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"It did go off beautifully, didn't it?" May questioned from the threshold of the library.
“宴会确实进行得很顺利，对吗？”梅从图书室的门口问道。
Archer roused himself with a start.
阿切尔猛地醒过神来。
As soon as the last carriage had driven away, he had come up to the library and shut himself in, with the hope that his wife, who still lingered below, would go straight to her room.
最后一辆马车刚刚驶走，他便来到图书室，把自己关在里面，心中盼望还在下面拖延的妻子会直接回她的房间去。
But there she stood, pale and drawn, yet radiating the factitious energy of one who has passed beyond fatigue.
然而现在她却站在这儿，面色苍白，脸有些扭歪，但却焕发着劳累过度者虚假的活力。
"May I come and talk it over?" she asked.
“我进来聊聊好吗？”她问。
"Of course, if you like. But you must be awfully sleepy--"
“当然啦，如果你高兴。不过你一定很胭了--”
"No, I'm not sleepy. I should like to sit with you a little."
“不，我不困。我愿跟你坐一小会儿。”
"Very well," he said, pushing her chair near the fire.
“好吧，”他说着，把她的椅子推到火炉前。
She sat down and he resumed his seat; but neither spoke for a long time.
她坐下来，他回到他的座位上。但好大一会儿谁也没有说话。
At length Archer began abruptly: "Since you're not tired, and want to talk, there's something I must tell you. I tried to the other night--."
最后，还是阿切尔突然开了口。“既然你不累，又想谈一谈，那么，有件事我必须告诉你。那天晚上我本想--”
She looked at him quickly. "Yes, dear. Something about yourself?"
她迅速瞥了他一眼。“是啊，亲爱的，一件关于你自己的事？”
"About myself. You say you're not tired: well, I am. Horribly tired..."
“是关于我自己的。你说你不累。唔，我可是非常地累……”
In an instant she was all tender anxiety. "Oh, I've seen it coming on, Newland! You've been so wickedly overworked--"
转瞬之间，她变得忧心忡忡。“唉，我早就知道会这样的，纽兰！你一直劳累过度--”
"Perhaps it's that. Anyhow, I want to make a break--"
“也许是吧。不管怎样，我想停止--”
"A break? To give up the law?"
“停止？不干法律了？”
"To go away, at any rate--at once. On a long trip, ever so far off--away from everything--"
“我想走开，不管怎样--马上就走，远走高飞--丢开一切--”
He paused, conscious that he had failed in his attempt to speak with the indifference of a man who longs for a change, and is yet too weary to welcome it. Do what he would, the chord of eagerness vibrated.
他停住口，意识到自己失败了--他本想以一个渴望变化、而又因为筋疲力尽不想让变化立即来临的人那种冷漠的口气谈这件事的。但是，不管他做什么事，那根渴望的心弦总是在强烈地振动。
"Away from everything--" he repeated.
“丢开一切--”他重复说。
"Ever so far? Where, for instance?" she asked.
“远走高飞？到什么地方--譬如说？”她问道。
"Oh, I don't know. India--or Japan."
“哦，不知道。印度--或者日本。”
She stood up, and as he sat with bent head, his chin propped on his hands, he felt her warmly and fragrantly hovering over him.
她站了起来。他低着头坐在那儿，双手托着下巴，感觉到她的温暖与芳香徘徊在他的上方。
"As far as that? But I'm afraid you can't, dear..." she said in an unsteady voice.
“要走那么远吗？不过，亲爱的，恐怕你不能走……”她声音有点颤抖地说。
"Not unless you'll take me with you."
“除非你带着我。”
And then, as he was silent, she went on, in tones so clear and evenly-pitched that each separate syllable tapped like a little hammer on his brain:
因为他没有作声，她又接着说下去，语调十分清晰、平缓，每一个音节都像小锤子一样敲着他的脑袋。
"That is, if the doctors will let me go... but I'm afraid they won't.
“就是说，如果医生让我去的话……不过恐怕他们不会同意的。
For you see, Newland, I've been sure since this morning of something I've been so longing and hoping for--"
因为，你瞧，纽兰，从今天上午起，我已经肯定了一件我一直在盼望期待的事--”
He looked up at her with a sick stare, and she sank down, all dew and roses, and hid her face against his knee.
他抬起头，心烦意乱地盯着她。她蹲下身子，泪流满面，把脸贴在他的膝上。
"Oh, my dear," he said, holding her to him while his cold hand stroked her hair.
“噢，亲爱的，”他说着把她拉到身边，一面用一只冰冷的手抚摸她的头发。
There was a long pause, which the inner devils filled with strident laughter; then May freed herself from his arms and stood up.
一阵长时间的停顿。这时，内心深处的邪恶又发出刺耳的狂笑。后来，梅挣脱他的怀抱站了起来。
"You didn't guess--?"
“你没有猜到--？”
"Yes--I; no. That is, of course I hoped--"
“不--我--对。我是说，我当然曾希望--”
They looked at each other for an instant and again fell silent; then, turning his eyes from hers, he asked abruptly: "Have you told any one else?"
他俩对视了片刻，又陷入沉默。后来，他将目光从她脸上移开，冷不丁问道：“你告诉过别人吗？”
"Only Mamma and your mother." She paused, and then added hurriedly, the blood flushing up to her forehead: "That is--and Ellen. You know I told you we'd had a long talk one afternoon--and how dear she was to me."
“只有妈妈和你母亲。”她停顿一下，又慌忙补充，额头泛起了一片红润。“就是--还有埃伦。你知道，我曾对你说，有一天下午我们进行了一次长谈--她对我真好。”
"Ah--" said Archer, his heart stopping.
“啊--”阿切尔说，他的心几乎停止了跳动。
He felt that his wife was watching him intently. "Did you MIND my telling her first, Newland?"
他感觉到妻子在目不转睛地注视着他。“纽兰，我先告诉了她，你介意吗？”
"Mind? Why should I?" He made a last effort to collect himself.
“介意？我干吗会介意？”他做出最后的努力镇定下来。
"But that was a fortnight ago, wasn't it? I thought you said you weren't sure till today."
“不过那是两周前的事了，对吧？我还以为你说是今天才肯定下来的呢。”
Her colour burned deeper, but she held his gaze.
她的脸红得更厉害了，但却顶住了他的凝视。
"No; I wasn't sure then--but I told her I was. And you see I was right!" she exclaimed, her blue eyes wet with victory.
“对，当时我是没有把握--但我告诉她我有了。你瞧我是说对了！”她大声地说，那双蓝眼睛充满了胜利的泪水。
