第七章（第14/17页）

“没错，公司待我不薄，我总是把这挂在嘴边。但我无法忘记他们对泰德的评价，因为他是个勇敢坚定的好矿工，但却无端地被打上胆小鬼的烙印。可现在，他已身故多年，再也没有申辩的机会。”这女人的言谈话语中，有多种情感奇异地交错着。对自己多年来护理过的矿工，她饱含深情，但又自觉比他们优越许多。她几乎认为自己是个上等人，同时在心底又涌动着对统治阶级的切齿仇恨。作威作福的家伙们！当矿主与工人发生冲突，她总是向工友们伸出援手。但当两方相安无事，她又羡慕那高高在上的优越感，渴望成为上层阶级的一份子。上层阶级的身份让她日思夜想，激起了她对优越感的极度渴望，那是英国人特有的性格特征。来到拉格比，让她兴奋不已，能和查泰莱夫人交谈，更使她激动万分，哎呀，普通矿工家的婆娘哪能跟她相提并论！她滔滔不绝地表达着自己的仰慕之情。但她的言行举止，还是透露出对查泰莱家族的忌恨，对上层阶级的仇视。

"Why, yes, of course, it would wear Lady Chatterley out! It's a mercy she had a sister to come and help her. Men don't think, high and low-alike, they take what a woman does for them for granted. Oh, I've told the colliers off about it many a time. But it's very hard for Sir Clifford, you know, crippled like that. They were always a haughty family, standoffish in a way, as they've a right to be. But then to be brought down like that! And it's very hard on Lady Chatterley, perhaps harder on her. What she misses! I only had Ted three years, but my word, while I had him I had a husband I could never forget. He was one in a thousand, and jolly as the day. Who'd ever have thought he'd get killed? I don't believe it to this day somehow, I've never believed it, though I washed him with my own hands. But he was never dead for me, he never was. I never took it in.” This was a new voice in Wragby, very new for Connie to hear; it roused a new ear in her.

“哎，没错，这样肯定会把查泰莱夫人累垮的！幸好她有姐姐过来帮忙。男人们从不会考虑这些，无论身份高低，他们将女人所做的一切都当作天经地义。噢，这些话我不知道跟矿工们说过多少回。但克利福德爵士也确实够难的，他毕竟身有残疾。查泰莱家族历来趾高气昂，对人爱搭不理，因为人家确实有资格这么做。但不想后来遭此重创！查泰莱夫人也真不容易，或许肩头的压力更重。她失去的太多了！我和泰德只做了三年夫妻，可说实话，拥有他，我便拥有一个永生难忘的伴侣。他是千里挑一的好丈夫，总是那样乐观快活。谁能想到他突然就命丧黄泉？直到今天，我依然无法相信这是真的，我无法接受这一事实，虽然入殓前是我亲手帮他擦洗。但在我心里，他未曾死去，他还活得好好的。我难以接受这一噩耗。”拉格比终于迎来新声音，康妮倍感新鲜，也饶有兴趣地听她倾诉衷肠。

For the first week or so, Mrs. Bolton, however, was very quiet at Wragby, her assured, bossy manner left her, and she was nervous. With Clifford she was shy, almost frightened, and silent. He liked that, and soon recovered his self-possession, letting her do things for him without even noticing her.

可是，来到拉格比仅仅一周多时间，博尔顿太太就变得沉默寡言，她那满满的自信消失不见，颐指气使的神气劲也无踪无影，相反却变得紧张兮兮。在克利福德面前，她显得羞怯，甚至是恐惧，大气都不敢出。他巴不得她这样，很快就恢复了以往的泰然自若，任她忙东忙西，而置若罔闻。

"She's a useful nonentity!" he said. Connie opened her eyes in wonder, but she did not contradict him. So different are impressions on two different people!