目 录 上一节 下一节 
一个星期天的上午，玛丽衣着华丽地站在门廊里，正将一个钻石手镯套上她那纤细的手腕。不知她此刻心里是否正在想着这些事，可能是，也可能不是。玛丽绝对不会错过任何好东西，现在，她正精心打扮准备去一家时髦的教堂去做礼拜。钻石、丝绸、花边、珠宝，她应有尽有。礼拜天必须得特别虔诚，玛丽把这点看得极其重要。她这会儿正仪态万方地站在那儿，纤细飘逸，一副飘飘欲仙的味道。她那条缀着花边的头巾罩在头上，如烟似雾般，使她看上去优雅极了，玛丽内心也觉得自己太美了。而旁边的奥菲利亚小姐则是个极好的陪衬。倒不是说她的绸子衣服和头巾不如玛丽的好看，手帕不如玛丽的精致，而是因为她长得方方正正，棱角分明，僵硬的姿态更加衬托出玛丽的仪态万方来。不过，玛丽的华贵并不是上帝心目中的华贵。 "Where's Eva?" said Marie." 伊娃到哪里去了？"玛丽问道 "The child stopped on the stairs, to say something to Mammy." " 这孩子和妈咪在台阶上说些什么呢？" And what was Eva saying to Mammy on the stairs? Listen, reader, and you will hear, though Marie does not. 伊娃和妈咪在台阶上正说什么呢？读者们，你们可以听见，可玛丽却听不见。 "Dear Mammy, I know your head is aching dreadfully."" 亲爱的妈咪，我知道你的头很疼。" 
上帝保佑你，伊娃小姐！我总是这样，你不用担心。" "Well, I'm glad you're going out; and here,"--and the little girl threw her arms around her,--"Mammy, you shall take my vinaigrette."" 我真高兴你能出去走走。这个，给你，"说着，伊娃伸出手臂搂住妈咪，"你把我的香精瓶带上吧。" "What! your beautiful gold thing, thar, with them diamonds! Lor, Miss, 't wouldn't be proper, no ways."" 什么？让我带上你那个美丽的镶钻石的金瓶？你可千万别这样。" "Why not? You need it, and I don't. Mamma always uses it for headache, and it'll make you feel better. No, you shall take it, to please me, now."" 为什么不能？你用得上它，可我根本用不上。妈妈总拿它来治头疼，你闻闻它就会感觉好多了。拿着吧，就算是为了让我开心，行吗？" "Do hear the darlin talk!" said Mammy, as Eva thrust it into her bosom, and kissing her, ran down stairs to her mother." 可爱的小乖乖多么会说话呀！"说着，伊娃一下子扑到妈咪怀里，亲了她一下，便跑下楼找她妈妈去了。 
你在那儿干什么呢？"玛丽问道。 "I was just stopping to give Mammy my vinaigrette, to take to church with her."" 我只是想把我的香精瓶给妈咪用，让她带到教堂去。"伊娃回答说。 "Eva" said Marie, stamping impatiently,--"your gold vinaigrette to _Mammy!_ When will you learn what's _proper_? Go right and take it back this moment!" 玛丽不耐烦地跺着脚，嚷道："伊娃！你把自己的金瓶给了她？！你究竟什么时候才能懂事？去，赶快去把瓶子要回来。" Eva looked downcast and aggrieved, and turned slowly. 伊娃看上去一副沮丧难过的表情，慢慢吞吞地往回转身。 "I say, Marie, let the child alone; she shall do as she pleases," said St. Clare." 我说 "St. Clare, how will she ever get along in the world?" said Marie." 可是圣克莱尔，像这样发展下去，将来她自己怎么过日子呀？" "The Lord knows," said St. Clare, "but she'll get along in heaven better than you or I."" 上帝会知道，不过将来她在天堂里肯定比我们过得幸福。" "O, papa, don't," said Eva, softly touching his elbow; "it troubles mother."" 爸爸，别说了，"伊娃轻轻碰了碰爸爸的胳膊肘，说，"妈妈心里会难受的。" "Well, cousin, are you ready to go to meeting?" said Miss Ophelia, turning square about on St. Clare." 那么，堂弟，你打算去做礼拜吗？"奥菲利亚小姐转过身来，对圣克莱尔问道。 
谢谢你的关心，我不去。" "I do wish St. Clare ever would go to church," said Marie; "but he hasn't a particle of religion about him. It really isn't respectable."" 我真希望圣克莱尔能到教堂去做做礼拜。可他身上完全没有一点宗教的影子，真太不像话了。" "I know it," said St. Clare. "You ladies go to church to learn how to get along in the world, I suppose, and your piety sheds respectability on us. If I did go at all, I would go where Mammy goes; there's something to keep a fellow awake there, at least."" 我知道你们这些太太小姐们到教堂去是为了学会为人处世。我想，既然你们是这么虔诚，总可以让我们沾沾福气吧。再说，即使我要去做礼拜，我也只会去妈咪去的那家教堂，起码那儿不会让我打瞌睡。" "What! those shouting Methodists? Horrible!" said Marie." 什么？你要去卫理公会的教堂？那里的教徒只会大吵大叫，可怕极了！" "Anything but the dead sea of your respectable churches, Marie. Positively, it's too much to ask of a man. Eva, do you like to go? Come, stay at home and play with me."" 你们那些表面上很体面的教堂实际上只不过是一潭死水罢了，玛丽。谁都受不了那儿的气氛，这是一定的。你愿意去吗，伊娃？算了吧，还是和爸爸呆在家里吧。" 
谢谢爸爸，不过我还是决定去教堂。" "Isn't it dreadful tiresome?" said St. Clare." 你不觉得那儿很乏味吗？" "I think it is tiresome, some," said Eva, "and I am sleepy, too, but I try to keep awake."" 的确有点儿，而且我也有点想睡觉，不过我会尽可能地不打瞌睡。" "What do you go for, then?"" 既然这样，你为什么还要去？" "Why, you know, papa," she said, in a whisper, "cousin told me that God wants to have us; and he gives us everything, you know; and it isn't much to do it, if he wants us to. It isn't so very tiresome after all." 伊娃悄声说："爸爸，你知道吗？姑姑说是上帝要求我们这样做的，是他把一切赐予我们。你知道吗？如果他想要我们去，谁也阻止不了。做礼拜毕竟不会乏味得要了我的命。" 
我的小宝贝，你真是个招人喜欢的小东西！"圣克莱尔吻了她一下，"那好，去吧，要听话，别忘了为我祈祷。" "Certainly, I always do," said the child, as she sprang after her mother into the carriage." 当然不会忘记，我一直都在为你祈祷。"伊娃说着，跟着母亲跳上了车。 St. Clare stood on the steps and kissed his hand to her, as the carriage drove away; large tears were in his eyes. 圣克莱尔站在台阶上，看着离去的马车，给了伊娃一个飞吻。他的眼中不禁噙满泪花。 "O, Evangeline! rightly named," he said; "hath not God made thee an evangel to me?"" 伊娃，你真是上帝赐予我的福音啊！"他自言自语道。 So he felt a moment; and then he smoked a cigar, and read the Picayune, and forgot his little gospel. Was he much unlike other folks? 圣克莱尔感慨了一会儿，点燃了一支雪茄，拿起了一份《五分日报》读了起来，很快就把他的小福音忘得一干二净。他和别的俗人也没有什么差别。 
在马车里，玛丽正对伊娃说："听着，伊娃，对待下人的确应该态度和蔼，但不能把他们同我们自己一样看待。比方说吧，如果妈咪生病了，你总不会愿意让她睡你的床吧。" "I should feel just like it, mamma," said Eva, "because then it would be handier to take care of her, and because, you know, my bed is better than hers."" 我非常愿意，妈妈，这样更便于照料她，而且，你也知道，我的床比她的舒服多了。" Marie was in utter despair at the entire want of moral perception evinced in this reply. 玛丽被女儿这番完全没有道德观念的回答搞得极为沮丧。 "What can I do to make this child understand me?" she said." 怎么样才有让她明白点道理呢？" "Nothing," said Miss Ophelia, significantly." 没办法。"奥菲利亚小姐意味深长地说道。
| 