第十三章（第10/15页）

守林人退后一步，转身去取自己的外套和猎枪。轮椅仿佛立即窒息而亡。停在那里动也不动。克利福德像困于其间的囚徒，又气又恼，脸色苍白。他拼命拉动着操纵杆，但双脚却帮不上任何忙。轮椅发出的怪叫传入他的耳膜。狂躁的克利福德使劲推动着手柄，但只是让怪叫声愈发猛烈。可她就是不肯挪动半步。不，她就是不肯挪动半步。他熄灭引擎，气鼓鼓地僵坐在那里。

Constance sat on the bank arid looked at the wretched and trampled bluebells. "Nothing quite so lovely as an English spring." "I can do my share of ruling." "What we need to take up now is whips, not swords." "The ruling classes!" The keeper strode up with his coat and gun, Flossie cautiously at his heels. Clifford asked the man to do something or other to the engine. Connie, who understood nothing at all of the technicalities of motors, and who had had experience of breakdowns, sat patiently on the bank as if she were a cipher. The keeper lay on his stomach again. The ruling classes and the serving classes!

康斯坦斯坐在路旁，望着惨遭蹂躏的风铃草。“任什么也不如英格兰的春天这般秀美。”“我能尽到统治者的本分。”“我们需要掌控的，是皮鞭，而非刀剑。”“统治阶级！”守林人拎着外衣和猎枪，阔步走上山坡，弗洛西小心地跟在身后。克利福德吩咐他再试试看能否修好引擎。康妮虽说对发动机的原理半点不知，但也曾尝过半路抛锚的苦涩，只是耐心地坐在路沿儿上，好像她并不存在。守林人又一次趴在地上。这就是统治阶级和服务阶级的差别！

He got to his feet and said patiently: "Try her again, then." He spoke in a quiet voice, almost as if to a child.

他站起身来，耐心地劝诱着：“再来试试看吧。”他语调轻柔，几乎就像在哄孩子。

Clifford tried her, and Mellors stepped quickly behind and began to push. She was going, the engine doing about half the work, the man the rest.

克利福德再度发动引擎，梅勒斯快步退到后面，开始用手推。它再度启程，依靠引擎和人力的合作。

Clifford glanced round, yellow with anger.

克利福德回头发现真相，气得脸色蜡黄。

"Will you get off there!"

“你给我滚远点！”

The keeper dropped his hold at once, and Clifford added: "How shall I know what she is doing!"

守林人立刻松开双手，克利福德又吼道：“你多此一举，我怎么能知道她跑得怎么样！”

The man put his gun down and began to pull on his coat. He'd done.

守林人放下猎枪，开始穿外套。他的任务已经结束。

The chair began slowly to run backwards.

轮椅开始慢慢向后倒退。

"Clifford, your brake!" cried Connie.

“克利福德，快点刹车！”康妮喊道。

She, Mellors, and Clifford moved at once, Connie and the keeper jostling lightly. The chair stood. There was a moment of dead silence.

她，梅勒斯以及克利福德顿时慌乱起来，康妮和守林人轻轻地碰了一下。轮椅总算停住。四周瞬间陷入死寂。

"It's obvious I'm at everybody's mercy!" said Clifford.

“看来我只能任人摆布了！”克利福德叹道。

He was yellow with anger.

他的脸色依然蜡黄。

No one answered. Mellors was slinging his gun over his shoulder, his face queer and expressionless, save for an abstracted look of patience. The dog Flossie, standing on guard almost between her master's legs, moved uneasily, eyeing the chair with great suspicion and dislike, and very much perplexed between the three human beings. The TABLEAU VIVANT remained set among the squashed bluebells, nobody proffering a word.

没人回应。梅勒斯把猎枪耷拉在肩头，神态怪异，面无表情，只是显得有些心不在焉，勉为其难。而猎犬弗洛西则几乎是站在主人两腿之间，局促不安地来回动着，双眼紧盯着轮椅，露出怀疑和厌恶的神色。它被三个人围在当中，显得很是困惑。风铃草东倒西歪，三个人又都默不作声，构成一幅生动的图景。

"I expect she'll have to be pushed," said Clifford at last, with an affectation of sang froid.

“我想她还是需要推一把。”克利福德终于打破沉默，故作镇静地表态说。

No answer. Mellors'abstracted face looked as if he had heard nothing. Connie glanced anxiously at him. Clifford too glanced round.

没人回应。梅勒斯仍是那副漫不经心的表情，好像什么都没听到。康妮焦急地瞥了他一眼。克利福德也回头看了看。

"Do you mind pushing her home, Mellors!" he said in a cool superior tone. "I hope I have said nothing to offend you," he added, in a tone of dislike.