Bleak House — Page 3

English → Chinese CHAPTER I Level 9/10

On such an afternoon, if ever, the Lord High Chancellor ought to be sitting here—as here he is—with a foggy glory round his head, softly fenced in with crimson cloth and curtains, addressed by a large advocate with great whiskers, a little voice, and an interminable brief, and outwardly directing his contemplation to the lantern in the roof, where he can see nothing but fog.

在这样一个下午，大法官理应坐在这里——他确实坐在这里——头顶环绕着朦胧的光晕，四周柔和地围以深红色的帷幔与帘幕，一位身形高大、留着浓密络腮胡、声音细小、手持一份冗长无尽的诉状的大律师正向他陈词，而他表面上将目光投向屋顶的天窗，那里除了雾什么也看不见。

On such an afternoon some score of members of the High Court of Chancery bar ought to be—as here they are—mistily engaged in one of the ten thousand stages of an endless cause, tripping one another up on slippery precedents, groping knee-deep in technicalities, running their goat-hair and horsehair warded heads against walls of words and making a pretence of equity with serious faces, as players might.

在这样一个下午，大约二十名大法院的出庭律师理应在此——他们确实在此——如在云雾中般忙碌于一桩无休无止的案件的一万个阶段之一，在滑不留手的先例上互相绊倒，在繁琐的法律技术细节中深陷至膝，戴着山羊毛与马鬃编织的假发将脑袋撞向文字的高墙，一本正经地装出一副主持公道的模样，犹如舞台上的演员。

On such an afternoon the various solicitors in the cause, some two or three of whom have inherited it from their fathers, who made a fortune by it, ought to be—as are they not?—ranged in a line, in a long matted well (but you might look in vain for truth at the bottom of it) between the registrar's red table and the silk gowns, with bills, cross-bills, answers, rejoinders, injunctions, affidavits, issues, references to masters, masters' reports, mountains of costly nonsense, piled before them.

在这样一个下午，这桩案件的各位事务律师——其中有两三位是从父辈手中继承了此案的，他们的父辈靠此案积累了大笔财富——理应在此排成一列，难道不是吗？——站在那口铺满席草的深井之中（尽管你在井底寻找真相也是徒劳），位于书记官的红色桌案与丝绒长袍之间，面前堆积着诉状、反诉状、答辩书、再答辩书、禁令、宣誓书、争议事项、提交主事官的事项、主事官的报告，以及如山一般的耗资巨大的废话。

Vocabulary

在: zài — At, in, on; indicates location or ongoing action.
这样: zhèyàng — Like this, in this way, such.
一个: yī gè — One; a single (general measure word).
下午: xiàwǔ — Afternoon, the time after noon.
大法官: dà fǎguān — Lord Chancellor or Chief Justice; senior judicial officer.
理应: lǐ yīng — Should rightfully, ought to by reason.
坐在: zuò zài — To be seated at or in a place.
这里: zhèlǐ — Here, this place.
他: tā — He, him (third-person masculine pronoun).
确实: quèshí — Indeed, truly, certainly without doubt.
头顶: tóudǐng — The top of one's head, crown.
环绕着: huánrào zhe — Surrounding, encircling something continuously.
朦胧: ménglóng — Hazy, misty, dim and indistinct.
的: de — Structural particle linking modifier to noun.
光晕: guāngyùn — Halo, luminous ring of light around an object.
四周: sìzhōu — All around, on all four sides.
柔和: róuhé — Soft, gentle, mild in quality or tone.
地: de — Adverbial particle, turns adjective into adverb.
围以: wéi yǐ — Enclosed or surrounded by something specified.
深红色: shēnhóngsè — Deep red, crimson color.
帷幔: wéimàn — Heavy curtain, hanging drapery or screen.
与: yǔ — And, together with; formal conjunction.
帘幕: liánmù — Curtain, drape used to cover or partition.
一位: yī wèi — One person (polite measure word for people).
身形: shēnxíng — Body shape, physical stature or build.
高大: gāodà — Tall and big, imposing in stature.
留着: liú zhe — Keeping, wearing, or maintaining (hair/beard).
浓密: nóngmì — Thick and dense, as of hair or foliage.
络腮胡: luòsāi hú — Full beard covering the cheeks and jaw.
声音: shēngyīn — Sound, voice, noise.
细小: xìxiǎo — Thin and small, tiny in scale or volume.
手持: shǒu chí — Holding in hand, carrying something manually.
一份: yī fèn — One copy or portion of a document.
冗长: rǒngcháng — Tediously long, verbose, unnecessarily lengthy.
无尽: wújìn — Endless, limitless, without end.
诉状: sùzhuàng — Legal complaint, written petition filed in court.
大律师: dà lǜshī — Barrister, senior lawyer who argues in court.
正向: zhèng xiàng — Directed toward, addressing or facing something.
陈词: chéncí — To present arguments, deliver a speech in court.
而: ér — But, yet; conjunction showing contrast or continuation.
表面上: biǎomiàn shàng — On the surface, apparently, ostensibly.
将: jiāng — To direct or turn (something); also future marker.
目光: mùguāng — Gaze, line of sight, eyes' direction.
投向: tóu xiàng — To direct toward, cast gaze or attention at.
屋顶: wūdǐng — Roof, top of a building.
天窗: tiānchuāng — Skylight, window in a roof or ceiling.
那里: nàlǐ — There, that place.
除了: chúle — Except for, apart from, besides.
雾: wù — Fog, mist, vapor obscuring visibility.
什么: shénme — What; anything, used in negative contexts.
也: yě — Also, too; used to reinforce negation here.
看不见: kàn bu jiàn — Cannot see, invisible, unable to perceive visually.
大约: dàyuē — Approximately, roughly, about a certain amount.
二十名: èrshí míng — Twenty people (with measure word for persons).
大法院: dà fǎyuàn — High Court, supreme or superior judicial institution.
出庭律师: chūtíng lǜshī — Barrister, lawyer who appears and argues in court.
在此: zài cǐ — Here, at this place or point.
他们: tāmen — They, them (third-person plural pronoun).
如在: rú zài — As if being in or within a place.
云雾: yúnwù — Clouds and mist, fog-like confusion.
忙碌: mánglù — Busy, occupied with many tasks.
于: yú — In, at, with; formal preposition.
一桩: yī zhuāng — One case or matter (measure word for affairs).
无休无止: wú xiū wú zhǐ — Ceaseless, unending, without rest or conclusion.
案件: ànjiàn — Legal case, lawsuit, judicial matter.
一万个: yī wàn gè — Ten thousand (of something), very many instances.
阶段: jiēduàn — Stage, phase, period in a process.
之一: zhī yī — One of (something), a single member of a group.
滑不留手: huá bù liú shǒu — So slippery it cannot be grasped; elusive precedent.
先例: xiānlì — Precedent, earlier case used as legal reference.
上: shàng — On, upon; above; used after nouns for location.
互相: hùxiāng — Mutually, each other, reciprocally.
绊倒: bàndǎo — To trip up, cause to stumble and fall.
繁琐: fánsuǒ — Tediously complicated, overly detailed and cumbersome.
法律技术: fǎlǜ jìshù — Legal technicality, procedural points of law.
细节: xìjié — Detail, fine point, minor particular.
中: zhōng — In the middle of, within, among.
深陷: shēn xiàn — Deeply mired in, sunken deeply into something.
至膝: zhì xī — Up to the knees, knee-deep.
戴着: dài zhe — Wearing, having on (accessories, hats, wigs).
山羊毛: shānyáng máo — Goat hair, fiber from a goat's coat.
马鬃: mǎzōng — Horsehair, mane or tail hair of a horse.
编织: biānzhī — Woven, knitted, braided together into fabric.
假发: jiǎfà — Wig, artificial hairpiece worn on the head.
脑袋: nǎodai — Head, colloquial term for one's head.
撞向: zhuàng xiàng — Crash into, knock against, charge toward.
文字: wénzì — Written characters, text, written language.
高墙: gāoqiáng — High wall, tall barrier of brick or stone.
一本正经: yī běn zhèng jīng — Completely serious, acting with exaggerated solemnity.
装出: zhuāng chū — To pretend, put on a false appearance.
一副: yī fù — A look of, a set of (facial expression).
主持公道: zhǔchí gōngdào — To uphold justice, administer fairness impartially.
模样: múyàng — Appearance, look, the way something seems.
犹如: yóurú — Just like, as if, similar to.
舞台上: wǔtái shàng — On stage, upon a theatrical performance platform.
演员: yǎnyuán — Actor, performer, one who performs on stage.
这桩: zhè zhuāng — This case or matter (demonstrative with measure word).
各位: gèwèi — Everyone present, ladies and gentlemen, all of you.
事务律师: shìwù lǜshī — Solicitor, lawyer handling office-based legal matters.
其中: qízhōng — Among them, within that group or number.
有: yǒu — To have, there is/are, to exist.
两三位: liǎng sān wèi — Two or three people (polite measure word).
是: shì — To be; is, am, are (copula verb).
从: cóng — From, since; indicates starting point.
父辈: fùbèi — The father's generation, one's parents' era.
手中: shǒu zhōng — In one's hands, under one's possession or control.
继承了: jìchéng le — Inherited, received by succession from a predecessor.
此案: cǐ àn — This case, the case in question.
靠: kào — To rely on, depend on, lean against.
积累了: jīlěi le — Accumulated, built up over time gradually.
大笔: dà bǐ — A large sum of money or resources.
财富: cáifù — Wealth, riches, financial fortune.
排成: pái chéng — Arranged into, lined up forming a shape.
一列: yī liè — A row, a single line of people or things.
难道: nándào — Could it be that; rhetorical question marker.
不是: bù shì — Is not, are not; negation of to be.
吗: ma — Question particle, turns statement into yes/no question.
站在: zhàn zài — Standing at or in a place.
那口: nà kǒu — That (well); measure word for wells.
铺满: pūmǎn — Covered all over, spread across an entire surface.
席草: xícǎo — Rushes, mat grass used for weaving.
深井: shēn jǐng — Deep well, a shaft dug far into the ground.
之中: zhī zhōng — In the midst of, within, inside.
尽管: jǐnguǎn — Even though, despite, although.
你: nǐ — You, second-person singular pronoun.
井底: jǐng dǐ — Bottom of a well; also: narrow-minded perspective.
寻找: xúnzhǎo — To search for, look for, seek out.
真相: zhēnxiàng — The truth, true state of affairs, real situation.
也是: yě shì — Also is, it is also the case that.
徒劳: túláo — Futile effort, labor in vain, fruitless work.
位于: wèiyú — Located at, situated in a specific place.
书记官: shūjì guān — Court clerk, official who records court proceedings.
红色: hóngsè — Red color.
桌案: zhuō àn — Desk, table used for writing or official work.
丝绒长袍: sīróng chángpáo — Velvet robe, long flowing garment of velvet fabric.
之间: zhījiān — Between, among, in the space separating things.
面前: miànqián — In front of, before someone or something.
堆积着: duījī zhe — Piled up, accumulated in a heap.
禁令: jìnlìng — Injunction, official order prohibiting certain actions.
宣誓书: xuānshì shū — Affidavit, sworn written statement for legal use.
争议事项: zhēngyì shìxiàng — Points in dispute, contested matters in a case.
提交: tíjiāo — To submit, hand in, present for consideration.
事项: shìxiàng — Matters, items, specific affairs or points.
报告: bàogào — Report, official document presenting findings or information.
以及: yǐjí — As well as, along with, and also.
如山: rú shān — Like a mountain, enormous in quantity or weight.
一般: yībān — Generally, ordinarily; like, similar to.
耗资: hào zī — To cost money, consume financial resources.
巨大: jùdà — Enormous, huge, very large in size or scale.
废话: fèihuà — Nonsense, rubbish, meaningless or wasted words.

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