書蟲6級《名利場》第十二章: 出生、婚姻和去世

Becky's plan for helping Major Dobbin to achieve his desire remained a secret, as she was more interested in her own concerns for the moment. Suddenly and unexpectedly, she found herself living in comfort, surrounded by kind, good-natured people, and the change from her usual restless, uncertain life was very pleasant to her.

貝姬幫助多賓少校達成心愿的計劃無人知曉，因為目前她更關心自己的切身利益。她突然來到舒適的環(huán)境里，身旁圍繞著善良老實的人。較之以往居無定所、顛沛流離的生活，這種意想不到的變化讓她感到十分愉悅。

So, as she was pleased herself, she tried hard to please others. She had always been good at that, and before long Joseph Sedley was her devoted slave and admirer. He stopped falling asleep after dinner. He drove out with Becky in his carriage. He invited people to dinner and gave little parties to entertain her. Soon she had a circle of admirers, and Jos's house had never been so lively as Becky caused it to be. She sang, she played, she laughed, she talked in two or three languages; she brought everybody to the house -- and made Jos believe that they came to see him.

因此，在享受這一切的同時，她也努力討好其他人。她對此一向拿手。沒過多久，約瑟夫·塞德利就成了她忠心的奴隸和崇拜者。他飯后不再睡覺，而是陪著貝姬乘馬車出游。他請人來家里吃飯，還舉辦小型聚會給她娛樂。不久，她身邊就聚集了一群崇拜者。喬斯的家從沒這么熱鬧過，這全是貝姬的功勞。她唱歌，彈琴，說笑，講兩三種語言。她把大家都引到屋子里來，還讓喬斯相信，這些人是來見他 的。

Becky soon discovered how to please Amelia. She talked to her constantly about Dobbin, how she admired him, and how cruelly Amelia had treated him. Amelia defended herself, saying she owed a lifelong devotion to George, she could never forget him, he had been the best, the most wonderful husband anyone could have… But at the same time she seemed to like hearing Becky praise the Major, and indeed, she brought the conversation round to him herself, at least twenty times a day.

貝姬很快發(fā)現(xiàn)怎樣能取悅阿梅莉亞。她常常談起多賓，講她如何敬佩他，而阿梅莉亞對他有多么殘忍。阿梅莉亞為自己辯解說，她一生都忠于喬治，她永遠忘不了他，他是最好、最優(yōu)秀的丈夫……但同時，她似乎又喜歡聽到貝姬稱贊少校，而且她自己也會把話題轉到他身上，一天至少得提二十次。

Dobbin wrote regularly to Georgy, and once or twice he wrote to Amelia too, but his letters were cold. She had lost her power over him, and he no longer loved her, she realized. He had left her, and she saw now the beauty and the purity of the affection that she had thrown away, and she was miserable.

多賓定期給喬基寫信，他也給阿梅莉亞寫過一兩回，不過信里語氣冷冰冰的。她意識到自己已經(jīng)失去了控制他的力量，他不再愛她了。他已離她而去，如今她才看清她所拋棄的真情是多么美好，多么純真。她為此痛苦極了。

She was not happy, though. She was nervous, silent, and hard to please. In the evenings, when she tried to sing the Major's favourite songs, she would break off and hurry to her room, where, no doubt, the picture of her husband would comfort her. Georgy, looking for something in his mother's desk one day, found a pair of the Major's gloves there, neatly folded and placed in one of the secret drawers.

不過，她并不開心。她情緒緊張，沉默寡言，很難哄她高興。晚上，她試圖唱少校最喜歡的歌時，會忽然停住，匆忙回到房間。毫無疑問，她是去看丈夫的畫像，尋求心理安慰。一天，喬基在他母親的桌里找東西，發(fā)現(xiàn)少校的一雙手套給整整齊齊地疊放在其中一個秘密抽屜里。

In June, they moved to Ostend on the Belgian coast, for the sea air. Becky met some gentlemen friends there, from her travelling days, and although she wasn't pleased to see them, they were very pleased to see her, and to learn that she had a rich friend in Mr Sedley. They invaded Jos's house, ate his dinners, drank his wine, paid drunken compliments to Amelia, and argued which of them should marry the rich little widow.

六月，他們搬到比利時的奧斯坦德，呼吸海邊的新鮮空氣。貝姬遇到了旅居期間結識的一些男性朋友。盡管見到他們她并不高興，但他們卻是大喜過望，并聽說了她有塞德利先生這樣的有錢朋友。他們闖進喬斯的房子，吃飯喝酒，說醉話奉承阿梅莉亞，吵吵嚷嚷他們誰應該娶那個有錢的小寡婦。

Becky made sure that Amelia was never left alone with these men, but Amelia was still terrified of them. She begged Jos to take her home to England, but since Becky preferred to stay in Europe, so did Jos. At last, in despair one day, Amelia wrote secretly to a friend. When she returned from posting the letter, she went to her room and stayed there. Becky realized that Amelia was frightened of the visitors in the drawing-room.

雖然貝姬確保阿梅莉亞不會單獨跟那些人在一起，但阿梅莉亞還是怕得要命。她求喬斯帶她回英格蘭，可是因為貝姬更愿意待在歐洲，喬斯也亦步亦趨。最后，有一天在絕望之下，阿梅莉亞偷偷地給一個朋友寫了封信。她寄完信回來，就留在自己房間里，一直沒有出來。貝姬知道阿梅莉亞害怕客廳里的那些訪客。

"Thank you," said Amelia.

“謝謝你。”阿梅莉亞說。

"Listen to me, Amelia," Becky said, looking at Amelia with a sort of angry kindness. "You must go away from here and from men like these. They are not good men. Never mind how I know them -- I know everybody. Jos can't protect you; he's too weak. He can't even protect himself. And as for you, you are no more able to look after yourself than a baby. You must marry, or you and your precious boy will be ruined. You must have a husband, you fool; and one of the best gentlemen I ever saw has asked you a hundred times, and you have refused him, you silly, heartless, ungrateful little creature!"

“聽我說，阿梅莉亞。”貝姬看著她，半是氣惱、半是好心地說，“你必須離開這里，遠離這些人。他們不是好人。別管我怎么認識他們，我什么人都認識。喬斯保護不了你，他太軟弱了，連自己都保護不了。至于你，保護自己的能力比個嬰兒強不了多少。你必須結婚，不然你和你的寶貝兒子都會遭殃的。你必須有個丈夫，你這個傻瓜。我見過的最好的紳士里，有一位向你表白過一百次了，而你卻拒絕了他，你這個狠心、無情、不知感恩的小東西！”

"She must go away, the silly little fool," Becky thought. "She needs a husband, and she must marry the Major. I'll arrange it tonight." So she took a cup of tea to Amelia in her room, and found her sitting there with her picture, very sad and nervous.

“她必須離開，這個小糊涂蟲。”貝姬想，“她缺個丈夫，她必須嫁給少校。我今晚就安排一下。”于是，她端了一杯茶去阿梅莉亞的房間，發(fā)現(xiàn)她坐在那里，看著畫像，一副黯然神傷、坐立不安的樣子。

"I tried -- I tried my best, Rebecca," said Amelia, sorrowfully, "but I couldn't forget…" and she looked up at the picture of George which was over her bed.

“我盡——我已經(jīng)盡力了，麗貝卡。”阿梅莉亞傷心地說，“但是我忘不了……”她抬頭看床頭上掛著的喬治畫像。

"Look at this, then, you fool," said Rebecca, calmly. She took out a little note from her pocket, and dropped it into Amelia's hands. "You know his writing. He wrote that to me -- wanted me to run away with him -- gave it to me under your nose, the day before he was shot -- which he well deserved!"

“那就看看這個，你這傻瓜。”麗貝卡平靜地說。她從口袋里掏出一張小字條，塞進阿梅莉亞的手里。“你認得出他的筆跡。這是他寫給我的——想讓我和他私奔——他被打死的前一天在你眼皮子底下給我的。他被打死可真活該！”

"That's not true, Rebecca!" Amelia cried, jumping up.

“那不是真的，麗貝卡！”阿梅莉亞大喊，跳了起來。

Amelia did not hear her; she was looking at the letter. It was the letter that George had hidden in the flowers and given to Becky on the night of the ball before the Battle of Waterloo. It was true. George had asked Becky to go away with him.

阿梅莉亞看著信，沒聽到她的話。那封信正是滑鐵盧戰(zhàn)役頭一晚舞會上喬治藏在花里交給貝姬的。這是真的。喬治請求貝姬和他私奔。

"Couldn't forget him!" cried Becky. "That selfish fool! That vain, boastful, heartless creature! He was tired of you, Amelia, and would never have married you if Dobbin hadn't forced him to keep his promise. George told me. He never cared for you. He used to make fun of you, time after time. And the week after he married you, he was whispering words of love to me."

“忘不了他！”貝姬大叫，“那個自私的蠢貨！那個愛慕虛榮、大言不慚、沒心沒肺的東西！他對你早厭倦了，阿梅莉亞。要不是多賓逼他遵守諾言，他根本就不會娶你。這是喬治告訴我的。他從來沒關心過你，還三番五次拿你取笑。他剛娶你一個星期，就對我悄悄說情話了。”

Indeed, Amelia did not cry as much as Becky expected and, after a moment or two, Becky kissed her and said, "And now let us write to him this very minute."

的確，阿梅莉亞并沒像貝姬預料的那樣大哭一場。過了片刻，貝姬親吻她，接著說：“現(xiàn)在我們就開始給他寫信吧。”

Amelia put her face in her hands, and wept. Were those tears sweet or bitter? Did she cry because George was no longer the perfect husband she had adored -- or because there was now no reason to stop her loving Dobbin? "There's nothing to forbid me now," she thought. "I may love him with all my heart now. Oh, I will, I will, if he will let me, if he will forgive me."

阿梅莉亞捂著臉哭了起來。那些眼淚是甜蜜的還是苦澀的？她哭是因為喬治不再是她鐘愛的完美丈夫，還是因為現(xiàn)在沒什么理由妨礙她愛多賓了？“現(xiàn)在沒什么禁忌了。”她想，“我可以全心全意地愛他了。啊，我會的，我會的，只要他允許，只要他原諒我的話。”

Becky laughed so loudly that the whole house could hear her.

貝姬哈哈大笑，整棟房子都能聽到她的笑聲。

"I -- I wrote to him this morning," Amelia said, blushing.

“我——我今早就給他寫了。”阿梅莉亞紅著臉說。

"I hope he won't cross in such bad weather," Amelia said.

“我希望他不會挑在這么糟糕的天氣下過海。”阿梅莉亞說。

"Of course he will," the boy said. He pointed out to sea. "Look, mother, there's the ship now!"

“他當然會。”男孩說。他指向海面。“瞧，媽媽，船來了！”

Two mornings after this, in spite of heavy rain and a strong wind, Amelia rose early and insisted on taking a walk along the harbour with Georgy. They stared anxiously out across the rough sea, with the rain beating in their faces.

兩天之后的早晨，盡管外面狂風暴雨，阿梅莉亞早早起床，堅持和喬基去港口碼頭散步。他們焦急地盯著波濤洶涌的海面，雨水打在他們的臉上。

Yes, there was the ship, but he might not be on it -- he might not have got the letter -- he might not choose to come. A hundred fears poured into Amelia's heart. The white-topped waves were beating like thunder against the harbour wall, and no doubt that little heart was beating just as wildly.

是的，船來了，但他可能不在船上，他可能沒有收到信，他可能決定不來。千百種恐懼在阿梅莉亞的心里翻騰。白色的浪頭打在港口的堤壩上，像隆隆的雷聲。毫無疑問，那顆小心臟也正怦怦地狂跳著。

The ship came nearer, and a tall, thin figure could be seen on it, staring towards the harbour. "Look -- there he is!" Georgy shouted. "The man in the greatcoat -- it's Dob!" He threw his arms round his mother.

船離得更近了，可以看見船上站著一個瘦高的人影，朝港口這里望著。“瞧——他在那兒！”喬基大叫，“穿厚大衣的那個人，是多布！”他一把摟住他母親。

Then she stepped forward, with her two little hands held out before her, and the next minute she had disappeared in his arms.

然后，她伸出兩只小手向前走去，轉眼就躲在他的懷抱里。

Now the ship was in the harbour, now the tall thin figure was hurrying off the ship. Suddenly, Georgy ran away, to look at something terribly interesting at the other end of the harbour, leaving his mother standing trembling in the rain.

船進港了，那瘦高個兒匆忙下了船。喬基突然跑向港口的另一頭，去看什么特別有趣的東西，留下他母親獨自顫抖著站在雨中。

A little murmur could be heard. "Forgive -- dear William -- dear, dear friend -- forgive, forgive…" She was kissing one of his hands again and again, and with his other hand, Dobbin held her close to his heart, safe within the folds of his greatcoat.

她呢喃地說：“原諒——親愛的威廉——親愛的朋友——原諒，原諒……”她一次又一次親吻他的手，多賓另一只手緊緊把她摟在胸前，裹在他厚大衣的褶子里。

Eventually Amelia lifted her head, and looked up at his face. It was full of sadness and love and pity.

阿梅莉亞終于抬起頭看著他的臉。那臉上交織著傷感、愛意和憐憫。

At last Dobbin had what he had wanted every day and every hour for eighteen years. There she was, close to his heart, whispering loving words. At last he had the prize he had been hoping for all his life.

多賓終于得到了十八年來他每時每刻都在向往的東西。她緊貼在他胸前，低聲說著情話。他終于得到了一生希求的酬報。

"No, never," he answered, and held her tightly.

“是的，不會。”他回答，緊緊摟著她。

"You will never leave me again, will you, William?"

“你再也不會離開我了，是嗎，威廉？”

They walked to the house, and Georgy danced round them, laughing and singing joyously. And there we will leave them.

他們朝家走去，喬基在他們身邊手舞足蹈，高興地又唱又笑。關于他們我們就先說到這里。

"It was time you sent for me, dear Amelia," he said.

“親愛的阿梅莉亞，該是你叫我來的時候了。”他說。

When it was over, and Georgy and his parents had left for England, Becky returned (just for a few days, of course) to comfort poor Jos, who was now left alone. Jos preferred the European life, he said, and refused his sister's invitation to live with her and her husband in England.

婚禮結束后，喬基和父母返回英格蘭，留下喬斯獨自一人。貝姬回來安慰可憐的喬斯（當然，她只待幾天）。喬斯說他更喜歡歐洲的生活，因此拒絕了他妹妹請他去英格蘭同住的邀請。

Becky never showed herself to Amelia and Dobbin again. Perhaps it was a feeling of guilt towards the kind and simple creature who had been the first in life to defend her. Perhaps it was a dislike of emotional occasions, but she disappeared at once to Bruges on "particular business", she said; and only Georgy and his uncle were present at the wedding of Major William Dobbin to Mrs Amelia Osborne.

貝姬再也沒在阿梅莉亞和多賓面前出現(xiàn)?；蛟S是對這個善良純樸的人心存愧疚，因為她是第一個為她說話的人。或許是討厭這種動感情的場面，她立刻動身前往布呂赫，說是有“特別事務”要處理。威廉·多賓少校和阿梅莉亞·奧斯本夫人舉行婚禮時，只有喬基和他舅舅在場。

Mrs Rawdon Crawley's name was never mentioned by either family. There were reasons for this silence, because wherever Joseph Sedley went, she went too, and that foolish man seemed to be completely her slave. Dobbin's lawyers informed him that his brother-in-law had taken out a heavy insurance on his life, and had probably been raising money to pay debts.

兩家都不提羅頓·克勞利夫人這個名字。大家緘口不言是有原因的，因為無論約瑟夫·塞德利去哪里，她也如影隨形，這愚蠢的男人似乎已經(jīng)完全淪為她的奴隸。多賓的律師們告訴他，他大舅子保了一大筆人壽險，而且很可能正在籌錢還債。

Dobbin left the army after he was married, and he and his family rented a house near Queen's Crawley, where Sir Pitt, Lady Jane, their daughter, and young Rawdon Crawley were living. Sir Pitt's little son, always sickly, had died some years ago, which meant that young Rawdon would be the next baronet.

多賓婚后離開了軍隊。他一家人在昆士克勞利附近租了一棟房子，皮特爵士、簡女士、他們的女兒及小羅頓·克勞利就住在昆士克勞利。皮特爵士的小兒子一直體弱多病，幾年前去世了，這就意味著小羅頓會是下一個準男爵。

When Amelia gave birth to a daughter, Dobbin's happiness was complete. Lady Jane and Mrs Dobbin became great friends, and Georgy and young Rawdon played together in the holidays, went to Cambridge University together -- and quarrelled about Lady Jane's daughter, with whom they were both in love.

阿梅莉亞生了女兒后，多賓的幸福徹底圓滿了。簡女士和多賓夫人成了很好的朋友。喬基和小羅頓假期里一起玩，還一起上劍橋大學。他們都愛上了簡女士的女兒，為了她爭風吃醋。

Hearing about this, Amelia, in great alarm, begged Dobbin to go and see her brother, who was now in Brussels.

阿梅莉亞聽到這個消息十分擔心，央求多賓去布魯塞爾見見她哥哥。

"But -- but -- oh, for God's sake, please come and live near me, and -- and -- see me sometimes," Jos begged.

“但是——但是——啊，看在老天爺?shù)姆萆?，搬來住在我近旁吧。而?mdash;—而且偶爾來看看我。”喬斯央求。

Jos was living in a hotel, in which Mrs Crawley also had an apartment, and Jos begged Dobbin to visit him at a time when he believed Becky was out. Dobbin found his brother-in-law in very poor health, and dreadfully afraid of Becky, though eager in his praises of her. She had looked after him devotedly through a number of strange illnesses. She had been a daughter to him.

喬斯住在一家旅館里，克勞利夫人住在同一家旅館的另外一套房間。喬斯拜托多賓在貝姬外出的時候來見他。多賓發(fā)現(xiàn)他大舅子的身體狀況很差。喬斯雖然極力稱贊貝姬，可對她卻怕得要命。他先后得了一堆奇奇怪怪的病，貝姬一直全心全意地照顧他，簡直就像他女兒一樣。

"But Becky is innocent," Joseph said desperately. "Innocent as a child, as innocent as your own wife."

“但是貝姬是清白的。”喬斯絕望地說，“她和孩子一樣純潔，和你的妻子一樣清白。”

"In debt!" cried Jos. "Nonsense! Mrs Crawley has -- I mean, all my money is quite -- is well taken care of."

“欠債！”喬斯大叫，“胡說！克勞利夫人——我是說，我所有的錢都——都處置得非常好。”

"That may be so," Dobbin said, gloomily; "but Emmy can't visit you while she's here. Be a man, Jos. Break off this connection, and come home to your family. We hear you are in debt too."

“也許是這樣。”多賓郁郁地說，“但她在的時候，埃米不能來看你。做個男子漢，喬斯。把這個關系斷了，回到你家人身邊吧。我們聽說你還欠了債。”

Dobbin frowned. "We can't, Jos," he said. "You know Amelia can't visit you while Rebecca is here."

多賓皺起眉頭。“不行啊，喬斯。”他說，“你知道，麗貝卡在的時候，阿梅莉亞不能來看你。”

"You are not in debt then? Why did you insure your life?"

“那你沒有欠債咯？為什么保人壽險呢？”

Dobbin begged Jos to run away, to go back to India where Mrs Crawley could not follow him, to escape while he still could.

多賓求他趁還能逃的時候趕緊逃走，如果他回印度，克勞利夫人就無法跟到那里去。

"Then why not come away with me now?" Dobbin said.

“那為什么不現(xiàn)在就跟我一起走呢？”多賓問。

He never saw Jos again. Three months later Joseph Sedley died in France. Most of his money had gone, except for the insurance money, which was divided equally between his "sister Amelia" and his "friend Rebecca". Lawyers for the insurance company said that it was a most suspicious case, and they wanted an investigation into the death. But "friend Rebecca" -- or Lady Crawley, as she now called herself -- came to London at once, and hired her own lawyers. She won the case and the money was paid.

他再也沒見過喬斯。三個月后，約瑟夫·塞德利在法國去世了。他大多數(shù)錢都不知去向，只剩保險金，平分給他的“妹妹阿梅莉亞”和他的“朋友麗貝卡”。保險公司的律師們說這單保險極其可疑，他們想調查死因。但是“朋友麗貝卡”——她現(xiàn)在自稱克勞利女士——立刻來到倫敦，雇了自己的律師。她打贏官司，拿到了錢。

"I thought -- in case anything happened -- a little present to her, so grateful… but all my money will come to you, of course."

“我想——萬一我有什么三長兩短——送她一個小禮物，非常感激她……但是我的錢當然都會給你的。”

But Jos did not have the courage to do that. He would see Dobbin again, but Dobbin must say nothing about his visit, and must go now. Becky might come in at any moment. And Dobbin left, full of fear and anxiety.

然而喬斯沒有勇氣這么做。他會再見多賓，但是多賓一定不能說他來過，而且現(xiàn)在必須離開，因為貝姬說不準什么時候就回來了。多賓滿心憂懼地離開了。

Jos seized Dobbin's hand. "Yes, I'll go to India, but don't tell her. I must have time. She'd kill me if she knew. You don't know what a terrible woman she is," the poor man said.

喬斯抓住多賓的手。“好，我會去印度，但是別告訴她。我需要時間。她要是知道了會殺了我的。你不知道她是個多么可怕的女人。”這個可憐人說。

At one of these events in London, Amelia and her family suddenly came face to face with Becky. She gave an amused little smile as they hurried away from her -- Amelia on the arm of her son Georgy, now a handsome young gentleman, and Dobbin, carrying his little daughter Janey, of whom he is fonder than of anything in the world.

在倫敦這樣的一次活動上，阿梅莉亞一家和貝姬不期而遇。看到他們匆匆走開，貝姬覺得好笑，嘴角露出了一絲微笑。阿梅莉亞挽著她兒子喬基，喬基現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)長成一個英俊的小伙子；多賓抱著小女兒珍妮。他現(xiàn)在喜愛珍妮勝過一切。

She never was Lady Crawley, though she continued to use the name. Her husband Rawdon died of yellow fever on Coventry Island, six weeks before the death of his brother, Sir Pitt Crawley. On Sir Pitt's death, Becky's son, as the only living male in the Crawley family, became Sir Rawdon Crawley and inherited all the Crawley houses and land.

她沒有資格自稱克勞利女士，但是她繼續(xù)使用這個名號。她丈夫羅頓在考文垂島上死于黃熱病，他哥哥皮特·克勞利爵士也于六周后離開了人世。皮特爵士一死，貝姬的兒子作為克勞利家族活著的唯一男性，成為羅頓·克勞利爵士，并繼承了克勞利家所有房產(chǎn)和土地。

Sir Rawdon continues to live at Queen's Crawley with Lady Jane and her daughter. He has refused to see his mother, to whom he pays a generous yearly allowance, and who appears in any case to be very wealthy. She lives in Bath and London, and many people believe her to be a most cruelly treated woman. She has her enemies. Who has not? But she goes to church, and is deeply involved in church events that raise money to help the sick, the poor, the homeless, and other unhappy people.

羅頓爵士繼續(xù)同簡女士和她的女兒住在昆士克勞利。他拒絕見他的母親，只每年給她豐厚的生活費。即便沒有這筆錢，他母親也顯得極其富有。她在巴斯和倫敦兩地居住，許多人都認為她是遭遇了極大不幸的女人。她有敵人，但誰又沒有呢？她上教堂，全身心地參與教會籌集善款的活動，幫助那些生了病、窮困潦倒、無家可歸的不幸之人。

Oh, the vanity and folly of human wishes! Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has our heart's desire? Or, having it, is satisfied?

啊，人類欲望如此虛榮與荒唐！塵世之中，我們誰是真正快樂的？我們誰能稱心如意？又或，在遂了心愿后，真正感到心滿意足？

"Fonder than he is of me," Amelia thinks, with a sigh. But he never said a word to Amelia that was not kind and gentle, or thought of a wish of hers that he did not try to satisfy.

“勝過喜歡我。”阿梅莉亞想著，嘆了口氣。但是他從未對阿梅莉亞說過一句不體貼、不溫柔的話，阿梅莉亞的愿望他也千方百計去實現(xiàn)。