双语小说连载:纯真年代 The Age of Innocence(11)

"Well--what's the use? SHE'S here--he's there; the Atlantic's between them. She'll never get back a dollar more of her money than what he's voluntarily returned to her: their damned heathen marriage settlements take precious good care of that. As things go over there, Olenski's acted generously: he might have turned her out without a penny."
“唉，案子有什么用？她在这里——他在那里，大西洋隔在他们中间。除了他自愿给她的，多一美元她也绝对要不回来，他们那该死的异教婚姻财产处理法规定得明明白白。按那边的情形，奥兰斯基做得已经很慷慨了：他本来可以一个铜板都不给就把她撵走的。”

The young man knew this and was silent.
年轻人明白这一点，缄口无言了。

"I understand, though," Mr. Letterblair continued, "that she attaches no importance to the money. Therefore, as the family say, why not let well enough alone?"
“可是我知道，”莱特布赖接下去说，“她对钱的问题并不重视。所以，就像她的家人所说的，干吗不听其自然呢？”

Archer had gone to the house an hour earlier in full agreement with Mr. Letterblair's view; but put into words by this selfish, well-fed and supremely indifferent old man it suddenly became the Pharisaic voice of a society wholly absorbed in barricading itself against the unpleasant.
阿切尔一小时之前到他家来的时候，与莱特布赖先生的意见完全一致，但这些话一从这个酒足饭饱、冷漠自私的老人口中讲出来，却突然变成全神贯注地防范不愉快事情出现的上流社会伪善者的腔调。

"I think that's for her to decide."
“我想这事该由她自己决定。”

"H'm--have you considered the consequences if she decides for divorce?"
“唔——假如她决定离婚，你考虑过事情的后果吗？”

"You mean the threat in her husband's letter? What weight would that carry? It's no more than the vague charge of an angry blackguard."
“你是说她丈夫信中的威胁？那有什么了不起？不过是一个发怒的恶棍含含糊糊的指控罢了。”

"Yes; but it might make some unpleasant talk if he really defends the suit."
“不错；可假如他真要进行抗辩，却有可能造成不愉快的口实。”

"Unpleasant--!" said Archer explosively.
“不愉快的——！”阿切尔暴躁地说。

Mr. Letterblair looked at him from under enquiring eyebrows, and the young man, aware of the uselessness of trying to explain what was in his mind, bowed acquiescently while his senior continued: "Divorce is always unpleasant."
莱特布赖先生诧异地挑起眉毛看着他，年轻人意识到向他说明自己的想法等于徒劳。他的上司接着说：“离婚永远是不愉快的。”他默认地点了点头。