名著精讀《飄》第二章 第17節

The shadows were falling thicker now, the last greenish tinge had left the sky and a slight chill was displacing the balminess of spring. But Scarlett loitered, wondering how to bring up the subject of Ashley without permitting Gerald to suspect her motive. This was difficult, for Scarlett had not a subtle bone in her body; and Gerald was so much like her he never failed to penetrate her weak subterfuges, even as she penetrated his. And he was seldom tactful in doing it.

周圍的黑影越來越濃，最後一絲綠意也從天空中消失了，春天的溫馨已被微微的寒意所取代。可是思嘉還在躊躇，不知怎樣才能把話題轉到艾希禮身上而又不讓傑拉爾德懷疑她的用意。這是困難的，因爲從思嘉身上找不出一根隨機應變的筋來；同時傑拉爾德也與她十分相似，沒有哪一次不識奇她的詭計，猶如猜透了他的一樣。何況他這樣做時是很少拐彎抹角的。
　
“How are they all over at Twelve Oaks?”

“'十二橡樹'村那邊的人都怎樣了？”
　
“About as usual. Cade Calvert was there and, after I settled about Dilcey, we all set on the gallery and had several toddies. Cade has just come from Atlanta, and it’s all upset they are there and talking war and—”

“大體和往常一樣。凱德·卡爾弗特也在那裏。我辦完迪爾茜的事以後，大家在走廊上喝了幾盅棕櫚酒。凱德剛剛從亞特蘭大來，他們正興致勃勃，在那裏談論戰爭，以及----"
　
Scarlett sighed. If Gerald once got on the subject of war and secession, it would be hours before he relinquished it She broke in with another line.

思嘉嘆了一口氣。只要傑拉爾德一談起戰爭和脫離聯邦這個話題，他不扯上幾個小時是不會停下的。她連忙拿另一個話題來岔開。
　
“Did they say anything about the barbecue tomorrow?”

“他們有沒有談起？明天的全牛野宴？”
　
“Now that I think of it they did. Miss—what’s-her-name—the sweet little thing who was here last year, you know, Ashley’s cousin—oh, yes, Miss Melanie Hamilton, that’s the name—she and her brother Charles have already come from Atlanta and—”

“我記得是談起過的。那位小姐----她叫什麼名字來着？----就是去年到這裏來過的那個小妮子，你知道，艾希禮的表妹----啊，對了，媚蘭·漢密爾頓小姐，就叫這個名字----她和她哥哥查爾斯已經從亞特蘭大來了，並且----”
　
“Oh, so she did come?”

“唔，她果真來了？”
　
“She did, and a sweet quiet thing she is, with never a word to say for herself, like a woman should be. Come now, daughter, don’t lag. Your mother will be hunting for us.”
　　
“真是個可愛的文靜人兒，她來了，總是不聲不響，女人家就該這樣嘛。走吧，女兒，別磨蹭了，你媽會到處找咱們的。"

nish adj. 帶綠色的

iness n. 芳香，爽快

erfuge n. 遁辭，藉口，託辭

Her claim to be a journalist was simply a subterfuge to get into the theatre without paying.
她自稱是記者，這只是個看戲不買票的花招而已。

nquish vt. 放棄，放手

Finally he relinquish his plan for want of business.
因生意需要彼得只好放棄計劃。

1.But Scarlett loitered, wondering how to bring up the subject of Ashley without permitting Gerald to suspect her motive.

【難句解析】loiter是“躊躇、徘徊”的意思，bring up “提出、提到”，without permitting...做狀語，修飾bring up;

【句子翻譯】可是思嘉還在躊躇，不知怎樣才能把話題轉到艾希禮身上而又不讓傑拉爾德懷疑她的用意。