美國語文第五冊 第300期：弗吉尼亞人（02）

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Their hospitality was boundless. No stranger was ever sent away from their gates.

弗吉尼亞州貴族世家的豪爽待客令人稱奇，他們不會打發(fā)上門的陌生人，

The gentry received one another, and traveled to each other's houses, in a state almost feudal.

在幾乎完全封建制的全州境內(nèi)，上流家庭彼此經(jīng)常設(shè)宴款待，達官名媛爭相登門互訪。

The question of slavery was not born at the time of which we write.

當時奴隸制問題尚未見爭端，

To be the proprietor of black servants shocked the feelings of no Virginia gentleman;

該州貴族世家擁有眾多黑奴，使得貴族名流圈外的下層階層頗為震驚，

nor, in truth, was the despotism exercised over the negro race generally a savage one.

事實上，那類專制管理未必將黑人種族作為野蠻人肆意欺凌。

The food was plenty: the poor black people lazy and not unhappy.

當?shù)睾谌耸澄锍渥悖麄冐毨卸?，也并非不快樂?/p>

You might have preached negro emancipation to Madam Esmond of Castlewood as you might have told her to let the horses run loose out of the stables;

你或許向卡斯爾伍德莊園埃斯蒙德夫人兜售過黑奴解放之類新潮思想，如同你曾經(jīng)對她游說，不妨解開拴馬樁上的馬群韁繩，兩者間該有異曲同工之妙。

she had no doubt but that the whip and the corn bag were good for both.

倘若鞭子或玉米對主人及黑奴并非缺一不可，埃斯蒙德夫人沒準對你的觀點深信不疑。

Her father may have thought otherwise, being of a skeptical turn on very many points,

由于對諸多觀點持懷疑態(tài)度，埃斯蒙德夫人的父親想法或見解有所不同，

but his doubts did not break forth in active denial, and he was rather disaffected than rebellious,

但他的懷疑不會在主動否認中爆發(fā)，與其說他的行為頗為格格不入，倒不如說是更為憤懣不平的表露。

At one period, this gentleman had taken a part in active life at home, and possibly might have been eager to share its rewards;

有一段時期，這位紳士在家里極為活躍，很可能他急于分享家庭管理之類懸賞，

but in latter days he did not seem to care for them.

但后來似乎對此又失去興趣。

A something had occurred in his life, which had cast a tinge of melancholy over all his existence.

假如他生活中發(fā)生什么事，他的全身都會留下陰郁味道。

He was not unhappy,—to those about him most kind,

老紳士倒不是不開心，對周圍所有人，他都極為仁慈鐘愛，

most affectionate, obsequious even to the women of his family, whom he scarce ever contradicted;

甚至到了順從附和的地步，哪怕對家里女流之輩亦不例外。他極少與她們發(fā)生牴牾或產(chǎn)生矛盾，

but there had been some bankruptcy of his heart, which his spirit never recovered.

然而始終內(nèi)心沉淪、難以自拔，精神上從未徹底放松。

He submitted to life, rather than enjoyed it, and never was in better spirits than in his last hours when he was going to lay it down.

老人逆來順受地屈從生活，而非自在地享受生活；即便死亡將至，不得不撒手塵寰面對死神，他的心境絕不見得比平時更糟。