But when he thought of Manny and the look of grim determination she wore as she cut into the velvet curtains, he was cheered a little. Mammy would take care of Scarlett whether she wished it or not.
当卫希礼想起嬷嬷剪裁窗帘为思嘉制作战袍那阴郁而坚定的神色时,他便有点放心了。不管郝思嘉愿不愿意,嬷嬷都会照顾她。
“Ah is gwine ter he’p you pleasure Mist’ Frank eve’y way Ah knows how,’ said Mammy, tucking the covers about Scarlet’s neck.
(I am going to help you pleasure Mr. Frank every way I know how.)
我会尽全力帮你讨好弗兰克先生的。
接下来的片段是整本书最感人的一段话之一。
No explanations were asked, no reproaches made. Mammy understood and was silent. In Mammy, Scarlett had found a realist more uncompromising than herself. The mottled wise old eyes saw deeply, saw clearly, with directness of the savage and the child, undeterred by conscience when danger threatened her pet. Scarlett was her baby and what her baby wanted, even though it belonged to another, Mammy was willing to help her obtain. The rights of Suellen and Frank Kennedy did not even enter her mind, save to cause a grim inward chuckle. Scarlett was in trouble and doing the best she could, and Scarlett was Miss Ellen’s child. Mammy rallied to her with never a moment’s hesitation.
Vocabulary
reproach: n. 责备, 指摘; 丢丑的人; 责备话; 耻辱
mottled: adj. 杂色的; 斑点的; 斑驳的; 这里形容嬷嬷的眼睛因年迈而浑浊
undeterred: adj. 未受阻的、什么都阻止不了的
grim: adj. 冷酷的, 可怕的, 残忍的
chuckle: n. 吃吃的笑声, 轻笑
rally to/with: v. 和xx 结成同盟
没有语言,无需解释。郝思嘉遇上麻烦了,她在尽自己的全力去解决问题。这对于嬷嬷来说已经足够了。嬷嬷想都没想就已经坚定的站在了郝思嘉一边。只要郝思嘉所做的事不伤害到她自己,嬷嬷就是郝思嘉的坚定同盟。至于别人——都见鬼去吧,哪怕这个别人是思嘉的妹妹和她的未婚夫。
“Mammy gave no explanation for her departure. Her tired old eyes looked sadly at Scarlett when she asked for the train fare home. To Scarlett’s tears and pleading that she stay, Mammy only answered: “Look ter me lak Miss Ellen say ter me: “Mammy, come home. Yo’ wuk done finish.” So Ah’s gwine home.
(Look at me like Miss Ellen said to me: Mammy, come home, your work is finished. So I’m going home.)
她的疲惫,思嘉也许不懂,但是瑞德是懂得的。他给了嬷嬷回家的车票钱,拍着她的肩膀说——
“You’re right, Mammy. Miss Ellen is right. Your works here is done. Go home. Let me know if you ever need anything.”