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第二章
A fine October morning succeeded to the foggy evening that had witnessed my first introduction to Crimsworth Hall. I was early up and walking in the large park-like meadow surrounding the house. The autumn sun, rising over the shire hills, disclosed a pleasant country; woods brown and mellow varied the fields from which the harvest had been lately carried; a river, gliding between the woods, caught on its surface the somewhat cold gleam of the October sun and sky; at frequent intervals along the banks of the river, tall, cylindrical chimneys, almost like slender round towers, indicated the factories which the trees half concealed; here and there mansions, similar to Crimsworth Hall, occupied agreeable sites on the hillside; the country wore, on the whole a cheerful, active, fertile look. Stream, trade, machinery had long banished from it all romance and seclusion. At a distance of five miles, a valley, opening between the low hills, held in its cups the great town of X-. A dense, permanent vapour brooded over this locality. There lay Edward's' concern. '
我初到克利姆斯沃思家时是十月的一个傍晚，雾蒙蒙的，第二天清晨天气却很晴朗。我早早起来，在房屋四周如同公园般的大草坪上散步。秋日的太阳从郡里的山顶冉冉升起，呈现出一派乡村美景；棕色的树林和草坪点缀着刚刚收割过的田野；一条小河流淌于树林间，河面上映射着十月的太阳与天空冰冷的光芒。河岸边每隔不远就耸立着一个高高的圆柱形烟囱，宛如一座座纤细的圆塔，由此便看到半隐在树木后面的工厂，山腰的宜人之处到处都屹立着像克利姆斯沃思公馆般的豪宅。整个乡村呈现出一派欣欣向荣、美丽富饶的景象。船运、贸易以及机械业的兴起早将乡村这世外桃源般的浪漫气息消除殆尽了。五英里外，低山环绕成的杯状山谷环抱着伟大的X镇。镇上常年被浓雾笼罩着。这里就是爱德华的 “公司” 所在地。
I forced my eye to scrutinize this prospect, I forced my mind to dwell on it for a time; and when I found that it communicated no pleasurable emotion to my heart-that it stirred in me none of the hopes a man ought to feel when he sees laid before him the scene of his life's career-I said to myself 'William, you are a rebel against circumstances. you are a fool, and know not what you want; you have chosen trade and you shall be a tradesman. Look! ' I continued mentally- 'look at the sooty smoke in that hollow, and know that there is your post! There you cannot dream, you cannot speculate and theorize; there you shall out and work! '
我强迫自己欣赏眼前的景色，强迫自己的思绪片刻地停留于此。可是，我发现，眼前的景色并不能使我心情愉悦--它并不能激起我心中的那种希望，那种一个人看到自己一生的事业就在眼前时应有的希望--我告诉自己 “威廉啊，你真是不识时务的人。你是个大傻瓜，连自己想要什么都不知道；你已经选择了经商，你就该成为一个商人。看！” 我继续思索着-- “看空中那浓黑的烟雾，那里就是你的岗位！你不能在那里做梦，你不能在那里思索，不能讲理论；你得在那做点实事！”
Thus self-schooled, I returned to the house. My brother was in the breakfast-room. I met him collectedly. I could not meet him cheerfully. He was standing on the rug, his back to the fire. How much did I read in the expression of his eye as my glance encountered his, when I advanced to bid him good-morning-how much that was contradictory to my nature! He said 'good-morning' abruptly and nodded, and then he snatched, rather than took, a newspaper from the table, and began to read it with the air of a master who seizes a pretext to escape the bore of conversing with an underling. It was well I had taken a resolution to endure for a time, or his manner would have gone far to render insupportable the disgust I had just been endeavouring to subdue. I looked at him. I measured his robust frame and powerful proportions; I saw my own reflection in the mirror over the mantelpiece. I amused myself with comparing the two pictures. In face I resembled him, though I was not so handsome. My features were less regular. I had a darker eye, and a broader brow. In form I was greatly inferior-thinner, slighter, not so tall. As an animal, Edward excelled me far; should he prove as paramount in mind as in person, I must be a slave, for I must expect from him no lion-like generosity to one weaker than himself; his cold, avaricious eye, his stem, forbidding manner, told me he would not spare. Had I then force of mind to cope with him? I did not know. I had never been tried.
把自己教育一番之后，我回到了屋里。哥哥在餐厅里。见到他时我很平静。我不能很激动地见他。他站在地毯上，背朝炉火。当我走上前去向他道早安时，我们目光相遇的那一刻，我从他的眼神里读懂了很多东西--他的本性和我的本性多么矛盾啊！他草草回了一句 “早安” ，点了点头，然后抓起--不是拿起--一张报纸读起来，还摆出一副主人的姿态，仿佛在找借口避免与下属之间令人生厌的对话似的。幸好我已下定决心要忍耐一阵子，否则，他的态度肯定早使我刚刚尽力压制的反感爆发出来。我看着他。我打量着他魁梧的身材，匀称强壮；我从壁炉上面的镜子看到自己的影子。我对比着哥哥和我在镜中的影子，把自己逗乐了。从脸部看，我长得挺像他，虽然我没他那么英俊。我的五官没他的端正。我眼睛比他的黑，眉毛比他的粗。从身材看，我比他差多了--我比较瘦削、单薄，也不如他高大。从外表上看，爱德华比我英俊多了；假如他的智商与他的外表一样极品，那我肯定就会沦为奴隶，对一个弱者，我不期待他会宽宏大量，就像狮子那样；他那冷漠、贪婪的目光，苛刻、令人生畏的态度告诉我他是不会宽恕别人的。我有足够的机智对付他吗？我不知道。我从来也没尝试过。
Mrs. Crimsworth's entrance diverted my thoughts for a moment. She looked well, dressed in white, her face and her attire shining in morning and bridal freshness. I addressed her with the degree of ease her last night's careless gaiety seemed to warrant, but she replied with coolness and restraint. Her husband had tutored her: she was not to he too familiar with his clerk.
克利姆斯沃思太太走进来，打断了我的思绪一会儿。她看起来气色不错，穿着白色的衣服，红润的脸颊与之在清晨交相辉映，宛如新娘子般容光焕发。我很自然地同她打招呼，这与她昨晚不刻意的欢快态度是很相称的，但她的回答却显得冷漠而拘束。她丈夫教导过她，不许和职员过于随便。
As soon as breakfast was over, Mr. Crimsworth intimated to me that they were bringing the gig round to the door, and that in five minutes he should expect me to be ready to go down with him to X-. I did not keep him waiting; we were soon dashing at a rapid rate along the road. The horse he drove was the same vicious animal about which Mrs. Crimsworth had expressed her fears the night before. Once or twice Jack seemed disposed to turn restive, but a vigorous and determined application of the whip from the ruthless hand of his master soon compelled him to submission, and Edward's dilated nostril expressed his triumph in the result of the contest. He scarcely spoke to me during the whole of the brief drive, only opening his lips at intervals to damn his horse.
早餐一结束，克利姆斯沃思先生提示我仆人们在门口准备马车，他希望我五分钟之内做好准备，与他同去X镇。我没让他久等；很快我们便驰骋在路上了。他套的马正是克利姆斯沃思太太昨晚提及的令她胆战心惊的那匹烈马。有一两回，杰克似乎不太听话，但是主人手中无情的鞭子有力果断地抽打着它，很快便将它降服了，爱德华扩张的鼻孔显示出斗争胜利的光辉。在整个短暂的路途中，他很少和我讲话，只是不时张嘴骂他的马几句。
X-was all stir and bustle when we entered it. We left the clean streets where there were dwelling-houses and shops, churches, and public buildings; we left all these, and turned down to a region of mills and warehouses. Thence we passed through two massive gates into a great paved yard, and we were in Bigben Close, and the mill was before us, vomiting soot from its long chimney, and quivering through its thick brick walls with the commotion of its iron bowels. Work-people were passing to and fro; a wagon was being laden with pieces. Mr. Crimsworth looked from side to side, and seemed at one glance to comprehend all that was going on. He alighted, and leaving his horse and gig to the care of a man who hastened to take the reins from his hand, he bid me follow him to the counting-house. We entered it-a very different place from the parlours of Crimsworth Hall-a place for business, with a bare, planked floor, a safe, two high desks and stools, and some chairs. A person was seated at one of the desks, who took off his square cap when Mr. Crimsworth entered, and in an instant was again absorbed in his occupation of writing or calculating, I know not which.
我们驶入X镇上时，到处是一派喧嚣的气氛。马车驶过干净的街道，街道两旁是居民房、商店、教堂和公共建筑群，我们驶过所有这些，拐进了一片工厂与仓库区。从这，我们穿过两扇大门到了一个地面铺设平整的大院子，这就是比格本大院。工厂在我们前面，长长的烟囱吐着煤烟，振动着穿过厚实的壁砖，墙上的铁管也一块抖动着。工人们来来往往，一辆马车正在装货。克利姆斯沃思先生四周看了看，似乎一眼就明白了眼前发生的一切。他跳下马车，把马和马车交给另一个人，这个人从他手中匆匆接过缰绳后，他便叫我随他去账房。我们走进一个与克利姆斯沃斯公馆客厅完全不一样的地方，这是一个办公场所，光秃秃的厚木地板上摆着一个保险柜、两张高桌、几张垫凳和几把椅子。一个人坐在其中一张桌子旁。克利姆斯沃思先生一进来，他便脱下方帽致敬，即刻又投入工作去了，不知道是在写什么还是算什么。
Mr. Crimsworth, having removed his mackintosh, sat down by the fire. I remained standing near the hearth. He said presently,
克利姆斯沃思先生脱下雨衣，坐在火炉边。我仍然站在炉膛旁边。不久，他便说道：
'Steighton, you may leave the room. I have some business to transact with this gentleman. Come back when you hear the bell. '
“斯泰格顿，你可以出去了。我要与这位先生谈点事情。等听到铃声时你再进来。”
The individual at the desk rose and departed, closing the door as he went out. Mr. Crimsworth stirred the fire, then folded his arms, and sat a moment thinking, his lips compressed, his brow knit. I had nothing to do but to watch him. How well his features were cut! What a handsome man he was! Whence, then, came that air of contraction, that narrow and hard aspect on his forehead, in all his lineaments?
在桌子边的那个人站起来离开了，出去时还关上了门。克利姆斯沃思先生拨弄了一下炉火，然后抱着双臂，坐在那儿沉思片刻，双唇紧闭，眉头紧皱。我没事可做，只好看着他。他的容貌的确俊俏。好一个英俊的男子！那么，在他狭窄而棱角分明的前额上，在他整个的面部轮廓中，哪来那种盛气凌人的气势呢？
Turning to me, he began abruptly, -
他突然转头开口问我：
'You are come down to shire to learn to he a tradesman? '
“你来郡上就是为了学做一名商人？”
'Yes, I am. '
“是啊，我正是此意。”
'Have you made up your mind on the point? Let me know that at once. '
“在这点上，你已经下定决心了？你得马上让我知道。”
'Yes. '
“是的。”
'Well, I am not bound to help you, but I have a place here vacant, if you are qualified for it. I will take you on trial. What can you do? Do you know anything besides that useless trash of college learning-Greek, Latin, and so forth? '
“好吧。我并没有义务要帮助你，但是如果你胜任的话，我这刚好有个空缺。我可以让你试试。你会什么呢？除了大学里学的诸如希腊语、拉丁语等没用的东西之外，你还会什么？”
'I have studied mathematics. '
“我有学数学。”
'Stuff! I dare say you have. '
“废话！我肯定你学过。”
'I can read and write French and German. '
“法语和德文的读写我都会。”
'Hum! ' He reflected a moment, then opening a drawer in a desk near him, took out a letter, and gave it to me.
“啊！” 他想了一会，然后拉开他旁边的抽屉，拿出一封信给我。
'Can you read that? ' he asked.
“你看得懂这封信吗？” 他问道。
It was a German commercial letter. I translated it. I could not tell whether he was gratified or not. His countenance remained fixed.
那是封德语商务信函。我把信翻译给他听。我看不出来他满意与否。他一直板着个脸。
'It is well, ' he said, after a pause, 't hat you are acquainted with something useful-something that may enable you to earn your board and lodging. Since you know French and German, I will take you as second clerk to manage the foreign correspondence of the house. I shall, give you a good salary-￡90a year; and now, 'he continued, raising his voice, ' hear once for all what I have to say about our relationship, and all that sort of humbug. I must have no nonsense on that point; it would never suit me. I shall excuse you nothing on the plea of being my brother. If I find you stupid, negligent, dissipated, idle, or possessed of any faults detrimental to the interests of the house, I shall dismiss you as I would any other clerk. Ninety pounds a year are good wages, and I expect to have the full value of my money out of you. Remember, too, that things are on a practical footing in my establishment: business-like habits, feelings, and ideas suit me best. Do you understand? '
“很好，” 停了一会儿，他说道， “你还学了一些有用的东西，这可以让你赚点生活费。既然你懂法语与德文，我就让你做我的二等秘书，负责处理与国外的信件往来。我会给你一份不错的薪水--年薪九十磅；而现在，” 他提高嗓门接着说， “我就一次性说清楚我们之间的关系，免得你日后倚仗你我的关系行骗。在这点上，我很严肃的；我对此一向很反感。我不会因为是你的哥哥就包庇你什么。如果我发现你愚钝、粗心大意、游手好闲、无所事事或是犯了什么损害工厂利益的错误，我会像解雇其他员工一样解雇你。年薪九十英镑相当不错了，我希望我给你的钱能物有所值。记住，在我的工厂里做事情要踏踏实实--公事公办的习惯、感情及想法最适合我。明白吧？”
'Partly, ' I replied. 'I suppose you mean that I am to do my work for my wages, not to expect favour from you, and not to depend on you for any help but what I earn. That suits me exactly, and on these terms I will consent to be your clerk. '
“明白了些。” 我回答说。 “我想，你的意思是说我拿你的薪水是要为你做事，而不是期望你的恩惠，也不是指望你的任何资助，只能靠我自己赚钱。这正合我意。我接受这些条件，同意当你的秘书。”
I turned on my heel, and walked to the window. This time I did not consult his face to learn his opinion. What it was I do not know, nor did I then care. After a silence of some minutes he recommenced, -
我转身走到窗前。这次，我没有去读他的表情，了解他的想法。他有什么想法我不知道，我那时也不想知道。几分钟沉默之后，他又开始说：
'You perhaps expect to be accommodated with apartments at Crimsworth Hall, and to go and come with me in the gig. I wish you, however, to be aware that such an arrangement would be quite inconvenient to me. I like to have the seat in my gig at liberty for any gentleman whom for business reasons I may wish to take down to the hall for a night or so. You will seek out lodgings in X-. '
“或许你希望能住在克利姆斯沃思公馆的房间里，与我一同搭马车上班。但我希望你能理解，这样的安排对我不太方便。我想把马车的空位留给那些和我洽谈生意的人，我会想带他们去我的住所呆上一两个晚上。你就在X镇上找住的地方吧。”
Quitting the window, I walked back to the hearth.
离开窗边，我走回炉边。
'Of course I shall seek out lodgings in X-, ' I answered. 'It would not suit me either to lodge at Crimsworth Hall. '
“我当然会在X镇上找个住宿的地方。” 我回答说。 “住在你家我也不方便。”
My tone was quiet. I always speak quietly. Yet Mr. Crimsworth's blue eye became incensed. He took his revenge rather oddly. Turning to me, he said bluntly, -
我的语气很平静。我通常是心平气和地说话。然而，克利姆斯沃思先生的蓝眼睛却露出怒火。他的报复方式很奇怪。他转身朝我直言不讳地说：
'You are poor enough, I suppose. How do you expect to live till your quarter's salary becomes due? '
“我想，你生活已经很拮据了。在领到这季的薪水之前，你打算怎么生活？”
'I shall get on, ' said I.
“我过得去。” 我回答说。
'How do you expect to live? ' he repeated in a louder voice.
“你怎么过？” 他提高声音，重复问道。
'As I can, Mr. Crimsworth. '
“我尽量吧，克利姆斯沃思先生。”
'Get into debt at your peril, that's all! ' he answered. 'For aught I know, you may have extravagant aristocratic habits. If you have, drop them. I tolerate nothing of the sort here, and I will never give you a shilling extra, whatever liabilities you may incur; mind that. '
“冒着风险去借钱，是这样吧。” 他说道。 “据我所知，你有贵族那种铺张浪费的习气吧。如果你有，改掉这些习惯。在这儿，我绝不容忍这类习气，我绝不会多给你一分钱，记住，不论你欠下多大的债务也不会。”
'Yes, Mr. Crimsworth, you will find I have a good memory. '
“我明白，克利姆斯沃思先生，你会发现我记忆力很好。”
I said no more. I did not think the time was come for much parley. I had an instinctive feeling that it would be folly to let one's temper effervesce often with such a man as Edward. I said to myself, 'I will place my cup under this continual dropping; it shall stand there still and steady; when full, it will run over of itself. Meantime, patience. Two things are certain. I am capable of performing the work Mr. Crimsworth has set me. I can earn my wages conscientiously, and those wages are sufficient to enable me to live. As to the fact of my brother assuming towards me the bearing of a proud, harsh master, the fault is his, not mine; and shall his injustice, his bad feeling, turn me at once aside from the path I have chosen? No; at least, ere I deviate, I will advance far enough to see whither my career tends. As yet I am only pressing in at the entrance-a strait gate enough; it ought to have a good terminus. ' While I thus reasoned, Mr. Crimsworth rang a bell. His first clerk, the individual dismissed previously to our conference, re-entered.
我没有再说什么。我觉得此时没有必要与他多说。我本能地觉得经常跟爱德华这种人怄气是十分愚蠢的。我心想， “我的忍耐力就像个杯子，上面不断滴下水来，杯子会稳稳地立着不动，一旦满了，就会溢出来。这时，要忍耐。有两点可以肯定。我有能力做好克利姆斯沃思先生给我的工作。我本着自己的良心赚钱，这些钱足够我生活。至于哥哥对我摆出的那副盛气凌人和苛刻的主人架子，那是他的错，不是我的；难道他对我的不公与恶劣的态度就可以马上改变我选择的道路？不！至少在我改变主意之前，我会向前走得足够远，好让自己看到自己事业的走向在哪里。如今我只是被挤在门口--这是一个很狭窄的入口；但会有一个好出路。” 就在我思考的同时，克利姆斯沃思先生按了铃。他的一等秘书，就是刚才我们会面前出去的那位，走了进来。
'Mr. Steighton, ' said he, 'show Mr. William the letters from Voss Brothers, and give him English copies of the answers. He will translate them. '
“斯泰格顿先生，” 他吩咐道， “把沃斯兄弟公司的来信给威廉先生，把英文的回复也给他看。由他来翻译。”
Mr. Steighton, a man of about thirty-five, with a face at once sly and heavy, hastened to execute this order. He laid the letters on the desk, and I was soon seated at it, and engaged in rendering the English answers into German. A sentiment of keen pleasure accompanied this first effort to earn my own living-a sentiment neither poisoned nor weakened by the presence of the taskmaster, who stood and watched me for some time as I wrote. I thought he was trying to read my character, but I felt as secure against his scrutiny as if I had had on a casque with the visor down, or rather I showed him my countenance with the confidence that one would show an unlearned man a letter written in Greek. He might see lines, and trace characters, but he could make nothing of them. My nature was not his nature, and its signs were to him like the words of an unknown tongue. Ere long he turned away abruptly, as if baffled, and left the counting-house. He returned to it but twice in the course of that day. Each time he mixed and swallowed a glass of brandy-and-water, the materials for making which he extracted from a cupboard on one side of the fireplace. Having glanced at my translations-he could read both French and German-he went out again in silence.
斯泰格顿先生急忙执行命令；他大约三十五岁的光景，长着一张狡猾又阴沉的脸。他把信件放在桌上，我即刻坐下，开始把英文的回复翻译成德文。第一次靠自己的努力赚钱的喜悦感涌上心头--这种喜悦感并未因雇主在场而受到影响或减弱。他站在我旁边监视着我写了一会儿。我以为他在揣测我的个性，但是我感到很放心，就像我戴了一顶放下面甲的头盔一样，或者说我给他展现出一副信心十足的样子，就好像给毫无学问的人看用希腊文写的信件一样。他或许可以看到一行一行的文字，看到一个个字母，但是他却看不懂什么意思。我的个性与他的个性不一样，我的表情对他就像一门外语的文字。不久，他便突然转身离开了账房，一副困惑的样子。那天他又来了账房两次。每次来的时候他总要从壁炉一边的橱柜拿出自制的掺水白兰地，喝一杯。看了一眼我的翻译之后--他会法语和德文--他便又一声不响地出去了。