第七章（第9/13页）

医生仔细为康妮做完检查，又询问了她日常生活的情况。“我在图片新闻报上见过几次你的照片，还有克利福德爵士的。倒也算是名声在外，没错吧？昔日文静的小姑娘就这样长成大人，现在虽说你上过几回报纸，但还是个羞涩的小女孩。别担心，别担心！身体器官都很健康，但不能这样继续下去！不能这样浑噩下去！告诉克利福德爵士，让他带你到伦敦来，或者去国外，放松一下心情。你必须要快活起来，必须！你的精力几近衰竭，又缺乏足够的储备。心脏的神经状况有些异常，哦，没错！只是精神方面的问题，去戛纳（注：法国东南部港口城市，度假胜地）或者比亚里茨（注：法国西南部旅游胜地）玩上一个月，保证可以恢复如常。但千万不能再这样生活下去，必须牢记我的话，否则后果将不堪设想。你一味消耗着自己的生命，让它无法恢复元气。你必须找点乐子，找到适合自己、同时有益健康的消遣方式。你的活力几乎耗尽，但却从不补充。决不能再继续下去，你得清楚。意志消沉！不要消沉下去！”希尔达咬碎银牙，难掩心中的愤怒。

Michaelis heard they were in town, and came running with roses. "Why, whatever's wrong?" he cried. "You're a shadow of yourself. Why, I never saw such a change! Why ever didn't you let me know? Come to Nice with me! Come down to Sicily! Go on, come to Sicily with me. It's lovely there just now. You want sun! You want life! Why, you're wasting away! Come away with me! Come to Africa! Oh, hang Sir Clifford! Chuck him, and come along with me. I'll marry you the minute he divorces you. Come along and try a life! God's love! That place Wragby would kill anybody. Beastly place! Foul place! Kill anybody! Come away with me into the sun! It's the sun you want, of course, and a bit of normal life.” But Connie's heart simply stood still at the thought of abandoning Clifford there and then. She couldn't do it. No...no! She just couldn't. She had to go back to Wragby.

米凯利斯听说他们到了伦敦，忙不迭地捧着玫瑰赶来。“怎么会这样？到底哪里不舒服？”他嚷道。“你简直瘦得脱了相。天呢，简直换了一个人！为什么瞒着我？跟我去尼斯吧！跟我去西西里！现在就起程，跟我去西西里！眼下那儿正是风光明媚。你需要阳光！需要真正的生活！噢，你已经虚弱成这副模样！跟我走吧！去非洲！啊，该死的克利福德！甩了他，跟我走。你俩一离婚，我立刻就娶你。来尝试全新的生活吧！上帝啊！拉格比那种鬼地方，任谁都会被闷死。丑陋的地方！肮脏的地方！谁都会被闷死的！跟我走，去享受阳光！你需要阳光的照耀，需要过点正常的生活。”但想到就此弃克利福德于不顾，康妮于心不忍。她没办法那样绝情。不行……不可以！她就是做不到。她得回拉格比去。

Michaelis was disgusted. Hilda didn't like Michaelis, but she ALMOST preferred him to Clifford. Back went the sisters to the Midlands.

米凯利斯心浮气躁。希尔达讨厌米凯利斯，但还是觉得他要比克利福德强些。姐妹俩启程返回中英格兰。

Hilda talked to Clifford, who still had yellow eyeballs when they got back. He, too, in his way, was overwrought; but he had to listen to all Hilda said, to all the doctor had said, not what Michaelis had said, of course, and he sat mum through the ultimatum.

两人回到格拉比，希尔达随即找克利福德摊牌，而他的眼睛依然呈现出病态的黄色。他同样有些心力交瘁，但又必须认真聆听希尔达的话，了解医生的嘱托，米凯利斯的胡言乱语自然没有被转达。他呆若木鸡地坐在那儿，听着希尔达的最后通牒。

"Here is the address of a good manservant, who was with an invalid patient of the doctor's till he died last month. He is really a good man, and fairly sure to come.” "But I'm NOT an invalid, and I will NOT have a manservant," said Clifford, poor devil.

“按这个地址，可以找到一个得力的男仆，他常年伺候那位医生的病人，直到上个月那患者与世长辞。他的确非常优秀，而且肯定愿意来拉格比。”“可我没有病，也不需要什么男仆。”可怜鬼克利福德强辩道。

"And here are the addresses of two women; I saw one of them, she would do very well; a woman of about fifty, quiet, strong, kind, and in her way cultured..." Clifford only sulked, and would not answer.

“这分别是两位女仆的地址，我曾见过其中一位，她能很好地胜任这份工作，大概50岁上下，性格沉稳，身体健壮，待人和气，也算是有修养……”克利福德只是沉着脸，不愿答话。

"Very well, Clifford. If we don't settle something by to-morrow, I shall telegraph to Father, and we shall take Connie away.” "Will Connie go?" asked Clifford.