名著精读《飘》第二章 第24节

Scarlett blew her nose on her torn handkerchief, and they started up the dark drive arm in arm, the horse following slowly. Near the house, Scarlett was at the point of speaking again when she saw her mother in the dim shadows of the porch. She had on her bonnet, shawl and mittens, and behind her was Mammy, her face like a thundercloud, holding in her hand the black leather bag in which Ellen O’Hara always carried the bandages and medicines she used in doctoring the slaves. Mammy’s lips were large and pendulous and, when indignant, she could push out her lower one to twice its normal length. It was pushed out now, and Scarlett knew that Mammy was seething over something of which she did not approve.
思嘉用她的破手绢擤了擤鼻涕，然后他们彼此挽着胳臂走上黑暗的车道，那骑马在后面缓缓地跟着。走近屋子时，思嘉正要开口说什么，忽然看见走廊暗影中的母亲。她戴着帽子、披肩和手套，嬷嬷跟在后面，脸色像满天乌云阴沉，手里拿着一个黑皮袋，那是爱伦出去给农奴们看病时经常带着装药品和绷带用的。嬷嬷那片又宽又厚的嘴唇向下耷拉着，她生起气来会把下嘴唇拉得有平时两倍那么大。这张嘴现在正撅着，所以思嘉明白嬷嬷正在为什么不称心的事生气呢。

“Mr. O’Hara,” called Ellen as she saw the two coming up the driveway—Ellen belonged to a generation that was formal even after seventeen years of wedlock and the bearing of six children—”Mr. O’Hara, there is illness at the Slattery house. Emmie’s baby has been born and is dying and must be baptized. I am going there with Mammy to see what I can do.”
“奥哈拉先生，"爱伦一见父女俩在车道上走来便叫了一声----爱伦是地道的老一辈人，她尽管结结婚１７年了，生育了六个孩子，可仍然讲究礼节----她说：“奥哈拉先生，斯莱特里那边有人病了。埃米的新生婴儿快要死了，可是还得他施洗礼。我和嬷嬷去看看还有没有什么办法。”
　
Her voice was raised questioningly, as though she hung on Gerald’s assent to her plan, a mere formality but one dear to the heart of Gerald.
她的声音带有明显的询问口气，仿佛在征求的同意，这无非是一种礼节上的表示，但从看来却是非常珍贵的。
　
“In the name of God!” blustered Gerald. “Why should those white trash take you away just at your supper hour and just when I’m wanting to tell you about the war talk that’s going on in Atlanta! Go, Mrs. O’Hara. You’d not rest easy on your pillow the night if there was trouble abroad and you not there to help.”
“真的天知道！"一听便嚷嚷开了，"为什么这些下流白人嬷嬷在吃晚饭的时候把你叫走呢？而且我正要告诉你亚特兰大那边人们在怎样谈论战争呀！去吧，奥拉太太。我知道，只要外边出了点什么事，你不去帮忙是整夜也睡不好觉的。”
　
“She doan never git no res’ on her piller fer hoppin’ up at night time nursin’ niggers an po’ w’ite trash dat could ten’ to deyseff,” grumbled Mammy in a monotone as she went down the stairs toward the carriage which was waiting in the side drive.
“她总是一点也不休息，深更半夜为黑人和穷白人下流坯子看病，好像他们就照顾不了自己。"嬷嬷自言自语咕囔着下了台阶，向等在道旁的马车走去。
　
“Take my place at the table, dear,” said Ellen, patting Scarlett’s cheek softly with a mittened hand.
“你就替我照管晚饭吧，亲爱的，"爱伦说，一面用戴手套的手轻轻摸了摸思嘉的脸颊。
1.dim[dim] adj. 暗淡的，模糊的，笨的 v. 使暗淡，使失去光泽 n. 车头近光灯，停车灯
Old age hasn't dimmed her memory.
她虽然年事已高，但记忆并未模糊。
2.mitten['mitn] n. 连指手套，露指手套
In winter she wears mittens.
冬天时她戴连指手套。
3.thundercloud n. 雷雨云
4.pendulous adj. 下垂的，摇摆的，摇摆不定的
5.driveway['draivwei] n. (住宅前的)车道
A blind driveway.
隐蔽的车道
6.wedlock n. 婚姻，已婚状态
My wife likes our wedlock.
我妻子喜欢我们的婚姻生活。
7.baptize[bæp'taiz] vi. 施洗礼 vt. 给 ... 施洗礼，(受洗礼时）命名
She was baptized Mary.
她受洗礼时被命名为玛利。
8.questioningly adv. 质问地，疑惑地，诧异地
She looked at me questioningly.
她用怀疑的目光看著我。
1.Near the house, Scarlett was at the point of speaking again when she saw her mother in the dim shadows of the porch.
【难句解析】on the point of “正要做某事”；
【句子翻译】走近屋子时，思嘉正要开口说什么，忽然看见走廊暗影中的母亲。
2.Ellen belonged to a generation that was formal even after seventeen years of wedlock and the bearing of six children—
【难句解析】此处bearing的意思是“生孩子”；
【句子翻译】爱伦是地道的老一辈人，她尽管结结婚１７年了，生育了六个孩子，可仍然讲究礼节；