"Scarlett," said Tommy awkwardly, " I do hate to ask a favor of you after being impudent to you, but I'm going to ask it just the same. Maybe it would help you anyway. My brother-in-law, Hugh Elsing, isn't doing any too well peddling kindling wood. Everybody except the Yankees goes out and collects his own kindling wood. And I konw things are mighty hard with the whole Elsing family. I--I do what I can, but you see I've got Fanny to support, and then, too, I've got my mother and two widowed man, and he's from nice folks, as you know, and he's honest."
peddling: 兜售
kindling: 砍柴
"But --well, Hugh hasn't got much gumption or else he'd make a success of his kindling."
gumption: 进取心
Tommy shrugged.
"You've got a hard way of looking at things, Scarlett," he said. "But you think Hugh over. You could go far and do worse. I think his honesty and his willingness will outweigh his lack of gumption."
Scarlett did not answer, for she did not want to be too rude. But to her mind there were few, if any, qualities that outweighed gumption.
After she had unsuccessfully canvassed the town and refused the importuning of many eager Carptetbaggers, she finally decided to take Tommy's suggestion and ask Hugh ELsing. He had been a dashing and a resourceful officer during the war, but two severe wounds and four years of fighting seemed to have drained him of all his resourcefulness, leaving him to face the rigors of peace as bewildered as a child. There weas a lost-dog look in his eyes these days as he went about peddling his firewood, and he was not at all the kind of man she had hoped to get.
canvassed: 游说
importuning: 纠缠
dashing: 潇洒
"He's stupid," she thought. "He doesn't konw a thing about business and I'll bet he can't add two and two. And I doubt if he'll ever learn. But at least, he's honest and won't swindle me.
swindle: 骗
Scarlett had little use these days for honesty in herself, but the less she valued it in herself the more she was beginning to value it in others.
"It's a pity Johnnie Gallegher is tied up with Tommy Wellburn on that construction work," she thought. "He's just the kind of man I want. He's hard as nails and slick as a snake,but he'd be honest if it paid him to be honest. I understand him and he understands me and we could do business together well. Maybe I can get him when the hotel is finished, and till then I'll have to make out on Hugh and Mr. Johnson. If I put Hugh in charge of the new mill and leave Mr Johnson. I can stay in town and see to the selling while they handle the milling and hauling. Until I can get Johnnie I'll have to risk Mr.Johnson robbing me if I stay in town all the time. If only he wasn't a thief! I believe I'll build a lumber yard on half that lot Charles left me. If only Frank don't holler so louud about me building a saloon on the other half. Well, I shall build the sallon just as soon as I get enough money ahead, no matter how he takes on. If only Frank wasn't so thin skinned. Oh, God, if only I wasn't going to have a baby all this of all times! In a while I'll be so big I can't go out. God, if only I wasn't going to have a baby! And oh, God, if the damned Yankees will take me alone.
nails: 钉子
slick: 华而不实的
saloon: 轿车
hauling: 运输
If! If! If! There were so many ifs in life, never any certains of anything, never any sense of security, always the dread of losing everything and being cold and hungry again. Of course, Frank was making little money now, but Frank was always ailing with colds and frequently forced to stay in beds for days. Suppose he should become an invalid. No anything or anybody but herself. And what she could earn seemed so pitiably small. Oh, what would she do if the Yankees came and took away from her.