名著精讀《理智與情感》第五章 第3節

The man and one of the maids were sent off immediately into Devonshire, to prepare the house for their mistress's arrival; for as Lady Middleton was entirely unknown to Mrs. Dashwood, she preferred going directly to the cottage to being a visitor at Barton Park; and she relied so undoubtingly on Sir John's description of the house, as to feel no curiosity to examine it herself till she entered it as her own.

那位男僕和一位女僕當即被差往德文郡，收拾房子迎接女主人。因為達什伍德太太與米德爾頓夫人素昧平生，她寧肯立即住進鄉舍，而不願到巴頓莊園作客。約翰爵士將房子描述過了，對此她深信不疑，無心再去親自查看，等搬進去再説吧。

Her eagerness to be gone from Norland was preserved from diminution by the evident satisfaction of her daughter-in-law in the prospect of her removal; a satisfaction which was but feebly attempted to be concealed under a cold invitation to her to defer her departure. Now was the time when her son-in-law's promise to his father might with particular propriety be fulfilled.

她要離開諾蘭莊園的心情越來越迫切。明擺着，那位兒媳眼見她要搬家了，不禁得意揚揚，那股得意勁兒，即使在冷冰冰地請她推遲幾天再走的時候，也不加掩飾。現在該是約翰，達什伍德妥善履行對父親的諾言的時候啦。

Since he had neglected to do it on first coming to the estate, their quitting his house might be looked on as the most suitable period for its accomplishment. But Mrs. Dashwood began shortly to give over every hope of the kind, and to be convinced, from the general drift of his discourse, that his assistance extended no farther than their maintenance for six months at Norland.

既然他初來諾蘭莊園時沒有盡到責任，現在她們行將離開他的家，也許是他履行諾言的最好時機。但是，達什伍德太太很快就死了這個心，她從他的話音裏聽得出來，他所謂的幫助只不過是讓她們在諾蘭莊園寄住了六個月。

He so frequently talked of the increasing expenses of housekeeping, and of the perpetual demands upon his purse, which a man of any consequence in the world was beyond calculation exposed to, that he seemed rather to stand in need of more money himself than to have any design of giving money away.

他成天喋喋不休，什麼家庭開支越來越大呀，什麼要花錢的地方沒完沒了呀，什麼不管多麼顯要的人物也面臨着無可估量的花銷問題呀，聽起來，他自己似乎需要更多的錢財收入，而決不想往外送錢。

[meid] n. 女僕, 侍女

I'll send the maid round to carry it to your house.
我將派女僕把它送到你家去。

ubtingly adv. 信任地, 不懷疑地

nution n. 減少, 縮小, 減低

The government tried to prevent the diminution of resources.
政府試圖阻止資源的減少。

riety n. 適當，正當，得體 (複數）proprieties:禮節，禮儀

We should observe the proprieties.
我們應該遵守禮節。

[kwit] v. 離開,辭職,停止

You must quit smoking. Most important of all, you should start taking exercise.
你必須戒煙, 更重要的是, 你該開始運動。

ulation n. 計算

Your calculation is way off beam.
你的計算大錯特錯.

eagerness to be gone from Norland was preserved from diminution by the evident satisfaction of her daughter-in-law in the prospect of her removal; a satisfaction which was but feebly attempted to be concealed under a cold invitation to her to defer her departure. Now was the time when her son-in-law's promise to his father might with particular propriety be fulfilled.

【難句解析】第一句的主幹是Her eagerness was preserved...，其中to be gone from Norland是定語修飾eagerness；第三句的主幹是Now was the time，後面的when...是定語從句修飾time；

【句子翻譯】她要離開諾蘭莊園的心情越來越迫切。明擺着，那位兒媳眼見她要搬家了，不禁得意揚揚，那股得意勁兒，即使在冷冰冰地請她推遲幾天再走的時候，也不加掩飾。現在該是約翰，達什伍德妥善履行對父親的諾言的時候啦。