The train was very late and the long, deeply blue twilight of June was settling over the countryside when Scarlett alighted in Jonesboro. —
当火车严重晚点时，六月深蓝色的长夜将降临乡村，此时斯嘉丽下车在琼斯博罗。 —

Yellow gleams of lamplight showed in the stores and houses which remained in the village, but they were few. —
只有很少的商店和居民用黄色灯光照亮，留在村里。 —

Here and there were wide gaps between the buildings on the main street where dwellings had been shelled or burned. —
整条主街上的建筑之间有许多空隙，那里的住宅被炮击或烧毁。 —

Ruined houses with shell holes in their roofs and half the walls torn away stared at her, silent and dark. —
破败的房屋上有弹孔，一半的墙壁被撕扯开，沉默而黑暗地盯着她。 —

A few saddle horses and mule teams were hitched outside the wooden awning of Bullard’s store. —
几匹鞍马和骡队系在布拉德商店的木棚外。 —

The dusty red road was empty and lifeless, and the only sounds in the village were a few whoops and drunken laughs that floated on the still twilight air from a saloon far down the street.
满是尘土的红色道路空无一人，村子里唯一的声音是从街道的尽头传来的几声叫喊和酒醉的笑声。

The depot had not been rebuilt since it was burned in the battle and in its place was only a wooden shelter, with no sides to keep out the weather. —
火车站自从战斗中被焚毁后就没有重建，只有一个没有侧面挡风雨的木制遮蔽所。 —

Scarlett walked under it and sat down on one of the empty kegs that were evidently put there for seats. —
Scarlett走在下面，坐在显然是为当座位而放置的空酒桶之一上。 —

She peered up and down the street for Will Benteen. Will should have been here to meet her. —
她环顾街道，寻找威尔·本蒂恩。威尔本应该在这里迎接她。 —

He should have known she would take the first train possible after receiving his laconic message that Gerald was dead.
他本应该知道她收到杰拉尔德去世的简短消息后会立刻乘上第一趟火车赶过来。

She had come so hurriedly that she had in her small carpetbag only a nightgown and a tooth brush, not even a change of underwear. —
她匆忙之间只带了一件睡袍和一把牙刷，甚至没有备用内衣。 —

She was uncomfortable in the tight black dress she had borrowed from Mrs. Meade, for she had had no time to get mourning clothes for herself. —
她穿着从米德夫人那里借来的紧身黑裙子，这让她很不舒服，因为她没有时间为自己准备丧服。 —

Mrs. Meade was thin now, and Scarlett’s pregnancy being advanced, the dress was doubly uncomfortable. —
米德夫人现在瘦弱，而斯嘉丽已经怀孕，所以这件衣服格外不舒服。 —

Even in her sorrow at Gerald’s death, she did not forget the appearance she was making and she looked down at her body with distaste. —
即使在杰拉尔德去世的悲痛中，她也没有忘记自己的外表，她不满地俯视着自己的身体。 —

Her figure was completely gone and her face and ankles were puffy. —
她的身材完全不见了，脸和脚脖子也肿胀了。 —

Heretofore she had not cared very much how she looked but now that she would see Ashley within the hour she cared greatly. —
迄今为止，她并不太在意自己的形象，但是现在她即将在一个小时内见到阿什利，她非常在意了。 —

Even in her heartbreak, she shrank from the thought of facing him when she was carrying another man’s child. —
即使在心碎的时候，她也不愿意面对他，因为她怀着另一个男人的孩子。 —

She loved him and he loved her, and this unwanted child now seemed to her a proof of infidelity to that love. —
她爱他，他也爱她，而这个不受欢迎的孩子现在似乎对她来说是对那份爱的背叛的证据。 —

But much as she disliked having him see her with the slenderness gone from her waist and the lightness from her step, it was something she could not escape now.
虽然她不喜欢他看到她的腰变胖了，步伐也没有以前那么轻盈，但现在她无法逃避了。

She patted her foot impatiently. Will should have met her. —
她不耐烦地拍着脚。威尔应该来接她。 —

Of course, she could go over to Bullard’s and inquire after him or ask someone there to drive her over to Tara, should she find he had been unable to come. —
当然，她可以去布拉德家问问他，或者找人开车送她去塔拉庄园，如果她发现他不能来的话。 —

But she did not want to go to Bullard’s. —
但她不想去布拉德家。 —

It was Saturday night and probably half the men of the County would be there. —
今晚是星期六，县里可能会有一半的男人在那里。 —

She did not want to display her condition in this poorly fitting black dress which accentuated rather than hid her figure. —
她不想在那件不合身的黑裙子里展示自己的身材，这件裙子更突出了而不是隐藏了她的身材。 —

And she did not want to hear the kindly sympathy that would be poured out about Gerald. —
她不想听到会有关于杰拉尔德的友善同情倾泻而出。 —

She did not want sympathy. She was afraid she would cry if anyone even mentioned his name to her. —
她不想要同情。她害怕如果有人提到他的名字，她会哭出来。 —

And she wouldn’t cry. She knew if she once began it would be like the time she cried into the horse’s mane, that dreadful night when Atlanta fell and Rhett had left her on the dark road outside the town, terrible tears that tore her heart and could not be stopped.
她不会哭的。她知道如果她一旦开始哭泣，就像她那可怕的夜晚哭泣到马鬃毛里那样，那些撕裂她心的可怕眼泪是无法停止的。

No, she wouldn’t cry! She felt the lump in her throat rising again, as it had done so often since the news came, but crying wouldn’t do any good. —
不，她不会哭！她感到喉咙里的一块东西再次升起，就像自从听到消息以来经常发生的那样，但是哭泣没有任何好处。 —

It would only confuse and weaken her. Why, oh, why hadn’t Will or Melanie or the girls written her that Gerald was ailing? —
它只会让她更加困惑和无力。为什么威尔或者梅莱尼或者那些女孩没有给她写信说杰拉尔德有生病呢？ —

She would have taken the first train to Tara to care for him, brought a doctor from Atlanta if necessary. —
她本会立刻乘火车去塔拉照顾他，如果需要的话，会从亚特兰大带来医生。 —

The fools— all of them! Couldn’t they manage anything without her? —
这些傻瓜们，他们一个都办不好吗？他们能不能在没有她的情况下自己应付一切？ —

She couldn’t be in two places at once and the good Lord knew she was doing her best for them all in Atlanta.
她不可能同时出现在两个地方，而且上帝知道她在亚特兰大为他们尽了最大努力。

She twisted about on the keg, becoming nervous and fidgety as Will still did not come. Where was he? —
她在桶上来回扭动，因为威尔仍未到来而变得紧张不安。他在哪里？ —

Then she heard the scrunching of cinders on the railroad tracks behind her and, twisting her body, she saw Alex Fontaine crossing the tracks toward a wagon, a sack of oats on his shoulder.
突然，她听到后面煤渣碾压在铁轨上的声音，扭过身子，她看到亚历克斯·方丹从铁轨上走过来，肩上背着一袋燕麦。

“Good Lord! Isn’t that you, Scarlett?” he cried, dropping the sack and running to take her hand, pleasure written all over his bitter, swarthy little face. —
“天哪！那不是你，斯嘉丽吗？”他放下袋子，高兴地跑过来握住她的手，他又高兴又苦涩的小脸上洋溢着喜悦。 —

“I’m so glad to see you. I saw Will over at the blacksmith’s shop, getting the horse shod. —
“见到你真好。我在铁匠铺看到威尔，正在给马铁蹄。” —

The train was late and he thought he’d have time. Shall I run fetch him?”
“火车晚点了，他以为还有时间。我去找他吗？”

“Yes, please, Alex,” she said, smiling in spite of her sorrow. —
“是的，请，亚历克斯。”她笑着说，尽管内心充满了悲伤。 —

It was good to see a County face again.
再次见到一个郡内的面孔真是太好了。

“Oh—er—Scarlett,” he began awkwardly, still holding her hand, “I’m mighty sorry about your father.”
“噢，呃，斯嘉丽，”他尴尬地开始说，仍然握着她的手，“我对你父亲的去世感到非常难过。”

“Thank you,” she replied, wishing he had not said it. —
“谢谢你，”她回答，希望他不要说这些。 —

His words brought up Gerald’s florid face and bellowing voice so clearly.
“他的话使杰拉德的红润脸庞和喊叫的声音变得如此清晰。”

“If it’s any comfort to you, Scarlett, we’re mighty proud of him around here,” Alex continued, dropping her hand. —
““如果这能让你感到安慰，斯嘉丽，我们对他深感自豪，”亚历克斯继续说道，放开她的手。” —

“He—well, we figure he died like a soldier and in a soldier’s cause.”
““他——唔，我们认为他像个士兵一样为了士兵的事业而牺牲。””

Now what did he mean by that, she thought confusedly. A soldier? Had someone shot him? —
“她迷惑地想，他是什么意思。士兵？有人开枪打他了吗？” —

Had he gotten into a fight with the Scallawags as Tony had? But she mustn’t hear more. —
“他跟斯卡洛维格斯打架了吗？但她不能再听下去。” —

She would cry if she talked about him and she mustn’t cry, not until she was safely in the wagon with Will and out in the country where no stranger could see her. —
“只要她安全地坐在马车里和威尔一起去乡下，没人会看到她就可以哭。” —

Will wouldn’t matter. He was just like a brother.
“威尔并不重要。他就像兄弟一样。”

“Alex, I don’t want to talk about it,” she said shortly.
““亚历克斯，我不想谈这个。”她生硬地说道。”

“I don’t blame you one bit, Scarlett,” said Alex while the dark blood of anger flooded his face. —
““我完全理解你，斯嘉丽，”亚历克斯说道，愤怒的血液充斥着他的脸庞。” —

“If it was my sister, I’d—well, Scarlett, I’ve never yet said a harsh word about any woman, but personally I think somebody ought to take a rawhide whip to Suellen.”
““如果是我妹妹，嗯，斯嘉丽，我从未说过任何女人的坏话，但我个人认为应该用皮鞭抽打苏伦。”

What foolishness was he talking about now, she wondered. What had Suellen to do with it all?
“他又在说什么蠢话呢？”她想。苏伦与这一切有什么关系？

“Everybody around here feels the same way about her, I’m sorry to say. —
“这里的每个人都对她有同样的感觉，很抱歉地说。 —

Will’s the only one who takes up for her—and, of course, Miss Melanie, but she’s a saint and won’t see bad in anyone and—”
“只有威尔在为她辩护，当然还有梅拉妮小姐，但她是个圣人，对任何人都看不出坏处——”

“I said I didn’t want to talk about it,” she said coldly but Alex did not seem rebuffed. —
“我说过我不想谈这个，”她冷淡地说，但亚历克斯似乎没受到拒绝。 —

He looked as though he understood her rudeness and that was annoying. —
他看起来好像理解她的无礼，这真让人恼火。 —

She didn’t want to hear bad tidings about her own family from an outsider, didn’t want him to know of her ignorance of what had happened. —
她不想从外人那里听到关于自己家人的坏消息，也不想让他知道自己对发生的事一无所知。 —

Why hadn’t Will sent her the full details?
为什么威尔没把所有细节告诉她？

She wished Alex wouldn’t look at her so hard. —
她希望亚历克斯不要这么紧盯着她看。 —

She felt that he realized her condition and it embarrassed her. —
她觉得他意识到了她的状况，这使她感到尴尬。 —

But what Alex was thinking as he peered at her in the twilight was that her face had changed so completely he wondered how he had ever recognized her. —
但亚历克斯在暮色中凝视着她时，心里想的是她的脸变得如此不同，他想知道他是怎么认出她的。 —

Perhaps it was because she was going to have a baby. Women did look like the devil at such times. —
也许是因为她即将要生孩子了。在这个时候，女人看起来很像魔鬼。 —

And, of course, she must be feeling badly about old man O’Hara. She had been his pet. —
当然，她一定对老欧哈拉感到难过。她曾经是他的宠物。 —

But, no, the change was deeper than that. She really looked as if she had three square meals a day. —
但不，变化不仅仅如此。她看起来真的吃了三顿饱饭。 —

And the hunted-animal look had partly gone from her eyes. —
原本她眼中那种像被猎杀动物一样的恐惧神情已经消失了一部分。 —

Now, the eyes which had been fearful and desperate were hard. —
现在，曾经充满恐惧和绝望的眼睛变得坚定。 —

There was an air of command, assurance and determination about her, even when she smiled. —
她身上散发着一种命令、自信和决心的气息，即使笑起来也是如此。 —

Bet she led old Frank a merry life! Yes, she had changed. —
打赌她让老弗兰克过得颠沛流离吧！是的，她变了。 —

She was a handsome woman, to be sure, but all that pretty, sweet softness had gone from her face and that flattering way of looking up at a man, like he knew more than God Almighty, had utterly vanished.
她是一个漂亮的女人，但所有那些漂亮、甜美和温柔都从她的脸上消失了，那种讨好男人，像他比全能上帝更懂事情的方式，完全消失了。

Well, hadn’t they all changed? Alex looked down at his rough clothes and his face fell into its usual bitter lines. —
嗯，他们都变了，不是吗？亚历克斯看着自己粗糙的衣服，他的脸上露出了通常的痛苦神情。 —

Sometimes at night when he lay awake, wondering how his mother was going to get that operation and how poor dead Joe’s little boy was going to get an education and how he was going to get money for another mule, he wished the war was still going on, wished it had gone on forever. —
有时候夜里躺着、想着他的妈妈将如何进行那个手术、那可怜的乔的孩子将如何接受教育，以及他将如何为另一头骡子筹集资金，他希望战争仍在继续，希望它能永远持续下去。 —

They didn’t know their luck then. There was always something to eat in the army, even if it was just corn bread, always somebody to give orders and none of this torturing sense of facing problems that couldn’t be solved—nothing to bother about in the army except getting killed. —
他们当时并不了解自己的幸运。在军队里总能有东西吃，即使只是玉米面包，总有人下令，没有这种痛苦的感觉，面对那些无法解决的问题——在军队里没有什么可烦恼的，除了被杀。 —

And then there was Dimity Munroe. Alex wanted to marry her and he knew he couldn’t when so many were already looking to him for support. —
然后还有迪米蒂·门罗。亚历克斯想和她结婚，但他知道在这么多人已经寄望于他支持他们的时候，他是做不到的。 —

He had loved her for so long and now the roses were fading from her cheeks and the joy from her eyes. —
他已经爱她很久了，现在玫瑰色也从她的脸上褪去了，眼中的喜悦也不再。 —

If only Tony hadn’t had to run away to Texas. Another man on the place would make all the difference in the world. —
如果只是托尼不必逃到德州去就好了。庄园里多一个人会改变一切。 —

His lovable bad-tempered little brother, penniless somewhere in the West. Yes, they had all changed. —
他可爱但脾气暴躁的小弟弟现在在西部一无所有。是的，他们都变了。 —

And why not? He sighed heavily.
为什么不呢？他沉重地叹了口气。

“I haven’t thanked you for what you and Frank did for Tony,” he said. —
“我还没来感谢你和弗兰克为托尼所做的事情，”他说道。 —

“It was you who helped him get away, wasn’t it? It was fine of you. —
“是你帮助他逃走的，不是吗？你真好。 —

I heard in a roundabout way that he was safe in Texas. I was afraid to write and ask you—but did you or Frank lend him any money? —
我听说他安全地到了德克萨斯州。我不敢写信问你，但是你或者弗兰克给了他钱吗？ —

I want to repay—”
我想要偿还——”

“Oh, Alex, please hush! Not now!” cried Scarlett. For once, money meant nothing to her.
“哦，亚历克斯，请闭嘴！现在不是时候！”斯嘉丽大声说道。这一次，金钱对她来说毫无意义。

Alex was silent for a moment.
亚历克斯沉默了一会儿。

“I’ll get Will for you,” he said, “and we’ll all be over tomorrow for the funeral.”
“我会去找威尔的，”他说道，“明天我们都会去参加葬礼。”

As he picked up the sack of oats and turned away, a wobbly-wheeled wagon swayed out of a side street and creaked up to them. —
当他拿起一袋燕麦转身离去时，一辆摇摇晃晃的马车从一条小街上出现，吱吱作响地驶向他们。 —

Will called from the seat: “I’m sorry I’m late, Scarlett.”
威尔从车座上喊道：“斯嘉丽，我很抱歉我迟到了。”

Climbing awkwardly down from the wagon, he stumped toward her and, bending, kissed her cheek. —
他笨拙地从车上爬下来，向她走来并弯下身亲吻她的脸颊。 —

Will had never kissed her before, had never failed to precede her name with “Miss” and, while it surprised her, it warmed her heart and pleased her very much. —
威尔以前从未吻过她，从未没有在她的名字之前加上“小姐”，尽管这让她感到惊讶，但也温暖了她的心，并让她非常开心。 —

He lifted her carefully over the wheel and into the wagon and, looking down, she saw that it was the same old rickety wagon in which she had fled from Atlanta. —
他小心翼翼地将她抱过车轮，放进了马车里，低头看着，她发现那还是她从亚特兰大逃跑时乘坐的那辆旧破马车。 —

How had it ever held together so long? Will must have kept it patched up very well. —
它是怎样一直撑到现在的呢？威尔一定一直很维护它。 —

It made her slightly sick to look at it and to remember that night. —
看着它，想起那个晚上，让她有点恶心。 —

If it took the shoes off her feet or food from Aunt Pitty’s table, she’d see that there was a new wagon at Tara and this one burned.
即使它要脱下她的鞋子，或者从佩蒂阿姨的餐桌上拿走食物，她也会确保塔拉有一辆新马车，并且把这辆旧车烧掉。

Will did not speak at first and Scarlett was grateful. —
威尔一开始没有说话，斯嘉丽很感激。 —

He threw his battered straw hat into the back of the wagon, clucked to the horse and they moved off. Will was just the same, lank and gangling, pink of hair, mild of eye, patient as a draft animal.
他把他破旧的草帽扔到马车的后面，拍了拍马，他们就开走了。威尔还是一样的个子高瘦，头发粉红，眼神温和，像一只服从驯化的动物一样耐心。

They left the village behind and turned into the red road to Tara. A faint pink still lingered about the edges of the sky and fat feathery clouds were tinged with gold and palest green. —
他们离开了村庄，转向通往塔拉的红色道路。淡淡的粉红色依然挂在天空的边缘，肥胖的羽毛状云朵沾染着金色和淡绿色。 —

The stillness of the country twilight came down about them as calming as a prayer. —
那宁静的乡村黄昏环绕在他们周围，平静得宛如一种祷告。 —

How had she ever borne it, she thought, away for all these months, away from the fresh smell of country air, the plowed earth and the sweetness of summer nights? —
她心想，她曾经如何忍受过，离开了这么多个月，远离了乡村空气的清新、犁过的泥土和夏夜的芬芳？ —

The moist red earth smelled so good, so familiar, so friendly, she wanted to get out and scoop up a handful. —
湿润的红土闻起来太好了，太熟悉、太友好，她想下车，捧起一把。 —

The honeysuckle which draped the gullied red sides of the road in tangled greenery was piercingly fragrant as always after rain, the sweetest perfume in the world. —
寄生藤在车道两旁的低洼处蔓延，缠绕成绿荫，下过雨后的香气扑鼻而来，是世界上最甜美的香水。 —

Above their heads a flock of chimney swallows whirled suddenly on swift wings and now and then a rabbit scurried startled across the road, his white tail bobbing like an eiderdown powder puff. —
在他们头上，一群烟囱燕子突然飞旋着展翅飞过，偶尔一只兔子慌乱地穿过马路，尾巴像羽绒粉扑般上下跳动。 —

She saw with pleasure that the cotton stood well, as they passed between plowed fields where the green bushes reared themselves sturdily out of the red earth. —
她高兴地发现棉花长得很好，当她们经过犁过的田地时，绿色的灌木从红土地上笔直地伸展出来。 —

How beautiful all this was! The soft gray mist in the swampy bottoms, the red earth and growing cotton, the sloping fields with curving green rows and the black pines rising behind everything like sable walls. —
这一切是多么美丽啊！沼泽地低洼处的柔和灰雾，红土和茁壮成长的棉花，倾斜的田地上弯曲的绿色行列，以及黑色的松树像羊绒墙一样耸立在一切背后。 —

How had she ever stayed in Atlanta so long?
她怎么会在亚特兰大待这么久呢？

“Scarlett, before I tell you about Mr. O’Hara—and I want to tell you everything before you get home—I want to ask your opinion on a matter. —
“斯嘉丽，在我告诉你有关奥哈拉先生的事情之前——我希望在你回家之前告诉你一切——我想问问你的意见。” —

I figger you’re the head of the house now.”
我想你现在是家里的掌管者。”

“What is it, Will?”
威尔，有什么事吗？

He turned his mild sober gaze on her for a moment.
他用温和而冷静的目光看了她一会儿。

“I just wanted your approval to my marryin’ Suellen.”
我只是想知道你是否同意我娶苏伦。”

Scarlett clutched the seat, so surprised that she almost fell backwards. Marry Suellen! —
斯嘉丽猛地抓住座位，如此惊讶以至于差点向后摔倒。娶苏伦！ —

She’d never thought of anybody marrying Suellen since she had taken Frank Kennedy from her. —
自从她夺走了弗兰克·肯尼迪，她从来没有想过还有谁会娶苏伦。 —

Who would have Suellen?
谁会娶苏伦呢？

“Goodness, Will!”
天哪，威尔！

“Then I take it you don’t mind?”
那么我可以认为你不介意了？

“Mind? No, but— Why, Will, you’ve taken my breath away! —
“心意？不，但是——威尔，你让我感到无比惊艳！” —

You marry Suellen? Will, I always thought you were sweet on Carreen.”
“你娶苏琳了？威尔，我一直以为你对卡琳有意思呢。”

Will kept his eyes on the horse and flapped the reins. —
威尔眼睛盯着马，拍了拍缰绳。 —

His profile did not change but she thought he sighed slightly.
他的侧脸没有变化，但她觉得他轻轻地叹了口气。

“Maybe I was,” he said.
“也许我是有意思过她，”他说。

“Well, won’t she have you?”
“那么，她不愿意嫁给你吗？”

“I never asked her.”
“我从来没有向她提过。”

“Oh, Will, you’re a fool. Ask her. She’s worth two of Suellen!”
“哦，威尔，你真傻。去向她求婚吧，她可比苏琳值两个！”

“Scarlett, you don’t know a lot of things that’s been going on at Tara. You ain’t favored us with much of your attention these last months.”
“斯嘉丽，你不知道塔拉庄园的情况，你在过去几个月里都没有关注我们。”

“I haven’t, haven’t I?” she flared. “What do you suppose I’ve been doing in Atlanta? —
“是吗？”她愤怒地说道：”你以为我在亚特兰大做什么？” —

Riding around in a coach and four and going to balls? Haven’t I sent you money every month? —
“坐四马马车到处兜风，参加舞会？我每个月都给你寄钱，是吗？” —

Haven’t I paid the taxes and fixed the roof and bought the new plow and the mules? Haven’t—”
“我不仅支付了税款、修缮屋顶，还买了新犁和骡马，难道没吗？”

“Now, don’t fly off the handle and get your Irish up,” he interrupted imperturbably. —
“好了，别激动，别动怒，”他冷静地打断她。 —

“If anybody knows what you’ve done, I do, and it’s been two men’s work.”
“如果有人知道你做了什么，那个人就是我了，这都是两个人的活。”

Slightly mollified, she questioned, “Well then, what do you mean?”
稍微安慰了一点，她问道：“那么，你到底是什么意思？”

“Well, you’ve kept the roof over us and food in the pantry and I ain’t denyin’ that, but you ain’t given much thought to what’s been goin’ on in anybody’s head here at Tara. I ain’t blamin’ you, Scarlett. —
“嗯，你确实在为我们提供食物和屋顶，我不否认这一点，但你没有关注到塔拉庄园里发生的事情。我不怪你，斯嘉丽。” —

That’s just your way. You warn’t never very much interested in what was in folks’ heads. —
“这是你的个性。你从来都不太关心别人的想法。” —

But what I’m tryin’ to tell you is that I didn’t never ask Miss Carreen because I knew it wouldn’t be no use. —
“但我现在想告诉你的是，我从没问过卡琳小姐，因为我知道没用。” —

She’s been like a little sister to me and I guess she talks to me plainer than to anybody in the world. —
“她一直像我的妹妹，我猜她比世界上任何人都跟我说得更直白。” —

But she never got over that dead boy and she never will. —
“但她永远无法走出那个死去的男孩的阴影。” —

And I might as well tell you now she’s aimin’ to go in a convent over to Charleston.”
“而且我现在就告诉你，她打算去查尔斯顿的修道院。”

“Are you joking?”
“你在开玩笑吗？”

“Well, I knew it would take you back and I just want to ask you, Scarlett, don’t you argue with her about it or scold her or laugh at her. —
“嗯，我知道这个消息会让你震惊，我只是想问你，斯嘉丽，你可别跟她争论或者责骂她，也别笑话她。” —

Let her go. It’s all she wants now. Her heart’s broken.”
“让她去吧。这是她现在想要的。她的心已经破碎了。”

“But God’s nightgown! Lots of people’s hearts have been broken and they didn’t run off to convents. —
“天呐！很多人的心都曾碎过，可他们没有跑去修道院。” —

Look at me. I lost a husband.”
看看我。我的丈夫已经不在了。

“But your heart warn’t broken,” Will said calmly and, picking up a straw from the bottom of the wagon, he put it in his mouth and chewed slowly. —
“可是你的心并没有碎,” Will 平静地说着，他从车底捡起一根草稈，放进嘴里慢慢咀嚼。 —

That remark took the wind out of her. As always when she heard the truth spoken, no matter how unpalatable it was, basic honesty forced her to acknowledge it as truth. —
这番话让她感到无言以对。每当听到真相，无论多么难以接受，基本的诚实都迫使她承认它是真实的。 —

She was silent a moment, trying to accustom herself to the idea of Carreen as a nun.
她默默片刻，试着习惯卡琳作为修女的想法。

“Promise you won’t fuss at her.”
“答应我别对她大惊小怪。”

“Oh, well, I promise,” and then she looked at him with a new understanding and some amazement. —
“哦，好吧，我答应”，然后她以一种新的理解和惊讶的目光看着他。 —

Will had loved Carreen, loved her now enough to take her part and make her retreat easy. —
Will 爱着卡琳，现在他爱她足够为她争取离开的机会。 —

And yet he wanted to marry Suellen.
然而他想要和 Suellen 结婚。

“Well, what’s all this about Suellen? You don’t care for her, do you?”
“嗯，关于 Suellen 的事怎么回事？你不是喜欢她吧？”

“Oh, yes, I do in a way,” he said removing the straw and surveying it as if it were highly interesting. —
“哦，也算是吧，”他说着，又拿起草稈，若有所思地打量着它。 —

“Suellen ain’t as bad as you think, Scarlett. I think we’ll get along right well. —
“苏伦并没有你想象的那么糟糕，斯嘉丽。我觉得我们会相处得很好。 —

The only trouble with Suellen is that she needs a husband and some children and that’s just what every woman needs.”
苏伦唯一的问题就是她需要一个丈夫和一些孩子，这是每个女人都需要的。

The wagon jolted over the rutty road and for a few minutes while the two sat silent Scarlett’s mind was busy. —
马车在颠簸的路上颠簸着，斯嘉丽与苏伦默默无语地坐着，斯嘉丽的脑海里忙碌着。 —

There must be something more to it than appeared on the surface, something deeper, more important, to make the mild and soft-spoken Will want to marry a complaining nagger like Suellen.
肯定有比表面上看到的更深层、更重要的东西，要让像嘴碎的苏伦这样的人能让温和、说话轻柔的威尔想要娶她。

“You haven’t told me the real reason, Will. If I’m head of the family, I’ve got a right to know.”
“威尔，你没有告诉我真正的原因。如果我是这个家庭的领导者，我有权知道。

“That’s right,” said Will, “and I guess you’ll understand. —
“没错，”威尔说，”我想你会明白的。 —

I can’t leave Tara. It’s home to me, Scarlett, the only real home I ever knew and I love every stone of it. —
我不能离开塔拉。对我来说，那是家，是我唯一真正的家，我爱每一块石头。 —

I’ve worked on it like it was mine. And when you put out work on somethin’, you come to love it. —
我像它是我的东西那样工作。当你投入工作在某样东西上时，你会喜欢它。 —

You know what I mean?”
你明白我的意思吗？”

She knew what he meant and her heart went out in a surge of warm affection for him, hearing him say he, too, loved the thing she loved best.
她知道他的意思，她的心中涌起了对他的温暖爱意，听到他也爱她最爱的东西。

“And I figger it this way. With your pa gone and Carreen a nun, there’ll be just me and Suellen left here and, of course, I couldn’t live on at Tara without marryin’ Suellen. —
“我这么看。你爸爸走了，卡琳变成了修女，只剩下我和苏伦还在这里，当然，我不能不娶苏伦而在塔拉庄园继续生活。” —

You know how folks talk.”
“你知道人们会怎么说的。”

“But—but Will, there’s Melanie and Ashley—”
“但是，但是，威尔，还有梅兰妮和阿什利—”

At Ashley’s name he turned and looked at her, his pale eyes unfathomable. —
听到阿什利的名字，他转过头，看着她，那双苍白的眼睛无法揣测。 —

She had the old feeling that Will knew all about her and Ashley, understood all and did not either censure or approve.
她曾有过这样的感觉，威尔知道她和阿什利的事情，理解了一切，既没有指责也没有赞同。

“They’ll be goin’ soon.”
“他们快要走了。”

“Going? Where? Tara is their home as well as yours.”
“走？去哪里？塔拉庄园既是他们的家也是你的家。”

“No, it ain’t their home. That’s just what’s eatin’ on Ashley. —
“不，那不是他们的家。这正是困扰阿什利的问题。” —

It ain’t his home and he don’t feel like he’s earnin’ his keep. —
“那不是他的家，他觉得自己没有为食宿而努力。 —

He’s a mighty pore farmer and he knows it. —
他是个非常差劲的农夫，他自己心里也清楚。 —

God knows he tries his best but he warn’t cut out for farmin’ and you know it as well as I do. —
上帝知道他尽力了，可他就是不适合耕种，你和我都知道这一点。 —

If he splits kindlin’, like as not he’ll slice off his foot. —
如果他劈柴，像往常一样，很有可能会剁掉脚。 —

He can’t no more keep a plow straight in a furrow than little Beau can, and what he don’t know about makin’ things grow would fill a book. —
他甚至没办法把犁头保持在犁沟里一条直线上，就像小波一样。他对种植东西的知识几乎一窍不通，能填满一本书。 —

It ain’t his fault. He just warn’t bred for it. —
这不是他的错。他不是为这个生活条件而培养出来的。 —

And it worries him that he’s a man livin’ at Tara on a woman’s charity and not givin’ much in return.”
他很担心自己作为一个男人，靠女人的施舍在塔拉庄园生活，并且没有给予太多回报。

“Charity? Has he ever said—”
“施舍？他有说过吗——”

“No, he’s never said a word. You know Ashley. But I can tell. —
“没有，他从没说过。你知道阿什利。但我能感觉到。 —

Last night when we were sittin’ up with your pa, I tole him I had asked Suellen and she’d said Yes. And then Ashley said that relieved him because he’d been feelin’ like a dog, stayin’ on at Tara, and he knew he and Miss Melly would have to keep stayin’ on, now that Mr. O’Hara was dead, just to keep folks from talkin’ about me and Suellen. —
昨晚我们在照顾你爸爸的时候，我告诉他我已经向苏伦求婚，她答应了。然后阿什利说这解除了他的负担，因为他一直觉得自己像一条狗一样留在塔拉庄园，知道现在在奥哈拉先生去世后，他和梅莉小姐不得不继续留下来，只为了防止别人议论我和苏伦。 —

So then he told me he was aimin’ to leave Tara and get work.”
所以他告诉我他打算离开塔拉庄园，去找工作。

“Work? What kind? Where?”
“工作？是什么样的工作？在哪里？”

“I don’t know exactly what he’ll do but he said he was goin’ up North. He’s got a Yankee friend in New York who wrote him about workin’ in a bank up there.”
“我不知道他会做什么，但他说他要去北方。他在纽约有一个洋人朋友，写信给他说可以在银行工作。”

“Oh, no!” cried Scarlett from the bottom of her heart and, at the cry, Will gave her the same look as before.
“哦，不！”斯嘉丽真诚地喊道，而威尔看着她的眼神和之前一样。

“Maybe ‘twould be better all ‘round if he did go North.”
“也许他去北方对大家来说都会更好。”

“No! No! I don’t think so.”
“不！不！我不这么认为。”

Her mind was working feverishly. Ashley couldn’t go North! She might never see him again. —
她的脑子里疯狂地思考着。阿什利不能去北方！也许她再也见不到他了。 —

Even though she had not seen him in months, had not spoken to him alone since that fateful scene in the orchard, there had not been a day when she had not thought of him, been glad he was sheltered under her roof. —
尽管她几个月没有见到他了，也没有独自和他交谈过，自从那个注定的场景发生在果园里，但每一天她都在想念他，庆幸他能在她的屋檐下有个避风的地方。 —

She had never sent a dollar to Will that she had not been pleased that it would make Ashley’s life easier. —
每次寄钱给威尔她都很高兴，因为这会让阿什利的生活更轻松。 —

Of course, he wasn’t any good as a farmer. Ashley was bred for better things, she thought proudly. —
当然，他作为农民并不优秀。阿什利出生就是为了更好的事物，她自豪地想。 —

He was born to rule, to live in a large house, ride fine horses, read books of poetry and tell negroes what to do. —
他生来就是要统治的，住在大房子里，骑上好马，读着诗歌书籍，并告诉黑奴该做什么。 —

That there were no more mansions and horses and negroes and few books did not alter matters. —
即使没有更多的豪宅、马匹和黑奴，也没有多少书籍，这并没有改变事情的本质。 —

Ashley wasn’t bred to plow and split rails. —
阿什利并不适合耕地和劈木。 —

No wonder he wanted to leave Tara.
难怪他想离开泰拉。

But she could not let him go away from Georgia. —
但她不能让他离开佐治亚州。 —

If necessary, she would bully Frank into giving him a job in the store, make Frank turn off the boy he now had behind the counter. —
如果必要的话，她会逼迫弗兰克给他一个店员的工作，让弗兰克解雇他现在在柜台后面的那个小伙子。 —

But, no—Ashley’s place was no more behind a counter than it was behind a plow. —
但是，不，阿什利不适合站在柜台后面，也不适合耕地。 —

A Wilkes a shopkeeper! Oh, never that! There must be something— why, her mill of course! —
威尔克斯做店主！哦，决不可能！必须有别的办法——哦，当然是她的磨坊！ —

Her relief at the thought was so great that she smiled. But would he accept an offer from her? —
想到这一点，她如释重负地微笑了。但他会接受她的提议吗？ —

Would he still think it was charity? She must manage it so he would think he was doing her a favor. —
他还会觉得这是施舍吗？她必须设法让他觉得他帮了她一个忙。 —

She would discharge Mr. Johnson and put Ashley in charge of the old mill while Hugh operated the new one. —
她会解雇约翰逊先生，让阿什利接管那座老磨坊，而休会经营新的磨坊。 —

She would explain to Ashley how Frank’s ill health and the pressure of work at the store kept him from helping her, and she would plead her condition as another reason why she needed his help.
她会向艾什莉解释弗兰克病情和店里的工作压力使他无法帮助她，同时她会以自己的情况作为另一个需要他帮助的理由。

She would make him realize somehow that she couldn’t do without his aid at this time. —
她会以某种方式让他认识到她在这个时候不能没有他的帮助。 —

And she would give him a half-interest in the mill, if he would only take it over—anything just to have him near her, anything to see that bright smile light up his face, anything for the chance of catching an unguarded look in his eyes that showed he still cared. —
她会给予他这家工厂的一半所有权，只要他接手经营，无论什么都行，只想让他离自己近一点，只为了看到他脸上那灿烂的笑容，只为了有机会捕捉到他眼中流露出还在意自己的目光。 —

But, she promised herself, never, never would she again try to prod him into words of love, never again would she try to make him throw away that foolish honor he valued more than love. —
但是，她发誓，她再也不会试图逼迫他说出爱的言语，再也不会试图让他舍弃他那个比爱更重要的荣誉。 —

Somehow, she must delicately convey to him this new resolution of hers. —
不知怎么地，她必须委婉地向他传达她的新决心。 —

Otherwise he might refuse, fearing another scene such as that last terrible one had been.
否则，他可能会拒绝，担心会再次发生像那最后那可怕的一幕。

“I can get him something to do in Atlanta,” she said.
“我可以给他在亚特兰大找份工作，”她说道。

“Well, that’s yours and Ashley’s business,” said Will and put the straw back in his mouth. —
“那就是你和艾什莉的事情了。”威尔说着，把吸管重新放回嘴里。 —

“Giddap, Sherman. Now, Scarlett. there’s somethin’ else I’ve got to ask you before I tell you about your pa. —
“走吧，谢尔曼。现在，斯嘉丽，我在告诉你关于你爸爸的事情之前，还有件事我要问你。 —

I won’t have you lightin’ into Suellen. What she’s done, she’s done, and you snatchin’ her baldheaded won’t bring Mr. O’Hara back. —
“我不想听你对苏伦撒气。她所做的事情，她已经做了，你大发雷霆也无法让奥哈拉先生复活。 —

Besides she honestly thought she was actin’ for the best!”
而且她诚心诚意地认为她是为了好。”

“I wanted to ask you about that. What is all this about Suellen? —
“关于这个，我想问你。苏伦到底做了什么？ —

Alex talked riddles and said she ought to be whipped. —
亚历克斯说些晦涩的话，还说她应该受责打。 —

What has she done?”
她到底做了什么？”

“Yes, folks are pretty riled up about her. —
“是的，人们对她很生气。 —

Everybody I run into this afternoon in Jonesboro was promisin’ to cut her dead the next time they seen her, but maybe they’ll get over it. —
今天下午我遇到的每个人在琼斯伯勒都承诺下次见到她时要当她不存在，但也许他们会冷静下来。 —

Now, promise me you won’t light into her. —
现在，答应我你不会对她当面发火。 —

I won’t be havin’ no quarrelin’ tonight with Mr. O’Hara layin’ dead in the parlor.”
我不想在奥哈拉先生躺在客厅里的晚上与人争吵。”

HE won’t be having any quarreling! thought Scarlett, indignantly. —
他竟然不让争吵！斯嘉丽愤愤地想。 —

He talks like Tara was his already!
他口口声声说着像塔拉已经是他的了！

And then she thought of Gerald, dead in the parlor, and suddenly she began to cry, cry in bitter, gulping sobs. —
然后她想起了杰拉尔德，死在客厅里，突然她开始哭泣，一连串带着苦涩的啜泣声。 —

Will put his arm around her, drew her comfortably close and said nothing.
威尔搂住她，舒适地靠近她，一言不发。

As they jolted slowly down the darkening road, her head on his shoulder, her bonnet askew, she had forgotten the Gerald of the last two years, the vague old gentleman who stared at doors waiting for a woman who would never enter. —
当他们在漆黑的道路上慢慢颠簸时，她的头靠在他的肩上，她的帽子歪斜着，她忘记了过去两年的杰拉尔德，那个望着门等待一个永远不会进来的女人的模糊老绅士。 —

She was remembering the vital, virile old man with his mane of crisp white hair, his bellowing cheerfulness, his stamping boots, his clumsy jokes, his generosity. —
她记得那位精力充沛而有活力的老人，他浓密的白发，他喊叫的欢乐，他重重地踩着靴子，他笨拙的笑话，他的慷慨。 —

She remembered how, as a child, he had seemed the most wonderful man in the world, this blustering father who carried her before him on his saddle when he jumped fences, turned her up and paddled her when she was naughty, and then cried when she cried and gave her quarters to get her to hush. —
她记得小时候，他是世界上最棒的男人，这个吵吵嚷嚷的父亲，在她小病跳栅栏时把她背在马鞍上，当她调皮时揍她，然后哭她一起哭泣，还给她二十五分钱让她安静下来。 —

She remembered him coming home from Charleston and Atlanta laden with gifts that were never appropriate, remembered too, with a faint smile through tears, how he came home in the wee hours from Court Day at Jonesboro, drunk as seven earls, jumping fences, his rollicking voice raised in “The Wearin’ o’ the Green.” And how abashed he was, facing Ellen on the morning after. —
她记得他从查尔斯顿和亚特兰大带回来的礼物，虽然从来都不太合适，她也记得他在琼斯伯罗的法庭日里在凌晨回家，喝得像七个伯爵，跳过篱笆，高唱着《穿绿服饰》。而第二天早上面对艾伦时他是多么难为情啊，她微笑着，泪水滑落。 —

Well, he was with Ellen now.
是啊，他现在跟艾伦在一起了。

“Why didn’t you write me that he was ill? I’d have come so fast—”
“你怎么没告诉我他病了？我会立刻过来的。”

“He warn’t ill, not a minute. Here, honey, take my handkerchief and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“他根本没生病，一分钟都没有。给，亲爱的，拿我的手帕，我会告诉你一切。”

She blew her nose on his bandanna, for she had come from Atlanta without even a handkerchief, and settled back into the crook of Will’s arm. —
她用他的方巾擤了擤鼻子，因为她连手帕都没带从亚特兰大过来，然后舒舒服服地靠在威尔的胳膊弯里。 —

How nice Will was. Nothing ever upset him.
威尔真好。什么都不能动摇他。

“Well, it was this way, Scarlett. You been sendin’ us money right along and Ashley and me, well, we’ve paid taxes and bought the mule and seeds and what-all and a few hogs and chickens. —
“嗯，事情是这样的，斯嘉丽。你一直给我们寄钱，阿什利和我买过税，买过骡子、种子和其他东西，还养了一些猪和鸡。” —

Miss Melly’s done mighty well with the hens, yes sir, she has. She’s a fine woman, Miss Melly is. —
梅莉小姐在处理鸡的事情上做得非常好，是的，她是个了不起的女人，梅莉小姐确实是。 —

Well, anyway, after we bought things for Tara, there warn’t so much left over for folderols, but none of us warn’t complainin’. Except Suellen.
无论如何，我们为塔拉买东西后，剩下的东西不多了，但我们都没有抱怨。除了苏伦。

“Miss Melanie and Miss Carreen stay at home and wear their old clothes like they’re proud of them but you know Suellen, Scarlett. —
“梅拉尼小姐和卡琳小姐留在家里，像他们为自己的旧衣服感到自豪，但你知道苏伦，斯佳丽。 —

She hasn’t never got used to doin’ without. —
她从来没习惯没有了奢华的生活。 —

It used to stick in her craw that she had to wear old dresses every time I took her into Jonesboro or over to Fayetteville. —
我每次带她去琼斯伯勒或者费耶特维尔，她总是困扰着得穿旧裙子。 —

‘Specially as some of those Carpetbaggers’ ladi—women was always flouncin’ around in fancy trimmin’s. —
尤其是那些官员夫人总是穿着花边装饰的衣服。 —

The wives of those damn Yankees that run the Freedmen’s Bureau, do they dress up! —
那些该死的运营解放黑奴事务局的洋基们的妻子，她们穿得多漂亮啊！ —

Well, it’s kind of been a point of honor with the ladies of the County to wear their worst- lookin’ dresses to town, just to show how they didn’t care and was proud to wear them. —
嗯，县里的女士们为了炫耀自己不在乎，而且自豪地穿着她们最破旧的衣服上镇。 —

But not Suellen. And she wanted a horse and carriage too. —
但是苏伦不一样。她还想要一个马车。 —

She pointed out that you had one.”
她指出你有一个。

“It’s not a carriage, it’s an old buggy,” said Scarlett indignantly.
“这不是一辆马车，这是一辆旧马车，”斯嘉丽气愤地说道。

“Well, no matter what. I might as well tell you Suellen never has got over your marryin’ Frank Kennedy and I don’t know as I blame her. —
“不管怎样，也许我应该告诉你，苏伦从未能从你嫁给弗兰克·肯尼迪的事情中走出来，我不知道是否怪罪她。” —

You know that was a kind of scurvy trick to play on a sister.”
“你知道那是对妹妹玩的卑鄙伎俩。”

Scarlett rose from his shoulder, furious as a rattler ready to strike.
斯嘉丽从他的肩上站起来，愤怒如同一只准备攻击的响尾蛇。

“Scurvy trick, hey? I’ll thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head, Will Benteen! —
“卑鄙的把戏，嘿？我要求你把舌头搁得端正点，威尔·本汀！” —

Could I help it if he preferred me to her?”
“我能怎么办呢？如果他喜欢我而不是她，难道我能阻止吗？”

“You’re a smart girl, Scarlett, and I figger, yes, you could have helped him preferrin’ you. —
“你是个聪明的女孩，斯嘉丽，我猜，是的，你本来可以阻止他喜欢你的。 —

Girls always can. But I guess you kind of coaxed him. —
女孩们总是可以做到的。但是我猜你有点勾引他。 —

You’re a mighty takin’ person when you want to be, but all the same, he was Suellen’s beau. —
当你想要的时候，你是个极有魅力的人，但是不管怎样，他是苏伦的爱人。 —

Why, she’d had a letter from him a week before you went to Atlanta and he was sweet as sugar about her and talked about how they’d get married when he got a little more money ahead. —
为什么，你去亚特兰大之前，她收到了他的一封信，信中非常甜蜜地提到了她，还谈到他们在他攒够一些钱后会结婚。 —

I know because she showed me the letter.”
我知道，因为她把信给我看了。”

Scarlett was silent because she knew he was telling the truth and she could think of nothing to say. —
Scarlett沉默是因为她知道他说的是真话，而她无话可说。 —

She had never expected Will, of all people, to sit in judgment on her. —
她从未期望Will会成为那个审判她的人。 —

Moreover the lie she had told Frank had never weighed heavily upon her conscience. If a girl couldn’t keep a beau, she deserved to lose him.
而且，她对自己对Frank说的谎言从未有过什么内疚感。如果一个女孩无法留住她的情人，她就应该失去他。

“Now, Will, don’t be mean,” she said. “If Suellen had married him, do you think she’d ever have spent a penny on Tara or any of us?”
“现在，Will，不要刻薄,” 她说。 “如果Suellen嫁给他了，你觉得她会为Tara或我们任何人花一分钱吗?”

“I said you could be right takin’ when you wanted to,” said Will, turning to her with a quiet grin. —
“我说过你想拿什么就拿什么的时候你绝对是对的，”Will转过头来静静地笑着对她说。 —

“No, I don’t think we’d ever seen a penny of old Frank’s money. —
“不，我觉得我们从老Frank那里可能一文不得。 —

But still there’s no gettin’ ‘round it, it was a scurvy trick and if you want to justify the end by the means, it’s none of my business and who am I to complain? —
但是无论如何，这是个卑鄙的把戏，如果你想用手段来辩解结果，那和我无关，我又没有权利抱怨。 —

But just the same Suellen has been like a hornet ever since. —
但是就算这样，Suellen自从那天以后就跟只大黄蜂一样。 —

I don’t think she cared much about old Frank but it kind of teched her vanity and she’s been sayin’ as how you had good clothes and a carriage and lived in Atlanta while she was buried here at Tara. She does love to go callin’ and to parties, you know, and wear pretty clothes. —
我觉得她对老弗兰克并不是太在意，但这种事情打击到了她的自负心，她一直说你有好衣服、有马车，住在亚特兰大，而她却埋在这个地方。你知道的，她喜欢出去拜访和参加聚会，喜欢穿漂亮的衣服。 —

I ain’t blamin’ her. Women are like that.
我不怪她。妇女就是这样。

“Well, about a month ago I took her into Jonesboro and left her to go callin’ while I tended to business and when I took her home, she was still as a mouse but I could see she was so excited she was ready to bust. —
嗯，大约一个月前，我带她去琼斯伯勒，她在那里拜访，我则忙着办事。送她回家的时候，她像只死耗子一样静默，但我能看出她非常兴奋，几乎要憋不住了。 —

I thought she’d found out somebody was goin’ to have a—that she’d heard some gossip that was interestin’, and I didn’t pay her much mind. —
当时我以为她发现了有人要办什么事——她听到了一些有趣的八卦，我并没有太在意。 —

She went around home for about a week all swelled up and excited and didn’t have much to say. —
她在家里转了一个星期，兴奋得不得了，话也不多。 —

She went over to see Miss Cathleen Calvert—Scarlett, you’d cry your eyes out at Miss Cathleen. —
她去看卡瑟琳·卡尔弗特小姐了——斯嘉丽，你一定会为卡瑟琳·卡尔弗特小姐哭得眼泪汪汪的。 —

Pore girl, she’d better be dead than married to that pusillanimous Yankee Hilton. —
可怜的姑娘，她宁愿死也不愿嫁给那个胆小如鼠的北方佬希尔顿。 —

You knew he’d mortgaged the place and lost it and they’re goin’ to have to leave?”
你知道他抵押了那个地方并失去了它，他们将不得不离开吗？

“No, I didn’t know and I don’t want to know. I want to know about Pa.”
“不，我不知道，我也不想知道。我想知道关于爸爸的事情。”

“Well, I’m gettin’ to that,” said Will patiently. —
“好吧，我要开始说了。”威尔耐心地说。 —

“When she come back from over there she said we’d all misjudged Hilton. —
“当她从那边回来时，她说我们都误判了希尔顿。” —

She called him Mr. Hilton and she said he was a smart man, but we just laughed at her. —
“她称他为希尔顿先生，她说他是一个聪明人，但我们只是嘲笑她。” —

Then she took to takin’ your pa out to walk in the afternoons and lots of times when I was comin’ home from the field I’d see her sittin’ with him on the wall ‘round the buryin’ ground, talkin’ at him hard and wavin’ her hands. —
“然后她开始带你爸爸下午散步，很多次，当我从田地回家的时候，我会看到她和他坐在墓地的墙上，较劲地跟他说话，挥动着手。” —

And the old gentleman would just look at her sort of puzzled-like and shake his head. —
“老先生只是有点困惑地看着她，并摇着头。” —

You know how he’s been, Scarlett. He just got kind of vaguer and vaguer, like he didn’t hardly know where he was or who we were. —
“你知道他是怎么样的，斯嘉丽。他变得越来越迷糊，好像几乎不知道他在哪里或者我们是谁。” —

One time, I seen her point to your ma’s grave and the old gentleman begun to cry. —
“有一次，我看见她指着你妈妈的墓，老先生开始哭了。” —

And when she come in the house all happy and excited lookin’, I gave her a talkin’ to, right sharp, too, and I said: —
当她兴高采烈地走进屋子时，我严肃地责备了她，我说： —

‘Miss Suellen, why in hell are you devilin’ your poor pa and bringin’ up your ma to him? —
“苏伦小姐，你为什么要纠缠你可怜的爸爸，还让他想起你妈妈？ —

Most of the time he don’t realize she’s dead and here you are rubbin’ it in.’ —
大部分时间他都没意识到她已经去世，而你却还要揭去他的伤疤。” —

And she just kind of tossed her head and laughed and said: ‘Mind your business. —
她扭了扭头，笑着说：“你管你的事情吧。 —

Some day you’ll be glad of what I’m doin’.’ —
有一天你会庆幸我现在所做的。” —

Miss Melanie told me last night that Suellen had told her about her schemes but Miss Melly said she didn’t have no notion Suellen was serious. —
昨晚梅兰妮小姐告诉我苏伦有关她的计划，可梅琳妮小姐说她根本没想到苏伦是认真的。 —

She said she didn’t tell none of us because she was so upset at the very idea.”
她说她没告诉我们任何人，是因为她对这个想法太烦恼了。”

“What idea? Are you ever going to get to the point? —
“什么想法？你到底想说什么？ —

We’re halfway home now. I want to know about Pa.”
我们已经过了一半的路程了。我想知道关于爸爸的事。”

“I’m trying to tell you,” said Will, “and we’re so near home, I guess I’d better stop right here till I’ve finished.”
“我正在告诉你，”威尔说，“我们已经快到家了，我想我最好在这儿把话说完。”

He drew rein and the horse stopped and snorted. —
他拉住缰绳，马停下来，喷着气。 —

They had halted by the wild overgrown mock-orange hedge that marked the MacIntosh property. —
他们停在了标志着麦金托什家产的野生丛生的橙花树篱旁。 —

Glancing under the dark trees Scarlett could just discern the tall ghostly chimneys still rearing above the silent ruin. —
在黑暗的树木下瞥了一眼，斯嘉丽勉强能看见高耸的幽灵般的烟囱仍然屹立在寂静的废墟上方。 —

She wished that Will had chosen any other place to stop.
斯嘉丽希望威尔选择了其他任何地方停下来。

“Well, the long and the short of her idea was to make the Yankees pay for the cotton they burned and the stock they drove off and the fences and the barns they tore down.”
“嗯，她的主意之一就是让北方佬赔偿他们烧毁的棉花，赶走的牲畜，拆毁的围栏和谷仓。”

“The Yankees?”
“北方佬？”

“Haven’t you heard about it? The Yankee government’s been payin’ claims on all destroyed property of Union sympathizers in the South.”
“你没听过吗？北方政府一直在赔偿南方联盟同情者的损失财产。”

“Of course I’ve heard about that,” said Scarlett. “But what’s that got to do with us?”
“当然听说过”，斯嘉丽说。“但那和我们有什么关系？”

“A heap, in Suellen’s opinion. That day I took her to Jonesboro, she run into Mrs. MacIntosh and when they were gossipin’ along, Suellen couldn’t help noticin’ what fine-lookin’ clothes Mrs. MacIntosh had on and she couldn’t help askin’ about them. —
“在苏伦的看法里关系很大。那天我带她去琼斯伯勒，她碰到了麦金托什夫人，当她们闲聊时，苏伦忍不住注意到麦金托什夫人身上穿着多好看的衣服，而且她也忍不住问了起来。” —

Then Mrs. MacIntosh gave herself a lot of airs and said as how her husband had put in a claim with the Federal government for destroyin’ the property of a loyal Union sympathizer who had never given aid and comfort to the Confederacy in any shape or form.”
然后麦金托什太太张扬了自己，声称她的丈夫向联邦政府提出了索赔，称这位忠诚的联邦支持者的财产被破坏，而他从未以任何方式为邦联提供过援助和安慰。

“They never gave aid and comfort to anybody,” snapped Scarlett. “Scotch-Irish!”
“他们从未对任何人提供帮助和安慰，”斯嘉丽厉声说道。”苏格兰爱尔兰人！”

“Well, maybe that’s true. I don’t know them. —
“嗯，也许是真的。我不认识他们。 —

Anyway, the government gave them, well—I forget how many thousand dollars. —
无论如何，政府给了他们…嗯，我忘了具体多少钱。 —

A right smart sum it was, though. That started Suellen. —
是一大笔款子，不管怎样。这让苏伦得意起来。 —

She thought about it all week and didn’t say nothin’ to us because she knew we’d just laugh. —
她整个星期都在思考这件事情，没对我们说什么，因为她知道我们会嘲笑她。 —

But she just had to talk to somebody so she went over to Miss Cathleen’s and that damned white trash, Hilton, gave her a passel of new ideas. —
但她必须和某个人谈谈，所以她去找凯瑟琳小姐，那个该死的白人垃圾希尔顿给了她一堆新想法。 —

He pointed out that your pa warn’t even born in this country, that he hadn’t fought in the war and hadn’t had no sons to fight, and hadn’t never held no office under the Confederacy. —
他指出你爸爸甚至没在这个国家出生，他没参加过战争，也没儿子参战，也从没在邦联下担任任何官职。 —

He said they could strain a point about Mr. O’Hara bein’ a loyal Union sympathizer. —
他说他们可以在奥哈拉先生是忠实的联盟同情者这一点上放宽要求。 —

He filled her up with such truck and she come home and begun workin’ on Mr. O’Hara. Scarlett, I bet my life your pa didn’t even know half the time what she was talkin’ about. —
他给她灌输了这些东西，她回到家后就开始对奥哈拉先生施加影响。斯嘉丽，我可以打赌你爸爸好多时候甚至不知道她在说什么。 —

That was what she was countin’ on, that he would take the Iron Clad oath and not even know it.”
这就是她所期望的，她希望他会接受《铁甲誓言》，甚至都不知道它的内容。

“Pa take the Iron Clad oath!” cried Scarlett.
“爸爸接受《铁甲誓言》！” 斯嘉丽惊呼道。

“Well, he’d gotten right feeble in his mind these last months and I guess she was countin’ on that. —
“嗯，这几个月来他的心智已经变得非常衰弱，我猜她是指望这一点的。 —

Mind you, none of us suspicioned nothin’ about it. —
当然，我们当时一个人也没有察觉到。 —

We knew she was cookin’ up somethin’, but we didn’t know she was usin’ your dead ma to reproach him for his daughters bein’ in rags when he could get a hundred and fifty thousand dollars out of the Yankees.”
我们知道她正在策划些什么，但是我们不知道她会利用你已故的妈妈来责备他，为了他能从联邦军那里拿到15万美元。

“One hundred and fifty thousand dollars,” murmured Scarlett, her horror at the oath fading.
“15万美元” 斯嘉丽轻声说道，她对誓言的恐惧逐渐消退。

What a lot of money that was! And to be had for the mere signing of an oath of allegiance to the United States government, an oath stating that the signer had always supported the government and never given aid and comfort to its enemies. —
那可真是一大笔钱啊！而只需要简单地签署一个效忠美国政府的宣誓，宣称签署者一直支持政府并从未向敌人提供帮助和安慰。 —

One hundred and fifty thousand dollars! That much money for that small a lie! —
15万美元！那么小的一个谎言换来了那么多钱！ —

Well, she couldn’t blame Suellen. Good heavens! Was that what Alex meant by wanting to rawhide her? —
她不能怪苏伦。天哪！亚历克斯说要用生皮鞭抽她，是指这个吗？ —

What the County meant by intending to cut her? Fools, every one of them. —
郡当局要削她的意思是什么？真是一群傻瓜。 —

What couldn’t she do with that much money! What couldn’t any of the folks in the County do with it! —
那么多钱她能做什么！郡里的人拿到那么多钱能做什么！ —

And what did so small a lie matter? After all, anything you could get out of the Yankees was fair money, no matter how you got it.
那么小的一个谎言有什么关系呢？毕竟，无论你怎么得到，只要能从北方人那里得到钱就是正当的。

“Yesterday, about noon when Ashley and me were splittin’ rails, Suellen got this wagon and got your pa in it and off they went to town without a word to anybody. —
“昨天中午，当艾什莉和我正在劈木料时，苏伦开了辆马车把你爸爸带走了，什么话也没对任何人说。 —

Miss Melly had a notion what it was all about but she was prayin’ somethin’ would change Suellen, so she didn’t say nothin’ to the rest of us. —
梅莉小姐大致知道这事情是怎么回事，但她祈祷着苏伦能够改变主意，所以她对我们其他人没说什么。 —

She just didn’t see how Suellen could do such a thing.
她就是不明白苏伦怎么会做出这种事情来。

“Today I heard all about what happened. That pusillanimous fellow, Hilton, had some influence with the other Scallawags and Republicans in town and Suellen had agreed to give them some of the money—I don’t know how much—if they’d kind of wink their eye about Mr. O’Hara bein’ a loyal Union man and play on how he was an Irishman and didn’t fight in the army and so on, and sign recommendations. —
“今天我听说了发生的一切。那个胆小鬼希尔顿在镇上与其他骗子和共和党人有些影响力，苏伦同意给他们一些钱，不知道多少钱，只要他们对奥哈拉先生是一名忠诚的联邦派别的事情能够睁一只眼闭一只眼，然后玩弄一下他是个爱尔兰人，没有在军队服役等等，然后签署推荐信。 —

All your pa had to do was take the oath and sign the paper and off it would go to Washington.
你爸爸所要做的只是宣誓并签署文件，然后寄给华盛顿。

“They rattled off the oath real fast and he didn’t say nothin’ and it went right well till she got him up to the signin’ of it. —
“他们非常快速地背诵了誓言，他也没有说什么，一切进行得很顺利，直到她把他带到签字的地方。 —

And then the old gentleman kind of come to himself for a minute and shook his head. —
然后老爷子一下子清醒了一会儿，摇了摇头。 —

I don’t think he knew what it was all about but he didn’t like it and Suellen always did rub him the wrong way. —
我不认为他知道这是什么事，但他不喜欢它，而且Suellen总是让他不舒服。 —

Well, that just about gave her the nervous fits after all the trouble she’d gone to. —
哎呀，这真让她紧张，毕竟她已经为此费了很大的劲。 —

She took him out of the office and rode him up and down the road and talked to him about your ma cryin’ out of her grave at him for lettin’ her children suffer when he could provide for them. —
她领他离开办公室，沿着路上上下骑着他，跟他谈论着你妈妈在坟墓里为他不供养孩子而哭泣的事情。 —

They tell me your pa sat there in the wagon and cried like a baby, like he always does when he hears her name. —
他们告诉我你父亲坐在马车上哭得像个小孩子，就像每次听到她的名字时一样。 —

Everybody in town saw them and Alex Fontaine went over to see what was the matter, but Suellen gave him the rough side of her tongue and told him to mind his own business, so he went off mad.
镇上的每个人都看见他们，Alex Fontaine过去看看出了什么问题，但Suellen脏话冲他说，让他管好自己的事，于是他生气地离开了。

“I don’t know where she got the notion but some time in the afternoon she got a bottle of brandy and took Mr. O’Hara back to the office and begun pourin’ it for him. —
“我不知道她从哪里得到这个主意，但在下午的某个时候，她弄到了一瓶白兰地，把O’Hara先生带回办公室，开始倒给他喝。” —

Scarlett, we haven’t had no spirits ‘round Tara for a year, just a little blackberry wine and scuppernong wine Dilcey makes, and Mr. O’Hara warn’t used to it. —
斯嘉丽，一个多年我们塔拉绕不到精神酒了，只有Dilcey做的一点黑莓酒和浆果酒，而且奥哈拉先生不习惯。 —

He got real drunk, and after Suellen had argued and nagged a couple of hours he gave in and said Yes, he’d sign anything she wanted. —
他真的喝醉了，苏伦抱怨和嘟囔了几个小时后，他屈服了，说是，她可以签任何她想要的东西。 —

They got the oath out again and just as he was about to put pen to paper, Suellen made her mistake. —
他们又拿出誓言，就在他要拿笔在纸上签字的时候，苏伦犯了一个错误。 —

She said: ‘Well, now. I guess the Slatterys and the MacIntoshes won’t be givin’ themselves airs over us!’ —
她说：“嗯，我猜Slatterys和MacIntoshes不会再对我们摆架子了！” —

You see, Scarlett, the Slatterys had put in a claim for a big amount for that little shack of theirs that the Yankees burned and Emmie’s husband had got it through Washington for them.
你知道的，斯嘉丽，那些Slatterys为他们那间被北军烧毁的小棚屋提出了一笔巨额赔偿，艾米的丈夫通过华盛顿为他们争取到了。

“They tell me that when Suellen said those names, your pa kind of straightened up and squared his shoulders and looked at her, sharp- like. —
“他们告诉我，当苏伦说那些名字的时候，你爸爸坐直了身子，挺直了肩膀，狠狠地看着她。 —

He warn’t vague no more and he said: ‘Have the Slatterys and the MacIntoshes signed somethin’ like this?’ —
他不再含糊其辞，他说：“Slatterys和MacIntoshes签了这样的东西吗？” —

and Suellen got nervous and said Yes and No and stuttered and he shouted right loud: —
苏伦变得紧张了，说了又停，结结巴巴地说了是和不是，他大声喊道： —

‘Tell me, did that God-damned Orangeman and that God-damned poor white sign somethin’ like this?’ —
“告诉我，那个该死的橙人和那个该死的穷白人是不是这么说的？” —

And that feller Hilton spoke up smooth-like and said: —
那个家伙希尔顿沉着地说道： —

‘Yes sir, they did and they got a pile of money like you’ll get.’
“是的先生，他们是那么说的，他们得到了一大笔钱，就像你将会得到的一样。”

“And then the old gentleman let out a roar like a bull. —
“然后老先生像公牛一样怒吼起来。 —

Alex Fontaine said he heard him from down the street at the saloon. —
亚历克斯·方丹说他在酒吧的街头就听到了他的声音。 —

And he said with a brogue you could cut with a butterknife: —
他用一个刀子一样的口音说道： —

‘And were ye afther thinkin’ an O’Hara of Tara would be follyin’ the dirthy thracks of a Goddamned Orangeman and a God-damned poor white?’ —
“你是在想，塔拉的奥哈拉会去追随一个该死的橙人和一个该死的穷白人？” —

And he tore the paper in two and threw it in Suellen’s face and he bellowed: —
然后他把纸撕成两半，扔在苏伦的脸上，咆哮道： —

‘Ye’re no daughter of mine!’ and he was out of the office before you could say Jack Robinson.
“你不是我的女儿！”然后他一转身就离开了办公室。

“Alex said he saw him come out on the street, chargin’ like a bull. —
“亚历克斯说他看见老先生冲到街上，像公牛一样冲过来。 —

He said the old gentleman looked like his old self for the first time since your ma died. —
他说老先生自从你妈妈去世以来，第一次看起来像他以前的样子。 —

Said he was reelin’ drunk and cussin’ at the top of his lungs. —
他说他喝醉了，口出狂言。 —

Alex said he never heard such fine cussin’. —
亚历克斯说他从未听过这样好的咒骂。 —

Alex’s horse was standin’ there and your pa climbed on it without a by-your-leave and off he went in a cloud of dust so thick it choked you, cussin’ every breath he drew.
亚历克斯的马就站在那里，你爸爸却连声不问就上马，然后就飞尘弥漫而去，尘土浓得让人窒息，喘气时还口出不停。

“Well, about sundown Ashley and me were sittin’ on the front step, lookin’ down the road and mighty worried. —
“嗯，傍晚时分，阿什利和我正坐在前台阶上，望着路下，心急如焚。 —

Miss Melly was upstairs cryin’ on her bed and wouldn’t tell us nothin’. —
梅莉小姐在楼上哭在床上，一个字也不告诉我们。 —

Terrectly, we heard a poundin’ down the road and somebody yellin’ like they was fox huntin’ and Ashley said: —
突然，我们听到路上传来一阵重击声，还有人像打猎一样喊叫，阿什利说： —

‘That’s queer! That sounds like Mr. O’Hara when he used to ride over to see us before the war.”
“那太奇怪了！那声音听起来像战争前奥哈拉先生骑马过来看我们的时候。”

“And then we seen him way down at the end of the pasture. —
“然后我们看见他从那片牧场的尽头冲过来。 —

He must have jumped the fence right over there. —
他一定是从那边的篱笆跳过去的。 —

And he come ridin’ hell- for-leather up the hill, singin’ at the top of his voice like he didn’t have a care in the world. —
他骑马赶上山顶，全力疾驰，嗓音洪亮得好像他世上没有烦恼一样。 —

I didn’t know your pa had such a voice. He was singin’ ‘Peg in a Low-backed Car’ and beatin’ the horse with his hat and the horse was goin’ like mad. —
我不知道你爸爸有这么好的歌喉。他唱着“Peg in a Low-backed Car”，还用帽子抽打着马，马疯狂地跑着。 —

He didn’t draw rein when he come near the top and we seen he was goin’ to jump the pasture fence and we hopped up, scared to death, and then he yelled: —
当他靠近顶部时，他没有停下来，我们看到他要跳过牧场的栅栏，我们吓得要死，然后他喊道： —

‘Look, Ellen! Watch me take this one!’ But the horse stopped right on his haunches at the fence and wouldn’t take the jump and your pa went right over his head. —
“看啊，艾伦！看我怎么跳这个！”但是马在栅栏前突然停住了，不肯跳过去，你爸爸就直接飞过他的头顶。 —

He didn’t suffer none. He was dead time we got to him. —
他没有受什么苦。我们赶到他身边时，他已经去世了。 —

I guess it broke his neck.”
我想他是断了脖子。

Will waited a minute for her to speak and when she did not he picked up the reins. —
威尔等了一分钟，等待她说话，但她没有说话，他拿起缰绳。 —

“Giddap, Sherman,” he said, and the horse started on toward home.
“走吧，谢尔曼”，他说道，马朝着家的方向继续前进。