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Gerald had begun to work himself up into a pleasurable shouting rage when something in Scarlett’s woebegone face stopped him.
杰拉爾德正準(zhǔn)備痛痛快快發(fā)泄一下心中的怒氣。這時他看見思嘉滿臉悲傷的神色，便止住了。
“But there, you’re young. ‘Twill come to you, this love of land. There’s no getting away from it, if you’re Irish. You’re just a child and bothered about your beaux. When you’re older, you’ll be seeing how ‘tis. ... Now, do you be making up your mind about Cade or the twins or one of Evan Munroe’s young bucks, and see how fine I turn you out!”
“不過，你還年輕。將來你會懂得愛這塊土地的。只要你做了愛爾蘭人，你是沒法擺脫它的。現(xiàn)在你還是個孩子，還只為自己的意中人操心哪。等到你年紀(jì)大一些，你就會懂得----現(xiàn)在你要下定決心，究竟是挑選凱德還是那對雙胞胎，或者伊凡·芒羅家的一個小伙子，無論誰，到時候看我讓你們過得舒舒服服的。”
“Oh, Pa!”
“啊，爸！”
By this time, Gerald was thoroughly tired of the conversation and thoroughly annoyed that the problem should be upon his shoulders. He felt aggrieved, moreover, that Scarlett should still look desolate after being offered the best of the County boys and Tara, too. Gerald liked his gifts to be received with clapping of hands and kisses.
杰拉爾德這時覺得這番談話實在厭煩透了，而且一想到這個問題還得由他來解決，便十分惱火。另外，由于思嘉對他所提供的最佳對象和塔拉農(nóng)場居然無動于衷，還是那么郁郁不樂，也感到委屈得很。他多么希望這些禮物被女兒用鼓掌、親吻來接受啊！
“Now, none of your pouts, Miss. It doesn’t matter who you marry, as long as he thinks like you and is a gentleman and a Southerner and prideful. For a woman, love comes after marriage.”
“好，別撅著嘴生氣了。姑娘，無論你嫁給誰，這都沒有關(guān)系，只要他跟你情投意合，是上等人，又是個有自尊心的南方人就行。女人嘛，結(jié)了婚便會產(chǎn)生愛情的。”
“Oh, Pa, that’s such an Old Country notion!”
“啊，爸！你看你這觀念有多舊多土啊！”
“And a good notion it is! All this American business of running around marrying for love, like servants, like Yankees! The best marriages are when the parents choose for the girl. For how can a silly piece like yourself tell a good man from a scoundrel? Now, look at the Wilkes. What’s kept them prideful and strong all these generations? Why, marrying the likes of themselves, marrying the cousins their family always expects them to marry.”
“這才是個好觀念啊！那種美國式的做法，到處跑呀找呀，要為愛情結(jié)婚呀，像些傭人似的，像北方佬似的，有什么意思呢。最好的婚姻是靠父母給女兒選擇對象。不然，像你這樣的傻丫頭，怎能分清
楚好人和壞蛋呢。好吧，你看看威爾克斯家。他們憑什么世世代代保持了自己的尊嚴(yán)和興旺呢？那不就憑的是跟自己的同類人結(jié)婚，跟他們家庭所希望的那些表親結(jié)婚埃”
“Oh,” cried Scarlett, fresh pain striking her as Gerald’s words brought home the terrible inevitability of the truth. Gerald looked at her bowed head and shuffled his feet uneasily.
“啊！"思嘉叫起來，由于杰拉爾德的話把事實的不可避免性說到家了，她心中產(chǎn)生了新的痛苦。杰拉爾德看看她低下的頭，很不自在地把兩只腳反復(fù)挪動著。
“It’s not crying you are?” he questioned, fumbling clumsily at her chin, trying to turn her face upward, his own face furrowed with pity.
“你不是在哭吧？"他問她，笨拙地摸摸她的下巴，想叫她仰起臉來，這時他自己的臉由于憐憫而露出深深的皺紋來了。
“No,” she cried vehemently, jerking away.
“沒有！"她猛地把頭扭開，激怒地大叫了。
“It’s lying you are, and I’m proud of it. I’m glad there’s pride in you, Puss. And I want to see pride in you tomorrow at the barbecue. I’ll not be having the County gossiping and laughing at you for mooning your heart out about a man who never gave you a thought beyond friendship.”
“你是在撒謊，但我很喜歡這樣。我巴不得你為人驕傲一些，姑娘。但愿在明天的大野宴上也看到你的驕傲。我不要全縣的人都談?wù)撃愫托υ捘悖f你成天癡心想著一個男人，而那個人卻根本無意于你，只維持一般的友誼罷了。”
“He did give me a thought,” thought Scarlett, sorrowfully in her heart. “Oh, a lot of thoughts! I know he did. I could tell. If I’d just had a little longer, I know I could have made him say—Oh, if it only wasn’t that the Wilkes always feel that they have to marry their cousins!”
“他對我是有意的呀，"思嘉想，心里十分難過。"啊，情意深著呢！我知道他真的是這樣。我敢斷定，只要再有一點點時間，我相信便能叫他親自說出來----啊，要不是威爾克斯家的人總覺得他們只能同表親結(jié)婚，那就好了！”
Gerald took her arm and passed it through his.
杰拉爾德把她的臂膀挽起來。
“We’ll be going in to supper now, and all this is between us. I’ll not be worrying your mother with this—nor do you do it either. Blow your nose, daughter.”
“咱們要進去吃晚飯了，這件事就不聲張，只咱們知道行了。我不會拿它去打擾你媽媽----你也不著跟他說。擤擤鼻涕吧，女兒。"
