约会

Although she had her bonnet and jacket on, with a black veil over her face, and another in her pocket, which she would put on over the other as soon as she had got into the cab, she was beating the top of her little boot with the point of her parasol, and remained sitting in her room, without being able to make up her mind to keep this appointment.

虽然她已经戴好了帽子，穿好了衣服，用一块黑色面纱遮住了脸，口袋里还放着另一块黑色面纱——等她一登上马车，就把这一块加在第一块上面——她还是用她阳伞的伞尖敲打自己小巧的靴子的靴尖，一直坐在房间里，对于是否去赴这个约会迟迟拿不定主意。

And yet, how many times within the last two years had she dressed herself thus, when she knew that her husband would be on the Stock Exchange, in order to go to the bachelor chambers of her lover, the handsome Viscount de Martelet.

可是，这两年里，她有多少次趁着丈夫去交易所，打扮成这样去她帅气的情夫德马尔特莱子爵的单身寓所赴约。

The clock behind her was ticking loudly, a book which she had half read through was lying open on a little rosewood writing—table between the windows, and a strong, sweet smell of violets from two bunches which were in a couple of Dresden china vases, mingled with a vague smell of verbena which came through the half—open door of her dressing—room.

她身后的挂钟传出急速的滴答声，一本她只看了一半的书摊开在两扇窗之间的一张黄檀木做的小书桌上；一对萨克森瓷瓶里插着两束紫罗兰，不时散发出阵阵浓烈而甜蜜的香味，和从盥洗室半开着的门里飘出的淡淡的马鞭草的香味混合在了一起。

The clock struck three, she rose up from her chair, she turned round to look at herself in the glass and smiled. "He is already waiting for me, and will be getting tired. "

三点的钟声响起了，她从椅子上站了起来。她回过头看看镜中的自己，随后微微一笑， “他已经在等我了，他就快要不耐烦了。”

Then she left the room, told her footman that she would be back in an hour, at the latest—which was a lie; went downstairs and ventured into the street on foot.

于是，她走出房间，告诉男仆她最迟一个小时回来——这是个谎话，她下了楼梯，徒步向街上走去。

It was towards the end of May, that delightful time of the year, when the spring seems to be besieging Paris, and to conquer it over its roofs, invading the houses through their walls, and making it look gay, shedding brightness over its stone facades, the asphalt of its pavements, the stones on the roads, bathing it and intoxicating it with sap, like a forest putting on its spring verdure.

时间是五月份的最后几天，这是一年中令人愉快的时节，春天似乎要包围住巴黎，要从屋顶上征服它，穿过墙壁进入屋内，使全巴黎繁花似锦，把欢乐洒在石头上、人行道的沥青路上、石子路上，这座城市如同森林般穿上了春天的绿衣，沐浴并沉醉在蜜汁里。

Madame Haggan went a few steps to the right, intending, as usual, to go along the Parade Provence, where she would hail a cab; but the soft air, that feeling of summer which penetrates our breast on some days, now took possession of her so suddenly that she changed her mind, and went down the Rue de la Chausee d 'Antin, without knowing why, but vaguely attracted by a desire to see the trees in the Square de la Trinite.

霍冈太太朝右边走了几步，像往常一样，她想去普罗旺斯街叫一辆出租马车，可是温和的空气，这种在有些日子里涌入我们胸膛的夏天的气息，突然一下子占据了她的身体。于是她改变了主意，走上了当丹河堤街，她自己也不知道这是为什么，只是隐隐约约被一种想去看看圣三一广场上的树木的渴望吸引着。

"He may just wait ten minutes longer for me, " she said to herself. And that idea pleased her also as she walked slowly through the crowd. She fancied that she saw him growing impatient, looking at the clock, opening the window, listening at the door, sitting down for a few moments, getting up again, and not daring to smoke, as she had forbidden him to do so when she was coming to him, and throwing despairing looks at his box of cigarettes.

她自言自语道： “他可能要多等我十分钟了。” 这个想法也让她开心起来，她一面缓步穿过人群。她想象着他已经开始等得不耐烦了，看着时间、打开窗子、在门口倾听着，坐一会儿又站起来，想抽烟却又不敢抽烟，因为她曾经禁止他在她要来的时候抽烟，于是只能朝香烟盒子投去失望的眼神。

She walked slowly, interested in what she saw, the shops and the people she met, walking slower and slower, and so little eager to get to her destination that she only sought for some pretext for stopping, and at the end of the street, in the little square, the verdure attracted her so much, that she went in, took a chair, and, sitting down, watched the hands of the clock as they moved.

她慢慢地走着，被她所看到的一切吸引着：店铺和那些她看到的人们。她走得越来越慢，对到达目的地的渴望如此之弱以至于她开始寻找一些停下来的借口，在街尽头小小的广场上，一片绿色强烈地吸引着她，于是她走了进去，找了个椅子坐了下来，看着时钟的指针运行着。

Just then, the half hour struck, and her heart beat with pleasure when she heard the chimes. She had gained half—an—hour; then it would take her a quarter of an hour to reach the Rue Miromesnil, and a few minutes more in strolling along—an hour! a whole hour saved from her rendez—vous! She would not stop three—quarters of an hour, and that business would be finished once more.

就在这个时候，时钟敲响了半点钟，在听到时钟报时的声音时，她的心高兴得跳动起来。她已经赢得了半个小时，走到米洛梅斯尼尔街需要一刻钟，再花几分钟闲逛一下——这就一个小时了！从她约会的时间中节约出来的整整一个小时。她在那儿只需待上四十五分钟，这一次约会又可以结束了。

Oh! she disliked going there! Just like a patient going to the dentist, so she had the intolerable recollection of all their past meetings, one a week on an average, for the last two years; and the thought that another was going to take place immediately made her shiver with misery from head to foot. Not that it was exactly painful, like a visit to the dentist, but it was wearisome, so wearisome, so complicated, so long, so unpleasant, that anything, even a visit to the dentist would have seemed preferable to her. She went on, however, but very slowly, stopping, sitting down, going hither and thither, but she went. Oh! how she would have liked to miss this meeting, but she had left the unhappy viscount in the lurch, twice following, during the last month, and she did not dare to do it again so soon. Why did she go to see him? Oh! why? Because she had acquired the habit of doing it, and had no reason to give poor Martelet when he wanted to know the why! Why had she begun it? Why? She did not know herself, any longer. Had she been in love with him? Very possibly! Not very much, but a little, a long time ago! He was very nice, sought after, perfectly dressed, most courteous, and after the first glance, he was a perfect lover for a fashionable woman. He had courted her for three months—the normal period, an honorable strife and sufficient resistances—and then she had consented, and with what emotion, what nervousness, what terrible, delightful fear, and that first meeting in his small, ground—floor bachelor rooms, in the Rue de Miromesnil. Her heart? What did her little heart of a woman who had been seduced, vanquished, conquered, feel when she for the first time entered the door of that house which was her nightmare? She really did not know! She had quite forgotten. One remembers a fact, a date, a thing, but one hardly remembers, after the lapse of two years, what an emotion, which soon vanished, because it was very slight, was like. But, oh! she had certainly not forgotten the others, that rosary of meetings, that road to the cross of love, and those stations, which were so monotonous, so fatiguing, so similar to each other, that she felt a nauseating taste in her mouth at what was going to happen so soon.

天啊！她讨厌去那里！就像一个病人去看牙科医生，这两年来，平均每周一次，她保持着对过去所有约会的难以忍受的回忆；一想到马上就要有再一次约会，她苦恼得从头到脚都在颤抖。这痛苦倒不是像去看牙医的病人一样的痛苦，但它却很使人厌倦，那么使人厌烦，那么复杂，那么长的时间，那么的令人不舒服，以致于她似乎更喜欢除此以外的所有的事情，哪怕是去看牙医。不过她还是去了，走得很慢很慢，时不时地停下来、坐一坐、到处逛逛，可是她还是去了。哎！她原本是很不想去赴这次约会的，可是上个月她已经连续两次让这个不开心的子爵空等，所以她不敢这么快再一次这么做。为什么她要去见他呢？哎！为什么？因为她已经养成了习惯，而且即使是可怜的马尔特莱想知道理由，她也无法解释。她之前为什么开始？为什么？她自己也记不清了。她曾经爱过他吗？很有可能！不是很强烈，但有一点点，已是很久之前的事了！他人很好，特受欢迎，衣着考究、谦逊有礼，第一眼看上去，他的确是上流社会女人完美的情夫。他追她追了三个月——正常的时间，有应有的斗争，有足够的反抗——最后她还是同意了，带着一种激动、紧张、惧怕又迷人的害怕。第一次约会就是在他那间位于米洛梅斯尼尔街上的小小的单身男子中二层里。她的心？在她第一次走进这座像噩梦般的房子时，她那颗受诱惑的、被战胜的、被征服的女人的小小的心究竟是什么感受呢？她真的不知道了！她已经完全忘记了。人们能记起一件事、一个日子、一样东西，但是在两年以后，无法记起一次很快就消失的内心的激动，因为它是那么的轻微。但是，哦！她没有忘记其他的事情，那一连串的约会，这条艰苦的爱情历程，一站站的是那么的单调、那么的累人、那么的千篇一律，以致于她一想到即将要发生的事情就觉得非常恶心。

And the very cabs were not like the other cabs which one makes use of for ordinary purposes! Certainly, the cabmen guessed. She felt sure of it, by the very way they looked at her, and the eyes of these Paris cabmen are terrible! When one remembers they are constantly remembering, in the Courts of Justices, after a lapse of several years, faces of criminals whom they have only driven once, in the middle of the night, from some street or other to a railway station, and that they have to do with almost as many passengers as there are hours in the day, and that their memory is good enough for them to declare: "That is the man whom I took up in the Rues des Martyrs, and put down at the Lyons Railway Station, at 12 o'clock at night, on July 10, last year! Is it not terrible when one risks what a young woman risks when she is going to meet her lover, and has to trust her reputation to the first cabman she meets? In two years she had employed at least a hundred to a hundred and twenty in that drive to the Rue Miromesnil, reckoning only one a week, and they were so many witnesses, who might appear against her at a critical moment.

此时租的马车不同于一般用途的马车。马车夫肯定能猜出是怎么回事。从他们瞧她的样子，她就能确信这一点，这些巴黎马车夫的眼睛是非常可怕的。几年之后，在法庭上，他们仍能认出在某天深夜，仅仅被他们载过一次，从某条大街送到某个车站的几个罪犯；他们接送的客人多得几乎和一天有多少小时一样，但是他们却依然能豪不含糊地作证说： “这个人就是我在去年七月十号半夜十二点搭载过的客人，他在殉道者街上的车，在里昂车站下车的。” 当一个年轻的女子去约见情夫，把她的名誉全部托付给一个陌生的马车夫，她所冒的风险难道不可怕吗？两年来，就算每周一次，她也雇用过至少一百到一百二十个马车夫载她去米洛梅斯尼尔街赴约。在某个关键时刻，出庭指正她的目击者也会如此之多。

As soon as she was in the cab, she took another veil, which was as thick and dark as a domino mask, out of her pocket, and put it on. That hid her face, but what about the rest, her dress, her bonnet, and her parasol? They might be remarked; they might, in fact, have been seen already. Oh! What misery she endured in this Rue de Miromesnil! She thought that she recognized all the foot—passengers, the servants, everybody, and almost before the cab had stopped, she jumped out and ran past the porter who was standing outside his lodge. He must know everything, everything! —her address, her name, her husband's profession—everything, for those porters are the most cunning of policemen! For two years she had intended to bribe him, to give him (to throw at him one day as she passed him) a hundred—franc bank—note, but she had never once dared to do it. She was frightened! What of? She did not know! Of his calling her back, if he did not understand? Of a scandal? Of a crowd on the stairs? Of being arrested, perhaps? To reach the Viscount's door, she had only to ascend a half a flight of stairs, and it seemed to her as high as the tower of Saint Jacques' Church.

她一坐进马车就从口袋里掏出另一块像半截面具一样厚的黑色面纱，戴上了。这能遮住她的脸，但是其余的部分呢？她的连衣裙、帽子、阳伞呢？这些可能被注意到，也许已经被注意到了。噢！在这条米洛梅斯尼尔街上走着是多么的痛苦啊！她觉得她认识所有的行人，所有的佣人，所有遇到的人。车子刚停下来，她就跳了下来，急匆匆地从看门人面前跑过，这个人总是站在他自己房间门口。他肯定了解所有的事，一切事情——她的地址、她的名字、她丈夫的职业——一切的一切，因为这些看门人是最狡猾的警察！两年来，她总想收买他，给他（某天经过他时扔给他）一张一百法郎的钞票，但是她没有一次敢这么做。她害怕！害怕什么？她不知道！怕他因为不明白而叫回她？怕引起丑闻？怕引起楼梯上人们的围观？也许还怕被拘捕？到达子爵的房门口，只要上半层楼梯即可，可是对她来说却高得像圣雅克教堂。

As soon as she had reached the vestibule, she felt as if she were caught in a trap, and the slightest noise before or behind her, nearly made her faint. It was impossible for her to go back, because of that porter who barred her retreat; and if anyone came down at that moment she would not dare to ring at Martelet's door, but would pass it as if she had been going elsewhere! She would have gone up, and up, and up! She would have mounted forty flights of stairs! Then, when everything would seem quiet again down below, she would run down, feeling terribly frightened, lest she would not recognize the lobby.

一走进门厅，她感觉像是落入了什么陷阱，只要有一点点轻微的声音，不论在她前面还是后面，都几乎吓得她昏厥。后退对她来说是不可能的了，因为门房挡住了她的退路；如果这时正巧有人从楼上下来，她就不敢去按马尔特莱家的门铃，而只能装作刚好经过那里，好像是要去别的地方一样。她就这样一直往上走啊，走啊！她几乎可以一直走到第四十层楼。随后，当下面再次安静下来，她就快速地往下跑，十分惊慌，担心找不到那个中二层的门厅。

He was there in a velvet coat lined with silk, very stylish, but rather ridiculous, and for two years he had never altered his manner of receiving her, not in a single movement! As soon as he had shut the door, he used to say this: "Let me kiss your hands, my dear, dear friend! " Then he followed her into the room, when with closed shutters and lighted candles, out of refinement, no doubt, he knelt down before her and looked at her from head to foot with an air of adoration. On the first occasion that had been very nice and very successful; but now it seemed to her as if she saw Monsieur Delauney acting the last scene of a successful piece for the hundred and twentieth time. He might really change his manner of acting. But no, he never altered his manner of acting, poor fellow. What a good fellow he was, but very commonplace!

他穿着以丝绸为衬里的天鹅绒服装在那儿等着她，很有型，但却显得可笑。两年以来，他从来没有改变过迎接她的方式，连一个动作也没有变过。他一把门关上就会对她说： “请让我吻吻您的手，我亲爱的、亲爱的朋友！” 随后他便跟着她走进房间。房间里的百叶窗关着，灯是点着的。毫无疑问，他很优雅地跪在她的面前，用一种万分仰慕的神情从上到下地打量着她。这种动作在第一次约会时表现得非常好，也十分有效果。但是现在，这对她来说就像在看德洛内先生第一百二十次演出了成功的剧本的最后一幕。他真应该改变一下表演方式。但是不可能，他绝不会改变他的表演方式，可怜的家伙。他是个多么好的家伙啊，可是太平庸了！

And how difficult it was to undress and dress without a lady's maid! Perhaps that was the moment when she began to take a dislike to him. When he said: "Do you want me to help you? " she could have killed him. Certainly there were not many men as awkward as he was, or as uninteresting. Certainly, little Baron de Isombal would never have asked her in such a manner: "Do you want me to help you? " He would have helped her, he was so witty, so funny, so active. But there! He was a diplomatist, he had been about in the world, and had roamed everywhere, and, no doubt, dressed and undressed women who were arrayed in every possible fashion!...

没有女仆服侍，要自己脱衣服和穿衣服是多么困难啊！也许就是从那时候起她开始讨厌他了。当他说： “要不要我来帮您？” 时，她真想杀了他。当然，像他这样笨拙、乏味的男人是不多的。可以肯定的是，那个个子小小的兰格巴尔男爵就绝不会以这样的方式问她： “要不要我帮您？” 他也许会帮她的，他是那么机智、那么风趣、那么活泼。正是这一点！他是个外交家，他经常世界各地四处闯荡。毫无疑问，他肯定给穿着世界上不同款式的时装的女人脱过和穿过衣服！

The church clock struck the three—quarters, and she looked at the dial, and said: "Oh, how agitated he will be! " and then she quickly left the square; but she had not taken a dozen steps outside, when she found herself face to face with a gentleman who bowed profoundly to her.

教堂的钟敲响了三刻的钟声，她看看指针所指的时间说道： “噢，他一定焦虑不安了吧！” 于是她快速地离开广场；但是她还没有走出十步远就迎面遇上了一位绅士，向她深深地弯腰致敬。

"Why! Is that you, Baron? " she said, in surprise. She had just been thinking of him.

“哎呀！男爵，是您啊？” 她吃惊地说。她刚才正巧在想他。

"Yes, Madame. " And then, after asking how she was, and a few vague words, he continued: "Do you know that you are the only one—you will allow me to say of my lady friends, I hope? who has not yet seen my Japanese collection. "

“是的，夫人。” 接着，他问了问她的近况，然后寒暄了几句，之后便接着说： “您知道吗，您是我女朋友中唯一一个——我希望您允许我把您称为我的女朋友——唯一一个还没有参观过我的日本收藏品的。”

"But my dear Baron, a lady cannot go to a bachelor's room like this. "

“可是，我亲爱的男爵，一位女士是不能这样去一个单身男人的家里的。”

"What do you mean? That is a great mistake, when it is a question of seeing a rare collection! "

“您这么说是什么意思呢？当问题涉及参观稀有的收藏品时，这种说法就是个很大的误解！”

"At any rate, she cannot go alone. "

“无论如何，女士是不能独自一人去的。”

"And why not? I have received a number of ladies alone, only for the sake of seeing my collection! They come every day. Shall I tell you their names? No—I will not do that; one must be discreet, even when one it not guilty; as a matter of fact, there is nothing improper in going to the house of a well—known serious man who holds a certain position, unless one goes for an unavoidable reason! "

“为什么不能呢？我已经接待过很多独自前来的女士了，只是为了参观我的收藏品！她们每天都会来。要不要我把她们的名字告诉您？不——我决不会这么做的。即使没有做见不得人的事，人还是谨慎点好。事实上，去一个出了名的生活严肃的拥有一定社会地位的男人家里是没有什么不合适的，除非去那儿有什么不可告人的目的！”

"Well, what you have said is certainly correct, at bottom. "

“好吧，实际上，您讲的这些话当然是对的。”

"So you will come and see my collection? "

“那么，您会来参观我的收藏品？”

"When? "

“什么时间？”

"Well, now, immediately. "

“现在立刻去！”

"Impossible; I am in a hurry. "

“恐怕不行，我现在有急事要办。”

"Nonsense, you have been sitting in the square for this last half hour. "

“胡说，你已经在小广场上坐了半个小时了。”

"You were watching me? "

“您在观察我？”

"I was looking at you. "

“我只是看到了您。”

"But I am sadly in a hurry. "

“但是很遗憾，我真有急事。”

"I am sure you are not. Confess that you are in no particular hurry. "

“我肯定您不是。您还是承认您并没有什么特殊的急事吧。”

Madame Haggan began to laugh, and said: "Well... no... not... very.... "

霍冈夫人笑了起来，说： “好吧，我是没有什么太……”

A cab passed close to them, and the little Baron called out: "Cabman! " and the vehicle stopped, and opening the door, he said: "Get in, Madame. "

一辆出租马车从他们身边擦过，小个子男爵喊道： “车夫！” 车子就停了下来，车夫打开了车门，说道： “请上车，夫人。”

"But, Baron! no, it is impossible today; I really cannot. "

“可是，男爵！不，今天真的不行。我真的不能去。”

"Madame, you are acting very imprudently; get in! people are beginning to look at us, and you will collect a crowd; they will think I am trying to carry you off, and we shall both be arrested; please get in! "

“夫人，您现在这样做是很不谨慎的，请上车吧！已经有人开始在观望我们了，您这样会引来围观者的。他们会以为我是在强行把您带走，这样下去我们会被抓起来的，请上车吧，我求您了！”

She got in, frightened and bewildered, and he sat down by her side, saying to the cabman: "Rue de Provence. "

她上了车，被吓得失魂落魄了。随后，他坐到她的身边，对车夫说： “普罗旺斯街。”

But suddenly she exclaimed: "Good heavens! I have forgotten a very important telegram; please drive to the nearest telegraph office first of all. "

但是突然她大声说道： “天啊！我忘了发一份很重要的电报。请先开去最近的快递信局。”

The cab stopped a little farther on, in the Rue de Chateaudun, and she said to the Baron: "Would you kindly get me a fifty centimes telegraph form? I promised my husband to invite Martelet to dinner tomorrow, and had quite forgotten it. "

出租马车在稍远一些的夏托登街停了下来，她对男爵说： “能不能请您去帮我买一张五十生丁的快递信用纸来？我答应了我丈夫要邀请马尔特莱明天来我家吃晚饭，我都几乎把这事忘得一干二净了。”

When the Baron returned and gave her the blue telegraph form, she wrote in pencil:

男爵回来，把蓝色的快递信用纸递给她，她便用铅笔写道：

"My Dear Friend: I am not at all well. I am suffering terribly? "

我亲爱的朋友：我今天身体不舒服。我很痛苦因为……

from neuralgia, which keeps me in bed. Impossible to go out. Come? and...

神经痛，所以不得不躺在床上。没法出门了。来我家？并且……

dine tomorrow night, so that I may obtain my pardon.?

明晚吃个晚饭，以便取得您的原谅。

"JEANNE. "?

“珍妮。”

She wetted the gum, fastened it carefully, and addressed it to: "Viscount de Martelet, 240 Rue Miromesnil, " and then, giving it back to the Baron, she said: "Now, will you be kind enough to throw this into the telegram box. "

她舔了舔胶水，仔细地把信封上，并写上地址： “米洛梅斯尼尔街二百四十号，德·马尔特莱子爵收” 。随后，将信封递给男爵，说： “现在，请麻烦您把这封信投进快递信箱里。”

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