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I said that a Radcliffe music major could probably compose a nice little negative RSVP without professional guidance.
我说，一个拉德克利夫学院音乐专业的学生要写一封婉言谢绝的短信，大概无须行家指点吧。
"Listen,Oliver," she said, "I've probably lied or cheated in my life. But I've never deliberately hurt anyone. I don't think I could. "
“听着，奥利佛，”她说，“我这辈子可能撒过谎，骗过人，可我从来没有存心伤害过什么人。这种事儿我想我是干不来的。”
Really, at that moment she was only hurting me, so I asked her politely to handle the RSVP in whatever manner she wished, as long as the essence of the message was that we wouldn't show unless hell froze over. I returned once again to The State v. Percival.
事实上，她此时此刻却正在伤害我，于是我客客气气地请她全权处理“请赐回示”的事儿，随她用什么方式都行，只要回示的实质是：除非地狱封冻，我们决不赴宴。说完，我便再次回过头来对付“珀西瓦尔公诉案”。
"What's the number?" I heard her say very softly. She was at the telephone.
“号码是多少?”我听到她轻声细气地问。她已站在电话机旁。
"Can't you just write a note?"
“你就不能写个便条吗?”
"In a minute I'll lose my nerve. What's the number?"
“再过一分钟我就没有勇气了。号码是多少?”
I told her and was instantly immersed in Percival's appeal to the Supreme Court. I was not listening to Jenny. That is, I tried not to. She was in the same room, after all.
我告诉了她，旋即潜心研读起珀西瓦尔呈交最髙法院的上诉书。我没去听詹妮打电话。确切地说，我尽量不去听。可她毕竟是在同一间屋子里。
"Oh — good evening, sir,"I heard her say.
“哦——晚上好，先生，”我听见她在说。
She had her hand over the mouthpiece.
她用手捂住话筒。
"Ollie, does it have to be negative?"
“奥利，非回绝不可吗?”
The nod of my head indicated that it had to be,the wave of my hand indicated that she should hurry up.
我点点头，表示非回绝不可；我又挥挥手，表示她得赶快把事儿了结。
"I'm terribly sorry," she said into the phone. "I mean, we're terribly sorry,sir …"
“我很抱歉，”她朝电话里说。“我是说，我们感到很抱歉，先生……”
