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She gave me some good reason for wearing her best cap every day, and sat near the window, in spite of her rheumatism, in order to see, without being seen, down into the street.
马蒂小姐给了我一些很合理的理由，说明为什么她每天都戴上最好看的帽子，不顾自己的风湿病坐在窗边，以便在不被别人发现的情况下看到下面的街道。
He came. He put his open palms upon his knees, which were far apart, as he sat with his head bent down, whistling, after we had replied to his inquiries about our safe return.
霍尔布鲁克先生来了。他把张开的手掌放在膝盖上，膝盖分得很开，他问我们回来的旅程可曾安全，我们回答了之后，他就低着头坐着，吹着口哨。
Suddenly he jumped up— “Well, madam! Have you any commands for Paris? I am going there in a week or two.”
突然他跳了起来：“啊，女士们！你有什么吩咐要传达给巴黎吗？我将在一两个星期后去那里。”
“To Paris!” we both exclaimed.
“去巴黎！”我们两人都大声说。
“Yes, madam! I’ve never been there, and always had a wish to go;
“是的，女士们！我从来没有去过巴黎，一直想去；
and I think if I don’t go soon, I mayn’t go at all; so as soon as the hay is got in I shall go, before harvest time.”
我想如果我不尽快去，我可能根本就去不了；所以一等干草收进来，我就去，在收获季节之前去。”
We were so much astonished that we had no commissions.
我们非常惊讶，一时没有什么好吩咐。
Just as he was going out of the room, he turned back, with his favourite exclamation—
就在他要走出房间的时候，他转过身来，说着他最喜欢的感叹词——
“God bless my soul, madam!
“上帝保佑我的灵魂，女士！
But I nearly forgot half my errand.
但我几乎忘记了我一半的差事。
Here are the poems for you you admired so much the other evening at my house.”
这是给你的诗，前几天晚上在我家，你非常欣赏的那些诗。”
He tugged away at a parcel in his coat-pocket.
他用力扯着他外套口袋里的一个包裹。
“Good-bye, miss,” said he; “good-bye, Matty! Take care of yourself.”
“再见，小姐，”他说；“再见，马蒂！照顾好你自己。”
And he was gone.
然后他就走了。
But he had given her a book, and he had called her Matty, just as he used to do thirty years ago.
但他给了她一本书，还叫她马蒂，就像三十年前他常做的那样。
“I wish he would not go to Paris,” said Miss Matilda anxiously.
“我希望他不要去巴黎，”玛蒂尔达小姐焦急地说。
“I don’t believe frogs will agree with him; he used to have to be very careful what he ate, which was curious in so strong-looking a young man.”
“我觉得他可能吃不惯青蛙；他过去吃东西总是非常小心，这对于一个看起来如此强壮的年轻人来说是很奇怪的。”（注：青蛙腿是经典的法国菜。）
Soon after this I took my leave, giving many an injunction to Martha to look after her mistress, and to let me know if she thought that Miss Matilda was not so well; in which case I would volunteer a visit to my old friend, without noticing Martha’s intelligence to her.
不久之后，我就离开了，反复叮嘱玛莎要照顾好她的女主人，如果她觉得玛蒂尔达小姐身体不太好，就告诉我一声；那样的话，我就会主动去看望我的老朋友，而不会让她知道是玛莎告诉我的。
Accordingly I received a line or two from Martha every now and then;
因此，我时不时会收到玛莎的一两句话；
and, about November I had a note to say her mistress was “very low and sadly off her food”;
大约在11月，我收到一张便条，说她的女主人“情绪非常低落，而且令人难过地，还吃不下饭”；
and the account made me so uneasy that, although Martha did not decidedly summon me, I packed up my things and went.
这个消息让我非常不安，尽管玛莎没有明确地召唤我，我还是收拾好行李去了马蒂小姐家。
I received a warm welcome, in spite of the little flurry produced by my impromptu visit, for I had only been able to give a day’s notice.
我受到了热烈欢迎，尽管我这次临时访问引起了一阵小小的慌乱，因为我只能提前一天通知她们。
Miss Matilda looked miserably ill; and I prepared to comfort and cosset her.
玛蒂尔达小姐看上去病得很可怜；我准备安慰她，悉心照料她。
I went down to have a private talk with Martha.
我下楼去和玛莎私下谈谈。
“How long has your mistress been so poorly?” I asked, as I stood by the kitchen fire.
“你家女主人这样不舒服有多久了？”我站在厨房的炉火旁问道。
“Well! I think it’s better than a fortnight; it is, I know; it was one Tuesday, after Miss Pole had been, that she went into this moping way.
“嗯！我觉得超过两周了；是这样，我知道；是在一个周二，波尔小姐来过之后，她才开始这样闷闷不乐的。
I thought she was tired, and it would go off with a night’s rest; but no!
我以为她是累了，休息一晚就会好的；但并没有！
She has gone on and on ever since, till I thought it my duty to write to you, ma’am.”
她后来一直病殃殃的，直到我觉得我有责任写信给您，小姐。”
“You did quite right, Martha.
“你做得很对，玛莎。
It is a comfort to think she has so faithful a servant about her.
想到她身边有你这么一个忠心的仆人，真是一种安慰。
And I hope you find your place comfortable?”
你的差事做起来还顺手吗？”
“Well, ma’am, missus is very kind, and there’s plenty to eat and drink, and no more work but what I can do easily—but—” Martha hesitated.
“嗯，小姐，太太人很好，有很多吃的喝的，活儿我做起来也都不费劲，但是——”玛莎犹豫了。
“But what, Martha?”
“但是什么，玛莎？”
“Why, it seems so hard of missus not to let me have any followers;
“哎呀，太太不让我有任何追求者，这也太严格了；
there’s such lots of young fellows in the town; and many a one has as much as offered to keep company with me;
镇上有这么多年轻小伙子；很多人都提出要和我交往；
and I may never be in such a likely place again, and it’s like wasting an opportunity.
我可能再也不会生活在这种能找到对象的地方了，这就像是在浪费机会。”
Many a girl as I know would have ’em unbeknownst to missus; but I’ve given my word, and I’ll stick to it;
我认识的许多姑娘，都会背着夫人们和追求者来往；可我已经答应了太太，我就得遵守诺言；（注：’em是them的方言发音。）
or else this is just the house for missus never to be the wiser if they did come: and it’s such a capable kitchen—there’s such dark corners in it—I’d be bound to hide any one.
不然的话，这房子倒是很适合瞒着太太，就算他们真的来了，她也不会知道：厨房这么宽敞——里面有很多隐蔽的角落——我肯定能把任何人藏起来。
I counted up last Sunday night—for I’ll not deny I was crying because I had to shut the door in Jem Hearn’s face, and he’s a steady young man, fit for any girl; only I had given missus my word.”
上周日晚上我数了数——我承认我哭了，因为我不得不把杰姆·赫恩关在门外，他是个稳重的年轻人，配得上任何女孩；只是我已经答应了太太。
Martha was all but crying again; and I had little comfort to give her, for I knew, from old experience, of the horror with which both the Miss Jenkynses looked upon “followers”;
玛莎又要哭了；我也没法安慰她，因为根据过去的经验，我知道两位詹金斯小姐都对“追求者”怀着疑惧的态度；
and in Miss Matty’s present nervous state this dread was not likely to be lessened.
而眼下马蒂小姐又情绪紧张，这种疑惧更是不可能减轻了。
