第七章（第10/13页）

“好吧，克利福德。如果明天依然无法有个定论，我就给父亲发电报，我们会把康妮接走。”“康妮会离我而去吗？”克利福德问。

"She doesn't want to, but she knows she must. Mother died of cancer, brought on by fretting. We're not running any risks.” So next day Clifford suggested Mrs. Bolton, Tevershall parish nurse. Apparently Mrs. Betts had thought of her. Mrs. Bolton was just retiring from her parish duties to take up private nursing jobs. Clifford had a queer dread of delivering himself into the hands of a stranger, but this Mrs. Bolton had once nursed him through scarlet fever, and he knew her.

“她不愿意离开，但也清楚必须这样做。我们的母亲死于癌症，这病因焦虑而起。我们不能再掉以轻心。”于是，第二天，克利福德提议雇用博尔顿太太，特弗沙尔教区的护士。显然是女管家贝茨太太想起了她。博尔顿太太正要从教区的职位上退下来，打算从事私人护理的工作。克利福德有种怪癖，害怕把自己交给陌生人照料，但博尔顿太太曾在他生猩红热期间伺候过他，所以也算是旧相识。

The two sisters at once called on Mrs. Bolton, in a newish house in a row, quite select for Tevershall. They found a rather good-looking woman of forty-odd, in a nurse's uniform, with a white collar and apron, just making herself tea in a small crowded sitting-room.

两姐妹立即登门拜访博尔顿太太，她的寓所崭新，位于特弗沙尔村较为整饬的街道上。她们见到的是位40多岁、面容姣好的中年女子，穿着护士制服，衣领和围裙均为白色，正忙着在局促的起居室里煮茶。

Mrs. Bolton was most attentive and polite, seemed quite nice, spoke with a bit of a broad slur, but in heavily correct English, and from having bossed the sick colliers for a good many years, had a very good opinion of herself, and a fair amount of assurance. In short, in her tiny way, one of the governing class in the village, very much respected.

博尔顿太太态度殷勤，礼数周全，看上去人也颇为正派，说话有些含混不清，但操一口纯正的英语。由于长年负责照看伤病的矿工，她自视甚高，信心满满。总而言之，在特弗沙尔这个弹丸之地，她属于管理阶层，很受村民尊重。

"Yes, Lady Chatterley's not looking at all well! Why, she used to be that bonny, didn't she now? But she's been failing all winter! Oh, it's hard, it is. Poor Sir Clifford! Eh, that war, it's a lot to answer for.” And Mrs. Bolton would come to Wragby at once, if Dr Shardlow would let her off. She had another fortnight's parish nursing to do, by rights, but they might get a substitute, you know.

“是啊，查泰莱夫人脸色太难看了！哎呀，她过去多么健康美丽啊，不是吗？可一个冬天就瘦成这副模样！噢，日子如此难熬。可怜的克利福德爵士！唉，战争，都是战争惹的祸。”博尔顿太太愿意立刻赶往；拉格比，前提是沙德洛医生同意她辞职。按理说，她两周后才能退休，但他们或许可以找到替代人选。

Hilda posted off to Dr Shardlow, and on the following Sunday Mrs. Bolton drove up in Leiver's cab to Wragby with two trunks. Hilda had talks with her; Mrs. Bolton was ready at any moment to talk. And she seemed so young! The way the passion would flush in her rather pale cheek. She was forty-seven.

希尔达马不停蹄，找到沙德洛医生谈妥此事。下个星期日，博尔顿太太便带着两只行李箱，乘马车来到拉格比。希尔达跟她聊了会儿，博尔顿太太倒也非常健谈。而且她也显得很年轻。激动时，苍白的面颊便会泛起红潮。她今年47岁。

Her husband, Ted Bolton, had been killed in the pit, twenty-two years ago, twenty-two years last Christmas, just at Christmas time, leaving her with two children, one a baby in arms. Oh, the baby was married now, Edith, to a young man in Boots Cash Chemists in Sheffield. The other one was a schoolteacher in Chesterfield; she came home weekends, when she wasn't asked out somewhere. Young folks enjoyed themselves nowadays, not like when she, Ivy Bolton, was young.

其夫泰德·博尔顿22年前死于矿难，那时正值圣诞节，撇下她和两个孩子，年幼的还未脱襁褓。噢，昔日的婴孩如今已经嫁做人妇，她名叫伊迪斯，丈夫在谢菲尔德市布茨凯什药剂公司任职。长女在切斯特菲尔德任教，每逢周末，只要没有约会，都会回家探望母亲。如今的年轻人都懂得享受生活，不像她艾薇·博尔顿年轻时那般安分守己。

Ted Bolton was twenty-eight when lie was killed in an explosion down th' pit. The butty in front shouted to them all to lie down quick, there were four of them. And they all lay down in time, only Ted, and it killed him. Then at the inquiry, on the masters' side they said Ted had been frightened, and trying to run away, and not obeying orders, so it was like his fault really. So the compensation was only three hundred pounds, and they made out as if it was more of a gift than legal compensation, because it was really the man's own fault. And they wouldn't let her have the money down; she wanted to have a little shop. But they said she'd no doubt squander it, perhaps in drink! So she had to draw it thirty shillings a week. Yes, she had to go every Monday morning down to the offices, and stand there a couple of hours waiting her turn; yes, for almost four years she went every Monday. And what could she do with two little children on her hands? But Ted's mother was very good to her. When the baby could toddle she'd keep both the children for the day, while she, Ivy Bolton, went to Sheffield, and attended classes in ambulance, and then the fourth year she even took a nursing course and got qualified. She was determined to be independent and keep her children. So she was assistant at Uthwaite hospital, just a little place, for a while. But when the Company, the Tevershall Colliery Company, really Sir Geoffrey, saw that she could get on by herself, they were very good to her, gave her the parish nursing, and stood by her, she would say that for them. And she'd done it ever since, till now it was getting a bit much for her; she needed something a bit lighter, there was such a lot of traipsing around if you were a district nurse.