1. the wealthy of the old regime were retrenching and flooding the market with beautiful hardwood furniture.
【翻译】旧体制时的有钱商人正在紧缩开支,用漂亮的硬木家具充斥市场。(暗示:市面上没有了高档的红木家具,而是出售一些表面上漂亮的硬木家具)
the wealthy 类指 = the wealthy people;flood = fill (充满;充斥)
2. With him was his wife,a sharp efficient woman disliked by the poorer people in the lane for her arrogant manner.
【翻译】和他在一起的是他的妻子,一个精明能干的女人,因态度傲慢,小巷里的穷人都不喜欢她。
With him was his wife,主系表完全倒装,只因后面有一个很长的主语的同位语。
【翻译技巧】运用“拆译法”,把一个长长的词组或句子,拆成若干个意群去翻译。如本句,一个词组被拆成3个意群。