名著精读《飘》第一章 第18节

“Well, it’s fun to hear her gabble. And it’ll be somewhere to hide out till Ma has gone to bed.”

“那么，去听听她的那套胡扯也挺有趣呀。况且那也是个藏身之地，可以让我们等妈妈上床睡了再回家去。”

“Well, hell! I like Cathleen and she is fun and I’d like to hear about Caro Rhett and the rest of the Charleston folks; but I’m damned if I can stand sitting through another meal with that Yankee stepmother of hers.”“Don’t be too hard on her, Stuart. She means well.”“I’m not being hard on her. I feel sorry for her, but I don’t like people I’ve got to feel sorry for. And she fusses around so much, trying to do the right thing and make you feel at home, that she always manages to say and do just exactly the wrong thing. She gives me the fidgets! And she thinks Southerners are wild barbarians. She even told Ma so. She’s afraid of Southerners. Whenever we’re there she always looks scared to death. She reminds me of a skinny hen perched on a chair, her eyes kind of bright and blank and scared, all ready to flap and squawk at the slightest move anybody makes.”“Well, you can’t blame her. You did shoot Cade in the leg.”

“唔，好极了！我喜欢凯瑟琳，她很好玩，我也想打听打听卡罗·莱特和其他查尔斯顿的人消息；可是要再去跟她的北方佬继母坐在一起吃顿饭，那才真要我的命呢！”“别对她太苛求了，斯图。她还是怀有好意的。”“我并不是苛求她。倒是为她难过，可是我不喜欢那种让我为她难过的人。她在你周围转来转去，总想叫你感到舒适自在，可是她所做的和说的使你反感。简直让我坐立不安！她还把南方人当做蛮子。她甚至跟妈妈这样说过。她害怕南方人。每次我们在她家，她都像吓得要死似的。她让我想起一只蹲在椅子上的瘦母鸡，瞪着两只又亮又呆板的怯生生的眼睛，仿佛一听到有什么动静就要扇着翅膀咯咯地叫起来。”“这个你也不能怪她。你曾经开枪打伤过凯德的腿哩。”

“Well, I was lickered up or I wouldn’t have done it,” said Stuart. “And Cade never had any hard feelings. Neither did Cathleen or Raiford or Mr. Calvert. It was just that Yankee stepmother who squalled and said I was a wild barbarian and decent people weren’t safe around uncivilized Southerners.”“Well, you can’t blame her. She’s a Yankee and ain’t got very good manners; and, after all, you did shoot him and he is her stepson.”
　
“对，但那次是我喝醉了，否则也不会干出那样的事来，”斯图尔特为自己辩护，”而且凯德自己从不怀恨。凯瑟琳和雷福德或者卡尔费特先生也没有什么恶感。就是那个北方佬继母，她却大声嚷嚷，说我是个蛮子，说文明人跟粗野的南方人在一起很不安全。”“不过，你不能怪她。她是个北方佬，不很懂礼貌，而且你毕竟打伤了她的继子呀。”

“Well, hell! That’s no excuse for insulting me! You are Ma’s own blood son, but did she take on that time Tony Fontaine shot you in the leg? No, she just sent for old Doc Fontaine to dress it and asked the doctor what ailed Tony’s aim. Said she guessed licker was spoiling his marksmanship. Remember how mad that made Tony?”Both boys yelled with laughter.

“可是，呸！那也不能作为侮辱我的理由啊！你是妈妈的亲生儿子，但那次托尼·方丹打伤了你的腿，她发过火吗？没有，她只请老方丹大夫来给你包扎了一下，还问他托尼的枪怎么会找不准哪。你还记得那句话使托尼多么难过的吧？"哥儿俩都大笑起来。

le ['gæbl] v. 七嘴八嘴地说, 急促而不清楚地说 n. 急促讲出而叫人听不清说的话

Don't gabble, Lucy, I can't understand when you run your words together.
不要说得那么急, 露西, 你说话象连珠炮似的, 我听不懂。

et vt. 使坐立不安 vi. 坐立不安 n. 烦躁，烦躁之人

I always get the fidgets during long meetings.
会议开得长我就坐不住了.

h n. 栖木, 高位, 杆 v. 栖息, 就位, 位于

The small village perched on a hill.
这个小村庄位于山上。

wk n. 呱呱声，嘈杂的抱怨 vi. 呱呱地叫鸣, 喋喋不休地发牢骚

The parrot squawked loudly.
那鹦鹉嘎嘎大叫.

ll n. 狂风, 暴风雪, 哇哇器声 v. 狂风吹袭, 哇哇地叫嚷

The squall speedily blew over.
风暴很快平息下来了。

smanship n. 射击术

The highest grade that can be achieved in marksmanship.
特等射手级在射击术中可以取得的最高等级