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Chapter II. The Captain
第二章 布朗上尉
It was impossible to live a month at Cranford and not know the daily habits of each resident; and long before my visit was ended I knew much concerning the whole Brown trio.
在克兰福德住上一个月，却不知道每个居民的日常习惯是不可能的；我对克兰福德的拜访还没结束，就对布朗一家三口的情况了如指掌了。
There was nothing new to be discovered respecting their poverty; for they had spoken simply and openly about that from the very first.
关于他们的贫困，没有什么新的东西可发现；因为他们从一开始就简单而公开地谈论过这个问题。
They made no mystery of the necessity for their being economical.
他们毫不隐讳他们必须节省开支。
All that remained to be discovered was the Captain’s infinite kindness of heart, and the various modes in which, unconsciously to himself, he manifested it.
有待发现的只是上尉无限善良的心，以及他在不知不觉中表现善心的各种方式。
Some little anecdotes were talked about for some time after they occurred.
有些小轶事在发生后被谈论了一段时间。
As we did not read much, and as all the ladies were pretty well suited with servants, there was a dearth of subjects for conversation.
由于我们读书不多，而且所有的女士都和仆人关系融洽，所以谈话的话题就很匮乏。
We therefore discussed the circumstance of the Captain taking a poor old woman’s dinner out of her hands one very slippery Sunday.
因此，我们讨论了在一个地湿路滑的星期天，上尉从一个可怜的老妇人手中接过她的晚餐的情况。
He had met her returning from the bakehouse as he came from church, and noticed her precarious footing; and, with the grave dignity with which he did everything, he relieved her of her burden, and steered along the street by her side, carrying her baked mutton and potatoes safely home.
他从教堂出来，遇见她从面包房回来，上尉注意到她脚步不稳，于是他以一贯庄重体面的态度接过她提着的重物，与她并肩走在街上，把她的烤羊肉和烤土豆安全地送回了家。
This was thought very eccentric; and it was rather expected that he would pay a round of calls, on the Monday morning, to explain and apologise to the Cranford sense of propriety: but he did no such thing: and then it was decided that he was ashamed, and was keeping out of sight.
这被认为非常古怪；大家更期待的是，他会在周一早上挨家挨户地拜访，为了这种在克兰福德人看来不合适的行为而解释并道歉：但他并没有这样做：于是大家认定他感到羞愧，所以躲起来了。
In a kindly pity for him, we began to say, “After all, the Sunday morning’s occurrence showed great goodness of heart,” and it was resolved that he should be comforted on his next appearance amongst us; but, lo!
出于对他的善意的怜悯，我们开始说“毕竟，星期天早上发生的事情显示了他的善良之心”，并且决定，等他下次再来我们这里的时候要安慰安慰他；可是，瞧！
He came down upon us, untouched by any sense of shame, speaking loud and bass as ever, his head thrown back, his wig as jaunty and well-curled as usual, and we were obliged to conclude he had forgotten all about Sunday.
他来到我们面前，没有丝毫羞愧感，像往常一样大声而低沉地说着话，头向后仰着，假发像往常一样神气而卷曲，我们不得不断定他已经完全忘记了星期天发生的事。
Miss Pole and Miss Jessie Brown had set up a kind of intimacy on the strength of the Shetland wool and the new knitting stitches;
波尔小姐和杰西·布朗小姐因为设得兰羊毛和新式编织法的缘故而建立了亲密的关系，
so it happened that when I went to visit Miss Pole I saw more of the Browns than I had done while staying with Miss Jenkyns, who had never got over what she called Captain Brown’s disparaging remarks upon Dr Johnson as a writer of light and agreeable fiction.
所以当我去拜访波尔小姐的时候，我比和詹金斯小姐住在一起的时候更常见到布朗一家，詹金斯小姐始终无法释怀布朗上尉说约翰逊博士是写轻松愉快的小说的作家，她认为这是对约翰逊博士的贬低。
I found that Miss Brown was seriously ill of some lingering, incurable complaint, the pain occasioned by which gave the uneasy expression to her face that I had taken for unmitigated crossness.
我发现布朗小姐患了某种慢性的、无法治愈的严重疾病，病痛使她脸上露出不安的表情，而我却误以为那是十足的坏脾气。
Cross, too, she was at times, when the nervous irritability occasioned by her disease became past endurance.
有时她也会发脾气，当疾病引起的紧张和烦躁变得无法忍受时。
Miss Jessie bore with her at these times, even more patiently than she did with the bitter self-upbraidings by which they were invariably succeeded.
杰西小姐在这些时候容忍着她，发过脾气后布朗小姐总是会痛苦地自我责备，杰西小姐对此依然十分有耐心。
Miss Brown used to accuse herself, not merely of hasty and irritable temper, but also of being the cause why her father and sister were obliged to pinch, in order to allow her the small luxuries which were necessaries in her condition.
布朗小姐过去常常自责，不仅是因为她脾气急躁、易怒，还因为她让父亲和妹妹不得不勒紧裤腰带过日子，以便让她能享受一些小奢侈，其实这些小奢侈对她的身体状况来说是必需的。
She would so fain have made sacrifices for them, and have lightened their cares, that the original generosity of her disposition added acerbity to her temper.
她本来是非常愿意为他们作出牺牲、减轻他们的负担的，以至于她那慷慨奉献的天性反而使她的脾气变得更加暴躁了。
All this was borne by Miss Jessie and her father with more than placidity—with absolute tenderness.
所有这一切，杰西小姐和她的父亲都以平静的心态 -- 甚至绝对的温柔 -- 承受着。
I forgave Miss Jessie her singing out of tune, and her juvenility of dress, when I saw her at home.
当我看到杰西小姐在家时，我原谅了她唱歌走调，也原谅了她穿着幼稚。
I came to perceive that Captain Brown’s dark Brutus wig and padded coat (alas! Too often threadbare) were remnants of the military smartness of his youth, which he now wore unconsciously.
我开始意识到，布朗上尉的深色布鲁图斯假发和带垫肩的外套（唉！经常都是穿旧的）是他年轻时意气风发的军队生活的残余，现在他穿着这些衣服的时候似乎已经没有注意到这一点了。
He was a man of infinite resources, gained in his barrack experience.
他是一个有着无限智谋的人，这是他在军营经历中获得的。
As he confessed, no one could black his boots to please him except himself; but, indeed, he was not above saving the little maid-servant’s labours in every way—knowing, most likely, that his daughter’s illness made the place a hard one.
正如他自己承认的那样，除了他自己，没有人能把他的靴子擦得让他满意；不过，他也确实不介意在各方面都帮小女仆省点力气——很可能是因为他知道他女儿的病让女仆在这个家里的工作已经变得很繁重了。
He endeavoured to make peace with Miss Jenkyns soon after the memorable dispute I have named, by a present of a wooden fire-shovel (his own making), having heard her say how much the grating of an iron one annoyed her.
就在我提到的那次令人难忘的争吵后不久，他努力想与詹金斯小姐和解，他送了她一把木制的火铲（他自己做的），因为他曾听她说过，铁铲刮擦的声音让她很烦躁。
She received the present with cool gratitude, and thanked him formally.
她冷淡地接受了礼物，客气地向他表示了感谢。
When he was gone, she bade me put it away in the lumber-room; feeling, probably, that no present from a man who preferred Mr Boz to Dr Johnson could be less jarring than an iron fire-shovel.
他走了以后，詹金斯小姐吩咐我把木火铲放到杂物间去；她大概觉得，一个喜欢博兹先生甚于约翰逊博士的男人，不管送什么礼物所发出的声音都会比铁铲的刮擦声更刺耳。
