目 录 上一节 下一节 
爸爸，我是不用瞒你的，我就要离开你了，永远也回不来了。"伊娃哽咽起来。 "O, now, my dear little Eva!" said St. Clare, trembling as he spoke, but speaking cheerfully, "you've got nervous and low-spirited; you mustn't indulge such gloomy thoughts. See here, I've bought a statuette for you!"" 哦，伊娃，我亲爱的宝贝，"圣克莱尔又不由得颤抖起来，可是他还竭力强装笑颜，说，"你只是神经衰弱，精神不济罢了，可不准胡思乱想啊！你瞧，我给你买了个小塑像！" "No, papa," said Eva, putting it gently away, "don't deceive yourself!--I am _not_ any better, I know it perfectly well,--and I am going, before long. I am not nervous,--I am not low-spirited. If it were not for you, papa, and my friends, I should be perfectly happy. I want to go,--I long to go!"" 不，爸爸，"伊娃把小塑像轻放到一边，说，"您别再骗自己了。我的身体一点都没有好转，我心里很清楚，我就要离开您了，很快就走。我不是神经衰弱，也不是精神不济。要不是因为想着您和朋友们，我会觉得非常幸福的。真的，我很愿意去呢！" "Why, dear child, what has made your poor little heart so sad? You have had everything, to make you happy, that could be given you."" 噢，我的心肝，你小小年纪怎么会有这么悲观的想法呢！你看，所有能给你的、能让你快乐的东西，你都拥有了啊！" "I had rather be in heaven; though, only for my friends' sake, I would be willing to live. There are a great many things here that make me sad, that seem dreadful to me; I had rather be there; but I don't want to leave you,--it almost breaks my heart!"" 可是我还是宁愿到天国去，虽然说因为朋友们在这儿，我也想留在这儿，可这里有好多东西都让人太伤心了，太害怕了，我更愿意到天国去。可是，爸爸，我实在不愿意离开您啊！我的心好疼啊！" 
伊娃，亲爱的孩子，这儿有什么东西让你伤心害怕呢？" "O, things that are done, and done all the time. I feel sad for our poor people; they love me dearly, and they are all good and kind to me. I wish, papa, they were all _free_."" 哦，是人们都习以为常，一直在做的事情。我真为家里的仆人们难过，他们对我那么好，那么爱护我，可是他们多可怜啊！爸爸，我真希望他们都是自由的！" "Why, Eva, child, don't you think they are well enough off now?"" 哦，我的乖女儿，他们不是过得很不错吗？" "O, but, papa, if anything should happen to you, what would become of them? There are very few men like you, papa. Uncle Alfred isn't like you, and mamma isn't; and then, think of poor old Prue's owners! What horrid things people do, and can do!" and Eva shuddered." 可是，爸爸，要是您出了什么事情，他们可怎么办呀！像您这么仁慈的主人有几个呢？艾尔弗雷德伯伯不是，连妈妈也不是。再想想那可怜的普吕的主人吧，他们做的事情多可怕啊！"说到这儿，伊娃不由打了个冷战。 "My dear child, you are too sensitive. I'm sorry I ever let you hear such stories."" 孩子，你太敏感了。我真后悔让你听到这些事。" 
爸爸，那正是我烦恼的。您想让我过得好好的，不遭受任何痛苦和不幸，甚至连一个悲惨的故事都不让我听到；可是那些黑人呢，这些可怜的人一无所有，只有贫困、苦难和无穷无尽的悲伤。这太自私了！我应该知道那些事情，应该去同情他们。这些事情深深地印在我心中，挥之不去，我反反复复地思考它们。爸爸，难道没有什么办法让这些黑奴都获得自由吗？" "That's a difficult question, dearest. There's no doubt that this way is a very bad one; a great many people think so; I do myself I heartily wish that there were not a slave in the land; but, then, I don't know what is to be done about it!"" 这是个很困难的问题，我亲爱的孩子！"圣克莱尔说．"毋庸置疑，这种制度实在糟透了，很多人都这么认为，我也是这么想。我也和你一样衷心希望这世上没一个奴隶。可是，目前我并不知道怎样才能解决这个问题。" "Papa, you are such a good man, and so noble, and kind, and you always have a way of saying things that is so pleasant, couldn't you go all round and try to persuade people to do right about this? When I am dead, papa, then you will think of me, and do it for my sake. I would do it, if I could."" 噢，爸爸，您是个好人，高贵仁慈，别人都对您言听计从，您能不能到处走走，劝大家都正确地处理这个问题？爸爸，我死了之后，您一定会想念我的，对不对？您也肯定会为我去做这件事情的，对吗？如果我能够，我一定会那么做。" "When you are dead, Eva," said St. Clare, passionately. "O, child, don't talk to me so! You are all I have on earth."" 你死了之后？噢，宝贝，我的心肝，你怎么能对爸爸说这种话？你可是我生命的一切啊！"圣克莱尔非常动情地说。 "Poor old Prue's child was all that she had,--and yet she had to hear it crying, and she couldn't help it! Papa, these poor creatures love their children as much as you do me. O! do something for them! There's poor Mammy loves her children; I've seen her cry when she talked about them. And Tom loves his children; and it's dreadful, papa, that such things are happening, all the time!"" 可怜的老普吕的孩子也是她生命的一切啊！可是她只能听着她孩子的哭声，一点办法都没有。爸爸，这些可怜的人爱他们的孩子，就像您爱我一样。噢，爸爸，为他们做点什么吧！我亲眼看到，可怜的妈咪一提到她的孩子们，就放声大哭，她爱他们呀！汤姆也爱他的孩子们呀！可是这些骨肉分离的事却天天都在发生。爸爸，这多可怕啊！" 
好的，好的，亲爱的，"圣克莱尔安慰道，"你别伤心了，伊娃，别再说死，爸爸愿意为你做任何事情。" "And promise me, dear father, that Tom shall have his freedom as soon as"--she stopped, and said, in a hesitating tone--"I am gone!"" 噢，那您就答应我，亲爱的爸爸，让汤姆获得自由，一旦，"伊娃顿了顿，迟疑了会儿，说，"一旦我离开之后。" "Yes, dear, I will do anything in the world,--anything you could ask me to."" 我答应你，宝贝，我愿意做任何事情，只要你高兴。" "Dear papa," said the child, laying her burning cheek against his, "how I wish we could go together!"" 亲爱的爸爸，"伊娃将滚烫的脸颊贴在她父亲脸上，"我真希望我们能一起去。" "Where, dearest?" said St. Clare." 去哪儿，宝贝？"圣克莱尔问道。 
当然是去基督的家园啊！那里温馨，宁静，大家互助互爱，"伊娃说着，就像在谈论一个她熟识的地方，"您不想去吗，爸爸？" St. Clare drew her closer to him, but was silent. 圣克莱尔将孩子抱得更紧了，没有回答。 "You will come to me," said the child, speaking in a voice of calm certainty which she often used unconsciously." 您一定会来的。"伊娃的语气平静而确定，她常常不自觉地这样说话。 "I shall come after you. I shall not forget you."" 对，我随后就来，不会忘了你。" The shadows of the solemn evening closed round them deeper and deeper, as St. Clare sat silently holding the little frail form to his bosom. He saw no more the deep eyes, but the voice came over him as a spirit voice, and, as in a sort of judgment vision, his whole past life rose in a moment before his eyes: his mother's prayers and hymns; his own early yearnings and aspirings for good; and, between them and this hour, years of worldliness and scepticism, and what man calls respectable living. We can think _much_, very much, in a moment. St. Clare saw and felt many things, but spoke nothing; and, as it grew darker, he took his child to her bed-room; and, when she was prepared for rest; he sent away the attendants, and rocked her in his arms, and sung to her till she was asleep. 夜色渐浓，周遭寂静。圣克莱尔静静地坐着，将孩子孱弱的身子紧紧搂在怀里。黑暗中，他看不清孩子那清亮而深邃的眼睛，只听见她喃喃低语着。他仿佛被送进一个审判的幻境，半生的历程都在此显现：他母亲的祈祷和赞美诗，早年对美好事物的憧憬追求，此后年复一年的工于世故，圆滑灵通以及人们所谓的上层的体面生活。人们往往会在极短的时间内追忆起许多往事。圣克莱尔回顾了很多，一时感慨万千，但他什么也没说。夜色愈加深了，圣克莱尔抱起孩子来到卧室。临睡之前，他把所有的仆人都打发出去。他一面在怀里摇着孩子，一面哼着摇篮曲，直到孩子进入梦乡。 
第二十五章 The Little Evangelist 小福音使者 It was Sunday afternoon. St. Clare was stretched on a bamboo lounge in the verandah, solacing himself with a cigar. Marie lay reclined on a sofa, opposite the window opening on the verandah, closely secluded, under an awning of transparent gauze, from the outrages of the mosquitos, and languidly holding in her hand an elegantly bound prayer-book. She was holding it because it was Sunday, and she imagined she had been reading it,--though, in fact, she had been only taking a succession of short naps, with it open in her hand. 一个礼拜日的下午。圣克莱尔在走廊里的竹榻上躺着，吸烟解闷，玛丽斜靠在临窗的长沙发上，窗外就是走廊。长沙发上罩着一床透明的罗纱帐，以免蚊子的侵袭。由于礼拜天的缘故，玛丽就拿了本装帧精美的祈祷书来读，不过她只是做个样子而已，其实不住地打着盹儿。 Miss Ophelia, who, after some rummaging, had hunted up a small Methodist meeting within riding distance, had gone out, with Tom as driver, to attend it; and Eva had accompanied them. 经过一番细心的寻访，奥菲利亚小姐终于找到了一座坐马车可以到达的精致的小教堂。此时，汤姆正驾着马车，带她和伊娃上那儿去参加礼拜。 "I say, Augustine," said Marie after dozing a while, "I must send to the city after my old Doctor Posey; I'm sure I've got the complaint of the heart."" 我说，奥古斯丁，"玛丽打了会儿盹后开口说道，"我得把城里的玻西老医生接来看看，我敢肯定我是得了心脏病！"
| 