When the boys' grandfather died, their mother, in great state, proclaimed her eldest son George her successor and heir of the estate;
男孩們的祖父最終去世后,他們的母親威風(fēng)凜凜地在全莊園鄭重宣布,她的大兒子喬治為她的繼任者以及財產(chǎn)繼承人;
and Harry, George's younger brother by half an hour, was always enjoined to respect his senior.
半小時后,喬治的弟弟哈里接到需要認(rèn)可喬治地位的授意,
All the household was equally instructed to pay him honor;
全家上下無一例外必須尊重喬治的權(quán)威,
the negroes, of whom there was a large and happy family, and the assigned servants from Europe,
包括那些人口眾多、幸福和睦的黑人家庭,還有那些來自歐洲指派的固定奴仆,
whose lot was made as bearable as it might be under the government of the lady of Castlewood.
一干人命運當(dāng)然以對卡斯?fàn)栁榈虑f園女主人絕對服從為基本前提。
In the whole family there scarcely was a rebel save Mrs. Esmond's faithful friend and companion, Madam Mountain,
全家?guī)缀跛腥硕紝ΠK姑傻路蛉宋ㄎㄖZ諾,鮮少的反駁之聲來自夫人的忠實朋友兼伴友蒙頓夫人,
and Harry's foster mother, a faithful negro woman, who never could be made to understand why her child should not be first,
還有哈里的繼母,那位忠心耿耿的黑女人。她從未弄清楚,為什么她的哈里在家里不該排第一?
who was handsomer, and stronger, and cleverer than his brother, as she vowed;
哈里相貌英俊,身體健壯結(jié)實,比他的哥哥聰明活絡(luò),這一點,那位黑人奶母甚至賭咒發(fā)誓,
though, in truth, there was scarcely any difference in the beauty, strength, or stature of the twins.
事實上,盡管就相貌、體格或身材而言,這雙胞胎兄弟幾乎無法分辨。
In disposition, they were in many points exceedingly unlike;
至于性情方面,兩兄弟行為舉止顯然大相徑庭。
but in feature they resembled each other so closely, that, but for the color of their hair, it had been difficult to distinguish them.
單從外貌特征來看,兄弟倆實在過于相像,如果不是頭發(fā)顏色的差異,外人的確很難分清兄弟倆;
In their beds, and when their heads were covered with those vast, ribboned nightcaps, which our great and little ancestors wore,
如果晚上兄弟倆上床,戴上家族先人們曾佩戴的那種碩大無朋的緞帶睡帽,
it was scarcely possible for any but a nurse or a mother to tell the one from the other child.
那么,除保姆或媽媽,幾乎沒人能夠辨認(rèn)出這對寶貝。
Howbeit, alike in form, we have said that they differed in temper.
正如方才提到的,兩人長相雷同,脾氣秉性則迥異不同。