"It was only a joke at first," groaned our visitor.
"我当初只不过是跟她开玩笑，"客人哼哼唧唧地说，
"We never thought that she would have been so carried away."
"我们根本没有想到她会那么痴情。"
"Very likely not. However that may be, the young lady was very decidedly carried away,
"根本不可能是开玩笑。不过，那位年轻姑娘确实是被冲昏了头脑，
and, having quite made up her mind that her stepfather was in France, the suspicion of treachery never for an instant entered her mind.
一心以为她的继父是在法国，从来不怀疑她自己是上了大当。
She was flattered by the gentleman's attentions, and the effect was increased by the loudly expressed admiration of her mother.
她因受到那位先生的殷勤奉承而高兴。而她母亲的一片赞扬声使她更加高兴。
Then Mr. Angel began to call, for it was obvious that the matter should be pushed as far as it would go if a real effect were to be produced.
于是安吉尔先生开始来访，因为一旦奏效，事情就要继续进行下去。
There were meetings, and an engagement, which would finally secure the girl's affections from turning towards anyone else.
会过几次面，订了婚，这就最后保证了姑娘的心不会转向别人。

But the deception could not be kept up forever. These pretended journeys to France were rather cumbrous.
但是牌局不能永远继续下去，装着去法国出差也相当麻烦，
The thing to do was clearly to bring the business to an end in such a dramatic manner
所以就干脆把事情来一个戏剧性的收场，
that it would leave a permanent impression upon the young lady's mind and prevent her from looking upon any other suitor for some time to come.
以便在年轻姑娘的心上留下永不磨灭的印象，这样来防止她有朝一日可能会看上其他求婚的男子。
Hence those vows of fidelity exacted upon a Testament,
于是，就出现了手按圣经发誓白头偕老，
and hence also the allusions to a possibility of something happening on the very morning of the wedding.
举行婚礼那天的早晨暗示可能发生某种事情等把戏。
James Windibank wished Miss Sutherland to be so bound to Hosmer Angel,
詹姆斯·温迪班克希望萨瑟兰小姐对霍斯默·安吉尔忠贞不渝，
and so uncertain as to his fate, that for ten years to come, at any rate, she would not listen to another man.
而对他的生死则难以肯定，总而言之，可使她在以后的十年里不会去听从别的男人的话。
As far as the church door he brought her, and then, as he could go no farther,
霍斯默陪她到了教堂门口，他不能再往前走了，
he conveniently vanished away by the old trick of stepping in at one door of a four-wheeler and out at the other.
他耍起了老花招，从四轮马车的这扇门钻进去，又从那扇门钻出来，悠哉游哉地溜走了。
I think that that was the chain of events, Mr. Windibank!"
我认为这就是整个事情的经过，温迪班克先生！"