牛津书虫系列《曾达的囚徒》Chapter2 附中英双语文本

2 The colour of men's hair
2 头发的颜色
On the way to Ruritania I decided to spend a night in Paris with a friend．The next morning he came with me to the station，and as we waited for the train，we watched the crowds．We noticed a tall，dark，very fashionable lady，and my friend told me who she was．
去卢里塔尼亚的途中我决定在巴黎的一个朋友处过一夜。第二天早晨他跟我一起来到火车站，等车时我们看着站台上的人群，我们看到一位个子高、肤色棕黑、非常时髦的女士。我的朋友告诉我她的身份。
'That's Madame Antoinette de Mauban．She's travelling on the same train as you，but don't fall in love with her．'
“那位是安东纳特·德·莫班女士，她和你坐同一列火车，但是你可别爱上她。”
'Why not？'I asked，amused．
“为什么不行？”我觉得很有意思。
'Ah，'said my friend，'all Paris knows that she's in love with Duke Michael of Strelsau．And he，as you know，is the half-brother of the new King of Ruritania．Although he's only the second son and will never be king himself，he's still an important man and very popular，I hear，with many Ruritanians．The lovely Madame Antoinette won't look twice at you，Rudolf．'
“哎呀，”我的朋友说，“全巴黎都知道她爱着斯特莱索的迈克尔公爵，他是卢里塔尼亚新国王同父异母的兄弟。虽然他只不过是次子，他也决不能当国王，他仍然是个重要人物，而且我听说他也受到许多人的爱戴。鲁道夫，那位可爱的安冬纳特女士不会朝你看第二眼的。”
I laughed，but he had woken my interest in the lady．I did not speak to her during the journey，and when we arrived in Ruritania，I left the train at Zenda，a small town outside the capital．But I noticed that Madame de Mauban went on to Strelsau，the capital．
我笑了，但他的话引起了我对那位女士的兴趣。旅途中我没跟她说话。我们到达卢里塔尼亚以后，我在靠近首都的小城曾达下了车，但我注意到莫班女士去了首都斯特莱索。
I was welcomed very kindly at my hotel．It belonged to a fat old lady and her pretty daughter．From them I learned that the coronation was to be on the day after next，and not in three weeks．
在旅店我受到了很热情的接待。这家旅店是一位胖老太太和她可爱的女儿开的。从她们那儿我听说加冕典礼是后天而不是三星期后举行。
The old lady was more interested in Duke Michael of Strelsau than in the new King．The Castle of Zenda and all the land around it belonged to the Duke，but the old lady said，'It's not enough．Duke Michael should be king．He spends all his time with us．Every Ruritanian knows him，but we never see the new King．'
老太太对迈克尔公爵比对新国王更感兴趣。虽然曾达城堡和附近所有的土地都属于这位公爵，老太太却说，“这些还不够，迈克尔公爵应该当国王。他总是和我们在一起，每个卢里塔尼亚人都认识他，而新国王我们却从来没见过。”
But the daughter cried，'Oh no，I hate Black Michael．I want a red Elphberg-and the King，our friend Johann says，is very red．Johann works for the Duke and he's seen the King．In fact，the King's staying just outside Zenda now，'she added．'He's resting at the Duke's house in the forest before going on to Strelsau on Wednesday for his coronation．The Duke's already in Strelsau，getting everything ready．'
她女儿却说，“哦，不，我讨厌黑迈克尔！我希望一个红头发的艾尔弗伯格当国王。听我们的朋友约翰说，新国王的头发非常红。他见过国王。事实上，国王现在就在曾达。”她又说，“他星期五去斯特莱索加冕。在此之前，他呆在公爵的林中住地休养。公爵已经去了斯特莱索，为国王准备好一切。”
'They're friends？'I asked．
“他们是朋友吗？”
'Friends who want the same place and the same wife，'the pretty girl replied．'The Duke wants to marry his cousin，Princess Flavia，but people say she's going to be King Rudolf's wife and the Queen．'
“朋友，只不过两人想得到同样的地方和同一个女人。”漂亮姑娘回答，“公爵想和他的表妹弗蕾维亚公主结婚，可是据说弗蕾维亚会成为国王鲁道夫的妻子和王后。”
Just then their friend，Johann，entered the room．
就在这时，她们的朋友约翰走进了房间。
'We have a visitor，Johann，'the girl's mother said，and Johann turned towards me．But when he saw me，he stepped back，with a look of wonder on his face．
“我们来了个客人，约翰。”姑娘的母亲说。约翰就转向我。当他看见我后，他后退了一步，脸上露出惊奇的表情。
'What's the matter，Johann？'the daughter asked．