名著精讀《飄》第三章 第8節
From them he learned what he found useful, and the rest he dismissed. He found poker the most useful of all Southern customs, poker and a steady head for whisky; and it was his natural aptitude for cards and amber liquor that brought to Gerald two of his three most prized possessions, his valet and his plantation. The other was his wife, and he could only attribute her to the mysterious kindness of God.
從他們那裏他學到了他發現有用的東西，其餘的便拒絕了。他發現玩撲克牌是所有的南方習俗中最有用的，只要會打撲克，加上一個喝威士忌的海量，就行了。玩牌和喝酒是傑拉爾德的天生癖性，給他帶來了平生三樣最受讚賞的財富中的兩位，即他的管家和他的農常另一樣便是他的妻子，他只能把她看作是上帝的神奇賜予了。
The, valet. Pork by name, shining black, dignified and trained in all the arts of sartorial elegance, was the result of an all-night poker game with a planter from St. Simons Island, whose courage in a bluff equaled Gerald’s but whose head for New Orleans rum did not. Though Pork’s former owner later offered to buy him back at twice his value, Gerald obstinately refused, for the possession of his first slave, and that slave the “best damn valet on the Coast,” was the first step upward toward his heart’s desire, Gerald wanted to be a slave owner and a landed gentleman.
他的管家叫波克，舉止莊嚴，黑得又光又亮，且有全副出色的裁縫手藝，是他打了個通宵的撲克牌從一位聖·西蒙斯島的地主手中贏來的。那個地主在敢於虛張聲勢方面與傑拉爾德不相上下，可是喝起新奧爾良朗姆酒來就不行了。儘管波克原先的主人後來要求以雙倍的價錢把他買回去，傑拉爾德卻斷然地拒絕了，因爲這是他佔有的第一個奴隸，而且絕對是"海濱最好的管家"，稱得上是他實現平生渴望的好開端，怎麼能放棄呀？傑拉爾德一心一意要當奴隸主和擁有地主的上等人呢。
iss[dis'mis] vt. 解散，開除，逃避，（法律）駁回
He dismissed the unpleasant subject and talked about something else.
他不談論這個令人不愉快的話題，而去談論別的事情。
tude['æptitju:d] n. 才能，資質
Edison had a remarkable aptitude for inventing new things.
愛迪生具有發明創造的非凡才能。
r n. 琥珀色，琥珀 adj. 琥珀色的，琥珀的
Amber satin and white lace are exactly what she desires.
琥珀色的緞子和白色的飾帶正是她所想要的。
ession n. 財產，所有，擁有
The people had to gather up their few possessions and escaped abroad.
人們不得不收拾起僅有的一點財物逃到國外去。
ibute vt. 把 ... 歸於 n. 屬性，特徵，標誌，象徵
They attribute their success to their teacher's encouragement.
他們把成功歸因於老師的鼓勵。
ified['dignifaid] adj. 有威嚴的，有品格的 v. 使高貴，使有威嚴的 vbl. 使威嚴的，使高貴的
The farmhouse is dignified by the great elm around it.
這家農舍由於周圍的大榆樹而增光不少。
orial adj. 裁縫的，縫紉的
inately adv. 固執地，頑固地
Len remained obstinately silent.
萊恩固執地一言不發。
found poker the most useful of all Southern customs, poker and a steady head for whisky; and it was his natural aptitude for cards and amber liquor that brought to Gerald two of his three most prized possessions, his valet and his plantation. The other was his wife, and he could only attribute her to the mysterious kindness of God.
【難句解析】aptitude for...“在...上的天分”，She has an aptitude for language learning. 她在語言學習上很有天分；attribute sb. to...“將...視爲”；
【句子翻譯】他發現玩撲克牌是所有的南方習俗中最有用的，只要會打撲克，加上一個喝威士忌的海量，就行了。玩牌和喝酒是傑拉爾德的天生癖性，給他帶來了平生三樣最受讚賞的財富中的兩位，即他的管家和他的農常另一樣便是他的妻子，他只能把她看作是上帝的神奇賜予了。
gh Pork’s former owner later offered to buy him back at twice his value, Gerald obstinately refused, for the possession of his first slave, and that slave the “best damn valet on the Coast,” was the first step upward toward his heart’s desire, Gerald wanted to be a slave owner and a landed gentleman.
【難句解析】offer to的意思是“提議、願意”，He offered to accomodate me. 他提出爲我提供食宿；possession of sth.“對某物的佔有”，All the farm is in the possession of him. 這整個農場都歸他所有；
【句子翻譯】儘管波克原先的主人後來要求以雙倍的價錢把他買回去，傑拉爾德卻斷然地拒絕了，因爲這是他佔有的第一個奴隸，而且絕對是"海濱最好的管家"，稱得上是他實現平生渴望的好開端，怎麼能放棄呀？傑拉爾德一心一意要當奴隸主和擁有地主的上等人呢。
