雙語對照 | 書蟲二級《長池村的故事》：2.托尼·凱茨討老婆

Tony Kytes Finds a Wife

托尼·凱茨討老婆

I shall never forget Tony's face. It was a little, round face, with bright black eyes. He never smiled very much, but he was a great favourite with the women. And he liked them, oh yes! One week you saw him walking along with one girl, the next week you saw him with another girl.

我永遠也忘不了托尼那張小圓臉，還有那雙亮亮的黑眼睛。他不太愛笑，但很討女人的喜歡。而且他也喜歡她們，哦，是的!這個星期你還見他跟這個姑娘走在一起，下個星期你又會看到他跟另一個姑娘好上了。

But in the end he decided that Milly Richards was the girl for him. She was a nice, sweet little thing, and people soon said they were engaged to be married.

不過，最后他認為米利·理查茲最合適。她是個漂亮可人的小東西，人們很快就傳言說他們已經(jīng)訂婚了。

One Saturday Tony went to market, to do some business for his father, and he drove the wagon home in the afternoon. When he got to the hill just outside the town, he saw Unity Sallet by the side of the road. He knew Unity very well. Once, he nearly asked her to marry him — but then he got together with Milly.

一個星期六，托尼到集市去替他老爹辦事，下午趕著馬車往回走。剛到鎮(zhèn)外的小山下，他就看到尤妮蒂·薩勒特在路邊。他跟尤妮蒂很熟。以前他差點兒就向她求婚了——不過他后來又跟米利湊到了一起。

When Tony came up to her in the wagon, Unity said, 'My dear Tony, can I ride home with you?'

看托尼趕著馬車過來，尤妮蒂說：“親愛的托尼，我能搭你的馬車回家嗎?”

'Of course you can, my love,' said Tony. 'I couldn't say no to you, could I?'

“當然可以，親愛的，”托尼說，“我可沒法兒拒絕你，不是嗎?”

So Unity smiled, jumped up into the wagon and Tony drove on up the hill.

于是，尤妮蒂笑著跳上了馬車，托尼趕車上了小山。

'Tony,' she said, in a soft little voice, 'why did you leave me for that other girl? How is she better than I am? I'll be a fine wife, and a loving one, too. And you've known me for a long time, haven't you, Tony?'

“托尼，”她輕聲細氣地說，“你為什么要離開我去找別的姑娘?她哪里比我好了?我會成為一個很好的妻子，還會非常愛你。而且你我已經(jīng)認識很久了，不是嗎，托尼?”

'Yes, I have,' said Tony. 'Yes, that's very true.'

“是啊，”托尼說，“是啊，你說得一點兒不錯。”

'And — can you say I'm not pretty, Tony?'

“而且——你能說我不漂亮嗎，托尼?”

He looked at her for a long while. 'I really can't,' said he. 'No, I think you're the prettiest girl in the world.'

他望著她好一會兒。“我實在不能那么說，”他說，“不，我覺得你是世上最漂亮的姑娘。”

'So I'm prettier than she is, am I?'

“就是說我比她漂亮，對吧?”

Luckily, before Tony could answer, he saw a girl's hat over the hedge round a turning in the road. He knew the hat very well — it was Milly's hat.

幸運的是，托尼沒等回答，就看見路拐彎處的樹籬后面露出一個姑娘的帽子。他看著那帽子很眼熟——那是米利的帽子。

'Unity,' said Tony quickly, 'here's Milly coming now. I'll be in terrible trouble if she sees you with me. Now, dearest Unity, we don't want any fighting or anything, do we? So will you lie down in the back of the wagon, under the tarpaulin? Just until Milly has passed? And I'll think about what you said, and perhaps I'll put a loving question to you, and not Milly. Nothing is decided yet between her and me, you know.'

“尤妮蒂，”托尼急忙說，“米利往這邊來了。如果她看見你跟我在一起，那我的麻煩就大了。最親愛的尤妮蒂，我們不想大吵一架或是發(fā)生別的什么事情，對吧?所以，你躲到車后面的防水油布底下，好不好?只要等到米利走過去就行了。我會考慮你說的事情，或許還會向你求婚，而不是米利。你知道，我和她的事兒還沒定呢。”

So Unity lay down under the tarpaulin in the back of the wagon, and Tony drove on to meet Milly.

于是，尤妮蒂躲到了馬車后面的油布底下，而托尼則趕著車迎向米利。

'My dear Tony!' Milly said crossly, when he came near. 'How late you are!'

“親愛的托尼!”等他走近，米利生氣地說，“你怎么這么晚才來!”

'Late?' said Tony. 'Were you waiting for me?'

“晚?”托尼說，“你在等我嗎?”

'Of course I was!' said Milly. 'You asked me to meet you, to ride home with you. Don't you remember?'

“我當然在等你!”米利說，“你讓我來跟你會合，一起坐車回家的。你不記得了?”

'Oh dear!' said Tony. 'Yes, yes, I did. I remember now. Oh dear — I mean, jump in then, Milly dear!'

“哦，天吶!”托尼說，“是的，是的，我是說過。我現(xiàn)在想起來了。哦，天吶——我是說，上車吧，親愛的米利!”

So Milly climbed into the wagon and Tony drove on. They talked about this and that, and looked at the trees and the birds. Then they came to a house by the road, and looking out of an upstairs window was Hannah Jolliver. Now Hannah was a tall, good-looking girl, with long red hair. And Tony was in love with her for a long time — before Milly, and before Unity.

于是米利上了馬車，托尼繼續(xù)趕路。他們東拉西扯地聊天，看著一路上的樹和小鳥。這時，他們經(jīng)過路旁的一座房子，漢娜·喬利沃正從樓上的窗子里望出來。漢娜是個漂亮的高個子姑娘，有一頭紅色的長發(fā)。而且托尼過去跟她好過很長一段時間——在米利和尤妮蒂之前。

'My dear Milly,' he said, in a whisper, because he didn't want Unity to hear, 'there's a young woman looking out of that window, who wanted to marry me. I'm afraid she's going to be angry, because she's found out that I'm going to marry you. And you're a prettier girl than she is. So, Milly, will you help me?'

“親愛的米利，”他小聲說，因為他不想讓尤妮蒂聽見，“那個從窗子望出來的姑娘以前想和我結婚。我擔心她會大發(fā)脾氣，因為她知道我要跟你結婚，而且你又比她漂亮。米利，你愿意幫我個忙嗎?”

'Of course, dearest Tony,' said Milly.

“當然，我最親愛的托尼。”米利說。

'Then will you hide under the empty sacks just here in the front of the wagon, behind the seat? She hasn't seen us yet, and then there won't be any angry words.'

“那你能藏到車前面的空袋子底下嗎?就在這兒，座位后面。她現(xiàn)在還沒看到我們，你藏起來，我們就不用跟她撕破臉了。”

'Well, all right, if it helps you, Tony,' said Milly. She didn't really want to, but she got down behind the seat and hid under the sacks. So there was Milly hiding in the front of the wagon, and Unity hiding in the back.

“好吧，如果這能幫你的話，托尼。”米利說。她其實并不想這么做，但還是藏到了座位后面的袋子底下。這樣一來，馬車前面藏著米利，馬車后面躲著尤妮蒂。

Tony drove on past the house, which was Hannah's uncle's house, and Hannah looked down from the window and called out to him. 'Aren't you going to ask me to ride home with you?'

托尼趕著車經(jīng)過那座房子，那是漢娜叔叔的家。這時，漢娜從窗子望下來，向他大聲喊道：“你不打算邀請我跟你一起坐車回家嗎?”

'Oh — yes, of course!' said Tony, who didn't know what to say. 'But aren't you staying at your uncle's?'

“哦——是的，當然!”托尼不知道說什么才好，“你不打算住在你叔叔家嗎?”

'No, I'm not,' said Hannah. 'Can't you see I've got my hat and coat on? How can you be so stupid, Tony?'

“不，”漢娜說，“你沒見我已經(jīng)穿好外衣，戴好帽子了嗎?你怎么這么蠢，托尼?”

'Um, yes, um, then you must ride home with me, of course,' said Tony, who was beginning to feel hot and uncomfortable. So he stopped the wagon, while Hannah ran downstairs and got in beside him.

“嗯，是啊，嗯，那你當然得跟我一起坐車回家。”托尼說著，開始有點兒緊張和不自在了。他停下馬車，等漢娜下樓，上車坐到他旁邊。

Tony drove on again, and then Hannah looked at him out of the corner of her eye. 'This is nice, isn't it, Tony?' she said. 'I like riding with you.'

托尼又趕車上路，漢娜從眼角瞅了瞅他。“這真不錯，對吧，托尼?”她說，“我喜歡和你一起坐馬車。”

Tony looked back into her eyes. 'And I like riding with you,' he said after a while. Then he looked into her eyes again — a good, long, slow look. He began to like her more and more. And then he couldn't remember why he ever wanted to marry Milly or Unity. He moved nearer to Hannah on the seat, and they talked in soft little whispers. And after a time Tony said, 'Ah, my sweet Hannah!' and took hold of her hand.

托尼回頭望著她的眼睛。過了一會兒，他說：“我也喜歡和你一起坐馬車。”接著，他又看著她的眼睛——這是一段長久而深情的注視。他開始越來越喜歡她。到后來，他已經(jīng)不記得自己當初怎么會想跟米利或尤妮蒂結婚了。他朝漢娜身邊靠了靠，兩個人輕聲耳語起來。過了一會兒，托尼說：“啊，我可愛的漢娜!”說著握住了她的手。

'I'm sorry that you're going to marry Milly,' Hannah said, 'because I do like you very much, Tony dear.'

“你要跟米利結婚了，我很難過，”漢娜說，“因為我真的很喜歡你，親愛的托尼。”

Tony gave a quick look behind him. 'I haven't asked her the question yet,' he whispered, 'and I'm not sure I will. I'm thinking about asking you.

托尼很快地看了一眼身后。“我還沒向她求婚呢，”他小聲說，“而且我也不確定我會那么做。我現(xiàn)在想向你求婚。”

'Ooooh! Leave Milly, and marry me!' cried Hannah loudly. 'Oh, how wonderful!'

“哦!離開米利吧，和我結婚!”漢娜大聲說，“哦，這真太好了!”

At this, there was a sudden little angry scream from behind the seat, and the tarpaulin at the back moved.

這話剛一出口，座位后面就傳出了生氣的叫聲，車后面的防水油布也動了動。

Hannah looked round. 'Something's there, Tony! There's an animal in the back of the wagon!'

漢娜回頭瞧了瞧。“那兒有東西，托尼!車后面有只什么動物!”

'No, no,' said Tony. 'It's just empty sacks, and it's the wheels that make that little screaming sound.'

“不，沒有，”托尼說，“只有幾只空袋子，那聲音是輪子發(fā)出來的。”

But he knew that he was in trouble, and he didn't know what to do next. Then the wagon came round a corner in the road and Tony saw his father in a field. His father held up his hand, and Tony saw his escape.

不過他心里清楚自己的麻煩來了，卻不知道該如何是好。這時，馬車在路上拐了個彎，托尼看到他老爹正在田里。老爹朝他抬了抬手，托尼終于找到了開溜的機會。

'Oh, Hannah,' he said, 'can you hold the horse for a minute, while I go and find out what father wants?'

“哦，漢娜，”他說，“你能幫我拿一會兒韁繩嗎?我去看看老爹有什么事。”

Hannah agreed, and Tony hurried into the field.

漢娜答應了，于是托尼急忙跑進了田里。

'What are you playing at, Tony?' said old Mr Kytes.

“你在玩什么把戲，托尼?”老凱茨先生問。

'What do you mean, father?'

“您這是什么意思，爸爸?”

'Well, if you're going to marry Milly Richards, do it. But don't go driving around the country with Jolliver's daughter. People will talk. You mustn't do it, boy.'

“哦，如果你要娶米利·理查茲，那就快跟她結婚。但是別跟喬利沃的女兒坐著馬車到處晃。人們會說閑話的。你可不能這么做，孩子。”

'Milly's there, too, father.'

“米利也在那兒，爸爸。”

'Milly? Where?'

“米利?在哪兒?”

'Under the sacks! Yes, and Unity Sallet is in there too, father, at the other end, under the tarpaulin. All three of them are in that wagon, and I don't know what to do! Which one shall I marry, father?'

“在袋子下面!是的，還有尤妮蒂·薩勒特，爸爸，她在馬車另一頭的防水油布底下。她們?nèi)齻€都在馬車上，我不知道怎么辦才好!我該跟誰結婚呢，爸爸?”

'Which one of them did not ask to ride with you?'

“她們中哪一個沒有要求搭你的車?”

'That was Milly, because I asked her.'

“米利沒有，因為是我邀請她的。”

'Then marry Milly, she's the best — Hey, look!'

“那就跟米利結婚，她是最好的一個——嘿，瞧!”

Tony looked round, and saw his wagon moving. He began to run across the field as fast as he could.

托尼回頭，看見他的馬車在走。他趕快穿過田地飛快地朝馬車跑去。

What was happening in the wagon? Milly, under the sacks, was the one who screamed. She began to move about, and then saw another woman's foot. So she moved along under the tarpaulin until she found Unity.

馬車上是怎么回事?是袋子下面的米利驚叫了一聲。她開始四處挪動，看到了另一個女人的腳，于是順著防水油布發(fā)現(xiàn)了尤妮蒂。

'And what are you doing here?' she asked angrily.

“你在這兒干嗎?”她生氣地問。

'I can ask you the same question,' said Unity.

“我還要問你呢。”尤妮蒂說。

'I'm engaged to be married to him, and I can —'

“我和他訂了婚，而且我可以——”

'Oh no, you're not,' said Unity. 'He's going to have Hannah, not you. He said it just now — we heard him.'

“哦，不，你沒有，”尤妮蒂說，“他要娶的是漢娜，不是你。他剛才說的——我們都聽見了。”

When Hannah heard voices under the tarpaulin, she forgot the horse and turned round. The horse decided to go home, and moved off much too quickly. The wheels of the wagon went up on the side of the field, the wagon turned over, and all three girls fell out into the road. The horse looked round and stood still.

這時，漢娜聽到了防水油布下面有人說話，于是忘了看馬，回頭來看是怎么回事。那匹馬決定自己回家，突然快跑起來。馬車的輪子駛上了田地的斜坡，車子翻了，三個姑娘都跌到了路上。那匹馬四下看了看，站住不動了。

Nobody was hurt, but when Tony ran up, the three girls were all shouting and crying and screaming.

雖然沒有人受傷，可是等托尼跑過來的時候，三個姑娘已經(jīng)又哭又叫地鬧成了一團。

'Oh, don't be angry, my dears! Please don't!' said Tony. They did not stop crying and screaming, so he spoke more loudly. 'I must do what's right,' he said. 'I've asked Hannah to marry me, and she's agreed —'

“哦，別發(fā)火，親愛的姑娘們!請別這樣!”托尼說。她們還是不停地又哭又叫，所以他只好提高了聲音。“我得說話算話，”他說，“我向漢娜求婚，而她也答應了——”

'Oh no, I haven't!' said Hannah, really angry now. 'You must think I'm soft in the head! I'm not marrying a man who keeps girls in the back of his wagon!'

“哦，不，我沒答應!”漢娜說，她現(xiàn)在真的氣壞了，“你以為我是傻瓜!我才不會跟在馬車后面藏姑娘的男人結婚呢!”

Tony looked surprised. 'So you won't marry me, Hannah?' he said.

托尼看起來很驚訝。“那你不想跟我結婚了，漢娜?”他說。

'Never!' said Hannah, and she walked away. Perhaps she did still want him, but she didn't want to say so in front of the other girls.

“決不!”漢娜說完，頭也不回地走了。可能她確實還想跟他結婚，但她不想在另外兩個姑娘面前向他低頭。

Tony didn't know what to say next. Milly was crying her eyes out, and Tony's father thought that she was the best wife for him. But you never do what your father tells you to, do you? So Tony turned to Unity.

托尼不知道接下去該說什么。米利一個勁兒地哭，而托尼的老爹認為她是最適合他的一個。但你怎么會乖乖聽老爹的話呢?所以，托尼轉向了尤妮蒂。

'Well, will you marry me, Unity dear?' he said.

“好吧，你愿意和我結婚嗎，親愛的尤妮蒂?”他問。

'Marry something that Hannah Jolliver doesn't want? Not I!' said Unity. And she walked away too.

“和一個漢娜·喬利沃不想要的人結婚?我才不呢!”尤妮蒂說完，也走了。

So then it was just Milly and Tony. Milly was still crying, and Tony stood there and looked at her.

現(xiàn)在就剩下了米利和托尼。米利還在哭，托尼站在那里看著她。

'Well, here we are,' he said at last. 'Just the two of us. We'll get married then, shall we, Milly?'

“好了，事情就是這樣了，”他最后說，“現(xiàn)在就剩了我們兩個。我們結婚吧，好不好，米利?”

'If you like, Tony. You didn't really mean what you said to them?'

“如果你愿意，托尼。你跟她們說那些話不是認真的吧?”

'Not a word of it!' said Tony. And then he kissed her, put the wagon back on the road, and they drove home. They went to see the parson the very next Sunday, and were married two Sundays later.

“當然不是!”托尼說。他吻了吻她，又把馬車弄回到大路上，一起坐車回家了。他們下個星期日去見了牧師，兩個星期后就結婚了。

*　*　*

*　*　*

At the end of his story the carrier turns to the postmistress. 'They had a fine wedding, Mrs Weedle, didn't they? You were there, weren't you?'

故事講完了，車夫扭頭跟郵局女局長說：“他們的婚禮很不錯，是不是，維德爾太太?你也去參加了吧?”

'Oh yes,' says the postmistress. 'Best wedding party for years. And I've been to a lot of them. We've had some strange weddings too. Do you remember Andrew Satchel and Jane Vallens a few years ago?'

“哦，是的，”郵局女局長說，“好多年沒有過那么棒的婚禮了。我以前可參加過不少婚禮。我們這兒也有幾次奇怪的婚禮。你還記得幾年前安德魯·撒切爾和簡·瓦倫斯的婚禮嗎?”

'But they got married in a different village,' says the church clerk quickly. 'Not in Longpuddle church.'

“可他們是在別的村子舉行的婚禮，”教堂執(zhí)事急忙說，“不是在長池村的教堂。”

The carrier laughs. 'It's all right, Mr Flaxton. We know it wasn't you. Go on, Mrs Weedle, tell our visitor about Andrew and Jane.'

車夫笑起來。“沒關系的，弗拉克斯頓先生。我們知道那不關你的事。繼續(xù)，維德爾太太，給我們的客人說說安德魯和簡的事兒吧。”

'Yes, I remember the Satchel family,' I says John Lackland's son. 'I'd like to hear that story.'

“是啊，我記得撒切爾一家，”約翰·拉克蘭的兒子說，“我想聽聽這個故事。”

And this is the postmistress's story.

于是郵局女局長開始講起來。