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Gerald had begun to work himself up into a pleasurable shouting rage when something in Scarlett’s woebegone face stopped him.
杰拉尔德正准备痛痛快快发泄一下心中的怒气。这时他看见思嘉满脸悲伤的神色，便止住了。
“But there, you’re young. ‘Twill come to you, this love of land. There’s no getting away from it, if you’re Irish. You’re just a child and bothered about your beaux. When you’re older, you’ll be seeing how ‘tis. ... Now, do you be making up your mind about Cade or the twins or one of Evan Munroe’s young bucks, and see how fine I turn you out!”
“不过，你还年轻。将来你会懂得爱这块土地的。只要你做了爱尔兰人，你是没法摆脱它的。现在你还是个孩子，还只为自己的意中人操心哪。等到你年纪大一些，你就会懂得----现在你要下定决心，究竟是挑选凯德还是那对双胞胎，或者伊凡·芒罗家的一个小伙子，无论谁，到时候看我让你们过得舒舒服服的。”
“Oh, Pa!”
“啊，爸！”
By this time, Gerald was thoroughly tired of the conversation and thoroughly annoyed that the problem should be upon his shoulders. He felt aggrieved, moreover, that Scarlett should still look desolate after being offered the best of the County boys and Tara, too. Gerald liked his gifts to be received with clapping of hands and kisses.
杰拉尔德这时觉得这番谈话实在厌烦透了，而且一想到这个问题还得由他来解决，便十分恼火。另外，由于思嘉对他所提供的最佳对象和塔拉农场居然无动于衷，还是那么郁郁不乐，也感到委屈得很。他多么希望这些礼物被女儿用鼓掌、亲吻来接受啊！
“Now, none of your pouts, Miss. It doesn’t matter who you marry, as long as he thinks like you and is a gentleman and a Southerner and prideful. For a woman, love comes after marriage.”
“好，别撅着嘴生气了。姑娘，无论你嫁给谁，这都没有关系，只要他跟你情投意合，是上等人，又是个有自尊心的南方人就行。女人嘛，结了婚便会产生爱情的。”
“Oh, Pa, that’s such an Old Country notion!”
“啊，爸！你看你这观念有多旧多土啊！”
“And a good notion it is! All this American business of running around marrying for love, like servants, like Yankees! The best marriages are when the parents choose for the girl. For how can a silly piece like yourself tell a good man from a scoundrel? Now, look at the Wilkes. What’s kept them prideful and strong all these generations? Why, marrying the likes of themselves, marrying the cousins their family always expects them to marry.”
“这才是个好观念啊！那种美国式的做法，到处跑呀找呀，要为爱情结婚呀，像些佣人似的，像北方佬似的，有什么意思呢。最好的婚姻是靠父母给女儿选择对象。不然，像你这样的傻丫头，怎能分清
楚好人和坏蛋呢。好吧，你看看威尔克斯家。他们凭什么世世代代保持了自己的尊严和兴旺呢？那不就凭的是跟自己的同类人结婚，跟他们家庭所希望的那些表亲结婚埃”
“Oh,” cried Scarlett, fresh pain striking her as Gerald’s words brought home the terrible inevitability of the truth. Gerald looked at her bowed head and shuffled his feet uneasily.
“啊！"思嘉叫起来，由于杰拉尔德的话把事实的不可避免性说到家了，她心中产生了新的痛苦。杰拉尔德看看她低下的头，很不自在地把两只脚反复挪动着。
“It’s not crying you are?” he questioned, fumbling clumsily at her chin, trying to turn her face upward, his own face furrowed with pity.
“你不是在哭吧？"他问她，笨拙地摸摸她的下巴，想叫她仰起脸来，这时他自己的脸由于怜悯而露出深深的皱纹来了。
“No,” she cried vehemently, jerking away.
“没有！"她猛地把头扭开，激怒地大叫了。
“It’s lying you are, and I’m proud of it. I’m glad there’s pride in you, Puss. And I want to see pride in you tomorrow at the barbecue. I’ll not be having the County gossiping and laughing at you for mooning your heart out about a man who never gave you a thought beyond friendship.”
“你是在撒谎，但我很喜欢这样。我巴不得你为人骄傲一些，姑娘。但愿在明天的大野宴上也看到你的骄傲。我不要全县的人都谈论你和笑话你，说你成天痴心想着一个男人，而那个人却根本无意于你，只维持一般的友谊罢了。”
“He did give me a thought,” thought Scarlett, sorrowfully in her heart. “Oh, a lot of thoughts! I know he did. I could tell. If I’d just had a little longer, I know I could have made him say—Oh, if it only wasn’t that the Wilkes always feel that they have to marry their cousins!”
“他对我是有意的呀，"思嘉想，心里十分难过。"啊，情意深着呢！我知道他真的是这样。我敢断定，只要再有一点点时间，我相信便能叫他亲自说出来----啊，要不是威尔克斯家的人总觉得他们只能同表亲结婚，那就好了！”
Gerald took her arm and passed it through his.
杰拉尔德把她的臂膀挽起来。
“We’ll be going in to supper now, and all this is between us. I’ll not be worrying your mother with this—nor do you do it either. Blow your nose, daughter.”
“咱们要进去吃晚饭了，这件事就不声张，只咱们知道行了。我不会拿它去打扰你妈妈----你也不着跟他说。擤擤鼻涕吧，女儿。"
