1. The milkmaid and the wife
1. 挤奶女工和夫人
It was six o’clock on a warm April evening, milking time for Farmer Lodge’s eighty cows.
这是个温暖的四月傍晚，六点钟是给洛奇农场主的80头奶牛挤奶的时间。
They stood quietly in the dairy, and the milkmaids were all at work.
奶牛们静静地站在棚中，挤奶女工们都在忙活。
They say Farmer Lodge is coming home with his new wife tomorrow,’ said one milkmaid.
“听说洛奇场主明天要跟他的新夫人回家来了。”其中一个挤奶女工说。
Yes. And she’s young and pretty, I hear,’ a second girl said.
“是的。而且我听说她又年轻又漂亮。”另一个女孩儿说。
She looked past her cow to the other end of the dairy. There was another milkmaid there, a thin, older woman, about thirty years old.
她的目光越过眼前的奶牛，望向奶牛场的另一头。那边还有一个挤奶女工，瘦瘦的，年龄稍大，三十岁上下。
The first girl looked at the older woman too. ‘I’m sorry for her,’ she said quietly to her friend.
第一个说话的女孩儿也在望着那个年纪大些的女工。“我真替她难过。”她悄悄地跟自己的同伴说。
Oh no,’ said the second girl. ‘That was years and years ago. Farmer Lodge never speaks to Rhoda Brook these days.’
“嗐，算啦，”第二个女孩儿说，“那都是多少年前的事了。现在洛奇场主从来不跟罗达·布鲁克说话。”
When the milking was finished, the milkmaids left the dairy and went home.
挤奶工作结束后，女工们离开奶牛场回家了。
The thin woman, Rhoda Brook, did not walk to the village with the other girls.
那个瘦瘦的女人罗达·布鲁克没有跟其他女孩儿一起走回村子。
She went up the hill behind the farm to a little house near the trees.
她走上农场后面的小山，来到树旁的一幢小房子跟前。
It was a poor house, of only two rooms, and the roof did not keep the rain out.
房子很破旧，只有两间屋，屋顶已经遮不了雨。
At the door of the house the woman met her son, a boy of about twelve, and they went inside.
女人在门口碰到了她12岁上下的儿子，两人一起进了屋。
I heard something at the dairy today,’ the woman said. ‘Your father is bringing his young wife home tomorrow. I want you to go and look at her.’
“我今天在奶牛场听说了件事情。”女人说，“你爸爸明天要带着他年轻的妻子回家来了。我想让你去看看她。”
Yes, mother,’ said the boy. ‘Is father married then?’
“好的，妈妈。”男孩儿说，“这么说爸爸是结婚了？”
Yes… You can go into town and do my shopping for me. And when you see her, there or on the road, look at her carefully.’
“是啊……你可以到镇子上去，替我买点儿东西。在镇子上或是路上碰到她时，仔细看看她。”
Yes, mother.’
“好的，妈妈。”
What is she like? I want to know. Is she tall, is she short? Are her eyes blue or brown or green?
我想知道她长什么样儿。高还是矮？眼睛是蓝色的、棕色的，还是绿色的？
Look at the colour of her hair, the colour of her dress. And look at her hands.
看看她头发的颜色，裙子的颜色。再看看她的手，
Does she have small white hands, or the hands of a milkmaid, a worker’s hands? You must look at all these things, and tell me.’
看她长了一双小巧白皙的手，还是一双挤奶女工的、劳动的手？这些都要看看，然后告诉我。
Yes, mother,’ the boy said again. He took a piece of bread from the table and began to eat it.
“好的，妈妈。”男孩儿再次答应。他从桌上拿起一片面包，吃了起来。
His mother said nothing more, but turned her thin, pale face to the open door.
他的母亲没再说别的，只是把她瘦削苍白的脸转向敞开着的门。
Her beautiful dark eyes stared out at the trees, seeing and not seeing.
她美丽的黑眼睛凝望着门外的树木，似乎在看，又似乎没在看。
The next evening was warm and sunny.
第二天傍晚，天气晴朗又暖和。
The road from the town to the farm went up and down a number of hills, and near the top of one big hill the boy saw a carriage behind him.
从镇子到农场的路要上上下下翻过几座山。在快走到一个高高坡顶的时候，男孩儿看到他身后有一辆马车。
It was Farmer Lodge with his new wife. She was a pretty young thing, much younger than her husband, with a sweet, innocent face.
车里坐的是洛奇农场主和他的新婚妻子。那女人很年轻，比她丈夫年轻得多，面容甜美无邪。
The boy carried a heavy bag, and was happy to stop and stare for a minute.
男孩儿背着沉重的包，很高兴能停下来看上一会儿。
The carriage came slowly up the hill, and the boy took a good long look at the farmer’s wife.
马车缓缓地爬上山来，让他有机会好好端详了一番农场主的妻子。
His eyes never left her face.
他的眼睛一直盯着她的脸。
The farmer did not look at the boy once, and at the top of the hill the carriage went faster, leaving the boy behind.
农场主看都没看男孩儿一眼。到了山顶以后，马车加快了速度，男孩儿被甩在了后面。
How that poor boy stared at me!’ said the young wife.
“那个可怜的男孩儿怎么那样盯着我！”年轻的妻子说。
Yes, my love. I saw that,’ the farmer said.
“哦，亲爱的，我看到了。”农场主说。
Is he a boy from the village?’
“他是村子里面的孩子吗？”
No. I think he lives with his mother on one of these hills.’
“不是。我想他跟他妈妈一起住在这里的某座小山上。”
He knows you, then.’
“那他认识你啦。”
Of course. And everyone is going to stare at you at first, my pretty Gertrude.’
“当然认识。谁第一次见到你都会盯着你看的，我美丽的格特鲁德。”
Yes, I know. But that poor boy had a very heavy bag. Perhaps he wanted us to help him with the bag.’
“是，这我知道。可是那可怜的孩子背着那么重的包，说不定他是想让我们帮他带一程呢。”
Oh, these country boys can carry anything,’ said her husband. ‘They do it all the time.’
“放心吧，这些乡下的男孩子什么都扛得动。”她的丈夫说，“他们整天都在做这些活儿。”
The carriage went quickly on. After a time the boy left the road and went up the hill to his mother’s house.
马车继续向前疾驰。过了一会儿，男孩儿离开了大路，走上小山，回到了母亲的房子。
She was home before him. She took the heavy bag from him and began to take the things out.
他母亲比他先到了家。她从孩子肩上取下沉重的包，开始把里面的东西往外拿。
Well, did you see her?’
“我说，你见到她了吗？”
Yes. I had a good look at her on the road.’
“见到了。我在路上好好瞅了瞅她。”
And what is she like?’
“她长什么样儿？”
She’s nice.’
“挺好看的。”
Is she young?’
“年轻吗？”
Well, she’s older than me.’
“哦，至少比我大。”
Of course she is. But is she older than me?’
“她当然比你要大。我是问她比我大吗？”
No, she’s younger.’
“不，比你年轻。”
Ah. What colour is her hair?’
“哦。她的头发是什么颜色的？”
It’s a brown colour, and her face is very pretty.’
“是棕色的。她长得非常好看。”
Are her eyes dark?’
“她的眼睛是黑色的吗？”
No, they’re blue, and her mouth is very nice and red, and when she smiles, you can see white teeth.’
“不是，是蓝色的。她的嘴巴很漂亮，红红的，一笑起来就露出白白的牙齿。”
Is she tall?’ said the woman, a little angrily.
“她个子高吗？”女人问，语气有些气恼。
I couldn’t see. She was in the carriage.’
“我看不出来。她坐在马车里。”
Then tomorrow you must go to church. Go early, before she and Mr Lodge arrive, and watch her when she walks in. Then come home and tell me.’
“那你明天得去趟教堂。早早地去，抢在她和洛奇先生之前到那儿，等她走进来的时候看看她，然后回来告诉我。”
Very well, mother. But why don’t you go and look at her?’
“完全可以，妈妈。可是为什么你不去看看她呢？”
Never! I don’t want to see her. She was with Mr Lodge, of course. Did he look at you or speak to you?’
“我不去！我不想见到她。她刚才肯定是跟洛奇先生在一起的。洛奇先生看你了吗？跟你说什么了吗？”
No.’
“没有。”
The next day the boy went to church, and waited and watched.
第二天，男孩儿去了教堂，边等边张望。
When Mr and Mrs Lodge arrived, everybody – not just the boy – stared at the new wife with interest.
当洛奇夫妇到达的时候，每个人——不仅仅是男孩儿——都饶有兴致地盯着那位新夫人。
When the boy reached home, his mother said, ‘Well?’
等男孩儿回到家里，他母亲问：“怎么样？”
She’s not tall. She’s short,’ the boy said.
“她个子不高，挺矮的。”男孩儿说。
Ah!’ said his mother, pleased.
“哦！”他母亲开心了一点儿。
But she’s very pretty – very. She had a beautiful white dress on, and it made a lot of noise when she moved. Mr Lodge looked very happy with her.’
“可是她非常漂亮——非常。她穿了一条好看的白裙子，一动就窸窸窣窣地响。洛奇先生跟她在一起看起来非常幸福。”
Mr Lodge looked very happy with her,’ the boy said.
“洛奇先生跟她在一起看起来非常幸福。”男孩儿说。
No more now,’ said the woman. ‘You can tell me more later.’
“就说到这儿吧！”女人说，“你改天再跟我说其他的。”
In the next days, Rhoda Brook heard more and more from her son about the new wife.
接下来的几天里，罗达·布鲁克从儿子那里听到了越来越多关于那位新夫人的情况。
The boy often saw Mrs Lodge around the farmhouse, but his mother never saw her, and never went near the farmhouse.
男孩儿经常在农舍附近看到洛奇夫人，但他母亲从来没见过她，也从来不去农舍附近。
At the dairy the other milkmaids talked a lot about the new wife.
在奶牛场，其他的挤奶女工经常谈论这位新夫人。
They usually stopped when Rhoda was near, but she heard some of it.
罗达在附近的时候，她们通常会停住不说，可罗达还是听到了些只言片语。
She remembered everything, and forgot nothing.
她把听到的话都记在了脑子里，一句都没忘掉。
And slowly Rhoda Brook made a picture in her head of the young Mrs Lodge – a picture as good, as true as a photograph.
慢慢地，罗达·布鲁克在她的头脑中勾画出了一幅年轻的洛奇夫人的画像——一幅跟照片一样真实、生动的画像。
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