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The house had been untenanted for some years and was threatening to moulder into a picturesque decay when the Douglases took possession of it.
这所房子已经多年没有人住了，在道格拉斯买它的时候，已有荒废坍塌成引人注目的废墟的危险。
This family consisted of only two individuals -- John Douglas and his wife.
这个家庭只有两口人，就是约翰·道格拉斯和他的夫人。
Douglas was a remarkable man, both in character and in person.
从性格和人品方面来说，道格拉斯是一个非凡的人。
In age he may have been about fifty, with a strong-jawed, rugged face, a grizzling moustache, peculiarly keen gray eyes,
他年约五十，大下巴，面容粗犷，蓄着灰白的小胡子，一双特别敏锐的灰眼睛，
and a wiry, vigorous figure which had lost nothing of the strength and activity of youth.
瘦长而结实的体形，其健壮机敏丝毫不减当年。
He was cheery and genial to all, but somewhat offhand in his manners,
他总是喜气洋洋、和蔼可亲，但是在他的举止中，有点不拘礼仪，
giving the impression that he had seen life in social strata on some far lower horizon than the county society of Sussex.
使人产生一种印象，似乎他曾体验过远远低于苏塞克斯郡社会阶层的生活。
Yet, though looked at with some curiosity and reserve by his more cultivated neighbours,
然而，尽管那些颇有教养的邻居们以好奇而谨慎的眼光看待他，
he soon acquired a great popularity among the villagers,
但道格拉斯很快便在村民中大得人心，
subscribing handsomely to all local objects, and attending their smoking concerts and other functions,
原因是他慷慨大方地捐款给当地一切福利事业，参加他们的烟火音乐会和其他盛大集会，
where, having a remarkably rich tenor voice, he was always ready to oblige with an excellent song.
加以他有着受人欢迎的男高音的圆润歌喉，而且常常喜欢满足大家的要求给人们唱一支优美的歌曲。
He appeared to have plenty of money, which was said to have been gained in the California gold fields,
他看起来很有钱，据说是从加利福尼亚州的金矿赚来的，
and it was clear from his own talk and that of his wife that he had spent a part of his life in America.
从他本人和他的夫人的谈话中，人们清楚地得知，道格拉斯曾在美国生活过一段时间。
The good impression which had been produced by his generosity and by his democratic manners was increased by a reputation gained for utter indifference to danger.
由于道格拉斯慷慨大方，平易近人，人们对他的印象格外好，而他那临危不惧、履险如夷的精神更大大地提高了他的声望。
Though a wretched rider, he turned out at every meet, and took the most amazing falls in his determination to hold his own with the best.
尽管他是一个不很高明的枪手，每次狩猎集会他都应邀参加，令人吃惊地与别人较量，凭着他的决心，不仅坚持下来，而且一点也不比别人差。
When the vicarage caught fire he distinguished himself also by the fearlessness with which he reentered the building to save property, after the local fire brigade had given it up as impossible.
有一次教区牧师的住宅起火，当本地的消防队宣告无法扑救之后，他仍无所畏惧地冲进火窟，抢救财物，从而崭露头角。
Thus it came about that John Douglas of the Manor House had within five years won himself quite a reputation in Birlstone.
因此，约翰·道格拉斯虽然来到此地不过五年，却已誉满伯尔斯通了。
His wife, too, was popular with those who had made her acquaintance;
他的夫人也颇受相识者的爱戴，
though, after the English fashion, the callers upon a stranger who settled in the county without introductions were few and far between.
按照英国人的习惯，一个迁来本地的异乡人，如果未经介绍，拜访他的人是不会很多的。
This mattered the less to her, as she was retiring by disposition, and very much absorbed, to all appearance, in her husband and her domestic duties.
这对她来说倒也无关紧要，因为她是一个性格孤独的人，而且，显然她非常专心致志地照顾丈夫，料理家务。
It was known that she was an English lady who had met Mr. Douglas in London, he being at that time a widower.
相传她是一个英国女子，在伦敦和道格拉斯先生相逢，那时道格拉斯正在鳏居。
She was a beautiful woman, tall, dark, and slender, some twenty years younger than her husband;
她是一个美丽的女人，高高的身材，肤色较深，体态苗条，比她丈夫年轻二十岁，
a disparity which seemed in no wise to mar the contentment of their family life.
年龄的悬殊似乎毫未影响他们美满的家庭生活。
It was remarked sometimes, however, by those who knew them best, that the confidence between the two did not appear to be complete,
然而，有时那些深知内情的人说，他们的相互信任并不是无懈可击的，
since the wife was either very reticent about her husband's past life, or else, as seemed more likely, was imperfectly informed about it.
因为道格拉斯夫人对她丈夫过去的生活与其说不愿多谈，还不如说是不完全了解。
It had also been noted and commented upon by a few observant people that there were signs sometimes of some nerve-strain upon the part of Mrs. Douglas,
少数观察敏锐的人曾注意到并议论过：道格拉斯太太有时有些神经紧张的表现，
and that she would display acute uneasiness if her absent husband should ever be particularly late in his return.
每逢她丈夫回来得过迟的时候，她就显得极度不安。
On a quiet countryside, where all gossip is welcome, this weakness of the lady of the Manor House did notpass without remark,
平静的乡村总喜欢传播流言蜚语，庄园主夫人这一弱点当然也不会被人们默默地放过，
and it bulked larger upon people's memory when the events arose which gave it a very special significance.
而事件发生后，这件事在人们的记忆中就会变得更加重要，因此也就具有特殊的意义。
