One rainy afternoon when Bonnie was barely past her first birthday, Wade moped about the sitting room, occasionally going to the window and flattening his nose on the dripping pane. —
一个下着雨的下午，邦妮刚过完一岁，韦德在客厅里闷闷不乐，偶尔走到窗前，把鼻子贴在滴水的窗玻璃上。 —

He was a slender, weedy boy, small for his eight years, quiet almost to shyness, never speaking unless spoken to. —
他是个细长瘦弱的男孩，八岁时个子很小，几乎腼腆得不说话，除非别人先跟他说话。 —

He was bored and obviously at loss for entertainment, for Ella was busy in the corner with her dolls, Scarlett was at her secretary muttering to herself as she added a long column of figures, and Rhett was lying on the floor, swinging his watch by its chain, just out of Bonnie’s reach.
他无聊得无法自解，因为艾拉忙着和她的娃娃玩，斯嘉丽正在书桌前自言自语地加了一长列数字，而雷特则躺在地板上，用链子晃动着手表，刚好够邦妮够不到。

After Wade had picked up several books and let them drop with bangs and sighed deeply, Scarlett turned to him in irritation.
在韦德扔了几本书并重重地叹了口气之后，斯嘉丽不耐烦地对他说道。

“Heavens, Wade! Run out and play.”
“天哪，韦德！出去玩吧。”

“I can’t. It’s raining.”
“我不能出去，下雨了。”

“Is it? I hadn’t noticed. Well, do something. You make me nervous, fidgeting about. —
“是吗？我没注意到。那就做点什么吧。你这样搞得我心烦意乱。” —

Go tell Pork to hitch up the carriage and take you over to play with Beau.”
“去告诉波克，给车套上马具，带你去找博玩吧。”

“He isn’t home,” sighed Wade. “He’s at Raoul Picard’s birthday party.”
“他不在家，”韦德叹息道。“他在罗尔·皮卡尔的生日派对上。”

Raoul was the small son of Maybelle and Rene Picard—a detestable little brat, Scarlett thought, more like an ape than a child.
罗尔是梅贝尔和雷内·皮卡尔的小儿子，斯嘉丽觉得他是一个讨厌的小坏孩，更像是猿猴而不是孩子。

“Well, you can go to see anyone you want to. Run tell Pork.”
“你可以去见任何你想见的人。去告诉波克。”

“Nobody’s at home,” answered Wade. “Everybody’s at the party.”
“家里没有人，”韦德回答。“每个人都在派对上。”

The unspoken words “everybody—but me” hung in the air; —
“每个人，除了我”这句话没有说出口，悬在空中。 —

but Scarlett, her mind on her account books, paid no heed.
但斯嘉丽正忙着她的账本，没有注意到。

Rhett raised himself to a sitting posture and said: “Why aren’t you at the party too, son?”
瑞特坐起身来，问：“儿子，你为什么不去参加派对呢？”

Wade edged closer to him, scuffing one foot and looking unhappy.
韦德挨近他，踩着一只脚，看起来不开心。

“I wasn’t invited, sir.”
“我没被邀请，先生。”

Rhett handed his watch into Bonnie’s destructive grasp and rose lightly to his feet.
瑞特将手表交给波妮毁灭性的抓握，轻盈地站了起来。

“Leave those damned figures alone, Scarlett. Why wasn’t Wade invited to this party?”
“别再看那些该死的数字了，斯嘉丽。为什么韦德没被邀请去派对？”

“For Heaven’s sake, Rhett! Don’t bother me now. —
“拜托，天哪！现在别烦我。 —

Ashley has gotten these accounts in an awful snarl— Oh, that party? —
阿什利把这些账目搞得一团糟——哦，那个派对吗？” —

Well, I think it’s nothing unusual that Wade wasn’t invited and I wouldn’t let him go if he had been. —
嗯，我觉得韦德没有被邀请并不奇怪，如果他被邀请了，我也不会让他去。 —

Don’t forget that Raoul is Mrs. Merriwether’s grandchild and Mrs. Merriwether would as soon have a free issue nigger in her sacred parlor as one of us.”
别忘了劳尔是梅里韦瑟太太的孙子，梅里韦瑟太太宁可让一个自由的黑奴进入她神圣的客厅，也不愿意让我们其中的一个进去。

Rhett, watching Wade’s face with meditative eyes, saw the boy flinch.
拉特凝视着韦德的脸，看到了他的退缩。

“Come here, son,” he said, drawing the boy to him. “Would you like to be at that party?”
“来这里，孩子，”他说着，将孩子拉到自己身边。“你想参加那个派对吗？”

“No, sir,” said Wade bravely but his eyes fell.
“不，先生，”韦德勇敢地说道，但他的眼神却低了下去。

“Hum. Tell me, Wade, do you go to little Joe Whiting’s parties or Frank Bonnell’s or—well, any of your playmates?”
“呵。告诉我，韦德，你参加小乔·惠特英的派对还是弗兰克·博内尔的派对，还有其他你的玩伴们的派对吗？”

“No, sir. I don’t get invited to many parties.”
“不，先生。我没有受到很多派对的邀请。”

“Wade, you are lying!” cried Scarlett, turning. —
“韦德，你在撒谎！”斯嘉丽转过身去说道。 —

“You went to three last week, the Bart children’s party and the Gelerts’ and the Hundons’.”
“你上周参加了三个派对，巴特家的派对、吉勒特家的派对和亨登家的派对。”

“As choice a collection of mules in horse harness as you could group together,” said Rhett, his voice going into a soft drawl. —
“一群插在马车上的骡子集合在一起，真是一群选择性很高的家伙，”拉特说道，声音带着轻柔的口音。 —

“Did you have a good time at those parties? Speak up.”
“你在那些派对上玩得开心吗？说话。”

“No, sir.”
“不，先生。”

“Why not?”
“为什么不开心？”

“I—I dunno, sir. Mammy—Mammy says they’re white trash.”
“我——我不知道，先生。妈咪——妈咪说他们是白垃圾。”

“I’ll skin Mammy this minute!” cried Scarlett, leaping to her feet. —
“我这就去揪妈咪！” 斯嘉丽大声喊道，跳了起来。 —

“And as for you, Wade, talking so about Mother’s friends—”
“至于你，韦德，别那样说妈咪的朋友——”

“The boy’s telling the truth and so is Mammy,” said Rhett. “But, of course, you’ve never been able to know the truth if you met it in the road. —
“这孩子说的是真话，妈咪也是，”瑞德说。“但当然了，如果真理摆在你面前，你从来就不可能辨别出来。 —

..Don’t bother, son. You don’t have to go to any more parties you don’t want to go to. —
..别担心，孩子。你不需要参加你不想去的派对。 —

Here,” he pulled a bill from his pocket, “tell Pork to harness the carriage and take you downtown. —
给，”他从口袋里掏出一张钞票，“告诉波克车夫驾车带你去市区。 —

Buy yourself some candy—a lot, enough to give you a wonderful stomach ache.”
给自己买些糖果——很多，足够让你吃到肚子疼。”

Wade, beaming, pocketed the bill and looked anxiously toward his mother for confirmation. —
魏德笑容满面，将账单收入怀中，并焦急地望向他的母亲，寻求确认。 —

But she, with a pucker in her brows, was watching Rhett. He had picked Bonnie from the floor and was cradling her to him, her small face against his cheek. —
但她的眉头紧皱着，却在注视着雷特。他从地板上抱起了邦妮，将她紧紧地搂在怀中，她的小脸贴在他的脸颊上。 —

She could not read his face but there was something in his eyes almost like fear—fear and self-accusation.
她无法读懂他的表情，但他的眼中有一种几乎像是恐惧的东西——恐惧和自我指责。

Wade, encouraged by his stepfather’s generosity, came shyly toward him.
在继父的慷慨鼓励下，魏德腼腆地朝着他走来。

“Uncle Rhett, can I ask you sumpin’?”
“雷特叔叔，我可以问你个问题吗？”

“Of course.” Rhett’s look was anxious, absent, as he held Bonnie’s head closer. “What is it, Wade?”
“当然可以。”雷特的表情焦虑而恍惚，他紧紧地抱住邦妮的头。“什么问题，魏德？”

“Uncle Rhett, were you—did you fight in the war?”
“雷特叔叔，你……你参加过战争吗？”

Rhett’s eyes came alertly back and they were sharp, but his voice was casual.
雷特的眼睛迅速地回过神来，锐利而警觉，但他的声音却很随意。

“Why do you ask, son?”
“你为什么问，孩子？”

“Well, Joe Whiting said you didn’t and so did Frankie Bonnell.”
“嗯。”雷特说道，“你告诉他们什么了？”

“Ah,” said Rhett, “and what did you tell them?”
魏德看上去心情不快。

Wade looked unhappy.
“我……我说……我告诉他们我不知道。”

“I—I said—I told them I didn’t know.” —
他一股脑地说道：“但是我不在乎，我打了他们。” —

And with a rush, “But I didn’t care and I hit them. —
“你参加过战争吗，雷特叔叔？” —

Were you in the war, Uncle Rhett?”

“Yes,” said Rhett, suddenly violent. “I was in the war. I was in the army for eight months. —
“是的，”雷特突然暴怒地说道，“我参加了战争。我在军队服役了八个月。” —

I fought all the way from Lovejoy up to Franklin, Tennessee. —
“我一路打到了田纳西的洛夫乔伊到富兰克林。” —

And I was with Johnston when he surrendered.”
“当约翰斯顿投降时，我在他身边。”

Wade wriggled with pride but Scarlett laughed.
韦德得意地扭动身体，但斯嘉丽笑了起来。

“I thought you were ashamed of your war record,” she said. “Didn’t you tell me to keep it quiet?”
“我以为你对你的战争记录感到羞耻，”她说道。“你不是告诉我保持沉默吗？”

“Hush,” he said briefly. “Does that satisfy you, Wade?”
“嘘，”他简洁地说。“这样满意了吗，韦德？”

“Oh, yes, sir! I knew you were in the war. I knew you weren’t scared like they said. —
“哦，是的，先生！我知道你参加过战争。我知道你并不像他们说的那样胆怯。” —

But—why weren’t you with the other little boys’ fathers?”
“但是，为什么你不和其他小男孩的父亲在一起呢？”

“Because the other little boys’ fathers were such fools they had to put them in the infantry. —
“因为其他小男孩的父亲都是一群傻瓜，他们不得不把他们放到步兵部队里。” —

I was a West Pointer and so I was in the artillery. —
“我是西点军校的学生，所以我在炮兵部队服役。” —

In the regular artillery, Wade, not the Home Guard. It takes a pile of sense to be in the artillery, Wade.”
“在常规炮兵部队，韦德，而不是家庭卫队。要成为炮兵，需要有一定的头脑。”

“I bet,” said Wade, his face shining. “Did you get wounded, Uncle Rhett?”
“我敢打赌，”韦德说道，脸上闪烁着光芒。“雷特叔叔，你受伤了吗？”

Rhett hesitated.
雷特犹豫了一下。

“Tell him about your dysentery,” jeered Scarlett.
“告诉他你得过痢疾，”斯嘉丽讥讽道。

Rhett carefully set the baby on the floor and pulled his shirt and undershirt out of his trouser band.
雷特小心地把婴儿放在地板上，将衬衫和汗衫从裤腰上提出来。

“Come here, Wade, and I’ll show you where I was wounded.”
“过来，韦德，我会告诉你我在哪里受伤了。”

Wade advanced, excited, and gazed where Rhett’s finger pointed. —
韦德兴奋地走过来，凝视着雷特手指所指的地方。 —

A long raised scar ran across his brown chest and down into his heavily muscled abdomen. —
一道长长的凸起的疤痕贯穿他棕色的胸部，延伸到他肌肉发达的腹部。 —

It was the souvenir of a knife fight in the California gold fields but Wade did not know it. —
那是在加州淘金地带进行的一场刀斗的纪念品，但韦德并不知道。 —

He breathed heavily and happily.
他呼吸急促、快乐地说道。

“I guess you’re ‘bout as brave as my father, Uncle Rhett.”
“我猜你跟我爸爸一样勇敢，雷特大叔。”

“Almost but not quite,” said Rhett, stuffing his shirt into his trousers. —
“几乎但不完全一样，”雷特说着，将衬衫塞进裤子里。 —

“Now, go on and spend your dollar and whale hell out of any boy who says I wasn’t in the army.”
“现在，去花你的一美元，狠狠地揍那些说我没当过兵的小男孩。”

Wade went dancing out happily, calling to Pork, and Rhett picked up the baby again.
韦德高兴地跳着出去，喊着波克，雷特再次抱起婴儿。

“Now why all these lies, my gallant soldier laddie?” asked Scarlett.
“现在为什么要说这些谎言，我英勇的小士兵？”斯嘉丽问道。

“A boy has to be proud of his father—or stepfather. —
“一个男孩必须为自己的父亲，或者继父而骄傲。 —

I can’t let him be ashamed before the other little brutes. —
我不能让他在其他小家伙面前感到羞耻。 —

Cruel creatures, children.”
小孩可真是残酷的家伙。”

“Oh, fiddle-dee-dee!”
“哦，胡说八道！”

“I never thought about what it meant to Wade,” said Rhett slowly. —
“我从未考虑过韦德这个名字的含义，”瑞德慢慢地说道。 —

“I never thought how he’s suffered. And it’s not going to be that way for Bonnie.”
“我从未想过他所经历的痛苦。那对于邦妮来说是不会发生的。”

“What way?”
“怎么样的情况？”

“Do you think I’m going to have my Bonnie ashamed of her father? —
“你以为我会让邦妮为她的父亲感到羞耻吗？ —

Have her left out of parties when she’s nine or ten? —
她九十岁的时候被排挤在派对之外吗？ —

Do you think I’m going to have her humiliated like Wade for things that aren’t her fault but yours and mine?”
你以为我会让她因为你和我无辜的过错而受到侮辱，就像韦德一样？”

“Oh, children’s parties!”
“哦，孩子的派对！”

“Out of children’s parties grow young girls’ debut parties. —
“从孩子的派对中长成了少女的首次亮相派对。 —

Do you think I’m going to let my daughter grow up outside of everything decent in Atlanta? —
你以为我会让我的女儿长大了，成为亚特兰大无可指责的社交圈之外的人吗？ —

I’m not going to send her North to school and to visit because she won’t be accepted here or in Charleston or Savannah or New Orleans. —
我不会把她送到北方上学或者去拜访的，因为她在这里，或者在查尔斯顿、萨凡纳或者新奥尔良都不会被接纳。 —

And I’m not going to see her forced to marry a Yankee or a foreigner because no decent Southern family will have her—because her mother was a fool and her father a blackguard.”
我也不会看着她被迫嫁给一个北方人或外国人，因为没有正派的南方家庭会接纳她——因为她的母亲是个傻瓜，她的父亲是个卑鄙小人。”

Wade, who had come back to the door, was an interested but puzzled listener.
韦德已经回到了门口，成为一个感兴趣但困惑的听众。

“Bonnie can marry Beau, Uncle Rhett.”
“邦尼可以和博威克斯的比奥结婚，雷特叔叔。”

The anger went from Rhett’s face as he turned to the little boy, and he considered his words with apparent seriousness as he always did when dealing with the children.
当雷特转向小男孩时，他脸上的愤怒消散了，他认真地考虑着自己的话语，就像他对待孩子们时总是那样。

“That’s true, Wade. Bonnie can marry Beau Wilkes, but who will you marry?”
“没错，韦德。邦尼可以嫁给博威克斯的比奥，但你打算嫁给谁呢？”

“Oh, I shan’t marry anyone,” said Wade confidently, luxuriating in a man-to-man talk with the one person, except Aunt Melly, who never reproved and always encouraged him. —
“哦，我不会嫁给任何人的，”韦德自信地说着，尽情享受与除了梅莉姑妈之外唯一不责备他而且总是鼓励他的人进行男人之间的谈话。 —

“I’m going to go to Harvard and be a lawyer, like my father, and then I’m going to be a brave soldier just like him.”
“我打算上哈佛读法律，就像我爸爸一样，然后我会成为一名像他一样勇敢的士兵。”

“I wish Melly would keep her mouth shut,” cried Scarlett. “Wade, you are not going to Harvard. —
“我希望梅莉能闭嘴，”斯嘉丽喊道。”韦德，你不会去哈佛。 —

It’s a Yankee school and I won’t have you going to a Yankee school. —
那是一个北方的学校，我不允许你去北方的学校。 —

You are going to the University of Georgia and after you graduate you are going to manage the store for me. —
你将去乔治亚大学，毕业后你要为我经营店铺。 —

And as for your father being a brave soldier—”
至于你爸爸是不是一名勇敢的士兵——”

“Hush,” said Rhett curtly, not missing the shining light in Wade’s eyes when he spoke of the father he had never known. —
“哈西”，雷特强硬地说道，眼见着韦德提到从未见过的父亲时他眼中闪烁的光芒。 —

“You grow up and be a brave man like your father, Wade. Try to be just like him, for he was a hero and don’t let anyone tell you differently. —
“你长大了要像你父亲一样勇敢，韦德。尽量像他一样，因为他是一个英雄，不要让任何人告诉你相反。 —

He married your mother, didn’t he? Well, that’s proof enough of heroism. —
他不就是娶了你妈妈吗？那就足以证明他是个英雄。 —

And I’ll see that you go to Harvard and become a lawyer. —
我会确保你上哈佛大学，成为一名律师。 —

Now, run along and tell Pork to take you to town.”
“现在，快去告诉波克带你去镇上。”

“I’ll thank you to let me manage my children,” cried Scarlett as Wade obediently trotted from the room.
“请你放任我管理我的孩子，”斯佳丽大喊道，当韦德顺从地从房间跑出去时。

“You’re a damned poor manager. You’ve wrecked whatever chances Ella and Wade had, but I won’t permit you to do Bonnie that way. —
“你是个糟糕透顶的管理者。你已经毁了艾拉和韦德的任何机会，但我不会允许你对邦妮这样。 —

Bonnie’s going to be a little princess and everyone in the world is going to want her. —
邦妮会成为一个小公主，世界上每个人都会想要她。 —

There’s not going to be any place she can’t go. —
她将无处不能去。 —

Good God, do you think I’m going to let her grow up and associate with the riffraff that fills this house?”
天哪，你以为我会让她长大后和这个房子里的下等人混在一起吗？”

“They are good enough for you—”
“他们对你来说够好了——”

“And a damned sight too good for you, my pet. But not for Bonnie. —
“对你来说，这也算好的够呛了，宠物。但不是对 Bonnie。 —

Do you think I’d let her marry any of this runagate gang you spend your time with? —
难道你以为我会让她嫁给你们这帮不法之徒？ —

Irishmen on the make, Yankees, white trash, Carpetbag parvenus— My Bonnie with her Butler blood and her Robillard strain—”
爱尔兰人想要发财，美国佬、白垃圾、拜金的暴发户 — 我的 Bonnie 有着巴特勒家族的血统和罗宾斯血统 —”

“The O’Haras—”
“奥哈拉家族 —”

“The O’Haras might have been kings of Ireland once but your father was nothing but a smart Mick on the make. —
“奥哈拉家族或许曾是爱尔兰国王，但你父亲只不过是个聪明机敏、发财发福的爱尔兰人。 —

And you are no better— But then, I’m at fault too. —
而你也不比他好 — 可是，我也有责任。 —

I’ve gone through life like a bat out of hell, never caring what I did, because nothing ever mattered to me. —
我一辈子都像一只脱缰的蝙蝠，从不在乎自己做了什么，因为没有什么对我来说重要。 —

But Bonnie matters. God, what a fool I’ve been! —
但 Bonnie 重要。天啊，我真是个傻瓜！ —

Bonnie wouldn’t be received in Charleston, no matter what my mother or your Aunt Eulalie or Aunt Pauline did—and it’s obvious that she won’t be received here unless we do something quickly—”
即使我母亲、你的姑母尤拉莉或柏琳婶婶怎么努力，那些人在查尔斯顿也不会接纳 Bonnie，而且显而易见，如果我们不尽快采取措施，这里也不会接纳她 —”

“Oh, Rhett, you take it so seriously you’re funny. With our money—”
“哦，瑞德，你太认真了，真搞笑。有咱们的钱在 —”

“Damn our money! All our money can’t buy what I want for her. —
“见鬼，我们的钱再多也买不到我想要给她的东西。 —

I’d rather Bonnie was invited to eat dry bread in the Picards’ miserable house or Mrs. Elsing’s rickety barn than to be the belle of a Republican inaugural ball. —
我宁愿邀请邦妮去皮卡德一家破旧的房子里吃干面包，或者去艾尔辛夫人摇晃的谷仓里，也不愿她成为共和党就职舞会上的美人。 —

Scarlett, you’ve been a fool. You should have insured a place for your children in the social scheme years ago—but you didn’t. —
斯嘉丽，你真是个傻瓜。你应该早些年为你的孩子在社交圈里找到一个位置，但你没有。 —

You didn’t even bother to keep what position you had. —
你甚至都不去维护你原有的地位。 —

And it’s too much to hope that you’ll mend your ways at this late date. —
而现在希望你在这个时候改变方式，真是奢望。 —

You’re too anxious to make money and too fond of bullying people.”
你太急于赚钱，太喜欢欺负人了。

“I consider this whole affair a tempest in a teapot,” said Scarlett coldly, rattling her papers to indicate that as far as she was concerned the discussion was finished.
“我觉得整件事就是小题大做，”斯嘉丽冷冷地说道，晃动着文件，表明她认为讨论已经结束。

“We have only Mrs. Wilkes to help us and you do your best to alienate and insult her. —
“我们只有威尔克斯夫人可以帮助我们，而你却尽力疏远和侮辱她。 —

Oh, spare me your remarks about her poverty and her tacky clothes. —
哦，饶了我吧，关于她的贫穷和俗气的衣服的评论。 —

She’s the soul and the center of everything in Atlanta that’s sterling. —
她是亚特兰大一切可贵之物的灵魂和中心。 —

Thank God for her. She’ll help me do something about it.”
谢天谢地有她。她会帮助我解决问题的。

“And what are you going to do?”
“那你打算做什么呢？”

“Do? I’m going to cultivate every female dragon of the Old Guard in this town, especially Mrs. Merriwether, Mrs. Elsing, Mrs. Whiting and Mrs. Meade. If I have to crawl on my belly to every fat old cat who hates me, I’ll do it. —
“我要在这个城镇里培养每一只老警卫的母龙，尤其是梅瑞韦斯太太、埃尔辛太太、惠廷太太和米德太太。即使我必须爬在每一只憎恨我的肥胖老猫身上，我也会这么做。 —

I’ll be meek under their coldness and repentant of my evil ways. —
我会在她们的冷漠下变得温顺，对我的邪恶行径感到忏悔。 —

I’ll contribute to their damned charities and I’ll go to their damned churches. —
我会为她们该死的慈善事业做贡献，我会去她们该死的教堂。 —

I’ll admit and brag about my services to the Confederacy and, if worst comes to worst, I’ll join their damned Klan—though a merciful God could hardly lay so heavy a penance on my shoulders as that. —
我会承认并夸耀我为邦联所做的贡献，如果情况变得最糟，我会加入她们该死的克兰组织，尽管一个慈悲的上帝肯定不会对我如此沉重的罚恶。 —

And I shall not hesitate to remind the fools whose necks I saved that they owe me a debt. —
我将毫不犹豫地提醒那些我曾救过命的傻瓜们，他们欠我一笔债。 —

And you, Madam, will kindly refrain from undoing my work behind my back and foreclosing mortgages on any of the people I’m courting or selling them rotten lumber or in other ways insulting them. —
而你，女士，请你不要在我背后破坏我的工作，不要向我正在追求的人处置抵押贷款，也不要向他们出售次品木材或以其他方式侮辱他们。 —

And Governor Bullock never sets foot in this house again. Do you hear? —
而布洛克州长再也不要踏入这个屋子。听明白了吗？” —

And none of this gang of elegant thieves you’ve been associating with, either. —
也不许和你那些典雅的盗贼团伙交往。 —

If you do invite them, over my request, you will find yourself in the embarrassing position of having no host in your home. —
如果你邀请他们来，违背了我的要求，你将会陷入尴尬的境地，因为你家里没有主人。 —

If they come in this house, I will spend the time in Belle Watling’s bar telling anyone who cares to hear that I won’t stay under the same roof with them.”
如果他们进了这房子，我就会去贝尔·沃特林的酒吧里告诉任何愿意听的人，我不会和他们住在同一屋檐下。

Scarlett, who had been smarting under his words, laughed shortly.
斯嘉丽一直对他的话感到愤怒，她冷笑了一声。

“So the river-boat gambler and the speculator is going to be respectable! —
所以说，那位赌船赌徒和投机商要摇身一变成为体面人了吗？ —

Well, your first move toward respectability had better be the sale of Belle Watling’s house.”
嗯，那你迈向体面的第一步最好是卖掉贝尔·沃特林的房子。

That was a shot in the dark. She had never been absolutely certain that Rhett owned the house. —
那是一个试探。她从来不确切知道雷特是否拥有这座房子。 —

He laughed suddenly, as though he read her mind.
他突然笑了起来，仿佛他能读懂她的心思。

“Thanks for the suggestion.”
谢谢你的建议。

Had he tried, Rhett could not have chosen a more difficult time to beat his way back to respectability. —
假如雷特试图做到，他选择回到体面生活的时机简直不能再困难了。 —

Never before or after did the names Republican and Scallawag carry such odium, for now the corruption of the Carpetbag regime was at its height. —
前后从未有过，共和党和Scallawag这两个名字从未带有如此厌恶，因为如今Carpetbag政权的腐败达到了顶点。 —

And, since the surrender, Rhett’s name had been inextricably linked with Yankees, Republicans and Scallawags.
自投降以来，雷特的名字与洋基、共和党和Scallawag紧密相连。

Atlanta people had thought, with helpless fury, in 1866, that nothing could be worse than the harsh military rule they had then, but now, under Bullock, they were learning the worst. —
1866年，亚特兰大人以无奈和愤怒的心情认为，再也没有比当时苛刻的军事统治更糟糕的了，但现在在布洛克的统治下，他们正在经历最糟糕的时刻。 —

Thanks to the negro vote, the Republicans and their allies were firmly entrenched and they were riding rough-shod over the powerless but still protesting minority.
多亏了黑人选民的投票，共和党及其盟友得以牢固地扎根，并且他们对于无权力但仍然抗议的少数民族肆意跋扈。

Word had been spread among the negroes that there were only two political parties mentioned in the Bible, the Publicans and the Sinners. —
有关于黑人之间的传言说，圣经中只提到了两个政党，即酒徒和罪人。 —

No negro wanted to join a party made up entirely of sinners, so they hastened to join the Republicans. —
没有黑人愿意加入一个完全由罪人组成的党派，所以他们匆忙加入了共和党。 —

Their new masters voted them over and over again, electing poor whites and Scallawags to high places, electing even some negroes. —
他们的新主人一次又一次地为他们投票，选出了穷白人和Scallawags进入高位，甚至选出了一些黑人。 —

These negroes sat in the legislature where they spent most of their time eating goobers and easing their unaccustomed feet into and out of new shoes. —
这些黑人坐在立法机构里，大部分时间都在吃花生瓜和在新鞋中轻松地伸展着不习惯的脚。 —

Few of them could read or write. They were fresh from cotton patch and canebrake, but it was within their power to vote taxes and bonds as well as enormous expense accounts to themselves and their Republican friends. —
其中很少有人会读写。他们刚从棉田和甘蔗地出来，但他们有权投票决定税收和债券，也有权力给自己和他们共和党朋友提供巨额的费用报销。 —

And they voted them. The state staggered under taxes which were paid in fury, for the taxpayers knew that much of the money voted for public purposes was finding its way into private pockets.
他们投了赞成票。整个州都负担不起那些颇具暴利性质的税收，纳税人知道很多为公共目的投票的资金都流入了私人口袋。

Completely surrounding the state capitol was a host of promoters, speculators, seekers after contracts and others hoping to profit from the orgy of spending, and many were growing shamelessly rich. —
国会大厦周围完全是一群推销商、投机者、寻求合同的人和其他希望从这场开支的狂欢中获利的人，其中很多人正赤裸裸地暴富。 —

They had no difficulty at all in obtaining the state’s money for building railroads that were never built, for buying cars and engines that were never bought, for erecting public buildings that never existed except in the minds of their promoters.
他们毫不费力地从国家手中获得了建造从未建成的铁路、购买从未购买的汽车和火车头、兴建在促销人员头脑中存在的公共建筑所需的资金。

Bonds were issued running into the millions. —
发行了价值数百万的债券。 —

Most of them were illegal and fraudulent but they were issued just the same. —
大多数债券都是非法和欺诈的，但仍然被发行出去了。 —

The state treasurer, a Republican but an honest man, protested against the illegal issues and refused to sign them, but he and others who sought to check the abuses could do nothing against the tide that was running.
国家财务长官是共和党人，但他是个诚实的人，对这些非法发行提出了抗议，拒绝签署，但是他以及其他试图阻止滥用的人无力抵挡这股潮流。

The state-owned railroad had once been an asset to the state but now it was a liability and its debts had piled up to the million mark. —
国有铁路曾经是国家的资产，但现在它是个负债，债务已经累积到了数百万的程度。 —

It was no longer a railroad. It was an enormous bottomless trough in which the hogs could swill and wallow. —
它不再是一条铁路。它是一个巨大的无底洞，供猪们大肆饮食和翻滚使用。 —

Many of its officials were appointed for political reasons, regardless of their knowledge of the operation of railroads, there were three times as many people employed as were necessary, Republicans rode free on passes, carloads of negroes rode free on their happy jaunts about the state to vote and revote in the same elections.
许多官员是基于政治原因被任命的，不管他们是否了解铁路的运作情况，雇佣的人数是必要的三倍，共和党人免费乘坐车票，黑人乘坐整车免费在州内快乐地参与投票并进行多次投票。

The mismanagement of the state road especially infuriated the taxpayers for, out of the earnings of the road, was to come the money for free schools. —
州道的管理不善特别激怒了纳税人，因为从道路的收益中要拿出资金来兴办免费学校。 —

But there were no earnings, there were only debts, and so there were no free schools and there was a generation of children growing up in ignorance who would spread the seeds of illiteracy down the years.
但没有收益，只有债务，因此没有免费学校，有一代孩子在无知中长大，他们将在岁月中播下文盲的种子。

But far and above their anger at the waste and mismanagement and graft was the resentment of the people at the bad light in which the governor represented them in the North. When Georgia howled against corruption, the governor hastily went North, appeared before Congress and told of white outrages against negroes, of Georgia’s preparation for another rebellion and the need for a stern military rule in the state. —
但是，他们对浪费、管理不善和贪污的愤怒远远超过了对州长在北方给他们的不良形象的怨恨。当乔治亚州对腐败大声抗议时，州长匆匆忙忙去了北方，出席了国会，并告诉他们关于对黑人的白人暴行，乔治亚州准备再次起义，并需要对州进行严厉的军事统治。 —

No Georgian wanted trouble with the negroes and they tried to avoid trouble. —
没有一个乔治亚人想和黑人发生麻烦，他们尽量避免麻烦。 —

No one wanted another war, no one wanted or needed bayonet rule. —
没有人想要另一场战争，没有人想要或需要刺刀统治。 —

All Georgia wanted was to be let alone so the state could recuperate. —
乔治亚只希望被放过，这样州才能恢复。 —

But with the operation of what came to be known as the governor’s “slander mill,” the North saw only a rebellious state that needed a heavy hand, and a heavy hand was laid upon it.
然而，由于被称为州长的”诽谤机器”的运作，北方只看到了一个需要强硬手段的叛乱州，而重手也就此降临。

It was a glorious spree for the gang which had Georgia by the throat. —
对于那些用掌握住乔治亚的势力欢呼雀跃。 —

There was an orgy of grabbing and over all there was a cold cynicism about open theft in high places that was chilling to contemplate. —
有人大肆攫取利益，公然掠夺的冷酷无情之举令人不寒而栗。 —

Protests and efforts to resist accomplished nothing, for the state government was being upheld and supported by the power of the United States Army.
抗议和抵抗所做的一切毫无成效，因为州政府得到了美国军队的支持和维护。

Atlanta cursed the name of Bullock and his Scallawags and Republicans and they cursed the name of anyone connected with them. —
亚特兰大咒骂巴洛克及其一伙骗子、共和党人，咒骂与他们有关系的任何人。 —

And Rhett was connected with them. He had been in with them, so everyone said, in all their schemes. But now, he turned against the stream in which he had drifted so short a while before, and began swimming arduously back against the current.
而瑞特与他们有关系。大家都说他参与了他们的全部阴谋。然而，现在他却扭转了之前短暂的方向，艰难地逆流而上。

He went about his campaign slowly, subtly, not arousing the suspicions of Atlanta by the spectacle of a leopard trying to change his spots overnight. —
他以缓慢、巧妙的方式进行竞选，不引起亚特兰大人的怀疑，不让他们看到一个豹子试图一夜之间改变自己的斑点。 —

He avoided his dubious cronies and was seen no more in the company of Yankee officers, Scallawags and Republicans. —
他避开了他那些可疑的伙伴，不再和北方军官、骗子和共和党人在一起被人见到。 —

He attended Democratic rallies and he ostentatiously voted the Democratic ticket. —
他参加了一些民主党的集会，还公开表态选择了民主党的候选人。 —

He gave up high-stake card games and stayed comparatively sober. —
他戒掉了高风险的纸牌游戏，保持相对的清醒。 —

If he went to Belle Watling’s house at all, he went by night and by stealth as did more respectable townsmen, instead of leaving his horse hitched in front of her door in the afternoons as an advertisement of his presence within.
如果他真的去过Belle Watling的屋子，他一定是像其他体面的城镇居民一样在夜间偷偷溜进去的，而不是像往常一样在中午留下他的马匹系在她门前，以此来宣示他的存在。

And the congregation of the Episcopal Church almost fell out of their pews when he tiptoed in, late for services, with Wade’s hand held in his. —
当他牵着Wade的手走进圣公会教堂时，教众几乎都从长椅上摔了下来，因为他实在是迟到了。 —

The congregation was as much stunned by Wade’s appearance as by Rhett’s, for the little boy was supposed to be a Catholic. —
教众对Wade的出现和Rhett的出现一样惊讶，因为人们原以为这个小男孩是天主教徒。 —

At least, Scarlett was one. Or she was supposed to be one. —
至少，Scarlett自己就是一个天主教徒。或者说她本应该是。 —

But she had not put foot in the church in years, for religion had gone from her as many of Ellen’s other teachings had gone. —
但是她已经多年没有踏进教堂了，因为宗教信仰对她来说已经逐渐消失，就像她从艾伦那里学到的其他东西一样消失了。 —

Everyone thought she had neglected her boy’s religious education and thought more of Rhett for trying to rectify the matter, even if he did take the boy to the Episcopal Church instead of the Catholic.
所有人都认为她忽视了儿子的宗教教育，对于瑞德为了纠正这个问题而努力，即使他带孩子去的是圣公会教堂而不是天主教，大家也多少欣赏他。

Rhett could be grave of manner and charming when he chose to restrain his tongue and keep his black eyes from dancing maliciously. —
只要他愿意控制自己的言语和保持黑眼睛不恶意地闪动，瑞德可以变得庄重而迷人。 —

It had been years since he had chosen to do this but he did it now, putting on gravity and charm, even as he put on waistcoats of more sober hues. —
多年来他选择不这样做，但现在他这样做了，以更严肃和迷人的方式，甚至穿上了更加朴素色调的背心。 —

It was not difficult to gain a foothold of friendliness with the men who owed their necks to him. —
对于那些欠他命的人来说，获得友好的立足点并不困难。 —

They would have showed their appreciation long ago, had Rhett not acted as if their appreciation were a matter of small moment. —
他们早就表达感激之情了，只要瑞德没有表现得他们的感激是一件小事。 —

Now, Hugh Elsing, Rene, the Simmons boys, Andy Bonnell and the others found him pleasant, diffident about putting himself forward and embarrassed when they spoke of the obligation they owed him.
现在，休·埃尔辛格、雷内、西蒙斯的孩子们、安迪·波内尔和其他人发现他很愉快，他对于把自己推到前面很谦逊，当他们谈及他们欠他的恩情时，他会感到尴尬。

“It was nothing,” he would protest. “In my place you’d have all done the same thing.”
“这没什么，”他会抗议。“如果你们处在我这个位置上，你们都会做同样的事情。”

He subscribed handsomely to the fund for the repairs of the Episcopal Church and he gave a large, but not vulgarly large, contribution to the Association for the Beautification of the Graves of Our Glorious Dead. He sought out Mrs. Elsing to make this donation and embarrassedly begged that she keep his gift a secret, knowing very well that this would spur her to spreading the news. —
他慷慨地订阅了对圣公会教堂修复的基金，并向协会为我们光荣死者的坟墓美化项目捐赠了一大笔资金，尽管数额不算过分。他特意找到艾尔辛夫人捐款，并尴尬地请求她保密，深知这会刺激她传播这一消息。 —

Mrs. Elsing hated to take his money—”speculator money”—but the Association needed money badly.
艾尔辛夫人很不情愿地接受他的钱——”投机者的钱”——但协会急需资金。

“I don’t see why you of all people should be subscribing,” she said acidly.
“我不明白你为什么要订阅，尤其是你这个人，”她咄咄逼人地说道。

When Rhett told her with the proper sober mien that he was moved to contribute by the memories of former comrades in arms, braver than he but less fortunate, who now lay in unmarked graves, Mrs. Elsing’s aristocratic jaw dropped. —
当雷特以正经的神情告诉她，他深感动于曾经与他一起战斗过、比他更勇敢但不幸的战友们，如今长眠在无名坟墓中，艾尔辛夫人那高傲的颚下巴垂了下来。 —

Dolly Merriwether had told her Scarlett had said Captain Butler was in the army but, of course, she hadn’t believed it. —
多莉·梅瑞韦瑟告诉她，斯嘉丽说巴特勒上尉曾经在军队，但她当然不信。 —

Nobody had believed it.
没有人相信。

“You in the army? What was your company—your regiment?”
“你也来过军队？你是哪个连队的，哪个团的？”

Rhett gave them.
赫特给了他们。

“Oh, the artillery! Everyone I knew was either in the cavalry or the infantry. —
“哦，炮兵！我认识的人要么在骑兵，要么在步兵。” —

Then, that explains—” She broke off, disconcerted, expecting to see his eyes snap with malice. —
“那样的话，那就解释了——”她突然停下来，感到不安，期待看到他的双眼闪烁着恶意。 —

But he only looked down and toyed with his watch chain.
但他只是低头玩弄着手表链。

“I would have liked the infantry,” he said, passing completely over her insinuation, “but when they found that I was a West Pointer— though I did not graduate, Mrs. Elsing, due to a boyish prank—they put me in the artillery, the regular artillery, not the militia. —
“我本来也想当步兵的，”他说，完全无视她的暗讽，“但当他们发现我是个点名毕业的西点军校学员——虽然我没有毕业，埃尔辛太太，因为一次调皮捣蛋——他们把我派去了炮兵，正规的炮兵，不是民兵。” —

They needed men with specialized knowledge in that last campaign. —
那个最后的战斗需要有专业知识的人。 —

You know how heavy the losses had been, so many artillerymen killed. —
你知道损失有多么惨重，炮兵有那么多人牺牲。 —

It was pretty lonely in the artillery. I didn’t see a soul I knew. —
炮兵部队里非常寂寞。我没见到一个我认识的人。 —

I don’t believe I saw a single man from Atlanta during my whole service.”
我在整个服役期间都没见到一个亚特兰大的人。”

“Well!” said Mrs. Elsing, confused. If he had been in the army then she was wrong. —
“呃！”埃尔辛太太感到困惑。如果他当时在军队里，那她就错了。 —

She had made many sharp remarks about his cowardice and the memory of them made her feel guilty. —
她曾经对他的懦弱发过很多尖酸刻薄的言论，现在想起这些言论，她感到内疚。 —

“Well! And why haven’t you ever told anybody about your service? —
“嗯！为什么你从来没有告诉任何人你的服役经历？ —

You act as though you were ashamed of it.”
你的行为好像你为此感到羞愧。”

Rhett looked her squarely in the eyes, his face blank.
雷特毫不畏惧地直视着她的眼睛，面无表情。

“Mrs. Elsing,” he said earnestly, “believe me when I say that I am prouder of my services to the Confederacy than of anything I have ever done or will do. —
“埃尔辛夫人，相信我，我为我对南方联盟的服务感到比我所做过或将要做的任何事情都更自豪。 —

I feel—I feel—”
我感到……我感到……”

“Well, why did you keep it hidden?”
“那么为什么你一直隐藏着它？”

“I was ashamed to speak of it, in the light of—of some of my former actions.”
“对于我曾经做过的一些事情，我感到羞愧，所以不愿提及。”

Mrs. Elsing reported the contribution and the conversation in detail to Mrs. Merriwether.
埃尔辛夫人详细向梅里韦瑟夫人报告了这次贡献和对话。

“And, Dolly, I give you my word that when he said that about being ashamed, tears came into his eyes! —
“朵莉，我向你保证，当他说他感到羞愧时，他眼里湿了。 —

Yes, tears! I nearly cried myself.”
是的，眼泪！我差点也哭了。”

“Stuff and nonsense!” cried Mrs. Merriwether in disbelief. —
“胡说八道！”梅里韦瑟夫人不相信地喊道。 —

“I don’t believe tears came into his eyes any more than I believe he was in the army. —
“我不相信他眼里有眼泪，就像我不相信他在军队里一样。 —

And I can find out mighty quick. If he was in that artillery outfit, I can get at the truth, for Colonel Carleton who commanded it married the daughter of one of my grandfather’s sisters and I’ll write him.”
我可以很快找到答案。如果他在那个炮兵部队，我可以了解真相，因为指挥该部队的卡尔顿上校娶了我的祖父姐妹的女儿，我会写信给他。

She wrote Colonel Carlton and to her consternation received a reply praising Rhett’s services in no uncertain terms. —
她写信给卡尔顿上校，令她惊讶地收到一封赞扬瑞特服务的回信。 —

A born artilleryman, a brave soldier and an uncomplaining gentleman, a modest man who wouldn’t even take a commission when it was offered him.
一个天生的炮兵，一个勇敢的士兵和一位毫不抱怨的绅士，一个谦逊的人甚至在提供给他的时候都不接受军衔。

“Well!” said Mrs. Merriwether showing the letter to Mrs. Elsing. —
“好！”梅里韦瑟太太把信拿给埃尔辛夫人看。 —

“You can knock me down with a feather! Maybe we did misjudge the scamp about not being a soldier. —
“我真被打到了！也许我们错判了这个无赖不是个好士兵。 —

Maybe we should have believed what Scarlett and Melanie said about him enlisting the day the town fell. —
也许我们应该相信斯嘉丽和梅兰妮关于他当天加入军队的说法。 —

But, just the same, he’s a Scallawag and a rascal and I don’t like him!”
但是，同样地，他是个恶棍和无赖，我不喜欢他！”

“Somehow,” said Mrs. Elsing uncertainly, “somehow, I don’t think he’s so bad. —
“不知怎么的。”埃尔辛夫人犹犹豫豫地说，“不知怎么地，我觉得他并不那么坏。 —

A man who fought for the Confederacy can’t be all bad. It’s Scarlett who is the bad one. —
一个为南方联邦而战的人不能全然坏。坏的是斯嘉丽。 —

Do you know, Dolly, I really believe that he—well, he’s ashamed of Scarlett but is too much of a gentleman to let on.”
你知道，朵莉，我真的相信他——嗯，他对斯嘉丽感到羞愧，但是他是个彬彬有礼的人，不好意思表露出来。

“Ashamed! Pooh! They’re both cut out of the same piece of cloth. —
羞愧！呸！他们两个是一丘之貉。 —

Where did you ever get such a silly notion?”
你是从哪儿听来这么荒谬的想法的？

“It isn’t silly,” said Mrs. Elsing indignantly. —
“这可不荒谬，”艾尔辛夫人气愤地说。 —

“Yesterday, in the pouring rain, he had those three children, even the baby, mind you, out in his carriage riding them up and down Peachtree Street and he gave me a lift home. —
“昨天，倾盆大雨的时候，他带着这三个孩子，甚至是婴儿，坐在他的马车里在皮奇特里大街上走来走去，还顺路把我送回家。” —

And when I said: ‘Captain Butler, have you lost your mind keeping these children out in the damp? —
“我说：‘巴特勒船长，你是不是疯了，竟然让这些孩子在潮湿的地方待着？为什么不把他们送回家？’他一句话都没说，只是尴尬地看着我。” —

Why don’t you take them home?’ And he didn’t say a word but just looked embarrassed. —
“他肯定是为了不让别人知道斯嘉丽是他的孩子，所以才把他们带在外面。” —

But Mammy spoke up and said: ‘De house full of w’ite trash an’ it healthier fer de chillun in de rain dan at home!‘”
但是Mammy站出来说：“房子里全是白人垃圾，孩子们在雨中比在家里更健康！”

“What did he say?”
“他说了什么？”

“What could he say? He just scowled at Mammy and passed it over. —
“他能说什么？他只是瞪着Mammy，然后把话题转了。 —

You know Scarlett was giving a big whist party yesterday afternoon with all those common ordinary women there. —
你知道，昨天下午Scarlett办了一个很大的喇叭聚会，那里有那么多普通的女人。 —

I guess he didn’t want them kissing his baby.”
我猜他不想让他们亲吻他的孩子。”

“Well!” said Mrs. Merriwether, wavering but still obstinate. —
“嗯！”Mrs. Merriwether说，犹豫不决但仍然固执。 —

But the next week she, too, capitulated.
但是下周她也屈服了。

Rhett now had a desk in the bank. What he did at this desk the bewildered officials of the bank did not know, but he owned too large a block of the stock for them to protest his presence there. —
Rhett现在在银行有一个办公桌。银行的那些困惑不解的官员们不知道他在那里干什么，但是他持有太大比例的股票，他们无法抗议他在那里。 —

After a while they forgot that they had objected to him for he was quiet and well mannered and actually knew something about banking and investments. —
过了一段时间，他们忘记了他们曾反对他，因为他很安静、彬彬有礼，而且对银行和投资真的有些了解。 —

At any rate he sat at his desk all day, giving every appearance of industry, for he wished to be on equal terms with his respectable fellow townsmen who worked and worked hard.
不管怎样，他整天坐在他的办公桌前，给人一种工作努力的样子，因为他希望和他那些正经工作的小镇上的同胞们保持平等。

Mrs. Merriwether, wishing to expand her growing bakery, had tried to borrow two thousand dollars from the bank with her house as security. —
梅里韦瑟夫人希望扩大她日益壮大的面包店业务，试图以她的房屋作为抵押向银行借款两千美元。 —

She had been refused because there were already two mortgages on the house. —
她被拒绝了，因为房屋已经有两笔抵押贷款。 —

The stout old lady was storming out of the bank when Rhett stopped her, learned the trouble and said, worriedly: —
这位身材魁梧的老太太正怒气冲冲地从银行里出来，这时瑞特拦住了她，了解到了问题，并焦虑地说道： —

“But there must be some mistake, Mrs. Merriwether. Some dreadful mistake. —
“但是一定有什么误会，梅里韦瑟夫人。一定是某种可怕的误会。 —

You of all people shouldn’t have to bother about collateral. —
而你无需担心抵押物这类问题。 —

Why, I’d lend you money just on your word! —
嗯，我会凭你的信用给你钱的！ —

Any lady who could build up the business you’ve built up is the best risk in the world. —
任何一个能像你一样发展起你这样的生意的女士都是世界上最佳的贷款对象。 —

The bank wants to lend money to people like you. —
银行想要借钱给像你这样的人。 —

Now, do sit down right here in my chair and I will attend to it for you.”
现在，请坐到这里的我的椅子上，我会帮你处理好这件事的。”

When he came back he was smiling blandly, saying that there had been a mistake, just as he had thought. —
当他回来时，他面带微笑地说那只是个误会，就像他所想的那样。 —

The two thousand dollars was right there waiting for her whenever she cared to draw against it. —
那两千美元就在那里等着她随时支取。 —

Now, about her house—would she just sign right here?
现在，关于她的房屋 - 她只需要在这里签字就可以了。

Mrs. Merriwether, torn with indignation and insult, furious that she had to take this favor from a man she disliked and distrusted, was hardly gracious in her thanks.
莫丽韦瑟夫人愤怒和受辱，对于不喜欢和不信任的男人，她对他的感谢并不友善。

But he failed to notice it. As he escorted her to the door, he said: —
但他没有注意到。当他陪她走到门口时，他说道： —

“Mrs. Merriwether, I have always had a great regard for your knowledge and I wonder if you could tell me something?”
“莫丽韦瑟夫人，我一直很敬佩您的知识，不知道您能否告诉我一些东西？”

The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded.
她的帽子上的羽毛几乎没有动，她点了点头。

“What did you do when your Maybelle was little and she sucked her thumb?”
“当你的梅贝尔还小的时候，她吮吸拇指你是怎么办的？”

“What?”
“什么？”

“My Bonnie sucks her thumb. I can’t make her stop it.”
“我的邦妮吮吸拇指。我无法让她停下来。”

“You should make her stop it,” said Mrs. Merriwether vigorously. “It will ruin the shape of her mouth.”
“你应该让她停下来，” 莫丽韦瑟夫人生气地说道。”这会破坏她的嘴形。”

“I know! I know! And she has a beautiful mouth. But I don’t know what to do.”
“我知道！我知道！她有一个漂亮的嘴。但我不知道该怎么办。”

“Well, Scarlett ought to know,” said Mrs. Merriwether shortly. “She’s had two other children.”
“好吧，斯嘉丽应该知道，” 莫丽韦瑟夫人干脆地说道。”她已经有两个孩子了。”

Rhett looked down at his shoes and sighed.
瑞德低头看着鞋子，叹了口气。

“I’ve tried putting soap under her finger nails,” he said, passing over her remark about Scarlett.
“我试过在她的指甲下涂肥皂，” 他说着，对她关于斯嘉丽的评论置若罔闻。

“Soap! Bah! Soap is no good at all. I put quinine on Maybelle’s thumb and let me tell you, Captain Butler, she stopped sucking that thumb mighty quick.”
“皂！呸！皂根本没用。我给梅贝尔的大拇指上涂了奎宁，告诉你，巴特勒上尉，她那可乖得真够快的。”

“Quinine! I would never have thought of it! —
“奎宁！我从来没想过这个！ —

I can’t thank you enough, Mrs. Merriwether. —
梅瑞韦瑟太太，我无以回报你的恩情。 —

It was worrying me.”
这让我很担心。”

He gave her a smile, so pleasant, so grateful that Mrs. Merriwether stood uncertainly for a moment. —
他给了她一个令人愉快、感激的微笑，以至于梅瑞韦瑟太太不确定地站了一会儿。 —

But as she told him good-by she was smiling too. —
但当她与他告别时，她也在微笑。 —

She hated to admit to Mrs. Elsing that she had misjudged the man but she was an honest person and she said there had to be something good about a man who loved his child. —
她讨厌承认自己对这个男人评判错误，但她是一个诚实的人，她说一个爱孩子的男人肯定有好的地方。 —

What a pity Scarlett took no interest in so pretty a creature as Bonnie! —
真遗憾斯嘉丽对那么漂亮的孩子邦妮没有兴趣！ —

There was something pathetic about a man trying to raise a little girl all by himself! —
一个男人试图单独抚养一个小女孩，这多么可怜啊！ —

Rhett knew very well the pathos of the spectacle, and if it blackened Scarlett’s reputation he did not care.
雷特非常了解这个场景的可悲之处，如果这使斯嘉丽名声扫地，他也不在乎。

From the time the child could walk he took her about with him constantly, in the carriage or in front of his saddle. —
从那孩子会走路的时候，他就一直带着她，无论是坐在马车上还是在马鞍前面。 —

When he came home from the bank in the afternoon, he took her walking down Peachtree Street, holding her hand, slowing his long strides to her toddling steps, patiently answering her thousand questions. —
下午他从银行回家后，他带着她手牵手走在Peachtree街上，将他的大步调慢到她蹒跚的步伐，耐心地回答她千百个问题。 —

People were always in their front yards or on their porches at sunset and, as Bonnie was such a friendly, pretty child, with her tangle of black curls and her bright blue eyes, few could resist talking to her. —
在日落时分，人们总是在前院或者门廊上，而那可爱友善的邦妮是如此迷人，她卷曲的黑发和明亮的蓝眼睛，很少有人能够抵挡住对她的交流。 —

Rhett never presumed on these conversations but stood by, exuding fatherly pride and gratification at the notice taken of his daughter.
雷特从不对这些交流表示假定，而是站在一旁，洋溢着作为父亲的自豪和满足，对外界对他女儿的关注感到非常满意。

Atlanta had a long memory and was suspicious and slow to change. —
亚特兰大记忆深刻，对任何与布洛克及其团队有关的事情都持怀疑态度，而且变化缓慢。 —

Times were hard and feeling was bitter against anyone who had had anything to do with Bullock and his crowd. —
那时困难重重，人们对于与布洛克及其团队有关的人怀有痛恨之情。 —

But Bonnie had the combined charm of Scarlett and Rhett at their best and she was the small opening wedge Rhett drove into the wall of Atlanta’s coldness.
但邦妮具有斯嘉丽和雷特最好一面的魅力，她是雷特用来攻破亚特兰大冷漠墙壁的一个小缺口。

Bonnie grew rapidly and every day it became more evident that Gerald O’Hara had been her grandfather. She had short sturdy legs and wide eyes of Irish blue and a small square jaw that went with a determination to have her own way. —
波妮快速成长，每天都越来越明显，杰拉德·奥哈拉是她的祖父。她有着短而结实的腿，犹如爱尔兰蓝色的宽大眼睛和一个小方下巴，意味着她有着一种坚定要按照自己意愿行事的决心。 —

She had Gerald’s sudden temper to which she gave vent in screaming tantrums that were forgotten as soon as her wishes were gratified. —
她有着杰拉德一样的突然发火的脾气，她会通过尖叫的发脾气来发泄，但一旦她的愿望得到满足，她就会立刻忘记这些。 —

And as long as her father was near her, they were always gratified hastily. —
只要她父亲在她身边，她的愿望总是迅速得到满足。 —

He spoiled her despite all the efforts of Mammy and Scarlett, for in all things she pleased him, except one. —
尽管Mammy和斯嘉丽不遗余力地想制止，但他还是宠坏了她，因为她在所有事情上都取悦他，除了一件事。 —

And that was her fear of the dark.
那就是她对黑暗的恐惧。

Until she was two years old she went to sleep readily in the nursery she shared with Wade and Ella. Then, for no apparent reason, she began to sob whenever Mammy waddled out of the room, carrying the lamp. —
直到她两岁之前，她总是在与韦德和艾拉一起共享的儿童房里很容易入睡。然后，出于似乎没有明显原因的原因，每当Mammy拿着灯走出房间时，她就开始呜咽起来。 —

From this she progressed to wakening in the late night hours, screaming with terror, frightening the other two children and alarming the house. —
从那时起，她进一步进展到在深夜醒来时，恐惧地尖叫，吓坏了其他两个孩子，也引起了整个房子的警报。 —

Once Dr. Meade had to be called and Rhett was short with him when he diagnosed only bad dreams. —
有一次梅德博士被叫来，当他诊断只是个噩梦时，瑞特对他态度不好。 —

All anyone could get from her was one word, “Dark.”
所有人只从她那里听到一个词，“黑暗”。

Scarlett was inclined to be irritated with the child and favored a spanking. —
斯嘉丽对孩子有点恼怒，倾向于给她一次打屁股的惩罚。 —

She would not humor her by leaving a lamp burning in the nursery, for then Wade and Ella would be unable to sleep. —
她不会纵容她，让她在儿童房开着灯，那样韦德和艾拉就无法入睡。 —

Rhett, worried but gentle, attempting to extract further information from his daughter, said coldly that if any spanking were done, he would do it personally and to Scarlett.
瑞特担心但温柔地试图从女儿嘴里挖掘更多信息，冷冷地说如果要打屁股，他会亲自来做且打斯嘉丽。

The upshot of the situation was that Bonnie was removed from the nursery to the room Rhett now occupied alone. —
事情的结果是邦妮从儿童房搬到了瑞特现在一个人住的房间里。 —

Her small bed was placed beside his large one and a shaded lamp burned on the table all night long. —
她的小床被放在他的大床旁边，桌子上的一盏遮光灯整夜燃烧着。 —

The town buzzed when this story got about. —
当这个故事传开时，镇上议论纷纷。 —

Somehow, there was something indelicate about a girl child sleeping in her father’s room, even though the girl was only two years old. —
不知为何，一个女孩睡在父亲的房间里似乎有些失礼，尽管这个女孩只有两岁。 —

Scarlett suffered from this gossip in two ways. —
斯嘉丽以两种方式遭受这些闲话的折磨。 —

First, it proved indubitably that she and her husband occupied separate rooms, in itself a shocking enough state of affairs. —
首先，这明确证明她和她的丈夫住在不同的房间，这本身就是一个令人震惊的情况。 —

Second, everyone thought that if the child was afraid to sleep alone, her place was with her mother. And Scarlett did not feel equal to explaining that she could not sleep in a lighted room nor would Rhett permit the child to sleep with her.
其次，每个人都认为，如果孩子害怕独自睡觉，她应该和她的母亲在一起。而且斯嘉丽觉得自己没有能力解释她不能睡在亮着灯的房间，而且瑞德特也不会允许孩子跟她一起睡觉。

“You’d never wake up unless she screamed and then you’d probably slap her,” he said shortly.
“除非她尖叫，你才会醒，而你可能还会打她。”他冷冷地说道。

Scarlett was annoyed at the weight he attached to Bonnie’s night terrors but she thought she could eventually remedy the state of affairs and transfer the child back to the nursery. —
斯嘉丽对他对邦妮的夜惊症付出的努力感到恼火，但她认为自己最终可以解决这个问题，将孩子转移到儿房去。 —

All children were afraid of the dark and the only cure was firmness. —
所有的孩子都会害怕黑暗，唯一的治疗方法就是坚决。 —

Rhett was just being perverse in the matter, making her appear a poor mother, just to pay her back for banishing him from her room.
瑞德特只是故意刁难，故意让她显得像一个不称职的母亲，只是为了报复她不让他进她的房间。

He had never put foot in her room or even rattled the door knob since the night she told him she did not want any more children. —
自从那天她告诉他她不想要更多孩子以来，他从来没有去过她的房间，甚至没有在门上把手摇动过。 —

Thereafter and until he began staying at home on account of Bonnie’s fears, he had been absent from the supper table more often than he had been present. —
此后直到他因为邦妮的恐惧而开始呆在家里，他经常不在晚餐桌旁，比起出现的次数要多。 —

Sometimes he had stayed out all night and Scarlett, lying awake behind her locked door, hearing the clock count off the early morning hours, wondered where he was. —
有时他整夜不归，斯嘉丽躺在她锁着的房门后面一夜未眠，听着钟声数着清晨时分，想知道他在哪里。 —

She remembered: “There are other beds, my dear!” —
她记得：“还有别的床，亲爱的！” —

Though the thought made her writhe, there was nothing she could do about it. —
尽管这个念头让她痛苦不已，但她对此无能为力。 —

There was nothing she could say that would not precipitate a scene in which he would be sure to remark upon her locked door and the probable connection Ashley had with it. —
她无法说出任何一句话，因为这样做会引发一场争吵，而他肯定会提及她锁着的房门，以及与之可能有关的阿什利。 —

Yes, his foolishness about Bonnie sleeping in a lighted room—in his lighted room—was just a mean way of paying her back.
是的，他对邦妮在亮着灯的房间里睡觉的愚蠢行为，只是一种报复她的卑鄙手段。

She did not realize the importance he attached to Bonnie’s foolishness nor the completeness of his devotion to the child until one dreadful night. —
她没有意识到他对邦妮的愚蠢行为所赋予的重要性，也没有意识到他对这个孩子的全心全意，直到一个可怕的夜晚。 —

The family never forgot that night.
这个家庭永远不会忘记那个夜晚。

That day Rhett had met an ex-blockade runner and they had had much to say to each other. —
那天，雷特遇见了一个前封锁走私者，他们互相有很多话要说。 —

Where they had gone to talk and drink, Scarlett did not know but she suspected, of course, Belle Watling’s house. —
他们去哪里谈话和喝酒，斯嘉丽不知道但她当然怀疑是贝尔·沃特林的家。 —

He did not come home in the afternoon to take Bonnie walking nor did he come home to supper. —
他下午没有回家带邦妮散步，晚饭时也没有回家。 —

Bonnie, who had watched from the window impatiently all afternoon, anxious to display a mangled collection of beetles and roaches to her father, had finally been put to bed by Lou, amid wails and protests.
邦妮整个下午都焦急地从窗户里等着，想给父亲展示一堆被捏碎的甲虫和蟑螂，最后被鲁伊哄睡了，哭闹不止。

Either Lou had forgotten to light the lamp or it had burned out. —
要不是鲁伊忘了点灯，要不就是灯熄了。 —

No one ever knew exactly what happened but when Rhett finally came home, somewhat the worse for drink, the house was in an uproar and Bonnie’s screams reached him even in the stables. —
没有人确切知道发生了什么，但当雷特终于喝得有点多回家时，整个房子乱哄哄的，邦妮的尖叫声甚至在马厩里都能听见。 —

She had waked in darkness and called for him and he had not been there. —
她在黑暗中醒来并呼唤他，他不在那里。 —

All the nameless horrors that peopled her small imagination clutched her. —
她幼小的想象力里涌上了无名的恐怖。 —

All the soothing and bright lights brought by Scarlett and the servants could not quiet her and Rhett, coming up the stairs three at a jump, looked like a man who has seen Death.
即使是由斯嘉丽和仆人们带来的宽慰和明亮的灯光也不能使她和雷特平静下来，雷特三步一跃爬上楼梯，看起来像个见过死神的人。

When he finally had her in his arms and from her sobbing gasps had recognized only one word, “Dark,” he turned on Scarlett and the negroes in fury.
当他终于把她拥入怀中，并从她抽泣的喘息中听出了只有一个词“黑暗”时，他怒气冲冲地转向斯嘉丽和黑奴们。

“Who put out the light? Who left her alone in the dark? Prissy, I’ll skin you for this, you—”
“是谁把灯关了？是谁把她一个人丢在黑暗中？普丽西，我要揍死你，你这个——”

“Gawdlmighty, Mist’ Rhett! ‘Twarn’t me! ‘Twuz Lou!”
“天哪，雷特先生！不是我！是露！”

“Fo’ Gawd, Mist’ Rhett, Ah—”
“对天发誓，雷特先生，我——”

“Shut up. You know my orders. By God, I’ll—get out. Don’t come back. —
“闭嘴。你知道我的命令。是上帝，我——滚出去。别再回来。 —

Scarlett, give her some money and see that she’s gone before I come down stairs. —
斯嘉丽，给她点钱，确保她在我下楼之前走了。 —

Now, everybody get out, everybody!”
现在，所有人都滚出去，所有人！”

The negroes fled, the luckless Lou wailing into her apron. But Scarlett remained. —
黑奴们逃开了，可怜的露捂着围裙哭鼻子。但斯嘉丽留了下来。 —

It was hard to see her favorite child quieting in Rhett’s arms when she had screamed so pitifully in her own. —
斯嘉丽最心爱的孩子在雷特的怀里安静下来，而斯嘉丽自己却尖声哭喊。 —

It was hard to see the small arms going around his neck and hear the choking voice relate what had frightened her, when she, Scarlett, had gotten nothing coherent out of her.
当她－斯嘉丽－得不到她的任何理智的回答时，很难看到小手臂紧紧地绕着他的脖子，听到窒息的声音讲述她所害怕的事情。

“So it sat on your chest,” said Rhett softly. “Was it a big one?”
“那样它就压在你的胸口上了，”雷特轻声说道。”它是个大家伙吗？”

“Oh, yes! Dretfull big. And claws.”
“哦，是的！非常大。还有爪子。”

“Ah, claws, too. Well, now. I shall certainly sit up all night and shoot him if he comes back.” —
“啊，还有爪子。好吧，现在，如果它再回来，我肯定会整晚都坐着等着射死它。” —

Rhett’s voice was interested and soothing and Bonnie’s sobs died away. —
雷特的声音充满了关切，令邦妮的哭声渐渐消失了。 —

Her voice became less choked as she went into detailed description of her monster guest in a language which only he could understand. —
她的声音在详细描述她那个怪物客人时渐渐变得清晰，只有他能听懂的语言。 —

Irritation stirred in Scarlett as Rhett discussed the matter as if it had been something real.
当雷特讨论这件事情时，斯嘉丽心中涌起了一丝烦躁，好像那怪物是真的一样。

“For Heaven’s sake, Rhett—”
“拜托，雷特——”

But he made a sign for silence. When Bonnie was at last asleep, he laid her in her bed and pulled up the sheet.
但他示意保持安静。当邦妮最终入睡时，他将她放在床上，盖上了被子。

“I’m going to skin that nigger alive,” he said quietly. “It’s your fault too. —
“我要活活剥了那个黑鬼的皮，”他平静地说道。”这也是你的错。 —

Why didn’t you come up here to see if the light was burning?”
你为什么不上来看看灯是否亮着？”

“Don’t be a fool, Rhett,” she whispered. “She gets this way because you humor her. —
“别傻了，雷特，”她低声说道。”她这样是因为你纵容她。 —

Lots of children are afraid of the dark but they get over it. —
很多孩子都害怕黑暗，但是他们会克服的。 —

Wade was afraid but I didn’t pamper him. —
韦德也害怕，但我没有纵容他。 —

If you’d just let her scream for a night or two—”
“如果你能让她尖叫上一两个晚上——”

“Let her scream!” For a moment Scarlett thought he would hit her. —
“让她尖叫！”一刹那间，斯嘉丽以为他要打她。 —

“Either you are a fool or the most inhuman woman I’ve ever seen.”
“要么你是个傻瓜，要么你是我见过最冷酷无情的女人。”

“I don’t want her to grow up nervous and cowardly.”
“我不想她长大后胆小怯懦。”

“Cowardly? Hell’s afire! There isn’t a cowardly bone in her body! —
“怯懦？见鬼了！她一点也不胆小怯懦！” —

But you haven’t any imagination and, of course, you can’t appreciate the tortures of people who have one—especially a child. —
“但你没有想象力，当然无法理解有想象力的人受苦——尤其是一个孩子。” —

If something with claws and horns came and sat on your chest, you’d tell it to get the hell off you, wouldn’t you? —
“如果有个有爪子和角的东西坐在你的胸口上，你会让它滚开，不是吗？” —

Like hell you would. Kindly remember, Madam, that I’ve seen you wake up squalling like a scalded cat simply because you dreamed of running in a fog. —
“滚开？你才不会。请牢记，夫人，我曾见过你因为梦见在雾中奔跑而惊醒时像被烫伤的猫一样尖叫。” —

And that’s not been so long ago either!”
“而且这件事还不久发生！”

Scarlett was taken aback, for she never liked to think of that dream. —
斯嘉丽感到不安，因为她不喜欢想起那个梦。 —

Moreover, it embarrassed her to remember that Rhett had comforted her in much the same manner he comforted Bonnie. —
此外，想起瑞德以与对待邦妮一样的方式安慰过她也让她感到尴尬。 —

So she swung rapidly to a different attack.
所以她迅速转移到了另一种攻击方式。

“You are just humoring her and—”
“你只是在哄她——”

“And I intend to keep on humoring her. If I do, she’ll outgrow it and forget about it.”
“我就打算一直哄她下去。如果这样做的话，她就会长大忘记这件事。”

“Then,” said Scarlett acidly, “if you intend to play nursemaid, you might try coming home nights and sober too, for a change.”
斯嘉丽讥讽地说：“那么，如果你打算扮演保姆，你也许可以改改回家的时间，而且还得神魂清醒的，以作为一次改变。”

“I shall come home early but drunk as a fiddler’s bitch if I please.”
“如果我愿意，我将早早回家，但酩酊大醉。”

He did come home early thereafter, arriving long before time for Bonnie to be put to bed. —
从那以后，他总会早早回家，在邦妮上床之前就到达了。 —

He sat beside her, holding her hand until sleep loosened her grasp. —
他坐在她旁边，握着她的手，直到她入睡，她才松开了手。 —

Only then did he tiptoe downstairs, leaving the lamp burning brightly and the door ajar so he might hear her should she awake and become frightened. —
只有在那之后，他才偷偷摸摸地下楼，把灯开得很亮，门也开着一条缝，这样他就能听到她如果醒来害怕时的声音。 —

Never again did he intend her to have a recurrence of fear of the dark. —
他再也不打算让她再次害怕黑暗了。 —

The whole household was acutely conscious of the burning light, Scarlett, Mammy, Prissy and Pork, frequently tiptoeing upstairs to make sure that it still burned.
整个家里的人都十分关注那灯，斯嘉丽、梅米、普里西和波克经常偷偷摸摸上楼去确认它是否还点着。

He came home sober too, but that was none of Scarlett’s doing. —
他回家的时候也清醒着，但那与斯嘉丽无关。 —

For months he had been drinking heavily, though he was never actually drunk, and one evening the smell of whisky was especially strong upon his breath. —
数月来，尽管他从未真正喝醉过，但这个晚上他呼吸中威士忌的气味特别浓烈。 —

He picked up Bonnie, swung her to his shoulder and asked her: —
他抱起邦妮，把她扔到肩膀上，问道： —

“Have you a kiss for your sweetheart?”
“你给你的甜心一个吻吗？”

She wrinkled her small upturned nose and wriggled to get down from his arms.
她皱起小小的鼻子，扭动着要从他的怀里下来。

“No,” she said frankly. “Nasty.”
“没有，”她坦率地说。“讨厌。”

“I’m what?”
“我是什么！”

“Smell nasty. Uncle Ashley don’t smell nasty.”
“闻起来讨厌。阿什利叔叔闻起来不讨厌。”

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said ruefully, putting her on the floor. —
“好吧，我要完了，”他遗憾地说着，把她放在地板上。 —

“I never expected to find a temperance advocate in my own home, of all places!”
“我从来没想到会在我自己的家里找到一个禁酒信仰者，这真是出乎意料！”

But, thereafter, he limited his drinking to a glass of wine after supper. —
但之后，他将饭后的饮酒限制在一杯红酒。 —

Bonnie, who was always permitted to have the last drops in the glass, did not think the smell of wine nasty at all. —
邦妮总是被允许喝下杯子里的最后几滴，她一点也不觉得红酒的味道讨厌。 —

As the result, the puffiness which had begun to obscure the hard lines of his cheeks slowly disappeared and the circles beneath his black eyes were not so dark or so harshly cut. —
结果，开始模糊他脸颊上硬线条的浮肿逐渐消失了，他黑眼圈的颜色也不再那么深或那么刺眼。 —

Because Bonnie liked to ride on the front of his saddle, he stayed out of doors more and the sunburn began to creep across his dark face, making him swarthier than ever. —
因为Bonnie喜欢坐在他鞍前，所以他更多时间待在户外，阳光灼烧着他原本深色的脸庞，使他变得更黝黑。 —

He looked healthier and laughed more and was again like the dashing young blockader who had excited Atlanta early in the war.
他看起来更健康，笑声更多，再次成为了在战争初期激励亚特兰大人民的英俊年轻封锁者。

People who had never liked him came to smile as he went by with the small figure perched before him on his saddle. —
一些从未喜欢他的人，在看到他骑马前面坐着那个小家伙后，开始对他微笑着经过。 —

Women who had heretofore believed that no woman was safe with him, began to stop and talk with him on the streets, to admire Bonnie. —
一些以前曾相信和他在一起没有女人会安全的女性，开始在街上主动停下来与他交谈，欣赏Bonnie。 —

Even the strictest old ladies felt that a man who could discuss the ailments and problems of childhood as well as he did could not be altogether bad.
即使是最严肃的老太太也觉得一个能像他一样讨论儿童的疾病和问题的男人，不能全然是坏人。