第一章

When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the very contrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has often been, gives a poignancy to sorrow-a more utter blankness to the desolation. James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of Rochdale Church were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836. A few minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, and made a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he had yet something to say. She stooped close down, and caught the broken whisper, "I forgive her, Annie! May God forgive me! "

当死神在圣诞日降临，对于一个家庭而言，与平日形成鲜明对比的是，此时此刻的悲伤中又平添了一股辛酸--就好比荒凉之中多了一片更彻底的空白。1836年，圣诞日，罗奇代尔教堂那遥远的早礼拜钟声刚刚敲响，詹姆斯·利去世了。去世前几分钟，他睁开了那双已经呆滞无神的眼睛，嘴唇微微颤动，向妻子示意他还有话要交代。她俯下身靠近他，听到了那断断续续的耳语： “我原谅她，安妮！愿上帝原谅我！”

"Oh, my love, my dear! only get well, and I will never cease showing my thanks for those words. May God in heaven bless thee for saying them. Thou 'rt not so restless, my lad! may be-Oh, God! "

“哦，我的爱人，我亲爱的！赶快好起来吧，我会永远感激你说的这些话的。愿上帝因你说的这些话保佑你！安息吧，我的爱人！也许--哦，上帝啊！”

For even while she spoke he died.

她的话尚未说完，他便撒手人寰。

They had been two-and-twenty years man and wife; for nineteen of those years their life had been as calm and happy as the most perfect uprightness on the one side, and the most complete confidence and loving submission on the other, could make it. Milton's famous line might have been framed and hung up as the rule of their married life, for he was truly the interpreter, who stood between God and her; she would have considered herself wicked if she had ever dared even to think him austere, though as certainly as he was an upright man, so surely was he hard, stern, and inflexible. But for three years the moan and the murmur had never been out of her heart; she had rebelled against her husband as against a tyrant, with a hidden, sullen rebellion, which tore up the old landmarks of wifely duty and affection, and poisoned the fountains whence gentlest love and reverence had once been for ever springing.

他们结为夫妇已有二十二年了，其中的十九年中，他们一方是正气满身，另一方则是自信与谦恭兼备，这样的结合使得他们的生活过得平静而且幸福。弥尔顿的名言可能会被镶框并被挂起来作为他们婚姻生活的准则，他是上帝和她之间真正的阐释者；她甚至都不敢把他想成严厉的人，那样她会觉得自己是邪恶的，但正如他肯定是一个正直的人那样，他也无疑是一个冷酷、严厉和顽固的人。但是近三年来，她心中的不满和抱怨从来就没有消散过；她像反抗一个暴君那样，以一种隐忍、乖戾的方式来对抗她的丈夫，这摧毁了那过去象征妻子责任和感情的标志，也毒化了那曾经不断涌出温柔的爱意和敬畏的喷泉。

But those last blessed words replaced him on his throne in her heart, and called out penitent anguish for all the bitter estrangement of later years. It was this which made her refuse all the entreaties of her sons, that she would see the kind-hearted neighbours, who called on their way from church, to sympathize and condole. No! she would stay with the dead husband that had spoken tenderly at last, if for three years he had kept silence; who knew but what, if she had only been more gentle and less angrily reserved he might have relented earlier-and in time?

可是他最后那些祝福的话又把他重新放回了她心目中的王座上，并且唤起了由于过去几年那所有辛酸的隔阂带来的忏悔的痛苦。正因如此，当她的儿子们恳求她出来会见那些好心从教堂归来后登门拜访表示同情和慰问的邻居们时，她断然拒绝。不！她要守在她那已经过世的丈夫身边，虽然三年来他一直保持沉默，但他最后的话语却是那么体贴；如果她之前能够表现得更加温柔一点儿，没那么愤怒和冷淡，他的态度或许会早一点儿，甚至及时得到缓和，这又有谁知道呢？

She sat rocking herself to and fro by the side of the bed, while the footsteps below went in and out; she had been in sorrow too long to have any violent burst of deep grief now; the furrows were well worn in her cheeks, and the tears flowed quietly, if incessantly, all the day long. But when the winter's night drew on, and the neighbours had gone away to their homes, she stole to the window, and gazed out, long and wistfully, over the dark grey moors. She did not hear her son's voice, as he spoke to her from the door, nor his footstep as he drew nearer. She started when he touched her.

她坐在床边，来回摆动着身体，楼下脚步声进出不断；她已经悲伤得太久，现在不会再有任何沉痛的激烈爆发；她的脸颊布满泪痕，眼泪无声地滑落，一整天来从未间断。但是随着冬日夜晚的临近，邻居们也各自回家了，她悄悄地靠近窗口，长久地凝视着深灰色的荒野，若有所思。她没有听到儿子在门口跟她说话的声音，也没有听到他走近时的脚步声。当他碰到她时，她吓了一跳。

"Mother! come down to us. There's no one but Will and me. Dearest mother, we do so want you. " The poor lad's voice trembled, and he began to cry. It appeared to require an effort on Mrs. Leigh's part to tear herself away from the window, but with a sigh she complied with his request.

“妈妈！和我们一起到楼下来。那儿只有我和威尔。最亲爱的妈妈，我们很需要你。” 这可怜的孩子声音发颤，哭了起来。利太太看起来似乎并不太愿意离开窗前，但她只是叹了口气，还是答应了孩子的请求。

The two boys （for though Will was nearly twenty-one, she still thought of him as a lad）had done everything in their power to make the house-place comfortable for her. She herself, in the old days before her sorrow, had never made a brighter fire or a cleaner hearth, ready for her husband's return home, than now awaited her. The tea-things were all put out, and the kettle was boiling; and the boys had calmed their grief down into a kind of sober cheerfulness. They paid her every attention they could think of, but received little notice on her part; she did not resist, she rather submitted to all their arrangements; but they did not seem to touch her heart.

两个孩子（尽管威尔已经快二十一岁了，她仍然把他当作孩子来看待）已经做了他们能做的一切，尽可能使她在房子里感到舒适。就连她自己，在经历这些悲痛之前的日子里，也从来没有像现在孩子们等待她这样，把火烧得那么旺，把炉子收拾得那么干净，来等待她的丈夫回家。茶具已经全部摆好，水壶也在沸腾；两个孩子已经冷静下来，不再悲伤，并且有了一丝审慎的喜悦。他们想尽一切办法来关注她，而她却对此不以为然；她没有反抗，而是宁愿顺从他们所有的安排，但是他们的所作所为似乎并没有触及她的内心世界。

When tea was ended-it was merely the form of tea that had been gone through-Will moved the things away to the dresser. His mother leant back languidly in her chair.

喝完茶--其实只不过是过去喝茶的那种形式而已--威尔把茶具收回到了餐具柜中。他的母亲则懒懒地向后靠在椅子里。

"Mother, shall Tom read you a chapter? He's a better scholar than I. "

“母亲，让汤姆给你读一段文章吧？他的学问比我高。”

"Ay, lad! " said she, almost eagerly. "That's it. Read me the Prodigal Son. Ay, ay, lad. Thank thee. "

“好的，孩子！” 她回答道，几乎是迫不及待， “这样吧。给我读下浪子回头的故事吧。对，对，孩子。谢谢你。”

Tom found the chapter, and read it in the high-pitched voice which is customary in village schools. His mother bent forward, her lips parted, her eyes dilated; her whole body instinct with eager attention. Will sat with his head depressed and hung down. He knew why that chapter had been chosen; and to him it recalled the family's disgrace. When the reading was ended, he still hung down his head in gloomy silence. But her face was brighter than it had been before for the day. Her eyes looked dreamy, as if she saw a vision; and by-and-by she pulled the Bible towards her, and, putting her finger underneath each word, began to read them aloud in a low voice to herself; she read again the words of bitter sorrow and deep humiliation; but most of all, she paused and brightened over the father's tender reception of the repentant prodigal.

汤姆找到了那一章，以一种在乡村学校里惯用的高音来诵读。他的母亲身体前倾，嘴巴张开，双眼圆睁，她的整个身体充满了热切的关注。威尔则垂头丧气地坐在一边。他清楚母亲为什么选择那一章，这让他想起了他们家庭的耻辱。诵读结束时，他仍然低垂着脑袋，闷不作声。但是他母亲的脸色比这天早些时候要开朗了许多。她的双眼开始朦胧，仿佛看到了一个幻影；她把圣经慢慢地拉向自己，手指放在每一行字下面，开始以一种低沉的声音大声地读给自己听；她再一次品读这些充满了苦涩的伤痛和深深的羞辱的文字；但是最重要的是，她在读到浪子回头中父亲以温柔的情怀迎回悔改的浪子时，她停顿了下来，人也变得活泼了许多。

So passed the Christmas evening in the Upclose Farm.

阿普克洛斯农场的圣诞夜晚就这样过去了。

The snow had fallen heavily over the dark waving moorland before the day of the funeral. The black storm-laden dome of heaven lay very still and close upon the white earth, as they carried the body forth out of the house which had known his presence so long as its ruling power. Two and two the mourners followed, making a black procession, in their winding march over the unbeaten snow, to Milne Row Church; now lost in some hollow of the bleak moors, now slowly climbing the heaving ascents. There was no long tarrying after the funeral, for many of the neighbours who accompanied the body to the grave had far to go, and the great white flakes which came slowly down were the boding forerunners of a heavy storm. One old friend alone accompanied the widow and her sons to their home.

葬礼前一天，大雪在黑暗起伏的荒野里肆虐。风暴充斥的黑色苍穹静静地覆盖在皑皑的大地上，人们把詹姆斯·利的尸体从他一直居住的房子里抬了出来。送葬者们成双结对地跟在后面，形成了一条黑色的队伍，蜿蜒前行在人迹罕至的雪地上，向米尔恩·罗教堂走去；一会儿消失在某处空旷荒凉的沼泽地里，一会儿又缓慢地攀登在起伏的山坡上。葬礼后，许多陪送遗体来送葬的邻居并没有耽搁太久，他们还有很长的一段路要走回去，缓慢飘落的大片雪花也向人们预告着一场大风暴的来临。最后陪伴这可怜的寡妇和她的孩子回家的，是一个老朋友。

The Upclose Farm had belonged for generations to the Leighs; and yet its possession hardly raised them above the rank of labourers. There was the house and out-buildings, all of an old-fashioned kind, and about seven acres of barren unproductive land, which they had never possessed capital enough to improve; indeed, they could hardly rely upon it for subsistence; and it had been customary to bring up the sons to some trade, such as a wheelwright's or blacksmith's.

利家人拥有阿普克洛斯农场已经有好几代了，但这却并没有使他们的身份比普通的劳动者高出多少。农场的房子及其附属建筑都很老式，还有大约七英亩的荒芜贫瘠的土地一直缺乏足够的资金来改善；事实上，他们很难依靠这片土地来维持生计，因此，两个男孩很早就习惯了去学习掌握一些其他的手艺，比如车轮修造或者锻工。

James Leigh had left a will in the possession of the old man who accompanied them home. He read it aloud. James had bequeathed the farm to his faithful wife, Anne Leigh, for her lifetime, and afterwards to his son William. The hundred and odd pounds in the savings bank was to accumulate for Thomas.

詹姆斯·利留下的一封遗嘱由陪他们一起回家的老人保管。他大声地宣读遗嘱。詹姆斯把农场留给了他忠贞的妻子，安妮·利终身所有，在她之后是他的儿子威廉。而储蓄账户中的一百多英镑则作为积累财富留给了托马斯。

After the reading was ended, Anne Leigh sat silent for a time and then she asked to speak to Samuel Orme alone. The sons went into the back kitchen, and thence strolled out into the fields regardless of the driving snow. The brothers were dearly fond of each other, although they were very different in character. Will, the elder, was like his father, stern, reserved, and scrupulously upright. Tom （who was ten years younger）was gentle and delicate as a girl, both in appearance and character. He had always clung to his mother and dreaded his father. They did not speak as they walked, for they were only in the habit of talking about facts, and hardly knew the more sophisticated language applied to the description of feelings.

遗嘱宣读完毕后，安妮·利默不作声地坐了一会儿，然后她要求和塞缪尔·奥姆单独谈谈。两个孩子走进了后厨房，从那里溜达了出去，冒着大雪，来到了田间。兄弟两个尽管在性格上非常不同，他们之间的感情却非常深厚。威尔，作为大哥，和他的父亲一样，严肃，缄默，是一个满身正气的人。而比威尔小十岁的汤姆则无论从外貌上还是性格上都表现得非常温和、娇弱，像个女孩子一样。一直以来，他总是害怕父亲，而粘在母亲的身边。他们默不作声地走着，因为他们习惯了只在讨论事情时说话，很少会用复杂的语言来描述内心的感受。

Meanwhile their mother had taken hold of Samuel Orme's arm with her trembling hand.

此时，他们的母亲用颤抖的手紧紧抓住塞缪尔·奥姆的手臂。

"Samuel, I must let the farm-I must. "

“塞缪尔，我必须得把农场租出去--我必须得这么做。”

"Let the farm! What's come o 'er the woman? "

“把农场租出去！你怎么了？”

"Oh, Samuel! " said she, her eyes swimming in tears, "I 'm just fain to go and live in Manchester. I mun let the farm. "

“噢，塞缪尔！” 她双眼满含热泪， “我想搬去曼彻斯特住。我必须得把农场租出去。”

Samuel looked, and pondered, but did not speak for some time. At last he said-

塞缪尔看着她，深思着，有一段时间没有说话。最后他说道：

"If thou hast made up thy mind, there's no speaking again it; and thou must e 'en go. Thou' lt be sadly pottered wi 'Manchester ways; but that's not my look out. Why, thou' lt have to buy potatoes, a thing thou hast never done afore in all thy born life. Well! it's not my look out. It's rather for me than again me. Our Jenny is going to be married to Tom Higginbotham, and he was speaking of wanting a bit of land to begin upon. His father will be dying sometime, I reckon, and then he'll step into the Croft Farm. But meanwhile-"

“如果你已经下定了决心，那就没有争论的必要了，你一定要去的。你会受不了曼彻斯特的生活方式的，但这并不是我应该担心的。唉，你将不得不去买土豆，这是你从出生到现在都没有做过的事情。好啦！这也不是我应该担心的。实际上你这样做对我也是有好处的。我的女儿珍妮马上要和汤姆·希金博特姆结婚了，他说想要一片土地来耕种。他的父亲早晚会过世的，我估计到那时他将会继承克罗夫特农场。但是，在那之前--”

"Then, thou 'lt let the farm, " said she, still as eagerly as ever.

“那么说，你会租下农场。” 她说道，和之前一样迫切。

"Ay, ay, he'll take it fast enough, I've a notion. But I'll not drive a bargain with thee just now; it would not be right; we'll wait a bit. "

“当然，当然，我想他会很快租下农场的。但是我不会现在就和你讨价还价的，现在还不太合适，我们可以等一下。”

"No; I cannot wait; settle it out at once. "

“不，我不能等了，现在就定下来吧。”

"Well, well; I'll speak to Will about it. I see him out yonder. I'll step to him and talk it over. "

“好吧，好吧，我会和威尔谈这件事的。我看见他在那边。我现在就过去和他讨论这件事。”

Accordingly he went and joined the two lads, and, without more ado, began the subject to them.

于是他走过去加入到两个小伙子当中，开门见山地和他们提起了这件事情。

"Will, thy mother is fain to go live in Manchester, and covets to let the farm. Now, I 'm willing to take it for Tom Higginbotham; but I like to drive a keen bargain, and there would be no fun chaffering with thy mother just now. Let thee and me buckle to, my lad! and try and cheat each other; it will warm us this cold day. "

“威尔，你的母亲想去曼彻斯特居住并且渴望把农场租出去。因此，我想把它租给汤姆·希金博特姆，但是我希望能快点儿成交，现在和你母亲讨价还价并不好受。让我们一起努力吧，孩子们！试着去哄骗一下彼此，会让我们在这寒冷日子感到温暖的。”

"Let the farm! " said both the lads at once, with infinite surprise. "Go live in Manchester! "

“出租农场？” 两个孩子大吃一惊，齐声嚷道， “去曼彻斯特居住？”

When Samuel Orme found that the plan had never before been named to either Will or Tom, he would have nothing to do with it, he said, until they had spoken to their mother. Likely she was "dazed" by her husband's death; he would wait a day or two, and not name it to any one; not to Tom Higginbotham himself, or may be he would set his heart upon it. The lads had better go in and talk it over with their mother. He bade them good-day, and left them.

当塞缪尔·奥姆发现无论是威尔还是汤姆都对这个计划事先一无所知时，他表示，在孩子们和他们的母亲没有讨论这件事之前，他什么也不会做的。她很可能是因为丈夫的去世才 “鬼迷心窍” ，他会等上一两天，在这之前他不会向任何人提起此事，尤其是汤姆·希金博特姆，不然他可能会为此打定主意的。孩子们则最好回去和他们的母亲讨论下这件事情。他告别了他们，离开了。

Will looked very gloomy, but he did not speak till they got near the house. Then he said-

威尔看上去非常忧郁，但是直到他们靠近房子时，他才开口说话。他说道：

"Tom, go to th 'shippon, and supper the cows. I want to speak to mother alone. "

“汤姆，去牛舍看看，喂一下奶牛。我想和母亲单独谈谈。”

When he entered the house-place, she was sitting before the fire, looking into its embers. She did not hear him come in: for some time she had lost her quick perception of outward things.

当他走进房间的时候，她正坐在火炉边，眼睛盯着里面的炭火。她没有听到他进来的声音：她对外界事物的感知已经有一段时间不像以前那样快速了。

"Mother! what's this about going to Manchester? " asked he.

“妈妈！为什么要去曼彻斯特？” 他问道。

"Oh, lad! " said she, turning round, and speaking in a beseeching tone, "I must go and seek our Lizzie. I cannot rest here for thinking on her. Many's the time I've left thy father sleeping in bed, and stole to th 'window, and looked and looked my heart out towards Manchester, till I thought I must just set out and tramp over moor and moss straight away till I got there, and then lift up every downcast face till I came to our Lizzie. And often, when the south wind was blowing soft among the hollows, I've fancied （it could but be fancy, thou knowest）I heard her crying upon me; and I've thought the voice came closer and closer, till at last it was sobbing out, ' Mother! 'close to the door; and I've stolen down, and undone the latch before now, and looked out into the still, black night, thinking to see her-and turned sick and sorrowful when I heard no living sound but the sough of the wind dying away. Oh, speak not to me of stopping here, when she may be perishing for hunger, like the poor lad in the parable. " And now she lifted up her voice, and wept aloud.

“哦，孩子！” 她说道，转过身来，带着一种近乎恳求的语气， “我必须去寻找我们的莉齐。呆在这儿想她，我无法安心。很多次我在你父亲睡着的时候离开床畔，悄悄地来到窗前，就这么望着，望着，我的心也飘向了曼彻斯特，直到我认为我必须立刻启程，越过荒野和沼泽，一路到那儿，然后抬起一张张低垂的脸，直到找到我们的莉齐。时常，当南风轻拂在山谷中时，我想象（也只能是想象，你知道的）我听到了她在恳求我，我感到她的声音越来越近，到最后成了在门前喊 ‘妈妈’ 的哭诉，于是我悄悄地下楼，打开门闩，向外面寂静、漆黑的夜晚望去，想着能看到她--结果是让人失望和伤心的，我听不到一丝活着的声音，只有逐渐逝去的飒飒的风声。哦，别让我现在停下来，她可能因为饥饿而正在消亡，就像寓言故事中的那个可怜的孩子一样。” 说到这里，她抬高声音，大声地哭了起来。