書蟲三級《伊?！じチ_姆》：2、舞會歸家路

2.Coming home from the dance
2．舞會歸家路

It was a cold, clear night, and the village lay under deep snow. Bright, icy stars shone from a dark sky down on the silent whiteness below.

這是一個寒冷而晴朗的夜晚，厚厚的積雪鋪滿了整個村子。明朗清亮的星星在黑色的夜空中俯照著這片寂靜的白色大地。

Young Ethan Frome walked quickly down the empty, moonlit street. He passed Eady's fine new shop and the Varnums' house with its two tall black trees. Below that was the slope of the Corbury road. On clear nights this was often full of young people coasting down, laughing and shouting as they went. But there was not a sound from the icy slope as Ethan passed by. Tonight all Starkfield's life was in a room in the church. Its windows sent yellow light across the snow, and the sound of dance music flowed out into the still midnight air. Ethan hid in the shadows outside the church, and looked in through the nearest window.

月光下，空無一人的街道上，年輕的伊桑·弗羅姆快步走來。他走過伊迪家的新店鋪，走過瓦納姆屋外兩棵陰森的大樹。那下面就是科貝里路的斜坡，晴朗的夜晚，許多年輕人會在這兒滑斜坡，一邊玩兒，一邊笑著、叫著。但伊桑經(jīng)過時，這冰雪覆蓋的斜坡卻悄然無聲。這一晚，斯塔克菲爾德鎮(zhèn)的居民都聚在教堂的一個房間內。黃色的燈光透過窗子照在屋外的積雪上，舞曲飄出屋子，在寂靜的夜空中飄蕩。教堂外，伊桑藏在陰影中，從離他最近的窗子向房間內望去。

The room was hot, bright, and filled with young men and girls. The music had finished, and people were getting ready to leave. Suddenly, a lively young man with thick black hair jumped into the middle of the floor. He went into the crowd and pulled out a young girl. She was dark-haired, and had a bright red scarf around her head. The music started again, and soon the floor was alive with dancing figures.

屋里氣氛熱烈，燈火通明，全是小伙子和年輕姑娘。音樂已經(jīng)結束，人們正準備離開。突然，一個活潑的長著濃密黑發(fā)的小伙子跳到屋子中間，從人群中拽出個年輕姑娘。姑娘長著深色頭發(fā)，頭上系著鮮亮的紅頭巾。音樂又響了起來，不一會兒，屋子里又都是跳舞的人們了。

Outside in the cold, Ethan's heart was beating fast. His eyes followed the girl's red scarf and cloud of brown hair as she danced in faster and faster circles. The young man was Denis Eady, the son of Starkfield's most successful shopkeeper. Denis's own success with the young women of the village was well known. Ethan watched jealously as Mattie, the dark-haired girl, held Eady's hands and smiled at him with her dark, shining eyes.

屋外寒冷的黑夜中，伊桑的心跳得厲害。姑娘轉動得越來越快，而他的眼睛一直追隨她的紅頭巾和濃密的褐發(fā)。那小伙子叫丹尼斯·伊迪，他父親是斯塔克菲爾德鎮(zhèn)最成功的店主。大家都知道丹尼斯在村里的姑娘中非常有人緣。伊桑嫉妒地看著瑪?shù)?，這個長著深色頭發(fā)的姑娘，看著她拉著伊迪的雙手，還用明亮的深色眼睛笑盈盈地看他。

How can she look at him like that?' Ethan wondered unhappily. 'Doesn't she realize what he is like?'

“她怎么能那么看著他？”伊桑很不高興地想，“難道她不知道他是什么人？”

Ethan used to walk into Starkfield to fetch home his wife's cousin, Mattie Silver, on the few evenings when some chance of amusement brought her to the village. Mattie had been with the Fromes for a year now. She lived with them in their lonely farmhouse and helped Ethan's wife, Zeena, with the housework. Ethan had liked the warm, smiling girl from the moment that she arrived. She brought hope and life and brightness into his home, like someone lighting a fire in a cold room. But she had more than brightness; Ethan found that she loved the beauty of the natual world around them. Here at his side, living under his roof and eating his bread, was someone who felt the same wonder as he did. He could tell her things and show her things — the bright stars in the clear night sky, birds flying over golden fields, the blue shadows of trees on sunlit snow. And he knew that these things gave Mattie and him the same feelings of deep, silent happiness.

瑪?shù)?middot;西爾弗是伊桑妻子的表妹，她偶爾在晚上參加村里的一些娛樂活動，而伊桑都會來接她回家?，?shù)俸透チ_姆夫婦在一起住了一年了。她住在他們那孤零零的農(nóng)舍里，幫助伊桑的妻子齊娜做家務。這個熱情的、笑瞇瞇的女孩兒一到家里，伊桑就喜歡上了她。她為他的家?guī)砹讼Ｍ?、活力和光明，就像在一間冷冰冰的屋子里點燃了一團火。而她帶來的不止是光明，伊桑發(fā)現(xiàn)她熱愛身邊的自然界。這個生活在他身邊、住在他家里、依賴他生活的女孩兒，同樣感受著他所感受著的奇跡。他能向她講述、展示這些事物——晴朗夜空中明亮的星星、金色田野上飛過的鳥兒、陽光映照的白雪上樹木投下的藍色影子。他知道，這些事物給了他們相同的感受——那些深深的、默然于心的幸福感受。

But now those feelings seemed so far away. He watched Mattie's laughing face as she flew round and round the room, and he felt lonely and unhappy. Then he remembered a fear that he had tried to forget. His wife was a cold, silent woman who noticed everything but said very little. Her only real interest was her own ill health. But recently she had started to complain more and more about Mattie's housework, and to say things which worried Ethan.

可現(xiàn)在，那些幸福的感覺似乎如此遙遠。望著瑪?shù)僭诜块g里翩翩起舞時的盈盈笑臉，他感到孤獨和不快。他忽然回憶起一絲恐懼，他曾盡力去忘記的恐懼。他的妻子是個冷漠寡言的女人，什么事情都逃不過她的眼睛，只是她很少談起罷了。她只關心自己的病情。但最近，她開始越來越頻繁地抱怨瑪?shù)俚募覄兆龅貌缓茫€說些令伊桑憂慮的話。

I'll need someone to help me when Mattie leaves,' she had said suddenly one morning.

一天早晨，她忽然說：“瑪?shù)僮吆笪倚枰藥兔Α?rdquo;

Oh, Mattie'll never leave us while you need her,' he replied.

“哦，只要你需要瑪?shù)?，她就不會走?rdquo;他回答。

His wife lay in bed and watched as he got dressed. 'If a poor girl like her has a chance to marry a smart boy like Denis Eady, I ain't going to stop her,' she said in her flat, whining voice. 'The doctor says I can't manage on my own, so we'll need to hire a girl.'

她躺在床上，看著他穿衣服。“要是像她這么個窮姑娘能有機會和丹尼斯·伊迪那樣的帥小伙結婚，我一定不會反對。”她拖著平淡尖細的聲音說道，“大夫說我自己應付不過來，咱們得雇個女孩兒。”

Life without Mattie! Ethan could not think of it. Her voice, her sweet smile, her gentle arm in his arm during those night walks back to the farm — these were the only things which mattered in his world. Had he been stupid to think that Zeena would not notice his interest in Mattie? He had not thought about it before, but now, as he stood in the darkness outside the church, he remembered other things that Zeena had said, and his fear grew...

沒有瑪?shù)俚纳睿∫辽]法想象。他和瑪?shù)僭谝雇聿叫谢剞r(nóng)場時，她的聲音、她甜美的笑容、她那挽著他的柔軟手臂——只有這些才是他的世界中最重要的東西。難道是自己犯了蠢，認為齊娜沒注意到他對瑪?shù)俚年P切？他之前從沒想過這些，但現(xiàn)在，站在教堂外的夜幕中，他記起了齊娜說的另外一些事，他的恐懼也在增長……

The dancers, now in their thick coats and scarves, came out into the cold night air. Ethan heard Mattie's voice in the crowd, and he stepped back into the shadows, suddenly afraid to speak to her. The crowd quickly disappeared, and Mattie stood alone outside the church, looking around her. Then a man's figure appeared.

跳舞的人們這會兒穿上了厚厚的外衣，圍著頭巾，走出了教堂，來到寒冷的夜幕中。伊桑聽到瑪?shù)俚穆曇魪娜巳褐袀鱽恚嘶氐疥幱爸?，突然感到自己害怕和她說話。人們很快散去，瑪?shù)侏氉砸蝗苏驹诮烫猛?，四下張望。這時，一個男人的身影出現(xiàn)了。

Nobody to walk you home, Matt? What a pity! But ain't I lucky that I got my dad's horse and sleigh down here waiting for us? Come on, let's take a ride!'

“瑪?shù)?，沒人陪你回家嗎？真糟糕！不過我很幸運呀，我爸爸的馬和雪橇在這兒等我們。來，一塊兒走吧！”

The girl said nothing, but stood still, watching, while Denis Eady went to untie the horse. In the shadows, Ethan too watched and waited, with his heart beating fast. Mattie held his life in her hands. Eady got into the sleigh and called to Mattie to join him. Then she turned and ran up the slope.

丹尼斯·伊迪去解馬韁繩時，瑪?shù)贈]說話，她仍靜靜地站在那兒望著。陰影中，伊桑也在望著，等著，他的心跳得厲害?，?shù)僬莆罩拿\。伊迪上了雪橇，招呼瑪?shù)僖黄鸹丶?。忽然，瑪?shù)俎D身跑上了斜坡。

Goodbye! Have a lovely ride!' she called back.

“再見！一路順風！”她喊道。

Eady laughed and followed her up the slope in his sleigh. After a moment he jumped down and tried to put his arm through hers. She stepped quickly out of the way, and Ethan's sudden fear turned to happiness. A moment later he heard the sound of Eady's sleigh going away, and saw Mattie walking alone across the snow.

伊迪笑著，駕著雪橇上了斜坡，跟著她。不一會兒，他跳下雪橇，想去摟她。她快步走開，伊桑的憂慮立時化為快樂。不一會兒，他聽到伊迪雪橇離去的聲音，看到瑪?shù)僖粋€人在雪地里走著。

He caught up with her by the Varnums' trees. She turned round, surprised.

他在瓦納姆家的大樹旁趕上了她。她驚訝地轉過身。

Oh!' she said. 'I thought maybe you couldn't come.'

“哦，”她說，“我以為你可能來不了呢。”

If you thought I couldn't come, why didn't you ride back with Denis Eady?' he answered.

“如果你以為我沒來，為什么不和丹尼斯·伊迪一塊兒回去呢？”他答道。

Oh, how did you know?' she cried. 'Where were you? I never saw you!'

“啊，你怎么知道的？”她大叫，“你那時在哪兒？我一直沒見到你！”

They stood in the dark shadows of the trees, and their laughing voices ran together like water dancing down from the mountains in springtime. He put his arm through hers, but neither of them moved. Ethan wished he could stand there with her all night in the blackness. Mattie took a few steps forward and then stopped, looking down the icy slope of the Corbury road.

他們站在大樹的黑影里，笑聲交織在一起，像從春日的山上歡暢地淌下的水流。他摟著她，他們都沒動。伊桑希望整個晚上都能和她一起在這陰影中站著。瑪?shù)傧蚯白吡藥撞?，然后停下來，看著科貝里路旁被冰雪覆蓋的斜坡。

There were lots of people coasting this evening,' she said. 'Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum almost crashed into the big tree down there. It's so dangerous, that tree.'

“今晚有很多人在斜坡上滑著玩兒。”她說，“內德·黑爾和露絲·瓦納姆差點兒就撞上下面那棵大樹。那棵樹實在太危險了。”

You'd be safe with me, Matt,' replied Ethan.

“跟我在一起你會很安全，瑪?shù)佟?rdquo;伊桑答道，

Would you like to come coasting some night? We could come tomorrow if there's a moon.'

“哪天晚上咱們也來滑著玩兒吧？明晚要是有月亮，咱們就來。”

Oh, yes. How lovely!'

“啊，好哇。太好了！”

They walked along in silence, but then all Ethan's jealous fears returned.

他們默不作聲地走著。忽然，唯恐失去瑪?shù)俚目謶钟忠u上伊桑心頭。

I guess it's natural that you're going to leave us,' he said at last.

“我想你要離開我們也挺正常的。”他終于說道。

Leave? You mean Zeena ain't happy with me? I know I ain't so strong or so smart, but I want to try, I really do.'

“離開？你的意思是齊娜對我不滿意？我知道自己不夠強壯，也沒那么聰明，可我想努力，真的。”

So you don't want to leave us, Matt?'

“那么你不想走嘍，瑪?shù)伲?rdquo;

Where could I go?' she whispered, almost crying.

“我能去哪兒呢？”她低聲說道，幾乎要哭了。

Her answer made Ethan sad and happy at the same time. They continued their walk, with the dark, starry sky above them, and the quiet, lonely fields all around. At the entrance to Ethan's farmland they passed by the Frome graves. Ethan had always felt that the gravestones were looking at him and saying 'We never got out of Starkfield. Why should you?' But now he didn't want to escape. All he wanted was to be with Mattie, and some day to lie under that cold ground with Mattie beside him. Ethan was happy now, in his world of dreams. For the first time he put his arm around Mattie. She let it stay there, and they walked up to the farmhouse.

她的回答讓伊桑難過，但同時他又感到欣慰。他們繼續(xù)走著，頭上是群星閃爍的夜空，身邊是寂靜無人的田野。在伊桑農(nóng)場的入口處，他們經(jīng)過了弗羅姆家族的墓地。伊桑曾經(jīng)總是覺得那些墓碑在盯著他，對他說：“我們從未離開過斯塔克菲爾德。你又怎能離得開？”而現(xiàn)在，他不想逃了。他只想和瑪?shù)僭谝黄?，有那么一天，和瑪?shù)僖黄痖L眠在那片冰冷的土地下。伊?，F(xiàn)在很幸福，在他自己充滿夢想的世界里。他第一次摟住瑪?shù)?。她沒有拒絕，二人一起向著農(nóng)舍走去。

The house was dark and quiet. Zeena always went to bed early. On the nights when they came back late, she used to lock up the house and hide the key outside the kitchen door. Ethan felt for the key under the usual stone.

農(nóng)舍沒有亮燈，很靜。齊娜總是很早上床。當伊桑和瑪?shù)偻砩匣貋淼帽容^晚時，齊娜就會把門鎖上，把鑰匙藏在廚房門外。伊桑在平時藏鑰匙的石頭下摸索著。

Matt, the key's not there!' he said. This had never happened before. They began to look for it in the darkness. Suddenly there was a sound inside the house. They heard a step on the stairs and saw light under the door. Then the door opened, and Ethan saw his wife.

“瑪?shù)伲€匙不在那兒！”他說。這種事從沒發(fā)生過。他們開始在黑暗中尋找鑰匙。忽然，房子里有了動靜。他們聽見樓梯上響起腳步聲，然后看見門底下透出一絲光亮來。門開了，伊桑看見了他的妻子。

She stood in the dark doorway, a tall thin woman with a blanket round her shoulders. She held a lamp in one hand, and its light threw strange shadows onto her thin lined face. She said nothing, and they stepped into the kitchen. It was deadly cold, like a grave, Ethan shook the snow off his boots.

她站在黑漆漆的門口，高高瘦瘦的，肩上裹著毯子，一只手拿著燈，燈光在她布滿皺紋的瘦削的臉上投下奇怪的陰影。她一言不發(fā)。他們走進了廚房。廚房里寒冷刺骨，好似一座墳墓。伊桑抖落靴子上的雪。

I guess you forget us,' he said, looking at Zeena.

“我猜你把我們忘了吧。”他看著齊娜說道。

No. I just felt too bad. I couldn't sleep.'

“沒有。我只是感到很不舒服。我睡不著。”

I'm sorry,' said Mattie. 'Can I do anything to help, Zeena?'

“真糟糕，”瑪?shù)僬f道，“我能幫上忙嗎，齊娜？”

No, there's nothing you can do.' Zeena turned away from her. 'And why couldn't you shake that snow off outside?' she said to her husband.

“不用，你幫不上忙。”齊娜扭過臉去，不看瑪?shù)佟?ldquo;你怎么不在外面把雪抖掉？”她對丈夫說道。

They left the kitchen, and the two women went towards the stairs. 'If I go up now, Mattie'll see me go into the bedroom with Zeena,' thought Ethan. 'And I don't want that, not tonight.'

三人離開了廚房，兩個女人朝樓梯走去。“要是我現(xiàn)在上樓，瑪?shù)倬蜁匆娢液妄R娜一起走進臥室。”伊桑想，“我可不想那樣，今晚不行。”

I think I'll stay down here a bit longer, I've got some paperwork to do,' he said.

“我想在這兒再待會兒。我有些文書工作要做。”他說。

What, now?' said Zeena. 'You'll die of cold.'

“什么？現(xiàn)在？”齊娜說，“你會被凍死的。”

Ethan did not answer, but turned back towards the kitchen. Then he saw the look in Mattie's eyes. Was it a look of warning?

伊桑沒回答，轉身朝著廚房。這時他看見了瑪?shù)俚难凵?，是在提醒他嗎?/p>

I guess you're right. It is awful cold down here,' he agreed. With his head down, he slowly followed his wife up to their bedroom.

“我想你說得對。樓下還是太冷了。”他贊同地說。他低著頭，緩緩地跟隨妻子走進臥室。