美國語文第六冊 第301期:夜間奇遇(1)
第八十六課 夜間奇遇
Not long since, a gentleman was traveling in one of the counties of Virginia,
就在不久前，一位紳士在弗吉尼亞州的某縣旅行，
and about the close of the day stopped at a public house to obtain refreshment and spend the night.
約摸天黑時分進了一家酒吧，要了茶點，準備在那兒過夜。
He had been there but a short time, before an old man alighted from his gig,
在一位上了年紀的人駕著他的兩輪馬車閃過時，他只在那兒呆了不長時間，
with the apparent intention of becoming his fellow guest at the same house.
顯然這位老者打算與這位旅行者在同一家酒吧結伴過夜。
As the old man drove up, he observed that both the shafts of his gig were broken,
在這位老者將車停下時，他注意到馬車兩側的車軸都斷了，
and that they were held together by withes, formed from the bark of a hickory sapling.
用山胡桃樹幼苗樹皮做成的細枝條捆綁在一起。
Our traveler observed further that he was plainly clad, that his knee buckles were loosened,
我們這位旅行者進一步注意到，這位老者膝蓋上的褲扣都松了，
and that something like negligence pervaded his dress. Conceiving him to be one of the honest yeomanry of our land,
衣著顯得有點漫不經(jīng)心。想必他是一位老實可靠的自耕農(nóng)，
the courtesies of strangers passed between them, and they entered the tavern.
他們走進小旅館時，舉手投足盡顯異鄉(xiāng)人的風范。
It was about the same time, that an addition of three or four young gentlemen was made to their number,
幾乎在同一時間，另外三四位年輕的紳士也相繼進來，
most, if not all of them, of the legal profession. As soon as they became conveniently accommodated,
如果不是全部的話，至少大多都從事法律職業(yè)。他們一旦適應這里的氣氛，
the conversation was turned, by one of the latter, upon the eloquent harangue which had that day been displayed at the bar.
交談便展開了，后來的這撥人其中一位高談闊論，是那天酒吧中最顯眼的一位。
It was replied by the other that he had witnessed, the same day, a degree of eloquence no doubt equal, but it was from the pulpit.
在同一天，其雄辯的程度能與他不相上下的是教堂神職人員的布道。
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