6级-《名利场》-第2课

前情提要 

丽贝卡和阿梅莉亚一起离开了学校。阿梅莉亚家境殷实，她哥哥十分富有；而丽贝卡则生活在贫苦的家庭中，并且早早地学会了成年人的生存法则……

故事原文

Vanity Fair 2

名利场 2

So Rebecca became even more affectionate(1) to Amelia, thanking her with tears in her eyes for the presents which her dear friend had given her. And when the dinner-bell rang, she went downstairs with her arm round her friend's waist, as is the habit of young ladies who love each other dearly.

因此，丽贝卡对阿梅莉亚表现得更亲热，对这位亲爱的朋友送给她的礼物感激涕零。餐铃响起，她揽着她朋友的腰走下楼，这是关系亲密的年轻女士们的习惯。

In the drawing-room they found a large, fat man, fashionably dressed in bright colours, sitting by the fire reading the newspaper. As the young ladies entered, he stood up quickly, and his face went red in alarm and embarrassment.

在客厅里，她们看到一位身材高大、体态臃肿的男子。他穿着鲜艳入时，正坐在炉火边看报。两位年轻女士进屋时，他迅速站起身，脸色因惊慌尴尬而变得通红。

'It's only your sister, Joseph,' said Amelia, laughing. 'I've finished school, you know, and this is my friend, Miss Sharp. You've heard me talk about her.'

“只是你妹妹而已，约瑟夫。”阿梅莉亚笑着说，“我完成了学业，你知道的。”

'This is my friend, Miss Sharp. You've heard me talk about her.'

“这位是我的朋友，夏普小姐。我曾向你提起过她。”

'No, never,' said Joseph in great confusion. 'That is, yes – what very cold weather we're having, Miss—', and he began to stir up the fire, although it was the middle of June.

“没，从来没听过。”约瑟夫极为窘迫地说，“我是说，是听过——这天气可真够冷的，小姐——”他开始拨弄炉火，尽管当时已经是六月中旬了。

'He's very handsome,' Rebecca whispered, rather loudly.

“他很英俊。”丽贝卡对阿梅莉亚耳语，但是声音相当大。

'Oh, do you think so?' said Amelia. 'I'll tell him.'

“哦，是吗？”阿梅莉亚说，“我来告诉他。”

'No, please don't!' cried Miss Sharp, stepping back and keeping her eyes fixed modestly on the carpet.

“别，求你了！”夏普小姐大声说，往后退去，双眼羞涩地盯着地毯。

Joseph Sedley was twelve years older than his sister, and worked in Bengal, in a very isolated(2) place, for the East India Company. But he became ill, and was sent back to London, where he decided to enjoy all the pleasures he had missed when he went to India. So he had his own apartment, drove his horses in the park, ate in fashionable restaurants, and went to the theatre. But he had no friends. He was fat, lazy, and vain(3), and the sight of a lady frightened him tremendously(4).

约瑟夫·塞德利比他妹妹大十二岁，受雇于（英国）东印度公司，在孟加拉一处人迹罕至的地方工作。但他生病了，被派回伦敦。他决定要在这里寻欢作乐，好好弥补去印度时错过的时光。因此，他拥有自己的一套公寓，驾自己的马车去公园游玩，在时髦的餐馆里吃饭，还去剧院看戏。但是他没有朋友。他又肥又懒又虚荣，一看见女士就吓得惊慌失措。

Becky Sharp would have to be very clever indeed to catch such a man for a husband. Her first moves, though, showed considerable skill. 'I must be very quiet,' she thought, 'and very interested in India.' And all through dinner, she paid great attention to everything Joseph said.

要想抓住这么个男人作丈夫，贝姬·夏普得非常巧妙才行。不过，她最初的行为，还是显示出了相当的技巧。“我必须安安静静的，”她想，“还要表现出对印度很感兴趣。”整个晚餐期间，她都全神贯注地听约瑟夫讲的每一句话。

After dinner, when the ladies had gone up to the drawing-room, old Mr Sedley laughed, and said to his son, 'Take care, Jos. That girl is planning to catch you for a husband.'

晚餐结束后，女士们去了楼上客厅，老塞德利先生笑呵呵地对他儿子说：“留神啊，乔斯。那姑娘可打算嫁给你呢。”

'Nonsense!' Joseph replied. But he could not help thinking about her and the way she had looked at him with her beautiful green eyes when he had picked up her handkerchief. 'She dropped it twice,' he thought. 'And is that her singing now in the drawing-room? Shall I go up and see?'

“胡说！”约瑟夫回道。可是他情不自禁地想起她，想起他为她捡起手帕时，她那双美丽的绿眼睛看他的样子。“她的手帕掉了两次呢。”他想，“是她在客厅里唱歌吗？我是不是该上楼去看看？”

But his shyness overcame(5) him, and he quietly slipped away from the house. From the window Mrs Sedley saw him go. 'Miss Sharp has frightened him away,' she remarked.

但羞怯最终占了上风，他悄悄地溜出了家门。塞德利夫人透过窗户看见他离开。“夏普小姐把他吓跑了。”她说。

It was three days before Joseph returned to the house, and during that time Rebecca never mentioned his name. She was full of grateful respect for Mrs Sedley, laughed at all Mr Sedley's jokes, and was delighted with every excursion. When Amelia had a headache, Rebecca would not go out without her. Her green eyes filled with tears. 'Dear, dear Emmy,' she said. 'How could I go out and leave you? You have shown a poor orphan what happiness and love are for the first time in her life.'

约瑟夫三天后才又回到家里。在这期间，丽贝卡一次也没提过他的名字。她对塞德利夫人毕恭毕敬，充满感激之情；塞德利先生的每个笑话都逗得她哈哈大笑；每次出游她都欢喜不尽。阿梅莉亚害头痛时，丽贝卡没她就不肯出门。她那双绿眼睛里含着泪水。“亲爱的，亲爱的埃米。”她说，“我怎么能留下你一个人出去呢？你让一个可怜的孤儿这辈子头一次感受到什么是幸福和爱啊。”

In fact, Becky Sharp won the hearts of all the family.

实际上，贝姬·夏普赢得了全家人的心。

On the day that Joseph reappeared, Amelia reminded her brother that he had promised to take her to the Royal Gardens at Vauxhall, which was a very popular place of entertainment.

约瑟夫再次现身的那天，阿梅莉亚提醒她哥哥，他曾答应要带她去沃克斯霍尔的皇家花园游玩，那是一处很受欢迎的游览地。

'The young ladies must have a gentleman each,' said Amelia's father. 'Jos will forget all about Emmy if he's looking after Miss Sharp. Ask George Osborne if he'll come.'

“年轻女士们每人都得有男士陪伴。”阿梅莉亚的父亲说，“乔斯如果照顾夏普小姐的话就会完全忽略埃米。问问乔治·奥斯本能不能一起去。”

He and his wife exchanged little smiles, and Amelia looked down and blushed as only a young girl of seventeen can blush – and as Miss Rebecca Sharp had never blushed in her life.

他和妻子相视而笑，阿梅莉亚红了脸低下头去。只有十七岁的少女才会这样脸红，而丽贝卡·夏普小姐从来都没如此脸红过。

But on the night of the Vauxhall party, it rained heavily, and the young people had to postpone(6) their excursion. They spent a comfortable evening at home instead. The Sedleys had known George Osborne all his life, and it was accepted in both families that he and Amelia would marry one day. In fact, the marriage settlement had already been agreed between the two fathers.

但是原定出发去沃克斯霍尔的那天晚上，下起了倾盆大雨，这群年轻人只好推迟了出游。他们在家里惬意地度过了一晚。塞德利一家对乔治·奥斯本知根知底，两家人早有默契，他和阿梅莉亚有朝一日会结成连理。实际上，双方父亲已经就婚姻财产授予达成了一致。

So it was a very informal evening, and when Amelia and George went off to the piano in the back drawing-room, Becky and Joseph were left alone. Joseph was surprised to find that he could talk to Becky quite easily. She asked him many questions about India and listened admiringly to all his stories.

因此，晚上气氛轻松愉悦，阿梅莉亚和乔治起身去后客厅弹琴，剩下贝姬和约瑟夫两人单独在一起。约瑟夫惊讶地发现他可以轻松自如地和贝姬交谈。她问了许多有关印度的问题，并钦佩地听着他夸夸而谈。

'Promise me that you will never go on one of those dreadful tiger hunts,' she begged him, her green eyes filled with fear.

“答应我你今后再也不会去参加那些可怕的猎虎活动了。”她乞求道，绿眼睛里满是恐惧。

Joseph laughed bravely. 'Nonsense, Miss Sharp. The danger only makes it more exciting.' He had only once been on a tiger hunt, when he had indeed nearly died – of terror.

约瑟夫豪迈地笑了：“这真是无稽之谈，夏普小姐。危险只会让猎虎变得更刺激。”他只参加过一次猎虎活动，那次他的确差点死掉。不过，是差点被吓死的。

Later, Rebecca, whose singing was as excellent as her French, sang a song about an orphan, her voice trembling a little over the sad ending. Everyone was reminded of Rebecca's own orphan state and her uncertain future in life.

之后，丽贝卡唱了一首关于孤儿的歌曲，她的演唱功力可与她的法语水平媲美。在歌曲哀伤的结尾处，她的声音微微有些颤抖。大家都想起了丽贝卡也是一个孤儿，还有她前途未卜的生活。

'Such a beautiful song, dear Miss Sharp,' said Joseph Sedley. 'It almost made me cry.'

“歌唱得太美了，亲爱的夏普小姐。”约瑟夫·塞德利说，“差点把我唱哭了。”

'That's because you have a kind heart, Mr Joseph,' came the soft reply, accompanied by an even softer glance.

“那是因为你有颗善良的心，约瑟夫先生。”她温柔地回答，并投去更加温柔的一瞥。

Becky's efforts were not wasted. Joseph's mind was full of thoughts of marriage. 'She'll make a fine little wife,' he said to himself. 'I'll ask the question(7) at Vauxhall. Yes, I will!'

贝姬的努力没有白费。约瑟夫满脑子都是结婚的事。“她能成为一个不错的娇妻。”他暗自思忖，“我要在沃克斯霍尔向她求婚。对，我要求婚！”

（原文中出现高光标示内容请见核心语言点）

核心语言点

1. affectionate 亲热的， 喜欢的

affection 喜爱

(be) affectionate to sb. 跟某人很亲热

例句：

Amelia's parents are very affectionate to her.

Amelia 的父母对她很亲热。

2. isolated 孤立的

isle 岛

isolate 使成孤岛，孤立

例句：

She felt isolated in her new school.

她去了一所新学校感觉挺孤立。

3. vain 虚荣的（贬）

例句:

I think he is shallow, vain and untrustworthy.

我觉得他很浅薄， 又虚荣， 还不靠谱。

4. tremendously 巨大地， 极大地

a tremendous amount of money 一大笔钱

例句:

I enjoyed the show tremendously.

我非常喜欢这场表演。

5. overcome 克服

overcome difficulties/obstacles/problems 克服困难/障碍/难题

6. postpone 推迟， 延期

例句:

The football match had to be postponed until next week.

这场足球比赛延期到下周了。

7. ask the question 求婚

pop the question 求婚