He could not help clinging and protesting in a mild, irritating, and ineffectual way, however--a way that simply widened the breach by slow degrees.

• 他又不禁恋恋不舍，以一种温和、恼人而无力的方式表示着抗议。 然而，这种方式只是逐渐地扩大了他们之间的裂痕。