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The road from Anglebury to Holmstoke is in general level; but there is one place where a sharp ascent breaks its monotony. Farmers homeward—bound from the former market—town, who trot all the rest of the way, walk their horses up this short incline.
安格伯里和霍尔姆斯托克间是一片坦途，只有一段陡峭的上坡路打破了这种千篇一律的平坦。从老集镇赶集回家的农民们本来一路骑马匆匆前行，到了这处短短的斜坡，都要牵着马走着上坡。
The next evening, while the sun was yet bright, a handsome new gig, with a lemon—coloured body and red wheels, was spinning westward along the level highway at the heels of a powerful mare. The driver was a yeoman in the prime of life, cleanly shaven like an actor, his face being toned to that bluish—vermilion hue which so often graces a thriving farmers features when returning home after successful dealings in the town. Beside him sat a woman, many years his junior—almost, indeed, a girl. Her face too was fresh in colour, but it was of a totally different quality—soft and evanescent, like the light under a heap of rose—petals.
第二天傍晚，天色尚明的时候，一辆崭新漂亮的双轮马车——有着柠檬色的车身和红色的轮子，由一头健硕的母马拉着——沿着这条平坦的大路向西疾驰。驾车的是个正值盛年的自耕农，他像演员一样把胡子刮得干干净净，红润的脸庞略带青色，像刚在城里做了几笔好生意，正在回家的成功农场主那样容光焕发。他身旁坐着一个女人，比他年轻好几岁——其实，她几乎还只是个女孩。女孩也是面色红润，但这红润是柔和的、淡淡一抹，就像是从一捧玫瑰花瓣滤过的光一样，跟驾车人的面色截然不同。
Few people travelled this way, for it was not a main road; and the long white riband of gravel that stretched before them was empty, save of one small scarce—moving speck, which presently resolved itself into the figure of boy, who was creeping on at a snails pace, and continually looking behind him—the heavy bundle he carried being some excuse for, if not the reason of, his dilatoriness. When the bouncing gig—party slowed at the bottom of the incline above mentioned, the pedestrian was only a few yards in front. Supporting the large bundle by putting one hand on his hip, he turned and looked straight at the farmers wife as though he would read her through and through, pacing along abreast of the horse.
这条路不是主路，很少有人从这里经过。在他们面前这条沙砾铺就的白色长带上，除了一个缓慢移动的小点就看不到别人了。小点渐渐变成一个小男孩的模样。男孩背着一只很重的包，蜗牛似的慢慢走着，不断向后张望。如果这包不是他拖拖拉拉的原因，那就是他拖拖拉拉的借口。活力四射的马车在前面说到的斜坡前慢了下来，行路的小男孩就在车前几码远的地方。他现在和马并排前行，一只手放在屁股上来托住那个大包。他转过身来，直直地看着农民的妻子，好像要把她仔仔细细看个透彻一样。
The low sun was full in her face, rendering every feature, shade, and contour distinct, from the curve of her little nostril to the colour of her eyes. The farmer, though he seemed annoyed at the boys persistent presence, did not order him to get out of the way; and thus the lad preceded them, his hard gaze never leaving her, till they reached the top of the ascent, when the farmer trotted on with relief in his lineaments—having taken no outward notice of the boy whatever.
低垂的太阳让她满面生辉，从小巧的鼻孔的曲线到眼睛的颜色，她脸上每一个部位、每一丝阴影和每一条轮廓都变得清晰分明。这个农民虽然看起来对小男孩一直走在旁边有些恼怒，却并没有叫他闪开。男孩就这样走在他们前面，一直紧紧地盯着那年轻的妻子，直到他们到达坡顶。农民脸上露出了放松的神情，放马小跑起来——其间他都没有特别注意那个男孩子。
How that poor lad stared at me! said the young wife.
“瞧那可怜的男孩一直在盯着我看！” 年轻的妻子说道。
Yes, dear; I saw that he did.
“是的，亲爱的，我看见他在盯着你。”
He is one of the village, I suppose?
“我想他是村里的人吧？”
One of the neighbourhood. I think he lives with his mother a mile or two off.
“应该住得不远。我想，他跟他母亲住在一两英里以外的地方。”
He knows who we are, no doubt?
“他肯定知道咱们是谁吧？”
O yes. You must expect to be stared at just at first, my pretty Gertrude.
“啊，没错。你一定得有准备，刚开始会有人盯着你瞧的，我漂亮的格特鲁德。”
I do, —though I think the poor boy may have looked at us in the hope we might relieve him of his heavy load, rather than from curiosity.
“我有准备。不过，我觉得那可怜的男孩看着咱们不是出于好奇，而是想让咱们帮他驮那个大包。”
O no, said her husband off—handedly. These country lads will carry a hundredweight once they get it on their backs; besides his pack had more size than weight in it. Now, then, another mile and I shall be able to show you our house in the distance—if it is not too dark before we get there. The wheels spun round, and particles flew from their periphery as before, till a white house of ample dimensions revealed itself, with farm—buildings and ricks at the back.
“哦，不是这样的。” 她的丈夫不假思索地说， “这些乡下男孩一次能背上百英担重的东西。而且，他的那个包虽然看起来很大，实际上没有那么重。好啦，再有一英里，我就能远远地把咱们的房子指给你看了——要是到时候天色还不算太黑的话。” 车轮飞转，小沙粒像从前那样从轮子的边缘飞溅出去，直到一座高大的白色房子出现在前面才停下来，房子后面有些农舍和干草堆。
Meanwhile the boy had quickened his pace, and turning up a by—lane some mile and half short of the white farmstead, ascended towards the leaner pastures, and so on to the cottage of his mother.
这时，男孩也加快了步伐，在离白色农庄不到一英里半的地方拐到另一条小路上。他顺着小路爬上贫瘠的草原，一直走回到他母亲的小屋。
She had reached home after her days milking at the outlying dairy, and was washing cabbage at the doorway in the declining light. Hold up the net a moment, she said, without preface, as the boy came up.
她在偏远的奶场挤了一天奶，已经回家了，现在正在门口借着渐渐暗淡下来的日光冲洗卷心菜。男孩一回来，她也不打招呼就直接说道： “拿一会儿这网袋” 。
He flung down his bundle, held the edge of the cabbage—net, and as she filled its meshes with the dripping leaves she went on, Well, did you see her?
男孩扔下他的大包，握住装着卷心菜的网袋的边缘。她一边把还在滴水的菜叶倒进网袋里，一边说道： “嗯，你见着她了吗？”
Yes; quite plain.
“见着了，看得很清楚。”
Is she ladylike?
“她像位夫人吗？”
Yes; and more. A lady complete.
“嗯，不止这样呢。百分百是位夫人。”
Is she young?
“她年轻吗？”
Well, shes growed up, and her ways be quite a womans.
“嗯，她已经是个大人了，举止行为都带着十足的女人味。”
Of course. What colour is her hair and face?
“当然了。她的头发和脸蛋是什么颜色？”
Her hair is lightish, and her face as comely as a live dolls.
“她头发的颜色很浅，脸长得很好看，就像个活生生的娃娃。”
Her eyes, then, are not dark like mine?
“那，她眼睛的颜色像我的这么深吗？”
No—of a bluish turn, and her mouth is very nice and red; and when she smiles, her teeth show white.
“没这么深——是浅蓝色的，她的嘴巴红红的，很好看，一笑就露出白白的牙齿。”
Is she tall? said the woman sharply.
“她高吗？” 女人尖声问道。
I couldnt see. She was sitting down.
“我没有看见。她是坐着的。”
Then do you go to Holmstoke church tomorrow morning: shes sure to be there. Go early and notice her walking in, and come home and tell me if shes taller than I.
“那你明天早上到霍尔姆斯托克教堂去，她肯定会去那里。早点去，看着她走进去，回来告诉我她是不是比我高。”
Very well, mother. But why dont you go and see for yourself?
“行，妈妈。可你为什么不自己去看？”
I go to see her! I wouldnt look up at her if she were to pass my window this instant. She was with Mr. Lodge, of course. What did he say or do?
“我去看她！就算她现在从我窗边走过，我也决不看她一眼。她自然是跟洛奇先生在一起。他说了什么，做了什么？”
Just the same as usual.
“就跟往常一样。”
Took no notice of you?
“没有注意你？”
None.
“没有。”
Next day the mother put a clean shirt on the boy, and started him off for Holmstoke church. He reached the ancient little pile when the door was just being opened, and he was the first to enter. Taking his seat by the font, he watched all the parishioners file in. The well—to—do Farmer Lodge came nearly last; and his young wife, who accompanied him, walked up the aisle with the shyness natural to a modest woman who had appeared thus for the first time. As all other eyes were fixed upon her, the youths stare was not noticed now.
第二天母亲给男孩穿上一件干净的衬衣，让他去了霍尔姆斯托克教堂。这座年岁久远的小教堂才刚刚开门，男孩就到了那里，他是第一个进去的。男孩在挨着圣水盆的位置坐下，看着其他教区居民陆续走进来。富裕的农场主洛奇差不多最后才来，他年轻的妻子跟他在一起。她带着羞怯的神情走过通道。对于头一次出现在众人面前的端庄女性来说，这份羞怯是再自然不过的了。现在所有人的眼睛都盯着她，因而男孩注视的目光并没有引起注意。
When he reached home his mother said, Well? before he had entered the room.
男孩一到家，还没等他进屋，他母亲就问道： “怎么样？”
She is not tall. She is rather short, he replied.
“她不高。挺矮的。” 他答道。
Ah! said his mother, with satisfaction.
“啊！” 他母亲满意地说了一声。
But shes very pretty—very. In fact, shes lovely.
“但是她特别漂亮——特别漂亮。实际上她很可爱。”
The youthful freshness of the yeomans wife had evidently made an impression even on the somewhat hard nature of the boy.
显然，连这个性格有点倔强的男孩都对这个自耕农妻子的青春靓丽印象深刻。
Thats all I want to hear, said his mother quickly. Now, spread the table—cloth. The hare you caught is very tender; but mind that nobody catches you. —Youve never told me what sort of hands she had.
“我听够了。” 他母亲很快地说， “现在把桌布铺上。你逮的野兔肉很嫩，但是注意点，别让人家抓着你。你一直都没有告诉我她的手是什么样的。”
I have never seen em. She never took off her gloves.
“我根本没看到。她一直戴着手套。”
What did she wear this morning?
“她今早穿戴着什么？”
A white bonnet and a silver—coloured gown. It whewed and whistled so loud when it rubbed against the pews that the lady coloured up more than ever for very shame at the noise, and pulled it in to keep it from touching; but when she pushed into her seat, it whewed more than ever. Mr. Lodge, he seemed pleased, and his waistcoat stuck out, and his great golden seals hung like a lords; but she seemed to wish her noisy gownd anywhere but on her.
“戴着一顶白色的无边帽，穿着一件银色的长裙。裙子蹭到长椅上，悉悉率率的，动静很大。那位太太的脸比平时更红了，为弄出这些声响感到不好意思。她拽着裙子不让它蹭到椅子，可她坐下的时候，那声响更大了。洛奇先生看起来很高兴，他的马甲露了出来，他那金闪闪的大印就像一个大老爷的印章一样挂着。可她像是在希望没有穿那件吵人的裙子。”
Not she! However, that will do now.
“是吗！不管怎么说，现在这些就足够了。”
These descriptions of the newly—married couple were continued from time to time by the boy at his mothers request, after any chance encounter he had had with them. But Rhoda Brook, though she might easily have seen young Mrs. Lodge for herself by walking a couple of miles, would never attempt an excursion towards the quarter where the farmhouse lay. Neither did she, at the daily milking in the dairymans yard on Lodges outlying second farm, ever speak on the subject of the recent marriage. The dairyman, who rented the cows of Lodge, and knew perfectly the tall milkmaids history, with manly kindliness always kept the gossip in the cow—barton from annoying Rhoda. But the atmosphere thereabout was full of the subject during the first days of Mrs. Lodges arrival; and from her boys description and the casual words of the other milkers, Rhoda Brook could raise a mental image of the unconscious Mrs Lodge that was realistic as a photograph.
男孩会时不时地偶遇这对新婚夫妇，每次他母亲都让他说说他们的情况。尽管罗达·布鲁克只消走上几英里，就能见到年轻的洛奇太太。可她从没打算走这段短短的路，到农庄房屋那里去。奶场主的院子就在洛奇第二个偏远的农场里，她每天都在那里挤奶，可她从来不提近来的这桩婚事。奶场主从洛奇那里租来奶牛，他对这个高个子挤奶女工的过去了解得一清二楚。出于男子汉的善意，他总是不让奶场里的闲言碎语烦扰罗达。但是在洛奇太太刚来的那些日子里，周围的环境里充斥着这个话题。从她儿子的描述和其他挤奶工的只言片语中，罗达·布鲁克也能在心里描绘出这个从未谋面的洛奇太太的样子，就像照片一样逼真。
CHAPTER 3 A vision