名著阅读

She laughed aloud. As she had intended, Gerald was startled by the sound; then he recognized her, and a look both sheepish and defiant came over his florid face. He dismounted with difficulty, because his knee was stiff, and, slipping the reins over his arm, stumped toward her.

她这时大声笑起来。不出所料，杰拉尔德听见笑声大吃一惊，但随即便认出了她，红润的脸上堆满了边讨好边挑战的神情。他艰难地跳下马来，因为双膝已经麻木了；然后把缰绳搭在胳臂上、蹒跚地向她走来。
　
“Well, Missy,” he said, pinching her cheek, “so, you’ve been spying on me and, like your sister Suellen last week, you’ll be telling your mother on me?”
　　
“小姐，好啊，"他说着，拧了一下她的面颊，"那么，你是在偷看我了，而且像你的苏伦妹妹上星期干过的那样，准备到你母亲面前去告我的状了吧？"
　
There was indignation in his hoarse bass voice but also a wheedling note, and Scarlett teasingly clicked her tongue against her teeth as she reached out to pull his cravat into place. His breath in her face was strong with Bourbon whisky mingled with a faint fragrance of mint. Accompanying him also were the smells of chewing tobacco, well-oiled leather and horses—a combination of odors that she always associated with her father and instinctively liked in other men.

他那沙破低沉的声音里含有怒意，同时也带有讨好的意味，这时思嘉便挑剔而又嗲声嗲气地伸出手来将他领结拉正了。他扑面而来的的呼吸让她嗅到了一股强烈的混和薄荷香味的波旁威士忌酒味。他身上还散发着咀嚼烟草和擦过油的皮革以及马汗的气味----这是一股各种味道的混杂，她经常把它同父亲联系起来，以致在别人身上闻到时也本能地喜欢。
　
“No, Pa, I’m no tattletale like Suellen,” she assured him, standing off to view his rearranged attire with a judicious air.

“爸，不会的，我不是苏伦那种搬弄是非的人，"她请他放心，一面略略向后退了一下，带着嬷嬷的神气端详他的服饰。
　
Gerald was a small man, little more than five feet tall, but so heavy of barrel and thick of neck that his appearance, when seated, led strangers to think him a larger man. His thickset torso was supported by short sturdy legs, always incased in the finest leather boots procurable and always planted wide apart like a swaggering small boy’s. Most small people who take themselves seriously are a little ridiculous; but the bantam cock is respected in the barnyard, and so it was with Gerald. No one would ever have the temerity to think of Gerald O’Hara as a ridiculous little figure.
　　
杰拉尔德身高只有五英尺多，是个矮个儿，但腰身很壮，脖子很粗，坐着时那模样叫陌生人看了还以为他是个比较高大的人。他那十分笨重的躯干由经常裹在头等皮靴里的短粗的双腿支撑着，而且经常大大分开站着，像个摇摇摆摆的孩子。凡是自己以为了不起的矮人，那模样大都是有点可笑的；可是一只矮脚的公鸡在场地上却备受尊敬，杰拉尔德也就是这样。谁也没有胆量把杰拉尔德当作可笑的矮个儿看待。

词汇释义

1.startle['stɑ:tl] n. 惊愕，惊恐 v. 吃惊，使 ... 惊愕

The least noise would startle the timid child.
最小的响声也会吓着这个胆小的孩子的。

2.sheepish adj. 驯服的，胆怯的

3.florid adj. 华丽的，红润的，绚丽的

4.dismount[dis'maunt] v. （使）下马，拆卸 n. 下马

I had to dismount from my bicycle halfway up the hill.
我骑到半山腰只得从脚踏车上下来。

5.wheedle['wi:dl] v. (以甜言蜜语)诱惑，(用甜言蜜语)哄骗

The children wheedle me into let them go to the film.
孩子们把我哄得同意让他们去看电影了。

6.tattletale n. 告密者=telltale

7.procurable adj. 可得到的，得手的

难句解析

1.“No, Pa, I’m no tattletale like Suellen,” she assured him, standing off to view his rearranged attire with a judicious air.

【难句解析】stand off 意思是“疏远，远离”；attire是“衣服”的意思。

【句子翻译】“爸，不会的，我不是苏伦那种搬弄是非的人，"她请他放心，一面略略向后退了一下，带着嬷嬷的神气端详他的服饰。