雙語對照 | 書蟲二級《長池村的故事》：3.安德魯、簡、牧師和狐貍

Andrew, Jane, the Parson, and the Fox

安德魯、簡、牧師和狐貍

It all happened because Andrew Satchel liked his drink too much. Jane Vallens, his bride, was some years older than him, and was in a great hurry to get married. Andrew agreed to marry her because of the baby, but he didn't really want to get married, and Jane, poor thing, was afraid of losing him. She was very anxious to get him to church as soon as possible.

這一切都是因為安德魯·撒切爾太好酒。他的新娘簡·瓦倫斯比他大幾歲，急著結婚。安德魯是因為沒出生的孩子，才不得不答應結婚的，其實他根本不想討老婆，而可憐的簡很害怕失去他。她一心想著趕快把他弄進教堂。

So she was very happy, early on a fine November morning, when she and Andrew walked to the church just outside her village. Andrew's brother and sister went with them, to be their witnesses. After the wedding Andrew and Jane planned to go down to Port Bredy and spend the day there, as a little holiday.

所以，在一個天氣很好的11月的早上，當她和安德魯一起走向村外的教堂時，她非常開心。安德魯?shù)母绺绾徒憬愀麄円黄鹑?，為他們當見證人?；槎Y之后，安德魯和簡打算去布萊迪港待上一天，算是次小小的度假。

When Andrew left Longpuddle that morning, to walk to his bride's village, people said that he was walking all over the road, first one side, then the other. The night before, you see, he was at his neighbour's house, for a party to welcome a new baby. It was a good party, and Andrew had no sleep, and a lot of strong drink.

那天早上，安德魯離開長池村往新娘的村子走的時候，人們說他在路上晃晃悠悠的，一會兒走在路這邊，一會兒又晃到路那邊。你知道，前一天晚上，他在鄰居家里參加了一個新生兒的慶祝會。那真是個不錯的聚會，安德魯一夜沒睡，而且灌了不少烈酒。

He got to the church with Jane, they walked inside, and the parson looked at Andrew very hard.

他和簡一起來到教堂，走了進去，被牧師狠狠地瞪了一眼。

'What's this? You're drunk, my man! And so early in the morning, too! That's disgraceful!'

“怎么回事?你喝醉了，伙計!而且是在一大早!這真丟人!”

'Well, that's true, sir,' said Andrew. 'But I can stand, and I can walk. Better than a lot of people. You couldn't stand and walk after a party at Tom Forrest's house, could you, Parson? No, you couldn't!'

“哦，沒錯，先生，”安德魯說，“但我還能好好地站著，也能走路。我比好多人都強多了。你從湯姆·弗羅斯特家的聚會里出來肯定既站不住也走不了，你能嗎，牧師?不，你不能!”

This answer didn't please Parson Billy Toogood a bit. He was strong on church business inside the church, but he was very different outside the church, I can tell you.

比利·圖古德牧師可一點兒也不喜歡這回答。他覺得在教堂里就應該有在教堂的樣子，不過我可以告訴你，他在別的地方可根本不管那套。

'I cannot marry you when you are drunk, and I will not!' he said. 'Go home and get sober!'

“我不能在你醉醺醺的時候給你們舉行婚禮，我絕不會那樣做!”他說，“回家去清醒一下吧!”

Then the bride began to cry. 'Oh Parson, please marry us, please!'

這時，新娘哭了起來：“哦，牧師，請給我們舉行婚禮吧，求你了!”

'No, I won't,' said Mr Toogood. 'I won't marry you to a man who is drunk. It's not right. I'm sorry for you, young woman, because I can see that you need to get married, but you must go home. How could you bring him here drunk like this?'

“不，我不會那樣做，”圖古德先生說，“我不會主持婚禮讓你嫁個醉鬼。那是不對的。我為你感到難過，姑娘，我看得出你很需要這場婚禮，但你們必須回家去。他醉成這樣，你怎么能把他帶到這兒來?”

'But if he doesn't come drunk, he won't come at all, sir!' said Jane, still crying hard.

“可是如果他沒喝醉的話，他根本就不會來的，先生!”簡說著，哭得更厲害了。

But Parson Toogood still said no.

可是圖古德牧師還是不肯點頭。

'Well, sir,' said Jane, 'please will you go home and leave us here for two hours? When you come back, Andrew will be sober. But I want to stay here, because if Andrew goes out of this church unmarried, wild horses won't get him back here again!'

“好吧，先生，”簡說，“你能先回家去，把我們留在這兒待兩個小時嗎?等你回來，安德魯就清醒了。我想待在這里，因為如果安德魯出了教堂卻沒結婚的話，就算九匹馬也沒法把他再拉回來了!”

'Very well,' said Parson Toogood. 'I'll give you two hours, and then I'll come back.'

“好吧，”圖古德牧師說，“我就給你們兩個小時，到時候我再回來。”

Andrew's brother and sister didn't want to wait all that time, so the church clerk sent them home. 'We'll find some other people to be witnesses,' he said.

安德魯?shù)母绺绾徒憬悴幌氲饶敲淳?，于是教堂?zhí)事就讓他們回家了。“我們會找些別的人來當見證人的。”他說。

Then the bride whispered in the parson's ear. 'Please, sir, will you lock the door — and not tell anyone we are here? And perhaps it will be better if you put us in the church tower. If we stay here in the church, people can look in the windows and see us and talk about it. And perhaps Andrew will try to get out and leave me!'

這時，新娘湊到牧師耳邊小聲說：“先生，你能把門鎖上——而且別告訴任何人我們在這兒嗎?或許你把我們鎖在教堂塔樓上更好。如果我們就這么待在教堂里，人們會從窗子看到我們，然后說閑話的。而且安德魯也可能會想溜出去，把我拋下!”

'All right,' said the parson. 'We'll lock you in.'

“好吧，”牧師說，“我們就把你們鎖在塔樓上好了。”

Then he and the church clerk went home, the parson into his house, and the clerk into the garden. The clerk worked for the parson, you see — in the garden, taking care of his horses, and that kind of thing. And both of them, parson and clerk, dearly loved following the hunt.

一切辦好之后，他和教堂執(zhí)事就回家了。牧師回到自己的房子，教堂執(zhí)事則進了花園。你知道，教堂執(zhí)事是給牧師干活兒的——幫他照顧花園和馬匹，還有類似的活計。而且牧師和教堂執(zhí)事都特別喜歡跟狩獵旅行的隊伍湊熱鬧。

Well, on that day the hunt was meeting near the parson's village, and soon both the parson and the clerk could hear the noise of the horses, and the dogs, and everything. The clerk hurried into the house.

哎呀，那天正好有一群參加狩獵旅行的人在牧師的村子旁邊會合，不一會兒牧師和教堂執(zhí)事就聽到馬蹄聲和獵狗的叫聲，還有熙熙攘攘的人聲。教堂執(zhí)事趕忙沖進了屋子。

'Sir,' he said. 'The hunt's here, and your horses need a run very badly, sir. They haven't been out for days!'

“先生，”他說，“參加狩獵旅行的人到這里了，你的馬也實在該好好遛一下了，先生。它們已經(jīng)幾天沒出門了!”

'You're right,' said Parson Toogood. 'Yes, the horses must go out. Go and get them ready! We'll take them out, just for an hour, and then come back.'

“你說得對，”圖古德先生說，“沒錯，馬是得出去遛遛了。去準備好馬!我們帶它們出去，就一個小時，然后就回來。”

So the clerk got the horses ready, and he and the parson rode off to find the hunt. When they got there, the parson found a lot of friends, and soon they were all talking and laughing together. Then the dogs found a fox, and away they all went — the huntsmen in their red coats, the squire from the big house with his friends, the farmers and their sons, and the parson and the clerk.

于是教堂執(zhí)事把馬備好，和牧師一起騎馬去尋找狩獵旅行的隊伍。他們到了那里，牧師見到了不少朋友，大家立刻熱熱鬧鬧地說笑起來。這時，獵狗發(fā)現(xiàn)了一只狐貍，所有人都趕了過去——穿紅上衣的獵人，大宅里的鄉(xiāng)紳和他的朋友們，農夫們和他們的兒子，還有牧師和教堂執(zhí)事。

He was a great hunting man, was Parson Toogood. He forgot all about the unmarried man and woman locked in his church tower, and so did the clerk.

圖古德牧師是個相當不錯的獵人。他和教堂執(zhí)事很快就把鎖在教堂塔樓上還沒完成婚禮的那對男女忘得一干二凈。

Across the fields they rode, over the hedges, through the rivers, in and out of woods, up and down the hills. It was a fine, exciting run that day, and the parson and the clerk enjoyed themselves very much. At one time the fox turned back, and ran right under the nose of Parson Toogood's horse.

他們騎馬穿過田野，越過樹籬，趟過小河，經(jīng)過了一片片樹林，翻過了一座座山丘。這一趟跑下來真是開懷又盡興，牧師和教堂執(zhí)事都玩得非常愉快。有一次，那只狐貍突然轉頭往回跑，就從圖古德牧師的馬前竄了過去。

'Halloo! Halloo!' shouted the parson. 'There he goes!' and away they all went again.

“喂!喂!”牧師喊起來，“它往那兒跑了!”于是一群人調頭又追過去。

At last, late in the day, the hunt came to an end. The parson and the clerk were a long way from home, and their horses were tired. They rode home very slowly.

天色將晚，狩獵旅行終于結束了。牧師和教堂執(zhí)事這時已經(jīng)離家很遠了，而且馬也筋疲力盡了。他們只好慢慢地騎馬往回走。

'Oh dear, my back does hurt!' said Parson Toogood.

“哦，天吶，我的背真疼!”圖古德牧師說。

'I can't keep my eyes open,' said the clerk. 'I'm so tired!'

“我的眼睛都快睜不開了，”教堂執(zhí)事說，“我好累啊!”

It was dark when they got home. They made the horses comfortable, ate something, and fell into bed themselves.

他們天黑才到家，把馬匹安頓好，吃了點兒東西以后;就倒在床上睡了。

The next morning, when Parson Toogood was having breakfast, the clerk came running in through the door.

第二天早上，圖古德牧師正在吃早飯，教堂執(zhí)事慌慌張張地從門口跑進來。

'Oh sir!' he cried. 'Those two in the church tower — we forgot all about them! They'll still be there!'

“哦，先生!”他叫道，“教堂塔樓里那兩個人——我們把他們全都忘了!他們肯定還在那兒呢!”

Parson Toogood jumped up from his chair. 'Oh dear!' he said. 'Oh dear, oh dear! This is disgraceful!'

圖古德牧師一下子從椅子上跳了起來。“哦，天吶!”他說，“哦，天吶!哦，天吶!這太丟人了!”

'It is, sir; very. And that poor woman...'

“沒錯，先生，太丟人了。而且那可憐的女人……”

'Don't say it, clerk! If she's had the baby, and no doctor or nurse with her...Come on!'

“別說了，執(zhí)事!如果她把孩子生了下來，而且又沒有醫(yī)生和護士在旁邊……快來!”

So they both ran round to the church, looked up at the tower, and saw a little white face looking down at them. It was the bride.

他們匆匆忙忙地跑到教堂，朝塔樓上望去，看到一張蒼白的小臉正向下看著他們，是那個新娘。

'They're still there,' said the parson. He turned his face away. 'Oh dear, oh dear! What am I going to say to them? Is she all right, clerk? Can you see?'

“他們還在那兒，”牧師說著把臉轉到了一邊，“哦，天吶!哦，天吶!我要怎么跟他們說啊?她還好吧，執(zhí)事?你能看見嗎?”

'I don't know, sir. I can't see lower than her neck.'

“我不知道，先生。我只能看見她脖子以上的部分。”

'Well, how does her face look?'

“那她的臉看起來怎么樣?”

'White, sir. Very, very white.'

“很白，先生，蒼白極了。”

'Well, we must go in and see them. Oh dear, oh dear! And my back still hurts from that ride yesterday!'

“好吧，我們必須進去看看他們。哦，天吶!哦，天吶!昨天騎馬弄得我的背到現(xiàn)在還疼著呢!”

They went into the church and unlocked the tower door, and at once poor Jane and Andrew jumped out like hungry cats from a cupboard. Andrew was very sober now, and his bride was white in the face, but all right in other ways.

他們進了教堂，打開了塔樓的門鎖。門一開，可憐的簡和安德魯就跳了出來，就像兩只被關在碗櫥里餓壞了的貓。安德魯現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)完全清醒了，而他的新娘除了臉色蒼白，其他一切還好。

'Thank God for that!' said Parson Toogood. 'But why didn't you try to escape? Why didn't you shout from the top of the tower, to get help?'

“感謝上帝!”圖古德牧師說，“可你們?yōu)槭裁床幌朕k法出來呢?你們干嗎不在塔頂上喊人來幫忙?”

'She didn't want me to,' said Andrew.

“她不想讓我喊人來。”安德魯說。

Jane began to cry again. 'It was the disgrace of it,' she said. 'We thought people would talk about it and laugh at us all our lives. So we waited and waited and waited — but you never came back, parson!'

簡又開始哭了起來。“那樣太丟人了，”她說，“我們覺得別人會說閑話，拿這當笑柄笑話我們一輩子，所以我們就一直等啊等——可你卻沒來，牧師!”

'Yes, I'm sorry about that,' said Parson Toogood. 'Very sorry. But now, let's get on with the wedding.'

“是的，我為這件事感到抱歉，”圖古德牧師說，“非常抱歉。不過，現(xiàn)在讓我們繼續(xù)舉行婚禮吧。”

'I'd like something to eat first,' said Andrew. 'Just a piece of bread. I'm so hungry — I could eat a horse!'

“我想先吃點兒東西，”安德魯說，“一塊面包也好。我都餓扁了——餓得能吞下一匹馬!”

'Oh, let's get married first,' said the bride anxiously, 'while the parson's still here. It won't take a minute.'

“哦，讓我們先結婚吧，”新娘擔心地說，“趁牧師還在這里。用不了多久的。”

'Oh, all right,' said Andrew.

“哦，好吧。”安德魯說。

The clerk was one witness, and he called in a second witness (telling him not to talk about it). Very soon Andrew and Jane were husband and wife.

教堂執(zhí)事算是一位見證人，他又叫來了另一個見證人(還囑咐那人別把這件事說出去)。很快，安德魯和簡就成了合法夫妻。

'Now,' said Parson Toogood, 'you two must come back to my house and eat a good meal.'

“好了，”圖古德牧師說，“現(xiàn)在你們兩位一定得到我家去好好吃上一頓。”

So they went back with the parson, and ate nearly every bit of food in his house.

于是，他們跟牧師回去，把他家里能吃的東西幾乎一掃而空。

They kept the secret for a while, but then the story got out, and everybody knew about their night in the church tower. Even Andrew and Jane laugh about it now. Andrew isn't much of a husband, it's true, but Jane got a ring on her finger and a name for her baby.

他們的秘密保守了一段時間，但最后還是傳了出去，現(xiàn)在人人都知道他們被關在教堂塔樓上過了一夜的事。如今，安德魯和簡也把這件事當成了笑話講。安德魯算不上一個好丈夫，但是簡畢竟為自己弄到了一枚戒指，為她的孩子弄到了一個姓氏。

*　*　*

*　*　*

The carrier laughs loudly at the end of the postmistress's story. 'Did you know Andrew's uncle?' he asks John Lackland's son. 'He played in the church band.'

郵局女局長的故事講完了，車夫大聲笑起來。“你認識安德魯?shù)氖迨鍐?”他問約翰·拉克蘭的兒子。，“他在教堂的樂隊里拉琴。”

'The church band!' says Mr Lackland. 'Are they still playing their fiddles in the church every Sunday?'

“教堂的樂隊!”拉克蘭先生說，“他們每個星期天還在教堂里拉小提琴嗎?”

'No,' I says Mr Profitt, the schoolteacher. 'They haven't played for twenty years or more. There's an organ in the church now. The young man who plays it is very good, but most people liked the fiddles better. Yes, everybody in Longpuddle was sorry when the church band stopped playing.'

“不，”學校教師普羅菲特先生說，“他們有二十多年沒在教堂里拉琴了?，F(xiàn)在教堂里有一架風琴。彈風琴的年輕人很不錯，不過大多數(shù)人還是更喜歡以前的小提琴。是的，教堂的樂隊不再拉琴以后，整個長池村的人都覺得很遺憾。”

'But why did they stop,' says John Lackland's son, 'if everybody liked them?'

“可如果大家都喜歡他們，他們?yōu)槭裁床焕倭四?”約翰·拉克蘭的兒子問。

And this is what the schoolteacher tells him.

于是學校教師給他講了這段故事。