评论
打印
The dinner went off well. They all liked the food and the mother was not as shy as Claire expected. She told about her journey, and about a television programme she'd once seen, showing how bird's nest soup was collected.
晚饭进行得很顺利。客人们对菜肴很满意，母亲也不像克莱尔想的那样腼腆。她对客人们谈了她的旅途情况，还谈了她看过的一个有关做燕窝汤的燕窝是如何采集的电视节目
After dinner Claire gave her guests enormous brandies, because she felt relieved that nothing disastrous had been uttered.
饭后克莱尔给客人端上了大量的白兰地，因为饭间没有人捅什么大娄子，她心里的一块 石头落地了。
The fulfilled guests sat back, sniffed, drank their coffee, laughed, tipped their cigarette ash on the floor, having missed the ashtray by a hair's breadth, gossiped, and refilled their glasses. They smiled at the various new ornaments but did not comment, except to say that the tapestry was nice.
酒足饭饱的客人们靠在椅子背上，鼻子吸了吸气，喝着咖啡，大声笑着，朝烟灰 缸抖烟灰时就差一点没有抖上，结果让烟灰都落到了地板上；他们漫无边际的闲聊着，把酒杯又重新斟满。他们冲屋里新添的各饰品笑了笑，但是没有评论，只说那条挂毯不错。
"Claire likes it," the mother said it timidly, drawing them into another silence. The evening was punctuated by brief but crushing silences.
“克莱尔喜欢它，”母亲小心翼翼地说。于是又出现了冷场。饭后的交谈就这样时不时 被这种短暂但令人尴尬的冷场打断。
