名著精读《傲慢与偏见》第七章 第4节

"With the officers!" cried Lydia. "I wonder my aunt did not tell us of that."
“上军官们那儿去吃饭！”丽迪雅嚷道，“这件事怎么姨妈没告诉我们呢。”
"Dining out," said Mrs. Bennet, "that is very unlucky."
“上别人家去吃饭，”班纳特太太说：“这真是晦气。”
"Can I have the carriage?" said Jane.
“我可以乘着车子去吗？”吉英部。
"No, my dear, you had better go on horseback, because it seems likely to rain; and then you must stay all night."
“不行，亲爱的，你最好骑着马去。天好象要下雨的样子，下了雨你就可以在那儿过夜。”
"That would be a good scheme," said Elizabeth, "if you were sure that they would not offer to send her home."
“这倒是个好办法，”伊丽莎白说。“只要你拿得准他们不会送她回来。”
"Oh! but the gentlemen will have Mr. Bingley's chaise to go to Meryton; and the Hursts have no horses to theirs."
“噢，彬格莱先生的马车要送他的朋友到麦里屯去，赫斯脱夫妇又是有车无马。”
"I had much rather go in the coach."
“我倒还是愿意乘着马车去。”
"But, my dear, your father cannot spare the horses, I am sure. They are wanted in the farm, Mr. Bennet, are not they?"
“可是，乖孩子，我包管你爸爸匀不出拖车子的马来。──农庄上正要马用，我的好老爷，是不是？”
"They are wanted in the farm much oftener than I can get them."
“农庄上常常要马用，可惜到我手里的时候并不多。”
"But if you have got them to-day," said Elizabeth, "my mother's purpose will be answered."
伊丽莎白说：“可是，如果今天到得你的手里，就如了妈妈的愿了。”
She did at last extort from her father an acknowledgment that the horses were engaged. Jane was therefore obliged to go on horseback, and her mother attended her to the door with many cheerful prognostics of a bad day. Her hopes were answered; Jane had not been gone long before it rained hard. Her sisters were uneasy for her, but her mother was delighted. The rain continued the whole evening without intermission; Jane certainly could not come back.
她终于逼得父亲不得不承认──那儿匹拉车子的马已经有了别的用处。于是吉英只得骑着另外一匹马去，母亲送她到门口，高高兴兴地说了许多预祝天气会变坏的话。她果真如愿了；吉英走了不久，就下起大雨来。妹妹们都替她担忧，只有她老人家反而高兴。大雨整个黄昏没有停住。吉英当然无法回来了。
1.horseback n. 马背 adv. 在马背上地 adj. 在马背上的，臆断的
We continued up the mountain on horseback.
我们骑著马继续上山.
2.extort v. 勒索, 敲诈, 强要
Don't extort money from others.
勿强拿别人的钱。
3.prognostic n.预兆
He regards the bad weather as a prognostic of failure.
他将坏天气视为失败的预兆。
4.intermission n. 中止, 中断, 停顿
During the intermission, let's go out for some fresh air.
幕间休息时, 我们出去呼吸呼吸新鲜空气吧。