Sense and Sensibility — Page 2

English → Chinese CHAPTER II. Level 7/10

And what possible claim could the Miss Dashwoods, who were related to him only by half blood, which she considered as no relationship at all, have on his generosity to so large an amount.

而达什伍德小姐们与他不过是同父异母的关系，她认为这根本算不上什么亲戚，又凭什么要求他慷慨解囊至如此之大的数目呢。

It was very well known that no affection was ever supposed to exist between the children of any man by different marriages; and why was he to ruin himself, and their poor little Harry, by giving away all his money to his half sisters?

众所周知，同一个父亲不同婚姻所生的孩子之间向来不存在什么感情；他又为什么要把钱财全都送给同父异母的姐妹们，从而毁掉自己，毁掉他们可怜的小哈里呢？

"It was my father's last request to me," replied her husband, "that I should assist his widow and daughters."

「这是我父亲临终前对我的嘱托，」她丈夫回答道，「要我照顾他的遗孀和女儿们。」

"He did not know what he was talking of, I dare say; ten to one but he was light-headed at the time.

「我敢说他当时根本不知道自己在说什么；十有八九他那时候已经神志不清了。

Had he been in his right senses, he could not have thought of such a thing as begging you to give away half your fortune from your own child."

他若是神志清醒，断然不会想出这样的事来——求你把一半财产从自己的孩子身上夺走。」

"He did not stipulate for any particular sum, my dear Fanny; he only requested me, in general terms, to assist them, and make their situation more comfortable than it was in his power to do.

「他并没有指定任何具体的数目，我亲爱的范妮；他只是笼统地请求我帮助她们，让她们的处境比她们凭自己之力所能做到的更为舒适。

Perhaps it would have been as well if he had left it wholly to myself.

也许，若是他把一切全都交由我自行决定，结果会同样妥当。

He could hardly suppose I should neglect them.

他大概不会认为我会疏忽她们的。

But as he required the promise, I could not do less than give it; at least I thought so at the time.

但既然他要求我作出承诺，我便不得不答应；至少我当时是这样想的。

The promise, therefore, was given, and must be performed.

承诺既已作出，便必须履行。」

Vocabulary

而: ér — Conjunction meaning 'and,' 'but,' or 'yet.'
小姐们: xiǎojiě men — The young ladies; plural form of 'miss.'
与: yǔ — And; together with; compared to.
他: tā — He; him; third-person masculine pronoun.
不过: bùguò — However; but; only; merely.
是: shì — To be; is; am; are.
同父异母: tóng fù yì mǔ — Half-siblings sharing the same father, different mothers.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
关系: guānxi — Relationship; connection; ties between people.
她: tā — She; her; third-person feminine pronoun.
认为: rènwéi — To think; to believe; to consider something to be.
这: zhè — This; referring to something nearby or just mentioned.
根本: gēnběn — Fundamentally; at all; simply not worth considering.
算不上: suàn bu shàng — Cannot be counted as; does not qualify as.
什么: shénme — What; anything; used rhetorically for emphasis.
亲戚: qīnqi — Relative; family member beyond immediate household.
又: yòu — Again; also; furthermore; used for added emphasis.
凭什么: píng shénme — On what grounds; why should one; by what right.
要求: yāoqiú — To demand; to require; a request or requirement.
慷慨解囊: kāngkǎi jiě náng — To give generously; open one's purse willingly for others.
至: zhì — To; until; reaching; extremely; to the extent of.
如此: rúcǐ — Such; so; like this; to this degree.
数目: shùmù — Amount; number; sum of money or quantity.
呢: ne — Sentence-final particle expressing rhetorical question or continuation.
众所周知: zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī — As everyone knows; it is common knowledge that.
同: tóng — Same; together with; identical.
一个: yī gè — One; a single (general measure word for objects/people).
父亲: fùqīn — Father; one's male parent.
不同: bùtóng — Different; not the same; unlike.
婚姻: hūnyīn — Marriage; the institution of being wed.
所生: suǒ shēng — Born of; begotten by (a particular mother or union).
孩子: háizi — Child; children; son or daughter.
之间: zhījiān — Between; among; in the midst of.
向来: xiànglái — Always; all along; traditionally; from the beginning.
不存在: bù cúnzài — Does not exist; there is no such thing as.
感情: gǎnqíng — Feelings; emotions; affection between people.
为什么: wèishénme — Why; for what reason.
要: yào — To want; must; should; going to do something.
把: bǎ — Disposal marker; used before direct object in action sentences.
钱财: qiáncái — Money and wealth; financial assets; riches.
全都: quándōu — All; entirely; every single one without exception.
送给: sòng gěi — To give to; to present something as a gift to someone.
姐妹们: jiěmèi men — The sisters; plural reference to a group of sisters.
从而: cóngér — Thus; thereby; and as a result of this.
毁掉: huǐ diào — To ruin; to destroy; to wreck completely.
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself; one's own; reflexive pronoun in Chinese.
他们: tāmen — They; them; third-person plural pronoun.
可怜: kělián — Pitiful; poor; to feel sorry for someone.
小: xiǎo — Small; little; young; used affectionately before names.
我: wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun.
临终前: línzhōng qián — Before death; at one's deathbed; in one's final moments.
对: duì — To; toward; correct; facing; directed at someone.
嘱托: zhǔtuō — To entrust; a deathbed request; to charge someone with a task.
丈夫: zhàngfu — Husband; one's male spouse.
回答道: huídá dào — Replied; answered; said in response (narrative verb phrase).
照顾: zhàogù — To take care of; to look after; to attend to someone.
遗孀: yíshuāng — Widow; a woman whose husband has died.
和: hé — And; together with; peaceful; harmonious.
女儿们: nǚér men — The daughters; plural reference to one's daughters.
敢说: gǎn shuō — Dare to say; venture to assert; I dare say that.
当时: dāngshí — At that time; then; at the moment in question.
不知道: bù zhīdào — Did not know; unaware; had no idea about something.
在: zài — At; in; on; to be located at; in the process of.
说: shuō — To say; to speak; to talk; to explain.
十有八九: shí yǒu bā jiǔ — Nine times out of ten; in all likelihood; almost certainly.
那时候: nà shíhou — At that time; back then; in those days.
已经: yǐjīng — Already; by now; at this point in time.
神志不清: shénzhì bù qīng — Mentally confused; delirious; not in one's right mind.
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or changed situation.
若是: ruòshì — If; supposing that; were it the case that.
神志清醒: shénzhì qīngxǐng — Mentally clear; lucid; in full possession of one's faculties.
断然: duànrán — Absolutely; flatly; resolutely; under no circumstances.
不会: bù huì — Would not; cannot; unlikely to happen or be the case.
想出: xiǎng chū — To come up with; to think of; to devise an idea.
这样: zhèyàng — Like this; such; in this manner or way.
事: shì — Thing; matter; affair; task; event.
来: lái — To come; directional complement; used after verbs for result.
求: qiú — To beg; to request; to seek earnestly from someone.
你: nǐ — You; second-person singular pronoun.
一半: yībàn — Half; one half; fifty percent of something.
财产: cáichǎn — Property; assets; estate; one's financial holdings.
从: cóng — From; since; following; along; based on.
身上: shēn shang — On one's body; from oneself; in one's possession.
夺走: duó zǒu — To take away by force; to seize and remove something.
并没有: bìng méiyǒu — Did not at all; emphatically did not; there was no.
指定: zhǐdìng — To specify; to designate; to appoint a particular thing.
任何: rènhé — Any; whatever; whichever; used in negative or open contexts.
具体: jùtǐ — Specific; concrete; definite; clearly defined in detail.
亲爱的: qīn'ài de — Dear; beloved; term of endearment for a close person.
只是: zhǐshì — Just; merely; only; it is simply the case that.
笼统: lǒngtǒng — Vague; general; not specific; in a sweeping manner.
地: de — Adverbial particle linking adverb/adjective to following verb.
请求: qǐngqiú — To request; to ask for; a formal or earnest plea.
帮助: bāngzhù — To help; to assist; aid provided to someone in need.
她们: tāmen — They; them (feminine); third-person plural pronoun for women.
让: ràng — To let; to allow; to cause; to make someone do something.
处境: chǔjìng — Situation; circumstances; the condition one finds oneself in.
比: bǐ — Compared to; than; used in comparative sentences.
凭: píng — Relying on; by means of; based on one's own resources.
所能: suǒ néng — What one is capable of; within one's ability to do.
做到: zuò dào — To achieve; to manage to do; to accomplish something.
更为: gèng wéi — Even more; still more; to a greater degree than before.
舒适: shūshì — Comfortable; cozy; at ease; pleasant living conditions.
也许: yěxǔ — Perhaps; maybe; possibly; expressing uncertainty.
一切: yīqiè — Everything; all; the whole of something without exception.
交由: jiāo yóu — To hand over to; to leave something for someone to decide.
自行: zìxíng — On one's own; independently; by oneself without instruction.
决定: juédìng — To decide; a decision; to determine a course of action.
结果: jiéguǒ — Result; outcome; consequence; in the end; as a result.
会: huì — Will; can; to be able to; expressing future or ability.
同样: tóngyàng — Equally; likewise; in the same way; the same result.
妥当: tuǒdàng — Appropriate; proper; suitable; well-handled and satisfactory.
大概: dàgài — Probably; approximately; roughly; in general terms.
疏忽: shūhu — Negligence; oversight; carelessness; to neglect inadvertently.
但: dàn — But; however; yet; introducing a contrasting statement.
既然: jìrán — Since; given that; now that the situation is such.
作出: zuò chū — To make; to produce; to render (a decision or promise).
承诺: chéngnuò — Promise; commitment; to pledge to do something.
便: biàn — Then; thereupon; consequently; as soon as (formal).
不得不: bù dé bù — Have no choice but to; must; cannot avoid doing something.
答应: dāying — To agree; to promise; to consent; to respond to a call.
至少: zhìshǎo — At least; at the minimum; no fewer than a given amount.
想: xiǎng — To think; to want; to miss; to consider doing something.
既已: jì yǐ — Since already; now that one has already done something (formal).
必须: bìxū — Must; have to; it is necessary to do something.
履行: lǚxíng — To fulfill; to carry out; to honor a promise or duty.

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