第十八章（第11/17页）

可惜，对于梅勒斯关于那个著名的C.E.弗洛伦斯上校的、不知满足的空想，马尔科姆爵士并无任何好感。他觉得那谦逊外表的背后，藏着的更多是自我标榜。似乎这种自负，名贬实褒的自负，恰恰是老爵士最为厌恶的。

"Where did your game-keeper spring from?" asked Sir Malcolm irritably.

“你的守林人从哪里蹦出来的？”马尔科姆爵士气冲冲地问。

"He was a collier's son in Tevershall. But he's absolutely presentable.” The knighted artist became more angry.

“他父亲在特弗沙尔做矿工。可他绝非平庸之辈。”爵士艺术家简直暴跳如雷。

"Looks to me like a gold-digger," he said. "And you're a pretty easy gold-mine, apparently.” "No, Father, it's not like that. You'd know if you saw him. He's a man. Clifford always detested him for not being humble.” "Apparently he had a good instinct, for once." What Sir Malcolm could not bear was the scandal of his daughter's having an intrigue with a game-keeper. He did not mind the intrigue: he minded the scandal.

“在我看来，他不过是个淘金者。”他说。“而很明显，你就是那座极易采掘的金矿。”“不，爸爸，并非你想的那样。如果你见见他，就会明白真相。他是个男子汉。克利福德对他深恶痛绝，只因为他不肯低声下气，唯命是从。”“看来，克利福德的预感也有准的时候。”自己的女儿跟守林人偷情，并传出丑闻，这让马尔科姆爵士无法容忍。私通他并不介意，但他却无法忍受丑闻的出现。

"I care nothing about the fellow. He's evidently been able to get round you all right. But, by God, think of all the talk. Think of your step-mother how she'll take it!” "I know," said Connie. "Talk is beastly: especially if you live in society. And he wants so much to get his own divorce. I thought we might perhaps say it was another man's child, and not mention Mellors' name at all.” "Another man's! What other man's?” "Perhaps Duncan Forbes. He has been our friend all his life." "And he's a fairly well-known artist. And he's fond of me.” "Well I'm damned! Poor Duncan! And what's he going to get out of it?” "I don't know. But he might rather like it, even.” "He might, might he? Well, he's a funny man if he does. Why, you've never even had an affair with him, have you?” "No! But he doesn't really want it. He only loves me to be near him, but not to touch him.” "My God, what a generation!" "He would like me most of all to be a model for him to paint from. Only I never wanted to." "God help him! But he looks down-trodden enough for anything.” "Still, you wouldn't mind so much the talk about him?” "My God, Connie, all the bloody contriving!" "I know! It's sickening! But what can I do?” "Contriving, conniving; conniving, contriving! Makes a man think he's lived too long.” "Come, Father, if you haven't done a good deal of contriving and conniving in your time, you may talk.” "But it was different, I assure you." "It's always different.” Hilda arrived, also furious when she heard of the new developments. And she also simply could not stand the thought of a public scandal about her sister and a game-keeper. Too, too humiliating!

“我对他毫无兴趣。很明显，他清楚如何蒙蔽你的眼睛。不过，天呢，想想那些风言风语吧。想想你的继母吧，她怎能容忍这档子事！”“我知道。”康妮说。“人言可畏，对于上流社会的人来说，尤其如此。他希望尽快办妥离婚。我想或许可以说孩子的生父另有其人，而不必提及梅勒斯的名字。”“另有其人！谁？”“或许可以说是邓肯·霍布斯。他是我们的发小。又是位知名的画家。而且他对我也很有好感。”“呵，真该死！倒霉的邓肯！他干嘛要替你背黑锅？”“我不晓得。但他或许会赞成这主意。”“他会赞成，真的吗？他要是赞成的话，那可倒真很搞笑。他凭什么接受，你从来就没跟他发生过关系，不是吗？”“对！可他并不在意那些。他只是希望常伴我左右，与我相敬如宾。”“天呢，年轻人的想法真是不可理喻！”“他最希望我能够成为他临摹的对象。可我并不愿意。”“可怜的家伙！这家伙连点胆量都没有。”“不过，要是他成为绯闻的主角，您就不会介意了吧？”“天呢，康妮，你在编织弥天大谎！”“我知道！这的确令人作呕！但我又能怎么办？”“除了阴谋，就是诡计！简直会让人嫌自己的命太长。”“算了吧，爸爸，你又何尝不是靠阴谋诡计过活，根本没有谴责别人的资格。”“可我敢保证，两者有质的区别。”“你就会说有区别。”希尔达赶到了，听说事情的最新进展，也不禁大发雷霆。她同样无法忍受妹妹跟守林人私通的事搞得尽人皆知。真是丢脸丢到家了！