牛津書蟲系列 秘密花園 1 Little Miss Mary

1 Little Miss Mary

1 幼年的瑪麗小姐

Nobody seemed to care about Mary.She was born in India，where her father was a British official.He was busy with his work，and her mother，who was very beautiful， spent all her time going to parties.So an Indian woman，Kamala，was paid to take care of the little girl.Mary was not a pretty child.She had a thin angry face and thin yellow hair. She was always giving orders to Kamala，who had to obey. Mary never thought of other people， but only of herself.In fact，she was a very selfish，disagreeable，bad-tempered little girl.

似乎沒有人注意瑪麗的存在?，旣惓錾谟《?，父親是駐印的英國官員，總是忙著工作，母親長得非常漂亮，把所有時間都花在參加聚會上。所以，一個名叫卡瑪拉的印度女人被雇來照看這個小姑娘?，旣愰L得不漂亮，消瘦的臉上總是一副生氣的樣子，頭發(fā)稀疏枯黃。她總對卡瑪拉發(fā)號施令，卡瑪拉只好順從她。她很少想到別人，只顧自己。她確實是一個非常自私，脾氣怪戾，很難相處的女孩。

One very hot morning，when she was about nine years old， she woke up and saw that instead of Kamala there was a different Indian servant by her bed.

在她9歲那年的一個上午，天氣很熱，她醒來時發(fā)現(xiàn)站在床前的不是卡瑪拉，而是另外一個印度女仆。

‘What are you doing here?’she asked crossly.‘Go away! And send Kamala to me at once!’

“你在這兒干什么?”她生氣地問。“走開!叫卡瑪拉馬上到這兒來!”

The woman looked afraid.‘I'm sorry，Miss Mary，she— she—she can't come!’

那個女人看來很害怕。“對不起，瑪麗小姐，她——她——她來不了了!”

Something strange was happening that day.Some of the house servants were missing and everybody looked frightened. But nobody told Mary anything，and Kamala still did not come.So at last Mary went out into the garden，and played by herself under a tree.She pretended she was making her own flower garden，and picked large red flowers to push into the ground.All the time she was saying crossly to herself，

那天發(fā)生了一些很奇怪的事情，房子里的一些仆人不見了，每個人看上去都驚恐異常?？墒菦]有人告訴瑪麗任何事情，卡瑪拉也始終沒來。最后瑪麗只好一個人來到花園，在一棵樹下玩耍。她假裝是在給自己造一座花園，摘來大朵的紅花插在土里，一邊玩還一邊堵氣地自言自語。

‘I hate Kamala!I'll hit her when she comes back!’

“我討厭卡瑪拉!等她回來我要接她一頓!”

Just then she saw her mother coming into the garden，with a young Englishman.They did not notice the child，who listened to their conversation.

就在這會兒，她看見媽媽和一個年輕的英國人走進(jìn)花園，瑪麗聽見了他們的談話，他們卻沒注意到她。

‘It's very bad，is it?’her mother asked the young man in a worried voice.

“很嚴(yán)重，是嗎?”媽媽問那個年輕人，聲音充滿焦慮。

‘Very bad，’he answered seriously.‘People are dying like flies.It's dangerous to stay in this town.You should go to the hills，where there's no disease.’

“非常嚴(yán)重，”他嚴(yán)肅地說。“人們像蒼蠅一樣死去，再在城里呆下去太危險了，你得到山里去，那里沒有疾玻”

‘Oh，I know!’she cried.‘We must leave soon!’

“哦，我知道!”她叫道，“我們得馬上離開!”

Suddenly they heard loud cries coming from the servants’rooms，at the side of the house.

突然，他們聽到房子側(cè)面用人屋里傳來嚎啕大哭的聲音。

‘What's happened?’cried Mary's mother wildly.

“出了什么事?”瑪麗的媽媽慌亂地大叫著。

‘I think one of your servants has just died.You didn't tell me the disease is here，in your house!’

“我看是你的一個用人剛剛死去。你沒告訴過我這兒也有疫病，在你的房子里!”

‘I didn't know!’she screamed.‘Quick，come with me!’And together they ran into the house.

“我根本不知道!”她尖聲叫著。“快，跟我來。”他們一同沖進(jìn)屋去。

Now Mary understood what was wrong.The terrible disease had already killed many people in the town，and in all the houses people were dying.In Mary's house it was Kamala who had just died.Later that day three more servants died there.

現(xiàn)在瑪麗明白是哪兒不對了?？膳碌囊卟∫呀?jīng)奪去了城里很多人的生命，到處都有人在死去。在瑪麗家剛剛死去的正是卡瑪拉。那天后來又有3個用人死了。

All through the night and the next day people ran in and out of the house，shouting and crying.Nobody thought of Mary. She hid in her bedroom，frightened by the strange and terrible sounds that she heard around her.Sometimes she cried and sometimes she slept.

整整一夜到第二天，人們跑進(jìn)跑出，哭著，喊著，誰也沒想起瑪麗。她躲在臥室里，被周圍這些可怕的聲音嚇壞了，不時地哭著，哭累了就睡上一會兒。

When she woke the next day，the house was silent.

第二天，當(dāng)她醒來時，房子里一片寂靜。

‘Perhaps the disease has gone，’she thought，‘and everybody is well again.I wonder who will take care of me instead of Kamala?Why doesn't someone bring me some food?It's strange the house is so quiet.’

“說不定疫病已經(jīng)過去，人們又和從前一樣健康了，”她想著，“誰會接替卡瑪拉來照看我呢?為什么家里沒人給我送點吃的來，房子里這么靜，真是太奇怪了。”

But just then she heard men's voices in the hall.

就在這時，她聽到客廳里男人說話的聲音。

‘How sad!’ said one.‘That beautiful woman!’

“太慘啦!”有人說。“這么漂亮的女人!”

‘There was a child too，wasn't there?’said the other.‘Although none of us ever saw her.’

“還應(yīng)該有個孩子的，是不是?”另外一個人說，“盡管我們都沒有看見她。”

Mary was standing in the middle of her room when they opened the door a few minutes later.The two men jumped back in surprise.

幾分鐘后，他們推開門，瑪麗站在房間的中間，兩個男人嚇得跳了回去。

‘My name is Mary Lennox，’she said crossly.‘I was asleep when everyone was ill，and now I'm hungry.’

“我叫瑪麗·蓮諾絲，”她生氣地說。“他們生病時我睡著了，現(xiàn)在我很餓。”

‘It's the child，the one nobody ever saw!’said the older man to the other.‘They've all forgotten her!’

“就是這個孩子，誰都沒看見她!”年長一點的男人對另一個說。“他們都把她忘了!”

‘Why was I forgotten?’asked Mary angrily.‘Why has nobody come to take care of me?’

“為什么把我忘了?”瑪麗氣呼呼地問。“為什么沒人來照看我?”

The younger man looked at her very sadly.‘Poor child!’ he said.‘You see，there's nobody left alive in the house.So nobody can come.’

年輕一點的男人憂傷地看著她，“可憐的孩子!”他說。“聽著，這幢房子里的人全死了，所以沒有人能來照看你。”

In this strange and sudden way Mary learnt that both her mother and her father had died.The few servants who had not died had run away in the night.No one had remembered little Miss Mary.She was all alone.

以這樣一種奇異而突然的方式，瑪麗得知她的父母已不在人世，活下來的幾個用人也趁半夜逃走了。沒人想起年幼的瑪麗小姐，就只剩下她一個人了。

Because she had never known her parents well，she did not miss them at all.She only thought of herself，as she had always done.

由于她跟父母并不親近，也并不想念他們。像以前一樣，她只想到了她自己。

‘Where will I live?’she wondered.‘I hope I'll stay with people who'll let me do what I want.’

“我該住哪兒呢?”她思量著。“我想跟那些讓我想干什么就干什么的人在一起。”

At first she was taken to an English family who had known her parents.She hated their untidy house and noisy children， and preferred playing by herself in the garden.One day she was playing her favourite game，pretending to make a garden， when one of the children，Basil，offered to help.

一開始她被帶到一戶英國人家，他們認(rèn)識她的父母?？伤憛捤麄兞鑱y的房間和吵吵鬧鬧的孩子們，而寧愿一個人在花園里玩。一天，她正玩著最喜歡的造花園游戲，那家的孩子巴茲爾走過來想幫她忙。

‘Go away!’cried Mary.‘I don't want your help!’

“走開!”瑪麗大聲喊道，“我才不用你幫忙!”

For a moment Basil looked angry，and then he began to laugh He danced round and round Mary，and sang a funny little song about Miss Mary and her stupid flowers.This made Mary very cross indeed.No one had ever laughed at her so unkindly.

巴茲爾呆站了一會兒，很生氣，可很快又樂開了。他圍著瑪麗又蹦又跳，一邊唱起一支滑稽的有關(guān)瑪麗小姐和她愚蠢的花兒的歌。這可把瑪麗氣壞了，還從來沒人這么刻薄地嘲笑過她呢!

‘You're going home soon，’said Basil.‘And we're all very pleased you're leaving!’

“你就快回家了，”巴茲爾說。“我們真高興你快走了。”

‘I'm pleased too，’replied Mary.‘But where's home?’

“我也高興，”瑪麗答道。“可回哪兒的家?”

‘You're stupid if you don't know that!’laughed Basil. England，of course!You're going to live with your uncle，Mr Archibald Graven.’

“你連這都不知道，可真夠傻的!”巴茲爾笑道，“當(dāng)然是英國!你要去跟你舅舅阿奇伯德·克萊文先生住了!”

‘I've never heard of him，’said Mary coldly.

“我從來沒聽說過他。”瑪麗冷冷地說。

‘But I know about him because I heard Father and Mother talking，’said Basil.‘He lives in a big lonely old house，and has no friends，because he's so badtempered.He's got a crooked back，and he's horrid!’

“可我知道，我聽我爸爸媽媽談?wù)撨^他。他住在一幢孤零零的、又大又舊的房子里，一個朋友都沒有，因為他脾氣太壞了，他還是個駝背，可怕極了!”

‘I don't believe you!’cried Mary.But the next day Basil's parents explained that she was going to live with her uncle in Yorkshire，in the north of England.Mary looked bored and cross and said nothing.

“我才不信呢!”瑪麗大聲說?？墒堑诙?，巴茲爾的父母解釋說她將要到英格蘭北部的約克郡，跟她的舅舅住在一起。瑪麗顯得又煩躁又惱怒，可什么都沒說。

After the long sea journey，she was met in London by Mr Craven's housekeeper，Mrs Medlock.Together they travelled north by train.Mrs Medlock was a large woman，with a very red face and bright black eyes.Mary did not like her，but that was not surprising，because she did not usually like people.Mrs Medlock did not like Mary either.

輪船在海上航行了很久，克萊文先生的管家梅洛太太到倫敦來接瑪麗，帶她坐火車去北方。梅洛太太是個高大的女人，紅臉膛，長著一雙明亮的黑眼睛。瑪麗不喜歡她，這也沒什么好奇怪的，因為她誰也不喜歡。梅洛太太也不怎么喜歡瑪麗。

‘What a disagreeable child!’thought the housekeeper.‘But perhaps I should talk to her.’

“這孩子可真不討人喜歡!”管家心里想。“不過也許我能跟她聊聊。”

‘I can tell you a bit about your uncle if you like，’she said aloud.‘He lives in a big old house，a long way from anywhere. There are nearly a hundred rooms，but most of them are shut and locked.There's a big park round the house，and all kinds of gardens.Well，what do you think of that?’

“要是你愿意，我可以給你講講你舅舅的事。”她大聲說。“他住在一幢很大的老宅子里，離哪兒都不近。那個宅子差不多有一百個房間，可大部分都是上了鎖的。房子周圍有一片很大的園林，還有各式的花園。你覺得怎么樣?”

‘Nothing，’replied Mary.‘It doesn't matter to me.’

“不怎么樣，”瑪麗答道。“跟我一點關(guān)系都沒有。”

Mrs Medlock laughed.‘You're a hard little girl!Well，if you don't care，Mr Craven doesn't either.He never spends time on anyone.He's got a crooked back，you see，and although he's always been rich，he was never really happy until he married.’

梅洛太太笑了，“你這個小倔丫頭!好啦，如果你不在乎，克萊文先生自然也不在乎。他從不把時間花在任何人身上，他是個駝背，而且，盡管一直都很有錢，在他結(jié)婚之前他從來沒有真正快樂過。”

‘Married?’repeated Mary in surprise.

“結(jié)婚?”瑪麗驚奇地重復(fù)道。

‘Yes，he married a sweet，pretty girl，and he loved her deeply.So when she died—’

“是啊，娶了個溫柔美麗的姑娘，他非常非常愛她。所以那姑娘一死——”

‘Oh!Did she die?’asked Mary，interested.

“哦!她死了嗎?”瑪麗感興趣地問道。

‘Yes，she did.And now he doesn't care about anybody.If he's at home，he stays in his room and sees nobody.He won't want to see you，so you must stay out of his way and do what you're told.’

“是啊，她死了。所以克萊文先生誰也不關(guān)心了，他在家的時候就呆在屋子里誰也不見，他不會想見你的，所以你必須躲著他，照別人吩咐你的去做。”

Mary stared out of the train window at the grey sky and the rain.She was not looking forward to life at her uncle's house.

瑪麗望著車窗外灰色的天空和飄落的雨水，對于住在舅舅家的生活沒有一絲期盼。

The train journey lasted all day，and it was dark when they arrived at the station.Then there was a long drive to get to the house.It was a cold，windy night，and it was raining heavily. After a while Mary began to hear a strange，wild noise.She looked out of the window，but could see nothing except the darkness.

火車走了一天，到站時天已經(jīng)黑了?？呻x那幢房子還有很遠(yuǎn)的路，要搭馬車才能到。這是一個寒冷的夜晚，風(fēng)疾雨驟。過了一陣，瑪麗聽到一種奇怪的狂野的聲音，她向窗外看去，可除了黑暗什么都看不見。

‘What's that noise?’she asked Mrs Medlock.‘It's—It's not the sea，is it?’

“那是什么聲音?”她問梅洛太太，“那——那不是海，對么?”

‘No，that's the moor.It's the sound the wind makes，blowing across the moor.’

“對，那不是海，是荒原的聲音，是風(fēng)吹過荒原時發(fā)出的聲音。”

‘What is a moor?’

“荒原是什么?”

‘It's just miles and miles of wild land，with no trees or houses.Your uncle's house is right on the edge of the moor.’

“就是大片大片的荒地，沒有樹，也沒有房屋，你舅舅家就住在荒原的盡頭。”

Mary listened to the strange，frightening sound.‘I don't like it，’she thought.‘I don't like it.’She looked more disagreeable than ever.

瑪麗聽著那奇怪而又可怕的聲音，心里想著“我討厭它，我討厭它。”她看上去更加不討人喜歡了。