【荆棘鸟】第四章 12

拉尔夫神父喊道。"你踩稳了，小伙子，要不你会淹死在泥塘里的！"

　　顷纫间，他们都透湿了，硬结的地面也泡透了。土质微细而板结的土地变成了一片泥乡泽国，淤到了马的跗关节，使它们步履踉跄。他们设法努力趱行；草地还可以走，但是，来到小河附近那片被踩得光秃秃的地面时，他们不得不下马了。马匹一旦解除了负担，倒没什么麻烦了，可是，弗兰克却发觉无法保持自己的平衡。这比在滑冰场里还要糟心。他们手膝并用地慢慢往小河的河岸顶上爬去，并且像投石似地滑下了河岸。通常被淹时只有一英尺深的潺氵爰流水的铺石路面现在翻滚着高达四英尺的泡沫；弗兰克听见神父在哈哈大笑着。在叫喊和湿透的帽子的抽打驱策下，马匹总算安然无恙地爬上了远处的河岸；但是弗兰克和拉尔夫神父却上不去，每次试着往上爬，都滑了下来。正当神父提议爬到一棵柳树上去的时候，那没人骑的马匹跑去惊动了帕迪，他拿着绳子来抛给了他们。

　　拉尔夫神微笑着摇摇头，谢绝了帕迪的殷勤相请。

　　"我得到大宅里去，"他说道。

　　玛丽·卡森的仆人们还没听见他的唤门声，她就听到了，因为他绕道转到了前门，认为这样到自己的房间方便一些。

　　"你可不能像这样进去啊，"她站在回廊里，说道。

　　"那就行行好，给我拿几声毛巾来，再把箱子也拿来。"

　　她毫无窘态地看着他脱去了他的衬衣、靴子和马裤，当他用毛巾擦掉身上的烂泥时，她靠在通往她客厅的那扇半开的法式门上。

 

　　"你是我见过的最英俊的男人，拉尔夫·德·布里克萨特，"她说。"为什么有那么多教士长得都很漂亮呢？因为是爱尔兰人吗？你们爱尔兰人可真是一个俊美的民族。要不就是漂亮的男人发觉教士的职位是逃避他们相貌所引起的后果的避难所？我敢打赌，基里的姑娘们为你把心都想碎了。"

 

　　"我早就学会不拿正眼去瞧那些害相思病的姑娘了。"他笑了起来。"无论哪一个50岁以下的教士都是她们某些人的目标。而35岁以下的教士则常常是她们全体的目标。不过只有那稣教的姑娘才公然地试图勾引我。"

 

　　"你从来不直截了当地回答我的问题，是吗？"她直起身，把手放在了他的胸口上，停在那里不动了。"你是个纵情逸乐的家伙，拉尔夫，你的条件很好啊。你全身的皮肤都这么黝黑吗？"

　　他微笑着，把头靠向前方，随后冲着她的头发笑了起来，两手解开棉质内裤的扣子。

 

Father Ralph shouted. "Dig your heels in, lad, or you'll drown in the mud!"

  They were soaked within seconds, and so was the hard-baked ground. The fine,- nonporous soil became a sea of mud, miring¹ the horses to their hocks and setting them floundering. While the grass persisted they managed to press on, but near the creek² where the earth had been trodden to bareness they had to dismount. Once relieved of their burdens, the horses had no trouble, but Frank found it impossible to keep his balance. It was worse than a skating rink. On hands and knees they crawled to the top of the creek bank, and slid down it like projectiles³. The stone roadway, which was normally covered by a foot of lazy water, was under four feet of racing⁴ foam⁵; Frank heard the priest laugh. Urged on by shouts and slaps from sodden⁶ hats, the horses managed to scramble⁷ up the far bank without mishap⁸, but Frank and Father Ralph could not. Every time they tried, they slid back again. The priest had just suggested they climb a willow⁹ when Paddy, alerted by the appearance of riderless horses, came with a rope and hauled them out. Smiling and shaking his head, Father Ralph refused Paddy's offer of hospitality.

  "I'm expected at the big house," he said.

  Mary Carson heard him calling before any of her staff did, for he had chosen to walk

around to the front of the house, thinking it would be easier to reach his room.

  "You're not coming inside like that," she said, standing¹⁰ on the veranda¹¹. "Then be a dear, get me several towels and my case."

  Unembarrassed, she watched him peel off his shirt, boots and breeches, leaning against

the half-open window into her drawing room as he toweled the worst of the mud off.

  "You're the most beautiful man I've ever seen, Ralph de Bricassart," she said. "Why is it so many priests are beautiful? The Irishness? They're rather a handsome people, the Irish.Or is it that beautiful men find the priesthood a refuge from the consequences of their looks? I'll bet the girls in Gilly just eat their hearts out over you."

  "I learned long ago not to take any notice of lovesick girls." He laughed. "Any priest

under fifty is a target for some of them, and a priest under thirty-five is usually a

target for all of them. But it's only the Protestant girls who openly try to seduce¹² me."

  "You never answer my questions outright¹³, do you?" Straightening, she laid her palm on his chest and held it there. "You're a sybarite, Ralph, you lie in the sun. Are you as brown all over?" 

   Smiling, he leaned his head forward, then laughed into her hair, his hands unbuttoning the cotton drawers;  

1 miring   

v.深陷( mire的现在分词 )

参考例句：

2 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

3 projectiles   

n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 )；（炮弹、子弹等）射弹，（火箭等）自动推进的武器

参考例句：

• These differences are connected with the strong absorption of the composite projectiles. 这些差别与复杂的入射粒子的强烈吸收有关。 来自辞典例句
• Projectiles became more important because cannons could now fire balls over hundreds or yards. 抛射体变得更加重要，因为人们已能用大炮把炮弹射到几百码的距离之外。 来自辞典例句

4 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

5 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

6 sodden   

adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑

参考例句：

• We stripped off our sodden clothes.我们扒下了湿透的衣服。
• The cardboard was sodden and fell apart in his hands.纸板潮得都发酥了，手一捏就碎。

7 scramble   

v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料

参考例句：

• He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
• It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。

8 mishap   

n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸

参考例句：

• I'm afraid your son had a slight mishap in the playground.不好了，你儿子在操场上出了点小意外。
• We reached home without mishap.我们平安地回到了家。

9 willow   

n.柳树

参考例句：

• The river was sparsely lined with willow trees.河边疏疏落落有几棵柳树。
• The willow's shadow falls on the lake.垂柳的影子倒映在湖面上。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 veranda   

n.走廊；阳台

参考例句：

• She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
• They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。

12 seduce   

vt.勾引，诱奸，诱惑，引诱

参考例句：

• She has set out to seduce Stephen.她已经开始勾引斯蒂芬了。
• Clever advertising would seduce more people into smoking.巧妙策划的广告会引诱更多的人吸烟。

13 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。