When she was finally able to go out again, Scarlett had Lou lace her into stays as tightly as the strings would pull. —
当她终于能够再次外出时，斯嘉丽让露利用束身衣紧紧地拉住她。 —

Then she passed the tape measure about her waist. Twenty inches! She groaned aloud. —
然后她在腰部绕了一圈。二十英寸！她大声呻吟。 —

That was what having babies did to your figure! —
这就是生孩子对你的身材造成的影响！ —

Her waist was a large as Aunt Pitty’s, as large as Mammy’s.
她的腰和皮蒂姨妈一样大，和玛米一样大。

“Pull them tighter, Lou. See if you can’t make it eighteen and a half inches or I can’t get into any of my dresses.”
“再紧一点，露。试试能不能让它变成十八个半英寸，否则我就穿不上任何一件连衣裙了。”

“It’ll bust de strings,” said Lou. “Yo’ wais’ jes’ done got bigger, Miss Scarlett, an’ dar ain’ nuthin’ ter do ‘bout it.”
“那会把绳子弄断的，”露说。”你的腰变大了，斯嘉丽小姐，这没办法的。”

“There is something to do about it,” thought Scarlett as she ripped savagely at the seams of her dress to let out the necessary inches. —
“还是有办法的，”斯嘉丽想着，她狠狠地撕裂着裙子的接缝，以放宽所需的英寸。 —

“I just won’t have any more babies.”
“我再也不会生孩子了。”

Of course, Bonnie was pretty and a credit to her and Rhett adored the child, but she would not have another baby. —
当然，邦妮很漂亮，也是她的骄傲，雷特非常喜欢这个孩子，但她不会再生孩子了。 —

Just how she would manage this she did not know, for she couldn’t handle Rhett as she had Frank. Rhett wasn’t afraid of her. —
她不知道该如何做到这一点，因为她不能像对待弗兰克那样对待雷特。雷特并不怕她。 —

It would probably be difficult with Rhett acting so foolishly about Bonnie and probably wanting a son next year, for all that he said he’d drown any boy she gave him. —
鲁特如此愚蠢地对待邦妮，可能会让事情变得困难，而且他可能还希望明年要个儿子，尽管他说过他会将任何男孩淹死。 —

Well, she wouldn’t give him a boy or girl either. —
嗯，她既不会给他生个男孩，也不会生个女孩。 —

Three children were enough for any woman to have.
三个孩子对于任何女人来说就足够了。

When Lou had stitched up the ripped seams, pressed them smooth and buttoned Scarlett into the dress, she called the carriage and Scarlett set out for the lumber yard. —
当露把破裂的缝线缝好，熨平并给斯嘉丽穿上衣服后，她就打电话叫了马车，斯嘉丽就去了木材厂。 —

Her spirits rose as she went and she forgot about her waist line, for she was going to meet Ashley at the yard to go over the books with him. —
她一路上精神振奋，忘记了自己的腰围，因为她要去木材厂和阿什利一起检查账目。 —

And, if she was lucky, she might see him alone. —
而且，如果她运气好的话，她可能会独自见到他。 —

She hadn’t seen him since long before Bonnie was born. —
自邦妮出生前很久以来，她就没见到过他。 —

She hadn’t wanted to see him at all when she was so obviously pregnant. —
当她明显怀孕的时候，她根本不想见到他。 —

And she had missed the daily contact with him, even if there was always someone around. —
而且她还错过了每天与他交流的机会，哪怕周围总是有人。 —

She had missed the importance and activity of her lumber business while she was immured. —
当她关在家里的时候，她错过了她的木材生意的重要性和活动。 —

Of course, she did not have to work now. —
当然，现在她不需要工作了。 —

She could easily sell the mills and invest the money for Wade and Ella. But that would mean she would hardly ever see Ashley, except in a formal social way with crowds of people around. —
她可以轻易地卖掉那些工厂，将钱投资给韦德和埃拉。但这意味着她将很少见到艾什利，除非是在人群中正式社交的场合下。 —

And working by Ashley’s side was her greatest pleasure.
与艾什利一起工作是她最大的乐趣。

When she drove up to the yard she saw with interest how high the piles of lumber were and how many customers were standing among them, talking to Hugh Elsing. —
她开车进入庭院时，看到了堆积如山的木材，以及许多顾客站在其中与休·埃尔辛交谈，她很感兴趣。 —

And there were six mule teams and wagons being loaded by the negro drivers. —
还有六匹骡子队和由黑人驾驶员装载的马车。 —

Six teams, she thought, with pride. And I did all this by myself!
六队，她自豪地想。而且这全靠我一个人完成！

Ashley came to the door of the little office, his eyes joyful with the pleasure of seeing her again and he handed her out of her carriage and into the office as if she were a queen.
艾什利走到小办公室的门口，他的眼睛充满了再次见到她的喜悦，他把她从马车上帮着走下来，并护送她进了办公室，就像她是一位女王一样。

But some of her pleasure was dimmed when she went over the books of his mill and compared them with Johnnie Gallegher’s books. —
但当她检查艾什利工厂的账本，并将其与约翰尼·加勒格的账本进行比较时，她的一些快乐变得黯然失色。 —

Ashley had barely made expenses and Johnnie had a remarkable sum to his credit. —
艾什利几乎只能维持开支，而约翰尼却有一笔可观的存款。 —

She forbore to say anything as she looked at the two sheets but Ashley read her face.
她默不作声地看着这两张纸，但是阿什莉从她的表情中读出了她的心思。

“Scarlett, I’m sorry. All I can say is that I wish you’d let me hire free darkies instead of using convicts. —
“斯嘉丽，对不起。我所能说的就是，我希望你能让我雇佣自由黑人而不是囚犯。 —

I believe I could do better.”
我相信我可以做得更好。”

“Darkies! Why, their pay would break us. Convicts are dirt cheap. —
“黑人！哎呀，雇佣他们会让我们破产的。囚犯的工资可是非常便宜的。 —

If Johnnie can make this much with them—”
如果约翰尼可以用他们赚这么多钱的话——”

Ashley’s eyes went over her shoulder, looking at something she could not see, and the glad light went out of his eyes.
阿什莉的视线越过她的肩膀，看着她无法看见的东西，他的眼中的喜悦之光也熄灭了。

“I can’t work convicts like Johnnie Gallegher. I can’t drive men.”
“我不能像约翰尼·加勒格尔那样指挥囚犯工作。我不能驱使他们。

“God’s nightgown! Johnnie’s a wonder at it. Ashley, you are just too soft hearted. —
天哪！约翰尼在这方面真是太了不起了。阿什莉，你太心软了。 —

You ought to get more work out of them. Johnnie told me that any time a malingerer wanted to get out of work he told you he was sick and you gave him a day off. —
你应该从他们身上多挤出些劳动。约翰尼告诉我，每当有人装病逃避工作时，只要告诉你他生病了，你就会给他休息一天。 —

Good Lord, Ashley! That’s no way to make money. —
天啊，阿什莉！那可不是赚钱的好办法。 —

A couple of licks will cure most any sickness short of a broken leg—”
几下教训几乎可以治好任何除了骨折之外的疾病——”

“Scarlett! Scarlett! Stop! I can’t bear to hear you talk that way,” cried Ashley, his eyes coming back to her with a fierceness that stopped her short. —
“斯嘉丽！斯嘉丽！别说了！我无法忍受听你这样说话，”阿什利叫道，他的眼神变得强烈起来，让她停住了脚步。 —

“Don’t you realize that they are men—some of them sick, underfed, miserable and— Oh, my dear, I can’t bear to see the way he has brutalized you, you who were always so sweet—”
“难道你不明白他们是人吗？其中一些人病了，吃不饱，悲惨不堪—哦，我亲爱的，我不能忍受看到他如此残忍地对待你，你曾经总是那么温柔—”

“Who has whatted me?”
“谁侮辱了我？”

“I’ve got to say it and I haven’t any right. But I’ve got to say it. Your—Rhett Butler. —
“我必须说出来，虽然我没有权利。但我必须说出来。你的— 瑞特·巴特勒。 —

Everything he touches he poisons. And he has taken you who were so sweet and generous and gentle, for all your spirited ways, and he has done this to you—hardened you, brutalized you by his contact.”
他所触及的一切都会被他毒害。而他把你变得这样—使你变得冷酷、残忍，他的接触让你变得这样。”

“Oh,” breathed Scarlett, guilt struggling with joy that Ashley should feel so deeply about her, should still think her sweet. —
“哦，”斯嘉丽喃喃道，内疚与对阿什利如此深情地对待她的喜悦互相纠缠，她还是那样甜美。 —

Thank God, he thought Rhett to blame for her penny-pinching ways. —
谢天谢地，他认为瑞特应对她的节俭方式负有责任。 —

Of course, Rhett had nothing to do with it and the guilt was hers but, after all, another black mark on Rhett could do him no harm.
当然，瑞特与此无关，内疚归属于她，但毕竟，再给瑞特添上一个黑点也无关紧要。

“If it were any other man in the world, I wouldn’t care so much— but Rhett Butler! —
“如果是世界上其他任何人，我不会这么在乎，但是雷特·巴特勒！” —

I’ve seen what he’s done to you. Without your realizing it, he’s twisted your thoughts into the same hard path his own run in. —
“我看到他对你做了什么。在你没有意识到的情况下，他把你的思想扭曲成了和他一样艰难的方向。” —

Oh, yes, I know I shouldn’t say this— He saved my life and I am grateful but I wish to God it had been any other man but him! —
“哦，是的，我知道我不应该这样说——他救了我的命，我很感激，但是我希望上帝帮我，没有人比他更好！” —

And I haven’t the right to talk to you like—”
“我没有权力这样和你说话——”

“Oh, Ashley, you have the right—no one else has!”
“哦，阿什利，你有权力——没有其他人有权力！”

“I tell you I can’t bear it, seeing your fineness coarsened by him, knowing that your beauty and your charm are in the keeping of a man who— When I think of him touching you, I—”
“你知道吗，我无法忍受这一切，看到他让你的美好变得粗糙，知道你的美丽和魅力掌握在一个——当我想到他触碰你时，我——”

“He’s going to kiss me!” thought Scarlett ecstatically. “And it won’t be my fault!” —
“他要亲我了！” 斯嘉丽兴奋地想。”这不是我的错！” —

She swayed toward him. But he drew back suddenly, as if realizing he had said too much—said things he never intended to say.
她朝他靠近。但是他突然后退，好像意识到自己说得太多了——说了他本来不打算说的话。

“I apologize most humbly, Scarlett. I—I’ve been insinuating that your husband is not a gentleman and my own words have proved that I’m not one. —
“我非常谦卑地道歉，斯嘉丽。我——一直在暗示你的丈夫不是一个绅士，而我的话明证明我也不是一个。” —

No one has a right to criticize a husband to a wife. —
没有人有权力批评丈夫对妻子。 —

I haven’t any excuse except—except—” He faltered and his face twisted. —
除了……除了这个，我没有任何借口。他结结巴巴地说道，脸上扭曲着。 —

She waited breathless.
她屏住呼吸等待着。

“I haven’t any excuse at all.”
“我完全没有任何借口。”

All the way home in the carriage Scarlett’s mind raced. —
整个回家的路上，斯嘉丽的脑海里充满了思绪。 —

No excuse at all except—except that he loved her! —
完全没有借口，除了……除了他爱她！ —

And the thought of her lying in Rhett’s arms roused a fury in him that she did not think possible. —
一想到她躺在雷特的怀里，他内心里激起了一股愤怒，她自己都不敢相信。 —

Well, she could understand that. If it wasn’t for the knowledge that his relations with Melanie were, necessarily, those of brother and sister, her own life would be a torment. —
她可以理解。如果不是她知道他与梅拉尼的关系必然纯如兄妹，她的生活就会成为一种折磨。 —

And Rhett’s embraces coarsened her, brutalized her! —
雷特的拥抱让她变得粗野，野蛮！ —

Well, if Ashley thought that, she could do very well without those embraces. —
好吧，如果艾希礼是那样想的，她完全可以没有那些拥抱。 —

She thought how sweet and romantic it would be for them both to be physically true to each other, even though married to other people. —
她想到了两个人保持身体忠诚的甜蜜和浪漫之处，即使他们都已婚与其他人。 —

The idea possessed her imagination and she took pleasure in it. —
这个想法占据了她的想象力，她从中得到了快乐。 —

And then, too, there was the practical side of it. —
而且，还有实际的一面。 —

It would mean that she would not have to have any more children.
这意味着她不需要再生育孩子了。

When she reached home and dismissed the carriage, some of the exaltation which had filled her at Ashley’s words began to fade as she faced the prospect of telling Rhett that she wanted separate bedrooms and all which that implied. —
当她到家后，与阿什利的话渐渐消失，她面临告诉瑞特她想要分开卧室以及所涉及的一切的前景。 —

It would be difficult. Moreover, how could she tell Ashley that she had denied herself to Rhett, because of his wishes? —
这将会很困难。而且，她如何告诉阿什利，她因为瑞特的愿望而拒绝了自己？ —

What earthly good was a sacrifice if no one knew about it? What a burden modesty and delicacy were! —
如果没有人知道牺牲的好处在哪里，那有什么用呢？谦逊和娇气是多么沉重的负担啊！ —

If she could only talk to Ashley as frankly as she could to Rhett! —
如果她能像和瑞特一样坦率地与阿什利交谈就好了！ —

Well, no matter. She’d insinuate the truth to Ashley somehow.
好吧，不管怎样。她会以某种方式向阿什利暗示真相的。

She went up the stairs and, opening the nursery door, found Rhett sitting beside Bonnie’s crib with Ella upon his lap and Wade displaying the contents of his pocket to him. —
她上楼，打开了儿童房的门，发现瑞特坐在邦妮的摇篮旁边，艾拉坐在他的腿上，韦德正展示他口袋里的东西给他看。 —

What a blessing Rhett liked children and made much of them! —
多么幸运瑞特喜欢孩子，并且对他们很关心！ —

Some stepfathers were so bitter about children of former marriages.
有些继父对前一段婚姻中的孩子非常愤怒。

“I want to talk to you,” she said and passed on into their bedroom. —
“我想和你谈谈，”她说道，然后走进他们的卧室。 —

Better have this over now while her determination not to have any more children was hot within her and while Ashley’s love was giving her strength.
在她下定决心不再生孩子以及艾希莉的爱给予她力量的时候，最好现在解决这个问题。

“Rhett,” she said abruptly when he had closed the bedroom door behind him, “I’ve decided that I don’t want any more children.”
“瑞德，”她突然说道，当他在她身后关上卧室门时，“我决定不想要再生孩子了。”

If he was startled at her unexpected statement he did not show it. —
如果他对她出乎意料的声明感到吃惊，他没有表现出来。 —

He lounged to a chair and sitting down, tilted it back.
他懒洋洋地走到一把椅子上坐下，向后倾斜。

“My pet, as I told you before Bonnie was born, it is immaterial to me whether you have one child or twenty.”
“亲爱的，就像我在邦妮出生前告诉你的那样，你生一个孩子还是二十个孩子对我来说都无关紧要。”

How perverse of him to evade the issue so neatly, as if not caring whether children came had anything to do with their actual arrival.
他这样巧妙地回避问题，简直太刁钻了，好像不在乎孩子是否来到与他们的真正到来有任何关系。

“I think three are enough. I don’t intend to have one every year.”
“我觉得三个已经足够了。我不打算每年生一个。”

“Three seems an adequate number.”
“三个似乎是足够的数量。”

“You know very well—” she began, embarrassment making her cheeks red. “You know what I mean?”
“你很清楚——”她开始说话，尴尬让她的脸颊泛红。“你知道我的意思吗？”

“I do. Do you realize that I can divorce you for refusing me my marital rights?”
“我知道。你明白我可以因为你拒绝给我夫妻间的权利而跟你离婚吗？”

“You are just low enough to think of something like that,” she cried, annoyed that nothing was going as she planned it. —
“你够卑鄙，竟然会考虑这样的事情。”她大喊着，心烦意乱，一切都不按她计划的走。 —

“If you had any chivalry you’d—you’d be nice like— Well, look at Ashley Wilkes. —
“如果你有一点骑士风度，你应该像…像阿什利·威尔克斯那样友善。” —

Melanie can’t have any children and he—”
“梅兰妮不能生孩子，他…”

“Quite the little gentleman, Ashley,” said Rhett and his eyes began to gleam oddly. —
“真是个绅士，阿什利，”雷特说着，眼中透出奇怪的光芒。 —

“Pray go on with your discourse.”
“请继续你的演讲。”

Scarlett choked, for her discourse was at its end and she had nothing more to say. —
斯嘉丽被堵得无话可说，她的演讲已经到了尽头，她无话可说。 —

Now she saw how foolish had been her hope of amicably settling so important a matter, especially with a selfish swine like Rhett.
此刻，她明白了她希望友好解决如此重要的问题是多么愚蠢，尤其是与像雷特这样自私的人。

“You’ve been to the lumber office this afternoon, haven’t you?”
“你今天下午去过木材公司，是吗？”

“What has that to do with it?”
“这和此事有什么关系？”

“You like dogs, don’t you, Scarlett? Do you prefer them in kennels or mangers?”
“斯嘉丽，你喜欢狗吗？你更喜欢它们放在狗舍还是食槽里？”

The allusion was lost on her as the tide of her anger and disappointment rose.
她完全没有听懂他的暗示，因为她的愤怒和失望正一浪高过一浪。

He got lightly to his feet and coming to her put his hand under her chin and jerked her face up to his.
他轻盈地站起身来，走到她身边，用手托起她的下巴，猛地把她的脸撂向自己。

“What a child you are! You have lived with three men and still know nothing of men’s natures. —
“你这孩子！你和三个男人在一起生活了这么久，对于男人的本性却一无所知。 —

You seem to think they are like old ladies past the change of life.”
你似乎认为他们就像过了更年期的老太太一样。”

He pinched her chin playfully and his hand dropped away from her. —
他调皮地捏了捏她的下巴，然后手松开了。 —

One black eyebrow went up as he bent a cool long look on her.
他一只黑色的眉毛挑起，冷冷地瞪着她。

“Scarlett, understand this. If you and your bed still held any charms for me, no looks and no entreaties could keep me away. —
“斯嘉丽，你要明白这一点。如果你和你的床对我仍然有吸引力，无论你如何看或如何哀求，我都无法远离你。 —

And I would have no sense of shame for anything I did, for I made a bargain with you—a bargain which I have kept and you are now breaking. —
我对自己所做的一切感到无愧，因为我与你做了个交易——而这个交易我一直遵守，而你现在却打破了。 —

Keep your chaste bed, my dear.”
保留你的纯洁之床，亲爱的。”

“Do you mean to tell me,” cried Scarlett indignantly, “that you don’t care—”
“你是想告诉我，”斯嘉丽义愤填膺地说道，“你竟然不在乎——”

“You have tired of me, haven’t you? Well, men tire more easily than women. —
“你已经对我失去了兴趣，是吗？嗯，男人往往比女人容易厌倦。 —

Keep your sanctity, Scarlett. It will work no hardship on me. —
你保持你的圣洁吧，斯嘉丽。这对我来说没什么困难。 —

It doesn’t matter,” he shrugged and grinned. —
无所谓，”他耸耸肩，咧嘴一笑。 —

“Fortunately the world is full of beds—and most of the beds are full of women.”
“幸运的是，这个世界充满了床——而且大多数床上都有女人。”

“You mean you’d actually be so—”
“你是说你真的会那样——”

“My dear innocent! But, of course. It’s a wonder I haven’t strayed long ere this. —
“我亲爱的天真！当然了。真奇怪我还没有迷路呢。” —

I never held fidelity to be a Virtue.”
“我从来没有认为忠诚是一种美德。”

“I shall lock my door every night!”
“我将每晚锁上我的房门！”

“Why bother? If I wanted you, no lock would keep me out.”
“何必呢？如果我想要你，没有锁能把我拦住。”

He turned, as though the subject were closed, and left the room. —
他转身，仿佛这个话题已经结束了，然后离开了房间。 —

Scarlett heard him going back to the nursery where he was welcomed by the children. —
斯嘉丽听到他回到了儿童房，孩子们热情地欢迎着他。 —

She sat down abruptly. She had had her way. This was what she wanted and Ashley wanted. —
她突然坐下来。她得到了她想要的，这就是她和阿什利想要的。 —

But it was not making her happy. Her vanity was sore and she was mortified at the thought that Rhett had taken it all so lightly, that he didn’t want her, that he put her on the level of other women in other beds.
但这并没有让她感到幸福。她的虚荣心受了伤，她感到羞辱，因为瑞德对此态度如此轻描淡写，他并不想要她，他把她和其他女人平等看待。

She wished she could think of some delicate way to tell Ashley that she and Rhett were no longer actually man and wife. —
她希望能够找到一种婉转的方式告诉阿什利她和瑞德已经不再真正是夫妻了。 —

But she knew now she could not. It all seemed a terrible mess now and she half heartedly wished she had said nothing about it. —
但她现在知道她做不到。现在一切都变成了一团糟，她半心半意地希望自己什么都没有说。 —

She would miss the long amusing conversations in bed with Rhett when the ember of his cigar glowed in the dark. —
她会怀念蕾特与她在床上长时间愉快的交谈，当他的雪茄在黑暗中发出微弱的光芒。 —

She would miss the comfort of his arms when she woke terrified from the dreams that she was running through cold mist.
她会怀念他的怀抱，当她惊恐地从梦中惊醒时，觉得自己在冰冷的雾中奔跑。

Suddenly she felt very unhappy and leaning her head on the arm of the chair, she cried.
突然间，她感到非常不开心，将头靠在椅子的扶手上，哭了起来。