6级-《名利场》-第13课

前情提要 

贝姬和罗顿的雕虫小技被识破了，最终得到了20英镑。而另一边乔治和阿米莉娅的生活似乎过得还挺开心的……

故事原文

Vanity Fair 13

名利场 13

'Good to see you, Crawley,' he said. 'How are you?'

“见到你真高兴，克劳利。”他说，“你怎么样？”

'All right, my boy,' said Rawdon. 'How's the business with your father? Has he given in?'

“还好，我的兄弟。”罗顿说，“和你父亲的事怎么样了？他让步了吗？”

'Not yet,' said George. 'But he will. And I've some private fortune through my mother. What about your aunt?'

“还没有。”乔治说，“但是他会的。我从母亲那里得到一些私财。你姑姑呢？”

'Sent me twenty pounds, damned old woman. When shall we have a game, eh? Come round on Tuesday, why not?'

“给了我二十英镑，这个可恶的老女人。我们什么时候玩一局，呃？星期二过来，怎么样？”

The Crawleys were at the opera that night as well. Becky was sitting in General Tufto's box, clearly a great favourite with the General, but as soon as she saw Amelia, she hurried round to see her. Such affectionate kisses! How was her dearest, best little Amelia? How pretty she was looking! And here was Mr Jos too, looking so well, and such a fine moustache! Becky smiled, and talked, and laughed, busily spreading charm all around her.

那天晚上克劳利夫妇也在剧院。贝姬坐在塔夫脱将军的包厢里，显然格外受到将军的喜爱。但她一看见阿梅莉亚，就赶过来见她。这一串深情的吻啊！她最好最亲爱的小阿梅莉亚怎么样？她看起来多漂亮啊！乔斯先生也在啊，气色这么好，胡子这么漂亮！贝姬满面笑容，说说笑笑，忙着向周围的人施展魅力。

'What a slippery(1) little snake that woman is!' honest old Dobbin murmured to George when Becky had left. 'She's acting(2) all the time, didn't you see, George?'

“那个女人真是条狡猾的小蛇啊！”贝姬离开后，忠厚年长的多宾向乔治低语。“她一直在装模作样，你没看出来吗，乔治？”

'Acting? Nonsense! She's the nicest little woman in England,' George replied. 'You don't understand women, Dobbin.'

“装模作样？胡说！她是全英格兰最善良的小妇人了。”乔治回答，“你不了解女人，多宾。”

Dobbin understood enough about George, however, to become anxious after a few days, when he saw how often George was playing cards with Rawdon Crawley, and losing.

不过多宾对乔治的了解已经足够深了。过了几天，他见乔治频频和罗顿·克劳利打牌输钱，就有些着急了。

'When are you going to give up(3) gambling, George?' he said.

“你打算什么时候戒赌啊，乔治？”他说。

'When are you going to give up criticizing me?' was the reply. 'Rawdon doesn't cheat, you know. I'll start winning some games soon – it all balances out(4) in the end.'

“你打算什么时候不再批评我啊？”乔治回答，“罗顿不使诈，你知道的。我就要开始赢钱了——最后输赢会相抵的。”

'But I don't think Crawley could pay if he lost,' Dobbin said.

“可是我觉得如果克劳利输了，他是不会给钱的。”多宾说。

Good advice is never taken, and George continued to visit the Crawleys' hotel to play cards with Captain Crawley, and to attend the little dinners given by Mrs Crawley, whose green eyes always lit up when George came into the room – or so George liked to believe. In fact, he was convinced that Becky was in love with him, unable to resist such a handsome, charming fellow as himself. Meanwhile, Rawdon continued to beat him at cards.

忠言总是不被采纳，乔治继续去克劳利夫妇下榻的旅馆，和克劳利上尉打牌，参加克劳利夫人举办的小型晚宴。每次乔治一走进房间，克劳利夫人的绿眼睛就发亮——至少乔治是这么认为的。事实上，他坚信贝姬爱上了他，因为她无法抗拒像他这样英俊迷人的男士。与此同时，罗顿继续在牌局上赢他的钱。

George's gambling was the least of Amelia's worries. The more brilliantly Rebecca shone in society, the more shy and awkward Amelia became. The more time George spent in Rebecca's company, the more miserable and lonely Amelia became. But she said nothing, and suffered in secret.

乔治赌博远不是阿梅莉亚最担心的事。丽贝卡在社交圈里越是大放光彩，阿梅莉亚就变得越发腼腆，越发紧张不安。乔治和丽贝卡相处的时间越长，阿梅莉亚就觉得越发痛苦、孤独。但是她什么都没说，默默忍受着这一切。

In June there was a grand ball, to which George and Amelia, Dobbin, and the Crawleys were all invited. After generously buying his wife a new dress and some ornaments, George took her to the ball, where she did not know anyone, put her on a chair and left her there. She was free to amuse herself as she liked, but no one came to disturb her except Dobbin.

六月里举行了一场盛大舞会，乔治、阿梅莉亚、多宾和克劳利夫妇都接到了邀请。乔治十分慷慨地给妻子买了一件新裙子和一些佩饰，然后带着她出席舞会。她在那里一个人都不认识，乔治安排她坐下就走开了。她可以毫无拘束地娱乐一番，但是除了多宾以外没有人理睬她。

Amelia's appearance at the ball was a failure; Mrs Crawley's appearance, however, was a brilliant success. She arrived very late. Her eyes sparkled with life, her dress was perfection. At once there was a crowd of admirers around her, begging for a dance.

阿梅莉亚在舞会的现身是个失败，然而，克劳利夫人的现身却大获成功。她很晚才到。她的双眸神采奕奕，她的服饰完美至极。顷刻之间就有一群仰慕者围拢过来，求她赐舞一曲。

But Rebecca went straight to where poor little Amelia was sitting, and in the kindest possible way, began to criticize Amelia's dress, her hair, and her shoes.

但是丽贝卡径直走到可怜的阿梅莉亚坐的地方，用尽可能友善的方式，挑剔起阿梅莉亚的衣着、发式还有鞋子。

'I'll send my own dressmaker to you tomorrow,' she said. 'And my dear,' she went on, 'do stop George from gambling. He and Rawdon play cards every night, and Rawdon will win every penny(5) from him if he does not take care. Why don't you stop him, you careless girl? Oh, look, here comes your darling husband now.'

“明天我派自己的裁缝去你那里。”她说。“还有啊，亲爱的，”她继续说，“别让乔治再赌下去了。他和罗顿每晚玩牌，要是他不多加小心的话，他会输个精光的。你怎么不阻止他呢，你这个粗心的姑娘？啊，瞧，你亲爱的丈夫过来了。”

She turned to smile at George, who was approaching them.

她转头朝着走近的乔治微笑。

'Where have you been, you wicked man?' she said. 'Here is Emmy crying her eyes out for you. Have you come to fetch me for our dance?'

“你去哪儿了，你这个讨厌的家伙？”她说，“埃米在这儿为你痛哭流涕。你是过来请我去跳舞的吗？”

And she left her shawl and her flowers by Amelia's side, and went away to dance with George. Only women know how to be so cruel. There is a poison on their sharp little knives which hurts far more than a man's blunter weapon.

她把披肩和花留在阿梅莉亚身边，然后和乔治去跳舞了。只有女人才会这么残忍，她们锋利小刀上的毒药伤起人来可比男人们的钝器厉害多了。

Amelia sat alone with her sad thoughts in her corner, unnoticed except when Rawdon came to offer a few words of clumsy conversation, and when Dobbin brought her food and drink, and sat with her for a time.

阿梅莉亚独自一人坐在角落里，黯然神伤。除了罗顿过来笨嘴拙舌地和她说了几句，多宾取来饮料点心陪她坐了一会儿之外，没有人理会她。

At last George came back – for Rebecca's shawl and flowers. He took them away, but when he gave them back to their owner, there was a note, rolled up like a tiny snake among the flowers. Rebecca put out her hand to take them, and it was clear from her eyes that she knew what she would find there. She had been used to such notes from her early years. She gave him her hand and one of her quick, knowing glances, and George bowed over her hand, his heart hammering with the excitement of victory.

最后，乔治终于回来了——来拿丽贝卡的披肩和花。他把它们取走，但当他将其交还原主时，里面多了一张字条，像小蛇似的卷起来藏在花束中。丽贝卡伸手接过，眼神里明白无误地表露出，她知道那里面是什么。多年以前她就已经习惯了这样的字条。她向他伸出一只手，迅速递了个心领神会的眼色，乔治躬身吻她的手，一颗心因为行动成功而激动地怦怦狂跳。

Amelia saw the glance, and suddenly it was too much.

阿梅莉亚看到了那个眼色，一下子承受不住了。

'William,' she said to Dobbin, who was near her, 'you've always been kind to me – I'm – I'm not well. Take me home.'

“威廉，”她对身边的多宾说，“你一向对我很好——我——我不太舒服。送我回家吧。”

He went away with her quickly. The streets seemed noisier and more crowded than usual, but the hotel was not far, and they soon reached it. Amelia went straight to bed.

他连忙陪着她离开。街上似乎比往常更喧闹拥挤，不过旅馆离得不远，他们不久就到了。阿梅莉亚径直上床休息。

George, meanwhile, wild with excitement, had been gambling and had then gone to spend his winnings on drink. Dobbin found him with a glass in his hand, and red in the face.

与此同时，激动不已的乔治又赌上了，把赢来的钱拿去喝酒。多宾找到他的时候，他手里拿着一杯酒，脸色通红。

'Hallo, Dob! Come and drink, Dob!' George called out.

“嗨，多布！来喝一杯，多布！”乔治大叫。

'Come away, George,' Dobbin said quietly. 'Don't drink.'

“走吧，乔治。”多宾轻声说，“别喝了。”

'Have a drink, old boy,' George said. 'Stop being so serious.'

“喝一杯吧，老伙计。”乔治说，“别这么一本正经的。”

Dobbin came close to George and whispered in his ear. At once George banged his glass down on the table and, taking his friend's arm, walked quickly away with him. 'The enemy has advanced,' Dobbin had said. 'The fighting has already begun. Come away – we march in three hours.'

多宾凑近乔治耳边低语几句。乔治立刻把杯子重重往桌子上一摔，抓住他朋友的手臂，和他一道匆匆离开了。多宾说的是：“敌人向前推进了，战斗已经开始。走吧——我们三个小时后出发。”

（原文中出现高光标示内容请见核心语言点）

核心语言点

1. slippery 湿滑的； 狡猾的

例句：

He is a slippery customer, and should be carefully watched.

他可是个狡猾的主顾， 得小心看着他。

2. act 假装

同义表达： pretend

act as if... 假装好像……

act like... 装作像是……

例句：

Paul acted as if nothing was wrong.

Paul 装作一切正常。

She always acts like she's pleased to see me, but I'm sure she's not.

她一直装作像是看到我很开心， 但我确信其实并不是。

3. give up on sb./sth. 放弃某人/某事

例句：

At some point, I feel like giving up on the marriage.

有时候， 我想着不结婚。

4. balance out 相抵， 使……平衡

the profits and losses balance out 盈亏相抵

5. every penny 每一分钱

every penny counts 每一分钱都很重要

例句：

He's worth every penny the company paid him.

公司花在他身上的每一分钱都很值。

When you're trying to save money, every penny counts.

你想省钱时，每一分都很重要。