美国语文第六册 第282期:不满(6)

The graceless youth, in less than a quarter of an hour, pulled the old gentleman by the beard, and had liked to have knocked his brains out.

不到一刻钟的工夫，这个没规矩的年轻人就拽住这位老绅士的胡须，想把他脑浆子打出来。

so that meeting the true father, who came toward him with a fit of the gripes, he begged him to take his son again, and give him back his colic,

为了见到这位真正的父亲，他手捂着肚子朝这边走过来，他乞求能再次原谅他的儿子，然后又把疝气还给了他，

but they were incapable, either of them, to recede from the choice they had made.

可是他们两个人谁都无法收回已经做出的选择。

A poor galley slave, who had thrown down his chains, took up the gout in their stead,

一位在船上做厨房苦工的穷苦人，将手上的锁链扔到地上，做了他们的替代品，将通风捡了起来，

but made such wry faces that one might easily perceive he was no great gainer by the bargain.

他做了个鬼脸，那样子很做作，以至于轻易就能看出来他不会从这种交换中获得多少好处。

The female world were very busy among themselves in bartering for features, one was trucking a lock of gray hairs for a carbuncle,

女性们都忙着交换相貌，有一个人正在红宝石上缠一绺灰色头发，

 

and another was making over a short waist for a pair of round shoulders.

另一个人一双浑圆的肩膀，可是腰身很短。

But on all these occasions there was not one of them who did not think the new blemish, as soon as she had got it into her possession,

不过，他们当中没有一个人想到新的瑕疵，一旦为自己所有，

much more disagreeable than the old one. I must not omit my own particular adventure.

再不满意也强过原先的自己。我当然不会遗漏我自己的奇遇。

My friend with the long visage had no sooner taken upon him my short face,

我那位长着长脸的朋友一凑近我的短脸，

but he made such a grotesque figure in it, that as I looked upon him, I could not forbear laughing at myself,

马上就浮出一脸奇怪的神情，我抬头打量着他，无法忍受他对我的嘲笑，

insomuch that I put my own face out of countenance.

就这样我对自己的脸无法做到镇定自若了。