名著精讀《飄》第二章 第9節

Why he should have captivated Scarlett when his mind was a stranger to hers she did not know. The very mystery of him excited her curiosity like a door that had neither lock nor key. The things about him which she could not understand only made her love him more, and his odd, restrained courtship only served to increase her determination to have him for her own. That he would propose some day she had never doubted, for she was too young and too spoiled ever to have known defeat. And now, like a thunderclap, had come this horrible news. Ashley to marry Melanie! It couldn’t be true!

思嘉弄不明白，既然他的心對她的心是那樣陌生，那麼爲什麼他竟會迷住她呢？就是他的這個祕密像一扇既沒有鎖也沒有鑰匙的門引起了她的好奇心。他身上那些她所無法理解的東西只有使她更加愛他，他那種剋制的求愛態度只能鼓勵她下更大的決心去把他佔爲己有。她從未懷疑他有一天會向她求婚，因爲她實太年輕太嬌慣了，從來不懂得失敗是怎麼回事。現在，好比晴天霹靂，這個可怕的消息突然降臨。這不可能是真的呀！艾希禮要娶媚蘭了！

　
Why, only last week, when they were riding home at twilight from Fairhill, he had said: “Scarlett, I have something so important to tell you that I hardly know how to say it.”

爲什麼，就在上週一個傍晚他們騎馬從費爾黑爾回家時，他還對她說過：“思嘉，我有件十分重要的事要告訴你，但是不知怎麼說好。"
　
She had cast down her eyes demurely, her heart beating with wild pleasure, thinking the happy moment had come. Then he had said: “Not now! We’re nearly home and there isn’t time. Oh, Scarlett, what a coward I am!” And putting spurs to his horse, he had raced her up the hill to Tara.

她那時假裝正經地低下頭來，可高興得心怦怦直跳，覺得那個愉快的時刻來了。接着他又說：“可現在不行啊！沒有時間了。咱們快到家了，唔，思嘉，你看我多麼膽怯呀！"他隨即用靴刺在馬肋上踢了幾下，趕快送思嘉越過山岡回塔拉來了。
　
Scarlett, sitting on the stump, thought of those words which had made her so happy, and suddenly they took on another meaning, a hideous meaning. Suppose it was the news of his engagement he had intended to tell her!
　　
思嘉坐在樹樁上，回想着那幾句曾叫她十分高興的話，可這時它們突然有另一種意思，一種可怕的意思。也許他找算告訴她的就是他要訂婚的消息呢！

tship n. 求愛，求婚，求愛時期

His courtship swept her off her feet.
她立即接受了他的求婚。

derclap n. 雷聲，晴天霹靂

ight['twailait] n. 黃昏，微光，含糊不清，衰落時期

She often sits in the garden at twilight.
黃昏時分她常常坐在花園裏。

rely adv. 裝成端莊地，認真地

ous adj. 醜陋的，可怕的

She calls the new opera house "that hideous erection".
她把新歌劇院叫作 “那討厭的龐然大物”。