原文欣赏

Louis' love affair with his palace
路易对凡尔赛的迷恋
lasted longer than any of his human relationships.
超越了对任何女人的爱情
After 14 years, nine pregnancies and seven children,
14年后蒙特斯潘夫人怀孕九次
Montespan was beginning to lose her looks
生育七子 青春不再
and her hold on the king.
国王也不再青睐于她
Madame de Montespan began to fall out of favour because,
德·蒙特斯潘夫人失去宠爱
inevitably, after nine pregnancies,
是因为怀孕九次后
her figure wasn't quite what it was.
她的容貌无可避免地老去
She became rather blousy, she drank too much,
她不修边幅 酗酒
she gambled too much, she made a nuisance of herself
赌博 经常发火
with her tantrums, and I think,
惹人厌恶
as happens to a lot of women,
对很多女人来说
the more she felt her man slipping away from her,
越觉得男人不再宠爱自己
the more needy and clingy she became,
越发会变得缠人
and the more needy and clingy she became,
而她们越缠人
the more she drove him away.
男人只会离得更远
But I think Louis was also undergoing
但是路易自己
quite a significant personal transformation.
也经历了很大变化
He was becoming much more religious.
他变得更加虔诚
Madame de Montespan was a married woman.
德·蒙特斯潘夫人已经结婚
Committing adultery with an unmarried woman was one thing,
与未婚女子通奸不同
but double adultery was sacrilege.
和有夫之妇有染是亵渎
It was a tremendous scandal,
这是巨大的丑闻
and he was becoming conscious
路易逐渐意识到
of the fact that his way of life
他的生活方式
was really compromising the state and compromising his kingship.
有损自己的地位与王权
Louis turned to a very different woman.
他转向了一个完全不同的女子
Madame de Maintenon.
德·曼特侬夫人
governess to his illegitimate children.
是他非婚生子的家庭教师
Maintenon was pious, quiet and intelligent.
她虔诚 沉静而聪颖
Qualities that a middle-aged Louis had come to admire.
拥有中年路易所倾慕的一切品质
重点讲解
一.affair：n. 私通，事件，事务，事情
【词义辨析】
affair, business, matter, concern, thing,
affair: 含义较广，侧重指已发生或必须去做的任何事情或事务。复数形式多指重大或较复杂的事务。
business: 通常指较重要或较难而又必须承担的事情，也可指商事。
matter: 普通用词，着重指一件考虑中的或需要处理的事。
concern: 往往强调与个人或团体利害有直接或重大关系的事。
thing: 用作“事情”解时，词义较笼统、含糊，多用于指不很具体的事。
【词语用法】
1.affair的复数形式affairs常指“情形”或“事态”，不指“多件事”。
He asked me how affairs stood.
他问我情形怎么样了。
注意affairs前没有the。
2.affair有时指“love-affair”，即“风流韵事”。
He has had an affair with the girl.
3.下列表达方式中用affairs，复数形式：foreign affairs (外交事务)，his financial affairs (他的经济情况），your own affairs (你自己的事情）。
【例句用法】
1.The minister is busy with important affairs of state.
部长忙于重要国务。
2.The party was a dull affair.
这次聚会单调乏味。
3.Mind your own affairs!
别管闲事！
二.admire：vt. 钦佩，赞美，羡慕
【词义辨析】
admire, honour, respect, regard, esteem,
admire: 侧重指对某人或某物的仰慕、钦佩，并含欣赏爱慕之情。
honour: 侧重指对某人或某物表示极大的敬意。
respect: 指对人的行为、品德、才华或成就等的仰慕尊重。尤指对年长或地位高的人的尊敬。
regard: 最正式用词，中性，含义不很明确，一般需用修饰语加强或明确其意。
esteem: 除表示尊敬之外，还暗示由此而产生的称赞。
【词语用法】
1.admire后接名词，不能接that从句。
I admire his learning.
句子最好别换成I admire that he is learned，因不自然。
2.下面的两种表达方式均可：
I admire his learning.
I admire him for his learning.
【例句用法】
1.They admire her alabaster complexion.
他们羡慕她那白润光滑的肌肤。
2.We admire him for his righteousness.
我们钦佩他的正直。
3.You may not like him, but you have got to admire his persistence.
你可以不喜欢他，但你不得不佩服他那种坚韧不拔的精神。
4.I am not a great admirer of her work.
我对她的工作不太欣赏。
5.She has many admirers.
她有许多追求者。