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The immediate advantage to herself was by no means inconsiderable, for it supplied her with endless jokes against them both. At the park she laughed at the colonel, and in the cottage at Marianne. To the former her raillery was probably, as far as it regarded only himself, perfectly indifferent; but to the latter it was at first incomprehensible; and when its object was understood, she hardly knew whether most to laugh at its absurdity, or censure its impertinence, for she considered it as an unfeeling reflection on the colonel's advanced years, and on his forlorn condition as an old bachelor.
當(dāng)然，她自己也可直接占到不少便宜，因?yàn)檫@為她戲弄他們兩人提供了無(wú)窮無(wú)盡的笑料。她在巴頓莊園嘲笑布蘭登上校，到了鄉(xiāng)舍便嘲弄瑪麗安。對(duì)于前者，她的戲弄只牽涉到他一個(gè)人，因而他也毫不在乎。但是對(duì)于后者，她的嘲弄起先是莫名其妙的，后來(lái)弄清了是針對(duì)誰(shuí)的，瑪麗安真不知道是該嘲笑這事的荒謬，還是責(zé)難它的欠妥。她認(rèn)為這是對(duì)上校上了年紀(jì)和孤苦伶燈的單身漢處境的無(wú)情捉弄。
Mrs. Dashwood, who could not think a man five years younger than herself, so exceedingly ancient as he appeared to the youthful fancy of her daughter, ventured to clear Mrs. Jennings from the probability of wishing to throw ridicule on his age.
達(dá)什伍德太太很難想象，一個(gè)比她自己年輕五歲的男人，在她女兒那富于青春活力的心目中，會(huì)顯得何等蒼老，于是便大著膽子對(duì)詹寧斯太太說(shuō)：她不該拿上校的年齡取笑。
"But at least, Mamma, you cannot deny the absurdity of the accusation, though you may not think it intentionally ill-natured. Colonel Brandon is certainly younger than Mrs. Jennings, but he is old enough to be MY father; and if he were ever animated enough to be in love, must have long outlived every sensation of the kind. It is too ridiculous! When is a man to be safe from such wit, if age and infirmity will not protect him?"
(抱歉，本段暫無(wú)權(quán)威譯文。)
"Infirmity!" said Elinor, "do you call Colonel Brandon infirm? I can easily suppose that his age may appear much greater to you than to my mother; but you can hardly deceive yourself as to his having the use of his limbs!"
“體衰！”埃麗諾說(shuō)。“你說(shuō)布蘭登上校體衰？不難想象，他的年齡在你看來(lái)比在母親看來(lái)要大得多，不過(guò)你總不能自欺欺人地說(shuō)他手腳不靈吧！”
