Had he tried, Rhett could not have chosen a more difficult time to beat his way back to respectability.

要是瑞德事先已经尝试过的话，他就不会选择一个像现在这样困难的时来实行改邪归正了。

For over a year he had been beating his way along the south shore of Lake Superior as a clam digger and a salmon fisher or in any other capacity that brought him food and bed.

一年多来，他沿着苏必利尔湖南岸奔波，或是捕鲑鱼，或是捞蛤蜊，或是干任何其他为他挣来食宿的杂事。