名著精讀《飄》第一章 第13節

“You heard what we were talking to Miss Scarlett about?”

“你聽見我們和思嘉小姐的話了嗎？”

“Nawsuh, Mist’ Brent! Huccome you think Ah be spyin’ on w’ite folks?”

“沒有呀，布倫特先生！您怎麼懷疑俺偷聽白人老爺的話呢？”

“Spying, my God! You darkies know everything that goes on. Why, you liar, I saw you with my own eyes sidle round the corner of the porch and squat in the cape jessamine bush by the wall. Now, did you hear us say anything that might have made Miss Scarlett mad—or hurt her feelings?”

“我的上帝！偷聽，你們這些小黑鬼什麼事都知道。怎麼，你這不是撒謊嗎？我親眼看見你偷偷走過走廊的拐角，蹲在牆邊茉莉花底下呢。好，你聽見我們說什麼惹思嘉小姐生氣----或者叫她傷心的話了嗎？”

Thus appealed to, Teems gave up further pretense of not having overheard the conversation and furrowed his black brow.

他這一說，吉姆斯打消了假裝不曾偷聽的主意，皺着眉頭回想起來。

“Nawsuh, Ah din’ notice y’all say anything ter mek her mad. Look ter me lak she sho glad ter see you an’ sho had missed you, an’ she cheep along happy as a bird, tell ‘bout de time y’all got ter talkin’ ‘bout Mist’ Ashley an’ Miss Melly Hamilton gittin’ mah’ied. Den she quiet down lak a bird w’en de hawk fly ober.”
　
“沒什麼，俺沒聽見您講啥惹她生氣的話。俺看她挺高興見到你們，還嘁嘁喳喳像只小鳥兒樂個不停呢。後來你們談論艾希禮先生和媚蘭小姐的結親的事，她纔不作聲了，像只雀兒看見老鷹打頭上飛過一般。"

The twins looked at each other and nodded, but without comprehension.

哥兒倆面面相覷，同時點了點頭，可是並不瞭解其中的奧妙。

“Jeems is right. But I don’t see why,” said Stuart. “My Lord! Ashley don’t mean anything to her, ‘cept a friend. She’s not crazy about him. It’s us she’s crazy about.”Brent nodded an agreement.

“吉姆說得對，但我不明白那究竟是爲什麼，”斯圖爾特說。"我的上帝！艾希禮對她有什麼意義？只不過是個朋友罷了。她感興趣的只是我們，她對他不怎麼感興趣。"布倫特點點頭表示同意。

e ['saidl] v. (偷偷地)側身而行

If you sit at the back you can sidle out without anyone seeing you leave.
假如你坐在後面你可以溜出去而沒人看見。

t n. 蹲 adj. 蹲著的, 矮胖胖的 v. 蹲下, 坐

The old man squatted down by the fire.
老人蹲在爐火旁。

ense [pri'tens] n. 藉口, 虛假, 僞裝

It is merely a pretense.
這只是託詞而已。

ow n. 犁溝, 皺紋 v. 犁, 耕, （使）起皺紋

A deep furrow or ditch.
深溝一條深的溝或犁溝