05.Zeena's news

5.Zeena's news
5．齐娜的消息
The next morning Jotham Powell came round early to help load some more wood. Ethan could still feel inside him the sweetness of the evening before, and he tried hard not to show his happiness.


第二天，乔撒姆·鲍威尔早早就来帮着把木材装车。伊桑仍能感到内心留存着昨晚的甜蜜，他努力不表现出自己的幸福感觉。


He did not know why he felt so happy. There was no reason for it, because nothing had changed in his life or in Mattie's. But their evening together had given him a dream — a picture of life with Mattie at his side.


他不知自己为何感到如此幸福。没什么理由，因为他的生活不曾有什么改变，玛蒂的生活也没有。可他们共度的那个夜晚给了他一个梦想——一幅玛蒂相伴自己生活的画面。


He wanted to load the wood quickly and then drive it down to Starkfield, where he could buy the glue to mend the broken dish. He was sending Jotham to fetch Zeena from the station after dinner, so they needed to work fast. But the morning went badly. A wet snow had fallen in the night, and the roads were like glass. One of his horses fell and cut its leg. Icy rain started to fall, making the loading slow and difficult. It was after midday when they finished.


他想快点儿把木材装好，然后驾车去斯塔克菲尔德镇，在那儿他能买到胶水把碎盘子粘起来。他让乔撒姆饭后去车站接齐娜，所以他们得快点儿干活。可上午的天气糟透了。夜里的雨夹雪让路面变得像玻璃一样滑。他的一匹马摔倒了，划伤了腿。天又下起了冰冷的雨，使装车进行得缓慢而困难。他们装完木材时已经过了中午。


Immediately after dinner, Ethan put his coat on again. Jotham was drying his wet feet by the fire and Mattie was washing the dishes.


一吃完饭，伊桑就又穿上外衣。乔撒姆正在炉火边烘烤他的湿脚，玛蒂在洗盘子。


I'll be back early,' Ethan said to Mattie in a low voice. He was afraid to say more in front of Jotham, but he thought that Mattie understood him.


“我会早点儿回来。”伊桑低声对玛蒂说。在乔撒姆面前他不敢多说什么，他想玛蒂能明白自己的意思。


The journey down to the village was long and slow, with his two old horses pulling their heavy load over the snow and ice underfoot. By the time he had unloaded the wood and managed to buy the glue, it was already late afternoon. On the way back the rain began again, turning to ice as it fell on the snow and making the road even more glassy and dangerous. Once or twice Ethan heard sleigh-bells and turned round, afraid that Jotham and Zeena were coming up behind him. But for most of the journey he just looked grimly into the falling rain, as his tired horses made their way up the hill.


去村上的路走得又长又慢，两匹老马拖着沉重的木材在冰雪上前行。等他卸完了木材，买到胶水，已经到了黄昏时分。回家的路上又下起了雨，雨点落在雪上变成冰，路变得更滑、更危险了。有一两次伊桑听到雪橇铃声，回头张望，他害怕乔撒姆和齐娜从背后赶上来。可大多数时候，当疲惫的马蹒跚上山时，他只是阴郁地看着下着的雨。


At last he arrived home and hurried into the kitchen. Mattie was alone.


他终于到了家，快步走进厨房。玛蒂独自一人在那儿。


Look, Matt,' he cried, 'I've got the glue to mend the dish with! Quick, let me get it!'


“瞧，玛蒂，”他大声说道，“我买到粘盘子的胶水啦！快，给我盘子！”


Oh, Ethan — Zeena's back!' she said in a whisper, holding onto his arm.


“哦，伊桑——齐娜已经回来了！”她抓住他的胳膊低声说道。


Ethan looked round the kitchen, which looked cold and unwelcoming in the wintry evening light.


伊桑环顾厨房，在冬日夜晚的灯光下，厨房看上去冰冰冷冷，让人不舒服。


How is she?' he asked, in the same low whisper.


“她怎么样？”他用同样低的声音问道。


I don't know. She didn't say anything, she just went straight upstairs.'


“不知道。她什么都没说，直接上楼了。”


Ethan put the glue back in his pocket. 'Don't worry. I'll come down and mend the dish in the night,' he said.


伊桑把胶水放回衣袋。“别担心，我夜里下来把盘子粘上。”他说。


Then, just as she had done the evening before, Mattie said: 'I guess it's about time for supper.'


接下来，玛蒂就像前一夜一样，说道：“我想该是吃晚饭的时候了。”


Ethan called Zeena, but there was no answer. He went up to the bedroom, and pushed open the door. In the darkness he saw Zeena's figure sitting by the window, still wearing her travelling dress.


伊桑叫齐娜，可她没回答。他上楼来到卧室前，推开门。黑暗中，他看见齐娜的身影坐在窗边，仍穿着外出时的衣裳。


Well, Zeena, supper's ready. Ain't you coming?'


“嘿，齐娜，晚饭好了。不来吗？”


I don't think I could eat a thing,' she replied, then turned her head towards him. 'I'm much sicker than you think.'


“我想我吃不下什么了。”她答道，转头向着他，“我的病比你想的严重。”


I hope that's not so, Zeena.'


“真希望不是那样，齐娜。”


The doctor says I mustn't do anything at all in the house. So we'll have to get a hired girl.'


“医生说我根本不能干家务了。咱们得雇个女孩儿。”


A hired girl?'


“雇个女孩儿？”


Yes. My aunt's found me one already. She's coming tomorrow afternoon.'


“对，我姑妈已经给我找了一个。明天下午就来。”


Why didn't you tell me what you planned to do?' he asked angrily. 'Where do you think I'll get the money to pay her?'


“你怎么不告诉我你的计划？”他愤怒地问道，“你想想我哪儿有钱雇她？”


How did I know what the doctor would say? I'm ashamed to have a husband like you, Ethan Frome. I lost my health taking care of your own mother! Marrying me was the least that you could do after —'


“我怎么知道医生会说什么？有你这样的丈夫，我真感到羞耻，伊桑·弗罗姆。为了照顾你母亲，我搭上了自己的健康！娶我是你最起码该做的事情——”


Zeena!'


“齐娜！”


The darkness between them was filled with anger. It was their first moment of open fighting in their sad seven years together. Ethan felt ashamed, and tried to speak more calmly.


愤怒的气息充斥于他们之间黑暗的空间。七年的悲哀生活中，这是他们第一次公开的争吵。伊桑感到羞耻，他尽力冷静地说道：


You know I don't have the money, Zeena. She'll have to go back.'


“你知道我没钱，齐娜。她必须回去。”


What about that fifty dollars from Andrew Hale?'


“你从安德鲁·黑尔那儿拿到的50美元呢？”


He remembered the lie he had told the day before.


他记起前一天对她撒的谎。


I guess that was a mistake.'


“我想是弄错了。”


You mean you ain't going to get it?'


“你是说你拿不到钱了？”


No. I'm sorry, Zeena. You're a poor man's wife. But I'll do the best I can to help you.'


“对。对不起，齐娜。你是个穷人的老婆。但我会尽力帮你的。”


Oh, I guess we'll manage,' she said more gently. 'And without Mattie's food to pay for —'


“哦，我想我们会有办法的，”她温和了些，说道：“而如果不用付玛蒂的伙食——”


Without Mattie's —?' he began.


“没有玛蒂——？”他问。


Zeena laughed. It was a strange sound. He couldn't remember hearing her laugh before.


齐娜笑了，笑声很奇怪。他记不起曾听她笑过。


You didn't think Mattie was staying, did you?'


“你不会以为玛蒂要留下来吧，是吗？”


But you can't send her away — she's your cousin.'


“可你不能打发她走——她是你表妹。”


Well, we can't keep two girls here.'


“哦，咱们可养不起两个丫头。”


Ethan could not believe what he was hearing.


伊桑简直不敢相信自己听到的。


Ethan — Zeena! Supper's ready!' Mattie called brightly from downstairs.


“伊桑——齐娜！晚饭好了！”玛蒂在楼下清脆地喊道。


Ethan felt angry and helpless. 'But where will she go? A poor girl with no friends or money...'


伊桑感到愤怒、无助。“可她能去哪儿呢？一个没有朋友又没钱的女孩儿……”


She's been here long enough. We've kept her for over a year now, and it's time for her to go.'


“她在这儿待得够长了。我们养了她一年多，她该走了。”


Ethan looked at his wife with eyes full of hate. It was an angry, bitter hate. It was a hate which had grown during years of hard work, hopeless poverty, and broken dreams. This woman had destroyed all his hopes. She had taken everything from him, and now wanted to take the one beautiful thing left in his life. He made a sudden, violent movement towards her, then stopped.


伊桑看着妻子，眼里充满怨恨。那是愤怒的、憎恶的怨恨；是多年来在艰辛的劳作、绝望的贫穷和破碎的梦想中积生的怨恨。这个女人毁了他所有的希望，夺走了他的全部，现在又想夺走他生命中留下的唯一一件美丽的事物。他忽然狂暴地向她走去，又停了下来。


I don't think I'll come down,' said Zeena calmly. 'I guess I'll just lie on the bed a while.'


“我不想下楼了。”齐娜平静地说，“我想在床上躺会儿。”


Ethan went downstairs to the kitchen, and Mattie gave him a plate of food. He took a mouthful, then pushed the plate away.


伊桑下楼来到厨房，玛蒂递给他一盘食物。他吃了一口，就把盘子推到一边。


What's the matter, Ethan? Doesn't it taste right?'


“怎么了，伊桑？不好吃吗？”


It's fine, Matt. Only I —' He stood up quickly.


“没事儿，玛蒂。我只是——”伊桑一下子站了起来。


She looked at him with frightened eyes. 'I knew there was something wrong. What is it, Ethan? What is it?'


玛蒂惊恐地看着他。“我知道出事了。怎么了，伊桑？怎么了？”


He took her in his arms and found her lips at last. He kissed and kissed her. He was lost in the sweetness of her lips. Then she pulled away from him, her face white with fear, and he cried out:


他将她揽入怀中，寻觅到她的双唇，反复亲吻着她，沉醉于她双唇的甜蜜中。玛蒂抽身离开伊桑，面色因惊惧而变得苍白。伊桑大喊：


You can't go, Matt! I'll never let you go!'


“你不能走，玛蒂！我决不让你走！”


Go... go?' she whispered. 'Must I go? Ethan, what has happened? Is Zeena angry with me?'


“走……走？”她低声念叨，“我必须走吗？伊桑，怎么啦？齐娜生我气了吗？”


He told her what the doctor had said. Mattie looked so small and helpless. His heart ached for her, and he wanted to hold her in his arms again. They were silent for a long while, then Mattie said in a low voice:


伊桑告诉了她医生的话。玛蒂看上去如此弱小无助。他心疼她，想再次把她搂进怀里。他们沉默了很久，然后玛蒂低低地说道：


Don't be too sorry, Ethan.'


“别太难过，伊桑。”


Oh, Matt — Matt — where'll you go?'


“哦，玛蒂——玛蒂——你能去哪儿呢？”


Maybe I'll get something to do in town.' But they both knew that she had little chance of finding a job. There were too many people looking for work in the towns, and there were no jobs that Mattie could do. And Ethan knew what happened to girls who had no job, no money, and no friends... He sat down in despair, and hid his face in his hands.


“或许我能在城里找点儿活儿干。”但他们都知道，她找不到什么工作。城里有太多的人在找工作，没什么玛蒂能干的活儿。伊桑知道，一个女孩儿如果没工作、没钱、没朋友，那会发生什么……他绝望地坐下，用双手捂住脸。


Then they heard Zeena's footsteps on the stairs. She came down wearing her usual dress. Then she sat down in her usual seat, and took a large plateful of food. She ate well, and talked in an everyday way about the illnesses of her friends and family in Bettsbridge. As she spoke, she looked at Mattie with a small smile on her thin lips. When supper was finished, she stood up and said:


这时，他们听到楼梯上传来齐娜的脚步声。她穿着家常的衣服下来了，在平时坐的椅子上坐下，拿了一大盘食物。她吃得很香，还扯起了家常，谈到贝茨布里奇亲友们的病情。说话时，她看着玛蒂，薄薄的嘴唇上挂着一丝浅笑。吃完饭，她站起身说道：


That meal's given me a stomach-ache. I think I'll go and look for the stomach medicine that I bought last year.'


“这饭吃得我胃痛。我得去找点儿去年买的胃药。”


She left the room. Ethan's and Mattie's eyes met, full of silent despair. The kitchen looked as warm and peaceful as the night before, but now everything had changed. Then suddenly Zeena was back, her face burning with anger. In her hands she held the broken pieces of the red glass dish.


她离开了厨房。伊桑和玛蒂目光相遇，充满了无声的绝望。厨房像昨夜一样温暖安详，可现在，一切都变了。这时齐娜突然折了回来，满脸怒气，她手里拿着红色玻璃盘子的碎片。


I want to know who did this,' she said in a shaking voice.


“我想知道这是谁干的。”她的声音在颤抖。


I can tell you. It was the cat,' answered Ethan after a few moments.


“告诉你吧，是猫干的。”过了一会儿，伊桑答道。


The cat? How did the cat get into my hall cupboard?'


“猫？猫怎么能爬到门厅的橱柜里去？”


Oh, Zeena, it was my fault, not Ethan's!' cried Mattie. 'I got it down from your cupboard. I — I wanted the supper table to look pretty.'


“哦，齐娜，是我的错，跟伊桑没关系！”玛蒂哭道，“我把盘子从你的橱柜里拿下来的。我——我想让晚餐的桌子看上去漂亮些。”


You wanted the supper table to look pretty! So you took my very best dish, the one that I never, ever use. Not for visitors, not for anyone. You're a bad girl, Mattie Silver, just like your father. I always knew you were bad — that's why I hid my things from you. And now you've taken the thing that I cared for the most —' Tears ran down her thin, yellowish face. Then she left the room, carrying the pieces of broken glass like a dead body.


“你想让晚餐桌子漂亮些！你就用了我最好的盘子，我从来都不用的盘子。不为客人，不为任何人。你这个坏丫头，玛蒂·西尔弗，你跟你爸爸一样。我就知道你不怎么样——所以我把东西藏起来，不让你看见。可现在你拿了我最心爱的东西——”眼泪顺着齐娜瘦削枯黄的面颊流下来。然后她离开了房间，手里捧着那些碎玻璃片，好像托着一具尸体。