【荆棘鸟】第五章 12

It's true, of course. I knew he wasn't yours the moment I first saw him."

"There's not much misses you, is there?"

"I suppose not. However, it doesn't take much more than very ordinary powers of observation to see when the various members of my parish are troubled, or in pain. And having seen, it is my duty to do what I can to help."

"You're very well liked in Gilly, Father."

"For which no doubt I may thank my face and my figure," said the priest bitterly, unable to make it sound as light as he had intended. "Is that what you think? I can't agree, Father. We like you because you're a good pastor¹."

"Well, I seem to be thoroughly² embroiled³ in your troubles, at any rate," said Father Ralph uncomfortably. "You'd best get it off your chest, man." Paddy stared into the fire, which he had built up to the proportions of a furnace while the priest was putting Meggie to bed, in an excess of remorse⁴ and frantic⁵ to be doing something. The empty glass in his hand shook in a series of rapid jerks; Father Ralph got up for the whiskey bottle and replenished⁶ it. After a long draft Paddy sighed, wiping the forgotten tears from his face. "I don't know who Frank's father is. It happened before I met Fee. Her people are practically New Zealand's first family socially, and her father had a big wheat-and-sheep property outside Ashburton in the South Island. Money was no object, and Fee was his only daughter. As I understand it, he'd planned her life for her-a trip to the old country, a debut⁷ at court, the right husband. She had never lifted a hand in the house, of course. They had maids and butlers and horses and big carriages; they lived like lords. "I was the dairy hand, and sometimes I used to see Fee in the distance, walking with a little boy about eighteen months old. The next thing, old James Armstrong came to see me. His daughter, he said, had disgraced the family; she wasn't married and she had a child. It hale been hushed up, of course, but when they tried to get her away her grandmother made such a fuss they had no choice but to keep her on the place, in spite of the awkwardness. Now the grandmother was dying, there was nothing to stop them getting rid of Fee and her child. I was a single man, James said; if I'd marry her and guarantee to take her out of the South Island, they'd pay our traveling expenses and an additional five hundred pounds. "Well, Father, it was a fortune to me, and I was tired of the single life. But I was always so shy I was never any good with the girls. It seemed like a good idea to me, and I honestly didn't mind the child. The grandmother got wind of it and sent for me, even though she was very ill. She was a tartar in her day, I'll bet, but a real lady. 

 

"没有什么能逃掉你的眼光，是吗？"

　　"大概是吧，反正我的教民遇上麻烦或有痛苦时，我不用费多大劲就看得出来、既然看出来了，尽力帮忙就是我的责任。"

　　"神父，你在基里是深受爱戴的。"

　　"毫无疑问，这靠的是我的脸和我的身材，"神父尖刻地说道；他本来想轻描淡写地讲这话的。

　　"你这样想吗？我不赞成。神父，我们喜欢你，是因为你的精神上是个很好的引路人。"

　　"不管怎么说，我好像完全卷进你们的麻烦中去了，"拉尔夫神父不安地说道。"伙计，你最好把心里话都倒出来吧。"

　　帕迪凝视着火光，在神父送梅吉睡觉去时，他尽量把炉火添旺，并以极度的懊悔和狂暴做这件事。他手中的空杯不断地颤动着；拉尔夫神父站起身，把酒瓶拿来，把那杯子倒满。帕迪考虑了好一阵子，叹了口气，擦掉了脸上挂着的泪水。

　　"我不知这弗兰克的父亲是谁。这件事发生在我见到菲之前。她家人的社会地位在新西兰首屈一指、她父亲在艾希伯顿以外的南岛上有一大笔小麦和羊群的财产；钱算不上什么东西；菲是他的独生女。据我所知，他为她安排生活--到故国去旅行，在社交界露面，找一个好丈夫。当然，她在家里从来不干活。他们有女佣人、男管家、马车和马，生活得就象贵族。

　　"我是个挤奶工，我常常从远处看见菲带着一个大约一岁半的男孩子散步。后来，老詹姆斯阿姆斯特郎米找我。他说，他女儿玷污了他的门风，没结婚就有了孩子。当然，这件事被压了下来；他们想把她赶走，可她祖母唠唠叨叨，不肯答应，他们别无选择，只好把她留下。尽管这是件尴尬的事。现在，她祖母快死了，谁也拦不住他们把菲和那孩子赶走。詹姆斯说我是单身汉，要是我肯娶她，并保证把她带离南岛，他愿意付给我路费，外加500镑。

　　"是的，神父，这是我的运气。我厌恶单身生活了。但我一直是个腼腆的人，从没和姑娘好过。这对我来说似乎是个好主意，老实说，我才不在乎那个孩子呢。她祖母听到了风声，便派人来找我，尽管她病得很厉害。我敢说，她平时一定是个很难对付的人，但却是一位真正的贵妇人。

1 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

2 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

3 embroiled   

adj.卷入的；纠缠不清的

参考例句：

• He became embroiled in a dispute with his neighbours. 他与邻居们发生了争执。
• John and Peter were quarrelling, but Mary refused to get embroiled. 约翰和彼得在争吵，但玛丽不愿卷入。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 remorse   

n.痛恨，悔恨，自责

参考例句：

• She had no remorse about what she had said.她对所说的话不后悔。
• He has shown no remorse for his actions.他对自己的行为没有任何悔恨之意。

5 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

6 replenished   

补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 )； 重新装满

参考例句：

• She replenished her wardrobe. 她添置了衣服。
• She has replenished a leather [fur] coat recently. 她最近添置了一件皮袄。

7 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。