
'I'm not a going to keep you, even, above an hour,' said Mrs. Brown. 'D'ye understand what I say?'
“我把您留在這里的時(shí)間連一個(gè)鐘頭也不會(huì)超過(guò),”布朗太太說(shuō)道,“我的話您聽(tīng)明白了嗎?”
The child answered with great difficulty, 'Yes.'
女孩子十分困難地回答道,“聽(tīng)明白了。”
'Then,' said Good Mrs. Brown, taking her own seat on the bones, 'don't vex me. If you don't, I tell you I won't hurt you. But if you do, I'll kill you. I could have you killed at any time - even if you was in your own bed at home. Now let's know who you are, and what you are, and all about it.'
“那么,”善良的布朗太太在骨頭上坐下 來(lái),說(shuō)道,“別惹我惱火。如果您不惹我惱火,那么我告訴您,我是不會(huì)傷害您的。但是如果您惹我惱火了,那么我就殺死您。我什么時(shí)候都能殺死您——即使您待在您自己家里的床上我也能。現(xiàn)在您告訴我,您是誰(shuí),您是什么樣的人以及有關(guān)您的一切。”
The old woman's threats and promises; the dread of giving her offence; and the habit, unusual to a child, but almost natural to Florence now, of being quiet, and repressing what she felt, and feared, and hoped; enabled her to do this bidding, and to tell her little history, or what she knew of it. Mrs. Brown listened attentively, until she had finished.
因?yàn)槔咸畔蛩M(jìn)行了威脅并給予了許諾,因?yàn)樗峙聲?huì)觸犯她,又因?yàn)樗佯B(yǎng)成了默不作聲和抑制內(nèi)心的感覺(jué)、害怕與希望的習(xí)慣(這種習(xí)慣對(duì)一般孩子來(lái)說(shuō)是不常見(jiàn)的,但對(duì)弗洛倫斯來(lái)說(shuō),現(xiàn)在幾乎是很自然的了),所以她就遵照命令,敘述了她自己短短的歷史或者她所知道的有關(guān)事情。布朗太太聚精會(huì)神地聽(tīng)著,直到她講完為止。
'So your name's Dombey, eh?' said Mrs. Brown.
“這么說(shuō),您姓董貝,是不是?”布朗太太說(shuō)道。
'I want that pretty frock, Miss Dombey,' said Good Mrs. Brown, 'and that little bonnet, and a petticoat or two, and anything else you can spare. Come! Take 'em off.'
“我需要那件漂亮的長(zhǎng)衣,董貝小姐,”善良的布朗太太說(shuō)道,“還有那頂小帽,還有一兩條裙子,以及您能讓出的其他一切東西。來(lái)吧!把它們脫下來(lái)!”
Florence obeyed, as fast as her trembling hands would allow; keeping, all the while, a frightened eye on Mrs. Brown. When she had divested herself of all the articles of apparel mentioned by that lady, Mrs. B. examined them at leisure, and seemed tolerably well satisfied with their quality and value.
弗洛倫斯依從了她的命令,她那顫抖的雙手能脫得多快就脫得多快,她那恐懼的眼睛則一直注視著布朗太太。當(dāng)她把老太婆所說(shuō)的所有服裝都從自己身上剝掉以后,布朗太太從容不迫地把它們細(xì)細(xì)察看著,似乎對(duì)它們的質(zhì)量與價(jià)值相當(dāng)滿意。
'Humph!' she said, running her eyes over the child's slight figure, 'I don't see anything else - except the shoes. I must have the shoes, Miss Dombey.'
“哼!”她滾動(dòng)著眼珠,把女孩子苗條的身材上下看過(guò)一遍,說(shuō)道,“我看除了那雙鞋子之外沒(méi)有別的什么了。我一定要那雙鞋子,董貝小姐。”
Poor little Florence took them off with equal alacrity, only too glad to have any more means of conciliation about her. The old woman then produced some wretched substitutes from the bottom of the heap of rags, which she turned up for that purpose; together with a girl's cloak, quite worn out and very old; and the crushed remains of a bonnet that had probably been picked up from some ditch or dunghill. In this dainty raiment, she instructed Florence to dress herself; and as such preparation seemed a prelude to her release, the child complied with increased readiness, if possible.
可憐的小弗洛倫斯同樣敏捷地把它們脫掉;她在自己身上還能找到可以迎合老太婆歡心的東西,真是太高興了。然后老太婆從那堆破布的底層取出了一些破爛的代替品。她翻找那堆破布就是為了這個(gè)目的;她還找出一件穿得很破很舊的女孩子的斗篷,還有一頂壓扁的、殘缺不全的帽子,大概是從什么水溝里或糞堆上撿到的。她命令弗洛倫斯把這些精美的衣服穿起來(lái);由于這些準(zhǔn)備行動(dòng)似乎是釋放她的序幕,女孩子就盡可能比先前更加麻利地遵命照辦。
注釋:
1. figure n. 數(shù)字;人物;圖形;價(jià)格;(人的)體形;畫(huà)像
vi. 計(jì)算;出現(xiàn);扮演角色
vt. 計(jì)算;認(rèn)為;描繪;象征
例句:
(1). Can you give me a ball park figure?
你可以給我一個(gè)大概的數(shù)字嗎?
(2). We cannot do business at your figure.
我們不能以你們的價(jià)格成交。
(3). How do you figure out what you want to see?
你怎么弄明白自己想要看的內(nèi)容呢?
(4). But the figure has barely moved since then.
但這一數(shù)字自那以后幾乎沒(méi)有變動(dòng)。
(5). Now she is the most divisive figure in America.
到現(xiàn)在,佩林已然是美國(guó)最具爭(zhēng)議性的人物。
2. comply with 照做,遵守; 照做,遵守
例句:
(1). She must be made to comply with the rules.
必須強(qiáng)迫她遵守這些規(guī)則。
(2). Be it our duty to comply with his request?
我們有義務(wù)滿足他的要求嗎?
(3). She is adamant in refuse to comply with his wish.
她固執(zhí)地拒絕按他的意愿辦。
(4). Everyone should comply with the law.
每個(gè)人都應(yīng)該遵守法律。