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对，"圣克莱尔说，"把锅炉烧得滚烫，关紧安全阀门，再坐在阀门盖上，看你会怎么收场。" "Well," said Alfred, "we _will_ see. I'm not afraid to sit on the escape-valve, as long as the boilers are strong, and the machinery works well."" 好，"艾尔弗雷德说，"那就等着瞧吧。只要锅炉坚固，机器运转正常，我就敢坐在安全阀门盖上。" "The nobles in Louis XVI.'s time thought just so; and Austria and Pius IX. think so now; and, some pleasant morning, you may all be caught up to meet each other in the air, _when the boilers burst_."" 哼，路易十六时代的贵族老爷们可和你想的一样，现在奥地利的庇护九世也这么想。看着吧，总有那么一天，早晨醒来，发现锅炉爆炸，你们这帮人都得在空中相遇。" "_Dies declarabit_," said Alfred, laughing." 用时间来证明一切吧！"艾尔弗雷德笑着用拉丁语说道。 "I tell you," said Augustine, "if there is anything that is revealed with the strength of a divine law in our times, it is that the masses are to rise, and the under class become the upper one."" 我告诉你，"奥古斯丁正色道，"我们这时代如果还有什么力量像圣谕一般不可违抗的话，那就是人民大众的力量！下层阶级必将站起来，成为上层阶级。" 
哼，又在宣扬你那套红色共和主义的东西了。奥古斯丁，你怎么没去搞政治演说呢--你肯定能成为著名的政治演说家的。不过，但愿你那些肮脏的民众站起来主事的时候，我已经作古了。" "Greasy or not greasy, they will govern _you_, when their time comes," said Augustine; "and they will be just such rulers as you make them. The French noblesse chose to have the people `_sans culottes_,' and they had `_sans culotte_' governors to their hearts' content. The people of Hayti--"" 且不管肮脏不肮脏，只要时机一到，他们肯定会反过来统治你们的。"奥古斯丁说，"而且，他们会以其人之道还治其人之身。法国的统治者不让群众穿裤子，结果呢，他们结结实实享受了一下不穿裤子的滋味。海地人民--" "O, come, Augustine! as if we hadn't had enough of that abominable, contemptible Hayti![1] The Haytiens were not Anglo Saxons; if they had been there would have been another story. The Anglo Saxon is the dominant race of the world, and _is to be so_."" 够了，奥古斯丁。一谈起讨厌的海地人就没完没了！海地人不是盎格鲁-萨克森人，如果是的话，情况就大不一样了，盎格鲁-萨克森可是世界上最优秀的民族，永远都是。" "Well, there is a pretty fair infusion of Anglo Saxon blood among our slaves, now," said Augustine. "There are plenty among them who have only enough of the African to give a sort of tropical warmth and fervor to our calculating firmness and foresight. If ever the San Domingo hour comes, Anglo Saxon blood will lead on the day. Sons of white fathers, with all our haughty feelings burning in their veins, will not always be bought and sold and traded. They will rise, and raise with them their mother's race."" 那好啊！我们的许多奴隶身上正流着盎格鲁-萨克森人的血液呢！"奥古斯丁抓住了话柄，"他们中有些人只有很少一点的非洲血统。因此，你得明白，他们和我们一样，有坚定不移的信念和深谋远虑的才能，只是多一点热带人的火气。一旦圣多明戈那样的时刻来临，他们身上的盎格鲁-萨克森的血液就会马上起作用的。他们是白种人的后代，我们身上的傲气，他们也有，他们不会永远像现在一样甘于被买卖交换。总有一天他们会揭竿而起，从此扬眉吐气的。" "Stuff!--nonsense!"" 荒谬，简直是一派胡言！" 
喏，有句古话说得好：诺亚的日子怎样，将来的日子也怎样，人们吃喝住行，辛勤劳作，可洪水一来，把一切都冲毁了！" "On the whole, Augustine, I think your talents might do for a circuit rider," said Alfred, laughing. "Never you fear for us; possession is our nine points. We've got the power. This subject race," said he, stamping firmly, "is down and shall _stay_ down! We have energy enough to manage our own powder."" 奥古斯丁，你真富于巡回牧师的天资呢！"艾尔弗雷德笑着说，"你不用替我操心，权力在我手中，我稳操胜券呢！这个寄生虫样的民族，"他又狠狠跺了一下脚，说道，"现在被踩在我们脚下，将来也会如此。我们的武力足以对付他们。" "Sons trained like your Henrique will be grand guardians of your powder-magazines," said Augustine,--"so cool and self-possessed! The proverb says, "`They that cannot govern themselves cannot govern others.'"" 当然，像恩瑞克这样受过训练的子孙肯定会为守护你们的阵地而冲锋陷阵的啰！"奥古斯丁说道，"冷静沉着，常言不是说了吗，'不能律己者不能治人。'" "There is a trouble there" said Alfred, thoughtfully; "there's no doubt that our system is a difficult one to train children under. It gives too free scope to the passions, altogether, which, in our climate, are hot enough. I find trouble with Henrique. The boy is generous and warm-hearted, but a perfect fire-cracker when excited. I believe I shall send him North for his education, where obedience is more fashionable, and where he will associate more with equals, and less with dependents."" 这确实是个麻烦，"艾尔弗雷德若有所思地说，"毫无疑问，我们现行的制度很难将孩子培育好，对孩子太放纵了。你知道，南部的气候本来就让人火气冲天的，我拿恩瑞克真是没辙。说实话，这孩子慷慨大方，乐于助人，就是性子暴烈，发起脾气来像个火药桶一样。我想该把他送到北方去受受教育，北方比较崇尚服从，他可以和本阶级的人接触多些，少和奴隶们打交道。" "Since training children is the staple work of the human race," said Augustine, "I should think it something of a consideration that our system does not work well there."" 既然教育是人类最主要的工作，而我们现在的教育制度又如此不妥，照这样看来，这实在是个值得深思的问题。"奥古斯丁说。 
不可否认，我们的制度在有些方面是不够妥当，"艾尔弗雷德说道，"但也不是一无是处呀！起码，它能把孩子们训练得勇敢果断，而下等民族的孩子正与此截然相反，这可是他们最大的缺陷。撒谎和欺骗已经成了奴隶们的普遍标志，我相信在这种情况下，恩瑞克对于诚实肯定有了更深的理解。" "A Christian-like view of the subject, certainly!" said Augustine." 不容置疑，这是一种非常符合基督精神的见解。"奥古斯丁说。 "It's true, Christian-like or not; and is about as Christian-like as most other things in the world," said Alfred." 不管符不符合基督精神，这是事实，和许多事情比起来，在符合基督教义方面也不相上下呢！"艾尔弗雷德说。 "That may be," said St. Clare." 或许是吧！"圣克莱尔说。 "Well, there's no use in talking, Augustine. I believe we've been round and round this old track five hundred times, more or less. What do you say to a game of backgammon?"" 好了，不谈了，奥古斯丁，你瞧，我们在老问题上已经转了不下五百个圈子了。下一盘十五子棋，你看如何？" 
这对孪生兄弟走上台阶，在走廊里的一张竹几两旁坐了下来。这竹几小巧玲珑，上面摆着个棋盘，兄弟俩在摆棋子的时候，艾尔弗雷德又开口了： "I tell you, Augustine, if I thought as you do, I should do something."" 我说，奥古斯丁，如果我有你这种想法，就会付诸行动。" "I dare say you would,--you are one of the doing sort,--but what?"" 这我毫不怀疑--你是个行动家，可是，能干些什么呢？" "Why, elevate your own servants, for a specimen," said Alfred, with a half-scornful smile." 哟，你可以切实提高黑奴的地位嘛！"艾尔弗雷德的口气颇带嘲讽。 "You might as well set Mount AEtna on them flat, and tell them to stand up under it, as tell me to elevate my servants under all the superincumbent mass of society upon them. One man can do nothing, against the whole action of a community. Education, to do anything, must be a state education; or there must be enough agreed in it to make a current."" 为那些重重压迫之下的黑奴提高地位，这和把整座埃特纳火山先压在他们身上再叫他们站起来有什么两样？如果社会上不采取一致行动，单枪匹马地干是成不了气候的，只有教育成为全民的教育，或者汇合一大批志同道合的人，这局面才有可能改观。" 
你先下吧。"艾尔弗雷德说。于是，兄弟俩很快进入棋局，直到"得得"的马蹄声在走廊里回响起来。 "There come the children," said Augustine, rising. "Look here, Alf! Did you ever see anything so beautiful?" And, in truth, it _was_ a beautiful sight. Henrique, with his bold brow, and dark, glossy curls, and glowing cheek, was laughing gayly as he bent towards his fair cousin, as they came on. She was dressed in a blue riding dress, with a cap of the same color. Exercise had given a brilliant hue to her cheeks, and heightened the effect of her singularly transparent skin, and golden hair." 孩子们回来了。"奥古斯丁一面说，一面已站了起来。"看哪，阿尔夫，你见过这么美的图画吗？"这确实是一道令人赏心悦目的景致：恩瑞克额头清亮，头发乌黑如墨又不失光泽，脸蛋灿若明霞。兄妹俩一路骑马过来，恩瑞克侧身向着美丽的堂妹，正开怀大笑。伊娃是蓝色的骑装，蓝色的帽子，运动之后显出生气勃勃，那透明的皮肤和一头金发越发显得美丽动人。 "Good heavens! what perfectly dazzling beauty!" said Alfred. "I tell you, Auguste, won't she make some hearts ache, one of these days?"" 天哪！这可是个倾国倾城的女子哪！"艾尔弗雷德赞叹道，"奥古斯丁，不瞒你说，以后不知多少人会为她心碎哩！" "She will, too truly,--God knows I'm afraid so!" said St. Clare, in a tone of sudden bitterness, as he hurried down to take her off her horse." 一点没错！老天知道，我有多么担心！"圣克莱尔突然痛苦地说，跑过去把伊娃从马背上抱下来。 "Eva darling! you're not much tired?" he said, as he clasped her in his arms." 伊娃，小宝贝，你不会太累吧？"他一边说，一边紧紧地把她搂在怀里。
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