名著精讀《飄》第三章 第6節

If the educational equipment which Gerald brought to America was scant, he did not even know it. Nor would he have cared if he had been told. His mother had taught him to read and to write a clear hand. He was adept at ciphering. And there his book knowledge stopped. The only Latin he knew was the responses of the Mass and the only history the manifold wrongs of Ireland. He knew no poetry save that of Moore and no music except the songs of Ireland that had come down through the years. While he entertained the liveliest respect for those who had more book learning than he, he never felt his own lack. And what need had he of these things in a new country where the most ignorant of bogtrotters had made great fortunes? in this country which asked only that a man be strong and unafraid of work?

到美國來之前，傑拉爾德沒有受過多少教育，可是他對此並不怎麼有自知之明。其實，即使別人給他指出，他也不會在意。他母親教過他讀書寫字。他很善於作算術題。他的書本知識就只這些。他唯一懂得的拉丁文是作彌撒時應答牧師的用語，唯一的歷史知識則是愛爾蘭的種種冤屈。他在詩歌方面，只知道穆爾的作品，音樂則限於歷代流傳下來的愛爾蘭歌曲。他儘管對那些比他較有學問的人懷有敬意，可是從來也不感覺到自己的缺陷。而且，在一個新的國家，在一個連那些最愚昧的愛爾蘭人也在此發了大財的國家，在一個只要求你強壯不怕幹活的國家，他需要這些東西幹什麼呢？

　
Nor did James and Andrew, who took him into their store in Savannah, regret his lack of education. His clear hand, his accurate figures and his shrewd ability in bargaining won their respect, where a knowledge of literature and a fine appreciation of music, had young Gerald possessed them, would have moved them to snorts of contempt. America, in the early years of the century, had been kind to the Irish. James and Andrew, who had begun by hauling goods in covered wagons from Savannah to Georgia’s inland towns, had prospered into a store of their own, and Gerald prospered with them.
　
詹姆斯和安德魯並不認為自己很少受教育是一樁憾事。他們收留傑拉爾德進了他們的薩凡納的商店。他的字跡清楚，算數算得準確，與顧客談起生意來也很精明，因此贏得了兩位哥哥的期重；至於文學知識和欣賞音樂的修養，年輕的傑拉爾德即使具有，也只會引其他們的嗤笑。在本世紀初，美國對愛爾蘭人還很和氣，詹姆斯和安德魯開始時用帆布篷車從薩凡納往佐治亞的內地城鎮運送貨物，後來賺了錢便自己開店，傑拉爾德也就跟着他們發跡了。

He liked the South, and he soon became, in his own opinion, a Southerner. There was much about the South—and Southerners—that he would never comprehend; but, with the wholeheartedness that was his nature, he adopted its ideas and customs, as he understood them, for his own—poker and horse racing, red-hot politics and the code duello, States’ Rights and damnation to all Yankees, slavery and King Cotton, contempt for white trash and exaggerated courtesy to women. He even learned to chew tobacco. There was no need for him to acquire a good head for whisky, he had been born with one.
　　
他喜歡南方，並且自己以為很快就成了南方人。的確，關於南方和南方人，有許多東西是他永遠也不會理解的，不過，南方人的有些思想習慣，如玩撲克，賽馬，爭論政治和舉行決鬥，爭取州權和咒罵北方佬，維護奴隸制和棉花至上主義，輕視下流白人和過分討好婦女，等等，他一旦理解便全心全意地接受，併成為他自己的了。他甚至學會了咀嚼煙葉。至於喝威士忌的本領，他生來就已經具備，那是不用學的。

t[skænt] adj. 不充分的，不足的 v. 減縮，限制，忽略

The movers gave me a scant hour's notice of their arrival.
搬家的人只通知給我們短短的一小時，他們就來了。

ering n. 計算，算出

fold n. 多種，複印本，多支管 adj. 多種的，多方面的 v. 複寫，繁殖，增多

The uses of this machine are manifold.
這台機器有多種用途。

ry n. 詩歌，詩意

His poetry was published last year.
他的詩集去年發表了。

rtain v. 娛樂，招待，懷抱

He cut off a bunch of grapes to entertain us.
他剪下一串葡萄招待我們。

rant adj. 不知道的，無知的，愚昧的

I'm ignorant of his plan.
我對他的計劃一無所知。

rotter n. 愛爾蘭人

wd adj. 精明的

His skill in negotiating earned him a reputation as a shrewd tactician.
他的談判技巧使他贏得了精明戰略家的名聲。

eciation n. 欣賞，感激，鑑識，評價，增值

She shows little appreciation of good music.
她對於好音樂幾乎沒有欣賞能力。

ess vt. 持有，支配

The police asked me if I possessed a gun.
警察問我是否有槍。

t v. 噴着氣弄響鼻子，哼着鼻子，嘶嘶響着排氣 n. 鼻息，滿杯

He snorted out a reply.
他氣呼呼地回答。

ing n. 搬運，運輸 動詞haul的現在分詞形式

It was a long haul home, carrying our bags up the hill.
揹着這些袋子上山回家，真是長途運輸。

per vi. 繁盛，成功，興旺

The farm prospered through good management.
由於管理有方，農場興旺發達。

eheartedness 全心全意,全神貫注

ation n. 非難，被罰下地獄，詛咒 int. <古>糟了! 該死! 完了！

The bad man will suffer eternal damnation.
壞人將會受到永遠的懲罰。

gerated adj. 言過其辭的，誇大的 動詞exaggerate的過去式和過去分詞

The reports were greatly exaggerated.
報告被嚴重誇大了。

the educational equipment which Gerald brought to America was scant, he did not even know it. Nor would he have cared if he had been told.

【難句解析】第三句是否定詞前置的部分倒裝，部分倒裝即只把謂語的一部分（如助動詞、情態動詞等）放到主語前，或把句子的強調成分提前。如：Not until yesterday did little John change his mind.小約翰直到昨天才改變了主意。

【句子翻譯】到美國來之前，傑拉爾德沒有受過多少教育，可是他對此並不怎麼有自知之明。其實，即使別人給他指出，他也不會在意。

knew no poetry save that of Moore and no music except the songs of Ireland that had come down through the years.

【難句解析】pt...“除了...外沒有...”，例句：I have no real friends except you.除了你，我沒有真正的朋友。

【句子翻譯】他唯一懂得的拉丁文是作彌撒時應答牧師的用語，唯一的歷史知識則是愛爾蘭的種種冤屈。他在詩歌方面，只知道穆爾的作品，音樂則限於歷代流傳下來的愛爾蘭歌曲。

clear hand, his accurate figures and his shrewd ability in bargaining won their respect, where a knowledge of literature and a fine appreciation of music, had young Gerald possessed them, would have moved them to snorts of contempt.

【難句解析】第一句的主語是his clear bargaining；第二句的where有對比的意味，意思是“而...”，第三句是假設句，是had提前的部分倒裝句。

【句子翻譯】他的字跡清楚，算數算得準確，與顧客談起生意來也很精明，因此贏得了兩位哥哥的期重；至於文學知識和欣賞音樂的修養，年輕的傑拉爾德即使具有，也只會引其他們的嗤笑。