第十五章（第7/10页）

“我爱它。”他说。“我爱它！要是俺只剩十分钟命，却能抚摸这美臀，与它变得熟稔，这辈子也算没白活了。恁晓得吗？管它工业制度，还是别的什么！今天是俺生命中足可铭记的日子。”她转过身，趴在他的大腿上，紧紧依偎着他。“吻我！”她柔声说。

And she knew the thought of their separation was latent in both their minds, and at last she was sad.

她明白彼此的心中充满离愁别绪，她也体味到悲伤的感觉。

She sat on his thighs, her head against his breast, and her ivory-gleaming legs loosely apart, the fire glowing unequally upon them. Sitting with his head dropped, he looked at the folds of her body in the fire-glow, and at the fleece of soft brown hair that hung down to a point between her open thighs. He reached to the table behind, and took up her bunch of flowers, still so wet that drops of rain fell on to her.

她坐在他的大腿上，头靠着他的胸膛，慵懒分开的双腿闪烁着淡黄色的光芒，炉火或明或暗地映红了两人的身躯。在火光的照耀下，他低头看着她曼妙的身姿，看着那簇柔软的褐色毛发，蔓延于敞开的双股间，直抵那幽深的洞穴。他把手伸到桌子后面，拿起她采撷的那束鲜花，花朵依然湿润，数滴雨水滴落在她身上。

"Flowers stops out of doors all weathers," he said. "They have no houses." "Not even a hut!" She murmured.

“无论刮风下雨，花儿都呆在屋外。”他说。“它们都无家可归。”“甚至连这样的栖身之处都没有！”她喃喃地说。

With quiet fingers he threaded a few forget-me-not flowers in the fine brown fleece of the mound of Venus.

他静静地拿过几朵勿忘我，塞进她私处褐色的毛丛里。

"There!" He said. "There's forget-me-nots in the right place!” She looked down at the milky odd little flowers among the brown maiden-hair at the lower tip of her body.

“看！”他说。“这儿是勿忘我盛放的理想所在！”她低头看着自己下身的褐色毛丛，还有点缀其间的乳白色小花。

"Doesn't it look pretty!” She said.

“多么美丽呀！”她赞叹道。

"Pretty as life," he replied.

“美丽且充满生机。”他回应道。

And he stuck a pink campion-bud among the hair.

他摘下一朵剪秋萝，放在那丛毛里。

"There! That's me where you won't forget me! That's Moses in the bull-rushes.” "You don't mind, do you, that I'm going away?” She asked wistfully, looking up into his face.

“那儿！那是我让你铭记的地方！那好似旷野中呼号的摩西。”“我要离开这里，你不会介意，对吗？”她仰头望着他的脸庞，忧郁地问。

But his face was inscrutable, under the heavy brows. He kept it quite blank.

但他眉头紧锁，面容让人无法琢磨。他的脸上看不到半点表情。

"You do as you wish," he said.

“你想的话，就去吧。”他说。

And he spoke in good English.

他换上纯正的英语。

"But I won't go if you don't wish it," she said, clinging to him.

“如果你不想我走，我就留下来。”她说，紧紧偎在他的怀里。

There was silence. He leaned and put another piece of wood on the fire. The flame glowed on his silent, abstracted face. She waited, but he said nothing.

沉默降临。他俯身往炉火中添柴。火光照耀着他静默沉思的面庞。她等待着，但他闭口不言。

"Only I thought it would be a good way to begin a break with Clifford. I do want a child. And it would give me a chance to, to—," she resumed.

“我之所以要这样做，只是想找机会与克利福德分道扬镳。我真的想要个孩子。这次出行对我来说是个契机，让……”她继续说道。

"To let them think a few lies," he said.

“让他们相信编造的谎言。”他说。

"Yes, that among other things. Do you want them to think the truth?" "I don't care what they think.” "I do! I don't want them handling me with their unpleasant cold minds, not while I'm still at Wragby. They can think what they like when I'm finally gone.” He was silent.

“是的，这也是理由之一。难道你想让他们知道真相？”“我不在乎他们怎么想。”“我在乎！我不愿面对他们的冰冷心肠，尤其是我还留在拉格比的时候。我远走高飞之后，他们爱怎么想都无所谓。”他并未搭话。

"But Sir Clifford expects you to come back to him?" "Oh, I must come back," she said: and there was silence.

“可克利福德爵士还满怀希望，盼着你能回到他身边？”“哦，我肯定会回来。”她说，他再度沉默不语。

"And would you have a child in Wragby?" He asked.

“你想在拉格比生孩子吗？”他问。

She closed her arm round his neck.

她揽住他的脖项。

"If you wouldn't take me away, I should have to," she said.

“要是你不愿带我远遁他乡，我只好如此。”她说。

"Take you where to?" "Anywhere! Away! But right away from Wragby." "When?" "Why, when I come back." "But what's the good of coming back, doing the thing twice, if you're once gone?” He said.

“带你去哪里？”“哪里都行！离开这里！只要离开拉格比。”“什么时候？”“哦，等我回来的时候。”“可回来有什么好处呢？既然你已经离开，何苦重蹈覆辙？”他问。

"Oh, I must come back. I've promised! I've promised so faithfully. Besides, I come back to you, really.” "To your husband's game-keeper?” "I don't see that that matters," she said.

“噢，我必须回来。因为我已许下诺言！那样真诚地许下诺言。而且，我回来其实是为了你。”“为了你丈夫的守林人？”“依我看，这没什么可大惊小怪的。”她说。

"No?" He mused a while. "And when would you think of going away again, then; finally? When exactly?" "Oh, I don't know. I'd come back from Venice. And then we'd prepare everything.” "How prepare?" "Oh, I'd tell Clifford. I'd have to tell him.” "Would you!" He remained silent. She put her arms round his neck.

“是吗？”他沉思片刻。“那你打算什么时候再度离开，永诀拉格比？告诉我确切的时间。”“噢，我不知道。我从威尼斯回来。我们便可着手准备。”“怎么准备？”“哦，我得告诉克利福德。我得跟克利福德摊牌。”“真的吗？”他不再说话。她伸开双臂，搂住他的脖子。