第十六章（第6/20页）

And the day came round for Hilda to arrive. Connie had arranged with Mellors that if everything promised well for their night together, she would hang a green shawl out of the window. If there were frustration, a red one.

眼见希尔达到来的日子迫在眉睫。康妮与梅勒斯约好，如果能够依计而行，共度良宵，她就在窗外挂条绿围巾。如果事情有变，就挂条红的。

Mrs. Bolton helped Connie to pack.

博尔顿太太帮助康妮收拾行囊。

"It will be so good for your Ladyship to have a change." "I think it will. You don't mind having Sir Clifford on your hands alone for a time, do you?” "Oh no! I can manage him quite all right. I mean, I can do all he needs me to do. Don't you think he's better than he used to be?” "Oh much! You do wonders with him." "Do I though! But men are all alike: just babies, and you have to flatter them and wheedle them and let them think they're having their own way. Don't you find it so, my Lady?” "I'm afraid I haven't much experience.” Connie paused in her occupation.

“换换环境，对夫人您很有好处。”“我想是这样。这段日子，克利福德爵士得由你单独照料，你不会介意吧？”“噢，不会！我会把他照顾得妥妥帖帖。我是说，我会做好他吩咐的一切。您没觉得，他的情况比以前好得多吗？”“噢，的确如此！这全是你的功劳。”“哪里的话！男人们都大同小异，脾气好似婴儿，你得奉承他们，哄着他们，让他们以为自己可以为所欲为。难道您没发现这秘诀吗，夫人？”“恐怕我在这方面没什么经验。”康妮停下手中的活计。

"Even your husband, did you have to manage him, and wheedle him like a baby?" She asked, looking at the other woman.

“甚至对自己的丈夫，你也得像哄孩子般哄他吗？”她盯着博尔顿太太，问道。

Mrs. Bolton paused too.

博尔顿太太也停了手。

"Well!" She said. "I had to do a good bit of coaxing, with him too. But he always knew what I was after, I must say that. But he generally gave in to me." "He was never the lord and master thing?" "No! At least there'd be a look in his eyes sometimes, and then I knew I'd got to give in. But usually he gave in to me. No, he was never lord and master. But neither was I. I knew when I could go no further with him, and then I gave in: though it cost me a good bit, sometimes.” "And what if you had held out against him?" "Oh, I don't know, I never did. Even when he was in the wrong, if he was fixed, I gave in. You see, I never wanted to break what was between us. And if you really set your will against a man, that finishes it. If you care for a man, you have to give in to him once he's really determined; whether you're in the right or not, you have to give in. Else you break something. But I must say, Ted 'ud give in to me sometimes, when I was set on a thing, and in the wrong. So I suppose it cuts both ways.” "And that's how you are with all your patients?” Asked Connie.

“嗯！”她说。“我也总得哄他。但他总能明白我的意图，这点我必须承认。但一般说来，他总会让着我。”“他从来不摆老爷架子吗？”“从不！至少，他有时会流露出某种眼神，我就会明白，该顺着他的意思了。但通常他会向我妥协。不，他从不会颐指气使。我也不会。我知道何时不该跟他计较，该主动让步，虽然有时这会让我觉得很不舒服。”“如果你一直跟他对着干，会怎么样呢？”“噢，我不知道，我从没试过。甚至明知他是错的，只要他坚持，我也会做出让步。要知道，我不想破坏彼此的感情。如果你总是跟一个男人对着干，那你们肯定难以长久。要是你在乎一个男人，若他当真下定决心，那你就得做出让步，不管谁对谁错。否则，就会破坏彼此的感情。但我必须承认，当我固执己见，即使我是错的，泰德也常会让着我。所以我想这道理对双方都适用。”“你对待病人也是如此吗？”康妮问。

"Oh, that's different. I don't care at all, in the same way. I know what's good for them, or I try to, and then I just contrive to manage them for their own good. It's not like anybody as you're really fond of. It's quite different. Once you've been really fond of a man, you can be affectionate to almost any man, if he needs you at all. But it's not the same thing. You don't really care. I doubt, once you've really cared, if you can ever really care again.” These words frightened Connie.

“哦，那不同。我并不爱他们。我知道怎样做对他们有益，或者说我会尽力去了解，然后努力帮助他们恢复健康。这跟对待你心爱的男人完全不同。完全是两码事。只要你真正爱过一个男人，就可以对几乎所有男人充满温情，只要他真心真意地需要你。但二者不可混为一谈。你不会再度陷入爱里。我怀疑，一旦你真的爱过，是否还能够再去爱其他人。”这句话让康妮有些害怕。