购买
下载掌阅APP,畅读海量书库
立即打开
畅读海量书库
扫码下载掌阅APP

CHAPTER 8 第八章1

Mr. Pumblechook's premises in the High—street of the market town were of a pepper corny and farinaceous character, as the premises of a corn—chandler and seeds man should be. It appeared to me that he must be a very happy man indeed, to have so many little drawers in his shop; and I wondered when I peeped into one or two on the lower tiers, and saw the tied—up brown paper packets inside, whether the flower—seeds and bulbs ever wanted of a fine day to break out of those jails, and bloom.

彭波契克先生的房屋坐落在集镇的大街上,有一种干胡椒和鼠尾草的风格,而这种房屋正是每一个经营粮食和种子的商人所应该有的房屋。在我看来,他一定是一个非常幸福的人,因为在他商店里有那么多小抽屉。我朝下层的一两个抽屉里偷看了几眼,看到里面有扎紧口的棕色纸包。我想知道,里面的花种和花茎是否想找个好天,冲破这纸做的牢狱,开花结果。

It was in the early morning after my arrival that I entertained this speculation. On the previous night, I had been sent straight to bed in an attic with a sloping roof, which was so low in the corner where the bedstead was, that I calculated the tiles as being within a foot of my eyebrows. In the same early morning, I discovered a singular affinity between seeds and corduroys. Mr. Pumblechook wore corduroys, and so did his shop man; and somehow, there was a general air and flavor about the corduroys, so much in the nature of seeds, and a general air and flavor about the seeds, so much in the nature of corduroys, that I hardly knew which was which. The same opportunity served me for noticing that Mr. Pumblechook appeared to conduct his business by looking across the street at the saddler, who appeared to transact his business by keeping his eye on the coach—maker, who appeared to get on in life by putting his hands in his pockets and contemplating the baker, who in his turn folded his arms and stared at the grocer, who stood at his door and yawned at the chemist. The watch—maker, always poring over a little desk with a magnifying glass at his eye, and always inspected by a group of smock—frocks poring over him through the glass of his shop—window, seemed to be about the only person in the High—street whose trade engaged his attention.

我是在来这里之后的第二天清晨产生了这种思考。前一天晚上,我被径直送进一个斜屋顶的小阁楼去睡觉。床放在角落里,那里的屋顶非常低,我躺在床上估算了一下,觉得瓦片与我眉毛之间的距离不超过一英尺。也就是在那个清晨,我发现种子和灯芯绒之间有一种奇特的密切关系。彭波契克先生穿着灯芯绒料的衣服,他的店员也穿着灯芯绒料的衣服。而且不知为何,灯芯绒的气味非常像种子的气味,而种子的气味又非常像灯芯绒的气味,弄得我都分辨不出来哪个是哪个。同时我还注意到,彭波契克先生似乎靠盯着街对面的马具商来经营他的生意;马具商靠盯着马车修理匠来打理他的生意;马车修理匠靠两手插在口袋里,凝视着面包师傅来谋生;面包师傅则双臂交叉在胸前,盯着杂货商;而杂货商则站在门口,对着药剂师打哈欠。修表匠总是眼上戴个放大镜,伏在一张小桌子上仔细研究着。而且在他的商店窗户外,总有一群穿着肥大连衣裙的女人窥视着他。修表匠似乎是整条大街上唯一一个把注意力放在自己生意上的人。

Mr. Pumblechook and I breakfasted at eight o'clock in the parlor behind the shop, while the shop man took his mug of tea and hunch of bread—and—butter on a sack of peas in the front premises. I considered Mr. Pumblechook wretched company. Besides being possessed by my sister's idea that a mortifying and penitential character ought to be imparted to my diet—besides giving me as much crumb as possible in combination with as little butter, and putting such a quantity of warm water into my milk that it would have been more candid to have left the milk out altogether—his conversation consisted of nothing but arithmetic. On my politely bidding him Good morning, he said, pompously, "Seven times nine, boy? " And how should I be able to answer, dodged in that way, in a strange place, on an empty stomach! I was hungry, but before I had swallowed a morsel, he began a running sum that lasted all through the breakfast. "Seven? " "And four? " "And eight? " "And six? " "And two? "

八点钟的时候我和彭波契克先生在店铺后面的客厅吃早餐。此时店员坐在前堂的一袋豆子上,拿着一大杯茶,吃着黄油面包。我觉得,彭波契克先生是个让人无法忍受的同伴。他满脑子都是我姐姐的那套理论,那就是在我吃饭的时候也要让我难为情,让我悔悟。他给我的都是面包屑外加一点点的黄油,在我的牛奶中加了大量温水,其实还不如更直接地把牛奶都一起省掉算了。除此之外,他的谈话内容没有别的,只有算术题。在我礼貌地跟他说了 “早上好” 之后,他趾高气扬地说道: “七乘九等于多少,小子?” 我身处一个陌生的地方,腹中空空,又想尽量逃避这种问题,在这种情况之下,叫我怎么回答得出来呢!我很饿,但我还没来得及吞下一点食物,他就开始问一长串的算术题,整整持续了整个早餐时间。 “七乘七?” “七乘四?” “七乘八?” “七乘六?” “七乘二?”

"And ten? " And so on. And after each figure was disposed of, it was as much as I could do to get a bite or a sup, before the next came; while he sat at his ease guessing nothing, and eating bacon and hot roll, in (if I may be allowed the expression) a gorging and gormandizing manner.

“七乘十?” 诸如此类。每次一个数字算完之后,我刚刚咬上一口或喝上一口,下一道题就来了。而他却舒舒服服地坐在那里,毫不费脑地大吃培根和热面包圈。(如果我可以用下面这些形容词的话)他简直就是在狼吞虎咽。

For such reasons I was very glad when ten o'clock came and we started for Miss Havisham's; though I was not at all at my ease regarding the manner in which I should acquit myself under that lady's roof. Within a quarter of an hour we came to Miss Havisham's house, which was of old brick, and dismal, and had a great many iron bars to it. Some of the windows had been walled up; of those that remained, all the lower were rustily barred. There was a court—yard in front, and that was barred; so, we had to wait, after ringing the bell, until some one should come to open it. While we waited at the gate, I peeped in (even then Mr. Pumblechook said, "And fourteen? " but I pretended not to hear him), and saw that at the side of the house there was a large brewery. No brewing was going on in it, and none seemed to have gone on for a long time.

因此我非常高兴终于到了十点钟,我们要出发去郝维仙小姐家了。不过,我一想起在那位小姐家应该如何表现,心里就不自在。不到一刻钟,我们就到了郝维仙小姐家门口。房屋的砖瓦看起来很古老,整个房屋阴沉沉的,周围有很多铁栅栏。有些窗户已经被封死了,剩下的窗户当中,低矮的那些都装着锈迹斑斑的铁栏。房前有个庭院,也被铁栏围住了。所以按了门铃之后,我们就得一直等,直到有人来开门。当我们在门口等的时候,我朝里面窥视了几眼(即使在这个时候,彭波契克先生还在问: “七乘十四等于多少?” 但我装作没听见),看到房子的一侧有一个大酿酒作坊。此时作坊没有酿酒,而且似乎已经很长时间不酿酒了。

A window was raised, and a clear voice demanded "What name? " To which my conductor replied, "Pumble chook. " The voice returned, "Quite right, " and the window was shut again, and a young lady came across the court—yard, with keys in her hand.

一扇窗户被打开了,一个清脆的声音问道: “是谁呀?” 带我来的人回答道: “彭波契克。” 那个声音回道: “知道了。” 然后窗户又被关上了。随后一个年轻的小姐手拿着院门钥匙,穿过庭院走了过来。

"This, " said Mr. Pumblechook, "is Pip. "

“这个,” 彭波契克说, “是皮普。”

"This is Pip, is it? " returned the young lady, who was very pretty and seemed very proud; "come in, Pip. "

“这是皮普,是吗?” 这位年轻的小姐回答说,她很漂亮而且看起来很骄傲, “进来吧,皮普。”

Mr. Pumblechook was coming in also, when she stopped him with the gate.

彭波契克先生也想跟着进来,但她关上了门,把他堵在了门外。

"Oh! " She said. "Did you wish to see Miss Havisham? "

“噢!” 她说道, “你想见郝维仙小姐吗?”

"If Miss Havisham wished to see me, " returned Mr. Pumblechook, discomfited.

“如果郝维仙小姐想见我的话。” 彭波契克先生尴尬地回答道。

"Ah! " said the girl; "but you see she don't. "

“哦!” 这个女孩说, “但跟你说吧,她不想见你。”

She said it so finally, and in such a undiscussible way, that Mr. Pumblechook, though in a condition of ruffled dignity, could not protest. But he eyed me severely—as if I had done anything to him! —and departed with the words reproachfully delivered: "Boy! Let your behavior here be a credit unto them which brought you up by hand! " I was not free from apprehension that he would come back to propound through the gate, "And sixteen? " But he didn't.

她说得非常坚决,毫无商量的余地。彭波契克先生虽然尊严扫地,却无法反抗。但是他恶狠狠地盯着我——仿佛是我对他做了什么!——离开之前还留下几句责备的话: “小子!要让你在这里的表现给那些亲手把你带大的人争光!” 我仍然担心他会返回来,隔着大门对我提问: “七乘十六等于多少?” 但是他没有。

My young conductress locked the gate, and we went across the court—yard. It was paved and clean, but grass was growing in every crevice. The brewery buildings had a little lane of communication with it, and the wooden gates of that lane stood open, and all the brewery beyond, stood open, away to the high enclosing wall; and all was empty and disused. The cold wind seemed to blow colder there, than outside the gate; and it made a shrill noise in howling in and out at the open sides of the brewery, like the noise of wind in the rigging of a ship at sea.

给我引路的年轻小姐锁上了门,然后我们穿过庭院走进去。道路铺着石板,路面很干净,但每个石板夹缝中都长着草。酿酒作坊通过一条小径与房屋相连。小径上的木门都敞开着,酿酒作坊也敞开着,不远处就是高高的围墙。作坊里空荡荡的,已经不再使用了。那里吹的冷风似乎比门外的冷风更加寒冷。而且冷风在酿酒作坊敞开的门窗里吹进吹出时发出尖利、刺耳的噪音,这种噪音就像是海上航船绳索之间的风声。

She saw me looking at it, and she said, "You could drink without hurt all the strong beer that's brewed there now, boy. "

她见我在看着酿酒作坊就说: “孩子,现在你哪怕喝光那里现在酿制的烈啤酒也不会挨打。”

"I should think I could, miss, " said I, in a shy way.

“我想是的,小姐。” 我羞涩地说。

"Better not try to brew beer there now, or it would turn out sour, boy; don't you think so? "

“现在最好不要在那里酿酒,否则酒会很酸的,孩子,你说对吗?”

"It looks like it, miss. "

“看上去是的,小姐。”

"Not that anybody means to try, " she added, "for that's all done with, and the place will stand as idle as it is, till it falls. As to strong beer, there's enough of it in the cellars already, to drown the Manor House. "

“没有人想用它来酿酒。” 她接着说道, “因为酒已经酿过了,这个地方就继续像现在这样闲置着,一直到它倒塌为止。至于烈啤酒,酒窖里已经有足够多的烈酒了,可以淹没这座庄园宅邸。”

"Is that the name of this house, miss? "

“那是这座房子的名字吗,小姐?”

"One of its names, boy. "

“其中的一个名字,孩子。”

"It has more than one, then, missed? "

“那它的名字不止一个了,小姐?”

"One more. Its other name was Satis; which is Greek, or Latin, or Hebrew, or all three—or all one to me—for enough.”

“还有一个。它另一个名字是沙提斯,可能是希腊语,或拉丁语,或希伯来语,或三种都是——对我来说都是一个意思——就是 ‘足够’ 的意思。”

"Enough House, " said I; "that's a curious name, miss. "

“足够宅邸,” 我说道, “那是个挺奇怪的名字,小姐。”

"Yes, " she replied; "but it meant more than it said. It meant, when it was given, that whoever had this house, could want nothing else. They must have been easily satisfied in those days, I should think. But don't loiter, boy. "

“是的,” 她回答说, “但是它隐含的意义比它的字面意思要大得多。它意味着不管是谁,一旦拥有了这座房子就别无所求了。我想,那个时候的人们一定非常容易满足。不过,别磨蹭了,孩子。”

Though she called me "boy" so often, and with a carelessness that was far from complimentary, she was of about my own age. She seemed much older than I, of course, being a girl, and beautiful and self—possessed; and she was as scornful of me as if she had been one—and—twenty, and a queen.

尽管她口口声声叫我 “孩子” ,漫不经心而又毫无赞美之意,但其实她的年龄与我相当。当然,她看起来比我大多了。作为一个女孩子,她很漂亮也很得体。她看不起我,仿佛自己已经是个二十一岁的女王了。

We went into the house by a side door—the great front entrance had two chains across it outside—and the first thing I noticed was, that the passages were all dark, and that she had left a candle burning there. She took it up, and we went through more passages and up a staircase, and still it was all dark, and only the candle lighted us.

我们从一扇侧门进入房屋——大前门的外边拴着两条铁链——我最先注意到的是,走廊里漆黑一片,她之前在那里留下一根点亮的蜡烛。她拿起蜡烛,我们又往前走过几个过道,走上楼梯,一路上仍然是一片漆黑,只有那根蜡烛给我们照亮。

At last we came to the door of a room, and she said, "Go in. "

最后,我们来到一个房门口,她说: “进去。”

I answered, more in shyness than politeness, "After you, miss. "

我更多的是出于羞涩而不是出于礼貌地回答说: “您先请,小姐。”

To this, she returned: "Don't be ridiculous, boy; I am not going in. " And scornfully walked away, and—what was worse—took the candle with her.

听到我的话,她回道: “别犯傻了,孩子,我不进去。” 然后她鄙视地走开了,而且——更糟的是——把蜡烛一起带走了。

This was very uncomfortable, and I was half afraid. However, the only thing to be done being to knock at the door, I knocked, and was told from within to enter. I entered, therefore, and found myself in a pretty large room, well lighted with wax candles. No glimpse of daylight was to be seen in it. It was a dressing—room, as I supposed from the furniture, though much of it was of forms and uses then quite unknown to me. But prominent in it was a draped table with a gilded looking—glass, and that I made out at first sight to be a fine lady's dressing—table.

这让我很不自在,而且多半还有些害怕。然而,唯一能做的事情就是敲门,于是我敲了门,里面传来一个声音叫我进去。因此我进了门,发现自己置身于一个很大的房间之中,很多蜡烛将房间照得很明亮。房间里看不到一丝日光。我从家具上推断,这是个更衣室,尽管当时有很多家具我还不认识。但是屋里最突出的是一张罩着台布的桌子,桌上带了一张镀金的梳妆镜。我一眼就看出,这是一位贵妇人的梳妆台。

Whether I should have made out this object so soon, if there had been no fine lady sitting at it, I cannot say. In an arm—chair, with an elbow resting on the table and her head leaning on that hand, sat the strangest lady I have ever seen, or shall ever see.

如果不是当时有位贵妇人坐在那里,很难说我还会不会这么快就得出结论。她坐在一张扶手椅上,把一只胳膊肘放在梳妆台上,头斜靠着这只手。她是我到那时为止所见过的最奇怪的妇人,甚至是我这辈子见过的最奇怪的妇人。

She was dressed in rich materials—satins, and lace, and silks—all of white. Her shoes were white. And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table. Dresses, less splendid than the dress she wore, and half—packed trunks, were scattered about. She had not quite finished dressing, for she had but one shoe on—the other was on the table near her hand—her veil was but half arranged, her watch and chain were not put on, and some lace for her bosom lay with those trinkets, and with her handkerchief, and gloves, and some flowers, and a prayer—book, all confusedly heaped about the looking—glass.

她穿的衣服都是名贵料子——缎子、蕾丝、丝绸——全都是白色的。她的鞋也是白色的。一条长长的白色面纱从她头发上垂下来,她头上戴着新娘花饰,但她的头发却白了。她脖子上和手上有些亮晶晶的珠宝首饰在闪闪发光,梳妆台上散落着另外一些闪闪发亮的珠宝首饰。比她身上穿着的那件差一点的衣服以及一些没收拾好的箱子散落得到处都是。她还没有打扮好,因为她只穿了一只鞋——另一只鞋放在梳妆台上,靠近她手边——面纱只整理好一半,手表和手链还没有戴上,一些胸花和那些小首饰玩意、手帕、手套、几朵花以及一本祈祷书都胡乱地堆在梳妆镜的周围。

It was not in the first few moments that I saw all these things, though I saw more of them in the first moments than might be supposed. But, I saw that everything within my view which ought to be white, had been white long ago, and had lost its luster, and was faded and yellow. I saw that the bride within the bridal dress had withered like the dress, and like the flowers, and had no brightness left but the brightness of her sunken eyes. I saw that the dress had been put upon the rounded figure of a young woman, and that the figure upon which it now hung loose, had shrunk to skin and bone. Once, I had been taken to see some ghastly waxwork at the Fair, representing I know not what impossible personage lying in state. Once, I had been taken to one of our old marsh churches to see a skeleton in the ashes of a rich dress, that had been dug out of a vault under the church pavement. Now, waxwork and skeleton seemed to have dark eyes that moved and looked at me. I should have cried out, if I could.

我并不是从一开始就看到了所有这些东西,尽管我在一开始看到的东西比预想的要多。但是我看到,我视线之内的所有应该是白色的东西都因为时间太长而失去了光泽。它们的颜色褪去,变得发黄。我看到,这个穿着新娘礼服的新娘已经像这身礼服和那些花一样枯萎了,除了她深陷下去的眼睛里还有光彩之外,再没留下其他一丝光彩了。我看到,这身礼服以前是穿在一个年轻女子丰满的体形之上的,而如今,穿礼服的身体已经是骨瘦如柴了,套在外面的礼服显得空荡荡的。有一次,我被带到集市上去看一个令人毛骨悚然的蜡像,我不知道它代表的是哪一位正躺着供人瞻仰的、了不起的名流。还有一次,我被带到一座位于我们那边沼泽地上的老教堂。在那里我看到一具从教堂人行路下的地下墓室中挖出来的骷髅,骷髅身上穿的华丽的衣服已经成灰。如今,蜡像和骷髅似乎在转动着他们的黑眼睛,看着我。如果我能叫的话,我一定早就叫出来了。

"Who is it? " said the lady at the table.

“是谁?” 坐在梳妆台旁的夫人说道。

"Pip, ma 'am. "

“我是皮普,夫人。”

"Pip? "

“皮普?”

"Mr. Pumblechook's boy, ma 'am. Come—to play.”

“彭波契克先生带来的那个孩子,夫人。来这里——来这里玩的。”

"Come nearer; let me look at you. Come close. "

“走近一点,让我看看你。靠近一点。”

It was when I stood before her, avoiding her eyes, that I took note of the surrounding objects in detail, and saw that her watch had stopped at twenty minutes to nine, and that a clock in the room had stopped at twenty minutes to nine.

当我站在她面前,躲避着她的目光时,我才仔细注意到周围的东西,发现她的表停在八点四十,屋里的一座钟也停在八点四十。

"Look at me, " said Miss Havisham. "You are not afraid of a woman who has never seen the sun since you were born? "

“看着我。” 郝维仙小姐说道, “你不害怕一个自从你出生以来就从没见过太阳的女人吗?”

I regret to state that I was not afraid of telling the enormous lie comprehended in the answer "No. "

遗憾地说,我一点都不害怕地在我的回答当中撒了一个天大的谎: “不害怕。”

"Do you know what I touch here? " she said, laying her hands, one upon the other, on her left side.

“你知道我触摸的地方是什么?” 她说着把两只手叠放在她的左胸口上。

"Yes, ma 'am. " (It made me think of the young man. )

“我知道,夫人。” (这让我想起那个年轻人。)

"What do I touch? "

“我触摸的地方是什么?”

"Your heart. "

“是您的心。”

"Broken! "

“碎了!”

She uttered the word with an eager look, and with strong emphasis, and with a weird smile that had a kind of boast in it. Afterwards, she kept her hands there for a little while, and slowly took them away as if they were heavy.

她说出这个词的时候脸上一副迫切的神情,语气特别重,而且带着一种奇怪的笑容,似乎有几分自豪的意味。之后,她把手放在那里一会儿,然后慢慢移开,仿佛双手很沉重似的。

"I am tired, " said Miss Havisham. "I want diversion, and I have done with men and women. Play. "

“我厌烦了。” 郝维仙小姐说道, “我想换个花样,我也玩腻了男男女女的事情。玩吧。”

I think it will be conceded by my most disputatious reader, that she could hardly have directed an unfortunate boy to do anything in the wide world more difficult to be done under the circumstances.

我想,我最好争论的读者也会承认,几乎没有什么事情会比她让我这个不幸的孩子在这种情况下所做的事情更难了。

"I sometimes have sick fancies, " she went on, "and I have a sick fancy that I want to see some play. There there! " with an impatient movement of the fingers of her right hand; "play, play, play! "

“我有时候会有一些古怪的幻想。” 她继续说道, “我产生这种古怪幻想时就想看着别人玩。在那儿,在那儿!” 她用右手手指做了个不耐烦地手势, “玩啊,玩啊,玩!”

For a moment, with the fear of my sister's working me before my eyes, I had a desperate idea of starting round the room in the assumed character of Mr. Pumblechook's chaise—cart. But, I felt myself so unequal to the performance that I gave it up, and stood looking at Miss Havisham in what I suppose she took for a dogged manner, inasmuch as she said, when we had taken a good look at each other:

在那一刹那,我眼前出现了我姐姐正修理我的画面。绝望之下,我萌生了一个念头,就是扮作彭波契克先生的轻便马车在屋子里开始转圈。但是我觉得自己完全胜任不了这种表演,所以放弃了这个想法。我站在那里看着郝维仙小姐,我猜想她认为我那副表情很顽固,因为当我们都仔细观察了对方之后,她说道:

"Are you sullen and obstinate? "

“你很不高兴,很执拗吗?”

"No, ma 'am, I am very sorry for you, and very sorry I can't play just now. If you complain of me I shall get into trouble with my sister, so I would do it if I could; but it's so new here, and so strange, and so fine—and melancholy—.” I stopped, fearing I might say too much, or had already said it, and we took another look at each other.

“不是的,夫人,我很抱歉,很抱歉我现在不能玩。如果你抱怨我的话,我姐姐就会找我麻烦。所以只要我能做的我一定会做,但这里那么新奇,那么陌生,那么美好——而且那么让人悲伤——” 我停了下来,害怕自己会说得太多了,或者已经说得太多了。我们又彼此看了对方一眼。

Before she spoke again, she turned her eyes from me, and looked at the dress she wore, and at the dressing—table, and finally at herself in the looking—glass.

在她再次开口说话之前,她把目光从我身上移开,看了看她穿的衣服,看了看梳妆台,最后看着梳妆镜中的自己。 jb/WEOvh7nfL0JXA4nfDldlTUti8UjlWb3R1wdvo2bE9HUVL18WwyJf6ZXTCTJK4

点击中间区域
呼出菜单
上一章
目录
下一章
×