The big brute — he's a grand horse, Scarlett; you must tell your pa to come over and see him right away — he'd already bitten a hunk out of his groom on the way down here and he'd trampled two of Ma's darkies who met the train at Jonesboro.
畜生 踏
And just before we got home, he'd about kicked the stable down and half-killed Strawberry, Ma's old stallion.
種馬
When we got home, Ma was out in the stable with a sackful of sugar smoothing him down and doing it mighty well, too.
The darkies were hanging from the rafters, popeyed, they were so scared, but Ma was talking to the horse like he was folks and he was eating out of her hand.
There ain't nobody like Ma with a horse.?And when she saw us she said: 'In Heaven's name, what are you four doing home again??You're worse than the plagues of Egypt! '
And then the horse began snorting and rearing and she said: 'Get out of here!?Can't you see he's nervous, the big darling??I'll tend to you four in the morning! '?So we went to bed, and this morning we got away before she could catch us and left Boyd to handle her" .
哼鼻子 直起上半身
" Do you suppose she'll hit Boyd" ??Scarlett, like the rest of the County, could never get used to the way small Mrs. Tarleton bullied her grown sons and laid her riding crop on their backs if the occasion seemed to warrant it.
Beatrice Tarleton was a busy woman, having on her hands not only a large cotton plantation, a hundred negroes and eight children, but the largest horse-breeding farm in the state as well.
She was hot-tempered and easily plagued by the frequent scrapes of her four sons, and while no one was permitted to whip a horse or a slave, she felt that a lick now and then didn't do the boys any harm.
生性暴躁
" Of course she won't hit Boyd.
She never did beat Boyd much because he's the oldest and besides he's the runt of the litter, " said Stuart, proud of his six feet two.?" That's why we left him at home to explain things to her.
矮子
God'lmighty, Ma ought to stop licking us!?We're nineteen and Tom's twenty-one, and she acts like we're six years old" .
" Will your mother ride the new horse to the Wilkes barbecue tomorrow" ??" She wants to, but Pa says he's too dangerous.
And, anyway, the girls won't let her.
They said they were going to have her go to one party at least like a lady, riding in the carriage" .?" I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow, " said Scarlett.
" It's rained nearly every day for a week.?There's nothing worse than a barbecue turned into an indoor picnic" .?" Oh, it'll be clear tomorrow and hot as June, " said Stuart.
" Look at that sunset.?I never saw one redder.
You can always tell weather by sunsets" .?They looked out across the endless acres of Gerald O'Hara's newly plowed cotton fields toward the red horizon.
Now that the sun was setting in a welter of crimson behind the hills across the Flint River, the warmth of the April day was ebbing into a faint but balmy chill.
雜亂的一堆 深紅色的 退潮 溫暖愜意的
Spring had come early that year, with warm quick rains and sudden frothing of pink peach blossoms and dogwood dappling with white stars the dark river swamp and far-off hills.
泡沫 斑點
Already the plowing was nearly finished, and the bloody glory of the sunset colored the fresh-cut furrows of red Georgia clay to even redder hues.?The moist hungry earth, waiting upturned for the cotton seeds, showed pinkish on the sandy tops of furrows, vermilion and scarlet and maroon where shadows lay along the sides of the trenches.
朱紅色 褐紅色
The whitewashed brick plantation house seemed an island set in a wild red sea, a sea of spiraling, curving, crescent billows petrified suddenly at the moment when the pink-tipped waves were breaking into surf.
新月形 嚇呆的 浪花
For here were no long, straight furrows, such as could be seen in the yellow clay fields of the flat middle Georgia country or in the lush black earth of the coastal plantations.
The rolling foothill country of north Georgia was plowed in a million curves to keep the rich earth from washing down into the river bottoms.
It was a savagely red land, blood-colored after rains, brick dust in droughts, the best cotton land in the world.
殘暴的
It was a pleasant land of white houses, peaceful plowed fields and sluggish yellow rivers, but a land of contrasts, of brightest sun glare and densest shade.
緩緩的
The plantation clearings and miles of cotton fields smiled up to a warm sun, placid, complacent.
自滿的
At their edges rose the virgin forests, dark and cool even in the hottest noons, mysterious, a little sinister, the soughing pines seeming to wait with an age-old patience, to threaten with soft sighs: " Be careful!
Be careful!?We had you once.?We can take you back again" .?To the ears of the three on the porch came the sounds of hooves, the jingling of harness chains and the shrill careless laughter of negro voices, as the field hands and mules came in from the fields.
From within the house floated the soft voice of Scarlett's mother, Ellen O'Hara, as she called to the little black girl who carried her basket of keys.?The high-pitched, childish voice answered " Yas'm, " and there were sounds of footsteps going out the back way toward the smokehouse where Ellen would ration out the food to the home-coming hands.
There was the click of china and the rattle of silver as Pork, the valet-butler of Tara, laid the table for supper.
丁丁的響聲 男仆
At these last sounds, the twins realized it was time they were starting home.
But they were loath to face their mother and they lingered on the porch of Tara, momentarily expecting Scarlett to give them an invitation to supper.
不愿意的
" Look, Scarlett.?About tomorrow, " said Brent.?" Just because we've been away and didn't know about the barbecue and the ball, that's no reason why we shouldn't get plenty of dances tomorrow night.
You haven't promised them all, have you" ??" Well, I have!?How did I know you all would be home??I couldn't risk being a wallflower just waiting on you two" .
" You a wallflower" !?The boys laughed uproariously.?" Look, honey.?You've got to give me the first waltz and Stu the last one and you've got to eat supper with us.
We'll sit on the stair landing like we did at the last ball and get Mammy Jincy to come tell our fortunes again" .
" I don't like Mammy Jincy's fortunes.?You know she said I was going to marry a gentleman with jet-black hair and a long black mustache, and I don't like black-haired gentlemen" .
" You like 'em red-headed, don't you, honey" ??grinned Brent.
" Now, come on, promise us all the waltzes and the supper" .
" If you'll promise, we'll tell you a secret, " said Stuart.
" What" ??cried Scarlett, alert as a child at the word.
" Is it what we heard yesterday in Atlanta, Stu??If it is, you know we promised not to tell" .
" Well, Miss Pitty told us" .
" Miss Who" ?
" You know, Ashley Wilkes' cousin who lives in Atlanta, Miss Pittypat Hamilton — Charles and Melanie Hamilton's aunt" .
" I do, and a sillier old lady I never met in all my life" .
" Well, when we were in Atlanta yesterday, waiting for the home train, her carriage went by the depot and she stopped and talked to us, and she told us there was going to be an engagement announced tomorrow night at the Wilkes ball" .
倉庫
" Oh.?I know about that, " said Scarlett in disappointment.
" That silly nephew of hers, Charlie Hamilton, and Honey Wilkes.?Everybody's known for years that they'd get married some time, even if he did seem kind of lukewarm about it" .
不熱情的
" Do you think he's silly" ??questioned Brent.
" Last Christmas you sure let him buzz round you plenty" .?" I couldn't help him buzzing, " Scarlett shrugged negligently.?" I think he's an awful sissy" .?" Besides, it isn't his engagement that's going to be announced, " said Stuart triumphantly.
" It's Ashley's to Charlie's sister, Miss Melanie" !?Scarlett's face did not change but her lips went white — like a person who has received a stunning blow without warning and who, in the first moments of shock, does not realize what has happened.
So still was her face as she stared at Stuart that he, never analytic, took it for granted that she was merely surprised and very interested.
" Miss Pitty told us they hadn't intended announcing it till next year, because Miss Melly hasn't been very well; but with all the war talk going around, everybody in both families thought it would be better to get married soon.
So it's to be announced tomorrow night at the supper intermission.
間歇
Now, Scarlett, we've told you the secret, so you've got to promise to eat supper with us" .
" Of course I will, " Scarlett said automatically.
" And all the waltzes" ?
" All" .
" You're sweet!?I'll bet the other boys will be hopping mad" .?" Let 'em be mad, " said Brent.
