通译双语文库:名利场第八章　秘密的私信

1

-

这封信是利蓓加·夏泼小姐写到伦敬勒塞尔广场给爱米丽亚·赛特笠小姐的：（免费—毕脱·克劳莱）①

①毕脱爵士是国会议员，信札可以由运输机关免费代送。

1

-

Miss Rebecca Sharp to Miss Amelia Sedley, Russell Square, London. (Free.—Pitt Crawley.)

2

-

最亲爱最宝贝的爱米丽亚：

2

-

MY DEAREST, SWEETEST AMELIA,

3

-

当我提起笔来跟我最亲爱的朋友写信的时候，心头真是悲喜交集。从昨天到今天的变动多大呀！今天我无奈无友孤孤单单的，昨天我还在家里，有可爱的妹妹伴着我。我永远不变的爱我的妹妹！

3

-

With what mingled joy and sorrow do I take up the pen to write to my dearest friend! Oh, what a change between to-day and yesterday! Now I am friendless and alone; yesterday I was at home, in the sweet company of a sister, whom I shall ever, ever cherish!

4

-

我跟你分别的那天晚上，那凄凉的晚上，我伤心落泪的情况，也不必再说了。你在欢笑中度过了星期二，有你的妈妈和你忠心的年轻军官在你身边。我呢，整夜想着你在潘金家里跳舞的情形。我知道你准是跳舞会里最美丽的姑娘。

4

-

I will not tell you in what tears and sadness I passed the fatal night in which I separated from you. YOU went on Tuesday to joy and happiness, with your mother and YOUR DEVOTED YOUNG SOLDIER by your side; and I thought of you all night, dancing at the Perkins’s, the prettiest, I am sure, of all the young ladies at the Ball.

5

-

那天我坐了马车先到毕脱·克劳莱爵士伦敦的公馆里，马车夫约翰对我非常的无礼。唉，侮辱了穷苦和落薄的人是不打紧的！这样我就算到了毕脱爵士手里，由他来照顾了。他叫我在一张阴气森森的床上睡了一夜，和我同床的是个阴陽怪气的、讨厌的老太婆。她是做散工的，兼管屋子，我一夜到天明没有阖眼。

5

-

I was brought by the groom in the old carriage to Sir Pitt Crawley’s town house, where, after John the groom had behaved most rudely and insolently to me (alas! ’twas safe to insult poverty and misfortune!), I was given over to Sir P.’s care, and made to pass the night in an old gloomy bed, and by the side of a horrid gloomy old charwoman, who keeps the house. I did not sleep one single wink the whole night.

6

-

咱们这些傻女孩子，在契息克读《茜茜利亚》①的时候，老是想像从男爵该是什么样子。毕脱爵士可不是那么一回事儿。说实话，谁也不能比他离着奥维尔勋爵②更远了。他是个又粗又矮又脏又俗气的老头儿，穿一身旧衣服，一副破烂的裹腿，抽一支臭烟斗，还会在煎锅里面煮他自己吃的臭晚饭。

①十八世纪英国女作家法尼·勃尼（Fanny　Burney）的小说。②勃尼另一作品《爱佛丽娜》中的男主角。

6

-

Sir Pitt is not what we silly girls, when we used to read Cecilia at Chiswick, imagined a baronet must have been. Anything, indeed, less like Lord Orville cannot be imagined. Fancy an old, stumpy, short, vulgar, and very dirty man, in old clothes and shabby old gaiters, who smokes a horrid pipe, and cooks his own horrid supper in a saucepan.

7

-

他一口乡下土话，老是冲着做散工的老妈子赌咒，又冲着赶车的发誓。我们先坐街车到客店里，驿车就从那儿出发。一路上我大半的时候都坐在露天。

7

-

He speaks with a country accent, and swore a great deal at the old charwoman, at the hackney coachman who drove us to the inn where the coach went from, and on which I made the journey OUTSIDE FOR THE GREATER PART OF THE WAY.

8

-

天一亮，老妈子就把我叫醒。到了客店上车，起头儿倒坐在车身里面的，可是到了一个叫里金顿的地方，雨渐渐下得大了，我反而给赶到车顶上去，你信不信？原来毕脱爵士是驿车老板，因此到了墨特白莱，一个乘客要坐在车身里面，我就只能出来让他，在雨里淋着。幸而有一个剑桥大学的学生带了好几件大衣。他为人很好，借给我一件大衣挡雨。

8

-

I was awakened at daybreak by the charwoman, and having arrived at the inn, was at first placed inside the coach. But, when we got to a place called Leakington, where the rain began to fall very heavily—will you believe it?—I was forced to come outside; for Sir Pitt is a proprietor of the coach, and as a passenger came at Mudbury, who wanted an inside place, I was obliged to go outside in the rain, where, however, a young gentleman from Cambridge College sheltered me very kindly in one of his several great coats.

9

-

这位先生跟车上的护卫兵似乎认识毕脱爵士，两个人一直取笑他。他们笑他，管他叫“老剥皮”，这意思就是说他吝啬和贪心。据说他从来不肯白给人家一个子儿。我最恨这种小气的行为。那位先生提醒我，说是最后两站，车子跑得特别慢。原来这两站路上用的马匹是毕脱爵士的，他自己又坐在车夫旁边，所以车子赶得慢了。

9

-

This gentleman and the guard seemed to know Sir Pitt very well, and laughed at him a great deal. They both agreed in calling him an old screw; which means a very stingy, avaricious person. He never gives any money to anybody, they said (and this meanness I hate); and the young gentleman made me remark that we drove very slow for the last two stages on the road, because Sir Pitt was on the box, and because he is proprietor of the horses for this part of the journey.

10

-

剑桥的学生说：“马缰到了我手里，我可要把它们好好鞭一顿，一直鞭到斯阔希莫。”护卫兵说：“活该！杰克少爷。”后来我懂他们的意思了。杰克少爷准备亲自赶车，在毕脱爵士的马身上出出气，我当然也笑起来。

10

-

”But won’t I flog ’em on to Squashmore, when I take the ribbons?” said the young Cantab. ”And sarve ’em right, Master Jack,” said the guard. When I comprehended the meaning of this phrase, and that Master Jack intended to drive the rest of the way, and revenge himself on Sir Pitt’s horses, of course I laughed too.

11

-

离女王的克劳莱镇四哩的地方叫墨特白莱，一辆套着四匹骏马的马车，上面漆了他家的纹章，就在那儿等候我们。我们就挺威风的走进从男爵的园地。从大门到住宅之间有一条整洁的甬道，大概有一哩长。大门那儿有好多柱子，顶上塑着一条蛇和一只鸽子，一边一个把克劳莱的纹章合抱起来。看门的女人把一重重的铁门打开，跟我们行了好多屈膝礼。这些镂花的铁门很像契息克学校的大门。可恨的契息克！

11

-

A carriage and four splendid horses, covered with armorial bearings, however, awaited us at Mudbury, four miles from Queen’s Crawley, and we made our entrance to the baronet’s park in state. There is a fine avenue of a mile long leading to the house, and the woman at the lodge-gate (over the pillars of which are a serpent and a dove, the supporters of the Crawley arms), made us a number of curtsies as she flung open the old iron carved doors, which are something like those at odious Chiswick.

12

-

毕脱爵士说：“这条甬道有一哩长。这些树斫下来有六千磅重的木材呢。你能小看它吗？”他的口音真滑稽。一个叫霍特生先生的人，是他在墨特白莱的佣工，跟我们一起坐了车回家。他们两人谈了好多事，像扣押财产，卖田地，掘底土，排积水等等，还有许多关于佃户和种作方面的话，我听了也不大懂。

12

-

"There’s an avenue," said Sir Pitt, "a mile long. There’s six thousand pound of timber in them there trees. Do you call that nothing?" He pronounced avenue—EVENUE, and nothing—NOTHINK, so droll; and he had a Mr. Hodson, his hind from Mudbury, into the carriage with him, and they talked about distraining, and selling up, and draining and subsoiling, and a great deal about tenants and farming—much more than I could understand.

13

-

譬如山姆·马尔斯偷捉野味，给逮住了；彼德·贝莱终于进了老人堂了。毕脱爵士听了说：“活该！这一百五十年来，他跟他家里的人老是耍花样骗人。”我猜这人准是个付不起租税的老佃户。毕脱爵士的口气实在应该再文雅点儿。可是有钱的从男爵用错了字眼是没关系的，穷教师才得留心呢。

13

-

Sam Miles had been caught poaching, and Peter Bailey had gone to the workhouse at last. ”Serve him right,” said Sir Pitt; ”him and his family has been cheating me on that farm these hundred and fifty years.” Some old tenant, I suppose, who could not pay his rent. Sir Pitt might have said ”he and his family,” to be sure; but rich baronets do not need to be careful about grammar, as poor governesses must be.

14

-

我们一路走去，看见教堂的尖顶在园里的老橡树里面高高耸起，美丽极了。在橡树前面的草坪中心，有一所红砖砌的旧房子，烟囱很高，墙上爬满了常春藤，窗户在陽光里发亮。房子四围附着几所小屋。我问道：“先生，这是您的教堂吧？”

14

-

As we passed, I remarked a beautiful church-spire rising above some old elms in the park; and before them, in the midst of a lawn, and some outhouses, an old red house with tall chimneys covered with ivy, and the windows shining in the sun. "Is that your church, sir?" I said.

15

-

“哼，对了！”毕脱爵士还用了一个非常下流的字，他说：“霍特生，别谪怎么了？亲爱的，别谪也就是我弟弟别德——那个当牧师的弟弟。我说他一半是别谪一半是野兽①，哈，哈！”

①指童话《美人与兽》，美人（Beauty）和别谪（Buty）同音。

15

-

"Yes, hang it," (said Sir Pitt, only he used, dear, A MUCH WICKEDER WORD); "how’s Buty, Hodson? Buty’s my brother Bute, my dear—my brother the parson. Buty and the Beast I call him, ha, ha!"

16

-

霍特生听了也笑起来，然后正色点点头说：“看来他身体好些了，毕脱爵士。昨天他骑着小马，出来瞧咱们的玉米来着。”

16

-

Hodson laughed too, and then looking more grave and nodding his head, said, "I’m afraid he’s better, Sir Pitt. He was out on his pony yesterday, looking at our corn."

17

-

“他在留神照看他教堂里抽的税呢，哼！”（这儿他又用了那下流的字眼。）“他喝了那么些对水的白兰地酒，怎么还不死呢？他竟和《圣经》里那个什么玛土撒拉①老头儿一样结实。”

①《圣经·创世记》中的老人，活了九百六十多岁。

17

-

"Looking after his tithes, hang’un (only he used the same wicked word). Will brandy and water never kill him? He’s as tough as old whatdyecallum—old Methusalem."

18

-

霍特生又笑起来，说道：“他的儿子们从大学里回来了。他们把约翰·斯格洛琴打得半死。”

18

-

Mr. Hodson laughed again. "The young men is home from college. They’ve whopped John Scroggins till he’s well nigh dead."

19

-

毕脱爵士怒声嚷道：“他们把我的看守猎场的打了吗？”

19

-

"Whop my second keeper!" roared out Sir Pitt.

20

-

霍特生答道：“他跑到牧师的田地上去了，老爷。”毕脱爵士怒气冲冲，赌神罚誓的说，如果他发现弟弟家里的人在他地上偷野味，他就把他们从区里赶出去。皇天在上，非把他们赶走不可！他又说：“反正我已经把牧师的位子卖掉了。保证叫他家的小畜生得不到这差使。”霍特生先生夸他做得对。从这些话看来，这两个兄弟准是冤家对头。兄弟们往往是这样的，姊妹们也不是例外。你记得在契息克，那两个斯格拉区莱小姐一天到晚拌嘴打架。还有玛丽·博克斯呢，老是打鲁意莎。

20

-

"He was on the parson’s ground, sir," replied Mr. Hodson; and Sir Pitt in a fury swore that if he ever caught ’em poaching on his ground, he’d transport ’em, by the lord he would. However, he said, "I’ve sold the presentation of the living, Hodson; none of that breed shall get it, I war’nt"; and Mr. Hodson said he was quite right: and I have no doubt from this that the two brothers are at variance—as brothers often are, and sisters too. Don’t you remember the two Miss Scratchleys at Chiswick, how they used always to fight and quarrel—and Mary Box, how she was always thumping Louisa?

21

-

后来我们看见两个男孩子在树林里捡枯枝儿。毕脱爵士一声命令，霍特生就跳起身来，一手拿着鞭子，下了马车直冲过去。从男爵大声喝道：“霍特生，重重的打！打死他们！把这两个小流氓带到我家里来，我不把他们关在监牢里不叫毕脱！”不久我们听见霍特生的鞭子啪啪的打在那两个小可怜儿身上，打得他们哀哀的哭叫。毕脱爵士眼看着犯法的人给看管了起来，才赶着车进去，一直到大厅前面停下来。

21

-

presently, seeing two little boys gathering sticks in the wood, Mr. Hodson jumped out of the carriage, at Sir Pitt’s order, and rushed upon them with his whip. "Pitch into ’em, Hodson," roared the baronet; "flog their little souls out, and bring ’em up to the house, the vagabonds; I’ll commit ’em as sure as my name’s Pitt." And presently we heard Mr. Hodson’s whip cracking on the shoulders of the poor little blubbering wretches, and Sir Pitt, seeing that the malefactors were in custody, drove on to the hall.

22

-

所有的佣人都等着迎接我们，后来

22

-

All the servants were ready to meet us, and . . .

23

-

昨天晚上写到这里，听得房门上砰砰打的一片响，只得停笔。你猜是谁在打门？哪知道就是毕脱·克劳莱爵士自己，穿了梳妆衣，戴了睡帽，那样子真古怪。我一看见这样的来客，不由得往后倒退。他跑上来抢了我的蜡烛道：“蓓基小姐，过了十一点不许点蜡烛了。在黑地里上床去吧，你这漂亮的小丫头”（他就那么称呼我），“你要是不爱叫我天天跑来收蜡烛，记住，十一点上床！”

23

-

Here, my dear, I was interrupted last night by a dreadful thumping at my door: and who do you think it was? Sir Pitt Crawley in his night-cap and dressing-gown, such a figure! As I shrank away from such a visitor, he came forward and seized my candle. "No candles after eleven o’clock, Miss Becky," said he. "Go to bed in the dark, you pretty little hussy" (that is what he called me), "and unless you wish me to come for the candle every night, mind and be in bed at eleven."

24

-

说了这话，他和那佣人头儿叫霍洛克斯的，打着哈哈走掉了。以后我当然得小心不让他们再来。他们一到晚上就放出两条硕大无朋的猎狗来。昨天晚上这两条狗整夜对着月亮狂吠乱叫。毕脱爵士说：“这条狗我叫它喝血儿。它杀过一个人呢，这狗！公牛都斗不过它的。它母亲本来叫‘花花’，如今我叫它‘哇哇’，因为它太老了，不会咬，只会叫。呵，呵！”

24

-

And with this, he and Mr. Horrocks the butler went off laughing. You may be sure I shall not encourage any more of their visits. They let loose two immense bloodhounds at night, which all last night were yelling and howling at the moon. ”I call the dog Gorer,” said Sir Pitt; ”he’s killed a man that dog has, and is master of a bull, and the mother I used to call Flora; but now I calls her Aroarer, for she’s too old to bite. Haw, haw!”

25

-

女王的克劳莱大厦是一所怪难看的旧式红砖大房子，高高的烟囱，上层的三角楼全是蓓斯女王时代的款式。屋子前面有个大陽台，顶上也塑着世袭的蛇和鸽子，进门就是大厅。啊，亲爱的，厅堂又大又－阴－，大概和“尤道尔福”①堡里的大厅差不多。厅里有个大壁炉，大得容得下平克顿女校一半的学生。壁炉里的铁架子上至少可以烤一只整牛。

①十八世纪末叶盛行神怪小说，所谓兰特克立夫派（Radcliffe　School）《尤道尔福古堡的秘密》是兰特克立夫太太的作品之一。

25

-

Before the house of Queen’s Crawley, which is an odious old-fashioned red brick mansion, with tall chimneys and gables of the style of Queen Bess, there is a terrace flanked by the family dove and serpent, and on which the great hall-door opens. And oh, my dear, the great hall I am sure is as big and as glum as the great hall in the dear castle of Udolpho. It has a large fireplace, in which we might put half Miss Pinkerton’s school, and the grate is big enough to roast an ox at the very least.

26

-

大厅墙上挂了克劳莱家里不知多少代的祖宗的画像。有些留着胡子，戴着皱领；有些两脚八字排开，戴了大得不得了的假头发；有些穿了长长的紧身衣，外面的袍子硬绷绷的，看上去像一座塔；还有些披着长长的鬈发，而身上呢，嗳哟哟，压根儿没穿紧身！大厅尽头就是黑橡木的大楼梯，那阴森森的样子你想都想不出。厅的两边都是高大的门，通到弹子房、书房、黄色大客厅和上午动用的几间起坐间。每扇门上面的墙上都装了鹿头标本。

26

-

Round the room hang I don’t know how many generations of Crawleys, some with beards and ruffs, some with huge wigs and toes turned out, some dressed in long straight stays and gowns that look as stiff as towers, and some with long ringlets, and oh, my dear! scarcely any stays at all. At one end of the hall is the great staircase all in black oak, as dismal as may be, and on either side are tall doors with stags’ heads over them, leading to the billiard-room and the library, and the great yellow saloon and the morning-rooms.

27

-

我想二楼上少说也有二十来间卧房，其中一间里面还搁着伊丽莎白女王睡过的床。今天早上我的两个新学生带着我把这些精致的房间都看过了。房里的百叶窗常年关着，更显得凄凉。无论哪间屋里，只要你让亮光透进去，保管看得见鬼。

27

-

I think there are at least twenty bedrooms on the first floor; one of them has the bed in which Queen Elizabeth slept; and I have been taken by my new pupils through all these fine apartments this morning. They are not rendered less gloomy, I promise you, by having the shutters always shut; and there is scarce one of the apartments, but when the light was let into it, I expected to see a ghost in the room.

28

-

我们的课堂在三楼，夹在我的卧房和学生的卧房中间；三间都是相通的。再过去就是这家的大爷毕脱先生的一套房间。在这儿大家称他克劳莱先生。还有就是罗登·克劳莱先生的几间。他跟某人一样，也是个军官，现在在军队里。这里地方真大；我想如果把勒塞尔广场一家都搬过来，只怕还住不满呢。

28

-

We have a schoolroom on the second floor, with my bedroom leading into it on one side, and that of the young ladies on the other. Then there are Mr. Pitt’s apartments—Mr. Crawley, he is called—the eldest son, and Mr. Rawdon Crawley’s rooms—he is an officer like SOMEBODY, and away with his regiment. There is no want of room I assure you. You might lodge all the people in Russell Square in the house, I think, and have space to spare.

29

-

我们到了半个钟点之后，下面就打铃催大家吃饭了。我跟两个学生一块儿下去。她们两个一个十岁，一个八岁，都是瘦骨伶仃的小不点儿。我穿了你的漂亮的纱袍子（平纳因为你把衣服给了我，对我很无礼）。我在这里算他们自己人，跟大伙儿一起吃饭，只有请客的日子才带着两个女孩子在楼上吃。

29

-

Half an hour after our arrival, the great dinner-bell was rung, and I came down with my two pupils (they are very thin insignificant little chits of ten and eight years old). I came down in your dear muslin gown (about which that odious Mrs. Pinner was so rude, because you gave it me); for I am to be treated as one of the family, except on company days, when the young ladies and I are to dine upstairs.

30

-

我刚才说到他们打了大铃催吃饭，我们就都聚集在克劳莱夫人起坐的小客厅里。克劳莱夫人是填房，也是我学生的母亲。她的爸爸是铁器商人。她家攀了这门亲事，当然很得意。看上去她从前相当的漂亮，现在她总是一包眼泪，痛惜她一去不返的美貌。

30

-

Well, the great dinner-bell rang, and we all assembled in the little drawing-room where my Lady Crawley sits. She is the second Lady Crawley, and mother of the young ladies. She was an ironmonger’s daughter, and her marriage was thought a great match. She looks as if she had been handsome once, and her eyes are always weeping for the loss of her beauty.

31

-

她身材瘦小，脸色苍白，耸肩膀，似乎见了人无话可说。前妻的儿子克劳莱先生也在，整整齐齐的穿着全套礼服，那架子倒很像办丧事的。这人寡言罕语，又瘦又难看，一张青白脸皮。他一双腿很瘦，胸脯窄小，脸上是干草色的胡子，头上是麦秆色的头发，恰巧和壁炉架上他那去世的妈妈的相片一模一样。他妈妈就是尊贵的平葛家里的葛立泽儿小姐。

31

-

She is pale and meagre and high-shouldered, and has not a word to say for herself, evidently. Her stepson Mr. Crawley, was likewise in the room. He was in full dress, as pompous as an undertaker. He is pale, thin, ugly, silent; he has thin legs, no chest, hay-coloured whiskers, and straw-coloured hair. He is the very picture of his sainted mother over the mantelpiece—Griselda of the noble house of Binkie.

32

-

克劳莱夫人上前拉了我的手说：“克劳莱先生，这位是新来的先生。”

32

-

"This is the new governess, Mr. Crawley," said Lady Crawley, coming forward and taking my hand. "Miss Sharp."

33

-

克劳莱先生把头伸了一伸说：“哦！”说完，又忙着看他的大册子。

33

-

"O!" said Mr. Crawley, and pushed his head once forward and began again to read a great pamphlet with which he was busy.

34

-

克劳莱夫人红镶边眼睛里老是眼泪汪汪的。她说：“我希望你对我的两个女孩儿别太利害。”

34

-

"I hope you will be kind to my girls," said Lady Crawley, with her pink eyes always full of tears.

35

-

大的孩子说道：“唷，妈，她当然不会太利害。”我一眼就知道不用怕这个女人。

35

-

"Law, Ma, of course she will," said the eldest: and I saw at a glance that I need not be afraid of THAT woman.

36

-

佣人头儿进来说：“太太，开饭了。”他穿了黑衣服，胸口的白皱边大得要命，很像大厅里画儿上伊丽莎白式的皱领。克劳莱夫人扶着克劳莱先生领路到饭厅，我一手牵了一个学生，跟在后面。

36

-

”My lady is served,” says the butler in black, in an immense white shirt-frill, that looked as if it had been one of the Queen Elizabeth’s ruffs depicted in the hall; and so, taking Mr. Crawley’s arm, she led the way to the dining-room, whither I followed with my little pupils in each hand.

37

-

毕脱爵士拿着一个银酒瓯，已经先到了。他刚从酒窖里上来，也穿了礼服。所谓礼服，就是说他脱了绑腿，让他的一双穿了黑毛袜的小短腿露在外面。食品柜子里搁满了发光的旧式杯盘，有金的，也有银的，还有旧式的小盆子和五味架，像伦特尔和白立治饭馆里的一样。桌子上动用的刀叉碗盏也都是银的。两个红头发的听差，穿了淡黄的号衣，在食器柜子旁边一面一个站好。

37

-

Sir Pitt was already in the room with a silver jug. He had just been to the cellar, and was in full dress too; that is, he had taken his gaiters off, and showed his little dumpy legs in black worsted stockings. The sideboard was covered with glistening old plate—old cups, both gold and silver; old salvers and cruet-stands, like Rundell and Bridge’s shop. Everything on the table was in silver too, and two footmen, with red hair and canary-coloured liveries, stood on either side of the sideboard.

38

-

克劳莱先生做了个长长的祷告，毕脱爵士说了阿门，盆子上的大银罩子便拿开了。

38

-

Mr. Crawley said a long grace, and Sir Pitt said amen, and the great silver dish-covers were removed.

39

-

从男爵说：“蓓翠，今天咱们吃什么？”

39

-

"What have we for dinner, Betsy?" said the Baronet.

40

-

克劳莱夫人答道：“毕脱爵士，大概是羊肉汤吧？”

40

-

"Mutton broth, I believe, Sir Pitt," answered Lady Crawley.

41

-

管酒的板着正经脸说：“今天吃Mouton　aux　navetAs，”（他读的很像“木头窝囊废”）“汤是potage　de　mouton　a　l’Ecos－saise，外加pomme　de　terre　au　naturel和choufleur　à　l’－eau。”①

①法国是著名讲究饭菜的国家，因此用法文菜名，显得名贵，实际上吃的菜不过是羊肉萝卜，苏格兰式羊肉汤，添的菜是白煮马铃薯和菜花。

41

-

"mouton aux navets," added the butler gravely (pronounce, if you please, moutongonavvy); "and the soup is potage de mouton a l’Ecossaise. The side-dishes contain pommes de terre au naturel, and choufleur a l’eau."

42

-

从男爵说道：“羊肉究竟是羊肉，了不起的好东西。霍洛克斯，你宰的是哪一头羊？什么时候宰的？”

42

-

"Mutton’s mutton," said the Baronet, "and a devilish good thing. What SHIP was it, Horrocks, and when did you kill?"

43

-

“那黑脸的苏格兰羊，毕脱爵士。我们星期四宰的。”

43

-

”One of the black-faced Scotch, Sir Pitt: we killed on Thursday.”

44

-

“有谁买羊肉没有？”

44

-

"Who took any?"

45

-

“墨特白莱地方的斯梯尔买了一只大腿和两只小腿，毕脱爵士。他说小腿太嫩，毛又多得不像样，毕脱爵士。”

45

-

"Steel, of Mudbury, took the saddle and two legs, Sir Pitt; but he says the last was too young and confounded woolly, Sir Pitt."

46

-

克劳莱先生说：“喝点儿potage，呃——白伦脱小姐①。”

①夏泼（Sharp）是尖锐的意思，白伦脱（Blunt）是钝的意思。克劳莱先生记性不好，记了个相反的意思。

46

-

"Will you take some potage, Miss ah—Miss Blunt? said Mr. Crawley.

47

-

毕脱爵士道：“括括叫的苏格兰浓汤，亲爱的，虽然用的是法国名字。”

47

-

"Capital Scotch broth, my dear," said Sir Pitt, "though they call it by a French name."

48

-

克劳莱先生目无下尘的答道：“在上等社会里，我想我用的名词是合乎惯例的。”穿淡黄号衣的听差用银盆盛了汤送上来，跟羊肉萝卜一起吃。然后又有对水的麦酒。我们年轻女的都用小酒杯喝。我不懂麦酒的好坏，可是凭良心说，我倒愿意喝白开水。

48

-

"I believe it is the custom, sir, in decent society," said Mr. Crawley, haughtily, "to call the dish as I have called it"; and it was served to us on silver soup plates by the footmen in the canary coats, with the mouton aux navets. Then "ale and water" were brought, and served to us young ladies in wine-glasses. I am not a judge of ale, but I can say with a clear conscience I prefer water.

49

-

我们吃饭的时候，毕脱爵士问起下剩的羊肉到哪里去了。

49

-

While we were enjoying our repast, Sir Pitt took occasion to ask what had become of the shoulders of the mutton.

50

-

克劳莱夫人低声下气的说道：“我想下房里的佣人吃掉了。”

50

-

"I believe they were eaten in the servants’ hall," said my lady, humbly.

51

-

霍洛克斯回道：“没错，太太，除了这个我们也没吃到什么别的。”

51

-

"They was, my lady," said Horrocks, "and precious little else we get there neither."

52

-

毕脱爵士听了，哈哈的笑起来，接着和霍洛克斯谈话：“坎脱母猪生的那只小黑猪该是很肥了吧？”

52

-

Sir Pitt burst into a horse-laugh, and continued his conversation with Mr. Horrocks. "That there little black pig of the Kent sow’s breed must be uncommon fat now."

53

-

管理的一本正经回答道：“毕脱爵士，它还没肥得胀破了皮。”毕脱爵士和两个小姐听了都笑得前仰后合。

53

-

"It’s not quite busting, Sir Pitt," said the butler with the gravest air, at which Sir Pitt, and with him the young ladies, this time, began to laugh violently.

54

-

克劳莱先生说：“克劳莱小姐，露丝·克劳莱小姐，我认为你们笑得非常不合时宜。”

54

-

"Miss Crawley, Miss Rose Crawley," said Mr. Crawley, "your laughter strikes me as being exceedingly out of place."

55

-

从男爵答道：“没关系的，大爷！我们星期六吃猪肉。约翰·霍洛克斯，星期六早上宰猪得了。夏泼小姐最爱吃猪肉。是不是，夏泼小姐？”

55

-

"Never mind, my lord," said the Baronet, "we’ll try the porker on Saturday. Kill un on Saturday morning, John Horrocks. Miss Sharp adores pork, don’t you, Miss Sharp?"

56

-

吃饭时的谈话，我只记得这么些。饭后听差端上一壶热开水，还有一瓶大概是甜酒，都搁在毕脱爵士面前。霍洛克斯先生给我和两个学生一人斟了一小杯酒，给克劳莱夫人斟了一大盏。

56

-

And I think this is all the conversation that I remember at dinner. When the repast was concluded a jug of hot water was placed before Sir Pitt, with a case-bottle containing, I believe, rum. Mr. Horrocks served myself and my pupils with three little glasses of wine, and a bumper was poured out for my lady.

57

-

饭后休息的时候，克劳莱夫人拿出绒线活计来做，是一大块一直可以织下去的东西。两个小姑娘拿出一副肮脏的纸牌玩叶子戏。我们只点了一支蜡烛，不过蜡台倒是美丽的旧银器。克劳莱夫人稍微问了我几个问题就完了。屋里可以给我消遣的书籍只有一本教堂里宣讲的训戒和一本克劳莱先生吃饭以前看的册子。

57

-

When we retired, she took from her work-drawer an enormous interminable piece of knitting; the young ladies began to play at cribbage with a dirty pack of cards. We had but one candle lighted, but it was in a magnificent old silver candlestick, and after a very few questions from my lady, I had my choice of amusement between a volume of sermons, and a pamphlet on the corn-laws, which Mr. Crawley had been reading before dinner.

58

-

我们这样坐了一个钟头，后来听得脚步声走近来了，克劳莱夫人马上慌慌张张的说道：“孩子，把纸牌藏起来。夏泼小姐，把克劳莱先生的书放下来。”我们刚刚收拾好，克劳莱先生就进来了。

58

-

So we sat for an hour until steps were heard."Put away the cards, girls," cried my lady, in a great tremor; "put down Mr. Crawley’s books, Miss Sharp"; and these orders had been scarcely obeyed, when Mr. Crawley entered the room.

59

-

他说：“小姐们，今天咱们还是继续读昨天的演说。你们轮流一人念一页，让——呃——夏泼小姐有机会听听你们读书。”书里面有一篇是在利物浦白泰斯达教堂里劝募的演说，鼓励大家出力帮助在西印度群岛契各索地方的传教团。这两个可怜的孩子就把这篇又长又沉闷的演说一字一顿的念着。你想我们一黄昏过的多有趣！

59

-

"We will resume yesterday’s discourse, young ladies," said he, "and you shall each read a page by turns; so that Miss a—Miss Short may have an opportunity of hearing you"; and the poor girls began to spell a long dismal sermon delivered at Bethesda Chapel, Liverpool, on behalf of the mission for the Chickasaw Indians. Was it not a charming evening?

60

-

到了十点钟，克劳莱使唤听差去叫毕脱爵士和全家上下都来做晚祷。毕脱爵士先进来，脸上红扑扑的，脚步也不大稳。跟着进来是佣人头儿，穿淡黄号衣的听差，克劳莱先生的贴身佣人，三个有马房味儿的男佣人，四个女佣人；其中一个打扮得花花哨哨的，跪下的时候对我瞅一眼，一脸都是瞧不起的样子。

60

-

At ten the servants were told to call Sir Pitt and the household to prayers. Sir Pitt came in first, very much flushed, and rather unsteady in his gait; and after him the butler, the canaries, Mr. Crawley’s man, three other men, smelling very much of the stable, and four women, one of whom, I remarked, was very much overdressed, and who flung me a look of great scorn as she plumped down on her knees.

61

-

克劳莱先生哇啦哇啦讲了一番大道理之后，我们领了蜡烛，回房睡觉。后来我在写信。给打断了。这话我已经跟我最亲爱最宝贝的爱米丽亚说过了。

61

-

After Mr. Crawley had done haranguing and expounding, we received our candles, and then we went to bed; and then I was disturbed in my writing, as I have described to my dearest sweetest Amelia.

62

-

再见！我给你一千个、一万个、一亿个亲吻！

62

-

Good night. A thousand, thousand, thousand kisses!

63

-

星期六——今天早上五点钟我听见小黑猪的尖叫。露丝和凡奥兰昨天领我去看过它。我们又看了马房和养狗场。后来我们瞧见花匠正在采果子，准备送到市场上去卖。孩子们苦苦的求他给一串暖房里培养的葡萄，可是花匠说毕脱爵士一串串都数过了，他送掉一串，准会丢了饭碗。两个宝贝孩子在小围场里捉住一匹小马，问我要不要骑。她们刚在骑着玩呢。马夫走来，咒着骂着把她们赶了出来。

63

-

Saturday.—This morning, at five, I heard the shrieking of the little black pig. Rose and Violet introduced me to it yesterday; and to the stables, and to the kennel, and to the gardener, who was picking fruit to send to market, and from whom they begged hard a bunch of hot-house grapes; but he said that Sir Pitt had numbered every "Man Jack" of them, and it would be as much as his place was worth to give any away. The darling girls caught a colt in a paddock, and asked me if I would ride, and began to ride themselves, when the groom, coming with horrid oaths, drove them away.

64

-

克劳莱夫人老是织毛线。毕脱爵士每晚都喝得酒气醺醺。我猜他一定常常跟那佣人头儿霍洛克斯在一起聊天。克劳莱先生天天晚上读那几篇训戒，早上锁在书房里，有的时候也为区里的公事骑马到墨特白莱去。每逢星期三，他又到斯阔希莫去对佃户们讲道。

64

-

Lady Crawley is always knitting the worsted. Sir Pitt is always tipsy, every night; and, I believe, sits with Horrocks, the butler. Mr. Crawley always reads sermons in the evening, and in the morning is locked up in his study, or else rides to Mudbury, on county business, or to Squashmore, where he preaches, on Wednesdays and Fridays, to the tenants there.

65

-

请代我向你亲爱的爸爸妈妈请安，向他们致一千一万个谢意。你可怜的哥哥还在闹酒吗？嗳呀呀！害人的五味酒是喝不得的啊！

65

-

A hundred thousand grateful loves to your dear papa and mamma. Is your poor brother recovered of his rack-punch? Oh, dear! Oh, dear! How men should beware of wicked punch!

66

-

永远是你的好朋友　利蓓加

66

-

Ever and ever thine own REBECCA

67

-

为咱们勒塞尔广场的爱米丽亚着想，倒还是跟利蓓加·夏泼分开了好些。利蓓加不用说是诙谐风趣的人物。她描写克劳莱夫人为她一去不返的美貌而流泪，克劳莱先生长着干草色的胡子和麦秆色*的头发，口角非常俏皮，显得她见过世面，知道社会上的形形色色。可是我们不免要这样想，她跪下祷告的时候，为何不想些比较崇高的心思，反而去注意霍洛克斯小姐身上的缎带呢？

67

-

Everything considered, I think it is quite as well for our dear Amelia Sedley, in Russell Square, that Miss Sharp and she are parted. Rebecca is a droll funny creature, to be sure; and those descriptions of the poor lady weeping for the loss of her beauty, and the gentleman "with hay-coloured whiskers and straw-coloured hair," are very smart, doubtless, and show a great knowledge of the world. That she might, when on her knees, have been thinking of something better than Miss Horrocks’s ribbons, has possibly struck both of us.

68

-

请忠厚读者务必记住。这本书的名字是《名利场》；“名利场”当然是个穷凶极恶、崇尚浮华，而且非常无聊的地方，到处是虚伪欺诈，还有各式各样的骗子。本书封面上画着一个道德家在说教①（活是我的相貌！）他不穿教士的长袍，也不带白领子，只穿了制服，打扮得和台下听讲的众生一个样儿。可是不管你是戴小帽挂小铃儿的小丑，还是戴了宽边帽子的教士，知道了事情的真相总得直说不讳。这样一来，写书的时候少不得要暴露许多不愉快的事实。

①当年《名利场》的封面设计。

68

-

But my kind reader will please to remember that this history has ”Vanity Fair” for a title, and that Vanity Fair is a very vain, wicked, foolish place, full of all sorts of humbugs and falsenesses and pretensions. And while the moralist, who is holding forth on the cover ( an accurate portrait of your humble servant), professes to wear neither gown nor bands, but only the very same long-eared livery in which his congregation is arrayed: yet, look you, one is bound to speak the truth as far as one knows it, whether one mounts a cap and bells or a shovel hat; and a deal of disagreeable matter must come out in the course of such an undertaking.

69

-

我在那波里碰见一个人，也是以说故事为生的同行。他在海滩上对着一群好吃懒做的老实人讲道，讲到好些坏人坏事，一面演说，一面造谣言，那么淋漓尽致，到后来自己也怒不可遏。他的听众大受感动，跟着那演讲的诗人恶声咒骂那根本不存在的混蛋，纷纷捐出钱来投在演讲员的帽子里，表示对受害者热诚的同情。

69

-

I have heard a brother of the story-telling trade, at Naples, preaching to a pack of good-for-nothing honest lazy fellows by the sea-shore, work himself up into such a rage and passion with some of the villains whose wicked deeds he was describing and inventing, that the audience could not resist it; and they and the poet together would burst out into a roar of oaths and execrations against the fictitious monster of the tale, so that the hat went round, and the bajocchi tumbled into it, in the midst of a perfect storm of sympathy.

70

-

在巴黎的小戏院里，戏里的恶霸一露脸，看戏的就在台下叫骂：“啊，混蛋！啊，恶棍！”非但看戏的这样，连演戏的也不愿意扮演坏人，例如混帐的英国人、残暴的哥萨克人之流，宁可少拿些薪水，以自己的本来面目出现，演一个忠诚的法国人。

70

-

At the little Paris theatres, on the other hand, you will not only hear the people yelling out "Ah gredin! Ah monstre:" and cursing the tyrant of the play from the boxes; but the actors themselves positively refuse to play the wicked parts, such as those of infames Anglais, brutal Cossacks, and what not, and prefer to appear at a smaller salary, in their real characters as loyal Frenchmen.

71

-

我把这两个故事互相陪衬，目的是要使你明白，我惩罚恶人，叫他们现出本相，并不是出于自私的动机，而且因为我痛恨他们的罪恶已经到了无可忍受的程度，只能恶毒毒的把该骂的痛骂一番，借此发泄发泄。

71

-

I set the two stories one against the other, so that you may see that it is not from mere mercenary motives that the present performer is desirous to show up and trounce his villains; but because he has a sincere hatred of them, which he cannot keep down, and which must find a vent in suitable abuse and bad language.

72

-

我先警告仁慈的朋友们，在我这故事里面，坏人的好恶折磨得你难受，犯的罪行也非常复杂，幸而说来倒是非常有趣的。这些恶人可不是脆弱无能的脓包。到该骂该说的地方，我出言决不留情，决不含糊！

72

-

I warn my "kyind friends," then, that I am going to tell a story of harrowing villainy and complicated—but, as I trust, intensely interesting—crime. My rascals are no milk-and-water rascals, I promise you. When we come to the proper places we won’t spare fine language—No, no!

73

-

目前我们只写平淡的乡村生活，口气当然得和缓些儿，譬如风潮猛烈的景色，只能发生在大海岸上，在孤寂的半夜，那才合适；想在脏水盆里掀起大波，不免透着可笑。这一章书的确很平淡，底下的可不是这样——这些话我暂时不说了。

73

-

But when we are going over the quiet country we must perforce be calm. A tempest in a slop-basin is absurd. We will reserve that sort of thing for the mighty ocean and the lonely midnight. The present Chapter is very mild. Others—But we will not anticipate THOSE.

74

-

读者啊，我先以男子汉的身分，以兄弟的身分，求你准许，当每个角色*露脸的时候，我非但一个个介绍，说不定还要走下讲坛，议论议论他们的短长，如果他们忠厚好心，我就爱他们，和他们拉手。如果他们做事糊涂，我就跟你背地里偷偷的笑。如果他们刁恶没有心肝，我就用最恶毒的话唾骂他们，只要骂得不伤体统就是了。

74

-

And, as we bring our characters forward, I will ask leave, as a man and a brother, not only to introduce them, but occasionally to step down from the platform, and talk about them: if they are good and kindly, to love them and shake them by the hand: if they are silly, to laugh at them confidentially in the reader’s sleeve: if they are wicked and heartless, to abuse them in the strongest terms which politeness admits of.

75

-

如果我事先不说清楚，只怕你要误会。譬如说，利蓓加瞧着别人祷告的习惯觉得可笑，你可能以为是我的讽刺。或者你想我瞧着从男爵醉得像酒神巴克斯的干爹沙里纳斯那么跌跌撞撞的走来，不过很随和的一笑。其实那真笑的人品性是怎么样的呢？她崇拜权势，只以成败论人。

75

-

Otherwise you might fancy it was I who was sneering at the practice of devotion, which Miss Sharp finds so ridiculous; that it was I who laughed good-humouredly at the reeling old Silenus of a baronet—whereas the laughter comes from one who has no reverence except for prosperity, and no eye for anything beyond success.

76

-

这等没信仰、没希望、没仁爱的坏家伙，在这世界上却一帆风顺。亲爱的朋友们，咱们应该全力和他们斗争。还有些别的人，或是江湖上的骗子，或是糊涂蛋，倒也过得很得意。他们的短处，咱们也该暴露和唾骂，这是讽刺小说家的本分。

76

-

Such people there are living and flourishing in the world—Faithless, Hopeless, Charityless: let us have at them, dear friends, with might and main. Some there are, and very successful too, mere quacks and fools: and it was to combat and expose such as those, no doubt, that Laughter was made.

第八章 秘密的私信|CHAPTER VIII Private and Confidential