The Brothers Karamazov — Page 2

English → Chinese Chapter I. Level 8/10

Fyodor Pavlovitch's first wife, Adelaïda Ivanovna, belonged to a fairly rich and distinguished noble family, also landowners in our district, the Miüsovs.

费奥多尔·巴夫洛维奇的第一任妻子阿黛拉依达·伊万诺夫娜，出身于一个相当富裕而显赫的贵族家庭，也是我们本地区的地主，即米乌索夫家族。

How it came to pass that an heiress, who was also a beauty, and moreover one of those vigorous, intelligent girls, so common in this generation, but sometimes also to be found in the last, could have married such a worthless, puny weakling, as we all called him, I won't attempt to explain.

一个女继承人，同时又是美人，而且还是那种精力充沛、聪颖过人的女子——这类女子在当今这一代颇为常见，但在上一代有时也能见到——她究竟是如何嫁给了这样一个我们大家都称之为毫无价值、瘦小懦弱的人，对此我不打算加以解释。

I knew a young lady of the last "romantic" generation who after some years of an enigmatic passion for a gentleman, whom she might quite easily have married at any moment, invented insuperable obstacles to their union, and ended by throwing herself one stormy night into a rather deep and rapid river from a high bank, almost a precipice, and so perished, entirely to satisfy her own caprice, and to be like Shakespeare's Ophelia.

我认识上一个"浪漫主义"时代的一位年轻女子，她对一位绅士怀有几年莫名其妙的热情，原本随时都可以轻而易举地嫁给他，却为两人的结合凭空制造出难以逾越的障碍，最终在一个风雨交加的夜晚，从一处高高的河岸——几乎是悬崖峭壁——纵身跳入湍急的深河，就此香消玉殒，完全只是为了满足自己的任性，要像莎士比亚笔下的奥菲利亚一样。

Indeed, if this precipice, a chosen and favorite spot of hers, had been less picturesque, if there had been a prosaic flat bank in its place, most likely the suicide would never have taken place.

说实话，如果这处悬崖——她精心选定的心爱之地——不那么风景如画，如果那里只是一片平淡无奇的平坦河岸，那么这场自杀很可能根本就不会发生。

This is a fact, and probably there have been not a few similar instances in the last two or three generations.

这是事实，在过去两三代人当中，类似的情形恐怕为数不少。

Adelaïda Ivanovna Miüsov's action was similarly, no doubt, an echo of other people's ideas, and was due to the irritation caused by lack of mental freedom.

阿黛拉依达·伊万诺夫娜·米乌索娃的举动，无疑同样是对他人思想的回应，根源在于缺乏精神自由所引发的烦躁与不满。

She wanted, perhaps, to show her feminine independence, to override class distinctions and the despotism of her family.

她或许是想彰显女性的独立，打破阶级的界限，反抗家族的专制。

Vocabulary

的: de — Possessive or descriptive particle.
第一任: dì yī rèn — The first (spouse, official, or appointee).
妻子: qīzi — Wife; one's female spouse.
出身: chūshēn — One's family background or social origin.
于: yú — Preposition meaning 'from' or 'in'.
一个: yī gè — One; a single (general measure word).
相当: xiāngdāng — Quite; fairly; considerably; rather.
富裕: fùyù — Wealthy; prosperous; well-off financially.
而: ér — Conjunction meaning 'and' or 'yet'.
显赫: xiǎnhè — Illustrious; prominent; of high renown.
贵族: guìzú — Nobility; aristocracy; people of noble birth.
家庭: jiātíng — Family; household unit.
也是: yě shì — Also is; likewise; equally.
我们: wǒmen — We; us; our group.
本: běn — This; our; the present (place or thing).
地区: dìqū — Region; area; district; locale.
地主: dìzhǔ — Landlord; landowner who owns land.
即: jí — Namely; that is; i.e.
家族: jiāzú — Clan; family lineage; extended family.
女继承人: nǚ jìchéngrén — Female heir; heiress to an estate.
同时: tóngshí — At the same time; simultaneously; meanwhile.
又是: yòu shì — Also is; furthermore; again is.
美人: měirén — Beautiful woman; great beauty; belle.
而且: érqiě — Moreover; furthermore; in addition.
还是: háishi — Still; or; had better; also is.
那种: nà zhǒng — That kind of; that type of.
精力充沛: jīnglì chōngpèi — Full of energy; vigorous; bursting with vitality.
聪颖过人: cōngyǐng guòrén — Exceptionally intelligent; surpassing others in intellect.
女子: nǚzǐ — Woman; female person; lady.
这类: zhè lèi — This type of; this kind of.
在: zài — At; in; exist; located at.
当今: dāngjīn — Nowadays; the present day; currently.
这一代: zhè yī dài — This generation; the current generation.
颇为: pōwéi — Quite; rather; considerably; fairly.
常见: chángjiàn — Common; frequently seen; ordinary.
但: dàn — But; however; yet; nevertheless.
上一代: shàng yī dài — The previous generation; one generation before.
有时: yǒushí — Sometimes; occasionally; at times.
也: yě — Also; too; as well; either.
能: néng — Can; able to; capable of.
见到: jiàn dào — See; catch sight of; encounter.
她: tā — She; her (female third-person pronoun).
究竟: jiūjìng — Exactly; after all; in the end.
是: shì — Is; are; to be (copula verb).
如何: rúhé — How; in what way; what manner.
嫁给: jià gěi — Marry (of a woman); wed someone.
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or change.
这样: zhèyàng — Like this; such; in this way.
大家: dàjiā — Everyone; everybody; all people.
都: dōu — All; both; entirely; without exception.
称之为: chēng zhī wéi — Call it; refer to it as.
毫无价值: háo wú jiàzhí — Completely worthless; of no value whatsoever.
瘦小: shòuxiǎo — Thin and small; slight; diminutive in build.
懦弱: nuòruò — Cowardly; weak-willed; timid; spineless.
人: rén — Person; human being; people.
对此: duì cǐ — Regarding this; about this matter.
我: wǒ — I; me; myself (first-person pronoun).
不: bù — No; not; negation particle.
打算: dǎsuàn — Plan to; intend to; have plans.
加以: jiāyǐ — To proceed to; to apply; to give.
解释: jiěshì — Explain; interpret; clarify; give an explanation.
认识: rènshi — Know; recognize; be acquainted with someone.
上一个: shàng yī gè — The previous one; the one before.
浪漫主义: làngmàn zhǔyì — Romanticism; the romantic movement or ideology.
时代: shídài — Era; age; epoch; period of time.
一位: yī wèi — One (person, polite measure word).
年轻: niánqīng — Young; youthful; of a young age.
对: duì — Toward; for; to; with regard to.
绅士: shēnshì — Gentleman; refined and respectable man.
怀有: huái yǒu — Harbor; cherish; hold (feelings or intentions).
几年: jǐ nián — Several years; a few years.
莫名其妙: mò míng qí miào — Baffling; inexplicable; without any apparent reason.
热情: rèqíng — Passion; enthusiasm; warm feeling; fervor.
原本: yuánběn — Originally; at first; by rights should.
随时: suíshí — At any time; whenever; readily; anytime.
可以: kěyǐ — Can; may; be allowed to.
轻而易举: qīng ér yì jǔ — Easily accomplished; effortless; a piece of cake.
地: de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb.
他: tā — He; him (male third-person pronoun).
却: què — But; yet; however; on the contrary.
为: wèi — For; for the sake of; because of.
两人: liǎng rén — Two people; the two of them.
结合: jiéhé — Unite; combine; join together; union.
凭空: píngkōng — Out of thin air; groundlessly; without basis.
制造出: zhìzào chū — Create; produce; manufacture; bring about.
难以逾越: nán yǐ yúyuè — Difficult to surmount; insurmountable; hard to overcome.
障碍: zhàng'ài — Obstacle; barrier; hindrance; impediment.
最终: zuìzhōng — Finally; ultimately; in the end; eventually.
风雨交加: fēng yǔ jiāo jiā — Wind and rain together; stormy and turbulent night.
夜晚: yèwǎn — Night; nighttime; evening.
从: cóng — From; since; following; through.
一处: yī chù — One place; a certain location; a spot.
高高: gāogāo — High up; very high; elevated.
河岸: hé'àn — Riverbank; the bank of a river.
几乎: jīhū — Almost; nearly; practically; virtually.
悬崖峭壁: xuányá qiàobì — Sheer cliff; steep precipice; vertical rocky face.
纵身: zòng shēn — Leap; throw one's body; lunge forward.
跳入: tiào rù — Jump into; leap into; plunge into.
湍急: tuānjí — Torrential; swift and fierce (of water current).
深河: shēn hé — Deep river; a river with great depth.
就此: jiùcǐ — Thereupon; at this point; just like that.
香消玉殒: xiāng xiāo yù yǔn — Die beautifully (of a woman); perish gracefully.
完全: wánquán — Completely; entirely; totally; fully.
只是: zhǐshì — Only; merely; just; simply.
为了: wèile — In order to; for the purpose of.
满足: mǎnzú — Satisfy; fulfill; meet a need or desire.
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself; self; one's own.
任性: rènxìng — Willful; capricious; self-indulgent; acting on whims.
要: yào — Want to; need to; will; must.
像: xiàng — Like; resemble; similar to; as.
笔下: bǐ xià — Under one's pen; as written or depicted by.
一样: yīyàng — The same; alike; similar; just like.
说实话: shuō shíhuà — To tell the truth; honestly speaking; frankly.
如果: rúguǒ — If; in case; supposing that; provided that.
这处: zhè chù — This place; this particular spot or location.
悬崖: xuányá — Cliff; precipice; steep overhanging rock face.
精心: jīngxīn — Carefully; meticulously; with great care and thought.
选定: xuǎndìng — Select and fix upon; choose and finalize.
心爱: xīn'ài — Beloved; cherished; dearly loved; favorite.
之地: zhī dì — Place; location (literary phrase suffix).
那么: nàme — Then; in that case; so; well then.
风景如画: fēngjǐng rú huà — Scenery as beautiful as a painting; picturesque.
那里: nàlǐ — There; that place; over there.
一片: yī piàn — A stretch of; an expanse of; entirely.
平淡无奇: píngdàn wú qí — Flat and ordinary; dull; nothing special at all.
平坦: píngtǎn — Flat; level; even; without hills or bumps.
这场: zhè chǎng — This (event/incident, measure word for events).
自杀: zìshā — Suicide; act of killing oneself.
很: hěn — Very; quite; rather (adverb of degree).
可能: kěnéng — Possible; likely; maybe; perhaps.
根本: gēnběn — At all; fundamentally; basically; not at all.
就: jiù — Just; then; exactly; right away.
不会: bù huì — Will not; would not; cannot; unable to.
发生: fāshēng — Happen; occur; take place; come about.
这: zhè — This; these (demonstrative pronoun).
事实: shìshí — Fact; reality; actual truth; concrete evidence.
过去: guòqù — The past; formerly; in past times.
两三: liǎng sān — Two or three; a couple; several.
代人: dài rén — Generations of people; people of a generation.
当中: dāngzhōng — Among; in the middle of; within.
类似: lèisì — Similar; alike; resembling; analogous.
情形: qíngxíng — Situation; circumstance; state of affairs; condition.
恐怕: kǒngpà — I'm afraid; probably; perhaps; I fear that.
为数不少: wéi shù bù shǎo — Quite a number; not a small amount; considerable.
举动: jǔdòng — Action; move; behavior; conduct; gesture.
无疑: wúyí — Undoubtedly; without doubt; certainly; unquestionably.
同样: tóngyàng — Same; equally; similarly; in the same way.
他人: tārén — Others; other people; someone else.
思想: sīxiǎng — Thought; ideology; thinking; ideas; mind.
回应: huíyìng — Respond; reply; echo; react to something.
根源: gēnyuán — Root cause; origin; source; fundamental reason.
在于: zàiyú — Lie in; consist in; rest with; stem from.
缺乏: quēfá — Lack; be short of; be deficient in.
精神: jīngshén — Spirit; mind; mental; morale; vitality.
自由: zìyóu — Freedom; liberty; free; unrestricted.
所: suǒ — Particle used before verbs in passive structures.
引发: yǐnfā — Trigger; cause; lead to; bring about.
烦躁: fánzào — Irritable; restless; vexed and agitated.
与: yǔ — And; with; together with (conjunction).
不满: bùmǎn — Dissatisfied; discontented; resentful; unhappy.
或许: huòxǔ — Perhaps; maybe; possibly; it may be.
想: xiǎng — Want; think; wish; intend; consider.
彰显: zhāngxiǎn — Demonstrate; highlight; make manifest; display clearly.
女性: nǚxìng — Female; women; the female sex; femininity.
独立: dúlì — Independent; self-reliant; stand alone; autonomy.
打破: dǎpò — Break; smash; break through; overcome.
阶级: jiējí — Social class; class stratum; rank in society.
界限: jièxiàn — Boundary; limit; dividing line; demarcation.
反抗: fǎnkàng — Resist; rebel; defy; fight against oppression.
专制: zhuānzhì — Autocracy; despotism; tyrannical rule; absolute power.

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