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He should have been a young officer in Nelson's navy in the days when a certain weakness and sensitivity were no bar to promotion.
男孩本来可以成为一位年轻的纳尔逊海军军官，在纳尔逊那个时代，有些文弱、敏感并不会成为晋升的障碍。
She said, "They are giving me an advance of five hundred pounds, and they've sold the paperback rights already." The hard commercial declaration came as a shock to me; it was a shock too that she was one of my own profession. She couldn't have been more than twenty. She deserved better of life.
女孩说他们要预付我五百英镑的稿费，而且他们已经把平装本的版权卖掉了。”那种严肃的商业声明令我震惊。而同样令我震惊万分的是，她竟是我的同行。她最多不过20岁，应该享受更好的生活。
He said, "But my uncle..."
男孩说但是我叔叔……”
You know you don't get on with him. This way we shall be quite independent.
“你知道你跟他合不来；而且这样的话我们会很独立。”
You will be independent," he said grudgingly.
“你倒是独立了。”男孩不情愿地说。
The wine-trade wouldn't really suit you, would it? I spoke to my publisher about you and there's a very good chance... if you began with some reading...
“葡萄酒生意并不真正适合你，对吧？我和出版商谈到过你，只要你开始读点书，就有很好的机会……”
But I don't know a thing about books.
“可我对书一窍不通啊。”
I would help you at the start.
“开头我先带着你呀。”
My mother says that writing is a good crutch...
“我妈妈说写作是门不错的副业……”
Five hundred pounds and half the paperback rights is a pretty solid crutch, she said.
“五百英镑和平装本一半的版权，这可是相当可观的副业。”她说。
This Chablis is good, isn't it?
“这沙布利酒还可以吧？”
I daresay.
“还行。”
I began to change my opinion of him—he had not the Nelson touch. He was doomed to defeat. She came alongside and raked him fore and aft.
我对男孩的看法开始改变了，他根本就没有纳尔逊的气质。他是注定了要失败的。她靠过来，从上到下扫视了男孩一通。
Do you know what Mr. Dwight said?
“你知道德怀特先生怎么说吗？”
Who's Dwight?
“德怀特是谁啊？”
Darling, you don't listen, do you? My publisher. He said he hadn't read a first novel in the last ten years which showed such powers of observation.
“亲爱的，你在听吗？他是我的出版商呀。他说十年来这还是他第一次读到这么有观察力的处女作。”
That's wonderful, he said, "wonderful."
“很好他黯然道，“好极了。”
Only he wants me to change the title.
“只是他希望我把书名改一改。”
