美国语文第五册 第118期:高德夫人的演讲(4)

 　　And a pretty example you set as a father! You'll make your boys as bad as yourself. 作为父亲，你的模范示范可真不赖！你让儿子们像你一样举止恶劣。

　　Talking as you did all breakfast time about your buttons! and of a Sunday morning, too! 每天早餐时间，学着你喋喋不休地大谈你的纽扣！甚至周日上午也不例外。

　　And you call yourself a Christian¹! I should like to know what your boys will say of you when they grow up! 你还竟然标榜自己为基督徒！我真想知道，孩子们成人后将如何议论你！

　　And all about a paltry² button off one of your wristbands! 所有话题没一样离开鸡毛蒜皮，包括你哪只袖口掉只纽扣啦，

　　A decent³ man would n't have mentioned it. Why don't I hold my tongue? 举止优雅的绅士从来不屑谈这些鸡零狗碎。为什么我不住嘴？

　　Because I won't hold my tongue. 因为我不想住嘴！

　　I'm to have my peace of mind destroyed—I'm to be worried into my grave for a miserable⁴ shirt button, and I'm to hold my tongue! 我就是想毁掉平和心态——我就是想哪怕为一只倒霉纽扣也恨不得愁得钻进坟墓。那么，就彻底闭嘴了！

　　Oh! but that's just like you men! 天呀！那才和你们这些男人一个鬼样！

　　But I know what I'll do for the future. 可是，我知道得为自己将来打算。

　　Every button you have may drop off, and I won't so much as put a thread to 'em. 你身上每粒纽扣可能都会掉落，我可不会那么心甘情愿地穿针弄线随时伺候，

　　And I should like to know what you'll do then! Oh, you must get somebody else to sew 'em, must you? 我还很乐意知道接下来你要做什么。噢，你一定要找其他女人给你缝，是不是？

　　That's a pretty threat for a husband to hold out to his wife! 那可是老公甩给老婆的杀手锏。

　　And to such a wife as I've been, too, such a slave to your buttons, as I may say. 像我这样老婆当然一样，不妨这样说，我不过是对付你纽扣的奴隶罢，

　　Somebody else to sew 'em'! No, Caudle, no; not while I'm alive! 会有其他女人给你缝的， 不，高德，不，只要我还活着，就不会有！

　　When I'm dead—and, with what I have to bear, there's no knowing how soon that may be when I 'm dead, I say—oh! what a brute⁵ you must be to snore so! 如果我死了呢？——还需要忍受什么？没人知道还有多久——一旦快死了，我会说——天呀！你简直是个只会打呼噜的畜生！

　　You're not snoring? Ha! that's what you always say; but that's nothing to do with it. 你没有打呼噜？嘁！你总这样说，但所有一切全都无所谓了。

　　You must get somebody else to sew 'em, must you? Ha! I should n't wonder. 你肯定还要找其他女人过日子，是吗？嘁！我不该大惊小怪。

　　Oh, no! I should be surprised at nothing now! Nothing at all! 天呀！绝不！现在我对发生任何事情都不会吃惊。一点儿不会！

　　It's what people have always told me it would come to; and now the buttons have opened my eyes! 如同别人总是告诉我那样，该来的，一定会来；纽扣才让我看清这些！

　　But the whole world shall know of your cruelty, Mr. Caudle. After the wife I've been to you. 其实，所有应该了解的就是你的残忍，高德先生，和你结婚后，

　　Caudle, you've a heart like a hearthstone, you have! 高德，你简直就是铁石心肠。一点儿没错！

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 paltry   

adj.无价值的，微不足道的

参考例句：

• The parents had little interest in paltry domestic concerns.那些家长对家里鸡毛蒜皮的小事没什么兴趣。
• I'm getting angry;and if you don't command that paltry spirit of yours.我要生气了，如果你不能振作你那点元气。

3 decent   

adj.象样的，不错的，体面的，正派的，恰当的

参考例句：

• We want to raise our children to be decent men and women.我们盼望把孩子们培养成优秀人才。
• There isn't even a decent table in this room.这屋里连张像样的桌子也没有。

4 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

5 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。