第十六章（第12/20页）

He was moderately tall, and thin, and she thought him good-looking. He kept a quiet distance of his own, and seemed absolutely unwilling to speak.

他中等个儿，身材偏瘦，在希尔达看来，样貌还算英俊。他面无表情，仿佛拒人于千里之外，似乎决不愿开口讲话。

"Do sit down, Hilda," said Connie.

“快来坐，希尔达。”康妮招呼着。

"Do!" he said.

“坐吧！”他说。

"Can I make you tea or anything, or will you drink a glass of beer? It's moderately cool.” "Beer!" Said Connie.

“你俩喝茶还是别的，不然来杯啤酒？啤酒还挺清凉。”“啤酒！”康妮说。

"Beer for me, please! " said Hilda, with a mock sort of shyness. He looked at her and blinked.

“请也给我来杯啤酒！”希尔达说，故作着打趣似的娇羞的神态。他熟视无睹。

He took a blue jug and tramped to the scullery. When he came back with the beer, his face had changed again.

他拿着一只蓝色罐子，慢悠悠地走去洗涤间。端着啤酒回来时，他脸上的表情已非先前的模样。

Connie sat down by the door, and Hilda sat in his seat, with the back to the wall, against the window corner.

康妮坐在门旁，希尔达坐在他常坐的那把椅子上，背靠着墙，正对着窗角。

"That is his chair," said Connie softly. And Hilda rose as if it had burnt her.

“那是他的椅子。”康妮轻声说。希尔达猛地站起身来，好像已经被椅子灼伤。

"Sit yer still, sit yer still! Ta'e ony cheer as yo'n a mind to, none of us is th'big bear," he said, with complete equanimity.

“坐着吧，坐着吧！俺家就这么一把椅子，恁不介意地话就坐吧，反正咱们都不像熊瞎子体格那么庞大。”他完全泰然自若地说着。

And he brought Hilda a glass, and poured her beer first from the blue jug.

他递给希尔达一只玻璃杯，用蓝色罐子先为她斟满啤酒。

"As for cigarettes," he said, "I've got none, but 'appen you've got your own. I dunna smoke, mysen. Shall y'eat summat?" he turned direct to Connie. "Shall t'eat a smite o'summat, if I bring it thee? Tha can usually do wi'a bite.” He spoke the vernacular with a curious calm assurance, as if he were the landlord of the Inn.

“至于香烟，”他说，“俺这儿没有，可或许恁自己带着。俺不抽烟。吃点啥？”他转过脸问康妮。“要吃点啥？俺给恁拿。恁通常都会吃一点。”他说土话时，显得那样淡然自若，好像自己是这家乡间旅栈的老板。

"What is there?" Asked Connie, flushing.

“有什么吃的？”康妮红着脸问。

"Boiled ham, cheese, pickled wa'nuts, if yer like. Nowt much.” "Yes," said Connie. "Won't you, Hilda?” Hilda looked up at him.

“煮熟的火腿，干酪，腌核桃，不知道是否合恁们的意。就只有这么多。”“好的。”康妮说。“你不来点儿吗，希尔达？”希尔达抬头看着他。

"Why do you speak Yorkshire?" She said softly.

“你为什么说约克郡土话？”她轻声问。

"That! That's non Yorkshire, that's Derby.” He looked back at her with that faint, distant grin.

“那个呀！那不是约克郡土话，是德比郡方言。”他回望着她，微微露出冷漠的笑容。

"Derby, then! Why do you speak Derby? You spoke natural English at first." "Did Ah though? An'canna Ah change if Ah'm a mind to 't? Nay, nay, let me talk Derby if it suits me. If yo'n nowt against it.” "It sounds a little affected," said Hilda.

“德比郡，那好！你为什么说德比郡方言？你开始说的明明是标准英语。”“是吗？要是俺乐意，就不准换换吗？没啥，没啥，要是德比郡土话更适合，俺就选它得了。如果恁们不嫌弃的话。”“听起来有些做作。”希尔达说。

"Ay, 'appen so! An'up i'Tevershall yo'd sound affected." he looked again at her, with a queer calculating distance, along his cheek-bone: as if to say: Yi, an'who are you? He tramped away to the pantry for the food.

“唉，或许吧！可在特弗沙尔这旮旯，恁的话听着更做作。”他盯着希尔达，颧骨微扬，摆出一副拒人千里的神态，好像在说：“咦！你算是谁啊？”他起身去储藏室取食物。

The sisters sat in silence. He brought another plate, and knife and fork. The he said: "An'if it's the same to you, I s'll ta'e my coat off like I allers do.” And he took off his coat, and hung it on the peg, then sat down to table in his shirt-sleeves: a shirt of thin, cream-coloured flannel.

姐妹俩沉默相对。他又拿来一份餐具。然后，他说：“要是恁们不见怪，俺得像往常一样把外套宽了。”说完，他脱掉外套，挂在衣钩上，只穿着衬衣坐在桌边，那是件淡黄色的法兰绒薄衬衫。