《飘》精读36章4

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“How you do run on,” she said coolly. Anxious to change the subject, she asked:“How did you ever get out of jail?”

“看你说到哪里去了，”她冷冷地说，为了急于改变话题，她问道：“你是怎么出狱的呢？”

“Oh, that!” he answered, making an airy gesture. “Not much trouble. They let me out this morning.

“唔，这个嘛，”他摆出一副逍遥自在的神气回答说，“没遇到多大麻烦。他们是今天早晨让我出来的。

I employed a delicate system of blackmail on a friend in Washington who is quite high in the councils of the Federal government.

我对一个在华盛顿联邦政府机构中担任高级职务的朋友搞了一点巧妙的讹诈。

A splendid fellow–one of the staunch Union patriots from whom I used to buy muskets and hoop skirts for the Confederacy.

他是个杰出人物——一位坚强的联邦爱国人士，我常常从他那里为南部联盟购买军械和有裙箍的女裙。

When my distressing predicament was brought to his attention in the right way, he hastened to use his influence, and so I was released.

我那令人苦恼的困境通过正当途径让他注意到时，他立即利用他的权势，这样我便被放了出来。

Influence is everything, and guilt or innocence merely an academic question.”

权势就是一切，思嘉。你一旦被抓起来时，便要记住这一点。权势能解决一切问题，至于有罪无罪，那只不过是个理论上的问题罢了。

“I’ll take oath you weren’t innocent.”

“我敢发誓，你绝不是无罪的。”

“No, now that I am free of the toils, I’ll frankly admit that I’m as guilty as Cain. I did kill the nigger.

Cain:该隐(亚当之子)

“对，反正现在我已经逃出罗网，可以坦率地向你承认我和该隐一样有罪了。我确实杀了那个黑鬼。

He was uppity to a lady, and what else could a Southern gentleman do?

他对一位贵妇人傲慢无礼，我身为一个南方的上等人，除了杀掉他还能干什么？

And while I’m confessing, I must admit that I shot a Yankee cavalryman after some words in a barroom.

既然我在向你坦白，我还得承认在某家酒吧间里我还和一位北方佬骑兵斗了几句嘴，并把他毙了。

I was not charged with that peccadillo, so perhaps some other poor devil has been hanged for it, long since.”

peccadillo:过失

这事已经过去很久了，却没有人指控我，或许某个别的可怜虫代替我上了绞刑架吧。”

He was so blithe about his murders her blood chilled.

他对自己的杀人勾当如此津津乐道，吓得思嘉毛骨悚然。

Words of moral indignation rose to her lips but suddenly she remembered the Yankee who lay under the tangle of scuppernong vines at Tara.

indignation:愤慨

她想说几句从道义上加以谴责的话，但是突然想起埋在塔拉农场葡萄藤下面的那个北方佬。

He had not been on her conscience any more than a roach upon which she might have stepped.

poach:蟑螂

这个北方佬犹如她踩死的一只蚂蚁一样，她早已不放在心上了。

She could not sit in judgment on Rhett when she was as guilty as he.

不过，既然她同瑞德一样有罪，她又怎能参与对他的判决呢。

“And, as I seem to be making a clean breast of it, I must tell you, in strictest confidence (that means, don’t tell Miss Pittypat!) that I did have the money, safe in a bank in Liverpool.”

“而且，既然我已经向你和盘托出，我还得再告诉你一件绝密的事（那就是说千万不要告诉皮蒂帕特小姐！），我确实有那笔钱，安全地存在利物浦的一家银行里。”

“The money?”

“那笔钱？”

“Yes, the money the Yankees were so curious about. Scarlett, it wasn’t altogether meanness that kept me from giving you the money you wanted.

“是的，就是北方佬最爱打听的那笔钱。思嘉，你上次向我借钱时，我没有给你，那可不完全是小气呀。

If I’d drawn a draft they could have traced it somehow and I doubt if you’d have gotten a cent.

因为如果我开了张支票给你，他们就会追查它的来源，那时恐怕你连一个子儿也拿不到的。

My only hope lay in doing nothing. I knew the money was pretty safe,

我惟一的希望是寄托在不动声色上。我知道那笔钱是相当安全的。

for if worst came to worst, if they had located it and tried to take it away from me,

因为即使发生最坏的情况，他们找到这笔钱，并且设法从我手里拿走了，

I would have named every Yankee patriot who sold me bullets and machinery during the war.

那么我就会把战争期间卖给我枪弹器械的北方佬爱国人士一个个都点出名来。

Then there would have been a stink, for some of them are high up in Washington now.

那时丑事便会声张出去，因为他们中间有些人如今已在华盛顿身居要职了。

In fact, it was my threat to unbosom my conscience about them that got me out of jail. I–”

事实上，正是我威胁要透露有关他们的秘密，这才让我出了狱呢。我——”

“Do you mean you–you actually have the Confederate gold?”

“你的意思是你——你真的有南部联盟的金子？”

“Not all of it. Good Heavens, no! There must be fifty or more ex-blockaders who have plenty salted away in Nassau and England and Canada.

“不是全部。天哪，不是！以前做封锁线生意的，肯定有五十个或者更多的人把大笔的钱存在纳索、英国和加拿大。

We will be pretty unpopular with the Confederates who weren’t as slick as we were.

南部联盟的支持者中那些不如我们灵活的人会很不喜欢我们。

I have got close to half a million. Just think, Scarlett, a half-million dollars, if you’d only restrained your fiery nature and not rushed into wedlock again!”

我捞到了将近五十万。思嘉，你想想，五十万美元，只要当时你克制住你那火爆性子，不匆匆忙忙再结婚的话！”

518

A half-million dollars.

五十万美元。

She felt a pang of almost physical sickness at the thought of so much money.

一想到那么多的钱，她就觉得简直像生了病似的一阵剧痛。

His jeering words passed over her head and she did not even hear them.

她根本没有理解他嘲笑她的话，甚至连听都没有听见。

It was hard to believe there was so much money in all this bitter and poverty-stricken world.

很难相信在这充满苦难和贫穷的世界上会有这么多钱，这么多的钱，

So much money, so very much money, and someone else had it, someone who took it lightly and didn’t need it.

如此之多，但是为别人所占有，别人轻而易举地拿到了却并不需要它。

And she had only a sick elderly husband and this dirty, piddling, little store between her and a hostile world.

而在她和这个敌对世界之间，她却只有一个又老又病的丈夫和这爿肮脏而微不足道的小店。

It wasn’t fair that a reprobate like Rhett Butler should have so much and she, who carried so heavy a load, should have so little.

像瑞德·巴特勒这样一个流氓居然那么富有，而负担如此沉重的她却几乎两手空空，这真是不公平呀。

She hated him, sitting there in his dandified attire, taunting her.

她恨他，恨他穿得像个花花公子坐在这里奚落她。

Well, she wouldn’t swell his conceit by complimenting him on his cleverness. She longed viciously for sharp words with which to cut him.

那么，她决不能恭维他的聪明，使他更加洋洋得意。她拼命想找些尖刻的话来刺他。

“I suppose you think it’s honest to keep the Confederate money. Well, it isn’t.

“我想你自以为保留这笔南部联盟的钱是正当的吧。得了，一点也不正当。

It’s plain out and out stealing and you know it. I wouldn’t have that on my conscience.”

这明明白白就是偷，而且你自己也很清楚。凭良心说，我是决不会要的。”

“My! How sour the grapes are today!” he exclaimed, screwing up his face. “And just whom am I stealing from?”

“哎哟，今天的葡萄可真酸呀！”他皱起眉头喊道，“不过，我究竟是从谁手里偷来的呢？”

She was silent, trying to think just whom indeed.

她没做声，确实得想想是从谁手里偷的。

After all, he had only done what Frank had done on a small scale.

说到底，他所干的也无非是弗兰克干的那一套，不过后者的规模小一点罢了。

“Half the money is honestly mine,” he continued, “honestly made with the aid of honest Union patriots

“这笔钱的一半是我靠正当手段赚来的，”他接着说，“是靠诚实的联邦爱国人士的帮助正当赚来的，

who were willing to sell out the Union behind its back—for one-hundred-percent profit on their goods.

这些人情愿背地里出卖联邦——在他们的货物上获得百分之百的利润。

Part I made out of my little investment in cotton at the beginning of the war, the cotton I bought cheap and sold for a dollar a pound when the British mills were crying for it.

还有一部分来自战争开始时我在棉花上投放的一小笔资金，这些棉花我买进时很便宜，到英国工厂迫切需要棉花的时候，便以每磅一美元的价格卖出去。

Part I got from food speculation.

也有一部分是我做粮食投机买卖赚来的。

Why should I let the Yankees have the fruits of my labor?

为什么我就该让北方佬来侵吞我的劳动果实呢？

But the rest did belong to the Confederacy.

不过其余部分确实属于联盟所有。

It came from Confederate cotton which I managed to run through the blockade and sell in Liverpool at sky-high prices.

联盟让我们将他们的棉花设法通过封锁线运出去，然后在利物浦以高价出卖。

The cotton was given me in good faith to buy leather and rifles and machinery with.

他们真诚地把棉花交给我，让我将卖得的钱给他们买回皮革和机械。

And it was taken by me in good faith to buy the same.

而我也是真诚地拿着棉花准备买回他们所要的东西。

My orders were to leave the gold in English banks, under my own name, in order that my credit would be good.

我奉命将金子以我的名义存在英国银行里，这样我的信用会好一些。

You remember when the blockade tightened, I couldn’t get a boat out of any Confederate port or into one, so there the money stayed in England.

你记得封锁线吃紧之后，我的船根本无法进出任何南部港口，这笔钱也就只好留在英国了。

What should I have done?

对此我又有什么办法呢？

Drawn out all that gold from English banks, like a simpleton, and tried to run it into Wilmington? And let the Yankees capture it?

难道我就该像傻瓜一样把所有的金子从英国银行里抽出来设法弄回威尔明顿，然后让北方佬拿走吗？

Was it my fault that the blockade got too tight? Was it my fault that our Cause failed?

封锁线吃紧了，那难道是我的过错？我们的事业失败了，难道也是我的过错？

The money belonged to the Confederacy.

这笔钱过去属于联盟所有，

Well, there is no Confederacy now—though you’d never know it, to hear some people talk. Whom shall I give the money to?

可是，现在已不存在什么南部联盟了——虽然你从不了解，只是听别人谈起而已。那么，这笔钱我又该给谁呢？

The Yankee government? I should so hate for people to think me a thief.”

难道去给北方佬政府吗？让人们把我当贼看待，我真恨死了。”

He removed a leather case from his pocket, extracted a long cigar and smelled it approvingly,

他从口袋里拿出一个皮夹子，抽出一根长长的雪茄，津津有味地闻了闻，

meanwhile watching her with pseudo anxiety as if he hung on her words.

pseudo :假的;冒充的;

装出一副焦急的模样瞧着她，似乎等待她回答。

Plague take him, she thought, he’s always one jump ahead of me. There is always something wrong with his arguments but I never can put my finger on just what it is.

“该死的，他总是抢先我一步，”她想，“他的主张我听起来总有些错的地方，可我却总也指不出到底错在哪里。”

“You might,” she said with dignity, “distribute it to those who are in need. The Confederacy is gone but there are plenty of Confederates and their families who are starving.”

“你可以把这笔钱分发给那些真正需要钱的人嘛，”她一本正经地说，“南部联盟是没有了，但还有许多联盟的人和他们的家属正在挨饿呢。”

He threw back his head and laughed rudely.

他把头朝后一仰，粗鲁地放声大笑起来。

You are never so charming or so absurd as when you are airing some hypocrisy like that,”

“你装出现在这副伪善样子，真是再迷人而又可笑不过了，”

he cried in frank enjoyment.

他坦然高兴地嚷道

“Always tell the truth, Scarlett. You can’t lie. The Irish are the poorest liars in the world.

“思嘉，你总得说老实话。不能撒谎。爱尔兰人是世界上最不善于撒谎的。

Come now, be frank.

来吧，还是坦率些吧。

You never gave a damn about the late lamented Confederacy and you care less about the starving Confederates.

你对于已经不复存在的南部联盟从来也不在乎，更不会去关心那些挨饿的联盟人。

You’d scream in protest if I even suggested giving away all the money unless I started off by giving you the lion’s share.’

要是我提出把所有的钱都给他们，你准会尖叫起来抗议的，除非我首先把最大的一份给你。”

“I don’t want your money,” she began, trying to be coldly dignified.

“我可不要你的钱！”她尽量装出一副冷漠严肃的样子说。

“Oh, don’t you! Your palm is itching to beat the band this minute. If I showed you a quarter, you’d leap on it.”

“哎哟，你真的不要吗？我看你现在都急得手心痒痒的了。只要我拿出一个二角五分的银币来给你看，你就会扑过来抢的。”

If you have come here to insult me and laugh at my poverty, I will wish you good day,” she retorted,

“如果你到这里来就是为了侮辱我和笑我穷的话，那你就请便吧。”她一边抗议，

trying to rid her lap of the heavy ledger so she might rise and make her words more impressive.

一边设法挪开膝头上那本厚厚的账簿，以便站起来使她的话显得更有力些。

Instantly, he was on his feet bending over her, laughing as he pushed her back into her chair.

但他抢先站起来，凑到她跟前，笑着将她推回椅子上去。

“When will you ever get over losing your temper when you hear the truth?

“你一听到大实话便发火，这个脾气什么时候才能改呀？

You never mind speaking the truth about other people, so why should you mind hearing it about yourself?

你讲人家的大实话可一点不客气，为什么人家讲一点有关你的，你就不许了呢？

I’m not insulting you. I think acquisitiveness is a very fine quality.”

我不是在侮辱你。我认为贪得之心是一种非常好的品德。”

She was not sure what acquisitiveness meant but as he praised it she felt slightly mollified.

她不十分明白“贪得之心”是什么意思，但既然他表示赞许，她的心情也就稍稍平静了些。

“I didn’t come to gloat over your poverty but to wish you long life and happiness in your marriage.

“我到这里来，并不是为了要嘲笑你穷，而只是想来祝贺你婚姻幸福和长寿。

By the way, what did sister Sue think of your larceny?”

此外，苏伦对你的偷窃行为又怎么想呢？”

“My what?”

“我的什么？”

“Your stealing Frank from under her nose.”

“你公然偷走了她的弗兰克。”

“I did not”

“我并没有——”

“Well, we won’t quibble about the word. What did she say?”

“好吧，我们不必在措辞上躲躲闪闪了。她到底怎么说的？” “

“She said nothing,” said Scarlett. His eyes danced as they gave her the lie.

她没说什么，”思嘉说，他一听便眉飞色舞起来，指出她在撒谎。

“How unselfish of her. Now, let’s hear about your poverty. Surely I have the right to know, after your little trip out to the jail not long ago. Hasn’t Frank as much money as you hoped?”

“她可真是宽宏大量呀。现在让我来听听你诉穷吧。当然我有权了解，因为不久前你还到监狱来找过我。弗兰克有没有你想要的那么多钱呀？”

There was no evading his impudence.

他丝毫不掩饰自己的放肆态度。

Either she would have to put up with it or ask him to leave.

她要么忍受，要么就请他离开。

And now she did not want him to leave.

不过，现在她并不想让他走。

His words were barbed but they were the barbs of truth.

他说的话是带刺的，但都是些带刺的大实话。

He knew what she had done and why she had done it and he did not seem to think the less of her for it. And though his questions were unpleasantly blunt, they seemed actuated by a friendly interest.

actuate:激励;开动(机器、装置等);驱使;

他了解她所做的一切，以及她为什么要这样做，但似乎他并不因此而看不起她。而且，虽然他提出的问题一针见血，很讨厌，但好像还是出于一片友好的关心。

520

He was one person to whom she could tell the truth.

他是她惟一可以彼此讲老实话的人。

That would be a relief, for it had been so long since she had told anyone the truth about herself and her motives.

这对她是一种宽慰，因为她很久不向别人倾吐自己的心事了。

Whenever she spoke her mind everyone seemed to be shocked.

要是她把心里话都说出来，恐怕谁听了都会大吃一惊的。

Talking to Rhett was comparable only to one thing, the feeling of ease and comfort afforded by a pair of old slippers after dancing in a pair too tight.

而跟瑞德谈心，就好比穿了一双太紧的鞋跳舞之后换上一双旧拖鞋那样，让人感到又轻松又舒坦。