"That was the happiest birthday of my life, for while we were resting between dances Richard took me outside into the cool, moonlit night, and there, under the stars ,he told me he loved me and asked me to marry him. Of course I promised I would, for I was too happy to think of what my parents would say, or indeed of anything except Richard was not at our meeting place as he had arranged. I was disappointed but not alarmed, for so many things could happen to either of us to prevent out keeping our tryst. I thought that next time we visited the Van Ransburgs, I should hear what had kept him and we could plan further meetings…
"那是我一生中最快樂的一個生日，因為理查德在跳舞間歇將我領(lǐng)到外面清涼的月光中，在點點繁星之下對我傾訴愛慕之情，并向我求婚。我二話沒說答應了他的要求，因為我早已心醉神迷，想不到父母親會說什么。我的心中除了理查德和他的愛情，什么也顧不上了。 "從那以后，我們就盡可能多地見面，但往往是秘密進行。我們就這樣度過了將近1年時間。后來有一天，在他安排的約會處，理查德爽約沒有來。失望之際，我沒有大驚小怪，因為我們倆誰碰到形形色色的事都可能使我們無法幽會。我想我們以后去范·倫斯堡家看望之時，我就會明白理查德未能赴約的原因，再安排以后的約會……
"So when my father asked if I would drive with him to Driefontein I was delighted. But when we reached the homestead and were sitting on the stoep drinking our coffee, we heard that Richard had left quite suddenly and had gone back to England. His father had died, and now he was the heir and must go back to look after his estates.
"所以，當父親問我是否愿意和他一塊開車去德里方丹時，我就高興地答應了。但待我們趕到范·倫斯堡家，坐在他們家屋前的門廊上喝咖啡時，卻聽說理查德已經(jīng)不辭而別回英國去了。他的父親死了，他是繼承人，不得不回去料理遺產(chǎn)。
"I do not remember very much more about that day, except that the sun seemed to have stopped shining and the country no longer looked beautiful and full of promise, but bleak and desolate as it sometimes does in winter or in times of drought. Late that afternoon, Jantje, the little Hottentot herd boy, came up to me and handed me a letter , which he said the English baas had left for me. It was the only love letter I ever received, but it turned all my bitterness and grief into a peacefulness which was the nearest I could get, then, to happiness. I knew Richard still loved me, and somehow, as long as I had his letter, I felt that we could never be really parted, even if he were in England and I had to remain on the farm. I have it yet, and though I am an old, tired woman, it still gives me hope and courage."
"那天的事我記不大清楚了，只記得當時陽光慘淡，田野也失去了美麗的豐采和欣欣向榮的景象，蕭瑟凄涼得跟冬天或大旱時一樣。那天傍晚，在我和父親動身回家之前，霍但托特族的小牧童詹杰交給我一封信，他說是那位英國老爺留給我的。這可是我有生以來收到的的情書！它將我的憂傷一掃而光，使我的心情變得平靜--當時對我來說幾乎類似幸福的平靜。我知道理查德仍在愛著我。不知怎么回事，有了這封信，我便覺得我們不可能真正分開，哪怕他到了英國、我還留在南非的農(nóng)場。這封信我至今仍保留著，盡管我已經(jīng)年邁體衰，但它仍能帶給我希望和勇氣。"
"I must have been a wonderful letter, Aunt Stephia,"I said.
"斯蒂菲娜老姑，那封信一定美極了吧，"我說。
The old lady came back from her dreams of that far-off romance."Perhaps," she said, hesitating a little, "perhaps, my dear, you would care to read it ?"
老太太從她那久遠的愛之夢中醒過神來。"也許，"她帶著猶豫的神情說，"也許，親愛的，你想看看那封信吧？"
"I should love to , Aunt Stephia,"I said gently.
"我很想看，斯蒂菲娜老姑，"我輕聲說。
She rose at once and tripped into the house as eagerly as a young girl. When she came back she handed me a letter, faded and yellow with age, the edges of the envelope worn and frayed as though it had been much handled. But when I came to open it I found that the seal was unbroken.
她猛地站起身，奔進屋里，急切得像個小姑娘。她從屋里出來后，遞給我一封信。由于天長日久，那信已經(jīng)褪色發(fā)黃，信封邊已經(jīng)磨損，好像曾被摩挲過好多次。但在取信時，我發(fā)現(xiàn)封口還沒有拆開。
"那是我一生中最快樂的一個生日，因為理查德在跳舞間歇將我領(lǐng)到外面清涼的月光中，在點點繁星之下對我傾訴愛慕之情，并向我求婚。我二話沒說答應了他的要求，因為我早已心醉神迷，想不到父母親會說什么。我的心中除了理查德和他的愛情，什么也顧不上了。 "從那以后，我們就盡可能多地見面，但往往是秘密進行。我們就這樣度過了將近1年時間。后來有一天，在他安排的約會處，理查德爽約沒有來。失望之際，我沒有大驚小怪，因為我們倆誰碰到形形色色的事都可能使我們無法幽會。我想我們以后去范·倫斯堡家看望之時，我就會明白理查德未能赴約的原因，再安排以后的約會……
"So when my father asked if I would drive with him to Driefontein I was delighted. But when we reached the homestead and were sitting on the stoep drinking our coffee, we heard that Richard had left quite suddenly and had gone back to England. His father had died, and now he was the heir and must go back to look after his estates.
"所以，當父親問我是否愿意和他一塊開車去德里方丹時，我就高興地答應了。但待我們趕到范·倫斯堡家，坐在他們家屋前的門廊上喝咖啡時，卻聽說理查德已經(jīng)不辭而別回英國去了。他的父親死了，他是繼承人，不得不回去料理遺產(chǎn)。
"I do not remember very much more about that day, except that the sun seemed to have stopped shining and the country no longer looked beautiful and full of promise, but bleak and desolate as it sometimes does in winter or in times of drought. Late that afternoon, Jantje, the little Hottentot herd boy, came up to me and handed me a letter , which he said the English baas had left for me. It was the only love letter I ever received, but it turned all my bitterness and grief into a peacefulness which was the nearest I could get, then, to happiness. I knew Richard still loved me, and somehow, as long as I had his letter, I felt that we could never be really parted, even if he were in England and I had to remain on the farm. I have it yet, and though I am an old, tired woman, it still gives me hope and courage."
"那天的事我記不大清楚了，只記得當時陽光慘淡，田野也失去了美麗的豐采和欣欣向榮的景象，蕭瑟凄涼得跟冬天或大旱時一樣。那天傍晚，在我和父親動身回家之前，霍但托特族的小牧童詹杰交給我一封信，他說是那位英國老爺留給我的。這可是我有生以來收到的的情書！它將我的憂傷一掃而光，使我的心情變得平靜--當時對我來說幾乎類似幸福的平靜。我知道理查德仍在愛著我。不知怎么回事，有了這封信，我便覺得我們不可能真正分開，哪怕他到了英國、我還留在南非的農(nóng)場。這封信我至今仍保留著，盡管我已經(jīng)年邁體衰，但它仍能帶給我希望和勇氣。"
"I must have been a wonderful letter, Aunt Stephia,"I said.
"斯蒂菲娜老姑，那封信一定美極了吧，"我說。
The old lady came back from her dreams of that far-off romance."Perhaps," she said, hesitating a little, "perhaps, my dear, you would care to read it ?"
老太太從她那久遠的愛之夢中醒過神來。"也許，"她帶著猶豫的神情說，"也許，親愛的，你想看看那封信吧？"
"I should love to , Aunt Stephia,"I said gently.
"我很想看，斯蒂菲娜老姑，"我輕聲說。
She rose at once and tripped into the house as eagerly as a young girl. When she came back she handed me a letter, faded and yellow with age, the edges of the envelope worn and frayed as though it had been much handled. But when I came to open it I found that the seal was unbroken.
她猛地站起身，奔進屋里，急切得像個小姑娘。她從屋里出來后，遞給我一封信。由于天長日久，那信已經(jīng)褪色發(fā)黃，信封邊已經(jīng)磨損，好像曾被摩挲過好多次。但在取信時，我發(fā)現(xiàn)封口還沒有拆開。