White nights, and other stories — Page 5
I even bethought me to send for Matrona, and was giving her some fatherly admonitions in regard to the spider's web and sluttishness in general; but she simply stared at me in amazement and went away without saying a word, so that the spider's web is comfortably hanging in its place to this day.
我甚至想到要去叫马特罗娜来,对她进行一番慈父般的训诫,谈到蜘蛛网和懒散邋遢之类的问题;但她只是惊愕地盯着我看,一言不发地走开了,以至于那张蜘蛛网至今仍安然挂在原处。
I only at last this morning realized what was wrong.
直到今天早上我才终于明白是怎么回事。
Aie! Why, they are giving me the slip and making off to their summer villas!
哎呀!原来他们是在溜走,跑去避暑山庄了!
Forgive the triviality of the expression, but I am in no mood for fine language ...
请原谅这俗气的说法,但我现在没有心思讲究措辞……
for everything that had been in Petersburg had gone or was going away for the holidays;
因为彼得堡里的人几乎都已离去或正在离去,出城度假;
for every respectable gentleman of dignified appearance who took a cab was at once transformed, in my eyes, into a respectable head of a household who after his daily duties were over, was making his way to the bosom of his family, to the summer villa;
因为每一位仪表堂堂、乘坐马车的体面绅士,在我眼中立刻变成了一位德高望重的一家之主,他在结束了一天的公务之后,正赶往家人的怀抱,前往避暑山庄;
for all the passers-by had now quite a peculiar air which seemed to say to every one they met: "We are only here for the moment, gentlemen, and in another two hours we shall be going off to the summer villa."
因为所有的行人此时都带着一种特别的神情,仿佛在对每一个遇到的人说:"我们只是暂时在此,诸位,再过两个小时我们就要去避暑山庄了。"
Vocabulary
- 我
- wǒ — I, me; first person singular pronoun
- 甚至
- shènzhì — Even; going so far as to
- 想到
- xiǎng dào — To think of; to occur to one's mind
- 要去
- yào qù — To be going to go; intend to go somewhere
- 叫
- jiào — To call; to summon; to be named
- 来
- lái — To come; to arrive; directional complement
- 对她
- duì tā — Toward her; with regard to her
- 进行
- jìnxíng — To carry out; to conduct an activity or process
- 一番
- yī fān — A round of; a bout of some action
- 慈父
- cí fù — Kind father; a loving, gentle paternal figure
- 般的
- bān de — Like; similar to; in the manner of
- 训诫
- xùnjiè — To admonish; to lecture someone about proper behavior
- 谈到
- tán dào — To mention; to bring up a topic in conversation
- 蜘蛛网
- zhīzhūwǎng — Cobweb; spider's web
- 和
- hé — And; together with; connecting nouns or clauses
- 懒散
- lǎnsǎn — Lazy and slack; lacking energy or diligence
- 邋遢
- lātā — Slovenly; untidy; messy in appearance or habits
- 之类
- zhī lèi — And such; and the like; of that sort
- 的
- de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification
- 问题
- wèntí — Problem; question; issue
- 但她
- dàn tā — But she; however, she (contrast connector)
- 只是
- zhǐshì — Simply; merely; just
- 惊愕
- jīng'è — Stunned; astonished; struck dumb with surprise
- 地
- de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb
- 盯着
- dīng zhe — To stare at; to fix one's gaze upon
- 看
- kàn — To look; to watch; to see
- 一言不发
- yī yán bù fā — Without saying a word; completely silent
- 走开
- zǒu kāi — To walk away; to leave; to move away
- 了
- le — Particle indicating completed action or changed state
- 以至于
- yǐ zhì yú — So much so that; to the extent that
- 那张
- nà zhāng — That (flat object); measure word for flat things
- 至今
- zhìjīn — Until now; up to the present day
- 仍
- réng — Still; yet; continuing as before
- 安然
- ānrán — Safely; peacefully; without disturbance or change
- 挂在
- guà zài — Hanging at; suspended at a location
- 原处
- yuánchù — Original place; the same spot as before
- 直到
- zhídào — Until; up until a specific point in time
- 今天
- jīntiān — Today; this day
- 早上
- zǎoshang — Morning; the early part of the day
- 才
- cái — Only then; not until; emphasizes lateness or condition
- 终于
- zhōngyú — Finally; at last; after a long wait
- 明白
- míngbai — To understand; to realize; clear in meaning
- 是
- shì — To be; is, are, am; affirmative copula
- 怎么回事
- zěnme huí shì — What is going on; what the matter is
- 哎呀
- āiyā — Oh my! Exclamation of surprise or realization
- 原来
- yuánlái — So it turns out; as it happens; originally
- 他们
- tāmen — They; them; third person plural pronoun
- 在
- zài — At; in; on; indicates location or ongoing action
- 溜走
- liū zǒu — To slip away; to sneak off quietly
- 跑去
- pǎo qù — To run off to; to rush away to a place
- 避暑山庄
- bìshǔ shānzhuāng — Summer resort; mountain villa for escaping summer heat
- 请
- qǐng — Please; to invite; to request politely
- 原谅
- yuánliàng — To forgive; to pardon; to excuse someone
- 这
- zhè — This; referring to something nearby
- 俗气
- súqì — Vulgar; tacky; lacking refinement or taste
- 说法
- shuōfǎ — Way of saying; expression; wording; formulation
- 但
- dàn — But; however; yet; introduces a contrast
- 现在
- xiànzài — Now; at present; currently
- 没有
- méiyǒu — Do not have; there is no; lacking something
- 心思
- xīnsī — Mind; mood; inclination to do something
- 讲究
- jiǎngjiu — To be particular about; to pay attention to quality
- 措辞
- cuòcí — Choice of words; wording; phrasing of expression
- 因为
- yīnwèi — Because; since; the reason being
- 里
- lǐ — Inside; within; in (a place)
- 人
- rén — Person; people; human being
- 几乎
- jīhū — Almost; nearly; practically all
- 都
- dōu — All; both; entirely; without exception
- 已
- yǐ — Already; previously; by now
- 离去
- lí qù — To leave; to depart; to go away
- 或
- huò — Or; either; alternatively
- 正在
- zhèngzài — Currently; in the process of doing something now
- 出城
- chū chéng — To leave the city; to go out of town
- 度假
- dùjià — To go on vacation; to take a holiday
- 每一位
- měi yī wèi — Every single person; each individual (respectful)
- 仪表堂堂
- yíbiǎo tángtáng — Dignified appearance; impressive and distinguished-looking
- 乘坐
- chéngzuò — To ride in; to travel by a vehicle
- 马车
- mǎchē — Carriage; horse-drawn vehicle
- 体面
- tǐmiàn — Respectable; dignified; having a good appearance
- 绅士
- shēnshì — Gentleman; a refined and well-mannered man
- 眼中
- yǎn zhōng — In one's eyes; from one's perspective
- 立刻
- lìkè — Immediately; at once; right away
- 变成
- biàn chéng — To become; to turn into something else
- 一位
- yī wèi — One (person); measure word for respected individuals
- 德高望重
- dé gāo wàng zhòng — Highly respected; of great virtue and prestige
- 一家之主
- yī jiā zhī zhǔ — Head of the household; master of the family
- 他
- tā — He; him; third person singular male pronoun
- 结束
- jiéshù — To end; to finish; to conclude
- 一天
- yī tiān — One day; a whole day
- 公务
- gōngwù — Official duties; government or public business
- 之后
- zhī hòu — After; afterward; following a certain time or event
- 正
- zhèng — Just; right in the middle of doing something
- 赶往
- gǎn wǎng — To hurry toward; to rush off to a place
- 家人
- jiārén — Family members; one's relatives at home
- 怀抱
- huáibào — Embrace; arms; the warmth of loved ones
- 前往
- qiánwǎng — To head toward; to proceed to a destination
- 所有
- suǒyǒu — All; every; the entirety of something
- 行人
- xíngrén — Pedestrian; passerby; person walking on the street
- 此时
- cǐ shí — At this moment; at this time
- 带着
- dài zhe — Carrying; bearing; with a certain expression or thing
- 一种
- yī zhǒng — A kind of; a type of; one sort of
- 特别
- tèbié — Special; particular; especially; out of the ordinary
- 神情
- shénqíng — Expression; look on one's face; air or manner
- 仿佛
- fǎngfú — As if; as though; seemingly
- 对
- duì — Toward; to; directed at someone or something
- 每一个
- měi yī gè — Every single one; each and every person or thing
- 遇到
- yù dào — To encounter; to meet; to come across
- 说
- shuō — To say; to speak; to tell
- 我们
- wǒmen — We; us; first person plural pronoun
- 暂时
- zànshí — Temporarily; for the time being; not permanently
- 在此
- zài cǐ — Here; at this place; in this location
- 诸位
- zhū wèi — Everyone; ladies and gentlemen; all of you
- 再过
- zài guò — After another; in just (amount of time) more
- 两个
- liǎng gè — Two (items); a pair of something
- 小时
- xiǎoshí — Hour; a unit of time equal to sixty minutes
- 就要
- jiù yào — About to; going to happen very soon
- 去
- qù — To go; to leave for a place
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