第十章（第4/25页）

此刻的她只有一个愿望，那就是置身于这片林中空地。其他的一切都是痛苦的梦境。但为了尽到女主人的职责，她有时需要全天都留在拉格比。此时，她只觉自己变得无比空虚，极度茫然，几乎陷入疯狂的境地。

One evening, guests or no guests, she escaped after tea. It was late, and she fled across the park like one who fears to be called back. The sun was setting rosy as she entered the wood, but she pressed on among the flowers. The light would last long overhead.

某天傍晚，她顾不得是否有客，用完下午茶，便逃出家门。天色已晚，她飞也似地穿过园林，好像生怕被人叫回去。踏进树林时，玫瑰色的夕阳渐渐西沉，但她仍加紧脚步，在花丛间穿行。头顶的光亮可以持续很久。

She arrived at the clearing flushed and semi-conscious. The keeper was there, in his shirt-sleeves, just closing up the coops for the night, so the little occupants would be safe. But still one little trio was pattering about on tiny feet, alert drab mites, under the straw shelter, refusing to be called in by the anxious mother.

她终于到达目的地，面色绯红，精神恍惚。守林人碰巧也在，他穿着长袖衬衣，正准备合上笼门，好让幼小的住客们安度夜晚。但仍有三只拒绝听从母亲急切的召唤，这些褐色的小机灵鬼迈着轻快的脚步，在草棚下嬉戏。

"I had to come and see the chickens!" she said, panting, glancing shyly at the keeper, almost unaware of him. "Are there any more?" "Thurty-six so far!" he said. "Not bad! He too took a curious pleasure in watching the young things come out.

“我太想来看这些小家伙了！”她气喘吁吁地说，羞怯地瞟了一眼守林人，装作不在意他的存在。“添新的了吗？”“已经36只了！”他答道。“还不赖！”亲眼目睹这些小生命呱呱落地，他欣喜莫名。

Connie crouched in front of the last coop. The three chicks had run in. But still their cheeky heads came poking sharply through the yellow feathers, then withdrawing, then only one beady little head eyeing forth from the vast mother-body.

康妮蹲在第五个鸡笼前。那三只小鸡已经跑了进去。但它们的小脑瓜还是从黄色羽毛中探出来，毫无顾忌，过一会儿又缩进去，只剩一颗小圆脑袋，还绕过妈妈硕大的身躯向外张望。

"I'd love to touch them," she said, putting her lingers gingerly through the bars of the coop. But the mother-hen pecked at her hand fiercely, and Connie drew back startled and frightened.

“我想摸摸它们。”她说着，小心翼翼地把手指从笼栏间伸进去。但鸡妈妈猛地向她啄来，康妮惊惧交加，赶忙将手抽回。

"How she pecks at me! She hates me!" she said in a wondering voice. "But I wouldn't hurt them!” The man standing above her laughed, and crouched down beside her, knees apart, and put his hand with quiet confidence slowly into the coop. The old hen pecked at him, but not so savagely. And slowly, softly, with sure gentle fingers, he felt among the old bird's feathers and drew out a faintly-peeping chick in his closed hand.

“她啄我！她不喜欢我！”她惊魂未定地说，“可我不会伤害它们的！”站在一旁的守林人笑出声来，然后在她身边蹲下，两膝分开，自信地悄悄将手伸进慢慢伸进笼里。老母鸡虽然啄了他一下，但不若刚才那般凶狠。缓缓地，轻轻地，他用温柔稳重的手指，在鸡妈妈的羽毛中摸索着，将一只唧唧叫着的小鸡抓了出来。

"There!" he said, holding out his hand to her. She took the little drab thing between her hands, and there it stood, on its impossible little stalks of legs, its atom of balancing life trembling through its almost weightless feet into Connie's hands. But it lifted its handsome, clean-shaped little head boldly, and looked sharply round, and gave a little 'peep'. "So adorable! So cheeky!" she said softly.

“好了！”她说，把小鸡递给他。她把小家伙捧在手里，它的双腿如麦秆般纤细，将自己颤巍巍地支持着平衡的生命力从它几乎感觉不到分量的双脚传递到康妮的手中。它大胆抬起那美丽匀称的小脑袋，机灵地环顾四周，发出唧唧的叫声。“简直太可爱了！实在太勇敢了！”她轻声说。

The keeper, squatting beside her, was also watching with an amused face the bold little bird in her hands. Suddenly he saw a tear fall on to her wrist.

守林人蹲在她旁边，注视着她手中那只勇敢无畏的小鸡，饶有兴致。却蓦地看见一滴眼泪落在她的手腕。

And he stood up, and stood away, moving to the other coop. For suddenly he was aware of the old flame shooting and leaping up in his loins, that he had hoped was quiescent for ever. He fought against it, turning his back to her. But it leapt, and leapt downwards, circling in his knees.

他直起身，远离康妮，向另一个鸡笼走去。因为他突然感觉到小腹处潜伏多日的火焰猛然燃起升腾，他曾经希望这股欲火永远熄灭。他背过身，极力压制着心中的欲望。但它却不断蔓延，向下蔓延，在他的双膝之间打转。

He turned again to look at her. She was kneeling and holding her two hands slowly forward, blindly, so that the chicken should run in to the mother-hen again. And there was something so mute and forlorn in her, compassion flamed in his bowels for her.

他再度转身望向她。她正跪在地上，表情茫然，缓缓向前伸出双手，这样一来，小鸡就能跑进笼里，回到母亲身边。她显得那样静谧，那样凄零，怜惜之情在他的体内油然而生。

Without knowing, he came quickly towards her and crouched beside her again, taking the chick from her hands, because she was afraid of the hen, and putting it back in the coop. At the back of his loins the fire suddenly darted stronger.

不知为何，他快步向她走去，再次蹲在她的身旁，从她手里接过小鸡，将它放回笼中。因为他深知她害怕那护雏心切的母鸡。小腹处的那团火焰燃得更旺了。

He glanced apprehensively at her. Her face was averted, and she was crying blindly, in all the anguish of her generation's forlornness. His heart melted suddenly, like a drop of fire, and he put out his hand and laid his lingers on her knee.

他看着她，目光中充满关切。她把脸扭向一旁，再也无法抑制自己的眼泪，为自己孤寂一生的苦楚黯然神伤。他的心好像一点火花一样瞬间熔化，他伸出手，指尖触碰着她的膝盖。