"I had just finished reading the Times," he said, laying his long finger-tips together. "In town my mornings are so much occupied that I find it more convenient to read the newspapers after luncheon."
“我剛剛讀完《紐約時(shí)報(bào)》，”他說，一面把長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的指尖收攏在一起。“在城里上午事情太多，我發(fā)現(xiàn)午飯后讀報(bào)更合適?！?/P>

"Ah, there's a great deal to be said for that plan-- indeed I think my uncle Egmont used to say he found it less agitating not to read the morning papers till after dinner," said Mrs. Archer responsively.
“噢，這樣安排是很有道理的——我想我舅舅埃格蒙特過去確實(shí)常常說，他發(fā)現(xiàn)把晨報(bào)留到晚餐后讀，不會(huì)使人心煩意亂，”阿切爾太太附和地說。

"Yes: my good father abhorred hurry. But now we live in a constant rush," said Mr. van der Luyden in measured tones, looking with pleasant deliberation about the large shrouded room which to Archer was so complete an image of its owners.
“不錯(cuò)。我親愛的父親就討厭忙亂，可我們?nèi)缃駞s經(jīng)常處于緊張狀態(tài)，”范德盧頓先生很有分寸地說，一邊從容而又愉快地打量著遮蔽嚴(yán)實(shí)的大房間。阿切爾覺得這屋子是其主人完美的化身。

"But I hope you HAD finished your reading, Henry?" his wife interposed.

"Quite--quite," he reassured her.

"Then I should like Adeline to tell you--"

"Oh, it's really Newland's story," said his mother smiling; and proceeded to rehearse once more the monstrous tale of the affront inflicted on Mrs. Lovell Mingott.

"Of course," she ended, "Augusta Welland and Mary Mingott both felt that, especially in view of Newland's engagement, you and Henry OUGHT TO KNOW."

"Ah--" said Mr. van der Luyden, drawing a deep breath.

“我希望你真的已經(jīng)讀完報(bào)紙了，亨利？”他妻子插言道。
“完了——讀完了，”他向她保證說。

“那么，我想讓艾德琳對(duì)你講一講——”

“哦，其實(shí)是紐蘭的事，”母親面帶笑容地說，接著又復(fù)述了一遍洛弗爾·明戈特太太蒙受公開侮辱的咄咄怪事。

“當(dāng)然，”她最后說，“奧古斯塔·韋蘭跟瑪麗·明戈特都認(rèn)為——尤其是考慮到紐蘭的訂婚——你和亨利是應(yīng)當(dāng)知道的?！?/P>

“噢——”范德盧頓先生深深吸了一口氣說。

There was a silence during which the tick of the monumental ormolu clock on the white marble mantelpiece grew as loud as the boom of a minute-gun. Archer contemplated with awe the two slender faded figures, seated side by side in a kind of viceregal rigidity, mouthpieces of some remote ancestral authority which fate compelled them to wield, when they would so much rather have lived in simplicity and seclusion, digging invisible weeds out of the perfect lawns of Skuytercliff, and playing Patience together in the evenings.
接下來是一陣沉默，白色大理石壁爐臺(tái)上那架巨大的鍍金時(shí)鐘發(fā)出的嘀嗒聲變得像葬禮上一分鐘鳴放一次的炮聲那樣轟轟隆隆。阿切爾敬畏地思忖著這兩個(gè)瘦弱的人，他們肩并肩坐在那兒，像總督一樣嚴(yán)肅。是命運(yùn)強(qiáng)迫他們做了遠(yuǎn)古祖先的權(quán)威代言人，盡管他們可能巴不得深居簡(jiǎn)出，在斯庫特克利夫的草坪上挖除雜草，晚上一起玩紙牌游戲。