第十一章（第10/17页）

属于有闲阶级的康妮，对旧英格兰的遗迹恋恋不舍。直至时过境迁，她才认识到旧英格兰确实已被可怖的后来者毁灭，而这种更新换代的过程仍在继续，直到彻底完成为止。弗里奇利消失不见，伊斯特伍德无踪无影，希普利也将灰飞烟灭，那可是“乡绅温特”心爱的府邸。

Connie called for a moment at Shipley. The park gates, at the back, opened just near the level crossing of the colliery railway; the Shipley colliery itself stood just beyond the trees. The gates stood open, because through the park was a right-of-way that the colliers used. They hung around the park.

康妮短暂拜访了希普利府。宅邸后面的园林大门敞开，距离煤矿铁路的平交路口很近，而希普利煤矿本就坐落在树林的彼端。园门之所以敞开，是因为矿工们拥有通行权。他们总在其中徘徊游荡。

The car passed the ornamental ponds, in which the colliers threw their newspapers, and took the private drive to the house. It stood above, aside, a very pleasant stucco building from the middle of the eighteenth century. It had a beautiful alley of yew trees, that had approached an older house, and the hall stood serenely spread out, winking its Georgian panes as if cheerfully. Behind, there were really beautiful gardens.

汽车经过观赏水池，里面漂着矿工们丢弃的废报纸，驶上直通宅邸的私人车道。这座讨人喜爱的灰泥建筑矗立在路旁，它始建于18世纪中叶。屋前有条美丽的紫杉小径，昔日曾通往某栋更加古旧的府邸。整座宅院安详沉静地舒展着身躯，乔治时代的玻璃窗格似乎正快活地眨着眼睛。宅邸后面是美轮美奂的花园。

Connie liked the interior much better than Wragby. It was much lighter, more alive, shapen and elegant. The rooms were panelled with creamy painted panelling, the ceilings were touched with gilt, and everything was kept in exquisite order, all the appointments were perfect, regardless of expense. Even the corridors managed to be ample and lovely, softly curved and full of life.

比起拉格比，这里的内部陈设更让康妮倾心。希普利光线充足，生机勃勃，布置格整，美观雅致。房间的墙壁都嵌着木板，漆成奶油色，天花板则采用了包金工艺，每件物什都整饬有序，所有摆设都尽善尽美，从不考虑所需的开销。甚至连走廊都设计得宽敞漂亮，优雅迤逦，充满活力。

But Leslie Winter was alone. He had adored his house. But his park was bordered by three of his own collieries. He had been a generous man in his ideas. He had almost welcomed the colliers in his park. Had the miners not made him rich! So, when he saw the gangs of unshapely men lounging by his ornamental waters—not in the private part of the park, no, he drew the line there—he would say: "the miners are perhaps not so ornamental as deer, but they are far more profitable." But that was in the golden—monetarily—latter half of Queen Victoria's reign. Miners were then "good working men'.

但莱斯利·温特却形单影只。他深爱着自己的府邸。但自家的花园与他开办的三座煤矿毗邻。他思想开明。对矿工出入他的园林，几乎抱着欢迎的态度。要是没有这些矿工，他又怎能发迹呢！因此，当目睹形容枯槁的矿工们，成群结队地在景观水池边徜徉——园林的私人领域不得入内——他就会说：“若论装点园林，矿工们或许不如几匹鹿，但他们却能给我带来更多的利润。”但那仍是财源滚滚的黄金时期——维多利亚女皇（注：1819-1901，英国历史在位时间最长的君主，其统治时期正是英国最强盛的“日不落帝国”时期。）在位的后半期。矿工们都是“良善的劳动者”。

Winter had made this speech, half apologetic, to his guest, the then Prince of Wales. And the Prince had replied, in his rather guttural English: "You are quite right. If there were coal under Sandringham, I would open a mine on the lawns, and think it first-rate landscape gardening. Oh, I am quite willing to exchange roe-deer for colliers, at the price. Your men are good men too, I hear.” But then, the Prince had perhaps an exaggerated idea of the beauty of money, and the blessings of industrialism.

温特说这席话时略带歉意，对他的客人，当时的威尔士王子倾诉心声。而王子则用喉音极重的英语作答：“你的话千真万确。若是桑德灵厄姆地底埋有煤炭，我会在草坪上开矿采掘，并将其视为园林中最美丽的风景。噢，我情愿用狍子交换矿工，高价来换。我还听说，给你干活的都是良民。”但当时，王子殿下似乎有些夸大其辞，将金元之美和工业之福祉捧得过高。

However, the Prince had been a King, and the King had died, and now there was another King, whose chief function seemed to be to open soup-kitchens.