You see, the foolish old man was actually beginning to imagine the Witch would fall in love with him. The two drinks probably had something to do with it, and so had his best clothes. But he was, in any case, as vain as a peacock; that was why he had become a Magician.
你看，这愚蠢的老家伙开始想像女巫会爱上他，这很可能是那两杯酒和漂亮衣服起的作用。不过，无论怎么说，他和孔雀一样爱慕虚荣，这就是他为什么变成魔法师的原因。
He unlocked 8217; the door, went downstairs, sent the housemaid out to fetch a hansom (everyone had lots of servants in those days) and looked into the drawingroom. There, as he expected, he found Aunt Letty. She was busily mending a mattress. It lay on the floor near the window and she was kneeling on it.
他锁上门，走下楼，打发一个女佣去叫一辆双轮双座的马车（那年月，每个人都有许多仆人），然后朝客厅张望，他如愿以偿地在客斤里找到了蕾蒂姨妈，她正在修补一块垫子。垫子铺在窗户旁边，她跪在上面。
8220;Ah, Letitia my dear, 8221; said Uncle Andrew, 8220;I 8211; ah have to go out. Just lend me five pounds or so, there 8217;s a good gel. 8221; ( 8220;Gel 8221; was the way he pronounced girl.)
“呀，蕾蒂娅，我亲爱的，”安德每舅舅说，“我——我要出门。借我五英镑什么的，有个很不错的古娘。”（他总是将“姑娘”说成“古娘”。）
8220;No, Andrew dear, 8221; said Aunty Letty in her firm, quiet voice, without looking up from her work. 8220;I 8217;ve told you times without number that I will not lend you money. 8221;
“不，亲爱的安德鲁．”蕾蒂姨妈头也不抬，用坚定、平静的口气说说，“我说过无数次了，我不会借钱给你的。”
8220;Now pray don 8217;t be troublesome, my dear gel, 8221; said Uncle Andrew. 8220;It 8217;s most important. You will put me in a deucedly awkward position if you don 8217;t. 8221;
“请你别捣乱，亲爱的古娘，”安德鲁舅舅说，“这是最重要的事。你如果不借就让我非常难堪。”
8220;Andrew, 8221; said Aunt Letty, looking him straight in the face, 8220;I wonder you are not ashamed to ask me for money. 8221;
“安德鲁，”苦蒂姨妈直直地盯着他，“我觉得奇怪的是，你向我借钱居然不觉得羞耻。”
There was a long, dull story of a grown-up kind behind these words. All you need to know about it is that Uncle Andrew, what with 8220;managing dear Letty 8217;s business matters for her 8221;, and never doing any work, and running up large bills for brandy and cigars (which Aunt Letty had paid again and again) had made her a good deal poorer than she had been thirty years ago.
这些话隐藏着一段长长的、枯操的、属于大人之间的往事。你只需知道，安德鲁舅舅打着“为亲爱的蕾蒂照管财产”的旗号，却什么也不干，还喝白兰地、抽雪茄，欠下一大堆账（蕾蒂姨妈曾一次一次地为他付钱），这样一来，就弄得蕾蒂比三十年前穷得多了。
8220;My dear gel, 8221; said Uncle Andrew, 8220;you don 8217;t understand. I shall have some quite unexpected expenses today. I have to do a little entertaining. Come now, don 8217;t be tiresome. 8221;
“亲爱的古娘，”安德鲁舅舅说，“你不知道，我今天会有一些意想不到的花费。我不得不招待客人，借给我吧，别让我着急。”
8220;And who, pray, are you going to entertain, Andrew? 8221; asked Aunt Letty.
“你到底要招待谁，安德鲁，”蕾蒂姨妈问。
8220;A 8211; a most distinguished visitor has just arrived. 8221;
“哦——来了一个尊贵的客人。”
8220;Distinguished fiddlestick! 8221; said Aunt Letty. 8220;There hasn 8217;t been a ring at the hell for the last hour. 8221;
“尊贵的客人？什么破玩意儿! ”曹蒂姨妈说，“你到底还是没有说服我。”
At that moment the door was suddenly flung open. Aunt Letty looked round and saw with amazement that an enormous woman, splendidly dressed, with bare arms and flashing eyes, stood in the doorway. It was the Witch.
就在这时，门突然被撞开了蕾蒂姨妈一回头，吃惊地看见一个女巨人，衣着华丽，手臂裸露，目光炯炯地站在门口。这正是女巫。