Cranford — Page 6

English → Chinese CHAPTER I. Level 7/10

Moreover, it was considered "vulgar" (a tremendous word in Cranford) to give anything expensive, in the way of eatable or drinkable, at the evening entertainments.

此外，在晚间聚会上赠送任何昂贵的食物或饮品，都被认为是"粗俗"的（这在克兰福德是一个极具分量的词）。

Wafer bread-and-butter and sponge-biscuits were all that the Honourable Mrs Jamieson gave; and she was sister-in-law to the late Earl of Glenmire, although she did practise such "elegant economy."

威化黄油面包和海绵饼干便是尊贵的贾米森太太所提供的全部食物；尽管她确实奉行这种"优雅的节俭"，她可是已故格伦迈尔伯爵的妯娌。

"Elegant economy!" How naturally one falls back into the phraseology of Cranford!

"优雅的节俭！"人们是多么自然地又回到了克兰福德的那套说辞！

There, economy was always "elegant," and money-spending always "vulgar and ostentatious"; a sort of sour-grapeism which made us very peaceful and satisfied.

在那里，节俭总是"优雅的"，而花钱总是"粗俗且炫耀的"；这是一种酸葡萄心理，却让我们活得十分平静而满足。

I never shall forget the dismay felt when a certain Captain Brown came to live at Cranford, and openly spoke about his being poor—not in a whisper to an intimate friend, the doors and windows being previously closed, but in the public street! in a loud military voice! alleging his poverty as a reason for not taking a particular house.

我永远不会忘记当布朗上尉来到克兰福德定居时所引发的惊愕——他公开谈论自己的贫穷，不是在关好门窗后悄悄耳语给亲密的朋友，而是在公共街道上！用响亮的军人嗓音！以自己的贫穷为由，拒绝租住某所房子。

The ladies of Cranford were already rather moaning over the invasion of their territories by a man and a gentleman.

克兰福德的女士们已经对一个男人、一位绅士闯入她们的领地而颇为哀叹了。

He was a half-pay captain, and had obtained some situation on a neighbouring railroad, which had been vehemently petitioned against by the little town; and if, in addition to his masculine gender, and his connection with the obnoxious railroad, he was so brazen as to talk of being poor—why, then, indeed, he must be sent to Coventry.

他是一位领半薪的上尉，在附近的铁路上谋得了一个职位，而那条铁路曾遭到这座小镇的强烈请愿反对；如果除了他的男性身份和与那条令人厌恶的铁路的关联之外，他还厚颜无耻地谈论自己的贫穷——那么，他确实必须被排斥在外。

Death was as true and as common as poverty; yet people never spoke about that, loud out in the streets.

死亡与贫穷同样真实，同样普遍；然而人们却从未在街头大声谈论死亡。

Vocabulary

此外: cǐwài — Besides; in addition to what was mentioned.
在: zài — At; in; located at a place or time.
晚间: wǎnjiān — Evening time; the period after dusk.
聚会: jùhuì — Gathering; social meeting of people together.
上: shàng — On; above; used as a locative particle.
赠送: zèngsòng — To give as a gift; to present something.
任何: rènhé — Any; whichever; used before nouns broadly.
昂贵: ángguì — Expensive; costing a very high price.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
食物: shíwù — Food; edible substances consumed for nutrition.
或: huò — Or; either; indicating an alternative option.
饮品: yǐnpǐn — Beverages; drinks of any kind.
都: dōu — All; both; indicating totality or universality.
被: bèi — Passive marker indicating the subject is acted upon.
认为: rènwéi — To consider; to think; to regard as something.
是: shì — To be; linking verb indicating identity or state.
粗俗: cūsú — Vulgar; coarse; lacking refinement or good taste.
这: zhè — This; referring to something nearby or just mentioned.
一个: yī ge — One; a single item or instance.
极具: jí jù — Extremely possessing; having a great deal of.
分量: fènliàng — Weight; significance; degree of importance or gravity.
词: cí — Word; term; a unit of language.
黄油: huángyóu — Butter; dairy fat spread used in cooking.
面包: miànbāo — Bread; baked dough staple food item.
和: hé — And; connecting two or more nouns together.
海绵: hǎimián — Sponge; soft porous material; used for sponge cake.
饼干: bǐnggān — Biscuit; cracker; a dry baked snack.
便是: biàn shì — Is exactly; that is precisely; used for emphasis.
尊贵: zūnguì — Noble; distinguished; highly respected and honored.
太太: tàitai — Mrs.; married woman; a polite form of address.
所: suǒ — Particle used before verbs in passive constructions.
提供: tígōng — To provide; to supply; to offer something available.
全部: quánbù — All; entire; the whole amount or quantity.
尽管: jǐnguǎn — Although; even though; despite the fact that.
她: tā — She; her; third-person singular female pronoun.
确实: quèshí — Indeed; truly; used to confirm something is certain.
奉行: fèngxíng — To follow; to adhere to a principle or practice.
这种: zhè zhǒng — This kind; this type; referring to a specific sort.
优雅: yōuyǎ — Elegant; graceful; refined in manner or appearance.
节俭: jiéjiǎn — Frugal; thrifty; careful and economical with resources.
可是: kěshì — But; however; indicating a contrast or contradiction.
已故: yǐgù — Deceased; the late; referring to someone who has died.
伯爵: bójué — Earl; count; a European aristocratic noble title.
人们: rénmen — People; folks; referring to people in general.
多么: duōme — How; so; used to intensify adjectives or adverbs.
自然: zìrán — Naturally; of course; without force or artificiality.
地: de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to following verb.
又: yòu — Again; also; once more; additionally.
回到: huídào — To return to; to go back to a place.
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or changed state.
那套: nà tào — That set; that same old line of reasoning.
说辞: shuōcí — Rhetoric; justification; a prepared line of argument.
那里: nàlǐ — There; in that place; referring to a location.
总是: zǒngshì — Always; invariably; at all times without exception.
而: ér — And yet; but; a conjunction showing contrast.
花钱: huāqián — To spend money; to use financial resources.
且: qiě — And; moreover; furthermore; an additive conjunction.
炫耀: xuànyào — To show off; to flaunt; to display ostentatiously.
一种: yī zhǒng — A kind of; a type of something.
酸葡萄: suān pútao — Sour grapes; envious dismissal of unattainable things.
心理: xīnlǐ — Psychology; mentality; inner state of mind.
却: què — Yet; but; however; indicating unexpected contrast.
让: ràng — To let; to allow; to cause someone to do something.
我们: wǒmen — We; us; first-person plural pronoun.
活得: huó de — To live in a manner; live (with a resulting state).
十分: shífēn — Very; extremely; to a very great degree.
平静: píngjìng — Calm; peaceful; free from disturbance or agitation.
满足: mǎnzú — Satisfied; content; having one's needs or desires met.
我: wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun.
永远: yǒngyuǎn — Forever; always; for an eternity of time.
不会: bù huì — Will not; cannot; expressing inability or negation.
忘记: wàngjì — To forget; to fail to remember something.
当: dāng — When; at the time that something occurs.
上尉: shàngwèi — Captain; a military officer rank above lieutenant.
来到: láidào — To arrive at; to come to a place.
定居: dìngjū — To settle down; to establish permanent residence.
时: shí — When; at the time of; a temporal marker.
引发: yǐnfā — To trigger; to cause; to give rise to something.
惊愕: jīng'è — Astonishment; shock; a state of stunned surprise.
他: tā — He; him; third-person singular male pronoun.
公开: gōngkāi — Publicly; openly; not secret or concealed.
谈论: tánlùn — To talk about; to discuss a topic openly.
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself; self; referring back to the subject.
贫穷: pínqióng — Poor; impoverished; lacking money or material resources.
不是: bù shì — Is not; not; used to negate a state.
关好: guān hǎo — To close properly; to shut doors or windows securely.
门窗: ménchuāng — Doors and windows; entrances and openings of a building.
后: hòu — After; behind; following in time or space.
悄悄: qiāoqiāo — Quietly; stealthily; without making noise or fuss.
耳语: ěryǔ — To whisper; speaking softly into someone's ear.
给: gěi — To give; to; for; indicating recipient.
亲密: qīnmì — Intimate; close; having a very familiar relationship.
朋友: péngyou — Friend; companion; a person one has affection for.
而是: érshì — But rather; instead; used to correct a previous statement.
公共: gōnggòng — Public; communal; shared by or open to everyone.
街道: jiēdào — Street; road; a public thoroughfare in a town.
用: yòng — To use; using; by means of something.
响亮: xiǎngliàng — Loud; resounding; a clear and powerful sound.
军人: jūnrén — Soldier; military person; member of the armed forces.
嗓音: sǎngyīn — Voice; the sound produced when someone speaks.
以: yǐ — To use; by means of; taking something as reason.
为由: wéiyóu — Using as a reason; citing as a pretext.
拒绝: jùjué — To refuse; to reject; to decline an offer.
租住: zūzhù — To rent and live in; to lease as a residence.
某所: mǒu suǒ — A certain; some particular (house or place).
房子: fángzi — House; building used as a residence.
女士们: nǚshìmen — Ladies; polite plural address for women.
已经: yǐjīng — Already; indicating something has occurred before now.
对: duì — Toward; regarding; in relation to something.
男人: nánrén — Man; male person; an adult of the male sex.
一位: yī wèi — One (person); a polite measure word for people.
绅士: shēnshì — Gentleman; a well-mannered and respectable man.
闯入: chuǎngrù — To intrude; to barge into a place uninvited.
她们: tāmen — They; them; third-person plural female pronoun.
领地: lǐngdì — Territory; domain; an area under one's control.
颇为: pōwéi — Quite; rather; to a considerable degree.
哀叹: āitàn — To lament; to sigh with grief or sorrow.
领: lǐng — To receive; to draw (pay); to lead or head.
半薪: bànxīn — Half pay; receiving half of normal salary.
附近: fùjìn — Nearby; in the vicinity; close to a location.
铁路: tiělù — Railway; railroad; a track for trains to run on.
谋得: móudé — To obtain; to secure a position through effort.
职位: zhíwèi — Position; post; a job or role in an organization.
那条: nà tiáo — That (railway line); measure word for long objects.
曾: céng — Once; formerly; indicating a past experience.
遭到: zāodào — To encounter; to suffer; to meet with something bad.
这座: zhè zuò — This (town); measure word for towns or mountains.
小镇: xiǎozhèn — Small town; a small urban settlement or community.
强烈: qiángliè — Strong; intense; powerful in degree or feeling.
请愿: qǐngyuàn — To petition; to formally request from an authority.
反对: fǎnduì — To oppose; to object; to be against something.
如果: rúguǒ — If; supposing that; a conditional conjunction.
除了: chúle — Besides; apart from; in addition to something.
男性: nánxìng — Male; masculine; of the male sex or gender.
身份: shēnfèn — Identity; status; one's social role or position.
与: yǔ — And; with; together with; a literary conjunction.
令人: lìng rén — Causing people to feel; making one feel something.
厌恶: yànwù — To detest; disgusting; feeling strong aversion toward.
关联: guānlián — Association; connection; a link between two things.
之外: zhīwài — Beyond; outside of; apart from something mentioned.
还: hái — Still; also; in addition; furthermore.
厚颜无耻: hòuyán wúchǐ — Shameless; brazen; having no sense of shame.
那么: nàme — Then; in that case; used in conclusions.
必须: bìxū — Must; have to; expressing strong obligation or necessity.
排斥: páichì — To exclude; to repel; to reject someone or something.
在外: zài wài — Outside; kept out; excluded from a group or place.
死亡: sǐwáng — Death; the end of life; ceasing to be alive.
同样: tóngyàng — Equally; likewise; in the same way or manner.
真实: zhēnshí — Real; true; genuine; corresponding to actual facts.
普遍: pǔbiàn — Universal; widespread; common to most people or cases.
然而: rán'ér — However; yet; nevertheless; a formal contrast conjunction.
从未: cóngwèi — Never; at no time; not ever in one's experience.
街头: jiētóu — Street corner; on the street; in public outdoors.
大声: dàshēng — Loudly; in a loud voice; with high volume.

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →