书虫6级《名利场》第四章: 布赖顿愉快之旅

"You're a devil for the ladies, Jos!" laughed one of his friends. "But what shall we do this afternoon, boys?"

“你真是女士的克星，乔斯！”他的朋友笑着说，“我们下午干什么呢，小伙子们？”

"There's a fine girl over there," said one of the three. "D' you see? A very pretty ankle, she's got."

“那边有一个漂亮姑娘。”其中一人说，“你们看见了吗？她的脚踝很美。”

Seven days after the wedding, three young men were walking by the sea in Brighton, enjoying the sea air and admiring all the pretty ladies as they passed.

婚礼之后七天，三个年轻人在布赖顿的海边散步，一边享受海边的空气，一边欣赏每一位经过他们身边的漂亮女士。

"Let's have a game of billiards," said the third man.

“我们玩一局台球吧。”另一个人说。

"No, no, Captain," said Jos, alarmed. "No billiards today, Crawley, my boy; yesterday was enough."

“不，不，上尉。”乔斯慌张地说，“今天不玩台球了，克劳利，我的好兄弟。昨天已经玩够了。”

"You play very well," laughed Crawley. "Doesn't he, George?"

“你打得不错啊，”克劳利笑着说，“是吧，乔治？”

George Osborne had brought Amelia to Brighton for a little honeymoon, and Joseph Sedley had come down to join them. And who should they discover, staying in the same hotel, but Captain and Mrs Rawdon Crawley? At once Rebecca and Amelia flew into each other's arms, and there was general delight among the young people. The two wedding parties met constantly, on excursions and at dinners, and the gentlemen for games of cards and billiards, which conveniently enabled Rawdon to refill his empty purse with his winnings from Jos and George.

乔治·奥斯本带阿梅莉亚来布赖顿度个小蜜月，约瑟夫·塞德利随后也加入了他们。他们发现谁也住在同一家旅馆呢？当然是罗顿·克劳利上尉夫妇！丽贝卡和阿梅莉亚马上就飞奔拥抱在一起，这些年轻人都很高兴。两方常常会面，一同出游，一起吃饭。男士们聚在一起玩牌、打台球，罗顿干瘪的钱包里轻而易举地塞满了从乔斯和乔治那里赢来的钱。

Miss Crawley, on whom all Rawdon's hopes depended, still refused to see him, and was now in Brighton, taking the sea air for her health. Her affectionate nephew and niece had followed her there, but Miss Crawley was guarded day and night by the fiercely possessive Mrs Bute Crawley, who was determined to prevent Rawdon inheriting any of his aunt's riches. Becky and Rawdon, however, were just as determined to succeed as Mrs Bute; and in the meantime they spent money freely and ran up debts, confident of getting the old lady's money in the end.

克劳利小姐现在也在布赖顿，她是来海边疗养的。罗顿把所有希望都寄托在她身上，可她仍然拒不见他。她那情真意切的侄子和侄媳追随她来到这里，但是她被占有欲极强的比特·克劳利夫人从早到晚看得死死的。比特夫人抱定主意决不让罗顿从他姑姑那里继承一分钱，而贝姬和罗顿也和比特夫人一样意志坚定，决心要成功。与此同时，他们花钱大手大脚，很快就欠下一笔笔债，不过他们有把握最后能将老太太的钱弄到手。

The two young couples had plenty to tell each other, and their marriages and future hopes were discussed with great interest on both sides. George was rather nervously waiting for the arrival of his friend Captain Dobbin, who had offered to tell George's father the news of his son's marriage to Amelia.

两对年轻夫妻有太多事情要告诉彼此，双方兴致勃勃地讨论婚姻和未来的希望。乔治焦急万分地等待他朋友多宾上尉的到来，多宾之前主动提出向乔治的父亲传达他儿子与阿梅莉亚结婚的消息。

On meeting George Osborne again, Becky had taken some care to be especially charming to him, admiring his handsome face and his skill at billiards (at which he usually lost to Rawdon). In return, George thought Becky clever, amusing, stylish, and altogether delightful. He quite forgot his original opinion of her as a lowly governess.

再见到乔治·奥斯本时，贝姬刻意对他施展魅力，奉承他仪表堂堂，球技高超（打台球时，他通常会输给罗顿）。相应地，乔治觉得贝姬聪明、风趣又时髦，总而言之，很讨人喜欢。他完全忘了以前认为她是个地位低下的家庭教师的评价了。

"Not a bit. I love the smell of them in the open air," Becky said.

“一点儿也不介意。我喜欢雪茄在室外散发的味道。”贝姬说。

It is hard for a young bride to have thoughts like these, but so it was. One evening, while Rawdon and Joseph were playing cards, Becky and George were outside on the balcony, admiring the moonlight. Amelia sat inside, neglected, watching.

一个年轻的新娘有这样的想法很痛苦，但她确是这样想的。一天晚上，罗顿和约瑟夫打牌，贝姬和乔治则在外面阳台上欣赏月色。阿梅莉亚坐在屋内，无人理会，独自观察着这一切。

Amelia became faintly uneasy about her brilliant friend, always so lively and amusing, while she herself was so shy and quiet. She had only been married a week, and already George seemed bored, eager to be with other people as much as possible.

阿梅莉亚隐隐有些不安，她的朋友光彩照人，总是那么活泼风趣，而自己却那么腼腆、少言寡语。她才刚刚结婚一周，乔治似乎就厌倦了，迫不及待地尽可能多和别人待在一起。

"What a fine night!" said George. "Do you mind my cigar?"

“夜色多美啊！”乔治说，“介意我抽雪茄吗？”

Becky laughed. "Do you know what my plan is?" she said. "You remember Briggs, my Aunt Crawley's companion? She goes sea-bathing a lot, and one day I'm going to dive in next to her and insist on immediate forgiveness, right there in the water."

贝姬大笑起来。“你知道我有什么计划吗？”她说，“你记得布里格斯，克劳利姑姑的女伴吗？她常去洗海水浴。总有一天，我会扎到她身边，就在水里坚持让她立刻原谅我们。”

"The sea is so calm and clear -- don't you wish you could just dive into it?" said George.

“大海如此平静、清澈——难道你不希望自己能就这样一头扎进去？”乔治说。

George burst out laughing at the idea of this watery meeting.

这个水中会面的想法令乔治忍不住放声大笑。

"What's the noise about, you two?" Rawdon called out.

“你们吵吵嚷嚷什么呢？”罗顿大声问。

Amelia, unable to join in the laughter, crept away to her room, and a little cold hand closed around that tender heart.

阿梅莉亚无法加入他们的谈笑，便悄悄地回了房间，一只冰凉的小手攥住了她那颗温柔的心。

But apart from these little private worries of Amelia's, the time passed pleasantly enough, and hopes on both sides were high -- that George's father would forgive George, and that Miss Crawley would forgive Becky and Rawdon.

不过，除了阿梅莉亚私下里小小的担心以外，大家度过了一段愉快的时光。双方的期望都很高——乔治的父亲会原谅乔治，克劳利小姐也会原谅贝姬和罗顿。

"It's my opinion," Dobbin went on, "that Napoleon will attack in less than three weeks, and we shall have a fine old time of it. But let's not say anything like that to the ladies, George, eh? It may come to nothing after all -- at the moment Brussels is full of fashionable people who think just that."

“我认为，”多宾继续说，“拿破仑三周之内就会发动进攻，我们可能要好好大干一场了。但是，我们别把这事告诉女士们，好吧，乔治？也许最后什么事也没有呢，现在布鲁塞尔到处都是有这种想法的上流人士。”

But Vanity Fair is rarely a kind or forgiving place. And what would happen to our story, dear reader, if it was?

只是，名利场远非善良宽容之地。亲爱的读者，假如名利场是那样的，我们的故事又会如何发展呢？

The next day Dobbin arrived in Brighton, eager to see Amelia, even though she was now a married woman, forever out of his reach. He brought two pieces of news with him; the first he gave to the young men alone. It was news of war.

次日，多宾抵达布赖顿。尽管阿梅莉亚已经嫁为人妇，他永远无法企及，但他仍急切地想见到她。他带来了两个消息。第一个消息——战争的消息——是说给年轻男士们听的。

This news shocked his listeners, and they looked very serious.

这个消息令听众们大吃一惊，他们表情都很凝重。

"We're ordered to Belgium -- the whole army. We leave next week, sailing from Chatham."

“我们接到前往比利时的命令——全军前往。下周开拔，从查塔姆出航。”

Dobbin did not reply and silently handed George a letter.

多宾没有回答，只是默默地递给乔治一封信。

"What did my father say?" George asked anxiously. "Tell me!"

“我父亲怎么说？”乔治焦急地问，“告诉我！”

The second piece of news Dobbin brought was for George Osborne, and he waited until they were alone together.

多宾带来的第二个消息是专给乔治·奥斯本的，他等到只剩他俩时。

"It's not in my father's handwriting," said George, alarmed.

“这不是我父亲的笔迹。”乔治惊慌地说。

Mr Osborne also asks me to say that he refuses to receive any messages or letters from you on this or any other subject.

奥斯本先生还要求我传达：您的任何口信或信件，无论与此事有关或是任何别的事宜，他概不接收。

SIR -- I AM INSTRUCTED by Mr Osborne to inform you that, as a result of the marriage you have chosen to enter into, he no longer recognizes you as his son, and that you will therefore inherit no money from him on his death. The only inheritance due to you is the money left to you and your two sisters by your mother. The sum of ￡2,000, being a third share of ￡6,000, will be paid to yourself or your agents upon receipt of your instructions.

先生，本人奉奥斯本先生之命通知您，鉴于您选择的婚姻，令尊不再承认您是他的儿子。因此，令尊去世后您将不会继承他的遗产。您能继承的唯一遗产是令堂留给您与两位姐妹的。这笔6,000英镑的遗产分为三份，其中的一份2,000英镑，在收到您的指示后将支付给您本人或您的代理人。

George was right. The letter was from his father's lawyer.

乔治是对的。信是他父亲的律师写的。

Your obedient servant, Samuel Higgs

您恭顺的仆人，塞缪尔·希格斯

"This is all your fault!" shouted George. He threw the letter at Dobbin. "We could have waited, but no -- you had to get me married, and ruined! What the devil am I to do with two thousand pounds? That won't last me two years. I've already lost a hundred and forty to Crawley at cards and billiards this week."

“这都是你的错！”乔治大吼。他把信甩给多宾。“我们本来可以等等的，可是不——你非要让我结婚，让我破产了！两千英镑够我干什么啊？连两年都支撑不了。这个星期玩牌、打台球我已经输给克劳利一百四十英镑了。”

"Well, well," said Dobbin calmly. "This storm will pass, George. Get your name mentioned in the Army Gazette and I'm sure your old father will welcome you back with open arms."

“好了，好了。”多宾平静地说，“暴风雨会过去的，乔治。让你的名字出现在军报上，我保证你的老父亲会张开双臂欢迎你回家的。”

"Mentioned in the Gazette!" said George. "Among the list of dead, you mean? That's really helpful!"

“名字出现在军报上！”乔治说，“出现在阵亡者名单里吗，你的意思是？还真有用！”

It was impossible to argue with Dobbin for long as he was too good-natured. He had tried his best for his friend, but the father was a man of violent temper, and having decided to cut his son off, there was nothing Dobbin, or George's two sisters, or anyone else could say to persuade him otherwise.

多宾性情太温厚，谁都不可能跟他争论太久。他已为朋友使出了浑身解数，可那位父亲脾气暴躁，已经决定和儿子断绝关系，无论多宾、乔治的两个姐妹还是其他任何人都无法劝他回心转意。

"Well, yes, it's hard," Dobbin said, "and, as you say, it's partly my fault, but there are some men who wouldn't mind changing with you. You have more money than most of them. You must live on your pay until your father changes his mind."

“呃，是啊，是挺难的。”多宾说，“就像你所说，我也有部分责任。不过有些人可不介意跟你互换呢。你比他们大多数人都有钱多了。在你父亲改变主意之前，你先靠你的薪俸生活吧。”

"How can a man like me live on a soldier's pay?" George shouted angrily. "You're a fool, Dobbin. I must have my comforts, keep up my position in the world. Do you expect my wife to follow the regiment on foot, carrying her own luggage?"

“我这样的人靠士兵的薪俸怎么生活呢？”乔治怒吼，“你真傻，多宾。我必须 享受舒适的生活，保持我的社会地位。你指望我的妻子自己拿行李，步行随军吗？”

"Don't talk like that," said Dobbin. "Everything will be fine."

“别那么说。”多宾说，“一切都会好起来的。”

George gave Amelia the lawyer's letter. "It's not myself I care about, Emmy," he said, "it's you."

乔治把律师的信交给阿梅莉亚。“我担心的不是自己，埃米。”他说，“是你。”

Before dinner that evening there were two little conversations between the husbands and wives in the hotel.

那天晚饭前，旅馆里两对夫妻各自进行了一番简短的交谈。

Amelia read the letter and her face cleared. The idea of being poor with the man she loved held no fears for her.

阿梅莉亚读完信，表情放松下来。和她爱的人一起过穷日子，对她来说没什么好害怕的。

George had to laugh at this, and they went down to dinner.

乔治只好对此一笑，然后他们下楼去吃晚饭。

"Oh, George," she said, "I'm sure he will forgive you soon, but it's so sad for you to be separated from your father like this."

“啊，乔治。”她说，“我肯定他很快就会原谅你的，不过像这样和你的父亲分开，你肯定很难过。”

In another room, Becky and Rawdon also talked about money.

另一个房间里，贝姬和罗顿也在谈钱的问题。

"It is," said George, looking deeply miserable. "But you, my dear girl -- my wife has the right to expect certain comforts, not the poor life of an ordinary army wife."

“是啊。”乔治说，一副痛苦不堪的样子。“但是你，我亲爱的姑娘——我的妻子，有权享受舒适的生活，而不是普通军人妻子过的那种穷日子。”

"But, George," said Amelia happily. "I can sew, and mend your trousers for you, and do all kinds of things. And two thousand pounds is a great deal of money, isn't it, George?"

“不过呢，乔治，”阿梅莉亚快活地说，“我会缝纫，可以为你补裤子，还可以做许多其他事。两千英镑是一大笔钱呢，是吧，乔治？”

"We'll all be leaving soon," Becky said. "Rawdon dear, you'd better get that money Osborne owes you before he goes."

“大家很快都要离开了。”贝姬说，“亲爱的罗顿，你最好在奥斯本走之前把他欠你的钱要到手。”

Rawdon gave his usual great roar of laughter.

罗顿像往常一样发出一阵大笑。

Dobbin disapproved strongly of Amelia being allowed to go anywhere near a possible battle, but of course he could not say that to her husband. "At least," he thought, "I shall be able to see her, and I will be there to protect her and keep her safe."

多宾强烈反对让阿梅莉亚去可能有战事的地方，但是，当然了，他不能对她丈夫那样说。他想：“至少我能看见她，而且我会在那里保护她的安全。”

"You idiot!" said his wife. "I'm coming with you, of course."

“你这个傻瓜！”他妻子说，“我当然是跟你一块儿去啦。”

"I intend to go," said Rebecca. "I must -- General Tufto is a great admirer of mine. Isn't he, Rawdon?"

“我 打算去。”丽贝卡说，“我必须去——塔夫脱将军是我的崇拜者呢。对吧，罗顿？”

At dinner that evening they were all very bright and cheerful. George was excited by the thought of war, and Dobbin told amusing stories, but when Brussels was mentioned, a look of terror came over Amelia's sweet, smiling face.

当晚晚餐时，所有人都兴致勃勃，欢声笑语。乔治一想到打仗就激动不已，多宾讲了一些趣事，但是提到布鲁塞尔的时候，阿梅莉亚甜美的笑脸顿时变得惊恐起来。

"Don't be afraid, Emmy," said George. "You can come too."

“别害怕，埃米。”乔治说，“你也可以一起去。”

"You won't cry about me, I suppose," Rawdon said, half angry.

“你 不会为我 掉眼泪的，我猜。”罗顿有些恼怒地说。

"I must and will go," cried Amelia, with great determination.

“我必须去，我一定会去。”阿梅莉亚大声说，声音无比坚定。

"Cry her eyes out, I expect," said Becky.

“哭得肝肠寸断，我估计。”贝姬说。

"Bravo!" said George, laughing. "Did you ever see such a fierce little fighter of a wife?" he asked the others.

“好极了！”乔治笑着说，“你们见过哪个妻子像好斗的小战士似的吗？”他问其他人。

"Good idea," said Rawdon. "Wonder what Mrs O. will do when Osborne goes out to Brussels with the regiment?"

“好主意。”罗顿说，“不知道奥斯本随军去布鲁塞尔后，奥斯本夫人会怎么样？”

"Has the regiment been ordered to Brussels, George?" she cried. And she seized George's arm in her terror.

“军团已经接到命令去布鲁塞尔了吗，乔治？”她大声问，惊恐之中抓住了乔治的胳膊。

It was not at all convenient, but gambling debts must be paid, so a good many bank-notes passed from George to Rawdon.

其实是一点都不方便，但赌债是必须偿还的，因此一厚沓纸钞从乔治手中递到了罗顿手里。

After dinner, the men stayed to smoke their cigars, then went to rejoin the ladies. Rawdon touched George on the arm.

晚饭后，男士们留下来抽雪茄，然后再与女士们会合。罗顿碰了碰乔治的胳膊。

The next day Jos, Dobbin, Amelia, and George left for London, to prepare for Brussels. Rawdon and Becky would follow in a few days. Becky and Amelia kissed each other most affectionately on parting, but a tiny flame of jealousy was already burning in Amelia's gentle heart.

第二天，乔斯、多宾、阿梅莉亚和乔治出发前往伦敦，为布鲁塞尔之行做准备。罗顿和贝姬几天后再走。分别时刻，贝姬和阿梅莉亚非常亲昵地吻别，但是嫉妒的小火苗已经在阿梅莉亚温柔的心中燃烧起来了。

"I say, Osborne," he said lightly, "could you let me have that small amount, if convenient?"

“我说，奥斯本，”他轻描淡写地说，“能把那个小数目给我吗，方便的话？”

Before Becky and Rawdon left Brighton, they carried out a last attack on Miss Crawley's defences. Becky had obtained the very useful information that Mr Bute Crawley had broken his collar-bone falling from his horse, and Mrs Bute had had to hurry home to look after him. That left Miss Briggs. Becky arranged to meet that lady by chance on the beach, and poured out declarations of love and affection and concern for Miss Crawley and herself. Miss Briggs, by nature a kindly person, was soon won round, and Becky hurried back to Rawdon in the hotel.

贝姬和罗顿离开布赖顿之前，他们对克劳利小姐的防御发起了最后一次进攻。贝姬得到非常有利的消息：比特·克劳利先生跌下马来，摔断了锁骨，比特夫人不得不赶回家照顾他。现在就剩下布里格斯小姐。贝姬设计与她在海滩偶遇，尽情倾诉了一番对克劳利小姐和她的深情厚谊与关心。布里格斯小姐天性善良，很快就被说服了。贝姬赶回旅馆找罗顿。

"Idiot," said his wife, pulling his ear. "I'll tell you what to say."

“傻瓜。”他妻子说，揪住他的耳朵。“我来告诉你写什么。”

"You must sit down and write to your aunt at once, Rawdon," she said. "And then Briggs will try to persuade her to see you."

“你得立刻坐下来给你姑姑写信，罗顿。”她说，“然后布里格斯会劝她与你见一面。”

And so she did, leaning over his shoulder to correct his spelling and grammar. The letter was in short, soldierly sentences, full of grateful affection, and made no mention of money.

她一边说，一边俯身探过他的肩头，纠正他的拼写和语法错误。信里都是短句子，语气像军人般简捷，满是感恩之情，而且压根没提钱的事。

She did agree to meet Rawdon briefly, but the interview was not a success, and that evening Rawdon received a letter from his aunt. Her health, she wrote, was too delicate for further meetings, but if he would like to call at her lawyer's office in London, he would find a communication waiting for him there.

她的确同意与罗顿短暂会面，但是见面并不成功。当晚罗顿收到他姑姑的一封信。信里说，她的健康状况不佳，不能再继续会客。他可以去伦敦她律师的办公室，那里有一封函件等着他。

"Rawdon never wrote a word of that letter," she said. "He never wrote to me without asking for money in his life, and all his letters are full of bad spelling and bad grammar. It's that little snake of a governess who rules him." They are all the same, Miss Crawley thought in her heart. They all want me dead, and are hoping for my money. I wish they would all leave me alone.

“信绝不是罗顿写的。”她说，“他给我写信从来都是要钱，而且他的信错字连篇，语法也不通。一定是那个家庭教师小蛇精写的，她把罗顿完全掌控住了。”克劳利小姐心想，他们都是一丘之貉，盼着我死，惦着我的钱。我真希望他们离我远远的。

"But what shall I write?" asked the puzzled Rawdon.

“可是我写什么呢？”罗顿困惑地问。

Old Miss Crawley laughed when the letter arrived, and laughed even more when Miss Briggs had read it out to her.

信到时老克劳利小姐哈哈大笑。布里格斯小姐念信给她听时，她笑得更厉害了。

Though it was against themselves, the joke was a good one, and Becky burst out laughing at Rawdon's angry face.

尽管他们被捉弄了，可这个玩笑着实不错。看着罗顿怒不可遏的样子，贝姬忍不住哈哈大笑。

In London George also found that his financial future did not look promising. There was no sign that his father might forgive him, and when George went to collect his two thousand pounds from the lawyer, Mr Higgs was very cool and distant with him.

身在伦敦的乔治也发现他的财务前景不容乐观。没有迹象表明他父亲可能会原谅他。乔治去律师那里领他的两千英镑时，希格斯先生对他非常冷淡疏远。

"By God, Becky," he said, "she's only given me twenty pounds!"

“老天爷，贝姬。”他说，“她只给了我二十英镑！”

At once, full of hope, Rawdon and Becky hurried back to London (which was exactly Miss Crawley's intention), and the next day Rawdon went to the lawyer's. He came back furious.

满怀希望的罗顿和贝姬立刻匆匆返回伦敦（这正是克劳利小姐的目的），第二天罗顿去了律师那里，回来时怒气冲冲。

But George did not care. The old man would forgive him in the end, he thought, and as his army pay had gone in gambling losses to Captain Crawley, he began to spend his two thousand pounds. He took a large apartment in a fine hotel, entertained Jos and Dobbin to a very expensive dinner there (much to Dobbin's disapproval), and sent his wife out to buy a great many fashionable clothes, suitable for a grand social life in Brussels.

但是乔治不在乎。他认为，老人最终会原谅他的。他的军俸在赌博时输给了克劳利上尉，于是他开始花那两千英镑。他在一家豪华旅馆包下一个大套间，大摆宴席请乔斯和多宾吃饭（多宾对此极为反对），还让妻子出去多多置办些时髦的衣服，要配得上在布鲁塞尔奢侈的社交生活。

Amelia happily obeyed her husband's orders about shopping, but was a little sad when he would not go with her to visit her parents. Mrs Sedley wept with happiness to see her daughter, and Amelia found it oddly comforting to be with her kind old parents again. Only nine days married, and so much had changed! Did she admit to herself how different the real man was from that handsome hero she had adored before marriage? No, a man must be very bad indeed before a woman will admit such a thing, and whatever secret disappointments lay in that gentle heart, they stayed well hidden from the world.

阿梅莉亚高高兴兴地听从丈夫的话去购物，不过他不陪她一起去拜访父母，让她有点伤心。塞德利夫人见到女儿喜极而泣，阿梅莉亚和她年迈慈祥的双亲重聚，感到莫名的欣慰。结婚仅仅九天，这么多事情都变了！她有没有暗自承认乔治本人和她婚前仰慕的那个俊杰有许多不同？没有，只有当那个男的坏到极点了，女人才会承认这样的事。无论那颗温柔的心里悄悄装着多少失望，它们都好好藏匿着不让别人知道。