Cranford — Page 7

English → Chinese CHAPTER I. Level 7/10

It was a word not to be mentioned to ears polite.

这是一个不宜在有教养的人耳边提及的词。

We had tacitly agreed to ignore that any with whom we associated on terms of visiting equality could ever be prevented by poverty from doing anything that they wished.

我们已心照不宣地达成默契，对于那些与我们以平等身份往来的人，绝口不提他们可能会因贫困而无法随心所欲地做任何事情。

If we walked to or from a party, it was because the night was _so_ fine, or the air _so_ refreshing, not because sedan-chairs were expensive.

如果我们步行去赴宴或从宴会归来，那是因为夜色如此美好，或空气如此清新，而绝非因为轿子太过昂贵。

If we wore prints, instead of summer silks, it was because we preferred a washing material; and so on, till we blinded ourselves to the vulgar fact that we were, all of us, people of very moderate means.

如果我们穿印花布而非夏日丝绸，那是因为我们偏爱耐洗的面料；如此种种，直到我们对一个粗俗的事实视而不见——那便是我们所有人都不过是些家境平平之人。

Of course, then, we did not know what to make of a man who could speak of poverty as if it was not a disgrace.

因此，当然，我们不知道该如何看待一个能够谈论贫穷、却仿佛那并非耻辱的人。

Yet, somehow, Captain Brown made himself respected in Cranford, and was called upon, in spite of all resolutions to the contrary.

然而，不知何故，布朗上尉还是在克兰福德赢得了众人的尊重，尽管大家曾下定决心不与他往来，却依然登门拜访。

I was surprised to hear his opinions quoted as authority at a visit which I paid to Cranford about a year after he had settled in the town.

在他定居该镇约一年后，我前往克兰福德拜访时，竟听到他的意见被人奉为权威，不禁大感惊讶。

My own friends had been among the bitterest opponents of any proposal to visit the Captain and his daughters, only twelve months before; and now he was even admitted in the tabooed hours before twelve.

就在仅仅十二个月前，我的那些朋友还是最强烈反对任何拜访上尉及其女儿之提议的人；而如今，他甚至被允许在那禁忌的午前时分登门造访。

Vocabulary

这: zhè — This; used to indicate something nearby.
是: shì — To be; is, are, am.
一个: yī gè — One; a single unit or item.
不宜: bù yí — Not appropriate; unsuitable for a situation.
在: zài — At, in, on; indicates location or presence.
有: yǒu — To have; there is or there are.
教养: jiào yǎng — Upbringing; refinement, cultured manners.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
人: rén — Person; human being, people.
耳边: ěr biān — Beside one's ear; near someone's ear.
提及: tí jí — To mention; to bring up a topic.
词: cí — Word; term, expression.
我们: wǒ men — We; us, our group.
已: yǐ — Already; indicates completed action.
心照不宣: xīn zhào bù xuān — Mutual unspoken understanding; tacit agreement between parties.
地: de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb.
达成: dá chéng — To reach; to achieve an agreement or goal.
默契: mò qì — Tacit understanding; unspoken mutual agreement.
对于: duì yú — Regarding; with respect to something.
那些: nà xiē — Those; referring to plural distant things or people.
与: yǔ — And; with, together with.
以: yǐ — With; using, by means of.
平等: píng děng — Equal; on equal footing, equality.
身份: shēn fèn — Identity; social status or standing.
往来: wǎng lái — Social dealings; to associate or interact with others.
绝口不提: jué kǒu bù tí — Refuse to mention; never breathe a word about.
他们: tā men — They; them, referring to a group of people.
可能: kě néng — Possibly; maybe, might happen.
会: huì — Will; can, able to do something.
因: yīn — Because of; due to, on account of.
贫困: pín kùn — Poverty; being poor, destitute condition.
而: ér — And; yet, but, connecting clauses.
无法: wú fǎ — Unable to; incapable of doing something.
随心所欲: suí xīn suǒ yù — Do as one pleases; follow every whim freely.
做: zuò — To do; to make, to perform an action.
任何: rèn hé — Any; whatever, whichever, no matter what.
事情: shì qíng — Matter; thing, affair, situation.
如果: rú guǒ — If; supposing that, in case.
步行: bù xíng — To walk; travel on foot.
去: qù — To go; to head toward a place.
赴宴: fù yàn — To attend a banquet; go to a dinner party.
或: huò — Or; either, alternatively.
从: cóng — From; starting from a place or time.
宴会: yàn huì — Banquet; formal dinner party or feast.
归来: guī lái — To return; to come back from somewhere.
那: nà — That; referring to something distant.
因为: yīn wèi — Because; the reason being that.
夜色: yè sè — Night scenery; the appearance of the night.
如此: rú cǐ — So; like this, in such a manner.
美好: měi hǎo — Wonderful; beautiful, lovely, pleasant.
空气: kōng qì — Air; the atmosphere around us.
清新: qīng xīn — Fresh; clean and refreshing, as of air.
绝非: jué fēi — Absolutely not; definitely not the case.
太过: tài guò — Too; excessively, overly much.
昂贵: áng guì — Expensive; costly, high in price.
穿: chuān — To wear; to put on clothing.
而非: ér fēi — Rather than; instead of, as opposed to.
夏日: xià rì — Summer day; days of the summer season.
丝绸: sī chóu — Silk; luxurious smooth fabric made from silk.
偏爱: piān ài — To prefer; to favor one thing over another.
耐洗: nài xǐ — Washable; durable enough to withstand repeated washing.
面料: miàn liào — Fabric; material used for making clothing.
种种: zhǒng zhǒng — Various kinds; all sorts of things.
直到: zhí dào — Until; up to a certain point in time.
对: duì — Toward; facing, with regard to.
粗俗: cū sú — Vulgar; crude, coarse, lacking refinement.
事实: shì shí — Fact; the truth, actual reality.
视而不见: shì ér bù jiàn — To turn a blind eye; ignore what is visible.
便是: biàn shì — That is; amounts to, in other words.
所有人: suǒ yǒu rén — Everyone; all people, everybody.
都: dōu — All; both, every one without exception.
不过: bù guò — Only; merely, nothing more than.
家境: jiā jìng — Family financial circumstances; household economic situation.
平平: píng píng — Mediocre; ordinary, average, unremarkable.
因此: yīn cǐ — Therefore; as a result, consequently.
当然: dāng rán — Of course; naturally, certainly.
不知道: bù zhī dào — Don't know; to be unaware of something.
该: gāi — Should; ought to, the appropriate one.
如何: rú hé — How; in what way, what to do.
看待: kàn dài — To regard; to view or treat someone or something.
能够: néng gòu — To be able to; capable of doing something.
谈论: tán lùn — To discuss; to talk about a topic.
贫穷: pín qióng — Poor; poverty, lacking money or resources.
却: què — Yet; but, however, on the contrary.
仿佛: fǎng fú — As if; seemingly, as though.
并非: bìng fēi — Not at all; is definitely not the case.
耻辱: chǐ rǔ — Shame; disgrace, humiliation.
然而: rán ér — However; nevertheless, yet, nonetheless.
不知何故: bù zhī hé gù — For some unknown reason; somehow, inexplicably.
上尉: shàng wèi — Captain; military rank above lieutenant.
还是: hái shì — Still; nevertheless, or, or rather.
赢得: yíng dé — To win; to earn or gain something.
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or change.
众人: zhòng rén — Everyone; all people, the crowd.
尊重: zūn zhòng — Respect; to regard with esteem and admiration.
尽管: jǐn guǎn — Although; even though, despite the fact.
大家: dà jiā — Everyone; all of us, everybody.
曾: céng — Once; formerly, at some past time.
下定决心: xià dìng jué xīn — To make up one's mind; firmly resolve to do.
他: tā — He; him, referring to a male person.
依然: yī rán — Still; as before, unchanged.
登门拜访: dēng mén bài fǎng — To visit someone's home; to pay a call.
定居: dìng jū — To settle; to establish residence in a place.
约: yuē — Approximately; about, around a number.
一年: yī nián — One year; a period of twelve months.
后: hòu — After; later, behind in time or space.
我: wǒ — I; me, first person singular pronoun.
前往: qián wǎng — To go to; to head toward a destination.
拜访: bài fǎng — To visit; to call on someone respectfully.
时: shí — When; at the time of, during.
竟: jìng — Unexpectedly; actually, to one's surprise.
听到: tīng dào — To hear; to catch sound of something.
意见: yì jiàn — Opinion; view, suggestion, feedback.
奉为: fèng wéi — To regard as; to treat someone as authority.
权威: quán wēi — Authority; expert, authoritative figure or source.
不禁: bù jīn — Can't help but; unable to refrain from.
大感惊讶: dà gǎn jīng yà — To be greatly surprised; feel much astonishment.
就在: jiù zài — Right at; just at a certain time or place.
仅仅: jǐn jǐn — Merely; only, just, no more than.
十二个月: shí èr gè yuè — Twelve months; one full year's duration.
前: qián — Before; ago, in front, previously.
朋友: péng yǒu — Friend; a person one knows and likes.
最: zuì — Most; superlative degree marker.
强烈: qiáng liè — Strong; intense, fierce, vehement.
反对: fǎn duì — To oppose; to object to, be against.
及其: jí qí — And his/her/its; together with, along with.
女儿: nǚ ér — Daughter; one's female child.
之: zhī — Possessive or linking particle; literary 的.
提议: tí yì — Proposal; suggestion, to propose an idea.
如今: rú jīn — Nowadays; now, at the present time.
甚至: shèn zhì — Even; to the extent of, going so far.
被: bèi — Passive marker; by, indicates passive voice.
允许: yǔn xǔ — To allow; to permit, to give permission.
禁忌: jìn jì — Taboo; something forbidden or prohibited socially.
午前: wǔ qián — Before noon; the morning hours, ante meridiem.
时分: shí fēn — Time; a particular moment or period of day.
登门造访: dēng mén zào fǎng — To visit someone's home; to pay an in-person call.

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