書蟲四級(jí)《華盛頓廣場》：7.凱瑟琳的決定

7.Catherine decides

7．凱瑟琳的決定

The next day Doctor Sloper called Mrs Penniman into his study. 'I don't want Catherine, or you,' he said coldly, 'to see young Townsend again. And I expect you to obey me.'

第二天，斯洛珀醫(yī)生把彭尼曼夫人叫到了書房。“我不希望凱瑟琳，或者你，”他冷冷地說，“再去見年輕的湯森。我希望你聽我的話。”

Do you wish to murder your child?' Mrs Penniman asked.

“你難道想害死你的孩子嗎？”彭尼曼夫人問道。

No. I wish to make her live and be happy.'

“不，我想讓她活得快樂。”

You will kill her: she had a terrible night.'

“你會(huì)要了她的命的：她昨晚過得太糟糕了。”

She won't die of one bad night, nor of several.'

“她不會(huì)因?yàn)橐粋€(gè)或者幾個(gè)糟糕的晚上就喪命的。”

It was true that Catherine had had a terrible, sleepless night. But though her heart was breaking, she tried not to show her pain to the world. Mrs Penniman was very disappointed to see that there were no tears in her niece's eyes when she came down to breakfast.

的確，那天晚上凱瑟琳過得很糟，整夜輾轉(zhuǎn)難眠。不過，雖然她的心都碎了，她還是努力不在別人面前流露出痛苦的樣子。彭尼曼夫人很失望地發(fā)現(xiàn)，她侄女下樓吃早餐的時(shí)候眼里并沒有淚水。

That afternoon Catherine wrote to Morris, and the next day he came into the front parlour and stood before her. She thought that he looked more beautiful than ever.

那天下午，凱瑟琳給莫里斯寫了封信，第二天他就來到了前廳，站在了她面前。她覺得他看起來從來沒有這么好看過。

Why have you made me wait so long?' he asked. 'Every hour has seemed like years. Have you decided whether you will keep me or give me up?'

“為什么讓我等了這么長時(shí)間？”他問，“每一小時(shí)就像好幾年一樣。你是決定和我在一起還是放棄我？”

Oh, Morris,' she cried, 'I never thought of giving you up!'

“噢，莫里斯，”她哭道，“我從沒想過要放棄你！”

What, then, were you waiting for?'

“那么，你還在等什么？”

I thought my father might—might look at it differently. But he—he looks at it still in the same way.'

“我以為我父親可能——可能會(huì)有不同的看法。不過他——他還是沒改變態(tài)度。”

Then why have you sent for me?'

“那你為什么還把我叫來？”

Because I wanted to see you,' cried Catherine.

“因?yàn)槲蚁胍娔恪?rdquo;凱瑟琳哭道。

Morris watched her for a moment. 'Will you marry me tomorrow?' he asked, suddenly.

莫里斯看了她一會(huì)兒。“你愿意明天嫁給我嗎？”他突然問道。

Tomorrow?'

“明天？”

Next week, then—any time in the next month.'

“那就下周——下個(gè)月任何時(shí)候。”

Isn't it better to wait?' said Catherine.

“等一等不是更好嗎？”凱瑟琳說。

To wait for what?'

“等什么？”

She did not know for what, but she felt afraid. 'Until we have thought about it a little more.'

她不知道要等什么，但是她感到害怕。“直到我們考慮得更多一點(diǎn)兒的時(shí)候。”

He shook his head sadly. 'I thought you had been thinking about it these three weeks. Do you want to go on doing that for five years? My poor girl,' he added, 'you are not faithful to me.'

他難過地?fù)u了搖頭。“我想你這三個(gè)星期以來一直在考慮這件事。你還想再考慮五年嗎？我可憐的姑娘，”他又說，“你對我不忠實(shí)。”

Catherine blushed, and her eyes filled with tears. 'Oh, how can you say that?' she murmured.

凱瑟琳的臉漲紅了，眼里噙滿了淚水。“啊，你怎么可以這么說？”她低聲說道。

You must take me or leave me,' said Morris. 'You can't please your father and me. You must choose between us.'

“你必須要么接受我，要么就離開我，”莫里斯說，“你不能同時(shí)讓你父親和我都滿意。你必須在我們中間作出選擇。”

I have chosen you,' she said.

“我已經(jīng)選擇了你。”她說。

Then marry me next week!'

“那下周就和我結(jié)婚！”

She stood staring at him. 'Isn't there any other way?'

她站在那兒望著他：“沒別的辦法嗎？”

None that I know of.' He turned away, walked to the window and stood looking out. 'You are very afraid of your father,' he said at last.

“就我所知，沒有。”他轉(zhuǎn)身走到窗前，站在那里朝外望著。“你非常害怕你父親。”他最后說。

I suppose I must be,' she said simply.

“我想我一定是這樣的。”她淡淡地說。

Your fear of him seems greater than your love for me.'

“你對他的害怕超過了對我的愛。”

Oh, Morris,' she said, going to him.

“哦，莫里斯。”她說著朝他走過去。

After a while she told Morris what her father had said. 'If I marry without his consent, I shall not inherit any of his fortune. He told me to tell you that. He seemed to think—'

過了一會(huì)兒她把她父親所說的話告訴了莫里斯。“如果我不經(jīng)他同意結(jié)婚，我就不能繼承他的財(cái)產(chǎn)。他讓我把這告訴你。他好像認(rèn)為——”

Morris blushed angrily. 'What did he seem to think?'

莫里斯氣得臉通紅：“他好像認(rèn)為什么？”

That it would make a difference.'

“那樣做會(huì)讓情況有所不同。”

It will make a difference—in many things. But it will not change my love for you.'

“那樣一定會(huì)令很多事情發(fā)生變化。但它不會(huì)改變我對你的愛。”

We shall not want the money,' said Catherine. 'You know that I have my own fortune.'

“我們不用要那筆錢，”凱瑟琳說，“你知道我有自己的錢。”

Morris was silent for a while. 'Do you think that he will be cruel to you for ever? That he will never change his mind about disinheriting you?'

莫里斯沉默了一會(huì)兒。“你覺得他會(huì)一直對你那么無情嗎？他永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)改變剝奪你繼承權(quán)的想法嗎？”

If I marry you, he will think I am not good.'

“如果我和你結(jié)婚，他會(huì)認(rèn)為我不好。”

Then he will never forgive you!' cried Morris.

“那他永遠(yuǎn)也不會(huì)原諒你！”莫里斯大聲說道。

Catherine suddenly felt lonely and afraid. 'Oh, Morris,' she cried, putting her head on his shoulder, 'you must love me very much. I will marry you as soon as you want!'

凱瑟琳突然感到孤獨(dú)害怕。“哦，莫里斯，”她叫了一聲，把頭靠在他肩上，“你一定很愛我。只要你愿意我馬上就嫁給你！”

My dear good girl!' he cried, looking down at her. She had given him her promise, but he was not quite sure what he would do with it.

“我親愛的好姑娘！”他叫道，低下頭望著她。她已經(jīng)向他作出了承諾，可他卻不太清楚該怎么對待這個(gè)承諾。

For about a week, life in Washington Square continued much as before, and Doctor Sloper waited to see what would happen. He told his sister Elizabeth that he had never expected Catherine to give him so much excitement.

大約有一周的時(shí)間，華盛頓廣場的生活依然如故，斯洛珀醫(yī)生等著看接下來會(huì)發(fā)生什么。他告訴妹妹伊麗莎白，他從未料到凱瑟琳會(huì)讓他如此激動(dòng)。

It is not very kind of you,' said Mrs Almond, 'to find amusement in your daughter's situation.'

“你這樣做不好，”阿爾蒙德夫人說，“你在你女兒的這種處境中找快樂。”

I will take her to Europe,' said the Doctor, 'to give her some new ideas.'

“我要帶她去歐洲，”醫(yī)生說，“給她一些新思想。”

She won't forget him in Europe.'

“她在歐洲也不會(huì)忘記他。”

He will forget her, then.'

“那么他會(huì)忘記她。”

Mrs Almond looked serious. 'Would you really like that?'

阿爾蒙德夫人嚴(yán)肅起來：“你真的喜歡那樣嗎？”

Extremely,' said the Doctor.

“非常喜歡。”醫(yī)生說。

Mrs Penniman, meanwhile, arranged another secret meeting with Morris Townsend outside a church. She had been a little alarmed by her brother's coldness towards her.

與此同時(shí)，彭尼曼夫人和莫里斯·湯森在一個(gè)教堂外安排了另外一次秘密會(huì)面。她對于弟弟對她的冷淡態(tài)度有些吃驚。

I think you should wait for a while before you marry,' she told Morris. 'Wait until my brother is less angry.'

“我認(rèn)為你應(yīng)該等一陣子再結(jié)婚，”她告訴莫里斯，“直到我弟弟不太生氣了為止。”

The young man was very annoyed. 'Last week you advised me to marry immediately!' he said. 'Catherine has already agreed to this, so what can I do?'

年輕人很惱火。“上星期你建議我立即結(jié)婚！”他說，“凱瑟琳已經(jīng)答應(yīng)了，那我能怎么辦？”

Catherine loves you so much that you can do anything,' said Mrs Penniman. 'You can change your plans, this way or that way, and she will not be upset with you.'

“凱瑟琳很愛你，你怎么辦都可以，”彭尼曼夫人說，“你可以改變計(jì)劃，這樣或那樣，她不會(huì)煩你的。”

Morris looked at her, but said nothing, and soon after that they parted.

莫里斯看著她，但什么也沒說，不久他們就分手了。

Catherine, of course, knew nothing of her aunt's meeting with Morris, and she had not spoken to her father since the evening she went to see him in his study. At last, however, she told him that she had seen Morris Townsend again.

凱瑟琳當(dāng)然對她姑姑和莫里斯會(huì)面的事一無所知，自那晚去書房見過父親之后，她一直沒有和他說過話。不過，最后她告訴他，她又和莫里斯·湯森見面了。

I think we shall marry—before very long,' she said.

“我想我們要結(jié)婚了——不久以后。”她說。

The Doctor looked at her coldly from head to foot. 'Why do you tell me that? It is of no interest to me.'

醫(yī)生冷冷地把她從頭到腳打量了一番：“你為什么告訴我這個(gè)？我對此不感興趣。”

Catherine turned away for a moment; there were tears in her eyes. 'Oh, father,' she cried, 'don't you care?'

凱瑟琳轉(zhuǎn)過頭去，停了片刻；她的眼中含著淚水。“哦，爸爸，”她哭道，“您難道不關(guān)心嗎？”

Not at all. Once you marry, it is the same to me when, or where, or why you do it.'

“一點(diǎn)兒也不。一旦你結(jié)婚，那么無論什么時(shí)間，或什么地點(diǎn)，或?yàn)槭裁茨隳敲醋鰧ξ襾碚f都是一樣的。”

But the next day he spoke to her in a different way. 'Are you going to marry in the next four or five months?'

但第二天他卻用了一種完全不同的方式和她說話：“你打算在四五個(gè)月之內(nèi)結(jié)婚嗎？”

I don't know, father,' said Catherine. 'It is not very easy for us to decide.'

“我不知道，爸爸，”凱瑟琳說，“我們作決定不是那么容易的。”

Wait, then, for six months, and meanwhile I will take you to Europe. I would very much like you to go.'

“那就等六個(gè)月，在這期間我?guī)闳W洲。我很想讓你去。”

This sign of her father's interest in her gave Catherine great happiness. 'It would be delightful to go to Europe,' she said. But her happiness soon disappeared when she realized that she would not see Morris for several months.

父親對她表露出的興趣讓凱瑟琳非常開心。“去歐洲會(huì)令人愉快的。”她說。但當(dāng)她意識(shí)到會(huì)有幾個(gè)月見不到莫里斯時(shí)，她很快就開心不起來了。

Mrs Penniman was not invited, and she understood very well why the Doctor had made this plan. 'He thinks the journey will make you forget Morris,' she told her niece.

彭尼曼夫人沒有受到邀請，她很清楚醫(yī)生為什么要制訂這樣一個(gè)計(jì)劃。“他以為這次旅行會(huì)讓你忘了莫里斯。”她告訴侄女。

Catherine could not decide whether to obey her father's wishes or not. She wrote to Morris and asked him to meet her in the Square. They met the next day, and during a long walk she told him about her father's invitation.

凱瑟琳不知道該不該服從父親的意志。她給莫里斯寫信，約他來廣場見面。第二天他們相見了，在長時(shí)間的散步過程中她給他講了父親的邀請。

He thinks I will forget you,' said Catherine.

“他以為我會(huì)忘了你。”凱瑟琳說。

Well, my dear, perhaps you will. There are so many exciting things to see in Europe.'

“嗯，親愛的，也許你會(huì)的。歐洲有那么多激動(dòng)人心的東西可看。”

Please don't say that,' Catherine answered, gently. 'I am not interested in seeing Europe.'

“請不要那么說，”凱瑟琳輕聲地答道，“我對在歐洲觀光沒興趣。”

You should go,' said Morris. 'It will please your father, and perhaps he will forgive you and change his mind about disinheriting you.'

“你應(yīng)該去，”莫里斯說，“這會(huì)讓你父親高興，也許他會(huì)原諒你，并且改變剝奪你繼承權(quán)的想法。”

And not get married for so long?'

“那這么長時(shí)間不結(jié)婚？”

We can marry when you come back,' said Morris. 'You can buy your wedding clothes in Paris.'

“我們可以在你回來后結(jié)婚，”莫里斯說，“你可以在巴黎買你的結(jié)婚禮服。”

They were away, in fact, for a year and during the first six months the name of Morris Townsend was not mentioned. The Doctor found much to interest him in Europe, but although Catherine was always quiet and obedient, she was, her father thought, a very unintelligent companion.

他們實(shí)際上走了一年，在頭六個(gè)月里，莫里斯·湯森這個(gè)名字從未被提起過。醫(yī)生發(fā)現(xiàn)歐洲有很多令他感興趣的東西，可是盡管凱瑟琳總是安靜而順從，她父親卻認(rèn)為她是一個(gè)很愚鈍的旅伴。

One day, at the end of the summer, they were walking together in a lonely valley in the mountains. It was beginning to get dark and the air was cold and sharp.

夏末的一天，他們一起沿著一條人跡罕至的山谷散步。天漸漸黑了，空氣也冷得刺骨。

Suddenly the Doctor stopped and looked at Catherine.

醫(yī)生突然停住腳步看著凱瑟琳。

Have you given him up?' he asked.

“你放棄他了嗎？”他問。

The question was unexpected, but Catherine did not hesitate. 'No, father,' she answered.

這個(gè)問題問得突然，但凱瑟琳并沒有猶豫。“沒有，爸爸。”她回答道。

He looked at her for some moments without speaking.

他看了她一會(huì)兒，沒說話。

Does he write to you?' he asked.

“他給你寫信了嗎？”

Yes, about twice a month.'

“是的。大約一個(gè)月兩封信。”

The Doctor looked up and down the mountain, and said in a low voice, 'I am very angry.'

醫(yī)生上上下下地看了看山，低聲說道：“我很生氣。”

I am sorry,' Catherine murmured. She felt lonely and frightened in this wild place.

“對不起。”凱瑟琳喃喃地說道。在這荒涼的地方，她感到孤獨(dú)害怕。

One day he will leave you,' said the Doctor. 'Alone and hungry, in a place like this. That's what he will do.'

“總有一天他會(huì)離開你，”醫(yī)生說，“把你一個(gè)人留在這樣一個(gè)地方，忍饑挨餓。他會(huì)那么做的。”

That's not true, father, and you should not say it,' she cried. 'It's not right!'

“那不是真的，爸爸，你不該那么說，”她哭道，“那是不對的！”

He shook his head slowly. 'No, it's not right, because you won't believe it. But it is true.'

他慢慢地?fù)u了搖頭。“是的，這樣不對，因?yàn)槟悴辉敢庀嘈?。但這卻是真的。”

Doctor Sloper did not speak of Morris again until the night before they sailed to New York. 'What are you going to do when you get home?' he asked suddenly.

直到他們乘船返回紐約之前的那個(gè)晚上，斯洛珀醫(yī)生再也沒有提起過莫里斯的名字。“你回到家之后有什么打算？”他突然問道。

Do you mean about Mr Townsend?'

“你的意思是關(guān)于湯森先生的事嗎？”

About Mr Townsend.'

“是關(guān)于湯森先生的。”

We shall probably marry.'

“我們可能會(huì)結(jié)婚。”

So you will go off with him as soon as you arrive?'

“那么你一到家就會(huì)和他私奔？”

Catherine did not like the way he said this. 'I cannot tell you until we arrive,' she said.

凱瑟琳不喜歡他說這話的方式。“我們到了以后我才能告訴您。”她說。

If I am going to lose my only child, I would like to know before it happens.'

“如果我會(huì)失去我惟一的孩子，我想在事情發(fā)生前知道。”

Oh father! You will not lose me,' said Catherine.

“噢，爸爸！你不會(huì)失去我的。”凱瑟琳說。