3．Edward Goes Visiting
3．爱德华外出拜访

And so the summer went by, and every day was busier than the one before. Humphrey caught two more calves, and they now had more pigs and chickens. Jacob took some of the new young chickens to Lymington to sell, and bought salt and oatmeal, pots for the kitchen, and a gun for Humphrey.

夏天就这样过去了，一天比一天更忙碌。汉弗莱又逮了两头小牛，而且他们现在有了更多的猪和鸡。雅各布把一些新出生的小鸡拿到利明顿去卖，买回来盐和燕麦片，买了厨房用的锅，还给汉弗莱买了一支枪。

King Charles was still in prison, and Cromwell's men went on killing their enemies and stealing the houses and land of the King's friends. Edward could not forget that he was a Beverley of Arnwood, and was often angry.

国王查理仍然在狱中，克伦威尔的人继续杀害他们的敌人，并窃取国王支持者的房子和土地。爱德华无法忘记他是安伍德贝弗利家的一员，时常气愤不已。

I want to be a soldier like our father,' he told Humphrey. 'I want to fight for the King, and tell the world that my name is Beverley!'

“我想像我们的父亲一样成为一名士兵，”他对汉弗莱说，“我想为国王而战，告诉全世界我的姓氏是贝弗利！”

If you do that, Cromwell's men will put you in prison,' Humphrey said. 'I know how you feel, Edward, but for now. you must stay here with us. What will happen to our sisters if you leave? I can't do all the work, and poor Jacob is getting old and tired.'

“如果你那样做，克伦威尔的人会把你抓进监狱的，”汉弗莱说，“我明白你的感受，爱德华，但是目前你必须和我们待在这儿。如果你离开了，我们的妹妹们怎么办？我干不了所有的活儿，可怜的雅各布年纪越来越老，越来越累了。”

It was true. Jacob was nearly seventy-six years old and no longer strong. That winter he was often ill and could not leave the cottage. Edward did most of the hunting. He was now very good at it, and knew the forest well.

这是事实。雅各布将近76岁了，已经不再强壮了。那个冬天他经常生病，都无法离开农舍了。大部分打猎的活儿都是爱德华包了。他现在很擅长打猎，对森林也很熟悉。

Early in 1649 Humphrey told Jacob that he needed another dog. 'Smoker is a hunting dog,' he said. 'I need a dog to help me with all the farm animals.'

1649年初，汉弗莱告诉雅各布他还需要一只狗。“斯莫克尔是只猎犬，”他说，“我需要一只狗来帮我照看农场里的所有动物。”

A puppy will learn most easily,' said Jacob. 'Oswald Partridge, a forester who lives on the other side of the forest, always has puppies, and he will give us one. But Edward, you must go. I cannot ride that far. Tell Oswald that you are my grandson. He'll be a good friend to you. But remember, your name is Armitage!'

“小狗学得最快了，”雅各布说，“奥斯瓦尔德·帕特里奇是住在森林另一边的护林人，他那儿总是有小狗，他会给我们一只的。但是爱德华，你得去一趟。我不能骑马走那么远。告诉奥斯瓦尔德你是我的孙子，他会对你很友好的。但是记住，你是姓阿米蒂奇！”

The next morning Edward rode White Billy across the forest. He was happy to go out into the world again, but he knew he must be careful. After two hours he arrived at some cottages and knocked on the first door. A girl aged about fourteen opened the door, and told him that Oswald Partridge was out in the forest.

第二天早上，爱德华骑着白比利穿过森林。他很高兴又重新走进了外面的世界，但是他知道自己必须要小心。两个小时之后，他来到了一片农舍外，敲了敲第一户人家的门。一个14岁左右的女孩开了门，她告诉他奥斯瓦尔德·帕特里奇到森林里去了。

I must wait for him, then,' said Edward. 'I've come to ask him for a puppy for my grandfather, Jacob Armitage.'

“那么我得等他了，”爱德华说，“我来是为了替我爷爷雅各布·阿米蒂奇向他要一只小狗。”

Wait a minute,' the girl said. She went inside, and then came back. 'You must come and speak to my father.'

“等一会儿。”那个女孩说。她走进屋去又走回来。“你得来跟我父亲说。”

Edward followed the girl inside. The man sitting at a table was dressed like one of Cromwell's men. His tall hat lay on a chair with his sword underneath it. The girl sat down by the fire, and the man went on reading a letter. He did not look at Edward for two or three minutes.

爱德华跟着女孩走进去。坐在桌旁的男人穿得像是克伦威尔的人。他的高帽子放在一把椅子上，帽子下面放着他的剑。女孩在炉火旁坐下，那个男人继续看一封信，有两三分钟都没看爱德华一眼。

Edward felt angry. But he was just a poor, unimportant forester, he remembered. So he said nothing, and waited.

爱德华感到气愤。但是他只是一个毫不重要的穷护林人，他记得这一点。所以他什么也没说，只是等着。

What's your business, young man?' the man said at last.

“你有什么事情，年轻人？”那个男人终于开口了。

I came, sir, to see Oswald Partridge about a puppy for my grandfather, Jacob Armitage.'

“先生，我是来找奥斯瓦尔德·帕特里奇的，为我爷爷雅各布·阿米蒂奇向他要只小狗。”

Armitage!' The man looked at some papers on the table. 'Yes, one of the foresters. Why hasn't he visited me?'

“阿米蒂奇！”男人看了看桌上的一些文件。“哦，一个护林人。他为什么没来见我？”

Why must he see you, sir?'

“为什么他必须来见您，先生？”

Because Cromwell has given the New Forest to me, to look after for Parliament. My name is Hetherstone, and all the foresters now work for me.'

“因为克伦威尔把新森林给了我，让我替议会照管。我叫赫瑟斯顿，现在所有的护林人都为我工作。”

My grandfather has not heard this, sir,' said Edward. 'The New Forest belongs to the King, and my grandfather is one of the King's foresters. But he has a cottage and a farm which belong to him, and not the King.'

“我爷爷没有听说此事，先生，”爱德华说，“新森林属于国王，我爷爷是国王的护林人。但是他有一个属于他自己的农舍和农场，这些不是属于国王的。”

Yes, I know about Jacob Armitage. And I know that he was Colonel Beverley's friend. The Colonel was a brave man, it's true, but he fought for the King and so was an enemy of Parliament. Tell me, were you a friend of the Beverley family?'

“是的，我知道雅各布·阿米蒂奇。而且我还知道他是贝弗利上校的朋友。上校是个勇敢的人，没错，但是他为国王而战，所以就是议会的敌人。告诉我，你是贝弗利家的朋友吗？”

When I was a child, I lived at Arnwood with the Beverley children.'

“我小时候和贝弗利家的孩子一起住在安伍德。”

And where were you when the soldiers burned Arnwood?'

“那么士兵们烧安伍德的时候，你在哪儿呢？”

I was at my grandfather's cottage,' replied Edward, his eyes wild with anger.

“我在爷爷的农舍里。”爱德华回答，他的眼神由于愤怒而疯狂。

I can understand why you feel angry about that.' Mr Hetherstone shook his head slowly. 'Those soldiers did a terrible, terrible thing, 'he said quietly. Then he looked up at Edward again. 'But you must understand, young man, that your grandfather can no longer work as a forester. I cannot give work to people who are friends of the King. The forest deer now belong to Cromwell, and if you shoot any deer, you will go to prison for it.'

“我可以理解你为什么为此感到愤怒。”赫瑟斯顿先生缓缓地摇了摇头。“那些士兵做了件非常非常可怕的事情。”他平静地说。然后他又抬头看着爱德华说道：“但是你必须明白，年轻人，你爷爷不能再当护林人了。我不能把工作交给国王的支持者做。森林里的鹿现在也归克伦威尔了，如果你捕杀了任何一只，你就会因此而入狱。”

Sir,' Edward said quietly, 'the King himself is in prison and so he cannot pay his foresters. If they kill the deer, it is because they must have food to eat. I am sure the King will understand that his people must live.'

“先生，”爱德华平静地说，“国王自己也在狱中，所以他不能付钱给他的护林人。如果他们杀死了鹿，那是因为他们必须有食物吃。我敢肯定国王会理解的，他的人民必须活下去。”

Well, well, those are brave words. But you will still go to prison if we catch you. Now, you can go to the kitchen and wait for Oswald.' Mr Hetherstone turned to his daughter. 'Patience, give Armitage something to eat.'

“好，好，这些话很勇敢。但是如果我们抓到你这么做的话，你仍然会进监狱的。现在，你可以去厨房等奥斯瓦尔德了。”赫瑟斯顿先生转过头对他的女儿说：“佩兴斯，给阿米蒂奇一些吃的。”

Edward went out and took White Billy to the stables behind the cottage, then followed Patience to the kitchen. 'I came here for a puppy,' he thought, 'and I have found a Roundhead — who sends a Beverley of Arnwood to eat in the kitchen! But he is sorry about the burning of Arnwood, so I don't hate him.'

爱德华走出来，把白比利牵到农舍后面的马厩里，然后跟着佩兴斯到了厨房。“我来这里是为了要小狗，”他想，“却发现了一个圆颅党人——他把安伍德贝弗利家的一员打发到厨房里吃饭！但是他为安伍德被烧感到抱歉，所以我不恨他。”

Patience put food on the table. Edward thanked her and sat down to eat. Patience smiled, and Edward saw that she was a beautiful girl.

佩兴斯把食物放到桌上。爱德华谢过她，坐下吃起来。佩兴斯笑了，爱德华发现她是个漂亮的姑娘。

Later, he met Oswald Partridge and saw his dogs. Oswald was very surprised to see him. 'I never knew Jacob had a grandson,' he said. 'I never knew he had a son! Are you on the King's side, like Jacob?'

稍晚些时，他见到了奥斯瓦尔德·帕特里奇，看到了他养的狗。奥斯瓦尔德看到他非常吃惊。“我从来不知道雅各布有个孙子，”他说，“我从来都不知道他有儿子！你是国王一边的吗，像雅各布一样？”

To the death, ' replied Edward, 'when the time comes.'

“至死效忠国王，”爱德华回答道，“只等时机到来。”

Ah, then you can have one of my puppies,' Oswald said. He told Edward a bit about Mr Hetherstone. 'He's one of Cromwell's good friends, they say, but he's not a bad man. There are some much worse than him. I've kept my job, but many haven't. We must all be careful these days.'

“啊，那么你可以得到我的一只小狗。”奥斯瓦尔德说。他告诉了爱德华关于赫瑟斯顿的一些事情。“人们说他是克伦威尔的亲信之一，但他不是个坏人。有些人比他坏多了。我保住了我的工作，但是很多人没有。如今我们都必须小心。”

It was now late, so Edward stayed the night in a room above the stables. There was no bed and no door, and Edward could not sleep because he was so cold. Soon he got up and began to walk around outside, to get warm.

这时天色已晚，于是爱德华就留在马厩上面的房间里过夜。房里没有床，也没有门，爱德华无法入睡，因为他太冷了。没一会儿他就起来，开始在外面走动，好让自己暖和点。

There was a light upstairs at one of the windows of the Hetherstones, cottage, which was strangely bright. Edward watched it. He saw someone moving in the room, and suddenly he saw flames. The room was burning!

赫瑟斯顿家农舍的楼上有一个窗口发出光亮，那光亮异常地耀眼。爱德华注视着窗口。他看到有人在屋里走动，突然他看到了火苗。那个房间着火了！

Fire! Fire!' he shouted. He ran back to the stables and found a ladder. Then he quickly climbed up it to the window, broke the glass, and got into the room. There was smoke everywhere, and he fell over a body on the floor. Quickly, he lifted the body and moved back to the window. The flames were now running along the floor, getting higher and higher. With the body in his arms, he got out onto the ladder, but the flames caught his shirt, burning his arm. He climbed down and carried the body into the stables. There he saw that it was Patience Hetherstone.

“着火了！着火了！”他大喊。他跑回马厩找了架梯子，然后他快速顺着梯子爬到窗口，打碎玻璃，进了房间。屋里到处都是烟，他绊倒在地板上的一个人身上，他迅速抱起那个人回到窗口。现在火焰正沿着地板燃烧，越烧越高。他抱着那个人出来上了梯子，但是火烧着了他的衬衫，烧到了他的胳膊。他爬下来，把那个人抱到马厩里。在那里他发现这人原来是佩兴斯·赫瑟斯顿。

Edward ran outside again, and saw that other people were coming with buckets of water. There was a lot of shouting, and Edward was soon up the ladder again while others carried buckets of water up to him.

爱德华又跑出来，看到其他人正提着一桶一桶的水赶来，到处都是喊叫声。爱德华很快又爬到梯子上，而其他人则把水桶递上去给他。

In the crowd below, Mr Hetherstone was trying to get near the ladder. 'Save her!' he cried. 'My daughter's up there! She'll burn to death!'

在下面的人群里，赫瑟斯顿先生正试图接近梯子。“救救她！”他喊道，“我女儿在那上面！她会被烧死的！”

At the top of the ladder, Edward did not hear his cries, but a voice came from the crowd：'There were four burned at Arnwood.'

爱德华在梯子上面，没听到他的叫喊，但是有个声音从人群中传来：“在安伍德烧死了四个。”

Mr Hetherstone fell down, his face white, and some men carried him into another cottage.

赫瑟斯顿先生跌倒在地，脸色苍白，一些人把他扶进了另一间农舍里。

At last the fire was put out, and Edward came down the ladder. He called Oswald and they went to the stables. Patience was still lying on the floor, but her eyes were now open. She was alive!

最后火被扑灭了，爱德华从梯子上下来。他叫上奥斯瓦尔德一起去了马厩。佩兴斯还躺在地上，但是她的眼睛现在睁开了。她还活着！

They gave her some water and carried her to Oswald's cottage. Then Edward said quietly to Oswald, 'I shall ride home now at once. Come and visit Jacob soon if you can. He's not been well all this winter.'

他们给她喝了些水，把她抬到了奥斯瓦尔德的农舍里。然后爱德华平静地对奥斯瓦尔德说：“我现在要马上骑马回家。如果可以的话，你早点儿来看看雅各布吧。他整个冬天都不太好。”

But Mr Hetherstone will want to thank you for saving his daughter's life,' said Oswald.

“但是赫瑟斯顿先生会想谢谢你救了他的女儿的。”奥斯瓦尔德说。

I don't want Mr Hetherstone's thanks. I want nothing from the King's enemy,' said Edward. He rode home with Humphrey's puppy inside his coat. His arm was badly burned, and it was a long time before it was better.

“我不想要赫瑟斯顿先生的感谢，我不想要国王的敌人的任何东西。”爱德华说。他把汉弗莱的小狗揣在外套里，骑马回家了。他的胳膊严重烧伤，很长时间之后才有所恢复。