書蟲三級《伊?！じチ_姆》：4、共度一夜

4.An evening together
4．共度一夜

Ethan went up to the kitchen door, and found that it was locked. He called 'Hello, Matt!', but there was no answer. He stood in the darkness and waited. After a moment he heard a sound on the stairs, and saw light round the door. And just like the night before, the door opened and there stood a woman with a lamp in her hand. The lamplight shone on the milky whiteness of Mattie's young skin, on her soft lips and shining dark eyes. She smiled gently, and stepped to the side to let Ethan come in.

伊桑走到廚房門前，發(fā)現(xiàn)門鎖著。他喊道：“嗨，瑪?shù)伲?rdquo;沒人應(yīng)聲。他站在黑暗中等著。過了一會兒，他聽到樓梯上傳來聲音，然后看到門的四周透出光亮來。就像昨晚一樣，門開了，一個女人站在門口，手里拿著一盞燈。燈光映著瑪?shù)倥Ｄ贪惆尊哪贻p肌膚，映著她柔軟的嘴唇，還有那雙亮閃閃的黑眼睛。她溫柔地笑著，讓到了一邊，讓伊桑進去。

The kitchen was warm and welcoming. On the table were cakes and fruit in a bright red glass dish, and the cat was lying lazily in front of a warm fire.

廚房溫暖而舒適。桌上有個亮紅色玻璃盤子，里面擺著蛋糕和水果，貓慵懶地臥在溫暖的爐火前。

Well, Matt, any visitors?' asked Ethan.

“哎，瑪?shù)伲锌腿藖磉^？”伊桑問道。

Just one,' replied Mattie, laughing. A black cloud came down over Ethan's world.

“只有一個。”瑪?shù)傩χ鸬?。一陣陰云籠罩上伊桑的世界。

Who was that?'

“是誰？”

She looked at him and laughed again, 'Jotham Powell. He came in and asked for a drop of coffee.'

她看著他，又笑了：“喬撒姆·鮑威爾。他進來要杯咖啡喝。”

The blackness lifted and Ethan's world grew bright again. 'Well, I hope you gave him some,' he said, then added, 'I suppose Zeena got to the station in time?'

陰云散去，伊桑的世界又見晴朗。“嗯，我想你給了他一些吧。”他說，然后又補充道，“我想齊娜及時趕到車站了吧。”

Zeena's name brought an immediate coolness into the kitchen. After a few moments Mattie said: 'I guess it's about time for supper,' and they sat down.

齊娜這個名字霎時給廚房內(nèi)帶來一絲寒冷。過了一會兒，瑪?shù)僬f：“我想該是吃晚飯的時候了。”他們于是坐了下來。

But they still felt uncomfortable — Zeena seemed to be in the room with them, with her cold eyes and strange looks. They ate in embarrassed silence, then began to talk about the weather.

可他們還是覺得不舒服——好像齊娜還在屋子里，和他們在一起，睜著她那雙冷酷的眼睛，帶著她那種奇怪的表情。他們尷尬地默默用餐，接著聊起了天氣。

As they were speaking, the cat climbed quietly onto the table and started to move towards the milk-jug. When they saw it, they both reached forwards at once, their hands meeting on the jug. Ethan kept his hand on Mattie's a few seconds longer than was necessary. At that moment the cat suddenly jumped backwards and knocked into the red glass dish. The dish fell to the floor with a crash.

聊天的時候，貓悄悄地爬上了桌子，向著牛奶罐子走去?？吹截?，兩個人都立刻伸出手來，兩只手在牛奶罐子上碰在了一起。伊桑把手在瑪?shù)俚氖稚隙喾帕藥酌腌姟＞驮谶@會兒，貓突然向后跳去，撞上了紅色的玻璃盤子，盤子“嘩啦”一聲掉在了地板上。

Oh, Ethan,' Mattie cried, 'It's all in pieces! What will Zeena say? It was her very best dish!'

“啊，伊桑，”瑪?shù)俅蠼校?ldquo;盤子碎了！齊娜會怎么說??？那是她最好的盤子啊！”

Don't worry. I'll get another one.'

“別急，我再買一個。”

You'll never find one! It was a wedding present from her aunt in Philadelphia. That's why she never uses it. I had to climb up to get it from the top of her cupboard! Oh, Ethan, what shall I do?'

“你根本找不著的！那是她費城的姨媽送她的結(jié)婚禮物，所以她從來都沒用過。我是爬上去從她櫥柜最上面一層拿下來的！哦，伊桑，我該怎么辦？”

She began to cry, and her tears seemed to burn into Ethan's heart.

她哭了起來，眼淚好像灼燒著伊桑的心。

Oh, Matt, don't cry! Please don't cry!' he said softly.

“哦，瑪?shù)?，別哭！別哭！”他輕聲勸道。

They looked at the bits of red glass lying like the broken pieces of their evening. Ethan picked them up and walked out of the kitchen to the hall. Reaching up his long arm, he put the broken pieces at the top of the cupboard and arranged them carefully. From below nobody could see that the dish was. broken.

他們看著紅色玻璃碎片，就像看著他們共度的這個夜晚碎成一片片一樣。伊桑把碎片撿起來，走出廚房，來到門廳，伸著長長的胳膊，將碎片放在了櫥柜頂層，仔細地歸整好。從櫥柜下看去，沒人看得出盤子碎了。

I'll get some glue to mend it tomorrow,' thought Ethan. 'Zeena won't look at it for months, and I'm sure I'll find another one somewhere.'

“我明天去拿些膠水把它粘好。”伊桑想著，“齊娜幾個月內(nèi)不會看它，我相信能從什么地方再找一個來。”

He went back to the kitchen. 'It's all right, Matt,' he said. 'Let's finish supper.'

他走回廚房。“沒事了，瑪?shù)佟?rdquo;他說，“咱們繼續(xù)吃飯吧。”

After the meal Mattie cleared the table and Ethan went out to see the cows. The world was dark and still outside. When he came back, Mattie had pushed his chair near the fire and had seated herself by the lamp with a bit of sewing. He sat down, feeling warm and dreamy and at peace with the world. The only trouble was that he could not see Mattie from where he sat. But he felt too lazy to move and after a moment he said: 'Come over here and sit by the fire.'

吃完飯，瑪?shù)偈帐白雷樱辽３鋈ゲ榭瓷?。屋外的世界黑黢黢的，悄無聲息。他回來時，瑪?shù)僖褜⑺囊巫油频搅藸t火邊，自己坐在燈邊做著針線活兒。他坐了下來，感覺暖洋洋的，恍如在夢境中，世界一片祥和。唯一的不足就是從他坐著的地方看不到瑪?shù)?。可他感到懶懶的，不想動彈，于是過了一會兒他說：“過來坐在爐火邊吧。”

Mattie got up and sat opposite him in Zeena's rocking chair. He looked at the chair and for a moment he saw his wife's grim face there. Mattie seemed to feel uncomfortable too. After a while she got up, saying, 'I can't see to sew,' and went back to sit by the lamp.

瑪?shù)倨鹕碜诹怂麑γ纨R娜的搖椅上。他看著那搖椅，一時間又好像看到了妻子那陰郁的臉。瑪?shù)倏瓷先ヒ膊惶栽凇２灰粫?，她站起身來，說：“我看不清，沒法兒縫。”就坐回到燈旁邊去了。

The cat jumped into the empty rocking-chair, and Ethan moved his own chair a little. Now he could see Mattie as she sat and sewed in the soft lamplight. A deep quiet came over the kitchen. The 'tick-tick' of the clock was the only sound in the room, and the smoke from Ethan's pipe and the smell of Mattie's flowering plants filled the air.

貓?zhí)搅丝論u椅上，伊桑把自己的椅子挪了挪?，F(xiàn)在他能看到瑪?shù)倭?，她坐在柔和的燈光下做著針線活兒。深深的寂靜籠罩了廚房，房間里只有“滴答滴答”的鐘聲，伊桑的煙斗冒出的煙和瑪?shù)兖B(yǎng)的鮮花所散發(fā)出來的香氣彌漫在空氣中。

They began to talk easily of everyday things. It all seemed so comfortable and so peaceful. Ethan began to dream that they always spent their evenings like this...

他們扯起了家常。一切看似如此舒暢，如此祥和。伊桑開始夢想他們會一直這樣度過所有的夜晚……

This was the night when we were going coasting,' he said after a while.

“今晚我們本來要去玩滑斜坡的。”過了一會兒他說。

She smiled back at him. 'I guess you forgot!'

她笑著回答：“我以為你忘了呢！”

No, I didn't forget. It's too dark tonight, but we can go tomorrow if there's a moon.'

“不，我可沒忘。今晚太黑了，明天要是有月亮，我們就去。”

That would be lovely. Ethan!' Mattie laughed happily, and her eyes shone in the lamplight. Ethan loved the way that her face changed as she talked, like a field of grass moving under a gentle summer wind.

“那太好了，伊桑！”瑪?shù)匍_心地大笑，眼睛在燈光下放出光彩。伊桑喜歡她聊天時表情的變化，仿佛柔和的夏風(fēng)吹拂著的草地。

It's too dangerous on a dark night like this,' he went on. 'You've got to keep your eyes open on that slope, you know, Matt. That's a dangerous corner down by that big tree. You could crash right into it if you're not careful.' Then he added: 'I guess we're fine here, aren't we?'

“像今天這么黑的夜晚去那兒太危險了。”他繼續(xù)說道，“你知道，在斜坡上你必須睜大眼睛，瑪?shù)?。坡下大樹旁有個危險的拐角，要是不小心就會撞個正著。”然后他又補充了一句：“我想咱們在這兒挺不錯的，是不？”

Yes, we're fine here,' agreed Mattie in a soft, sweet voice. Ethan put down his pipe and pulled his chair up to the table. He touched the end of her piece of sewing.

“是啊，在這兒不錯。”瑪?shù)偬鹛鸬剌p聲表示同意。伊桑放下煙斗，把椅子拽到桌子前，他碰了碰瑪?shù)倩钣嫷囊唤恰?/p>

Say, Matt, guess what I saw tonight? Your friends kissing under the Varnum trees.'

“嘿，瑪?shù)?，猜我今晚看見了什么。你的朋友在瓦納姆家的大樹下接吻。”

Mattie's face turned bright red. 'That'll be Ruth and Ned,' she answered, looking down at her sewing. Ethan felt embarrassed too. Last night on their walk home he had put his arm around Mattie, and had wanted to kiss her. But tonight, in the warm lamplit room, she seemed so much further away.

瑪?shù)俚哪樧兊眉t彤彤的。“是露絲和內(nèi)德。”她答道，低下眼簾看著自己的針線活兒。伊桑也感到一陣尷尬。昨晚他們走回家時他曾摟住瑪?shù)伲€想親她來著。而今晚，在這被燈光照亮的溫暖房間里，她又這般遙遠。

I guess they'll get married soon,' said Ethan. 'And then maybe you'll be next.'

“我想他們就快結(jié)婚了。”伊桑說，“說不定下一個就是你。”

Why do you say that?' she replied in a low voice. 'Is it because Zeena doesn't want me to stay?'

“為什么這么說？”她低聲答道，“是因為齊娜不想讓我待在這兒嗎？”

What do you mean?' asked Ethan, afraid again.

“什么意思？”伊桑問道，又是一陣恐懼。

I thought that last night she seemed... Oh, I don't know. Nobody knows what Zeena thinks. She hasn't said anything to you, has she?'

“我想昨晚她看上去……哦，我不知道。沒人知道齊娜的想法。她沒跟你說什么，是嗎？”

He shook his head. 'No, not a word.'

他搖了搖頭。“沒有，一個字也沒說。”

I guess it was nothing then. Let's not think about it,' said Mattie, and went on with her sewing.

“我猜那就沒什么事，別去想它了。”瑪?shù)僬f著，又縫了起來。

Ethan watched her in silence. Then he gently took hold of the other end of her piece of sewing. Mattie's warmth seemed to flow along it towards him. Could she feel the answering warmth from his own hand? They sat like this for a few moments, then Ethan heard a sound behind him. The cat had jumped down from Zeena's chair, and because of the sudden movement the empty chair had started a ghostly rocking.

伊桑靜靜地看著她，然后輕輕地抓住了她針線活計的另一角?，?shù)俚臏嘏孟裢ㄟ^它流向了伊桑。她能感覺到他的手傳遞回去的溫暖嗎？他們這樣坐了一陣子，忽然伊桑聽到背后一聲響動。貓?zhí)铝她R娜的搖椅，這個突然的動作讓空搖椅幽靈般地搖晃起來。

Zeena'll be in that chair herself this time tomorrow,' thought Ethan. 'I've been in a dream, and this is the only evening we'll ever have together...' The return to the real world filled him with pain, and he suddenly felt very tired.

“明天這個時候，齊娜就會坐在那把椅子上了。”伊桑想，“我就像做了一場夢，今晚是我們唯一共同度過的夜晚了……”回到現(xiàn)實讓他充滿痛苦，忽然間他感到十分疲憊。

Mattie looked at him, and for a moment he saw fear cross her face. He held onto her sewing and kissed the end of it softly. She pulled it slowly from his lips and put it away. It was eleven o'clock.

瑪?shù)倏粗粫r間他看到她臉上掠過驚恐的神色。他拉起她的針線活兒，輕輕地親著一角。她慢慢地將它從他唇邊抽出來，放到一邊。已經(jīng)11點了。

Is the fire all right?' she asked in a low voice.

“爐火還好吧？”她低聲問道。

They checked the fire, moved the plant pots away from the cold window, and put out the lamp.

他們看了看爐火，把花盆從寒冷的窗子旁搬開，熄了燈。

Goodnight, Matt,' he said, as she put her foot on the first step of the stairs.

“晚安，瑪?shù)佟?rdquo;瑪?shù)僮呱系谝患墭翘輹r，伊桑說道。

Goodnight, Ethan,' she answered, and went up.

“晚安，伊桑。”她答道，然后上樓去了。

When the door of her room had closed, he remembered that he had not even touched her hand.

當她房間的門關(guān)上的時候，他想起自己甚至連她的手都沒碰一下。