書蟲二級《阿利格拉之謎》：訂婚消息

News of the Engagement
訂婚消息

My mother never came to meet me at Bursley station when I arrived in the Five Towns from London. She always had other things to do; she was getting ready for me. So I always walked alone up Trafalgar Road, between the factories and past the football field. And so tonight, I had time to think. I had some very important news for my mother, and I didn't know how to tell her.

每次我從倫敦回五鎮(zhèn)，母親都不會來伯斯利車站接我。她總有別的事要做：她是在為我回家做準備。因此我總是沿著特拉法爾加大街，經(jīng)過工廠和足球場，一個人走回家。所以，今晚我有時間好好想想。我要告訴母親一條重大消息，卻不知該如何開口。

I wrote to my mother every week, to tell her what I was doing. She knew the names of all my friends. I often wrote about Agnes and her family. But it's difficult to write in a letter: 'I think Agnes likes me,' 'I'm in love with her,' 'I'm sure she likes me,' 'I think she loves me,' 'I'm going to ask her to marry me.' You can't do that. Well, I couldn't do it. And on the 20th December I asked Agnes to marry me, and Agnes said yes. But my mother didn't know anything about it. And now, on the 22nd December, I was coming to spend Christmas with my mother.

我每周都給母親寫信，告訴她我在忙些什么。她知道我所有朋友的名字。我經(jīng)常提到阿格尼絲和她的家人。但在信中寫不出這樣的話：“我覺得阿格尼絲喜歡我”，“我愛上她了”，“我肯定她喜歡我”，“我覺得她愛我”，“我要向她求婚”。你沒法這么寫。反正，我是寫不出來。12月20日我向阿格尼絲求婚，她答應了。但我母親對此還一無所知。而今天，12月22日，我回來和母親共度圣誕。

My mother was a widow. I was her only son — and now I was engaged and she didn't know. I was afraid she was going to be a little unhappy, and I was ready for a difficult evening.

我的母親是個寡婦。我是她的獨子——而現(xiàn)在我已經(jīng)訂婚可她還不知道。我擔心她會不大高興，我準備好要過個難捱的晚上。

I walked up to the front door, but before I put my hand up to ring, the door opened and there was my mother. She put her arms around me.

我走到家門口，還沒按鈴，門就開了，母親站在那兒。她擁抱了我。

Well, Philip! How are you?'

“哦，菲利普！你好嗎？”

And I said, 'Oh! I'm all right, mother. How are you?'

我說：“哦！我很好，母親。你怎么樣？”

She smiled at me. She looked excited and younger than her forty-five years. There was something strange in her smile. I thought: 'She knows I'm going to get married. How does she know?'

她沖我笑了。她有些激動，看起來不像已經(jīng)45歲的人。她笑得有點兒奇怪。我想：“她知道我要結婚了。她怎么知道的？”

But I said nothing. You have to be careful with mothers.

但我什么也沒說。和母親們打交道要小心才是。

I'll tell her at supper,' I decided.

“吃晚飯的時候我再告訴她。”我打定主意。

I went upstairs to my bedroom. When I came down, my mother was busy in the kitchen. I went into the dining room, and here I had a surprise. There were three chairs around the table, and three plates and three glasses.

我上樓進了自己的臥室，下來的時候，母親正在廚房忙碌。我走進餐廳，不由得吃了一驚。桌旁擺了三把椅子，桌上是三副杯盤。

So Agnes was coming! I didn't know how my mother knew, but she did know. She and my wonderful Agnes were planning a surprise for me. Agnes was coming to Bursley for Christmas!

這么說阿格尼絲真的要來！我不知道母親是如何得知的，但她肯定已經(jīng)知道了。母親和我可愛的阿格尼絲想給我驚喜。阿格尼絲要來伯斯利過圣誕！

There was a ring at the door. 'It's Agnes!' I thought, and running to the door, I opened it.

門鈴響了。“是阿格尼絲！”我這樣想著，跑到門口打開了門。

It was Mr Nixon.

來客是尼克松先生。

Mr Nixon was an old friend of the family. He was a large, strong man of about forty-nine or fifty. He was very helpful to my mother after my father's death.

尼克松先生是我家的老朋友。他魁梧健壯，大概49歲或50歲的樣子。父親死后他對母親很是照顧。

Good evening, young man,' he said. 'It's good to see you back in Bursley.'

“晚上好，年輕人，”他說“很高興看見你回到伯斯利。”

Mr Nixon has come for supper, Philip,' said my mother.

“尼克松先生來吃晚飯，菲利普。”母親說。

Mr Nixon often came to supper during my visits to Bursley, but never on the first night. I liked him, but I wasn't very happy to see him tonight because I wanted to talk to my mother. I couldn't talk to her about Agnes with Mr Nixon sitting at the table.

我以前回伯斯利的時候，尼克松先生也經(jīng)常來吃晚飯，但從沒在我回來的第一個晚上來過。我挺喜歡他，但今晚見到他不是很開心，因為我本打算和母親談談，而如果尼克松先生也在的話，我就不能和母親談阿格尼絲的事了。

We started our supper. We talked about this and that, but nobody ate very much. I was thinking about what to say to my mother when Mr Nixon went home. At the end of the meal I told my mother that I must go to the post office. I had an important letter to post.

我們開始吃晚飯。我們東聊西扯，但大家都吃得不多。我一直在想尼克松先生回家以后，我該如何對母親說。吃完飯后，我告訴母親我必須去趟郵局，我有一封重要的信要寄。

Can't it wait until tomorrow, my pet?' my mother asked.

“寶貝兒，不能等明天再寄嗎？”母親問道。

It can't,' I said.

“不行。”我回答。

My letter, of course, was to Agnes. A letter to Agnes could not wait until tomorrow! I walked over to the dining room door.

我的信當然是寄給阿格尼絲的。給阿格尼絲的信可不能等到明天！我向餐廳門口走去。

A letter to a lady?' asked Mr Nixon, laughing.

“給一位小姐的信？”尼克松先生笑著問我。

Yes,' I replied.

“是的。”我回答。

I walked to the post office and posted my letter. When I got back home, I was sorry to see that Mr Nixon was still there. He was alone in the sitting-room, smoking.

我到郵局寄了信?；氐郊遥也话驳匕l(fā)現(xiàn)尼克松先生還沒走，他自己待在客廳里抽煙。

Where's mother?' I asked.

“母親在哪兒？”我問。

She's just gone out of the room,' he said. 'Come and sit down. Have a cigarette. I'd like to talk to you, Philip.'

“她剛出去。”他說，“過來坐下吧，抽支煙。我想和你談談，菲利普。”

I took a cigarette and sat down. I hoped the talk was not going to be a long one.

我接過煙，坐了下來。我希望不會談太久。

Well, my boy,' he said. 'Would you like me as a stepfather?'

“哦，孩子，”他說，“你愿意讓我做你的繼父嗎？”

For a second I could not move or speak.

有那么一會兒，我愣住了。

What?' I said. 'You mean... you and my mother...?'

“什么？”我說，“你的意思是……你和我母親……？”

Yes, my boy, I do. I asked her yesterday, and she said yes. I've wanted to ask her for a long time — I think she knew that. Did she tell you in her letters? No? It's difficult to write in a letter, of course. She couldn't really write, "My dear Philip, an old friend, Mr Nixon, is falling in love with me and I think I'm falling in love with him. I think he'll ask me to marry him soon." I don't think your mother could write that, could she?'

“是的，孩子，是這個意思。昨天我向她求婚，她答應了。我很早就想向她求婚了——我想她也明白。她在信里跟你提過嗎？沒有？在信里寫這個當然挺難的。她寫不出這樣的話：'我親愛的菲利普，一個老朋友，尼克松先生愛上了我，而我也愛上了他。我想他很快會向我求婚。'我覺得你母親寫不出這種話，對嗎？”

I laughed.

我笑了。

Shake hands,' I said. 'This is wonderful news.'

“握個手吧，”我說，“這是個特大的好消息。”

After a moment my mother came in, a little red in the face.

過了一會兒，母親進來了，臉頰微微發(fā)紅。

The boy's very happy, Sarah,' said Mr Nixon.

“孩子很開心，薩拉。”尼克松先生說。

I said nothing about my own plans that evening. It was something new to me that my mother could fall in love, and that a man could fall in love with her. It was something new to me that she was lonely in our old house and that perhaps she wanted a new life. Perhaps, like all sons, I thought only about myself and my life. So I decided to say nothing about my news, and that evening my mother came first for me. I could tell her about Agnes tomorrow. We live and learn.

那天晚上我沒提自己的事。我以前從未想過母親也會戀愛，沒想過會有一個男人愛上她。她在老屋里很孤獨，或許想開始新生活，這也是我沒想到過的。大概和所有當兒子的一樣，我只想著自己和自己的生活，所以我決定不說自己的事，在那個晚上母親是最重要的。我可以明天再告訴她阿格尼絲的事。我們活一天就多明白一些事情。