《呼啸山庄》重译08A

原文

杨苡译文

拙译

CHAPTER VIII

On the morning of a fine June day my first bonny little nursling, and the last of the ancient Earnshaw stock, was born.  We were busy with the hay in a far-away field, when the girl that usually brought our breakfasts came running an hour too soon across the meadow and up the lane, calling me as she ran.

第8章

一个晴朗的六月天的早晨，第一个要我照应的漂亮小婴孩，也就是古老的恩萧家族的最后一个，诞生了。我们正在远处的一块田里忙着耙草，经常给我们送早饭的姑娘提前一个钟头就跑来了。她穿过草地，跑上小路，一边跑一边喊我。

第8章

六月里一个晴朗的早晨，要我照管的第一个漂亮小婴儿诞生了，他是古老俄韶家族这支的最后一根独苗。我们正在远处的一块田野里忙着为牲口准备草料，往常给我们送早饭的姑娘提前一个钟头就跑来了。她穿过草地，跑上小路，一边跑一边喊我。

‘Oh, such a grand bairn!’ she panted out.  ‘The finest lad that ever breathed!  But the doctor says missis must go: he says she’s been in a consumption these many months.  I heard him tell Mr. Hindley: and now she has nothing to keep her, and she’ll be dead before winter.  You must come home directly.  You’re to nurse it, Nelly: to feed it with sugar and milk, and take care of it day and night.  I wish I were you, because it will be all yours when there is no missis!’

“啊，多棒的一个小孩！”她喘着说，“简直是从来没有的最好的男孩！可是大夫说太太一定要完啦，他说好几个月来她就有肺痨病。我听见他告诉辛德雷先生的。现在她没法保住自己啦，不到冬天就要死了。你一定得马上回家。要你去带那孩子，耐莉，喂他糖和牛奶，白天夜里照应着。但愿我是你，因为到了太太不在的时候，就全归你啦！”

“啊，多好的小孩子啊！”她喘着粗气说道，“我从未见过这么漂亮的小男孩！可是大夫说太太命要保不住了，他说她染上痨病已经有好几个月啦。我是听他告诉亨得利少爷的——现在她没什么法子可以保住自己的命啦，熬不到冬天就要死了。你得马上直接回家。耐莉，你得带那孩子，给他喂糖和牛奶，白天黑夜照管他。我要是你就好了，因为等到太太殁了，这孩子就全归你啦！”

‘But is she very ill?’ I asked, flinging down my rake and tying my bonnet.

“可是她病得很重吗？”我问，丢下耙，系上帽子。

“她可是病得很重吗？”我问道，一边丢下耙子，系好帽子。

‘I guess she is; yet she looks bravely,’ replied the girl, ‘and she talks as if she thought of living to see it grow a man.  She’s out of her head for joy, it’s such a beauty!  If I were her I’m certain I should not die: I should get better at the bare sight of it, in spite of Kenneth.  I was fairly mad at him.  Dame Archer brought the cherub down to master, in the house, and his face just began to light up, when the old croaker steps forward, and says he—“Earnshaw, it’s a blessing your wife has been spared to leave you this son.  When she came, I felt convinced we shouldn’t keep her long; and now, I must tell you, the winter will probably finish her.  Don’t take on, and fret about it too much: it can’t be helped.  And besides, you should have known better than to choose such a rush of a lass!”’

“我想是的，但看样子她还心宽。”那姑娘回答，“而且听她说话好像她还想活下去看孩子长大成人哩。她是高兴得糊涂啦，那是个多么好看的孩子！我要是她，准死不了：我光是瞅他一眼，也就会好起来的，才不管肯尼兹说什么呢。我都要对他发火啦，奥彻太太把这小天使抱到大厅给主人看，他脸上才有喜色，那个老家伙就走上前，他说：‘恩萧，你的妻给你留下这个儿子真是福气。她来时，我就深信保不住她啦。现在，我不得不告诉你，冬天她大概就要完了。别难过，别为这事太烦恼啦，没救了。而且，你本应该聪明些，不该挑这么个不值什么的姑娘！’”

“我想是的，但她看起来还算坚强。”那姑娘答道，“而且听她说话的口气，好像她还想活着看那孩子长大成人呢。她高兴得都昏了头啦，那孩子真好看！我要是她，保准死不了——我只要瞅那孩子一眼，我就会没事的，我才不会理会凯尼思大夫所说的呢。我差点要对他发火啦，阿澈太太把这小天使抱到正屋给少爷看，他脸上才开始有了喜色，那个爱说臊话的老家伙走上前，他说：‘俄韶，你媳妇给你留下这儿子真是福气。她刚到我们这里时，我就确信我们能留住她的时日不会太长。现在我必须告诉你，到这个冬天她的命大概就该到头了。别难过，别为这事太烦恼啦，我这也是回天无术。而且你应该更清楚知道，当初就不该挑这么个一文不值的姑娘当你媳妇！’”

‘And what did the master answer?’ I inquired.

‘I think he swore: but I didn’t mind him, I was straining to see the bairn,’ and she began again to describe it rapturously.  I, as zealous as herself, hurried eagerly home to admire, on my part; though I was very sad for Hindley’s sake.  He had room in his heart only for two idols—his wife and himself: he doted on both, and adored one, and I couldn’t conceive how he would bear the loss.

“主人回答什么呢！”我追问着。

“我想他咒骂来着，可我没管他，我就是要看看孩子，”她又开始狂喜地描述起来。在这方面我和她一样热心，兴高采烈地跑回家去看。虽然我为辛德雷着想，也很难过。他心里只放得下两个偶像——他的妻子和他自己。他两个都爱，只崇拜一个，我不能设想他怎么担起这损失。

“少爷怎么说？”我询问道。

“我想他当时骂了一句——可我没理他，我急着要看那孩子，”那姑娘又开始欣喜若狂、绘声绘色地讲起来。在这方面，我有着和她一样的热心肠，兴冲冲地跑回家去看望那孩子——尽管我为亨得利感到难过。他的内心只容得下两个偶像——一个是他媳妇，一个就是他自己。他对这两个偶像都百般溺爱，并且只钟爱其中一个，我无法想像他将如何忍受这一损失。

When we got to Wuthering Heights, there he stood at the front door; and, as I passed in, I asked, ‘how was the baby?’

‘Nearly ready to run about, Nell!’ he replied, putting on a cheerful smile.

‘And the mistress?’ I ventured to inquire; ‘the doctor says she’s—’

‘Damn the doctor!’ he interrupted, reddening.  ‘Frances is quite right: she’ll be perfectly well by this time next week.  Are you going up-stairs? will you tell her that I’ll come, if she’ll promise not to talk.  I left her because she would not hold her tongue; and she must—tell her Mr. Kenneth says she must be quiet.’

我们到了呼啸山庄的时候，他正站在门前。在我进去时，我问：“孩子怎么样？”

“简直都能跑来跑去啦，耐儿！”他回答，露出愉快的笑容。

“女主人呢？”我大胆地问，“大夫说她是——”

“该死的大夫！”他打断我的话，脸红了，“弗兰西斯还好好的哩，下星期这时候她就要完全好啦。你上楼吗？你可不可以告诉她，只要她答应不说话，我就来，我离开了她，因为她说个不停，她一定得安静些。——告诉她，肯尼兹大夫这样说的。”

我们到呼啸山庄时，他正站在大门口。我进屋时问道：“孩子怎么样了？”

“马上就能满地跑啦，耐莉！”他答道，脸上露出愉快的笑容。

“你媳妇呢？”我壮着胆子问道，“大夫说她——”

“该死的大夫！”他打断我的话，脸变得通红，“芙然希思好好的，下礼拜这个时候她就要完全康复啦。你要上楼吗？你可不可以告诉她，只要她答应不说话，我就回到她身边。我刚才离开她，因为她嘴不停一直在说，她必须保持安静——你去告诉她，凯尼思先生就是这样说的。”

I delivered this message to Mrs. Earnshaw; she seemed in flighty spirits, and replied merrily, ‘I hardly spoke a word, Ellen, and there he has gone out twice, crying.  Well, say I promise I won’t speak: but that does not bind me not to laugh at him!’

我把这话传达给恩萧夫人，她看来兴致勃勃，而且挺开心地回答：“艾伦，我简直没说一个字，他倒哭着出去两次啦。好吧，说我答应了我不说话，可那并不能管住我不笑他呀！”

我把刚才的话传给俄韶太太，她看起来兴致勃勃，而且欢欣鼓舞地答道：“爱蕾，我几乎连一个字都没说啊，他倒已经哭着出去两次啦。好吧，就说我答应了，我不说话，可这并不能让我憋住不笑话他啊！”

Poor soul!  Till within a week of her death that gay heart never failed her; and her husband persisted doggedly, nay, furiously, in affirming her health improved every day.  When Kenneth warned him that his medicines were useless at that stage of the malady, and he needn’t put him to further expense by attending her, he retorted, ‘I know you need not—she’s well—she does not want any more attendance from you!  She never was in a consumption.  It was a fever; and it is gone: her pulse is as slow as mine now, and her cheek as cool.’

He told his wife the same story, and she seemed to believe him; but one night, while leaning on his shoulder, in the act of saying she thought she should be able to get up to-morrow, a fit of coughing took her—a very slight one—he raised her in his arms; she put her two hands about his neck, her face changed, and she was dead.

可怜的人！直到她临死的前一个星期，那颗欢乐的心一直没有丢开她。她的丈夫固执地——不，死命地——肯定她的健康日益好转。当肯尼兹警告他说，病到这个地步，他的药是没用了，而且他不必来看她，让他再浪费钱了，他却回嘴说：

“我知道你不必再来了——她好啦——她不需要你再看她了。她从来没有生肺痨。那只是发烧，已经退了。她的脉搏现在跳得和我一样慢，脸也一样凉。”

他也跟妻子说同样的话，而她好像也信了他。可是一天夜里，她正靠在丈夫的肩上，正说着她想明天可以起来了，一阵咳嗽呛住了她的话——极轻微的一阵咳嗽——他把她抱起来。她用双手搂着恩萧的脖子，脸色一变，她就死了。

可怜的人儿！直到她临死前一个礼拜，那颗轻松自在的心从未辜负过她。她的丈夫死乞白赖——不，应该是死命地——断言她的健康状况日益好转。当凯尼思警告他说，病情发展到这个阶段，他的药已经无法奏效了，而且亨得利不必再花钱请他来给她诊治，亨得利回嘴说：“我知道你不必再来了——她好啦——她不需要你再给她诊治了。她从未得过痨病。那只是发烧，烧已经退了。她的脉搏现在跳得和我的一样平缓，脸颊也一样不发烧了。”

他也跟他媳妇说同样的话，而她好像也相信他。可是一天晚上，她正斜靠在她丈夫的肩上，正说着她想着明天就可以起床了，一阵咳嗽把她的话呛住了——极轻微的一阵咳嗽——他从自己怀中把她抱了起来。她用双手搂着俄韶的脖子，脸色一变，当时就死了。

As the girl had anticipated, the child Hareton fell wholly into my hands.  Mr. Earnshaw, provided he saw him healthy and never heard him cry, was contented, as far as regarded him.  For himself, he grew desperate: his sorrow was of that kind that will not lament.  He neither wept nor prayed; he cursed and defied: execrated God and man, and gave himself up to reckless dissipation.  The servants could not bear his tyrannical and evil conduct long: Joseph and I were the only two that would stay.  I had not the heart to leave my charge; and besides, you know, I had been his foster-sister, and excused his behaviour more readily than a stranger would.  Joseph remained to hector over tenants and labourers; and because it was his vocation to be where he had plenty of wickedness to reprove.

正如那姑娘所料，这个孩子哈里顿完全归我管了。恩萧先生对他的关心，只限于看见他健康，而且绝不要听见他哭，就满足。至于他自己，变得绝望了，他的悲哀是属于哭不出来的那种。他不哭泣，也不祷告。他诅咒又蔑视，憎恨上帝同人类，过起了恣情放荡的生活。仆人们受不了他的暴虐行为，不久都走了。约瑟夫和我是仅有的两个愿留下的人。我不忍心丢开我所照应的孩子，而且，你知道我曾经是恩萧的共乳姊妹，总比一个陌生人对他的行为还能够宽恕些。约瑟夫继续威吓着佃户与那些干活的，因为呆在一个有好多事他可以骂个没完的地方，就是他的职业。

正如那姑娘所料，这个孩子海瑞腾完全落在我的手里，由我来照管。俄韶先生对他的关心，只限于看见他健健康康，而且绝不要听见他哭，就心满意足了。至于他自己，变得极度绝望——他的悲哀不是那种泣不成声的悲哀。他既不哭泣，也不祈祷。他满口脏话而且公然叫骂——痛骂上帝，痛骂人类，自甘堕落到随心所欲、恣意挥霍的地步。仆人们无法长期忍受他这种暴虐邪恶行为——只剩下周思福和我愿意留下来。要让我丢下我照管的孩子，我于心不忍；而且你知道的，我曾是俄韶的奶干姊妹，和外人相比，我会更宽容他的所作所为。周思福继续恐吓着佃户和雇工，因为他的天职就是，呆在某个地方，就着好多事骂个不停。