请用 先生
Excuse me, sir.
可能刚开始我对你有点冷淡 甚至不近人情
I fear I may have been a little unwelcoming, even a little short.
你的简历是我所见过的最优秀的
You presented the best references I’ve ever seen.
那也是当然的
Which proved to be well-deserved.
同时 我承认 你的年轻也让我有所顾虑
Though, I confess, I did have my doubts, on account of your youth.
绝不允许男性拜访者
No gentleman callers allowed, of course.
原谅我提到这一点
Forgive my mentioning it,
但我们以前在这方面出过事
but we’ve had those problems of that sorts before.
也是发生在宅子里
Inside the house too.
之前的女管家
The previous housekeeper took it into a head
跟男管家助理私奔了
to run off with the under-butler.
当然 如果两个员工相爱并决定结婚
If two members of stuff had to fall in love and decide to get married,
那也无可非议
there nothing one can say.
但最让我恼火的情况是
But what I do find a major irritation
那些到处闲逛去追寻浪漫的员工
are those persons who go from post to post looking for romance.
女管家们在这方面特别容易陷进去
Housekeepers are particularly guilty here.
-当然不是特意针对你 -没关系
-No offense intended, of course. -None taken.
我知道仆人们开始互相恋爱
I know for my own experience how a house is at sixes and sevens
会让家里变得乱七八糟
once the staff start marrying each other.
是的
Yes, indeed.
-能跟您说句话吗 先生 -当然
-Might I have a word, sir? -Of course.
老爷 关于上个月
My lord, it’s regarding the under-butler
私奔的男副管家和女管家
and the housekeeper who ran off last month.
麻烦事 你处理的怎么样了
Bad business. How are you managing?
我找到了两个优秀的替代者
I believe I’ve found two first-rate replacements.
肯顿小姐 有极优秀的工作经历
Miss Kenton, a young woman with excellent references.
举止得体 显得十分有管理能力
Very pleasing demeanour. Appears to be very able.
还有一个经验丰富的男管家
And a man with considerable experience of butler, Sir.
-年纪大点 但乐意做男副管家 -姓什么
-Older and happy to be under-butler. -Name?
史蒂文斯
Stevens, sir.
-史蒂文斯 -是的 老爷
-Stevens? -Yes, sir.
-这不是你的姓吗 -他是我父亲
-That’s your name. -He’s my father, sir.
这样啊
Really?
再好不过了 很期待什么时候能见见他
Couldn’t do better. I’m sure. I’d like to see him sometime.
他就在门外
He’s outside the door.
好 带他进来
Good. Bring him in.
谢谢 老爷
Thank you, my lord.
父亲
Father.
史蒂文斯先生 你好
Mr. Stevens, how do you do?
-老爷 -你儿子是个得力管家
-My lord. -Very good man here, your son.
他把房♥子管理的很好 没了他可不行
He serves the house well. I don’t know what we’d do without him.
-你为他骄傲吧 -非常 老爷
-Proud of him? -Very proud, my lord.
很对
Quite right too.
很高兴你能来到这里
Yes. Very glad to have you with us.
谢谢 老爷
Thank you, my lord.
今天正餐是什么时候 下午2点 4点
What are we at dinner tonight? 14:00? 16:00?
中午12点 老爷
Twelve, sir.
很好
Right.
谢谢 老爷
Thank you, my lord.
史蒂文斯先生
Mr. Stevens
这只水壶我不知道该放哪儿
This pitcher seems out of place here.
饭厅 当心别碰坏
Dining room. Well spotted.
-你好 威廉 -日安 肯顿小姐
-Hello, William, how are you? -Good day, Miss Kenton.
史蒂文斯先生
Mr. Stevens
我想这些能为你的会客厅增添一份光彩
I thought these might brighten your parlour a little.
您说什么
Beg your pardon?
它们能给你带来好心情
I thought they might cheer things up for you.
您真好心
That’s very kind of you.
如果您愿意 我可以多采一些来
If you like, Mr. Stevens, I could bring in some more for you.
谢谢
Thank you
但是我把这间屋子当作私人工作室
but I regard this room as my private place of work
希望尽量少摆设一些让我分心的东西
and I prefer to keep distractions to a minimum.
您怎么会认为这些花会让您分心呢
Would you call flowers a distraction, then, Mr. Stevens?
我感谢您的好意
I appreciate your kindness, Miss Kenton.
屋子还是保持原样为好
But I prefer to keep things as they are.
既然你在这儿了
But since you are here,
有件事我想对您说
there is a matter I wanted to mention. Just a small matter.
昨天早上我正巧从厨房♥经过
I happened to be walking past the kitchen yesterday morning
听到你叫某人 威廉
and I heard you call to someone named William.
请问您是在称呼哪位
May I ask who you were addressing by that name?
我应该是在称呼您父亲
Mr. Stevens, I should think I was addressing your father.
这里没有其他人叫威廉
There are no other Williams in this house I take it.
是这样
True.
请您以后称呼我父亲 史蒂文斯先生
May I ask you in future to address my father as Mr. Stevens?
如果是在对下属提到他时 你可以称他
If speaking of him to a third party, you may call him
史蒂文斯一世 作为与称呼我的区别
Mr. Stevens Sr. to distinguish him from myself.
我会很感激您这么做的 肯顿小姐
So I would be most grateful to you, Miss Kenton.
我不是很理解您的意思
I don’t quite understand what you’re getting at.
我是这里的女管家 您父亲是副男管家
I am the housekeeper in this house, and your father is the under-butler.
我习惯用下属的名字来称呼他们
I am accustomed to addressing under-servants by their Christian names.
请先停下 听我说
If you would stop to think for a moment, you’d realize
像您这样用名字直接称呼我父亲
how inappropriate it is for one such as yourself to address as William
是极为不合适的
someone such as my father.
想必您父亲一定觉得很难堪
It must have been very galling for your father to be called William
像我这样身份的人直呼其名
by one such as myself.
我想说的是 如果您仔细观察
Miss Kenton, all I’m saying is that My father is a person from whom
您将从他身上学到不少东西
if you’d observe him more, you may learn things.
我很感激您的建议 但请一定要告诉我
I’m grateful for your advice, but do tell me
我能从他那儿学到什么
what things might I learn from him?
请允许我指出一点
I might point out that you’re
您还不是很熟悉一些物品的摆放位置和用途
often unsure of what goes where and which item is which.
我确信史蒂文斯一世精于他的工作职责
I’m sure Mr. Stevens Sr. is very good at his job
但我也向您保证 我也对于自己的工作十分擅长
but I can assure you that I’m very good at mine.
-当然 -谢谢
-Of course. -Thank you.
请允许我先告辞了
If you will please excuse me.
好吧
Oh, well.
向我们的厨师致意
My compliments to cook.
多么美味的脆皮
What a lovely piece of crackling.
你好像说了些有趣的话 跟大家分享一下吧
I’m sure you said something witty. Share it with the rest of us.
我说这些青豆做的很棒 我很喜欢
I said the sprouts is done the way I like them.
很干脆 没有太硬
Crisp-like, not mushy.
应该是很 松脆 不是很 干脆
Sprouts are done, not is done.
对吧 乔治
Isn’t that right, George?
是的 史蒂文斯先生
Yes, Mr. Stevens.
抱歉纠正你的用词 因为我在你这年纪
Forgive the correction, as I would have done
十分注重养成自己的言语得当
at your age for the sake of my education.
我相信你也和其他人一样有志于升职
I’m sure even you have ambitions to rise in your profession.
是的 我也想成为一个管家 被称呼为某某先生
Oh, yes. I want to be a butler, to be called Mister
坐在自己的小客厅 有自己的壁炉
sit in my own pantry by my own fire,
嘴上叼着雪茄
smoking my cigar.
你知道要成为一个优秀的管家最重要的是什么
I wonder if you realize what it takes to be a great butler?
保持庄重 处乱不惊
Takes dignity, that’s what it takes.
谢谢 史蒂文斯先生 重点是要处乱不惊
Thank you, Mr. Stevens. Dignity, that’s right. Dignity.
绅士中的绅士 这本杂♥志♥上给出的定义是这样
The definition from our quarterly The Gentlemen’s Gentleman
优秀的管家必须要做到超乎想象的处乱不惊
A great butler must be possessed of dignity
才能保住他的职位
In keeping with his position.
曾经在印度有一个英国管家
There was this English butler in India.
一天他走到饭厅里 发现有什么东西在桌子下
One day, he goes in the dining room and what’s under the table?
一只老虎
A tiger.
他面不改色地走到客厅
Not turning a hair, he goes straight to the drawing room.
打扰您 老爷
Excuse me, my lord.
为了不打扰在场的女士 他轻声说
And whispering, so as not to upset the ladies
餐厅里有只老虎
I’m sorry, My Lord. There appears to be a tiger in the dining room.
请允许我用枪射杀它
Perhaps His Lordship will permit use of the twelve-bores?
他们继续用着茶 突然 三声枪响
They go on drinking their tea. And then, there’s three gunshots.
他们谁也没觉得奇怪
They don’t think nothing of it.
在印度 人们对什么事都习以为常
In India, they’re used to anything.
当管家回来帮他们的茶续杯时
When the butler is back to refresh the teapots
他十分镇定地说道
he says, cool as a cucumber
老爷 午餐将按时开始
Dinner will be served at the usual time, my lord.

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