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[c]Nannette
It was the silliest incident that brought Nannette into my life. I had been in my local supermarket and spent more than I should. When I reached the checkout girl I remarked, jokingly, that my money was all gone after I had paid for all the articles. On my way out through the main doors a girl suddenly appeared and asked me, that if I was really short of cash, she was willing to lend me some, in order for me to get home. I was very surprised and she was a rather attractive looking girl. Now, as it was hardly an everyday experience, having a gorgeous girl appear out of thin air and offer me money.
一次極傻的意外讓蘭麗緹闖進了我的生活。那天我在附近的一家超市裡大肆採購，不知不覺超出了預算。結賬時我開玩笑地和售貨員小姐說，付完款后我可是一分錢都不剩了。在我往超市大門走去的時候，一個女孩突然攔住我，說如果我真的沒有錢的話，她可以借錢給我回家。我當時很驚訝，而她也長得很好看。一個迷人的小姐從天而降要借錢給我，我想這種好事我可不能天天都撞上。
I quickly pulled myself together, "No. Yes thank you. But I was only joking; I do have some change indoors for my taxi fare. But please, would you let me take you for some tea and cakes, there's rather a nice restaurant quite close?"
不過我很快回過神來。「啊！不用了，謝謝你。我剛才只是在開玩笑。我還有一些零錢，足夠打的士回家的了。但是，不知道我有沒有這個機會，邀請你去喝下午茶呢？這附近有一家很不錯的餐廳。」
"I'm sorry, I can't just now. I just don't have time. But I go to the town library every Thursday. I could meet you outside. Say at two o'clock? My name is Nannette by the way. What's yours?"
「哦，很抱歉，現在不行，我沒有時間。但是每個周四的下午我都會去社區圖書館，我可以在圖書館門口等你。兩點鐘怎麼樣？我叫蘭麗緹，你呢？」
"Yes. Oh, my name is Edmond, but please call me Ed, most people do."
「哦，我叫艾德蒙，但是叫我艾德就行了，大家都這麼叫我。」
I held out my hand and grasped a small, delicate and very female hand. Then, after this most unconventional of introductions―she was gone. Just how I would have been able to pay for tea and cakes, considering my lack of funds, was a question I failed to consider in the excitement of the moment. But that is how I first met Nannette.
說完我就和她握手告別，可以感受到她的手非常嬌小柔嫩。就在這次極不尋常的偶遇之後，她走了。其實當時我口袋裡已經沒剩幾個錢，怎麼為下午茶付帳都是個問題，但是當時我實在太興奮了，也根本沒有想到過這個問題。這就是我認識蘭麗緹的全過程。
Our first meeting for tea was just a few days later. I was standing outside the library for ten minutes before she came running up sharp on two o'clock.
幾天後，我們第一次正式會面，一起喝下午茶。我在圖書館門口等了十分鐘，在兩點鐘左右看到她匆匆忙忙地跑了過來。
"Oh, hello Edmond, I mean, Ed. Do you know somewhere we can go? Have you been waiting long?"
「你好，艾德蒙，哦，不，艾德，你知道有什麼地方我們可以去嗎？你等了很久嗎？」
I noticed that she was carrying two rather large books. She seemed slightly breathless and she gave me the impression that she was somewhat 1)frail. Apart from the books she held an elegant and seemingly expensive, if a little old fashioned, handbag. She wore over her shoulders a short, black cloak or cape, edged with a delicate sky blue 2)motif.
我留意到她拿了兩本厚厚的書，走得有點氣喘吁吁，給我一種很虛弱的感覺。除了書，她還提著一個款式優雅，看起來價值不菲，但是不算新潮的手提包。她披著一件短短的鑲天藍色邊的黑斗篷。
"Yes. No, there is a rather good place about fifty yards away."
「是的。哦，不是，附近有家不錯的餐廳，離這大概五十碼左右。」
My words 3)stumbled out something like that in my attempt to answer her confused questioning. There was indeed a small establishment a little way off, a couple of paces down a side street. It was more like one of those numerous little refreshment places that one tends to see in small seaside towns; that are generally run by two 4)spinster sisters. 5)Gothic white script above the premises proclaimed: Black an White Tea Room.
回答她那一連串的問題令我有點結結巴巴。附近橫街上的那家餐廳，有點像那種海邊小鎮上提供小吃和飲料的小店，走幾步就到了。餐廳由一對未婚的老姐妹經營，牆上有一行哥德式的字體寫著：「黑白茶室」。
We went in and sat by a small table set for two by the window. The place was completely empty and seemed unusually quite. The noise and traffic in the busy street outside was barely 6)distinguishable.
我們走進茶室，選了一張靠窗的兩人桌坐下。店裡沒有其他顧客，出乎尋常地安靜，幾乎聽不見窗外車來人往的喧囂。
As I sat there for those first few moments with Nannette, I had a chance to really observe her. Her face was pale and her eyes were largish and a sort of amber colour. I would have said she was wearing little makeup if any at all. I could not help thinking that her face indicated some suffering or 7)adversity. There was something else, I was puzzled for a while, and then I recalled those words of Edgar Allen Poe: "There is nothing of Beauty that does not have some strangeness about it".
坐下來后，我有片刻的時間仔細打量蘭麗緹。她臉色蒼白，眼睛挺大的，琥珀色，幾乎完全沒有化妝。我總覺得她的臉掩藏著某種痛苦或者不幸，還有其他東西。一剎那間我覺得有點迷惑，想起了艾德加 |
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