25.Mathew Insists on Puffed Sleeves马修非要灯笼抽不可-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《绿山墙的安妮Anne of Green Gables》下

Chapter XXV Matthew lnsists on Puffed Sleeves Matthew was having a bad ten minutes of it. He had come into the kitchen, in the twilight of a cold, gray December evening, and had sat down in the woodbox①} corner to take off his heavy boots, unconscious of the fact that Anne and a bevy② of her schoolmates were having a practice of "The Fairy Queen" in the sitting room. Presently they came trooping g③ through the hall and out into the kitchen, laughing and chattering gaily. Anne stood among them, bright eyed and animated④ as they; but Matthew suddenly became conscious that there was something about her different from her mates. Anne had a brighter face, and bigger, starrier eyes, and more delicate features than the others; even shy, unobservant Matthew had learned to take note of these things: but the difference that disturbed him did not consist in any of these respects. Then in what did it consist? Matthew was haunted by this question long after the girls had gone. He had recourse} to his pipe that evening to help him study it out, much to Marilla's disgust. After two hours of smoking and hard reflection Matthew arrived at a solution of his problem. Anne was not dressed like the other girls! ·256· 第二十五章 马修非要灯笼袖不可 马修正在挨过难熬的十分钟。这是十二月一 个灰暗阴冷的傍晚,他刚才走进厨房,坐在木箱 ① woodbox /'wodbpks/ n. 本 的角上,脱掉沉重的靴子。他没有觉察到安呢和 柴箱 她的一群同学正在客厅里排练《仙后》。不一会 ②bevy/bev/n. -群 儿,她们三五成群地穿过门厅,说笑着走进厨 ③ troop/tru:p/v. 成群结队而 行 房。安呢站在孩子们当中,像所有的孩子一样眼 ④ animated /aenmertid/ a. 生 睛发亮,神采飞扬,但是马修忽然发现她有些地 气勃勃的,栩栩如生的 方与众不同。同其他孩子相比,安呢的脸色更光 彩照人,眼睛更大而明亮,相貌更加美丽清秀 即使是天性羞怯、感觉迟钝的马修也注意到了这 些特点,不过他不是因此而不安。那么问题到底 出在哪儿呢? 等到姑娘们全部都离开了,马修却仍然被这 个问题困扰着。那天晚上,马修边抽烟边思考这 recourse /r'ko:s/n. (实现 或解决某事的)手段,途径 个问题,玛丽拉对此非常反感。他抽了两小时的 烟也校了两小时的脑汗,终于找到了答案,安婉 的那身打扮和别的女孩不同 ·257· Anne of Green Gabfes The more Matthew thought about the matter the more he was convinced that Anne never had been dressed like the other girls. Marilla kept her clothed in plain, dark dresses, all made after the same unvarying{①pattern. Of course, it must be all right. Marilla knew best and Marilla was bringing her up. Probably some wise, inscrutable② motive was to be served thereby③. But surely it would do no harm to let the child have one pretty dress-something like Diana Barry always wore. Matthew decided that he would give her one. Christmas was only a fortnight off. A nice new dress would be the very thing for a present. The very next evening Matthew betook himself to Carmody to buy the dress. “What can I do for you this evening, Mr. Cuthbert?" Miss Lucilla Harris inquired "Have you any-any-any-well now, say any garden rakes④?" stammered{ Matthew. "I believe we have one or two left over,"she said. When Miss Harris returned with the rake and cheerfully inquired: "Anything else tonight, Mr. Cuthbert?" Matthew took his courage in both hands and replied: “Well now, since you suggest it, I might as well-take-that is-look at-buy some-some hayseed*." Miss Harris had heard Matthew Cuthbert called odd. She now concluded that he was entirely crazy. “We only keep hayseed in the spring," she explained loftily. “We've none on hand just now." "Oh, certainly-certainly-just as you say," stammered unhappy Matthew, seizing the rake and making for the door. He turned back and rallied{}his powers for a final desperate attempt. .258· 绿山墙的安婉 马修越琢磨越觉得安呢从来没有打扮得像其 他姑娘那样。玛丽拉一直给她穿单调难看的衣 服,所有的衣服都是一成不变的老样子 ① unvarying /An'vearun/ a. 经 当然,这样做肯定没错。玛丽拉最清楚该怎 久不变的,从无变化的 么办,是她在抚养安婉,也许她是深谋远虑的, ② inscrutable /tn'skru:tabal a 难以了解的,不能预测的 可是让孩子穿一件漂亮衣服--像戴安娜·巴里经 ③ thereby /oeabav/ ad. 因此. 常穿的那种肯定不会有什么害处。马修打定主意 从而 送安呢一件新衣服。离圣诞节只有两个星期了, 一件漂亮的新衣服是最合适的礼物 第二天晚上马修就去卡莫迪买衣服了。 “今天晚上您要买点儿什么,卡斯伯特先 生?”露西拉·哈里斯小姐问道 “你们有--有--有--呃,我是说有草 把子吗?”马修结结巴巴地说。 ④ rake /rerk/ n. 把子 “我想我们还剩一两把。”她说。 stammer /staema/ v 口吃. 哈里斯小姐拿着草杷子回来了,笑盈盈地 结结巴巴地说 问: “还要别的东西吗,卡斯伯特先生?”马修 鼓起勇气回答说:“噢,既然你这么问,那我就 再--买--就是--看看--买一些--一些 草籽吧。” havseed /heisi:d/ n. 干草种 哈里斯小姐早就听说马修;卡斯伯特是个怪 子 人,这会儿她断定他整个是个疯子 “我们只在春天留草籽,”她傲慢地解释说。 “现在我们手头没货。” “呃,当然--当然--你说的对。”马修结 结巴巴、闷闷不乐地说,抓起草杷子向门口走去 他重新振作起精神,不顾一切地做最后的一搏。 “呃--如果不是太麻烦的话--我还 rallv /rael/v 重新召集 想--就是--想买一些--买一些糖。” ·259· Anne of Green Gabfes “Well now-if it isn't too much trouble-I might as well-that is- I'd like to look at-at-some sugar." "There's a barrel of it over there," said Miss Harris, shaking her bangles{}at it."It's the only kind we have." "I'll-I'll take twenty pounds of it," said Matthew, with beads of perspiration②} standing on his forehead. Matthew had driven halfway home before he was his own man again. When he reached home he hid the rake in the tool house, but the sugar he carried in to Marilla. "Brown sugar!" exclaimed Marilla. "Whatever possessed you to get so much? You know I never use it except for the hired man's porridge or black fruit cake." "I-I thought it might come in handy sometime," said Matthew, making good his escape. When Matthew came to think the matter over he decided that a woman was required to cope with the situation. To Mrs. Lynde he went accordingly, and that good lady promptly③ took the matter out of the harassed④man's hands. “Pick out a dress for you to give Anne? To be sure I will. I'm going to Carmody tomorrow and I'll attend to it. I believe a nice rich brown would just suit Anne, and William Blair has some new gloria{ in that's real pretty. Perhaps you'd like me to make it up for her, too. Well, I'll do it. I'll make it to fit my niece, Jenny Gillis, for she and Anne are as like as two peas as far as figure goes." “Well now, I'm much obliged,"said Matthew,"and-and-I dunno-but I'd like-I think they make the sleeves different nowadays to what they used to be. If it wouldn't be asking too much I-I'd like them made in the new way." "Puffs? Of course. I'll make it up in the very latest fashion,"said .260. 绿山墙的安婉 “那儿有一桶红糖,”哈里斯小姐说,手蜀对 着红糖摇晃着,“我们只有这种红糖。” “我要一-我要买九千克。”马修说,脑门上 ① bangle /baengl/ n. 手锣 渗出了汗珠。 ② perspiration /pa:spa'retfan 等马修回过神儿来,他还有一半路就到家 n.汗水 了。到了家,他把草杷子藏到工具房里,只把红 糖交给了玛丽拉。 “红糖!”玛丽拉惊叫起来, “你怎么买了这 么多?你知道除了给雇工煮粥或做黑水果蛋糕 我从来不用红糖。” “我--我想可能会用得着的。”马修边说边 溜走了。 马修对这件事思考了一番,决定请个女人来 买衣服。于是他就去了林德太太那儿,这位好心 的女人立即解决了马修的难题。 “替你挑选一件衣服送给安呢?我当然可以 ③ promptly /promptl/ ad. 敏 办到。明天我去卡莫迪,我会留心这件事。我觉 捷地,迅速地 ④ harassed /haerast/ a. 疲倦 得漂亮的深棕色会适合安呢的,威廉·布莱尔有 的,苦恼的 一些新的丝绸,漂亮极了。也许你想让我为她做 gloria/glo:rio/ n. 丝毛薄纲 一件衣服。好吧,我来做。我喜欢做衣服。我就 比照着我侄女詹尼·吉利斯做,她和安呢的身材 一模一样。” “好啊,我真是太感谢了,”马修说,“还 有--还有--我不懂--但是我想--我觉得 现在的袖子做得跟以前不一样了。要是不添麻烦 的话,我--我想把袖子做成新式样。” obliged /'blaidsd a. 感激 的 “灯笼袖?当然行。我会按最时兴的样子做 的。”林德太太说。 在后来的两个星期里,玛丽拉明知马修心里 有事儿,可她猜不出到底是什么事儿,直到圣诞 ·261· Anne of Green Gabfes Mrs. Lynde. Marilla knew all the following fortnight that Matthew had something on his mind, but what it was she could not guess, until Christmas Eve. when Mrs. Lynde brought up the new dress. “So this is what Matthew has been looking so mysterious over and grinning^{①} about to himself for two weeks, is it?" she said a little stiffly② but tolerantly. "I knew he was up to some foolishness. Well, I must say I don't think Anne needed any more dresses. You'll just pamper③Anne's vanity, Matthew, and she's as vain as a peacock now." Christmas morning broke on a beautiful white world. Anne peeped out from her frosted ④ gable window with delighted eyes. Anne ran downstairs singing until her voice reechoed{} through Green Gables “Merry Christmas, Marilla! Merry Christmas, Matthew! Isn't it a lovely Christmas? I'm so glad it's white. Any other kind of Christmas doesn't seem real, does it? I don't like green Christmases. Oh, Matthew!" Matthew had sheepishly unfolded the dress from its paper swathings and held it out with a deprecatory{}glance at Marilla, who feigned to be contemptuously③} filling the teapot, but nevertheless watched the scene out of the corner of her eve with a rather interested air Anne took the dress and looked at it in reverent^{} silence. Oh, how pretty it was-a lovely soft brown gloria with all the gloss of silk; a skirt with dainty frills and shirrings^{}; a waist elaborately pintucked^{} in the most fashionable way, with a little ruffle^{} of filmy{} lace at the neck. But the sleeves-they were the crowning glory! Long elbow cuffs, and above them two beautiful puffs divided by rows of shirring and bows of brown-silk ribbon. .262· 绿山墙的安婉 节前夜林德太太把新衣服拿来她才明白 “马修两个星期以来一直显得很诡秘,还咧 着嘴冲自已笑,看来这就是原因了,是不是?” 她说话的态度有点儿严厉,但不乏宽容,“我看 他真够愚蠢的。哦,我得说我认为安呢不需要再 添衣服了,马修,你只会纵容安呢的虚荣心,她 ①grin/grin/v.露齿面笑 ② stiffly /stfl/ ad. 顽固地. 现在就像孔雀一样翘尾巴了。” 僵硬地 圣诞节的清晨,大地披上了美丽的银装。安 ③ pamper /paempa/v. 纵容. 呢双眼闪着喜悦的光芒,从结了霜的窗户向外望 爱 去。她唱着歌跑下楼梯,歌声在绿山墙回荡开 来。 “圣诞快乐,玛丽拉!圣诞快乐,马修!真 ④ frosted /'frpstud/ a. 盖着霜 的 是一个可爱的圣诞节呀!我真高兴能过上个白色 reecho /ri:'ekaov. 再回声 的圣诞节。别的样子的圣诞节不像真的圣诞节 再回响 是吧?我不喜欢绿色的圣诞节。噢,马修!” 马修已经局促不安地打开了纸包,把衣服展 开,他祈求宽恕地看了玛丽拉一眼,而她假装灌 swathing /sweron/ n. 包裹 茶壶,一脸不屑一顾的神情,其实她十分关注地 deprecatory /'depriko tarr 用眼角的余光注视着这一幕。 a.不赞成的,自嘲的 ③ contemptuously 安呢捧着衣服,虔诚地看着,一声不吭。 /kan'temptjuaslr/ ad. 傲慢 啊,太漂亮了--美丽柔软的棕色丝毛交织绸, 地,蔑视地 闪着丝绸的光泽;裙子上有讲究的荷叶边和抽 reverent /revarant/ a. 恭敬 的,虔诚的 褶;腰身按最时鬓的样子精心抽了细褶;颈部镶 o shirring /faun/n. 褶,装 着一圈小巧的细级带花边。还有袖子一真是无 饰性的褶带 与伦比!袖口很长,一直到时部,上面是两只华 elaborately /i'laebaratl/ ad. 精巧地 丽的灯笼袖,有一行行的抽褶和棕丝带蝴蝶结。 D pintuck/pintAk/v. 褶绽 “安呢,这是给你的圣诞礼物,”马修丽鹏地 ruffle /'rAfl/n. 绝褶,褶袍饰 说,“呃--呃--安娓,你喜欢吗?好啦-- 边 好啦。” filmy/ftlm/a. 轻薄透明的 因为安呢的眼眶突然间充满泪水。 .263· Anne of Green Gabfes "That's a Christmas present for you, Anne," said Matthew shyly. “Why-why-Anne, don't you like it? Well now-well now." For Anne's eyes had suddenly filled with tears. "Like it! Oh, Matthew!" Anne laid the dress over a chair and clasped her hands. "Matthew, it's perfectly exquisite. Oh, I can never thank you enough." “Well, well, let us have breakfast," interrupted Marilla. "I don't see how I'm going to eat breakfast," said Anne rapturously. "Breakfast seems so commonplace① at such an exciting moment. I'd rather feast my eyes on that dress." When the commonplace breakfast was over Diana appeared. Anne flew down the slope to meet her. “Merry Christmas, Diana! And oh, it's a wonderful Christmas. I've something splendid to show you. Matthew has given me the loveliest dress, with SUCH sleeves. I couldn't even imagine any nicer." "I've got something more for you," said Diana breathlessly. "Here-this box. Aunt Josephine sent us out a big box with ever so many things in it-and this is for you." Anne opened the box and peeped in. First a card with "For the Anne-girl and Merry Christmas" written on it; and then, a pair of the daintiest little kid slippers, with beaded toes and satin bows and glistening buckles. "Oh," said Anne, "Diana, this is too much. I must be dreaming." "I call it providential," said Diana. "You won't have to borrow Ruby's slippers now. Mind you, Rob Wright went home with Gertie Pye from the practice night before last. Did you ever hear anything equal to that?" All the Avonlea scholars were in a fever of excitement that day, for the hall had to be decorated and a last grand rehearsal held ·264. 绿山墙的安婉 “喜欢!噢,马修!”安娓把衣服放在椅子 上,双手紧紧握在一起,“马修,这件衣服太美 了。噢,我真是太感激了。” “好了,好了,吃早饭吧。”玛丽拉打断了他 们的谈话 “我怎么吃得下呀,”安呢如醉如痴地说。 “在这样令人激动的时候,早饭显得太没意思了。 我宁愿好好地看看这件衣服,饱饱眼福。” ① commonplace /kpmanplers 刚刚吃过这顿平淡无味的早餐,戴安挪就来 4. 平凡的,普涌的,平庸的 了。安娓跑下山坡去迎接她。 “戴安娜,圣诞快乐!啊,多美的圣诞节呀 我有一件好东西给你看。马修送给我一件最漂亮 的衣服,那种袖的。我都想象不出来比这更漂亮 的东西了。” “我也有件东西送给你呢,”戴安娜上气不接 下气地说,“给你--这个盒子。约瑟芬姑婆寄 给我们一只大箱子,里面装了许多东西一一这个 是给你的。” 安呢打开盒子往里看,先看到一张写着“送 给安呢姑娘,圣诞快乐”的贺卡,接着一双极为 雅致的儿童拖鞋映入眼帘,鞋尖是用小珠子装饰 的,还有绸蝴蝶结和闪闪发光的鞋扣。 “噢,”安娓说,“戴安娜,这礼物太贵重 了。我一定是在做梦呢。” “我看这是天意,”戴安娜说,“现在你不必 去借鲁比的拖鞋了。告诉你,前天晚上罗布·赖 持排练后和格蒂·派伊一起回的家。你听说过这 种事吗?” 那天埃文利所有的学生都十分激动,他们要 布置礼堂,举行最后一次大彩排。 ·265·