福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第52期:猶他之花(2)

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On the farm thus acquired John Ferrier built himself a substantial log- house, which received so many additions in succeeding years that it grew into a roomy villa.

費瑞厄就這樣獲得了他的一份土地。他在這篇土地上建筑了一座堅實的木屋。這座木屋由于逐年增建，漸漸成了一所寬敞的別墅。

He was a man of a practical turn of mind, keen in his dealings and skilful with his hands.

費瑞厄是一個重視實際的人，為人處世精明，長于技藝。

His iron constitution enabled him to work morning and evening at improving and tilling his lands.

他的體格也十分健壯，這就使他能夠從早到晚，孜孜不倦地在他的土地上進行耕作和改良。

Hence it came about that his farm and all that belonged to him prospered exceedingly.

因此，他的田莊非常興旺。

In three years he was better off than his neighbours, in six he was well-to-do, in nine he was rich, and in twelve there were not half a dozen men in the whole of Salt Lake City who could compare with him.

三年之內(nèi)，他便趕過了他的鄰居；六年之中就成為小康之家；九年，他就十分富有了；到了十二年之后，整個鹽湖城地方，能夠和他比擬的便不到五、六個人了。

From the great inland sea to the distant Wasatch Mountains there was no name better known than that of John Ferrier.

從鹽湖這個內(nèi)陸海起，一直到遙遠的瓦撒起山區(qū)為止，在這個地區(qū)以內(nèi)，再沒有比約翰·費瑞厄的聲名更大的了。

There was one way and only one in which he offended the susceptibilities of his co-religionists.

但是，只有一件事，費瑞厄卻傷害了他同教人的感情。

No argument or persuasion could ever induce him to set up a female establishment after the manner of his companions.

這便是，不管怎樣和他爭論，不管怎樣向他勸說，都不能使他按照他的伙伴們那種方式娶妻成家。

He never gave reasons for this persistent refusal, but contented himself by resolutely and inflexibly adhering to his determination.

他從來沒有說明他一再拒絕這樣做的理由究竟是什么，他只是堅決而毫不動搖地固執(zhí)己見。

There were some who accused him of lukewarmness in his adopted religion, and others who put it down to greed of wealth and reluctance to incur expense.

因此，有些人指責(zé)他對于他所信奉的宗教并不虔誠。也有一些人認為他是吝嗇財物，不肯破費。

Others, again, spoke of some early love affair, and of a fair-haired girl who had pined away on the shores of the Atlantic.

還有一些人猜測他早先必定有過一番戀愛經(jīng)歷，也許在大西洋沿岸有過一位金發(fā)女郎，曾經(jīng)為他憔悴而死。

Whatever the reason, Ferrier remained strictly celibate.

不管原因是什么，費瑞厄卻依然故我地過著嚴謹?shù)莫毶砩睢?/p>

In every other respect he conformed to the religion of the young settlement, and gained the name of being an orthodox and straight-walking man.

除了這一點以外，在其他各個方面，他對于這個新興殖民地上的這個宗教卻是奉行不懈的，而且被公認為是一個篤信正教、行為正派的人。

Lucy Ferrier grew up within the log-house, and assisted her adopted father in all his undertakings.

露茜·費瑞厄在這個木屋中長大片來，她幫助義父處理一切事務(wù)。

The keen air of the mountains and the balsamic odour of the pine trees took the place of nurse and mother to the young girl.

山區(qū)清新的空氣和松林中飄溢的脂香，都象慈母般地撫育著這個年輕的少女。

As year succeeded to year she grew taller and stronger, her cheek more ruddy and her step more elastic.

歲月一年又一年地過去了，露茜也一年年長大成人了；她長得亭亭玉立，十分健美，她的面頰愈見嬌艷，她的步態(tài)也日益輕盈。

Many a wayfarer upon the high road which ran by Ferrier's farm felt long-forgotten thoughts revive in his mind as he watched her lithe, girlish figure tripping through the wheatfields,

多少路人在經(jīng)過費瑞厄家田莊旁的大道時，瞧見露茜苗條的少女身影輕盈地穿過麥田。

or met her mounted upon her father's mustang, and managing it with all the ease and grace of a true child of the West.

或者碰見她騎著她父親的馬，顯出道地的西部少年所具有的那種成熟而又優(yōu)美的姿態(tài)，往日的情景不禁浮上人們的心頭

So the bud blossomed into a flower, and the year which saw her father the richest of the farmers left her as fair a specimen of American girlhood as could be found in the whole Pacific slope.

當(dāng)年的葩蕾今天已經(jīng)開放成一朵好花。這些年來，歲月一面使她的父親變成了農(nóng)民中最富裕的人，同時，也使她長成為太平洋沿岸整個山區(qū)里難得的一個標(biāo)致的美洲少女。