目 录 上一节 下一节 
她说老里弗斯先生是个极为朴实的人，但是位绅士，出身于一个十分古老的家庭。沼泽居自建成以后就一直属于里弗斯先生，她还肯定，这座房子"已有两百年左右历史了--尽管它看上去不过是个不起眼的小地方，丝毫比不上奥利弗先生在莫尔顿谷的豪华富宅，但我还记得比尔．奥利弗的父亲是个走家穿户的制针人，而里弗斯家族在过去亨利时代都是贵族，看看莫尔顿教堂法衣室记事簿，就谁都知道。"不过她仍认为"老主人像别人一样--并没有太出格，只是完全迷恋于狩猎种田等等。"女主人可不同。她爱读书，而且学得很多。"孩子们"像她。这一带没有人跟他们一样的，以往也没有。三个人都喜欢学习，差不多从能说话的时候起就这样了，他们自己一直"另有一套"。圣.约翰先生长大了就进大学，做起牧师来、而姑娘们一离开学校就去找家庭教师的活，他们告诉她，他们的父亲，几年前由于信托人破产，而丧失了一大笔钱。他现在已不富裕，没法给他们财产，他们就得自谋生计了。好久以来他们已很少住在家里了，这会儿是因为父亲去世才来这里小住几周的。不过他们确实也喜欢沼泽居和莫尔顿，以及附近所有的荒原和小山。他们到过伦敦和其他很多大城市，但总是说什么地方也比不上家里。另外，他们彼此又是那么融洽一-从来不争不吵。她不知道哪里还找得到这样一个和睦的家庭。 Having finished my task of gooseberry picking, I asked where the twoladies and their brother were now. 我拣完了鹅莓后问她，两位小姐和她们的哥哥上哪儿去了。 "Gone over to Morton for a walk; but they would be back in half-an-hour to tea."" 散步上莫尔顿去了，半小时内会回来吃茶点。" They returned within the time Hannah had allotted them: theyentered by the kitchen door. Mr. St. John, when he saw me, merelybowed and passed through; the two ladies stopped: Mary, in a fewwords, kindly and calmly expressed the pleasure she felt in seeingme well enough to be able to come down; Diana took my hand: sheshook her head at me. 他们在汉娜规定的时间内回来了，是从厨房门进来的。圣.约翰先生见了我不过点了点头就走过了。两位小姐停了下来。玛丽心平气和地说了几句话，表示很高兴见我己经好到能下楼了。黛安娜握住我的手，对我摇摇头。 "You should have waited for my leave to descend," she said. "Youstill look very pale--and so thin! Poor child!--poor girl!"" 你该等我允许后才好下楼，"她说。"你脸色还是很苍白--又那么瘦！可怜的孩子？--可怜的姑娘！" 
黛安娜的声调在我听来象鸽子的咕咕声。她有一双我很乐意接触她目光的眼睛。她的整张脸似乎都充满魅力。玛丽的面容，一样聪明-一她的五官一样漂亮，但她的表情更加冷淡，她的仪态虽然文雅却更显得隔膜。黛安娜的神态和说话的样子都有一种权威派头，显然很有主意。我生性喜欢服从像她那样有依靠的权威，在我的良心和自尊允许范围内，向富有活力的意志低头。 "And what business have you here?" she continued. "It is not yourplace. Mary and I sit in the kitchen sometimes, because at home welike to be free, even to license--but you are a visitor, and must gointo the parlour."" 你在这儿干什么？"她继续说。"这不是你呆的地方。玛丽和我有时在厨房里坐坐，因为在家里我们爱随便些，甚至有些放肆--但你是客人，得到客厅去。" "I am very well here."" 我在这儿很舒服。" "Not at all, with Hannah bustling about and covering you withflour."" 一点也不--汉娜这么忙这忙那会把面粉沾在你身上。" "Besides, the fire is too hot for you," interposed Mary." 另外，火炉对你也有些太热，"玛丽插嘴说。 
没有错，"她姐姐补充说。"来吧，你得听话。"她一面握着我的手一面拉我起来，领进内室。 "Sit there," she said, placing me on the sofa, "while we take ourthings off and get the tea ready; it is another privilege weexercise in our little moorland home--to prepare our own meals whenwe are so inclined, or when Hannah is baking, brewing, washing, orironing."" 那儿坐着吧，"她说着把我安顿在沙发上，"我们来脱掉衣服，准备好茶点。在沼泽居小家庭中享受的另一个特权，是自己准备饭菜，那往往是想要这么干，或者汉娜忙着烘烤，调制、烫衣的时候，" She closed the door, leaving me solus with Mr. St. John, who satopposite, a book or newspaper in his hand. I examined first, theparlour, and then its occupant. 她关了门，留下我与圣.约翰先生单独呆着。他坐在我对面，手里捧着一本书或一张报纸。我先是打量了一下客厅。随后再看看厅主人。 The parlour was rather a small room, very plainly furnished, yetcomfortable, because clean and neat. The old-fashioned chairs werevery bright, and the walnut-wood table was like a looking-glass. Afew strange, antique portraits of the men and women of other daysdecorated the stained walls; a cupboard with glass doors containedsome books and an ancient set of china. There was no superfluousornament in the room--not one modern piece of furniture, save abrace of workboxes and a lady's desk in rosewood, which stood on aside-table: everything--including the carpet and curtains--lookedat once well worn and well saved. 客厅不大，陈设也很朴实，但于净整洁十分舒服。老式椅子油光锃亮，那张胡桃木桌子象面穿衣镜。斑驳的墙上装饰着几张过去时代奇怪而古老的男女画像。在一个装有玻璃门的橱里，放着几本书和一套古瓷器。除了放在书桌上的-对针线盒和青龙木女用书台，房间里没有多余的装饰品--没有一件现代家具。包括地毯和窗帘在内的一切，看上去既陈旧而又保养得很好。 Mr. St. John--sitting as still as one of the dusty pictures on thewalls, keeping his eyes fixed on the page he perused, and his lipsmutely sealed--was easy enough to examine. Had he been a statueinstead of a man, he could not have been easier. He was young--perhaps from twenty-eight to thirty--tall, slender; his face rivetedthe eye; it was like a Greek face, very pure in outline: quite astraight, classic nose; quite an Athenian mouth and chin. It isseldom, indeed, an English face comes so near the antique models asdid his. He might well be a little shocked at the irregularity ofmy lineaments, his own being so harmonious. His eyes were large andblue, with brown lashes; his high forehead, colourless as ivory, waspartially streaked over by careless locks of fair hair. 圣.约翰先生--一动不动地坐着，犹如墙上色彩暗淡的画，眼睛盯着他细读着的那页书，嘴唇默默地闭着，--很容易让我细看个究竟，他要是装成塑像，而不是人，那是再容易不过了，他很年青--二十八至三十光景--高挑个子，身材颀长。他的脸引人注目，像一张希腊人的脸，轮廓完美、长着一个笔直的古典式鼻子，一张十足雅典人的嘴和下巴。说实在，英国人的脸很少像他那样如此酷似古典脸型的。他自己的五官那么匀称，也许对我的不匀称便有点儿吃惊了。他的眼睛又大又蓝，长着棕色的睫毛，高高的额头跟象牙一般苍白，额头上不经意披下了几绺金色的头发。 
这是一幅线条柔和的写生，是不是，读者？然而画中的人给人的印象却并不属于那种温和忍让、容易打动甚至十分平静的个性。虽然他此刻默默地坐着，但我觉察到，他的鼻孔、嘴巴、额头有着某种东西，表现出内心的不安、冷酷或急切。他的妹妹们回来之前、他还没有同我说过一个字，或者朝我看过一眼。黛安娜走进走出，准备着茶点，给我带来了一块在炉顶上烤着的小饼。 "Eat that now," she said: "you must be hungry. Hannah says youhave had nothing but some gruel since breakfast."" 这会儿就把它吃掉吧，"她说、"你准饿了。汉娜说从早饭到现在，你只喝了点粥，什么也没吃。" I did not refuse it, for my appetite was awakened and keen. Mr.Rivers now closed his book, approached the table, and, as he took aseat, fixed his blue pictorial-looking eyes full on me. There wasan unceremonious directness, a searching, decided steadfastness inhis gaze now, which told that intention, and not diffidence, hadhitherto kept it averted from the stranger. 我没有谢绝，我的胃口恢复了，而且很好，这时里弗斯先生合上书，走到桌子旁边。他就座时，那双画一般的蓝眼晴紧盯着我。目光里有一种不拘礼节的直率，一种锐利、明确的坚定，说明他一直避开陌生人不是出于腼腆，而是故意的。 "You are very hungry," he said." 你很饿，"他说。 "I am, sir." It is my way--it always was my way, by instinct--everto meet the brief with brevity, the direct with plainness." 是的，先生。"这是我的习惯--向来的习惯，完全是直觉-一简问简答，直问直说。 
幸好三天来的低烧迫使你禁食，要是一开始便放开肚子吃就危险了。现在你可以吃了，不过还是得节制。"
| 
