(单词翻译:单击)
How this miracle of fire and ice was to be created, and to sustain itself in a harsh world, he had never taken the time to think out;
这个冰与火的奇迹是如何创造出来的，又是如何在这个严酷的世界中生存下去的，他从来没有花时间去想过；
but he was content to hold his view without analysing it,
但持有自己的观点而不加分析就已经让他感到满足了，
since he knew it was that of all the carefully-brushed, white-waistcoated, button-hole-flowered gentlemen
因为他知道这也是其他所有人的想法，这些绅士们梳着精致的发型，穿着雪白的背心，纽扣孔中插着鲜花，
who succeeded each other in the club box, exchanged friendly greetings with him, and turned their opera-glasses critically on the circle of ladies who were the product of the system.
相继进入俱乐部包厢，与他友好地打招呼，并挑剔地把他们的观剧望远镜对准其他女士，而这些女士也是这一制度下的产物。
In matters intellectual and artistic, Newland Archer felt himself distinctly the superior of these chosen specimens of old New York gentility;
在智识和艺术方面，纽兰·阿切尔觉得自己比这些纽约旧时绅士风度的代表者要高明许多；
he had probably read more, thought more, and even seen a good deal more of the world, than any other man of the number.
他可能比其他任何人读得更多，想得更多，甚至见识得更多。
Singly they betrayed their inferiority; but grouped together they represented "New York," and the habit of masculine solidarity made him accept their doctrine on all the issues called moral.
绅士们单独出现时就暴露出其不足，但放在一起，他们就代表着“纽约”，而男性团结的习惯使他在所有称为道德的问题上接受了他们的教义。
He instinctively felt that in this respect it would be troublesome--and also rather bad form--to strike out for himself.
他本能地觉得，在这方面，为自己出头是很麻烦的，也是很不体面的。
"Well--upon my soul!" exclaimed Lawrence Lefferts, turning his opera-glass abruptly away from the stage.
“哦--以我的灵魂起誓！”劳伦斯·莱弗茨叫道，突然把他的观剧望远镜从舞台上移开。
Lawrence Lefferts was, on the whole, the foremost authority on "form" in New York.
总的来说，劳伦斯·莱弗茨是纽约研究“体面”的最高权威。
He had probably devoted more time than any one else to the study of this intricate and fascinating question;
他可能比其他任何人都花了更多的时间来研究这个复杂而迷人的问题，
but study alone could not account for his complete and easy competence.
但光靠研究是不能解释他为何如此完美而游刃有余。
One had only to look at him, from the slant of his bald forehead and the curve of his beautiful fair moustache to the long patent-leather feet at the other end of his lean and elegant person,
只要看看他，从他光亮额头的倾斜轮廓和漂亮金色胡子的曲线，到他纤细优雅的身材和窄长双脚上的漆皮鞋，
to feel that the knowledge of "form" must be congenital in any one who knew how to wear such good clothes so carelessly and carry such height with so much lounging grace.
就会感觉到，对于一个知道如何漫不经心地穿着如此精致的衣服，如何在身材高大的情况下表现出闲散气度的人来说，对“体面”的了解一定是与生俱来的。
As a young admirer had once said of him: "If anybody can tell a fellow just when to wear a black tie with evening clothes and when not to, it's Larry Lefferts."
正如一位年轻的仰慕者曾经说过的那样：“如果有人能告诉别人什么时候应该戴黑色领带、穿晚礼服，什么时候又不该穿，那个人就是拉里·莱弗茨。”
And on the question of pumps versus patent-leather "Oxfords" his authority had never been disputed.
在软舞鞋与漆皮“牛津鞋”的问题上，他的权威从未被质疑过。
