作者：D. H. Lawrence D. H. 劳伦斯
出版社：外语教学与研究出版社
格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT
狐狸(外研社双语读库)试读：
The Fox狐狸The two girls were usually known by their surnames, Banford and March. They had taken the farm together, intending to work it all by themselves: that is, they were going to rear chickens, make a living by poultry, and add to this by keeping a cow, and raising one or two young beasts. Unfortunately, things did not turn out well.
有这样两个女孩子，人们只知道她们一个姓班福德，一个姓马奇。她们一起租了个农场，打算自己来打理所有的事情。就是说，她们要养鸡，靠着这些家禽维持生计。除此之外，还要养一头奶牛和一两头小牛。不幸的是，事情进展得并不顺利。
Banford was a small, thin, delicate thing with spectacles. She, however, was the principal investor, for March had little or no money. Banford's father, who was a tradesman in Islington, gave his daughter the start, for her health's sake, and because he loved her, and because it did not look as if she would marry. March was more robust. She had learned carpentry and joinery at the evening classes in Islington. She would be the man about the place. They had, moreover, Banford's old grandfather living with them at the start. He had been a farmer. But unfortunately the old man died after he had been at Bailey Farm for a year. Then the two girls were left alone.
班福德戴着一副眼镜，身材娇小，弱不禁风。不过她却是农场的主要投资人，因为马奇几乎没什么钱。班福德的父亲是伊斯灵顿镇的一个商人。他之所以帮助女儿开创事业，是为了她的健康着想，也是因为他疼爱自己的女儿，还有就是他觉得女儿看起来是不会结婚的。相比之下，马奇则要健壮一些。她曾在伊斯灵顿镇的夜校学习过粗细木工手艺。她在农场里充当着男人的角色。一开始时，还有班福德年老的祖父跟她们一起生活。他以前是个农场主。但不幸的是，老人在贝利农场生活了一年后便去世了。这样，就只剩下两个姑娘了。
They were neither of them young: that is, they were near thirty. But they certainly were not old. They set out quite gallantly with their enterprise. They had numbers of chickens, black Leghorns and white Leghorns, Plymouths and Wyandottes; also some ducks; also two heifers in the fields. One heifer, unfortunately, refused absolutely to stay in the Bailey Farm closes. No matter how March made up the fences, the heifer was out, wild in the woods, or trespassing on the neighbouring pasture, and March and Banford were away, flying after her, with more haste than success. So this heifer they sold in despair. Then, just before the other beast was expecting her first calf, the old man died, and the girls, afraid of the coming event, sold her in a panic, and limited their attentions to fowls and ducks.
她们都已不再年轻。事实上，两个人都快三十岁了。但当然也不算老。她们大胆地开始了自己的事业。她俩养了许多种鸡，其中有黑来航鸡、白来航鸡、普利茅斯鸡和怀恩多特鸡，还养了一些鸭子，在牧场里还养了两头小母牛。然而不幸的是，一头小母牛坚决拒绝呆在贝利农场的地界里。不管马奇怎样修补栅栏，那头小母牛还是会闯出去，在林子里逍遥自在地玩耍，或者私自闯进邻居的牧场。马奇和班福德只好追着它飞跑，但结果往往是白费力气。所以，她们只好绝望地卖掉了这头小母牛。后来，就在另一头小母牛初次产犊之前，老爷爷过世了。两位姑娘害怕为它接生，便匆忙把那头小母牛也给卖了，从此专注于照顾那些鸡和鸭。
In spite of a little chagrin, it was a relief to have no more cattle on hand. Life was not made merely to be slaved away. Both girls agreed in this. The fowls were quite enough trouble. March had set up her carpenter's bench at the end of the open shed. Here she worked, making coops and doors and other appurtenances. The fowls were housed in the bigger building, which had served as barn and cow-shed in old days. They had a beautiful home, and should have been perfectly content. Indeed, they looked well enough. But the girls were disgusted at their tendency to strange illnesses, at their exacting way of life, and at their refusal, obstinate refusal to lay eggs.
尽管她们有些懊悔，但再也不用照顾母牛了，所以还是松了口气。日子可不能一直都在辛苦劳作中度过。两个姑娘对于这点都很赞同。那些鸡鸭已经给她们带来了足够多的麻烦。马奇在敞棚的尽头搭建起了她的木工工作台。她在这里干活，动手制作笼子、门以及其他小物件。所有的鸡鸭都养在一间更大的屋子里，过去那里曾被用作谷仓和牛棚。它们有一个这么美丽的家，应该感到十分满意了。确实，它们看上去非常好。不过，让两位姑娘感到头疼的是，那些鸡鸭时不时会染上怪病，而且它们对生活的要求也十分苛刻，甚至还固执地拒绝产蛋。
March did most of the outdoor work. When she was out and about, in her puttees and breeches, her belted coat and her loose cap, she looked almost like some graceful, loose-balanced young man, for her shoulders were straight, and her movements easy and confident, even tinged with a little indifference or irony. But her face was not a man's face, ever. The wisps of her crisp dark hair blew about her as she stooped, her eyes were big and wide and dark, when she looked up again, strange, startled, shy and sardonic at once. Her mouth, too, was almost pinched as if in pain and irony. There was something odd and unexplained about her. She would stand balanced on one hip, looking at the fowls pattering about in the obnoxious fine mud of the sloping yard, and calling to her favourite white hen, which came in answer to her name. But there was an almost satirical flicker in March's big, dark eyes as she looked at her three-toed flock pattering about under her gaze, and the same slight dangerous satire in her voice as she spoke to the favoured Patty, who pecked at March's boot by way of friendly demonstration.
马奇负责绝大部分的户外工作。她在户外干活时，总是打着绑腿，穿着马裤和束了腰带的外套，头戴一顶宽松的帽子。她看起来几乎就像一位气质优雅、个性随意的年轻男子：肩膀挺得直直的，举止从容且自信满满，甚至还带着些许漠然或嘲讽的味道。但是她的脸却一点都不像男人的脸。她弯腰时，那缕缕深色卷发便在眼前飞舞起来。她的眼睛又大又黑。当她直起身子再次抬起头往上望时，眼睛里立刻又充满不安、惊异、羞涩和嘲讽。她的嘴唇似乎也总是因为痛苦和嘲讽而紧紧抿着。她的身上有种古怪而又难以解释的气质。她常常以一只脚为重心支撑站着，看着农场的鸡鸭在倾斜的院子里那让人讨厌的烂泥地中啪嗒啪嗒地四处乱走；她还会大声喊她最喜欢的那只白母鸡，而那母鸡听到有人喊自己的名字也会应声跑来。但是当马奇看着这群三趾鸡鸭在她的注视下摇摇摆摆跑来跑去的时候，她那又大又黑的眼睛里便会闪过一丝几乎是嘲讽的神色。她与最喜欢的母鸡帕蒂说话时，语气里也同样带着这种略带危险的嘲讽，而这时帕蒂会轻啄玛奇的靴子，以示友好。
Fowls did not flourish at Bailey Farm, in spite of all that March did for them. When she provided hot food for them in the morning, according to the rule, she noticed that it made them heavy and dozy for hours. She expected to see them lean against the pillars of the shed in their languid processes of digestion. And she knew quite well that they ought to be busily scratching and foraging about, if they were to come to any good. So she decided to give them their hot food at night, and let them sleep on it. Which she did. But it made no difference.
贝利农场的鸡鸭并没有茁壮成长，尽管马奇在它们身上费尽了心思。按照惯例，马奇清晨给它们喂热饲料，她注意到那些鸡鸭在吃完饲料后的几个小时里行动笨拙，昏昏欲睡。她已预料到会看见它们全都倚着屋棚的柱子，懒洋洋地消化食物。而她很清楚地知道，那些鸡应该正忙着四处又挖又扒地觅食的，这样才有助于它们的健康。所以她决定晚上给它们喂热饲料，好让它们吃完后就去睡觉。她这么做了。但是却没有任何改变。
War conditions, again, were very unfavourable to poultry-keeping. Food was scarce and bad. And when the Daylight Saving Bill was passed, the fowls obstinately refused to go to bed as usual, about nine o'clock in the summer-time. That was late enough, indeed, for there was no peace till they were shut up and asleep. Now they cheerfully walked around, without so much as glancing at the barn, until ten o'clock or later. Both Banford and March disbelieved in living for work alone. They wanted to read or take a cycle-ride in the evening, or perhaps March wished to paint curvilinear swans on porcelain, with green background, or else make a marvellous fire-screen by processes of elaborate cabinet work. For she was a creature of odd whims and unsatisfied tendencies. But from all these things she was prevented by the stupid fowls.
战乱时局是不利于饲养家禽的。饲料稀缺，质量又不好。《夏令时法案》通过后，到了夏日晚上九点，那些鸡鸭都顽固地拒绝像往常一样回窝睡觉。九点钟确实已经够晚的了，除非把它们关进窝里睡觉，不然休想有一丝安宁。现在它们兴高采烈地逛来逛去，根本看都不看一眼谷仓，一直逛到十点钟甚至更晚。班福德和马奇都不认为活着纯粹是为了工作。她们想在晚上读读书，或者骑车四处逛逛。也许马奇还想在以绿色为背景的瓷器上用曲线勾画出几只天鹅，又或者是精心地干点细木工活，做一个精美的炉栏。她头脑里充满了稀奇古怪的主意和未及实现的意向。但是所有这些事，她一件也做不成，都怪那些呆笨的鸡鸭。
One evil there was greater than any other. Bailey Farm was a little homestead, with ancient wooden barn and low-gabled farm-house, lying just one field removed from the edge of the wood. Since the war the fox was a demon. He carried off the hens under the very noses of March and Banford. Banford would startle and stare through her big spectacles with all her eyes, as another squawk and flutter took place at her heels. Too late! Another white Leghorn gone. It was disheartening.
而且还有件倒霉事比别的事情更让人头疼。贝利农场是个小农庄，有古老的木式谷仓和围有低矮山墙的农宅，离林子边缘只隔了一块田地。自从战争爆发以来，狐狸就成了祸害。它居然就在马奇和班福德的眼皮底下把母鸡给抓走了。每当又有母鸡咯咯叫着扑棱翅膀时，班福德都会惊跳起来，大眼镜后的眼睛瞪得大大的，盯着眼前的惨状。太迟了！又一只白来航鸡没了。这真让人沮丧。
They did what they could to remedy it. When it became permitted to shoot foxes, they stood sentinel with their guns, the two of them, at the favoured hours. But it was no good. The fox was too quick for them. So another year passed, and another, and they were living on their losses, as Banford said. They let their farm-house one summer, and retired to live in a railway carriage that was deposited as a sort of outhouse in a corner of the field. This amused them, and helped their finances. Nonetheless, things looked dark.
她们想尽了办法补救。在准许射杀狐狸之后，她们两个人就带着枪，在狐狸经常出没的时间守卫着鸡棚。但是一点用都没有。狐狸的动作实在是太快了。就这样，又一年过去了，接着又是一年。正如班福德说的那样，她们是靠亏损过活的。一年夏天，她们把农宅租了出去，自己转而住进了一间用废弃的火车车厢做成的屋子，就坐落在田野的一处角落。这让她们感到愉快，同时也能帮助她们度过经济难关。但情况还是不好。
Although they were usually the best of friends, because Banford, though nervous and delicate, was a warm, generous soul, and March, though so odd and absent in herself, had a strange magnanimity, yet, in the long solitude, they were apt to become a little irritable with one another, tired of one another. March had four-fifths of the work to do, and though she did not mind, there seemed no relief, and it made her eyes flash curiously sometimes. Then Banford, feeling more nerve-worn than ever, would become despondent, and March would speak sharply to her. They seemed to be losing ground, somehow, losing hope as the months went by. There alone in the fields by the wood, with the wide country stretching hollow and dim to the round hills of the White Horse, in the far distance, they seemed to have to live too much off themselves. There was nothing to keep them up—and no hope.
班福德尽管有点神经质而且娇弱，但也是个热心大方的姑娘，而马奇虽然性格古怪又常常心不在焉，但她有某种奇特的宽宏气度，所以两人通常还是非常要好的朋友。但是在漫长的孤寂生活中，她们也渐渐开始闹点小矛盾，开始对彼此感到有点厌倦了。马奇承担了五分之四的工作，尽管她自己并不在意，然而日子总是这样，都没有喘口气的时候，她的眼里有时就会闪过奇怪的眼神。这时班福德会感到更加紧张，因而变得垂头丧气的，马奇跟她讲话的口气也变得尖锐了。时间一个月一个月地过去，不知怎的，她们似乎一直在损失，而且逐渐失去希望。她们孤独地生活在林子边缘的田野上。广袤的原野一直延伸到远处白马山圆形的山岭下，一派空旷迷茫。她们似乎只能过着只有两个人的日子。没有什么事情能让她们振奋起来——没有一丝希望。
The fox really exasperated them both. As soon as they had let the fowls out, in the early summer mornings, they had to take their guns and keep guard: and then again as soon as evening began to mellow, they must go once more. And he was so sly. He slid along in the deep grass; he was difficult as a serpent to see. And he seemed to circumvent the girls deliberately. Once or twice March had caught sight of the white tip of his brush, or the ruddy shadow of him in the deep grass, and she had let fire at him. But he made no account of this.
那只狐狸确实让她俩都非常恼火。夏日清晨，她们只要把鸡鸭放出笼去，就得马上拿起枪守卫着；暮色渐浓时，同样的事情还得再做一遍。这狐狸实在是太狡猾了。它在幽深的草丛中潜行，就如同蛇一样难以被人发现。而且它好像故意跟两位姑娘捉迷藏。有那么一两次，马奇已经瞥到了它那白色的尾巴尖，或是幽深草丛中它那红色的身影，她还朝它开了一枪。但是它根本不在乎这个。
One evening March was standing with her back to the sunset, her gun under her arm, her hair pushed under her cap. She was half watching, half musing. It was her constant state. Her eyes were keen and observant, but her inner mind took no notice of what she saw. She was always lapsing into this odd, rapt state, her mouth rather screwed up. It was a question whether she was there, actually conscious present, or not.
一天傍晚，马奇背对夕阳站着，胳膊下夹着枪，头发紧压在帽子底下。她一边看守着，一边陷入沉思。她经常处于这种状态中。她的眼神专注敏锐，然而内心根本没有注意到眼前所见。她总是陷入这种奇怪的着迷状态，同时嘴巴紧拧着。她是否身在那里，或者她的意识到底在不在那里，都还是一个问题。
The trees on the wood-edge were a darkish, brownish green in the full light-for it was the end of August. Beyond, the naked, copper-like shafts and limbs of the pine trees shone in the air. Nearer the rough grass, with its long, brownish stalks all agleam, was full of light. The fowls were round about-the ducks were still swimming on the pond under the pine trees. March looked at it all, saw it all, and did not see it. She heard Banford speaking to the fowls in the distance-and she did not hear. What was she thinking about? Heaven knows. Her consciousness was, as it were, held back.
林子边缘的树木在充沛的阳光照射下呈现出微带黑棕色的青翠——因为那时已经是八月底了。远处，松树上那黄铜色的光滑树干和枝条在空中闪烁着光芒。近处，茂盛的草丛也沐浴在阳光里，那长长的褐色叶柄微微发亮。鸡鸭都在附近——鸭子仍在松树下的池塘里戏水。马奇看着这一切，也看到了这一切，却又什么也没看到。她听到班福德在远处正在跟鸡鸭们说着话，却又什么都没有听见。她到底在想什么呢？只有上帝才知道。她的意识似乎被控制了。
She lowered her eyes, and suddenly saw the fox. He was looking up at her. His chin was pressed down, and his eyes were looking up. They met her eyes. And he knew her. She was spellbound-she knew he knew her. So he looked into her eyes, and her soul failed her. He knew her, he was not daunted.
她垂下眼帘，突然间，她看到了那只狐狸。它正抬起头来注视着她。它压低了下巴，双眼往上望。它的目光正好与马奇的相遇。它认识她。她仿佛中了魔咒一般怔住了——她知道它认识她。所以它才会深深地望进她的眼里，她的灵魂被吸引过去了。它认识她，它一点都不害怕。
She struggled, confusedly she came to herself, and saw him making off, with slow leaps over some fallen boughs, slow, impudent jumps. Then he glanced over his shoulder, and ran smoothly away. She saw his brush held smooth like a feather, she saw his white buttocks twinkle. And he was gone, softly, soft as the wind.
她挣扎着，困惑迷糊中，她还是清醒过来了，然后便看见它缓缓地跃过几根掉落在地上的树枝，从容而放肆地跳跃而去。然后，它又转过头来看了她一眼，便轻快地跑掉了。她看见它的尾巴直直地竖着，像一根羽毛那样光滑，白色的臀闪闪发光。然后它消失了，轻轻地，轻柔如风。
She put her gun to her shoulder, but even then pursed her mouth, knowing it was nonsense to pretend to fire. So she began to walk slowly after him, in the direction he had gone, slowly, pertinaciously. She expected to find him. In her heart she was determined to find him. What she would do when she saw him again she did not consider. But she was determined to find him. So she walked abstractedly about on the edge of the wood, with wide, vivid dark eyes, and a faint flush in her cheeks. She did not think. In strange mindlessness she walked hither and thither.
她把枪举到肩膀上，但马上又撅起了嘴，心里明白这个时候做出开枪的样子已经无济于事了。于是，她循着它消失的方向，开始慢慢地跟在后面走，慢慢地而又不失坚定地走着。她希望能找到它。她下定决心要找到它。她并没考虑如果再次看到它，自己会怎样做。但不管怎样，她都下定决心要找到它。因此，她便在林子边上心不在焉地走着，黑眼睛睁得大大的，而且炯炯有神，脸上泛着淡淡的红晕。她什么也没想。她在一种奇怪的、无知觉的状态中四处走动着。
At last she became aware that Banford was calling her. She made an effort of attention, turned, and gave some sort of screaming call in answer. Then again she was striding off towards the homestead. The red sun was setting, the fowls were retiring towards their roost. She watched them, white creatures, black creatures, gathering to the barn. She watched them spellbound, without seeing them. But her automatic intelligence told her when it was time to shut the door.
最后，她终于意识到班福德在呼唤她。她努力集中注意力，转过身答应着，声音几乎像在尖叫。然后她就大步流星地往农庄走去。此时，一轮红日正在徐徐落下，鸡鸭也都开始回窝了。她望着它们，白色的、黑色的小家伙们，都纷纷往谷仓走去。她着了魔似地盯着它们，却又没有真正看到它们。但她还是本能地在该关门的时候把门关上了。
She went indoors to supper, which Banford had set on the table. Banford chatted easily. March seemed to listen, in her distant, manly way. She answered a brief word now and then. But all the time she was as if spellbound. And as soon as supper was over, she rose again to go out, without saying why.
她回到室内吃晚饭，班福德已经把饭桌摆好了。班福德轻松地聊着天。马奇似乎在听着，表情一如继往地冷漠、刚硬。她时不时会简单地回应几句。但从头至尾，她整个人像中了魔咒一般。吃完晚饭，她立刻起身走了出去，连句解释的话也没有。
She took her gun again and went to look for the fox. For he had lifted his eyes upon her, and his knowing look seemed to have entered her brain. She did not so much think of him: she was possessed by him. She saw his dark, shrewd, unabashed eye looking into her, knowing her. She felt him invisibly master her spirit. She knew the way he lowered his chin as he looked up, she knew his muzzle, the golden brown, and the greyish white. And again she saw him glance over his shoulder at her, half inviting, half contemptuous and cunning. So she went, with her great startled eyes glowing, her gun under her arm, along the wood edge. Meanwhile the night fell, and a great moon rose above the pine trees. And again Banford was calling.
她再次拿起枪，出去找那只狐狸。因为它抬起眼睛看了她，那洞悉一切的眼神似乎读透了她的心思。她并不是总在想这只狐狸，实际上她已经完全被它迷住了。她看到它那乌黑、狡黠、从容不迫的眼睛深深望进她的心里，一眼就看透了她。她觉得它无形中已经掌控了她的灵魂。她知道它抬头看时会低下下巴，她还熟悉它那棕黄和灰白色的鼻子。又一次，她看见它转过头来注视着她，带着些许邀请的意味，又带着些许的轻蔑和狡黠。于是，她沿着林子边缘走着，惊恐的大眼睛闪着光，枪就紧夹在胳膊底下。此时，夜幕降临，一轮硕大的明月爬上了松树梢头。班福德又在叫她了。
So she went indoors. She was silent and busy. She examined her gun, and cleaned it, musing abstractedly by the lamplight. Then she went out again, under the great moon, to see if everything was right. When she saw the dark crests of the pine trees against the blood-red sky, again her heart beat to the fox, the fox. She wanted to follow him, with her gun.
于是她便回屋了。她沉默地忙活着。她一边检查枪支，把它擦干净，一边在灯光下心不在焉地想着什么。然后她又走出去，站在硕大的月亮下面，看看是否一切正常。当她看见松树那深色的树冠映衬着血红色的天空时，又一次，她的心跳被那只狐狸拨乱了。她很想带着枪紧跟着它。
It was some days before she mentioned the affair to Banford. Then suddenly one evening she said:'The fox was right at my feet on Saturday night.'
好几天之后，她才跟班福德提起这件事情。那是在一天晚上，她突然说道：“周六晚上，那只狐狸就在我脚边。”
'Where?' said Banford, her eyes opening behind her spectacles.“哪里？”班福德问，镜片后的眼睛瞪大了。
'When I stood just above the pond.'“我就站在池塘边上的时候。”
'Did you fire?' cried Banford.“那你开枪了吗？”班福德喊道。
'No, I didn't.'“没有，我没开枪。”
'Why not?'“为什么不开枪？”
'Why, I was too much surprised, I suppose.'“哎呀，我当时太吃惊了吧，我想。”
It was the same old, slow, laconic way of speech March always had. Banford stared at her friend for a few moments.
这是马奇惯常用的那种慢吞吞又简短的说话方式。班福德盯着她的朋友看了好一会儿。
'You saw him?' she cried.“你看见它了？”她喊道。
'Oh yes! He was looking up at me, cool as anything.'“噢，是的！它当时正抬头望着我，非常镇定呢。”
'I tell you,' cried Banford－'the cheek! They're not afraid of us, Nellie.'“我跟你说，太放肆了！”班福德大叫道，“它们根本不怕我们，内利。”
'Oh, no,' said March.“噢，是的。”马奇答道。
'Pity you didn't get a shot at him,' said Banford.“可惜你一枪都没有开。”班福德说道。
'Isn't it a pity! I've been looking for him ever since. But I don't suppose he'll come so near again.'“太可惜了！从那以后我就一直在找它。但是我想它不会再走得这么近了。”
'I don't suppose he will,' said Banford.“我想它是不会了。”班福德答道。
And she proceeded to forget about it, except that she was more indignant than ever at the impudence of the beggar. March also was not conscious that she thought of the fox. But whenever she fell into her half-musing, when she was half rapt and half intelligently aware of what passed under her vision, then it was the fox which somehow dominated her unconsciousness, possessed the blank half of her musing. And so it was for weeks, and months. No matter whether she had been climbing the trees for the apples, or beating down the last of the damsons, or whether she had been digging out the ditch from the duck-pond, or clearing out the barn, when she had finished, or when she straightened herself, and pushed the wisps of her hair away again from her forehead, and pursed up her mouth again in an odd, screwed fashion, much too old for her years, there was sure to come over her mind the old spell of the fox, as it came when he was looking at her. It was as if she could smell him at these times. And it always recurred, at unexpected moments, just as she was going to sleep at night, or just as she was pouring the water into the tea-pot to make tea—it was the fox, it came over her like a spell.
然后她便忘记这事了。只是她比从前更恼怒了，因为那坏狐狸实在太放肆了。马奇也没有意识到自己会想起那只狐狸。但不管什么时候，无论是她陷入沉思时，又或是当她对于眼前所发生的事情半是入迷半是清醒时，不知怎的，那只狐狸都会主宰她的潜意识，占领她的另一半思绪。这样的情形持续了一周又一周，一月又一月。不管她是在爬树摘苹果，还是在打落剩下的李子；不管她是在鸭池挖沟，还是在清扫谷仓，当她干完这些活，或者站直身子，把前额上的几缕头发拨开，再古怪地撅起嘴——这动作对于她的年龄来说显得过于老气了——每当这时候，那狐狸身上的古老魔咒又开始对她的思绪施展魔力，如同当初它注视着她的时候一样。这时候，她好像总能闻见它的气味。而这种情况总在意想不到的时候一再出现。比如她晚上准备睡觉时，或者把水注入茶壶泡茶时，那狐狸的影象就又来了，就如一道魔符。
So the months passed. She still looked for him unconsciously when she went towards the wood. He had become a settled effect in her spirit, a state permanently established, not continuous, but always recurring. She did not know what she felt or thought: only the state came over her, as when he looked at her.
就这样，几个月又过去了。每次走向林子，她总会下意识地寻找它的身影。它已经驻扎在她心里，深深地影响她，并成为永久性的固定状态，这种状态虽然并非连续不断，却总是反复出现。她并不清楚自己到底有怎样的感受或想法，她只知道这种状态俘虏了她，正如当初它注视着她时那样。
The months passed, the dark evenings came, heavy, dark November, when March went about in high boots, ankle deep in mud, when the night began to fall at four o'clock, and the day never properly dawned. Both girls dreaded these times. They dreaded the almost continuous darkness that enveloped them on their desolate little farm near the wood. Banford was physically afraid. She was afraid of tramps, afraid lest someone should come prowling around. March was not so much afraid as uncomfortable, and disturbed. She felt discomfort and gloom in all her physique.
又过了好几个月，到了沉闷阴暗的十一月了。夜晚变得阴沉。马奇穿着高高的靴子出去时，淤泥都没到脚踝了。夜幕在下午四点钟就降临了，白天也从来没有过明朗的清晨。两个姑娘都害怕这样的季节。她们害怕那延绵不绝的黑暗把她们严严实实地包裹在林子边上荒凉的小农场里。班福德感到身体上的恐惧。她害怕流浪汉，或者其他什么人偷偷地在附近游荡。马奇与其说是害怕，不如说是不自在、不安心。她浑身都感到不舒服，成天郁郁寡欢。
Usually the two girls had tea in the sitting-room. March lighted a fire at dusk, and put on the wood she had chopped and sawed during the day. Then the long evening was in front, dark, sodden, black outside, lonely and rather oppressive inside, a little dismal. March was content not to talk, but Banford could not keep still. Merely listening to the wind in the pines outside or the drip of water, was too much for her.
两位姑娘通常在起居室喝茶。黄昏时，马奇点燃火炉，把白天劈开锯好的木柴填进去。然后，漫长的夜晚便来临了。屋外漆黑潮湿，屋里是寂寥且异常压抑的，还有一丝凄凉。马奇不说话也感到很满足，然而班福德却无法保持安静。只能听着外面的风呼呼地穿过松林，或者是水珠滴落在地上，这让她难以忍受。
One evening the girls had washed up the tea-cups in the kitchen, and March had put on her house-shoes, and taken up a roll of crochet-work, which she worked at slowly from time to time. So she lapsed into silence. Banford stared at the red fire, which, being of wood, needed constant attention. She was afraid to begin to read too early, because her eyes would not bear any strain. So she sat staring at the fire, listening to the distant sounds, sound of cattle lowing, of a dull, heavy moist wind, of the rattle of the evening train on the little railway not far off. She was almost fascinated by the red glow of the fire.
一天晚上，姑娘们在厨房把茶杯洗干净后，马奇便换上拖鞋，拿出钩针活儿来做。这是她偶尔拿出来慢慢做的活儿。她又陷入了沉默中。班福德盯着红红的炉火，因为得不时添木柴，需要时时照看着。她不敢太早开始阅读，因为眼睛受不了过度的疲劳。于是她就坐在那里，注视着炉火，倾听远处传来的声响：牛哞哞的叫声，沉闷且带着湿气的风声，以及不远处小铁路上晚班列车的轰隆轰隆声。她几乎沉浸在炉火发出的红光里。
Suddenly both girls started, and lifted their heads. They heard a footstep—distinctly a footstep. Banford recoiled in fear. March stood listening. Then rapidly she approached the door that led into the kitchen. At the same time they heard the footsteps approach the back door. They waited a second. The back door opened softly. Banford gave a loud cry. A man's voice said softly:'Hello!'
突然，两个姑娘都吃了一惊，把头抬了起来。她们听到了脚步声——清晰的脚步声。班福德害怕地往后缩。马奇则站了起来，仔细倾听着。然后她迅速走向通往厨房的门。与此同时，她们听见脚步声正在逼近后门。她们等了一会儿。后门轻轻地开了。班福德大叫了一声。一个男人温柔地说道：“你好！”
March recoiled, and took a gun from a corner.
马奇退后，从角落里拿起枪。
'What do you want?' she cried, in a sharp voice.“你想干什么？”她尖声喊道。
Again the soft, softly-vibrating man's voice said:'Hello! What's wrong!'
轻柔的、微微颤动的男人声音再次响起：“你好！发生什么事情了？”
'I shall shoot!' cried March. 'What do you want?'“我要开枪了！”马奇大喊道，“你想干什么？”
'Why, what's wrong? What's wrong?' came the soft, wondering, rather scared voice: and a young soldier, with his heavy kit on his back, advanced into the dim light.“嘿，到底怎么了？怎么了？”伴随着带有疑惑又有些惊恐的温柔声音，一位年轻的士兵背着沉重的行囊走进昏暗的灯光中。
'Why,' he said, 'who lives here then?'“嘿，”他说道，“有人住在这儿吗？”
'We live here,' said March. 'What do you want?'“我们住在这里。”马奇回答道，“你想干什么？”
'Oh!' came the long, melodious, wonder-note from the young soldier. 'Doesn't William Grenfel live here then?'“噢！”年轻的士兵发出一道长长的、悦耳的惊叹声，“威廉·格伦费尔不是住在这里的吗？”
'No—you know he doesn't.'“不——你知道他不住这里。”
'Do I? Do I? I don't, you see. He did live here, because he was my grandfather, and I lived here myself five years ago. What's become of him then?'“我知道？我知道吗？可你看，我并不知道啊。他的确曾经住在这里，因为他是我爷爷，五年前我自己也在这里住。他现在怎么样了？”
The young man—or youth, for he would not be more than twenty—now advanced and stood in the inner doorway. March, already under the influence of his strange, soft, modulated voice, stared at him spellbound. He had a ruddy, roundish face, with fairish hair, rather long, flattened to his forehead with sweat. His eyes were blue, and very bright and sharp. On his cheeks, on the fresh ruddy skin were fine, fair hairs, like a down, but sharper. It gave him a slightly glistening look. Having his heavy sack on his shoulders, he stooped, thrusting his head forward. His hat was loose in one hand. He stared brightly, very keenly from girl to girl, particularly at March, who stood pale, with great dilated eyes, in her belted coat and puttees, her hair knotted in a big crisp knot behind. She still had the gun in her hand. Behind her, Banford, clinging to the sofa-arm, was shrinking away, with half-averted head.
这位年轻男人——或者说小伙子，因为他看上去还不到二十岁——现在又往前走了几步，站到了里屋的门道上。马奇早已被他那奇妙、轻柔、带着磁性的声音吸引住了，她像中了魔咒一般怔怔地盯着他。他长着一张红润的圆脸，浅色的长头发被汗水浸湿，紧贴在前额上。他那蓝色的双眼非常明亮、敏锐。他的脸颊上，在那洁净红润的皮肤上，长着一层纤细金黄的绒毛，有点像汗毛，不过比汗毛显得更清晰。这让他的脸看起来有些许闪光。由于肩膀上扛着沉重的背囊，他的腰有点弯，头略向前倾。他一只手里随意地拿着顶帽子。他机灵而敏锐地看看这个姑娘，又看看另一个姑娘，特别是马奇——她站在那儿，脸色发白，双眼瞪得大大的，穿着束腰外套，打着绑腿，头发清清爽爽地在脑后绾成一个大发髻。她手里仍然握着枪。在她身后，班福德正紧偎着沙发的扶手，头侧着，身子直往后缩。
'I thought my grandfather still lived here? I wonder if he's dead.'“我以为我爷爷还住在这里呢。我在想他是不是已经去世了。”
'We've been here for three years,' said Banford, who was beginning to recover her wits, seeing something boyish in the round head with its rather long, sweaty hair.“我们在这里已经住了三年了。”班福德说道。她开始平静下来，而且从小伙子的圆脑袋和那长长的、汗淋淋的头发上，她看到了一股孩子气。
'Three years! You don't say so! And you don't know who was here before you?'“三年了！不可能吧！你不知道之前谁住在这里吗？”
'I know it was an old man, who lived by himself.'“我知道之前有位老人，独自生活在这里。”
'Ay! Yes, that's him! And what became of him then?'“哎！是啊，就是他啊！那他后来怎么了？”
'He died. I know he died.'“他去世了。我知道他去世了。”
'Ay! He's dead then!'“哎！那他是去世了！”
The youth stared at them without changing colour or expression. If he had any expression, besides a slight baffled look of wonder, it was one of sharp curiosity concerning the two girls; sharp, impersonal curiosity, the curiosity of that round young head.
年轻人面不改色地盯着她们。如果说他还有点表情的话，除了那微微困惑的讶异，便是对两位姑娘强烈的好奇感——强烈的、不带个人感情的好奇感，从那圆圆的、年轻的脑袋里生出的好奇感。
But to March he was the fox. Whether it was the thrusting forward of his head, or the glisten of fine whitish hairs on the ruddy cheek-bones, or the bright, keen eyes, that can never be said: but the boy was to her the fox, and she could not see him otherwise.
但对马奇而言，他就是那只狐狸。或许是因为他的头往前伸着，也或许是因为他那红润的颧骨上闪着微光的白色绒毛，又或许是那双明亮敏锐的眼睛，很难说清楚究竟是什么原因。但对她来说，小伙子就是那只狐狸，她怎么也看不出他是别的什么东西。
'How is it you didn't know if your grandfather was alive or dead?' asked Banford, recovering her natural sharpness.“你怎么会不知道自己爷爷是生是死啊？”班福德问道，语气又恢复了平日的尖锐。
'Ay, that's it,' replied the softly-breathing youth. 'You see, I joined up in Canada, and I hadn't heard for three or four years. I ran away to Canada.'“唉，就是这样啊。”小伙子轻轻地呼吸着回答道，“你看，我是在加拿大参军的，有三四年时间没有爷爷的任何消息了。我是逃到加拿大的。”
'And now have you just come from France?'“那现在你是刚从法国回来吗？”
'Well—from Salonika really.'“是啊，确切地说，是从萨洛尼卡回来的。”
There was a pause, nobody knowing quite what to say.
然后谈话就停顿了，大家都不知道说什么才好。
'So you've nowhere to go now?' said Banford rather lamely.“这么说，你现在没地方去了？”班福德有些生硬地说道。
'Oh, I know some people in the village. Anyhow, I can go to the "Swan".'“哦，我认识村里的一些人。不管怎样，我还可以去住天鹅旅店。”
'You came on the train, I suppose. Would you like to sit down a bit?'“我猜你是坐火车来的吧。你愿意坐一会儿吗？”
'Well—I don't mind.'“嗯——那也好。”
He gave an odd little groan as he swung off his kit. Banford looked at March.
他卸下背包时，发出了一声轻轻的、古怪的呻吟。班福德看着马奇。
'Put the gun down,' she said. 'We'll make a cup of tea.'“把枪放下吧。”她说，“我们冲杯茶喝。”
'Ay,' said the youth. 'We've seen enough of rifles.'“哎，”小伙子说道，“我们见过的枪可够多的了。”
He sat down rather tired on the sofa, leaning forward.
他疲惫地坐在沙发上，身子前倾。
March recovered her presence of mind, and went into the kitchen. There she heard the soft young voice musing:
马奇恢复了常态，走进了厨房。在厨房里，她听见那年轻人用温柔的声音边思索边说：
'Well, to think I should come back and find it like this!'He did not seem sad, not at all—only rather interestedly surprised.“嗯，没想到我回来后这里变成这样了！”他看起来并不悲伤，一点也不——只是饶有兴趣，感到惊讶。
'And what a difference in the place, eh?' he continued, looking round the room.“这里真的很不同了，嗯？”他接着说道，同时打量着房间。
'You see a difference, do you?' said Banford.“你看出不同了，是吧？”班福德说道。
'Yes—don't I!'“是的——怎么能看不出来呢！”
His eyes were unnaturally clear and bright, though it was the brightness of abundant health.
他的双眼清澈明亮，眼中焕发的光彩显示他体魄健康，可看上去很异常。
March was busy in the kitchen preparing another meal. It was about seven o'clock. All the time, while she was active, she was attending to the youth in the sitting-room, not so much listening to what he said as feeling the soft run of his voice. She primmed up her mouth tighter and tighter, puckering it as if it were sewed, in her effort to keep her will uppermost. Yet her large eyes dilated and glowed in spite of her; she lost herself. Rapidly and carelessly she prepared the meal, cutting large chunks of bread and margarine—for there was no butter. She racked her brain to think of something else to put on the tray—she had only bread, margarine, and jam, and the larder was bare. Unable to conjure anything up, she went into the sitting-room with her tray.
马奇在厨房里忙着准备另一顿饭。差不多快七点钟了。她一边忙碌着，一边一直注意客厅里的小伙子。与其说她是在聆听小伙子说话，还不如说是在感受他的声音轻柔地流动。她把嘴唇抿得越来越紧，像针缝过似的撅了起来。她试图用这种方法来使自己保持最强的意志力。但不管她怎么努力，她的眼睛都睁得大大的，闪着光芒。她完全迷失了自己。她快速、草草地准备着饭菜，切下大块的面包和人造黄油——因为没有黄油了。她绞尽脑汁想找点其他东西摆在盘子上——她只有面包、人造黄油和果酱，而食橱已经空了。实在找不到其它什么东西了，她便端着盘子走进起居室。
She did not want to be noticed. Above all, she did not want him to look at her. But when she came in, and was busy setting the table just behind him, he pulled himself up from his sprawling, and turned and looked over his shoulder. She became pale and wan.
她不想被人关注。尤其是，她不想让他看见。但当她进来，忙着在他身后摆饭桌时，原本四肢伸展躺着的他却直起身子，转过身看着她。她的脸变得苍白暗淡。
The youth watched her as she bent over the table, looked at her slim, well-shapen legs, at the belted coat dropping around her thighs, at the knot of dark hair, and his curiosity, vivid and widely alert, was again arrested by her.
她弯腰倾向饭桌时，那年轻小伙子看着她那苗条修美的双腿，看着她那束身大衣包裹着臀部，看着她那黑色的发结。他那活跃而敏锐的好奇感再次被她激起。
The lamp was shaded with a dark-green shade, so that the light was thrown downwards and the upper half of the room was dim. His face moved bright under the light, but March loomed shadowy in the distance.
油灯被深绿色的灯罩罩着，所以灯光都只向下射，房子的上半部则一片昏暗。他的脸在明亮的灯光下移动着，而马奇却在远处的阴影里，若隐若现。
She turned round, but kept her eyes sideways, dropping and lifting her dark lashes. Her mouth unpuckered as she said to Banford:
她转过身，眼睛却仍然看着旁边，黑色的眼睫毛一眨一眨的。她的嘴不再撅着，跟班福德说道：
'Will you pour out?'“你来倒杯茶好吗？”
Then she went into the kitchen again.
然后她又走进厨房。
'Have your tea where you are, will you?' said Banford to the youth—'unless you'd rather come to the table.'“就在你坐着的地方喝茶吧？”班福德跟小伙子说道，“除非你更喜欢坐到桌子这边来。”
'Well,' said he, 'I'm nice and comfortable here, aren't I? I will have it here, if you don't mind.'“哦，”他说道，“我坐在这儿挺好挺舒服的。我就坐这儿吧，要是你不介意的话。”
'There's nothing but bread and jam,' she said. And she put his plate on a stool by him. She was very happy now, waiting on him. For she loved company. And now she was no more afraid of him than if he were her own younger brother. He was such a boy.“除了面包和果酱，别的什么都没有。”她说道。然后她便把他的盘子放到他身边的凳子上。她此时照顾着他，感到很开心。因为她喜欢有人作伴。而且，现在她也不害怕他了，觉得他就像自己的弟弟一样。他简直就是个男孩子。
'Nellie,' she called. 'I've poured you a cup out.'“内利。”她叫道，“我给你也倒了杯茶。”
March appeared in the doorway, took her cup, and sat down in a corner, as far from the light as possible. She was very sensitive in her knees. Having no skirts to cover them, and being forced to sit with them boldly exposed, she suffered. She shrank and shrank, trying not to be seen. And the youth sprawling low on the couch, glanced up at her, with long, steady, penetrating looks, till she was almost ready to disappear. Yet she held her cup balanced, she drank her tea, screwed up her mouth and held her head averted. Her desire to be invisible was so strong that it quite baffled the youth. He felt he could not see her distinctly. She seemed like a shadow within the shadow. And ever his eyes came back to her, searching, unremitting, with unconscious fixed attention.
马奇走到门口，拿起她的杯子，然后便坐到角落里，尽可能地远离灯光。她的膝盖非常敏感。因为没有裙子把它们遮住，她不得不任由膝盖暴露着坐在那里，她很难受。她不停地往后缩着，试图躲过别人的视线。而那个年轻人躺着，深陷入沙发中，他那沉着而犀利的眼神长久地盯着她，直到她几乎准备要走开了。然而她还是镇定地平端着杯子，喝着茶，撅着嘴，头偏向一边。她想要让自己隐形的想法是如此强烈，让那年轻人都感到困惑。他觉得自己没有办法把她看清楚。她好像是一个包裹在阴影中的阴影。他的目光又回到她身上，无意识地集中所有的注意力不懈地探寻着。
Meanwhile he was talking softly and smoothly to Banford, who loved nothing so much as gossip, and who was full of perky interest, like a bird. Also he ate largely and quickly and voraciously, so that March had to cut more chunks of bread and margarine, for the roughness of which Banford apologized.
同时，他又用轻柔而流畅的语调跟班福德聊着天。班福德除了闲聊外，再没有更喜爱的事情了。她神采飞扬，兴致勃勃，像只小鸟一样叽叽喳喳。而且，他还大口大口地飞快地吃着东西，狼吞虎咽地，马奇不得不切更多的面包和人造黄油。班福德跟他道歉说切得太粗糙了。
'Oh, well,' said March, suddenly speaking, 'if there's no butter to put on it, it's no good trying to make dainty pieces.'“哦，好啦，”马奇突然说道，“如果没有黄油抹在上面，块儿切得再精致也没用。”
Again the youth watched her, and he laughed, with a sudden, quick laugh, showing his teeth and wrinkling his nose.
那年轻人再次看着她，忽然笑了，笑得牙齿也露了出来，鼻子也皱起来了。
'It isn't, is it,' he answered in his soft, near voice.“是没用，不是吗？”他用温柔又亲密的声音答道。
It appeared he was Cornish by birth and upbringing. When he was twelve years old he had come to Bailey Farm with his grandfather, with whom he had never agreed very well. So he had run away to Canada, and worked far away in the West. Now he was here—and that was the end of it.
原来他是在康沃尔郡出生长大的。他十二岁时，跟着爷爷来到贝利农场，但他跟爷爷相处得一直不和睦。所以后来他便跑到了加拿大，在遥远的西部工作。现在，他又到了这儿——这就是他的故事。
He was very curious about the girls, to find out exactly what they were doing. His questions were those of a farm youth; acute, practical, a little mocking. He was very much amused by their attitude to their losses: for they were amusing on the score of heifers and fowls.
他对两位姑娘非常好奇，想知道她们究竟在干些什么。他的问题都是一个在农场长大的年轻人问的问题：尖锐、实际、还带些嘲弄的意味。他被两位姑娘对待农场损失的态度给逗乐了，因为她们讲到那些小母牛和鸡鸭如何如何时，表现得十分有趣。
'Oh, well,' broke in March, 'we don't believe in living for nothing but work.'“哦，对了，”马奇插嘴说道，“我们都不认为活着只是为了工作。”
'Don't you?' he answered. And again the quick young laugh came over his face. He kept his eyes steadily on the obscure woman in the corner.“是吗？”他答道。他脸上又露出生气勃勃的笑容。他一直注视着角落里那个身影模糊的女人。
'But what will you do when you've used up all your capital?' he said.“但是所有的本钱花完以后你们怎么办呢？”他说道。
'Oh, I don't know,' answered March laconically. 'Hire ourselves out for land-workers, I suppose.'“哦，我不知道。”马奇简洁地回答，“大概会出去给别人当雇工做农活吧。”
'Yes, but there won't be any demand for women land-workers now the war's over,' said the youth.“不错，可是战争已经结束了，不再需要女工了啊。”年轻人说道。
'Oh, we'll see. We shall hold on a bit longer yet,' said March, with a plangent, half-sad, half-ironical indifference.“哦，那再说吧。我们还可以坚持一段时间的。”马奇答道。她语气漠然，半带忧伤半带嘲讽。
'There wants a man about the place,' said the youth softly.“这儿需要一个男人。”年轻人轻声说道。
Banford burst out laughing.
班福德突然大笑起来。
'Take care what you say,' she interrupted. 'We consider ourselves quite efficient.'“注意你说的话。”她打断他，“我们认为自己干起活来还是挺有效率的。”
'Oh,' came March's slow plangent voice, 'it isn't a case of efficiency, I'm afraid. If you're going to do farming you must be at it from morning till night, and you might as well be a beast yourself.'“噢，”马奇慢悠悠而又惨淡地说道，“恐怕这不是效率的问题。要打理农场，就必须从早到晚一心扑在上面，你最好把自己当成牲口。”
'Yes, that's it,' said the youth. 'You aren't willing to put yourselves into it.'“是啊，这就是问题。”年轻人说道，“你们不愿把全部心思都投入进去。”
'We aren't,' said March, 'and we know it.'“我们是不愿意，”马奇说道，“我们自己也清楚这一点。”
'We want some of our time for ourselves,' said Banford.“我们想留点属于自己的时间。”班福德说。
The youth threw himself back on the sofa, his face tight with laughter, and laughed silently but thoroughly. The calm scorn of the girls tickled him tremendously.
年轻人仰倒在沙发上，笑得脸都绷紧了。他无声地笑着，可是笑得很开怀。两位女孩沉着的不屑让他乐坏了。
'Yes,' he said, 'but why did you begin then?'“很好，”他说道，“但是你们当初为什么要开这个农场呢？”
'Oh,' said March, 'we had a better opinion of the nature of fowls then than we have now.'“哦，”马奇说道，“我们当时对鸡鸭们的禀性的评价比现在要高啊。”
'Of Nature altogether, I'm afraid,' said Banford. 'Don't talk to me about Nature.'“恐怕还包括对整个大自然的评价吧。”班福德说，“别再跟我说什么大自然了。”
Again the face of the youth tightened with delighted laughter.
年轻人的脸再一次由于尽情大笑而绷紧了。
'You haven't a very high opinion of fowls and cattle, have you?' he said.“你们现在对那些鸡鸭和牛并没有什么好感，是吧？”他说道。
'Oh no—quite a low one,' said March.“噢，没有——感觉很糟。”马奇说。
He laughed out.
他大笑起来。
'Neither fowls nor heifers,' said Banford, 'nor goats nor the weather.'“不管是鸡鸭或者小母牛，”班福德说，“还是山羊或者天气，我们都没好感。”
The youth broke into a sharp yap of laughter, delighted. The girls began to laugh too, March turning aside her face and wrinkling her mouth in amusement.
年轻人放声大笑起来，他开心极了。两位姑娘也开始笑。马奇把脸别过一边，抿着嘴唇笑得很开心。
'Oh, well,' said Banford, 'we don't mind, do we, Nellie?'“噢，其实，”班福德说，“我们并不介意，对吧，内利？”
'No,' said March, 'we don't mind.'“是的，”马奇说，“我们不介意。”
The youth was very pleased. He had eaten and drunk his fill. Banford began to question him. His name was Henry Grenfel—no, he was not called Harry, always Henry. He continued to answer with courteous simplicity, grave and charming. March, who was not included, cast long, slow glances at him from her recess, as he sat there on the sofa, his hands clasping his knees, his face under the lamp bright and alert, turned to Banford. She became almost peaceful at last. He was identified with the fox—and he was here in full presence. She need not go after him any more. There in the shadow of her corner she gave herself up to a warm, relaxed peace, almost like sleep, accepting the spell that was on her. But she wished to remain hidden. She was only fully at peace whilst he forgot her, talking to Banford. Hidden in the shadow of the corner, she need not any more be divided in herself, trying to keep up two planes of consciousness. She could at last lapse into the odour of the fox.
年轻人非常高兴。他已经吃饱喝足了。班福德开始问他一些问题。他的名字是亨利·格伦费尔。哦，不，大家都不叫他哈里，而总是叫他亨利。他接着简洁而又彬彬有礼地回答问题，显得严肃又迷人。马奇没有参与他们的谈话，她从自己所处的角落里慢慢而长久地注视着他。而他则坐在沙发上，手抱着膝盖，面向班福德，灯光下的脸孔显得活泼又机敏。最后，她终于差不多平静下来了。她认定他就是那只狐狸——而他就在眼前。她不用再追寻他了。在角落的阴影里，她完全沉浸于那温暖、舒适的宁静中，几乎就像是睡眠，她接受了那符咒的魔力。但她还是希望把自己隐藏起来。只有在他遗忘了她，一直跟班福德谈话的时候，她才能完全平静下来。躲在角落的阴影里，她就不用再把自己一分为二，不用再努力维持两个不同层面的意识。她终于可以沉浸入狐狸的气味中了。
For the youth, sitting before the fire in his uniform, sent a faint but distinct odour into the room, indefinable, but something like a wild creature. March no longer tried to reserve herself from it. She was still and soft in her corner like a passive creature in its cave.
因为那年轻人穿着军装坐在火炉前，浑身散发出一种微弱但清晰的气味，弥漫在屋里，难以描述，但是很像某种野生动物的气味。马奇不想再逃避了。她安静而轻松地躲在角落里，像一只温顺的动物躲在自己的洞中。
At last the talk dwindled. The youth relaxed his clasp of his knees, pulled himself together a little, and looked round. Again he became aware of the silent, half-invisible woman in the corner.
最后谈话渐渐停住了。年轻人松开了抱紧膝盖的手，坐直了身子，向四处看了看。他再次注意到角落里那个沉默不语、几乎隐形的女人。
'Well,' he said unwillingly, 'I suppose I'd better be going, or they'll be in bed at the "Swan ".'“好了，”他不怎么情愿地说道，“我想我也该走了，不然天鹅旅店里的人都已经睡觉了。”
'I'm afraid they're in bed, anyhow,' said Banford. 'They've all got this influenza.'“我想他们一定已经睡了。”班福德说道，“他们都得了流感。”
'Have they!' he exclaimed. And he pondered. 'Well,' he continued, 'I shall find a place somewhere.'“他们得了流感！”他惊叫道。然后他思索了一会。“嗯，”他接着说，“那我就去找其他地方住。”
'I'd say you could stay here, only—' Banford began.“我想你可以留在这里，不过……”班福德开了口。
He turned and watched her, holding his head forward.
他转身看着她，头往前探着。
'What?' he asked.“不过什么？”他问道。
'Oh, well,' she said, 'propriety, I suppose.'She was rather confused.“哦，是这样，”她说道，“我想是合不合适的问题。”她显得很苦恼。
'It wouldn't be improper, would it?' he said, gently surprised.“不会不合适吧？”他说道，感到有点惊讶。
'Not as far as we're concerned,' said Banford.“我们自己并不觉得有什么不合适的。”班福德说道。
'And not as far as I'm concerned,' he said, with grave naivete. 'After all, it's my own home, in a way.'“我也不觉得有什么不合适的啊。”他说道，样子严肃又天真。“毕竟，这儿也算是我自己的家啊。”
Banford smiled at this.
听他这么说，班福德笑了。
'It's what the village will have to say,' she said.“问题是村里的人会怎么说。”她说道。
There was a moment's blank pause.
然后大家都沉默了一阵。
'What do you say, Nellie?' asked Banford.“你觉得怎样，内利？”班福德问道。
'I don't mind,' said March, in her distinct tone. 'The village doesn't matter to me, anyhow.'“我不介意。”马奇清清楚楚地说，“反正对我来说，村里人说什么并不重要。”
'No,' said the youth, quick and soft. 'Why should it? I mean, what should they say?'“不重要。”年轻人立刻轻声接了一句，“为什么要理会呢？我是说，他们又能说些什么啊？”
'Oh, well,' came March's plangent, laconic voice, 'they'll easily find something to say. But it makes no difference what they say. We can look after ourselves.'“噢，这个嘛，”马奇简洁地大声说道，“他们总能轻易地找到点什么来议论的。但不管他们说什么都没用。我们能照顾好自己的。”
'Of course you can,' said the youth.“你们当然可以。”年轻人说道。
'Well then, stop if you like,' said Banford. 'The spare room is quite ready.'“那么，如果你愿意的话就留下来吧。”班福德说道，“有间空房是现成的。”
His face shone with pleasure.
他高兴得脸上焕发出光彩。
'If you're quite sure it isn't troubling you too much,' he said, with that soft courtesy which distinguished him.“你们确定这不会太麻烦你们吗？”他用他那特有的温柔而又彬彬有礼的态度说道。
'Oh, it's no trouble,' they both said.“哦，不会麻烦的。”她们俩异口同声地说。
He looked, smiling with delight, from one to another.
他愉快地笑着，看看这位姑娘，又看看那位姑娘。
'It's awfully nice not to have to turn out again, isn't it?' he said gratefully.“真是太好了，不用再出去找地方了，是吧？”他感激地说道。
'I suppose it is,' said Banford.“我想是的。”班福德说。
March disappeared to attend the room. Banford was as pleased and thoughtful as if she had her own young brother home from France. It gave her just the same kind of gratification to attend on him, to get out the bath for him, and everything. Her natural warmth and kindliness had now an outlet. And the youth luxuriated in her sisterly attention. But it puzzled him slightly to know that March was silently working for him too. She was so curiously silent and obliterated. It seemed to him he had not really seen her. He felt he should not know her if he met her in the road.
马奇离开了，她去收拾房间。班福德很高兴, 对他细心又周到，就像是自己的亲弟弟从法国回家了一样。她照料着他，帮他准备沐浴的东西，什么都为他做，这同样让她觉得满足。她天生的热情和慈爱现在找到了表现的机会。那年轻人也尽情地享受着她那姐姐般的照料。但是当他知道马奇也在默默地照顾他时，他觉得有点困惑。她总是很奇怪地沉默着，被人遗忘在角落里。对他来说，好像并没怎么见到过她。他觉得如果自己在路上见到她，也不会认出她。
That night March dreamed vividly. She dreamed she heard a singing outside which she could not understand, a singing that roamed round the house, in the fields, and in the darkness. It moved her so that she felt she must weep. She went out, and suddenly she knew it was the fox singing. He was very yellow and bright, like corn. She went nearer to him, but he ran away and ceased singing. He seemed near, and she wanted to touch him. She stretched out her hand, but suddenly he bit her wrist, and at the same instant, as she drew back, the fox, turning round to bound away, whisked his brush across her face, and it seemed his brush was on fire, for it seared and burned her mouth with a great pain. She awoke with the pain of it, and lay trembling as if she were really seared.
那一晚，马奇做了一个清晰的梦。她梦见自己听到了屋外有一种歌声，她听不懂的歌声，它萦绕着屋子，飘荡在田野和暗夜中。那歌声是如此感人，她觉得自己都要掉泪了。她走了出去，突然，她明白了，是那只狐狸在唱歌。它皮毛的颜色是那么黄，明亮耀眼，就像玉米一样。她向它靠近，可它却跑开了，并停止了歌唱。它似乎就近在眼前，她想摸一摸它。她伸出手，可它却突然咬了一下她的手腕，她又缩回手，几乎同时，狐狸转身跳走，尾巴拂过她的脸颊。那尾巴似乎着了火一般，烧得她的嘴唇疼痛难忍。她疼醒了，躺在床上颤抖着，好像真的被灼伤了似的。
In the morning, however, she only remembered it as a distant memory. She arose and was busy preparing the house and attending to the fowls. Banford flew into the village on her bicycle to try and buy food. She was a hospitable soul. But alas, in the year 1918 there was not much food to buy. The youth came downstairs in his shirt-sleeves. He was young and fresh, but he walked with his head thrust forward, so that his shoulders seemed raised and rounded, as if he had a slight curvature of the spine. It must have been only a manner of bearing himself, for he was young and vigorous. He washed himself and went outside, whilst the women were preparing breakfast.
然而到了清晨，她便只剩下一些模糊的记忆了。她起了床，然后忙着收拾屋子，照料那些鸡鸭。班福德飞快地骑着自行车到村里去，想看看能不能买点食物。她是个热情好客的姑娘。但是，在1918年，人们能买到的食物并不多。年轻人穿了件衬衫下楼了。他很年轻，生气勃勃，但是走路时头却向前探着，这样肩膀就耸了起来，显得圆滚滚的，好像他有点驼背似的。那应该只是他的习惯动作，因为他还很年轻，充满了活力。他洗漱完便走到外面去，而两个女人正在准备早餐。
He saw everything, and examined everything. His curiosity was quick and insatiable. He compared the state of things with that which he remembered before, and cast over in his mind the effect of the changes. He watched the fowls and the ducks, to see their condition; he noticed the flight of wood-pigeons overhead: they were very numerous; he saw the few apples high up, which March had not been able to reach; he remarked that they had borrowed a draw-pump, presumably to empty the big soft-water cistern which was on the north side of the house.
他四处都去看了，各个角落都检查了。他的好奇心来得快，而且不容易满足。他把农场目前的情况跟他记忆中的情况作了比较，然后便思考着变化带来的影响。他仔细观察了鸡鸭们的状况，注意到了那些在头顶飞来飞去的斑鸠，数量真是惊人。他还看见几个苹果高高地挂在树上，看来是马奇够不着。他还发现她们借来了一部抽水机，估计她们是要把屋子北面那个大大的软水槽给抽干。
'It's a funny, dilapidated old place,' he said to the girls, as he sat at breakfast.“这个又破又旧的地方真有趣啊。”他坐在那儿吃早餐时跟两位姑娘说道。
His eyes were wise and childish, with thinking about things. He did not say much, but ate largely. March kept her face averted. She, too, in the early morning could not be aware of him, though something about the glint of his khaki reminded her of the brilliance of her dream-fox.
他思考着什么，眼神中透出聪慧和稚气。他不怎么说话，不过却吃了不少东西。马奇一直侧着脸。即使是在清晨，她也不去留意他。尽管他卡其衣服的光泽让她想起了梦中那狐狸身上的光芒。
During the day the girls went about their business. In the morning he attended to the guns, shot a rabbit and a wild duck that was flying high towards the wood. That was a great addition to the empty larder. The girls felt that already he had earned his keep. He said nothing about leaving, however. In the afternoon he went to the village. He came back at tea-time. He had the same alert, forward-reaching look on his roundish face. He hung his hat on a peg with a little swinging gesture. He was thinking about something.
白天，姑娘们都去忙自己的事了。早上，他清洗了枪支，还打了一只兔子和一只高飞着冲向林子的野鸭。那空空的橱柜便充实了许多。姑娘们都觉得他已经赚够在这里的生活费了。不过，他从来没有提过要离开的事情。下午，他去了一趟村子里。喝茶时他回来了。他那圆圆的脸上带着同样警惕的、向前伸探的表情。他潇洒地把帽子挂到衣夹上。他正在考虑着什么。
'Well,' he said to the girls, as he sat at table. 'What am I going to do?'“哎，”他在桌子边坐了下来，对姑娘们说道，“我应该怎么办呢？”
'How do you mean—what are you going to do?' said Banford.“你是什么意思——你应该怎么办？”班福德说。
'Where am I going to find a place in the village to stay?' he said.“我能在村里找个什么地方住下来呢？”他说道。
'I don't know,' said Banford. 'Where do you think of staying?'“我不知道。”班福德说道，“你想住在哪里？”
'Well'—he hesitated—‘at the "Swan" they've got this flu, and at the "Plough and Harrow" they've got the soldiers who are collecting the hay for the army: besides, in the private houses, there's ten men and a corporal altogether billeted in the village, they tell me. I'm not sure where I could get a bed.'“哦，”他犹豫地说道，“天鹅旅店里的人得了流感，而犁与耙旅店里面又住着为军队征收干草的士兵。而且听说，几处私人住房也提供给了驻扎在村里的十个士兵和一个下士。我不知道能在哪里找到住的地方。”
He left the matter to them. He was rather calm about it. March sat with her elbows on the table, her two hands supporting her chin, looking at him unconsciously. Suddenly he lifted his clouded blue eyes, and unthinking looked straight into March's eyes. He was startled as well as she. He, too, recoiled a little. March felt the same sly, taunting, knowing spark leap out of his eyes, as he turned his head aside, and fall into her soul, as it had fallen from the dark eyes of the fox. She pursed her mouth as if in pain, as if asleep too.
他把问题丢给了她们。他自己对此倒是很平静。马奇坐在那里，胳膊肘撑在桌上，两手托着下巴，无意识地瞧着他。突然，他抬起微带愠怒的蓝眼睛，不假思索地直接迎上了马奇的目光。他和她一样感到吃惊。他也稍微往后缩了缩。他把头转向一边，马奇感觉到他眼里又迸射出狡猾、嘲弄、心照不宣的火花，直直落入她的灵魂，就跟当初她看到狐狸的黑眼睛时的情形一样。她撅起嘴唇，仿佛在遭受痛苦，也仿佛进入了梦乡。
'Well, I don't know,' Banford was saying. She seemed reluctant, as if she were afraid of being imposed upon. She looked at March. But, with her weak, troubled sight, she only saw the usual semi-abstraction on her friend's face. 'Why don't you speak, Nellie?' she said.“哦，我不知道。”班福德说道。她看上去不太情愿，似乎担心迫不得已要收留他。她看着马奇。但是她眼睛有问题，视力很差，只能从她朋友的脸上看到平时惯有的走神的表情。“你怎么不说句话啊，内利？”她说道。
But March was wide-eyed and silent, and the youth, as if fascinated, was watching her without moving his eyes.
但是马奇的眼睛瞪得大大的，继续沉默着。而那年轻人则入迷般地注视着她，眼珠动也不动一下。
'Go on—answer something,' said Banford. And March turned her head slightly aside, as if coming to consciousness, or trying to come to consciousness.“拜托，回答一下我的问题吧。”班福德说。马奇把头微微偏向一边，仿佛正逐渐恢复意识，或者说是在努力尝试恢复意识。
'What do you expect me to say?' she asked automatically.“你希望我说些什么呢？”她习惯性地说道。
'Say what you think,' said Banford.“就说说你的想法啊。”班福德说。
'It's all the same to me,' said March.“我无所谓的。”马奇说。
And again there was silence. A pointed light seemed to be on the boy's eyes, penetrating like a needle.
大家又都沉默了。那男孩的眼中似乎有一道尖锐的光，像针一样有穿透力。
'So it is to me,' said Banford. 'You can stop on here if you like.'“我也这么想。”班福德说，“如果你愿意，就继续留在这里吧。”
A smile like a cunning little flame came over his face, suddenly and involuntarily. He dropped his head quickly to hide it, and remained with his head dropped, his face hidden.
微笑像一道狡猾的小火焰从他的脸上划过，那么突然，那么情不自禁。他迅速地把头低下，隐藏这微笑。他就一直低着头，把脸藏起来。
'You can stop on here if you like. You can please yourself, Henry,' Banford concluded.“你如果愿意的话就留在这里吧。你爱怎样就怎样，亨利。”班福德总结道。
Still he did not reply, but remained with his head dropped. Then he lifted his face. It was bright with a curious light, as if exultant, and his eyes were strangely clear as he watched March. She turned her face aside, her mouth suffering as if wounded, and her consciousness dim.
他还是没有回答，仍然垂着头。然后他把脸抬了起来。他的脸上泛着一种奇怪的、似乎是狂喜的光芒。当他注视着马奇的时候，那双眼显得异常明亮。她把脸转到一边去，嘴唇像受伤了似地感到灼痛，意识也开始模糊了。
Banford became a little puzzled. She watched the steady, pellucid gaze of the youth's eyes as he looked at March, with the invisible smile gleaming on his face. She did not know how he was smiling, for no feature moved. It seemed only in the gleam, almost the glitter of the fine hairs on his cheeks. Then he looked with quite a changed look at Banford.
班福德有些疑惑。她注意到年轻人看着马奇时，眼神沉着清澈，脸上还带着难以觉察的笑容。她不明白他是怎么笑的，因为他脸上没有任何动作。似乎只有当他脸颊上那些纤细的汗毛上闪着微光或者几乎是亮光时，才看出他在笑。然后，他又用一种完全不同的眼神看了看班福德。
'I'm sure,' he said in his soft, courteous voice, 'you're awfully good. You're too good. You don't want to be bothered with me, I'm sure.'“我觉得，”他用那种轻柔有礼的声音说道，“你们真是太好了。你们心肠真好。我保证，我不会给你们添麻烦的。”
'Cut a bit of bread, Nellie,' said Banford uneasily, adding: 'It's no bother, if you like to stay. It's like having my own brother here for a few days. He's a boy like you are.'“切一些面包吧，内利，”班福德有些不安地说道，又加上一句，“没有关系，如果你愿意留下的话。这就像是让我弟弟在这住几天一样。他跟你一样是个大男孩。”
'That's awfully kind of you,' the lad repeated. 'I should like to stay ever so much, if you're sure I'm not a trouble to you.'“你真是太好了。”年轻人重复道，“我真的很高兴能住下来，只要你们确定我不会给你们带来麻烦。”
'No, of course you're no trouble. I tell you, it's a pleasure to have somebody in the house beside ourselves,' said warmhearted Banford.“不会的，你当然不会带来麻烦。告诉你吧，其实能有除了我俩以外的人跟我们一起呆在这屋子里，是一件挺让人开心的事情。”班福德热心地说道。
'But Miss March?' he said in his soft voice, looking at her.“那么马奇小姐觉得呢？”他轻声说道，又把目光投向了她。
'Oh, it's quite all right as far as I'm concerned,' said March vaguely.“哦，我觉得没有什么问题啊。”马奇模糊地答道。
His face beamed, and he almost rubbed his hands with pleasure.
他面露喜色，几乎要开心地搓搓手了。
'Well then,' he said, 'I should love it, if you'd let me pay my board and help with the work.'“那么，”他说道，“如果你们让我付住宿费、帮忙干活的话，我会很乐意的。”
'You've no need to talk about board,' said Banford.“你不用提住宿费。”班福德说。
One or two days went by, and the youth stayed on at the farm. Banford was quite charmed by him. He was so soft and courteous in speech, not wanting to say much himself, preferring to hear what she had to say, and to laugh in his quick, half-mocking way. He helped readily with the work—but not too much. He loved to be out alone with the gun in his hands, to watch, to see. For his sharp-eyed, impersonal curiosity was insatiable, and he was most free when he was quite alone, half-hidden, watching.
一两天就这样过去了，年轻人继续留在了农场里。班福德简直被他迷住了。他说话总是那么温和有礼，谈话中很少提起自己，而是更乐意听她说话，并且伶俐地、带着嘲弄味道地笑着。他很愿意帮忙干活——不过干得不多。他喜欢把枪拿在手中，独自出门，去观察，去发现。因为他那敏锐、不带个人感情的好奇心永远得不到满足，只有当他独自一人、把自己半隐藏起来时，才感到最自由。
Particularly he watched March. She was a strange character to him. Her figure, like a graceful young man's, piqued him. Her dark eyes made something rise in his soul, with a curious elate excitement, when he looked into them, an excitement he was afraid to let be seen, it was so keen and secret. And then her odd, shrewd speech made him laugh outright. He felt he must go further, he was inevitably impelled. But he put away the thought of her and went off towards the wood's edge with the gun.
他尤其喜欢观察马奇。他觉得马奇是个奇怪的人。她的外形像个优雅得体的年轻男人，这让他很感兴趣。他注视着她的黑眼睛时，就会有灵魂飘飞的感觉，而且莫名地感到兴奋——一种强烈的、隐秘的、担心被人识破的兴奋。而她那古怪机灵的谈吐也常常让他大笑起来。他觉得他有必要再跨出一步。他已经不可避免地被迷倒了。但是眼下，他收起了对她的这些想法，拿起枪向林子边缘走去。
The dusk was falling as he came home, and with the dusk, a fine, late November rain. He saw the fire-light leaping in the window of the sitting-room, a leaping light in the little cluster of the dark buildings. And he thought to himself it would be a good thing to have this place for his own. And then the thought entered him shrewdly: Why not marry March? He stood still in the middle of the field for some moments, the dead rabbit hanging still in his hand, arrested by this thought. His mind waited in amazement—it seemed to calculate—and then he smiled curiously to himself in acquiescence. Why not? Why not indeed? It was a good idea. What if it was rather ridiculous? What did it matter? What if she was older than he? It didn't matter. When he thought of her dark, startled, vulnerable eyes he smiled subtly to himself. He was older than she, really. He was master of her.
他回到家时，天色已经暗了。黄昏中，十一月底的绵绵细雨飘落下来。他看见客厅的窗户里透出火炉里跳跃的火光，在一片漆黑的房屋中间闪耀着。他暗自想，要是这个地方属于自己，那可真是件好事。突然间，一个精明的主意闯进他的脑海：为什么不干脆娶了马奇呢？他在田野中央一动不动地站了好一会儿，手里提着那只硬邦邦的死兔子。他完全被这想法吸引住了。他的大脑惊异地等待着——它似乎在计算着什么——然后他便很奇怪地微笑了，暗自下了决心。为什么不呢？到底为什么不呢？这可是个好主意。要是这想法很滑稽呢？这又有什么关系？要是她比他大呢？这不是问题。他想起她那乌黑的、惊慌的、脆弱的眼睛，暗自狡猾地笑了。事实上，他是比她大的。他是她的主宰。
He scarcely admitted his intention even to himself. He kept it as a secret even from himself. It was all too uncertain as yet. He would have to see how things went. Yes, he would have to see how things went. If he wasn't careful, she would just simply mock at the idea. He knew, sly and subtle as he was, that if he went to her plainly and said: 'Miss March, I love you and want you to marry me,' her inevitable answer would be: 'Get out. I don't want any of that tomfoolery.'This was her attitude to men and their 'tomfoolery'. If he was not careful, she would turn round on him with her savage, sardonic ridicule, and dismiss him from the farm and from her own mind for ever. He would have to go gently. He would have to catch her as you catch a deer or a woodcock when you go out shooting. It's no good walking out into the forest and saying to the deer: 'Please fall to my gun.'No, it is a slow, subtle battle. When you really go out to get a deer, you gather yourself together, you coil yourself inside yourself, and you advance secretly, before dawn, into the mountains. It is not so much what you do, when you go out hunting, as how you feel. You have to be subtle and cunning and absolutely fatally ready. It becomes like a fate. Your own fate overtakes and determines the fate of the deer you are hunting. First of all, even before you come in sight of your quarry, there is a strange battle, like mesmerism. Your own soul, as a hunter, has gone out to fasten on the soul of the deer, even before you see any deer. And the soul of the deer fights to escape. Even before the deer has any wind of you, it is so. It is a subtle, profound battle of wills which takes place in the invisible. And it is a battle never finished till your bullet goes home. When you are really worked up to the true pitch, and you come at last into range, you don't then aim as you do when you are firing at a bottle. It is your own will which carries the bullet into the heart of your quarry. The bullet's flight home is a sheer projection of your own fate into the fate of the deer. It happens like a supreme wish, a supreme act of volition, not as a dodge of cleverness.
他甚至对自己都不肯承认这个意图。他甚至对自己也想隐瞒。现在一切都还不确定呢。他得看看事情会怎样发展。是的，他是得看看事情会怎样发展。如果他不小心的话，她只会嘲笑这种想法。他知道，尽管自己一向机灵狡猾，可是如果他直接走向她，说：“马奇小姐，我爱你，我希望你能嫁给我。”她一定会说：“走开。别再让我看到这种蠢事。”这就是她对于男人们以及他们的“蠢事”的态度。如果他不谨慎的话，她就会凶巴巴地嘲讽奚落他一番，还会把他赶出农场，把他从她自己的脑海中永远清除。他得慢慢地进行。他得捉住她，就像人们外出打猎想办法捕捉一只鹿或是一只山鸡那样。如果直接走进森林，对一只鹿说：“请倒在我的枪下吧。”那根本没有用。没用的，这将是一场漫长而微妙的战役。当你真的出去捕鹿的时候，你得聚精会神，蜷缩着身体，在拂晓之前，悄悄地一步一步潜入山中。外出打猎时，重要的不是你在做的事情，而是你心中的感觉。你必须得机敏、狡猾并做好万全的准备。这就像是一种命运。你自己的命运追上并且决定了那只被你追捕的鹿的命运。一开始，甚至在你看到猎物之前，一场神奇的如同催眠术一样的战役就已经展开了。作为一个猎人，甚至在看到任何一只鹿之前，你自己的灵魂就已经飞出去紧紧地捉住那只鹿的灵魂了。而鹿的灵魂则会奋力地想逃脱。的确是这样，即使那只鹿甚至都还没有感觉到你的气息。这是一场微妙而深刻的意志的战役，发生于无形中。这场战役永远不会结束，除非你的子弹射中了猎物。当你确实准备好出击的时候，当你终于踏入了射程，你不会像射一只瓶子那样来瞄准猎物。而是你自己的意志把子弹送进了猎物的心脏。那子弹射中目标，纯粹就是你自己的命运投射在了鹿的命运上。这一切的发生像是一种至高的意愿，一种意志的至高行动，而不是聪明的伎俩。
He was a huntsman in spirit, not a farmer, and not a soldier stuck in a regiment. And it was as a young hunter that he wanted to bring down March as his quarry, to make her his wife. So he gathered himself subtly together, seemed to withdraw into a kind of invisibility. He was not quite sure how he would go on. And March was suspicious as a hare. So he remained in appearance just the nice, odd stranger-youth, staying for a fortnight on the place.
他骨子里是个猎人，不是农民，也不是束缚在军团中的士兵。正因为他是个年轻的猎人，他想把马奇作为他的猎物，捕获她，让她成为自己的妻子。因此他暗自做好准备，像是要退到别人看不见的地方。他并不太清楚自己要怎样实施计划。而马奇也像野兔般敏感多疑。所以，他表面上继续装成一个亲切又有点古怪的陌生青年，打算在这里住两个星期。
He had been sawing logs for the fire in the afternoon. Darkness came very early. It was still a cold, raw mist. It was getting almost too dark to see. A pile of short sawed logs lay beside the trestle. March came to carry them indoors, or into the shed, as he was busy sawing the last log. He was working in his shirt-sleeves, and did not notice her approach; she came unwillingly, as if shy. He saw her stooping to the bright-ended logs, and he stopped sawing. A fire like lightning flew down his legs in the nerves.
那个下午，他一直在锯烧火用的木柴。天早早就黑了。又笼罩着潮湿阴冷的雾。四周黑漆漆的一片，几乎什么都看不见了。工作台旁边，已经堆了一堆锯好的短木柴。就在他忙着锯最后一根木材时，马奇走了过来，把木柴搬到里屋，或是棚屋里。他忙碌着，身上只穿了一件衬衫，并没有注意到她来了。她很不情愿地走了过来，似乎有点害羞。他见她俯身去抱起那些锯得光洁的木柴，就停止了工作。一道火焰如闪电般顺着神经传到他的双腿。
'March?' he said in his quiet, young voice.“马奇？”他用那年轻的声音轻轻地说道。
She looked up from the logs she was piling.
她正在堆木柴，闻声抬起了头。
'Yes!' she said.“哎！”她说。
He looked down on her in the dusk. He could see her not too distinctly.
暮色中，他低头看着她。他没有办法把她看得很清楚。
'I wanted to ask you something,' he said.“我想问你件事。”他说道。
'Did you? What was it?' she said. Already the fright was in her voice. But she was too much mistress of herself.“是吗？什么事？”她说道。她的声音已经透出惊慌。但是她很会控制自己。
'Why'—his voice seemed to draw out soft and subtle, it penetrated her nerves—'why, what do you think it is?'“嗯，”他缓缓地开口，声音柔和而微妙，把她的神经也穿透了，“嗯，你觉得我想问什么呢？”
She stood up, placed her hands on her hips, and stood looking at him transfixed, without answering. Again he burned with a sudden power.
她站起来，手插在腰上，呆呆地看着他，没有回答。他内心再次燃起一种突如其来的力量。
'Well,' he said, and his voice was so soft it seemed rather like a subtle touch, like the merest touch of a cat's paw, a feeling rather than a sound.''Well—I wanted to ask you to marry me.'“嗯，”他说，声音是那么地轻柔，仿佛是一种微妙的触摸，仿佛是猫爪微微的碰触，更像是一种感觉而不是声音，“嗯，我想让你嫁给我。”
March felt rather than heard him. She was trying in vain to turn aside her face. A great relaxation seemed to have come over her. She stood silent, her head slightly on one side. He seemed to be bending towards her, invisibly smiling. It seemed to her fine sparks came out of him.
马奇不像是听到，更像是感觉到了他的话。她想把脸转过来，可是却动弹不得。一种极大的松弛感似乎传遍了她的全身。她沉默着站在那儿，脑袋微微偏向一旁。他似乎朝着她弯下身来，脸上带着若隐若现的微笑。她感觉好像有一道道的小火花从他身上迸出。
Then very suddenly she said:'Don't try any of your tomfoolery on me.'
然后，她很突然地冒出了一句：“别跟我来这一套愚蠢的把戏。”
A quiver went over his nerves. He had missed. He waited a moment to collect himself again. Then he said, putting all the strange softness into his voice, as if he were imperceptibly stroking her:'Why, it's not tomfoolery. It's not tomfoolery. I mean it. I mean it. What makes you disbelieve me?'
他的神经微微颤动了一下。他没有命中猎物。他过了一会儿才重新镇定下来。然后，他又开口了，声音里充满了奇特的温柔气息，似乎是在用一种察觉不到的方式轻抚她：“什么啊，那可不是蠢事。那不是蠢事啊。我是认真的。我是认真的啊。为什么你不相信我呢？”
He sounded hurt. And his voice had such a curious power over her; making her feel loose and relaxed. She struggled somewhere for her own power. She felt for a moment that she was lost—lost—lost. The word seemed to rock in her as if she were dying. Suddenly again she spoke.
他听上去似乎受伤了。他的声音有种神奇的力量，让她感到全身放松，绵软无力。她心底某处挣扎着要重获自己的力量。有那么一阵，她感觉自己迷失了——迷失了——迷失了。那些话似乎在她脑中盘旋，好像她就要死掉了。突然，她又开口说话了。
'You don't know what you are talking about,' she said, in a brief and transient stroke of scorn. 'What nonsense! I'm old enough to be your mother.'“你都不知道自己在说些什么。”她带着一种短暂的不屑说了一句，“莫名其妙！我这年龄都可以当你妈了。”
'Yes, I do know what I'm talking about. Yes, I do,' he persisted softly, as if he were producing his voice in her blood. 'I know quite well what I'm talking about. You're not old enough to be my mother. That isn't true. And what does it matter even if it was. You can marry me whatever age we are. What is age to me? And what is age to you! Age is nothing.'“我知道，我当然知道自己在说什么。是的，我很清楚。”他轻声坚持道，仿佛在把自己的声音注入到她的血液中，“我很清楚自己在说什么。你的年龄并没有老到可以当我的母亲。这不是真的。就算是真的，又有什么关系。不管我们多大，你都可以和我结婚啊。年龄对于我来说算什么？年龄对于你来说又算什么！年龄不能代表什么。”
A swoon went over her as he concluded. He spoke rapidly—in the rapid Cornish fashion—and his voice seemed to sound in her somewhere where she was helpless against it. 'Age is nothing!'The soft, heavy insistence of it made her sway dimly out there in the darkness. She could not answer.
他说完了，她感觉到头晕目眩。他讲话很快——是康沃尔地区那种急速的说话风格——他的声音似乎在她心底某处无力抵御的地方回响。“年龄并不能代表什么！”他轻声但坚决地重复这句话，使她在黑暗里隐隐地摇晃起来。她无法回答。
A great exultance leaped like fire over his limbs. He felt he had won.
一阵狂喜如火焰般忽地涌上他的四肢。他觉得他已经赢了。
'I want to marry you, you see. Why shouldn't I?' he proceeded, soft and rapid. He waited for her to answer. In the dusk he saw her almost phosphorescent. Her eyelids were dropped, her face half-averted and unconscious. She seemed to be in his power. But he waited, watchful. He dared not yet touch her.“我想娶你，你知道的。我为什么不能娶你呢？”他继续说道，语气轻柔急速。他等着她回答。他似乎看见她在暮色中闪着点点磷光。她垂下眼睑，脸转到一边，表情木然，好像失去了意识似的。她似乎已被他掌控了。但他还是警惕地等待着。他还不敢碰她。
'Say then,' he said, 'say then you'll marry me. Say—say!'He was softly insistent.
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