名著精讀《飄》第一章 第16節

Then, last summer at a political speaking in a grove of oak trees at Jonesboro, they both suddenly became aware of Scarlett O’Hara. They had known her for years, and, since their childhood, she had been a favorite playmate, for she could ride horses and climb trees almost as well as they. But now to their amazement she had become a grown-up young lady and quite the most charming one in all the world.

後來，在去年夏天瓊斯博羅橡樹林裏一個政治講演會上，他們兩人突然發現了思嘉。他們認識她已多年了，並且從童年時代起，她就是一個討人喜歡的遊伴，她會騎馬，會爬樹，幾乎比男孩子毫不遜色。可現在他們驚奇地發現她已經是個成年姑娘，而且可以稱得上是全世界最迷人的一個呢。

　
They noticed for the first time how her green eyes danced, how deep her dimples were when she laughed, how tiny her hands and feet and what a small waist she had. Their clever remarks sent her into merry peals of laughter and, inspired by the thought that she considered them a remarkable pair, they fairly outdid themselves.

他們第一次注意到她那雙綠眼睛在怎樣跳舞，她笑起來兩個酒窩有多麼深，她的手和腳是尋麼嬌小，而那腰肢又是那麼纖細呀！他們對她的巧妙讚揚使她樂得放聲大笑，同時，一想到她已把他們當做一對出衆的小夥子，他們自己也不禁有點飄飄然了。
　
It was a memorable day in the life of the twins. Thereafter, when they talked it over, they always wondered just why they had failed to notice Scarlett’s charms before. They never arrived at the correct answer, which was that Scarlett on that day had decided to make them notice. She was constitutionally unable to endure any man being in love with any woman not herself, and the sight of India Wilkes and Stuart at the speaking had been too much for her predatory nature. Not content with Stuart alone, she had set her cap for Brent as well, and with a thoroughness that overwhelmed the two of they were both in love with her, and India Wilkes and Letty Munroe, from Lovejoy, whom Brent had been half-heartedly courting, were far in the back of their minds.

那是哥兒倆一生中值得紀念的一天。自那以後，每當他們談起這件事來都覺得奇怪，爲什麼從前意沒有注意到思嘉的美。他們至今沒有找到確切的答案，來解釋爲什麼思嘉決定要在那一天引其他們的注意。原來思嘉不能容忍任何男人同別的女人戀愛，因此她一見到英迪亞和斯圖爾特在一起說話便覺得受不了，便會產生掠奪之心。她並不滿足於單單佔有斯圖爾特，還要把布倫特也奪過來，並且用一種十分巧妙的手腕把他們兩個控制祝現在他們兩人雙雙墜入情網，而英迪亞·威爾斯和布倫特曾經半心半意追求過的那樣來自洛夫喬伊的萊蒂·芒羅，都被他們遠遠地拋在腦後了。

Just what the loser would do, should Scarlett accept either one of them, the twins did not ask. They would cross that bridge when they came to it. For the present they were quite satisfied to be in accord again about one girl, for they had no jealousies between them. It was a situation which interested the neighbors and annoyed their mother, who had no liking for Scarlett.

至於如果思嘉選擇他們中的一個時，落選的那個該怎麼辦，這個問題哥兒倆並不考慮。到了河邊再過橋吧。眼下他們對一位姑娘取得了一致的看法，這就相當滿意了，因爲他們中間並沒有什麼嫉妒之心。這種情形引起了左鄰右舍的注意，並叫他們的母親苦惱不堪----她是不怎麼喜歡思嘉的。

mate ['pleimeit] n. 玩伴, 遊伴

He was my playmate in childhood.
他是我童年時的玩伴。

le ['dimpl] n. 酒窩, 漣漪

Mary has two dimples when she smiles.
瑪麗笑時露出兩個笑靨。

o ['du:] vt. 超過, 勝過

He has outdone all his rivals in skill.
他在技巧方面勝過所有的對手。

atory adj. 掠奪的, 掠奪成性的, 捕食生物的

A person of a rapacious, predatory, or profiteering nature.
貪婪的人具有貪婪、兇殘或逐利性格的人

oughness n. 徹底性

The main credit for the success of the test attaches to the thoroughness in their work.
這次試驗之所以成功, 主要歸功於他們工作中一絲不苟的精神。

t n. 法院, 庭院, 奉承, 球場 v. 獻殷勤, 追求, 招致危險

The young man courted the young lady by bring her flowers every day.
那青年通過每天給那女子送花而向她求愛。