly, “that Mammy isn’t well. —
“但是，妈妈，我可以吗？我觉得，”她腼腆地说，“玛米最近身体不太好。 —

She told me her head ached all the time, lately.”
她告诉我她最近一直头痛。”

“O, that’s just one of Mammy’s fidgets! Mammy is just like all the rest of them–makes such a fuss about every little headache or finger-ache; —
“哦，那只是玛米的小毛病！玛米就像所有其他人一样——对每一点小头痛或手指痛都抱怨不断； —

it’ll never do to encourage it–never! I’m principled about this matter,” said she, turning to Miss Ophelia; —
鼓励这种行为是不行的——永远不行！我在这个问题上有原则，”她转向奥菲莉亚小姐说； —

“you’ll find the necessity of it. If you encourage servants in giving way to every little disagreeable feeling, and complaining of every little ailment, you’ll have your hands full. —
“你会发现这是必要的。如果你鼓励仆人们对每一个小不快感和抱怨每一点小疾病，你就会手忙脚乱。 —

I never complain myself–nobody knows what I endure. —
我从不抱怨——没有人知道我忍受了什么。 —

I feel it a duty to bear it quietly, and I do.”
我认为默默忍受是我的责任，我也一直在做。”

Miss Ophelia’s round eyes expressed an undisguised amazement at this peroration, which struck St. Clare as so supremely ludicrous, that he burst into a loud laugh.
奥菲莉亚小姐那一双圆圆的眼睛表达出毫无保留的惊讶，这番结束让圣·克莱尔觉得如此荒谬可笑，以至于他大笑起来。

“St. Clare always laughs when I make the least allusion to my ill health,” said Marie, with the voice of a suffering martyr. —
“每当我稍微提及我的健康问题时，圣·克莱尔总是笑起来，”玛丽说，声音里带着受苦者的口吻。 —

“I only hope the day won’t come when he’ll remember it!” —
“我只希望那一天不会到来，他会记起来！” —

and Marie put her handkerchief to her eyes.
玛丽拿起手帕擦了擦眼睛。

Of course, there was rather a foolish silence. —
当然，随之而来的是一段愚蠢的沉默。 —

Finally, St. Clare got up, looked at his watch, and said he had an engagement down street. —
最后，圣·克莱尔起身，看了看手表，说他有一个在市中心的约会。 —

Eva tripped away after him, and Miss Ophelia and Marie remained at the table alone.
爱娃在他走后跌跌撞撞地跟着走，奥菲利亚小姐和玛丽留在桌边独处。

“Now, that’s just like St. Clare!” said the latter, withdrawing her handkerchief with somewhat of a spirited flourish when the criminal to be affected by it was no longer in sight. —
“现在这就像是克莱尔先生！”后者说道，当要影响的罪犯不再在视线中时，她有点带着活力地拿开手帕。 —

“He never realizes, never can, never will, what I suffer, and have, for years. —
“他从来没有意识到，永远无法意识到，也永远不会意识到，我多么受苦，多年来一直如此。 —

If I was one of the complaining sort, or ever made any fuss about my ailments, there would be some reason for it. —
如果我是那种喜欢抱怨的人，或者总是对我的疾病抱怨，那倒有些理由。 —

Men do get tired, naturally, of a complaining wife. —
男人自然会厌倦一个喜欢抱怨的妻子。 —

But I’ve kept things to myself, and borne, and borne, till St. Clare has got in the way of thinking I can bear anything.”
但我一直把事情都独自承担着，默默忍受，一直忍受到现在，以至克莱尔先生已经认为我能承受任何事情。”

Miss Ophelia did not exactly know what she was expected to answer to this.
奥菲利亚小姐并不确定自己应该回答什么。

While she was thinking what to say, Marie gradually wiped away her tears, and smoothed her plumage in a general sort of way, as a dove might be supposed to make toilet after a shower, and began a housewifely chat with Miss Ophelia, concerning cupboards, closets, linen-presses, store-rooms, and other matters, of which the latter was, by common understanding, to assume the direction, –giving her so many cautious directions and charges, that a head less systematic and business-like than Miss Ophelia’s would have been utterly dizzied and confounded.
她正在思考该说些什么时，玛丽逐渐擦去眼泪，并以一种一般性的方式整理自己，如同一只鸽子在被淋湿之后梳妆打扮，然后开始与奥菲利亚小姐谈论家务事情，涉及橱柜、衣柜、储藏室、储藏室等其他事项，将这类事宜归于后者一手负责，给了她许多谨慎的指示和命令，以至于一颗不如奥菲利亚那样有条理和业务头脑的头脑会完全晕头转向而混乱无措。

“And now,” said Marie, “I believe I’ve told you everything; —
“现在，”玛丽说，“我相信我已经告诉你一切； —

so that, when my next sick turn comes on, you’ll be able to go forward entirely, without consulting me; —
所以，当我下一次病倒时，你可以完全独立地前进，不需要再咨询我； —

–only about Eva,–she requires watching.”
– 只有关于爱娃， – 她需要被照顾。”

“She seems to be a good child, very,” said Miss Ophelia; “I never saw a better child.”
“她似乎是个好孩子，非常好”，奥菲利亚小姐说，“我从未见过比她更好的孩子。”

“Eva’s peculiar,” said her mother, “very. There are things about her so singular; —
“爱娃很特别，”她的母亲说，“非常特别。她的一些地方真是奇特； —

she isn’t like me, now, a particle;” and Marie sighed, as if this was a truly melancholy consideration.
她与我不像，现在，一点也不像；” 玛丽叹了口气，仿佛这是一个真正令人忧郁的考虑。

Miss Ophelia in her own heart said, “I hope she isn’t,” but had prudence enough to keep it down.
奥菲利亚小姐心里说，“希望她不是”，但她足够谨慎地把这种想法压下去。

“Eva always was disposed to be with servants; and I think that well enough with some children. —
“伊娃总是喜欢和仆人在一起；我觉得对某些孩子来说这样挺好的。 —

Now, I always played with father’s little negroes–it never did me any harm. —
我总是和爸爸的小黑奴玩耍——这从来没有对我造成任何伤害。 —

But Eva somehow always seems to put herself on an equality with every creature that comes near her. —
但是伊娃总是似乎把自己与接近她的每个生物置于平等地位。 —

It’s a strange thing about the child. I never have been able to break her of it. —
这孩子确实有些奇怪。我从来没有能够改掉她这一点。 —

St. Clare, I believe, encourages her in it. —
我相信，圣克莱在这方面鼓励她。 —

The fact is, St. Clare indulges every creature under this roof but his own wife.”
事实上，圣克莱放纵这屋子里的每一个人，只有他自己的妻子除外。

Again Miss Ophelia sat in blank silence.
奥菲利亚小姐再次保持了沉默。

“Now, there’s no way with servants,” said Marie, “but to put them down, and keep them down. —
“对待仆人唯一的方法就是让他们服从，让他们知道自己的位置。 —

It was always natural to me, from a child. Eva is enough to spoil a whole house-full. —
对我来说，从小到大都是很自然的。伊娃能够宠坏一屋子的人。 —

What she will do when she comes to keep house herself, I’m sure I don’t know. —
等她长大后要自己打理家务的时候，我真不知道会怎么样。 —

I hold to being kind to servants–I always am; but you must make ‘em know their place. —
对待仆人我坚持要温和——我一直如此；但你必须让他们知道自己的位置。 —

Eva never does; there’s no getting into the child’s head the first beginning of an idea what a servant’s place is! —
伊娃却始终不明白仆人的位置在哪！这孩子根本无法理解一个仆人的地位! —

You heard her offering to take care of me nights, to let Mammy sleep! —
你听到她主动提出晚上照顾我，让她的保姆休息！ —

That’s just a specimen of the way the child would be doing all the time, if she was left to herself.”
如果这孩子随意发挥，那只是她一直的样子。

“Why,” said Miss Ophelia, bluntly, “I suppose you think your servants are human creatures, and ought to have some rest when they are tired.”
“为什么，”欧菲丽亚委婉地说，”我想你们认为你们的仆人也是人，累了也应该有休息的时间。”

“Certainly, of course. I’m very particular in letting them have everything that comes convenient,–anything that doesn’t put one at all out of the way, you know. —
“当然，我非常在意让她们拿到一切方便的东西，–任何不会让人感到困扰的，你知道的。” —

Mammy can make up her sleep, some time or other; there’s no difficulty about that. —
“妈咪总有机会补上她的睡眠；这没什么难度。” —

She’s the sleepiest concern that ever I saw; —
“她是我见过的最容易困倦的人；” —

sewing, standing, or sitting, that creature will go to sleep, and sleep anywhere and everywhere. —
“无论是缝纫、站着还是坐着，那个人都会睡着，在任何地方任何时候。” —

No danger but Mammy gets sleep enough. But this treating servants as if they were exotic flowers, or china vases, is really ridiculous,” said Marie, as she plunged languidly into the depths of a voluminous and pillowy lounge, and drew towards her an elegant cut-glass vinaigrette.
“妈咪不会缺少睡眠。但把仆人们当成是奇异的花朵或瓷花瓶，真的太荒谬了，”玛丽说着，跌跌撞撞地坐进了一张体积庞大且软软绵绵的躺椅里，伸手拿起一只优雅的切割玻璃香水瓶。”

“You see,” she continued, in a faint and lady-like voice, like the last dying breath of an Arabian jessamine, or something equally ethereal, “you see, Cousin Ophelia, I don’t often speak of myself. —
“你看，”她继续说，用一种像阿拉伯茉莉花最后的悲鸣般的淡淡女士般的声音，”你看，奥菲莉亚表姐，我很少谈论自己。” —

It isn’t my habit; ’t isn’t agreeable to me. In fact, I haven’t strength to do it. —
“这不是我的’习惯’；对我来说不是什么愉快的事。事实上，我没有力气这样做。” —

But there are points where St. Clare and I differ. —
“但是有些地方我们与圣克莱尔不同。” —

St. Clare never understood me, never appreciated me. —
“圣克莱尔从未理解我，从未欣赏我。” —

I think it lies at the root of all my ill health. St. Clare means well, I am bound to believe; —
“我认为这是我所有疾病的根源。我相信圣克莱尔是好心的；” —

but men are constitutionally selfish and inconsiderate to woman. —
但男人在本质上对女人是自私和不体贴的。 —

That, at least, is my impression.”
至少，这是我的印象。

Miss Ophelia, who had not a small share of the genuine New England caution, and a very particular horror of being drawn into family difficulties, now began to foresee something of this kind impending; —
奥菲莉亚小姐，她具有纯正新英格兰谨慎的特点，对卷入家庭纷争有着特别的恐惧，现在开始感觉到即将有这样的事情发生； —

so, composing her face into a grim neutrality, and drawing out of her pocket about a yard and a quarter of stocking, which she kept as a specific against what Dr. Watts asserts to be a personal habit of Satan when people have idle hands, she proceeded to knit most energetically, shutting her lips together in a way that said, as plain as words could, “You needn’t try to make me speak. —
所以，她把脸扭成了一种严峻的中立，从口袋里掏出大约一码四分之一长的长袜，她把它保存着，做为一种特效药，针对华兹博士所说的撒旦有空闲手时的个人习惯，她开始非常有力地织着，咬紧了嘴唇，表情清清楚楚地表达着“你不必试图让我开口。我不想与你的事务扯上关系。”–事实上，她看起来像一只石狮一样无动于衷。 —

I don’t want anything to do with your affairs,”–in fact, she looked about as sympathizing as a stone lion. —
她看起来几乎没有同情心。” —

But Marie didn’t care for that. She had got somebody to talk to, and she felt it her duty to talk, and that was enough; —
但是玛丽不在乎那些。她有人可以说话，她觉得自己有责任说话，这就足够了； —

and reinforcing herself by smelling again at her vinaigrette, she went on.
嗅一嗅她的手帕盒让自己感到有力量，她继续说道；

“You see, I brought my own property and servants into the connection, when I married St. Clare, and I am legally entitled to manage them my own way. —
“你看，我在嫁给圣克莱尔时把自己的财产和仆人带进了这段关系，我在法律上有权按照自己的方式管理他们； —

St. Clare had his fortune and his servants, and I’m well enough content he should manage them his way; —
克莱尔有他的财产和仆人，他按自己的方式管理他们，我倒是满足他用他的方式管理； —

but St. Clare will be interfering. He has wild, extravagant notions about things, particularly about the treatment of servants. —
但是克莱尔会干涉。他对事情有些疯狂、放纵的想法，特别是对待仆人的方式； —

He really does act as if he set his servants before me, and before himself, too; —
他真的表现得好像他把他的仆人放在我以及他自己之前； —

for he lets them make him all sorts of trouble, and never lifts a finger. —
因为他让他们给他惹来各种麻烦，而自己却一点手也不动； —

Now, about some things, St. Clare is really frightful–he frightens me–good-natured as he looks, in general. —
现在，关于某些事情，克莱尔真的很可怕——他让我害怕——尽管他一般看起来很友善； —

Now, he has set down his foot that, come what will, there shall not be a blow struck in this house, except what he or I strike; —
现在，他已经决定，不管发生什么，这房子里不准出现任何一声打斗声，除非是他或者我打的； —

and he does it in a way that I really dare not cross him. Well, you may see what that leads to; —
他说这话的方式实在让我不敢违抗。好吧，你可以看出这导致了什么； —

for St. Clare wouldn’t raise his hand, if every one of them walked over him, and I–you see how cruel it would be to require me to make the exertion. —
因为克莱尔甚至不会抬手，如果他们中的每一个人都在他身上走过，而我——你看出要求我付出这种努力是多残酷了； —

Now, you know these servants are nothing but grown-up children.”
现在，你知道这些仆人不过是一群成年孩子；

“I don’t know anything about it, and I thank the Lord that I don’t!” said Miss Ophelia, shortly.
“我对此一无所知，感谢主！”奥费利娅小姐说道，语气干脆；

“Well, but you will have to know something, and know it to your cost, if you stay here. —
“好吧，但是如果你留在这里，你将不得不了解一些事情，并且以你的代价了解。”; —

You don’t know what a provoking, stupid, careless, unreasonable, childish, ungrateful set of wretches they are.”
“你不知道他们是多么令人生气、愚蠢、粗心、不合理、孩子气、忘恩负义的家伙。”

Marie seemed wonderfully supported, always, when she got upon this topic; —
玛丽在谈到这个话题时，总是看起来得到了很好的支持； —

and she now opened her eyes, and seemed quite to forget her languor.
她现在睁开了眼睛，似乎完全忘记了自己的疲倦；

“You don’t know, and you can’t, the daily, hourly trials that beset a housekeeper from them, everywhere and every way. —
“你不知道，也不可能知道，一个家庭主妇每天每时每刻都要面对来自他们的考验，无处不在，无所不及； —

But it’s no use to complain to St. Clare. He talks the strangest stuff. —
但对斯特克莱尔抱怨是毫无用处的。他说一些奇怪的话； —

He says we have made them what they are, and ought to bear with them. —
他说他们是我们培养成现在这样，应该忍受他们； —

He says their faults are all owing to us, and that it would be cruel to make the fault and punish it too. —
他说他们的过错全都归咎于我们，惩罚他们也是残忍的； —

He says we shouldn’t do any better, in their place; —
他说我们在他们的位置也不会有更好的表现； —

just as if one could reason from them to us, you know.”
就像能够从他们身上推断出我们自己一样，你知道的。”

“Don’t you believe that the Lord made them of one blood with us?” said Miss Ophelia, shortly.
“你难道不相信主创造他们和我们有同样的血缘关系吗？”奥非利亚小姐冷冷地说。

“No, indeed not I! A pretty story, truly! They are a degraded race.”
“不，当然不！真是一个荒谬的故事！他们是一个受辱的种族；”

“Don’t you think they’ve got immortal souls?” said Miss Ophelia, with increasing indignation.
“你难道不认为他们也有不朽的灵魂吗？”奥非利亚小姐越发愤怒地说。

“O, well,” said Marie, yawning, “that, of course–nobody doubts that. —
“哦，好吧，”玛丽打了个哈欠说，“那当然——没人怀疑。 —

But as to putting them on any sort of equality with us, you know, as if we could be compared, why, it’s impossible! —
但是要把他们和我们放在同等地位，你知道的，好像我们可以相提并论一样，这是不可能的！ —

Now, St. Clare really has talked to me as if keeping Mammy from her husband was like keeping me from mine. —
现在，斯特克莱尔真的对我说过，就好像让奶妈远离她丈夫就像让我远离我的一样。 —

There’s no comparing in this way. Mammy couldn’t have the feelings that I should. —
这种比较是无法相提并论的。奶妈不可能有我应有的感情。” —

It’s a different thing altogether,– of course, it is,–and yet St. Clare pretends not to see it. —
这完全是另外一回事，–当然，是的，–尽管圣克莱尔假装没有看到。 —

And just as if Mammy could love her little dirty babies as I love Eva! —
就好像Mammy能像我对Eva一样爱她脏兮兮的小宝贝一样！ —

Yet St. Clare once really and soberly tried to persuade me that it was my duty, with my weak health, and all I suffer, to let Mammy go back, and take somebody else in her place. —
但是圣克莱尔曾真诚地、冷静地劝说我，考虑到我的身体虚弱和所受的一切，应该让Mammy回去，雇用其他人替代她。 —

That was a little too much even for me to bear. —
对我来说，那实在太多了。 —

I don’t often show my feelings, I make it a principle to endure everything in silence; —
我不经常表现出我的感情，我认为忍受一切以沉默的方式是原则； —

it’s a wife’s hard lot, and I bear it. But I did break out, that time; —
这是妻子的艰难处境，我要忍耐。但这一次我失控了； —

so that he has never alluded to the subject since. —
所以他自那时起再也没有提起这个话题。 —

But I know by his looks, and little things that he says, that he thinks so as much as ever; —
但我知道他通过他的表情和他说的一些话，仍然认为如此； —

and it’s so trying, so provoking!”
这太令人烦恼了，太惹人讨厌了！”

Miss Ophelia looked very much as if she was afraid she should say something; —
奥菲利亚小姐看起来好像害怕自己会说什么； —

but she rattled away with her needles in a way that had volumes of meaning in it, if Marie could only have understood it.
但她以一种在其中充满意义的方式用针打转，如果玛丽能理解的话。

“So, you just see,” she continued, “what you’ve got to manage. A household without any rule; —
“所以，你要明白你所面对的情况。一个没有规矩的家庭； —

where servants have it all their own way, do what they please, and have what they please, except so far as I, with my feeble health, have kept up government. —
僕人为所欲为，为所欲为，除了我，以我虚弱的健康将管理维持下来。 —

I keep my cowhide about, and sometimes I do lay it on; —
我掌握着我的牛皮鞭，有时我会使劲用； —

but the exertion is always too much for me. —
但这样的努力对我来说总是太过分了。” —

If St. Clare would only have this thing done as others do–”
如果圣克莱尔像别人一样做这件事…

“And how’s that?”
“那是怎么回事呢?”

“Why, send them to the calaboose, or some of the other places to be flogged. That’s the only way. —
“噢，把他们送进看守所，或者其他地方受到鞭刑。那是唯一的办法。 —

If I wasn’t such a poor, feeble piece, I believe I should manage with twice the energy that St. Clare does.”
如果我不是这么贫弱，软弱，我相信我可以比圣克莱尔做得更有能量。”

“And how does St. Clare contrive to manage?” said Miss Ophelia. “You say he never strikes a blow.”
“那么圣克莱尔是怎么管理的呢?“奥菲莉娅小姐说道，“你说他从不动手。”

“Well, men have a more commanding way, you know; it is easier for them; —
“嗯，你知道吗，男人有更有威严的方式；那对他们来说更容易； —

besides, if you ever looked full in his eye, it’s peculiar,–that eye,–and if he speaks decidedly, there’s a kind of flash. —
此外，如果你曾经看着他的眼睛，那是独特的，–那只眼睛，–如果他明确地讲话，就会有一种闪光。 —

I’m afraid of it, myself; and the servants know they must mind. —
我自己很害怕；仆人们知道他们必须留神。 —

I couldn’t do as much by a regular storm and scolding as St. Clare can by one turn of his eye, if once he is in earnest. —
我使用严厉的风暴和责骂不能做到像圣克莱尔那样，他只需一瞥眼神，一旦他认真起来。 —

O, there’s no trouble about St. Clare; that’s the reason he’s no more feeling for me. —
哦，圣克莱尔没有任何麻烦；这就是他对我没有更多同情的原因。 —

But you’ll find, when you come to manage, that there’s no getting along without severity,–they are so bad, so deceitful, so lazy”.
但当你开始管理时，你会发现，没有严厉是无法继续下去的，他们很坏，很狡诈、很懒惰。”

“The old tune,” said St. Clare, sauntering in. —
“老调调，”圣克莱尔漫步进来说。 —

“What an awful account these wicked creatures will have to settle, at last, especially for being lazy! —
“这些邪恶的生物终将要为自己的懒惰付出可怕的代价！ —

You see, cousin,” said he, as he stretched himself at full length on a lounge opposite to Marie, “it’s wholly inexcusable in them, in the light of the example that Marie and I set them,–this laziness.”
你看，表姐，”他说着，同时横躺在离玛丽对面的躺椅上，”在我们玛丽和我给他们树立的榜样下，这种懒惰是完全不可原谅的。”

“Come, now, St. Clare, you are too bad!” said Marie.
“快，现在，圣克莱尔，你太坏了！”玛丽说。

“Am I, now? Why, I thought I was talking good, quite remarkably for me. —
“我是吗？我还以为我说得很好呢，对我来说确实是非常了不起的。” —

I try to enforce your remarks, Marie, always.”
“我总是试图支持你的评论，玛丽。”

“You know you meant no such thing, St. Clare,” said Marie.
“你知道你并不是这个意思，圣克莱尔，”玛丽说。

“O, I must have been mistaken, then. Thank you, my dear, for setting me right.”
“哦，那我一定是搞错了。谢谢你，亲爱的，纠正我。”

“You do really try to be provoking,” said Marie.
“你真的是故意想激怒我，”玛丽说。

“O, come, Marie, the day is growing warm, and I have just had a long quarrel with Dolph, which has fatigued me excessively; —
“哦，来吧，玛丽，天气越来越暖和了，我刚刚与道尔夫大吵了一架，我感觉非常疲倦； —

so, pray be agreeable, now, and let a fellow repose in the light of your smile.”
所以，请现在让人高兴一点，让我在你微笑的光芒中休息吧。”

“What’s the matter about Dolph?” said Marie. “That fellow’s impudence has been growing to a point that is perfectly intolerable to me. —
“道尔夫出了什么事？”玛丽说。 “那家伙的无礼已经到了让我无法容忍的地步。 —

I only wish I had the undisputed management of him a while. —
我真希望我能完全掌控他一段时间。 —

I’d bring him down!”
我一定会收拾他！”

“What you say, my dear, is marked with your usual acuteness and good sense,” said St. Clare. “As to Dolph, the case is this: —
“你说的，我亲爱的，一如既往地锐利而明智，”圣克莱尔说。 “至于道尔夫，情况是这样的： —

that he has so long been engaged in imitating my graces and perfections, that he has, at last, really mistaken himself for his master; —
他模仿我的风度和完美已经有这么长时间了，以至于最后，他真的误以为自己是我的主人； —

and I have been obliged to give him a little insight into his mistake.”
因此，我不得不让他明白自己的错误的一点点见解。”

“How?” said Marie.
“怎么做？”玛丽问。

“Why, I was obliged to let him understand explicitly that I preferred to keep some of my clothes for my own personal wearing; —
“嗯，我不得不明确告诉他，我更喜欢留一些衣服给自己穿；” —

also, I put his magnificence upon an allowance of cologne-water, and actually was so cruel as to restrict him to one dozen of my cambric handkerchiefs. —
此外，我还给他一份古龙水的津贴，甚至残酷到只给他一打我的精致手帕。 —

Dolph was particularly huffy about it, and I had to talk to him like a father, to bring him round.”
Dolph对此特别不满，我不得不像父亲一样跟他谈话，才使他接受。

“O! St. Clare, when will you learn how to treat your servants? —
“哦，圣克莱尔，你什么时候才学会如何对待你的仆人呢？ —

It’s abominable, the way you indulge them!” said Marie.
真是可恶，你溺爱他们的方式！”玛丽说。

“Why, after all, what’s the harm of the poor dog’s wanting to be like his master; —
“毕竟，这只可怜的狗想像他的主人一样，有什么不好； —

and if I haven’t brought him up any better than to find his chief good in cologne and cambric handkerchiefs, why shouldn’t I give them to him?”
如果我没有比使他在古龙水和手帕中找到他的主要快乐更好的教养，那我为什么不能给他呢？”

“And why haven’t you brought him up better?” said Miss Ophelia, with blunt determination.
“你为什么没有好好教育他？”奥菲利亚小姐直截了当地说。

“Too much trouble,–laziness, cousin, laziness,–which ruins more souls than you can shake a stick at. —
“太费事了，–懒散，表姐，懒散，–这比你能以棍子威胁的灵魂更多。 —

If it weren’t for laziness, I should have been a perfect angel, myself. —
如果不是懒惰，那我可能会成为完美的天使。 —

I’m inclined to think that laziness is what your old Dr. Botherem, up in Vermont, used to call the essence of moral evil.' --- <span><tang1>我倾向于认为懒散是你们佛蒙特州的老博瑟姆医生所说的道德邪恶的本质’。 —

It’s an awful consideration, certainly.”
这确实令人担忧。”

“I think you slaveholders have an awful responsibility upon you,” said Miss Ophelia. —
“我认为你们奴隶主肩负着极其重大的责任，”奥菲利亚小姐说。 —

“I wouldn’t have it, for a thousand worlds. —
“我宁愿放弃一千个世界，我不要。 —

You ought to educate your slaves, and treat them like reasonable creatures,–like immortal creatures, that you’ve got to stand before the bar of God with. —
你们应该教育你们的奴隶，对待他们像理智的生物一样，–像不朽的生物一样，你们得在上帝面前摆好架子。 —

That’s my mind,” said the good lady, breaking suddenly out with a tide of zeal that had been gaining strength in her mind all the morning.
这是我的看法，”这位善良的女士突然爆发出了整个上午在她心中不断增强的热情。

“O! come, come,” said St. Clare, getting up quickly; “what do you know about us?” —
“奥！来吧，来吧，”圣克莱尔急忙起身说：“你对我们知道什么？” —

And he sat down to the piano, and rattled a lively piece of music. —
他坐到钢琴前，弹奏起一首活泼的乐曲。 —

St. Clare had a decided genius for music. —
圣克莱尔对音乐有着明显的天赋。 —

His touch was brilliant and firm, and his fingers flew over the keys with a rapid and bird-like motion, airy, and yet decided. —
他的触感明亮坚定，手指轻快地飞舞在琴键上，如同一只鸟般的迅速而果决。 —

He played piece after piece, like a man who is trying to play himself into a good humor. —
他一曲接一曲地演奏，像一个试图通过音乐使自己振作起来的人。 —

After pushing the music aside, he rose up, and said, gayly, “Well, now, cousin, you’ve given us a good talk and done your duty; —
将乐谱推到一边后，他站起来，欢快地说：“好了，表弟，你进行了一次良好的谈话，完成了你的责任；总的来说，我觉得你因此而更体贴。 —

on the whole, I think the better of you for it. —
我相信你给了我一块非常闪耀的真理之钻，虽然你看到它直接打在我的脸上，所以一开始并没有被欣赏。” —

I make no manner of doubt that you threw a very diamond of truth at me, though you see it hit me so directly in the face that it wasn’t exactly appreciated, at first.”
“就我而言，我不明白这种谈话有什么用，”玛丽说。“我敢肯定，如果有人比我们更为仆人做得多，我想知道是谁；

“For my part, I don’t see any use in such sort of talk,” said Marie. “I’m sure, if anybody does more for servants than we do, I’d like to know who; —
这对他们毫无好处，一点也没有，–他们越来越坏。 —

and it don’t do ‘em a bit good,–not a particle,–they get worse and worse. —
至于和他们谈话之类的事情，我敢肯定我已经说到口干舌燥，告诉他们他们的职责等等； —

As to talking to them, or anything like that, I’m sure I have talked till I was tired and hoarse, telling them their duty, and all that; —
他们能去教堂听礼拜，虽然不懂讲道的每个字，就跟一群猪一样，–所以对他们来说去礼拜也没有多大用，我认为； —

and I’m sure they can go to church when they like, though they don’t understand a word of the sermon, more than so many pigs,–so it isn’t of any great use for them to go, as I see; —
但他们确实去了，所以他们有每一个机会； —

but they do go, and so they have every chance; —
但正如我之前所说的，他们属于堕落的种族，而且永远也会是，无可救药； —

but, as I said before, they are a degraded race, and always will be, and there isn’t any help for them; —
你再怎么努力，也不能让他们成材。 —

you can’t make anything of them, if you try. —
如果你试图。” —

You see, Cousin Ophelia, I’ve tried, and you haven’t; —
你看，奥菲利亚表姐，我努力过了，而你却没有； —

I was born and bred among them, and I know.”
我是在他们中间出生长大的，我很了解。”

Miss Ophelia thought she had said enough, and therefore sat silent. St. Clare whistled a tune.
奥菲利亚小姐觉得自己已经说够了，于是就静静地坐着。圣克莱尔吹起了一首曲子。

“St. Clare, I wish you wouldn’t whistle,” said Marie; “it makes my head worse.”
“克莱尔，我希望你别吹口哨，”玛丽说道，“这会让我的头更痛。”

“I won’t,” said St. Clare. “Is there anything else you wouldn’t wish me to do?”
“好的，”克莱尔说。“还有其他事你不希望我做的吗？”

“I wish you would have some kind of sympathy for my trials; you never have any feeling for me.”
“我希望你对我的困扰能够多少有些同情；你从来没有对我有过任何感情。”

“My dear accusing angel!” said St. Clare.
“亲爱的控诉的天使！”克莱尔说。

“It’s provoking to be talked to in that way.”
“被那样说话真让人气愤。”

“Then, how will you be talked to? I’ll talk to order,–any way you’ll mention,–only to give satisfaction.”
“那么，你希望怎样对话呢？我可以按照你的要求，以任何你提到的方式对话，只要让你满意。”

A gay laugh from the court rang through the silken curtains of the verandah. —
一阵欢快的笑声从庭院传来，穿过绸缎帷幕。 —

St. Clare stepped out, and lifting up the curtain, laughed too.
克莱尔走出去，拉起帷帘，也笑了起来。

“What is it?” said Miss Ophelia, coming to the railing.
“怎么了？”奥菲利亚小姐走到栏杆边问道。

There sat Tom, on a little mossy seat in the court, every one of his button-holes stuck full of cape jessamines, and Eva, gayly laughing, was hanging a wreath of roses round his neck; —
汤姆坐在庭院里一个小苔藓座位上，他的每一个纽扣眼都插满了开口金银花，而伊娃则快乐地笑着，在他脖子上挂了一圈玫瑰花环； —

and then she sat down on his knee, like a chip-sparrow, still laughing.
然后她坐在他膝盖上，像只小雀鸟一样，仍然笑着。

“O, Tom, you look so funny!”
“哦，汤姆，你看起来太有趣了！”

Tom had a sober, benevolent smile, and seemed, in his quiet way, to be enjoying the fun quite as much as his little mistress. —
汤姆带着一个清醒、慈祥的微笑，以他安静的方式似乎和小主人一样享受着这一切乐趣。 —

He lifted his eyes, when he saw his master, with a half-deprecating, apologetic air.
当他看到自己的主人时，他抬起眼睛，带着一种半谦卑、致歉的神情。

“How can you let her?” said Miss Ophelia.
“你怎么能让她这样做呢？”欧菲莉娅小姐说。

“Why not?” said St. Clare.
“为什么不呢？”圣克莱尔说。

“Why, I don’t know, it seems so dreadful!”
“为什么，我不知道，这似乎太可怕了！”

“You would think no harm in a child’s caressing a large dog, even if he was black; —
“你会认为孩子抚摸一只大狗毫无害处，即使那只狗是黑色的； —

but a creature that can think, and reason, and feel, and is immortal, you shudder at; —
但对一个能思考、推理、感知并是不朽的生物，你感到颤栗； —

confess it, cousin. I know the feeling among some of you northerners well enough. —
承认吧，堂兄。我对你们北方人的这种感觉了解得足够清楚。 —

Not that there is a particle of virtue in our not having it; —
并非我们没有这种感觉中的一点美德； —

but custom with us does what Christianity ought to do,–obliterates the feeling of personal prejudice. —
但我们的习惯所做之事比基督教应该做的事更有效──抹煞个人偏见的感觉。 —

I have often noticed, in my travels north, how much stronger this was with you than with us. —
我在北方的旅行中经常注意到，你们比我们更强烈地体会到这一点。 —

You loathe them as you would a snake or a toad, yet you are indignant at their wrongs. —
你们像对待蛇或蟾蜍一样厌恶他们，但又对他们的不幸感到愤怒。 —

You would not have them abused; but you don’t want to have anything to do with them yourselves. —
你们不希望他们受到虐待；但你们自己却不愿与他们扯上任何关系。 —

You would send them to Africa, out of your sight and smell, and then send a missionary or two to do up all the self-denial of elevating them compendiously. Isn’t that it?”
你们会把他们送到非洲，远离你们的视线和气味，然后派几个传教士来完成提升他们的一切自我牺牲。就是这样，不是吗？”

“Well, cousin,” said Miss Ophelia, thoughtfully, “there may be some truth in this.”
“好吧，堂兄，”欧菲莉娅小姐沉吟着说，”这可能有一些道理。”

“What would the poor and lowly do, without children?” —
“穷人和卑微之人如果没有孩子，会怎么办呢？” —

said St. Clare, leaning on the railing, and watching Eva, as she tripped off, leading Tom with her. —
“说着，圣克莱尔倚着栏杆，看着伊娃，看着她牵着汤姆跳着走。” —

“Your little child is your only true democrat. Tom, now is a hero to Eva; —
“你的小孩是你唯一真正的民主党人。汤姆，现在对伊娃来说是个英雄； —

his stories are wonders in her eyes, his songs and Methodist hymns are better than an opera, and the traps and little bits of trash in his pocket a mine of jewels, and he the most wonderful Tom that ever wore a black skin. —
他讲的故事在她眼中是奇迹，他的歌和卫理公会的赞美诗比歌剧更好听，他口袋里的陷阱和小玩意像是宝藏，而他是有史以来戴着黑皮肤最了不起的汤姆。” —

This is one of the roses of Eden that the Lord has dropped down expressly for the poor and lowly, who get few enough of any other kind.”
“这是上帝专门为穷困低微的人丢下来的伊甸园里的玫瑰之一，他们很少能得到其他任何种类的东西。”

“It’s strange, cousin,” said Miss Ophelia, “one might almost think you were a professor, to hear you talk.”
“奇怪，表姐，”奥菲莉亚说，“听你说话，人几乎会以为你是位教授。”

“A professor?” said St. Clare.
“教授？”圣克莱尔说。

“Yes; a professor of religion.”
“是的；宗教教授。”

“Not at all; not a professor, as your town-folks have it; —
“一点也不；不是教授，就像你们镇上的人说的那样； —

and, what is worse, I’m afraid, not a practiser, either.”
而且更糟的是，我怕，也不是个实践者。”

“What makes you talk so, then?”
“那你为什么要这么说呢？”

“Nothing is easier than talking,” said St. Clare. “I believe Shakespeare makes somebody say, `I could sooner show twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to follow my own showing.’ —
“说起来容易做起来难，”圣克莱尔说，“我相信莎士比亚让某个人说过，‘比起自己亲自践行，我更容易告诉别人二十件应该做的事情。’ —

[1] Nothing like division of labor. My forte lies in talking, and yours, cousin, lies in doing.”
分工最好。我擅长说话，而你，表姐，擅长行动。”

[1] The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, scene 2, lines 17-18.
《威尼斯商人》，第一幕，第二场，17-18行。

In Tom’s external situation, at this time, there was, as the world says, nothing to complain of Little Eva’s fancy for him–the instinctive gratitude and loveliness of a noble nature–had led her to petition her father that he might be her especial attendant, whenever she needed the escort of a servant, in her walks or rides; —
在这个时候，从外表看，汤姆并没有什么可抱怨的。小伊娃对他的喜爱——一个高贵本性的本能的感激和美好——导致她请求父亲让他成为她特别的随从，每当她需要仆人的护送时，在她散步或骑马时； —

and Tom had general orders to let everything else go, and attend to Miss Eva whenever she wanted him,–orders which our readers may fancy were far from disagreeable to him. —
汤姆被总司令命令，无论其他事情如何都要照顾好伊娃小姐，–我们的读者可能会觉得这对他来说一点也不讨厌。 —

He was kept well dressed, for St. Clare was fastidiously particular on this point. —
他的穿着一直都很讲究，因为圣克莱对这一点非常挑剔。 —

His stable services were merely a sinecure, and consisted simply in a daily care and inspection, and directing an under-servant in his duties; —
他的马厩服务只是一个空名头，仅仅是日常照料和检查，指挥下属执行他的职责； —

for Marie St. Clare declared that she could not have any smell of the horses about him when he came near her, and that he must positively not be put to any service that would make him unpleasant to her, as her nervous system was entirely inadequate to any trial of that nature; —
因为玛丽·圣克莱声称，当他靠近她时，身上不能有任何马的气味，他绝对不能从事会让她感到不愉快的服务，因为她的神经系统完全无法承受这样的考验； —

one snuff of anything disagreeable being, according to her account, quite sufficient to close the scene, and put an end to all her earthly trials at once. —
据她描述，任何不愉快的气味一吸，就足以结束一切，一下子就结束了她在世上的一切磨难。 —

Tom, therefore, in his well-brushed broadcloth suit, smooth beaver, glossy boots, faultless wristbands and collar, with his grave, good-natured black face, looked respectable enough to be a Bishop of Carthage, as men of his color were, in other ages.
因此，汤姆穿着整洁的宽松羊毛布西服，光滑的海狸毡帽，光亮的靴子，无瑕疵的袖口和衣领，在他那严肃、和蔼的黑脸上，看起来足以称得上是迦太基的主教，就像他们这种肤色的人在其他时代一样。

Then, too, he was in a beautiful place, a consideration to which his sensitive race was never indifferent; —
再说，他身处一个美丽的地方，这是他那种敏感的种族永远都不会置之不理的一个考量； —

and he did enjoy with a quiet joy the birds, the flowers, the fountains, the perfume, and light and beauty of the court, the silken hangings, and pictures, and lustres, and statuettes, and gilding, that made the parlors within a kind of Aladdin’s palace to him.
他确实在一种美丽的地方享受着安静的欢乐，这里有鸟儿、花朵、喷泉、香气、光亮和宫殿的美景、丝绸悬挂、壁画、水晶灯具、雕像和镀金，这些使得屋内的客厅成为他眼中的一个阿拉丁宫殿。

If ever Africa shall show an elevated and cultivated race,–and come it must, some time, her turn to figure in the great drama of human improvement. —
如果非洲有朝一日将展现出一个崇高和文明的种族，–而它迟早会来到，轮到它在人类进步的伟大戏剧中扮演角色。 —

–life will awake there with a gorgeousness and splendor of which our cold western tribes faintly have conceived. —
–生活将以一种我们冷漠的西方部落勉强所能设想到的辉煌和光彩在那片遥远神秘的黄金、宝石、香料、摇曳的棕榈树、奇花异草和神奇的肥沃土地上苏醒。 —

In that far-off mystic land of gold, and gems, and spices, and waving palms, and wondrous flowers, and miraculous fertility, will awake new forms of art, new styles of splendor; —
在那片遥远神秘的黄金、宝石、香料、摇曳的棕榈树、奇花异草和神奇的肥沃土地上，将唤醒新形式的艺术，新样式的辉煌； —

and the negro race, no longer despised and trodden down, will, perhaps, show forth some of the latest and most magnificent revelations of human life. —
黑人种族，不再被鄙视和践踏，也许将展现出人类生活最新、最壮丽的启示。 —

Certainly they will, in their gentleness, their lowly docility of heart, their aptitude to repose on a superior mind and rest on a higher power, their childlike simplicity of affection, and facility of forgiveness. —
无论如何，他们将在他们的温和、谦恭的心、乐于仰赖更高智慧和依靠更高力量、他们孩子般的爱心简朴的情感和宽恕的便利中展示出基督教生活的最高形式， —

In all these they will exhibit the highest form of the peculiarly Christian life, and, perhaps, as God chasteneth whom he loveth, he hath chosen poor Africa in the furnace of affliction, to make her the highest and noblest in that kingdom which he will set up, when every other kingdom has been tried, and failed; —
在这些方面，他们将展示出那种特有的基督徒的生活，也许，正如上帝惩戒他所爱的人，他选择了贫穷的非洲在苦难的炉火中，使她成为他将建立的国度中最高尚最崇高的人， —

for the first shall be last, and the last first.
因为头先要做末后的，末后要做头先的。

Was this what Marie St. Clare was thinking of, as she stood, gorgeously dressed, on the verandah, on Sunday morning, clasping a diamond bracelet on her slender wrist? —
玛丽·圣克莱尔站在阳台上，身着华丽服装，星期天早晨，戴着一只钻石手链，她在想什么呢？ —

Most likely it was. Or, if it wasn’t that, it was something else; —
这很可能是。或者，如果不是这个，那就是其他什么； —

for Marie patronized good things, and she was going now, in full force,–diamonds, silk, and lace, and jewels, and all,–to a fashionable church, to be very religious. —
因为玛丽喜欢物质享受，她正全副武装地去一座时髦的教堂，要做一个非常虔诚的人。 —

Marie always made a point to be very pious on Sundays. —
玛丽总是在周日特别虔诚。 —

There she stood, so slender, so elegant, so airy and undulating in all her motions, her lace scarf enveloping her like a mist. —
她瘦长苗条，优雅迷人，举手投足之间轻盈飘逸，薄纱围绕她宛若轻雾。 —

She looked a graceful creature, and she felt very good and very elegant indeed. —
她看起来像个优雅的生物，而且她自己也感到非常舒服和优雅。 —

Miss Ophelia stood at her side, a perfect contrast. —
奥菲利亚小姐站在她身边，形成了完美的对比。 —

It was not that she had not as handsome a silk dress and shawl, and as fine a pocket-handkerchief; —
奥菲利亚也穿着一套漂亮的丝绸裙子和披肩，拿着一块精美的手帕； —

but stiffness and squareness, and bolt-uprightness, enveloped her with as indefinite yet appreciable a presence as did grace her elegant neighbor; —
但是僵硬、方正和笔直的气质，使她如同一个与优雅的邻居一样清晰但又模糊的存在； —

not the grace of God, however,–that is quite another thing!
不过，并非上帝的恩典，那是完全不同的事情！

“Where’s Eva?” said Marie.
“伊娃在哪里？”玛丽说。

“The child stopped on the stairs, to say something to Mammy.”
“孩子在楼梯上停下来，对玛米说了些什么。”

And what was Eva saying to Mammy on the stairs? —
伊娃在楼梯上对玛米说了什么？ —

Listen, reader, and you will hear, though Marie does not.
读者，请听着，你会听到的，尽管玛丽没有听见。

“Dear Mammy, I know your head is aching dreadfully.”
“亲爱的玛米，我知道你头痛得厉害。”

“Lord bless you, Miss Eva! my head allers aches lately. You don’t need to worry.”
“愿主保佑你，艾娃小姐！最近我的头总是疼。你不必担心。”

“Well, I’m glad you’re going out; and here,”–and the little girl threw her arms around her,–“Mammy, you shall take my vinaigrette.”
“嗯，我很高兴你要出去；在这儿，” ——小女孩抱住她说，—”保姆，你拿我的芳香盒吧。”

“What! your beautiful gold thing, thar, with them diamonds! —
“什么！你那美丽的金饰物，上面还镶着钻石！” —

Lor, Miss, ’t wouldn’t be proper, no ways.”
“天啊，小姐，这样做不太合适，无论如何。”

“Why not? You need it, and I don’t. Mamma always uses it for headache, and it’ll make you feel better. —
“为什么不呢？你需要它，而我不需要。妈妈头疼的时候总是用它，它会让你感觉好点的。 —

No, you shall take it, to please me, now.”
“不，为了让我高兴，你就要拿着它。”

“Do hear the darlin talk!” said Mammy, as Eva thrust it into her bosom, and kissing her, ran down stairs to her mother.
“听听这个可爱的小家伙说话！” 艾娃把芳香盒塞进她的胸前，亲了亲她，然后跑下楼去找她的妈妈。

“What were you stopping for?”
“你停下来干什么？”

“I was just stopping to give Mammy my vinaigrette, to take to church with her.”
“我只是停下来把我的香醋瓶递给 Mammy，让她带去教堂。”

“Eva” said Marie, stamping impatiently,–“your gold vinaigrette to _Mammy! —
“Eva” 玛丽不耐烦地说,–“你的金色香醋瓶给 Mammy！” —

_ When will you learn what’s proper? Go right and take it back this moment!”
你什么时候才学会什么是“规矩”？现在就走，立刻把那个东西拿回来！

Eva looked downcast and aggrieved, and turned slowly.
爱娃皱着眉头，心生委屈，慢慢转身。

“I say, Marie, let the child alone; she shall do as she pleases,” said St. Clare.
“我说，玛丽，别管孩子，她愿意怎么做就怎么做吧，”圣克莱尔说。

“St. Clare, how will she ever get along in the world?” said Marie.
“圣克莱尔，她以后怎么在这个世界上生活啊？”玛丽说。

“The Lord knows,” said St. Clare, “but she’ll get along in heaven better than you or I.”
“主知道，”圣克莱尔说，“但她在天堂会过得比你我好。”

“O, papa, don’t,” said Eva, softly touching his elbow; “it troubles mother.”
“哦，爸爸，别这样，”爱娃轻轻碰了碰他的胳膊，“这会让妈妈烦心。”

“Well, cousin, are you ready to go to meeting?” —
“那么，表姐，准备好去教堂了吗？”奥菲利亚小姐转身对着圣克莱尔说。 —

said Miss Ophelia, turning square about on St. Clare.
“我不去，谢谢你。”

“I’m not going, thank you.”
“我真希望圣克莱尔愿意去教堂，”玛丽说；

“I do wish St. Clare ever would go to church,” said Marie; —
“但他完全没有信仰。 —

“but he hasn’t a particle of religion about him. —
这真的不体面。” —

It really isn’t respectable.”
“我明白，”圣克莱尔说。“你们女士们去教堂是为了学习如何在世界中生存，我猜，而你们的虔诚给了我们尊严。

“I know it,” said St. Clare. “You ladies go to church to learn how to get along in the world, I suppose, and your piety sheds respectability on us. —
如果我真的去，我会去玛米去的地方； —

If I did go at all, I would go where Mammy goes; —
那里至少有点能让人保持清醒。” —

there’s something to keep a fellow awake there, at least.”
“But he hasn’t a particle of religion about him.”

“What! those shouting Methodists? Horrible!” said Marie.
“什么！那些喧哗的循道宗徒？太可怕了！”玛丽说。

“Anything but the dead sea of your respectable churches, Marie. Positively, it’s too much to ask of a man. —
“别提你那些体面教堂的死水，玛丽。实在是对一个人要求太多了。 —

Eva, do you like to go? Come, stay at home and play with me.”
“伊娃，你想去吗？来吧，留在家里跟我玩吧。”

“Thank you, papa; but I’d rather go to church.”
“谢谢，爸爸；但我宁愿去教堂。”

“Isn’t it dreadful tiresome?” said St. Clare.
“这难受极了，”圣克莱尔说。

“I think it is tiresome, some,” said Eva, “and I am sleepy, too, but I try to keep awake.”
“我也有点觉得烦了，”伊娃说，”而且我也有点困，但我尽力保持清醒。”

“What do you go for, then?”
“你去做什么呢？”

“Why, you know, papa,” she said, in a whisper, “cousin told me that God wants to have us; —
“你知道啊，爸爸，”她小声说，”表姐告诉我上帝想要我们； —

and he gives us everything, you know; and it isn’t much to do it, if he wants us to. —
他给了我们一切，你知道的；如果他想要我们，那就没什么可做的了。 —

It isn’t so very tiresome after all.”
毕竟这并不那么烦人。”

“You sweet, little obliging soul!” said St. Clare, kissing her; —
“你这个乖巧的小心灵！”圣克莱尔亲吻她说； —

“go along, that’s a good girl, and pray for me.”
“走吧，好乖的姑娘，为我祈祷吧。”

“Certainly, I always do,” said the child, as she sprang after her mother into the carriage.
“当然，我总是这么做的，”孩子说，随着母亲跳进马车。

St. Clare stood on the steps and kissed his hand to her, as the carriage drove away; —
当马车驶走时，圣克莱尔站在台阶上向她挥手示意； —

large tears were in his eyes.
他的眼里充满了泪水。

“O, Evangeline! rightly named,” he said; “hath not God made thee an evangel to me?”
“哦，伊万杰琳！神正是给你起了个恰如其名的名字，”他说；”难道神没有将你作为传福音的使者给我吗？”

So he felt a moment; and then he smoked a cigar, and read the Picayune, and forgot his little gospel. —
于是他沉思了一会儿；然后抽了支雪茄，读起了《皮卡尤恩报》，把他的小福音忘得一干二净。 —

Was he much unlike other folks?
他和其他人又有多大不同呢？

“You see, Evangeline,” said her mother, “it’s always right and proper to be kind to servants, but it isn’t proper to treat them just as we would our relations, or people in our own class of life. —
“你看，伊万杰琳,“她妈妈说，”要对仆人好是永远正确和恰当的，但是对待他们不该像对待我们的亲戚或同阶级社会的人那样。” —

Now, if Mammy was sick, you wouldn’t want to put her in your own bed.”
“现在，如果玛米生病了，你也不会愿意把她放在你自己的床上。”

“I should feel just like it, mamma,” said Eva, “because then it would be handier to take care of her, and because, you know, my bed is better than hers.”
“如果是这样的话，妈妈，”伊娃说，“因为这样的话就更方便照顾她，而且你看，我的床比她的舒服。”

Marie was in utter despair at the entire want of moral perception evinced in this reply.
玛丽对这个回答完全缺乏道德理解感到绝望。

“What can I do to make this child understand me?” she said.
“我该怎么办才能让这个孩子明白我呢？”她说。

“Nothing,” said Miss Ophelia, significantly.
“没办法，”奥非利亚有意味地说。

Eva looked sorry and disconcerted for a moment; —
伊娃瞬间显得抱歉和窘迫； —

but children, luckily, do not keep to one impression long, and in a few moments she was merrily laughing at various things which she saw from the coach-windows, as it rattled along.
但幸运的是，孩子通常不会长时间坚守一个印象，几分钟后她又在车窗外看到的各种事物中高兴地笑了起来。

’ ‘ ’ ‘ ’ ‘
’ ‘ ’ ‘ ’ ‘

“Well, ladies,” said St. Clare, as they were comfortably seated at the dinner-table, “and what was the bill of fare at church today?”
“那么，女士们，”在她们舒适地坐在饭桌旁时，圣克莱尔说，“今天教堂的饭单是什么？”

“O, Dr. G—- preached a splendid sermon,” said Marie. “It was just such a sermon as you ought to hear; —
“哦，G博士讲了一场精彩的布道，”玛丽说。“那简直就是你应该听的那种布道； —

it expressed all my views exactly.”
它恰到好处地表达了我所有的观点。”

“It must have been very improving,” said St. Clare. “The subject must have been an extensive one.”
“圣克莱先生说，这肯定非常有益。这个主题一定非常广泛。”

“Well, I mean all my views about society, and such things,” said Marie. “The text was, He hath made everything beautiful in its season;' --- <span><tang1>“嗯，我的意思是关于社会及类似问题的所有观点，”玛丽说。“经文是神赏赐万物，各适其时’，” —

and he showed how all the orders and distinctions in society came from God; —
“他指出社会中所有的阶层和差异都来自上帝；” —

and that it was so appropriate, you know, and beautiful, that some should be high and some low, and that some were born to rule and some to serve, and all that, you know; —
“他强调了一些应该高贵一些应该低贱，有人生来为了掌权有人生来为了服侍，所有这些你知道的，” —

and he applied it so well to all this ridiculous fuss that is made about slavery, and he proved distinctly that the Bible was on our side, and supported all our institutions so convincingly. —
“他把这一切非常恰当地应用到所有这些围绕奴隶制而产生的可笑的骚动上，他清楚地证明《圣经》支持我们，支持我们的体制。” —

I only wish you’d heard him.”
“我真希望你能听他说话。”

“O, I didn’t need it,” said St. Clare. “I can learn what does me as much good as that from the Picayune, any time, and smoke a cigar besides; —
“噢，我不需要听，”圣克莱说。“我随时都能从皮卡尤恩学到对我同样有益的东西，还能顺便抽根雪茄；” —

which I can’t do, you know, in a church.”
“以此，你知道，在教堂里我就做不到。”

“Why,” said Miss Ophelia, “don’t you believe in these views?”
“为什么，”奥菲利亚小姐说，“你不相信这些看法？”

“Who,–I? You know I’m such a graceless dog that these religious aspects of such subjects don’t edify me much. —
“谁，–我？你知道我是个多么缺乏恭敬的家伙，这类问题的宗教方面对我没多少启发。” —

If I was to say anything on this slavery matter, I would say out, fair and square, `We’re in for it; we’ve got ‘em, and mean to keep ‘em,–it’s for our convenience and our interest;’ —
“如果我要说关于奴隶制的任何事情，我会坦率地说，’我们处于这样的境地，我们拥有他们，我们打算继续保持他们，–这是为了我们的方便和利益；’” —

for that’s the long and short of it,–that’s just the whole of what all this sanctified stuff amounts to, after all; —
“因为这就是，总之，这一切神圣的东西到头来意味着什么，” —

and I think that it will be intelligible to everybody, everywhere.”
“我认为这对每个地方的每个人来说都是明白的。”

“I do think, Augustine, you are so irreverent!” —
“我觉得，奥古斯丁，你太不恭敬了！” —

said Marie. “I think it’s shocking to hear you talk.”
玛丽说。“听你这样说真是令人震惊。”

“Shocking! it’s the truth. This religious talk on such matters,–why don’t they carry it a little further, and show the beauty, in its season, of a fellow’s taking a glass too much, and sitting a little too late over his cards, and various providential arrangements of that sort, which are pretty frequent among us young men; —
“令人震惊！这是真相。在这些事情上谈论宗教，–为什么他们不再进一步，展示一个人喝一杯太多酒，玩纸牌玩得太晚，以及我们年轻人经常出现的各种偶然安排的美好时刻呢； —

–we’d like to hear that those are right and godly, too.”
–我们想听听那些也是正确和虔诚的。”

“Well,” said Miss Ophelia, “do you think slavery right or wrong?”
“好吧，”奥菲利亚小姐说，“你认为奴隶制是对的还是错的？”

I’m not going to have any of your horrid New England directness, cousin,” said St. Clare, gayly. —
“表亲，我不会容忍你那可怕的新英格兰直率，”圣克莱轻松地说道。 —

“If I answer that question, I know you’ll be at me with half a dozen others, each one harder than the last; —
“如果我回答了这个问题，我知道你会追问我更多问题，每一个比前一个更难； —

and I’m not a going to define my position. —
而我不会定义我的立场。 —

I am one of the sort that lives by throwing stones at other people’s glass houses, but I never mean to put up one for them to stone.”
我是那种靠扔石头打击别人玻璃房的人，但我永远不会建立一个供别人扔石头的房子。”

“That’s just the way he’s always talking,” said Marie; “you can’t get any satisfaction out of him. —
“他一直都是这样说话的，”玛丽说，“你很难从他那里得到满足。 —

I believe it’s just because he don’t like religion, that he’s always running out in this way he’s been doing.”
我相信他总是这样一直出言不逊，只是因为他不喜欢宗教。”

“Religion!” said St. Clare, in a tone that made both ladies look at him. “Religion! —
“宗教！”圣克莱以一种让两位女士都看向他的语气说道。“宗教！ —

Is what you hear at church, religion? Is that which can bend and turn, and descend and ascend, to fit every crooked phase of selfish, worldly society, religion? —
在教堂里听到的那算是宗教吗？那种可以弯曲、转变、降落和上升，以适应自私的、世俗的社会每一个卑鄙阴险的阶段的宗教吗？ —

Is that religion which is less scrupulous, less generous, less just, less considerate for man, than even my own ungodly, worldly, blinded nature? —
宗教难道应该比我的邪恶、世俗、盲目的本性，更不谨慎、更不慷慨、更不公正、更不体谅人吗？ —

No! When I look for a religion, I must look for something above me, and not something beneath.”
不！当我寻找一种宗教时，我必须寻找一种高于我自己，而不是低于我的东西。”

“Then you don’t believe that the Bible justifies slavery,” said Miss Ophelia.
“那么你不认为《圣经》支持奴隶制了，”奥菲利亚小姐说。

“The Bible was my mother’s book,” said St. Clare. “By it she lived and died, and I would be very sorry to think it did. —
“《圣经》是我母亲的书，”圣克莱说。“她靠它生活，靠它死去，我会非常遗憾如果《圣经》真的支持奴隶制。” —

I’d as soon desire to have it proved that my mother could drink brandy, chew tobacco, and swear, by way of satisfying me that I did right in doing the same. —
我宁愿她能证明她喝白兰地，咀嚼烟草，还有骂骂咧咧，这样才能让我相信我也有权这样做。 —

It wouldn’t make me at all more satisfied with these things in myself, and it would take from me the comfort of respecting her; —
但这并不能让我更满意我自己的这些行为，反而会让我失去对她的尊重之心； —

and it really is a comfort, in this world, to have anything one can respect. —
在这个世界上，能够尊敬的事物是一种慰藉。 —

In short, you see,” said he, suddenly resuming his gay tone, “all I want is that different things be kept in different boxes. —
总之，你看,“他突然又变得愉快起来说，“我只希望不同的事情被装入不同的盒子。 —

The whole frame-work of society, both in Europe and America, is made up of various things which will not stand the scrutiny of any very ideal standard of morality. —
整个欧洲和美国的社会结构由许多事物组成，它们都无法经受任何非常理想的道德标准的检验。 —

It’s pretty generally understood that men don’t aspire after the absolute right, but only to do about as well as the rest of the world. —
可以说，人们普遍认为，男人并不追求绝对正确，他们只希望做得比世界上其他人好些。 —

Now, when any one speaks up, like a man, and says slavery is necessary to us, we can’t get along without it, we should be beggared if we give it up, and, of course, we mean to hold on to it,–this is strong, clear, well-defined language; —
现在，当有人挺身而出，像个男子汉一样说奴隶制对我们是必不可少的，我们如果放弃了它就会破产，当然，我们打算坚持下去，这就是坚定、清晰、明确的语言； —

it has the respectability of truth to it; —
这带有真实的尊严； —

and, if we may judge by their practice, the majority of the world will bear us out in it. —
而且，如果我们根据他们的做法来判断，世界上大多数人会支持我们。 —

But when he begins to put on a long face, and snuffle, and quote Scripture, I incline to think he isn’t much better than he should be.”
但是当他开始摆出长脸，唠叨，引经据典时，我倾向于认为他并不比他应该的样子好多少。

“You are very uncharitable,” said Marie.
“你太不仁慈了，”玛丽说。

“Well,” said St. Clare, “suppose that something should bring down the price of cotton once and forever, and make the whole slave property a drug in the market, don’t you think we should soon have another version of the Scripture doctrine? —
“好吧，”圣克莱尔说，”假设有些事情能永远的降低棉花价格，并使整个奴隶财产在市场上变成无价之物，你不觉得我们会很快看到《圣经》教义的另一个版本吗？ —

What a flood of light would pour into the church, all at once, and how immediately it would be discovered that everything in the Bible and reason went the other way!”
一道光明将瞬间微突入教堂，人们将立即发现《圣经》和理性背道而驰！

“Well, at any rate,” said Marie, as she reclined herself on a lounge, “I’m thankful I’m born where slavery exists; —
“好吧，至少，”玛丽侧躺在长椅上说，”我庆幸我出生在奴隶制存在的地方； —

and I believe it’s right,–indeed, I feel it must be; —
而且我认为这是对的，–事实上，我觉得这是必须的； —

and, at any rate, I’m sure I couldn’t get along without it.”
不管怎样，无论如何，我确定没有它我肯定无法生活下去。

“I say, what do you think, Pussy?” said her father to Eva, who came in at this moment, with a flower in her hand.
“我说，你觉得怎么样，小猫？” 爸爸对着正在这时走进来，手里拿着一朵花的伊娃说。

“What about, papa?”
“关于什么，爸爸？”

“Why, which do you like the best,–to live as they do at your uncle’s, up in Vermont, or to have a house-full of servants, as we do?”
“为什么，你更喜欢哪种生活方式，–像你叔叔在佛蒙特州那样生活，还是像我们这样有一群佣人的生活方式呢？”

“O, of course, our way is the pleasantest,” said Eva.
“哦，当然，我们这样的方式是最令人愉快的，” 伊娃说。

“Why so?” said St. Clare, stroking her head.
“为什么？”圣克莱尔问，抚摸着她的头。

“Why, it makes so many more round you to love, you know,” said Eva, looking up earnestly.
“为什么呢？因为这样你周围就有更多的人去爱，你知道的，” 伊娃认真地抬起头说。

“Now, that’s just like Eva,” said Marie; “just one of her odd speeches.”
“现在就像伊娃一样，” 玛丽说，”总是说些奇怪的话。

“Is it an odd speech, papa?” said Eva, whisperingly, as she got upon his knee.
“这话奇怪吗，爸爸？” 伊娃 s喃喃地说着，当她坐在他膝盖上。

“Rather, as this world goes, Pussy,” said St. Clare. “But where has my little Eva been, all dinner-time?”
“在这个世界上，这样说也许有点奇怪，小猫，” 圣克莱尔说。”但是，我的小伊娃，你整个吃饭时间都在哪里呢？”

“O, I’ve been up in Tom’s room, hearing him sing, and Aunt Dinah gave me my dinner.”
“哦，我在汤姆的房间里，听他唱歌，丁娜姨妈给了我饭吃。”

“Hearing Tom sing, hey?”
“听汤姆唱歌，是吗？”

“O, yes! he sings such beautiful things about the New Jerusalem, and bright angels, and the land of Canaan.”
“是的，他唱关于新耶路撒冷、明亮的天使和迦南地的美丽歌曲。”

“I dare say; it’s better than the opera, isn’t it?”
“我敢说；比歌剧还棒，不是吗？”

“Yes, and he’s going to teach them to me.”
“是的，他还要教我唱这些歌。”

“Singing lessons, hey?–you are coming on.”
“唱歌课程，嘿？你确实有进步。”

“Yes, he sings for me, and I read to him in my Bible; and he explains what it means, you know.”
“是的，他为我唱歌，我为他读圣经；他会解释其中的含义，你知道。”

“On my word,” said Marie, laughing, “that is the latest joke of the season.”
“天哪”，玛丽笑着说，“这可是本季最新的笑话。”

“Tom isn’t a bad hand, now, at explaining Scripture, I’ll dare swear,” said St. Clare. “Tom has a natural genius for religion. —
“汤姆解经，我敢打赌，他肯定不错”圣克莱尔说。“汤姆天生就有宗教天赋。” —

I wanted the horses out early, this morning, and I stole up to Tom’s cubiculum there, over the stables, and there I heard him holding a meeting by himself; —
“今早我希望马匹早点出来，于是我溜到了汤姆的房间，就在马厩上面，我听到他在自己开会； —

and, in fact, I haven’t heard anything quite so savory as Tom’s prayer, this some time. —
事实上，这段时间以来我从未听过像汤姆的祈祷那么感人的东西。 —

He put in for me, with a zeal that was quite apostolic.”
他替我求告，充满了使徒式的热忱。”

“Perhaps he guessed you were listening. I’ve heard of that trick before.”
“也许他猜到你在听。我以前听说过这招。”

“If he did, he wasn’t very polite; for he gave the Lord his opinion of me, pretty freely. —
“如果是这样，他可并不客气；因为他对我有了恶劣的看法，还相当坦率地告诉了主。” —

Tom seemed to think there was decidedly room for improvement in me, and seemed very earnest that I should be converted.”
“汤姆似乎认为我还有很大提升的空间，他非常热切地希望我皈依。”

“I hope you’ll lay it to heart,” said Miss Ophelia.
“我希望你能铭记在心，”奥菲利亚说。

“I suppose you are much of the same opinion,” said St. Clare. “Well, we shall see,–shan’t we, Eva?”
“我想你的看法也差不多，“圣克莱尔说。“好吧，让我们拭目以待，对吗，伊娃？”