双语小说连载:纯真年代 The Age of Innocence(11)

He waited for the senior partner to continue. Mr. Letterblair unlocked a drawer and drew out a packet. "If you will run your eye over these papers--"
他等待老合伙人说下去。莱特布赖先生打开一个抽屉，抽出了一包东西。“如果你浏览一下这些文件——”

Archer frowned. "I beg your pardon, sir; but just because of the prospective relationship, I should prefer your consulting Mr. Skipworth or Mr. Redwood."

阿切尔皱起了眉头。“请原谅，先生；可正因为未来的亲戚关系，我更希望你与斯吉普沃思先生或雷德伍德先生商讨这件事。”

Mr. Letterblair looked surprised and slightly offended. It was unusual for a junior to reject such an opening.
莱特布赖先生似乎颇感意外，而且有点生气。一位下级拒绝这样的开场白是很少见的。

He bowed. "I respect your scruple, sir; but in this case I believe true delicacy requires you to do as I ask. Indeed, the suggestion is not mine but Mrs. Manson Mingott's and her son's. I have seen Lovell Mingott; and also Mr. Welland. They all named you."
他点了点头，说：“我尊重你的顾虑，先生，不过对这件事，我以为真正的审慎还是要按我说的去做。说老实话，这并不是我的提议，而是曼森·明戈特和她的儿子们的提议。我已经见过了洛弗尔·明戈特，还有韦兰先生，他们全都指名要你办。”

Archer felt his temper rising. He had been somewhat languidly drifting with events for the last fortnight, and letting May's fair looks and radiant nature obliterate the rather importunate pressure of the Mingott claims. But this behest of old Mrs. Mingott's roused him to a sense of what the clan thought they had the right to exact from a prospective son-in-law; and he chafed at the role.
阿切尔感到怒火在上升。最近两个星期，他一直有点不由自主地随波逐流，以梅的漂亮容貌和光彩个性去对付明戈特家那些纠缠不休的要求。然而老明戈特太太的这道谕旨却使他清醒地看到，这个家族认为他们有权强迫未来的女婿去干些什么，他被这种角色激怒了。

"Her uncles ought to deal with this," he said.
“她的叔叔们应该处理这件事，”他说。

"They have. The matter has been gone into by the family. They are opposed to the Countess's idea; but she is firm, and insists on a legal opinion."
“他们处理了。全家人进行了研究，他们反对伯爵夫人的意见，但她很坚决，坚持要求得到法律的判决。”

The young man was silent: he had not opened the packet in his hand.
年轻人不作声了：他还没有打开手上的纸包。

"Does she want to marry again?"
“她是不是想再嫁人？”

"I believe it is suggested; but she denies it."
“我认为有这个意思；但她否认这一点。”

"Then--"
“那么——”

"Will you oblige me, Mr. Archer, by first looking through these papers? Afterward, when we have talked the case over, I will give you my opinion."
“阿切尔先生，劳驾你先看一遍这些文件好吗？以后，等我们把情况交谈之后，我会告诉你我的意见。”