名著精讀《飄》第二章 第20節
Gerald’s voice was strangely quiet and he spoke slowly as if drawing his words from a store of thought seldom used.
傑拉爾德的聲音出奇地平靜，他慢吞吞地說着，彷彿是從一個很少使用的思想匣子裏把話一字一句地抽出來似的。
“It’s only Ashley you’re wanting, and you’ll not be having him. And if he wanted to marry you, ‘twould be with misgivings that I’d say Yes, for an the fine friendship that’s between me and John Wilkes.” And, seeing her startled look, he continued: “I want my girl to be happy and you wouldn’t be happy with him.”
“你唯一要的是艾希禮，可是卻得不到他。而且即使他要和你結婚，我也未必就樂意應許，無論我同約翰·威爾克斯有多好的交情。"這時他看到她驚惶的神色，便接着說：“我要讓我的女兒幸福，可你同他在一起是不會幸福的。”
“Oh, I would! I would!”
“啊，我會的，我會的！”
“That you would not, daughter. Only when like marries like can there be any happiness.”
“女兒，你不會的。只有同一類型的人兩相匹配，纔有幸福可言。”
Scarlett had a sudden treacherous desire to cry out, “But you’ve been happy, and you and Mother aren’t alike,” but she repressed it, fearing that he would box her ears for her impertinence.
思嘉忽然心裏起了種惡意，想大聲喊出來：“可你不是一直很幸福呀，儘管你和媽並不是同類的人，"不過她把這念頭壓下去了，生怕他容忍不了這種鹵莽行爲，給她一耳光。
“Our people and the Wilkes are different,” he went on slowly, fumbling for words. “The Wilkes are different from any of our neighbors—different from any family I ever knew. They are queer folk, and it’s best that they marry their cousins and keep their queerness to themselves.”
“咱們家的人跟威爾克斯家的人不一樣，"他字斟句酌地慢慢說。"威爾克斯家跟咱們所有的鄰居----跟我所認識的每家鄰居都不一樣。他們是些古古怪怪的人，最好是和他們的表姐妹去結婚，讓他們一起保持自己的古怪去吧。”
“Why, Pa, Ashley is not—”
“怎麼，爸爸，艾希禮可不是----”
“Hold your whist, Puss! I said nothing against the lad, for I like him. And when I say queer, it’s not crazy I’m meaning. He’s not queer like the Calverts who’d gamble everything they have on a horse, or the Tarletons who turn out a drunkard or two in every litter, or the Fontaines who are hot-headed little brutes and after murdering a man for a fancied slight. That kind of queerness is easy to understand, for sure, and but for the grace of God Gerald O’Hara would be having all those faults! And I don’t mean that Ashley would run off with another woman, if you were his wife, or beat you. You’d be happier if he did, for at least you’d be understanding that. But he’s queer in other ways, and there’s no understanding him at all. I like him, but it’s neither heads nor tails I can make of most he says. Now, Puss, tell me true, do you understand his folderol about books and poetry and music and oil paintings and such foolishness?”
“姑娘！別急呀，我並沒說這個年輕人的壞話嘛，因爲我喜歡他。我說的古怪，並不就是瘋狂的意思。他的古怪並不像卡爾弗特家的人那樣，把所有的一切都押在一騎馬身上，也不像塔爾頓家的孩子那樣每次都喝得爛醉如泥，而且跟方丹家那些狂熱的小畜牲也不一樣，他們動不動就行兇殺人。那種古怪是容易理解的，而且，老實說吧，要不是上帝保佑，傑拉爾德·奧哈拉很可能樣樣俱全呢。我也不是說，你如果做了他的位子，艾希禮會跟別的女人私奔，或者揍你。要是那樣，你反而會幸福些，因爲你至少懂得那是怎麼回事。但他的古怪歸於另一種方式，它使你對艾希禮根本無理解可言。我喜歡他，可是對於他所說的那些東西，我幾乎全都摸不着頭腦。好了，姑娘，老實告訴我，你理解他關於書本、詩歌、音樂、油畫以及諸如此類的傻事所說的那些廢話嗎？”
cherous adj. 背信棄義的，叛逆的，不可靠的，危險的
He is treacherous to his friends.
他對他的朋友不忠。
ess[ri'pres] v. 抑制，鎮壓，壓制
His childhood was repressed and solitary.
他的童年是壓抑而孤獨的。
rtinence n. 無禮，魯莽，不恰當
I've had enough of your impertinence.
你太沒禮貌，我已經受夠了。
le vi. 摸索，笨手笨腳地做 vt. 笨拙地做，弄亂，失球 n. 摸索，失球，漏接球
She is fumbling the light switch.
她正找電燈開關。
rness n. 奇妙，不快
His action for some week have give indication of queerness.
幾個星期以來，他的行爲有一些古怪。
kard n. 酒鬼
The drunkard staggered along the street.
那醉漢趔趄着走在街上。
erol n. 無用的附件
