英文短篇阅读第十一篇:莫泊桑 《项链》第2节

发表于 讨论求助 2023-05-18 23:00:13


大家好,我们今天继续来读《项链》的第2节~


She had a friend, a former schoolmate at the convent, who was rich, and whom she did not like to go to see any more because she felt so sad when she came home.But one evening her husband reached home with a triumphant air and holding a large envelope in his hand. “There,” said he, “there is something for you.” She tore the paper quickly and drew out a printed card which bore these words:

The Minister of Public Instruction and Madame Georges Ramponneau request the honor of M. and Madame Loisel’s company at the palace of the Ministry on Monday evening, January 18th.

 

*convent 女修道院

*triumphant  得意洋洋的

*bore (bear过去式)包含;具有 


她有一个有钱的女友,那是学校读书时的同学,现在呢,她再也不愿去看望她了,因为每次回来她总感到非常痛苦。可是有一天晚上,她的丈夫回家的时候手里拿着一个大信封,满脸得意之色。

“拿去吧!”他说,“这是专为你预备的一样东西。” 

她赶忙拆开了信封,从里面抽出一张请帖,上边印着:

兹订于一月十八日(星期一)在本部大厦举行晚会,敬请准时莅临,


Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she threw the invitation on the table crossly, muttering: “What do you wish me to do with that?”

“Why, my dear, I thought you would be glad. You never go out, and this is such a fine opportunity. I had great trouble to get it. Every one wants to go; it is very select, and they are not giving many invitations to clerks. The whole official world will be there.”

She looked at him with an irritated glance and said impatiently: “And what do you wish me to put on my back?”


*delighted 高兴的

*crossly 发怒地

*mutter 咕哝;喃喃自语

*I had great trouble to get it.

have trouble to do 做某事有困难

*select 精选的;极好的

*irritated 恼怒的

*impatiently 无耐性地;焦躁地


她并没有像她丈夫所希望的那样欢天喜地,反而赌气把请帖往桌上一丢,咕哝着说: “我要这个干什么?你替我想想。” 

“可是,我的亲爱的,我原以为你会很高兴的。你从来也不出门做客,这可是一个机会,并且是一个千载难逢的机会!我好不容易才弄到这张请帖。大家都想要,很难得到,一般是不大肯给小职员的。在那儿你可以看见所有那些官方人士。” 

她眼中冒着怒火瞪着他,最后不耐烦地说: “你可叫我穿什么到那儿去呢?”


He had not thought of that. He stammered: “Why, the gown you go to the theatre in. It looks very well to me.” He stopped, distracted, seeing that his wife was weeping. Two great tears ran slowly from the corners of her eyes toward the corners of her mouth. “What’s the matter? What’s the matter?” he answered.

By a violent effort she conquered her grief and replied in a calm voice, while she wiped her wet cheeks: “Nothing. Only I have no gown, and, therefore, I can’t go to this ball. Give your card to some colleague whose wife is better equipped than I am.”

 

*stammer 口吃;结巴

*the gown you go to the theatre in 

you go to the theatre in 是省略了that的定语从句,修饰gown.表示:你穿着去剧院的那件长袍

*distracted 心烦意乱的

*By a violent effort  通过很大的努力

*conquer 征服;克服

*be better equipped 装备更好的、衣着更好的 


这个,他却从未想到;他于是吞吞吐吐地说: “你上戏园穿的那件衣服呢?照我看,那件好像就很不错。”他说不下去了,他看见妻子已经在哭了,他又是惊奇又是慌张。两大滴眼泪从他妻子的眼角慢慢地向嘴角流下来;他结结巴巴地问: “你怎么啦?你怎么啦?” 

她使了一个狠劲儿把苦痛压了下去,然后一面擦着眼泪沾湿的两颊,一面用一种平静的语调说: “什么事也没有。不过我既没有衣饰,当然不能去赴会。有哪位同事的太太能比我有更好的衣衫,你就把请帖送给他吧。” 


He was in despair. He resumed: “Come, let us see, Mathilde. How much would it cost, a suitable gown, which you could use on other occasions—something very simple?”

She reflected several seconds, making her calculations and wondering also what sum she could ask without drawing on herself an immediate refusal and a frightened exclamation from the economical clerk. Finally she replied hesitating: “I don’t know exactly, but I think I could manage it with four hundred francs.”

 

*in despair 绝望地;失望地

*reflect 深思

*draw on 招致 (这里表示“给她自己招来立刻直接的拒绝)

*immediate refusal 直接拒绝

*exclamation 惊叫

*hesitating 犹豫的

*francs 法郎


他感到很绝望,于是说道: “玛蒂尔德,咱们来商量一下。一套过得去的衣服,一套在别的机会还可以穿的、十分简单的衣服得用多少钱?” 

她想了几秒钟,心里盘算了一下钱数,同时也考虑到提出怎样一个数目才不致当场遭到这个俭朴的科员的拒绝,也不致把他吓得叫出来。 

她终于吞吞吐吐地说了: “我也说不上到底要多少钱;不过有四百法郎,大概也就可以办下来了。”


He grew a little pale, because he was laying aside just that amount to buy a gun and treat himself to a little shooting next summer on the plain of Nanterre, with several friends who went to shoot larks there of a Sunday. But he said: “Very well. I will give you four hundred francs. And try to have a pretty gown.” 

The day of the ball drew near and Madame Loisel seemed sad, uneasy, anxious. Her frock was ready, however. Her husband said to her one evening: “What is the matter? Come, you have seemed very queer these last three days.” And she answered: “It annoys me not to have a single piece of jewelry, not a single ornament, nothing to put on. I shall look poverty-stricken. I would almost rather not go at all.”


*pale 苍白的

*lay aside  留存;储存

*lark 云雀

*frock  女装;连衣裙

*queer 奇怪的;不舒服的

*ornament 装饰

*poverty-stricken.为贫穷所困恼的,为贫穷所困扰的;非常贫穷的


他脸色有点发白,因为他正巧积攒下这样一笔款子打算买一支枪,夏天好和几个朋友一道打猎作乐,星期日到南泰尔平原去打云雀。 不过他还是这样说了: “好吧。我就给你四百法郎。可是你得好好想法子做件漂漂亮亮的衣服。” 

晚会的日子快到了,罗瓦赛尔太太却好像很伤心,很不安,很忧虑。她的衣服可是已经齐备了。有一天晚上她的丈夫问她: “你怎么啦?三天以来你的脾气一直是这么古怪。” 

“我心烦,我既没有首饰,也没有珠宝,身上任什么也戴不出来,实在是太寒伧了。我简直不想参加这次晚会了。” 


“You might wear natural flowers,” said her husband. “They’re very stylish at this time of year. For ten francs you can get two or three magnificent roses.” She was not convinced.

“No; there’s nothing more humiliating than to look poor among other women who are rich.” “How stupid you are!” her husband cried. “Go look up your friend, Madame Forestier, and ask her to lend you some jewels. You’re intimate enough with her to do that.”

She uttered a cry of joy: “True! I never thought of it.” 


*convinced 被说服的 (convince的过去分词)

*humiliating  丢脸的

*uttered a cry of joy 发出一声快乐的大叫

utter 发出;发射


他说: “你可以戴几朵鲜花呀。在这个季节里,这是很漂亮的。花上十个法郎,你就可以有两三朵十分好看的玫瑰花。” 这个办法一点也没有把她说服。 

“不行。在那些阔太太中间,显出一副穷酸相,再没有比这更丢脸的了。”她的丈夫突然喊了起来: “你可真算是糊涂!为什么不去找你的朋友福雷斯蒂埃太太,跟她借几样首饰呢?拿你跟她的交情来说,是可以开口的。” 她高兴地叫了起来:“这倒是真的。我竟然一点儿也没想到。” 


读完的伙伴别忘了打卡哦!

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