12 A Ghost in the House豪宅闹鬼-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《小海蒂Heidi》

XII.A Ghost in the House And so many weeks passed away.Heidi did not know if it was winter or summer,for the walls and windows she looked out upon showed no change,and she never went beyond the house except on rare occasions when Clara was well enough to drive out,and then they only went a very little way,as Clara could not bear the movement for long.So that on these occasions they generally only saw more fine streets and large houses and crowds of people;they seldom got anywhere beyond them,and grass and flowers,fir trees and mountains,were still far away.Heidi's longing for the old familiar and beautiful things grew daily stronger,so that now only to read a word that recalled them to her remembrance brought her to the verge of tears,which with difficulty she suppressed.So the autumn and winter passed,and again the sun came shining down on the white walls of the opposite houses,and Heidi would think to herself that now the time had come for Peter to go out again with the goats,to where the golden flowers of the cistus were glowing in the sunlight,and all the rocks around turned to fire at sunset.Heidi would go and sit in a corner of her lonely room and put her hands up to her eyes that she might not see the sun shining on the opposite wall;and then she would remain without moving,battling silently with her terrible home-sickness until Clara sent for her again. XII.A Ghost in the House For some days past Fraulein Rottenmeier had gone about rather silently and as if lost in thought.As twilight fell,and she passed from room to room,or along the long corridors,she was seen to look cautiously behind her,and into the dark corners,as if she thought some one was coming up silently behind her and might unexpectedly give her dress a pull.Nor would she now go alone into some parts of the house.If she visited the upper floor where the grand guest-chambers were,or had to go down into the large mysterious council-chamber,where every footstep echoed,and the old senators with their big white collars looked down so solemnly and immovably from their frames,she regularly called Tinette to accompany her,in case,as she said,there might be something to carry up or down. ·186· 12.豪宅闹鬼 天，因为屋外能看到的墙和窗户没有任何变化，她又 几乎没有机会到外面去，只有在克莱拉感觉身体良好 的极少数情况下，她们才能乘车出去一下，而且路程 也非常短，因为克莱拉承受不了稍长时间的运动。因 此这时她们通常能看到的只是更多的整齐的街道、高 大的房屋和密集的人群，除此之外，几乎没什么别的， 花草树木和山脉都还在更远的地方，海蒂对那些熟悉 的美好事物的思念一天比一天强烈，只要读到一个词， 一个打开她记忆之门的词就会使她热泪盈眶，很难止 ①verge[vaxd3】n.边缘 住眼泪。就这样又过了一个秋冬，太阳又开始直射到 对面房子的白墙上。海蒂想，这时彼得又该出去放羊了， 在那美丽的牧场上，金色的蔷薇映着阳光，闪闪发亮， 岩石在夕阳的余晖中熊熊燃烧。海蒂孤零零地坐在墙 角里，双手捂住眼睛，为的是不再看到那射到墙上的 阳光，她就这样一动不动地坐着，默默地跟强烈的乡 愁搏斗，直到克莱拉派人来叫她。 12.豪宅闹鬼 几天来，罗顿迈尔小姐出入无声，心事重重。夜 ②twilight[twailait]n.黄 幕降临后，当她从一个房间走到另一个房间，或者沿 昏 着长长的走廊前行的时候，她总是小心翼翼地看向身 ③corridor[krid】n.走 后和黑暗的角落，好像是觉得后面有人悄悄地跟着她， 廊 cautiously ['ko:fasli]ad. 并且会突然拉拉她的衣角。她再也不独自一人到这座 小心翼翼地 豪宅的某些地方去了。如果要去楼上的大客房，或是 去楼下神秘的议事大厅，她都叫上蒂耐特，说是也许 需要拿些什么东西。大厅里每走一步都能听到回音， 那些穿着大白领子衣服的老参议员们从墙上的画框中 往下看，目光肃穆而坚定。蒂耐特呢，也跟女管家一 ·187· XII.A Ghost in the House Tinette on her side did exactly the same;if she had business upstairs or down,she called Sebastian to accompany her,and there was always something he must help her with which she could not carry alone.More curious still,Sebastian also,if sent into one of the more distant rooms,always called John to go with him in case he should want his assistance in bringing what was required.And John readily obeyed although there was never anything to carry,and either might well have gone alone; but he did not know how soon he might want to ask Sebastian to do the same service for him.And while these things were going on upstairs,the cook,who had been in the house for years,would stand shaking her head over her pots and kettles,and sighing,"That ever I should live to know such a thing." For something very strange and mysterious was going on in Herr Sesemann's house.Every morning,when the servants went downstairs,they found the front door wide open,although nobody could be seen far or near to account for it. During the first few days that this happened every room and corner was searched in great alarm,to see if anything had been stolen,for the general idea was that a thief had been hiding in the house and had gone off in the night with the stolen goods;but not a thing in the house had been touched,everything was safe in its place.The door was doubly locked at night,and for further security the wooden bar was fastened across it;but it was no good-next morning the door again stood open.The servants in their fear and excitement got up extra early,but not so early for the door had been opened before they got downstairs,although everything and everybody around were still wrapped in slumber,and the doors and windows of the adjoining houses all fast shut.At last,after a great deal of persuasion from Fraulein Rottenmeier,Sebastian and John plucked up courage and agreed to sit up one night in the room next the large council-chamber and to watch and see what would happen.Fraulein Rottenmeier looked up several weapons belonging to the master,and gave these and a bottle of spirits to Sebastian,so that their courage might not faint if it came to a fight. On the appointed night the two sat down and began at once to take some of the strengthening cordial,which at first made them very talkative and then very sleepy,so that they leant back in their seats and became silent.As midnight struck, Sebastian roused himself and called to his companion,who,however,was not easy to wake,and kept rolling his head first to one side and then the other and ·188· 12.豪宅闹鬼 模一样，每当要上楼或下楼的时候，总要叫塞巴斯蒂 安陪她，说是有些东西她自己拿不了，一定要他帮忙。 然而更奇怪的是，连塞巴斯蒂安要到某个僻静房间去 的时候，也都叫上约翰一同前往，说是可能需要帮忙 抬点儿什么东西。每次约翰都很乐意帮忙，尽管哪次 都没有什么东西可抬，随便哪个人自己去都行。不过， 他还不知道可能也得请塞巴斯蒂安陪他一起去。就在 楼上发生这一切的同时，已在这里干了多年的厨师， 也在她的锅碗瓢勺前摇着头，叹气道：“活到现在，还 没听说过这种事。” 塞斯曼先生的豪宅里正在发生一件奇怪而又神秘 的事情.每天早晨仆人们下楼，都发现前厅的门大开着， 远近却没有人。这事儿发生后的头几天，大家心头警 铃大作，把每个房间和角落都搜查了一遍，看是否丢 了什么东西，人们普遍认为大院里藏着个贼，到晚上 就把偷来的东西拿走：但是院里什么也没丢，每件东西 都好好的。为了安全起见，晚上大门上了两道锁，还 用大木棍交叉着顶好，可是不管用，第二天早晨起来， 大门还是散开的。仆人们怀着既害怕又激动的心情故 意起得特别早，但他们下楼一看，大门早已四敞大开， ①slumber['slAmba]n.睡 这时还是万籁俱寂，众人都在酣睡之中，附近的房屋 眠：不活跃（或静止） 都门窗紧闭。最后，经罗顿迈尔小姐百般劝说，塞巴 状态 2 adjoining [a'ds,inin]a. 斯蒂安和约翰鼓起勇气，决定在议事厅隔壁的房间里 毗连的 熬一个通宵，看看到底是怎么回事。罗顿迈尔小姐把 ③pluck up振作 主人的几件武器和一瓶烈性酒交给塞巴斯蒂安，让他 们在万一发生械斗的情况下可以壮壮胆。 当天晚上，两个人一落座就开始喝起那瓶兴奋剂 来。起先他们倒是兴奋了，但后来却更困了，很快，两 ④cordial[kx:djln.兴奋 性饮料 个人就靠在椅子上睡着了。午夜时分，塞巴斯蒂安醒 了，便去叫约翰，但叫醒他可真难啊，他的脑袋从一边 ⑤rouse[rauz)唤醒 ·189· XII.A Ghost in the House continuing to sleep.Sebastian began to listen more attentively,for he was wide awake now.Everything was as still as a mouse,all sound had died away from the streets even.He did not feel inclined to go to sleep again,for the stillness was ghostly to him,and he was afraid now to raise his voice to rouse John,so he shook him gently to make him stir.At last,as one struck,John woke up,and came back to the consciousness of why he was sitting in a chair instead of lying in his bed. He now got up with a great show of courage and said,"Come,Sebastian,we must go outside and see what is going on;you need not be afraid,just follow me." Whereupon he opened the door wide and stepped into the hall.Just as he did so a sudden gust of air blew through the open front door and put out the light which John held in his hand.He started back,almost overturning Sebastian,whom he clutched and pulled back into the room,and then shutting the door quickly he turned the key as far as he could make it go.Then he pulled out his matches and lighted his candle again.Sebastian,in the suddenness of the affair,did not know exactly what had happened,for he had not seen the open door or felt the breeze behind John's broad figure.But now,as he saw the latter in the light,he gave a cry of alarm,for John was trembling all over and as white as a ghost."What's the matter?What did you see outside?"asked Sebastian sympathetically. "The door partly open,"gasped John,"and a white figure standing at the top of the steps-there it stood,and then all in a minute it disappeared." Sebastian felt his blood run cold.The two sat down close to one another and did not dare move again till the morning broke and the streets began to be alive again.Then they left the room together,shut the front door,and went upstairs to tell Fraulein Rottenmeier of their experience.She was quite ready to receive them, for she had not been able to sleep at all in the anxiety of waiting to hear their report.They had no sooner given her details of the night's experience than she sat down and wrote straight off to Herr Sesemann,who had never received such a letter before in his life.She could hardly write,she told him,for her fingers were stiff with fear,and Herr Sesemann must please arrange to come back at once,for dreadful and unaccountable things were taking place at home.Then she entered into particulars of all that had happened,of how the door was found standing open every morning,and how nobody in the house now felt sure of their life in this unprotected state of things,and how it was impossible to tell what terrible results ·190· 12.豪宅闹鬼 歪到另一边，一个劲儿地睡。这时塞巴斯蒂安己经完全 清醒了，他竖起耳朵仔细倾听周围的动静。四处鸦雀无 声，连大街上都听不到声音，他再也不想睡觉了，因为 四周静得疹人，他甚至不敢再大声叫约翰，只能轻轻地 推他。最后，时钟敲打一点的时候，约翰醒了，明白过 来自己为什么坐在这儿的椅子上而没有躺在床上。他站 起来，勇气十足地说：“来，塞巴斯蒂安，咱们得出去 看看怎么样了。别害怕，跟着我就行了。” 说完，他打开房门进入大厅。突然一阵风从敞开的 大门吹过来，吹灭了约翰手中的灯。他缩了回来，差点 儿撞倒塞巴斯蒂安，他一把抓住塞巴斯蒂安把他推回屋 ①cluteh [klAt]g攫住 里，马上关上房门，飞快地转动钥匙上锁。然后他掏出 火柴，重新把蜡烛点着。塞巴斯蒂安搞不清到底发生了 什么事，他跟在身材高大的约翰后面，既没有觉出那阵 风也没有看见敞开的大门。但是当他借着火光看见约翰 的面容时，不禁惊叫起来。因为约瀚浑身颤抖，面如死 灰。“怎么回事？你在外面看到了什么？”塞巴斯蒂安 同情地问道。 ②gasp[gasp)倒抽气 “门半开着，”约翰喘着气说，“最高一层楼梯上有 一个白影，就站在那儿，转眼之间就不见了。” 塞巴斯蒂安只觉全身冒冷气，两个人紧靠着坐在一 起，一动都不敢动。直到破晓时分，街上有了动静，俩 人才一起离开房间，关上了前门，然后上楼去向罗顿迈 尔小姐汇报昨晚的情况。女管家正等着他们呢，她也根 本没睡觉，一直焦虑地等着他俩的消息。他们刚把事情 经过一五一十地说完，她就立刻坐下来给塞斯曼先生写 了封信，这种信主人以前可从来没有收到过。她写道， ③stif[sti门a.僵硬的 自己的手都几乎写不成字了，手指都吓得发硬了。她请 ④unaccountable [.Ano'kaunt3bla.无法解 塞斯曼先生一定想办法立刻回来，因为家里发生了莫名 释的 其妙的可怕事情。然后她又详细描述了事情的经过，比 如每天早晨发现门开着啦，大家都觉得安全没有保障 啦，无法预料这些神秘的事情将会带来多么可怕的后果 ·191· XII.A Ghost in the House might follow on these mysterious doings. Herr Sesemann answered that it was quite impossible for him to arrange to leave his business and return home at once,He was very much astonished at this ghost tale,but hoped by this time the ghost had disappeared.If,however,it still continued to disturb the household,would Fraulein Rottenmeier write to the grandmother and ask her if she could come and do something;she,he was sure, would soon find out a way to deal with the ghost so that it would not venture again to haunt his house.Fraulein Rottenmeier was not pleased with the tone of this letter;she did not think the matter was treated seriously enough.She wrote off without delay to Frau Sesemann,but got no more satisfactory reply from that quarter,and some remarks in the letter she considered were quite offensive. Frau Sesemann wrote that she did not feel inclined to take the journey again from Holstein to Frankfurt because Rottenmeier fancied she saw ghosts.There had never been a ghost in the house since she had known it,and if there was one now it must be a live one,with which Rottenmeier ought to be able to deal;if not she had better send for the watchman to help her. Fraulein Rottenmeier,however,was determined not to pass any more days in a state of fear,and she knew the right course to pursue.She had as yet said nothing to the children of the ghostly apparitions,for she knew if she did that the children would not remain alone for a single moment,and that might entail discomfort for herself.But now she walked straight off into the study,and there in a low mysterious voice told the two children everything that had taken place.Clara immediately screamed out that she could not remain another minute alone,her father must come home,and Fraulein Rottenmeier must sleep in her room at night, and Heidi too must not be left by herself,for the ghost might do something to her. She insisted that they should all sleep together in one room and keep a light burning all night,and Tinette had better be in the next room,and Sebastian and John come upstairs and spend the night in the hall,so that they might call out and frighten the ghost the instant they saw it appear on the steps.Clara,in short,grew very excited, and Fraulein Rottenmeier had great difficulty in quieting her.She promised to write at once to her father,and to have her bed put in her room and not to be left alone for a moment.They could not all sleep in the same room,but if Heidi was frightened,why Tinette must go into her room.But Heidi was far more frightened ·192· 12.豪宅闹鬼 啦，等等。 塞斯曼先生回信说，让他马上安排好生意回家是 不可能的，他对这件闹鬼的事儿感到非常奇怪，但希 望收到回信的时候，鬼已经没有了。倘若鬼继续骚扰 宅院，请罗顿迈尔小姐写信告诉老太太，问问她是不 是能来帮帮忙，他相信老太太很快就会有办法赶走鬼 魂，使宅院恢复平静的。对于主人信中的语气，罗倾 ①haunt[ho:nt)(鬼魂等) 迈尔小姐很不满意，她认为事情没有受到应有的重视， 常常出没于 她马上又给塞斯曼夫人写信，但从那儿得到的答复同 样令人不满意，有些话还令人很生气。塞斯曼夫人在 ②quarter[kwo:ta]n.方面 (作为消息等来源的人 信中说，她不想由于罗顿迈尔自以为见到了鬼，就再 或地方) 从霍斯坦折腾到法兰克福：还说就她所知，那宅院里从 ③fancy ['faensi]想象 没闹过鬼，如果现在有了鬼，也肯定是个活鬼，罗顿 迈尔应该对付得了，如果实在不行的话，可以去请巡 ④watchman [wotfmon]n 夜人来帮忙。 巡夜者，看守人 但罗顿迈尔小姐再也不想这样担惊受怕地过日子 了，她知道怎么做才能达到目的。关于闹鬼这件事，她 5 apparition [epa'rifan]n. 还从没给孩子们透露过半点风声，生怕她们知道后不会 幻影，妖怪，幽灵 ⑥entail[in'teil]v.1起 再有片刻安宁，那样自己的麻烦可就大了。但是现在不 同了，她径直走进书房，很神秘地低声告诉了孩子们宅 院里发生的事。克莱拉马上尖叫起来，说再不能自己一 个人待着了，爸爸必须立刻回家，罗顿迈尔小姐要搬 过来跟她睡在一个房间，海蒂也不能一个人住了，鬼或 许会伤害她的。她坚持让大家都睡在一个屋里，彻夜掌 灯，蒂耐特最好睡在隔壁，塞巴斯蒂安和约翰也要上楼 来，在大厅里过夜，这样他们一看见鬼走上楼梯，就可 以大声喊叫把它吓跑。总之，克莱拉激动异常，女管家 费了好大劲儿才使她平静下来，她答应马上就给她父亲 写信，并把床搬过来，时刻陪伴她。但是她们不能都睡 在一个房间里，如果海蒂害怕的话，可以让蒂耐特搬进 去做伴。然而海蒂却更害怕蒂耐特，她从没听说过鬼是 ·193· XII.A Ghost in the House of Tinette than of ghosts,of which the child had never before heard,so she assured the others she did not mind the ghost,and would rather be alone at night. Fraulein Rottenmeier now sat down to write another letter to Herr Sesemann, stating that these unaccountable things that were going on in the house had so affected his daughter's delicate constitution that the worst consequences might be expected.Epileptic fits and St.Vitus's dance often came on suddenly in cases like this,and Clara was liable to be attacked by either if the cause of the general alarm was not removed. The letter was successful,and two days later Herr Sesemann stood at his front door and rang the bell in such a manner that everybody came rushing from all parts of the house and stood looking affrighted at everybody else,convinced that the ghost was impudently beginning its evil tricks in daylight.Sebastian peeped cautiously through a half-closed shutter;as he did so there came another violent ring at the bell,which it was impossible to mistake for anything but a very hard pull from a non-ghostly hand.And Sebastian recognised whose hand it was,and rushing pell-mell out of the room,fell heels over head downstairs,but picked himself up at the bottom and flung open the street door.Herr Sesemann greeted him abruptly and went up without a moment's delay into his daughter's room. Clara greeted him with a cry of joy,and seeing her so lively and apparently as well as ever,his face cleared,and the frown of anxiety passed gradually away from it as he heard from his daughter's own lips that she had nothing the matter with her, and moreover was so delighted to see him that she was quite glad about the ghost, as it was the cause of bringing him home again. "And how is the ghost getting on?"he asked,turning to Fraulein Rottenmeier, with a twinkle of amusement in his eye. "It is no joke,I assure you,"replied that lady."You will not laugh yourself to- morrow morning,Herr Sesemann;what is going on in the house points to some terrible thing that has taken place in the past and been concealed." "Well,I know nothing about that,"said the master of the house,"but I must beg you not to bring suspicion on my worthy ancestors.And now will you kindly call Sebastian into the dining-room,as I wish to speak to him alone." Herr Sesemann had been quite aware that Sebastian and Fraulein Rottenmeier were not on the best of terms,and he had his ideas about this scare. ·194· 12.豪宅闹鬼 什么样子，所以她就让大家相信她不怕鬼，晚上自己单 独住没关系。 于是，罗顿迈尔小姐就坐下来，给塞斯曼先生写第 二封信。信中说，那可怕的事情还在继续发生，并且已 ①delicate['delikat]a.娇弱 经影响到了克莱拉本已病弱的身体，后果很难预料，在 的 ②constitution 这种情况下容易突发癫痫病和舞蹈病，如果不尽快解决 [konsti'tjrf3n]h.体质 问题，克莱拉很可能会患其中一种病。 3 epileptic [.epi'leptik]a. 癞病的 这封信非常有效。两天后，塞斯曼先生就站在了自 ④fit[间n.痉李 家的大门前。他使劲按着门铃，房子里的人们从四面八 ⑤St,Vitus's dance舞蹈病 ⑥liable[laiabl].易患 方聚拢到一起，惊恐地对视着，都以为是鬼胆大妄为， 病的 竟在光天化日之下闹起事来。塞巴斯蒂安小心翼翼地从 ⑦affrighted[a'fraitid]a.受 到惊吓的 一扇半开的百叶窗向外看，这时又听到一阵急促、震耳 8 impudently ['impjudantli] 的铃声。毫无疑问，这铃肯定是人手按的。认出来是谁 ad无礼地 pell-mell ['pel'mel]ad. 的手后，塞巴斯蒂安手忙脚乱地奔出屋去，下楼时摔了 匆忙地 个倒栽葱，但他还是爬起来，冲过去开了大门。塞斯曼 先生跟他匆忙招呼了一声，就直奔女儿的房间。克莱拉 高兴地叫了起来，看到女儿还像平时一样活泼，没什么 异常，他的脸色才变得平缓些。克莱拉亲口告诉他这事 儿一点儿都没影响她时，他那紧皱的双眉也才慢慢舒展 开来。女儿还说见到他太高兴了，这倒要感谢鬼，因为 是它把爸爸叫回了家。 “那现在鬼怎么样了？”他转向罗顿迈尔小姐问道， 眼中闪过一丝嘲笑。 “这可不是开玩笑，我向您保证，”女管家说，“塞 斯曼先生，明天早晨你就不笑了：这宅院里发生的事很 吓人，这种事以前发生过但被隐瞒了。” “我可不知道有什么事。”主人说，“然而我还是请 你不要怀疑我那可敬的先辈。现在你叫塞巴斯蒂安到餐 室来好吗？我要跟他单独谈谈。” 塞斯曼先生很清楚，塞巴斯蒂安与罗顿迈尔小姐关 ⑩on the best of terms关系 系不太好，他对闹鬼这件事有自己的看法。 好 ·195·