书虫二级《阿利格拉之谜》：新年伊始

Beginning the New Year
新年伊始

We are slow, silent people, we of the Five Towns. Perhaps it is because we make pottery, which is slow, silent work. There are many stories about us and how slow and silent we are. These stories often surprise the rest of the world very much, but we just laugh at them. Here is an example.

我们是一群慢吞吞而且不爱说话的人，我是说我们五镇的人。也许这是因为我们制陶的缘故，这是个安静的慢活儿。关于我们以及我们到底有多慢、多不爱说话的故事有很多，这些故事经常会让其他地方的人感到不可思议，而我们只是一笑置之。下面就有这样一个例子。

Toby Hall was born in Turnhill, the smallest of the Five Towns. Last New Year's Eve he was travelling by train from Crewe to Derby, which was now his home town. He got out of the train at Knype, in the centre of the Five Towns, for a quick drink. The station was busy and he had to wait for his drink. When he returned to the train, it was already moving. Toby was not a young man; he couldn't jump on the train, so he missed it.

托比·霍尔出生在特恩希尔，这是五镇中最小的一个镇子。去年的新年前夜，他从克鲁坐火车到德比，那儿是他现在的家乡。他在位于五镇中心的克尼普下了车，想喝上一杯。火车站人很多，他不得不排队买喝的。他回去的时候，火车已经开动了。托比不年轻了，他没法跳上火车，只能错过了。

He went to speak to the man in the station office. 'Young man,' he asked. 'When's the next train to Derby?'

他去问火车站办公室的人。“年轻人，”他问，“下一班去德比的车是几点？”

There isn't one before tomorrow.'

“明天才有车呢。”

Toby went and had another drink.

托比又去喝了一杯。

I'll go to Turnhill,' he said to himself slowly, and he paid for his drink.

“我要去特恩希尔看看。”他慢慢地自言自语着，付了钱。

This was his first visit to the Five Towns for twenty-three years, but Knype station was still the same, and so were the times of the trains to Turnhill. The train was the same, too.

这是他23年来第一次回五镇，不过克尼普车站一点儿都没变，开往特恩希尔的列车时刻表也没变，连火车也和原来的一样。

In twenty minutes he was leaving Turnhill station and walking into the town. He walked past a number of fine new buildings. In the town centre almost everything was different.

20分钟后，他走出特恩希尔站，来到了镇上。他路过好几座漂亮的新房子。镇中心的一切都变了模样。

He walked on, into smaller streets, and at last came to Child Row. The old houses here were the same as always, and he looked at one small house very carefully. The light was on, so there was somebody at home.

他继续往前走，穿过几条窄街，最后拐到儿童路。这里的老房子和从前一样，他细细地打量着一座小房子。灯亮着，一定有人在家。

He crossed the street to the house. It was a special house for him (Number 11 it was—and is) because twenty-four years ago it was his home.

他过了马路，走到房子跟前。这座房子对他来讲很特别（过去是11号——现在也是），因为24年前这里是他的家。

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Twenty-four years ago, Toby Hall married Miss Priscilla Bratt, a quiet woman of twenty-three. The house belonged to her. The two young people were perhaps not really in love, but they liked one another. Their only problem was the house. Priscilla often said that the house belonged to her. Toby knew that. Everybody in Turnhill knew that. She didn't have to say it so often. Toby asked her not to, but she didn't stop. He was happy to live in his wife's house, but he didn't want to hear about it every day. And after a year it was too much. One day he put some things in a bag, put on his hat, and went to the door.

24年前，托比·霍尔和23岁的普丽西拉·布拉特小姐，一个文静的姑娘结了婚。房子是她的。两个年轻人也许并非倾心相爱，不过他们喜欢着对方。他们之间唯一的问题就是房子。普丽西拉经常唠叨房子是她的，托比明白这一点，特恩希尔的人也都知道，她没必要天天把这事挂在嘴边。托比让她不要再说了，但她不听。他很高兴住在妻子的房子里，但他不想天天听妻子唠叨这事。这样的日子在一年之后变得难以忍受了。一天，他收拾好行囊，戴上帽子，走到门口。

Where are you going?' asked Priscilla.

“你去哪儿？”普丽西拉问道。

He stopped for a minute, then answered, 'America.'

他顿了一下，然后回答说：“美国。”

And he went. It was not difficult for Priscilla. She did not think that Toby was a very good husband. She could live without him; she had her house and some money.

他就这样走了。这对普丽西拉来说没什么大不了的，她觉得托比不是个特别好的丈夫，没有托比，她照样能生活：她有自己的房子，还有些钱。

Toby went to the bank and got all his money, and sailed off to New York on the Adriatic. From New York he went to Trenton, New Jersey, which was the Five Towns of America. Toby was a good potter, and he found work easily. After a year, he asked a friend to write to Priscilla, and tell her that he was dead. He wanted to be a free man, and it was only fair for her to be a free woman.

托比到银行取出他所有的钱，搭“亚得里亚蒂克”号船去了纽约。从纽约他又去了新泽西州的塔伦顿，那儿是美国的五镇。托比是个好陶匠，找起工作来很容易。一年之后，他请一个朋友写信告诉普丽西拉他死了。托比想要成为自由人，所以只有让普丽西拉也得到自由才算公平。

After a few years he returned to England. He changed his name from Hall, and started work as a potter in Derby. He did well — the money was good, and he didn't have much to spend it on. He lived quietly, working all week and going fishing at the weekends.

几年之后，托比回到了英格兰。他把霍尔这个名字也改了，开始在德比当陶匠。他做得很出色——薪水也不错，而且他没有太多需要花钱的地方。他的生活很安宁，每天工作，周末就去钓鱼。

And now, because of a visit to Crewe, a train, and a drink, he was in Child Row, and crossing the street to Number 11. He knocked on the door.

现在，因为去克鲁，一趟列车，还有喝了一杯的缘故，他来到了儿童路，穿过街道站在11号的门前。他敲了敲门。

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Many doors in the Five Towns open slowly and carefully — and so did this one. It opened a few centimetres, and a woman looked out at Toby.

在五镇，许多人家开门时都慢吞吞的，而且很小心——这家也不例外。门打开了一道缝，一个女人从里面瞧着托比。

Is this Mrs Hall's?' he asked.

“是霍尔太太的家吗？”他问道。

No. It's not Mrs Hall's. It's Mrs Tansley's.'

“不，这不是霍尔太太的家，是坦斯利太太的家。”

I thought...'

“我以为……”

The door opened a little more.

门又打开了些。

Is that you, Toby?'

“是你吗，托比？”

It is,' answered Toby, smiling a little.

“是啊。”托比答道，笑了一下。

Well, well!' said the woman. 'Well, well!' The door opened a little more. 'Are you coming in, Toby?'

“哎呀，哎呀！”妇人叹道，“哎呀，哎呀！”门又打开些，“进来坐坐吗，托比？”

Yes,' said Toby.

“好啊。”托比回答。

And he went in.

于是他进了屋。

Sit down,' said his wife. 'I thought you were dead. Someone wrote to me.'

“坐吧，”他的妻子说道，“我以为你已经死了，因为有人写信这么告诉我。”

Yes!' said Toby. 'But I'm not dead.'

“没错！”托比说，“不过我还活着。”

He sat down in a comfortable chair by the fire. He knew the chair, and he knew the fire. He put his hat on the table. Priscilla locked the door again and sat down herself. Her dress was black and, like Toby, she was getting a little fat.

托比在壁炉旁一把舒服的椅子上坐了下来。他熟悉这把椅子，也熟悉这壁炉。他把帽子放在桌上。普丽西拉锁好门，也坐了下来。她穿着黑衣服，而且和托比一样，有点儿发胖了。

Well, well,' she said. 'So you've come back.'

“哎呀，哎呀，”她说道，“这么说你已经回来了。”

Yes.'

“是的。”

They were both silent for a minute.

他们沉默了一阵。

The weather's cold, isn't it?' he said.

“天气真冷啊，是吧？”他说。

Yes. It's been a cold winter.'

“是啊，今年冬天真冷。”

Another silence. What were they thinking and feeling? Perhaps they weren't thinking anything very much.

又是一阵沉默。他们在想着什么，又是怎样的感觉呢？也许他们什么也没有多想。

And what's the news?' he asked.

“有什么新闻吗？”他问。

News? Oh, nothing special.'

“新闻？哦，没什么特别的。”

There was a picture above the fire. It was a picture of Priscilla when she was young. It surprised Toby.

壁炉上方挂着一张照片，是年轻时的普丽西拉。这让托比很惊讶。

I don't remember that picture,' he said.

“我不记得那张照片。”他说。

What?'

“什么？”

That!' He looked up at the picture.

“那个！”他抬起头看着那幅照片。

Oh! That! That's my daughter.'

“哦！那个！那是我的女儿。”

Oh!' Now Toby was surprised.

“哦！”托比吃了一惊。

I married Job Tansley,' said Priscilla. 'He died four years ago. She's married,' she said, looking up at her daughter's photograph. 'She married young Gibson last September.'

“我嫁给了乔布·坦斯利，”普丽西拉说，“他四年前过世了。我女儿已经结婚了，”她边说边抬头看着女儿的照片，“她去年9月嫁给了小吉布森。”

Well, well!'

“哎呀，哎呀！”

They were silent again.

他们又陷入沉默。

That's a good fire,' said Toby, looking at it.

“这火烧得真旺。”托比望着炉火说道。

Yes, it is.'

“是啊。”

Good coal.'

“好煤。”

Seventy pence a tonne.'

“70便士一吨。”

Again they were silent.

他们又沉默下来。

Is Ned Walklate still at the pub?' Toby asked.

“内德·沃克拉特还在酒馆吗？”托比问。

I think so,' said Priscilla.

“我想是的。”普丽西拉说。

I think I'll go round and have a drink,' said Toby, standing up.

“我想出去走走，去喝一杯。”托比说着站起身来。

He was unlocking the door when Priscilla said:

托比开门的时候，普丽西拉说道：

You've forgotten your hat, Toby.'

“你忘记拿帽子了，托比。”

No,' he answered. 'I haven't forgotten it. I'm coming back.'

“不，”他回答，“我没忘。我还要回来。”

They looked at one another, speaking without words.

他们看着对方，无声地交流着。

That'll be all right,' she said. 'Well, well!'

“好吧，”她回答，“哎呀，哎呀！”

Yes!'

“好的！”

And he walked round to the pub.

于是托比向酒馆走去。