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"But a terrible change came over our stepfather about this time.
"但是，大约在这段时间里，我们的继父发生了可怕的变化。
Instead of making friends and exchanging visits with our neighbours,
他一反与邻居们交朋友或互相往来的常态，
who had at first been overjoyed to see a Roylott of Stoke Moran back in the old family seat,
而起初，邻居们看到斯托克莫兰的罗伊洛特的后裔回到这古老家族的邸宅都十分高兴，
he shut himself up in his house and seldom came out save to indulge in ferocious quarrels with whoever might cross his path.
他把自己关在房子里，深居简出，不管碰到什么人，都一味穷凶极恶地与之争吵。
Violence of temper approaching to mania has been hereditary in the men of the family, and in my stepfather's case it had,
这种近乎癫狂的暴戾脾气，在这个家族中，是有遗传性的，
I believe, been intensified by his long residence in the tropics.
我相信我的继父是由于长期旅居于热带地方，致使这种脾气变本加厉。
A series of disgraceful brawls took place, two of which ended in the police-court,
一系列使人丢脸的争吵发生了，其中两次，一直吵到违警罪法庭才算罢休，
until at last he became the terror of the village, and the folks would fly at his approach,
结果，他成了村里人人望而生畏的人，人们一看到他，无不敬而远之，赶紧躲开，
for he is a man of immense strength, and absolutely uncontrollable in his anger.
因为他是一个力大无穷的人，当他发怒的时候，简直是什么人也控制不了他。
Last week he hurled the local blacksmith over a parapet into a stream,
上星期他把村里的铁匠从栏杆上扔进了小河，
and it was only by paying over all the money which I could gather together that I was able to avert another public exposure.
只是在我花掉了尽我所能收罗到的钱以后，才避免了又一次当众出丑。
He had no friends at all save the wandering gypsies,
除了那些到处流浪的吉卜赛人以外，他没有任何朋友，
and he would give these vagabonds leave to encamp upon the few acres of bramble-covered land which represent the family estate,
他允许那些流浪者在那一块象征着家族地位的几亩荆棘丛生的土地上扎营，
and would accept in return the hospitality of their tents, wandering away with them sometimes for weeks on end.
他会到他们帐篷里去接受他们作为报答的殷勤款待，有时候随同他们出去流浪长达数周之久。
He has a passion also for Indian animals, which are sent over to him by a correspondent,
他还对印度的动物有着强烈的爱好，这些动物是一个记者送给他的。
and he has at this moment a cheetah and a baboon,
目前，他有一只印度猎豹和一只狒狒，
which wander freely over his grounds and are feared by the villagers almost as much as their master.
这两只动物就在他的土地上自由自在地跑来跑去，村里人就象害怕它们的主人一样害怕它们。
