The next day Mrs. Manson Mingott was much better: she recovered her voice sufficiently to give orders that no one should mention the Beauforts to her again, and asked--when Dr. Bencomb appeared-what in the world her family meant by making such a fuss about her health.
第二天,曼森·明戈特太太身体大有起色:她恢复了说话能力,满可以下达命令,不准任何人再对她提到博福特夫妇,并且在见到本克姆医生时间,一家人对她的健康这样大惊小怪究竟是怎么回事。
"If people of my age WILL eat chicken-salad in the evening what are they to expect?" she enquired; and, the doctor having opportunely modified her dietary, the stroke was transformed into an attack of indigestion.
“假如像我这样年纪的人晚上想吃鸡雏色拉,能行不能行呢?”她问道。医生刚好已为她修改了食谱,于是中风又变成了消化不良。
But in spite of her firm tone old Catherine did not wholly recover her former attitude toward life.
不过,尽管老凯瑟琳说话声音很坚定,但她还没有完全恢复原先的处世态度。
The growing remoteness of old age, though it had not diminished her curiosity about her neighbours, had blunted her never very lively compassion for their troubles; and she seemed to have no difficulty in putting the Beaufort disaster out of her mind.
与日俱增的老年淡泊虽然还没有削弱她对四邻八舍的好奇心,但却已钝化了她从来就不太充沛的同情。看来,将博福特的灾难置之脑后对她来说并不是件难事。
But for the first time she became absorbed in her own symptoms, and began to take a sentimental interest in certain members of her family to whom she had hitherto been contemptuously indifferent.
然而破题儿第一遭,她变得十分关注自己的症状,并且对她迄今一直冷漠轻慢的某些家庭成员开始有了感情。
Mr. Welland, in particular, had the privilege of attracting her notice.
尤其是韦兰先生特别荣幸地引起了她的注意。
Of her sons-in-law he was the one she had most consistently ignored; and all his wife's efforts to represent him as a man of forceful character and marked intellectual ability if he had only "chosen" had been met with a derisive chuckle.
在她的女婿们中间,他一向是她坚决不肯理睬的一位。他妻子讲述他性格坚强、智力超群,只要他“肯”,一切努力都招来一阵咯咯的嘲笑。
But his eminence as a valetudinarian now made him an object of engrossing interest, and Mrs. Mingott issued an imperial summons to him to come and compare diets as soon as his temperature permitted; for old Catherine was now the first to recognise that one could not be too careful about temperatures.
现在他无病呻吟的盛名却使他成了吸引她浓厚兴趣的目标。明戈特太太专横地下令:一俟退烧,他必须立即前来把自己的食谱与她的作一番比较。老凯瑟琳现在第一次认识到,对于发烧万万不可粗心大意。
Twenty-four hours after madame Olenska's summons a telegram announced that she would arrive from Washington on the evening of the following day.
对奥兰斯卡夫人的传召发出24小时之后,接到她的电报,说她将在翌日傍晚从华盛顿赶到。
At the Wellands', where the Newland Archers chanced to be lunching, the question as to who should meet her at Jersey City was immediately raised; and the material difficulties amid which the Welland household struggled as if it had been a frontier outpost, lent animation to the debate.
纽兰·阿切尔夫妇碰巧在韦兰家吃午饭,由谁去泽西城接她的问题便立刻提了出来。韦兰家的家务问题本来就像个前沿阵地一样在重重困难中挣扎,这些困难如今更使争论变得异常热烈。
It was agreed that Mrs. Welland could not possibly go to Jersey City because she was to accompany her husband to old Catherine's that afternoon, and the brougham could not be spared, since, if Mr. Welland were "upset" by seeing his mother-in-law for the first time after her attack, he might have to be taken home at a moment's notice.
大家一致认为,韦兰太太不可能去泽西城,因为当天下午她要陪丈夫去老凯瑟琳家;而且马车也不得闲,韦兰先生是岳母病后第一次去见她,万一感觉“不适”,马车可以随时把他送回来。
The Welland sons would of course be "down town," Mr. Lovell Mingott would be just hurrying back from his shooting, and the Mingott carriage engaged in meeting him; and one could not ask May, at the close of a winter afternoon, to go alone across the ferry to Jersey City, even in her own carriage.
韦兰的儿子们当然要“进城去”,洛弗尔·明戈特正巧在狩猎后匆匆归来,明戈特家的马车也已定好去接他。再说,总不能让梅在冬天的傍晚一个人摆渡去泽西城吧,就算坐她自己的马车也不行。
Nevertheless, it might appear inhospitable --and contrary to old Catherine's express wishes-if Madame Olenska were allowed to arrive without any of the family being at the station to receive her.
虽说如此,可如果让奥兰斯卡夫人自己回来,家里没人去车站接她,那也会显得过于冷淡--显然也违背老凯瑟琳的意愿啊。
It was just like Ellen, Mrs. Welland's tired voice implied, to place the family in such a dilemma.
阿切尔太太厌烦的话音里暗示:只有埃伦这种人才会让一家人如此为难。
"It's always one thing after another," the poor lady grieved, in one of her rare revolts against fate; "the only thing that makes me think mammamust be less well than Dr. Bencomb will admit is this morbid desire to have Ellen come at once, however inconvenient it is to meet her."
“真是祸不单行,”这位可怜的夫人悲叹地说,这种反抗命运的口气在她实属罕见。“妈妈也不想想去接埃伦会有多麻烦,却硬是要让她马上回来,我怕这是一种病态。她一定不像本克姆医生说的那样已经康复了。”
The words had been thoughtless, as the utterances of impatience often are; and Mr. Welland was upon them with a pounce.
人在情急之中常常失口,这些话有些考虑不周,冷不了被韦兰先生抓住了。
"Augusta," he said, turning pale and laying down his fork, "have you any other reason for thinking that Bencomb is less to be relied on than he was?
“奥古斯塔,”他脸色发白,放下手中的叉子说,“你认为本克姆医生不如以前可靠了,还有其他理由吗?
Have you noticed that he has been less conscientious than usual in following up my case or your mother's?"
你注意到他检查我或你母亲的病不像往常那样认真了吗?”
It was Mrs. Welland's turn to grow pale as the endless consequences of her blunder unrolled themselves before her; but she managed to laugh, and take a second helping of scalloped oysters, before she said, struggling back into her old armour of cheerfulness: "My dear, how could you imagine such a thing?
这下轮到韦兰太太脸色发白了,她的错误产生的无尽后果在她面前展现出来。不过她勉力笑了一声,又吃了一口烤牡蛎,然后努力恢复了她那副快活的老面孔说:“亲爱的,你怎么会这样想呢?
I only meant that, after the decided stand mammatook about its being Ellen's duty to go back to her husband, it seems strange that she should be seized with this sudden whim to see her, when there are half a dozen other grandchildren that she might have asked for.
我只不过说,妈妈本来已经明确立场,认为回丈夫身边是埃伦的职责;可现在,放着另外五六个孙子、孙女她不找,却突然想要见她。我觉得这念头有点儿奇怪。
But we must never forget that mamma, in spite of her wonderful vitality, is a very old woman."
不过我们千万不要忘记,尽管妈妈精神极好,可毕竟已到了耄耋之年。”
Mr. Welland's brow remained clouded, and it was evident that his perturbed imagination had fastened at once on this last remark.
韦兰先生额头上的阴云依然不散,他那混乱的想像力显然立刻又集中到她的最后一句话上:
"Yes, your mother's a very old woman; and for all we know Bencomb may not be as successful with very old people.
“是啊,你母亲是很老了,而本克姆医生可能并不擅长医治年老的病人。
As you say, my dear, it's always one thing after another; and in another ten or fifteen years I suppose I shall have the pleasing duty of looking about for a new doctor.
正如你说的,亲爱的,祸不单行。我想,再过10年或15年,我就得高高兴兴地重新找个医生了,
It's always better to make such a change before it's absolutely necessary."
最好别等到万不得已才换人。”
And having arrived at this Spartan decision Mr. Welland firmly took up his fork.
做出这一大无畏的决定之后,韦兰先生又坚定地拿起了餐叉。