第八章（第10/11页）

“恁想要钥匙，拿走好了。或者俺明天给恁，容俺先把这儿拾掇拾掇。恁看成不？”她更生气了。

"I didn't want your key," she said. "I don't want you to clear anything out at all. I don't in the least want to turn you out of your hut, thank you! I only wanted to be able to sit here sometimes, like today. But I can sit perfectly well under the porch, so please say no more about it.” He looked at her again, with his wicked blue eyes.

“我不要你的钥匙。”她说。“也没想过让你收拾东西。我从没想要把你从这里赶走，谢谢你的好意！我只是想能偶尔过来坐坐，就像今天一样。可坐在门廊下，我同样可以怡然自得，所以，请你不要再说下去。”他那两只顽皮的蓝眼睛再度望向她。

"Why," he began, in the broad slow dialect. "Your Ladyship's as welcome as Christmas ter th' hut an' th' key an'iverythink as is. On'y this time O' th' year ther's bods ter set, an' Ah've got ter be potterin' abaht a good bit, seein' after 'em, an' a’. Winter time Ah ned 'ardly come nigh th'pleece. But what wi'spring, an'Sir Clifford wantin'ter start th'pheasants… An'your Ladyship'd non want me tinkerin'around an'about when she was 'ere, all the time.” She listened with a dim kind of amazement.

“呃，”他那缓慢浓重的土腔再度登场，“夫人大驾光临，理应受到圣诞节般的欢迎，小屋也罢，钥匙也罢，所有的一切都是恁的。只不过，这时节适合饲养野鸡，俺得忙这忙那，把它们照料得妥妥当当。入冬以后，俺就很少来这儿了。可等到春暖花开，克利福德爵士会在让俺养窝野鸡……夫人来这里散心，自然不会愿意看到俺摇来晃去。”她听完，心里暗暗吃惊。

"Why should I mind your being here?" she asked.

“你在这里干活，又碍着我什么呢？”她问。

He looked at her curiously.

他望着她，表情古怪。

"T'nuisance on me!" he said briefly, but significantly. She flushed. "Very well!" she said finally. "I won't trouble you. But I don't think I should have minded at all sitting and seeing you look after the birds. I should have liked it. But since you think it interferes with you, I won't disturb you, don't be afraid. You are Sir Clifford's keeper, not mine.” The phrase sounded queer, she didn't know why. But she let it pass.

“俺觉得自己碍事！”他的回答简练，但却意味深长。她的脸泛起红潮。“好吧！”她最后说。“我不会打搅你。但我并不介意坐在这里，看你伺弄野鸡。我反倒喜欢这样。可既然你认为这会干扰到你，我会尽量不妨碍你干活，请不必担心。雇佣你做守林人的，是克利福德爵士，而不是我。”她也不晓得自己为何一反常态，说出这样一番言论。但她已经顾不得多做思考。

"Nay, your Ladyship. It's your Ladyship's own'ut. It's as your Ladyship likes an'pleases, every time. Yer can turn me off at a wik's notice. It wor only...” "Only what?" she asked, baffled.

“别介，夫人。这小屋本就归夫人所有。夫人喜欢何时光临都没问题。恁大可提前一周通知我卷铺盖走人。只不过……”“不过什么？”她不明其意，问道。

He pushed back his hat in an odd comic way.

他把帽子往后推推，动作颇为滑稽。

"On'y as 'appen yo'd like the place ter yersen, when yer did come, an'not me messin'abaht.” "But why?" she said, angry. "Aren't you a civilized human being? Do you think I ought to be afraid of you? Why should I take any notice of you and your being here or not? Why is it important?” He looked at her, all his face glimmering with wicked laughter.

“只不过，恁完全可以要求独占这里，来的时候，也不必忍受俺这个碍眼的家伙。”“可为什么呢？”她气冲冲地问。“难道你是个野人不成？你认为我应该怕你？为什么我要留意你，理会你在或不在？这有什么要紧的吗？”他望着她，脸上闪过狡黠的笑容。

"It's not, your Ladyship. Not in the very least," he said.

“当然没有，夫人。没什么要紧的。”他说。

"Well, why then?" she asked.

“既然如此，原因又是什么呢？”她问。

"Shall I get your Ladyship another key then?" "No thank you! I don't want it.” "Ah'll get it anyhow. We'd best 'ave two keys ter th'place.” "And I consider you are insolent," said Connie, with her colour up, panting a little.

“那我再帮夫人您配把钥匙怎样？”“不用，谢谢！我不想要。”“不管怎地，俺还是得去配把。两把钥匙毕竟方便些。”“依我看，你是个傲慢无礼的家伙。”康妮的脸变得更红，气喘吁吁地说。