'Ah! you are looking for the black-puddings, my dear boy,' observed Clare's mother. 'But I am sure you will not mind doing without them, as I am sure your father and I shall not, when you know the reason. I suggested to him that we should take Mrs Crick's kind present to the children of the man who can earn nothing just now because of his attacks of delirium tremens; and lie agreed that it would be a great pleasure to them; so we did.'
“啊！你是在找血肠吧，我亲爱的孩子，”克莱尔的母亲问。“不过，我想在你知道了理由以后，你不会在乎吃饭没有血肠吧？我想你的父亲和我都是不在乎的。我向你的父亲提议，把克里克太太好意送来的礼物送给一个人的孩子们了，那人得了震颤性谵妄病，不能挣钱了；你父亲同意了，认为他们会很高兴的；所以我们就把血肠送给他们了。”

'Of course,' said Angel cheerfully, looking round for the mead.
“当然不会，”安琪尔快活地说，回头去找蜜酒。

'I found the mead so extremely alcoholic,' continued his mother, 'that it was quite unfit for use as a beverage, but as valuable as rum or brandy in an emergency; so I have put it in my medicine-closet.'
“我尝过了，那蜜酒的酒精含量太高，”他的母亲接着说，“这种蜜酒作饮料是不合适的，不过有人生了急病，它倒和红酒、白兰地一样地有效；所以，我把它收进我的药柜里去了。”

'We never drink spirits at this table, on principle,' added his father.
“我们吃饭是从来不喝酒的，这是规矩，”他的父亲补充说。

'But what shall I tell the dairyman's wife?' said Angel.
“但是我怎样对克里克太太说呢？”安琪尔说。

'The truth, of course,' said his father.
“当然实话实说，”他的父亲说。

'I rather wanted to say we enjoyed the mead and the blackpuddings very much. She is a kind, jolly sort of body, and is sure to ask me directly I return.'
“我倒愿意对她说，我们非常喜欢她的蜜酒和血肠。她是那种友好、快活一类的人，我一回去，她肯定就要立即问我的。”

'You cannot, if we did not,' Mr Clare answered lucidly.
“既然我们没有吃，你就不能那样说，”克莱尔先生明明白白地说。

'AH - no; though that mead was a drop of pretty tipple.'
“啊——不那么说好了；不过那种蜜酒倒是值得一点一点品尝呢。”

'A what?' said Cuthbert and Felix both.
“你说什么呀？”卡斯伯特和费利克斯一齐问。

'Oh--'tis an expression they use down at Talbothays,' replied Angel, blushing. He felt that his parents were right in their practice if wrong in their want of sentiment, and said no more.
“哦——这是在泰波塞斯使用的说法，”安琪尔脸上一红，回答说。他觉得他的父母不近人情是不对的，但是他们的做法却是对的，所以就没有再说话。