双语小说连载:纯真年代 The Age of Innocence(9)

"There are plenty of people to tell you what to do," Archer rejoined, obscurely envious of them.
“有很多人会告诉你该做些什么，”阿切尔回答说，暗暗妒忌着那些人。

"Oh--all my aunts? And my dear old Granny?" She considered the idea impartially. "They're all a little vexed with me for setting up for myself--poor Granny especially. She wanted to keep me with her; but I had to be free--" He was impressed by this light way of speaking of the formidable Catherine, and moved by the thought of what must have given Madame Olenska this thirst for even the loneliest kind of freedom. But the idea of Beaufort gnawed him.
“噢——你是说我那些姑妈？还有我亲爱的老奶奶？”她不带偏见地考虑这一意见。“她们都因为我要独立生活而有点恼火——尤其是可怜的奶奶，她想让我跟她住在一起，可我必须有自由——”她说起令人畏惧的凯瑟琳轻松自如，让他佩服；奥兰斯卡夫人甚至渴望最孤独的自由，想到个中原因，也令他深深感动。不过一想到博福特，他又变得心烦意乱。

"I think I understand how you feel," he said. "Still, your family can advise you; explain differences; show you the way."
“我想我能理解你的感情，”他说，“不过你的家人仍然可以给你忠告，说明种种差异，给你指明道路。”

She lifted her thin black eyebrows. "Is New York such a labyrinth? I thought it so straight up and down-- like Fifth Avenue. And with all the cross streets numbered!" She seemed to guess his faint disapproval of this, and added, with the rare smile that enchanted her whole face: "If you knew how I like it for just THAT-- the straight-up-and-downness, and the big honest labels on everything!"
她细细的黑眉毛向上一扬，说：“难道纽约是个迷宫吗？我还以为它像第五大街那样直来直去——而且所有的十字路都有编号！”她似乎猜到他对这种说法略有异议，又露出给她脸上增添魅力的难得的笑容补充说：“但愿你明白我多么喜欢它的这一点——直来直去，一切都贴着诚实的大标签！”

He saw his chance. "Everything may be labelled-- but everybody is not."
他发现机会来了。“东西可能会贴了标签——人却不然。”

"Perhaps. I may simplify too much--but you'll warn me if I do." She turned from the fire to look at him. "There are only two people here who make me feel as if they understood what I mean and could explain things to me: you and Mr. Beaufort."
“也许如此，我可能过于简单化了——如果是这样，你可要警告我呀。”她从炉火那边转过身看着他说。“这里只有两个人让我觉得好像理解我的心思，并能向我解释世事：你和博福特先生。”

Archer winced at the joining of the names, and then, with a quick readjustment, understood, sympathised and pitied. So close to the powers of evil she must have lived that she still breathed more freely in their air. But since she felt that he understood her also, his business would be to make her see Beaufort as he really was, with all he represented--and abhor it.
阿切尔对这两个名字联在一起感到一阵本能的畏缩；接着，经过迅速调整，继而又产生了理解、同情与怜悯。她过去的生活一定是与罪恶势力大接近了，以至现在仍觉得在他们的环境中反倒更自由。然而，既然她认为他也理解她，那么，他的当务之急就是让她认清博福特的真面目，以及他代表的一切，并且对之产生厌恶。

He answered gently: "I understand. But just at first don't let go of your old friends' hands: I mean the older women, your Granny Mingott, Mrs. Welland, Mrs. van der Luyden. They like and admire you--they want to help you."
他温和地回答说：“我理解。可首先，不要放弃老朋友的帮助——我指的是那些老太太——你祖母明戈特，韦兰太太，范德卢顿太太。她们喜欢你、称赞你——她们想帮助你。”