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Whereupon Miss Matty sat down and cried very heartily, and accounted for it by saying that the thought of Martha being married so soon gave her quite a shock, and that she should never forgive herself if she thought she was hurrying the poor creature.
于是马蒂小姐坐下来，痛痛快快地哭了一场，她解释说，她哭是因为一想到玛莎这么快就要结婚了，她就感到非常震惊，如果她认为是她自己在催这个可怜的姑娘结婚，那么她永远也不会原谅自己。
I think my pity was more for Jem, of the two; but both Miss Matty and I appreciated to the full the kindness of the honest couple, although we said little about this, and a good deal about the chances and dangers of matrimony.
我觉得在他们两人之中，我更为杰姆感到同情；但是马蒂小姐和我都完全领略到了这对诚实情侣的好意，尽管我们对此只字未提，却对婚姻的偶然性和危险谈了很多。
The next morning, very early, I received a note from Miss Pole, so mysteriously wrapped up, and with so many seals on it to secure secrecy, that I had to tear the paper before I could unfold it.
第二天早上，很早的时候，我收到了波尔小姐的一张便条，便条被非常神秘地卷了起来，上面还盖了很多印章以确保机密，我不得不撕开纸才能展开它。
And when I came to the writing I could hardly understand the meaning, it was so involved and oracular.
当我开始读上面写的字时，我几乎无法理解其中的含义，内容是如此复杂和晦涩难懂。
I made out, however, that I was to go to Miss Pole’s at eleven o’clock; the number eleven being written in full length as well as in numerals, and A.M. twice dashed under, as if I were very likely to come at eleven at night, when all Cranford was usually abed and asleep by ten.
我还是弄明白了，波尔小姐让我在上午十一点去她家；“十一”既用数字又用文字完整地拼写了出来，“上午”这个词下面还划了两道线，好像我很可能会在晚上十一点去似的，而在克兰福德，大家通常十点就上床睡觉了。
There was no signature except Miss Pole’s initials reversed, P.E.; but as Martha had given me the note, “with Miss Pole’s kind regards,” it needed no wizard to find out who sent it; and if the writer’s name was to be kept secret, it was very well that I was alone when Martha delivered it.
除了 被颠倒过来的波尔小姐名字的首字母P.E.之外，没有任何落款；但是因为玛莎把便条给我的时候说“波尔小姐向你致以亲切的问候”，所以不需要巫师就能知道这是谁寄来的；如果写便条的人的名字要保密，那么玛莎送来便条的时候我正独自待着倒是很好的。
I went as requested to Miss Pole’s.
我按要求去了波尔小姐家。
The door was opened to me by her little maid Lizzy in Sunday trim, as if some grand event was impending over this work-day.
门是她的小女仆莉齐为我开的，她正穿着周日礼拜服，仿佛这个工作日即将发生什么大事。
And the drawing-room upstairs was arranged in accordance with this idea.
楼上的客厅也是按照这个想法布置的。
The table was set out with the best green card-cloth, and writing materials upon it.
桌子上铺着最好的绿色绒布，上面放着书写用具。
On the little chiffonier was a tray with a newly-decanted bottle of cowslip wine, and some ladies’-finger biscuits.
在小梳妆台上有一个托盘，上面放着一瓶新斟的樱草酒和一些手指饼干。
Miss Pole herself was in solemn array, as if to receive visitors, although it was only eleven o’clock.
波尔小姐自己也穿着盛装，仿佛要接待访客，尽管才十一点钟。
Mrs Forrester was there, crying quietly and sadly, and my arrival seemed only to call forth fresh tears.
福里斯特夫人在那里，静静地、悲伤地哭泣着，而我的到来似乎只是让她又流下了新的眼泪。
Before we had finished our greetings, performed with lugubrious mystery of demeanour, there was another rat-tat-tat, and Mrs Fitz-Adam appeared, crimson with walking and excitement.
我们互致问候还没结束（大家莫名地以非常悲伤地方式互相问候），就听到了另一阵敲门声，接着菲茨-亚当夫人出现了，因为刚走了路和心情激动而满脸通红。
It seemed as if this was all the company expected; for now Miss Pole made several demonstrations of being about to open the business of the meeting, by stirring the fire, opening and shutting the door, and coughing and blowing her nose.
似乎这就是主人等待的所有客人了；因为现在波尔小姐做了几个动作，表示要开始开会了，她拨弄了一下炉火，开关了一下门，咳嗽了几声，擤了擤鼻子。
Then she arranged us all round the table, taking care to place me opposite to her; and last of all, she inquired of me if the sad report was true, as she feared it was, that Miss Matty had lost all her fortune?
接着她让我们围着桌子坐好，特意把我安排在她对面；最后她问我，那个令人难过的传闻是否属实（她认为是属实的），而且她担心马蒂小姐已经失去了所有财产。
Of course, I had but one answer to make; and I never saw more unaffected sorrow depicted on any countenances than I did there on the three before me.
当然，我只能给出一个答案；我从未见过比我面前这三张脸上所表现的更真实的悲伤。
“I wish Mrs Jamieson was here!” said Mrs Forrester at last; but to judge from Mrs Fitz-Adam’s face, she could not second the wish.
“真希望贾米森夫人在这里！”福里斯特夫人终于说道；但从菲茨-亚当夫人的脸色判断，她无法附和这个愿望。
“But without Mrs Jamieson,” said Miss Pole, with just a sound of offended merit in her voice, “we, the ladies of Cranford, in my drawing-room assembled, can resolve upon something.
“但是没有贾米森夫人，”波尔小姐说，她的声音里带着一丝被冒犯的意味，“我们克兰福德的女士们，在我家客厅里聚集的女士们，也是能够做出一些决定的。
I imagine we are none of us what may be called rich, though we all possess a genteel competency, sufficient for tastes that are elegant and refined, and would not, if they could, be vulgarly ostentatious.”
我想我们谁也不能算是富人，尽管我们都拥有一份足以维持优雅和精致品味的财力，而且即使我们有能力，也不会粗俗地炫耀。”
(Here I observed Miss Pole refer to a small card concealed in her hand, on which I imagine she had put down a few notes.)
（这时我注意到波尔小姐看了看藏在她手里的一张小卡片，我想她在上面写了一些笔记。）
“Miss Smith,” she continued, addressing me (familiarly known as “Mary” to all the company assembled, but this was a state occasion), “I have conversed in private—I made it my business to do so yesterday afternoon—with these ladies on the misfortune which has happened to our friend, and one and all of us have agreed that while we have a superfluity, it is not only a duty, but a pleasure—a true pleasure, Mary!”—
“史密斯小姐，”她继续说道，这是在跟我说话（所有在场的人一般都亲昵地称呼我为“玛丽”，但今天是一个正式场合），“我已经私下里跟这些女士们谈过了——我昨天下午特意进行了谈话——谈论了我们的朋友所遭遇的不幸，我们所有人都一致认为，既然我们有富余，那么给予帮助就不仅是一种责任，也是一种快乐——一种真正的乐趣，玛丽！”
her voice was rather choked just here, and she had to wipe her spectacles before she could go on—“to give what we can to assist her—Miss Matilda Jenkyns.
说到这儿她的声音相当哽咽，不得不擦擦眼镜才能继续说下去，“尽我们一切能力去帮助她——帮助玛蒂尔达·詹金斯小姐。
Only in consideration of the feelings of delicate independence existing in the mind of every refined female”—I was sure she had got back to the card now—“we wish to contribute our mites in a secret and concealed manner, so as not to hurt the feelings I have referred to.
“只是考虑到每位高雅女性都感情细腻，有独立之心”——我敢肯定她现在又在看卡片了——“我们希望以秘密和隐蔽的方式贡献我们的微薄之力，以免伤害我所提到的感情。
And our object in requesting you to meet us this morning is that, believing you are the daughter—that your father is, in fact, her confidential adviser, in all pecuniary matters, we imagined that, by consulting with him, you might devise some mode in which our contribution could be made to appear the legal due which Miss Matilda Jenkyns ought to receive from— probably your father, knowing her investments, can fill up the blank.”
我们今天上午请你来见我们的目的是，我们相信你作为你父亲的女儿——你父亲实际上是她非常信任的顾问，就所有财务方面而言，我们想，通过与他商量，你也许能想出某种方式，让我们的捐款看起来像是玛蒂尔达·詹金斯小姐依法应该获得的款项，至于从哪里获得，可能是从你父亲那里，因为他了解她的投资情况，所以可以充当这个人。”
Miss Pole concluded her address, and looked round for approval and agreement.
波尔小姐结束了她的讲话，环顾四周寻求认可和赞同。
“I have expressed your meaning, ladies, have I not?
“我已经表达了你们的意思，女士们，不是吗？
And while Miss Smith considers what reply to make, allow me to offer you some little refreshment.”
在史密斯小姐考虑如何回复的时候，请允许我为大家提供一些小点心。”
