He duly summoned me to his presence in the evening.
傍晚时他按时把我叫了去。
I had prepared an occupation for him; for I was determined not to spend the whole time in a tête-à-tête conversation.
我早已准备了事儿让他干，因为我决不想整个晚上跟他这么促膝谈心。
I remembered his fine voice; I knew he liked to sing -- good singers generally do.
我记得他的嗓子很漂亮，还知道他喜欢唱歌--好歌手一般都这样。
I was no vocalist myself, and, in his fastidious judgment, no musician, either;
我自己不会唱歌，而且按他那种苛刻的标准，我也不懂音乐；
but I delighted in listening when the performance was good.
但我喜欢听出色的表演。

No sooner had twilight, that hour of romance, began to lower her blue and starry banner over the lattice,
黄昏薄暮的浪漫时刻，刚把星光闪烁的蓝色旗帜降到窗格上，
than I rose, opened the piano, and entreated him, for the love of heaven, to give me a song.
我便立起身来，打开钢琴，求他一定得给我唱个歌。
He said I was a capricious witch, and that he would rather sing another time;
他说我是个捉摸不透的女巫，他还是其他时候唱好，
but I averred that no time was like the present.
但我口口声声说没有比现在更合适了。