书虫四级《克兰福德》：7.突然的消息

7．Sudden news

7．突然的消息

An idea had come into my head. Was Peter Jenkyns of Cranford now the Aga jenkyns of Chunderabaddad? Could it be possible? I decided to ask the Cranford ladies some questions, without explaining what I suspected.

我的头脑中有了个想法。现在克兰福德的彼得·詹金斯会不会就是昌德拉巴达的那位阿加·詹金斯？这可能吗？我决定问克兰福德的女士们一些问题，却不向她们解释我的疑惑。

I did not learn much. Miss Pole believed that Peter had become something important in Tibet. Mrs Forrester said he had been rather handsome. They both thought the last news of him had come from India. That was almost all I discovered.

我没有了解到太多的情况。波尔小姐相信彼得已经成了西藏的重要人物，福里斯特夫人说他以前长得很帅，她们都认为关于他的最后消息是从印度传来的。我就发现了这么多。

Meanwhile, however, something extraordinary was going on around us and we all, even Miss Pole, failed to notice! I remember the morning she came to tell us. It was nearly calling-time. Miss Matty and I had just been discussing Signor Brunoni and that clever Mr Hoggins when someone knocked at the door.

不过，与此同时，我们身边发生了一件非同寻常的事情，而我们大家，甚至连波尔小姐，都没有注意到！我记得那天早晨是她来告诉我们的。当时已经将近串门时间，马蒂小姐和我正在谈论布鲁诺尼先生和那位聪明的霍金斯先生，就在那时，有人敲门。

We were hurrying to change our caps when Miss Pole ran up the stairs. 'It's not twelve, I know,' she called, 'but I must speak to you. What do you think? Mr Hoggins is going to marry Lady Glenmire!'

我们匆忙换上帽子，这时波尔小姐已经跑上楼来了。“还不到12点，我知道，”她大声说，“但是我非得和你们说说。你们到底怎么想？霍金斯先生要和格兰米尔夫人结婚了！”

Marry?!' we said.

“结婚？！”我们说。

Marry! I heard it in Mr Johnson's shop.'

“结婚！我是在约翰逊先生的店里听说这件事的。”

Perhaps it's not true,' said Miss Matty hopefully.

“也许这不是真的。”马蒂小姐怀着希望说。

It's true,' said Miss Pole. 'I went straight to Mrs Fitz-Adam, and she said her brother and Lady Glenmire had come to an understanding. "Understanding"! Such a vulgar word! But my lady will have to hear many vulgar words now. I believe Mr Hoggins drinks beer at supper every night...'

“是真的，”波尔小姐说，“我立刻赶到了菲茨-亚当夫人那里，她说她哥哥和格兰米尔夫人已经达成了默契。‘默契’！多么俗气的一个词！不过这位夫人现在还要听很多俗气的词。我相信霍金斯先生每天晚饭时都要喝啤酒……”

Marry!' repeated Miss Matty. 'Well! Two people that we know going to be married. It's coming very near!'

“结婚！”马蒂小姐重复道，“啊！两个我们认识的人要结婚了。要不了多久了！”

I'm not surprised that Mr Hoggins likes her,' I said. 'But how can she like Mr Hoggins?'

“霍金斯先生喜欢她，这我倒不觉得奇怪，”我说，“但她怎么会喜欢上霍金斯先生呢？”

Oh, Mr Hoggins is rich and very pleasant-looking,' said Miss Matty, 'and very kind.'

“哦，霍金斯先生有钱，长着一副快乐的模样，”马蒂小姐说，“而且心肠也很好。”

We began to wonder what the Honourable Mrs Jamieson would say. Mrs Jamieson had recently gone down to Cheltenham in the care of Mulliner, leaving Lady Glenmire to manage her house and to stop her maids taking followers. And while she was away, Lady Glenmire had herself taken a follower! A follower whom Mrs Jamieson thought was vulgar and not good enough for Cranford society! Had Mr Hoggins ever visited Lady Glenmire at Mrs Jamieson's house, we wondered? Or had they only met at the lodgings of the poor sick conjurer? Certainly, they had both been very kind to him.

我们开始想尊敬的贾米森夫人会怎么说。贾米森夫人最近在马利纳的看护下去了切尔滕纳姆，留下格兰米尔夫人一个人照管自己的家，并防止女仆们带追求者回来。她离开的这段时间，格兰米尔夫人自己却有了个追求者！一个贾米森夫人认为俗气，配不上克兰福德上流社会的追求者！霍金斯先生有没有到贾米森夫人家去拜访格兰米尔夫人呢？我们想知道。或是他们只在可怜的生病的魔术师住的地方相见呢？当然，他们俩对他都很好。

Well! What next? When would the wedding be? How could servants announce a married couple as 'Lady Glenmire and Mr Hoggins'? Would anyone visit the couple? Oh dear, would we have to choose between visiting dull Mrs Jamieson and bright Lady Glenmire?

那么！接下来会发生什么呢？婚礼什么时候举行？仆人们怎么宣布这对夫妇为“格兰米尔夫人和霍金斯先生”呢？会不会有人去拜访这对夫妇呢？哦天啊，我们难道不得不在无聊的贾米森夫人和活泼的格兰米尔夫人之间选择拜访谁吗？

Next time we saw Lady Glenmire, in church, she looked happy and younger than before. Mr Hoggins too looked happy, and he was wearing his first new pair of boots for twenty-five years. But none of the Cranford ladies said anything to either of them about their marriage. Until Mrs Jamieson returned, indeed, we did not know what to say.

我们再次见到格兰米尔夫人是在教堂里，她看起来很幸福，也比以前显得年轻了。霍金斯先生看上去也很幸福，而且25年来头一次穿了双新靴子。但是克兰福德的女士们同他们交谈时对他们的婚姻只字不提。真的，直到贾米森夫人回来为止，我们都不知道该说什么。

But it was now March, and Mr Johnson announced the arrival of the spring fashions at his shop. Miss Matty had been waiting for this before buying herself a new silk dress. In our excitement we forgot, for the moment, about Lady Glenmire.

但是现在已经是三月了，约翰逊先生宣布他的店里已经有春季时装到货。马蒂小姐一直在等这个消息，准备买一条新丝裙。我们激动得暂时忘记了格兰米尔夫人。

On the Tuesday on which Mr Johnson was going to show the new fashions, two letters were waiting for us on the breakfast table. One was to me from my father—a dull, businessman's letter. There were unpleasant reports about the Town and County Bank, he wrote, and he hoped Miss Matty did not still have shares in it. He had warned her sister years ago not to put money into that bank, but she had not listened to his advice.

在约翰逊先生要展示新时装的那个周二，我们在早餐桌上看到了两封信。一封是我父亲写给我的——一封干巴巴的商务式信件。有一些关于县镇银行的不太好的消息，他写道，他希望马蒂小姐不要继续持有他们的股票。他几年前就警告过她姐姐不要把钱投入那家银行，可是她不听他的劝告。

Who is your letter from, my dear?' asked Miss Matty. 'Mine is from the Town and County Bank, asking me to an important meeting of the shareholders in Drumble on Thursday. It's kind of them to remember me.'

“你的信是谁写来的，亲爱的？”马蒂小姐问，“我的信是县镇银行写来的，让我星期四参加在德莱姆伯尔举行的一个重要的股东会议。他们真好，还记得我。”

I was alarmed at this 'important meeting', and was afraid that my father's fears were right. However, bad news always came fast enough, so I decided to say nothing for the moment. I simply told Miss Matty that my father sent his best wishes, then I changed the conversation. 'What time should we go to see the fashions?' I asked.

我对于这一“重要会议”感到吃惊，而且担心我父亲的疑虑是对的。不过，坏消息总是来得快，所以我决定暂时什么也不说。我只是告诉马蒂小姐我父亲祝福她，然后就换了个话题。“我们什么时候去看时装？”我问。

Well, the correct time to go is after twelve o'clock,' she said. 'But then all Cranford will be there, and I'd rather not look at dresses and caps in front of everyone. So let's go this morning after breakfast. I need half a pound of tea. We can buy that, and choose the silk for my new dress. Then we can go quietly upstairs, look at the fashions and decide the style for my dress.'

“哦，应该是12点以后去，”她说，“不过那时克兰福德的人都会到那里去，我可不想当着每个人的面看那些服装和帽子。所以我们今天还是吃过早饭就去吧。我需要半磅茶叶。我们可以买茶叶，还可以挑选给我做新衣服的丝绸，然后我们就悄悄上楼，看时装，再决定我衣服的式样。”

The young men at Mr Johnson's wore their best clothes and their best smiles. Miss Matty bought her tea, then began looking at the silks. It was Cranford's market-day, and many country people came into the shop.

约翰逊先生店里的小伙子穿着最好的服装，个个笑容可掬。马蒂小姐买了茶叶，然后开始看丝绸。那天是克兰福德的赶集日，许多乡下人也来到了店里。

One honest-looking man stood next to us and asked to look at some shawls for his wife. He hesitated. Miss Matty hesitated too. She would like a sea-green silk. No, that lovely red. No, that bright yellow...

一个看起来挺诚实的男人站在我们旁边，他要求给他妻子看看披肩。可他拿不定主意。马蒂小姐也拿不定主意。她想要一块海蓝色的丝绸。不，那种可爱的红色丝绸。不，那种明黄色的……

Our neighbour finally chose a shawl and held out a five-pound note.

我们旁边的人终于选中了一条披肩，递出去五英镑的钞票。

The shop-boy looked at the note. 'Town and County Bank! I think we were warned this morning not to accept this bank's notes. I'll just ask Mr Johnson...'

店里的伙计看了看钞票。“县镇银行！我想我们今天早晨得到了通知不收这家银行的钞票。我去问问约翰逊先生……”

What!' The poor farmer could not believe it.

“什么！”可怜的农夫难以置信。

Miss Matty forgot her new silk dress. 'Which bank did your note belong to?' she asked him.

马蒂小姐也忘了她的新丝绸服装。“你的钞票是哪家银行的？”她问他。

Town and County.'

“县镇银行。”

Mr Johnson's very sorry, Mr Dobson,' the boy said as he brought the note back, 'but the bank's notes are worth less.'

“约翰逊先生很抱歉，多布森先生，”伙计把钞票拿回来的时候说，“可是这家银行的钞票一钱不值。”

I don't understand,' Miss Matty said to me in a 1ow voice. 'Town and County is my bank, isn't it?'

“我不明白，”马蒂小姐低声对我说，“县镇银行是我的那家银行，对吧？”

Yes... This yellow silk will match the ribbons in your new cap,' I continued quickly, holding it up and wishing the man would go away.

“是的……这块黄丝绸和你新帽子上的丝带很配。”我马上继续说道，并把丝绸举起来，希望那个人能走开。

Never mind the silks for a moment, dear,' she said, putting her hand gently on mine and looking at the farmer. 'I'll give you five pound coins for your note, Mr Dobson,' she said. 'But there must be some mistake. I'm a shareholder in that bank and I've not been told about any problem.'

“暂时别管丝绸了，亲爱的，”她说道，把手轻轻地放在我的手上，看着那个农夫，“我给你五英磅硬币换你的纸币，多布森先生。”她说，“不过这一定是搞错了。我是那家银行的股东，我还没得到任何通知说出了问题。”

The shop-boy whispered across the table to Miss Matty. She looked at him uncertainly. 'I don't understand business,' she said. 'But if honest people are going to lose their money because they have our notes, then... Oh, I can't explain myself. Just give me your note, please, Mr Dobson, and then you can take the shawl for your wife.'

店伙计隔着桌子小声地跟马蒂小姐说了几句话。她看着他，有些不敢肯定。“我不懂生意，”她说，“可是如果诚实的人要是因为他们拿的是我们的纸币就要损失钱财，那么……哦，我自己也解释不清。请把你的钞票给我吧，多布森先生，那样你就可以把这条披肩带给你妻子了。”

The farmer looked at her gratefully, but hesitated for a moment. 'I wouldn't like somebody else to lose money instead of me,' he said. 'But, you see, madam, five pounds is a lot of money to a man with a family.'

农夫感激地看着她，但迟疑了一会儿。“我不想别人为我而损失钱财。”他说，“可是，您看，夫人，五英镑对于一个拖家带口的人来说可是一大笔钱。”

I'm sure there is a mistake,' said Miss Matty quietly, 'and in a few days everything will be all right.' She pushed her five gold coins towards the farmer, who slowly put down his note. 'Thank you,' Miss Matty said. 'I'll wait a day or two before I buy any of these silks,' she told the boy. 'My dear, will you come upstairs and see the fashions?'

“我敢肯定一定是弄错了，”马蒂小姐平静地说，“要不了几天，一切都会正常的。”她把自己的五镑金币推给那个农夫，那人慢慢地放下纸币。“谢谢你。”马蒂小姐说，“我要等一两天再买这些丝绸。”她对伙计说。“亲爱的，你要不要上楼来看看时装？”

Miss Matty looked with great interest at all the new dresses and bonnets and shawls. She seemed unworried by what had happened downstairs. But as we came down through the shop, Mr Johnson was waiting for us. It was true, he said, the bank was in serious trouble. Miss Matty showed no surprise or alarm. Cranford ladies thought it was vulgar to show their feelings in a shop.

马蒂小姐怀着极大的兴趣看着所有的新服装、新帽子和新披肩。她似乎一点儿也没有为刚才楼下发生的事情担心。可是我们下楼穿过店里的时候，约翰逊先生正在等着我们。是真的，他说，那家银行陷入了大麻烦。马蒂小姐没有表现出惊讶或恐慌的样子。克兰福德的女士们认为在店铺里表露感情很俗气。

However, we walked home very silently and neither of us ate much dinner. Later, in the drawing-room, Miss Matty unlocked her desk and began to look through her bills and papers. After a while, she came and sat next to me, by the fire. I put my hand into hers. She held it, but did not speak.

不过，我们默默地走回家中，两个人都没怎么吃饭。后来，在休息室，马蒂小姐打开桌子上的锁，开始检查她的账单和文件。过了一会儿，她来到壁炉旁，坐到我身边。我把手放在她的手里。她握住我的手，却没有说话。

At last she said, 'If that bank goes wrong, I'll lose ￡149 a year. I'll only have ￡13 a year left.' It was too dark to see her face, but I knew that she was crying. 'Oh, I'm so glad poor Deborah is not here!' That was all she said about the sister who had put their money in that unlucky bank.

最后她说：“如果那家银行出了问题，我每年就要损失149英镑，那样一年我就只剩下13英镑了。”屋里太黑，看不清她的脸，但我知道她在哭。“哦，我真高兴可怜的德博拉不在这里！”对于姐姐把她们的钱投入这家倒霉的银行，她就只说了这么一句。

We lit the candle later than usual that day. After tea, however, we talked about Lady Glenmire. Miss Matty had begun to think it was a good idea for her to marry Mr Hoggins. 'A man knows what to do when there are problems,' she said. 'And Mr Hoggins, though a little rough, is very nice. I've known good, clever people who were not "in society" but were both true and loving...'

后来我们点燃了蜡烛，但时间比平常晚。不过，用过茶点之后，我们谈起了格兰米尔夫人。马蒂小姐开始认为她嫁给霍金斯先生是对的。“出了问题男人知道该怎么办。”她说，“霍金斯先生虽然有些粗俗，却是个很好的人。我认识一些不属于‘上流社会’的善良聪明的人，他们又真诚又有爱心……”

She began to day-dream about Mr Holbrook, and I did not stop her. I had decided what to do. That night after she went to bed, I lit the candle again and sat down in the drawing-room to write a letter to the Aga Jenkyns. The church clock struck two before I had finished.

她开始想霍尔布鲁克先生了，我没有阻止她。我已经决定了该怎么办。那天晚上她上床睡觉之后，我又点燃了蜡烛，然后坐在休息室里给阿加·詹金斯先生写信。教堂的钟敲两点的时候我还没写完。

The next morning news came that the Town and County Bank had failed. Miss Matty had lost all her money. She now had only about one pound a month on which to live. 'But many poor people have less,' she said. 'Poor Martha! I think she'll be sorry to leave me.' She smiled at me through her tears, and I think she wanted me to see only the smile, not the tears.

第二天一早就传来了县镇银行破产的消息。马蒂小姐损失了所有的钱，现在她每月只有大约一英镑的收入，她只能靠这点儿钱生活。“不过很多穷人钱更少。”她说，“可怜的马莎！我想她离开我会难过的。”她含着泪朝我微笑。我觉得她只想让我看见微笑，而不是眼泪。