名著·茶花女 - 第27节

　　“您讲得太美了，您知道吗？可我该怎样来报答这种伟大的爱情呢？”

'You must love me a little, ' I said, with a beating heart which almost prevented me from speaking; for, despite the half-mocking smiles with which she had accompanied the whole of our conversation, it seemed to me that Marguerite was beginning to share my troubled state and that I was approaching the moment which I had been so long awaiting.

　　“应该给我这么一点爱，”我说，心跳得几乎连话也讲不出来，因为尽管玛格丽特讲话的时候流露出一种含讥带讽的微笑，我还是觉得出来，她似乎也跟我一样有点心慌意乱了，我等待已久的时刻正在逐步逼近。

'But what about the Duke?'

　　“那么公爵怎么办呢？”

'What Duke?'

　　“哪个公爵？”

'My old Duke. He's very suspicious.'

　　“我的老醋罐子。”

　　“他什么也不会知道。”

'And if he does?'

　　“如果他知道了呢？”

'He'll forgive you.'

　　“他会原谅您的。”

'Oh no! He'll leave me and then what'll become of me?'

　　“啊，不会的！他就不要我了，那我怎么办呢？”

'You are already running that risk for someone else's sake.'

　　“您为别人不也在冒这种危险吗？”

　　“您怎么知道的？”

'From the order you gave that no one should be allowed in tonight.'

　　“您刚才不是吩咐今晚不要让人进来吗？这我就知道了。”

'You're right; but he is a good friend.'

　　“这倒是真的，但这是一位规矩朋友。”

'Who you don't much care for, if you can close you door to him at this time of night.'

　　“既然您这么晚还把他挡在门外，说明您也并不怎么看重他。”

'You're in no position to criticize me since I did it to receive you and your friend.'

　　“这也用不着您来教训我呀，因为这是为了接待你们，您和您的朋友。”

　　我已经慢慢地挨近了玛格丽特，我轻轻地搂着她的腰，她轻盈柔软的身躯已经在我的怀抱里了。

'If you only knew how much I love you!' I whispered.

　　“您知道我有多么爱您！”我轻轻地对她说。

'Do you really mean it?'

　　“真的吗？”

'I swear it.'

　　“我向您发誓。”

'Well, if you promise to do everything I say without arguing, without finding fault or asking questions, I will love you, perhaps.'

　　“那么，如果您答应一切都照我的意思办，不说二话，不监视我，不盘问我，那么我可能会爱您的。”

　　“我全都听您的！”

'But I warn you, I want to be free to do whatever I choose, without having to tell you anything about the life I lead. For a long time now, I've been looking for a young, easygoing lover, someone who would love me without asking questions, someone I could love without his feeling that he has any rights over me. I have never found one yet. Men, instead of being content with being freely given for long periods what they hardly dared hope to get once, are forever asking their mistresses for an account of the present, the past and even the future. As they get used to a mistress, they try to dominate her, and they become all the more demanding the more they are given. If I decide to take a new lover now, I want him to have three very rare qualities: he must be trusting, submissive and discreet.'

　　“我有言在先，只要我喜欢，我要怎么着就怎么着，我不会把我的生活琐事告诉您的。很久以来我一直在找一个年轻听话的情人，他要对我多情而不多心，他接受我的爱但又并不要求权利。这样的人我还从来没有找到过。男人们总是这样的，一旦他们得到了他们原来难以得到的东西，时间一长，他们又会感到不满足了，他们进而要求了解他们情人的目前、过去、甚至将来的情况。在他们逐渐跟情人熟悉以后，就想控制她，情人越迁就，他们就越得寸进尺。倘使我现在打定主意要再找一个情人的话，我希望他具有三种罕见的品格：信任我，听我的话，而且不多嘴。”

'Very well, I shall be everything you desire.'

　　“所有这些我都能做到。”

'We'll see. '

　　“我们以后再看吧！”

'And when will we see?'

　　“什么时候呢？”

　　“再过些时候。”

'Why?'

　　“为什么？”

'Because, ' said Marguerite, slipping out of my arms and taking a single bloom from a large bunch of red camellias which had been delivered that morning and putting it in my buttonhole, 'because you can't always implement treaties the day they are signed.'

　　“因为，”玛格丽特从我怀抱里挣脱身子，在一大束早上送来的红色茶花中间摘了一朵，插在我衣服的纽孔里，说道，“因为条约总不会在签字的当天就执行的。”

The meaning is plain.

　　这是不难理解的。

'And when shall I see you again?' I said, taking her in my arms.

　　“那么我什么时候可以再见到您呢？”我一面说，一面把她紧紧地搂在怀里。