名著精讀《理智與情感》第11章 第3節

In Colonel Brandon alone, of all her new acquaintance, did Elinor find a person who could in any degree claim the respect of abilities, excite the interest of friendship, or give pleasure as a companion. Willoughby was out of the question. Her admiration and regard, even her sisterly regard, was all his own; but he was a lover; his attentions were wholly Marianne's, and a far less agreeable man might have been more generally pleasing. Colonel Brandon, unfortunately for himself, had no such encouragement to think only of Marianne, and in conversing with Elinor he found the greatest consolation for the indifference of her sister.

埃麗諾覺得，在她新結識的人裏，唯有布蘭登上校堪稱具有一定的才幹，能激起友誼的興致，帶來交往的樂趣。威洛比可就談不上啦。儘管她愛慕他，敬重他，甚至姐妹般地敬重他，可他畢竟處在熱戀之中，只知道向瑪麗安獻殷勤。也許，他若是少獻點殷勤，倒會更討衆人喜歡些。布蘭登上校很是不幸，他本想傾心於瑪麗安，瑪麗安對他卻無情意，冷若冰霜。不過，通過與埃麗諾進行交談，他得到了最大的安慰。

Elinor's compassion for him increased, as she had reason to suspect that the misery of disappointed love had already been known to him. This suspicion was given by some words which accidently dropped from him one evening at the park, when they were sitting down together by mutual consent, while the others were dancing. His eyes were fixed on Marianne, and, after a silence of some minutes, he said, with a faint smile, "Your sister, I understand, does not approve of second attachments. "

埃麗諾越來越同情上校，因爲她有理由猜想，他已經感到了失戀的痛苦。這種猜想是一天晚上在巴頓莊園聽他無意中漏出一句話而引起來的。當時，別人都在跳舞，他倆經過彼此同意，一道坐了下來。上校兩眼凝視着瑪麗安，沉默了幾分鐘之後，淡然微笑着說：“據我瞭解，你妹妹不贊成第二次愛情。”

"No, " replied Elinor, "her opinions are all romantic. "

“是的，”埃麗諾應道，“她的想法十分羅曼蒂克。”

"Or rather, as I believe, she considers them impossible to exist. "

“依我看，更確切地說，她認爲不可能存在第二次愛情。”

"I believe she does. But how she contrives it without reflecting on the character of her own father, who had himself two wives, I know not. A few years however will settle her opinions on the reasonable basis of common sense and observation; and then they may be more easy to define and to justify than they now are, by any body but herself. "

“我看她是這樣認爲的。但是，我不曉得她怎麼能這樣想，這豈不有損於她自己父親的人格，因爲他就有過兩個妻子。不過，再過幾年，她就會根據自己的常識和觀察，把看法變得合情合理一些。到那時候，她的觀點在除她以外的任何人看來，都會比現在更容易解釋，更容易辯護。”

"This will probably be the case, " he replied; "and yet there is something so amiable in the prejudices of a young mind, that one is sorry to see them give way to the reception of more general opinions. "

“情況可能如此，”上校答道，“然而青年人的偏見別有一番親切感，誰肯忍心拋棄，而去接受那些比較一般的觀點？”
　　

aintance n. 熟人，相識，瞭解

He is my acquaintance.
他是我的熟人。

anion n. 同伴，同事 v. 陪伴

He had always considered her an ideal companion for his son.
他一直以爲她是他兒子的理想伴侶。

olation n. 安慰，慰藉

Your company has been a great consolation to me.
能和你在一起對我是件極爲安慰的事。

al adj. 共同的，相互的

My friend and I have mutual enthusiasm for music.
我和我的朋友對音樂有着共同的愛好。

ove of 贊成

Do you approve of the new design?
您贊成這種新設計嗎?

rive v. 發明，設計，圖謀，設法做到

Can you contrive to be here early?
你能不能設法早到點？

ble adj. 和藹的，親切的

He is an amiable person.
他是個可親的人。

oughby was out of the question. Her admiration and regard, even her sisterly regard, was all his own; but he was a lover; his attentions were wholly Marianne's...

【難句解析】out of the question"不可能"；注意與out of question的區別，後者意思是“沒問題”；

【句子翻譯】威洛比可就談不上啦。儘管她愛慕他，敬重他，甚至姐妹般地敬重他，可他畢竟處在熱戀之中，只知道向瑪麗安獻殷勤。

then they may be more easy to define and to justify than they now are, by any body but herself. "

【難句解析】any body but“除了...之外任何人”；

【句子翻譯】她的觀點在除她以外的任何人看來，都會比現在更容易解釋，更容易辯護。