S:    Why must we all     go to the hospital?

M:    I’m afraid Papa    wants to teach Granny a lesson. Poor Granny（sigh）.     A month ago,  these people were strangers. Now  she must share power with the mother   and I  must marry the son.

E:    You won’t marry him,though,  will you?

M:    What?  Marry a sea monster?

S:    We shouldn’t laugh.   That was so unkind.

E:    But he must marry  someone.

M:    Edith, what are you thinking?

E:    You know, I don’t dislike him as much as you do.

M:    Perhaps you don’t dislike him at all.

E:    Perhaps I don’t.

M:    Well, it’s nothing to me.  I’ve bigger fish to fry.

S:    What fish?

E:    Are we talking about   “EN”?

M:    How do you know that? Have you been poking around in my things?

E:    Of course not.

S:    Come on.  Who is he? It’s not fair if you both know.

M:    You won’t be any the wiser, but his name is Evelyn Napier.

E:    The Honourable Evelyn Napier.   Son and heir  to Viscount Branksome.

M:    Who wants an old sea monster when they can have Perseus?

 

 

 

今日语言点Language points:

 

1.    teach sb. a lesson （直译：教给某人一课）教训

 

2.    share sth. with sb. 与某人分享某物

 

3.    sea monster & Perseus 海怪和珀尔修斯

希腊神话故事：公主安德罗墨达为保护自己的国家被作为祭品献与海怪，幸得英雄珀尔修斯路过，斩杀海怪并与其成亲。

这里，M(Mary)将自己比作公主，唐顿庄园的继承人、远房堂兄Matthew比作海怪，心上人Evelyn Napier比作珀尔修斯。

 

4.    don't dislike = not have trouble with 并不讨厌、并不反感某人（这里，双重否定表肯定）

 

5.    have bigger fish to fry 有更大的鱼要去炸呢（表示有了更好的目标）

fry v.煎炸

KFC肯德基——Kentucky Fried Chicken肯塔基州炸鸡  这里的fried即为fry的过去式形式

 

6.    poke around 乱翻、乱捡

poke

vt.戳，捅; 推; 拨火; 〈美俚〉打，殴; 

vi.刺，戳; 刺探，干涉; 伸出; 闲逛; 

 

7.    Viscount[ˈvaɪkaʊnt] 子爵