Here I heard myself apostrophised as a "hard little thing;"
这时我听见他称我为“心如铁石的小东西,”
and it was added, "any other woman would have been melted to marrow at hearing such stanzas crooned in her praise."
并且又加了一句“换了别的女人,听了这样的赞歌,心早就化了。”
I assured him I was naturally hard -- very flinty, and that he would often find me so;
我明确告诉他,我生就了硬心肠--硬如铁石,他会发现我经常如此。
and that, moreover, I was determined to show him divers rugged points in my character before the ensuing four weeks elapsed:
何况我决计在今后的四周中,让他看看我性格中倔强的一面。
he should know fully what sort of a bargain he had made, while there was yet time to rescind it.
他应当完全明白,他订的是怎样的婚约,趁现在还来得及的时候把它取消。
"Would I be quiet and talk rationally?"
“你愿意平心静气,合情合理说话吗?”
"I would be quiet if he liked, and as to talking rationally, I flattered myself I was doing that now."
“要是你高兴,我会平心静气的,至于说话合情合理,那我不是自吹,我现在就是这么做的。”
He fretted, pished, and pshawed. "Very good," I thought; "you may fume and fidget as you please:
他很恼火,嘴里呸呀啐的。“很好,”我想,“你高兴光火就光火,烦躁就烦躁吧,
but this is the best plan to pursue with you, I am certain.
但我相信,这是对付你的最好办法。
I like you more than I can say; but I'll not sink into a bathos of sentiment:
尽管我对你的喜欢,非言语所能表达,但我不愿落入多情善感的流俗,
and with this needle of repartee I'll keep you from the edge of the gulf too;
我要用这巧辩的锋芒,让你悬崖勒马。
and, moreover, maintain by its pungent aid that distance between you and myself most conducive to our real mutual advantage."
除此之外,话中带刺,有助于保持我们之间对彼此都很有利的距离。”