【荆棘鸟】第六章 26-英语课

时间：2019-01-29 作者：英语课 分类：荆棘鸟

英语课

Mary Carson was going to be seventy-two years old, and she was planning the biggest party to be held on Drogheda in fifty years. Her birthday fell at the start of November, when it was hot but still bearable-at least for Gilly natives.

"Mark that, Mrs. Smith!" Minnie whispered. "Do ye mark that! November the t'urrd herself was born!"
"What are you on about now, Min?" the housekeeper 1 asked. Minnie's Celtic mysteriousness got on her own good steady English nerves. "Why, and to be sure it means herself is a Scorpio woman, does it not? A Scorpio woman, now!"
"I haven't got the slightest idea what you're talking about, Min!" "The wurrst sign a woman can find herself born into, Mrs. Smith darlin". Och, they're children of the Devil, so they are!" said Cat, round-eyed, blessing 2 herself.
"Honestly, Minnie, you and Cat are the dizzy limit," said Mrs. Smith, not a whit 3 impressed.
But excitement was running high, and would run higher. The old spider in her wing chair at the exact center of her web issued a never-ending stream of orders; this was to be done, that was to be done, such and such was to be taken out of storage, or put into Storage. The two Irish maids ran polishing silver and washing the best Haviland china, turning the chapel 4 back into a reception room and readying its adjacent dining rooms.
Hindered rather than helped by the little Cleary boys, Stuart and a team of rouseabouts mowed 5 and scythed 6 the lawn, weeded the flower beds, sprinkled damp sawdust on the verandas 7 to clear dust from between the Spanish tiles, and dry chalk on the reception room floor to make it fit for dancing. Clarence O'Toole's band was coming all the way from Sydney, along with oysters 8 and prawns 9, crabs 10 and lobsters 11; several women from Gilly were being hired as temporary helpers. The whole district from Rudna Hunish to Inishmurray to Bugela to Narrengang was in a ferment 12. As the marble hallways echoed to unaccustomed sounds of objects being moved and people shouting,

玛丽·卡森就要到72岁了，她正在策划着举办一个50年来基兰博最盛大的宴会。她的生日宴会定在11月初。那时候天还热，不过还受得了--至少对基里的本地人是可以忍受的。
　　"记下来，史密斯太太！"明妮悄秘秘地说道，"你记下来了吗？她是11月3号生的！"
　　"你还要说什么，明？"女管家问道。"明妮那股凯尔特人的神秘劲儿和女管家的那副沉着稳妥的英格兰人的脾气不相投。
　　
　　"哟，这就说明她是个蛇蝎心肠的女人，难道不是吗？她就是个蛇蝎心肠的女人嘛！"
　　"我还是一点儿也不明白你想说什么，明！"
　　"亲爱的史密斯太太，女人最坏的德性在她身上都能找到。哦。她是魔鬼的子孙，就是这么回事！"凯特说道，她睁圆了眼睛，在胸前划着十字。
　　"老实说吧，明妮，你和凯特愚蠢到家了，"史密斯太太说道。她一点儿也没动心。
　　可是，兴奋的情绪还在高涨，而且会更加高涨。那个高背椅中的老蜘蛛坐在她的网的正中心，不停地发出一串命令：这个要完成呀，那个要做好呀，从仓库里拿出这个或放进那个呀。两个爱尔兰女仆忙着擦亮银器，清洗上好的哈维兰瓷器，把小教堂改成会客厅，并且把隔壁的餐室收拾好。
　　
　　克利里家的男孩子们与其说是帮忙，倒不如说是路手碍脚。斯图尔特和一群牧场杂工用长柄镰在草坪上刈草，除去茶坛上的莠草，在走廊上撒上潮锯末以便扫除西班牙花砖地面上的尘土，在会客厅里撤上白圣粉使它适合于跳舞。克拉伦斯·奥图尔的乐队从悉尼远道而来。同时带来了牡蛎、虾、蟹和龙虾；他们在基里雇了几个女人作为临时助手。从鲁德纳·胡尼施到因尼斯莫瑞，从布洛拉到奈仁甘，整个这一片地区都惊动了。