"Am I late, Clifford?" she said, putting down the few flowers and taking up the tea-caddy, as she stood before the tray in her hat and scarf. "I'm sorry! Why didn't you let Mrs. Bolton make the tea?” "I didn't think of it," he said ironically. "I don't quite see her presiding at the tea-table.” "Oh, there's nothing sacrosanct about a silver tea-pot," said Connie.

“我回来得有些晚吧，克利福德？”她说着，在托盘前站定，搁下采来的水仙，顺手取过茶叶盒，帽子和围巾都没来得及摘掉。“很抱歉！可你为什么不让博尔顿太太给你泡茶呢？”“我就没这样想过。”他语带讽刺地说。“我觉得茶桌上的事她无法胜任。”“啊，区区银茶壶，也没什么神圣之处。”康妮说。

He glanced up at her curiously.

他诧异地扫了她一眼。

"What did you do all afternoon?" he said.

“你整个下午都做什么去了？”他问。

"Walked and sat in a sheltered place. Do you know there are still berries on the big holly-tree?” She took off her scarf, but not her hat, and sat down to make tea. The toast would certainly be leathery. She put the tea-cosy over the tea-pot, and rose to get a little glass for her violets. The poor flowers hung over, limp on their stalks.

“散步，然后坐在背风处小憩。你知道么？大冬青树还结有果实呢。”她解下围巾，但没摘帽子，坐下来沏茶。烤面包肯定变得硬而不脆了。她给茶壶套上保护套，站起来拿过一个小玻璃瓶，准备用来插紫罗兰。那些可怜的花在花茎上耷拉着脑袋，无精打采。

"They'll revive again!" she said, putting them before him in their glass for him to smell.

“它们会振作起来的！”她边说，边把花瓶端到丈夫跟前让他闻。

"Sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes," he quoted.

“比朱诺的眉眼还要可爱。”他引用莎翁的名句。（注：这句话出自莎士比亚的剧作《冬天的故事》）

"I don't see a bit of connexion with the actual violets," she said. "The Elizabethans are rather upholstered." She poured him his tea.

“我觉得这句诗跟真正的紫罗兰毫不搭界。”她说。“伊丽莎白时期的人都有些华而不实。”她给他斟茶。

"Do you think there is a second key to that little hut not far from John's Well, where the pheasants are reared?" she said.

“约翰井附近那个养野鸡的小屋，有没有备用钥匙？”她问。

"There may be. Why?" "I happened to find it today—and I'd never seen it before. I think it's a darling place. I could sit there sometimes, couldn't I?” "Was Mellors there?" "Yes! That's how I found it: his hammering. He didn't seem to like my intruding at all. In fact he was almost rude when I asked about a second key.” "What did he say?" "Oh, nothing: just his manner; and he said he knew nothing about keys.” "There may be one in Father's study. Betts knows them all, they're all there. I'll get him to look.” "Oh do!" she said.

“或许有。怎么？”“我今天无意间发现的——之前从来没留意。我觉得那儿挺招人爱的。我想时常过去坐坐，可以吗？”“梅勒斯在那儿吗？”“在！把我引到那里的，正是他的锤击声。他似乎很反感我贸然闯入。我问起有没有备用钥匙时，他的反应简直有些粗鲁。”“他说了什么？”“哦，没什么，只是态度不太礼貌，他说钥匙的事他半点不知。”“父亲书房里好像有一把。贝茨认得，所有钥匙都在那儿。我让他去找找看。”“噢，拜托你！”她说。

"So Mellors was almost rude?" "Oh, nothing, really! But I don't think he wanted me to have the freedom of the castle, quite.” "I don't suppose he did.” "Still, I don't see why he should mind. It's not his home, after all! It's not his private abode. I don't see why I shouldn't sit there if I want to.” "Quite!" said Clifford. "He thinks too much of himself, that man." "Do you think he does?" "Oh, decidedly! He thinks he's something exceptional. You know he had a wife he didn't get on with, so he joined up in 1915 and was sent to India, I believe. Anyhow he was blacksmith to the cavalry in Egypt for a time; always was connected with horses, a clever fellow that way. Then some Indian colonel took a fancy to him, and he was made a lieutenant. Yes, they gave him a commission. I believe he went back to India with his colonel, and up to the north-west frontier. He was ill; he was a pension. He didn't come out of the army till last year, I believe, and then, naturally, it isn't easy for a man like that to get back to his own level. He's bound to flounder. But he does his duty all right, as far as I'm concerned. Only I'm not having any of the Lieutenant Mellors touch.” "How could they make him an officer when he speaks broad Derbyshire?" "He doesn't...except by fits and starts. He can speak perfectly well, for him. I suppose he has an idea if he's come down to the ranks again, he'd better speak as the ranks speak.” "Why didn't you tell me about him before?” "Oh, I've no patience with these romances. They're the ruin of all order. It's a thousand pities they ever happened.” Connie was inclined to agree. What was the good of discontented people who fitted in nowhere? In the spell of fine weather Clifford, too, decided to go to the wood. The wind was cold, but not so tiresome, and the sunshine was like life itself, warm and full.

“你刚才说梅勒斯对你无礼？”“啊，没什么，真的！不过，他似乎不愿见我在他的地盘自由出入。”“我想也是。”“可我就不明白，他为什么那样介怀。那又不是他的家！也不是他的私人领地。真搞不明白，只要我喜欢，为何不能去那儿坐坐。”“的确如此！”克利福德说。“那家伙太自以为是。”“你这么认为？”“嗯，这很明显！他觉得自己与众不同。他因为和妻子闹别扭，1915年参军，被派往印度。在埃及，他曾给骑兵营做过铁匠活，总是跟马匹打交道，在那方面倒也有两把刷子。后来，他被某位驻印度的上校相中，晋升为中尉。是的，他们授予他军衔。他追随长官回到印度，前往西北边陲。他疾病缠身，因而得到一份抚恤金。他去年才退伍，当然，这种清高的家伙，被打回原形，自然有些难以接受。内心肯定会挣扎不已。但据我所知，他还算尽职尽责。只是我可不想看到他摆出梅勒斯中尉的神气。”“他满口浓重的德比郡土话，怎么还能被提拔成军官呢？”“他并不常说土话……只是时而说说。他的英语说得相当地道。据我猜测，他准是这样考虑的，既然重新沦为平头百姓，那么最好还是说老百姓说的话。”“你以前为何没跟我提过这些事？”“哦，我可没耐性扯这些传奇故事。这些事对维护社会秩序没啥好处。它们根本就不该发生。”康尼觉得克利福德说得有理。这种家伙与现实格格不入，却又心怀不满，他们有什么好呢？好天气的持续，让克利福德也打算去树林走走。风依然寒冷，但却已经可以承受，阳光则是生机勃勃，温暖而又饱满。

"It's amazing," said Connie, "how different one feels when there's a really fresh fine day. Usually one feels the very air is half dead. People are killing the very air.” "Do you think people are doing it?" he asked.

“多奇妙啊，”康妮感慨道，“风和丽日的日子里，人的感觉也完全不同。平日里，你会觉得空气都死气沉沉的。空气正遭到毁灭性的破坏。”“你这么认为？”他问。

"I do. The steam of so much boredom, and discontent and anger out of all the people, just kills the vitality in the air. I'm sure of it.” "Perhaps some condition of the atmosphere lowers the vitality of the people?" he said.

“的确如此。人类将无穷无尽的厌烦、不满以及愤怒呼出，恰恰将空气中的生机尽数毁灭。这一点毫无疑问。”“或许是大气的某些状况降低了人类的活力？”他说。

"No, it's man that poisons the universe," she asserted.

“不，是人类在荼毒宇宙。”她言之凿凿。

"Fouls his own nest," remarked Clifford.

“自毁家园。”克利福德评论道。

The chair puffed on. In the hazel copse catkins were hanging pale gold, and in sunny places the wood-anemones were wide open, as if exclaiming with the joy of life, just as good as in past days, when people could exclaim along with them. They had a faint scent of apple-blossom. Connie gathered a few for Clifford.

轮椅突突前进。榛丛中悬着淡金色的柔荑花，五叶银莲在阳光充足处盛放，仿佛在歌颂生命的快乐，就像往日人们可以同它们一道赞颂一样。散发出淡淡的苹果花香。康妮为克利福德采下几朵。

He took them and looked at them curiously.

他接到手中，好奇地盯着看。

"Thou still unravished bride of quietness," he quoted. "It seems to fit flowers so much better than Greek vases." "Ravished is such a horrid word!" she said. "It's only people who ravish things.” "Oh, I don't know...snails and things," he said.

“你这未被玷污的温婉新娘。”他又吟诵出济慈的名句。（注：引自英国诗人济慈的名诗《希腊古瓮颂》）“这句诗用来形容鲜花，远比比喻希腊古瓶恰当。”“玷污是个可怕的词汇！”她说。“只有人类才会如此龌龊。”“哦，我搞不清楚……蜗牛之类的东西。”他说。

"Even snails only eat them, and bees don't ravish.” She was angry with him, turning everything into words. Violets were Juno's eyelids, and windflowers were on ravished brides. How she hated words, always coming between her and life: they did the ravishing, if anything did: ready-made words and phrases, sucking all the life-sap out of living things.

“蜗牛只是贪嘴，蜜蜂不行奸污。”她讨厌他把所有事物都付诸诗句。紫罗兰是朱诺的眼睑，银莲花是未被玷污的新娘。她对这些陈词滥调深恶痛绝，它们总是将她与生命分隔开来。若论玷污，正是这些现成的词句玷污了一切，它们吸干了天地万物的生命精华。

The walk with Clifford was not quite a success. Between him and Connie there was a tension that each pretended not to notice, but there it was. Suddenly, with all the force of her female instinct, she was shoving him off. She wanted to be clear of him, and especially of his consciousness, his words, his obsession with himself, his endless treadmill obsession with himself, and his own words.

和克利福德的这次散步有些扫兴。他和康妮之间弥漫着剑拔弩张的气氛，虽然两人都故作不知，但其存在却无法回避。突然间，她想聚集所有女性的本能力量，将他推开。她要与他划清界限，尤其是要摆脱他的意识，他的词句，他的自恋，他无始无终的自恋，还有对华丽辞藻的痴迷。

The weather came rainy again. But after a day or two she went out in the rain, and she went to the wood. And once there, she went towards the hut. It was raining, but not so cold, and the wood felt so silent and remote, inaccessible in the dusk of rain.

天又下起雨来。但一两天后，她冒雨出门，直奔树林深处。一踏入树林，她就往小屋走去。虽然雨尚未停歇，但气温并不低，在雨幕的掩映下，树林显得那样静默孤傲，那样遥不可及。

She came to the clearing. No one there! The hut was locked. But she sat on the log doorstep, under the rustic porch, and snuggled into her own warmth. So she sat, looking at the rain, listening to the many noiseless noises of it, and to the strange soughings of wind in upper branches, when there seemed to be no wind. Old oak-trees stood around, grey, powerful trunks, rain-blackened, round and vital, throwing off reckless limbs. The ground was fairly free of undergrowth, the anemones sprinkled, there was a bush or two, elder, or guelder-rose, and a purplish tangle of bramble: the old russet of bracken almost vanished under green anemone ruffs. Perhaps this was one of the unravished places. Unravished! The whole world was ravished.

她来到那片空地。没人！屋门紧锁。她在门前的圆木台阶上坐定，蜷缩起身体来取暖，粗木门廊遮住雨水。她就那样坐着，凝望着霏霏细雨，聆听着那似有却无的淅沥声，风儿掠过树梢发出的飒飒声，但却又感觉好像没有一丝风。四周为古老的橡树所环绕，那遒劲的灰色树干被雨水浸成黑色，浑圆而充满生命力，向四面八方生发出无数枝干。地面上几乎见不到灌木的影子，银莲花星星点点，还有一两株矮树，分辨不出是接骨木或者绣球花，以及一丛淡紫色的荆棘。在银莲花绿色皱领的遮蔽下，黄褐色的蕨草几乎看不到踪影。或许这里就是未被玷污的净土。未被玷污！整个世界都无法幸免。

Some things can't be ravished. You can't ravish a tin of sardines. And so many women are like that; and men. But the earth...!

有些东西无法被玷污。你总不能去玷污一听沙丁鱼罐头。还有许多好似沙丁鱼的男男女女们。但是大地却……！

The rain was abating. It was hardly making darkness among the oaks any more. Connie wanted to go; yet she sat on. But she was getting cold; yet the overwhelming inertia of her inner resentment kept her there as if paralysed.

雨势减缓。橡树林渐渐变得明亮起来。康妮想要回去，但却依然稳坐。但她觉得越来越冷，因内心的愤懑而产生的惰性压倒一切，让她坐在原地，动弹不得，好像瘫痪一般。

Ravished! How ravished one could be without ever being touched. Ravished by dead words become obscene, and dead ideas become obsessions.

被玷污！在未被触碰的情况下，如何能被玷污呢？罪魁祸首是那些猥亵不堪的陈词滥调，还有那些使人痴罔的迂腐观念。

A wet brown dog came running and did not bark, lifting a wet feather of a tail. The man followed in a wet black oilskin jacket, like a chauffeur, and face flushed a little. She felt him recoil in his quick walk, when he saw her. She stood up in the handbreadth of dryness under the rustic porch. He saluted without speaking, coming slowly near. She began to withdraw.

一只棕色的猎犬跑过来，全身湿淋淋的，它没叫，只是竖着湿尾巴。守林人跟在后面，身上的黑油布外衣沾满雨水，看上去像个司机，脸微微泛红。她发觉他看到自己时，快速的脚步略有放缓。她站起身，立在粗制门廊下那巴掌大小的干地方。他行了礼，但却没有做声，只是慢慢走近。她开始后退。

"I'm just going," she said.

“我正打算走。”她说。

"Was yer waitin' to get in?" he asked, looking at the hut, not at her.

“恁等着进屋呢？”他问道，视线投向小屋，而没有看她。

"No, I only sat a few minutes in the shelter," she said, with quiet dignity.

“不，我只是坐在这里避会儿雨。”她轻声说，语调沉稳，不卑不亢。

He looked at her. She looked cold.

他看着她。她似乎很冷。

"Sir Clifford 'and't got no other key then?" he asked.

“克利福德爵士没有备用钥匙？”他问。

"No, but it doesn't matter. I can sit perfectly dry under this porch. Good afternoon!” She hated the excess of vernacular in his speech.

“是的，不过没关系。我坐在门廊下照样可以避雨。再见！”她不愿听到他没完没了的土话。

He watched her closely, as she was moving away. Then he hitched up his jacket, and put his hand in his breeches pocket, taking out the key of the hut.

她向外走，他则紧盯着她。接着，他掀起外衣，把手伸进裤兜，拿出小屋的钥匙。

"'Appen yer'd better 'ave this key, an'Ah min fend for t'bods some other road.” She looked at him.

“钥匙还是恁收着吧，俺换个地方养鸡就成。”她回望他。

"What do you mean?" she asked. "I mean as'appen Ah can find anuther pleece as'll du for rearin' th'pheasants. If yer want ter be 'ere, yo'll non want me messin'abaht a'th'time.’ She looked at him, getting his meaning through the fog of the dialect.

“你说这话什么意思？”她问。“俺是说另找个地儿养鸡。要是恁在这儿歇脚，肯定不想俺来添乱。”她看着他，从那云山雾罩的土语中，分辨出他的意思。

"Why don't you speak ordinary English?" she said coldly.

“你为何不说标准英语？”她冷冷地问。

"Me! Ah thowt it WOR ordinary." She was silent for a few moments in anger.

“俺！俺以为自个儿说的就是呢。”她气得半晌没说出话来。

"So if yer want t'key, yer'd better tacit. Or 'appen Ah'd better gi'e 't yer termorrer, an'clear all t'stuff aht fust. Would that du for yer?” She became more angry.

“恁想要钥匙，拿走好了。或者俺明天给恁，容俺先把这儿拾掇拾掇。恁看成不？”她更生气了。

"I didn't want your key," she said. "I don't want you to clear anything out at all. I don't in the least want to turn you out of your hut, thank you! I only wanted to be able to sit here sometimes, like today. But I can sit perfectly well under the porch, so please say no more about it.” He looked at her again, with his wicked blue eyes.

“我不要你的钥匙。”她说。“也没想过让你收拾东西。我从没想要把你从这里赶走，谢谢你的好意！我只是想能偶尔过来坐坐，就像今天一样。可坐在门廊下，我同样可以怡然自得，所以，请你不要再说下去。”他那两只顽皮的蓝眼睛再度望向她。

"Why," he began, in the broad slow dialect. "Your Ladyship's as welcome as Christmas ter th' hut an' th' key an'iverythink as is. On'y this time O' th' year ther's bods ter set, an' Ah've got ter be potterin' abaht a good bit, seein' after 'em, an' a’. Winter time Ah ned 'ardly come nigh th'pleece. But what wi'spring, an'Sir Clifford wantin'ter start th'pheasants… An'your Ladyship'd non want me tinkerin'around an'about when she was 'ere, all the time.” She listened with a dim kind of amazement.

“呃，”他那缓慢浓重的土腔再度登场，“夫人大驾光临，理应受到圣诞节般的欢迎，小屋也罢，钥匙也罢，所有的一切都是恁的。只不过，这时节适合饲养野鸡，俺得忙这忙那，把它们照料得妥妥当当。入冬以后，俺就很少来这儿了。可等到春暖花开，克利福德爵士会在让俺养窝野鸡……夫人来这里散心，自然不会愿意看到俺摇来晃去。”她听完，心里暗暗吃惊。

"Why should I mind your being here?" she asked.

“你在这里干活，又碍着我什么呢？”她问。

He looked at her curiously.

他望着她，表情古怪。

"T'nuisance on me!" he said briefly, but significantly. She flushed. "Very well!" she said finally. "I won't trouble you. But I don't think I should have minded at all sitting and seeing you look after the birds. I should have liked it. But since you think it interferes with you, I won't disturb you, don't be afraid. You are Sir Clifford's keeper, not mine.” The phrase sounded queer, she didn't know why. But she let it pass.

“俺觉得自己碍事！”他的回答简练，但却意味深长。她的脸泛起红潮。“好吧！”她最后说。“我不会打搅你。但我并不介意坐在这里，看你伺弄野鸡。我反倒喜欢这样。可既然你认为这会干扰到你，我会尽量不妨碍你干活，请不必担心。雇佣你做守林人的，是克利福德爵士，而不是我。”她也不晓得自己为何一反常态，说出这样一番言论。但她已经顾不得多做思考。

"Nay, your Ladyship. It's your Ladyship's own'ut. It's as your Ladyship likes an'pleases, every time. Yer can turn me off at a wik's notice. It wor only...” "Only what?" she asked, baffled.

“别介，夫人。这小屋本就归夫人所有。夫人喜欢何时光临都没问题。恁大可提前一周通知我卷铺盖走人。只不过……”“不过什么？”她不明其意，问道。

He pushed back his hat in an odd comic way.

他把帽子往后推推，动作颇为滑稽。

"On'y as 'appen yo'd like the place ter yersen, when yer did come, an'not me messin'abaht.” "But why?" she said, angry. "Aren't you a civilized human being? Do you think I ought to be afraid of you? Why should I take any notice of you and your being here or not? Why is it important?” He looked at her, all his face glimmering with wicked laughter.

“只不过，恁完全可以要求独占这里，来的时候，也不必忍受俺这个碍眼的家伙。”“可为什么呢？”她气冲冲地问。“难道你是个野人不成？你认为我应该怕你？为什么我要留意你，理会你在或不在？这有什么要紧的吗？”他望着她，脸上闪过狡黠的笑容。

"It's not, your Ladyship. Not in the very least," he said.

“当然没有，夫人。没什么要紧的。”他说。

"Well, why then?" she asked.

“既然如此，原因又是什么呢？”她问。

"Shall I get your Ladyship another key then?" "No thank you! I don't want it.” "Ah'll get it anyhow. We'd best 'ave two keys ter th'place.” "And I consider you are insolent," said Connie, with her colour up, panting a little.

“那我再帮夫人您配把钥匙怎样？”“不用，谢谢！我不想要。”“不管怎地，俺还是得去配把。两把钥匙毕竟方便些。”“依我看，你是个傲慢无礼的家伙。”康妮的脸变得更红，气喘吁吁地说。

"Nay, nay!" he said quickly. "Dunna yer say that! Nay, nay! I niver meant nuthink. Ah on'y thought as if yo'come'ere, Ah s'd ave ter clear out, an'it'd mean a lot of work, settin'up somewheres else. But if your Ladyship isn't going ter take no notice O'me, then...it's Sir Clifford's 'ut, an'everythink is as your Ladyship likes, everythink is as your Ladyship likes an'pleases, barrin'yer take no notice O'me, doin'th'bits of jobs as Ah've got ter do.” Connie went away completely bewildered. She was not sure whether she had been insulted and mortally offended, or not. Perhaps the man really only meant what he said; that he thought she would expect him to keep away. As if she would dream of it! And as if he could possibly be so important, he and his stupid presence.

“别介，别介！”他连忙辩解。“可别那么说!别介，别介！俺从没恶意。俺只是想，如果恁来这里，俺就得拾掇东西，另找地场儿养鸡，那可要费不少事呢。可要是夫人恁不理会我，那么……这毕竟是克利福德爵士的小屋，夫人大可以随心所欲调配一切，只要俺在这里做活的时候，恁不用搭理俺就行。”康妮离开时，感到晕头晕脑。她也搞不清，到底这家伙是否冒犯到自己。或许他只是实话实说，他只是认为她会希望他躲得远远的。好像她做梦都想那样做似的！好像他就真的那么要紧，那个呆头呆脑的家伙。

She went home in confusion, not knowing what she thought or felt.

她稀里糊涂地往回走，不晓得自己在想些什么，感觉到些什么。