两情相悦、世俗阻碍、他人横刀夺爱、骑士英勇复仇，这是一部很古典的外国武侠小说……
Chapter1
Shortlybeforedaylight,Robertbegantostir.Hestretchedhisshoulders,feelinghisbonesgrindagainstoneanotherastheyfoundtheirnormaljunctionWithagreatdealofeffort,firsthisrighteye,thenhisleft,openedagainstthecloakoftearsanddirtthathadsealedthemshutwhileheslept.“Ican’tsee,“hethought.“HaveIgoneblind?Aremyeyesevenopen?Aretherebandagesonthem?Ican’tbesure.”Hetouchedhischeekwithaforefinger(食指),tracinggentlytowardtheouteredgeofhislefteye.“Yes,they’rewideopen.Theysore!”Herubbedhiseyes,looseningtheclogged(堵塞的)coarseveil,thenblinking(眨眼)themandeffusing(流出)tearstorefreshthem.
Afaintlightpenetratedtheglum.“WhereamI?”hewondered.
Hisfacultymadehimawarethat,whereverhewas,hewasnotalone.Somethingwarmandsoftlikespongewasbesidehim.Anditwassnoring(打鼾)!Hethoughtforamomentandthenitstartedtocomebacktohim.No,hemostcertainlywasn’talone!Thebodynexttohimwasthatso-calledcolonelthatuntidy,blunderinglumpmanwhohadsoverynearlygottenthembothkilledthepreviousevening.
Robertrolledawayfromhiscompanion,shrewdlylesthewoulddisturbtheman’ssleep.TheCurtainofdarknesswasliftingwithoutrestraintandhecouldperceiveandacquainthimselfalittlemorewithhissurroundings.Therefugeinwhichtheywerestayinghefoundwasreallyquitespacious.Hefeltthesmoothsurfaceofthegranite(大理石)againsthisback.
Nowthathehadmoreroom,heuncoiledhisrawbody,feelinghisbloodsaturatehislimbs,histrunkandhisbrain.Heyearnedtoleavethisplaceandtheswelloffleshthatcontinuedtorumbleandchewinitssleep.“Ican’tdothat.Ihavetogetusoutofthisdilemma.1guessI’lljustwaituntilthisbullrouses.Bythen1shouldhaveaplan.Whetherhelikesitornot,Iamtakingcharge.Hemustconcedehisauthoritytome.I’mnotgoingtolethishumiliatingbehaviorbemydownfall.’Henarrated(讲)tohimself.
Beforethecolonelawakened,Robertallowedhimselftheventureofreflectingontheeventsofthepreviousday.Itwasbeyondhisunderstandinghowtheycouldhavefoundthemselvesvictimized(使受害)soeasily.Therewasnothinginthedawningofyesterdaytowarrantthehostilechangethatwastohappen.Buttherehadbeenwarningsignsthatsomethingbadwaspending(悬而未决).
“Ifonlyshehadagreedtorunawaywithme!”hesaidtohimself.
Chapter2
TheEarl(伯爵)ofMorleywasamanwithambitions.Hehadastrongdesiretoconquerandobtain.Oncehedecidedhewantedsomething,beitpropertyorcountymaiden,throughconspiracyorerroneousplot,hewouldrejoicehisselfishnessbywhatevermeansnecessary.Hewasnevershameful(可耻的)forhisgreed(贪欲)andbeingofnovirtueata11.Theoriginofyesterday’sconflagration(大火灾)wastheEarl’slusty(贪欲的)craving(渴望)forthedaughterofLordStafford.
LadyJanine,theLord’sonlychild,wasspendingavocationwithhertutorinavillageontheedgeoftheEarl’sextensivelandwhentheEarlfirstsawher.Herbeautydidnotescapehim,andheimmediatelybegantopursueher,shrewdlyimmersinghimselfintohercompany.Healsoflatteredhereverychancehegot.LadyJanine,ahaughty(高傲的)youngwoman,wasindifferenttohisunwelcomecourtship(求爱).
Notamantotakerejectionlightly(轻易地),theEarl’sinitialresponsenormallywouldhavebeensimplytokidnaptheobjectofhispassion.Thistime,however,hemadearesolutionthathecoveted(非分地妄想)morethanjustacasualcompanionshipwiththeyounglady.Hewantedhertobeobedient,toaccepthimasherhusband.Withthisinmind,andfollowingtherulesofsocialcustomoftheday,hesentanagent,amonk(修道士)fromthemonastery(修道院)nearthevillage,toherfathertorelayhismessageandactonhisbehalf.Asasignofgoodfaith,themonkwastopresenttheladywitharinginwhichwassetarubyofhugeproportions.
ThemonkarrivedatthecastleinsimplicityonlytobemetbyLadyJanine’sfather.LordStafford,beingastraightforwardman,didnotdisguisehisfeelings.“Topromptmatters,andtoassureyouthereisnodoubtinmydaughter’smindthattheEarl’spropositionsaretonosuccess,pleasetellhimthat1willneverconsenttoaunionbetweenthem.Heisunfit(不适宜的)formydaughter.Shedespiseshim!Tellhimtoforgetthisridiculousshow.Hehassentyouonafool’smission.”
Touchingthebrimofhishatinfarewell,thedepressedmonkturnedaroundandreturnedtogiveLordStafford’sresponsetotheEarl.Howwashegoingtotellhimthatthisunsuccessfulattemptwasunlikelytobereversed?Howwashegoingtoelude(躲避)punishment(惩罚)?TheEarlwassuretoshowhisscornandhatredbydismissinghimfromtheestate.
Chapter3
“Sire(阁下),”themonkstammered(结结巴巴地说),“IfearLordStaffordhasrefusedyoursuit.’’
“What,exactly,werehiswords?”demandedtheEarlintorrent.“Hashemerelydeferred(推迟)hisdecisionorhashetakenaresolutedeclaration?”
“Sire,Iamcertainhewillnotchangehismind.Itseemshisdaughterwouldprefertotakeanotherasherhusband.”
TheEarlscornedatthissuggestion.“Sheisbutagirl,andhashadnoexperience。nor。Iamtold,hassheanysuitors(追求者).Ilikeyoungandbeautifulwomen.1willhaveher!”
Themonkwassentbacktothemonasterytoresumehispreaching,anactthatgreatlysurprisedhimashehadexpectedtobedoomedorsufferejectionfromtheestate.HewonderedwhattheEarl’snextapproachwouldbeandsincerelyhopedhiscooperationwasatanend.
Foratime,astateofdesolationdescendedtheEarl’sverybeing.Hespenthoursonenddespisinghimselfforbeingsuchafool,neithereatingnorsleeping.Then,hebecameveryangry.“Howdaresherefuseme?1willhaveher!”
Withthisthoughtinmind,hecommencedtowinherbyevilmeans,sincehispreviouslyextraordinarybehaviorhadbeenrejected.AndsobeganthecomplexplantospoilthelovelyLadyJaninebyviolenceandthenransom(向…勒索赎金)hertoherfatherforalargeamountofmoney.
Hissubordinatesweresenttospyonthefairmaiden.WhenhelearnedthatLadyJanine’sfatherwastotraveltoanotherprovincetooversee(视察)hisestatesthere,leavingLadyJanineinthecareofhisstaff,theEarldecidedtoseizeboththegirlandtheLord’streasures.
Asmallvillagesurroundedthecastle.Inthedeadofnight,theEarlandhisrecruitsraidedandoccupieditlikelightningwithlittleresistancefromthetenants.Thefollowingmorning,heapproachedthegatesofthemansion(宅邸)oftheLord,on]Ytobeopposedbythepresenceofarmedguards,fiftyknights(骑士)inarmor(盔甲).AstheEarlhadnotexpectedtofindthatthecastlehadbeenkeepingpreparedfortheassault,hehadtodiscardhispreliminaryplaninwhichhewouldsimplyattackandsteal.Nowhehadtofighttoabolishtheguards.Hiscapturingthevillagegavehimagoodpositionandhiscunninggavehimtheadvantage.
Chapter4
Robertgazedthoughtfullyatthemistyexterioroffrosticingtheredandgoldleavesofthemaple(枫树)andwalnut(胡桃树)treessituatedonthehillside(山坡)acrossfromtheridgewherethemouthofthecaveislocated.HisthoughtstookhimbacktohisfirstsightofJanine.
Thesonofaservant,RobertwasemployedbyLordStaffordasastableboy.Hisdutiesincludedclearingtheanimaldirtoutofthecanalsbehindthehorses,puttingfreshstrawinthestalls,andpreparingandwateringthehorses.Oneday,ashewascleaningthehorsestable,agirlabouthisownageappearedinthedoorway.“MyfathersaidIamtotellyoutopreparemymount(供骑乘用的马)forme.”
Robertwassosurprisedbyherrequest;heblushedanddidn’trespondimmediately.“Areyoudeaf?”sheasked.
“No,Milady(夫人,小姐),99hereplied.“Youstartledme.Whichoftheseponies(小马)istheoneyouprefer?”
“Idon’trideapony!Iusuallyridethatblackmare(母马),”sheansweredirritably.
“I’11haveherreadyinamoment,Milady.”
Assoonasthemarewassaddledandbridled(系上马笼头),JaninemountedherwithRobert’sassistance.Shewalkedthemareoutofthebarn,andthrustherintoagallopassoonastheywereinthebarnyard.Itwasobviousshewasaskilledrider.
Robertappraisedherability,reassuredhimselfthatshecouldcarryherselfquitenicelyonhorseback,andreturnedtohiswork.
Andsotheirrelationshipbegan.HesoonlearnedthatJaninewaspassionatelyimpulsive,witty,snobbish(势利的)andlacksmodesty(谦虚),whereashe,Robert,wascalmandthrifty(节俭的),aswellastotallyenchanted(使迷恋)byher.Whenshediscoveredhewasilliterate,shetaughthimtoreadandwrite,althoughmostofhiswritingwasdifficulttoread.Inreturn,hetaughthertodomathematicaloperations,somethinghehadalwaysdoneinhisheadbeforeshetaughthimthesymbolsforthenumbers.Heworshippedher.Overthenextfewyears,theirdecentfriendshipgrew,eventuallyturningtolove.
注释:
shortly
daylightlight
grind
junctionjoin
dirt
bandage
forefinger
trace
outer
sore
rub
coarse
veil
refreshfresh
gloom
faculty
sponge
so-called
colonel
untidy
blunder
lump
shrewdly
lest
restraint
perceive
acquaintacquaint
surroundingsround
refuge
raw
limb
yearn
swell
flesh
chew
dilemma
bull
rouseraise
narrate
venture
understanding
warrant
hostile
agreeagree
ambition
desiredesire
conquer
obtain
propertyproper
county
maiden
conspiracy
erroneous
plot
rejoice
selfishness
shamefulshame
virtue
origin
lord
vocationvoice
tutortutor
immerse
flatterflat
indifferent
lightly
kidnap
passion
resolutionsolve
obedient
agent
onone’sbehalfhalf/quarter
relay
ruby
proportion
simplicity
straightforward
prompt
assure
proposition
union
unfit
despise
ridiculous
missionmessage
brim
farewell
depress
scorn
hatred
dismiss
estate
torrent
resolute
suggestion
preach
doom
ejection
sincerely
cooperation
evil
commence
complex
amount
subordinate
spy
province
staff
treasure
recruit
raid
lightening
tenant
oppose
presence
assault
preliminary
abolish
capture
cunning
advantageadvance
thoughtfulthought
exterior
frost
situated
hillside
ridge
locate
employ
stable
canal
straw
blush
deaf
saddle
barn
gallop
obvious
skilled
appraise
ability
impulsive
snobbish
modesty
whereas
illiterateletter
mathematical
worshipworth
decent