正文 目录 文库目录 文库收藏 中文百科 Wiki百科
无名的裘德|Jude the Obscure

Part 5 第5章|Part 5 Chapter 5

属类: 双语小说 【分类】世界名著 -[作者: 托马斯-哈代] 阅读:[16456]
字+字- 页+页- 字+字- 页+页-
1
-

以记述人物的心路和行迹为职志的作者自不宜对前面说的思想不一的严重情况妄加评论。总之,那对爱侣是快乐的——介乎苦恼之间的快乐——的确是不言而喻。

1
-

THE purpose of a chronicler of moods and deeds does not require him to express his personal views upon the grave controversy above given. That the twain were happy--between their times of sadness--was indubitable.

2
-

裘德的孩子不期而至并不如起初设想那样成为令人揪心的一阵风波,反而在他们的生活中注入了令人心灵趋于高尚,摒弃自私的新的舐犊之爱,这非但无伤于而且增进了他们的幸福感。

2
-

And when the unexpected apparition of Jude’s child in the house had shown itself to be no such disturbing event as it had looked, but one that brought into their lives a new and tender interest of an ennobling and unselfish kind, it rather helped than injured their happiness.

3
-

说来这也是很自然的,因为他们本来就是与世无争、与人无侮、总期得到别人好感的好好先生。孩子之来,特别是他很怪,缺少童年时代孩子身上常常具有的希望,不免令他们平添几分心事,但是他们竭力避免望子成器的想法,至少在短时间内不作此想。

3
-

To be sure, with such pleasing anxious beings as they were, the boy’s coming also brought with it much thought for the future, particularly as he seemed at present to be singularly deficient in all the usual hopes of childhood. But the pair tried to dismiss, for a while at least, a too strenuously forward view.

4
-

话说上维塞克斯有个老镇,人口有八九千,姑且称之为斯托裸山镇。老镇本身,其中有那座外形细长难看的古老教堂和一概用红砖砌房子的新郊区,坐落在没界断的含白垩质成分的麦田中间,恰好靠近人们想象中的三角形的中央部位,奥尔布里肯和温吞塞,加上重要的夸得哨的军队哨所,构成了三个角。

4
-

There is in Upper Wessex an old town of nine or ten thousand souls; the town may be called Stoke-Barehills. It stands with its gaunt, unattractive, ancient church, and its new red brick suburb, amid the open, chalk-soiled cornlands, near the middle of an imaginary triangle which has for its three corners the towns of Aldbrickham and Wintoncester, and the important military station of Quartershot.

5
-

以伦敦为起点的有气派的西行大路穿过老镇,在镇上一个地方分成两条,再西行约二十英里又合成一条。铁路开通前,这一分一合老闹得坐骡马大车的行旅为该走哪条支路吵个不休。

5
-

The great western highway from London passes through it, near a point where the road branches into two, merely to unite again some twenty miles further westward. Out of this bifurcation and reunion there used to arise among wheeled travellers, before railway days, endless questions of choice between the respective ways.

6
-

不过现在这个问题已经同免税持产人、乘大车的旅客和好争论的邮车车夫都成了往事。如今的斯托裸山镇上恐怕连一个人也不会想到当年镇上两条路又合成一条这回事了;因为眼下这条有气派的大路上根本无人赶着车来来往往。

6
-

But the question is now as dead as the scot-and-lot freeholder, the road waggoner, and the mail coachman who disputed it; and probably not a single inhabitant of Stoke-Barehills is now even aware that the two roads which part in his town ever meet again; for nobody now drives up and down the great western highway dally.

7
-

斯托裸山镇的人目前熟悉不过的要数公墓,它位于铁路边上一座多少有点画意的中世纪废墟,现代风格的小礼拜堂、现代式样的坟莹和现代的硬于灌木,同爬满常春藤的东倒西歪的残垣断壁一比,显得喧宾夺主,格外刺目。

7
-

The most familiar object in Stoke-Barehills nowadays is its cemetery, standing among some picturesque mediaeval ruins beside the railway; the modern chapels, modern tombs, and modern shrubs having a look of intrusiveness amid the crumbling and ivy-covered decay of the ancient walls.

8
-

这本小说写到的那一年,正值六月初某天,老镇的外貌仍然没有丝毫引人入胜之处,却忽然有大批旅客乘火车光临此地,特别是几趟下行车,一到站人差不多下得一空。原来这时正值举办大维塞克斯农业展览周,宽大的展览棚遍布老镇空旷的郊区,一望就像一支军队在那儿安营扎寨,把市镇包围起来。

8
-

On a certain day, however, in the particular year which has now been reached by this narrative--the month being early June-- the features of the town excite little interest, though many visitors arrive by the trains; some down-trains, in especial, nearly emptying themselves here. It is the week of the Great Wessex Agricultural Show, whose vast encampment spreads over the open outskirts of the town like the tents of an investing army.

9
-

一排排木棚子、小木房子、布篷子、木阁子、游廊、门廊——就差永久性建筑物——鳞次栉比,足足占了草地有半平方英里。到了站的旅客,一群群前拥后挤,穿过市镇,直接涌向展览会场。路两旁排着游艺摊、杂货摊,还有走南闯北的游动商贩,把到展览会场的通道变成了集市,招得那些手头不在乎的游客,还没进展览会的大门,就把口袋里的钱掏得差不多了。

9
-

Rows of marquees, huts, booths, pavilions, arcades, porticoes-- every kind of structure short of a permanent one-- cover the green field for the space of a square half-mile, and the crowds of arrivals walk through the town in a mass, and make straight for the exhibition ground. The way thereto is lined with shows, stalls, and hawkers on foot, who make a market-place of the whole roadway to the show proper, and lead some of the improvident to lighten their pockets appreciably before they reach the gates of the exhibition they came expressly to see.

10
-

这是个大众的节日,是个花一个先令就可以进场参观个够的节日。在先后到达的游览火车中间,有两列对向开过来,差不多同时进了挨着的车站。一列跟前边的一样,是伦敦开来的,另一列从奥尔布里肯支线过来。伦敦来的车上有一对夫妇:男的矮墩墩,大肚子,小短腿,活像两根小棍子撑着个陀螺;女的跟着他,体态倒也过得去,穿一身黑颜色料子的衣裙,从帽子到身上一色镶着珠子,亮晶晶的,亚似浑身披挂着锁子甲。

10
-

It is the popular day, the shilling day, and of the fast arriving excursion trains two from different directions enter the two contiguous railway stations at almost the same minute. One, like several which have preceded it, comes from London: the other by a cross-line from Aldbrickham; and from the London train alights a couple; a short, rather bloated man, with a globular stomach and small legs, resembling a top on two pegs, accompanied by a woman of rather fine figure and rather red face, dressed in black material, and covered with beads from bonnet to skirt, that made her glisten as if clad in chain-mail.

11
-

他们眼睛朝周围扫了扫。男的也像别人那样要叫辆马车,女的这时说道,“干吗这么急呀,卡特莱。到展览会也不怎么远,咱们打街上走去就行啦。也许我捎带着还能买点便宜家具或是旧磁器呢。好多年我没到这儿啦——我在奥尔布里肯那阵子还是大姑娘哪,以后没在这儿呆了,有时候跟我的小伙子来转转。”

11
-

They cast their eyes around. The man was about to hire a fly as some others had done, when the woman said, "Don’t be in such a hurry, Cartlett. It isn’t so very far to the show-yard. Let us walk down the street into the place. Perhaps I can pick up a cheap bit of furniture or old china. It is years since I was here--never since I lived as a girl at Aldbrickham, and used to come across for a trip sometimes with my young man."

12
-

“游览车不运家具,你带不走。”她丈夫,也就是兰贝斯三觞斋酒馆老板说,声音重浊。他们是刚从设在“人口稠密、喜好金酒的高等住宅区”的自己的酒馆来的,自从广告上这句话叫他们动了心之后,一直住在那个地方。老板那份体型,一望而知他跟自己的顾客一样受了他零卖的酒类的影响。

12
-

"You can’t carry home furniture by excursion train," said, in a thick voice, her husband, the landlord of The Three Horns, Lambeth; for they had both come down from the tavern in that "excellent, densely populated, gin-drinking neighbourhood," which they had occupied ever since the advertisement in those words had attracted them thither. The configuration of the landlord showed that he, too, like his customers, was becoming affected by the liquors he retailed.

13
-

“要是有什么值得要的东西,我看妥了,就叫他们运好啦。”他妻子说。

13
-

"Then I’ll get it sent, if I see any worth having," said his wife.

14
-

他们往前蹓跶着,还没进镇,她的注意力就让一对带着孩子的年轻夫妇吸引过去。从奥尔布里肯开来的列车停在第二个月台旁边,他们是刚从那儿走出来的,恰好走在酒店老板夫妇前面。

14
-

They sauntered on, but had barely entered the town when her attention was attracted by a young couple leading a child, who had come out from the second platform, into which the train from Aldbrickham had steamed. They were walking just in front of the inn-keepers.

15
-

“哎呀呀!”阿拉贝拉说。

15
-

"Sakes alive!" said Arabella.

16
-

“什么事?”卡特莱问。

16
-

"What’s that?" said Cartlett.

17
-

“你猜那一对儿是谁?那个男的你没认出来?”

17
-

"Who do you think that couple is? Don’t you recognize the man?"

18
-

“没认出来。”

18
-

"No."

19
-

“我给你瞧过相片嘛,你还认不出来?”

19
-

"Not from the photos I have showed you?"

20
-

“是不是福来?”

20
-

"Is it Fawley?"

21
-

“就是他——当然是喽。”

21
-

"Yes--of course."

22
-

“啊哈,我看他们也跟咱们一样,想来开开眼吧。”且不说当初阿拉贝拉对他还有股新鲜劲儿时候卡特莱对裘德怎么个想法,但是自从她的妖容冶态、异样风骚和她的假发高髻、人工酒涡都成了讲滥的故事一般之后,裘德不裘德,对他已经毫无兴趣可言了。

22
-

"Oh, well. I suppose he was inclined for a little sight-seeing like the rest of us." Cartlett’s interest in Jude whatever it might have been when Arabella was new to him, had plainly flagged since her charms and her idiosyncrasies, her supernumerary hair-coils, and her optional dimples, were becoming as a tale that is told.

23
-

阿拉贝拉把她跟她丈夫的步子调整得不快不慢,刚好跟在那三个人后边。在熙熙攘攘的人群中,这样做很容易,不会惹人注意。她对卡特莱的回答含含糊糊,似说非说,因为当时什么美景奇观也不比前面三个人叫她更感兴趣。

23
-

Arabella so regulated her pace and her husband’s as to keep just in the rear of the other three, which it was easy to do without notice in such a stream of pedestrians. Her answers to Cartlett’s remarks were vague and slight, for the group in front interested her more than all the rest of the spectacle.

24
-

“瞧那样儿,他们怪亲热的,也挺疼他们的孩子。”酒馆老板说。

24
-

"They are rather fond of one another and of their child, seemingly," continued the publican.

25
-

“他们的孩子!才不是他们的孩子哪!”阿拉贝拉说,脸上突然露出嫉妒的恶相。“他们结婚才多久,哪儿来的孩子?”

25
-

"THEIR child! ’Tisn’t their child," said Arabella with a curious, sudden covetousness. "They haven’t been married long enough for it to be theirs!"

26
-

她长期闷在心里的母爱本能虽然十分强烈,叫她恨不能一下子把她男人的瞎猜驳倒,可是她一转念,觉得犯不上对他老实到超过必要的限度。卡特莱只知道她跟前夫生的孩子一直跟着外公外婆过,住在地球上同英国对极的地方。

26
-

But although the smouldering maternal instinct was strong enough in her to lead her to quash her husband’s conjecture, she was not disposed on second thoughts to be more candid than necessary. Mr. Cartlett had no other idea than that his wife’s child by her first husband was with his grandparents at the Antipodes.

27
-

“哦,我倒没想到。她还像个大姑娘呢。”

27
-

"Oh I suppose not. She looks quite a girl."

28
-

“他们只算得上情人,要不就是新近结的婚,那孩子就是他们带的——一看就知道。”

28
-

"They are only lovers, or lately married, and have the child in charge, as anybody can see."

29
-

所有的人继续往前移动,苏和裘德这时无所用心,何尝意识到成了别人盯梢的对象。他们原本决定借高他们所在市镇不足二十英里的农业展览会开幕之机,好好玩上一天,花钱不多却兼有练身体,长见识,寻开心之趣。

29
-

All continued to move ahead. The unwitting Sue and Jude, the couple in question, had determined to make this agricultural exhibition within twenty miles of their own town the occasion of a day’s excursion which should combine exercise and amusement with instruction, at small expense.

30
-

他们也不是纯为自己想,同时考虑到把时光老爹也带着,好随时随地逗他,让他跟别的孩子一样看得有滋有味,笑个没完。虽然他们在兴高采烈的旅程中无拘无束,纵情欢笑,孩子还是不免碍手碍脚,不过没多会儿他们就不把他当个注意他们的观察者了。一路上他们含情脉脉,婉奕相依,就算是平常最害臊的情侣,也没法遮掩了。再说他们自以为周围的人,素不相识,因而就如在家一样不存什么顾虑,用不着装腔作势。

30
-

Not regardful of themselves alone, they had taken care to bring Father Time, to try every means of making him kindle and laugh like other boys, though he was to some extent a hindrance to the delightfully unreserved intercourse in their pilgrimages which they so much enjoyed. But they soon ceased to consider him an observer, and went along with that tender attention to each other which the shyest can scarcely disguise, and which these, among entire strangers as they imagined, took less trouble to disguise than they might have done at home.

31
-

苏穿着新夏装,轻盈飘逸宛如小鸟,拇指小小的,紧紧扣住她的白布阳伞把子,移步时仿佛足未履地,似乎风稍大点就能把她吹起,飘过树篱,落到前面麦田里。裘德则穿着浅灰色假日服装,有她相伴相随,确实得意非凡,这固然因为她风度优雅宜人,更兼她的谈吐,她的为人行事,无不与他如出一心。

31
-

Sue, in her new summer clothes, flexible and light as a bird, her little thumb stuck up by the stem of her white cotton sunshade, went along as if she hardly touched ground, and as if a moderately strong puff of wind would float her over the hedge into the next field. Jude, in his light grey holiday-suit, was really proud of her companionship, not more for her external attractiveness than for her sympathetic words and ways.

32
-

他们彼此理解到了如此完全、彻底的程度,只要一个眼光,一个动作,其作用就无异于言语,足以使他们心灵融会贯通,可以说他们是合成一个整体的两部分。

32
-

That complete mutual understanding, in which every glance and movement was as effectual as speech for conveying intelligence between them, made them almost the two parts of a single whole.

33
-

这对情人带着孩子走过了旋转栅门,阿拉贝拉和她丈夫在他们后面不远。在展览场地,酒馆老板的妻子看见前面那对情人开始不厌其详地指着许多有意思的死的和活的东西,给孩子讲这是什么那是什么。他们费劲不少,无如改变不了他的淡漠的态度,因而他们脸上也不免露出苦恼之色。

33
-

The pair with their charge passed through the turnstiles, Arabella and her husband not far behind them. When inside the enclosure the publican’s wife could see that the two ahead began to take trouble with the youngster, pointing out and explaining the many objects of interest, alive and dead; and a passing sadness would touch their faces at their every failure to disturb his indifference.

34
-

“瞧她把他粘得多紧!”阿拉贝拉说。“哦——不对,不对,我看他们还没结婚,要是结了婚,就不会这么粘粘糊糊的……我搞不明白?”

34
-

"How she sticks to him!" said Arabella. "Oh no--I fancy they are not married, or they wouldn’t be so much to one another as that.... I wonder!"

35
-

“可我还记得你说过他跟她结了婚啦?”

35
-

"But I thought you said he did marry her?"

36
-

“我那是听说他想结婚——想就是啦,大概往后搁了一两回,再打算结婚吧。……要瞧他们这个劲儿,真算旁若无人,展览会就像是他们的天下。我要是他,这么婆婆妈妈的,才觉着丢人,不干呢。”

36
-

"I heard he was going to--that’s all, going to make another attempt, after putting it off once or twice.... As far as they themselves are concerned they are the only two in the show. I should be ashamed of making myself so silly if I were he!"

37
-

“他们行为里头什么地方特别显眼,我可看不出来。你要不是那么说,我绝对看不出来他们俩还在谈情说爱。”

37
-

"I don’t see as how there’s anything remarkable in their behaviour. I should never have noticed their being in love, if you hadn’t said so."

38
-

“你向来是有眼无珠。”她接过话碴。其实卡特莱关于情人或夫妇的举止的看法无疑不出在场人群的一般看法的范围,而阿拉贝拉睁大了眼睛想要辨认出来的东西,这些人根本不加理会。

38
-

"You never see anything," she rejoined. Nevertheless Cartlett’s view of the lovers’ or married pair’s conduct was undoubtedly that of the general crowd, whose attention seemed to be in no way attracted by what Arabella’s sharpened vision discerned.

39
-

“他叫她迷住了,仿佛她是个天仙呢!”阿拉贝拉继续说。“你瞧他转着圈看她没个完,两只眼睛都定在她身上啦。我倒是觉着,她爱他可比不上他爱她那么厉害。要叫我看,她不是什么感情特别热烈的东西——虽说她爱他还算过得去,尽其所能爱他就是喽;要是他想试试,准能叫她的心痛苦。不过,他人太单纯了,干不出来那样的事。哪——这会儿他们往驾辕马棚子那边去啦,咱们也过去。”

39
-

"He’s charmed by her as if she were some fairy!" continued Arabella. "See how he looks round at her, and lets his eyes rest on her. I am inclined to think that she don’t care for him quite so much as he does for her. She’s not a particular warm-hearted creature to my thinking, though she cares for him pretty middling much-- as much as she’s able to; and he could make her heart ache a bit if he liked to try--which he’s too simple to do. There--now they are going across to the cart-horse sheds. Come along."

40
-

“我不想看驾辕马。咱们干吗老盯着人家不放。咱们是来看展览的,咱们按咱们的意思看,他们看他们的。”

40
-

"I don’t want to see the cart-horses. It is no business of ours to follow these two. If we have come to see the show let us see it in our own way, as they do in theirs."

41
-

“好吧——咱们就商量好一个钟头之后在哪儿碰头吧——那边的点心棚子就是啦。你走你的,我走我的,好不好?待会儿你爱看什么,看什么,我也一样。”

41
-

Please sign in to unlock the rest

42
-

卡特莱对她这么说也无所谓,于是他们分成两下里——他往演示麦芽发酵过程的棚子走,阿拉贝拉朝裘德和苏那个方向走。不过她还没来得及追上他们,却迎面来了个笑容满面的人,原来碰上了当姑娘时候的朋友安妮。

42
-

Please sign in to unlock the rest

43
-

安妮因为同她不期而遇,放声大笑。“我这会儿还住在那边儿哪,”她笑够了就说:“我快结婚啦,不过我心里那位今儿可来不了。咱们这帮子人坐游览车来的可多啦,不过这会儿跟他们走散啦。”

43
-

Please sign in to unlock the rest

44
-

“裘德跟他的年轻女人,或者是妻子吧,别管她是什么好啦,你碰没碰上?我刚瞧见他们来着。”

44
-

"Have you met Jude and his young woman, or wife, or whatever she is? I saw ’em by now."

45
-

“没碰上。好多年啦,一回也没见过他。”

45
-

"No. Not a glimpse of un for years!"

46
-

“呃,他们离这儿不远。哪,哪——他们就在那儿——那匹灰色马旁边!”

46
-

47
-

“哦,那个就是你刚说的他这会儿的年轻女人——妻子吗?他又结婚啦。”

47
-

48
-

“这我不清楚。”

48
-

49
-

“她挺漂亮,真不赖!”

49
-

50
-

“是喽——这倒没得褒贬的;要么也算值得弄上手的。不过也没什么了不起;个子又小又瘦,还一股子轻狂劲儿。”

50
-

51
-

“他也是挺帅的小伙子啊!你就该死缠住他不放才对,阿拉贝拉!”

51
-

52
-

“我怎么知道该缠住他不放呢。”她嘟嘟囔囔的。

52
-

53
-

安妮笑起来。“阿拉贝拉,这就是你啊!论男人,你老是吃着碗里头,还望着锅里头的。”

53
-

54
-

“呃,我倒想知道知道哪个女人不是这样?至于说跟他一块儿的那个货——她不懂什么爱情,至少不懂我说的爱情。我一看她脸就知道她不懂。”

54
-

55
-

“亲爱的阿贝,也许她管什么叫爱情,你也未必知道。”

55
-

56
-

“我又何必知道!……啊——他们往艺术馆去啦。我也想瞧瞧画儿什么的。咱们就上那边去,好不好?——哟,一点不假啊,我看全维塞克斯都聚在这儿啦!那不是韦伯大夫吗?好多年没见他了,比我从前认识他那会儿,一点不见老。你好,大夫?我正说着呢,我那会儿还是姑娘,你就认得我,可你这会儿样儿一点不老哪。”

56
-

57
-

“太太,这倒也简单,都是我一直接方子吃我的药丸子的灵验哪。一盒才卖两先令三便士——功效如神,政府印花为证。我劝你跟我学学,花钱买平安,没灾没病,不怕岁月无情能伤人。才两先令三便士。”

57
-

58
-

大夫从背心口袋里掏出个盒子,阿拉贝拉让他说动,就买了。

58
-

59
-

“同时,”他接过钱说,“失敬得很,你是哪位?大概是住在马利格林附近的福来太太,原先叫邓恩姑娘吧?”

59
-

60
-

“对啦。不过我这会儿是卡特莱太太。”

60
-

61
-

“啊,这么说你没了他啦?那小伙子前程远大哟!你知道,他还是我的学生哪?我教过他过时的语言。你信我说的,他学得不长,懂得就差不多赶上我啦。”

61
-

62
-

“我是没了他,可不是你想的那回事,”阿拉贝拉不客气说。“律师把我们俩拆开啦。瞧,他就在那边,还活着,结实得很呢;他还带着那个年轻女人,要进艺术馆。”

62
-

63
-

“哎呀呀,瞧得出来,他怪爱她,一看就知道。”

63
-

64
-

“人家说他们是表亲。”

64
-

65
-

“依我说,表亲谈恋爱还不是顺理成章吗?”

65
-

66
-

“就是。所以她丈夫跟她离的时候,准会想到……咱们也看看画,好吧?”

66
-

67
-

于是他们三个一伙随即穿过草地,进了艺术馆。裘德和苏带着孩子,万想不到居然有人对他们有这么大兴趣,这时已走到房子另一头的模型,神情专注,谛视良久,然后就往前走了。阿拉贝拉和她的朋友磨蹭了一会儿,也走到模型那儿,只见上面的标牌写着“基督堂红衣主教学院模型,作者J.福来与S.F.M.柏瑞和”。

67
-

68
-

“他们原来是欣赏自个儿的作品哪。”阿拉贝拉说。“裘德老是这回子事——老叨念着学院。基督堂呀,放着好好的活儿不干!”

68
-

69
-

他们马马虎虎看了几眼画,就到音乐台那边站着听军乐队演奏,裘德、苏和孩子到了音乐台另一边。阿拉贝拉倒一点不在乎他们把她认出来,可是军乐队恰恰奏出了他们内心深处的情感,他们不禁感动得如醉如痴,哪儿会瞧得出蒙着珠光宝气的面纱的她。

69
-

70
-

阿拉贝拉于是绕过听众的圈子,打这对情人身后边走过去,他们的一举一动今天真叫她感到出奇的吸引力。她好不容易地从人缝里窥伺,只见他们站在那儿,裘德把手往苏的手那儿凑过去,他大概心里想,他们两个既然靠得这么紧,这样不用言语来表达恩爱之情,总能遮掩得住,别人看不见吧。

70
-

71
-

“婆婆妈妈的傻东西——成了两个孩子啦!”阿拉贝拉一边嘴里哼哼唧唧,一边回到同伴中间,不过她宁可把事闷在心里,不对他们说。

71
-

72
-

同时安妮正把阿拉贝拉对前夫又怎么发作了热劲,当笑话说给韦伯大夫听。

72
-

73
-

“现在,”大夫把阿拉贝拉拉到一边说,“你想不想要这东西,卡特莱太太?这可不是按我平常熬药的方子配成的,可是有时候人家跟我要这玩意儿呢。”他顺手掏出个小玻璃瓶,里边盛着透亮的液体。“这是春药,古时候人用过,劲头可大啦。我研究了他们的著作,发现了它的门道,至今还没听说它不灵呢。”

73
-

74
-

“拿什么做的?”阿拉贝拉好奇地问。

74
-

75
-

“呃——配的料里头有一味是鸽心——就是鸽子那类的心脏——提炼出来的精髓。要制满满这么一小瓶子,得万把个心哩。”

75
-

76
-

“你怎么弄到这么多鸽子?”

76
-

77
-

“就把秘密露给你吧,我弄了块石盐,这东西鸽子就是喜欢,一有它,什么都顾不得了,我把它放到我屋顶上的鸽子窝里,用不了几个钟头,鸽子就打东南西北、四面八方飞过来了,我想要多少就弄得到多少。你用这个水,先得把主意打好了,你那个意中人喝酒的话,你就往里头滴十滴。我听你问这个问那个,就知道有买的意思。你总该信得过我吧?”

77
-

78
-

“好啦——我来它一瓶,反正无所谓——送给朋友,要么别人,让她拿去在她情人身上试试。”她按要价掏出五先令,又顺手把小瓶子往她宽大的胸衣口袋里一塞。接着她说跟她丈夫约好的时间到了,就慢慢悠悠往点心棚走。裘德、他的伴侣和孩子正往园艺棚走,阿拉贝拉瞄了他们一眼,只见他们站在一簇盛开的玫瑰花前。

78
-

79
-

她停下来,注意看了他们几分钟,然后去找她男人,心里没好气。她看见他坐在吧台边凳子上,跟给他斟酒的花里胡哨的女招待说说笑笑。

79
-

80
-

“我还当你在家里搞这一套搞够了!”阿拉贝拉问声闷气说。“难道说,你打自个儿酒吧跑五十英里,专为赖在别的酒吧里头?走吧,也学学别的男人带着老婆转,带着我在展览会里到处转悠吧!得啦,人家还当你是个年轻光棍儿呢,就管自个儿,用不着管别人!”

80
-

81
-

“可咱们不是说好了在这儿碰头吗?我要是不等又怎么办?”

81
-

82
-

“好啦,咱们这会儿凑上了,就开路吧。”她回答说,因为太阳烤着她,她恨不能跟太阳吵一通。他们一块儿离开点心棚,男的腆着肚子,女的脸红红的,他们也跟用基督教教义薰陶的一般夫妇一样,心里别别扭扭,彼此看不上眼,老互相埋怨。

82
-

83
-

在同一时间,那一对非同一般的情人和孩子在展览会的花卉棚流连不已,按他们的欣赏趣味,这确是一座令人目眩神迷的宫殿。苏平时脸上是苍白的,而她所凝神观赏的淡抹轻染的玫瑰花的浅红色却反映到她脸上。那一片欢乐的景象、清爽的空气、动人的音乐和整天同裘德在一起游玩而感到的兴奋,使她的血流加速,使她的双眸炯炯,分外有神。她礼赞玫瑰,阿拉贝拉目睹她在辨识各色品种的玫瑰花名时,简直是强拉着裘德依着她的意思,她自己把脸凑在离花朵一英寸的地方,闻着花香。

83
-

84
-

“我真想把脸埋到花里头——多可爱呀!”她说道。“不过我想碰她们不合规矩吧——对不对,裘德!”

84
-

85
-

“是啊,宝贝儿。”他说,接着闹着玩地把她轻轻一推,她的鼻子就伸进花瓣里了。

85
-

86
-

“警察要来管咱们呢,那我就说是我丈夫胡来!”

86
-

87
-

然后她抬头望着他,微笑着,阿拉贝拉觉着她这一笑真是意味深长。

87
-

88
-

“快乐吗?”他咕哝着。

88
-

89
-

她点点头。

89
-

90
-

“为什么快乐?是因为你到全维塞克斯农业展览会来参观,还是因为咱们俩一块儿到了这儿?”

90
-

91
-

“你老是想方设法提出来叫人为难的问题,非叫我老实交代不行。我快乐起来,是因为我看了所有这些汽犁。打谷机、切草机、牛呀、猪呀、羊呀,大开眼界,当然是这么事呀。”

91
-

92
-

裘德对这位素常依违两可。闪烁其词的同伴的顶撞,倒是相当满意。因为他不再指望得到回答,也就把问题撂到一边了,不过她接着说:“我深深感到咱们这会儿已经回到古希腊人纵情欢乐的时代,眼里看不到病痛和愁苦,把他们那时候起,历经二十五个世纪的种种教训都置诸脑后了,这就跟基督堂大学问家中一位说的一样……不过眼下还有个阴影哪——就这么一个。”

92
-

93
-

跟着她就瞧长得老相的孩子,虽然他们把他带到各种各样可能启发他的少年智力的东西前面,他们却完全失败,引不起他半点兴味。

93
-

94
-

孩子却明白他们的话里的意味和考虑的东西。“爸爸、妈妈,我实在、实在对不起你们。”他说。“可你们别往心里去——我也是没办法。要不是我一直想着花儿过几天就蔫了,我准乐得不得了呢。”

94
-

简典