目 录 上一节 下一节 
在他们面前开展着那条跑马道,面旁是两排榛子树和斑白色的美丽的树木。小车子缓缓地前进,路上棒树影遮不到的地方,蔓生着牛奶泡沫似的毋忘我花,车子打上面经过,克利,福在路中心欢呼着他的车,在花草满地中,这路中心被脚步践踏成一条小径了。在后面跟着的康妮,望着车轮打小铃兰和喇叭花上而辗过,把爬地藤的带黄色的小花钟儿压个破碎。现在,这车轮在毋忘我花中开着一条路线。 All the flowers were there, the first bluebells in blue pools, like standing water. 所有的花都象在这儿,绿色水池里那些初生的圆叶风铃草,茂盛得象一潭静止的水。 'You are quite right about its being beautiful,' said Clifford. 'It is so amazingly. What is quite so lovely as an English spring!' " 你说得真对,这儿可爱极了。"他说,"美极了,什么东西比得上英国的春天可爱" Connie thought it sounded as if even the spring bloomed by act of Parliament. An English spring! Why not an Irish one? or Jewish? The chair moved slowly ahead, past tufts of sturdy bluebells that stood up like wheat and over grey burdock leaves. When they came to the open place where the trees had been felled, the light flooded in rather stark. And the bluebells made sheets of bright blue colour, here and there, sheering off into lilac and purple. And between, the bracken was lifting its brown curled heads, like legions of young snakes with a new secret to whisper to Eve. Clifford kept the chair going till he came to the brow of the hill; Connie followed slowly behind. The oak-buds were opening soft and brown. Everything came tenderly out of the old hardness. Even the snaggy craggy oak-trees put out the softest young leaves, spreading thin, brown little wings like young bat-wings in the light. Why had men never any newness in them, any freshness to come forth with! Stale men! 康妮听了他这话,仿佛春天的花开都是由议院来决定似的,英国的春天!为什么不是爱尔兰的,或犹太的春天?小车儿在劲健得象芥麦似的圆叶风铃草丛中缓缓地前进,压着牛劳草的灰色的叶儿。当他们来到那树木伐光了空旷地时,有点眩眼的光线照耀着他们,满地鲜蓝的圆叶风铃草中,间杂着一些带企或带紫的蓝色,在这花群中。一些蕨草抢着褐色的、卷绢的头儿,象是些小蛇,准备若为夏娃汇漏什么新的秘密,克利福把车驶到小山顶上,康妮在后面慢馒地跟着。山毛榉的褐色牙儿,温柔地开展着。老去的冬天的粗糙,全变成温柔了。甚至倔强嶙峋的橡树,也发着最柔媚的嫩叶,伸展着纤纤的褐色的小枝翅,好象是些向阳的蝙蝠的翅翼。为什么人类从来就没有什么新鲜的蜕变,使自己返老还童?多么拓燥刻板的人生! Clifford stopped the chair at the top of the rise and looked down. The bluebells washed blue like flood-water over the broad riding, and lit up the downhill with a warm blueness. 克利福把车子停在小山顶上,眺望着下面。圆叶风铃草象蓝色的潮水似的,在那条宽大的马路上泛滥着,温暖的把山麓铺得通蓝。 
这种颜色本身是很美的。"克利福说,"但是拿来作画便没有用了。" 'Quite!' said Connie, completely uninterested. " 的确!"康妮说,一点儿也不感兴趣。 'Shall I venture as far as the spring?' said Clifford. " 让我冒险一下把车子驶到泉源那边去好吗?"克利福说。 'Will the chair get up again?' she said. " 我以为车子回来时上得了这个山么?"她说。 'We'll try; nothing venture, nothing win!' " 我们试试看。不入虎穴,焉得虎子!" 
车子开始慢慢地下着坡,在那条被蓝色的风信子泛滥着的、缚丽的宽道上颠簸着。阿,最后的一条船,在飘过风信子的浅水上!呵,波涛汹涌上的轻舟,在作着我们的文化的末次的航行,到哪儿去,呵,你荒唐的软舟,你蠕蠕地颠缀到那儿去!安泰而又满足,克利福坐在探险的舵前,戴着他的者黑帽,穿着软绒布的短外衣,又镇静又小心。呵,船主哟,我的船主哟,我们壮丽的航行是完结了!可是还没有十分完结呢!康妮穿着灰色的衣裳,在后面跟着轮痕,一边走着,一边望着颠镊着下坡的小车儿。 They passed the narrow track to the hut. Thank heaven it was not wide enough for the chair: hardly wide enough for one person. The chair reached the bottom of the slope, and swerved round, to disappear. And Connie heard a low whistle behind her. She glanced sharply round: the keeper was striding downhill towards her, his dog keeping behind him. 他们打那条小屋里去的狭径前经过,多谢天,这狭径并容不下那小车子,小得连容一个人都不易,车子到了小山箕后,转个弯不见了,康妮听见后面的一声低低的口哨。她转过头去;守猎人正下着坡向她走来,后面跟着他的狗儿。 'Is Sir Clifford going to the cottage?' he asked, looking into her eyes. " 克利福男爵是不是到村舍那边去?"他一边问,一边望着她的眼睛。 'No, only to the well.' " 不,只到约翰井那边去。" 'Ah! Good! Then I can keep out of sight. But I shall see you tonight. I shall wait for you at the park-gate about ten.' " 呵,那好!我可以不露面了。但是我今晚再见你。-点钟左右。在我园门边候你。" 
他重新向她的眼里直望。 'Yes,' she faltered. " 好。"她犹豫地说。 They heard the Papp! Papp! of Clifford's horn, tooting for Connie. She 'Coo-eed!' in reply. The keeper's face flickered with a little grimace, and with his hand he softly brushed her breast upwards, from underneath. She looked at him, frightened, and started running down the hill, calling Coo-ee! again to Clifford. The man above watched her, then turned, grinning faintly, back into his path. 他们听见克利福响着喇叭声的唤康妮。她呼啸着长声回答着。守猎人的脸上绉了一绉,他用手在康妮的胸前,温柔地从下向上抚摸着。她惊骇地望了望他,忙向山坡上奔去,嘴里呼着"喔--喔"去回答克利福。那人在上面望着她,然后回转身去.微微地苦笑着,向他的小径里隐没。 She found Clifford slowly mounting to the spring, which was halfway up the slope of the dark larch-wood. He was there by the time she caught him up. 她看见克利福正慢慢地上着坡,向半山上落叶松林中的泉源处走去,当她赶上他时,他已经到了。 'She did that all right,' he said, referring to the chair. " 车子走得很不错。"他说。 
康福望着落叶松林边丛生着的牛蒡草,灰色的大叶儿象反影似的。人们叫它做罗宾汉大黄。泉水的阂围.一切都显得十分清静,十分忧郁!而泉水却欢乐地、神妙地腾涌着!那儿还有几朵大戟花和蓝色的大喇叭花。在那池边、黄土在掀动着:一只鼹鼠!它露着头.两只嫩红的手在扒着,钻形在嘴儿在盲目地摇着,嫩红的小鼻尖高举着。 'It seems to see with the end of its nose,' said Connie. " 它好象用它的鼻尖在看似的。"康妮说。 'Better than with its eyes!' he said. 'Will you drink?' " 比用它的眼睛看得更清楚呢!"他说,"你要喝点水吗?" 'Will you?' " 你呢?" She took an enamel mug from a twig on a tree, and stooped to fill it for him. He drank in sips. Then she stooped again, and drank a little herself. 她从树枝上拿下接着一个珐琅杯子,弯身去取了一杯水给他。他啜了几口。然后她再弯下身去,她自己也喝了一些。 
多么冷!"她喘着气说。 'Good, isn't it! Did you wish?' " 很凉,好喝,是不是?你发了愿吗?" 'Did you?' " 你呢?" 'Yes, I wished. But I won't tell.' " 是的,我发了个愿,但是我不愿说。" She was aware of the rapping of a woodpecker, then of the wind, soft and eerie through the larches. She looked up. White clouds were crossing the blue. 她听见落叶松林里一只啄木鸟的声音,然后是一阵轻柔的、神秘的风声。她仰着头。一朵朵白云还蓝色的天上浮过。 
有云呢!"她说。
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