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As Elinor and Marianne were walking together the next morning the latter communicated a piece of news to her sister, which in spite of all that she knew before of Marianne's imprudence and want of thought, surprised her by its extravagant testimony of both. Marianne told her, with the greatest delight, that Willoughby had given her a horse, one that he had bred himself on his estate in Somersetshire, and which was exactly calculated to carry a woman. Without considering that it was not in her mother's plan to keep any horse, that if she were to alter her resolution in favour of this gift, she must buy another for the servant, and keep a servant to ride it, and after all, build a stable to receive them, she had accepted the present without hesitation, and told her sister of it in raptures.

第二天早晨，埃丽诺与玛丽安一道散步，玛丽安向姐姐透露了一桩事。埃丽诺早就知道玛丽安言行轻率，没有心计，但是这桩事表明她搞得实在太过分了，不免大为惊讶。玛丽安欣喜异常地告诉她，威洛比送给她一匹马。这匹马是他在他萨默塞特郡的庄园里亲自喂养的，正好供女人骑用。她也不想一想母亲从不打算养马——即便母亲可以改变决心，让她接受这件礼物，那也得再买一匹，雇个佣人骑着这匹马，而且终究还得建一所马厩一—这一切她全没考虑，就毫不犹豫地接受了这件礼物，并且欣喜若狂地告诉了姐姐。

"He intends to send his groom into Somersetshire immediately for it, " she added, "and when it arrives we will ride every day. You shall share its use with me. Imagine to yourself, my dear Elinor, the delight of a gallop on some of these downs. "
　
“他准备马上打发马夫去萨默塞特郡取马，”她接着说，“马一到，我们就能天天骑啦。你可以跟我合着用。亲爱的埃丽诺，你想想看，在这丘陵草原上骑马飞奔，该有多么惬意啊!”

Most unwilling was she to awaken from such a dream of felicity to comprehend all the unhappy truths which attended the affair; and for some time she refused to submit to them. As to an additional servant, the expense would be a trifle; Mamma she was sure would never object to it; and any horse would do for HIM; he might always get one at the park; as to a stable, the merest shed would be sufficient. Elinor then ventured to doubt the propriety of her receiving such a present from a man so little, or at least so lately known to her. This was too much.
　　
她很不愿意从这幸福的迷梦中惊醒，更不愿意去领悟这桩事所包含的不幸现实。有好长时间，她拒不承认这些现实。再雇一个佣人，那花不了几个钱，她相信母亲决不会反对。佣人骑什么马都可以，随时都可以到巴顿庄园去牵。至于马厩，只要有个棚子就行。随后埃丽诺大胆地表示，从一个自己并不了解、或者至少是最近才了解的男人那里接受礼物，她怀疑是否恰当。这话可叫玛丽安受不了啦。

词汇释义

1.imprudence n. 轻率，不小心，不谨慎

2.extravagant adj. 奢侈的，浪费的，过度的，大量的

The firm is big on extravagant promotion drives.
这家公司正大搞推销运动。

3.stable['steibl] adj. 稳定的，安定的，可靠的 n. 马厩，马棚，一批人 v. 使（马）入厩，入厩

Who opened the stable door?
谁打开了马房的门？

4.rapture n. 狂喜 vt. 使狂喜

The mother gazed with rapture at her new born baby.
母亲着迷地凝视着她刚出生的婴儿。

5.groom[gru:m] n. 马夫，新郎，男仆 vt. 刷洗，照看马

Help me to groom the horses for the show this afternoon.
帮我梳洗打扮这些马参加今天下午的展出。

6.gallop n. 疾驰，飞奔 v. 飞驰，急速进行

He rode off at a gallop.
他骑马疾驰而去。

7.felicity[fi'lisiti] n. 快乐，幸福，幸运

Take felicity in sth.
乐于做某事，以做某事为乐

8.trifle['traifl] n. 琐事，少量 v. 浪费，玩忽

He told her not to pester him with trifles.
他告诉她别拿些琐事来烦他。

9.propriety n. 适当，正当，得体 (复数）proprieties:礼节，礼仪

I am doubtful about the propriety of granting such a request.
我怀疑答应这项要求是否合适。

难句解析

1. As Elinor and Marianne were walking together the next morning the latter communicated a piece of news to her sister, which in spite of all that she knew before of Marianne's imprudence and want of thought, surprised her by its extravagant testimony of both.

【难句解析】the latter“后者”，指Elinor and Marianne中的后者；in spite of “尽管”；want of “缺乏...”；

【句子翻译】第二天早晨，埃丽诺与玛丽安一道散步，玛丽安向姐姐透露了一桩事。埃丽诺早就知道玛丽安言行轻率，没有心计，但是这桩事表明她搞得实在太过分了，不免大为惊讶。

2.Most unwilling was she to awaken from such a dream of felicity to comprehend all the unhappy truths which attended the affair; and for some time she refused to submit to them.

【难句解析】这是个强调句，将most unwilling 前置，后面的主谓结构要倒装；

【句子翻译】她很不愿意从这幸福的迷梦中惊醒，更不愿意去领悟这桩事所包含的不幸现实。有好长时间，她拒不承认这些现实。