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MISTRESS MARY QUITE CONTRARY
第二章 玛丽小姐，倔强异常
Mary had liked to look at her mother from a distance and she had thought her very pretty，but as she knew very little of her she could scarcely have been expected to love her or to miss her very much when she was gone. She did not miss her at all，in fact，and as she was a self—absorbed child she gave her entire thought to herself，as she had always done. If she had been older she would no doubt have been very anxious at being left alone in the world，but she was very young，and as she had always been taken care of，she supposed she always would be. What she thought was that she would like to know if she was going to nice people，who would be polite to her and give her her own way as her Ayah and the other native servants had done.
虽然玛丽曾喜欢远远地看着自己漂亮的母亲，她却实在不了解她。因此，不能指望妈妈去世后玛丽能有多爱她，想念她。说实在的她一点儿都不想念她。玛丽是一个只顾自己的孩子，一直以来所有的想法都专注于自身。如果年纪再大一些，被孤零零地留在这个世界上，她一定会焦躁不安。但是她年纪还小，且一直有人照顾，因此便认为一切都会和以前一样。她现在想的是：自己是否会被送到个好人家；收养自己的人是否会像印度奶妈和其他印度仆人一样对她礼貌有加、百依百顺。
She knew that she was not going to stay at the English clergyman's house where she was taken at first. She did not want to stay. The English clergyman was poor and he had five children nearly all the same age and they wore shabby clothes and were always quarreling and snatching toys from each other. Mary hated their untidy bungalow and was so disagreeable to them that after the first day or two nobody would play with her. By the second day they had given her a nickname which made her furious.
最开始她被送到了一个英国牧师的家里。她知道自己在那里呆不久。她不想呆在那里。牧师很穷，家里有五个年纪相当的孩子。他们常常衣衫褴褛，总是不停地争吵，抢夺玩具。玛丽讨厌他们这个邋遢的小屋，对他们也不友善。没过一两天，就没有人愿意与她玩耍了。第二天，他们还给她取了个绰号，更是让她火冒三丈。
It was Basil who thought of it first. Basil was a little boy with impudent blue eyes and a turned—up nose，and Mary hated him. She was playing by herself under a tree，just as she had been playing the day the cholera broke out. She was making heaps of earth and paths for a garden and Basil came and stood near to watch her. Presently he got rather interested and suddenly made a suggestion.
是巴兹尔先想起这个名字的。巴兹尔是个小男孩儿。他长了一双看上去粗鲁冒失的蓝眼睛，朝天鼻，玛丽很讨厌他。本来，她自己一个人在树下玩儿，就像霍乱爆发那天一样。这时巴兹尔过来了，站在旁边看她堆小土堆，造花园小路。不一会儿，他觉得很有趣，于是插嘴给了个建议。
"Why don't you put a heap of stones there and pretend it is a rockery？" he said. "There in the middle，" and he leaned over her to point.
“你为什么不在那边砌一堆石头做假山呢？” 他说， “就是中间那个地方，” 他边说边俯身越过她指着。
"Go away! " cried Mary. "I don't want boys. Go away! "
“滚远点！” 玛丽大喊， “我不要男生。滚开！”
For a moment Basil looked angry，and then he began to tease. He was always teasing his sisters. He danced round and round her and made faces and sang and laughed.
巴兹尔最开始很生气，不过很快他就开始捉弄玛丽。他也总爱捉弄自己的妹妹们。他围着玛丽跳舞，做鬼脸，唱歌，嬉笑。
"Mistress Mary，quite contrary，How does your garden grow？With silver bells，and cockle shells，And marigolds all in a row. "
“玛丽小姐，倔强非常，你的花园，怎番模样？银色风铃，鸟蛤贝壳，美丽金盏，排列一行。”
He sang it until the other children heard and laughed，too；and the crosser Mary got，the more they sang "Mistress Mary，quite contrary" ；and after that as long as she stayed with them they called her "Mistress Mary Quite Contrary" when they spoke of her to each other，and often when they spoke to her.
他不停地唱，唱到其他孩子也听见，跟着哄笑起来。玛丽越生气，他们就越唱得起劲 “玛丽小姐，倔强异常” 。自此以后，只要她和他们一起，凡是他们相互之间谈起她，或是和她讲话时，都这么叫她。
"You are going to be sent home，" Basil said to her， "at the end of the week. And we're glad of it. "
一天，巴兹尔告诉她说： “这个周末你就要被送回家去了。我们很高兴。”
"I am glad of it，too，" answered Mary. "Where is home？"
“我也很高兴。” 玛丽回答说， “但家是指哪里呢？”
"She doesn't know where home is! " said Basil，with seven—year—old scorn. "It's England，of course. Our grandmama lives there and our sister Mabel was sent to her last year. You are not going to your grandmama. You have none. You are going to your uncle. His name is Mr. Archibald Craven. "
“她居然不知道家在哪里！” 巴兹尔用七岁小孩子的鄙视的语气说道， “当然是在英国。我们的奶奶住在那里。我的姐姐梅布尔去年就被送去她那里了。你不是被送去你奶奶那里。因为你没有奶奶。你要去你姑父那里。他叫阿奇博尔德·克雷文。”
"I don't know anything about him，" snapped Mary.
“我根本不认识他。” 玛丽打断他。
"I know you don't ，" Basil answered. "You don't know anything. Girls never do. I heard father and mother talking about him. He lives in a great，big，desolate old house in the country and no one goes near him. He's so cross he won't let them，and they wouldn't come if he would let them. He's a hunchback，and he's horrid. " "I don't believe you，" said Mary；and she turned her back and stuck her fingers in her ears，because she would not listen any more.
“我知道你不认识他。” 巴兹尔回答说， “你什么也不懂。女生都这样。我听爸爸妈妈说起他了。他住在乡下一个大而荒凉的老房子里，没人接近他。他脾气很坏，不准人接近。不过就算是他愿意，也没人愿意靠近他。他是个大驼背，样子很吓人。” “我不相信你。” 玛丽大喊，说完转身用双手堵住耳朵，不想继续听下去。
But she thought over it a great deal afterward；and when Mrs. Crawford told her that night that she was going to sail away to England in a few days and go to her uncle，Mr. Archibald Craven，who lived at Misselthwaite Manor，she looked so stony and stubbornly uninterested that they did not know what to think about her. They tried to be kind to her，but she only turned her face away when Mrs. Crawford attempted to kiss her，and held herself stiffly when Mr. Crawford patted her shoulder.
不过后来她还是反复琢磨了这件事。当天晚上，克劳福德太太告诉她说几天后她将要乘船去英国，去米瑟斯韦特庄园她姑父阿奇博尔德那里。她所表现出的冰冷和无动于衷让夫妇俩不知道拿她怎么办。他们试图对她好些。但克劳福德太太想吻她时，她别过了脸；克劳福德先生轻拍她肩膀时，她又马上绷紧了身体。
"She is such a plain child，" Mrs. Crawford said pityingly，afterward. "And her mother was such a pretty creature. She had a very pretty manner，too，and Mary has the most unattractive ways I ever saw in a child. The children call her 'Mistress Mary Quite Contrary，' and though it's naughty of them，one can't help understanding it. "
克劳福德太太后来不无惋惜地说： “她可真是个平庸的孩子。她妈妈可真是个尤物啊。举止也那么优雅。但玛丽的举止在我见过的孩子中是最乏味的。孩子们都叫她 ‘玛丽小姐，倔强异常’ ，虽然是调皮之举，却不难理解他们为什么这么叫。”
"Perhaps if her mother had carried her pretty face and her pretty manners oftener into the nursery Mary might have learned some pretty ways too. It is very sad，now the poor beautiful thing is gone，to remember that many people never even knew that she had a child at all. "
“她那美丽优雅的妈妈若能多花些时间在幼儿室，玛丽或许能多学到一些。但可惜的是，美人已逝啊。要知道，很多人甚至还不知道她有孩子呢。”
"I believe she scarcely ever looked at her，" sighed Mrs. Crawford. "When her Ayah was dead there was no one to give a thought to the little thing. Think of the servants running away and leaving her all alone in that deserted bungalow. Colonel McGrew said he nearly jumped out of his skin when he opened the door and found her standing by herself in the middle of the room. "
“我想她都没见过自己的孩子几次。” 克劳福德太太叹气道， “奶妈死了，更是没人想起这可怜的小东西了。想想看，仆人都跑掉了，就剩她一个人在那个废弃的小屋里。麦格鲁上校说当他打开门，看到她一个人站在屋子中央时，吓得差点魂飞魄散。”
Mary made the long voyage to England under the care of an officer's wife，who was taking her children to leave them in a boarding—school. She was very much absorbed in her own little boy and girl，and was rather glad to hand the child over to the woman Mr. Archibald Craven sent to meet her，in London. The woman was his housekeeper at Misselthwaite Manor，and her name was Mrs. Medlock. She was a stout woman，with very red cheeks and sharp black eyes. She wore a very purple dress，a black silk mantle with jet fringe on it and a black bonnet with purple velvet flowers which stuck up and trembled when she moved her head. Mary did not like her at all，but as she very seldom liked people there was nothing remarkable in that；besides which it was very evident Mrs. Medlock did not think much of her.
玛丽在一个军官妻子的照料下，经过长途旅行到达了英国。军官妻子是要把她的孩子安置在一所寄宿学校的。因此，她的心思几乎都在自己的儿女身上。到了伦敦，便非常开心地把玛丽交给了阿奇博尔德·克雷文先生遣来接她的人。她是米瑟斯韦特庄园的管家梅德洛克太太。她身材壮实，脸颊很红，黑色双眼目光犀利。她穿了一条深紫色裙子，一个镶着黝黑花边的黑色丝质斗篷，头戴装饰着天鹅绒质地紫色花朵的黑帽子。头晃动的时候，那些花朵也伸出来，跟着颤动。玛丽一点儿也不喜欢她。不过这也不足为奇，因为她本来也就鲜少喜欢什么人。何况显然梅德洛克太太也没怎么把她放在心上。
"My word! she's a plain little piece of goods! " she said. "And we'd heard that her mother was a beauty. She hasn't handed much of it down，has she，ma 'am？" Perhaps she will improve as she grows older，the officer's wife said good—naturedly. If she were not so sallow and had a nicer expression，her features are rather good. Children alter so much.
“天啊，就这么一个平庸的小家伙！” 她叫道， “我听说她妈妈可是个美人啊。她的美貌可没传给后代多少，是不是？” “也许她长大些会变好看点。” 军官的太太好心替她辩解， “她的脸型其实还不错，就是脸色有些蜡黄，表情不好。小孩子变化很大。”
"She'll have to alter a good deal，" answered Mrs. Medlock. "And，there's nothing likely to improve children at Misselthwaite—if you ask me! " They thought Mary was not listening because she was standing a little apart from them at the window of the private hotel they had gone to. She was watching the passing buses and cabs and people，but she heard quite well and was made very curious about her uncle and the place he lived in. What sort of a place was it，and what would he be like？What was a hunchback？She had never seen one. Perhaps there were none in India.
“那她可得变很多才行。” 梅德洛克太太答道， “而且，要是让我说，米瑟斯韦特庄园可不是一个能让孩子进步很多的地方！” 她们以为玛丽没在听她们讲话，因为玛丽站在这个小私人旅馆的窗边，离她们还有一段距离。玛丽在窗边看着往来的公车、出租车和行人，却把她们的对话听得一清二楚。她开始对自己的姑父和他住的那个地方产生了好奇。那是个什么地方，他是个什么样的人呢？驼背什么样？她从来没有见过。也许印度没有驼背吧。
Since she had been living in other people's houses and had had no Ayah，she had begun to feel lonely and to think queer thoughts which were new to her. She had begun to wonder why she had never seemed to belong to anyone even when her father and mother had been alive. Other children seemed to belong to their fathers and mothers，but she had never seemed to really be anyone's little girl. She had had servants，and food and clothes，but no one had taken any notice of her. She did not know that this was because she was a disagreeable child；but then，of course，she did not know she was disagreeable. She often thought that other people were，but she did not know that she was so herself.
自从住进别人家里，身边没有奶妈照料，她慢慢开始感到孤独，脑子里也冒出了以前从未有过的怪念头。她不明白，为什么即使父母都活着的时候，她好像也从来没有属于过任何人。别的孩子好像都属于他们的父母，但是她好像从来都不是任何人的小女孩儿。她虽然有仆人，衣食无缺，但却从未有人关心她。她不明白这都是因为自己不好相处。在当时她哪里有这种意识。她常常觉得是别人不好相处，而没有意识到其实自己才是那个不好相处的人。
She thought Mrs. Medlock the most disagreeable person she had ever seen，with her common，highly colored face and her common fine bonnet. When the next day they set out on their journey to Yorkshire，she walked through the station to the railway carriage with her head up and trying to keep as far away from her as she could，because she did not want to seem to belong to her. It would have made her angry to think people imagined she was her little girl.
她认为梅德洛克太太是她见过的最不好相处的人。无论是她那深色的脸还是她精致的帽子都显得很俗气。第二天她们便启程去约克郡了。她昂首挺胸地穿过火车站，走向车厢，尽量和梅德洛克太太离远些，她不想自己在别人看来像是梅德洛克太太带着的小孩儿。只要一想起别人可能认为她是这个女人的女儿，她就很生气。
But Mrs. Medlock was not in the least disturbed by her and her thoughts. She was the kind of woman who would "stand no nonsense from young ones. " At least，that is what she would have said if she had been asked. She had not wanted to go to London just when her sister Maria's daughter was going to be married，but she had a comfortable，well paid place as housekeeper at Misselthwaite Manor and the only way in which she could keep it was to do at once what Mr. Archibald Craven told her to do. She never dared even to ask a question.
不过，梅德洛克太太对她和她的想法却毫不在意。她是那种 “决不容许年轻人胡作非为” 的女人。至少别人问起她，她一定这么回答。她本来不想来伦敦的，她妹妹玛丽亚的女儿马上就要结婚了。但是米瑟斯韦特庄园的管家这份工作既舒服，报酬也丰厚。要想保住这份工作，阿奇博尔德先生吩咐什么她就必须马上执行。她连问题都没敢问一个。
"Captain Lennox and his wife died of the cholera，" Mr. Craven had said in his short，cold way. "Captain Lennox was my wife's brother and I am their daughter's guardian. The child is to be brought here. You must go to London and bring her yourself. "
“伦诺克斯上尉和他的太太在霍乱中去世了。” 克雷文先生简短而冰冷地说， “伦诺克斯上尉是我妻子的弟弟，我是他们女儿的监护人。得把这孩子接过来。你必须去伦敦亲自把她接过来。”
So she packed her small trunk and made the journey.
于是她收拾了自己的小皮箱，跑了这一趟。
Mary sat in her corner of the railway carriage and looked plain and fretful. She had nothing to read or to look at，and she had folded her thin little black—gloved hands in her lap. Her black dress made her look yellower than ever，and her limp light hair straggled from under her black crepe hat.
玛丽坐在车厢角落里，显得平淡但有些焦躁不安。她没有可以阅读的东西，也不知道看些什么，一双干瘦的小手戴着黑色手套，交叉放在大腿上。在黑裙子的衬托下她显得越发蜡黄。稀疏的头发从黑色丝帽下无精打采地散落出来。
"A more marred—looking young one I never saw in my life，" Mrs. Medlock thought. （Marred is a Yorkshire word and means spoiled and pettish. ）She had never seen a child who sat so still without doing anything；and at last she got tired of watching her and began to talk in a brisk，hard voice.
梅德洛克太太想： “我这辈子没有碰到过这么 ‘痞’ 的小孩儿。” ‘痞’ 是约克郡的方言，意思是骄纵、易怒。她从没见过可以僵坐在那里无所事事的小孩儿。最后，她看玛丽看累了，开始用快而僵硬的语气对她说话。
"I suppose I may as well tell you something about where you are going to，" she said. "Do you know anything about your uncle？"
“我想我应该给你讲讲你将要去的地方。” 她说， “你知道你姑父吗？”
"No，" said Mary.
“我不知道。” 玛丽说。
"Never heard your father and mother talk about him？"
“你就从没听你爸妈讲起过他吗？”
"No，" said Mary frowning. She frowned because she remembered that her father and mother had never talked to her about anything in particular. Certainly they had never told her things.
“没有。” 玛丽皱皱眉头。她皱眉，是因为她不记得父母跟她讲起过任何事情。无疑，他们从未对她讲起过什么。
"Humph，" muttered Mrs. Medlock，staring at her queer，unresponsive little face. She did not say any more for a few moments and then she began again.
“哦。” 梅德洛克太太盯着她奇怪的、面无表情的小脸嘟囔着。她停顿了一会儿，继续说道：
"I suppose you might as well be told something—to prepare you. You are going to a queer place. "
“那我觉得应该告诉你些事情，你好有些准备。你即将到的地方有些古怪。”
Mary said nothing at all，and Mrs. Medlock looked rather discomfited by her apparent indifference，but，after taking a breath，she went on.
玛丽依然沉默不语。梅德洛克太太对她明显的冷漠感到非常郁闷，但还是深吸一口气，继续讲了下去。
"Not but that it's a grand big place in a gloomy way，and Mr. Craven's proud of it in his way—and that's gloomy enough，too. The house is six hundred years old and it's on the edge of the moor，and there's near a hundred rooms in it，though most of them's shut up and locked. And there's pictures and fine old furniture and things that's been there for ages，and there's a big park round it and gardens and trees with branches trailing to the ground—some of them. " She paused and took another breath. "But there's nothing else，" she ended suddenly.
“尽管那房子很大很宏伟，却有些阴森。克雷文先生用自己的方式为这所房子感到自豪，他的方式也足够阴森。房子有六百多年的历史了，地处旷野边上。里面有接近一百个房间，不过大部分都锁了起来。里面有画、精美的古董家具、还有很多颇有年代的东西。房子四周是一个大园子，长长的树枝拖到了地上。” 她停顿了一下，喘了口气， “但是别的就什么都没有了。” 她突然停了下来。
Mary had begun to listen in spite of herself. It all sounded so unlike India，and anything new rather attracted her. But she did not intend to look as if she were interested. That was one of her unhappy，disagreeable ways. So she sat still.
玛丽不由自主地开始听了起来。这一切听起来和印度都是那么的不同，而一切新奇的东西都非常吸引她。但她不想表现出自己感兴趣。这也是她不招人喜欢的做法之一。于是她继续安静不动地坐着。
"Well，" said Mrs. Medlock. "What do you think of it？"
“好吧，” 梅德洛克太太说， “你觉得怎么样？”
"Nothing，" she answered. "I know nothing about such places. "
她回答道： “没什么。我对这种地方一无所知。”
That made Mrs. Medlock laugh a short sort of laugh.
梅德洛克太太短促地笑出声来。
"Eh! " she said， "but you are like an old woman. Don't you care？"
“呵呵！” 她说， “但是你看起来像个老妇人。这你也不介意么？”
"It doesn't matter" said Mary， "whether I care or not. "
玛丽回答道： “我介不介意都无所谓。”
"You are right enough there，" said Mrs. Medlock. "It doesn't. What you're to be kept at Misselthwaite Manor for I don't know，unless because it's the easiest way. He's not going to trouble himself about you，that's sure and certain. He never troubles himself about no one. "
“这倒是一点儿都不假。” 梅德洛克太太说， “确实无所谓。我不知道你为什么会被送来米瑟斯韦特庄园寄养，也许这是最简单的办法吧。毫无疑问的，他绝对不会因为你而给自己惹麻烦。他从不为别人的事情麻烦自己。”
She stopped herself as if she had just remembered something in time.
她突然像是想起什么似的，停了下来。
"He's got a crooked back，" she said. "That set him wrong. He was a sour young man and got no good of all his money and big place till he was married. "
“他是个驼背。” 她说道， “这可害苦了他。他年轻时过得很苦，他的钱和大房子都是在他结婚后才派上用场的。”
Mary's eyes turned toward her in spite of her intention not to seem to care. She had never thought of the hunchback's being married and she was a trifle surprised. Mrs. Medlock saw this，and as she was a talkative woman she continued with more interest. This was one way of passing some of the time，at any rate.
尽管玛丽想表现出不关心，眼睛还是不由自主地转向梅德洛克太太。她从没想到过驼背还能结婚，还是小小吃了一惊。梅德洛克太太把一切看在了眼里。本来就很健谈的她，说得更加起劲了。这多少也是个打发时间的办法。
"She was a sweet，pretty thing and he'd have walked the world over to get her a blade o 'grass she wanted. Nobody thought she'd marry him，but she did，and people said she married him for his money. But she didn't —she didn't ，" positively. When she died—
“她甜美漂亮。克雷文先生为了找到她想要的一片草，可以跑遍全世界。人们都觉得她不会嫁给他，但她确实嫁了。人们都说她是图他的钱才嫁给他的。但她不是，绝对不是。” 她非常肯定地说， “她死的时候——”
Mary gave a little involuntary jump.
玛丽不自觉地跳了起来。
"Oh! did she die! " she exclaimed，quite without meaning to. She had just remembered a French fairy story she had once read called "Riquet a la Houppe. " It had been about a poor hunchback and a beautiful princess and it had made her suddenly sorry for Mr. Archibald Craven.
“啊，她死了吗！” 她禁不住惊呼道。这让她想到自己读过的一个法国童话故事《利凯小簇》。故事讲的就是一个穷驼背和一个漂亮公主的故事。她突然开始可怜起阿奇博尔德·克雷文先生了。
"Yes，she died，" Mrs. Medlock answered. "And it made him queerer than ever. He cares about nobody. He won't see people. Most of the time he goes away，and when he is at Misselthwaite he shuts himself up in the West Wing and won't let any one but Pitcher see him. Pitcher's an old fellow，but he took care of him when he was a child and he knows his ways. "
“对，她死了。” 梅德洛克太太回答说， “自此以后他就更加古怪了。他不关心任何人。也不见人。他常常外出。呆在庄园里的时候，也总是把自己锁在园子的西翼，除了皮切尔不见任何人。皮切尔是一个老人，从先生小时候就开始照料他，很了解他的脾性。”
It sounded like something in a book and it did not make Mary feel cheerful. A house with a hundred rooms，nearly all shut up and with their doors locked—a house on the edge of a moor—whatsoever a moor was—sounded dreary. A man with a crooked back who shut himself up also! She stared out of the window with her lips pinched together，and it seemed quite natural that the rain should have begun to pour down in gray slanting lines and splash and stream down the window—panes. If the pretty wife had been alive she might have made things cheerful by being something like her own mother and by running in and out and going to parties as she had done in frocks "full of lace. " But she was not there any more.
这一切听起来像是书中的故事，玛丽听了怎么也高兴不起来。故事里有个有上百间房间的大宅，大宅里有一百个房间，几乎所有的房门都紧闭且上了锁——大宅在旷野旁——无论旷野是什么样子，听起来都让人感到绝望。还有一个把自己关在房间里的驼背男人！玛丽嘴唇紧闭盯着窗外。大雨像倾斜的灰线，顺着窗棂往下流。这一切看起来都是那么自然。要是那个美丽的妻子还活着的话，她也许会像自己的妈妈一样，穿着满是蕾丝的长袍，跑进跑出参加各种聚会。这样一来，气氛就会活跃很多。但她已经死了。
"You needn't expect to see him，because ten to one you won't ，" said Mrs. Medlock. "And you mustn't expect that there will be people to talk to you. You'll have to play about and look after yourself. You'll be told what rooms you can go into and what rooms you're to keep out of. There's gardens enough. But when you're in the house don't go wandering and poking about. Mr. Craven won't have it. "
“十有八九你是看不到他的，你也别指望能看到。” 梅德洛克太太说， “你也别期待能有人跟你说话。你需要自己玩儿，自己照顾自己。有人会告诉你哪些房间能进，哪些不能。花园就够你玩儿的了。在房间里的时候，别到处乱逛，乱摸。克雷文先生讨厌这种行为。”
"I shall not want to go poking about，" said sour little Mary and just as suddenly as she had begun to be rather sorry for Mr. Archibald Craven she began to cease to be sorry and to think he was unpleasant enough to deserve all that had happened to him.
“我不会东摸西碰的。” 乖戾的小玛丽突然插嘴。就像她突然对阿奇博尔德先生心生怜悯一样，怜悯之情突然消失了，她开始觉得他非常讨厌，他所经历的一切都是咎由自取。
And she turned her face toward the streaming panes of the window of the railway carriage and gazed out at the gray rain—storm which looked as if it would go on forever and ever. She watched it so long and steadily that the grayness grew heavier and heavier before her eyes and she fell asleep.
她说完便把脸转向流淌着雨水的车窗玻璃，盯着窗外灰色的暴雨。暴雨好像永远也不会停下来一样。她定定地看了许久，眼前的灰色越来越阴沉，她睡着了。