Margaret carefully put the necklace back into the box, then looked at me.
瑪格麗特小心翼翼地把項(xiàng)鏈放回到盒子里,然后看著我。
So then the King married Anne Boleyn,' she said. 'Was Anne very special? Was she really very beautiful?'
“那么后來國王就娶了安妮·博倫嘍,”她說,“安妮很特別嗎?她真的非常漂亮嗎?”
Some people say that she was, and others say that she wasn't. But she had beautiful long black hair, and the most wonderful black eyes. When men looked into her eyes, they fell in love with her.'
“有些人說她很美,也有人不這么認(rèn)為。但她有一頭烏黑漂亮的長發(fā),一雙最動人的黑眼睛。男人凝視她的眼睛時,就會愛上她?!?
Tell me more about her,' said Margaret.
“多說點(diǎn)兒關(guān)于她的事情吧。”瑪格麗特說。
Well, Henry was in love with her for about seven years before they married.'
“嗯,在他們結(jié)婚之前,亨利和她相愛已經(jīng)有七年了?!?
Seven years!'
“七年!”
Yes, it took a long time to divorce Katherine, and Anne wanted to marry the King and be his Queen. She didn't want to be just his mistress, like the other girls.'
“是的,亨利和凱瑟琳離婚花了好長時間,而且安妮想嫁給國王成為王后。她不想像別的女子一樣僅僅做他的情婦?!?
Did the King have a lot of mistresses?' asked Margaret. Her eyes were round with interest.
“國王有很多情婦嗎?”瑪格麗特問道。她瞪大的眼睛里充滿了好奇。
Oh yes,' I said, smiling. 'Kings can do what they like, you know. But people say that Anne was very clever. She said no to the King, again and again, and so he had to marry her to get what he wanted.'
“哦,是的,”我微笑著說,“國王可以隨心所欲地做他們想做的事情,你知道。但據(jù)說安妮非常聰明,她一再地拒絕國王,所以他要想得到她就不得不和她結(jié)婚。”
And how long were they married?'
“他們結(jié)婚多長時間?”
Less than three and a half years.'
“不到三年半?!?
Is that all?' said Margaret. 'King Henry broke with the Pope to marry Anne, and they were only married for three and a half years!'
“就那么長?”瑪格麗特叫道,“亨利國王為娶安妮而和教皇決裂,可他們的婚姻只維持了三年半!”
Yes, Henry soon became tired of her. He wanted a son, but she only gave him a daughter, Princess Elizabeth. She nearly had another baby, but she had a miscarriage after only a few months. They could see that it was a boy. Henry was very, very angry, and three months later Anne was in the Tower of London. Henry was already interested in Jane Seymour, you see.'
“是的,亨利很快就厭倦了她。他想要個兒子,而她只給他生了個女兒,就是伊麗莎白公主。她差點(diǎn)就有了另一個孩子,但懷孕僅僅幾個月就流產(chǎn)了??梢钥闯觯鞘莻€男孩兒。亨利非常非常生氣,三個月后,安妮就被送進(jìn)了倫敦塔。那時亨利已經(jīng)迷上了簡·西摩,你知道?!?
So poor Anne went to the Tower because she didn't give the King a son?'
“那么可憐的安妮就因?yàn)闆]有給國王生兒子而被關(guān)進(jìn)了塔里嗎?”
Well, there were other things. Anne was a strong and sometimes difficult woman. She talked a lot. She liked to tell Henry what to do. In the end Henry became bored of this. Remember, he was the King of England.'
“嗯,還有別的事兒。安妮是一個個性強(qiáng),有時又很執(zhí)拗的女人。她愛多嘴,愛對亨利指手畫腳。最后,亨利對此煩透了。別忘了,他可是英格蘭國王?!?
Did she really have lovers?'
“她真的有情人嗎?”
Well, some people say—'
“嗯,有人說——”
Just then there was a noise outside. I looked out of the window and saw a man on a horse. He had grey hair and was wearing fine clothes. It was my Uncle William. A minute later he came into the room.
就在這時,外面?zhèn)鱽硪魂図懧?。我朝窗外望去,只見一個男人騎在馬上。他頭發(fā)灰白,衣著考究。那是我的叔叔威廉。不一會兒他就走了進(jìn)來。
Hello,' I said, kissing him. 'I'm so pleased to see you.'
“你好,”我說著,吻了吻他,“見到你非常高興?!?
Dear Catherine,' he said. 'It's wonderful to see you, too. And who is this?' he said, turning to Margaret.
“親愛的凱瑟琳,”他說,“我也很高興見到你。這是誰?”他轉(zhuǎn)向瑪格麗特問道。
I'm Margaret, my lady's new maid.'
“我是瑪格麗特,夫人的新侍女?!?
I'm very pleased to meet you,' he said, smiling. 'So,' he went on, 'what's the news?'
“很高興見到你,”他笑著說,“那么,”他繼續(xù)問道,“有什么新聞嗎?”
Oh, we were just talking about Anne Boleyn,' I said.
“哦,我們正在談?wù)摪材荨げ﹤悺!蔽艺f。
That black-eyed witch!' said Uncle William.
“那是個黑眼睛的女巫!”威廉叔叔說。
Was she really a witch?' asked Margaret.
“她真是個女巫嗎?”瑪格麗特問。
Well, she was a strange woman,' said Uncle William. 'She had six fingers on one hand. I saw them myself. Witches always have six fingers. Anne Boleyn was a wild and dangerous woman—but men liked her.'
“嗯,她是個非常怪異的女人,”威廉叔叔說,“她的一只手上長著六根手指,我親眼見到的。女巫都有六根手指。安妮·博倫是個放蕩而又危險的女人——但男人們喜歡她。”
So she did have lovers, then?' said Margaret.
“那么說,她真的有情人啦?”瑪格麗特問。
Of course she did!' said Uncle William. 'There were five of them—all wild young men. They were all beheaded before the witch, and a good thing too!'
“當(dāng)然有啦!”威廉叔叔說,“有五個呢——都是放蕩不羈的年輕人。他們都先于這個女巫被處決了,那也是件大快人心的事!”
Oh, Uncle,' I said, 'how can we be sure that they were all her lovers? One of them was her brother!'
“哦,叔叔,”我說,“我們怎么能確定他們都是她的情人呢?其中一個是她哥哥呀!”
Well, perhaps he wasn't her lover,' said Uncle William. 'But I remember all those wild parties in the Queen's rooms. There was dancing and laughing all night sometimes. She was a bad woman, I'm sure of it.'
“嗯,可能他不是她的情人,”威廉叔叔說,“但我記得他們在王后房間里舉行的所有那些瘋狂的聚會。有時他們徹夜狂歡,又跳又笑。她是個壞女人,這一點(diǎn)我很確定。”
I think that Henry believed the stories about Anne because he wanted another wife,' I said. 'A wife to give him a son.'
“我認(rèn)為亨利相信關(guān)于安妮的這些事,是因?yàn)樗肓硗馊€妻子,”我說,“一個可以給他生個兒子的妻子。”
Little Margaret was listening to us with great interest. 'So nobody was sorry when Anne died?' she said.
小瑪格麗特懷著極大的興趣聽著我們的對話?!澳敲窗材菟罆r,沒有人傷心了?”她說。
No, many people were pleased,' said Uncle William. 'She had a lot of enemies.' then he looked at both of us. 'But why are you talking about Anne Boleyn? That's very old news.'
“沒有,很多人都很高興呢,”威廉叔叔說,“她有很多仇敵?!比缓笏粗覀儍蓚€說,“但是你們?yōu)槭裁凑勂鹆税材荨げ﹤惸??那已是很久以前的事了。?
I found this old box of Henry's at Whitehall Palace,' I said. 'Inside there were letters from each of Henry's wives, and Margaret wanted to know all about them.'
“我在白廳發(fā)現(xiàn)了亨利的這個舊盒子,”我說,“里面有亨利每個妻子的來信,而且瑪格麗特想了解她們的一切?!?
Where's the one from Anne Boleyn?' said Uncle William. He opened the box on the table. 'I want to read what she wrote to her dear husband. Ah, here it is. 18th May 1536—that's the day before she was beheaded.'
“哪一封是安妮·博倫寫的?”威廉叔叔問。他打開桌上的盒子,“我想讀一下她給她親愛的丈夫?qū)懙臇|西。啊,在這兒呢。1536年5月18日——這是她被處決的前一天!”
He began to read the letter aloud...
他開始大聲地讀這封信……
Tower of London
倫敦塔
18th May 1536
1536年5月18日
Dear Henry
親愛的亨利:
This is my last letter to you. Tomorrow I am going to die. When you open this letter and read it, I will be dead and buried.
這是我寫給你的最后一封信。明天,我就要死了。當(dāng)你打開這封信讀它的時候,我已死去,并被埋葬了。
During the last few weeks my life has been very hard. I have been very afraid and very lonely. I have walked around my room, thinking of you. I wanted you to take me away from this terrible prison. But now I know that I am going to die, I feel calm.
在過去的幾周里,我的生活非常艱難。我很害怕,也十分孤獨(dú)。我在屋里來回走動時,想著你。我希望你會帶我離開這個可怕的監(jiān)獄。但現(xiàn)在我知道自己要死了,反而覺得平靜了。
They tell me that you have spoken angry words about me. You say I have had a hundred lovers, not just the five poor men who have died because of me.
他們告訴我,你曾說了我很多氣話,說我有過上百個情人,而不僅僅是那五個因我而死的可憐人。
But I did not have lovers, Henry. Not one, and you know it. I was a true wife to you, but you listened to my enemies, and that is why I am here.
但是亨利,我沒有情人,一個也沒有,這你是知道的。我是你忠實(shí)的妻子,但你卻聽信我仇敵的話,把我送到這里。
I ask one last thing. Please be kind to our daughter Elizabeth. Do not be angry with her, because of me. She is so very young, not yet three years old. I am sending a gold necklace to give to her. It will help her to remember me.
我求你最后一件事。請善待我們的女兒伊麗莎白,不要因我而遷怒于她。她太小了,還不到三歲。我把這條金項(xiàng)鏈送給她,這將幫她記住我。
I have only a little neck, so it will not be difficult for the French sword to cut through it tomorrow.
我的脖頸很細(xì),所以,明天用鋒利的法國刀砍斷它不會是什么難事。
Tonight I will pray for God to forgive you.
今晚,我將祈求上帝寬恕你。
Your wife
你的妻子
Anne Boleyn
安妮·博倫
And was Anne beheaded the next day?' asked Margaret.
“安妮第二天就被砍頭了嗎?”瑪格麗特問。
Yes,' I said. 'With a sword. That's how they do it in France.'
“是的,”我說,“用一把刀砍的。在法國都是這么做的?!?
How terrible!' said Margaret, holding her neck.
“多么可怕呀!”瑪格麗特叫著,握住了自己的脖子。
Well, I know that Henry did the right thing,' said Uncle William. 'Anne Boleyn was no good. She wasn't a real Queen. Not like Katherine of Aragon.' He stood up. 'I must go,' he said. 'This is all very interesting, but I came here to talk to your brother. I'll go and find him. Goodbye for now, ladies.' He smiled and left the room.
“嗯,我認(rèn)為亨利做得對,”威廉叔叔說,“安妮·博倫一無是處,她不是個真正的王后,不像阿拉貢的凱瑟琳?!彼酒饋恚拔业米吡?,”他說,“這事兒非常有趣,但我來這兒是要和你哥哥談話的。我要去找他了。女士們,再見?!彼χx開了屋子。
Where's the necklace?' asked Margaret.
“那條項(xiàng)鏈在哪兒?”瑪格麗特問。
I can't find it,' I said, looking in the box. 'Perhaps Henry gave it to Princess Elizabeth. Perhaps she looks at it sometimes and thinks of her mother.'
“我找不到,”我邊說邊在盒子里找著,“也許亨利把它給伊麗莎白公主了,這樣她偶爾看見它時,或許會想起自己的母親?!?