英文
Chapter 15 His Eighth Birthday
Ben took his boy and went back to his cattle ranch in California, and he returned under very comfortable circumstances. Just before his going, Mr. Havisham had an interview with him in which the lawyer told him that the Earl of Dorincourt wished to do something for the boy who might have turned out to be Lord Fauntleroy, and so he had decided that it would be a good plan to invest in a cattle ranch of his own, and put Ben in charge of it on terms which would make it pay him very well, and which would lay a foundation for his son's future. And so when Ben went away, he went as the prospective master of a ranch which would be almost as good as his own, and might easily become his own in time, as indeed it did in the course of a few years; and Tom, the boy, grew up on it into a fine young man and was devotedly fond of his father; and they were so successful and happy that Ben used to say that Tom made up to him for all the troubles he had ever had.
But Dick and Mr. Hobbs—who had actually come over with the others to see that things were properly looked after—did not return for some time. It had been decided at the outset that the Earl would provide for Dick, and would see that he received a solid education; and Mr. Hobbs had decided that as he himself had left a reliable substitute in charge of his store, he could afford to wait to see the festivities which were to celebrate Lord Fauntleroy's eighth birthday. All the tenantry were invited, and there were to be feasting and dancing and games in the park, and bonfires and fire-works in the evening.
Just like the Fourth of July! said Lord Fauntleroy. "It seems a pity my birthday wasn't on the Fourth, doesn't it? For then we could keep them both together."
It must be confessed that at first the Earl and Mr. Hobbs were not as intimate as it might have been hoped they would become, in the interests of the British aristocracy. The fact was that the Earl had known very few grocery-men, and Mr. Hobbs had not had many very close acquaintances who were earls; and so in their rare interviews conversation did not flourish. It must also be owned that Mr. Hobbs had been rather overwhelmed by the splendors Fauntleroy felt it his duty to show him.
The entrance gate and the stone lions and the avenue impressed Mr. Hobbs somewhat at the beginning, and when he saw the Castle, and the flower-gardens, and the hot-houses, and the terraces, and the peacocks, and the dungeon, and the armor, and the great staircase, and the stables, and the liveried servants, he really was quite bewildered. But it was the picture gallery which seemed to be the finishing stroke.
Somethin' in the manner of a museum? he said to Fauntleroy, when he was led into the great, beautiful room.
N—no—! said Fauntleroy, rather doubtfully. "I don't THINK it's a museum. My grandfather says these are my ancestors."
Your aunt's sisters! ejaculated Mr. Hobbs. "ALL of 'em? Your greatuncle, he MUST have had a family! Did he raise 'em all?"
And he sank into a seat and looked around him with quite an agitated countenance, until with the greatest difficulty Lord Fauntleroy managed to explain that the walls were not lined entirely with the portraits of the progeny of his great-uncle.
He found it necessary, in fact, to call in the assistance of Mrs. Mellon, who knew all about the pictures, and could tell who painted them and when, and who added romantic stories of the lords and ladies who were the originals. When Mr. Hobbs once understood, and had heard some of these stories, he was very much fascinated and liked the picture gallery almost better than anything else; and he would often walk over from the village, where he staid at the Dorincourt Arms, and would spend half an hour or so wandering about the gallery, staring at the painted ladies and gentlemen, who also stared at him, and shaking his head nearly all the time.
And they was all earls! he would say, "er pretty nigh it! An' HE'S goin' to be one of 'em, an' own it all!"
Privately he was not nearly so much disgusted with earls and their mode of life as he had expected to be, and it is to be doubted whether his strictly republican principles were not shaken a little by a closer acquaintance with castles and ancestors and all the rest of it. At any rate, one day he uttered a very remarkable and unexpected sentiment:
I wouldn't have minded bein' one of 'em myself! he said—which was really a great concession.
What a grand day it was when little Lord Fauntleroy's birthday arrived, and how his young lordship enjoyed it! How beautiful the park looked, filled with the thronging people dressed in their gayest and best, and with the flags flying from the tents and the top of the Castle! Nobody had staid away who could possibly come, because everybody was really glad that little Lord Fauntleroy was to be little Lord Fauntleroy still, and some day was to be the master of everything. Every one wanted to have a look at him, and at his pretty, kind mother, who had made so many friends. And positively every one liked the Earl rather better, and felt more amiably toward him because the little boy loved and trusted him so, and because, also, he had now made friends with and behaved respectfully to his heir's mother. It was said that he was even beginning to be fond of her, too, and that between his young lordship and his young lordship's mother, the Earl might be changed in time into quite a well-behaved old nobleman, and everybody might be happier and better off.
What scores and scores of people there were under the trees, and in the tents, and on the lawns! Farmers and farmers' wives in their Sunday suits and bonnets and shawls; girls and their sweethearts; children frolicking and chasing about; and old dames in red cloaks gossiping together. At the Castle, there were ladies and gentlemen who had come to see the fun, and to congratulate the Earl, and to meet Mrs. Errol. Lady Lorredaile and Sir Harry were there, and Sir Thomas Asshe and his daughters, and Mr. Havisham, of course, and then beautiful Miss Vivian Herbert, with the loveliest white gown and lace parasol, and a circle of gentlemen to take care of her—though she evidently liked Fauntleroy better than all of them put together. And when he saw her and ran to her and put his arm around her neck, she put her arms around him, too, and kissed him as warmly as if he had been her own favorite little brother, and she said:
Dear little Lord Fauntleroy! dear little boy! I am so glad! I am so glad!
And afterward she walked about the grounds with him, and let him show her everything. And when he took her to where Mr. Hobbs and Dick were, and said to her, "This is my old, old friend Mr. Hobbs, Miss Herbert, and this is my other old friend Dick. I told them how pretty you were, and I told them they should see you if you came to my birthday,"—she shook hands with them both, and stood and talked to them in her prettiest way, asking them about America and their voyage and their life since they had been in England; while Fauntleroy stood by, looking up at her with adoring eyes, and his cheeks quite flushed with delight because he saw that Mr. Hobbs and Dick liked her so much.
Well, said Dick solemnly, afterward, "she's the daisiest gal I ever saw! She's—well, she's just a daisy, that's what she is, 'n' no mistake!"
Everybody looked after her as she passed, and every one looked after little Lord Fauntleroy. And the sun shone and the flags fluttered and the games were played and the dances danced, and as the gayeties went on and the joyous afternoon passed, his little lordship was simply radiantly happy.
The whole world seemed beautiful to him.
There was some one else who was happy, too,—an old man, who, though he had been rich and noble all his life, had not often been very honestly happy. Perhaps, indeed, I shall tell you that I think it was because he was rather better than he had been that he was rather happier. He had not, indeed, suddenly become as good as Fauntleroy thought him; but, at least, he had begun to love something, and he had several times found a sort of pleasure in doing the kind things which the innocent, kind little heart of a child had suggested, —and that was a beginning. And every day he had been more pleased with his son's wife. It was true, as the people said, that he was beginning to like her too. He liked to hear her sweet voice and to see her sweet face; and as he sat in his arm-chair, he used to watch her and listen as she talked to her boy; and he heard loving, gentle words which were new to him, and he began to see why the little fellow who had lived in a New York side street and known grocery-men and made friends with boot-blacks, was still so well-bred and manly a little fellow that he made no one ashamed of him, even when fortune changed him into the heir to an English earldom, living in an English castle.
It was really a very simple thing, after all,—it was only that he had lived near a kind and gentle heart, and had been taught to think kind thoughts always and to care for others. It is a very little thing, perhaps, but it is the best thing of all. He knew nothing of earls and castles; he was quite ignorant of all grand and splendid things; but he was always lovable because he was simple and loving. To be so is like being born a king.
As the old Earl of Dorincourt looked at him that day, moving about the park among the people, talking to those he knew and making his ready little bow when any one greeted him, entertaining his friends Dick and Mr. Hobbs, or standing near his mother or Miss Herbert listening to their conversation, the old nobleman was very well satisfied with him. And he had never been better satisfied than he was when they went down to the biggest tent, where the more important tenants of the Dorincourt estate were sitting down to the grand collation of the day.
They were drinking toasts; and, after they had drunk the health of the Earl, with much more enthusiasm than his name had ever been greeted with before, they proposed the health of "Little Lord Fauntleroy." And if there had ever been any doubt at all as to whether his lordship was popular or not, it would have been settled that instant. Such a clamor of voices, and such a rattle of glasses and applause! They had begun to like him so much, those warm-hearted people, that they forgot to feel any restraint before the ladies and gentlemen from the castle, who had come to see them. They made quite a decent uproar, and one or two motherly women looked tenderly at the little fellow where he stood, with his mother on one side and the Earl on the other, and grew quite moist about the eyes, and said to one another:
God bless him, the pretty little dear!
Little Lord Fauntleroy was delighted. He stood and smiled, and made bows, and flushed rosy red with pleasure up to the roots of his bright hair.
Is it because they like me, Dearest? he said to his mother. "Is it, Dearest? I'm so glad!"
And then the Earl put his hand on the child's shoulder and said to him:
Fauntleroy, say to them that you thank them for their kindness.
Fauntleroy gave a glance up at him and then at his mother.
Must I? he asked just a trifle shyly, and she smiled, and so did Miss Herbert, and they both nodded. And so he made a little step forward, and everybody looked at him—such a beautiful, innocent little fellow he was, too, with his brave, trustful face! —and he spoke as loudly as he could, his childish voice ringing out quite clear and strong.
I'm ever so much obliged to you! he said, "and—I hope you'll enjoy my birthday—because I've enjoyed it so much—and—I'm very glad I'm going to be an earl; I didn't think at first I should like it, but now I do—and I love this place so, and I think it is beautiful—and—and—and when I am an earl, I am going to try to be as good as my grandfather."
And amid the shouts and clamor of applause, he stepped back with a little sigh of relief, and put his hand into the Earl's and stood close to him, smiling and leaning against his side.
And that would be the very end of my story; but I must add one curious piece of information, which is that Mr. Hobbs became so fascinated with high life and was so reluctant to leave his young friend that he actually sold his corner store in New York, and settled in the English village of Erlesboro, where he opened a shop which was patronized by the Castle and consequently was a great success. And though he and the Earl never became very intimate, if you will believe me, that man Hobbs became in time more aristocratic than his lordship himself, and he read the Court news every morning, and followed all the doings of the House of Lords! And about ten years after, when Dick, who had finished his education and was going to visit his brother in California, asked the good grocer if he did not wish to return to America, he shook his head seriously.
Not to live there, he said. "Not to live there; I want to be near HIM, an' sort o' look after him. It's a good enough country for them that's young an' stirrin'—but there's faults in it. There's not an auntsister among 'em—nor an earl!"
中文
第十五章 小勋爵过八岁生日
本带着他的儿子，回到了加利福尼亚的养牛场。一路上他感觉非常惬意。在他离开之前，哈维沙姆先生跟他见了面，告诉他多林考特伯爵希望为他的孩子做点儿事。伯爵决定投资建立一个属于他自己的养牛场，让本来负责管理。这能使本得到一笔相当高的收入，他可以存下一些，为他儿子的未来准备好资金。伯爵觉得这是一个好计划。于是，当本离开时，就将成为又一个农场的主人。新农场将和他自己的那个几乎一样好，而且到时候可能会轻而易举地变成他自己的农场。事实上，几年之后，他真的拥有了那个农场。他的儿子汤姆在农场长大，成了一个优秀的年轻人，而且非常热爱父亲。他们是如此成功、快乐，以至于本常常说，汤姆补偿了他曾经受过的所有苦难。
迪克和霍布斯先生——他们和其他人一起远渡重洋来到英国，看到事情得到了正当的解决——他们又待了一段时间才回美国。伯爵一开始就决定，他要资助迪克，让他接受教育；霍布斯先生则决定，要等着参加庆祝方特勒罗伊勋爵八岁生日的盛会。因为他已经把杂货店托付给一个可靠的人了，所以他能够再逗留一段时间。盛会上，所有的仆人都受到了邀请，人们在花园里吃着、跳着、玩着，晚上还燃起了篝火和烟火。
“就像七月四日国庆节似的！”方特勒罗伊勋爵说，“我的生日不在七月四日，这是一个遗憾，不是吗？如果是的话，我们就可以两个节日一起过了。”
必须承认，一开始，伯爵和霍布斯先生的关系并不像人们所希望的那样亲密，原因是伯爵平生几乎不认识杂货店里的人，而在霍布斯先生关系比较近的熟人中，贵族也不多。因此，在他们偶然见面时，谈话并不怎么投机，同时也必须承认，霍布斯先生为庄园的壮观所倾倒。方特勒罗伊觉得领着霍布斯先生参观庄园，是自己的义务。
开始的时候，入口处的大门、石狮子和大马路就使霍布斯先生有了些感受。待他看到城堡、花园、温室、台地、孔雀、地牢、盔甲、宽大的楼梯、马圈和穿着号衣的仆人，他真的被迷住了。不过，最终使他感触最深的似乎是画廊。
“有点儿像博物馆。”当他被领进那间宽敞、漂亮的房间时，他对方特勒罗伊说。
“呃——不像！”方特勒罗伊怀疑地说，“我觉得不像博物馆。我祖父说，这些都是我的祖先。”
“你姑姑的姐妹！”霍布斯先生脱口喊道，“她们全都是吗？那你的叔祖父肯定有一个大家庭了！他要养活所有这些人吗？”
他的身子倒进椅子里，环顾着四周，神情焦虑不安，直到方特勒罗伊勋爵费尽全力清楚地解释说，画墙并不完全是按照他叔祖父的后代的画像来划分的。
方特勒罗伊发现，很有必要去把梅隆夫人请来帮忙，因为她了解所有画像的情况，而且能说出是谁画的，什么时候画的，以及是谁把浪漫的故事加在老爷太太这些人物原型身上的。霍布斯先生听了几个故事之后，变得非常着迷，几乎没有什么其他东西比画廊更让他喜欢的了。他住在那个叫作多林考特阿姆斯的村子里，经常从那儿来到画廊里，花上半个小时左右，在画廊里走来走去，盯着画上的贵妇们和绅士们，他们也盯着他。
“他们可都是贵族啊！”他说，“至少是准贵族！塞德里克也要成为其中的一个了，而且将拥有所有这一切！”
他原来曾经预想，他对伯爵及其生活方式会厌恶至极，但是现在，他内心里并不那么讨厌伯爵了。在他细致熟悉了城堡及其历代的主人，还有所有其他的一切后，他那些严格的共和党原则是否一点都不受影响，也是存有疑问的。无论如何，有一天，他说出了一种非常不同凡响的、意料之外的感想。
“让我自己成为他们中的一员，我也不会介意的！”他说——这可真是极大的让步啊。
当小方特勒罗伊勋爵的生日到来时，那是多么辉煌的日子！花园看上去美不胜收！到处都是成群结队的人，他们穿着最好的、最好看的衣服。帐篷和城堡的顶上，旗帜飞扬！能够来的人都来了，大家都很高兴，因为小方特勒罗伊勋爵仍然是小方特勒罗伊勋爵，而且将来某一天，他将成为这一切的主人。每个人都想看看他，看看他那美丽而贤良的母亲。她已经在庄园里交了很多朋友。大家也确实更喜欢伯爵了，感到更容易接近他了，因为小家伙是如此喜爱他，信任他，也因为他自己现在像对待朋友似的对待小家伙的母亲了，而且对她表现出了尊敬。据说，伯爵甚至开始喜欢她了，而且在小勋爵及其母亲中间，伯爵有可能会变成一个举止相当高雅的老贵族。到那时，庄园里所有的人都可能会变得更加幸福、更加富裕。
树底下，帐篷里，草坪上，到处是成群结队的人！农夫农妇们像过节似的穿着漂亮的服装，戴着漂亮的帽子和围巾；姑娘们伴着她们的心上人；孩子们像鸟一样跑来跑去，互相追逐着；老妇们穿着大红的外套，聚集在一起说长道短。女士们和先生们纷纷到城堡里来看热闹，来祝贺伯爵，来拜见埃罗尔夫人。洛里耶尔夫人和哈里爵士、托马斯·阿什爵士和他的女儿们都来了，当然还有哈维沙姆先生；随后到来的，是美丽的维维安·贺波特小姐。她穿着最可爱的袍子，撑着花边阳伞。绅士们围着她，争着向她献殷勤——尽管在她的心目中，他们全部加起来，也不如一个方特勒罗伊，这是显而易见的。小家伙一见她，就跑了过去，用双臂抱着她的脖子，她也用双臂抱着他，热烈地吻着他，就好像他是她自己的可爱的小弟弟，她说：
“亲爱的小方特勒罗伊勋爵！亲爱的小家伙！我真高兴！我真高兴！”
说完，她跟他一起在庭院里走来走去，让他把每一件东西都指给她看。他带着她，来到了霍布斯先生和迪克住的地方，对她说：“这位是我的老朋友霍布斯先生，贺波特小姐，这位是我的另一个老朋友迪克，我告诉他们你漂亮极了，我还告诉他们，如果你来参加我的生日宴会的话，他们应该见见你。”她跟他们一一握手，以她最美丽的姿态，站着跟他们聊天，问他们有关美国的情况、旅途的情况以及到英国以来的生活情况。方特勒罗伊站在旁边，用爱慕的目光仰视着她。他的脸颊高兴得红彤彤的，因为他发现霍布斯先生和迪克也很喜欢她。
“哦，”事后，迪克严肃地说，“她像雏菊一样，是我平生见过的最最漂亮的女孩！她是——哦，她就是一朵雏菊，真是一朵雏菊，没错！”
当她走过的时候，每一个人的目光都追着她，也追着小方特勒罗伊勋爵。阳光照耀着，旗帜飘扬着，人们玩着游戏，跳着舞。当快乐的下午过去时，最最快乐的节目开始了。小勋爵高兴得浑身放光。
对他来说，整个世界似乎都美不胜收。
另一个人也非常快乐——那是一个老头，他虽然一生都过着富裕而高贵的生活，但一直都并不真正快乐。因为他比以前过得更好，所以感觉更加快乐。方特勒罗伊认为他很好，事实上，他不是突然变得那么好的，但是，至少可以说，他已经开始爱护别人了。孩子那小小的心灵单纯而善良，提示他要做点好事。有几次，他甚至从做好事中找到了快乐——那是一个良好的开端。他对儿媳妇也日益感到满意。正如人们所说的，他也真的开始喜欢她了。他喜欢听她甜美的声音，喜欢看她甜美的脸庞。当他坐在扶手椅中时，他常常看着她，听着她跟她儿子的谈话。他听到了温柔的爱的话语，他以前从未听到过这样的话语。他开始明白了，为什么小家伙虽然生活在纽约的小街上，结识杂货店老板，结交擦鞋匠，却照样很有教养，很有男子汉气概。甚至当命运把他变成了一个英国伯爵的继承人，生活在英国的城堡里，他也没有让任何人为他感到羞辱。
总的来说，这真的很容易解释——那只是因为他的身边有一颗善良的、温柔的心，那是他母亲的心。她教导他，要时刻心存善良的念头，要想着去关心别人。也许这事很小，却是最好的。塞德里克以前对伯爵和城堡一无所知，也不知道所有的这些宏大、壮观的事物，但他一直是惹人喜欢的，因为他单纯而且富于爱心。这样的一个人，生来就像一个国王。
生日那天，小勋爵在花园里走来走去，穿梭在人群之中，跟那些他认识的人攀谈。任何人向他打招呼时，他都会做出一个娴熟、小小的鞠躬动作。他逗得他的朋友迪克和霍布斯先生直发笑。有时候，他站在母亲或贺波特小姐身边，听着她们的谈话。多林考特老伯爵看着他，对他感到非常非常满意。多林考特领地上比较重要的佃户坐在最大的帐篷里，举行盛大的读经讨论会，当老伯爵跟小家伙一起到帐篷里去时，他感到了从未有过的满足。
佃户们正在祝酒。他们热情地为伯爵的健康干杯，以前伯爵的名字从来没有被如此热情地呼叫过。然后，他们又提议为小方特勒罗伊勋爵的健康干杯。如果此前，人们对老爷是否受欢迎这一问题一直有怀疑的话，那么那一刻这种怀疑就可以解除了。人声多么喧嚷！杯子的碰撞声和赞语响成一片！那些热心肠的人们开始喜欢伯爵了，女士们和先生们到城堡里来看他们，他们忘了任何约束的感觉，大方地高声喊着。一两个做了母亲的女人温柔地看着小家伙，他站着，一边是他母亲，另一边是伯爵。她们眼中噙着泪水，互相说道：
“上帝保佑他，漂亮的小亲亲！”
小方特勒罗伊勋爵听了很高兴。他站着，笑着，鞠着躬，满脸快乐的红晕像玫瑰一般，一直蔓延到光亮的头发的根梢。
“是因为她们喜欢我吗，最最亲爱的？”他对他母亲说，“是不是啊，最最亲爱的？我太高兴了！”
随后，伯爵举起手，放在孩子的肩膀上，对他说：
“方特勒罗伊，跟她们说，你感谢她们的好意。”
方特勒罗伊抬头瞥了他一眼，随后又看了看母亲。
“我必须那么做吗？”他有点害羞地问道。他母亲微笑着，贺波特小姐也微笑着，她们俩都点了点头。于是，他往前跨了一小步，大家都看着他——他是如此漂亮、单纯，他的脸色又是如此无所畏惧、深信不疑！——他那孩子气的声音波浪似的传开来，非常清晰、高亢，他用力高声说道：
“我非常非常感谢你们！”他说，“而且——我希望你们能分享我生日的快乐——因为我已享有太多的快乐——还有——我很高兴，我将成为伯爵——一开始我没想着我会喜欢当伯爵，但是现在我喜欢了——还有，我也爱上了这地方，我觉得这地方很美——还有——还有——还有，当我是一个伯爵的时候，我将努力成为像我祖父一样的好伯爵。”
在喧闹的喝彩和赞美声中，他退了回来，如释重负般地轻声呼了口气，把手放在伯爵的手里，紧紧地挨着伯爵站着，倚靠着老伯爵微笑着。
那就是我的故事的结尾了，但是我还必须加上一条奇怪的消息。霍布斯先生变得如此迷恋高贵的生活，不情愿离开他的小朋友，以至于他真的卖掉了纽约的杂货店，在英国的额勒斯波罗村里定居了下来，在城堡主人的关照下，他在村子里开了一家商店，后来生意还非常好。尽管他和伯爵一直没有成为密友，但是请你相信我，霍布斯这个普通人最后变得比贵族还贵族。每天早上，他要读宫廷新闻，一举一动全都模仿贵族议院！大概十年后，当迪克完成了学业，准备去加利福尼亚看望他的哥哥时，他问那个好心的杂货店老板，是否同意回美国，霍布斯先生严肃地摇摇头。
“我不想生活在那边了，”他说，“我不想生活在那边了，我想住在他的附近，以便照顾他。那个国家对他们来说固然是好得不能再好，朝气蓬勃而且激动人心——但也有问题——那儿没有三姑六姨，也没有伯爵！”
