Chapter 4 Godfrey is in trouble(1)
第四章戈弗雷遇到了麻煩(一)
Godfrey was not very surprised to find that Dunstan had not come home after his day's hunting. Perhaps he was staying the night at a public house. But when Dunstan did not return home the next day, Godfrey began to worry about Wildfire. He did not trust his brother, and wondered if Dunstan had gone away to spend the money on gambling. So he decided to go to look for him. On the road near Raveloe he met his neighbour, John Bryce, who had arranged to buy Wildfire from Dunstan.
鄧斯坦打獵當天沒回家鹅髓，戈弗雷一點也不奇怪∶镣ⅲ可能他那晚都呆在酒館。但第二天鄧斯坦還沒回家時，戈弗雷開始擔心野火了伶丐。他不信他弟弟，想知道鄧斯坦是不是把錢拿去賭博了疯特。他打算去找他哗魂。剛出拉弗爾村，他在路上遇到了鄰居約翰·布萊斯(John Bryce)漓雅，就是打算從鄧斯坦手上買野火的人啡彬。
‘Well, Godfrey,’ said Bryce, ‘did your brother tell you about the horse?’
“你好，戈弗雷故硅，”布萊斯說庶灿，“你弟弟跟你說了馬的事嗎？”
‘What do you mean, John?' replied Godfrey quickly. 'No, he hasn't been home yet. What's happened to my horse?’
“什么意思吃衅，約翰往踢？”戈弗雷連忙問。 “沒說徘层，他還沒回家峻呕。我的馬出什么事了？”
‘Ah, so he was yours, was he? Dunstan told me you'd given him Wildfire. I was going to buy him, you know.’
“啊趣效，是你的馬呀瘦癌？鄧斯坦說你把野火送他了。你知道我想買那匹馬跷敬⊙端剑”
‘What's Dunstan done? Is Wildfire hurt?’ asked Godfrey crossly.
“鄧斯坦做什么了？野火受傷了嗎西傀？”戈弗雷生氣地問斤寇。
‘Worse than that,’ answered Bryce. ‘I’m afraid your horse is dead. We’ve only just found him. Your brother rode him to the hunt and the horse fell at a gate and broke his back. So you haven’t seen Dunstan since yesterday?’
“情況比那還糟，”布萊斯回拥褂∧锼“恐怕你的馬已經(jīng)死了。我們剛找到那匹馬饺鹃。你弟弟騎它去打獵莫秆，在跨欄處，馬摔斷了背悔详。昨天就沒見過鄧斯坦了镊屎？”
‘No, and he’d better not come home now!' replied Godfrey angrily. ‘How stupid I was to trust him with my horse!’
“沒見過，他最好現(xiàn)在沒回家伟端！”戈弗雷怒不可遏地回杯道》嘶停“我托他賣馬责蝠，真是太蠢了党巾！”
‘But where can Dunstan be? I suppose he wasn’t hurt, because we didn't find him near the horse.’
“但鄧斯坦去哪了？我想他應該沒受傷霜医，我們沒在馬的附近找到他齿拂。
‘Him?’ said Godfrey bitterly. ‘Oh, he’ll be all right. He’ll never be hurt - he only ever hurts other people! We’ll hear of him soon enough, don't worry.’
“他受傷？”戈弗雷陰陽怪氣地說肴敛∈鸷＃“哦，他沒事的医男。他可不會受傷——他只會傷害別人砸狞！我們很快會有他消息的，別擔心了镀梭〉渡”
Bryce said goodbye and rode away. Godfrey rode slowly back into Raveloe, thinking about what he would very soon have to do. There was no longer any escape. He must confess the whole truth to his father. For the rest of the day he planned what he would say. He would explain that he had lent Fowler’s money to Dunstan, because Dunstan knew his secret. That would be the right moment to tell the Squire about his secret marriage to Molly. ‘But he'll be very angry!’ thought Godfrey. ‘And when he's angry with people, he just wants to punish them! He won’t listen or calm down! But perhaps he'll keep my secret - he's so proud of the family name! And if he disinherited me, everyone would talk about it.!
布萊斯道完別就騎著馬走了。戈弗雷慢慢走回拉弗爾报账，想他接下來要做什么研底。沒必要隱瞞了。他必須向他父親坦白一切透罢。當天剩下的時間里榜晦，他想好了要說的話。他要說清楚他把福勒的錢借給鄧斯坦了羽圃，因為鄧斯坦揪著他的秘密不放乾胶。也正好告訴鄉(xiāng)紳他與莫莉偷偷結婚的事⌒嗄“但他會很生氣胚吁！”戈弗雷想〕钽荆“他生氣時腕扶，就知道懲罰人！會聽不進去半句話也冷靜不下來吨掌！但也許他會閉口不提我的秘密——我們家族是他的驕傲半抱！如果他剝奪了我的繼承權，人人都會對這事議論紛紛膜宋。
When he went to bed that night, Godfrey thought he had decided what to say. But when he woke up in the morning, he could not see any reason to confess to the marriage. Why should he lose the chance of marrying Nancy? Why should he tell the whole truth now, when perhaps it was not necessary? No, it would be better to go on in the same way as before. Perhaps Dunstan would stay away for a while, and then there would be no need to tell his father about Molly. ‘But today I'll tell the Squire about the money.’ he thought. ‘He'll have to know about that.'
當晚戈弗雷上床睡覺時窿侈，他覺得自己想清楚了。但第二天早上醒時秋茫，他找不到任何理由來吐露這段婚姻史简。為什么他要失去娶南希的機會？為什么他要在沒必要的時候肛著，說出真相圆兵？只字不提跺讯，最好還是像以前一樣瞞著⊙撑可能鄧斯坦會離開一段時間刀脏，這樣就沒必要告訴父親莫莉的事了。 “但今天我得跟鄉(xiāng)紳說錢的事超凳∮郏” 他想。 “他必須知道這件事轮傍≡荼ⅲ”
Godfrey was already in the dining room when his father arrived for breakfast. The Squire sat down at the head of the table and ordered the servant to bring him some beer.
他父親來用早膳時，戈弗雷已經(jīng)在餐廳了创夜。鄉(xiāng)紳坐到桌子的首位擎析，吩咐仆人給他端點啤酒來。
‘Haven't you had breakfast yet, Godfrey?’ he asked.
“還沒用早膳嗎挥下，戈弗雷揍魂？”他問。
‘Yes, I have, sir,’ replied Godfrey, ‘but I was waiting to speak to you.’
“吃過了棚瘟，先生现斋，”戈弗雷回，“我在等你偎蘸，有事要說庄蹋。”
‘Well, you young people have plenty of time,’ answered the Squire. ‘We older ones have to do all the work.’
“好，你們年輕人有的是時間，”鄉(xiāng)紳回器钟∧┘觯“我們這些老家伙得忙個不停厘托。”
Godfrey looked straight at his father. ‘Sir,’ he said bravely, ‘I must tell you - something very unfortunate has happened to Wildfire.’
戈弗雷直直地看著他父親。“先生扰柠，”他鼓起勇氣說，“我一定要告訴你——野火出大事了疼约÷钡担”
‘What! Has he broken a leg? I thought you could ride better than that! Well, you can't expect me to pay for a new horse. I'm very short of money at the moment. And I’m angry with Fowler - he still hasn't paid me what he owes me. If he doesn't pay today, he’ll go to prison!’ The Squire's face was red, and he banged angrily on the table as he Spoke.
“出事！他摔斷腿了程剥？我以為你騎術應該沒這么差劝枣！呃，你甭想我會再買匹馬給你。我現(xiàn)在缺錢得很舔腾。正生福勒的氣——他欠我的錢溪胶，到現(xiàn)在都沒還。他要是今天再不還錢琢唾，我就把他弄到監(jiān)獄去！”鄉(xiāng)紳漲紅了臉盾饮，邊說邊憤怒地拍桌子采桃。
‘It's worse than breaking a leg,’ continued Godfrey miserably. ‘Wildfire's dead. But I don't want you to buy me another horse. I just feel sorry I can’t pay you - you see, sir, the truth is, I'm very sorry, Fowler did pay the money. He gave it to me, and I was stupid enough to let Dunstan have it. And he was going to sell Wildfire and then I was going to repay you the money.’
“比摔斷腿嚴重，”戈弗雷痛苦地說丘损∑瞻欤“野火死了。我不要你再買馬給我徘钥。只是過意不去衔蹲，我沒錢給你——先生，我很自責呈础，事實是福勒還了錢舆驶。他把錢給我了，我犯蠢而钞，把錢給了鄧斯坦沙廉。后來托他去賣野火，以為有錢還你了臼节。
PS:本書為書蟲系列四級讀物撬陵，由英國著名女作家喬治·艾略特所著、英國書蟲系列著名作家克萊爾·韋斯特改寫网缝。
英文為書蟲系列原文巨税，譯文是筆者翻譯。本文僅因個人興趣而譯粉臊，故本文謝絕轉載和各種商業(yè)用途草添，同時承諾若出現(xiàn)任何責任由作者承擔，必要時簡書可刪除文章扼仲。
