牛津書蟲系列 格林·蓋布爾斯來的安妮 6 Matthew and Marilla

6 Matthew and Marilla

6 馬修和瑪麗拉

But when she arrived back at Green Gables, Anne knew at once that something was wrong. Matthew looked much older than before.

當(dāng)她趕回格林·蓋布爾斯的時(shí)候，安妮立刻有一種不祥的感覺。馬修看上去比以前老了很多。

'What's the matter with him? 'Anne asked Marilla.

“馬修怎么了?”安妮問瑪麗拉。

'He's had some heart trouble this year, 'replied Marilla. 'He really isn't well. I'm worried about him. '

“今年他的心臟病犯了幾次，”瑪麗拉回答。“他的情況確實(shí)不太好。我很為他擔(dān)心。”

'And you're not looking well, Marilla, 'said Anne. 'Now you must rest, while I do the housework. '

“你的氣色也不太好，瑪麗拉，”安妮說。“現(xiàn)在你必須休息，家務(wù)活由我來做。”

Marilla smiled tiredly at Anne. 'It's not the work, it's my head. It often hurts, behind my eyes. I must see the doctor about it soon. But another thing, Anne, have you heard any-thing about the Church Bank? '

瑪麗拉疲倦地笑了笑。“家務(wù)事倒沒什么，主要是我經(jīng)常頭疼，就在眼睛后面。我得盡快看醫(yī)生。還有一件事，安妮，你聽到關(guān)于車茨銀行的事了嗎?”

'I heard it was having a difficult time. '

“我聽說它經(jīng)營困難。”

'All our money is in that bank. I know Matthew's worried about it. '

“我們所有的錢都在那家銀行里。我知道馬修很擔(dān)心。”

The next morning a letter came for Matthew. Marilla saw his grey face and cried, 'What's the matter, Matthew? '

第二天馬修接到一封信?，旣惱吹今R修的臉一下變灰了，連忙喊道：“發(fā)生什么事了，馬修?”

Anne, who was bringing an armful of flowers into the kitchen, saw his face too. Suddenly, Matthew fell to the ground. Anne dropped her flowers and ran to help Marilla. Together they tried everything, but it was too late. Matthew was dead.

安妮剛剛抱著一捧花走進(jìn)廚房，她也看到了馬修的臉。突然，馬修倒在地上。安妮扔下花來幫助瑪麗拉。她們想盡了一切辦法拯救馬修，可已經(jīng)太晚了。馬修死了。

'It was his heart, 'said the doctor, who arrived a little later. 'Did he have any bad news suddenly? '

晚些時(shí)候，大夫來了，他說：“是因?yàn)樗男呐K。他有沒有突然聽到什么不幸的消息?”

'The letter! 'cried Anne. 'Shall I see what's in it? Oh Mar-illa, look! The Church Bank has had to close down! Your money, and Matthew's, has all gone! '

“是那封信!”安妮叫道。“我能不能看看里面寫了些什么?哦，瑪麗拉，你看!車茨銀行已經(jīng)倒閉了!你的錢，還有馬修的，都沒了!”

Everybody in Avonlea was sorry to hear that Matthew was dead. For the first time in his life, Matthew Cuthbert was an important person.

聽到馬修去世的消息，埃文利村的每一個(gè)人都很難過。馬修·卡斯伯特這輩子第一次成了一個(gè)重要人物。

At first Anne couldn't cry. But then she remembered Matthew's smiling face when she told him about the Avery prize. Suddenly she started crying and couldn't stop. Marilla held her in her arms and they sobbed together.

起初安妮哭不出來。但當(dāng)她想起馬修聽到她獲得艾弗里獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金時(shí)臉上的笑容，就突然忍不住大哭起來。瑪麗拉摟著安妮，倆人一起哭泣。

'Crying can't bring him back, 'whispered Marilla. 'We'll have to learn to live without him, Anne. '

“哭也沒法讓他回來了，”瑪麗拉小聲說道：“我們必須學(xué)會(huì)習(xí)慣沒有馬修的生活，安妮。”

* * *

* * *

In the next few weeks Anne and Marilla worked hard together on the farm and in the house. Everybody in Avonlea was very kind to them, but it was a sad time.

在以后的幾周里，安妮和瑪麗拉在田地里和家中辛勤地勞作。埃文利村的每一個(gè)人都對(duì)她們很好，但這是一段傷心的日子。

One day Marilla said, 'I'll miss you when you go to Red-mond College, Anne. What are the other Avonlea students go-ing to do? '

一天，瑪麗拉說：“你到雷德蒙德大學(xué)以后我會(huì)想念你的，安妮。埃文利村的其他孩子有何打算?”

'Some of them are going to teach, and some are going to stay at Queen's. '

“他們中的一些人會(huì)成為教師，還有一些留在女王學(xué)院。”

'Gilbert's going to teach at Avonlea school, isn't he? 'Anne didn't reply, so Marilla went on. 'He's very tall and good-looking now, don't you think? Like his father, John, when he was younger. You know, John and I were very good friends, years ago. '

“吉爾伯特將留在埃文利學(xué)校當(dāng)教師，是嗎?”安妮沒有回答，所以瑪麗拉繼續(xù)說下去。“他現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)是個(gè)高個(gè)子的帥小伙了，你不這么認(rèn)為嗎?像他父親約翰年輕時(shí)一樣。你知道，許多年前，約翰和我曾經(jīng)是很要好的朋友。”

Anne looked up, interested. 'What happened? Why didn't you…? '

安妮很感興趣，抬起頭問道：“發(fā)生什么事了?為什么您不……?”

'Well, we had a fight about something. He asked me to be friends again, but I couldn't forgive him. Later I was sorry, but he didn't speak to me again. Perhaps we…Oh well, it was a long time ago. '

“哎，我們?yōu)榱艘患鲁沉似饋?。他?qǐng)求我重新成為他的好朋友，但我不能原諒他。后來我很后悔，但他再也不和我講話了。也許我們……哎，那已經(jīng)是很久以前的事了。”

The next day Marilla went to see the doctor. When she came back, she looked very tired and ill.

第二天，瑪麗拉去看玻當(dāng)她回來的時(shí)候，看上去非常疲倦，好像是生病了。

'What did the doctor say? 'asked Anne worriedly.

“醫(yī)生說了些什么?”安妮焦急地問。

'He says I mustn't read or write, and I must wear glasses. Then my head won't hurt. But if I'm not very careful, I'll be blind in six months! '

“他說我不能再讀書寫字了，而且我必須戴上眼鏡。那樣我的頭就不會(huì)疼了。如果我不小心的話，6個(gè)月以后我就會(huì)失明!”

For a minute Anne was silent. Then she said firmly, 'Then you must be careful, Marilla. '

安妮沉默了一會(huì)兒。隨后她堅(jiān)定地說：“您必須好好照顧自己，瑪麗拉。”

'Think how terrible it is to be blind! But how lucky you've got a free place at Redmond College! I can't give you any money, you see. All our money's gone, and I can't work now. I think I'll have to sell the farm, and go and live with Rachel Lynde! 'and poor Marilla sobbed wildly.

“想想雙目失明多可怕!但你能夠在雷德蒙德大學(xué)免費(fèi)學(xué)習(xí)真是幸運(yùn)!你看，我已經(jīng)沒法給你錢了。我們所有的錢都沒了，我現(xiàn)在又不能勞動(dòng)。我想我必須賣掉農(nóng)場(chǎng)，然后搬去和雷切爾·林德同住!”可憐的瑪麗拉邊說邊哭了起來。

That night Anne sat alone in her bedroom. She thought and thought for some time, and then she smiled. When she went to bed, she knew what she was going to do.

那天晚上安妮獨(dú)自坐在她的臥室里。她思量了很長時(shí)間，然后她的臉上出現(xiàn)了笑容。當(dāng)她上床休息的時(shí)候，她已經(jīng)知道自己該如何去做。

The next day she explained it all to Marilla.

第二天，安妮向瑪麗拉解釋了一切。

'You can't sell Green Gables, it's our home! Just listen, I've planned everything. I'm not going to Redmond College, it's too far away. I'm going to teach, in one of the village schools near here. Then I can live there during the week and come home at weekends to look after you. Diana's father will use our fields and pay us for them, and so we'll have some money. You see? '

“您不能把農(nóng)場(chǎng)賣掉，它是我們的家!您聽我說，我已計(jì)劃好一切。我不打算到雷德蒙德大學(xué)去，那里太遙遠(yuǎn)了。我將在附近村莊的一所學(xué)校教書。這樣，平常的時(shí)候我可以住在那里，周末的時(shí)候回來照顧您。戴安娜的父親可以使用我們的土地，同時(shí)給我們地租，這樣我們就有一些錢了。您看這樣不好嗎?”

'Oh Anne! I'll be all right if you're here. But you must go to Redmond, if you want to study…'

“噢，安妮，你在這里我當(dāng)然會(huì)很好。但如果你想學(xué)習(xí)，你必須去雷德蒙德……”

'Redmond College doesn't matter, 'laughed Anne. 'I'm going to study at home in the evenings. And I'm going to be a really good teacher! That's better than anything! '

“去不去雷德蒙德大學(xué)沒有關(guān)系。”安妮笑道。“晚上我可以在家自己學(xué)習(xí)。而且我會(huì)成為一名非常出色的教師!那比什么都好!”

Marilla shook her head and tried not to cry. 'You're a good girl, Anne. Now we can keep Green Gables! '

瑪麗拉搖搖頭強(qiáng)忍住眼淚。“你是個(gè)好姑娘，安妮?，F(xiàn)在我們可以留住農(nóng)場(chǎng)了!”

A few days later Rachel Lynde came to the farm.

幾天后，雷切爾·林德來到了農(nóng)常

'Do you know, 'she said, 'that Gilbert isn't going to be the Avonlea teacher now? '

“你們知道嗎，”她說，“吉爾伯特現(xiàn)在不想當(dāng)埃文利村的教師了?”

'Isn't he? 'cried Anne. 'Why not? '

“不當(dāng)了?”安妮高聲問道。“為什么不當(dāng)?”

'When he heard that you wanted to be near Marilla, he de-cided to teach at a school in another village. So you can be the Avonlea teacher now. '

“當(dāng)他聽說你希望離瑪麗拉近一些，他決定在另外一個(gè)村的學(xué)校教書。那樣你就可以成為埃文利村的教師了。”

'Oh! 'said Anne, surprised. 'That's…that's very kind of him. '

“噢!”安妮吃驚地說。“那……那他真是太好了。”

And that day, when she saw Gilbert by the river, she stopped him and held out her hand.

那天，當(dāng)安妮在河邊見到吉爾伯特的時(shí)候，她叫住了他，并向他伸出手去。

'Gilbert, 'she said shyly, 'I… I want to thank you. It's very good of you. If I'm the Avonlea teacher, I can help Mar-illa much more at home. '

“吉爾伯特，”她靦腆地說，“我……我想謝謝你。你這樣做真是太好了。如果我當(dāng)埃文利村的教師，我就可以在家里更多地照顧瑪麗拉。”

'I'm happy to help you, Anne, 'said Gilbert. He smiled and held her hand firmly. 'Are we going to be friends now? Have you forgiven me for calling you"carrots"? '

“能幫助你我很高興，安妮，”吉爾伯特說。他笑著緊緊抓住安妮的手。“我們現(xiàn)在可以成為朋友了嗎?你現(xiàn)在原諒我叫過你‘胡蘿卜’嗎?”

Anne laughed. 'I forgave you a long time ago. '

安妮笑道：“我很久以前就已經(jīng)原諒你了。”

'I'm sure we're going to be very good friends, Anne. Can I walk home with you? '

“我肯定我們能成為非常好的朋友，安妮。我能送你回家嗎?”

And when Anne came into the Green Gables kitchen, Maril-la said, 'You look very happy, Anne. Was that Gilbert who was with you just now? '

當(dāng)安妮走進(jìn)格林·蓋布爾斯廚房時(shí)，瑪麗拉說：“你看上去非常高興，安妮。剛才和你在一起的是吉爾伯特嗎?”

'Yes, 'replied Anne, her face red. 'Gilbert and I've decided to be friends. Oh Marilla, I think life is going to be good for all of us! We'll have to work hard, but we'll be happy. And we'll keep our dear old Green Gables! What could be better than that! '

“是的，”安妮紅著臉回答。“吉爾伯特和我決定成為朋友。哦，瑪麗拉，我想我們都會(huì)有幸福的生活!我們的工作會(huì)很辛苦，但我們會(huì)很快樂。我們將留住我們心愛的老農(nóng)場(chǎng)!還有什么比這更好呢!”