書蟲二級《阿利格拉之謎》：新年伊始

Beginning the New Year
新年伊始

We are slow, silent people, we of the Five Towns. Perhaps it is because we make pottery, which is slow, silent work. There are many stories about us and how slow and silent we are. These stories often surprise the rest of the world very much, but we just laugh at them. Here is an example.

我們是一群慢吞吞而且不愛說話的人，我是說我們五鎮(zhèn)的人。也許這是因?yàn)槲覀冎铺盏木壒?，這是個(gè)安靜的慢活兒。關(guān)于我們以及我們到底有多慢、多不愛說話的故事有很多，這些故事經(jīng)常會讓其他地方的人感到不可思議，而我們只是一笑置之。下面就有這樣一個(gè)例子。

Toby Hall was born in Turnhill, the smallest of the Five Towns. Last New Year's Eve he was travelling by train from Crewe to Derby, which was now his home town. He got out of the train at Knype, in the centre of the Five Towns, for a quick drink. The station was busy and he had to wait for his drink. When he returned to the train, it was already moving. Toby was not a young man; he couldn't jump on the train, so he missed it.

托比·霍爾出生在特恩希爾，這是五鎮(zhèn)中最小的一個(gè)鎮(zhèn)子。去年的新年前夜，他從克魯坐火車到德比，那兒是他現(xiàn)在的家鄉(xiāng)。他在位于五鎮(zhèn)中心的克尼普下了車，想喝上一杯?；疖囌救撕芏啵坏貌慌抨?duì)買喝的。他回去的時(shí)候，火車已經(jīng)開動了。托比不年輕了，他沒法跳上火車，只能錯過了。

He went to speak to the man in the station office. 'Young man,' he asked. 'When's the next train to Derby?'

他去問火車站辦公室的人。“年輕人，”他問，“下一班去德比的車是幾點(diǎn)？”

There isn't one before tomorrow.'

“明天才有車呢。”

Toby went and had another drink.

托比又去喝了一杯。

I'll go to Turnhill,' he said to himself slowly, and he paid for his drink.

“我要去特恩希爾看看。”他慢慢地自言自語著，付了錢。

This was his first visit to the Five Towns for twenty-three years, but Knype station was still the same, and so were the times of the trains to Turnhill. The train was the same, too.

這是他23年來第一次回五鎮(zhèn)，不過克尼普車站一點(diǎn)兒都沒變，開往特恩希爾的列車時(shí)刻表也沒變，連火車也和原來的一樣。

In twenty minutes he was leaving Turnhill station and walking into the town. He walked past a number of fine new buildings. In the town centre almost everything was different.

20分鐘后，他走出特恩希爾站，來到了鎮(zhèn)上。他路過好幾座漂亮的新房子。鎮(zhèn)中心的一切都變了模樣。

He walked on, into smaller streets, and at last came to Child Row. The old houses here were the same as always, and he looked at one small house very carefully. The light was on, so there was somebody at home.

他繼續(xù)往前走，穿過幾條窄街，最后拐到兒童路。這里的老房子和從前一樣，他細(xì)細(xì)地打量著一座小房子。燈亮著，一定有人在家。

He crossed the street to the house. It was a special house for him (Number 11 it was—and is) because twenty-four years ago it was his home.

他過了馬路，走到房子跟前。這座房子對他來講很特別（過去是11號——現(xiàn)在也是），因?yàn)?4年前這里是他的家。

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*　　　*　　　*

Twenty-four years ago, Toby Hall married Miss Priscilla Bratt, a quiet woman of twenty-three. The house belonged to her. The two young people were perhaps not really in love, but they liked one another. Their only problem was the house. Priscilla often said that the house belonged to her. Toby knew that. Everybody in Turnhill knew that. She didn't have to say it so often. Toby asked her not to, but she didn't stop. He was happy to live in his wife's house, but he didn't want to hear about it every day. And after a year it was too much. One day he put some things in a bag, put on his hat, and went to the door.

24年前，托比·霍爾和23歲的普麗西拉·布拉特小姐，一個(gè)文靜的姑娘結(jié)了婚。房子是她的。兩個(gè)年輕人也許并非傾心相愛，不過他們喜歡著對方。他們之間唯一的問題就是房子。普麗西拉經(jīng)常嘮叨房子是她的，托比明白這一點(diǎn)，特恩希爾的人也都知道，她沒必要天天把這事掛在嘴邊。托比讓她不要再說了，但她不聽。他很高興住在妻子的房子里，但他不想天天聽妻子嘮叨這事。這樣的日子在一年之后變得難以忍受了。一天，他收拾好行囊，戴上帽子，走到門口。

Where are you going?' asked Priscilla.

“你去哪兒？”普麗西拉問道。

He stopped for a minute, then answered, 'America.'

他頓了一下，然后回答說：“美國。”

And he went. It was not difficult for Priscilla. She did not think that Toby was a very good husband. She could live without him; she had her house and some money.

他就這樣走了。這對普麗西拉來說沒什么大不了的，她覺得托比不是個(gè)特別好的丈夫，沒有托比，她照樣能生活：她有自己的房子，還有些錢。

Toby went to the bank and got all his money, and sailed off to New York on the Adriatic. From New York he went to Trenton, New Jersey, which was the Five Towns of America. Toby was a good potter, and he found work easily. After a year, he asked a friend to write to Priscilla, and tell her that he was dead. He wanted to be a free man, and it was only fair for her to be a free woman.

托比到銀行取出他所有的錢，搭“亞得里亞蒂克”號船去了紐約。從紐約他又去了新澤西州的塔倫頓，那兒是美國的五鎮(zhèn)。托比是個(gè)好陶匠，找起工作來很容易。一年之后，他請一個(gè)朋友寫信告訴普麗西拉他死了。托比想要成為自由人，所以只有讓普麗西拉也得到自由才算公平。

After a few years he returned to England. He changed his name from Hall, and started work as a potter in Derby. He did well — the money was good, and he didn't have much to spend it on. He lived quietly, working all week and going fishing at the weekends.

幾年之后，托比回到了英格蘭。他把霍爾這個(gè)名字也改了，開始在德比當(dāng)陶匠。他做得很出色——薪水也不錯，而且他沒有太多需要花錢的地方。他的生活很安寧，每天工作，周末就去釣魚。

And now, because of a visit to Crewe, a train, and a drink, he was in Child Row, and crossing the street to Number 11. He knocked on the door.

現(xiàn)在，因?yàn)槿タ唆敚惶肆熊?，還有喝了一杯的緣故，他來到了兒童路，穿過街道站在11號的門前。他敲了敲門。

*　　　*　　　*

*　　　*　　　*

Many doors in the Five Towns open slowly and carefully — and so did this one. It opened a few centimetres, and a woman looked out at Toby.

在五鎮(zhèn)，許多人家開門時(shí)都慢吞吞的，而且很小心——這家也不例外。門打開了一道縫，一個(gè)女人從里面瞧著托比。

Is this Mrs Hall's?' he asked.

“是霍爾太太的家嗎？”他問道。

No. It's not Mrs Hall's. It's Mrs Tansley's.'

“不，這不是霍爾太太的家，是坦斯利太太的家。”

I thought...'

“我以為……”

The door opened a little more.

門又打開了些。

Is that you, Toby?'

“是你嗎，托比？”

It is,' answered Toby, smiling a little.

“是啊。”托比答道，笑了一下。

Well, well!' said the woman. 'Well, well!' The door opened a little more. 'Are you coming in, Toby?'

“哎呀，哎呀！”婦人嘆道，“哎呀，哎呀！”門又打開些，“進(jìn)來坐坐嗎，托比？”

Yes,' said Toby.

“好啊。”托比回答。

And he went in.

于是他進(jìn)了屋。

Sit down,' said his wife. 'I thought you were dead. Someone wrote to me.'

“坐吧，”他的妻子說道，“我以為你已經(jīng)死了，因?yàn)橛腥藢懶胚@么告訴我。”

Yes!' said Toby. 'But I'm not dead.'

“沒錯！”托比說，“不過我還活著。”

He sat down in a comfortable chair by the fire. He knew the chair, and he knew the fire. He put his hat on the table. Priscilla locked the door again and sat down herself. Her dress was black and, like Toby, she was getting a little fat.

托比在壁爐旁一把舒服的椅子上坐了下來。他熟悉這把椅子，也熟悉這壁爐。他把帽子放在桌上。普麗西拉鎖好門，也坐了下來。她穿著黑衣服，而且和托比一樣，有點(diǎn)兒發(fā)胖了。

Well, well,' she said. 'So you've come back.'

“哎呀，哎呀，”她說道，“這么說你已經(jīng)回來了。”

Yes.'

“是的。”

They were both silent for a minute.

他們沉默了一陣。

The weather's cold, isn't it?' he said.

“天氣真冷啊，是吧？”他說。

Yes. It's been a cold winter.'

“是啊，今年冬天真冷。”

Another silence. What were they thinking and feeling? Perhaps they weren't thinking anything very much.

又是一陣沉默。他們在想著什么，又是怎樣的感覺呢？也許他們什么也沒有多想。

And what's the news?' he asked.

“有什么新聞嗎？”他問。

News? Oh, nothing special.'

“新聞？哦，沒什么特別的。”

There was a picture above the fire. It was a picture of Priscilla when she was young. It surprised Toby.

壁爐上方掛著一張照片，是年輕時(shí)的普麗西拉。這讓托比很驚訝。

I don't remember that picture,' he said.

“我不記得那張照片。”他說。

What?'

“什么？”

That!' He looked up at the picture.

“那個(gè)！”他抬起頭看著那幅照片。

Oh! That! That's my daughter.'

“哦！那個(gè)！那是我的女兒。”

Oh!' Now Toby was surprised.

“哦！”托比吃了一驚。

I married Job Tansley,' said Priscilla. 'He died four years ago. She's married,' she said, looking up at her daughter's photograph. 'She married young Gibson last September.'

“我嫁給了喬布·坦斯利，”普麗西拉說，“他四年前過世了。我女兒已經(jīng)結(jié)婚了，”她邊說邊抬頭看著女兒的照片，“她去年9月嫁給了小吉布森。”

Well, well!'

“哎呀，哎呀！”

They were silent again.

他們又陷入沉默。

That's a good fire,' said Toby, looking at it.

“這火燒得真旺。”托比望著爐火說道。

Yes, it is.'

“是啊。”

Good coal.'

“好煤。”

Seventy pence a tonne.'

“70便士一噸。”

Again they were silent.

他們又沉默下來。

Is Ned Walklate still at the pub?' Toby asked.

“內(nèi)德·沃克拉特還在酒館嗎？”托比問。

I think so,' said Priscilla.

“我想是的。”普麗西拉說。

I think I'll go round and have a drink,' said Toby, standing up.

“我想出去走走，去喝一杯。”托比說著站起身來。

He was unlocking the door when Priscilla said:

托比開門的時(shí)候，普麗西拉說道：

You've forgotten your hat, Toby.'

“你忘記拿帽子了，托比。”

No,' he answered. 'I haven't forgotten it. I'm coming back.'

“不，”他回答，“我沒忘。我還要回來。”

They looked at one another, speaking without words.

他們看著對方，無聲地交流著。

That'll be all right,' she said. 'Well, well!'

“好吧，”她回答，“哎呀，哎呀！”

Yes!'

“好的！”

And he walked round to the pub.

于是托比向酒館走去。