He was somewhat halting in speech, a reckless gambler, ever of an extravagant mode of life, and in many respects, save only that he was not cruel or given to acting, a second Nero.

他的言语有些拖沓，是个卤莽的赌徒，曾经过着奢侈的生活，但还保有一些尊敬，这是唯一使他免于残酷或演戏，成为第二个尼禄的东西。

youdao

Already there had crept into her speech a halting lisping quality that though I did not know it, was the shadow of her future.

她的言谈中已经出现了停顿，口齿不清的现象，这就是她的不祥之兆，尽管当时我并不知道。

youdao

His halting speech was itself a kind of laughter, not fully intelligible yet contagious.

NEWYORKER: Pumpkin Head