It was not till the evening, after family prayers, that Angel found opportunity of broaching to his father one or two subjects near his heart. He had strung himself up to the purpose while kneeling behind his brothers on the carpet, studying the little nails in the heels of their walking boots. When the service was over they went out of the room with their mother, and Mr Clare and himself were left alone.
一直到當(dāng)天晚上家庭祈禱以后，安琪爾才找到機(jī)會(huì)把一兩件心思對(duì)他的父親說(shuō)了。晚禱的時(shí)候，他跪在兩個(gè)哥哥背后的地毯上，一面研究他們腳上穿的靴子后跟上的小釘子，一面在心里打定了主意。晚禱結(jié)束了，兩個(gè)哥哥跟著母親走了出去，屋子里只剩下他的父親和他自己。

The young man first discussed with the elder his plans for the attainment of his position as a farmer on an extensive scale either in England or in the Colonies. His father then told him that, as he had not been put to the expense of sending Angel up to Cambridge, he had felt it his duty to set by a sum of money every year towards the purchase or lease of land for him some day, that he might not feel himself unduly slighted.
那個(gè)青年先是同他的父親廣泛地討論了如何獲得農(nóng)場(chǎng)主地位的種種計(jì)劃——要么就留在英格蘭，要么就到殖民地去。后來(lái)他的父親告訴他說(shuō)，由于他沒(méi)有花錢把安琪爾送到劍橋去接受教育，所以他當(dāng)時(shí)就覺(jué)得自己有責(zé)任每年儲(chǔ)蓄一筆錢，以便將來(lái)有一天給他買地或是租地，這樣他就不會(huì)感到他的父親對(duì)他不公平和薄待他了。

'As far as worldly wealth goes,' continued his father, 'you will no doubt stand far superior to your brothers in a few years.'
“就世俗的財(cái)富而論，”他的父親接著說(shuō)，“幾年之內(nèi)，你肯定就要比你的兩個(gè)哥哥有錢多了?！?/div>

This considerateness on old Mr Clare's part led Angel onward to the other and dearer subject. He observed to his father that he was then six-and-twenty, and that when he should start in the farming business he would require eyes in the back of his head to see to all matters - some one would be necessary to superintend the domestic labours of his establishment whilst he was afield. Would it not be well, therefore, for him to marry?
老克萊爾先生這一方待他既是這樣周到，安琪爾就趁機(jī)把另一個(gè)他更關(guān)心的問(wèn)題提了出來(lái)。他對(duì)他的父親說(shuō)，他已經(jīng)二十六歲了，將來(lái)在他開(kāi)始農(nóng)場(chǎng)的事業(yè)時(shí)，他的腦后需要有一雙眼睛，才照顧得了所有的事情——在他照看農(nóng)場(chǎng)的時(shí)候，家里總得有一個(gè)人，幫他管理家中的事情。因此，他應(yīng)不應(yīng)該結(jié)婚呢？

His father seemed to think this idea not unreasonable; and then Angel put the question--
他的父親似乎認(rèn)為他的想法不是沒(méi)有道理，于是安琪爾才接著把問(wèn)題提出來(lái)——

'What kind of wife do you think would be best for me as a thrifty hard-working farmer?'
“我既然將來(lái)要做一個(gè)勤勞儉樸的農(nóng)場(chǎng)主，那你覺(jué)得我最好娶一個(gè)什么樣的姑娘做妻子呢？”