Cranford — Page 8

English → Chinese CHAPTER I. Level 7/10

True, it was to discover the cause of a smoking chimney, before the fire was lighted; but still Captain Brown walked upstairs, nothing daunted, spoke in a voice too large for the room, and joked quite in the way of a tame man about the house.

诚然，那不过是在生火之前查明烟囱冒烟的原因；然而布朗上尉依然毫不畏缩地走上楼去，说话的声音大得与房间不相称，还像一个惯于在家中走动的熟人一样开着玩笑。

He had been blind to all the small slights, and omissions of trivial ceremonies, with which he had been received.

他对于人们接待他时所有的那些小小的冷落与礼节上的疏漏，全然视若无睹。

He had been friendly, though the Cranford ladies had been cool; he had answered small sarcastic compliments in good faith; and with his manly frankness had overpowered all the shrinking which met him as a man who was not ashamed to be poor.

尽管克兰福德的女士们对他冷淡，他却始终和蔼可亲；他诚心诚意地回应那些带着讽刺意味的客套话；并以其男子汉的坦率，压倒了那些因他不以贫穷为耻而对他所表现出的种种退缩之态。

And, at last, his excellent masculine common sense, and his facility in devising expedients to overcome domestic dilemmas, had gained him an extraordinary place as authority among the Cranford ladies.

最终，他卓越的男性实用判断力，以及他善于想出解决家务难题之妙法的才能，使他在克兰福德女士们中间赢得了一席非同寻常的权威地位。

He himself went on in his course, as unaware of his popularity as he had been of the reverse; and I am sure he was startled one day when he found his advice so highly esteemed as to make some counsel which he had given in jest to be taken in sober, serious earnest.

他自己依旧我行我素，对自己的受欢迎程度毫无察觉，正如他当初对自己遭受冷遇时也浑然不知一样；我相信，当有一天他发现自己的意见竟受到如此高的推崇，以至于他随口开玩笑说的一些话被人们郑重其事地当真执行，他一定大吃一惊。

It was on this subject: An old lady had an Alderney cow, which she looked upon as a daughter.

事情是这样的：一位老太太养了一头奥尔德尼奶牛，她视之如亲生女儿。

You could not pay the short quarter of an hour call without being told of the wonderful milk or wonderful intelligence of this animal.

每次登门拜访，哪怕只是短短一刻钟，你也必定会听到关于这头牲口那神奇的产奶量或非凡的聪慧的一番讲述。

Vocabulary

诚然: chéngrán — Admittedly; it is true that
那: nà — That; those; in that case
不过: bùguò — However; but; only; merely
是: shì — To be; is; am; are
在: zài — At; in; on; to be present
生火: shēnghuǒ — To start a fire; to light a fire
之前: zhīqián — Before; prior to a time or event
查明: chámíng — To investigate and determine; to find out
烟囱: yāncōng — Chimney; smokestack; flue
冒烟: màoyān — To emit smoke; to give off smoke
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification
原因: yuányīn — Reason; cause; factor behind something
然而: rán'ér — However; nevertheless; yet; but
上尉: shàngwèi — Captain; military officer rank above lieutenant
依然: yīrán — Still; as before; unchanged in manner
毫不畏缩: háo bù wèisuō — Without the slightest flinching or hesitation
地: de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb
走上: zǒushàng — To walk up to; to go upstairs toward
说话: shuōhuà — To speak; to talk; manner of speaking
声音: shēngyīn — Sound; voice; noise
与: yǔ — And; with; together with
房间: fángjiān — Room; a space within a building
不相称: bù xiāngchèn — Disproportionate; not matching; incongruous
一个: yīgè — One; a single (general measure word)
惯于: guànyú — Accustomed to; used to doing something
家中: jiāzhōng — At home; within one's household
走动: zǒudòng — To move about; to visit and socialize freely
熟人: shúrén — Acquaintance; someone one knows well
一样: yīyàng — The same; alike; just like something else
玩笑: wánxiào — Joke; jest; playful remark
他: tā — He; him; third person masculine pronoun
对于: duìyú — Regarding; with respect to; concerning
人们: rénmen — People; folks; people in general
接待: jiēdài — To receive; to host; to welcome guests
时: shí — When; at the time of; during
所有: suǒyǒu — All; every; everything belonging to someone
那些: nàxiē — Those; referring to plural distant things
小小: xiǎoxiǎo — Tiny; very small; minor; slight
冷落: lěngluò — To cold-shoulder; to neglect; to snub someone
礼节: lǐjié — Etiquette; courtesy; social manners and rites
上: shàng — On; above; regarding; in terms of
疏漏: shūlòu — Oversight; slip; negligent omission
全然: quánrán — Completely; entirely; wholly; utterly
视若无睹: shì ruò wú dǔ — To turn a blind eye; to ignore completely
尽管: jǐnguǎn — Although; even though; despite the fact
女士们: nǚshìmen — Ladies; plural form addressing women respectfully
冷淡: lěngdàn — Cold; indifferent; aloof in manner
却: què — But; yet; however (contrast marker)
始终: shǐzhōng — Always; from beginning to end; consistently
和蔼可亲: hé'ǎi kěqīn — Amiable; friendly; approachable and warm
诚心诚意: chéngxīn chéngyì — Sincerely; wholeheartedly; with genuine intention
回应: huíyìng — To respond; to reply; a response
带着: dàizhe — Carrying; bearing; with; accompanied by
讽刺意味: fěngcì yìwèi — Ironic overtone; a sense of sarcasm or irony
客套话: kètàohuà — Polite pleasantries; conventional courtesy remarks
并: bìng — And; moreover; simultaneously; also
男子汉: nánzǐhàn — A real man; manly fellow; masculine individual
坦率: tǎnshuài — Frank; candid; straightforward; open and honest
压倒: yādǎo — To overwhelm; to overpower; to outweigh
了: le — Particle indicating completion or change of state
因: yīn — Because; due to; on account of
贫穷: pínqióng — Poor; poverty-stricken; in financial hardship
为耻: wéi chǐ — To regard as shameful; to feel ashamed of
而: ér — And; yet; but; while (conjunctive particle)
所: suǒ — Particle used before verb indicating passive or nominal structure
表现出: biǎoxiàn chū — To display; to show; to manifest outwardly
种种: zhǒngzhǒng — Various; all kinds of; diverse sorts of
退缩: tuìsuō — To shrink back; to flinch; to recoil timidly
最终: zuìzhōng — Eventually; finally; in the end
卓越: zhuóyuè — Outstanding; exceptional; excellent; remarkable
男性: nánxìng — Male; masculine; pertaining to men
实用: shíyòng — Practical; utilitarian; pragmatic; useful
判断力: pànduànlì — Judgment; ability to assess and decide well
以及: yǐjí — As well as; and; along with
善于: shànyú — Good at; skilled in; adept at doing
想出: xiǎngchū — To think up; to come up with an idea
解决: jiějué — To solve; to resolve; to settle a problem
家务: jiāwù — Household chores; domestic duties
难题: nántí — Difficult problem; tough challenge; knotty issue
之: zhī — Possessive/linking particle (literary); of
妙法: miàofǎ — Clever method; ingenious solution; wonderful technique
才能: cáinéng — Talent; ability; capability; only then able to
使: shǐ — To cause; to make; to enable; to use
中间: zhōngjiān — Among; in the middle; between; within a group
赢得: yíngdé — To win; to earn; to gain through effort
一席: yī xí — A place; a seat; a position in a group
非同寻常: fēi tóng xúncháng — Extraordinary; out of the ordinary; remarkable
权威: quánwēi — Authority; authoritative; prestige and influence
地位: dìwèi — Status; position; standing in society
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself; self; one's own
依旧: yījiù — Still; as before; unchanged as ever
我行我素: wǒ xíng wǒ sù — To follow one's own way; do as one pleases
对: duì — Toward; regarding; correct; facing
受欢迎: shòu huānyíng — To be welcome; to be popular; well-received
程度: chéngdù — Degree; extent; level of something
毫无察觉: háo wú chájué — Completely unaware; without any perception of
正如: zhèngrú — Just as; exactly like; as is the case with
当初: dāngchū — At first; originally; at the very beginning
遭受: zāoshòu — To suffer; to be subjected to; to undergo
冷遇: lěngyù — Cold reception; snub; indifferent treatment
也: yě — Also; too; as well; even
浑然不知: húnrán bù zhī — Completely unaware; totally oblivious; utterly unknowing
我: wǒ — I; me; first person singular pronoun
相信: xiāngxìn — To believe; to trust; to be convinced of
当: dāng — When; at the time that; while
有一天: yǒu yītiān — One day; someday; at some point in time
发现: fāxiàn — To discover; to find; to realize something new
意见: yìjiàn — Opinion; view; suggestion; feedback
竟: jìng — Unexpectedly; actually; to one's surprise
受到: shòudào — To receive; to be given; to experience something
如此: rúcǐ — Such; so; in this way; to this degree
高: gāo — High; tall; elevated; great in degree
推崇: tuīchóng — To esteem highly; to hold in great regard
以至于: yǐzhìyú — To the extent that; so much so that
随口: suíkǒu — Casually; offhandedly; without thinking first
开玩笑: kāi wánxiào — To joke; to make a joke; to jest
说: shuō — To say; to speak; to tell
被: bèi — Passive particle; by (indicating passive voice)
郑重其事: zhèngzhòng qí shì — To treat seriously; to handle with grave seriousness
当真: dàngzhēn — To take seriously; to believe as true
执行: zhíxíng — To carry out; to execute; to implement
一定: yīdìng — Certainly; definitely; must; a certain degree
大吃一惊: dà chī yī jīng — To be greatly surprised; to be shocked utterly
事情: shìqíng — Matter; thing; affair; event; situation
这样: zhèyàng — Like this; this way; such; in this manner
一位: yī wèi — One (person); a (polite measure word for people)
老太太: lǎotàitai — Old lady; elderly woman; an aged female
一头: yī tóu — One (measure word for large animals)
奶牛: nǎiniú — Dairy cow; a cow kept for milk production
她: tā — She; her; third person feminine pronoun
亲生: qīnshēng — Biological; one's own (child); born of oneself
女儿: nǚ'ér — Daughter; one's female child
每次: měicì — Every time; each time; on every occasion
登门拜访: dēngmén bàifǎng — To visit someone's home; to pay a call on
哪怕: nǎpà — Even if; even though; no matter how brief
只是: zhǐshì — Only; merely; just; it's just that
短短: duǎnduǎn — Brief; very short (duration); fleeting
一刻钟: yī kèzhōng — A quarter of an hour; fifteen minutes
你: nǐ — You; second person singular pronoun
必定: bìdìng — Certainly; surely; bound to happen
会: huì — Will; can; to be able to; likely to
听到: tīngdào — To hear; to catch the sound of something
关于: guānyú — About; concerning; regarding; with respect to
牲口: shēngkǒu — Livestock; domestic animal; beast of burden
神奇: shénqí — Magical; miraculous; wonderful; extraordinary
或: huò — Or; either; perhaps; alternatively
非凡: fēifán — Extraordinary; exceptional; out of the ordinary
聪慧: cōnghuì — Intelligent; clever; bright and wise
一番: yī fān — A round of; a stretch of; a bout of
讲述: jiǎngshù — To narrate; to recount; to tell about something

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