美國語文第五冊 第248期：暴躁易怒的妻子（02）
Cooke? But, there are so many Cookes. Can’t you distinguish her any way? Has she no Christian name?
庫克？但是，叫庫克的太多了，你難道記不住什么特別的？她沒有教名嗎？
Emma, I think. Yes, Emma.
愛瑪，我想想，噢，對了，她叫愛瑪。
Emma Cooke? No; it can not be my friend Emma Cooke; for I am sure she was cut out for an old maid.
愛瑪·庫克？不會的，不可能是我的朋友愛瑪·庫克，我知道，她可是個天生的老處女。
This lady seems to me to be cut out for a good wife.
依我看，那位女士倒是天生的好妻子。
Maybe so. I am sure I’ll never go to see her.
或許吧。我知道了，我絕對不會去看她，
Pray, my dear, how came you to see so much of her?
請問一下，親愛的，你恐怕見過她很多次吧？
I have seen very little of her, my dear.
我很少見到她，親愛的，
I only saw her two or three times before she was married.
她結(jié)婚前，我見到她兩三次。
Then, my dear, how could you decide that she was cut out for a good wife?
既然這樣，親愛的，你怎么就能斷定，她天生就是個好妻子呢？
I am sure you could not judge of her by seeing her only two or three times, and before she was married.
我覺得，她結(jié)婚前，即便你見上三兩次，恐怕也不能做出如此判斷吧。
Indeed, my love, that is a very just observation.
不錯，寶貝兒，恰恰就是那少見的印象。
I understand that compliment perfectly, and thank you for it, my dear.
我太清楚你的恭維了，謝謝你，親愛的。
I must own I can bear anything better than irony.
我必須承認(rèn)，我什么都吃得住，就是吃不了你的冷嘲熱諷。
Irony? my dear, I was perfectly in earnest.
冷嘲熱諷？親愛的，我可是相當(dāng)認(rèn)真的。
Yes, yes; in earnest; so I perceive;
是的，是的，相當(dāng)認(rèn)真，這樣，我才能覺察到。
I may naturally be dull of apprehension, but my feelings are quick enough; I comprehend too well.
我生來理性愚鈍，可就是感性太快，領(lǐng)悟力極強。
Yes, it is impossible to judge of a woman before marriage, or to guess what sort of a wife she will make.
這么說吧，婚姻前不可能對一個女人做出正確判斷，或者猜測你的妻子屬于什么類型，
I presume you speak from experience; you have been disappointed yourself, and repent your choice.
我推測你這樣說由于你的經(jīng)驗之談，你一直對自己感到沮喪，那么后悔當(dāng)初的選擇。
My dear, what did I say that was like this? Upon my word, I meant no such thing.
親愛的，我說了什么？難道有這些意思？回想我說的話，完全不是這么回事，
I really was not thinking of you in the least.
我壓根沒想到你會這么想。
