第十章（第33/34页）

他又靠近了一点，手里攥着猎枪，站在车道上纹丝不动，目不转睛地望着这座大宅。或许他现在甚至就能找到她，想出法子与她相会。这府邸并非固若金汤，而且他又像夜贼般聪敏。为何找她不着呢？他站在那里等着，动也不动，身后曙光悄无声息地微微露出了头。他看到那房间的灯熄灭了。但他却没看到博尔顿太太来到窗前，她拉开深蓝色的旧丝质窗帘，站在黑暗的房间里向外张望，目睹黑夜慢慢褪去，白昼渐渐降临，希冀黎明快些到来，等待着，等待着克利福德确信天已破晓。因为只消确定这一点，他便可几乎是马上安然入眠。

She stood blind with sleep at the window, waiting. And as she stood, she started, and almost cried out. For there was a man out there on the drive, a black figure in the twilight. She woke up greyly, and watched, but without making a sound to disturb Sir Clifford.

她睡眼惺忪地站在窗边，等待着。突然间，她大惊失色，差点叫出声来。车道上分明站着个男人，在晨曦中拖出一道黑影。她吓得脸色惨白，睡意顿消，全神贯注地分辨着，但却没有出声，唯恐把克利福德爵士吵醒。

The daylight began to rustle into the world, and the dark figure seemed to go smaller and more defined. She made out the gun and gaiters and baggy jacket—it would be Oliver Mellors, the keeper. "Yes, for there was the dog nosing around like a shadow, and waiting for him"!

活力四射的阳光匆匆拉开征服世界的帷幕，那条黑影似乎变小了，也清晰许多。她辨认出猎枪、绑腿和肥大的外衣——那分明是奥利弗·梅勒斯，那守林人。“没错，那条如影随形的猎犬正到处嗅着，等待着主人发号施令！”

And what did the man want? Did he want to rouse the house? What was he standing there for, transfixed, looking up at the house like a love-sick male dog outside the house where the bitch is? Goodness! The knowledge went through Mrs. Bolton like a shot. He was Lady Chatterley's lover! He! He!

他想做什么？他想把大家都叫醒吗？为何他傻呆呆地竖在那里，仰望着这座府邸，活像只发情的公狗，正在母狗家门前翘首企盼？天呢！博尔顿太太顿时恍然大悟。他就是查泰莱夫人的情郎！是他！竟然是他！

To think of it! Why, she, Ivy Bolton, had once been a tiny bit in love with him herself. When he was a lad of sixteen and she a woman of twenty-six. It was when she was studying, and he had helped her a lot with the anatomy and things she had had to learn. He'd been a clever boy, had a scholarship for Sheffield Grammar School, and learned French and things: and then after all had become an overhead blacksmith shoeing horses, because he was fond of horses, he said: but really because he was frightened to go out and face the world, only he'd never admit it.

想想吧！哦，她，艾维·博尔顿，也曾因他堕入情网。想当年，他16岁，还是懵懂少年，她26岁，已经丧夫寡居。那时，她正刻苦钻研医疗知识，而他在解剖学及其它方面，对她助益良多。昔日的他聪明伶俐，还拿到过谢菲尔德初中的奖学金，对法语等科目也有所涉猎。可后来他却甘愿成为铁匠，终日以钉马掌为业，虽然他声称这是因为自己爱马至深，但其实是他害怕进入社会，不愿面对俗世，只不过他从不承认而已。

But he'd been a nice lad, a nice lad, had helped her a lot, so clever at making things clear to you. He was quite as clever as Sir Clifford: and always one for the women. More with women than men, they said.

但他曾是个好小伙，好小伙，帮过他不少忙，聪慧过人，极善解惑释疑。他的睿智与克利福德爵士相比，有过之而无不及，又极具女人缘。坊间传言，他与女人们过从更密。

Till he'd gone and married that Bertha Coutts, as if to spite himself. Some people do marry to spite themselves, because they're disappointed of something. And no wonder it had been a failure. For years he was gone, all the time of the war: and a lieutenant and all: quite the gentleman, really quite the gentleman! Then to come back to Tevershall and go as a game-keeper! Really, some people can't take their chances when they've got them! And talking broad Derbyshire again like the worst, when she, Ivy Bolton, knew he spoke like any gentleman, really.

可后来，他竟然自暴自弃，娶了贝莎·库茨。有些人结婚就是自甘堕落，因为有过失意的过往。毫无疑问，这是桩失败的婚姻。他消失数载，整个大战期间都不见踪迹，当上了什么中尉，成为上等人，货真价实的人上人！之后，他重返特弗沙尔，屈尊降贵做起守林人！千真万确，有些人只能眼睁睁任机会从身边溜走。他重操浓重的德比郡方言，与最卑微的乡巴佬无异，而她，艾维·博尔顿，清楚他能像真正的贵族一样，说纯正的英语，这一点毋庸置疑。