《呼啸山庄》重译08C

原文

杨苡译文

拙译

Mr. Hindley had gone from home one afternoon, and Heathcliff presumed to give himself a holiday on the strength of it.  He had reached the age of sixteen then, I think, and without having bad features, or being deficient in intellect, he contrived to convey an impression of inward and outward repulsiveness that his present aspect retains no traces of.  In the first place, he had by that time lost the benefit of his early education: continual hard work, begun soon and concluded late, had extinguished any curiosity he once possessed in pursuit of knowledge, and any love for books or learning.  His childhood’s sense of superiority, instilled into him by the favours of old Mr. Earnshaw, was faded away.  He struggled long to keep up an equality with Catherine in her studies, and yielded with poignant though silent regret: but he yielded completely; and there was no prevailing on him to take a step in the way of moving upward, when he found he must, necessarily, sink beneath his former level.  Then personal appearance sympathised with mental deterioration: he acquired a slouching gait and ignoble look; his naturally reserved disposition was exaggerated into an almost idiotic excess of unsociable moroseness; and he took a grim pleasure, apparently, in exciting the aversion rather than the esteem of his few acquaintances.

一天下午，辛德雷先生出去了，希刺克厉夫借此想给自己放一天假。我想，那时他十六岁了，相貌不丑，智力也不差，他却偏要想法表现出里里外外都让人讨厌的印象，自然他现在的模样并没留下任何痕迹。首先，他早年所受的教育，到那时已不再对他起作用了，连续不断的苦工，早起晚睡，已经扑灭了他在追求知识方面所一度有过的好奇心，以及对书本或学问的喜爱。他童年时由于老恩萧先生的宠爱而注入到他心里的优越感，这时已经消失了。他长久努力想要跟凯瑟琳在她的求学上保持平等的地位，却带着沉默的而又痛切的遗憾，终于舍弃了；而且他是完全舍弃了。当他发觉他必须，而且必然难免，沉落在他以前的水平以下的时候，谁也没法劝他往上走一步。随后人的外表也跟内心的堕落互相呼应了：他学了一套萎靡不振的走路样子和一种不体面的神气；他天生的沉默寡言的性情扩大成为一种几乎是痴呆的、过分不通人情的坏脾气。而他在使他的极少数的几个熟人对他反感而不是对他尊敬时，却显然是得到了一种苦中作乐的乐趣呢。

一天下午，亨得利先生离开家门外出了，黑思克里夫借机自作主张给自己放了一天假。我想他那时已经有十六岁了，相貌不差，脑筋也不笨，他却想方设法摆出一副从里到外都令人反感的样子，当然他身上现在没有保留下当时的任何痕迹。首先，他丧失了早年所受教育的好处，没完没了、起早贪黑的苦力活，已经泯灭了他追求知识曾怀有的好奇心，以及对书籍或者学问的喜爱之情。由于俄韶老爷的宠爱，给童年时的他倾注的优越感，这时已经消失殆尽了。他多年来一直奋斗拼搏要在学业上跟阚思睿看齐，却带着酸楚的遗憾默默退却了——他最终彻底放弃了。当他发现他必须，而且必然要落到他之前的学习水平之下时，也没有人来劝他往上迈一步。随后他的身体外貌和思想堕落产生了共鸣——他学会了一套步法，走起路来无精打采，表情显得低三下四；他性情天生沉默寡言，竟恶化成了近乎痴呆、过分孤僻的坏脾气。和他熟识的人极少，他把这些熟人惹毛了而不是令这些人尊重他时，他倒明显能苦中作乐。

Catherine and he were constant companions still at his seasons of respite from labour; but he had ceased to express his fondness for her in words, and recoiled with angry suspicion from her girlish caresses, as if conscious there could be no gratification in lavishing such marks of affection on him.  On the before-named occasion he came into the house to announce his intention of doing nothing, while I was assisting Miss Cathy to arrange her dress: she had not reckoned on his taking it into his head to be idle; and imagining she would have the whole place to herself, she managed, by some means, to inform Mr. Edgar of her brother’s absence, and was then preparing to receive him.

在他干活间休时，凯瑟琳还是经常跟他作伴；可是他不再用话来表示对她的喜爱了，而是愤愤地、猜疑地躲开她那女孩子气的抚爱，好像觉得人家对他滥用感情是不值得引以为乐的。在前面提到的那一天，他进屋来，宣布他什么也不打算干，这时我正帮凯蒂小姐整理她的衣服。她没有算计到他脑子里会生出闲散一下的念头；以为她可以占据这整个大厅，已经想法通知埃德加先生说她哥哥不在家，而且她准备接待他。

在他劳动歇息期间，阚思睿仍然经常跟他作伴；可是他不再说喜爱她的话了，而是心生怨气，满腹猜忌地回避她那种女孩子特有的爱抚，好像觉得别人在他身上滥施这些爱慕之情，他都不可能引以为乐。在前面提到的那天，他来到正屋内，宣布他什么事也不想干，那时我正帮阚思小姐整理衣裙。她没想到他脑子里会生出偷懒的念头；她本以为她可以把整座屋子占为己用，所以他已经想办法通知爱德嘉先生说她哥哥不在家，她正准备接待他。

‘Cathy, are you busy this afternoon?’ asked Heathcliff.  ‘Are you going anywhere?’

‘No, it is raining,’ she answered.

‘Why have you that silk frock on, then?’ he said.  ‘Nobody coming here, I hope?’

‘Not that I know of,’ stammered Miss: ‘but you should be in the field now, Heathcliff.  It is an hour past dinnertime: I thought you were gone.’

‘Hindley does not often free us from his accursed presence,’ observed the boy.  ‘I’ll not work any more to-day: I’ll stay with you.’

‘Oh, but Joseph will tell,’ she suggested; ‘you’d better go!’

‘Joseph is loading lime on the further side of Penistone Crags; it will take him till dark, and he’ll never know.’

“凯蒂，今天下午你忙吗？”希刺克厉夫问，“你要到什么地方去吗？”

“不，下着雨呢。”她回答。

“那你干吗穿那件绸上衣？”他说，“我希望，没人来吧？”

“我不知道有没有人来，”小姐结结巴巴地说道，“可你现在应该在地里才对，希刺克厉夫。吃过饭已经一个钟头啦，我以为你已经走了。”

“辛德雷总是讨厌地妨碍我们，很少让我们自由自在一下，”这男孩子说，“今天我不再干活了，我要跟你呆在一起。”

“啊，可是约瑟夫会告状的，”她绕着弯儿说，“你最好还是去吧！”

“约瑟夫在盘尼斯吞岩那边装石灰哩，他要忙到天黑，他决不会知道的。”

“阚思，今天下午你有事吗？”黑思克里夫问，“你要到什么地方去吗？”

“不，天正下着雨呢。”她答道。

“那你干吗穿那件真丝外套？”他说，“我想不会有人来吧？”

“我不知道会不会有人来，”小姐结结巴巴地说道，“可你现在应该在地里才对，黑思克里夫。晌午饭吃过已经一个钟头啦，我以为你已经走了。”

“只要可恶的亨得利在场，我们常常得不到自由，”这男孩子说，“今天我不再干活了，我要跟你呆一会儿。”

“啊，可是周思福会告状，”她绕着弯儿说，“你最好还是去吧！”

“周思福正在盘尼斯通崖那边装石灰，他要忙到天黑，他决不会知道。”

So, saying, he lounged to the fire, and sat down.  Catherine reflected an instant, with knitted brows—she found it needful to smooth the way for an intrusion.  ‘Isabella and Edgar Linton talked of calling this afternoon,’ she said, at the conclusion of a minute’s silence.  ‘As it rains, I hardly expect them; but they may come, and if they do, you run the risk of being scolded for no good.’

说着，他就磨磨蹭蹭到炉火边，坐下来了。凯瑟琳皱着眉想了片刻——她觉得需要为即将来访的客人排除障碍。“伊莎贝拉和埃德加·林惇说过今天下午要来的，”沉默了一下之后，她说，“既然下雨了，我也不用等他们了。不过他们也许会来的，要是他们真来了，那你可不保险又会无辜挨骂了。”

说着他就懒洋洋地走到炉边，坐了下来。阚思睿皱起眉想了一下——她觉得需要为随时而至的客人铺平道路。“伊飒拜菈和爱德嘉•林腾说过今天下午要来造访，”沉默了片刻之后，她说，“既然下雨了，我想他们不会来了。不过他们也许会来，要是他们真来了，那你有可能会无故挨骂了。”

‘Order Ellen to say you are engaged, Cathy,’ he persisted; ‘don’t turn me out for those pitiful, silly friends of yours!  I’m on the point, sometimes, of complaining that they—but I’ll not—’

‘That they what?’ cried Catherine, gazing at him with a troubled countenance.  ‘Oh, Nelly!’ she added petulantly, jerking her head away from my hands, ‘you’ve combed my hair quite out of curl!  That’s enough; let me alone.  What are you on the point of complaining about, Heathcliff?’

‘Nothing—only look at the almanack on that wall;’ he pointed to a framed sheet hanging near the window, and continued, ‘The crosses are for the evenings you have spent with the Lintons, the dots for those spent with me.  Do you see?  I’ve marked every day.’

“叫艾伦去说你有事好了，凯蒂，”他坚持着，“别为了你那些可怜的愚蠢的朋友倒把我撵出去！有时候，我简直要抱怨他们——可是我不说吧——”

“他们什么？”凯瑟琳叫起来，怏怏不乐地瞅着他。“啊，耐莉！”她性急地嚷道，把她的头从我手里挣出来，“你把我的鬈发都要梳直啦！够啦，别管我啦。你简直想要抱怨什么，希刺克厉夫？”

“没什么——就看看墙上的日历吧。”他指着靠窗挂着的一张配上框子的纸，接着说：“那些十字的就是你跟林惇他们一起消磨的傍晚，点子是跟我在一起度过的傍晚。你看见没有？我天天都打记号的。”

“吩咐爱蕾说你有事不就结了嘛，阚思，”他坚持着，“别赶我走，而去见那些可怜愚蠢的朋友！有时候我简直要抱怨他们——我不说啦——”

“抱怨他们什么？”阚思睿叫起来，大动肝火地注视着他。“啊，耐莉！”她赌气嚷道，把她的头从我手里挣脱出来，“你把我的卷发都梳直啦！够啦，这样就行啦。你说要抱怨什么，黑思克里夫？”

“没什么——我只看看墙上日历。”他指着靠窗挂着的一张配上框子的纸，接着说：“那些十字代表你跟林腾他们一起消磨的傍晚，点子代表跟我在一起度过的傍晚。你看见没有？我天天都打记号的。”

‘Yes—very foolish: as if I took notice!’ replied Catherine, in a peevish tone.  ‘And where is the sense of that?’

‘To show that I do take notice,’ said Heathcliff.

‘And should I always be sitting with you?’ she demanded, growing more irritated.  ‘What good do I get?  What do you talk about?  You might be dumb, or a baby, for anything you say to amuse me, or for anything you do, either!’

‘You never told me before that I talked too little, or that you disliked my company, Cathy!’ exclaimed Heathcliff, in much agitation.

‘It’s no company at all, when people know nothing and say nothing,’ she muttered.

“是的，很傻气，好像我会注意似的！”凯瑟琳回答，怨声怨气的。“那又有什么意思呢？”

“表示我是注意了的。”希刺克厉夫说。

“我就应该总是陪你坐着吗？”她质问，更冒火了。“我得到什么好处啦？你说些什么呀？你到底跟我说过什么话——，或是作过什么事来引我开心，你简直是个哑巴，或是个婴儿呢！”

“你以前从来没告诉过我，嫌我说话太少，或是你不喜欢我作伴，凯蒂。”希刺克厉夫非常激动地叫起来。

“什么都不知道，什么话也不说的人根本谈不上作伴，”她咕噜着。

“我看见了，你可真傻，好像我会注意似的！”阚思睿哀声叹气答道。“那又有什么意义呢？”

 “这表示我注意了。”黑思克里夫说。

“我就应该总是陪你坐着吗？”她质问道，显得更生气了。“这对我有好处？你都说些什么呀？你到底跟我说过哪些话，或是为我作过哪些事来逗我开心，你简直就是个哑巴，是个还在吃奶的娃娃！”

“你以前从未告诉过我，说我不爱说话，或是不喜欢我和你作伴，阚思。”黑思克里夫焦躁不安地大叫起来。

“一无所知，一声不吭的人根本算不上作伴，”她嘴里嘟囔着。

Her companion rose up, but he hadn’t time to express his feelings further, for a horse’s feet were heard on the flags, and having knocked gently, young Linton entered, his face brilliant with delight at the unexpected summon she had received.  Doubtless Catherine marked the difference between her friends, as one came in and the other went out.  The contrast resembled what you see in exchanging a bleak, hilly, coal country for a beautiful fertile valley; and his voice and greeting were as opposite as his aspect.  He had a sweet, low manner of speaking, and pronounced his words as you do: that’s less gruff than we talk here, and softer.

她的同伴站起来了，可他没有时间再进一步表白他的感觉了，因为石板路上传来马蹄声，而年轻的林惇，轻轻地敲了敲门之后便进来了，他的脸上由于他得到这意外的召唤而容光焕发。无疑的，凯瑟琳在这一个进来，另一个出去的当儿，看出来她这两个朋友气质的截然不同。犹如你刚看完一个荒凉的丘陵产煤地区，又换到一个美丽的肥沃山谷；而他的声音和彬彬有礼也和他的相貌同样的与之恰恰相反。他有一种悦耳的低声的说话口气，而且吐字也跟你一样。比起我们这儿讲话来，没有那么粗声粗气的，却更为柔和些。

黑思克里夫站起身来，可他没时间进一步表白他的感情，这时石板路上传来一阵马蹄声，林腾少爷缓缓地叩门而入，由于得到这意想不到的邀约，他露出灿烂的笑容。毫无疑问，阚思睿在一个朋友前脚出去，另一个朋友后脚进来的当儿，划分出这两个人的不同之处。这种对比就好像你刚看了一块荒凉的丘陵煤田，又换到一座美丽肥沃的山谷；而他的声音和寒暄问候以及相貌，同样地与另外一个人的恰恰相反。他声音甜美低沉，说起话来就像你似的——不像我们这么粗声粗气地讲话，而听起来显得更柔和些。

‘I’m not come too soon, am I?’ he said, casting a look at me: I had begun to wipe the plate, and tidy some drawers at the far end in the dresser.

‘No,’ answered Catherine.  ‘What are you doing there, Nelly?’

‘My work, Miss,’ I replied.  (Mr. Hindley had given me directions to make a third party in any private visits Linton chose to pay.)

“我没来得太早吧？”他问，看了我一眼。我已开始揩盘子，并且清理橱里顶那头的几个抽屉。

“不早，”凯瑟琳回答，“你在那儿干吗，耐莉？”

“干我的事，小姐，”我回答。（辛德雷先生曾吩咐过我，只要在林惇私自拜访时我就得作个第三者。）

“我是不是来早了？”他看了我一眼问道。我已开始擦洗盘子，并且整理橱柜那头的几个抽屉。

“不早，”阚思睿答道，“你在那儿忙啥，耐莉？”

“我在忙我的事，小姐，”我答道。（亨得利先生曾吩咐过我，只要是林腾私自来访，我就得作为第三方在场。）