Great Expectations — Page 5

English → Chinese Chapter II. Level 8/10

My sister had a trenchant way of cutting our bread and butter for us, that never varied.

我姐姐给我们切涂了黄油的面包的方式锋利果断，从来一成不变。

First, with her left hand she jammed the loaf hard and fast against her bib,—where it sometimes got a pin into it, and sometimes a needle, which we afterwards got into our mouths.

首先，她用左手将面包用力紧紧地压在围嘴上——面包有时会被扎进一根大头针，有时是一根缝衣针，这些东西后来会被我们吃进嘴里。

Then she took some butter (not too much) on a knife and spread it on the loaf, in an apothecary kind of way, as if she were making a plaster,—using both sides of the knife with a slapping dexterity, and trimming and moulding the butter off round the crust.

然后她用刀取了些黄油（不太多），以一种药剂师般的方式将黄油涂抹在面包上，仿佛在配制膏药——她熟练地啪啪拍打着刀的两面，将黄油修整塑形，使其均匀覆盖面包皮的四周。

Then, she gave the knife a final smart wipe on the edge of the plaster, and then sawed a very thick round off the loaf: which she finally, before separating from the loaf, hewed into two halves, of which Joe got one, and I the other.

然后，她利落地在涂好黄油的面包边缘最后擦了擦刀，接着锯下一厚片面包：最终，在将这片面包与整条面包分离之前，她将其劈成两半，乔得到一半，我得到另一半。

On the present occasion, though I was hungry, I dared not eat my slice.

这一次，尽管我很饿，我却不敢吃我那片面包。

I felt that I must have something in reserve for my dreadful acquaintance, and his ally the still more dreadful young man.

我觉得我必须为那个可怕的陌生人，以及他那个更加可怕的同伙留些东西。

I knew Mrs. Joe's housekeeping to be of the strictest kind, and that my larcenous researches might find nothing available in the safe.

我知道乔太太持家极为严格，我偷偷翻找食物柜时很可能什么也找不到。

Therefore I resolved to put my hunk of bread and butter down the leg of my trousers.

因此我决定把那块涂了黄油的面包塞进裤腿里。

The effort of resolution necessary to the achievement of this purpose I found to be quite awful.

我发现，要鼓起勇气完成这一举动，实在是难如登天。

Vocabulary

我: wǒ — I, me; first person singular pronoun
姐姐: jiějie — Older sister; female sibling born earlier
给: gěi — To give; for, to (preposition)
我们: wǒmen — We, us; first person plural pronoun
切: qiē — To cut, slice through something
涂: tú — To spread, smear, or apply a substance
了: le — Completion or change-of-state grammatical particle
黄油: huángyóu — Butter; dairy fat used in cooking
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or description
面包: miànbāo — Bread; baked dough food staple
方式: fāngshì — Method, way, or manner of doing something
锋利: fēnglì — Sharp, keen-edged; describing a blade or tool
果断: guǒduàn — Decisive, resolute; acting without hesitation
从来: cónglái — Always, ever; referring to consistent past behavior
一成不变: yī chéng bù biàn — Unchanging, fixed; never varying in any way
首先: shǒuxiān — First of all; indicating the first step
她: tā — She, her; third person singular female pronoun
用: yòng — To use, employ; with (instrumental preposition)
左手: zuǒshǒu — Left hand; the hand on the left side
将: jiāng — To take, use; formal preposition marking object
用力: yònglì — To exert force; press or act with strength
紧紧: jǐnjǐn — Tightly, firmly; holding with great pressure
地: de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb
压: yā — To press down, hold firmly against surface
在: zài — At, on; preposition indicating location or surface
上: shàng — On, above; indicates surface or upper position
有时: yǒushí — Sometimes, occasionally; not always happening
会: huì — Will; expressing possibility or future likelihood
被: bèi — Passive marker; indicates subject receives the action
扎进: zhājìn — To prick into, stick or pierce inside something
一根: yī gēn — One (long thin object); measure word for needles
是: shì — To be; is, are, was (copula verb)
这些: zhèxiē — These; plural demonstrative pronoun for nearby things
东西: dōngxi — Things, stuff; general term for objects
后来: hòulái — Later, afterward; referring to subsequent events
吃进: chījìn — To eat and swallow into one's mouth
嘴里: zuǐlǐ — Inside the mouth; within one's oral cavity
然后: ránhòu — Then, after that; indicating next sequential step
刀: dāo — Knife, blade; a cutting tool
取: qǔ — To take, fetch, obtain an amount of something
些: xiē — Some, a little; indefinite small quantity marker
不太: bú tài — Not too, not very; moderating degree adverb
多: duō — Much, many; indicating large quantity or degree
以: yǐ — With, using; preposition indicating manner or means
一种: yī zhǒng — A kind of, a type of; one sort
般: bān — Like, as if; suffix comparing to something
涂抹: túmǒ — To smear, spread; applying substance over surface
仿佛: fǎngfú — As if, seemingly; expressing resemblance or impression
熟练: shúliàn — Skilled, proficient; performing with practiced expertise
拍打: pāidǎ — To pat, slap; striking something with open hand
着: zhe — Continuous aspect particle; indicating ongoing action
两面: liǎng miàn — Both sides; the two faces of an object
修整: xiūzhěng — To trim, neaten; making something tidy and even
使其: shǐ qí — To make it; cause something to achieve result
均匀: jūnyún — Even, uniform; distributed equally throughout
覆盖: fùgài — To cover, coat; spreading over an entire surface
四周: sìzhōu — All around, surrounding; every side of something
利落: lìluo — Neat, deft; acting cleanly and efficiently
边缘: biānyuán — Edge, margin; the boundary of an object
最后: zuìhòu — Finally, last; the final step or moment
擦: cā — To wipe, rub; cleaning or drying a surface
接着: jiēzhe — Then, next; continuing immediately with next action
一: yī — One; the number one or a single unit
最终: zuìzhōng — Finally, ultimately; at the very last moment
这片: zhè piàn — This slice/piece; referring to a specific portion
与: yǔ — And, with; connecting two nouns or clauses
分离: fēnlí — To separate, detach; coming apart from something
之前: zhīqián — Before, prior to; earlier than a certain point
两半: liǎng bàn — Two halves; divided into two equal parts
得到: dédào — To obtain, receive; successfully get something
一半: yī bàn — One half; fifty percent of something
另一半: lìng yī bàn — The other half; the remaining fifty percent
这: zhè — This; demonstrative pronoun for nearby thing
一次: yī cì — Once, one time; a single occurrence
尽管: jǐnguǎn — Although, even though; concessive conjunction
很: hěn — Very, quite; intensifying degree adverb
饿: è — Hungry; feeling the need to eat food
却: què — Yet, but; adversative conjunction showing contrast
不敢: bùgǎn — Dare not; lacking courage to do something
吃: chī — To eat; consume food or drink
那片: nà piàn — That slice/piece; referring to a specific portion
觉得: juéde — To feel, think; having a subjective impression
必须: bìxū — Must, have to; expressing strong obligation
为: wèi — For, for the sake of; preposition of purpose
那个: nàge — That one; demonstrative pronoun for distant thing
可怕: kěpà — Frightening, terrible; causing fear or dread
陌生人: mòshēngrén — Stranger; a person one does not know
以及: yǐjí — And, as well as; formal conjunction linking items
他: tā — He, him; third person singular male pronoun
更加: gèngjiā — Even more; increasing degree beyond current level
知道: zhīdào — To know; being aware of a fact
太太: tàitai — Mrs., wife; a married woman or mistress
极为: jíwéi — Extremely, exceedingly; very high degree modifier
严格: yángé — Strict, rigorous; enforcing rules without flexibility
偷偷: tōutōu — Secretly, stealthily; doing something without detection
翻找: fānzhǎo — To rummage through; search by turning things over
时: shí — When, at the time of; temporal conjunction
可能: kěnéng — Possibly, maybe; expressing likelihood or possibility
什么: shénme — What; interrogative pronoun or indefinite reference
也: yě — Also, too; additive adverb or emphasis marker
找: zhǎo — To look for, search; seek something out
不到: bú dào — Cannot find or reach; failing to attain result
因此: yīncǐ — Therefore, thus; indicating a logical consequence
决定: juédìng — To decide; making a firm choice or resolution
把: bǎ — Disposal marker; preposition placing object before verb
那块: nà kuài — That piece/chunk; referring to a specific piece
塞进: sāijìn — To stuff into; push something inside a space
里: lǐ — Inside, within; indicating interior location
发现: fāxiàn — To discover, find out; realize something exists
要: yào — To want, need; expressing desire or necessity
鼓起: gǔqǐ — To muster up, summon; gather inner strength
勇气: yǒngqì — Courage, bravery; mental strength to face fear
完成: wánchéng — To complete, accomplish; finish a task successfully
举动: jǔdòng — Action, move; a deliberate physical gesture or deed
实在: shízài — Truly, really; emphasizing sincerity or difficulty
难如登天: nán rú dēng tiān — Extremely difficult; as hard as climbing to heaven

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