6.Breakfast in the hayfield
6.干草场上的早餐

When Geoffrey woke, a cold morning light was coming into the shed. Outside, a heavy mist lay across the field, hiding the trees and the hedges.
杰弗里醒来时,清冷的晨光正照进棚屋。外面,浓雾笼罩着田野,遮住了树木和树篱。

The woman was sleeping in his arms, and he held her gently, staring out into the mist, still full of wonder and love. He would never be afraid or lonely again, with her beside him.
女人在他怀中沉睡,他轻柔地抱着她,凝视着外面的迷雾,心中依然充满了惊奇与爱意。有她在身边,他再也不会感到害怕或孤独了。

Then he looked down at her, and saw that she was open-eyed, watching him. She had golden-brown eyes, that immediately smiled into his. He also smiled, and softly kissed her.
接着他低下头看她,发现她已经睁开了眼睛,正注视着他。她有一双金棕色的眼睛,此刻正含笑望着他。他也笑了,轻轻吻了她。

After a time, he asked shyly, ‘What’s your name?’
过了一会儿,他害羞地问道:“你叫什么名字?”

Lydia,’ she said.
“莉迪亚,”她说。

Lydia,’ he said slowly, liking the sound of it. ‘My name’s Geoffrey. Geoffrey Wookey.’
“莉迪亚,”他慢慢地重复道,很喜欢这个名字的发音。“我叫杰弗里。杰弗里·伍基。”

She smiled at him, and for a while they were silent.
她对他微笑着,两人沉默了片刻。

We couldn’t get married, could we?’ he asked.
“我们没法结婚,是吗?”他问。

No.’
“是的。”

He thought deeply about this for some time.
他对此深思了许久。

Would you go to Canada with me?’
“你愿意和我一起去加拿大吗?”

Perhaps you’ll think differently in two months’ time,’ she replied quietly.
“也许两个月后你的想法就会变了,”她轻声回答。

I’ll think the same. I won’t change,’ he said, hurt.
“我会一如既往。我不会变的,”他说,感到有些受伤。

She watched him. She would not push him, would not hurry him. She would stay with him, but he must decide, he must do what he wanted.
她看着他。她不会逼迫他,也不会催促他。她会陪在他身边,但他必须自己做出决定,必须遵从自己的心意。

Haven’t you got any family?’ he asked.
“你没有家人吗?”他问。

A married sister at Crick. I can go there, if you want me to. I’ll get a job on a farm perhaps.’
“在克里克有个已婚的姐姐。如果你希望我去,我可以去那里。也许我能在农场找份工作。”

And then, in the spring, we’ll go to Canada. You will come with me, won’t you?’ he said, hopefully.
“然后到了春天,我们就去加拿大。你会跟我一起去的,对吧?”他满怀希望地说。

When the time comes.’
“到时候再说吧。”

She did not trust him yet, and he understood why.
她还没有完全信任他,他也明白原因。

I’ll give you some money before you go to Crick,’ he said. ‘You’ll go past our farm on your way.’
“在你去克里克之前,我会给你一些钱,”他说,“你路上会经过我们的农场。”

I don’t need it. I’ve got some money.’
“我不需要。我自己有钱。”

Her answer worried him. Perhaps she didn’t need him or his help. He began to feel afraid. ‘Can I write to you? What name shall I use?’
她的回答让他感到担忧。也许她并不需要他或他的帮助。他开始感到害怕。“我能给你写信吗?我该用什么称呼?”

Mrs Bredon.’
“布雷登太太。”

Your married name!’ he said, with a short, hard laugh. ‘I’ll never see you again, will I?’
“你的夫姓!”他短促而苦涩地笑了一声说,“我再也不会见到你了,是吗?”

She put her arms round him and held him. There were tears in her eyes, but he was still worried, unsure.
她伸出双臂抱住他,紧紧依偎着他。她眼中含着泪水,但他仍然忧心忡忡,充满不确定。

Outside the mist was getting thinner. He remembered Maurice then, and told her about him.
外面的雾渐渐散了。这时他想起了莫里斯,便把关于他的事告诉了她。

Oh,’ she said. ‘You must go and put the ladder up for them, you must!’
“噢,”她说,“你必须去帮他们把梯子架好,一定要去!”

All right. But wait here, and see Maurice. Then I can tell him about us.’
“好吧。但你在这里等一下,见见莫里斯。这样我就能把我们俩的事告诉他了。”

She agreed to wait, and he went out to the haystack. There was no sound from above, and he could see nothing. He put the ladder back up in the same place, and then went along the hedge, looking for firewood.
她同意等待,他便走向干草堆。上面没有任何声音,他也什么也看不见。他把梯子放回原处架好,然后沿着树篱去找柴火。

Then he heard Maurice’s voice. ‘Well, look at that!’
这时他听到了莫里斯的声音:“哎呀,瞧瞧这个!”

Well, look at that!’ said Maurice.
“哎呀,瞧瞧这个!”莫里斯说。

Look at what?’ That was the girl. ‘The ladder – oh! You said it fell down!’
“瞧什么?”那是女孩的声音。“梯子——噢!你说过它倒了!”

It did,’ said Maurice. ‘Well, I heard a bang, and I couldn’t see the ladder, or feel it.’
“确实倒了啊,”莫里斯说,“我当时听到‘砰’的一声,既看不到梯子,也摸不到它。”

You said it fell down – and it wasn’t true!’
“你说它倒了——可那不是真的!”

It was true—’ he began.
“是真的——”他开口辩解。

Not true, not true!’ she cried. ‘You are bad, a mean person – mean, mean, mean!’ She was wildly angry.
“不是真的,不是真的!”她哭喊道,“你是个坏人,一个卑鄙的人——卑鄙,卑鄙,太卑鄙了!”她愤怒极了。

All right then!’ Maurice was also angry now. ‘Are you coming down?’
“那好吧!”莫里斯现在也生气了,“你到底下不下来?”

No! I will not come with you. You are mean – you tell me untrue things. I don’t want you!’
“不!我不会跟你走的。你很卑鄙——你骗人。我不要你了!”

Geoffrey, looking through the hedge, saw Maurice on the ladder. He climbed down, then stood at the bottom. ‘Come on, I’ll hold the ladder for you,’ he called.
杰弗里透过树篱望去,看见莫里斯站在梯子上。他爬了下来,站在梯子底部喊道:“来吧,我给你扶着梯子。”

No!’ she cried, like a wild cat.
“不!”她像只野猫一样尖叫道。

He waited for a while, but she did not come. ‘Then stay there till you’re ready,’ he said quietly, and walked away. On the other side of the stack he met Geoffrey.
他等了一会儿,但她没有下来。“那你就待在上面吧,等你准备好了再说,”他平静地说完便走开了。在草堆的另一边,他遇到了杰弗里。

What are you doing here?’ he said.
“你在这里做什么?”他说。

I’ve been here all night,’ Geoffrey replied. ‘I came to help you with the cover, but the cover was on, the ladder was down, and I couldn’t find you.’
“我在这里待了一整夜,”杰弗里回答,“我来是想帮你盖防雨布的,但布已经盖好了,梯子也倒在地上,我怎么也找不到你。”

Did you put the ladder up?’
“是你把梯子架起来的吗?”

Yes, I did it just now.’
“是的,我刚刚才架好。”

Maurice stood still, thinking. Geoffrey tried to find the words to tell him about Lydia. He began, stopped, began again, and at last told the story of his night.
莫里斯静静地站着思考。杰弗里试图组织语言告诉他关于莉迪亚的事。他欲言又止,反复几次,终于讲述了他这一夜的经过。

Oh!’ said Maurice. He began to smile.
“噢!”莫里斯说道。他开始笑了起来。

The man is nothing, just a tramp, but she’s different,’ said Geoffrey. He wanted Maurice to understand.
“那个男人不算什么,只是个流浪汉,但她不一样,”杰弗里说。他希望莫里斯能理解。

You please yourself, what you do,’ said Maurice. He was quiet, worried, not like himself.
“你想怎么做就怎么做吧,”莫里斯说。他变得安静、忧虑,不像平时的他了。

What’s the matter?’ asked the older brother. It was strange to see Maurice like this, and for once Maurice was not laughing at him.
“怎么了?”做哥哥的问道。看到莫里斯这样很奇怪,而且这一次莫里斯居然没有嘲笑他。

Nothing,’ said Maurice.
“没什么,”莫里斯说。

They went together to the shed. The woman was putting the blanket away in the box. She was washed, and tidy, and looked very neat and pretty.
他们一起回到棚屋。女人正把毯子收进箱子里。她梳洗过了,衣着整洁,看起来非常干净漂亮。

Hello,’ said Maurice. He smiled, shyly. ‘It was good you found somewhere to get out of the rain last night.’
“你好,”莫里斯说。他害羞地笑了笑,“幸好你昨晚找到了避雨的地方。”

Yes,’ she replied.
“是啊,”她回答道。

Can you get more firewood?’ Geoffrey asked him. It was a new thing for Geoffrey to ask Maurice to do something. Maurice agreed, and went out into the field. He did not go near the stack, afraid of meeting Paula.
“你能再去捡些柴火吗?”杰弗里问他。让莫里斯去做事对杰弗里来说还是头一回。莫里斯答应了,走到田里去。他没敢靠近草堆,生怕遇到保拉。

At the shed Geoffrey was making a fire, while Lydia got out coffee and bread from the box. Breakfast was nearly ready when Paula arrived. She had no hat on, there were bits of hay in her hair, and she was white-faced. She did not look her best.
在棚屋里,杰弗里正在生火,莉迪亚则从箱子里拿出咖啡和面包。早餐快准备好的时候,保拉来了。她没戴帽子,头发里沾着碎干草,脸色苍白。她看起来状态不太好。

Ah – you!’ she cried, seeing Geoffrey.
“啊——是你!”她看到杰弗里时叫道。

Hello!’ he answered. ‘You’re out early.’
“你好!”他回答说,“你这么早就出来了。”

Where’s Maurice?’
“莫里斯在哪儿?”

I don’t know, he’ll be back soon.’
“我不知道,他很快就回来了。”

Paula was silent. ‘When did you come?’ she asked.
保拉沉默了。“你什么时候来的?”她问。

Last night, but I didn’t see anybody. I got up just now, and put the ladder up, ready to take the cover off.’
“昨晚来的,但我谁也没看见。我刚起来,把梯子架好了,准备揭开防雨布。”

Paula understood, and was silent. When Maurice returned with some wood, she was warming her hands at the fire. She looked up at him, but he would not look at her. Geoffrey met Lydia’s eyes, and smiled. Maurice held out his hands to the fire.
保拉明白了,便不再说话。当莫里斯拿着柴火回来时,她正在烤火取暖。她抬头看他,但他却不肯看她。杰弗里与莉迪亚目光相遇,相视一笑。莫里斯向火堆伸出了双手。

When Maurice returned, Paula was warming her hands at the fire.
莫里斯回来时,保拉正在烤火取暖。

You are cold?’ asked Paula, softly.
“你冷吗?”保拉轻声问道。

A bit,’ he answered, friendly but not too friendly.
“有一点,”他回答道,态度友好但并不过分热情。

The four of them sat round the fire, drinking their smoky coffee, eating their bread and cheese. All the time Paula watched Maurice’s face hopefully, and he watched the fire. He was gentle, but he would not look at her. And Geoffrey smiled and smiled at Lydia, who watched him with her golden-brown eyes, and did not look away.
四个人围坐在火堆旁,喝着带有烟熏味的咖啡,吃着面包和奶酪。保拉一直满怀期待地注视着莫里斯的脸,而他却盯着火堆。他很温和,但就是不肯看她一眼。而杰弗里对着莉迪亚笑个不停,莉迪亚也用那双金棕色的眼睛深情地望着他,目光从未移开。

♡ ♡ ♡
♡ ♡ ♡

The German girl got back into the vicar’s house that morning, and her night out in the hayfield stayed a secret. A week later, she was engaged to Maurice, and when her last three weeks with the vicar’s family were finished, she came to live at the Wookey farm.
那个德国女孩那天早上回到了牧师家,她在干草场过夜的事成了一个秘密。一周后,她和莫里斯订婚了;在牧师家度过了最后三周之后,她搬到了伍基家的农场居住。

Geoffrey and Lydia stayed true, one to the other.
杰弗里和莉迪亚始终忠于彼此。


yewandou

一个人要有坚强的毅力,否则他将一事无成

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