【經(jīng)典名著閱讀】《德伯家的苔絲》第十二章(中)
作者:托馬斯·哈代
2011-10-25 10:00
She thereupon turned round and lifted her face to his, and remained like a marble term while he imprinted a kiss upon her cheek-half perfunctorily, half as if zest had not yet quite died out. Her eyes vaguely rested upon the remotest trees in the lane while the kiss was given, as though she were nearly unconscious of what he did.
于是她轉過身去,對著他仰起臉來,就像大理石雕成的一座界神①一樣,讓他在她的臉頰上吻了一下——他一半是敷衍,一半好像他的熱情還沒有完全熄滅。他吻她的時候,她的眼睛茫然地望著路上最遠處的樹木,仿佛不知道他吻了她。
'Now the other side, for old acquaintance' sake.'
“看在老朋友的份上,現(xiàn)在吻另一邊?!?/div>
She turned her head in the same passive way, as one might turn at the request of a sketcher or hairdresser, and he kissed the other side, his lips touching cheeks that were damp and smoothly chill as the skin of the mushrooms in the fields around.
她照樣冷淡地轉過頭去,仿佛要她轉臉的是一個速寫畫家,或者是一個理發(fā)師。他在她的另一邊臉上吻了一下,他的嘴唇接觸到她的面頰,感到濕潤、平滑、冰冷,好像附近地里蘑菇的表皮一樣。
'You don't give me your mouth and kiss me back. You never willingly do that - you'll never love me, I fear.'
“你是不會把你的嘴給我了,不回吻我了。你從來就不愿意吻我——恐怕你永遠也不會愛我了?!?/div>
'I have said so, often. It is true. I have never really and truly loved you, and I think I never can.' She added mournfully, 'Perhaps, of all things, a lie on this thing would do the most good to me now; but I have honour enough left, little as 'tis, not to tell that lie. If I did love you I may have the best o' causes for letting you know it. But I don't.'
“我已經(jīng)這樣說過了,經(jīng)常說過了。這是真的。我從來就沒有真正地和真心地愛過你,我想我永遠也不會愛你。”她又悲傷地接著說,“也許,事到如今,撒一句謊,說我愛你,這對我是最有好處的事;可是我的自尊還在呀,盡管剩下的不多了,我就是不能撒這個謊。要是我的確愛過你,我也許有許多最好的理由讓你知道??墒俏也粣勰?。”
He emitted a laboured breath, as if the scene were getting rather oppressive to his heart, or to his conscience, or to his gentility.
他沉重地呼了一口氣,仿佛當時的情景使他的良心感受到了壓力,使他的良知和臉面也感受到了壓力。
'Well, you are absurdly melancholy, Tess. I have no reason for flattering you now, and I can say plainly that you need not be so sad. You can hold your own for beauty against any woman of these parts, gentle or simple; I say, it to you as a practical man and well-wisher. If you are wise you will it to the world more than you do before it fades... And yet, Tess, will you come back to me? Upon my soul I don't like to let you go like this!'
“唉,你的悲傷是可笑的,苔絲?,F(xiàn)在我沒有理由去奉承你,但是我坦率地跟你說,你不必這樣悲傷。就憑你的美麗,你都可以把這一帶任何一個女子比下去,無論出身高貴的還是出身貧賤的;我是作為一個務實的人和一個好心人才對你說這話。要是你聰明,你就會在你的美貌凋謝之前向世界展示你的美……不過,苔絲,你還會回到我身邊來嗎?憑著我的靈魂發(fā)誓,我真不愿意你就這樣走了?!?/div>
'Never, never! I made up my mind as soon as I saw - what I ought to have seen sooner; and I won't come.'
“決不,決不!我一明白過來我就下定了決心——我應該早點兒明白過來的;我不會再回到你身邊的?!?/div>
'Then good morning, my four months' cousin - good-bye!'
“那么再見吧,給我做了四個月時間的堂妹——再見!”
He leapt up lightly, arranged the reins, and was gone between the tall red-berried hedges.
他輕快地跳上車,理好韁繩,就從兩行高大的結著紅色漿果的樹籬中間走了。
①界神(Term),羅馬的分界和邊界的界標、界柱、界石之神。