The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 5
因此他决定将她处死：但就在行刑前，发现她还在给婴儿哺乳；
Accordingly he determined to put her to death: but it being found, just before her execution, that she had an infant at her breast;
而且没有任何女人愿意担任奶妈的角色，她便因为孩子的缘故得以免死。
and no woman being prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was spared on account of the child.
然而，男人们对妻子并不保持与她们对丈夫同样的忠贞；因为他们允许自己娶多个妻子，尽管很少超过两个。
The men, however, do not preserve the same constancy to their wives, which they expect from them; for they indulge in a plurality, though seldom in more than two.
他们的婚姻方式如下：双方通常在年幼时便由父母订婚，（尽管我也见过男方自行订婚的情况）。
Their mode of marriage is thus:--both parties are usually betrothed when young by their parents, (though I have known the males to betroth themselves).
在这一场合，人们会摆设宴席，新娘与新郎站在所有为此聚集的亲友中间，
On this occasion a feast is prepared, and the bride and bridegroom stand up in the midst of all their friends, who are assembled for the purpose,
新郎宣布她从此将被视为他的妻子，任何其他人都不得向她求爱。
while he declares she is thenceforth to be looked upon as his wife, and that no other person is to pay any addresses to her.
这一消息随即在附近一带公告周知，之后新娘便从聚会中退场离去。
This is also immediately proclaimed in the vicinity, on which the bride retires from the assembly.
Vocabulary
- Accordingly
- 因此，于是，表示结果或顺序的连接词
- determined
- 决定了；下定决心去做某事
- execution
- 处决，执行死刑的行为
- infant
- 婴儿，非常年幼的孩子
- breast
- 胸部；at breast指正在哺乳
- prevailed
- 说服成功；prevail on意为劝说某人
- perform
- 执行，完成某项任务或职责
- part
- 角色，职责，此处指担任乳母职责
- nurse
- 护士；此处指乳母，哺育婴儿的女性
- spared
- 被赦免，免于受到惩罚或伤害
- account
- on account of：因为，由于某原因
- however
- 然而，表示对比或转折的副词
- preserve
- 保持，维持某种状态或品质不变
- constancy
- 忠贞，对伴侣始终如一的忠诚
- expect
- 期望，期待某人做某事
- indulge
- 沉溺于，放纵自己从事某行为
- plurality
- 多数；此处指一夫多妻的多配偶制
- though
- 虽然，尽管，表示让步的连接词
- seldom
- 很少，不常，表示频率低的副词
- mode
- 方式，方法，做事情的特定方式
- thus
- 如此，这样，表示方式的副词
- parties
- 双方，参与某事的两个人或团体
- usually
- 通常，一般情况下，表示习惯
- betrothed
- 订婚了的，正式约定结婚的
- males
- 男性们，雄性，男性的复数形式
- betroth
- 订婚，正式约定与某人结婚
- occasion
- 场合，特定的时机或重要事件
- feast
- 宴会，盛宴，庆祝用的丰盛聚餐
- bride
- 新娘，结婚典礼上的女方
- bridegroom
- 新郎，结婚典礼上的男方
- midst
- 中间，在……当中，in the midst of
- assembled
- 聚集的，集合在一起的人群
- purpose
- 目的，意图，为某一原因而做
- declares
- 宣布，正式公开声明某件事
- thenceforth
- 从那时起，此后，指某时间点之后
- addresses
- 求爱，pay addresses to表示向某人示爱
- immediately
- 立即，马上，毫不延迟地
- proclaimed
- 宣告，公开宣布某重要消息
- vicinity
- 附近地区，周边，邻近的范围
- retires
- 退下，离开，从某地或场合退出
- assembly
- 集会，聚集在一起的人群或会议
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