书虫三级《三个陌生人》：9、一时冲动之 偶遇
2.A chance meeting
2．偶遇
When the end of July arrived, Baptista was in no hurry to return home to the island. She was not planning to buy any special clothes for the wedding, and her parents were making all the other arrangements. So she did not leave Tor-upon-Sea until the Saturday before her wedding. She travelled by train to the town of Pen-zephyr, but when she arrived, she found that the boat to St Maria's had left early, and there was no other boat until Tuesday. 'I'll have to stay here until then,' she thought. 'It's too far to go back to Mrs Wace's.' She did not seem to mind this — in fact, she was almost happy to wait another three nights before seeing her future husband.
7月底到来的时候，巴普蒂丝塔并不着急回岛上的家里去。她不打算特地为婚礼买什么衣服，而其他一切则由她的父母来安排。所以，她直到婚礼前的那个星期六才离开托阿庞西。她乘火车前往彭泽弗小镇，到达之后却发现到圣玛丽亚岛的船已经提前开走了，而且直到下星期二才会有别的船。“我只能在这儿等下一班船了，”她想，“回韦斯太太那里太远了。”她看样子并不介意——事实上，她甚至很高兴要再多等三个晚上才见到自己未来的丈夫。
She found a room in a small hotel, took her luggage there, then went out for a walk round the town.
她在一家小旅馆找了个房间，把行李放好，然后到小镇上去逛逛。
Baptista? Yes, Baptista it is!'
“巴普蒂丝塔？没错，是巴普蒂丝塔！”
The words came from behind her. Turning round, she gave a jump, and stared. 'Oh, is it really you, Charles?' she said.
这话从她背后传来。她吓了一跳，转过身盯着对方。“哦，真的是你吗，查尔斯？”她说。
With a half-smile the newcomer looked her up and down. He appeared almost angry with her, but he said nothing.
来者似笑非笑地上下打量了她一番。他好像对她有些气恼，但却一言不发。
I'm going home,' she continued, 'but I've missed the boat.'
“我正准备回家，”她接着说，“但却没赶上船。”
He did not seem interested in this news. 'Still teaching?' he said. 'What a fine teacher you make, Baptista, I'm sure!'
他似乎对此不感兴趣。“还在教书吗？”他说道，“你一定是个好老师吧，巴普蒂丝塔，我敢肯定！”
She knew that was not his real meaning. 'I know I'm not very good at teaching, 'she replied.' That's why I've stopped.'
她知道这并非他的本意。“我知道我并不擅长教书，”她答道，“所以我辞职了。”
Oh, you've stopped? You surprise me.'
“哦，你辞职了？这太让人吃惊了。”
I hate teaching.'
“我讨厌教书。”
Perhaps that's because I'm a teacher.'
“也许那是因为我是个老师。”
Oh no, it isn't. It's because I'm starting a new life. Next week I'm going to marry Mr David Heddegan.'
“哦，不，当然不是。因为我要开始新的生活。下周我就要嫁给戴维·赫德根先生了。”
At this unexpected reply, the young man took a step back. 'Who is Mr David Heddegan?' he said, trying to sound bored.
听到这个出乎意料的回答，小伙子往后退了一步。“戴维·赫德根先生是谁？”他说着，试图让语气显得有些厌烦。
He owns a number of shops on St Maria's, and he's my father's neighbour and oldest friend.'
“他在圣玛丽亚岛拥有很多商店，而且是我父亲的邻居和老朋友。”
So, no longer a schoolteacher, just a shopkeeper's wife. I knew you would never succeed as a teacher. You're like a woman who thinks she can be a great actress just because she has a beautiful face, and forgets she has to be able to act. But you found out your mistake early, didn't you?'
“也就是说，你不再是学校的老师，而只是一个店主的妻子了。我就知道你永远不会胜任教师这项工作的。你就像一个自以为有了漂亮脸蛋就能成为优秀演员的女人，却忘了自己还必须懂得如何表演。不过，你及时发现了自己的错误，不是吗？”
Don't be unpleasant to me, Charles,' Baptista said sadly.
“别扫我的兴，查尔斯。”巴普蒂丝塔忧伤地说。
I'm not being unpleasant — I'm just saying what is true, in a friendly way — although I do have good reason to be unpleasant to you. What a hurry you've been in, Baptista! I do hate a woman in a hurry!'
“我不是扫你的兴——我只是在用一种友好的方式说出真话——尽管我有足够的理由来扫你的兴。你太草率了，巴普蒂丝塔！我讨厌草率的女人！”
What do you mean?'
“你指的是什么？”
Well — in a hurry to be somebody's wife. Any husband is better than no husband for you, it seems. You couldn't wait for me, oh no! Well, thank God, that's all in the past for me!'
“嗯——草率地成为某人的妻子。看情形，你似乎觉得有丈夫总比没丈夫强。你等不了我了，哦，不！嗯，感谢上帝，对我而言，一切都过去了！”
Wait for you? What does that mean, Charley? You never showed that you felt anything special for me.'
“等你？这是什么意思，查理？你从没表现出对我有什么特别的感觉呀。”
Oh really, Baptista dear!'
“哦，是真的吗，亲爱的巴普蒂丝塔！”
What I mean is, there was nothing that I could be sure of. I suppose you liked me a little, but I didn't think you meant to make an honest engagement of it.'
“我是说，我不敢确定。我猜你是有一点喜欢我，可我并不认为你真的会正儿八经地跟我订婚。”
That's just it! You girls expect a man to talk about marrying after the first look! But I did mean to get engaged to you, you know.'
“这话算是说到点子上了！你们女孩子总希望男人看你们一眼就谈婚论嫁！可我的确曾经打算跟你订婚，知道吗？”
But you never said so, and a woman can't wait for ever!'
“但你从没说过这话，一个女人总不能永远等下去吧！”
Baptista, I promise you that I was planning to ask you to marry me in six months' time.'
“巴普蒂丝塔，我发誓我曾经打算在6个月之内向你求婚。”
She appeared very uncomfortable, and they walked along in silence. Soon he said, 'Did you want to marry me then?'
她显得很不自在，两人默默地往前走。没过多久，他问：“那时你想嫁给我吗？”
And she whispered sadly back, 'Yes!'
她忧伤地低声回答道：“想！”
As they walked on, away from the town and into the fields, her shoulder and his were close together. He held her arm with a strong hand. This seemed to say, 'Now I hold you, and you must do what I want.'
他们走着走着，走出了小镇，来到田野里，两人的肩并在一起。他用一只有力的手抓住了她的胳膊，就像是在说：“现在我抓住你了，我想让你做什么你就得做什么。”
How strange that we should meet like this!' said the young man. 'You and I could be husband and wife, going on our honeymoon together. But instead of that, we'll say goodbye in half an hour, perhaps for ever. Yes, life is strange!'
“我们这样见面真是太奇怪了！”小伙子说，“你我原本可以结为夫妻、一起度蜜月的，可这一切却没有发生。我们半小时后就要说再见了，也许永远无法再见。是啊，人生是多么奇怪啊！”
She stopped walking. 'I must go back. This is too painful, Charley! You're not being kind today.'
她停下了脚步。“我得回去了。这太痛苦了，查理！你今天太不友善了。”
I don't want to hurt you — you know I don't,' he answered more gently. 'But it makes me angry — what you're going to do. I don't think you should marry him.'
“我不想伤害你——你知道我不想，”他温柔地回答道，“但你将要做的事使我很生气。我觉得你不应该嫁给他。”
I must do it, now that I've agreed.'
“既然我已经同意了，就必须那么做。”
Why?' he asked, speaking more seriously now. 'It's never too late to stop a wedding if you're not happy with it. Now — you could marry me, instead of him, although you were in too much of a hurry to wait for me!'
“为什么？”他问道，语气更加严肃了，“取消一场你不情愿的婚礼永远都不算晚。喏——你可以跟我结婚，而不是跟他，尽管你等了我没多久！”
Oh, it isn't possible to think of that!' she cried, shaking her head. 'At home everything will be ready for the wedding!'
“哦，想想就知道那是不可能的！”她摇着头喊道，“家里肯定已经把婚礼的一切都准备停当了！”
If we marry, it must be at once. This evening you can come back with me to Trufal, the town where I live. We can get married there on Tuesday, and then no Mr David Heddegan, or anyone else, can take you away from me!'
“如果我们要结婚，那就必须马上结。今天晚上你可以跟我回到我居住的小镇特鲁福去。我们星期二就可以在那里结婚，那么无论是戴维·赫德根还是其他什么人，都不能把你从我身边带走了！”
But I must go home on the Tuesday boat,' she said worriedly. 'What will they think if I don't arrive?'
“可我必须坐星期二的船回家，”她焦虑地说，“如果我没回家，他们会怎么想呢？”
You can go home on that boat just the same. The only difference is that I'll go with you. You'll tell your parents that you've married a young man with a good job, someone that you met at the training college. When I meet them, they'll accept that we're married and it can't be changed. And you won't be miserable for ever as the wife of an awful old man. Now honestly, you do like me best, don't you, Baptista?'
“你一样可以坐那趟船回家。唯一不同的是我会跟你一起回去。你可以告诉你父母，你嫁给了一位有体面工作的年轻人，是在培训学院认识的。等见面以后，他们就会接受我们结婚这个事实，这是无法改变的。你就永远不会因为嫁给一个可怕的老头而痛苦了。好了，老实说，你最喜欢的的确是我，是不是，巴普蒂丝塔？”
Yes,' she whispered.
“是的。”她轻声说道。
Then we will do what I say.'
“那咱们就照我说的办。”
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