名著精讀《理智與情感》第八章 第4節

"It would be impossible, I know, " replied Elinor, "to convince you that a woman of seven and twenty could feel for a man of thirty-five anything near enough to love, to make him a desirable companion to her. But I must object to your dooming Colonel Brandon and his wife to the constant confinement of a sick chamber, merely because he chanced to complain yesterday (a very cold damp day) of a slight rheumatic feel in one of his shoulders. "

“我知道，”埃麗諾回答說，“不可能讓你相信，一個二十七歲的女人可以對一個三十五歲的男人產生一定的愛情，使他成爲自己的理想伴侶。但是我不贊成你把布蘭登上校看死了，僅僅因爲他昨天（一個潮溼的大冷天）偶爾抱怨了一聲，說一隻肩膀略有點風溼病的感覺，便認爲他和他妻子註定要永遠關在病室裏。”

"But he talked of flannel waistcoats, " said Marianne; "and with me a flannel waistcoat is invariably connected with aches, cramps, rheumatisms, and every species of ailment that can afflict the old and the feeble. "

“可他說起了法蘭絨馬甲，”瑪麗安說，“在我看來，法蘭絨馬甲總是與疼痛、痙攣、風溼以及老年體弱人所患的種種病症聯繫在一起的。”

"Had he been only in a violent fever, you would not have despised him half so much. Confess, Marianne, is not there something interesting to you in the flushed cheek, hollow eye, and quick pulse of a fever?"

“他只要發一場高燒，你就不會這麼瞧不起他了。坦白地說，瑪麗安，你不感到發燒時的紅臉頰、瞘眼睛、快脈搏也很有趣嗎？”

Soon after this, upon Elinor's leaving the room, "Mamma, " said Marianne, "I have an alarm on the subject of illness which I cannot conceal from you. I am sure Edward Ferrars is not well. We have now been here almost a fortnight, and yet he does not come. Nothing but real indisposition could occasion this extraordinary delay. What else can detain him at Norland?"

說完這話，埃麗諾便走出了房間。“媽媽，”瑪麗安說道，“我對疾病抱有一股恐懼感，沒法向你隱瞞。我敢肯定，愛德華．費拉斯身體不好。我們來這兒都快兩個星期了，可他還不來。只有身體不好，纔會使他拖延這麼許久。還有什麼事情能把他耽擱在諾蘭莊園呢？”
　　

inement n. 拘禁，限制，分娩

He has been put in solitary confinement for attacking another prisoner.
他因傷害另一囚犯而被隔離監禁。

matic[ru:'mætik] adj. 風溼症的，患風溼症的，引起風溼症的 n. 風溼症患者

tcoat n. 背心，馬甲

His waistcoat is beneath his coat.
他的背心穿在外套裏面。

le[fi:bl] adj. 虛弱的，無力的

This was his fatal defect; he was of feeble will.
這是他致命的弱點，他意志薄弱。

ow n. 洞，窟窿，山谷 adj. 空的，虛僞的，空腹的

This tree looks high and strong but actually its trunk is hollow.
這棵樹看起來又高又壯，實際上樹幹是空的。

e n. 脈衝，脈波，脈搏 v. 跳動，脈跳

His pulse is not very regular.
他的脈搏不很規則。

sposition n. 小病，不舒服，厭惡

I felt a certain indisposition to face reality.
我多少有些不願意面對現實。