书虫6级《名利场》第六章: 母亲、儿子及其他亲人

Captain Rawdon Crawley, although a big man and so an easy mark for a shot, returned safe and well from the Battle of Waterloo. Indeed, his bravery on the battlefield was so great that it brought him promotion to Colonel Crawley.

尽管罗顿·克劳利上尉人高马大，是个活靶子，但他却从滑铁卢战场上毫发无伤地归来。而且，他在战场上表现如此勇猛，得以晋升为克劳利上校。

Rawdon roared with delighted laughter. "This is better than a play at the theatre!" he said.

罗顿开心地哈哈大笑。“这比在剧院看的戏还好哪！”他说。

Becky rejoined her husband at Cambray, a town some miles north of Paris. When she left Brussels, careful little woman that she was, she travelled with all her valuables sewn into her clothes. On meeting Rawdon, she unsewed herself and brought out all the jewellery, cheques, and bank-notes hidden in her long skirts.

贝姬和她的丈夫在巴黎北边几英里的小镇康布雷重逢。她是个小心谨慎的女人，离开布鲁塞尔时，把所有值钱东西都缝在衣物里一路上穿着。见到罗顿后，她把线拆开，把藏在长裙里的珠宝首饰、支票、纸钞全都取了出来。

Rawdon's eyes opened wide. "Where did you get all that?" he asked.

罗顿的眼睛瞪得老大。“你从哪里弄来的啊？”他问。

"By selling your horses to Joseph Sedley. You should have seen him! He was in such a dreadful hurry to run away from Napoleon that he didn't care what he paid."

“把你的马卖给约瑟夫·塞德利。你真该看看他那个样子！他急得要命，想逃得离拿破仑远远的，根本不在乎花多少钱。”

"And the best joke of all is this," said Becky, holding up a particularly thick bunch of bank-notes.

“最好玩的是这个。”贝姬说着，拿起一捆特别厚的钞票。

"Becky, you're a wonder," said her husband.

“贝姬，你真是个奇才啊。”她丈夫说。

The army marched to Paris, and Becky and Rawdon passed the winter of 1815 there, living in fine style. In fact, the money that poor Jos Sedley had paid for those horses was enough to support the Crawleys for at least a year.

军队进驻巴黎，贝姬和罗顿在那里度过了1815年的冬天，过着精致奢华的生活。实际上，可怜的乔斯·塞德利付的马钱至少足够克劳利夫妇一年的花销。

"The Colonel has brought fame to the name of Crawley," she said. "Don't you feel a little sympathy for your brave nephew?"

“上校为克劳利家族的名声增添了光彩。”她说，“难道您一点都不同情您勇敢的侄儿吗？”

They continued, of course, to have high hopes of Miss Matilda Crawley, and indeed it was well known in Paris that Colonel Rawdon and his so charming wife expected to inherit a large fortune from the gentleman's aunt.

当然，他们对玛蒂尔达·克劳利小姐仍然怀有很高的期望，而且在巴黎人人皆知罗顿上校和他迷人的妻子会从他姑姑那里继承一大笔遗产。

The truth was that Miss Crawley had a new favourite now, her dear niece-to-be, Lady Jane. Mr Pitt Crawley, Rawdon's older brother, had for some time been visiting his aunt quite frequently. He introduced her to his bride-to-be, Lady Jane, a pleasant, kindly young woman, who was from a grand and well-connected family. Miss Crawley approved of the family, approved of Lady Jane, and approved of the marriage.

实际情况是克劳利小姐如今有了新宠——她亲爱的准侄媳简女士。罗顿的哥哥皮特·克劳利先生这一段时间以来经常拜访他的姑姑。他把他的准新娘简女士引见给她。简女士是一个为人友善、讨人喜欢的年轻女子，还出身于名门望族。克劳利小姐对她的家庭和她本人都很满意，也赞成这桩婚事。

"Briggs, you're a fool," said Miss Crawley. "The Colonel has brought shame to the name of Crawley. He could have married into a good family -- but no, he married a drawing-teacher's daughter, a nobody. She was just what you are, Briggs, only younger and a great deal prettier and cleverer. Rawdon would have had my money one day. But not now. Oh no!"

“布里格斯，你这个傻瓜。”克劳利小姐说，“上校给克劳利家族的名声带来了耻辱。他本可以结一门好亲，可是他没有，他娶了个绘画教师的女儿，低门小户的。她和你是一样的，布里格斯，只不过比你年轻，也比你漂亮得多，聪明得多。罗顿本来有朝一日可以得到我的钱。但是现在不行了。门儿都没有！”

The gentleman's aunt, however, took a different view of the matter. Miss Briggs, her faithful companion, had been deeply impressed by Colonel Rawdon's bravery at Waterloo.

但是，他姑姑对此却持不同看法。她忠实的女伴布里格斯小姐对罗顿上校在滑铁卢英勇的表现大为倾倒。

TO COLONEL AND MRS RAWDON CRAWLEY, A SON

罗顿·克劳利上校夫妇生育一子

She received many amusing letters from Rawdon in Paris (written, of course, by Becky), but however amusing the letters were, they did not soften her heart. Moreover, she heard from an old friend in Paris that Becky was shamelessly using Miss Crawley's name to gain acceptance in Parisian society. This made Miss Crawley wild with anger.

她收到罗顿从巴黎寄来的许多有趣的信（当然，信是贝姬写的），但是不论来信多么有趣，都没有打动她的心。而且，她从巴黎的一位老朋友那里得知，贝姬无耻地借用克劳利小姐的名号，以获得巴黎社交圈子的认可。这令克劳利小姐怒不可遏。

And then, in the spring of 1816, Miss Briggs read out to her this announcement in the London newspaper:

后来，1816年春天，布里格斯小姐给她念伦敦报纸上这样一则通告：

BIRTHS

出生

Miss Crawley's fury with Rawdon rose to new heights, and she sent for Pitt Crawley.

克劳利小姐对罗顿的愤怒之情愈发升级了。她派人去请皮特·克劳利。

With such encouragement the marriage was soon completed, and the happy couple went to live with their affectionate aunt.

在这样的鼓励下，他们很快就喜结连理了，幸福的夫妻俩搬去和亲爱的姑姑一起住。

"You must marry Lady Jane at once," she said. "I will give you and my dear niece a thousand pounds a year during my lifetime, and when I die, the two of you will inherit everything."

“你必须立刻与简女士结婚。”她说，“我在世时，每年给你和我亲爱的侄媳一千英镑；等我死了，你们两个将继承所有一切。”

Unaware of the end of their financial hopes, Rawdon and Becky continued to live an easy, pleasant life in Paris. Their little son, also called Rawdon, spent the first eighteen months of his life with a nurse in a village, thus enabling his mother to continue with her brilliant social life in the city. The Colonel, however, was a fond father, often riding out to visit little Rawdon.

罗顿和贝姬没有意识到他们的钱财希望落空，仍旧在巴黎过着舒适自在的生活。他们的儿子也叫罗顿，最初的十八个月是和保姆在乡下度过的，这样他的母亲就能在城里继续她多姿多彩的社交生活。不过，上校是位慈爱的父亲，经常骑马去看望小罗顿。

At this point news reached Paris of Miss Crawley's death, delighting the many people to whom the Crawleys owed money. Naturally, the Crawleys hurried back to London to collect the enormous inheritance that the Colonel was expecting. They would soon return to Paris, Mrs Crawley told everyone, to pay all their bills, and to rent a grander house. As evidence of this intention, they left behind several boxes of possessions -- which were later opened and found to be full of worthless rubbish.

恰在此时，克劳利小姐去世的消息传到巴黎，克劳利夫妇的众多债主为此而欣喜。克劳利夫妇自然要连忙赶回伦敦，继承上校一直期盼的巨额遗产。克劳利夫人告诉大家，他们很快会重返巴黎，支付他们的所有账单，再租一栋更大的宅子。作为明证，他们走时留下了几箱财物——后来打开时发现里面装的东西一文不值。

As time went on, Becky saw that their easy, pleasant life could not continue. Their money was nearly all gone, they were deeply in debt, and although Rawdon's great skill at billiards and cards gave him many gambling successes, it was not a reliable income. Indeed, many young officers now left Mrs Crawley's parties with sad faces, having lost rather too much money at her card-tables. Warnings were whispered to the inexperienced, and her house began to have an unfortunate reputation.

日子一天天过去，贝姬明白他们舒适自在的生活已难以为继。他们的钱财挥霍殆尽，还欠下许多债务。尽管罗顿凭着台球和打牌的高超技艺赢了很多赌局，但是收入并不稳定。的确，许多年轻军官如今因为在克劳利夫人的牌桌上输了太多钱，而满面愁容地离开她的聚会。那些经验尚浅的人暗中收到了警告，她家的名声逐渐变差了。

"We must think about the future," Becky said to Rawdon. "Gambling is good to help your income, my dear, but not as an income itself. One day people may grow tired of gambling, and then where will we be?"

“我们必须为将来打算。”贝姬对罗顿说，“赌博有助于增加收入，我亲爱的，但是它不能算是收入。总有一天大家会厌倦赌博，到那时我们怎么办呢？”

"That's true," said Rawdon gloomily. "Some of the fellows I play with are not so keen on playing as they used to be."

“是啊。”罗顿惆怅地说，“一块儿玩的一些家伙已经不像过去那么爱赌了。”

"You must leave the army, and we must go back to England," Becky said. "We must find you a government appointment in London, or perhaps a position as a Governor abroad."

“你得离开军队，我们必须回英格兰去。”贝姬说，“我们得在伦敦给你谋个政府职位，或许去国外当个总督。”

Becky's social success was not the same in London, however. The grand English ladies who had been pleased to know her in Paris now turned cold, unsmiling faces away when they saw her.

然而，贝姬在伦敦的社交可没那么成功。那些高贵的英国女士们在巴黎时很高兴结识她，现在看见她都面无表情冷冰冰地转过脸去。

"Nonsense! While there is life there is hope, my dear, and I intend to make a man of you yet. Who sold your horses for you in Brussels? Who stopped you shouting the news all round Paris that your aunt had left everything to Pitt and Lady Jane?"

“胡说！只要活着就有希望，我亲爱的，我还打算把你打造成个人物呢。谁在布鲁塞尔为你卖了马？又是谁阻止你在巴黎到处嚷嚷，你姑姑把所有遗产都留给了皮特和简女士的消息的？”

No such inheritance, of course, was waiting for the Crawleys in London, but they rented a charming little house in Curzon Street and began a new life. Their unfortunate landlord received no rent, their servants no wages, and the suppliers of food and wine and dresses and carriages were not paid either. But the Crawleys lived well, and once again their debts grew and grew.

伦敦当然没有遗产等着克劳利夫妇继承，不过他们在柯曾大街租了一栋体面的小房子，开始了新生活。他们不幸的房东没有收到租金，仆人们没有收到薪水，供给他们食品、葡萄酒、服装和马车的供应者们也没有收到钱。但是克劳利夫妇生活得很好，他们的债务再次越积越多。

"What are we to do then? We'll be ruined," said Rawdon.

“那我们怎么办呢？我们会破产的。”罗顿说。

This made Rawdon furious. "I'll make these women respect you," he said. "I'll fight their husbands, their brothers, and -- and shoot the lot of them!"

这让罗顿大为恼火。“我要让 这些女人尊重你。”他说，“我要和她们的丈夫、兄弟拼命，还要——还要开枪把他们都打死！”

"You can't shoot me into society, my dear," said Becky, smiling. "Remember that I was only a governess before, and you, you poor silly boy, have the worst reputation for debt, and gambling, and all sorts of wickedness."

“你没法把我打进社交圈啊，我亲爱的。”贝姬笑吟吟地说，“别忘了，我以前只是个女家庭教师，而你，你这个傻孩子，因为欠债、赌博和其他劣迹可是臭名昭著呢。”

"That damned brother of mine!" said Rawdon. "Why should that pale-faced idiot and his boring little wife get everything, eh?"

“我那该死的哥哥！”罗顿说，“为什么那个白脸蠢货和他令人乏味的小妻子能得到一切呢，呃？”

"Losing your temper again won't get us your aunt's money," said his wife calmly. "We need to be friends with your brother's family, and this is what you must do. You must write a nice letter to Pitt. You will congratulate him on his good fortune. You will be full of affection for your brother, respect for his wife, and kindness for their children. And you will beg their friendship for us and our little boy. Come -- sit down and write it now."

“再发一顿脾气我们也得不到你姑姑的钱。”他妻子平静地说，“我们要和你哥哥一家做朋友。这是你必须做的。你必须给皮特写封信以示友好。你要向他道喜。你要对哥哥表示友爱，对嫂子表示尊重，对侄子表示关怀。你要为了我们和儿子乞求他们的友情。来——现在就坐下来写吧。”

Colonel Rawdon Crawley had survived the Battle of Waterloo, and so had William Dobbin, now promoted from Captain to Major. But many other officers had not survived, and when the news of George Osborne's death was brought to Amelia, it nearly killed her. For weeks she lay in a darkened room while doctors feared for her life. Eventually, she left her bed, and began living again. But sorrow had changed her. Her face was white and thin, her eyes empty of expression, and she accepted friendship and kindness without complaint, and without interest.

罗顿·克劳利上校在滑铁卢战役中活了下来，威廉·多宾也一样，如今从上尉晋升到少校。但是其他许多军官都没能幸免，当乔治·奥斯本的死讯传到阿梅莉亚耳中时，那差点要了她的命。她连续几周躺在阴暗的房间里，医生们担心她命不久矣。最终，她离开病榻，又活了过来。但是哀恸改变了她。她的脸惨白瘦削，双眼空洞无神，一切善意和友情她都领受，只是无嗔亦无喜。

Throughout this time, Dobbin was never far away from her, and always accompanied her when she went for a drive. One day he was riding as usual by the side of her carriage when he thought he saw George's father in a carriage coming towards them.

这段期间，多宾总是不离她左右，每次她坐车外出，多宾也总会陪伴同行。一天，他和往常一样，在阿梅莉亚的马车旁边骑马陪着，在迎面而来的一驾马车上他觉得好像看见了乔治的父亲。

It was indeed Mr Osborne. His son's death had been a terrible shock to him, and he had never spoken his name, not even when he received George's last letter, written the night before the battle. The poor boy wrote that he wished to say goodbye to his father and, if anything should happen to him, he begged his father to take care of his wife, and perhaps, his child. A few months later, Mr Osborne announced that he was going abroad, and his daughters had little doubt that he would go to Brussels.

那的确是奥斯本先生。儿子的亡故对他是个巨大的打击，他从不提他的名字，即使收到乔治在战役前夜写给他的最后一封信时也没提。这可怜的孩子写信说，他希望和父亲道别。如果他有个三长两短，他恳求父亲照顾他的妻子，也许还有他的孩子。几个月后，奥斯本先生宣布他要出国，他的女儿们毫不怀疑他会去布鲁塞尔。

He had visited his son's grave, seen the battlefield where his son died, and was returning to his hotel when he passed Amelia's carriage. She was so changed that he did not recognize her until he saw Dobbin at her side. For a second he stared at her, then he called to his servant to drive on.

他去儿子的墓前祭奠，看了儿子牺牲的战场，在返回旅馆的途中和阿梅莉亚的马车擦身而过。她变化太大，要不是看见她旁边的多宾，他都没认出她来。他注视了她片刻，然后叫仆人继续前进。

Dobbin laid his hand on the side of the carriage. "I will see you, sir," he said. "I have a message for you."

多宾一只手搭在马车上。“我想和您谈谈，先生，”他说，“我给您捎了个口信。”

"No," replied Dobbin. "From your son."

“不。”多宾回答，“是您儿子的。”

"From that woman?" said Osborne fiercely.

“那个女人的口信？”奥斯本恶狠狠地说。

But Dobbin rode after him. Amelia, poor girl, had neither recognized her father-in-law, nor noticed that Dobbin had gone.

但是多宾追了上去。阿梅莉亚，这个可怜的姑娘，既没认出她的公公，也没发觉多宾不在了。

"Mr Osborne, Mr Osborne!" cried Dobbin, riding up beside him and holding out his hand. Osborne made no move to take it, and shouted again to his servant to drive on.

“奥斯本先生，奥斯本先生！”多宾大喊着，骑到他身边，伸出手去。奥斯本没有握手的意思，再次向仆人大吼快点走。

"I am here as George's closest friend," Dobbin began when they were face to face. "He left hardly any money when he died. Are you aware how little his widow has to live on?"

“我是以乔治挚友的身份来这里的。”两人面对面时，多宾说，“他死时几乎没留下什么钱。您知道他的遗孀是靠着多么丁点儿的钱度日吗？”

Mr Osborne fell back in his carriage, but said nothing. Dobbin rode behind him and then followed him into his hotel.

奥斯本先生缩回马车里，但一言不发。多宾跟着骑在后面，一直随他回到他的旅馆。

"I don't know his widow, sir," said Osborne. "Let her go back to her father."

“我不认识他的遗孀，先生。”奥斯本说，“让她回她父亲那里去吧。”

"Do you know, sir, Mrs Osborne's condition?" Dobbin went on. "She has been very ill. In fact, she may die. There is just one thing which may save her. She will soon be a mother. Will you not forgive the child for poor George's sake?"

“您知道奥斯本夫人的情况吗，先生？”多宾继续说，“她病得很重。实际上，她可能会死。只有一件事可能挽救她的性命。她就快当母亲了。看在可怜的乔治的份上，您连孩子也不原谅吗？”

Osborne stared at Dobbin angrily. "My son was a disobedient fool, and he brought this on himself. I am a man of my word. I swore I would never speak to that woman, nor recognize her as my son's wife, and that is what you may tell her."

奥斯本生气地瞪着多宾。“我儿子是个不听话的傻瓜，这是他自找的。我是个言出必行的人。我发过誓，我决不跟那个女人说话，也不会认她作我的儿媳。你可以这么告诉她。”

But Major Dobbin did not tell Amelia about his meeting with Mr Osborne. She would not have cared, for her thoughts were only for her dead husband. But the day came when the poor widowed girl held a child in her arms, a child with the eyes of George who was gone -- a beautiful little boy. How she laughed and wept over this baby! And what joy it gave her friends to see her eyes once again shining with love.

但是多宾少校没有告诉阿梅莉亚他和奥斯本先生会面的事。她也不会关心，因为她满脑子想的都是她的亡夫。但那一天终于到来，可怜的年轻孀妇怀抱着新生的婴儿，他的眼睛与逝去的乔治的一模一样——是个漂亮的小男孩。她捧着孩子又哭又笑！看到她的眼睛里又重现光彩，充满爱意，她的朋友们高兴极了。

Our friend Dobbin was one of them. It was he who brought her back to England, and home to her parents. He visited them every day, and brought gifts for the child, and sometimes he was allowed to hold the baby. Amelia wrapped her child in love, and Dobbin could see that there was no place for him in her heart. He bore this knowledge gently, without complaining.

我们的朋友多宾也是其中一位。是他把她带回英格兰，送她回父母家中的。他每天都去拜访，给孩子带去礼物，有时还获许抱抱孩子。阿梅莉亚的爱都倾注在孩子身上，多宾看得出来她心里没有他的位置。他平静而又毫无怨言地接受了这个事实。

One day he arrived carrying toys for little Georgy -- a wooden horse, a trumpet, and all kinds of warlike toys. The landlord's little daughter, who was often with Amelia and was one of the few people allowed to play with the baby, laughed, as Georgy was only six months old, much too young for such toys.

一天，他来了，给小乔基带来玩具——一匹木马，一支小号，还有其他各式各样的打仗玩具。房东的小女儿见到便笑了起来，因为乔基只有六个月大，玩这些玩具还太小了。小女孩常和阿梅莉亚在一起，是为数不多可以和小宝宝玩的人之一。

"I have come to say goodbye, Amelia," he said quietly.

“我来道别，阿梅莉亚。”他轻声说。

The child was asleep. "Hush!" said Amelia as Dobbin came in.

孩子在睡觉。“嘘！”多宾进来时阿梅莉亚示意。

"To India, with the regiment," he said. "You will write to me, won't you? I'll be away a long time."

“去印度，随军团一起。”他说，“你会给我写信的，对吧？我要离开很长一段时间。”

"Goodbye? Where are you going?" she said, with a smile.

“道别？你要去哪里？”她微笑着问。

"Goodbye," said Amelia, and held up her face and kissed him.

“再见。”阿梅莉亚说，仰起脸亲了他一下。

"I'll write to you about Georgy," she said. "Dear William, you have been so kind to us. Look at him. Isn't he wonderful?"

“我会写信告诉你乔基的情况。”她说，“亲爱的威廉，你待我们一直都这么好。你瞧他，多棒啊，是不是？”

Amelia looked up at Dobbin, her face bright with motherly pride, and he saw that his leaving meant nothing to her. For a moment he could not speak; then, "Goodbye," he said.

阿梅莉亚抬起头看着多宾，满脸洋溢着做母亲的骄傲。多宾看出来自己的离开对她无足轻重，一时间说不出话来。最后，他说：“再见。”

"Hush! Don't wake Georgy!" she added, as Dobbin went to the door with heavy steps. She did not hear his carriage drive away; she was looking at the child, who was laughing in his sleep.

“嘘！别把乔基吵醒了！”多宾迈着沉重的步子走向门口时，她加了一句。她没听见他的马车离去。她盯着宝宝看，宝宝在睡梦中笑着。