書蟲三級《三個(gè)陌生人》：9、一時(shí)沖動之 偶遇

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2.A chance meeting
2．偶遇

When the end of July arrived, Baptista was in no hurry to return home to the island. She was not planning to buy any special clothes for the wedding, and her parents were making all the other arrangements. So she did not leave Tor-upon-Sea until the Saturday before her wedding. She travelled by train to the town of Pen-zephyr, but when she arrived, she found that the boat to St Maria's had left early, and there was no other boat until Tuesday. 'I'll have to stay here until then,' she thought. 'It's too far to go back to Mrs Wace's.' She did not seem to mind this — in fact, she was almost happy to wait another three nights before seeing her future husband.

7月底到來的時(shí)候，巴普蒂絲塔并不著急回島上的家里去。她不打算特地為婚禮買什么衣服，而其他一切則由她的父母來安排。所以，她直到婚禮前的那個(gè)星期六才離開托阿龐西。她乘火車前往彭澤弗小鎮(zhèn)，到達(dá)之后卻發(fā)現(xiàn)到圣瑪麗亞島的船已經(jīng)提前開走了，而且直到下星期二才會有別的船?！拔抑荒茉谶@兒等下一班船了，”她想，“回韋斯太太那里太遠(yuǎn)了?！彼礃幼硬⒉唤橐狻聦?shí)上，她甚至很高興要再多等三個(gè)晚上才見到自己未來的丈夫。

She found a room in a small hotel, took her luggage there, then went out for a walk round the town.

她在一家小旅館找了個(gè)房間，把行李放好，然后到小鎮(zhèn)上去逛逛。

Baptista? Yes, Baptista it is!'

“巴普蒂絲塔？沒錯(cuò)，是巴普蒂絲塔！”

The words came from behind her. Turning round, she gave a jump, and stared. 'Oh, is it really you, Charles?' she said.

這話從她背后傳來。她嚇了一跳，轉(zhuǎn)過身盯著對方。“哦，真的是你嗎，查爾斯？”她說。

With a half-smile the newcomer looked her up and down. He appeared almost angry with her, but he said nothing.

來者似笑非笑地上下打量了她一番。他好像對她有些氣惱，但卻一言不發(fā)。

I'm going home,' she continued, 'but I've missed the boat.'

“我正準(zhǔn)備回家，”她接著說，“但卻沒趕上船?！?

He did not seem interested in this news. 'Still teaching?' he said. 'What a fine teacher you make, Baptista, I'm sure!'

他似乎對此不感興趣。“還在教書嗎？”他說道，“你一定是個(gè)好老師吧，巴普蒂絲塔，我敢肯定！”

She knew that was not his real meaning. 'I know I'm not very good at teaching, 'she replied.' That's why I've stopped.'

她知道這并非他的本意?！拔抑牢也⒉簧瞄L教書，”她答道，“所以我辭職了?！?

Oh, you've stopped? You surprise me.'

“哦，你辭職了？這太讓人吃驚了?！?

I hate teaching.'

“我討厭教書?！?

Perhaps that's because I'm a teacher.'

“也許那是因?yàn)槲沂莻€(gè)老師?！?

Oh no, it isn't. It's because I'm starting a new life. Next week I'm going to marry Mr David Heddegan.'

“哦，不，當(dāng)然不是。因?yàn)槲乙_始新的生活。下周我就要嫁給戴維·赫德根先生了?！?

At this unexpected reply, the young man took a step back. 'Who is Mr David Heddegan?' he said, trying to sound bored.

聽到這個(gè)出乎意料的回答，小伙子往后退了一步?！按骶S·赫德根先生是誰？”他說著，試圖讓語氣顯得有些厭煩。

He owns a number of shops on St Maria's, and he's my father's neighbour and oldest friend.'

“他在圣瑪麗亞島擁有很多商店，而且是我父親的鄰居和老朋友?！?

So, no longer a schoolteacher, just a shopkeeper's wife. I knew you would never succeed as a teacher. You're like a woman who thinks she can be a great actress just because she has a beautiful face, and forgets she has to be able to act. But you found out your mistake early, didn't you?'

“也就是說，你不再是學(xué)校的老師，而只是一個(gè)店主的妻子了。我就知道你永遠(yuǎn)不會勝任教師這項(xiàng)工作的。你就像一個(gè)自以為有了漂亮臉蛋就能成為優(yōu)秀演員的女人，卻忘了自己還必須懂得如何表演。不過，你及時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)了自己的錯(cuò)誤，不是嗎？”

Don't be unpleasant to me, Charles,' Baptista said sadly.

“別掃我的興，查爾斯。”巴普蒂絲塔憂傷地說。

I'm not being unpleasant — I'm just saying what is true, in a friendly way — although I do have good reason to be unpleasant to you. What a hurry you've been in, Baptista! I do hate a woman in a hurry!'

“我不是掃你的興——我只是在用一種友好的方式說出真話——盡管我有足夠的理由來掃你的興。你太草率了，巴普蒂絲塔！我討厭草率的女人！”

What do you mean?'

“你指的是什么？”

Well — in a hurry to be somebody's wife. Any husband is better than no husband for you, it seems. You couldn't wait for me, oh no! Well, thank God, that's all in the past for me!'

“嗯——草率地成為某人的妻子?？辞樾?，你似乎覺得有丈夫總比沒丈夫強(qiáng)。你等不了我了，哦，不！嗯，感謝上帝，對我而言，一切都過去了！”

Wait for you? What does that mean, Charley? You never showed that you felt anything special for me.'

“等你？這是什么意思，查理？你從沒表現(xiàn)出對我有什么特別的感覺呀。”

Oh really, Baptista dear!'

“哦，是真的嗎，親愛的巴普蒂絲塔！”

What I mean is, there was nothing that I could be sure of. I suppose you liked me a little, but I didn't think you meant to make an honest engagement of it.'

“我是說，我不敢確定。我猜你是有一點(diǎn)喜歡我，可我并不認(rèn)為你真的會正兒八經(jīng)地跟我訂婚?！?

That's just it! You girls expect a man to talk about marrying after the first look! But I did mean to get engaged to you, you know.'

“這話算是說到點(diǎn)子上了！你們女孩子總希望男人看你們一眼就談婚論嫁！可我的確曾經(jīng)打算跟你訂婚，知道嗎？”

But you never said so, and a woman can't wait for ever!'

“但你從沒說過這話，一個(gè)女人總不能永遠(yuǎn)等下去吧！”

Baptista, I promise you that I was planning to ask you to marry me in six months' time.'

“巴普蒂絲塔，我發(fā)誓我曾經(jīng)打算在6個(gè)月之內(nèi)向你求婚?！?

She appeared very uncomfortable, and they walked along in silence. Soon he said, 'Did you want to marry me then?'

她顯得很不自在，兩人默默地往前走。沒過多久，他問：“那時(shí)你想嫁給我嗎？”

And she whispered sadly back, 'Yes!'

她憂傷地低聲回答道：“想！”

As they walked on, away from the town and into the fields, her shoulder and his were close together. He held her arm with a strong hand. This seemed to say, 'Now I hold you, and you must do what I want.'

他們走著走著，走出了小鎮(zhèn)，來到田野里，兩人的肩并在一起。他用一只有力的手抓住了她的胳膊，就像是在說：“現(xiàn)在我抓住你了，我想讓你做什么你就得做什么?！?

How strange that we should meet like this!' said the young man. 'You and I could be husband and wife, going on our honeymoon together. But instead of that, we'll say goodbye in half an hour, perhaps for ever. Yes, life is strange!'

“我們這樣見面真是太奇怪了！”小伙子說，“你我原本可以結(jié)為夫妻、一起度蜜月的，可這一切卻沒有發(fā)生。我們半小時(shí)后就要說再見了，也許永遠(yuǎn)無法再見。是啊，人生是多么奇怪??！”

She stopped walking. 'I must go back. This is too painful, Charley! You're not being kind today.'

她停下了腳步?！拔业没厝チ?。這太痛苦了，查理！你今天太不友善了?！?

I don't want to hurt you — you know I don't,' he answered more gently. 'But it makes me angry — what you're going to do. I don't think you should marry him.'

“我不想傷害你——你知道我不想，”他溫柔地回答道，“但你將要做的事使我很生氣。我覺得你不應(yīng)該嫁給他?！?

I must do it, now that I've agreed.'

“既然我已經(jīng)同意了，就必須那么做。”

Why?' he asked, speaking more seriously now. 'It's never too late to stop a wedding if you're not happy with it. Now — you could marry me, instead of him, although you were in too much of a hurry to wait for me!'

“為什么？”他問道，語氣更加嚴(yán)肅了，“取消一場你不情愿的婚禮永遠(yuǎn)都不算晚。喏——你可以跟我結(jié)婚，而不是跟他，盡管你等了我沒多久！”

Oh, it isn't possible to think of that!' she cried, shaking her head. 'At home everything will be ready for the wedding!'

“哦，想想就知道那是不可能的！”她搖著頭喊道，“家里肯定已經(jīng)把婚禮的一切都準(zhǔn)備停當(dāng)了！”

If we marry, it must be at once. This evening you can come back with me to Trufal, the town where I live. We can get married there on Tuesday, and then no Mr David Heddegan, or anyone else, can take you away from me!'

“如果我們要結(jié)婚，那就必須馬上結(jié)。今天晚上你可以跟我回到我居住的小鎮(zhèn)特魯福去。我們星期二就可以在那里結(jié)婚，那么無論是戴維·赫德根還是其他什么人，都不能把你從我身邊帶走了！”

But I must go home on the Tuesday boat,' she said worriedly. 'What will they think if I don't arrive?'

“可我必須坐星期二的船回家，”她焦慮地說，“如果我沒回家，他們會怎么想呢？”

You can go home on that boat just the same. The only difference is that I'll go with you. You'll tell your parents that you've married a young man with a good job, someone that you met at the training college. When I meet them, they'll accept that we're married and it can't be changed. And you won't be miserable for ever as the wife of an awful old man. Now honestly, you do like me best, don't you, Baptista?'

“你一樣可以坐那趟船回家。唯一不同的是我會跟你一起回去。你可以告訴你父母，你嫁給了一位有體面工作的年輕人，是在培訓(xùn)學(xué)院認(rèn)識的。等見面以后，他們就會接受我們結(jié)婚這個(gè)事實(shí)，這是無法改變的。你就永遠(yuǎn)不會因?yàn)榧藿o一個(gè)可怕的老頭而痛苦了。好了，老實(shí)說，你最喜歡的的確是我，是不是，巴普蒂絲塔？”

Yes,' she whispered.

“是的?！彼p聲說道。

Then we will do what I say.'

“那咱們就照我說的辦?！?