評論
打印
There was a faint touch of sarcasm in the reference to her son, and Archer knew it and had expected it. Even Mrs. Archer, who was seldom unduly pleased with human events, had been altogether glad of her son's engagement. ("Especially after that silly business with Mrs. Rushworth," as she had remarked to Janey, alluding to what had once seemed to Newland a tragedy of which his soul would always bear the scar.)
她提到兒子的時候，話里略帶一點諷刺。阿切爾自然聽得一清二楚，而且一點也不覺得意外。世間人事很少讓她稱心如意的阿切爾太太，對兒子的訂婚卻是一百個高興。（“特別是在他與拉什沃思太太那樁蠢事之后，”她曾對詹尼這樣說。她指的那件事，紐蘭曾經視為一場悲劇，將在他靈魂上留下永難磨滅的傷痕。）
There was no better match in New York than May Welland, look at the question from whatever point you chose. Of course such a marriage was only what Newland was entitled to; but young men are so foolish and incalculable--and some women so ensnaring and unscrupulous--that it was nothing short of a miracle to see one's only son safe past the Siren Isle and in the haven of a blameless domesticity.
無論你從何種角度考慮，紐約再也沒有比梅·韋蘭更好的姑娘了；當然，這樣一段姻緣也只有紐蘭才能配得上。可年輕男人卻都那么傻，那么缺少心計，而有些女人又那樣不知羞恥地設置圈套。所以，看到自己惟一的兒子安然無恙地通過莎琳島，駛進無可挑剔的家庭生活的港灣，這完全是一種奇跡。
All this Mrs. Archer felt, and her son knew she felt; but he knew also that she had been perturbed by the premature announcement of his engagement, or rather by its cause; and it was for that reason--because on the whole he was a tender and indulgent master--that he had stayed at home that evening. "It's not that I don't approve of the Mingotts' esprit de corps; but why Newland's engagement should be mixed up with that Olenska woman's comings and goings I don't see," Mrs. Archer grumbled to Janey, the only witness of her slight lapses from perfect sweetness.
這一切阿切爾太太都感覺到了，她兒子也知道她感覺到了。但是，他同時還知道，她被過早宣布他的訂婚消息攪得很不安，或者不如說被過早宣布的原因攪得很不安。正是由于這個原因——因為總體上講他是個極為溫情寬容的人——今天晚上他才留在家中。“我并非不贊成明戈特家的集體精神；可為什么要把紐蘭的訂婚與奧蘭斯卡那個女人的事攪在一起，我弄不明白，”阿切爾太太對詹尼抱怨說，后者是她稍欠溫柔的惟一見證人。
She had behaved beautifully--and in beautiful behaviour she was unsurpassed--during the call on Mrs. Welland; but Newland knew (and his betrothed doubtless guessed) that all through the visit she and Janey were nervously on the watch for Madame Olenska's possible intrusion; and when they left the house together she had permitted herself to say to her son: "I'm thankful that Augusta Welland received us alone."
在對韋蘭太太的拜訪中，她一直是舉止優雅的；而她的優雅舉止是無與倫比的。不過紐蘭明白（他的未婚妻無疑也猜得出），在整個拜訪過程中，她和詹尼都緊張地提防著奧蘭斯卡夫人的闖入；當他們一起離開那所住宅時，她不加掩飾地對兒子說：“我很高興奧古斯塔·韋蘭單獨接待了我們。”
These indications of inward disturbance moved Archer the more that he too felt that the Mingotts had gone a little too far. But, as it was against all the rules of their code that the mother and son should ever allude to what was uppermost in their thoughts, he simply replied: "Oh, well, there's always a phase of family parties to be gone through when one gets engaged, and the sooner it's over the better." At which his mother merely pursed her lips under the lace veil that hung down from her grey velvet bonnet trimmed with frosted grapes.
這些內心不安的暗示更加讓阿切爾感動，以致他也覺得明戈特家走得有點太遠了。但是，母親與兒子之間談論心中剛生的念頭，是完全違背他們的道德規范的，所以他只是回答說：“唉，一個人訂婚后總要參加一系列的家族聚會，這種活動結束得越快越好。”聽了這話，他母親只是隔著從飾有霜凍葡萄的灰絲絨帽上垂下的網狀面紗撇了撇嘴。
Her revenge, he felt--her lawful revenge--would be to "draw" Mr. Jackson that evening on the Countess Olenska; and, having publicly done his duty as a future member of the Mingott clan, the young man had no objection to hearing the lady discussed in private--except that the subject was already beginning to bore him.
他覺得，她的報復——她的合法的報復——就是要在今晚從杰克遜先生口中“引出”奧蘭斯卡伯爵夫人的事。年輕人既然已經當眾盡了明戈特家族未來成員的義務，他并不反對聽一聽對那位夫人的私下議論——只不過這話題已經開始讓他感到厭煩。
