Sometimes all, as with one consent, suspended their by-play
有时候,所有的人都不约而同地停止了自己的插曲,
to observe and listen to the principal actors, for, after all, Mr. Rochester and
来观看和倾听主角们的表演,
because closely connected with him — Miss Ingram were the life and soul of the party.
因为罗切斯特先生和——由于与他密切有关 — 英格拉姆小姐,毕竟是全场人的生命的灵魂。
If he was absent from the room an hour, a perceptible dullness seemed to steal over the spirits of his guests.
要是他离开房间一个小时,一种可以觉察到的沉闷情绪便悄悄地漫上客人们的心头。
And his re-entrance was sure to give a fresh impulse to the vivacity of conversation.
而他再一次进屋必定会给活跃的谈话注入新的激情。
The want of his animating influence appeared to be peculiarly felt one day that he had been summoned to Millcote on business, and was not likely to return till late.
一天,他有事上米尔科特去了,要很晚才能回来,大家便特别感觉到缺少了他生气勃勃的感染力。
The afternoon was wet.
那天下午下了雨。
A walk the party had proposed to take to see a gipsy camp, lately pitched on a common beyond Hay, was consequently deferred.
结果原来计划好的,徒步去看新近扎在海村工地上的吉卜赛人营房的事,也就推迟了。
Some of the gentlemen were gone to the stables.
一些男士们去了马厩。
The younger ones, together with the younger ladies, were playing billiards in the billiard-room.
年青一点的与小姐们一起在台球房里打台球。
The dowagers Ingram and Lynn sought solace in a quiet game at cards.
遗孀英格拉姆和林恩,安静地玩纸牌解闷。
Blanche Ingram, after having repelled, by supercilious taciturnity,
登特太太和埃希顿太太拉布兰奇,
some efforts of Mrs. Dent and Mrs. Eshton to draw her into conversation,
英格拉姆小姐一起聊天,她爱理不理地拒绝了,
had first murmured over some sentimental tunes and airs on the piano,
自己先是伴着钢琴哼了一些感伤的曲调,
and then, having fetched a novel from the library,
随后从图书室里拿了本小说,
had flung herself in haughty listlessness on a sofa,
傲气十足却无精打彩地往沙发上一坐,
and prepared to beguile, by the spell of fiction, the tedious hours of absence.
准备用小说的魅力,来消磨几个钟头无人作伴的乏味时光。
The room and the house were silent. Only now and then the merriment of the billiard-players was heard from above.
整个房间和整所房子都寂静无声。只有不时传来楼上玩台球人的欢叫。