這場戲：上校登門吐露往事
第 20 章 · 共 27 章 · 3'12"
布蘭登上校登門找埃莉諾，先問起瑪麗安，又提出 Permit me to accompany you（請允許我陪你們同行）。他坦白了一段深藏的往事：年輕時辜負了伊萊莎，收養了她的私生女貝絲，可貝絲一年前失蹤，整整八個月他只能 imagine the worst（往最壞處想）。想學鄭重、剋制的舊式講述，這段很動人。
鄭重請求：Permit me to（請允許我）
as quickly as possible 儘快Permit me to 請允許我…（客套）I confess 我承認（坦白）
❝ 獨白 · 23 句 八個月的煎熬：imagine the worst（往最壞處想）
look after 照顧、照看placed her with 把某人寄養在別人家imagine the worst 往最壞處想
範妮和約翰嘴上說「畢竟是一家人」，卻找藉口不肯接待達什伍德姐妹，說請客名額 already 給了斯蒂爾小姐。另一邊，布蘭登上校登門拜訪埃莉諾，問起瑪麗安，又主動提出 Permit me to accompany you and take you straight on from Cleveland to Barton（請允許我陪你們同行，把你們從克利夫蘭直接送到巴頓）。他說想講一些情況，nothing but（只是）出於想幫忙，隨後吐露往事：二十年前伊萊莎生下私生女貝絲，臨終托他 look after（照顧）孩子，他卻 I indulged her（縱容）她，給了她太多自由；貝絲一年前失蹤，八個月裡他只能 imagine the worst（往最壞處想）。想學舊式書信腔的剋制講述和鋪墊，這段很到位。
A1–C2 是歐標等級。點一個等級後，比它高的卡片會變淡，播放到那裡不會自動暫停。
“I confess that is precisely what I had hoped for.”
我承認，這正是我所盼望的。
I confess 加 precisely，把誠實和蓄謀一起端出來。
I confess that is precisely what I hoped for.
承認自己早有盤算、又不想顯得虛偽時用；正式場合也合適。
I admit this is exactly what I wanted. ／ That is precisely what I hoped for, I confess.
正式
precisely 重讀，had hoped for 輕快收句。
I confess that is precisely what I was hoping to hear. 我承認，這正是我想聽到的。
“The father, whoever he was, abandoned them.”
那孩子的父親，不管是誰，拋棄了她們母女。
whoever he was 一插，既不說破是誰，又把責任點得清楚。
The someone, whoever he was, ...
不願點破某人身份、又要把話說清時用；書面也漂亮。
Whoever the man was, he left them. ／ The father, whoever that was, walked away.
literary
whoever he was 插在中間，兩邊略停。
The man, whoever he was, never came back. 那個男人，不管他是誰，再沒回來過。
“I had failed Eliza in every other way.”
我在別的方面都辜負了伊萊莎。
不說虧欠了什麼，只說方方面面，悔意都在留白裡。
I had failed someone in every other way.
向人坦白自己辜負過某人時用；語氣沉重，慎對當事人說。
I had let her down in every other respect. ／ I failed her in all the ways that mattered.
literary
had failed 輕讀，every other way 逐詞放慢。
I had failed my brother in every other way. 我在別的方面都辜負了我弟弟。
“I could not refuse her now.”
這一次我不能再拒絕她。
now 一個字就把前賬和後賬連起來，短得讓人心疼。
I could not refuse someone now.
說自己沒法再拒絕一個求過你的人時用；敘事或傾訴都合適。
I could not say no this time. ／ How could I refuse her then?
literary
could not 連讀，now 收尾略停。
After all that, I could not refuse her now. 出了那些事，這回我沒法再拒絕她。
“I indulged her, I allowed her too much freedom.”
我太縱容她了，給了她太多自由。
兩個 I 開頭的短句連說，把自責擺得像認罪。
I indulged her, I allowed her too much ...
承認自己寵壞了一個人時用；對家人說常帶悔意。
I spoiled her, I gave her too much freedom. ／ I let her have her own way far too often.
literary
兩個 I 都輕，indulged 與 allowed 重讀。
I indulged him, I allowed him too much freedom. 我太慣著他了，給了他太多自由。
“But for eight months I was left to imagine the worst.”
可整整八個月，我只能往最壞處想。
用八個月和一個最壞，把等待裡的折磨寫得具體。
I was left to imagine the worst.
說自己在不知訊息的日子裡受煎熬時用；傾訴往事時用。
For months I could only fear the worst. ／ I was left to dread what might have happened.
literary
eight months 連讀，worst 重讀收句。
Two weeks I was left to imagine the worst. 整整兩週，我只能往最壞處想。
“Permit me to accompany you and take you straight on from Cleveland to Barton.”
請允許我陪你們同行，把你們從克利夫蘭直接送到巴頓。
一句正式請求把照顧說成一趟順路，體面又不顯刻意。
Permit me to ... and take you straight on to ...
鄭重提出護送或幫忙時用；正式、場合越重越合適。
Allow me to take you straight on to Barton. ／ Let me accompany you the whole way.
正式
Permit me to 連讀，straight on 重讀。
Permit me to drive you and take you straight on to the hotel. 請允許我開車送您，直接把您送到旅館。
When I quitted Barton last... No, I must go further back. No doubt... No doubt, Mrs. Jennings has apprised you... of certain events in my past. The sad outcome of my connection with a young woman named Eliza. What is not commonly known is that... twenty years ago, before she died, Eliza bore an illegitimate child. The father, whoever he was, abandoned them. As Eliza lay dying... she begged me to look after the child. I had failed Eliza in every other way. I could not refuse her now. I took the child... Beth is her name... and placed her with a family in the country where she would be looked after. I saw her whenever I could. She grew up so headstrong, and God forgive me... I indulged her, I allowed her too much freedom. Almost a year ago, she disappeared. - Disappeared? - I instigated a search. But for eight months I was left to imagine the worst. At last, on the day of the Delaford picnic... I received the first news of her.
上次我離開巴頓時…… 不，我得從更早說起。 想必…… 想必詹寧斯太太已經告訴過你…… 我過去的一些事。 我和一個名叫伊萊莎的年輕女子交往，結局很慘。 有一件事外人大多不知道…… 二十年前，伊萊莎去世之前，生下了一個私生女。 那孩子的父親，不管是誰，拋棄了她們母女。 伊萊莎臨終的時候…… 她求我照顧那個孩子。 我在別的方面都辜負了伊萊莎。 這一次我不能再拒絕她。 我把孩子接了過來……她叫貝絲…… 寄養在鄉下一戶人家，好讓她有人照看。 我一有機會就去看她。 她長大以後倔得很，上帝寬恕我…… 我太縱容她了，給了她太多自由。 差不多一年前，她不見了。 ——不見了？——我發起了搜尋。 可整整八個月，我只能往最壞處想。 終於，在德拉福德野餐那天…… 我得到了關於她的第一個訊息。
下一章 · 21take a fancy to一下子喜歡上這場戲：揭開真相後的安慰指「往最壞處想」，形容懸著心、只能做最壞的猜測。戲裡布蘭登說貝絲失蹤八個月，他只能 imagine the worst。
說 with all my heart，表示全心全意、真心實意。戲裡說 I would ask them with all my heart，就是「我打心底願意請她們來」。
指「剝奪、奪走某人的東西」。戲裡範妮說不能 deprive Mrs. Jennings of all her company，就是不能一下子把她的客人全帶走。
指「只不過是、僅僅」。戲裡布蘭登說自己講這些，nothing but a desire of being useful，就是「純粹是想幫上忙」。
指「與某人的交往、關係」，措辭很含蓄。戲裡布蘭登說 the sad outcome of my connection with a young woman named Eliza，把一段舊情說得極淡。
