双语小说连载:纯真年代 The Age of Innocence(7)

"I had just finished reading the Times," he said, laying his long finger-tips together. "In town my mornings are so much occupied that I find it more convenient to read the newspapers after luncheon."
“我刚刚读完《纽约时报》，”他说，一面把长长的指尖收拢在一起。“在城里上午事情太多，我发现午饭后读报更合适。”

"Ah, there's a great deal to be said for that plan-- indeed I think my uncle Egmont used to say he found it less agitating not to read the morning papers till after dinner," said Mrs. Archer responsively.
“噢，这样安排是很有道理的——我想我舅舅埃格蒙特过去确实常常说，他发现把晨报留到晚餐后读，不会使人心烦意乱，”阿切尔太太附和地说。

"Yes: my good father abhorred hurry. But now we live in a constant rush," said Mr. van der Luyden in measured tones, looking with pleasant deliberation about the large shrouded room which to Archer was so complete an image of its owners.
“不错。我亲爱的父亲就讨厌忙乱，可我们如今却经常处于紧张状态，”范德卢顿先生很有分寸地说，一边从容而又愉快地打量着遮蔽严实的大房间。阿切尔觉得这屋子是其主人完美的化身。

"But I hope you HAD finished your reading, Henry?" his wife interposed.

"Quite--quite," he reassured her.

"Then I should like Adeline to tell you--"

"Oh, it's really Newland's story," said his mother smiling; and proceeded to rehearse once more the monstrous tale of the affront inflicted on Mrs. Lovell Mingott.

"Of course," she ended, "Augusta Welland and Mary Mingott both felt that, especially in view of Newland's engagement, you and Henry OUGHT TO KNOW."

"Ah--" said Mr. van der Luyden, drawing a deep breath.

“我希望你真的已经读完报纸了，亨利？”他妻子插言道。
“完了——读完了，”他向她保证说。

“那么，我想让艾德琳对你讲一讲——”

“哦，其实是纽兰的事，”母亲面带笑容地说，接着又复述了一遍洛弗尔·明戈特太太蒙受公开侮辱的咄咄怪事。

“当然，”她最后说，“奥古斯塔·韦兰跟玛丽·明戈特都认为——尤其是考虑到纽兰的订婚——你和亨利是应当知道的。”

“噢——”范德卢顿先生深深吸了一口气说。

There was a silence during which the tick of the monumental ormolu clock on the white marble mantelpiece grew as loud as the boom of a minute-gun. Archer contemplated with awe the two slender faded figures, seated side by side in a kind of viceregal rigidity, mouthpieces of some remote ancestral authority which fate compelled them to wield, when they would so much rather have lived in simplicity and seclusion, digging invisible weeds out of the perfect lawns of Skuytercliff, and playing Patience together in the evenings.
接下来是一阵沉默，白色大理石壁炉台上那架巨大的镀金时钟发出的嘀嗒声变得像葬礼上一分钟鸣放一次的炮声那样轰轰隆隆。阿切尔敬畏地思忖着这两个瘦弱的人，他们肩并肩坐在那儿，像总督一样严肃。是命运强迫他们做了远古祖先的权威代言人，尽管他们可能巴不得深居简出，在斯库特克利夫的草坪上挖除杂草，晚上一起玩纸牌游戏。