"You agree with me?" Mr. Letterblair resumed, after a waiting silence.
萊特布賴先生沉默地等了一會兒又問道：“你同意我的意見嗎？”

"Naturally," said Archer.
“那當然，”阿切爾說。

"Well, then, I may count on you; the Mingotts may count on you; to use your influence against the idea?"
“這么說，我可以依靠你，明戈特家可以依靠你，運用你的影響反對這個主意了。”

Archer hesitated. "I can't pledge myself till I've seen the Countess Olenska," he said at length.
阿切爾猶豫了?！皶妸W蘭斯卡伯爵夫人之前，我還不能打保票，”他終于說。

"Mr. Archer, I don't understand you. Do you want to marry into a family with a scandalous divorce-suit hanging over it?"

“阿切爾先生，我不理解你。難道你想和一個即將有離婚訴訟丑聞的家庭結親嗎？”

"I don't think that has anything to do with the case."
“我認為那與這件事毫無關系。”

Mr. Letterblair put down his glass of port and fixed on his young partner a cautious and apprehensive gaze.
萊特布賴先生放下酒杯，盯著他的年輕合伙人，審慎、憂慮地瞅了一眼。

Archer understood that he ran the risk of having his mandate withdrawn, and for some obscure reason he disliked the prospect. Now that the job had been thrust on him he did not propose to relinquish it; and, to guard against the possibility, he saw that he must reassure the unimaginative old man who was the legal conscience of the Mingotts.
阿切爾明白他在冒被收回成命的風險。由于某種說不清的原因，他并不喜歡那種前景。既然任務已經交給了他，他就不打算放棄它了，而且，為了防止那種可能，他明白必須讓這位代表明戈特一家法律信仰的缺乏想像力的老人放下心來。

"You may be sure, sir, that I shan't commit myself till I've reported to you; what I meant was that I'd rather not give an opinion till I've heard what Madame Olenska has to say."
“你可以放心，先生，不先向你匯報我是不會表態的；我剛才的意思是，我在聽取奧蘭斯卡夫人的想法之前，不愿發表意見。”

Mr. Letterblair nodded approvingly at an excess of caution worthy of the best New York tradition, and the young man, glancing at his watch, pleaded an engagement and took leave.
萊特布賴先生對這種稱得上紐約優秀傳統的過分謹慎贊許地點了點頭。年輕人瞥了一眼手表，便借口有約，告辭而去。

雙語小說連載:純真年代 The Age of Innocence(10)