礼拜日

胡杨

There was a letter waiting on Emmelines plate when she came down to breakfast next morning. Letters were rare and joyful events to the Bolton children， and Emmeline thought it very annoying of the servants to troop1 in for prayers before she had had time to see at the contents of this one.

第二天早上埃米琳下楼吃早饭时，发现盘子里有一封信等着她拆阅。对波顿家的孩子们来说，收到信是件难得而又令人愉快的事。埃米琳还没来得及看信的内容，仆人们就成群结队地来做祷告，她觉得这是件很烦人的事。

Sunday prayers， however， never took long， and Emmeline was soon free to fly back to her letter. To her great delight it proved to be from Mary.

不过，礼拜日的祈祷并没有花很长时间，埃米琳很快就可以“飞回”她的信里去了。令她大为高兴的是，这封信原来是玛丽寄来的。

Mary began by saying how very much she was missing them all， and how often she thought of them and wondered how they were getting on. Then followed the really exciting part of the letter：

玛丽一开始就说她有多想念他们大伙儿，有多频繁地想起他们，不知道他们过得怎么样。接下来是这封信中令人兴奋的部分：

“Do you think your Auntie would let you three come over and spend the day with me next Saturday？ Eastwich Fair will be going on， and it would be nice for you to go and see it， especially as you were disappointed last year on account of the scarlet fever being in the town. Tell Master Micky he shall have shrimps2 for tea if he can come， and give him and Miss Kitty each a kiss from me.”

“你觉得下个星期六你姨妈会让你们三个人来和我共度一天吗？伊斯特维奇交易会就要开始了，你要是能来看看就好了，尤其是去年你因为在城里得了猩红热而错过了。告诉米奇少爷，如果他能来，我就请他便餐的时候吃虾，然后给他和基蒂小姐每人一个吻。”

Emmeline looked up from her letter with shining eyes. “Oh， Aunt Grace，” she cried， “this is a letter from Mary， asking us three to go and spend the day with her next Saturday！The Fair will be going on—thats why she is asking us just now. We may go， maynt we？”

埃米琳的视线从信上移开，抬起头来，眼神闪闪发光。“噢，格蕾丝姨妈，”她叫道，“这是玛丽写的一封信，请我们三个人下星期六去和她一起玩一天！交易會马上就要开始了——这就是她刚才问我们的原因。我们可以去，对吗？”

“Three cheers for Mary！” cried Kitty， jumping up and down， as her custom was when excited.

“为玛丽欢呼三声！”基蒂叫了起来，跳上跳下，这是她每次表达兴奋的习惯。

“For shes a jolly good fellow！” said Micky， in what Aunt Grace called his sea-captains voice.

“因为她是个快乐的朋友！”米奇插嘴说，用他被格蕾丝姨妈形容为像船长的声音。

“Have you been used to going to this Fair other years？” asked Aunt Grace， who was looking rather troubled as she poured out the tea.

“你以前常去这个交易会吗？”格蕾丝姨妈问，她倒茶的时候显得有些不安。

“No， because till Grandmamma Moorby died we always used to go and stay with her for August and September， and last year there was the scarlet fever； but we may go this year， maynt we， Aunt Grace？” repeated Emmeline a little impatiently.

“沒有，因为在穆尔比奶奶去世以前，我们总是在八月和九月和她住在一起，去年（我）还得了猩红热；但是我们今年能去，是吗，格蕾丝姨妈？”埃米琳有点不耐烦地重复了一遍。

“I must think about it， Emmeline，” said Aunt Grace quietly. “Kitty， will you pass Emmeline her tea—for one thing， Saturday isnt a whole holiday， you know.”

“我必须考虑一下，埃米琳，”格蕾丝姨妈平静地说。“基蒂，请你把茶递给埃米琳好吗？首先，星期六并不是一个完整的假日，你知道的。”

“Oh， but we can work on Wednesday afternoon，” said Emmeline. “One whole holiday comes to the same thing as two half ones.”

“噢，不过我们星期三下午可以工作，”埃米琳说。“一个完整的假期相当于两个半假期。”

“Not quite，” said Aunt Grace. “Your afternoon work is never so much as what you do in the morning. But well see whether it can be arranged.”

“不完全是，”格蕾丝姨妈说。“你下午的工作从来没有你早上做的事情那么多。但我们会看看能否安排好。”

“‘Well see always means ‘yes in the end，” said Kitty.

“‘我们看看最后总是意味着‘是，”基蒂说。

“No， Kitty， said Aunt Grace， rather distressed， “I dont at all promise. I should like you to have the pleasure， but I dont yet know whether it will be possible.”

“不，基蒂，”格蕾丝姨妈说，相当苦恼地，“我可没答应。我希望你能去玩一次，但我还不知道这是否可能。”

“Oh， Aunt Grace！” cried Kitty. “You cant not let us go to the Fair. There are such darling baby elephants！”

“噢，格蕾丝姨妈！”基蒂嚷道，“你不能不让我们去交易会。那里有那么可爱的小象！”

“Yes，” added Micky， “and there are boats which go up and down， and up and down， and round and round， till you get as lovely and seasick as if you were on the real sea！” Micky spoke without any thought of sarcasm3.

“是的，”米奇补充道，“还有几艘船，它们上上下下，上上下下，转啊转，直到你变得可爱和晕船，就像在真正的大海上一样！”米奇说话时丝毫不带讽刺之意。

“Dear me！ I should be very sorry to stand in the way of Mickys having the pleasure of being seasick！” said Aunt Grace， with one of her funny little smiles. “Ill see what can be done， children. But dont say any more about it just now.”

“亲爱的！我很抱歉妨碍了米奇享受晕船的乐趣！”格蕾丝姨妈笑了笑，说道：“孩子们，我来看看能做些什么。不过，现在别再提这件事了。”

The twins were a good-humoured little couple， and quite aware that Aunt Grace was always glad to give them pleasure when she could， so they left off teasing4 to go to the Fair and devoted their attention to their boiled eggs. Eggs were a special Sunday treat. Emmeline， however， ate even her egg in blue silence. Perhaps it was hardly consistent5 for a young lady who judged her aunt so severely for worldliness6 to set her heart on attending a fair， but the best of us are inconsistent sometimes. Besides， it was not only the possible loss of the pleasure itself with which she was not happy； there was Marys disappointment to be thought of—dear Mary， who had been like a mother to them all while Aunt Grace was enjoying herself in London. Altogether Emmeline felt that she did well to be angry， and went on nursing her grievance7 all the morning.

这对双胞胎是一对性情温和的“小伙伴”，他们很清楚格蕾丝姨妈只要有可能，总是乐意给他们带来欢乐的，所以他们就不再逗着要去参加交易会，而是专心吃煮鸡蛋。鸡蛋在星期日是一种特殊的食物。然而，埃米琳却在忧郁的沉默中吃完她的鸡蛋。也许对一位年轻的女士来说，如果她一心认为姨妈太过世故，那么她就会一心一意地要去参加这个交易会，这也许与她自己的想法并不太一致，可即便是我们中最优秀的人，有时也会前后矛盾。此外，她所不满的不仅是可能失去的乐趣本身；一想到亲爱的玛丽会失望——当格蕾丝姨妈在伦敦玩得高兴的时候，玛丽她就像他们所有人的母亲一样。埃米琳觉得她生气是有道理的，因此整个上午都在抱怨。

The day was a wet one. In the morning it drizzled8， though not enough to keep the party from church， but at lunch-time the rain began to fall so heavily that the usual Sunday walk was clearly out of the question.

那天是雨天。早晨下着毛毛雨，虽然还不足以使聚会的人不去教堂，但到了午餐时间，雨开始下得很大，显然不可能像往常那样在礼拜日散步了。

“Ive got some letters I must write，” said Aunt Grace as they rose from the table， “but I shall have finished them before very long， and then I shall be very pleased to go on with The Pilgrims Progress”.

“我有几封信要写，”格蕾丝姨妈说，他们从桌边站起身来，“不过我很快就会写完的，到那时我就会非常高兴地繼续写《天路历程》了。”

She went to the drawing-room， where Emmeline followed her， with the intention of writing an aggrieved9 letter to Mary， while Micky and Kitty repaired to the schoolroom on some business of their own.

她走到客厅，埃米琳跟在后面，打算给玛丽写一封愤愤不平的信，而米奇和基蒂则到教室里去处理他们自己的事情。

Somehow Emmelines grievance did not seem quite so impressive when she came to write it down， or perhaps it was that her pen still travelled too slowly for her thoughts. In any case she grew bored presently， and wandered upstairs to the schoolroom to see what the twins were doing. Judging from the eager sound of their voices as she drew near the schoolroom door， it seemed to be something interesting.

不知怎的，当埃米琳要把它写下来的时候，她的怨气似乎没有那么强烈了，也许是因为她的笔跟不上她的思绪。不管怎样，不久她就觉得无聊了，于是就上楼到教室里去看看那对双胞胎在干什么。她走近教室门口时从他们急切的说话声判断，这似乎是件有趣的事情。

She found them sitting on the floor， playing with their bricks.

她发现他们坐在地板上玩积木。

“Well， I never！” she cried with a very good imitation10 of Janes voice of righteous11 wrath12. “To think of playing with bricks on Sunday！You know Mary never let us.” Emmeline spoke in a quite sincere belief that it was her duty as an elder sister to keep the twins in the way that they should go， but perhaps her elder-sisterly mission was all the easier today because she was in a bad humour with the world in general.

“嗯，我从来没有！”她很好地模仿了简义愤填膺的声音，大声喊道。“想想礼拜日玩积木吧！你知道玛丽从不让我们这样做。”埃米琳说得很真诚，她相信作为一个姐姐，她有责任让这对双胞胎保持他们应有的生活方式，不过，也许她姐姐的使命今天更容易完成些，因为她心情不好，觉得整个世界都在和她作对。

The twins only giggled in an annoying way. “Mary isnt here now，” sang out Micky.

那对双胞胎只是咯咯地笑得让人讨厌。“玛丽现在不在这里，”米奇喊道。

“And Im sure Aunt Grace wouldnt mind，” added Kitty defiantly13.

“我相信格蕾丝姨妈不会介意的，”基蒂挑衅地补充道。

The hard lump which Emmeline knew so well at such times rose suddenly in her throat. So even the twins were going over to the enemy！ “Well， of all the hateful children！” she exclaimed hotly， while the tears rushed to her eyes， and again the twins laughed in a provoking14 way.

在这种时候，埃米琳非常熟悉的喉咙哽咽的感觉突然涌了上来。所以就连这对双胞胎也要投敌了！ “好吧，都是讨人厌的孩子！”她激动地叫了起来，眼泪夺眶而出，双胞胎又一次以一种令人生气的方式笑了起来。

“Why， whats happening here？” asked Aunt Graces voice as she opened the schoolroom door.

“怎么了，这是怎么回事？”格蕾丝姨妈打开教室的门问道。

“It is a Sunday game—really and truly it is，” declared Kitty.

“这是一场礼拜日的比赛，千真万确，”基蒂说。

“It isnt，” said Emmeline. “They would never have thought of playing with bricks on Sunday at home.”

“不是的，”埃米琳说。“他们从来没有想过礼拜日在家玩积木。”

“It is quite a Sunday game，” repeated Kitty. “We are starting a Home for brick widows and orphans15. The long bricks are the widows and the little ones the orphans. It was last night that made us think of it.”

“这是一场礼拜日的比赛，”基蒂重复道。“我们正在为积木里的寡妇和孤儿建一个家。长的积木是寡妇，小的积木是孤儿。昨晚我们才想起这件事的。”

“Yes，” said Micky， “tomorrow we shall play that the brick-box is a thieves home， and the little bricks will be clever little boy thieves， and the big ones grown-up thieves. That will be much more exciting， only Kitty thought the Home was best for Sunday.”

“是的，”米奇说，“明天我们要玩的是，积木盒子是小偷的巢穴，小积木将是聪明的小男孩小偷，而那些大的则是成年窃贼。这会令人更兴奋，只有基蒂觉得礼拜日在家最好。”

“I agree with Kitty，” said Mr. Faulkner， who had come into the schoolroom behind Aunt Grace without the children noticing him in the heat of the argument. Emmeline looked rather embarrassed and ashamed now that she was aware of his presence， but the twins were brave as ever.

“我同意基蒂的看法，”福克納先生说，他跟在格蕾丝姨妈后面走进教室，孩子们在激烈的争论中并没有注意到他。埃米琳现在意识到他的存在，显得有些难为情，但这对双胞胎却一如既往地勇敢无畏。

“Well， suppose you put the widows and orphans back into the Home now，” Aunt Grace suggested， “and then， if you come down into the drawing-room， Mr. Faulkner will tell some interesting stories about the real orphans. Wont you， Mr. Faulkner？”

“好吧，假如你现在把寡妇和孤儿送回家里去，”格蕾丝姨妈建议道，“接下来，如果你们下楼到客厅里来，福克纳先生会讲一些关于真正孤儿的有趣故事给你们听。福克纳先生，你愿意吗？”

“Ill tell stories certainly，” he replied， “whether theyll be interesting is another matter.”

“我当然会讲故事，”他回答道，“它们是否有趣是另一回事。”

“Oh yes， they will，” said Kitty. “We were ever so interested last night， werent we， Micky？”

“噢，不，它们会有趣的，”基蒂说。“昨天晚上我们就很感兴趣，不是吗，米奇？”

“That was partly because of the lantern，” said Micky frankly， as he flung unlucky brick orphans violently back into the brick-box Home. “But the stories were decent， too，” he added kindly.

“这在一定程度上是因为灯笼，”米奇坦率地说，他把不幸的积木孤儿粗暴地扔回了积木盒，“但故事也很不错，”他亲切地补充道。

A few minutes later the whole party were seated in the drawing room. The children listened with all attention as Mr. Faulkner told stories， some so funny that his audience went into lots of laughter， and some so sad that Aunt Graces eyes filled with tears. Even Emmeline was charmed out of her unhappiness， and became like a different being.

几分钟后，大家都坐在了客厅里。福克纳先生讲故事的时候，孩子们听得聚精会神，有的滑稽得让听众们哄堂大笑，有的悲惨得令格蕾丝姨妈的眼睛里都充满了泪水。就连埃米琳也被迷住了，忘记了她的不愉快，变成了另一个人。

“Do tell us some more about that wonderful little Kathleen who was so very good to the poor—the child you spoke about last night，” she pleaded， as Mr. Faulkner paused for a moment.

福克纳先生停顿了一会儿，她恳求道：“请一定要多告诉我们一些关于那个可爱的小凯萨琳的事，她对穷人非常好，就是你昨天晚上提到的那个孩子。”

“No，” said Aunt Grace， almost sharply for her， “that was the only part of last nights lecture I didnt enjoy. I think that little girl was in a false position altogether.”

“不，”格蕾丝姨妈说，几乎是严厉地对她说道：“这是昨晚故事中我唯一不喜欢的部分。我认为那个小女孩完全错了。”

Mr. Faulkner looked decidedly taken aback. “But surely you approve16 of children trying to help their less happy brothers and sisters？” he said.

福克纳先生显然吃了一惊。“但是你肯定赞成孩子们去帮助他们不太幸福的兄弟姐妹吧？”他说。

“Certainly，” said Aunt Grace， “but the help should be of a suitable kind. That child was encouraged to help people who were in many ways better and wiser than herself， and certainly far more experienced. I am sure such help does harm， not only to those on whom it is offered to， but to the child who gives it. I expect your little girl soon became self-conscious and self-conceited17， however pure her motives may have been to start with.”

“当然可以，”格蕾丝姨妈说，“不过这种帮助应该是适当的。这个孩子被鼓励去帮助那些在许多方面比她更好、更聪明，当然也更有经验的人。我相信这样的帮助不仅对那些被给予的人，而且对给予的孩子都是有害的。我猜你说的小女孩儿很快就会变得敏感和自以为是起来，不管当初她的动机有多么纯洁。”

“I cant say as to that， for I never knew the child，” said Mr. Faulkner， “but as to the effect of her influence， I am sure from many things I have heard that it was nothing but good.”

福克纳先生说：“关于这个，我无法知道，因为我从来就不认识那个孩子，但说到她的影响，我可以肯定，从听说的许多事情来看，她的影响都是好的。”

“Mr. Faulkner， can you turn coach-wheels？” broke in Micky anxiously. He wanted much to develop a hero-worship for Mr. Faulkner， but could not quite make up his mind to do so till he was satisfied on this important point.

“福克納先生，你会驾驭马车吗？”米奇焦急地插嘴说。他非常想崇拜福克纳先生，但是直到他对这一重要问题感到满意之后，才下定决心这样做。

“Rather！” said Mr. Faulkner. “Id show you now if it wasnt Sunday， but Ill tell you what—if Miss Bolton will let me， Ill come again tomorrow afternoon， and you and I will have a coach-wheel exhibition. By the way， I suppose you can turn them yourself？”

“更确切地说！”福克纳先生说，“如果不是礼拜日，我现在就带你去看看，不过我要告诉你，要是波顿小姐愿意，我明天下午再来，你和我可以看一次马车展览。顺便问一下，我想你自己能驾驭它们吧？”

“Oh yes， Micky could go in for a coach-wheel championship，” said Aunt Grace proudly.

“噢，对，米奇可以参加一个马车驾驭赛，”格蕾丝姨妈自豪地说。

“And can you ride bare-back？” asked Micky.

“你能骑无马鞍的吗？”米奇接着问。

“I have done so on occasion，” said Mr. Faulkner， laughing. “Can you？”

“我有时也这样做。”福克纳先生笑着说，“你能吗？”

“Well， I havent yet，” Micky said to himself， “but I mean to when our donkey comes. Were going to buy a donkey， you know， as soon as Aunt Grace gets her next quarters money.”

“嗯，我还没试过，”米奇自言自语地说，“但我想等我们的驴到的时候。你知道的，格蕾丝姨妈一拿到下一季度的钱，我们就去买一头驴。”

So the merry talk went on， while all the time Emmeline sat by in silent anger. To think of Aunt Grace daring to disapprove of the wonderful child who was Emmelines ideal18！But Aunt Grace wanted everybody to be as frivolous19 and worldly20 as herself！

于是，愉快的談话继续进行着，而埃米琳却一直坐在一旁，一言不发，愤愤不平。想到格蕾丝姨妈竟敢不赞同这个可爱的孩子，而这个孩子正是埃米琳的理想！但是格蕾丝姨妈希望每个人都像她自己一样轻浮和世俗！

1. troop [ ] vi. （尤指悲伤或疲惫地） 成群结队地走 [非正式]

2. shrimp [ ] n. 虾；小虾

3. sarcasm [ ] n. 讽刺；挖苦；嘲笑

4. tease [ ] vt. 取笑；戏弄；强求

5. consistent [ ] adj. 始终如一的，一致的；坚持的

6. worldliness [ ] n. 俗气；世俗心；世故；物欲

7. grievance [ ] n. 不满，不平；委屈；冤情

8. drizzle [ ] vi. 下毛毛雨

9. aggrieved [ ] adj. 受委屈的，愤愤不平的；权利受到不法侵害的

10. imitation [ ] n. 模仿，仿造；仿制品

11. righteous [ ] adj. 正义的；正直的；公正的

12. wrath [ ] n. 愤怒；激怒

13. defiantly [ ] adv. 挑战地；对抗地

14. provoking [ ] adj. 刺激的；令人生气的，激怒人的

15. orphan [ ] n. 孤儿

16. approve [ ] vt. 批准；赞成；为……提供证据；vi. 批准；赞成；满意

17. conceited [ ] adj. 自负的；狂想的；逞能的

18. ideal [ ] n. 理想；典范

19. frivolous [ ] adj. 无聊的；轻佻的；琐碎的

20. worldly [ ] adj. 世俗的；世间的；尘世的