英文
A Changed Man V
Casterbridge had known many military and civil episodes; many happy times, and times less happy; and now came the time of her visitation. The scourge of cholera had been laid on the suffering country, and the low-lying purlieus of this ancient borough had more than their share of the infliction. Mixen Lane, in the Durnover quarter, and in Maumbry's parish, was where the blow fell most heavily. Yet there was a certain mercy in its choice of a date, for Maumbry was the man for such an hour.
The spread of the epidemic was so rapid that many left the town and took lodgings in the villages and farms. Mr. Maumbry's house was close to the most infected street, and he himself was occupied morn, noon, and night in endeavours to stamp out the plague and in alleviating the sufferings of the victims. So, as a matter of ordinary precaution, he decided to isolate his wife somewhere away from him for a while.
She suggested a village by the sea, near Budmouth Regis, and lodgings were obtained for her at Creston, a spot divided from the Casterbridge valley by a high ridge that gave it quite another atmosphere，though it lay no more than six miles off.
Thither she went. While she was rusticating in this place of safety, and her husband was slaving in the slums, she struck up an acquaintance with a lieutenant in the—st Foot, a Mr. Vannicock, who was stationed with his regiment at the Budmouth infantry barracks. As Laura frequently sat on the shelving beach, watching each thin wave slide up to her, and hearing, without heeding, its gnaw at the pebbles in its retreat, he often took a walk that way.
The acquaintance grew and ripened. Her situation, her history, her beauty, her age—a year or two above his own—all tended to make an impression on the young man's heart, and a reckless flirtation was soon in blithe progress upon that lonely shore.
It was said by her detractors afterwards that she had chosen her lodging to be near this gentleman, but there is reason to believe that she had never seen him till her arrival there. Just now Casterbridge was so deeply occupied with its own sad affairs—a daily burying of the dead and destruction of contaminated clothes and bedding—that it had little inclination to promulgate such gossip as may have reached its ears on the pair. Nobody long considered Laura in the tragic cloud which overhung all.
Meanwhile, on the Budmouth side of the hill the very mood of men was in contrast. The visitation there had been slight and much earlier, and normal occupations and pastimes had been resumed. Mr. Maumbry had arranged to see Laura twice a week in the open air, that she might run no risk from him; and, having heard nothing of the faint rumour, he met her as usual one dry and windy afternoon on the summit of the dividing hill, near where the high road from town to town crosses the old Ridge-way at right angles.
He waved his hand, and smiled as she approached, shouting to her: “We will keep this wall between us, dear.” (Walls formed the field-fences here.) “You mustn't be endangered. It won't be for long, with God's help!”
“I will do as you tell me, Jack. But you are running too much risk yourself, aren't you? I get little news of you; but I fancy you are.”
“Not more than others.”
Thus somewhat formally they talked, an insulating wind beating the wall between them like a mill-weir.
“But you wanted to ask me something?” he added.
“Yes. You know we are trying in Budmouth to raise some money for your sufferers; and the way we have thought of is by a dramatic performance. They want me to take a part.”
His face saddened. “I have known so much of that sort of thing, and all that accompanies it! I wish you had thought of some other way.”
She said lightly that she was afraid it was all settled. “You object to my taking a part, then? Of course—”
He told her that he did not like to say he positively objected. He wished they had chosen an oratorio, or lecture, or anything more in keeping with the necessity it was to relieve.
“But,” said she impatiently, “people won't come to oratorios or lectures! They will crowd to comedies and farces.”
“Well, I cannot dictate to Budmouth how it shall earn the money it is going to give us. Who is getting up this performance?”
“The boys of the—st.”
“Ah, yes; our old game!” replied Mr. Maumbry. “The grief of Casterbridge is the excuse for their frivolity. Candidly, dear Laura, I wish you wouldn't play in it. But I don't forbid you to. I leave the whole to your judgment.”
The interview ended, and they went their ways northward and southward. Time disclosed to all concerned that Mrs. Maumbry played in the comedy as the heroine, the lover's part being taken by Mr. Vannicock.
中文
浪子回头 五
卡斯特桥曾历经战乱与和平时期，有欢乐的岁月，也有忧伤的日子，而现在则突降天灾。霍乱在这片苦难的土地上肆虐，这个古老市镇洼地上的区域则惨遭最严重的蹂躏。蒙布里的教区在邓诺威区的米克森巷，是重灾区。但是这恶疾选在蒙布里在任时爆发，已经算是对人们的一种怜悯了。
疾病传播得太快，许多人不得不离开镇上到附近乡下或农场暂住。蒙布里先生的房子距离受灾最重的街区很近，而他每天早中晚都在努力扑灭病魔，缓解被感染的病人的痛苦。因此为了慎重起见，他决定让妻子暂时离开，同自己隔离。
她想到了海边的一个村庄，离巴德茅斯—里吉斯很近。她的住处被安排在了克雷斯顿，离卡斯特桥镇不过六英里，然而有一道高高的山岭将之与卡斯特桥所在的山谷隔绝开来，因此那里现在的气氛完全不同。
她便去了该处，在这安全地带过着乡下生活。与此同时，她的丈夫正在贫民窟里日夜操劳。这时她认识了一位第Y步兵团的中尉，范尼科克先生，他所在的团正驻扎在巴德茅斯步兵营里。萝拉常常坐在海滩边的乘凉架下，望着一层层细浪缓缓爬上沙滩，漫不经心地倾听浪花退去时冲蚀鹅卵石的声音。而他则常常在那边散步。
两人很快从相识到相知。她的境遇、过往、美貌与年纪——比他年长一两岁——都在这个年轻人心中刻下了深深的烙印，于是很快在那片孤独的海滩上，两人开始了毫无顾忌的调情嬉闹。
事后，有些恶意诋毁她的人说她当初选这个地方住就是为了接近这位先生，但是我们有理由相信她在去之前与他从未谋面。而此时卡斯特桥正疲于应付自己的悲惨遭遇——每天都有人下葬，有被污染的衣物和寝具需要销毁——因此就算有关于两人的流言传来，也无暇传播。悲剧的阴云笼罩了一切，没人有功夫理睬萝拉的事。
与此同时，在山另一侧的巴德茅斯，人们的情绪则大不相同。这边受灾情况很轻而且很早就过去了，现在已经恢复了正常的工作和娱乐。蒙布里先生设法每周去看萝拉两次，都是在露天里，以保证她不会被他感染，而且他丝毫没有听说那些隐约的传闻。一个风大天干的下午，他如常与她在隔开两地的山顶见面，附近就是连接各市镇的公路，与古老的山脊路呈直角交叉。
他看到她走近，微笑着挥挥手，大声对她喊：“亲爱的，我们就隔着这个墙说话吧。”（在此地，田地之间都用矮土墙做篱笆。）“我一定不能让你有危险。托上帝的福，应该不会太久了！”
“那我就照你的吩咐做吧，杰克。但是你自己却在冒着巨大的风险，是不是？我没有听人说起你，但我猜你肯定是身处危险中。”
“我的风险并不比别人的更大。”
两人就这样一本正经地聊了一会儿，吹来一阵风拍打着中间那磨坊矮堰般的土墙。
“你好像有什么事情要问我是吗？”他又补充了一句。
“有的。你知道，我们正想办法在巴德茅斯筹款帮助你的受灾民众。我们想到的方式是戏剧表演。他们想让我参加演出。”
他的脸色黯淡下来，“这事我再了解不过了，还有背后的各种花招！我希望你们能想点别的方法筹款。”
她轻描淡写地说恐怕事情已经定下来了。“所以你反对我参加演出是吗？当然——”
他告诉她，他并不是说全然反对，但希望他们可以选择清唱剧、演讲，或者其他方式，好与救济的目的更相称一些。
“但是，”她有些不耐烦地说，“大家根本就不会去看清唱剧或者听演讲呀！他们只会挤着去看喜剧或者闹剧。”
“是啊，我无法命令巴德茅斯人应该怎样去赚那些要用在我们身上的钱。是谁来筹办这次表演？”
“第Y步兵团的小伙子们。”
“噢，是了，那是我们的老把戏！”蒙布里先生回答，“卡斯特桥的苦难正是他们寻欢作乐的理由！坦率地说，亲爱的萝拉，我希望你不要参加演出。不过我不会禁止你这样做，由你自己来做判断吧。”
这次会面结束了，两人便各奔南北。事后众人才知晓，蒙布里太太在喜剧中扮演的是女主角，而她剧中的恋人一角则由范尼科克先生出演。
