書蟲四級《克蘭福德》：3.很久以前的一段戀情

3．A love-affair of long ago

3．很久以前的一段戀情

After Miss Jenkyns's death, I did not expect to go to Cranford again. It was pleasant, therefore, to receive a letter from Miss Pole, inviting me to stay, and then a few days later a letter from Miss Matty, also inviting me. I promised to go to Miss Matty as soon as I had ended my visit to Miss Pole; and I went to see her the day after my arrival in Cranford. Miss Matty began to cry as soon as she saw me.

詹金斯小姐過世后，我沒有料到會再去克蘭福德。因此，我很高興收到波爾小姐的信，邀請我去小住一段時間，幾天之后又收到一封馬蒂小姐的信，也向我發(fā)出了邀請。我答應(yīng)看過波爾小姐后就去馬蒂小姐那里；所以抵達(dá)克蘭福德的第二天，我就去見她了。馬蒂小姐一見到我就哭了起來。

I took her hand, feeling very sorry for her, all alone in the world without her sister. 'Dear Miss Matty!' said I.

我拉著她的手，真為她感到難過，失去了姐姐，她在這世上無依無靠。“親愛的馬蒂小姐！”我說。

My dear, I'd rather you didn't call me Matty. She didn't like it. Please, my love, will you call me Matilda?'

“親愛的，還是別叫我馬蒂了，她不喜歡。求你了，親愛的，叫我馬蒂爾達(dá)好嗎？”

I promised—and I did try. We all tried, but with so little success that in the end we called her 'Miss Matty' again.

我答應(yīng)了——而且還試著那么稱呼她。我們都試過，但沒什么用，最后我們又都叫她“馬蒂小姐”了。

My visit to Miss Pole was very quiet. The Honourable Mrs Jamieson was too fat and lazy to give many parties and, without Miss Jenkyns to lead them, the other ladies did not quite know what to do. So 1 sewed my father's shirts, while Miss Pole did her knitting and told me stories about Cranford. One of her stories was about a love-affair she had suspected many years before.

我對波爾小姐的拜訪平靜無事。尊敬的賈米森夫人太胖了，也懶得舉行聚會，而且沒有詹金斯小姐挑頭，其他女士也不知道該做什么。所以我就縫父親的襯衣，波爾小姐則一邊織毛線一邊給我講克蘭福德的事情。其中一件事是很多年前她就覺察到的一段戀情。

After a week, I moved to Miss Matilda's house. How anxious she was about everything! 'Is your room all right, dear?' she said worriedly as I unpacked. 'The fire's not very bright. My sister used to arrange things to well. She could train a servant in a week, but Fanny's been with me for four months...'

一周之后，我搬到了馬蒂爾達(dá)小姐家。她對一切都是那么焦慮不安！“你的房間還行吧，親愛的？”我打開行李的時候她擔(dān)心地問道，“火不太旺。我姐姐以前總是把一切都安排得井井有條。她可以在一周內(nèi)就調(diào)教出一個仆人，可是范妮和我在一起已經(jīng)有四個月了……”

Maid-servants were always a problem to the ladies of Cranford, and specially to poor Miss Matilda. There were not many gentlemen in the town, as I have said, but the number of handsome young working men was alarming. Sometimes they had to call at the house. What would happen if the maid fell in love with one of them? Pretty Fanny was not allowed to have any 'followers', but her mistress suspected that she had very many—and I myself once saw something strangely like a young man hiding behind the kitchen clock.

女仆們總是克蘭福德女士們的一塊心病，對于可憐的馬蒂爾達(dá)小姐來說尤其如此。我已經(jīng)說過，鎮(zhèn)上沒有多少男士，可是相貌英俊的青年工人的數(shù)量卻多得驚人。有時候他們要到家中來訪。要是女仆愛上了他們中的一個，那該怎么辦？漂亮的范妮不許有任何“追求者”，不過她的女主人懷疑她有很多——我本人有一次奇怪地發(fā)現(xiàn)廚房的大鐘后面藏著什么東西，好像是個年輕人。

However, during my visit Fanny had to leave; and I agreed to stay and help Miss Matilda with the new maid. Martha was a rough, honest-looking girl from a farm. I liked her, and I promised to teach her the rules of the house. These rules were, of course, Miss Jenkyns's rules. Miss Matilda had whispered against many of them during her sister's life, but now they must stay. About that, she was certain. About everything else, she was anxious and undecided.

然而，我造訪的時候，范妮有事必須離開，所以我同意留下來幫馬蒂爾達(dá)小姐訓(xùn)練新來的女仆。馬莎是農(nóng)場來的女孩兒，舉止粗魯，長相忠厚。我喜歡她，并且答應(yīng)教她屋里的規(guī)矩。這些規(guī)矩，當(dāng)然，是詹金斯小姐的規(guī)矩。馬蒂爾達(dá)小姐在她姐姐活著的時候曾對其中的許多規(guī)矩頗有怨言，而現(xiàn)在這些規(guī)矩卻必須保留。對此，她的態(tài)度明確。而對其他的事情，她卻憂心忡忡，毫無主見。

And now I come to the love-affair. It seems that Miss Pole had a cousin who, long ago, had asked Miss Matilda to marry him. His name was Thomas Holbrook and he lived a few miles from Cranford on his own estate, called Woodley. He was a real country-man, very open and sincere, Miss Pole told me. 'He reads aloud,' she added, 'more beautifully than anyone I have ever heard, except Mr Jenkyns, the late rector.'

現(xiàn)在我要講講那段戀情了。似乎波爾小姐有個表兄在很久以前曾經(jīng)向馬蒂爾達(dá)小姐求過婚。他名叫托馬斯·霍爾布魯克，住在距克蘭福德幾英里遠(yuǎn)的自家莊園里，那莊園叫作伍德利。他是一個真正的鄉(xiāng)下人，非常開朗真誠，波爾小姐這么告訴我的。“他愛大聲朗誦，”她又加上一句，“除了已故的教區(qū)長詹金斯先生，他比我聽到過的任何人朗誦得都好。”

Why didn't Miss Matilda marry him?' I asked.

“馬蒂爾達(dá)小姐為什么沒嫁給他？”我問道。

Perhaps the rector and Miss Jenkyns didn't think cousin Thomas was enough of a gentleman for her. You know the Jenkynses are related in some way to Sir Peter Arley. Miss Jenkyns was very proud of that.'

“也許教區(qū)長和詹金斯小姐覺得托馬斯表兄還不夠紳士，配不上她。你知道詹金斯家和彼得·阿萊爵士有些親戚關(guān)系，詹金斯小姐很為此感到自豪。”

Poor Miss Matty! Has she ever seen Mr Holbrook since?'

“可憐的馬蒂小姐！那以后她見過霍爾布魯克先生嗎？”

I don't think she has. He stopped coming into Cranford after she refused him.'

“我想沒有吧。她拒絕了他之后，他就不再到克蘭福德來了。”

And how old is he now?'

“現(xiàn)在他多大年紀(jì)了？”

About seventy, my dear,' said Miss Pole.

“大約70歲，親愛的。”波爾小姐說。

Soon after this, strangely enough, I saw Mr Holbrook. Miss Matilda and I were looking at some coloured silks that had arrived at Mr Johnson's shop in High Street, when a tall, thin old man in country clothes hurried in. He waited impatiently, then told the shop-boy what he wanted. Miss Matilda heard his voice, and suddenly sat down. At once, I guessed who it was.

奇怪的是，不久之后我就見到了霍爾布魯克先生。馬蒂爾達(dá)小姐和我在海伊大街約翰遜先生的商店里看一些新到的彩色絲綢，就在那時，一個穿著鄉(xiāng)下衣服，又高又瘦的老頭兒急匆匆地走了進(jìn)來。他等得不耐煩，就告訴店里的伙計他要的東西。馬蒂爾達(dá)小姐聽到他的聲音，突然坐了下來。我立刻就猜出他是誰了。

Miss Jenkyns wants the black silk,' another shop-boy called across the shop.

“詹金斯小姐要黑色的絲綢。”另一個伙計朝店里喊道。

Mr Holbrook heard the name. 'Matty—Miss Matilda! I didn't recognize you! How are you?' He shook her hand warmly. 'I didn't recognize you!' he repeated.

霍爾布魯克先生聽到了這個名字。“馬蒂——馬蒂爾達(dá)小姐！我都沒認(rèn)出你來！你好嗎？”他熱情地跟她握手，“我都沒認(rèn)出你來！”他重復(fù)道。

We left the shop without buying anything and Mr Holbrook walked home with us. He was clearly delighted to meet his old love again. He even spoke of Miss Jenkyns as 'Your poor sister! Well, well! We all have our faults.' And he said as he left us that he hoped to see Miss Matty again soon.

我們什么也沒買就離開了商店，霍爾布魯克先生陪著我們走回家。又見到了他的舊情人，他顯然非常高興。提到詹金斯小姐，他甚至說“你可憐的姐姐！唉，唉！我們都有過錯。”后來他離開我們的時候說他希望不久以后能再見到馬蒂小姐。

She went straight to her room. When she came down at tea-time, I saw that she had been crying.

她徑直回到自己的房間。吃茶點的時間她走下樓時，我發(fā)現(xiàn)她哭過。

A few days later, a note came from Mr Holbrook. It was now June. Would Miss Matty and I like to come out to Woodley for a day? he asked. He had also invited his cousin Miss Pole, so the three of us could ride in the same carriage.

幾天后，霍爾布魯克先生寫了張便條來?，F(xiàn)在已經(jīng)是六月了。馬蒂小姐和我愿不愿意出來到伍德利玩一天？他問道。他還邀請了他的表妹波爾小姐，這樣我們?nèi)齻€可以同乘一輛馬車去。

At first, Miss Matty refused to accept. Then, when we finally persuaded her, she went back to the shop and chose a new bonnet for the visit.

起先，馬蒂小姐不愿接受這個邀請。后來，當(dāng)我們最終說服她的時候，她又到商店里為這次造訪買了頂新圓帽。

It was clear that she had never been to Woodley before. She trembled as we drove there, and I could see that she was thinking about the past. Towards the end of the journey, she sat very straight and looked sadly out of the carriage windows.

顯然她以前從未到過伍德利。我們驅(qū)車前往那里的路上，她有些發(fā)抖，我看得出她在回憶以前的事情。旅程快結(jié)束的時候，她坐得筆直，憂郁地望著馬車窗外。

The house itself stood among fields, and there was an old garden full of roses and little fruit-trees. 'It's very pretty,' whispered Miss Matty as Mr Holbrook appeared at the door, smiling warmly.

房子就建在田里，還有一個長滿玫瑰花和小果樹的老花園。“真漂亮。”馬蒂小姐低聲說道，此時霍爾布魯克先生出現(xiàn)在門口，熱情地微笑著。

The day passed very happily. We sat and talked in a nice, untidy room filled with books. I asked to look at the garden, and this pleased the old gentleman. His housekeeper gave us dinner in a kind of kitchen, and later I walked with him across his fields. Then, when we came back to the house, he offered to read us some new poems by Mr Tennyson.

這一天過得很愉快。我們坐在一個漂亮的房間里說話，房間里堆滿了書，有些亂。我提出要看一看花園，這讓老先生很高興。他的管家在一個算是廚房的地方招待我們吃了午飯，隨后我和他一起在他的田地里散步。后來，回到房子里的時候，他提出給我們朗誦幾首丁尼生先生的新詩。

Yes, please do, cousin Thomas!' said Miss Pole.

“好啊，請吧，托馬斯表哥！”波爾小姐說。

I thought this was because she wanted me to hear his beautiful reading. Afterwards, though, she said it was because she had wanted to go on with her knitting.

我想這是因為她想讓我聽聽他那精彩的朗誦，雖然后來她說那是因為她想繼續(xù)織毛線。

Whatever Mr Holbrook did was agreeable to Miss Matty. She fell asleep soon after he began a long poem called Locksley Hall, but she woke up when his voice stopped. 'How pretty!' she said quickly.

對于馬蒂小姐來說，霍爾布魯克先生所做的一切都令人稱心如意。他開始讀一首叫作《洛克斯利大廳》的長詩，不久她就睡著了，不過他的聲音一停，她又醒來了。“多好啊！”她立即說。

Pretty, madam? It's beautiful!'

“好嗎，小姐？那是美！”

The poem was about lost love, but Miss Matty had not heard it. 'Oh, yes, I meant beautiful!' she apologized. 'It's so like that beautiful poem by Dr Johnson that my sister used to read. I forget the name of it.'

這首詩描寫的是失落的愛情，但是馬蒂小姐并沒有聽到這些。“哦，是的。我的意思是美！”她抱歉地說道，“這和約翰遜博士寫的那首美妙的詩很像，我姐姐以前經(jīng)常讀的。我忘記叫什么名字了。”

Which poem do you mean, madam? What was it about?'

“你指的是哪首詩，小姐？寫的是什么？”

I don't remember what it was about. But it was by Dr Johnson and it was very beautiful...'

“我不記得寫的是什么。不過那是約翰遜博士寫的，寫得很美……”

As we got into the carriage to return to Cranford, Mr Holbrook promised to call on us soon. This seemed to please Miss Matty, although as soon as we had left Woodley, she began to worry about Martha. Had the girl had a 'follower' while we were absent?

我們坐上馬車返回克蘭福德的時候，霍爾布魯克先生答應(yīng)不久就來拜訪我們。這似乎令馬蒂小姐很高興，雖然我們一離開伍德利，她就開始為馬莎擔(dān)心了。我們不在的時候，這個女孩兒有沒有帶個“追求者”來？

However, there was no sign of a 'follower' as Martha came to help us out of the carriage. She always took good care of Miss Matty, and tonight she said:

然而，馬莎來幫我們下馬車的時候，看不到任何有“追求者”的跡象。她總是把馬蒂小姐照顧得好好的，今晚她說：

Eh! Dear madam, you shouldn't go out in the evening in such a thin shawl! You'll catch cold, and at your age, madam, you should be careful.'

“??！親愛的小姐，你晚上不應(yīng)該披著這么薄的披肩出去！你會著涼的，你這個年紀(jì)，小姐，你應(yīng)該注意。”

My age!' said Miss Matty, speaking almost crossly. 'My age! Why, Martha, how old do you think I am?'

“我這個年紀(jì)！”馬蒂小姐幾乎有些生氣地說，“我這個年紀(jì)！怎么，馬莎，你覺得我有多老？”

Well, madam, I'd say you were getting close to sixty—but I didn't mean any harm.'

“嗯，小姐。我說你快60了——不過我并沒有什么惡意。”

Martha, I'm not yet fifty-two!' said Miss Matty. Today's visit had reminded her of the past, and I think she did not want to remember how long ago it was.

“馬莎，我還不到52歲！”馬蒂小姐說道。今天的訪問讓她想起了過去，我想她不愿記起那是多久以前的事。

Miss Matty said nothing to me, then or ever, about Mr Holbrook but, by careful watching, I saw that she still loved him. She now wore her best cap every day, and sat near the window to see down into the street.

關(guān)于霍爾布魯克先生，無論是當(dāng)時還是那以后，馬蒂小姐什么也沒對我說，不過通過仔細(xì)觀察，我發(fā)現(xiàn)她仍然愛著他?，F(xiàn)在她每天都戴著最好的帽子，坐在窗邊，這樣可以看見下面的街道。

He came. He asked politely about our journey home from Woodley, then suddenly he got up. 'Well, madam,' he said to Miss Matilda, 'can I bring you anything from Paris? I'm going there in a week or two.'

他來了。他禮貌地問我們從伍德利回家路上的情況，然后突然站了起來。“嗯，小姐，”他對馬蒂爾達(dá)小姐說，“我能不能給你帶點兒巴黎的東西？我一兩個星期以后就要去那里。”

To Paris?!'

“去巴黎？！”

Yes. I've always wished to see it... Oh dear, I almost forgot! Here are the poems you liked at my house.' He pulled a small packet from his coat-pocket and gave it to her. 'Goodbye, Matty,' he said. 'Take care of yourself.'

“是啊。我一直想去那里看看……哦，親愛的，我差點兒忘了！這是你在我家喜歡上的那幾首詩。”他從外衣口袋里掏出一個小包遞給她，“再見，馬蒂，”他說，“你要保重。”

He had gone. But he had given her a book and he had called her Matty, just as he used to thirty years ago.

他走了。但是他給了她一本書，而且他還叫她馬蒂，就像他30年前做的那樣。

Soon after this I left Cranford, ordering Martha to take good care of her mistress and to write to me if anything was wrong.

這之后不久我就離開了克蘭福德，命令馬莎好好照料她的女主人，如果有什么事就給我寫信。

In November, she sent me a note to say that Miss Matilda was 'very low and not eating her food', so I went back. Miss Matty certainly looked white and miserable. I called on Miss Pole next morning and learnt that Thomas Holbrook was seriously ill. The journey to Paris had been too much for him. Ah! So that was why Miss Matty was miserable.

11月，她給我寫了張便條，說馬蒂爾達(dá)小姐“情緒很低落，吃不下飯”，所以我就回去了。馬蒂小姐看起來的確面色蒼白，神情慘淡。第二天早上我拜訪了波爾小姐，才知道托馬斯·霍爾布魯克病得很重。去巴黎的那次旅行讓他吃不消。??！這就是馬蒂小姐痛苦的原因。

I must come back with you, my dear,' said Miss Pole, 'because I promised to give Miss Matty the latest report on cousin Thomas. I'm sorry to say his housekeeper has informed me that he'll not live much longer.'

“我必須和你一起回去，親愛的，”波爾小姐說，“因為我答應(yīng)向馬蒂小姐報告托馬斯表哥的最新情況。很遺憾，他的管家已經(jīng)通知我他活不了多久了。”

I took Miss Pole into Miss Matty's little drawing-room and left the two ladies alone.

我把波爾小姐帶進(jìn)馬蒂小姐的小休息室，然后就讓這兩位女士單獨待在一起。

Miss Matty did not come down to dinner, but that evening she talked to me about her girlhood. Clearly, she had been thinking about her sister, who had not wanted her to marry Thomas Holbrook. Perhaps they had not been kind thoughts, and now Miss Matty felt sorry, because she wanted to tell me how good and how clever Deborah had been. She and her mother had taught cooking and sewing to poor girls, and she had once danced with a lord, and she used to go to Arley Hall where they kept thirty servants... Deborah had also nursed her through a long illness. That illness, I decided, had followed Miss Matty's refusal of Mr Holbrook.

馬蒂小姐沒下樓吃晚飯，不過那天晚上她和我說起了自己的少女時代。顯然，她一直在想她姐姐，是她姐姐不讓她嫁給托馬斯·霍爾布魯克的。也許這些想法不厚道，現(xiàn)在馬蒂小姐覺得后悔了，因為她想告訴我德博拉有多好、多聰明。她和她母親都給窮人家的女孩子教過烹飪和縫紉，而且她還和一位勛爵跳過舞，她以前常常去阿萊廳，那里有30個仆人……她有一次生病的時候德博拉還照顧了她很長時間。那場病，我想，是在馬蒂小姐拒絕了霍爾布魯克先生之后得上的。

The next day, Miss Pole came to say that Mr Holbrook was dead. Miss Matty trembled and could not speak. She remained silent all that evening. Then she called the maid.

第二天，波爾小姐來告訴我們霍爾布魯克先生的死訊。馬蒂小姐渾身顫抖，說不出話來。整個晚上她都沉默不語。后來她把女仆叫來。

Martha,' she said at last, 'you are young...'

“馬莎，”她最后說，“你還年輕……”

Martha curtsied. 'Yes, madam. Twenty-two.'

馬莎行了個屈膝禮，“是，小姐。22歲。”

I did say that you must not have any followers. But perhaps, Martha, you will one day meet a young man whom you like and who likes you. If you do, and if I decide that he is respectable, he may come to see you once a week.'

“我確實說過你不能有追求者。不過也許，馬莎，有一天你會遇到一個中意的年輕人，而他也喜歡你。如果是那樣，如果我認(rèn)為他值得尊敬，他可以一周來這里見你一次。”

Miss Matty was surprised, very surprised, by Martha's ready answer. 'Please, madam, there's Jem Hearn, madam. He earns three-and-sixpence a day, and he's six feet tall, and he'll be glad to come tomorrow night!'

馬蒂小姐對馬莎的迅速回答感到驚訝，非常驚訝。“那太好了，小姐，有一個杰姆·赫恩，小姐。他一天掙三先令六便士，有六英尺高，他會很樂意明天晚上來！”