第五章（第7/16页）

The man lifted his hat as he stood, showing his thick, almost fair hair. He stared straight into Connie's eyes, with a perfect, fearless, impersonal look, as if he wanted to see what she was like. He made her feel shy. She bent her head to him shyly, and he changed his hat to his left hand and made her a slight bow, like a gentleman; but he said nothing at all. He remained for a moment still, with his hat in his hand.

那男人站在那里举举帽子，露出一头浓密的近乎金色的头发。他毫不避讳地直视着康妮的眼睛，炯炯的目光异常平静，毫无惧意，好像要将康妮看穿似的。康妮觉得脸上有些发烧。她羞怯地向他点点头，他把帽子交到左手，绅士般地轻鞠一躬，但却只字不言。他手拿帽子，站在原地动也不动。

"But you've been here some time, haven't you?" Connie said to him.

“你来这里有段日子了吧？”康妮问他。

"Eight months, Madam...your Ladyship!" he corrected himself calmly.

“八个月了，女士……夫人！”他纠正了自己的错误，没有半点慌乱。

"And do you like it?" She looked him in the eyes. His eyes narrowed a little, with irony, perhaps with impudence.

“喜欢这儿么？”她凝视着他的眼睛。他的双目微微眯起，眼神中满是嘲讽，又或是傲慢。

"Why, yes, thank you, your Ladyship! I was reared here..." He gave another slight bow, turned, put his hat on, and strode to take hold of the chair. His voice on the last words had fallen into the heavy broad drag of the dialect...perhaps also in mockery, because there had been no trace of dialect before. He might almost be a gentleman. Anyhow, he was a curious, quick, separate fellow, alone, but sure of himself.

“哦，喜欢，谢谢您的关心，夫人！我在这儿长大……”他再次轻鞠一躬，转过身，戴上帽子，跨步向前抓住轮椅。他的话最后几个字带有明显的拖腔，本地的方言就是如此……但或许又是有意取笑，因为他之前说话时根本不带口音。他几乎称得上是位绅士。然而，也是个身手敏捷、独来独往的怪家伙，孑然一身，但却自信满满。

Clifford started the little engine, the man carefully turned the chair, and set it nose-forwards to the incline that curved gently to the dark hazel thicket.

克利福德发动微型引擎，梅勒斯小心翼翼地调转轮椅，前端对着弯弯曲曲的下坡路，通向幽暗的榛丛。

"Is that all then, Sir Clifford?" asked the man.

“还有什么吩咐，克利福德爵士？”他问。

"No, you'd better come along in case she sticks. The engine isn't really strong enough for the uphill work.” The man glanced round for his dog...a thoughtful glance. The spaniel looked at him and faintly moved its tail. A little smile, mocking or teasing her, yet gentle, came into his eyes for a moment, then faded away, and his face was expressionless. They went fairly quickly down the slope, the man with his hand on the rail of the chair, steadying it. He looked like a free soldier rather than a servant. And something about him reminded Connie of Tommy Dukes.

“嗯，你还是与我们同行的好，万一轮椅又被卡住。上坡的时候，这台引擎确实有点马力不足。”那男人瞥了一眼自己的狗……眼神中充满关切。那猎犬望着主人，轻轻摇动着尾巴。他面露浅笑，柔和的目光中闪过一丝嘲讽或是戏谑，停留片刻便消失不见，又换上那张全无表情的脸孔。下坡时行进的速度相当快，那男人用手扶住轮椅，力求让它走得稳些。他看上去并不像仆从，反倒有自由战士的风范。他身上的某些气质让康妮想起出身行伍的汤米·杜克斯。

When they came to the hazel grove, Connie suddenly ran forward, and opened the gate into the park. As she stood holding it, the two men looked at her in passing, Clifford critically, the other man with a curious, cool wonder; impersonally wanting to see what she looked like. And she saw in his blue, impersonal eyes a look of suffering and detachment, yet a certain warmth. But why was he so aloof, apart? Clifford stopped the chair, once through the gate, and the man came quickly, courteously, to close it.