Mr. van der Luyden was the first to speak.
范德盧頓先生第一個開口。

"You really think this is due to some--some intentional interference of Lawrence Lefferts's?" he enquired, turning to Archer.
“你真的以為這是勞倫斯·萊弗茨故意——搗亂的結果嗎？”他轉向阿切爾問道。

"I'm certain of it, sir. Larry has been going it rather harder than usual lately--if cousin Louisa won't mind my mentioning it--having rather a stiff affair with the postmaster's wife in their village, or some one of that sort; and whenever poor Gertrude Lefferts begins to suspect anything, and he's afraid of trouble, he gets up a fuss of this kind, to show how awfully moral he is, and talks at the top of his voice about the impertinence of inviting his wife to meet people he doesn't wish her to know. He's simply using Madame Olenska as a lightning-rod; I've seen him try the same thing often before."
“我敢肯定，大人。拉里最近特別放蕩——但愿路易莎舅媽不介意我提這事——和他們村郵電局長的妻子還是什么人打得火熱；每當格特魯德·萊弗茨產生懷疑，他擔心要出亂子的時候，就挑起這類事端，以顯示他多么講道德。他扯著嗓門嚷嚷，說邀請他妻子去見他不愿讓她見的人是多么不合適。他純粹是利用奧蘭斯卡夫人做避雷針，他這種把戲我以前見得夠多了。

"The LEFFERTSES!--" said Mrs. van der Luyden.
“萊弗茨這家人！——”范德盧頓太太說。

"The LEFFERTSES!--" echoed Mrs. Archer. "What would uncle Egmont have said of Lawrence Lefferts's pronouncing on anybody's social position? It shows what Society has come to."
“萊弗茨這家人！——”阿切爾太太應聲說。“假若埃格蒙特舅舅聽到勞倫斯·萊弗茨對別人社會地位的看法，他會說什么呢？這說明上流社會已經到了什么地步了。”

"We'll hope it has not quite come to that," said Mr. van der Luyden firmly.
“我們但愿還沒到那種地步，”范德盧頓先生堅定地說。

"Ah, if only you and Louisa went out more!" sighed Mrs. Archer.
“唉，要是你和路易莎多出去走走就好了！”阿切爾太太嘆息道。

But instantly she became aware of her mistake. The van der Luydens were morbidly sensitive to any criticism of their secluded existence. They were the arbiters of fashion, the Court of last Appeal, and they knew it, and bowed to their fate. But being shy and retiring persons, with no natural inclination for their part, they lived as much as possible in the sylvan solitude of Skuytercliff, and when they came to town, declined all invitations on the plea of Mrs. van der Luyden's health.
然而她立即意識到了自己的錯誤。范德盧頓夫婦對有關他們隱居生活的任何批評都敏感得要命。他們是時尚的仲裁人，是終審法院，而且他們深知這一點，并聽從命運的安排。但由于他們都屬于怯懦畏縮的人，對他們的職責天生缺乏熱情，所以他們盡可能多地住在斯庫特克利夫幽僻的莊園中，進城的時候也以范德盧頓太太的健康為由，謝絕一切邀請。

Newland Archer came to his mother's rescue. "Everybody in New York knows what you and cousin Louisa represent. That's why Mrs. Mingott felt she ought not to allow this slight on Countess Olenska to pass without consulting you."
紐蘭·阿切爾趕緊出來為母親解圍，“在紐約，人人都明白你和路易莎舅媽代表著什么。正因為如此，明戈特太太才覺得，不應該不與你商量，而聽任人家這樣侮辱奧蘭斯卡伯爵夫人。”