牛津书虫系列 远离尘嚣13 风暴

Chapter 13 The storm
第十三章 风暴
There was always a harvest supper for the farm workers after all the hay and wheat had been cut.
每当所有的干草和麦 子全都收割完毕，农场主总会请在农场干活的人们吃一次丰收晚餐。
On behalf of his wife，Sergeant Troy decided to have it one evening at the end of August，in the great barn.
托伊中士代表他的妻子决定于八月底的一个晚上在大谷仓举办晚宴。
The weather was unpleasantly warm that night.
那晚，天气很热，使人颇感 不适。
On his way to the harvest supper Gabriel stopped to check the eight huge hay and wheat ricks.
盖伯瑞尔走在路上，停下来查看那八个麦垛。
If，as he suspected，there was a storm，the ricks，which were all uncovered，would be badly damaged.
如果像他想的那样有风暴，那么，这些完全没有覆盖着的麦垛将会惨遭毁坏。
He went on to the barn，where the farm workers had already finished eating and started dancing.
他向前走，到了谷仓，干活的人们已经吃完，开始跳起舞来。
Gabriel had to wait until Sergeant Troy had finished his dance with Bathsheba before he could warn him about possible damage to the ricks.
盖伯瑞尔只得等托伊中士同芭丝谢芭跳完舞，然后才提醒他麦垛可能会遭受的损失。
Troy，however，was enjoying himself too much to listen to Gabriel's message.
可是，托伊兴致正浓，盖伯瑞尔的话哪里听得进去。
‘Friends，’he was saying，‘I've ordered brandy to be served to you all，so that we can celebrate my wedding properly. ’
“朋友们，”他说，“我为你们大家订了白兰地，大家可以尽情庆祝我的婚礼!”
‘No，Frank，don't give them brandy，’begged Bathsheba，‘it will only do them harm!’
“弗兰克，不行啊，别给他们喝白兰地，”芭丝谢芭央求道。“这对他们没好处!”
‘Don't be silly!’said Troy. ‘Friends，let's send the women home!
“你别犯傻!”托伊说，“朋友们，咱们把女人们送回家，
Then we men can drink and sing as much as we like!
留下咱们男人喝个痛快，喝个痛快!
’Angrily，Bathsheba left the barn，followed by the other women.
“芭丝谢芭生气地走了，后边跟着其他的妇女们。
Gabriel left soon afterwards Later，when he went to check that Bathsheba's sheep were safe，
盖伯瑞尔随后也很快 离开了。后来，他又去查看芭丝谢芭的羊，
he noticed that they looked very frightened.
注意到那些羊显得很惊恐。
They were crowded together in a corner，their tails pointing the same way.
它们在角落里挤成一团，尾巴翘向同一个方向。
To the shepherd this meant they were expecting a storm.
牧羊人一看就明白，这表明羊群知道暴风雨即将来临。
He went to look at the ricks again.
他又去查看麦垛。
Should the whole harvest of the farm，worth at least seven hundred and fifty pounds，be lost because of a woman's weakness?
这是农场的全部收成，至少也值750镑，能让它因为一个女人的软弱便毁之一旦吗?
Never，if I can prevent it!thought Gabriel.
不能，我得设法保护!盖伯瑞尔想。
He returned to the barn to ask the other farm workers to help him cover the ricks.
他返回谷仓，想请其他人们帮他把麦垛盖上。
But the only noise he could hear coming from the barn was the men's loud and regular breathing，
但是，谷仓里传来的声音只有人们大声而有节奏的呼吸，
and when he entered，he found them all asleep，including Troy.
他进去发现人们都睡着了，包括托伊。
The brandy，which they had been too polite to refuse，had made them drunk in a very short time，
人们出于礼貌而无法拒绝的白兰地很快就把他们醉倒了，
as they were not used to drinking anything stronger than beer.
因为他们并不习惯喝比啤酒劲大的酒。
It was useless trying to wake them.
想叫醒他们是不行了。
Gabriel left the barn，and returned to the ricks，two of which he managed to cover with the heavy material kept on the farm for this purpose.
盖伯瑞尔离开谷仓，回到麦垛边，用农场上的遮盖布把其中两垛盖上。
The only way to cover the other six ricks was by thatching them with straw，and this was a long and difficult job to do alone.
若想把其他六垛也盖起来，唯一的办法便是用稻草盖，可一个人单独干，既费时又费力。
The moon disappeared，and there was a slow，light wind，like the breath of a dying man，
月亮消失了，轻风缓缓刮起，仿佛垂死的人的呼吸。
as Gabriel climbed the ladder and started thatching high up on top of the third rick.
这时，盖伯瑞尔爬上梯子，开始在第三垛上盖稻草。
Lightning flashed in the sky，and there was a loud crash of thunder.
天上开始闪电，雷声大作。闪电的一刹那，
In the sudden brightness Gabriel could see every tree around him，until the light disappeared just as suddenly，leaving him in the blackest darkness.
盖伯瑞尔看到了四周的每一棵树;电光迅即消失，又把他淹没在漆黑的黑暗之中。
He knew his position was dangerous，but considered his life was not valuable enough to worry about.
他知道自己处境危险，但却认为他的生命不值得担心。
Another flash of lightning allowed him to see the figure of a woman running towards the rick.
又一次闪电中，他看到一个女人的身影向麦垛跑来。
Was it Bathsheba?
难道是芭丝谢芭吗?
‘Is that you，ma'am?’he called to the darkness.
“是你吗，太太?”他向黑暗中大喊。
‘Who's there?’said Bathsheba's voice.
“谁呀?”是芭丝谢芭的声音。
‘It's Gabriel. I'm on the rick，thatching. ’
“盖伯瑞尔，我在麦垛上盖稻草呢。”
‘Oh Gabriel!I'm so worried about the ricks!
“是你，盖伯瑞尔!我正担心这些草垛、麦垛呢!
Can we save them?The thunder woke me.
有办法吗?雷声把我惊醒了，
I can't find my husband. Is he there?’
我丈夫也找不到。他在这儿吗?”
‘No，he isn't. He's—asleep in the barn. ’
“他没在。他——他在仓房睡着了。”
‘He promised me the ricks would be covered，and he hasn't done it!
“他还答应要把麦垛盖上，可他并没有益!
Can I help you?Let me help!’
我能帮你吗?我来帮你干吧。”
‘You can bring the straw up to me in armfuls，if you aren't afraid to climb the ladder in the dark，’said Gabriel.
“你要不怕在这黑天里爬梯子，就给我往上抱稻草吧。”盖伯瑞尔说。
‘I'll do anything to help!’she said. She started to go up and down the ladder，carrying the straw.
“只要能帮忙，我干什么都可以!”芭丝谢芭喊道。她开始上梯子，爬上爬下地递着稻草。
In the brightness of the lightning，Gabriel saw their two shadows，wildly enlarged，on the hill in front of him.
在闪电的光亮里，盖伯瑞尔看见了他们两个身影夸张地映在他面前的小山上。
Then came the loudest crash so far.
又是一声炸雷。
‘How terrible!’cried Bathsheba，and held on to his arm.
“太可怕了!”芭丝谢芭叫起来，一边拉住了他的胳膊。
The lightning flashed in a wild dance of death，and thunder came from every part of the huge sky.
一道电光闪过，跳着狂烈的死亡之舞，接着雷声从广阔天空的四面八方传来。
Bathsheba and Gabriel could only stare，and tremble at the strange and dangerous beauty of the storm.
这是罕见的暴风雨，很危险，芭丝谢苞和盖伯瑞尔看了，浑身直发抖。
As they watched，a tall tree in front of them seemed to be burning with a white flame.
他们看到面前的一棵大树似乎着了火，闪着白色的火苗。
There was a final，violent crash of thunder，and in the bright light they saw that the tree had been torn in half by the lightning.
接着又是一声巨雷，在耀眼的亮光中，他们看见那棵树被闪电劈成了两半。
‘That was close to us!’said Gabriel. ‘We'd better go down. ’
“这离咱们太近了!”盖伯瑞尔说。“咱们最好下去。”
They climbed down and stood together in the darkness，
他们爬下来，在黑暗中一起站着。
Bathsheba seeming to think only of the storm，Gabriel thinking only of her.
芭丝谢芭似乎只想着风暴，而盖伯瑞尔却只想着她。
At last he said，‘The storm appears to have passed，but the rain will be coming soon.
最后，他说：“风暴像是过去了，不过雨很快就会来的。
I'll go up and finish thatching the ricks. ’
我上去把麦垛盖完吧。”
‘Gabriel，you are kind to me!Oh why aren't the others here?
“盖怕瑞尔，你对我真好!哎呀，他们在哪儿呢?
Don't tell me，I know. They're all drunk in the barn，aren't they?
不说我也知道，都醉倒在仓房里了吧?
It was my husband's fault. Gabriel，I want to tell you something. ’
都怨我丈夫。盖伯瑞尔，我想告诉你。”
The soft flashes of the dying lightning showed her face，very white against the black sky.
闪电将尽，柔和的亮光照亮了她的脸，映衬着墨黑的天空，非常苍白。
‘I care about your good opinion of me，so I want to explain why I went to Bath that night.
“你觉得我好，我十分在意，所以我想对你解释那一晚我去巴斯的原因。
It wasn't to marry Troy，it was to break off my relationship with him.
我并不是去嫁给托伊的，而是想去和他断绝关系。
Perhaps you wonder why I married him then?
可能你纳闷我为什么又嫁 给了他吧?
Well，I suppose I must tell you.
这个，我想我必须告诉你。
It was because he told me he had seen a woman more beautiful than me，
他告诉我他看到一个比我漂亮的女人，
and said that if I wanted him as a husband，I must marry him at once!
如果我想让他做我的丈夫，我就必须立即同他结婚!
I was wild with love and jealousy，so I married him!’Gabriel did not reply.
我爱得发狂，嫉妒得要命，就和他结了婚!”盖伯瑞尔没有说什么。
‘I'll bring some more straw up to you，shall I?’she offered.
“我给你再抱些稻草，好吗?”她提议。
She made several more journeys before he noticed her tiredness.
她又上下几趟，他才注意到她的倦容。
‘I think you'd better go indoors now，’he said，as gently as a mother. ‘I'll finish the work alone. ’
“我想你还是回屋内吧，”他像母亲一样温柔地说。“我一个人干完。”
‘If I'm useless，I'll go，’said Bathsheba. ‘But，oh，if you fell…!’
“如果我没用，我就走，”芭丝谢芭说。“可你要是觉得……”
‘You aren't useless，but you're tired. You've done well. ’
“你不是没用，你是累了。你干得挺好的。”
‘And you've done better，’she said gratefully.
“你干得更好，”她感激地说，
‘Thank you a thousand times，Gabriel!Goodnight. ’
“我对你感谢不尽，盖伯瑞尔!晚安。”
She disappeared in the darkness. He went on thatching in a kind of dream.
她消失在黑暗中。盖伯瑞尔像在梦幻中一样继续盖稻草。
She had spoken more warmly to him tonight than she had ever done when she was unmarried and free to speak as warmly as she liked.
比起她未婚时和自由自在地热情交谈时，今晚她的态度可热情多了。
The wind changed and became stronger. At the same time heavy rain started falling.
风向变了，风更大了。与此同时，开始下起了倾盆大雨。
As Gabriel worked on the top of the ricks，
盖伯瑞尔在麦垛上干着活，
he suddenly remembered that，eight months before，he had been fighting against fire in the same place as desperately as he was fighting against water now
突然记起八个月前他曾在这儿奋力救火，正如他现在拼命救灾一样
and for love of the same woman，who did not love him.
为了同一个他爱的女人，而这个女人却并不爱他。
It was not until seven o'clock in the morning that Gabriel climbed down from the last rick，exhausted and wet to the skin.
直到早上七点，盖伯瑞尔才从最后一堆麦垛上下来。他筋疲力竭，浑身湿透。
He noticed figures coming out of the barn，walking slowly and painfully to their homes.
他看到有人从仓房中出来，缓慢、痛苦地走回家去。
They all looked ashamed except Troy，who was whistling cheerfully as he entered the farmhouse.
他们都面带愧色，可托伊却不，他兴高采烈地吹着口哨回到房里。
None of them thought of looking at the ricks.
他们谁也没想到要看麦垛一眼。
On his way back to Coggan's house，Gabriel met Boldwood.
盖伯瑞尔在回考根家的路上，遇到了伯德伍德。
‘How are you，sir?’asked Gabriel.
“你好吗，先生?”盖伯瑞尔问道。
‘Yes，it's a wet day. Oh，I'm very well，thank you. ’
“是啊。下雨天。噢，我挺好的，谢谢。”
‘You look a little different，sir. ’
“你看上去有点异样，先生。”
‘No，you're wrong，Oak. I'm just the same.
“没有，奥克，你说错了。我还是那样。
Nothing hurts me. But you look tired. ’
没什么会让我悲伤。不过你倒是看着挺疲劳的。”
‘I've been working all night to get our ricks covered.
“我一整夜都在给麦垛盖稻草。
Never worked so hard in my life!Yours are safe of course，sir?’
一辈子还没这么狠干过呢!你的麦垛没事吧，先生?”
‘Oh yes. ’Boldwood added after a silence，‘What did you ask?’
“嗯，挺好的。”伯德伍德沉默了一会儿，又说，“你问什么来着?”
‘Your ricks are all covered?’
“你的麦垛都盖好了吗?”
‘No，none of them. I forgot to tell the men to thatch them.
“没有，一垛也没盖。我忘记对他们说了。
I expect most of my wheat will be destroyed in this rain. ’
我估计我的大部分麦子都让这场雨给毁了。”
‘Forgot，’repeated Gabriel to himself.
“忘记了，”盖伯瑞尔自语道。
It was difficult to believe that the most careful farmer in the area would lose all his harvest because of a moment's forgetfulness.
难以相信这一带最细心的农场主会因一时疏忽而失掉全部收成。
This would never have happened before Boldwood fell in love with Bathsheba.
这种事情在伯德伍德爱上芭丝谢芭以前是绝不可能发生的。
Boldwood clearly wanted to talk，although it was still raining heavily.
伯德伍德显然想说话，尽管天还下着大雨。
‘Oak，you knew I wanted to get married. ’
“奥克，你知道我曾想结婚吧。”
‘I thought my mistress was going to marry you，’said Gabriel sympathetically.
“我本以为我的女主人会嫁给你的，”盖伯瑞尔同情地说。
‘However，nothing that we expect ever happens. ’
“可是我们预料的事情没有发生。”
He spoke with the calmness of a man used to disaster.
他说话时语气平静，就象一个饱经灾患的人。
‘Perhaps the villagers laugh at me，’said Boldwood with a pretended lightness.
“可能村民们都在嘲笑我吧，”伯德伍德故作轻松地说。
‘Oh no，I don't think so. ’
“没有吧，我觉得不会。”
‘But the truth is that we were never engaged，so she never broke off the engagement，you see. ’
“但事实上我俩从未订过婚，所以她也从未违背婚约，你看是吧。”
But Boldwood could not remain calm. ‘Oh Gabriel，’he said wildly，‘I'm weak and foolish，and I feel it's better to die than to live!’
但是，伯德伍德无法保持平静。“盖伯瑞尔啊，”他激烈地说。“我又软弱，又蠢，我觉得活着还不如死了好!”
After a silence，he continued more normally. ‘I've accepted the fact of her refusal now.
沉 默了片刻，他恢复了常态，接着又说，“我接受了她的拒绝，
I'm sorry，of course，but no woman has ever controlled my life. Well，good morning. ’
当然，我很遗憾没有一个女人曾经支配过我的生命。好吧，就这样，再见。”