Chapter4 Martha玛莎-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《秘密花园The Secret Garden》

Chapter IV Martha When she opened her eyes in the morning it was because a young housemaid had come into her room to light the fire and was kneeling on the hearth- rug{①} raking out{②}the cinders③} noisily. Mary ly and watched her for a few moments and then began to look about the room. She had never seen a room at all like it and thought it curious and gloomy. The walls were covered with tapestry④ with a forest scene embroidered} on it. There were fantastically dressed people under the trees and in the distance there was a glimpse of the turrets{} of a castle. There were hunters and horses and dogs and ladies. Mary felt as if she were in the forest with them. Out of a deep window she could see a great climbing stretch of land which seemed to have no trees on it, and to look rather like an endless, dull, purplish sea. "What is that?"she said. pointing out of the window Martha, the young housemaid, who had just risen to her feet, looked and pointed also. "That there?" she said “Yes." "That's th'moor,"with a good-natured grin. "Does tha' like it?" "No,"answered Mary. "I hate it." "That's because tha'rt not used to it."Martha said. going back to her hearth “"Tha' thinks it's too big an'bare now. But tha' will like it." .040. 第四章 玛莎 第二天一早,玛丽是被人发出的噪音吵醒的。一位 年轻的女拥进屋点燃炉火,她跪在壁炉前的毯子上,试 ① hearth-rug壁炉前地毯 图扫出炉内残留的灰烬。玛丽躺在床上,盯着她看了一 ② rake out 把出 ③ cinders |'sindasl n. 燃烧后 会儿,之后便开始环顾整个房间。她从来没见过这样的 的残余,灰烬 房间,在她看来,这里古怪又阴暗。墙面上挂着壁毯 上面绣着森林中的图景。树下的人们衣着华美,远处隐 ④ tapestry I'taepistri]n. 挂毯 隐还可以看到一座城堡的塔楼。图上还绣着猎人、骏马、 embroider [im'broida] v. 刺绣 猎犬和女人。玛丽觉得自已仿佛同他们一起置身其中。 turret ['twrit]n. 【建筑业】 透过深嵌的窗户,她看到一片绵延的土地,似乎没有树 塔楼,角楼 木长在上面,看上去就像是无尽而又暗淡的紫色海洋。 “那是什么?”她指着窗外问道。 年轻的女拥玛莎刚刚从壁炉前站起来, 她看了看, 也向窗外指了指。“你是说那个?”她说 “是的。” “那就是旷野,”她脸上带着友好的笑容,“你喜欢 不?” “不喜欢,”玛丽回答道,“我讨厌那儿。” “那是因为你还没习惯,”玛莎一边说着,一边 回到了壁炉旁,“眼下你觉着它又大又荒。但你总会喜 欢上的。” .041· ChapterIV Martha "Do you?" inquired Mary. "Aye, that I do," answered Martha, cheerfully polishing away at the grate^{①}. "I just love it. It's none bare. It's covered wi' growin' things as smells sweet It's fair lovely in spring an' summer when th' gorse an'broom an' heather's in flower. It smells o'honey an'there's such a lot o' fresh air-- an' th' sky looks so high an' th'bees an' skylarks②}makes such a nice noise hummin' an' singin'. Eh! I wouldn't live away from th' moor for anythin'." Mary listened to her with a grave, puzzled expression. The native servants she had been used to in India were not in the least like this. They were obsequious③} and servile{}and did not presume to talk to their masters as if they were their equals. They made salaams{} and called them"protector of the poor" and names of that sort. Indian servants were commanded to do things. not asked. It was not the custom to say"please" and "thank you" and Mary had always slapped her Ayah in the face when she was angry. She wondered a little what this girl would do if one slapped her in the face. She was a round, rosy, good-natured-looking creature, but she had a sturdy{} way which made Mistress Mary wonder if she might not even slap back - if the person who slapped her was only a little girl. "You are a strange servant," she said from her pillows, rather haughtily^{}. Martha sat up on her heels, with her blacking-brush in her hand, and laughed. without seeming the least out of temper. "Eh! I know that," she said. "If there was a grand{ Missus at Misselthwaite I should never have been even one of th' under house-maids. I might have been let to be scullervmaid^{}but I'd never have been let upstairs. I'm too common an'I talk too much Yorkshire. But this is a funny house for all it's so grand. Seems like there's neither Master nor Mistress except Mr. Pitcher an'Mrs Medlock. Mr. Craven, he won't be troubled about anythin'when he's here, an'he's nearly always away. Mrs. Medlock gave me th' place out o'kindness. She told me she could never have done it if Misselthwaite had been like other big houses.""Are .042: 第四章 玛莎1 “你喜欢?”玛丽问道。 ① grate Iqreit]n.(壁炉、 “是,我喜欢,”玛莎回答道,一边乐呵呵地把 炉子等装燃料的)炉第 护算子擦得亮,“我就是喜欢这儿。这儿一点儿都不荒。 外边儿遍地都是闻着香香的东西。雨管是春天还是夏天, 每每荆豆和金雀花都开了的时候,这儿都美极了。吸口 ② skylark I'skaila:k]n. 【鸟 气都跟喝蜜似的,空气还那么好一天看着可高了,密 类】云雀 蜂喻喻飞着,云雀唱歌儿的声音也好听极了。啊!离了 这片旷野,我哪儿都不稀罕去。” 玛丽听着她的话,脸上带着严肃而困惑的表情。玛 莎和她印度家中的那些本地仆人一点都不一样。那些人 ③ obseauious [ab'si:kwias] 谄媚又恭顺,从不敢这样以平等的语气和主人说话。那 a.谄媚的,奉承的,巴 结的 些仆人见到主人便会行礼,还称他们为“穷人的保护者” ④ servile I'sa:vailla. 奴颜媚 之类。主人是命令而不是请印度仆人做事。他们不习惯 骨的 salaam [sa'la:m]n. 额手 对着仆人说“请”或是“谢谢”,玛丽生气的时候还会 礼 扇奶妈巴掌。当下,她不禁好奇,要是有人打了面前这 个姑娘的脸,她会怎么办。玛莎是一位体态丰满、面色 sturdy I'sto:dila. 强壮的 红润、和葛可亲的人,但她又有些壮实,这令玛丽怀疑, 结实的 要是有人打了她,她会不会打回来,哪怕打她的人还只 是个小女孩。 haughtily I'ho:tili]ad. 傲 “你是个奇怪的仆人。”玛丽躺在枕头上,话里话 慢地 外带着几分傲慢。 玛莎手上还拿着鞋油刷,跪坐着直起了身,随后便 笑了起来,看上去一点都没有被惹恼。 ⑧ grand [graend]a. (地位 “哈!我知道,”她说,“米瑟斯韦特庄园里但凡是 等)最高(级)的 有位真正的太太,我都成不了女拥。他们有可能让我去 o scullervmaid I'skAlarimeid] 洗逢室里做些活计,但永远不会让我上楼伺候。我没什 n.女帮厨 么本事,约克郡口音又重。但别看这庄园这么大,这儿 可是个奇怪的地方。乍看之下,这屋里既没个男主人 也没个女主人,只有皮彻先生和麦德洛克夫人。柯莱文 先生在家的时候什么事儿都不在意,更何况他大部分 时候还不在。麦德洛克夫人人好才会让我在这儿干活 儿。她跟我说呀,要是米瑟斯韦特庄园和其他大家大户 ·043· ChapterIV Martha you going to be my servant?" Mary asked, still in her imperious^{①} little Indian way. Martha began to rub her grate again "I'm Mrs. Medlock's servant," she said stoutly②}."An' she's Mr. Craven's- but I'm to do the housemaid's work up here an' wait on you a bit. But you won' need much waitin'on." “Who is going to dress me?"demanded Mary Martha sat up on her heels again and stared. She spoke in broad③}Yorkshire in her amazement "Canna' tha'dress thysen!"she said "What do you mean? I don't understand your language," said Mary. “Eh! I forgot." Martha said. "Mrs. Medlock told me I'd have to be careful or you wouldn't know what I was sayin'. I mean can't you put on your own clothes?" "No," answered Mary, quite indignantly{④."I never did in my life. My Ayah dressed me. of course." “Well."said Martha, evidently not in the least aware that she was impudent. "it's time tha' should learn. Tha' cannot begin younger. It'll do thee good to wait on thysen a bit. My mother always said she couldn't see why grand people's children didn't turn out fair fools - what with nurses an'bein' washed an'dressed an' took out to walk as if they was puppies!" "It is different in India," said Mistress Mary disdainfully. She could scarcely stand this. But Martha was not at all crushed “Eh! I can see it's different," she answered almost sympathetically. "I dare say it's because there's such a lot o' blacks there instead o' respectable{} white people. When I heard you was comin' from India I thought you was a black too." Mary sat up in bed furious "What!" she said. "What! You thought I was a native. You - you daughter of apig!" .044: 第匹章 玛莎 ① imperious im'piarias]a 一样,这种事儿根本想都不要想黝。”“那你会是伺候我 专横的,傲慢的 的仆人吗?”玛丽问道,语气中仍带着她在印度生活时 ② stoutly fstautlilad. 坚定 那种蛮横的调调。 地,坚决地 玛莎又擦起了炉算子。 “我是麦德洛克夫人的仆人,”她坚决地回答,“她 又是柯菜文先生的仆人--但我还是会做做这边的活 计,伺候伺候你。但你不会需要别人怎么伺候的。” ③broad bro:dla. 口音重的 “谁来给我更衣?”玛丽问道 玛莎又一次跪直身子,眼睛盯着玛丽。因为太过惊 讶,她不由自主地操起了浓重的约克郡口音。 “你不会自个儿套衣服!”她说。 “什么意思?我听不懂你的话。”玛丽说道。 “啊!我忘了,”玛莎说,“麦德洛克夫人跟我说了 ④ indignantly [in'diqnontli] 要我注意点儿,不然你可能听不懂我在说啥。我的意思 ad.愤怒地,愤慨地 是,你不会自已穿衣服吗?” “不会,”玛丽愤愤地顶了回去,“我这辈子还没自 己穿过衣服呢。想也知道,这一向都是奶妈的工作。” “好吧,”玛莎应道,明显一点都没注意到自已这 样说话有多无礼,“那你也该学学。更小的时候就应 该会了。晓得怎么何候自已对你也有好处。我娘就常 说,大户人家的娃儿都不怎么机灵一还不都是因为他 们有人照顾,有人梳洗,有人帮着穿衣,有人带着散步, 就跟小狗崽儿没什么两样!” “印度跟这里不一样。”女王玛丽不屑一顾地反驳。 她就快忍无可忍了。 然而,玛莎却一点都没有动摇的意思 respectable [ri'spektabl]a. 体面的 “啊!我看出不一样了,”她近乎带着怜悯地回答 道,“我敢说,那是因为那儿的黑人太多了,都不怎么 能见着体面的自人。听说你是从印度来的时候,我还以 为你也是黑人嘲。” 玛丽彻底生气了,从床上坐了起来。 “什么!”她叫道,“你说什么!你以为我是印度人。 你--你这个猪养的!” ·045· ChapterIV Martha Martha stared and looked hot "Who are you callin' names?" she said. "You needn't be so vexed^{}. That's not th' way for a young lady to talk. I've nothin' against th' blacks. When you read about 'em in tracts② they're always very religious. You always read as a black's a man an'a brother. I've never seen a black an' I was fair pleased to think I was goin' to see one close. When I come in to light your fire this mornin' I crep'up to your bed an' pulled th' cover back careful to look at you. An' there you was," disappointedly, "no more black than me -- for all you're so yeller." Mary did not even try to control her rage and humiliation "You thought I was a native! You dared! You don't know anything about natives! They are not people - they're servants who must salaam to you. You know nothing about India. You know nothing about anything!" She was in such a rage and felt so helpless before the girl's simple stare, and somehow she suddenly felt so horribly lonely and far away from everything she understood and which understood her. that she threw herself face downward on the pillows and burst into passionate sobbing. She sobbed so unrestrainedly that good- natured Yorkshire Martha was a little frightened and quite sorry for her. She went to the bed and bent over her "Eh! you mustn't cry like that there!" she begged. "You mustn't for sure. I didn't know you'd be vexed. I don't know anythin' about anythin'- just like you said. I beg your pardon, Miss. Do stop cryin'." There was something comforting and really friendly in her queer Yorkshire speech and sturdy way which had a good effect on Mary. She gradually ceased crying and became quiet. Martha looked relieved "It's time for thee to get up now," she said. "Mrs. Medlock said I was to carry tha' breakfast an' tea an' dinner into th' room next to this. It's been made into a nursery for thee. I'll help thee on with thy clothes if tha'll get out o' bed. If th' buttons are at th'back tha'cannot button them up tha'self." When Mary at last decided to get up, the clothes Martha took from the wardrobe were not the ones she had worn when she arrived the night before with Mrs. Medlock .046. 第四章 玛莎 玛莎盯着她,看上去很是上火。 ①vexed [vekst]a.恼火的 “你骂谁呢?”她开口了,“你没必要这么激动。 这不是淑女的作风。我并没瞧不上黑人。教堂发的小册 ② tract [traekt]n.(宗教)宣 子里的黑人总是很虔诚的。书里常说,黑人也是人,是 传手册 咱们的兄弟。我这辈子没见过黑人,所以在我以为自己 要亲眼看见黑人的时候,还挺高兴的。今天早上我进 屋生火的时候,还偷偷走到床边儿,小心地掀开被子看 你呢。结果瞅瞅你,”任谁都能听出她语气里的失望,“也 不比我黑呀--虽然有点黄不拉几的。” 玛丽压根就没打算控制住自己的怒火和屈辱感。 “你居然以为我是印度人!你怎么敢!你根本就不 了解印度人!他们不是人--他们是必须向你行礼的下 人。你不了解印度!你什么都不了解!” 她气极了,在玛莎单纯的注视下又感到那么无助。 不知为何,玛丽突然觉得前所未有的孤单,远离了自己 熟悉的和熟悉自已的一切。于是,她把脸埋进枕头里, 剧烈地抽嘻了起来。她哭得那么肆无忌惮,善良的约克 郡姑娘玛莎都有点吓到了,也开始对她感到抱歉。她走 到床边,弯下了身子。 “哎!你可不能哭成这样啊!”她几乎是在乞求, “真的别这样。我不知道你会这么激动。就像你说的- 我什么都不了解。原谅我吧,小姐,别哭黝。” 玛莎奇怪的约克郡口音和她坚定的安慰莫名透着几 分慰藉与友好,而这对玛丽来说很是受用。她渐渐止住 眼泪,安静了下来。玛莎看上去也松了口气。 “你也该起床,”她开口道,“麦德洛克夫人让我 把早餐、午茶和晚餐端到隔壁那间屋子里。他们把它 改造成了你的儿童室。要是你起来的话,我就帮你把 衣服穿上。如果扣子在背后的话,你确实没法儿自己 扣上。” 玛丽终于下定决心起床了,但是玛莎从柜子里拿出 来的衣服并不是昨天晚上她和麦德洛克夫人来到这里时 身上穿着的那件。 ·047· ChapterIV Martha "Those are not mine,"she said. "Mine are black." She looked the thick white wool coat and dress over, and added with coo approval: “Those are nicer than mine." “These are th' ones tha'must put on."Martha answered. “Mr. Craven ordered Mrs. Medlock to get 'em in London. He saidI won't have a child dressed in black wanderin' about like a lost soul.'he said. 'It'd make the place sadder than it is. Put color on her.'Mother she said she knew what he meant Mother always knows what a body means. She doesn't hold with black hersel'." "I hate black things."said Mary The dressing process was one which taught them both something. Martha had"buttoned up" her little sisters and brothers but she had never seen a child who stood still and waited for another person to do things for her as if she had neither hands nor feet of her own “Why doesn't tha'put on tha' own shoes?" she said when Mary quietly helc out her foot "My Ayah did it." answered Mary, staring. "It was the custom." She said that yery often -"It was the custom." The native servants were always saying it. If one told them to do a thing their ancestors had not done fol a thousand years they gazed at one mildly and said, "It is not the custom" and one knew that was the end of the matter It had not been the custom that Mistress Mary should do anything but stand and allow herself to be dressed like a doll, but before she was ready for breakfas she began to suspect that her life at Misselthwaite Manor would end by teaching her a number of things quite new to her --things such as putting on her own shoes and stockings, and picking up things she let fall. If Martha had been a well- trained fine young lady's maid she would have been more subservient^{} and respectful{②} and would have known that it was her business to brush{③} hair, and .048. 第匹章 玛莎 “那些不是我的衣服,”她说,“我的是黑色的。” 她上下打量着那件厚实的白色羊毛外套和连衣裙 平静地表示了自己的认同: “这些衣服比我的好。” “这些是你一定要穿上的嘲,”玛莎接话道,“这都 是柯莱文先生吟附麦德洛克夫人从伦敦指回来的。他说 “我绝不会让孩子穿着黑衣服,像迷失的游魂一样跑来 跑去,'他是这么说的,·那样的话,这地方一定会比现 在还要让人感到沉重。给她买点有颜色的衣服。'妈妈 说她明白先生的意思。妈妈总是明白别人的意思。她自 己也不怎么待见黑色。” “我讨厌黑色的东西。”玛丽说。 穿衣服的过程让两个人都长了见识。玛莎以前也给 自己的弟弟妹妹们“系过扣子”,但她还从没见过哪个 小孩会直愣愣地站在那里等着别人伺候,就像自已没手 没脚一样。 “你干吗不自己把鞋子穿上嘲?”当玛丽默默把脚 伸出来的时候,她说道。 “以前这都是奶妈干的,”玛丽瞪着她,不客气地 说着,“这是规矩。” 她常把这句话挂在嘴边 --“这是规矩。”那些印 度仆人天天都会这么说。若是有人让他们做些祖辈上千 年以来都没做过的事情,他们便会和善地看着对方,告 诉他,“这不合规矩”,这样一来对方便会知道,这件事 也就这样泡汤了。 女王玛丽就应当那样站着,像个洋娃娃一样,等待 别人帮她把衣服穿上,这是规矩。但是在早餐时间开始 之前,玛莎便教给了她许多之前从没接触过的事情,比 如自己穿长简袜、自己穿鞋、自己把弄掉的东西捡起 ① subservient [sab'so:viant] a.恭顺的 来--这一切都让她不禁开始怀疑,自己在米瑟斯韦特 ② respectful [ri'spektful] a 庄园的日子是不是就快到头儿了。倘若玛莎经受过良好 恭敬的,有礼貌的 ③brush brA]]v.剧头发 的训练,知道应当如何侍奉一位淑女,她定会更加恭顺、 更加有礼,也会知道帮主人梳头发、穿靴子,把东西捡 ·049·