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The twins looked at each other glumly. They were completely fearless of wild horses, shooting affrays and the indignation of their neighbors, but they had a wholesome fear of their red-haired mother’s outspoken remarks and the riding crop that she did not scruple to lay across their breeches.

哥儿俩你瞧着我，我瞧着你，不知说什么是好。他们对于烈性的野马，对于行凶斗殴，以及邻里的公愤，都毫不畏惧，惟独那们红头发母亲的痛责和有时不惜抽打在他们屁股上的马鞭，才让他们感到不寒而栗。

　
“Well, look,” said Brent. “Let’s go over to the Wilkes’. Ashley and the girls’ll be glad to have us for supper.”
　　
“那么，就这样吧，”布伦特说。"我们到威尔克斯家去。艾希礼和姑娘们会乐意让我们在那里吃饭的。"
　
Stuart looked a little discomforted.

斯图尔特显得有些不舒服的样子。
　
“No, don’t let’s go there. They’ll be in a stew getting ready for the barbecue tomorrow and besides—”
　　
“不，别到那里去。他们一定在忙着准备明天的野宴呢，而且。……”
　
“Oh, I forgot about that,” said Brent hastily. “No, don’t let’s go there.”

“唔，我忘记了，”布伦特连忙解释说。"不，我们别到那里去。"
　
They clucked to their horses and rode along in silence for a while, a flush of embarrassment on Stuart’s brown cheeks. Until the previous summer, Stuart had courted India Wilkes with the approbation of both families and the entire County. The County felt that perhaps the cool and contained India Wilkes would have a quieting effect on him.

他们对自己的马吆喝了两声，然后默无言语地骑着向前跑了一阵，这时斯图尔特褐色的脸膛上泛起了一抹红晕。到去年夏天为止，斯图尔特曾经在双方家庭和全县的赞许下追求过英迪亚·威尔克斯。县里的人觉得也许那位冷静含蓄的英迪亚会对他起一种镇定作用。

They fervently hoped so, at any rate. And Stuart might have made the match, but Brent had not been satisfied. Brent liked India but he thought her mighty plain and tame, and he simply could not fall in love with her himself to keep Stuart company. That was the first time the twins’ interest had ever diverged, and Brent was resentful of his brother’s attentions to a girl who seemed to him not at all remarkable.

无论如何，他们热切地希望这样。斯图尔特本来是可以匹配的，但布伦特不满意。布伦特也喜欢英迪亚，可是觉得她太平淡也太过分柔顺，他看书简直无法对她产生爱情，因此在这一点上就无法与斯图尔特作伴了。这是哥儿俩头一次在兴趣上发生分歧，而且布伦特对于他兄弟居然会看上一个他认为毫不出色的姑娘，觉得很恼火。

词汇释义

1.glumly adv. 1. 忧郁地;闷闷不乐地2. 阴郁地

Simon glumly watched TV and went to bed snappy.
西蒙闷闷不乐地看电视，然后没好气地去睡觉。

2.breech n. 后膛, 臀部

3.stew [stju:] n. 炖汤, 焖, 烦恼 v. 炖汤, 焖, 忧虑

Simmer the stew for an hour.
用文火把菜炖一小时.

4.court n. 法院, 庭院, 奉承, 球场 v. 献殷勤, 追求, 招致危险

The young man courted the young lady by bring her flowers every day.
那青年通过每天给那女子送花而向她求爱。

5.approbation n. 认可, 嘉许

The goods are not allowed to be exported without approbation of the customs.
没有海关的许可, 这些货物是不允许出口的。

6.fervently adv. 热心地, 热诚地

I fervently believe in our eventual victory.
我坚信我们最后会胜利。

7.tame [teim] adj. 驯服的,柔顺的,乏味的 vt. 驯养,使...驯服 vi. 变得驯服

Many kinds of squirrels are easy to tame.
很多种类的松鼠都很容易驯养。

8.diverge v. 分歧

Our views diverged so greatly that it was impossible to agree.
我们的观点存在着严重的分歧, 绝无调和余地。