13.The Delights of Anticipation期待的乐趣-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《绿山墙的安妮Anne of Green Gables》上

Chapter XIII The Delights of Anticipation "It's time Anne was in to do her sewing,"said Marilla,glancing at the clock and then out into the yellow August afternoon where everything drowsed in the heat."She stayed playing with Diana more than half an hour more'n I gave her leave to;and now she's perched out there on the woodpile2 talking to Matthew.Anne Shirley,you come right in here this minute,do you hear me!" A series of staccato 3 taps on the west window brought Anne flying in from the yard,eyes shining,cheeks faintly flushed with pink, unbraided hair streaming behind her in a torrent5 of brightness. “Oh,Marilla,”she exclaimedbreathlessly,“there's going to be a Sunday-school picnic next week-in Mr.Harmon Andrews's field, right near the Lake of Shining Waters." "Just look at the clock,if you please,Anne.What time did I tell you to come in?” "Two o'clock-but isn't it splendid about the picnic,Marilla? Please can I go?Oh,I've never been to a picnic-I've dreamed of picnics,but I've never-" "Yes,I told you to come at two o'clock.And it's a quarter to three. ·122· 第十三章 期待的乐趣 “安妮这会儿该回来做针线活了。”玛丽拉自 言自语道，她瞟了一眼钟，然后走了出去。这是 ①drowse/draz/比.打瞌睡 八月里一个金黄色的下午，万物似乎都在燥热中 ②woodpile'wudpa/n.木柴 昏昏欲睡。“她和戴安娜一起玩儿，超过了我规 堆 定的半个小时了，这会儿她又坐在木头堆上跟马 修喋喋不休地聊开了。安妮·雪利，现在马上进 staccato /sta'ka:tau/a. 来，听见了吗？” 音的，不连贯的 玛丽拉在西窗上敲了几下，安妮从院子里飞 unbraided /An'breidid/a. (头发)散开的 跑进来，眼睛闪着光，脸颊微红，发亮的头发披 ⑤torrent/'tor:3nt/n.激流 散着，在脑后一泻而下。 exclaim /iks'kleim/v. “噢，玛丽拉，”她气喘吁吁地大叫，“下周 叫，呼喊，大声叫 主日学校要举行野餐会一在哈蒙·安德鲁斯先 生家的空地上，就在波光湖旁边。” “还是请你看看钟吧，安妮，我叫你几点回 来？” “两点—可是野餐会多棒呀，玛丽拉，我 可以去吗？噢，我从来没参加过野餐会一我曾 经梦见过，但是我从来没—” “对，我是告诉你两点回来，现在是差一刻 ·123· Anne of Green Gables I'd like to know why you didn't obey me,Anne." "Why,I meant to,Marilla,as much as could be.But you have no idea how fascinating Idlewild is.And then,of course,I had to tell Matthew about the picnic.Matthew is such a sympathetic listener.Please can I go?” "You'll have to learn to resist the fascination of Idle-whatever- you-call-it.When I tell you to come in at a certain time I mean that time and not half an hour later.As for the picnic,of course you can go." “But一but,”faltered Anne,“Diana says that everybody must take a basket of things to eat.I can't cook,as you know,Marilla,and-and -I don't mind going to a picnic without puffed sleeves so much,but I'd feel terribly humiliated if I had to go without a basket.It's been preying on my mind?ever since Diana told me." "Well,it needn't prey any longer.I'll bake you a basket." "Oh,you dear good Marilla.Oh,you are so kind to me.Oh,I'm so much obliged to you." Getting through with her "ohs",Anne cast herself into Marilla's arms and rapturously kissed her sallow cheek. "There,there,never mind your kissing nonsense.Now,get out your patchwork5 and have your square done before teatime." "I do NOT like patchwork,"said Anne dolefully,hunting out her work basket and sitting down before a little heap of red and white diamonds with a sigh."I think some kinds of sewing would be nice;but there's no scope for imagination in patchwork.It's just one little seam after another and you never seem to be getting anywhere.I wish time went as quick sewing patches as it does when I'm playing with Diana, though.You know that little piece of land across the brook that runs up between our farm and Mr.Barry's.It belongs to Mr.William Bell,and ·124· 绿山墙的安妮 三点了，我想知道你为什么不听我的话，安妮。” “噢，我想听您的话来着，玛丽拉，非常想。 可是您不知道，旷野那儿有多好玩儿。后来，当 然啦，我得把野餐会的事告诉马修，他真是个善 解人意的听众。我去行吗？” D fascination /faesineifan/n. “你得学会抵抗那个旷什么东西的诱惑，我告 魔力，魅力 诉你什么时候回来你就得什么时候回来而不是半 个小时以后。至于野餐会嘛，你当然可以去。” “可是一可是，”安妮支吾着，“戴安娜说 每个人必须带一篮吃的东西，我不会做吃的，这 您知道，玛丽拉。嗯—嗯一我不太在乎穿没 有灯笼袖的衣服去参加野餐会，但是，如果空着 手去，我就会觉得太丢人了。自打戴安娜告诉我 ②prey on one's mind使… 这事，我就发上愁了。” 感到苦恼 “好了，你不用再发愁了，我可以给你烤一 篮子吃的。” “噢，我亲爱的玛丽拉，噢，您对我太好了。 ③sallow /'sael3uWa.(皮肤灰 噢，我太感激您了。” 黄色的 说完这一连串“噢”，安妮一头扑进玛丽拉 ④nonsense/npns3nsh废话， 怀里，狂喜地亲吻她灰黄色的面颊。 胡说，荒唐 (5 patchwork /'paet fws:k/n. “好了，好了，别再瞎亲了。现在去把你的碎 缝物 布片拿来，下午茶以前你得缝出个方块来。” ⑥dolefully /daulfall/ad.悲哀 “我不喜欢缝布片，”安妮一边不高兴地说， 地，寂寞地 一边找出她的针线笸箩，叹着气在一小堆红色、 白色的菱形方块前坐下来，“我觉得有几种针线 活还有点儿意思，可是缝碎布片一点想象空间都 没有，只是把一小块和另一小块缝在一起，根本 弄不出名堂来。要是缝布片的时间能过得像我和 戴安娜一起玩儿的时间那么快就好了。玛丽拉， ·125· Anne of Green Gables right in the corner there is a little ring of white birch trees-the most romantic spot,Marilla.Diana and I have our playhouse there.We call it Idlewild.Isn't that a poetical name?I assure you it took me some time to think it out.I stayed awake nearly a whole night before I invented it.Then,just as I was dropping off to sleep,it came like an inspiration.Diana was ENRAPTURED when she heard it.Oh,I do hope it will be fine next Wednesday.I don't feel that I could endure the disappointment if anything happened to prevent me from getting to the picnic.I suppose I'd live through it,but I'm certain it would be a lifelong sorrow.It wouldn't matter if I got to a hundred picnics in after years;they wouldn't make up for missing this one.They're going to have boats on the Lake of Shining Waters-and ice cream,as I told you.I have never tasted ice cream.Diana tried to explain what it was like,but I guess ice cream is one of those things that are beyond imagination.” "Anne,you have talked even on for ten minutes by the clock,"said Marilla."Now,just for curiosity's sake,see if you can hold your tongue for the same length of time." Anne held her tongue as desired.But for the rest of the week she talked picnic and thought picnic and dreamed picnic. On Sunday Anne confided to Marilla on the way home from church that she grew actually cold all over with excitement when the minister announced the picnic from the pulpit2. "You set your heart too much on things,Anne,"said Marilla,with a sigh."I'm afraid there'll be a great many disappointments in store for you through life.” "Oh,Marilla,looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them,exclaimed Anne."You mayn't get the things themselves;but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them. ·126· 绿山墙的安妮 您知道小河那边咱们家和巴里家场地之间的那一 小块地吧，那是威廉·贝尔先生家的地方。就在 ①assure/h'∫Ua/使确信，使 这块地的角落里长了一圈白桦树—那是最罗曼 放心，确保 蒂克的地方了，玛丽拉，我和戴安娜就在那儿过 家家。我们给它取了个名字叫旷野。这名字很有 诗意吧？向您保证，我是花了好长时间才想出来 的呢。我差不多一晚上没睡着觉才想出这个名 字，就在我差点睡着的那一刻，好像有了灵感， 这名字就蹦出来了。戴安娜听到这个名字后欣喜 若狂。噢，我真希望下星期三是个好天儿。如果 有什么事使我不能参加野餐会，我肯定受不了那 种失望的。我想我会挺过去，但是我肯定那将是 一种终生的苦痛。就算我今后能参加一百次野餐 会也不能弥补这一次。他们还要在波光湖里划船 呢—还有冰激凌，我告诉过您了。我从来没尝 过冰激凌，戴安娜拼命给我解释它是什么东西， 但是我想冰激凌是一种想象不出来的东西。” “安妮，你已经说了整整十分钟了，”玛丽拉 说，“现在，就算试试看吧，看你能不能十分钟 不说话。” 安妮像玛丽拉要求的那样十分钟没说话。但 ②pulpit /pAlprt/.(教堂的) 是这一周剩下的几天里，她嘴里念叨的是野餐会， 讲道坛 脑子里想的是野餐会，甚至做的梦也是野餐会。 礼拜日，在从教堂回家的路上，安妮告诉玛 丽拉，当牧师在布道坛上宣布野餐会时，她兴奋 得浑身发抖。 “你的愿望太强烈了，安妮，”玛丽拉叹了口气 说道，“我怕今后你生活里会有很多很多失望的。” ·127· Anne of Green Gables Mrs.Lynde says,'Blessed are they who expect nothing for they shall not be disappointed.'But I think it would be worse to expect nothing than to be disappointed." Marilla wore her amethyst brooch to church that day as usual. That amethyst brooch was Marilla's most treasured possession.A seafaring uncle had given it to her mother who in turn had bequeathed it to Marilla.It was an old-fashioned oval,containing a braid of her mother's hair,surrounded by a border of very fine amethysts. Anne had been smitten with delighted admiration when she first saw that brooch. "Oh,Marilla,it's a perfectly elegant brooch.I think amethysts are just sweet.Will you let me hold the brooch for one minute,Marilla? Do you think amethysts can be the souls of good violets?" ·128· 绿山墙的安妮 “噢，玛丽拉，对事物的期待就是快乐的一 半呀，”安妮叫道，“有些东西本身你可能得不 到，可是什么也挡不住你去享受期待的乐趣。林 ①amethyst'Em0ist/n.紫水 德太太说：‘无所求的人永远幸福，因为他们永 晶，紫色 ②brooch/broutf/n.胸针，领 远不失望。’但是我觉得无所求比失望更糟糕。” 针 玛丽拉那天同往常一样戴着紫水晶胸针去了 3 bequeath /bI'kwi:d/透 赠，遗留 教堂。那枚紫水晶胸针是玛丽拉最珍爱的东西。 那是做海员的舅舅送给她母亲的，她母亲又传给 了她。它的样式古老，呈椭圆形，里面装有她母 亲的一绺头发，周围有一圈上等紫水晶。 安妮第一次看见这枚胸针喜欢羡慕得不得了。 “噢，玛丽拉，这枚胸针真是美丽极了。我 想紫水晶太可爱了，玛丽拉，您能让我拿一下这 枚胸针吗？您说紫水晶会不会是鲜艳的紫罗兰的 灵魂？” ·129·