通译双语文库:华盛顿广场7．凯瑟琳的决定

1

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第二天，斯洛珀医生把彭尼曼夫人叫到了书房。“我不希望凯瑟琳，或者你，”他冷冷地说，“再去见年轻的汤森。我希望你听我的话。”

1

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The next day Doctor Sloper called Mrs Penniman into his study. ’I don’t want Catherine, or you,’ he said coldly, ’to see young Townsend again. And I expect you to obey me.’

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“你难道想害死你的孩子吗？”彭尼曼夫人问道。

2

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Do you wish to murder your child?’ Mrs Penniman asked.

3

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“不，我想让她活得快乐。”

3

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No. I wish to make her live and be happy.’

4

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“你会要了她的命的：她昨晚过得太糟糕了。”

4

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You will kill her: she had a terrible night.’

5

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“她不会因为一个或者几个糟糕的晚上就丧命的。”

5

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She won’t die of one bad night, nor of several.’

6

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的确，那天晚上凯瑟琳过得很糟，整夜辗转难眠。不过，虽然她的心都碎了，她还是努力不在别人面前流露出痛苦的样子。彭尼曼夫人很失望地发现，她侄女下楼吃早餐的时候眼里并没有泪水。

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It was true that Catherine had had a terrible, sleepless night. But though her heart was breaking, she tried not to show her pain to the world. Mrs Penniman was very disappointed to see that there were no tears in her niece’s eyes when she came down to breakfast.

7

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那天下午，凯瑟琳给莫里斯写了封信，第二天他就来到了前厅，站在了她面前。她觉得他看起来从来没有这么好看过。

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That afternoon Catherine wrote to Morris, and the next day he came into the front parlour and stood before her. She thought that he looked more beautiful than ever.

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“为什么让我等了这么长时间？”他问，“每一小时就像好几年一样。你是决定和我在一起还是放弃我？”

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"Why have you made me wait so long?’ he asked. ’Every hour has seemed like years. Have you decided whether you will keep me or give me up?’

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“噢，莫里斯，”她哭道，“我从没想过要放弃你！”

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Oh, Morris,’ she cried, ’I never thought of giving you up!’

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“那么，你还在等什么？”

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What, then, were you waiting for?’

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“我以为我父亲可能——可能会有不同的看法。不过他——他还是没改变态度。”

11

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I thought my father might—might look at it differently. But he—he looks at it still in the same way.’

12

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“那你为什么还把我叫来？”

12

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Then why have you sent for me?’

13

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“因为我想见你。”凯瑟琳哭道。

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Because I wanted to see you,’ cried Catherine.

14

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莫里斯看了她一会儿。“你愿意明天嫁给我吗？”他突然问道。

14

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Morris watched her for a moment. ’Will you marry me tomorrow?’ he asked, suddenly.

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“明天？”

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Tomorrow?’

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“那就下周——下个月任何时候。”

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Next week, then—any time in the next month.’

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“等一等不是更好吗？”凯瑟琳说。

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Isn’t it better to wait?’ said Catherine.

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“等什么？”

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To wait for what?’

19

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她不知道要等什么，但是她感到害怕。“直到我们考虑得更多一点儿的时候。”

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She did not know for what, but she felt afraid. ’Until we have thought about it a little more.’

20

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他难过地摇了摇头。“我想你这三个星期以来一直在考虑这件事。你还想再考虑五年吗？我可怜的姑娘，”他又说，“你对我不忠实。”

20

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He shook his head sadly. ’I thought you had been thinking about it these three weeks. Do you want to go on doing that for five years? My poor girl,’ he added, ’you are not faithful to me.’

21

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凯瑟琳的脸涨红了，眼里噙满了泪水。“啊，你怎么可以这么说？”她低声说道。

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Catherine blushed, and her eyes filled with tears. ’Oh, how can you say that?’ she murmured.

22

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“你必须要么接受我，要么就离开我，”莫里斯说，“你不能同时让你父亲和我都满意。你必须在我们中间作出选择。”

22

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You must take me or leave me,’ said Morris. ’You can’t please your father and me. You must choose between us.’

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“我已经选择了你。”她说。

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I have chosen you,’ she said.

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“那下周就和我结婚！”

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Then marry me next week!’

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她站在那儿望着他：“没别的办法吗？”

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She stood staring at him. ’Isn’t there any other way?’

26

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“就我所知，没有。”他转身走到窗前，站在那里朝外望着。“你非常害怕你父亲。”他最后说。

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None that I know of.’ He turned away, walked to the window and stood looking out. ’You are very afraid of your father,’ he said at last.

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“我想我一定是这样的。”她淡淡地说。

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I suppose I must be,’ she said simply.

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“你对他的害怕超过了对我的爱。”

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Your fear of him seems greater than your love for me.’

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“哦，莫里斯。”她说着朝他走过去。

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Oh, Morris,’ she said, going to him.

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过了一会儿她把她父亲所说的话告诉了莫里斯。“如果我不经他同意结婚，我就不能继承他的财产。他让我把这告诉你。他好像认为——”

30

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After a while she told Morris what her father had said. ’If I marry without his consent, I shall not inherit any of his fortune. He told me to tell you that. He seemed to think—’

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莫里斯气得脸通红：“他好像认为什么？”

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Morris blushed angrily. ’What did he seem to think?’

32

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“那样做会让情况有所不同。”

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That it would make a difference.’

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“那样一定会令很多事情发生变化。但它不会改变我对你的爱。”

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It will make a difference—in many things. But it will not change my love for you.’

34

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“我们不用要那笔钱，”凯瑟琳说，“你知道我有自己的钱。”

34

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We shall not want the money,’ said Catherine. ’You know that I have my own fortune.’

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莫里斯沉默了一会儿。“你觉得他会一直对你那么无情吗？他永远不会改变剥夺你继承权的想法吗？”

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Morris was silent for a while. ’Do you think that he will be cruel to you for ever? That he will never change his mind about disinheriting you?’

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“如果我和你结婚，他会认为我不好。”

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If I marry you, he will think I am not good.’

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“那他永远也不会原谅你！”莫里斯大声说道。

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Then he will never forgive you!’ cried Morris.

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凯瑟琳突然感到孤独害怕。“哦，莫里斯，”她叫了一声，把头靠在他肩上，“你一定很爱我。只要你愿意我马上就嫁给你！”

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Catherine suddenly felt lonely and afraid. ’Oh, Morris,’ she cried, putting her head on his shoulder, ’you must love me very much. I will marry you as soon as you want!’

39

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“我亲爱的好姑娘！”他叫道，低下头望着她。她已经向他作出了承诺，可他却不太清楚该怎么对待这个承诺。

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My dear good girl!’ he cried, looking down at her. She had given him her promise, but he was not quite sure what he would do with it.

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大约有一周的时间，华盛顿广场的生活依然如故，斯洛珀医生等着看接下来会发生什么。他告诉妹妹伊丽莎白，他从未料到凯瑟琳会让他如此激动。

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For about a week, life in Washington Square continued much as before, and Doctor Sloper waited to see what would happen. He told his sister Elizabeth that he had never expected Catherine to give him so much excitement.

41

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“你这样做不好，”阿尔蒙德夫人说，“你在你女儿的这种处境中找快乐。”

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"It is not very kind of you,’ said Mrs Almond, ’to find amusement in your daughter’s situation.’

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“我要带她去欧洲，”医生说，“给她一些新思想。”

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I will take her to Europe,’ said the Doctor, ’to give her some new ideas.’

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“她在欧洲也不会忘记他。”

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She won’t forget him in Europe.’

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“那么他会忘记她。”

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He will forget her, then.’

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阿尔蒙德夫人严肃起来：“你真的喜欢那样吗？”

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Mrs Almond looked serious. ’Would you really like that?’

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“非常喜欢。”医生说。

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Extremely,’ said the Doctor.

47

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与此同时，彭尼曼夫人和莫里斯·汤森在一个教堂外安排了另外一次秘密会面。她对于弟弟对她的冷淡态度有些吃惊。

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Mrs Penniman, meanwhile, arranged another secret meeting with Morris Townsend outside a church. She had been a little alarmed by her brother’s coldness towards her.

48

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“我认为你应该等一阵子再结婚，”她告诉莫里斯，“直到我弟弟不太生气了为止。”

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I think you should wait for a while before you marry,’ she told Morris. ’Wait until my brother is less angry.’

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年轻人很恼火。“上星期你建议我立即结婚！”他说，“凯瑟琳已经答应了，那我能怎么办？”

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The young man was very annoyed. ’Last week you advised me to marry immediately!’ he said. ’Catherine has already agreed to this, so what can I do?’

50

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“凯瑟琳很爱你，你怎么办都可以，”彭尼曼夫人说，“你可以改变计划，这样或那样，她不会烦你的。”

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Catherine loves you so much that you can do anything,’ said Mrs Penniman. ’You can change your plans, this way or that way, and she will not be upset with you.’

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莫里斯看着她，但什么也没说，不久他们就分手了。

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Morris looked at her, but said nothing, and soon after that they parted.

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凯瑟琳当然对她姑姑和莫里斯会面的事一无所知，自那晚去书房见过父亲之后，她一直没有和他说过话。不过，最后她告诉他，她又和莫里斯·汤森见面了。

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"Catherine, of course, knew nothing of her aunt’s meeting with Morris, and she had not spoken to her father since the evening she went to see him in his study. At last, however, she told him that she had seen Morris Townsend again.

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“我想我们要结婚了——不久以后。”她说。

53

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I think we shall marry—before very long,’ she said.

54

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医生冷冷地把她从头到脚打量了一番：“你为什么告诉我这个？我对此不感兴趣。”

54

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The Doctor looked at her coldly from head to foot. ’Why do you tell me that? It is of no interest to me.’

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凯瑟琳转过头去，停了片刻；她的眼中含着泪水。“哦，爸爸，”她哭道，“您难道不关心吗？”

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Catherine turned away for a moment; there were tears in her eyes. ’Oh, father,’ she cried, ’don’t you care?’

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“一点儿也不。一旦你结婚，那么无论什么时间，或什么地点，或为什么你那么做对我来说都是一样的。”

56

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Not at all. Once you marry, it is the same to me when, or where, or why you do it.’

57

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但第二天他却用了一种完全不同的方式和她说话：“你打算在四五个月之内结婚吗？”

57

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But the next day he spoke to her in a different way. ’Are you going to marry in the next four or five months?’

58

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“我不知道，爸爸，”凯瑟琳说，“我们作决定不是那么容易的。”

58

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I don’t know, father,’ said Catherine. ’It is not very easy for us to decide.’

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“那就等六个月，在这期间我带你去欧洲。我很想让你去。”

59

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Wait, then, for six months, and meanwhile I will take you to Europe. I would very much like you to go.’

60

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父亲对她表露出的兴趣让凯瑟琳非常开心。“去欧洲会令人愉快的。”她说。但当她意识到会有几个月见不到莫里斯时，她很快就开心不起来了。

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This sign of her father’s interest in her gave Catherine great happiness. ’It would be delightful to go to Europe,’ she said. But her happiness soon disappeared when she realized that she would not see Morris for several months.

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彭尼曼夫人没有受到邀请，她很清楚医生为什么要制订这样一个计划。“他以为这次旅行会让你忘了莫里斯。”她告诉侄女。

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Mrs Penniman was not invited, and she understood very well why the Doctor had made this plan. ’He thinks the journey will make you forget Morris,’ she told her niece.

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凯瑟琳不知道该不该服从父亲的意志。她给莫里斯写信，约他来广场见面。第二天他们相见了，在长时间的散步过程中她给他讲了父亲的邀请。

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Catherine could not decide whether to obey her father’s wishes or not. She wrote to Morris and asked him to meet her in the Square. They met the next day, and during a long walk she told him about her father’s invitation.

63

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“他以为我会忘了你。”凯瑟琳说。

63

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He thinks I will forget you,’ said Catherine.

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“嗯，亲爱的，也许你会的。欧洲有那么多激动人心的东西可看。”

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Well, my dear, perhaps you will. There are so many exciting things to see in Europe.’

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“请不要那么说，”凯瑟琳轻声地答道，“我对在欧洲观光没兴趣。”

65

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Please don’t say that,’ Catherine answered, gently. ’I am not interested in seeing Europe.’

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“你应该去，”莫里斯说，“这会让你父亲高兴，也许他会原谅你，并且改变剥夺你继承权的想法。”

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You should go,’ said Morris. ’It will please your father, and perhaps he will forgive you and change his mind about disinheriting you.’

67

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“那这么长时间不结婚？”

67

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And not get married for so long?’

68

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“我们可以在你回来后结婚，”莫里斯说，“你可以在巴黎买你的结婚礼服。”

68

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We can marry when you come back,’ said Morris. ’You can buy your wedding clothes in Paris.’

69

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他们实际上走了一年，在头六个月里，莫里斯·汤森这个名字从未被提起过。医生发现欧洲有很多令他感兴趣的东西，可是尽管凯瑟琳总是安静而顺从，她父亲却认为她是一个很愚钝的旅伴。

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They were away, in fact, for a year and during the first six months the name of Morris Townsend was not mentioned. The Doctor found much to interest him in Europe, but although Catherine was always quiet and obedient, she was, her father thought, a very unintelligent companion.

70

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夏末的一天，他们一起沿着一条人迹罕至的山谷散步。天渐渐黑了，空气也冷得刺骨。

70

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One day, at the end of the summer, they were walking together in a lonely valley in the mountains. It was beginning to get dark and the air was cold and sharp.

71

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医生突然停住脚步看着凯瑟琳。

71

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Suddenly the Doctor stopped and looked at Catherine.

72

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“你放弃他了吗？”他问。

72

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"Have you given him up?’ he asked.

73

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这个问题问得突然，但凯瑟琳并没有犹豫。“没有，爸爸。”她回答道。

73

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The question was unexpected, but Catherine did not hesitate. ’No, father,’ she answered.

74

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他看了她一会儿，没说话。

74

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He looked at her for some moments without speaking.

75

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“他给你写信了吗？”

75

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"Does he write to you?’ he asked.

76

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“是的。大约一个月两封信。”

76

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Yes, about twice a month.’

77

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医生上上下下地看了看山，低声说道：“我很生气。”

77

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The Doctor looked up and down the mountain, and said in a low voice, ’I am very angry.’

78

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“对不起。”凯瑟琳喃喃地说道。在这荒凉的地方，她感到孤独害怕。

78

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I am sorry,’ Catherine murmured. She felt lonely and frightened in this wild place.

79

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“总有一天他会离开你，”医生说，“把你一个人留在这样一个地方，忍饥挨饿。他会那么做的。”

79

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One day he will leave you,’ said the Doctor. ’Alone and hungry, in a place like this. That’s what he will do.’

80

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“那不是真的，爸爸，你不该那么说，”她哭道，“那是不对的！”

80

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That’s not true, father, and you should not say it,’ she cried. ’It’s not right!’

81

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他慢慢地摇了摇头。“是的，这样不对，因为你不愿意相信。但这却是真的。”

81

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He shook his head slowly. ’No, it’s not right, because you won’t believe it. But it is true.’

82

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直到他们乘船返回纽约之前的那个晚上，斯洛珀医生再也没有提起过莫里斯的名字。“你回到家之后有什么打算？”他突然问道。

82

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Doctor Sloper did not speak of Morris again until the night before they sailed to New York. ’What are you going to do when you get home?’ he asked suddenly.

83

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“你的意思是关于汤森先生的事吗？”

83

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Do you mean about Mr Townsend?’

84

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“是关于汤森先生的。”

84

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About Mr Townsend.’

85

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“我们可能会结婚。”

85

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We shall probably marry.’

86

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“那么你一到家就会和他私奔？”

86

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So you will go off with him as soon as you arrive?’

87

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凯瑟琳不喜欢他说这话的方式。“我们到了以后我才能告诉您。”她说。

87

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Catherine did not like the way he said this. ’I cannot tell you until we arrive,’ she said.

88

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“如果我会失去我惟一的孩子，我想在事情发生前知道。”

88

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If I am going to lose my only child, I would like to know before it happens.’

89

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“噢，爸爸！你不会失去我的。”凯瑟琳说。

89

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	obey [ə’beɪ]	v.服从;遵守;顺从;听从
	sleepless [’sliːpləs]	adj.无眠的;睡不着的;警觉的
	parlor [’pɑːlə]	n. (机关、银行等)接待室，客厅;
	felted [’feltɪd]	v. 把 ... 制成毡(使 ... 粘结)
	blush [blʌʃ]	n.脸红;羞愧
	murmur [’mɜːmə(r)]	n. 低沉连续的声音(如风的沙沙声、流水的淙淙声等);
	angrily [’æŋɡrəli]	adv.气愤地
	disinherit [ˌdɪsɪn’herɪt]	v.剥夺 ... 继承权
	Almond [’ɑːmənd]	n.杏仁;扁桃;巴旦木，巴旦杏
	amusement [ə’mjuːzmənt]	n.乐趣，娱乐;消遣
	excite [ɪk’saɪt]	vt.使兴奋;使激动;刺激;激起
	Paris [’pærɪs]	n.巴黎;重楼(百合科植物);帕里斯(姓氏)
	York [jɔːk]	约克郡;〈板球〉使击球员出局