【荆棘鸟】第三章 04

他克制着自己，使脸上不露出怨恨的神色；这个教区是他培养自我克制的好地

方。假如有朝一日他有机会摆脱他的脾气给他招来的默默无闻的处境，他就不会再

重蹈覆辙了。要是他善用心机，能打好手中的牌，那这位老太太或许就能使他如愿

以偿的。

 

    “我得承认，神父，去年过得很愉快，”她说。“比起老凯利神父来，你让人

满意得多了，愿上帝让他灵魂烂掉吧。”她说最后一句时，声音突然变得恶狠狠的，十分刺耳。他抬眼看着她的脸庞，使劲眨着眼皮。“亲爱的卡森夫人！这可不很象是一位天主信徒的感情啊。”

 

    “可这是实话。他是个喝起来没完没了的老酒鬼，我相信，上帝会让他的灵魂

象他那酒鬼身子一样腐烂的。”她向前一倾身。“到现在为止我跟你相当熟了，我

想，我有资格向你提几个问题，对吧？毕竟，你可以随意使用德罗海达，就象它是

你自己的运动场一样——学学怎样做一个牧场主，把骑术练得更高明一些，超脱一

下基里的人世沉浮。当然，这全是应我的邀请，可我得确认为我有资格得到你

对一些问题的回答，是吗？”

 

    由她来提醒他，他应该对她心怀感激，这是他所不情愿的，可是，他却一直在

等待着她认为她有权向他提出一些什么要求的这一天的到来。“的确是这样的，卡

森夫人。对于你让我随意出入德罗海达，还有你送给我的那些神物——马匹、汽车，我是感激不尽的。”

 

    “请问尊寿几何？”她开门见山地问道。

 

    “二十八。”他答道。

 

    “比我想的要小些。可尽管如此，他们也不该派象你这样的神父到基里这种地

方来的。你干了些什么使他们把你派到了这个偏远的地方来呢？”

 

    “我冒犯了主教大人。”他笑了笑，镇静地说。

 

    “一定是这么回事，我认为像你这样一位才华卓越的神父在基兰博这种地方是

不会感到快乐的。”

 

    “这是上帝的旨意。”

 

    “瞎扯淡！你是因为为人不当才到这儿来的——你本人为人不当；每一位主教

大人都不例外，只有教皇才是十全十美的。基里和你的天赋格格不入，这一点我们

都明白。这倒不是说我们乐意有象你这样的人来代替他们通常派给我们的那些授了

圣职的懒蛋，而是说，你的天赋要涉足于教会的神权才如鱼得水，而不是在这里的

羊马之间。穿上红衣主教的红袍，那你看上去就神气极了。”

 

    “我恐怕没这个造化，我想。

he would not again make the same mistake. And if he played his cards well, this old woman might be the answer to his prayers.

  "I must confess, Father, that this past year has been very pleasant," she said. "You're a far more satisfactory shepherd than old Father Kelly was, God rot his soul." Her voice on the last phrase was suddenly harsh, vindictive¹. His eyes lifted to her face, twinkling. "My dear Mrs. Carson! That's not a very Catholic sentiment."

  "But the truth. He was a drunken old sot, and I'm quite sure God will rot his soul as much as the drink rotted his body." She leaned forward. "I know you fairly well by this time; I think I'm entitled to ask you a few questions, don't you? After all, you feel free to use Drogheda as your private playground-off learning how to be a stockman, polishing your riding, escaping from the vicissitudes² of life in Gilly. All at my invitation, of course, but I do think I'm entitled to some answers, don't you?" He didn't like to be reminded that he ought to feel grateful, but he had been waiting for the day when she would think she owned him enough to begin demanding things of him. "Indeed you are, Mrs. Carson. I can't thank you enough for permitting me the run of Drogheda, and for all your gifts-my horses, my car."

  "How old are you?" she asked without further preamble³. "Twenty-eight," he replied.

  "Younger than I thought. Even so, they don't send priests like you to places like Gilly. What did you do, to make them send someone like you out here into the back of beyond?"

  "I insulted the preamble," he said calmly, smiling. "You must have! But I can't think a priest of your peculiar⁴ talents can be happy in a place like Gillanbone."

  "It is God's will."

  "Stuff and nonsense! You're here because of human failings-your own and the bishop's. Only the Pope is infallible. You're utterly⁵ out of your natural element in Gilly, we all know that, not that we're not grateful to have someone like you for a change, instead of the ordained⁶ remittance⁷ men they send us usually. But your natural element lies in some corridor of ecclesiastical power, not here among horses and sheep. You'd look magnificent in cardinal's red."

  "No chance of that, I'm afraid.

1 vindictive   

adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的

参考例句：

• I have no vindictive feelings about it.我对此没有恶意。
• The vindictive little girl tore up her sister's papers.那个充满报复心的小女孩撕破了她姐姐的作业。

2 vicissitudes   

n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废

参考例句：

• He experienced several great social vicissitudes in his life. 他一生中经历了几次大的社会变迁。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A man used to vicissitudes is not easily dejected. 饱经沧桑，不易沮丧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 preamble   

n.前言；序文

参考例句：

• He spoke without preamble.他没有开场白地讲起来。
• The controversy has arisen over the text of the preamble to the unification treaty.针对统一条约的序文出现了争论。

4 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

5 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

6 ordained   

v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定

参考例句：

• He was ordained in 1984. 他在一九八四年被任命为牧师。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was ordained priest. 他被任命为牧师。 来自辞典例句

7 remittance   

n.汇款，寄款，汇兑

参考例句：

• Your last month's salary will be paid by remittance.最后一个月的薪水将通过汇寄的方式付给你。
• A prompt remittance would be appreciated.速寄汇款不胜感激。