名著阅读

If you say ‘war’ just once more, I’ll go in the house and shut the door. I’ve never gotten so tired of any one word in my life as ‘war,’ unless it’s ‘secession.’ Pa talks war morning, noon and night, and all the gentlemen who come to see him shout about Fort Sumter and States’ Rights and Abe Lincoln till I get so bored I could scream! And that’s all the boys talk about, too, that and their old Troop. There hasn’t been any fun at any party this spring because the boys can’t talk about anything else. I’m mighty glad Georgia waited till after Christmas before it seceded or it would have ruined the Christmas parties, too. If you say ‘war’ again, I’ll go in the house.”

“只要你再说一声‘战争’，我就进屋去，把门关上，我这辈子还从来没有像对‘战争’这个词感到讨厌，除非那个词意味着'脱离联邦'。爸爸总是从早到晚谈论战争，战争，所有来看他的绅士们也叫嚷着什么萨姆特要塞、州权、亚伯·林肯，简直烦得我要大喊大叫！而且所有的男孩子也都在谈这些，还有他们的军队。今年春天，任何晚会上也没有听到这什么快乐的事情，因为男孩子再不谈别的了。我最高兴的是佐治亚要等到过了圣诞节以后才宣布脱离联邦，要不然会把圣诞晚会也糟蹋了。要是你再谈‘战争’我就马上进屋去了。”

She meant what she said, for she could never long endure any conversation of which she was not the chief subject. But she smiled when she spoke, consciously deepening her dimple and fluttering her bristly black lashes as swiftly as butterflies’ wings. The boys were enchanted, as she had intended them to be, and they hastened to apologize for boring her. They thought none the less of her for her lack of interest. Indeed, they thought more. War was men’s business, not ladies’, and they took her attitude as evidence of her femininity.

她说到做到，因为她从来就忍受不了不以她为主题的谈话。不过她说话时总是面带微笑，刻意加深脸的酒窝，同时把像蝴蝶翅膀似的两圈又硬又黑的睫毛迅速地扇动起来。小伙子们给迷住了，这正中她的心意，于是他们向她道歉，他们并不因为她对战争不感兴趣而丝毫轻视她。相反，他们更敬重她了。战争原来是男人的事，与女人无关，因此他们便把她的态度当成是女人味十足的特征。

　
Having maneuvered them away from the boring subject of war, she went back with interest to their immediate situation.

把他们从讨厌战争的话题支使开以后，她便饶有兴趣地回到他们当前的环境上来。
　
“What did your mother say about you two being expelled again?”

“对于你俩再一次开除的事你母亲说了些什么呀？”
　
The boys looked uncomfortable, recalling their mother’s conduct three months ago when they had come home, by request, from the University of Virginia.

小伙子显得有点不自在，想起三个月前他们从弗吉尼亚大学被请回家时母亲的那番表现。
　
“Well,” said Stuart, “she hasn’t had a chance to say anything yet. Tom and us left home early this morning before she got up, and Tom’s laying out over at the Fontaines’ while we came over here.”

“唔，她还没有机会说呢，”斯图尔特答道。"今天一清早她还没起床，汤姆和我俩便出门了。汤姆半路上去方丹家了，我们便径直到这儿来了。”
　
“Didn’t she say anything when you got home last night?”

“昨天晚上你们到家时难道她什么话也没说吗？”

词汇释义

1.secession n. 退出,脱离

The secession of some southern states from the USA in the 1860s led to the civil war.
由于南部某些州于十九世纪六十年代脱离美国而导致了南北战争。

2.secede [si'si:d] v. 正式脱离或退出(组织) vi. 退出, 脱离

We won't allow Tibet to secede from China and become an independent nation.
我们决不允许西藏脱离中国独立。

3.consciously adv. 有意识地, 自觉地

Present in the unconscious mind but not consciously expressed.
潜意识的存在于潜意识中，但没有有意识地表达出来的

4.dimple ['dimpl] n. 酒窝, 涟漪

Mary has two dimples when she smiles.
玛丽笑时露出两个笑靥。

5.femininity [femi'niniti] n. 妇女特质, 温柔, 柔弱性

She's every inch an executive, but she has not lost her femininity, and I think that's one of her greatest achievements.
她是个不折不扣的行政主管，可是她并没有失去女性的特质。我认为这是她最大的一项成就。

6.maneuver n. 演习, 调遣, 策略 vt. 调遣, 演习, 巧妙地操纵 vi. 调遣, 演习, 用计策

We attempted the difficult maneuver without assistance.
我们尝试在没有外援的情况下完成复杂的特技动作

7.immediate adj. 立即的, 即刻的, 直接的, 最接近的

This work demands your immediate attention.
这件工作急需你立即处理。

8.expel [iks'pel] vt. 驱逐, 逐出, 开除

The headmaster decided to make an example of the pupil and expel him from the school.
校长决定开除该生以儆效尤.

难句解析

1.She meant what she said, for she could never long endure any conversation of which she was not the chief subject.

【难句解析】这里的mean是及物动词，意思是“对...持认真态度”；endure的意思是“忍受”；of which引导的定语从句修饰conversation；

【句子翻译】她说到做到，因为她从来就忍受不了不以她为主题的谈话。

2.The boys were enchanted, as she had intended them to be, and they hastened to apologize for boring her.

【难句解析】这句的主干是The boys were enchanted and they hastened...；as引导的从句做状语；

【句子翻译】小伙子们给迷住了，这正中她的心意，于是他们向她道歉。

3.The boys looked uncomfortable, recalling their mother’s conduct three months ago when they had come home, by request, from the University of Virginia.

【难句解析】recalling...come home做动词looked的伴随状语；by request做状语，修饰come home；

【句子翻译】小伙子显得有点不自在，想起三个月前他们从弗吉尼亚大学被请回家时母亲的那番表现。