06.No escape

6.No escape
6．无处可逃
When Zeena had gone, Ethan and Mattie stood in silence for a moment. Then Mattie began to tidy the kitchen and Ethan went outside to check the animals, as he did every night. The room was empty when he returned, but on the table under his pipe was a piece of paper. Three words were written on it: 'Ethan, don't worry.'


齐娜离开后，伊桑和玛蒂静静地站了一会儿。然后玛蒂开始收拾厨房，伊桑像平时晚上一样，出去照看牲畜。他回来时，厨房空了，桌子上他的烟斗下面有一张纸，上面写了几个字：“伊桑，别担心。”


There was a small room at the back of the house where Ethan kept his books and papers. His mother had let him use it as a study-room when he first returned to the farm after his father's accident. He still sat there in summer, but the room had no fire and in winter it was too cold. This was where he went to look again at his message from Mattie. It was the first time she had ever written to him. He read her words and felt nearer to her, but at the same time he remembered that very soon he would never see her again. 'Soon there'll be no warm smile, no gentle voice, only this — cold paper and dead words,' he thought.


在房子的后部，有个小房间，伊桑用来存放他的书和报纸。父亲出事后，他辍学回到农场，母亲让他把这间屋子当作书房。夏天时，他还会坐在那儿，可因为不生火，到冬天屋子就会很冷。伊桑走进这间屋子，又看了一眼玛蒂留给他的字条。这是玛蒂第一次给他写东西。他看着她的字迹，感到离她更近了，可同时他又记起来，不久就再也看不到玛蒂了。“很快，就再也看不到她那温暖的笑容，听不到她那柔和的声音了，只剩下这个——这张冷冰冰的纸和没有生气的文字。”他想。


He lay down on a hard little bed that was there, covered himself with an old coat, and began to think about his life. He had lost so many chances and forgotten so many of his dreams, all to please Zeena. But she was now far more discontented than when he had married her. Must he live the rest of his days beside this bitter, complaining woman? No. He was too young and strong, too full of life to throw away all hope of happiness. Then he thought — why shouldn't he leave with Mattie the next day? He would hide his suitcase under the seat of the sleigh, leave Zeena a letter...


伊桑在一张小小的硬板床上躺了下来，盖上一件旧大衣，开始思考他的生活。他曾经错过了那么多机会，忘却了那么多梦想，全是为了取悦齐娜。可现在比起当初娶她的时候，她的不满更多了。难道他要在这个满心怨气、牢骚不断的女人身边度过余生吗？不，他还年轻、健壮，充满活力，不能放弃对幸福的希望。接着，他想——为什么他不能在明天和玛蒂一起离开呢？他可以把行李箱藏在雪橇的座位底下，给齐娜留下一封信……


He jumped up, lit the lamp again, sat down at the table and began to write.


他跳了起来，重新点上灯，坐在桌子前开始写信：


Zeena, I've done everything I could for you. But it hasn't worked. It's neither my fault nor yours. Maybe it'll be better for both of us if we live apart. I'm going to see what I can find in the West. You can sell the farm and saw-mill and keep the money —


齐娜，我已经为你做了我能做的一切，可都没用。我们都没错。或许分开对我们都好一些。我想看看在西部能找到什么事干。你可以把农场和锯木场卖了，拿着钱——


At that word, he stopped writing and began to think. Without the farm he would have no money. He was sure that he could find work in the West, but would he get enough money to take care of Mattie too? And what about Zeena, alone on the farm? She couldn't keep it going on her own, and it would be hard to sell. The land was poor and not many people would want to buy it. But how could he let poor Mattie leave alone?


写到这里，他停下笔，思索起来。没有了农场，他就身无分文。他相信自己能在西部找到工作，可他能挣到足够的钱来养活玛蒂吗？齐娜又该怎么办？孤身一个在农场生活？她自己没法维持农场的活计，农场也不那么好卖。土地贫瘠，没多少人会想买。可他又怎能让可怜的玛蒂一个人离开呢？


As he picked up his pen, his eyes fell on a Bettsbridge newspaper. He saw the words 'Journeys to the West', and pulled the lamp nearer to see the prices of the tickets. Then the pen fell from his hand, and he pushed the unfinished letter away. He didn't even have the money to take Mattie to the West. He had already borrowed to mend the saw-mill, and couldn't borrow any more. The cold facts closed around him like prison doors. There was no way out—none. He was locked in that prison for life, and now his one light was disappearing.


他提起笔来，眼光落到了一张贝茨布里奇的报纸上。他看到一行字：“西部旅行”，于是把灯凑近一些，查看票价。笔从他手中滑落下来，他把还没写完的信推到了一边。他连带着玛蒂去西部的钱都不够。为了整修锯木场，他已经借了一笔钱，不能再借了。冷酷的现实像监狱的大门一样将他囚禁，没有出路——一条都没有。他一生都被关在这个监狱里，而现在他唯一的光亮也在消失。


He lay down again with a heavy heart and tears burning in his eyes. Through the window he saw the snow-covered slopes shining in the moonlight, the silver-edged darkness of the woods, and the shadowy purple of the hills against the sky. He felt that the beauty of the night was laughing at him, lying there so miserably.


他心情沉重地重新躺下，眼里含着滚烫的泪水。透过窗子，他看见月光下白雪覆盖的山坡荧荧发亮，黝黑的树林镶着银边，山丘在夜幕的映衬下现出紫色的暗影。他感到这美丽的夜色在嘲笑自己，躺在这儿，如此悲惨。


He fell asleep. In the morning he woke cold and hungry. He went to the window, and saw a red sun coming up over the grey edges of the fields. 'This is Matt's last day,' he said to himself. He tried to think how the place would be without her.


伊桑睡了过去。早晨他醒来的时候，感到又冷又饿。他走到窗前，看到一轮红日正从田野的灰色边际上冉冉升起。“今天是玛蒂在这儿的最后一天了。”他自言自语，试想着没有玛蒂，家里会是个什么样子。


He heard a step behind him, turned round and saw Mattie. She looked so small and thin, standing there in her poor dress in the cold, wintry light.


他听到身后一阵脚步，于是转过身来，看到了玛蒂。在冬日的清冷阳光下，她看上去如此瘦小，穿着一身寒酸的衣服站在那儿。


I'll come and light the kitchen fire,' he said.


“我去厨房生火。”他说。


Mattie started her usual morning housework. The kitchen slowly became warmer, and the first sunlight entered the room. Ethan began to feel more hopeful. 'Maybe Zeena didn't mean what she said,' he thought. 'Maybe, now that daylight's here, she'll think again and let Mattie stay.'


玛蒂像平常的早晨一样，做起了家务。厨房慢慢暖和起来，第一缕阳光照进屋来。伊桑开始觉得又有了些希望。“或许齐娜不想那么做。”他想，“或许，现在到了白天，她会重新考虑一下，让玛蒂留下。”


He went up to Mattie and touched her arm gently. 'I don't want you to worry, Matt,' he said, looking down into her eyes with a smile. 'I guess things'll be all right.'


伊桑走到玛蒂跟前，轻轻地碰了碰她的胳膊。“我不想让你担心，玛蒂。”他垂下头看着玛蒂的眼睛，笑着说，“我猜没什么事的。”


No, I ain't going to worry,' she said softly.


“嗯，我不担心。”玛蒂轻轻地说。


He went out to the farm, and soon afterwards Jotham Powell joined him. As they were doing their morning's work with the cows, Jotham said:


伊桑去了农场，不久乔撒姆·鲍威尔也到了，帮着他干活。他们早晨的活儿是挤牛奶，正干着的时候，乔撒姆说道：


Mrs Frome told me the new girl's comin' today, and Mattie's leavin'. I got to take her down to the station.'


“弗罗姆太太告诉我，新雇的女孩儿今天到。玛蒂要走了。我送她去车站。”


Ethan felt the blood beating in his head. After a moment he found his voice, and said:


伊桑感到脑中血流突突直蹦，过了一会儿，他才说出话来：


Oh, it ain't so sure that Mattie's going —'


“哦，玛蒂还不一定要走呢——”


Is that so?' said Jotham, not at all interested, and he went on with his work.


“是吗？”乔撒姆答道，一副漠不关心的样子，继续干着他的活儿。


When they returned to the kitchen, the two women were already at breakfast. Zeena was eating well, and seemed very lively and busy. She looked at the hired man.


他们回到厨房时，齐娜和玛蒂正在吃早饭。齐娜胃口不错，看上去精神十足，忙忙碌碌，她看着雇工乔撒姆。


Jotham, I want you here mid-afternoon to pick up Mattie,' she said. 'The new girl's getting to the station at five o'clock. Mattie can get the train at six.' Then she turned to Mattie and went on, 'Now, what've you done with one of my best cotton sheets? And there are a few other things missing, too.'


“乔撒姆，我想让你三四点钟过来接玛蒂。”她说，“新来的女孩儿五点钟到车站。玛蒂能赶上六点的火车。”她接着冲玛蒂说道：“哎，你把我那条上好的棉床单怎么了？还有几样东西也不见了。”


Mattie followed Zeena out of the room, leaving the two men alone.


玛蒂跟着齐娜走出厨房，剩下两个男人在屋里。


I guess I'll come round mid-afternoon, then,' said Jotham to his employer.


“那么，我想我会三四点钟过来。”乔撒姆对伊桑说道。


When the morning's work was finished, Ethan said to Jotham: 'I'm going down to Starkfield. Tell them not to wait for me at dinnertime.'


干完了上午的活儿，伊桑告诉乔撒姆：“我要去斯塔克菲尔德镇上。告诉她们别等我吃饭了。”


It was a clear, still morning, with a whisper of spring in the air. The snowy fields shone silver in the bright morning sunlight. Ethan walked down the road, angry and ashamed. So Mattie really was leaving, and he could only stand by, helpless. What must she think of him? As he walked, he could feel laughing voice in the song of the birds. He knew that he had to do something. But what?


上午的天气晴朗，四周一片寂静，有一丝春天的气息。白雪覆盖的田野在灿烂的阳光下闪着银光。伊桑走在路上，感到又羞愧又生气。玛蒂真的要走了，而他只能无助地站在一边。她会怎么看他？他一边走着，感觉鸟儿的鸣叫就像在嘲笑他。他知道自己必须做些事情，可做什么呢？


Then a thought came to him. Andrew Hale was a kind-hearted man. 'Maybe,' thought Ethan, 'he'll let me have some money now, if I tell him that Zeena's really sick and that we need a hired girl to help her. Mrs Hale will listen to me, I'm sure.'


他忽然有了个主意。安德鲁·黑尔是个好心人。“要是我告诉他，齐娜病得不轻，我们需要雇个女孩儿来照顾她，或许他能借我些钱。黑尔夫人会相信我的，我肯定。”他想。


He thought about this idea as he walked faster and faster down the road. With each long step he felt more sure of his plan's success. And with fifty dollars in his pocket, nothing could keep him from Mattie...


他想着这个主意，脚步越来越快。每走一步，他就更确信自己的计划能够成功。只要口袋里有了50美元，那就没有什么能分开他和玛蒂……


As he came into Starkfield, he saw the Hales' sleigh, and hurried forward to meet it. The sleigh stopped, and Mrs Hale's round, motherly face looked out. She smiled at Ethan, told him that her husband was at home, then added:


一到斯塔克菲尔德镇，他就看见了黑尔家的马拉雪橇，于是急忙走上前去。雪橇停了，黑尔夫人那慈祥的圆脸探了过来，她笑着告诉伊桑，她丈夫正在家里，还说：


I'm sorry that Zeena's feeling bad again. She's lucky to have you to take care of her. And so was your poor mother. You've had an awful hard life, Ethan Frome.'


“齐娜又病了，我真难过。有你照顾，她可真幸运，你可怜的母亲也是。你的生活真是苦啊，伊桑·弗罗姆。”


When she had gone, Ethan felt less alone in his unhappiness. It had been a long time since anyone had spoken to him as kindly as Mrs Hale. The Hales were caring people who felt sorry for him, and now he felt sure that they would help him.


黑尔夫人离开了，伊桑感到自己虽然不幸，但不那么孤独了。很久没人像黑尔夫人那样，那么亲切地和他说过话了。黑尔一家有同情心，为他的不幸感到难过。他感到他们肯定会帮助自己。


He started down the road to their house, then stopped after a few steps. He suddenly saw himself, and his life, in the clear light of day. He was a poor man, planning to leave his sickly wife all alone and without money. And how was he planning to do this heartless thing? By telling lies to two kind people who felt sorry for him.


他沿路向黑尔家走去，走了没几步就停下了。在晴朗的阳光下，忽然间他看清了自己，还有自己的生活。他这个穷人，正盘算着抛弃生病的妻子，让她孤身一个人、身无分文，并对两个为自己感到难过的好心人撒谎，他怎么能做如此无情的事呢？


He turned and walked slowly back to the farm.


他转过身，慢慢地向农场走回去。