A new home
新家
Mrs Dashwood took great pleasure in informing her stepson and his wife that she had found a house, and that she and her daughters would soon trouble them no longer.
达什伍德太太非常高兴地通知她的继子及其妻子，她已经找到了一所房子，她和女儿们很快就不会再打扰他们了。
Mrs John Dashwood said nothing, but her husband showed some surprise.
约翰·达什伍德太太什么也没说，但她的丈夫显得有些惊讶。
‘I do hope,’ he said politely, ‘that you will not be far from Norland.’
“我真心希望，”他礼貌地说，“你们不会离诺兰庄园太远。”
Mrs Dashwood replied, with a smile, that they were going to Devonshire.
达什伍德太太微笑着回答说，她们要去德文郡。
Edward Ferrars, who was in the room at the time, turned quickly towards her when he heard this.
当时正在房间里的爱德华·费拉斯听到这话，迅速转向了她。
‘Devonshire!’ he repeated. ‘Are you really going there? So far from here! And to what part, may I ask?’
“德文郡！”他重复道，“你们真的要去那里吗？离这儿这么远！请问是去哪个地方？”
‘A place called Barton, four miles north of the city of Exeter,’ replied Mrs Dashwood.
“一个叫巴顿的地方，在埃克塞特市以北四英里处，”达什伍德太太回答道。
‘It is only a cottage, but I hope that many of my friends will come to visit me there.’
“那只是座乡间小屋，但我希望许多朋友能去那里看望我。”
She gave a very kind invitation to Mr and Mrs John Dashwood to visit her at Barton, and to Edward she gave one with even greater affection.
她非常亲切地邀请约翰·达什伍德夫妇去巴顿做客，而对爱德华的邀请则更加充满深情。
Although her recent conversation with her daughter-in-law had made her determined to leave Norland as soon as possible, she did not in the least intend that Edward and Elinor should be separated.
虽然最近与儿媳的谈话让她下定决心尽快离开诺兰庄园，但她绝无意让爱德华和埃莉诺分离。
By giving such a clear invitation to Edward, she wished to show that her daughter-in-law’s disapproval of the attachment between Edward and Elinor had not had the smallest effect.
通过向爱德华发出如此明确的邀请，她想表明儿媳对爱德华和埃莉诺之间恋情的反对丝毫没有产生影响。
Mr John Dashwood told his stepmother again and again how extremely sorry he was that she had taken a house so distant from Norland that he could not give her assistance in moving her furniture.
约翰·达什伍德先生一再告诉继母，他感到非常抱歉，因为她租的房子离诺兰庄园太远了，以至于他无法帮她搬运家具。
He really did feel sorry, because he had decided to limit his promise to his father to this one offer of help, which would now be of any use.
他确实感到遗憾，因为他已决定将对父亲的承诺仅限于提供这一次帮助，而现在这次帮助却派不上用场了。
The furniture was sent to Devonshire by ship; it mainly consisted of sheets, dinner plates, books, and a handsome piano of Marianne’s.
家具通过船运到了德文郡；主要包括床单、餐盘、书籍以及玛丽安的一架漂亮的钢琴。
Mrs John Dashwood was sorry to see the boxes leave; she felt it unnecessary for Mrs Dashwood, who had such a small income, to have any good furniture at all.
约翰·达什伍德太太看着箱子被运走感到很惋惜；她觉得像达什伍德太太这样收入微薄的人，根本没必要拥有任何好家具。
Mrs Dashwood took the house, Barton Cottage, for twelve months.
达什伍德太太租下巴顿小屋，租期为十二个月。
It was furnished and ready for them to move into at once.
房子里已配备了家具，随时可以入住。
All the necessary arrangements were quickly made.
所有必要的安排都迅速做好了。
Elinor advised her mother to sell her carriage, which, with the horses, would cost too much to keep, and to limit the number of their servants to three.
埃莉诺建议母亲卖掉马车，因为连同马匹一起饲养费用太高，并建议将仆人数量限制在三人以内。
Two of the servants were sent to Devonshire immediately, to prepare the house for their mistress’s arrival.
两名仆人被立即派往德文郡，为女主人的到来准备房子。
On his death bed, Henry Dashwood had told his wife of the promise his son had made, and Mrs Dashwood had never doubted that John would keep that promise.
亨利·达什伍德临终前曾告诉妻子儿子所做的承诺，达什伍德太太从未怀疑过约翰会信守诺言。
Now, as she and her daughters were about to leave Norland, was a most suitable time for him to offer them help.
现在，就在她和女儿们即将离开诺兰庄园之际，正是他提供帮助的最合适时机。
But Mrs Dashwood soon began to lose hope.
但达什伍德太太很快就开始失望了。
He so frequently talked of the rising costs of managing his house and land that he seemed in need of more money himself, rather than having any intention of giving money away.
他频繁谈论管理房产和土地日益增加的成本，似乎他自己还需要更多的钱，而不是打算资助别人。
Soon they were ready to depart, and many were the tears that fell during their goodbyes to the home they loved so much.
很快她们就准备好出发了，在向深爱的家园告别时，她们流下了无数泪水。
‘Dear, dear Norland!’ said Marianne, walking alone in the park on their last evening.
“亲爱的，亲爱的诺兰庄园啊！”玛丽安在最后一个晚上独自在庄园里散步时说道。
‘I shall miss you all my life!’
“我会想念你一辈子的！”
During the first part of their journey to Devonshire, they were too miserable to notice anything.
在前往德文郡旅途的前半段，她们太过悲伤，无心留意任何事物。
But when they entered Barton Valley, they became more cheerful, and began to show interest in the countryside that would soon be part of their everyday life.
但当她们进入巴顿山谷时，心情变得愉快起来，开始对这片即将成为日常生活一部分的乡村景色产生了兴趣。
It was a pleasant, green valley, with thick woods and open fields.
那是一个宜人的绿色山谷，有着茂密的树林和开阔的田野。
After driving for more than a mile, they reached their house.
行驶了一英里多后，她们到达了住所。
Barton Cottage was well built and in good condition.
巴顿小屋建造精良，状况良好。
There were two sitting-rooms downstairs, and four bedrooms and two servants’ rooms upstairs.
楼下有两间起居室，楼上有四间卧室和两间仆人房。
Compared with Norland, it was certainly poor and small, and the girls’ tears flowed as they remembered their family home, but they soon dried their eyes and made every effort to be happy.
与诺兰庄园相比，这里当然显得简陋狭小，姑娘们想起老家不禁泪流满面，但她们很快擦干眼泪，尽力让自己快乐起来。
Mrs Dashwood was, on the whole, very pleased with the house, but she looked forward to making some changes.
总的来说，达什伍德太太对这所房子很满意，但她期待着做一些改动。
‘We can make ourselves quite comfortable here for the moment,’ she said, ‘as it is too late in the year to start any building work.
“目前我们可以住得很舒适，”她说，“因为今年动工搞建筑已经太晚了。”
To be sure, the house is rather too small for us, but perhaps next year, if I have plenty of money, as I expect I shall, we may think about enlarging the sitting-rooms, and adding a new dining-room and another bedroom.
诚然，这房子对我们来说有点太小了，但也许明年，如果我有充裕的钱——我想我会有的——我们可以考虑扩建起居室，再加一间餐厅和一间卧室。
That may be easily done. It is a pity the stairs are not more handsome, but I suppose it would not be difficult to widen them. I shall see how much I have saved in the spring.’
这很容易做到。可惜楼梯不够漂亮，但我想加宽它们并不难。等到春天看看我能省下多少钱吧。”
It was not quite clear how all this work could be done from the savings of an income of five hundred a year by a woman who had never saved in her life.
对于一个一辈子从未存过钱的女人来说，如何能从每年五百英镑的收入中省下钱来完成所有这些工程，实在不太清楚。
So, meanwhile, they were wise enough to accept the house as it was. They spent their first day arranging their things around them, to make themselves a home.
因此，在此期间，她们明智地接受了房子的现状。第一天她们忙着整理物品，把这个地方布置成家。
Soon after breakfast the next day, they received a visit from their landlord, the gentleman who owned Barton Cottage.
第二天早餐后不久，房东——也就是拥有巴顿小屋的那位绅士——前来拜访。
Sir John Middleton was a good-looking, cheerful man of about forty, who seemed really delighted by their arrival.
约翰·米德尔顿爵士是一位四十岁左右、英俊开朗的男士，对她们的到来显得由衷高兴。
He welcomed them to Barton, offering them anything from his own house and garden, Barton Park, that was lacking at the cottage.
他欢迎她们来到巴顿，并表示如果小屋里缺什么东西，尽管从他自己的宅邸和花园——巴顿庄园里拿取。
He showed a warm interest in their comfort, and hoped that they would meet his own family socially as often as possible.
他对她们的生活安适表现出热切的关心，并希望她们能尽可能经常地与他的家人社交往来。
His kindness was not limited to words, because soon after he had left them, a large basket full of fruit and vegetables arrived from the Park, followed by another of meat and fish.
他的善意不仅限于口头，因为他离开后不久，一大篮水果和蔬菜就从庄园送来了，紧接着又是一篮肉和鱼。
His wife, Lady Middleton, came to visit them the next day.
他的妻子米德尔顿夫人第二天也来拜访了她们。
The Dashwoods were, of course, very anxious to see a person on whom so much of their comfort at Barton must depend.
达什伍德一家自然非常渴望见到这位在很大程度上决定了她们在巴顿生活舒适度的人。
Although at first they admired the elegance of her appearance and her manners, they soon realized that she did not have her husband’s warmth, or anything of interest to say.
虽然起初她们很欣赏她优雅的仪表和举止，但很快就意识到她没有丈夫那样的热情，也没什么有趣的话可说。
However, there was no lack of conversation, as Lady Middleton had wisely brought her eldest child with her, a fine little boy of about six.
不过，大家并不愁没话聊，因为米德尔顿夫人明智地带上了她的长子，一个六岁左右的漂亮小男孩。
As a result, there was always something to talk about; the ladies had to ask his name and age, admire his beauty, and ask him questions which his mother answered for him.
结果总是有话题可谈；女士们不得不问他的名字和年龄，赞美他的长相，向他提问，而这些问题都由他母亲代为回答。
A child should be taken on every social call in order to assist conversation.
每次社交拜访都应该带上孩子，以便辅助交谈。
In the present situation it took at least ten minutes to determine whether the boy was most like his father or mother, and why. Everybody thought differently, and everybody was astonished at the opinions of the others.
在这种情况下，大家至少花了十分钟来讨论这孩子究竟更像父亲还是母亲，以及为什么。每个人的看法都不同，且都对别人的观点感到惊讶。
The Dashwoods would soon be given the chance to discuss the rest of the children, as Sir John had made them promise to have dinner at the Park the next day.
达什伍德一家很快就有机会讨论其余的孩子了，因为约翰爵士已经让她们答应第二天去庄园吃晚饭。
Barton Park was about half a mile from the cottage. It was a large, handsome house, where the Middletons lived in great comfort.
巴顿庄园距离小屋约半英里。那是一座宽敞漂亮的大宅，米德尔顿夫妇住在里面十分舒适。
Neither of them had taste, or any interest in books or music.
他们俩都没有什么品味，对书籍或音乐也不感兴趣。
Sir John was a sportsman, Lady Middleton a mother; he could only go shooting for half the year, while his wife was able to spoil her children all year round.
约翰爵士是个运动爱好者，米德尔顿夫人则一心做母亲；他一年只有半年能打猎，而他的妻子却能全年无休地溺爱孩子们。
He was so hospitable that they almost always had relations or friends staying in the house, but Lady Middleton’s main interest lay in the elegance of her table and her domestic arrangements, of which she was extremely proud.
他非常好客，家里几乎总有亲戚或朋友借住，但米德尔顿夫人的主要兴趣在于餐桌的精致和家庭事务的安排，对此她极为自豪。
Sir John’s enjoyment of society was much more real than his wife’s; he took delight in collecting about him more young people than his house would hold, and the noisier they were, the better he liked it.
约翰爵士对社交的乐趣比妻子真实得多；他喜欢在家里聚集超出容纳能力的年轻人，而且越吵闹他越喜欢。
Barton Park was famous for its summer parties and excursions, and its winter dances.
巴顿庄园以其夏季聚会、短途旅行和冬季舞会而闻名。
Sir John was delighted with Mrs Dashwood and her young, pretty daughters.
约翰爵士对达什伍德太太和她年轻漂亮的女儿们感到非常高兴。
When they arrived at the Park that evening, he was at the door to welcome them, and repeated several times his concern that he had been unable to get any fashionable young men to meet them.
当晚她们到达庄园时，他在门口迎接，并反复表示歉意，说他没能请到时髦的年轻男士来见她们。
There was, he said, only one gentleman there, a particular friend who was staying at the house, but who was neither very young nor very sociable.
他说，那里只有一位男士，是住在他家的一位密友，但此人既不年轻也不太合群。
He apologized for the smallness of the party, and promised that it would never happen again.
他为聚会规模小而道歉，并保证以后不会再发生这种情况。
Luckily, Lady Middleton’s mother had just arrived, and as she was a cheerful, pleasant woman, he hoped the young ladies would not find the evening too dull.
幸运的是，米德尔顿夫人的母亲刚到，她是个开朗和蔼的女人，所以他希望年轻小姐们不会觉得这个晚上太沉闷。
Mrs Jennings, his mother-in-law, was a cheerful, fat, rather vulgar old lady, who laughed and talked a great deal.
他的岳母詹宁斯太太是个开朗、肥胖、略显俗气的老妇人，整天笑呵呵的，话也很多。
During dinner she said many amusing things about lovers and husbands, and hoped the Miss Dashwoods had not left their hearts behind them in Sussex.
晚餐期间，她说了许多关于情人和丈夫的趣事，并希望达什伍德小姐们没有把心留在萨塞克斯郡。
Colonel Brandon, Sir John’s particular friend, seemed as different from his friend as Mrs Jennings was from her daughter.
布兰登上校是约翰爵士的密友，他与朋友的差异就像詹宁斯太太与她女儿的差异一样大。
He was silent and serious. His appearance, however, was not unpleasing, in spite of his being, in Marianne’s and Margaret’s opinion, an absolute old bachelor, because he was on the wrong side of thirty-five.
他沉默寡言，神情严肃。然而，他的外表并不令人讨厌，尽管在玛丽安和玛格丽特看来，他是个十足的老单身汉，因为他已经过了三十五岁。
After dinner, Marianne was invited to sing and play the piano.
晚饭后，玛丽安受邀唱歌弹琴。
Sir John was loud in his admiration at the end of every song, and as loud in his conversation with others while every song lasted.
每首歌结束时，约翰爵士都会大声赞叹，而在每首歌演唱过程中，他与旁人交谈的声音也同样响亮。
Lady Middleton frowned at him for talking, but then requested a song which Marianne had just finished.
米德尔顿夫人因他说话而皱眉，但随后又点了一首玛丽安刚唱完的歌。
Only Colonel Brandon listened attentively, without any false show of delight.
只有布兰登上校专心倾听，没有丝毫虚伪的喜悦表现。
Marianne felt a respect for him that the others, with their lack of taste, did not deserve.
玛丽安对他产生了一种敬意，而其他缺乏品味的人则不配得到这种敬意。
He clearly took pleasure in music, although perhaps not with her own depth of feeling.
他显然从音乐中获得了乐趣，尽管可能没有她那样深沉的情感。
However, she was reasonable enough to accept that a man as old as thirty-five, like the colonel, may well have outlived real feeling and true enjoyment.
不过，她也足够理智地接受这样一个事实：像上校这样三十五岁的男人，很可能已经不再拥有真实的感情和真正的享受了。
Mrs Jennings was a widow, with a comfortable fortune.
詹宁斯太太是个寡妇，拥有一笔可观的财产。
She had lived to see both her daughters respectably married, and now had nothing to do but to marry off the rest of the world.
她亲眼看着两个女儿都嫁得体面，现在除了操心别人的婚事外无事可做。
She spent most of her time planning weddings for all the young people she knew, and was remarkably quick at discovering attachments.
她把大部分时间花在为她认识的年轻人筹划婚礼上，并且在发现恋情方面异常敏锐。
Soon after her arrival at Barton, this quickness enabled her to inform the Middletons and the Dashwoods that Colonel Brandon was very much in love with Marianne.
在她到达巴顿后不久，这种敏锐使她能够告诉米德尔顿夫妇和达什伍德一家，布兰登上校深深地爱上了玛丽安。
She was perfectly sure of it. It would be an excellent marriage, as he was rich and she was handsome.
她对此确信无疑。这将是一桩极好的婚事，因为他富有而她貌美。
For a long time Mrs Jennings had been eager to get Colonel Brandon well married, and she was always anxious to get a good husband for every pretty girl.
长期以来，詹宁斯太太一直热衷于促成布兰登上校的美满姻缘，她也总是急于为每个漂亮姑娘找个好丈夫。
The immediate advantage to herself was that she could make endless jokes against them both.
这对她最直接的好处就是可以拿他们俩开不完的玩笑。
At the cottage she laughed at Marianne, and at the Park she laughed at the colonel. Marianne herself did not know whether to be amused or annoyed.
在小屋里她取笑玛丽安，在庄园里她取笑上校。玛丽安自己都不知道该觉得好笑还是恼火。
‘It is such a silly accusation, mama! And I think it very unfeeling of Mrs Jennings, to laugh so cruelly at old Colonel Brandon. He is old enough to be my father!’
“这真是荒谬的指责，妈妈！我觉得詹宁斯太太太无情了，竟然如此残忍地嘲笑老布兰登上校。他都老得可以做我父亲了！”
‘My dear,’ said Mrs Dashwood, smiling, ‘I cannot think a man five years younger than myself so extremely ancient as he appears to you.’
“亲爱的，”达什伍德太太笑着说，“我不认为一个比我小五岁的男人像你眼中那样极其苍老。”
‘But mama, really! He must have long outlived any feelings of love by now, if he ever had any when he was younger. When is a man to be safe from such cruel jokes, if age and bodily weakness cannot protect him?’
“可是妈妈，说真的！就算他年轻时曾有过爱情，现在也早已过了那个年纪了。如果年龄和身体衰弱都不能保护一个人免受这种残酷玩笑的伤害，那他什么时候才能安全呢？”
‘Bodily weakness!’ said Elinor. ‘I know that he is older than we are, but surely you must accept that he still has the full use of his arms and legs?’
“身体衰弱！”埃莉诺说，“我知道他比我们年长，但你总得承认他四肢依然健全吧？”
‘Did you not hear him complain of having a bad back?’
“你没听见他抱怨背痛吗？”
‘My dearest child,’ said her mother, laughing, ‘it must seem to you quite astonishing that my life has lasted to the great age of forty.’
“我最亲爱的孩子，”母亲笑着说，“你一定觉得难以置信，我的生命竟然延续到了四十岁的高龄。”
‘Mama, be serious. I know very well that Colonel Brandon is not old enough for his friends to worry yet about losing him. He may live for another twenty years. But thirty-five should have nothing to do with marriage.’
“妈妈，严肃点。我很清楚布兰登上校还没老到让朋友们担心失去他的地步。他可能还能活二十年。但三十五岁就不该再谈婚论嫁了。”
‘Perhaps,’ said Elinor, ‘thirty-five and seventeen had better not have anything to do with marriage together. But a single woman of twenty-seven, for example, could easily consider Colonel Brandon’s thirty-five years no disadvantage.’
“也许，”埃莉诺说，“三十五岁和十七岁确实不适合结婚。但举个例子，一个二十七岁的单身女性很容易就会认为布兰登上校的三十五岁并不是什么劣势。”
‘A woman of twenty-seven,’ said Marianne, after a moment’s thought, ‘can never hope to feel true love again. And if her home is uncomfortable, or her fortune small, I suppose that she could accept the duties of a nurse in order to become a wife. It would be a marriage of convenience, if Colonel Brandon married such a woman. The world would be happy with it, but in my eyes it would be no marriage at all.’
“一个二十七岁的女人，”玛丽安想了一会儿说，“再也别指望感受到真爱了。如果她家境不顺或财产微薄，我想她为了成为妻子只能接受护士般的职责。如果布兰登上校娶了这样的女人，那就只是一桩权宜婚姻。世人或许会为此高兴，但在我眼里这根本算不上婚姻。”
‘It seems a little hard,’ said Elinor reasonably, ‘that you consider Colonel Brandon so ill that he is in need of nursing, only because he happened to complain yesterday of a pain in his shoulder. After all, it was a cold, wet day.’
“这似乎有点苛刻，”埃莉诺理性地说，“仅仅因为他昨天碰巧抱怨肩膀痛，你就认为布兰登上校病重到需要人护理的地步。毕竟那天天气阴冷潮湿。”
But Marianne’s views remained the same. Soon after this, however, when Elinor had left the room, Marianne spoke to her mother with some urgency in her voice.
但玛丽安的观点依然如故。然而此后不久，当埃莉诺离开房间后，玛丽安语气急切地对母亲说话了。
‘Mama, I am anxious about Edward Ferrars. I am sure he is ill. We have now been here almost two weeks, and he still has not come to see Elinor.’
“妈妈，我很担心爱德华·费拉斯。我肯定他病了。我们来这儿都快两周了，他还是没来看埃莉诺。”
‘My dear, be patient!’ answered Mrs Dashwood. ‘I did not expect him so soon. And I feel sure Elinor does not expect him either. When we were talking yesterday of a new fireplace for the spare bedroom, she said there was no hurry, as the room would not be needed for some time.’
“亲爱的，耐心点！”达什伍德太太回答，“我没指望他这么快就来。我也确信埃莉诺也没指望他来。昨天我们谈到给客房装新壁炉时，她还说不急，因为那间房暂时还用不上。”
‘How strange! What can be the meaning of it? How cold, how calm their last goodbyes were! And Elinor is so self-controlled; she is never sad or restless or miserable. I cannot understand her.’
“真奇怪！这是什么意思？他们最后的告别是多么冷淡、多么平静啊！埃莉诺又是那么自制；她从不悲伤、焦躁或痛苦。我真无法理解她。”
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