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I left Miss Matty with a good heart.
我怀着愉快的心情离开了马蒂小姐。
Her sales of tea during the first two days had surpassed my most sanguine expectations.
她前两天的茶叶销售量超过了我最乐观的预期。
The whole country round seemed to be all out of tea at once.
仿佛整个国家一下子都没茶叶了。
The only alteration I could have desired in Miss Matty’s way of doing business was, that she should not have so plaintively entreated some of her customers not to buy green tea—running it down as a slow poison, sure to destroy the nerves, and produce all manner of evil.
对于马蒂小姐做生意的方式，我唯一希望她能改一改的是，她不应该如此哀求一些顾客不要买绿茶——她把绿茶贬为慢性毒药，肯定会损害神经，并产生各种各样的恶果。
Their pertinacity in taking it, in spite of all her warnings, distressed her so much that I really thought she would relinquish the sale of it, and so lose half her custom; and I was driven to my wits’ end for instances of longevity entirely attributable to a persevering use of green tea.
他们不顾她的一切警告，执意要买，这让她非常苦恼，我真的认为她会苦恼到要放弃绿茶生意，从而失去一半的顾客，于是我绞尽脑汁，想找一些完全因为坚持喝绿茶而长寿的例子。
But the final argument, which settled the question, was a happy reference of mine to the train-oil and tallow candles which the Esquimaux not only enjoy but digest.
但是最终解决了问题的论据是我愉快地提到，爱斯基摩人不仅喜欢而且还能消化鲸油和牛脂蜡烛。
After that she acknowledged that “one man’s meat might be another man’s poison,” and contented herself thence-forward with an occasional remonstrance when she thought the purchaser was too young and innocent to be acquainted with the evil effects green tea produced on some constitutions, and an habitual sigh when people old enough to choose more wisely would prefer it.
于是她承认“彼之砒霜，吾之蜜糖”，从此放下心，只是当她认为购买者太年轻、太天真，不了解绿茶对某些体质会产生不良影响时，她偶尔会提出抗议，而当购买者年纪足够大，本能够更明智地选择，却更喜欢绿茶时，她会习惯性地叹息。
I went over from Drumble once a quarter at least to settle the accounts, and see after the necessary business letters.
我至少每季度从德拉姆伯尔过来一次，帮忙结算账目，并处理必要的商务信函。
And, speaking of letters, I began to be very much ashamed of remembering my letter to the Aga Jenkyns, and very glad I had never named my writing to any one.
说到信件，我很惭愧地想起我给阿伽·詹金斯的信，也很高兴我从未向任何人提起过我写了信。
I only hoped the letter was lost.
我只希望那封信丢失了。
No answer came.
因为没有传来任何回信。
No sign was made.
也没有任何回复的迹象。
About a year after Miss Matty set up shop, I received one of Martha’s hieroglyphics, begging me to come to Cranford very soon.
大约在马蒂小姐开店一年后，我收到了玛莎的一封象形文字信，恳求我尽快去克兰福德。
I was afraid that Miss Matty was ill, and went off that very afternoon, and took Martha by surprise when she saw me on opening the door.
我担心马蒂小姐生病了，于是当天下午就出发了，当玛莎开门看到我时，她吃了一惊。
We went into the kitchen as usual, to have our confidential conference, and then Martha told me she was expecting her confinement very soon—in a week or two;
我们像往常一样走进厨房，开我们的秘密会议，然后玛莎告诉我她很快就要分娩了——再过一两个星期；
and she did not think Miss Matty was aware of it, and she wanted me to break the news to her, “for indeed, miss,” continued Martha, crying hysterically, “I’m afraid she won’t approve of it, and I’m sure I don’t know who is to take care of her as she should be taken care of when I am laid up.”
她觉得马蒂小姐还不知道这件事，她想让我把这个消息告诉她，“因为，小姐，”玛莎接着说，歇斯底里地哭了起来，“我怕她会不高兴的，而且我真的不知道我生孩子的时候，谁能好好照顾她。”
I comforted Martha by telling her I would remain till she was about again, and only wished she had told me her reason for this sudden summons, as then I would have brought the requisite stock of clothes.
我安慰玛莎说，我会一直住到她身体恢复，要是她能早点告诉我突然叫我来的原因就好了，这样我就可以带上所需的衣物了。
But Martha was so tearful and tender-spirited, and unlike her usual self, that I said as little as possible about myself, and endeavoured rather to comfort Martha under all the probable and possible misfortunes which came crowding upon her imagination.
可是玛莎泪眼汪汪，精神很是脆弱，和平时判若两人，所以我尽可能少谈自己的事，而是竭力安慰玛莎，让她不要去想象那些可能降临、也可能不会降临的不幸。
I then stole out of the house-door, and made my appearance as if I were a customer in the shop, just to take Miss Matty by surprise, and gain an idea of how she looked in her new situation.
然后我偷偷溜出家门，装作顾客走进店里，只是想给马蒂小姐一个惊喜，看看她在新环境中的样子。
It was warm May weather, so only the little half-door was closed; and Miss Matty sat behind the counter, knitting an elaborate pair of garters; elaborate they seemed to me, but the difficult stitch was no weight upon her mind, for she was singing in a low voice to herself as her needles went rapidly in and out.
那是温暖的五月天气，所以只关上了半扇小门；马蒂小姐坐在柜台后面，织着一双繁复的袜带；在我看来很繁复，但复杂的针法并没有给她带来压力，因为她一边针线翻飞，一边低声哼唱着歌。
I call it singing, but I dare say a musician would not use that word to the tuneless yet sweet humming of the low worn voice.
我把这叫做唱歌，但我不确定音乐家会不会用这个词来形容那不成曲调，然而低沉、甜美的嗡嗡声。
I found out from the words, far more than from the attempt at the tune, that it was the Old Hundredth she was crooning to herself;
我从她的歌词，而不是从她试图哼唱的曲调中，发现她低声哼唱的是《第一百篇赞美诗》；
but the quiet continuous sound told of content, and gave me a pleasant feeling, as I stood in the street just outside the door, quite in harmony with that soft May morning.
但那轻柔而持续的声音表明她心满意足，这让我感到心情很好，当时我就站在门外的街道上，在那个柔和的五月清晨，一切都是那么和谐美好。
I went in.
然后我走了进去。
At first she did not catch who it was, and stood up as if to serve me; but in another minute watchful pussy had clutched her knitting, which was dropped in eager joy at seeing me.
起初她没认出我是谁，站起身来好像要为我服务；但下一分钟，看到是我，她高兴得把针织活扔在了一边，警惕的猫咪一下子扑向了针线。
I found, after we had had a little conversation, that it was as Martha said, and that Miss Matty had no idea of the approaching household event.
在我们聊了一会儿之后，我发现正如玛莎所说，马蒂小姐对即将到来的家庭事件一无所知。
So I thought I would let things take their course, secure that when I went to her with the baby in my arms, I should obtain that forgiveness for Martha which she was needlessly frightening herself into believing that Miss Matty would withhold, under some notion that the new claimant would require attentions from its mother that it would be faithless treason to Miss Matty to render.
所以我想不如顺其自然，我相信当我抱着孩子去找她时，我应该会帮玛莎获得原谅，她不必要地吓唬自己，认为马蒂小姐会拒绝原谅她，因为她认为新生儿会要求得到母亲的关注，而这是对马蒂小姐的不忠背叛。
