Connie went to the wood directly after lunch. It was really a lovely day, the first dandelions making suns, the first daisies so white. The hazel thicket was a lace-work, of half-open leaves, and the last dusty perpendicular of the catkins. Yellow celandines now were in crowds, flat open, pressed back in urgency, and the yellow glitter of themselves. It was the yellow, the powerful yellow of early summer. And primroses were broad, and full of pale abandon, thick-clustered primroses no longer shy. The lush, dark green of hyacinths was a sea, with buds rising like pale corn, while in the riding the forget-me-nots were fluffing up, and columbines were unfolding their ink-purple ruches, and there were bits of blue bird's eggshell under a bush. Everywhere the bud-knots and the leap of life!

用罢午饭，康妮即刻赶往树林。风和日丽，初放的蒲公英花如阳光般明艳，乍开的雏菊洁白如玉。榛树那半开半合的叶片上，垂着浅灰色的柔荑花，好似蕾丝缎带。黄色的燕子草汇聚成簇，漫山遍野，争先恐后，闪耀着黄光。这黄色展现出初夏的勃勃生机。樱草花比比皆是，激情四溢，不见半点羞赧。葱郁墨绿的风信子宛若海洋，成串的蓓蕾如同浅色的玉米棒。马道上，勿忘我随处可见，耧斗菜展开深紫色的褶带，灌木丛下，偶尔可见知更鸟的蛋壳。到处是成簇的蓓蕾，到处是跃然的生机！

The keeper was not at the hut. Everything was serene, brown chickens running lustily. Connie walked on towards the cottage, because she wanted to find him.

守林人没在小屋。四周寂静无声，褐色的小鸡欢快地奔跑着。康妮继续向农舍进发，因为她要找到他。

The cottage stood in the sun, off the wood's edge. In the little garden the double daffodils rose in tufts, near the wide-open door, and red double daisies made a border to the path. There was the bark of a dog, and Flossie came running.

农舍位于树林的边缘，沐浴在午后的阳光里。小巧玲珑的花园中，多瓣水仙簇生着，靠近敞开着的园门，艳红的重瓣雏菊排列在小径两厢。犬吠声传入耳朵，弗洛西跑上前来。

The wide-open door! So he was at home. And the sunlight falling on the red-brick floor! As she went up the path, she saw him through the window, sitting at the table in his shirt-sleeves, eating. The dog wuffed softly, slowly wagging her tail.

门敞开着！意味着他在家。阳光洒落在红砖铺就的地面上。当她踏上小径，透过窗户，看到他身着衬衣，正坐在桌旁吃饭。猎犬低声轻吠，缓缓摇动着尾巴。

He rose, and came to the door, wiping his mouth with a red handkerchief still chewing.

他站起身，走到门口，用条红手帕擦着嘴，仍在咀嚼着。

"May I come in?" she said.

“我可以进来吗？”她问。

"Come in!" The sun shone into the bare room, which still smelled of a mutton chop, done in a dutch oven before the fire, because the dutch oven still stood on the fender, with the black potato-saucepan on a piece of paper, beside it on the white hearth. The fire was red, rather low, the bar dropped, the kettle singing.

“请进！”阳光射进这间几无陈设的农舍，羊排的香味仍未消散，炖肉铁锅还搁在火炉围栏上，黑色的土豆炖锅下面垫着张纸，放在白色的壁炉旁。炉火通红，但并不太旺，炉门合着，水壶吱吱吟唱着。

On the table was his plate, with potatoes and the remains of the chop; also bread in a basket, salt, and a blue mug with beer. The table-cloth was white oil-cloth, he stood in the shade.

桌上摆着餐盘，里面盛着土豆和吃剩的羊排，篮子里有面包、盐巴以及一个盛着啤酒的蓝色杯子。桌上铺着白色漆布，他站的位置太阳照不到。

"You are very late," she said. "Do go on eating!" She sat down on a wooden chair, in the sunlight by the door.

“午饭吃得挺晚，”她说，“接着吃吧！”她在门边的木椅上坐下，享受着和煦的阳光。

"I had to go to Uthwaite," he said, sitting down at the table but not eating.

“我去了趟乌斯维特。”他说着，在桌边坐下，但并没有继续用餐。

"Do eat," she said. But he did not touch the food.

“吃呀。”她催促道。但他并没有碰食物。

"Shall y'ave something?” he asked her. "Shall y'ave a cup of tea? T'kettle's on t'boil’—he half rose again from his chair.

“你来点啥？”他问。“来杯茶？壶里的水开了。”——他欠身离座。

"If you'll let me make it myself," she said, rising. He seemed sad, and she felt she was bothering him.

“还是我自己来吧。”她说着，站起身来。他似乎有些伤感，她感觉自己是他烦恼的根源。

"Well, tea-pot's in there’—he pointed to a little, drab corner cupboard; 'an'cups. An'tea's on t'mantel ower yer 'ead,” She got the black tea-pot, and the tin of tea from the mantel-shelf. She rinsed the tea-pot with hot water, and stood a moment wondering where to empty it.

“哦，茶壶在那边”——他指着墙角土褐色的碗碟柜，“还有茶杯。茶叶在你头顶的炉架上。”她拿过黑色茶壶，从炉架上取下茶叶罐。她将热水注入茶壶，之后呆立半晌，不知道把水倒去哪里。

"Throw it out," he said, aware of her. "It's clean.” She went to the door and threw the drop of water down the path. How lovely it was here, so still, so really woodland. The oaks were putting out ochre yellow leaves: in the garden the red daisies were like red plush buttons. She glanced at the big, hollow sandstone slab of the threshold, now crossed by so few feet.

“倒去外面。”他说，显然是察觉到她的不知所措。“水很干净。”她走到门口，将水倾洒在路面上。这里多么美妙啊，如此静谧，名副其实的林地。橡树发出赭黄色的嫩叶，园中鲜红的雏菊像是长毛绒钮扣。那块硕大凹陷的砂岩门槛映入眼帘，如今已很少有人从上跨越。

"But it's lovely here," she said. "Such a beautiful stillness, everything alive and still." He was eating again, rather slowly and unwillingly, and she could feel he was discouraged. She made the tea in silence, and set the tea-pot on the hob, as she knew the people did. He pushed his plate aside and went to the back place; she heard a latch click, then he came back with cheese on a plate, and butter.

“这里真美。”她赞叹道。“宁静得让人心醉，一切都鲜活而寂静。”他继续吃起午餐来，咀嚼和吞咽都相当缓慢，显得极不情愿，她感觉得到他有些沮丧。她默默沏着茶，接着把茶壶放回到炉架上，她知道这里的百姓都这样做。他把餐盘推开，走向屋后，她听到门闩开启的声音，过了一会，他端着一盘奶酪和黄油回来了。

She set the two cups on the table; there were only two. "Will you have a cup of tea?" she said.

她把两只茶杯摆在桌上，那是仅有的两只茶杯。“想来杯茶吗？”她问。

"If you like. Sugar's in th'cupboard, an'there's a little cream jug. Milk's in a jug in th'pantry.” "Shall I take your plate away?" she asked him. He looked up at her with a faint ironical smile.

“如果您乐意的话。糖搁在橱柜里，还有一小罐奶油。牛奶在食品间的罐子里。”“让我来收拾你的餐盘吧？”她问。他抬头看着她，嘴角微微露出嘲讽的微笑。

"Why...if you like," he said, slowly eating bread and cheese. She went to the back, into the pent-house scullery, where the pump was. On the left was a door, no doubt the pantry door. She unlatched it, and almost smiled at the place he called a pantry; a long narrow white-washed slip of a cupboard. But it managed to contain a little barrel of beer, as well as a few dishes and bits of food. She took a little milk from the yellow jug.

“哦……如果您愿意的话。”他说，慢条斯理地嚼着面包和奶酪。她走到屋后侧间的洗碗池边，那里安着水龙头。左手边有扇门，无疑就是食品间。她拔掉门闩进去，看到他所谓的食品间，几乎笑出声来，那只不过是条狭长的白漆壁橱。但里面还是塞着一小桶啤酒，几只餐盘，还有零零散散的食物。她从黄色的罐子里取出些牛奶。

"How do you get your milk?" She asked him, when she came back to the table.

“你怎么弄到牛奶的？”她回到餐桌旁时问。

"Flints! They leave me a bottle at the warren end. You know, where I met you!" But he was discouraged. She poured out the tea, poising the cream-jug.

“从弗林特家！他们会在牧场尽头给我留一瓶。你知道的，就是上次咱俩碰面的地方！”但他的表情依然沮丧。她斟好茶，拿起奶油罐。

"No milk," he said; then he seemed to hear a noise, and looked keenly through the doorway.

“我不要牛奶。”他说。似乎听到什么动静，警觉地向门外张望。

" 'Appen we'd better shut," he said.

“咱还是关上门为妙。”他说。

"It seems a pity," she replied. "Nobody will come, will they?" "Not unless it's one time in a thousand, but you never know.” "And even then it's no matter," she said. "It's only a cup of tea.” "Where are the spoons?" He reached over, and pulled open the table drawer. Connie sat at the table in the sunshine of the doorway.

“真可惜。”她应道。“没人会来这儿，不是吗？”“万里有一，谁晓得呢。”“有人来也没什么要紧的。”她说。“我们不过在喝茶而已。”“勺子放在哪儿？”他探身拉开餐桌的抽屉。康妮坐在桌旁，沐浴着门口射进来的阳光。

"Flossie!" He said to the dog, who was lying on a little mat at the stair foot. "Go an'hark, hark! He lifted his finger, and his "hark!" was very vivid. The dog trotted out to reconnoitre.

“弗洛西！”他召唤着猎犬，那畜生正趴在楼梯下面的小毡垫上。“去扫听一下！”他竖起一根手指，说“扫听”这个词的时候显得声情并茂。猎犬跑出去巡风放哨了。

"Are you sad today?" She asked him. He turned his blue eyes quickly, and gazed direct on her.

“你今天不开心吗？”她问他。他淡蓝色的眼睛迅速转回来，直直地盯着她。

"Sad! No, bored! I had to go getting summonses for two poachers I caught, and, oh well, I don't like people.” He spoke cold, good English, and there was anger in his voice. "Do you hate being a game-keeper?" she asked.

“不开心！不，是有点烦！我抓到两名偷猎者，只得去给他们讨传票，唉，我讨厌和人打交道。”他说着地道的英语，语气冷淡，又夹杂着愤怒。“你不愿做守林人吗？”她问。

"Being a game-keeper, no! So long as I'm left alone. But when I have to go messing around at the police-station, and various other places, and waiting for a lot of fools to attend to me...oh well, I get mad..." and he smiled, with a certain faint humour.

“守林人？我愿意做。前提是能让我一个人呆着。可让我去警察局或者别的什么地方，浪费宝贵的时间，等着那些蠢货来接待我……噢，我简直快要发疯……”他露出微笑，带着些调侃的意味。

"Couldn't you be really independent?" she asked.

“难道你不能真的独自过活吗？”她问。

"Me? I suppose I could, if you mean manage to exist on my pension. I could! But I've got to work, or I should die. That is, I've got to have something that keeps me occupied. And I'm not in a good enough temper to work for myself. It's got to be a sort of job for somebody else, or I should throw it up in a month, out of bad temper. So altogether I'm very well off here, especially lately...” He laughed at her again, with mocking humour.

“我？如果你是指依靠抚恤金度日，我想我能做到。我当然能！可我必须有事可做，不然会闷死。也就是说，我需要做点什么，来打发时间。我脾气太糟，不适合为自己工作。只能被别人雇佣，不然，不出一个月，我的坏脾气发作起来，准会立马甩手不干。总而言之，我在这儿过得挺好，尤其是最近……”他又朝她笑起来，半是嘲讽，半是诙谐。

"But why are you in a bad temper?" she asked. "Do you mean you are ALWAYS in a bad temper?" "Pretty well," he said, laughing. "I don't quite digest my bile.” "But what bile?" she said.

“可你的脾气为何这么糟呀？”她问。“你是说这坏脾气从没改过吗？”“差不多吧。”他笑着说。“我的胆汁分泌过剩。”“什么胆汁？”她问。

"Bile!" he said.

“胆汁！”他说。

"Don't you know what that is?” She was silent, and disappointed. He was taking no notice of her.

“难不成你不晓得是什么？”她沉默不语，神情失落。他并未注意到这一点。

"I'm going away for a while next month," she said.

“我下个月要远行。”她说。

"You are! Where to?" "Venice! With Sir Clifford? For how long?" "For a month or so," she replied. "Clifford won't go.” "He'll stay here?" he asked.

“远行！去哪里？”“威尼斯！和克利福德爵士一起？呆多久？”“大概一个月左右。”她答道。“克利福德不去。”“他留在拉格比？”他问。

"Yes! He hates to travel as he is." "Ay, poor devil!" he said, with sympathy.

“是的！他行动不便，不愿出外旅行。”“是呀，可怜的家伙！”他同情地说。

There was a pause.

两人沉默片刻。

"You won't forget me when I'm gone, will you?" she asked.

“我离开的时候，你不会忘记我吧？”她问。

Again he lifted his eyes and looked full at her.

他又抬起眼睛，全神贯注地凝望着她。

"Forget?" he said.

“忘记？”他说。

"You know nobody forgets. It's not a question of memory;” She wanted to say: "When then?" but she didn't. Instead, she said in a mute kind of voice: "I told Clifford I might have a child." Now he really looked at her, intense and searching.

“要知道，没有人会忘记。这与记忆力无关。”她想问：“那与什么有关？”但话到嘴边又咽下。而是压低声音说：“我跟克利福德说，我或许会身怀六甲。”此刻，他的注意力都集中在她身上，眼神炽热而又充满疑问。

"You did?" He said at last. "And what did he say?" "Oh, he wouldn't mind. He'd be glad, really, so long as it seemed to be his." she dared not look up at him.

“你这么说的？”他终于说道。“他怎样回应？”“噢，他并不介怀。只要孩子名义上属于他，他就会感到很开心。”她不敢直视他的眼睛。

He was silent a long time, then he gazed again on her face.

他沉默良久，目光再度落在她的脸庞。

"No mention of ME, of course?"

“你自然不会提到我，对吗？”

"No. No mention of you," she said.

“没有。我没提到你。”她说。

"No, he'd hardly swallow me as a substitute breeder. Then where are you supposed to be getting the child?” "I might have a love-affair in Venice," she said.

“不行，若我是孩子的生父，他恐怕很难接受。那么，你打算在何处怀上孩子呢？”“我可以去威尼斯找个情人。”她说。

"You might," he replied slowly. "So that's why you're going?” "Not to have the love-affair," she said, looking up at him, pleading.

“当然可以。”他缓缓应道。“这才是你去哪儿的原因？”“并非如此。”她抬头望着他，为自己辩解道。

"Just the appearance of one," he said.

“只是做做样子。”他说。

There was silence. He sat staring out the window, with a faint grin, half mockery, half bitterness, on his face. She hated his grin.

沉默再度降临。他望向窗外，微微咧嘴笑着，半是讽刺，半是苦涩。她讨厌他咧嘴的笑容。

"You've not taken any precautions against having a child then?” He asked her suddenly. "Because I haven't.” "No," she said faintly. "I should hate that." He looked at her, then again with the peculiar subtle grin out of the window. There was a tense silence.

“你没采取任何措施，以免怀孕吗？”他冷不防地提出疑问。“因为我没采取过措施。”“没有。”她低声说。“我讨厌那样做。”他盯着她，然后嘴角又露出那淡淡的苦笑，目光移向窗外。沉默的空气变得异常紧张。

At last he turned his head and said satirically: "That was why you wanted me, then, to get a child?" She hung her head.

最终，他转过头，带着挖苦的口吻说：“这样说来，你找我的目的，只是为了怀上孩子？”她低下头。

"No. Not really," she said. "What then, REALLY?" He asked rather bitingly.

“不。并不是你想的那样。”她说。“那么是哪样？”他问她的语调变得尖锐起来。

She looked up at him reproachfully, saying: "I don't know.” He broke into a laugh.

她抬眼望着他，目光中写满埋怨，说：“我不知道。”他大笑起来。

"Then I'm damned if I do," he said.

“要是我知道，那倒真是奇怪。”他说。

There was a long pause of silence, a cold silence.

又是长久的沉默，冷战的气氛渐浓。

"Well," he said at last. "It's as your Ladyship likes. If you get the baby, Sir Clifford's welcome to it. I shan't have lost anything. On the contrary, I've had a very nice experience, very nice indeed!”—and he stretched in a half-suppressed sort of yawn.

“唉，”末了，他叹道。“悉听夫人尊便。要是您怀上孩子，那就给克利福德爵士吧。我不会有任何损失。相反，我还能够体验到美妙绝伦的性爱，畅快淋漓！”——他伸个懒腰，压抑着不让自己打哈欠。

"If you've made use of me," he said, "it's not the first time I've been made use of; and I don't suppose it's ever been as pleasant as this time; though of course one can't feel tremendously dignified about it.” He stretched again, curiously, his muscles quivering, and his jaw oddly set.

“如果你只把我当成利用的对象，”他说，“那这也并非我首次扮演这样的角色，而且能够如此满足的被利用，倒也是件快事，虽然这种做法算不得光明磊落。”他又伸个懒腰，姿势怪异，他的肌肉战栗着，牙关奇怪地紧咬着。

"But I didn't make use of you," she said, pleading.

“可是，我并没有利用你。”她解释着。

"At your Ladyship's service," he replied.

“愿意为夫人您效犬马之劳。”他应道。

"No," she said. "I liked your body."

“并非你想的那样。”她说。“我喜欢你的肉体。”

"Did you?" he replied, and he laughed.

“此话当真？”他笑着答道。

"Well, then, we're quits, because I liked yours.” He looked at her with queer darkened eyes.

“那么，好吧，咱俩两清了，因为我也喜欢你的。”他盯着她，双眸变得诡异而阴暗。

"Would you like to go upstairs now?" He asked her, in a strangled sort of voice.

“咱俩现在就上楼安寝怎样？”他的语调让她快要窒息。

"No, not here. Not now!" She said heavily, though if he had used any power over her, she would have gone, for she had no strength against him.

“不，这儿不行。现在不可以！”她语气沉重地说，但如果他稍加坚持，她也只能屈从，因为根本无力反抗。

He turned his face away again, and seemed to forget her. "I want to touch you like you touch me," she said. "I've never really touched your body.” He looked at her, and smiled again. "Now?" he said.

他又背过脸去，似乎决意将她遗忘。“我想触摸你，就像你触摸我一样。”她说。“我从未真正触摸过你的身躯。”他瞧着她，再次露出笑容。“现在？”他问。

"No! No! Not here! At the hut. Would you mind?" "How do I touch you?" he asked.

“不！不！别在这儿！到小屋去。你不介意吧？”“我是怎样触摸你的？”他问。

"When you feel me." He looked at her, and met her heavy, anxious eyes.

“你总会爱抚我的身体。”他盯着她，发现她的目光里充满沉甸甸的渴望。

"And do you like it when I feel you?" He asked, laughing at her still.

“你喜欢我爱抚你吗？”他问，语气中依然充满嘲弄。

"Yes, do you?" she said.

“当然，你呢？”她问。

"Oh, me!" Then he changed his tone. "Yes," he said. "You know without asking." Which was true.

“噢，我！”他语调一转。“没错。”他说。“你是明知故问。”这倒是他的心里话。

She rose and picked up her hat. "I must go," she said.

她站起身来，拿过帽子。“我得走了。”她说。

"Will you go?" he replied politely.

“您要回府？”他彬彬有礼地问道。

She wanted him to touch her, to say something to her, but he said nothing, only waited politely.

她渴望得到他的抚摸，渴望他对自己倾诉心声，但他什么都没说，只是毕恭毕敬地等在一旁。

"Thank you for the tea," she said.

“谢谢你的茶。”她说。

"I haven't thanked your Ladyship for doing me the honours of my tea-pot," he said.

“我还没向夫人致谢呢，劳您大驾为我沏茶，实在倍感荣幸。”他说。

She went down the path, and he stood in the doorway, faintly grinning. Flossie came running with her tail lifted. And Connie had to plod dumbly across into the wood, knowing he was standing there watching her, with that incomprehensible grin on his face.

她沿小路返回，他则站在门口，微露出苦笑。弗洛西跑上前来，尾巴高高翘着。康妮默默无语地踱进树林，脚步缓慢而沉重，心里清楚他正站在那儿望着自己，脸上挂着莫可名状的笑意。

She walked home very much downcast and annoyed. She didn't at all like his saying he had been made use of because, in a sense, it was true. But he oughtn't to have said it. Therefore, again, she was divided between two feelings: resentment against him, and a desire to make it up with him.

她回到家，情绪低落，烦乱不堪。他说自己惨遭利用，让她深感不悦，但从某种意义来讲，这确是事实。但他不应该明言。于是，她再度因两种对立的情绪而感到左右为难，既对他满怀埋怨，又盼着跟他重归于好。

She passed a very uneasy and irritated tea-time, and at once went up to her room. But when she was there it was no good; she could neither sit nor stand. She would have to do something about it. She would have to go back to the hut; if he was not there, well and good.

整个下午，她始终心绪不宁，坐立不安，用罢下午茶，立刻上楼回到自己房间。但这毫无用处，她依然感觉坐也不是，站也不是。她必须做点什么。她必须重回小屋，要是他没在，就再好不过。

She slipped out of the side door, and took her way direct and a little sullen. When she came to the clearing she was terribly uneasy. But there he was again, in his shirt-sleeves, stooping, letting the hens out of the coops, among the chicks that were now growing a little gawky, but were much more trim than hen-chickens.

她从侧门溜了出来，直奔目的地而去，仍有些闷闷不乐。来到那片林中空地，她的心绪愈加烦乱。他偏偏又在那里，身穿衬衣，弓着身子放母鸡出笼。在他四周撒欢的小鸡们，动作已经不若以往灵活，但与母鸡相比，仍要苗条的多。

She went straight across to him. "You see I've come!" she said.

她径直向他走去。“你看到我来了！”她说。