名著·查太莱夫人的情人 - 第93节


目 录 上一节 下一节

  香酒我这儿是没有的。"他说,"但是也许你们自己有罢,我自己是不舞烟的,您要吃什么东西么?"他回转头去对康妮说,"您要吃点什么东西么?您普通是不推辞的。"他怪自若地说他的土话,仿佛是个乡间旅舍的主人。"

   'What is there?' asked Connie, flushing. "

  有什么好吃的?"康妮脸红着问道。

   'Boiled ham, cheese, pickled wa'nuts, if yer like.---Nowt much.' "

  煮熟的火腿和干酷核桃,随你们喜欢。并没有什么好东西。"

   'Yes,' said Connie. 'Won't you, Hilda?' "

  好的!"康妮说,"你吃一点么;希尔达?"

   Hilda looked up at him.

  希尔达举目望着他。

  为什么你说约克郡的土话?"她温和地说。

   'That! That's non Yorkshire, that's Derby.' "

  那不是约克郡话,那是德比话,"

   He looked back at her with that faint, distant grin.

  他望着她,模棱地冷笑着说。

   'Derby, then! Why do you speak Derby? You spoke natural English at first.' "

  德比话,好罢!为什么你说德比话?你开始的时候不是说大家所;兑的英语么?"

   'Did Ah though? An' canna Ah change if Ah'm a mind to 't? Nay, nay, let me talk Derby if it suits me. If yo'n nowt against it.' "

  是么!但是假如我高兴的话;难道我不能换换么?唔,唔,让我说德比话,如果我觉得合适。我想您不反对罢!"

  那仿佛有点矫揉做作了。"希不达说。

   'Ay, 'appen so! An' up i' Tevershall yo'd sound affected.' He looked again at her, with a queer calculating distance, along his cheek-bone: as if to say: Yi, an' who are you? "

  嗳,也许!但是达娃斯哈,倒是您才象矮做作呢。"他用一种怪疏远的态度,偏着脸打量着她,仿佛说:"你,你是谁呵?"

   He tramped away to the pantry for the food.

  他到伙食间里去取食物。

   The sisters sat in silence. He brought another plate, and knife and fork. The he said:

  姊妹俩沉默着坐着。他带了另一份碟子和刀刃回来,然后他说:

   'An' if it's the same to you, I s'll ta'e my coat off like I allers do.' "

  假如你们不介意,我要象平常一样把外衣除了。"

  他把他的外衣脱了挂在衣钩上,穿着一件薄薄的,淡黄色的法兰绒衬衣,在桌边坐下。

   ''Elp yerselves!' he said. ''Elp yerselves! Dunna wait f'r axin'!' He cut the bread, then sat motionless. Hilda felt, as Connie once used to, his power of silence and distance. She saw his smallish, sensitive, loose hand on the table. He was no simple working man, not he: he was acting! acting! "

  随意罢!"他说,"随意罢!别等人来请!"他把面包切了,静坐着,希迎达象康妮前些时一样,感到了他的静默和冷淡的力量。她看见的不大的、锐敏的手,不经意地放在桌上。无疑地他不是个不简单的工作!不!他是做作的!做作的!

   'Still!' she said, as she took a little cheese. 'It would be more natural if you spoke to us in normal English, not in vernacular.' "

  不过,"她一边拿了一小零部件干酷一边说,"假如你对我们说普通的英语,一定比说土话来得自然些。"

   He looked at her, feeling her devil of a will.

  但望着她,感觉到她的魔般的坚强的意志。

   'Would it?' he said in the normal English. 'Would it? Would anything that was said between you and me be quite natural, unless you said you wished me to hell before your sister ever saw me again: and unless I said something almost as unpleasant back again? Would anything else be natural?' "

  是么?"他用普通的英语说,是么?不过我与您之间有什么很自然的话可说?除非您告诉我,您愿我坠人地狱,好让您的妹妹不再见我;于是我回答些一样难堪的话,此外还有什么是自然的?"

  啊,有的!"希尔达说,"讲点礼貌便是很自然的。"

   'Second nature, so to speak!' he said: then he began to laugh. 'Nay,' he said. 'I'm weary o' manners. Let me be!' "

  那便是第二天性,可以这么说罢!"他说着笑了起来。"不,我是厌恶礼貌了,别管我罢!,"

   Hilda was frankly baffled and furiously annoyed. After all, he might show that he realized he was being honoured. Instead of which, with his play-acting and lordly airs, he seemed to think it was he who was conferring the honour. Just impudence! Poor misguided Connie, in the man's clutches!

  希尔达分明地无话可说了。赚得满腔的愤怒,哼,他应该知道人家休面了他,而他却摆着重要角色的威风神气,仿佛以为是他给了人家体面似的,多么鲁薷!可怜的康妮,迷失在这么一个人的爪掌里!

   The three ate in silence. Hilda looked to see what his table-manners were like. She could not help realizing that he was instinctively much more delicate and well-bred than herself. She had a certain Scottish clumsiness. And moreover, he had all the quiet self-contained assurance of the English, no loose edges. It would be very difficult to get the better of him.

  三个人静默地吃着,希尔达留心看着他在餐桌上的仪态怎样,她不得不承认他是本能地比她自己优雅高尚得多的。她有着某种苏样兰人的笨重态度,而他呢,他有着英国人所有的缄默的、自制的安泰一无聊可剩的安泰,他是不易屈服于人的。

   But neither would he get the better of her. 'And do you really think,' she said, a little more humanly, 'it's worth the risk.'

  但是她也是决不力他所报导服的。她说:"你真以为这件事值得冒险吗?"她有点温和下来了。

  什么事值得什么冒险?"

   'This escapade with my sister.' "

  和我妹妹的这件事。"

   He flickered his irritating grin.

  他脸上露着不快的苦笑,用土话说:

   'Yo' maun ax 'er!' Then he looked at Connie. "

  那你得去问她!"然后他望着康妮。

   'Tha comes o' thine own accord, lass, doesn't ter? It's non me as forces thee?' "

  那是您甘心情愿的,是不是,女孩和?我没有强迫您罢?"

  康妮望着希尔达。

   'I wish you wouldn't cavil, Hilda.' "

  我希望你不要拔是非罢,希尔达。"她说。

   'Naturally I don't want to. But someone has to think about things. You've got to have some sort of continuity in your life. You can't just go making a mess.' "

  我决不想挑拔什么是非。但是总得有个人去想想是非。在生活中,不得不有点某种永久性。你不能一味胡闹的。"

   There was a moment's pause.

  他们静默了一会。

   'Eh, continuity!' he said. 'An' what by that? What continuity ave yer got i' your life? I thought you was gettin' divorced. What continuity's that? Continuity o' yer own stubbornness. I can see that much. An' what good's it goin' to do yer? You'll be sick o' yer continuity afore yer a fat sight older. A stubborn woman an er own self-will: ay, they make a fast continuity, they do. Thank heaven, it isn't me as 'as got th' 'andlin' of yer!' "

  咳,永久性!"他说,"那是什么意思?您自己的生命里可有什么永久性?我相信您正在离婚罢,不知道这里头的永久性是什么?这不过是您自己的执锄性的永久性罢,我看很明白,那永久性于您有什么好处?您不久便要厌恶这永久性。一个执锄的女人和她的自我意志!咳,这两种东西合起来便成个好漂亮的永久性,的确!谢谢天,幸得您的事与我无涉!"

  你有什么权利对我说这种话?"希尔达说。

   'Right! What right ha' yo' ter start harnessin' other folks i' your continuity? Leave folks to their own continuities.' "

  什么权利?你又有什么权利把您的永久性来厌烦他人?不要管他人的永久性罢。"

   'My dear man, do you think I am concerned with you?' said Hilda softly. "

  我的好汉哟,你以为你和我有什么关系么?"希迎达温和地说。

   'Ay,' he said. 'Yo' are. For it's a force-put. Yo' more or less my sister-in-law.' "

  是的!"他说,"有的,愿他罢,不愿也罢,你多少总是我的阿姨了。"

目 录 上一节 下一节

分享本课给同学:

   

扫扫二维码

手机学英语


名著·查太莱夫人的情人 - 第93节