The twins looked at each other glumly. They were completely fearless of wild horses, shooting affrays and the indignation of their neighbors, but they had a wholesome fear of their red-haired mother’s outspoken remarks and the riding crop that she did not scruple to lay across their breeches.
哥兒倆你瞧著我,我瞧著你,不知說什么是好。他們對于烈性的野馬,對于行兇斗毆,以及鄰里的公憤,都毫不畏懼,惟獨那們紅頭發母親的痛責和有時不惜抽打在他們屁股上的馬鞭,才讓他們感到不寒而栗。
“Well, look,” said Brent. “Let’s go over to the Wilkes’. Ashley and the girls’ll be glad to have us for supper.”
“那么,就這樣吧,”布倫特說。"我們到威爾克斯家去。艾希禮和姑娘們會樂意讓我們在那里吃飯的。"
Stuart looked a little discomforted.
斯圖爾特顯得有些不舒服的樣子。
“No, don’t let’s go there. They’ll be in a stew getting ready for the barbecue tomorrow and besides—”
“不,別到那里去。他們一定在忙著準備明天的野宴呢,而且?!?BR>
“Oh, I forgot about that,” said Brent hastily. “No, don’t let’s go there.”
“唔,我忘記了,”布倫特連忙解釋說。"不,我們別到那里去。"
They clucked to their horses and rode along in silence for a while, a flush of embarrassment on Stuart’s brown cheeks. Until the previous summer, Stuart had courted India Wilkes with the approbation of both families and the entire County. The County felt that perhaps the cool and contained India Wilkes would have a quieting effect on him.
他們對自己的馬吆喝了兩聲,然后默無言語地騎著向前跑了一陣,這時斯圖爾特褐色的臉膛上泛起了一抹紅暈。到去年夏天為止,斯圖爾特曾經在雙方家庭和全縣的贊許下追求過英迪亞·威爾克斯??h里的人覺得也許那位冷靜含蓄的英迪亞會對他起一種鎮定作用。
They fervently hoped so, at any rate. And Stuart might have made the match, but Brent had not been satisfied. Brent liked India but he thought her mighty plain and tame, and he simply could not fall in love with her himself to keep Stuart company. That was the first time the twins’ interest had ever diverged, and Brent was resentful of his brother’s attentions to a girl who seemed to him not at all remarkable.
無論如何,他們熱切地希望這樣。斯圖爾特本來是可以匹配的,但布倫特不滿意。布倫特也喜歡英迪亞,可是覺得她太平淡也太過分柔順,他看書簡直無法對她產生愛情,因此在這一點上就無法與斯圖爾特作伴了。這是哥兒倆頭一次在興趣上發生分歧,而且布倫特對于他兄弟居然會看上一個他認為毫不出色的姑娘,覺得很惱火。