評論
打印
1 The Rassendylls-and the Elphbergs
1 拉森狄爾家族與艾爾弗伯格家族
'I wonder when you're going to do something useful， Rudolf，'my brother's wife said．She looked at me crossly over the breakfast table．
“我在想你究竟什么時候才會做一些有用的事兒，魯道夫。”我的嫂嫂說。她在餐桌的那頭生氣地望著我。
'But why should I do anything，Rose？'I answered，calmly eating my egg．'I've got nearly enough money for the things I want，and my brother，Robert，is a lord-Lord Burlesdon．I'm very happy．'
“但我干嘛要做事呢，羅絲？”我一邊回答她，一邊從容地吃著雞蛋。“我的錢夠多的，差不多想要什么就能買什么，再說我哥哥羅伯特又是一位貴族——伯利斯頓勛爵，我挺幸福。”
'You're twenty-nine，and you've done nothing except…'
“可你都29歲了，你還什么都沒干，除了……”
'Play about？It's true．We Rassendylls are a rich and famous family，and we don't need to do anything．'
“除了胡鬧？你說對了，我們拉森狄爾家的人又有錢又有名，而且我們什么也不用做。”
This made Rose angry．'Rich and famous families usually behave worse than less important families，'she said．
我這么說讓羅絲生氣了。“又有錢又有名的人家通常比那些普通人家更不規矩！”
When I heard this，I touched my dark red hair．I knew what she meant．
聽了她的話，我用手摸摸我的深紅色頭發。我懂她的意思。
'I'm so pleased that Robert's hair is black！'she cried．
“我真高興羅伯特的頭發是黑色的！”她說道。
Just then my brother，Robert，came in．When he looked at Rose，he could see that there was something wrong．
正在此時，我哥哥羅伯特走了進來，他一看羅絲，就看出有些不對頭。
'What's the matter，my dear？'he said．
“怎么了，親愛的？”他問道。
'Oh，she's angry because I never do anything useful，and because I've got red hair，'I said．
“她生氣了，因為我從沒做過什么有用的事兒，而且我還長著紅頭發。”我說。
'Well，I know he can't do much about his hair，or his nose…'Rose began．
“當然，我知道他對他的頭發和鼻子無能為力……”羅絲說。
'No，the nose and the hair are in the family，'my brother agreed．'And Rudolf has both of them．'
“是的，這樣的鼻子和這樣的頭發是祖傳的，”我哥哥同意她的話，“而且魯道夫兩樣都占了。”
In the room there were many family pictures，and one of them was of a very beautiful woman，Lady Amelia，who lived a hundred and fifty years ago．I stood up and turned to look at it．
房間里有很多家族成員的畫像，其中一幅畫著一位非常美麗的女人，阿米莉亞夫人，她生活在150年以前。我站了起來，轉身去看她。
'If you took that picture away，Robert，'Rose cried，'we could forget all about it．'
“如果你把那畫像拿走，羅伯特，”羅絲說，“我們就可以把這件事忘掉。”
'Oh，but I don't want to forget about it，'I replied．'I like being an Elphberg．'
“哦，可是我并不想忘掉它。”我回答。“我喜歡做艾爾弗伯格家族的一員。”
But perhaps I should stop for a moment and explain why Rose was angry about my nose and my hair and why I，a Rassendyll，said I was an Elphberg．After all，the Elphbergs are the royal family of Ruritania，and have been for hundreds of years．
也許我應該停下來一會兒，解釋一下為什么羅絲對我的鼻子和頭發那么生氣，究竟又為什么，我，一個姓拉森狄爾的，會說我自己是艾爾弗伯格家族的一員。畢竟艾爾弗伯格家族是盧里塔尼亞的王族，而且，幾百年來一直如此。
