第十六章（第10/20页）

"It's a frightful pity we can't go straight off!”

“真可惜，我们没法径直往前开！”

She said. We could have been in Pall Mall by nine o'clock.” "I'm sorry for your sake," said Connie, from behind her goggles.

她抱怨着。“不然，我们九点就能抵达帕尔玛尔。”“真的很抱歉。”康妮在风镜后说。

They were soon at Mansfield, that once-romantic, now utterly disheartening colliery town. Hilda stopped at the hotel named in the motor-car book, and took a room. The whole thing was utterly uninteresting, and she was almost too angry to talk. However, Connie had to tell her something of the man's history.

没用多久，她们就来到曼斯菲尔德。这个昔日充溢着浪漫色彩的城市，如今已经彻底沦为令人沮丧的矿工聚居地。希尔达依照旅行指南，停在某家旅店前面，开了个房间。沿途的一切都无法让她提起兴趣，她气得几乎说不出话。尽管如此，康妮还是忍不住跟姐姐唠叨着自己情郎的过往。

"He! He! What name do you call him by? You only say HE," said Hilda.

“他！他！你平时都怎么称呼他？总是说‘他’。”希尔达说。

"I've never called him by any name: nor he me: which is curious, when you come to think of it. Unless we say Lady Jane and John Thomas. But his name is Oliver Mellors.” "And how would you like to be Mrs. Oliver Mellors, instead of Lady Chatterley?" "I'd love it.” There was nothing to be done with Connie. And anyhow, if the man had been a lieutenant in the army in India for four or five years, he must be more or less presentable. Apparently he had character. Hilda began to relent a little.

“我俩之间从不用姓名相称，想想就会觉得这真的很奇妙。有时候，我们会称呼彼此简夫人和约翰·托马斯。但他的真名叫奥利弗·梅勒斯。”“难道你想放弃查泰莱夫人的头衔，转做奥利弗·梅勒斯太太吗？”“我期盼已久。”康妮真是迷途深陷。不管怎么说，那男人毕竟曾在印度做过四五年中尉，好歹还算摆得上台面。他似乎还有些身份。希尔达的态度缓和许多。

"But you'll be through with him in awhile," she said, "and then you'll be ashamed of having been connected with him. One can't mix up with the working people.” "But you are such a socialist! You're always on the side of the working classes.” "I may be on their side in a political crisis, but being on their side makes me know how impossible it is to mix one's life with theirs. Not out of snobbery, but just because the whole rhythm is different.” Hilda had lived among the real political intellectuals, so she was disastrously unanswerable.

“你们很快就会各奔东西，”她说，“然后，你就会对这段感情懊悔不已。我们没法跟工人阶级混在一起。”“但你本身就是热忱的社会主义者！总是跟工人阶级站在同一阵线。”“每当政局动荡的时节，我或许会跟他们合作，但正是这种经历让我深知，跟他们共同生活简直难以想象。并非瞧不起劳苦大众，但我们跟他们确实不合拍。”希尔达曾经在地道的政治圈里生活过，因此，康妮无从辩驳她的话。

The nondescript evening in the hotel dragged out, and at last they had a nondescript dinner. Then Connie slipped a few things into a little silk bag, and combed her hair once more.

两人就这样僵持着，在旅店中迎来傍晚，又尴尬地共进晚餐。然后，康妮收拾了几样东西，放进绸布小包里，重新梳理着自己的头发。

"After all, Hilda," she said, "love can be wonderful: when you feel you live, and are in the very middle of creation.” It was almost like bragging on her part.

“无论怎样，希尔达，”她说，“爱情总是那样美妙，让你切实地感觉到自己活着，感觉到自己身处宇宙的中心。”她的语气简直有几分卖弄的意味。

"I suppose every mosquito feels the same," said Hilda. "Do you think it does? How nice for it!" The evening was wonderfully clear and long-lingering, even in the small town. It would be half-light all night. With a face like a mask, from resentment, Hilda started her car again, and the two sped back on their traces, taking the other road, through Bolsover.

“恐怕每只蚊子也有同感。”希尔达说。“你这样认为吗？那蚊子们该多么幸福呀！”那天傍晚格外地晴朗，即使在这个破败的小城市，黄昏也驻足停留，不愿离去。星月之光会将整个夜晚都照亮。由于愤怒未消，希尔达板着的脸孔好像戴着面具，她再度发动汽车，开足马力，开上返程的道路。与来时不同，这次走得是博尔索弗。

Connie wore her goggles and disguising cap, and she sat in silence. Because of Hilda's Opposition, she was fiercely on the side of the man, she would stand by him through thick and thin.