A task too strong for wizard spells This squire had brought about; —
一个对于巫师法术而言太过强大的任务，这位侍从却完成了； —

’T is easy dropping stones in wells, But who shall get them out?”
往井里投石是容易的，但谁来把它们取出来呢？

“I wish to God we could hinder Dorothea from knowing this,” said Sir James Chettam, with a little frown on his brow, and an expression of intense disgust about his mouth.
“我希望上帝能阻止多萝西娅知道这件事，”切塔姆爵士皱了皱眉头，嘴角带着一丝强烈的厌恶表情。

He was standing on the hearth-rug in the library at Lowick Grange, and speaking to Mr. Brooke. —
他站在洛威克庄园的图书馆壁炉地毯上，对布鲁克先生说着。 —

It was the day after Mr. Casaubon had been buried, and Dorothea was not yet able to leave her room.
马卡索本先生被埋葬后的第二天，多萝西娅还没有能力离开自己的房间。

“That would be difficult, you know, Chettam, as she is an executrix, and she likes to go into these things–property, land, that kind of thing. —
“你知道，这恐怕很难做到，切塔姆，因为她是执行遗嘱人，她喜欢涉及这些事情——财产、土地，那些事情。 —

She has her notions, you know,” said Mr. Brooke, sticking his eye-glasses on nervously, and exploring the edges of a folded paper which he held in his hand; —
“你知道，她有自己的想法，”布鲁克先生说着，神经兮兮地戴上眼镜，探索着手中一张折叠的纸的边缘； —

“and she would like to act– depend upon it, as an executrix Dorothea would want to act. —
“我敢肯定，作为执行遗嘱人，多萝西娅会想要亲自行动。 —

And she was twenty-one last December, you know. I can hinder nothing.”
而且，你知道的，她去年十二月满二十一岁了。我什么也不能阻止。”

Sir James looked at the carpet for a minute in silence, and then lifting his eyes suddenly fixed them on Mr. Brooke, saying, “I will tell you what we can do. —
切塔姆爵士沉默地盯着地毯一会儿，然后突然抬起眼睛，将目光盯在布鲁克先生身上说道：”我告诉你我们可以做什么。 —

Until Dorothea is well, all business must be kept from her, and as soon as she is able to be moved she must come to us. —
多萝西娅康复之前，所有的事情都要瞒着她，她康复后必须来到我们这里。 —

Being with Celia and the baby will be the best thing in the world for her, and will pass away the time. —
和西莉亚和孩子在一起将是对她最好的事情，也能打发时间。 —

And meanwhile you must get rid of Ladislaw: you must send him out of the country.” —
而与此同时，你必须摆脱拉迪斯劳：你必须把他送出国。 —

Here Sir James’s look of disgust returned in all its intensity.
在这里，切塔姆爵士面容中的厌恶表情再次显露出来。

Mr. Brooke put his hands behind him, walked to the window and straightened his back with a little shake before he replied.
布鲁克先生把手放在背后，走到窗边，稍作伸展后才回答道。

“That is easily said, Chettam, easily said, you know.”
这话说起来其实很容易，切特姆，你知道的。

“My dear sir,” persisted Sir James, restraining his indignation within respectful forms, “it was you who brought him here, and you who keep him here–I mean by the occupation you give him.”
“亲爱的先生，”詹姆斯爵士坚持道，抑制着内心的愤怒，在尊重的形式内说道，“是你把他带到这里来的，是你让他留在这里的——我是指你给他的职位。”

“Yes, but I can’t dismiss him in an instant without assigning reasons, my dear Chettam. —
“是的，但我不能立刻解雇他而不给出理由，我亲爱的切特姆。 —

Ladislaw has been invaluable, most satisfactory. —
拉迪斯劳一直都非常重要，非常令人满意。 —

I consider that I have done this part of the country a service by bringing him–by bringing him, you know.” —
我认为带他来这个地区，带他来，你懂的，我为这个地区做了一件好事。 —

Mr. Brooke ended with a nod, turning round to give it.
布鲁克先生说完，点了点头，转过身去对着他。

“It’s a pity this part of the country didn’t do without him, that’s all I have to say about it. —
“真是遗憾这个地区没有少了他，这就是我要说的一切。 —

At any rate, as Dorothea’s brother-in-law, I feel warranted in objecting strongly to his being kept here by any action on the part of her friends. —
不管怎样，作为多萝西娅的姐夫，我觉得有权力强烈反对任何由她的朋友们采取的行动让他留在这里。 —

You admit, I hope, that I have a right to speak about what concerns the dignity of my wife’s sister?”
你希望我相信，我有权利谈论关系到我妻子姐妹的尊严的事情吧？”

Sir James was getting warm.
詹姆斯爵士开始有点生气了。

“Of course, my dear Chettam, of course. But you and I have different ideas–different–”
“当然，我亲爱的切特姆，当然。但你和我有不同的想法——不同的——”

“Not about this action of Casaubon’s, I should hope,” interrupted Sir James. “I say that he has most unfairly compromised Dorothea. —
“至少关于卡绍本的这个行为，我希望不要有不同意见，”切特姆打断道。“我说他对多萝西娅做的绝对不公平，卑鄙无礼。 —

I say that there never was a meaner, more ungentlemanly action than this–a codicil of this sort to a will which he made at the time of his marriage with the knowledge and reliance of her family– a positive insult to Dorothea!”
我认为没有比这更卑劣、更不绅士的行为了——这种在结婚时与她家人的知识和信任中立下遗嘱的附录——对多萝西娅的明显侮辱！”

“Well, you know, Casaubon was a little twisted about Ladislaw. —
“嗯，你知道，卡绍本对拉迪斯劳有点偏执。 —

Ladislaw has told me the reason–dislike of the bent he took, you know– Ladislaw didn’t think much of Casaubon’s notions, Thoth and Dagon– that sort of thing: —
拉迪斯劳告诉我原因——对他采取的态度不喜欢，你知道——拉迪斯劳并不认同卡绍本的想法，托特和达贡——那种东西： —

and I fancy that Casaubon didn’t like the independent position Ladislaw had taken up. —
我想卡索邦不喜欢拉迪斯劳采取的独立立场。 —

I saw the letters between them, you know. —
你知道我看过他们之间的信件。 —

Poor Casaubon was a little buried in books– he didn’t know the world.”
可怜的卡索邦有点被书籍埋没了–他不懂世俗。

“It’s all very well for Ladislaw to put that color on it,” said Sir James. “But I believe Casaubon was only jealous of him on Dorothea’s account, and the world will suppose that she gave him some reason; —
“拉迪斯劳把事情说得很好听，”詹姆斯爵士说。“但我相信卡索邦只是因为在多萝西娅这边，对他感到嫉妒，而且世人会认为她给了他某些原因； —

and that is what makes it so abominable– coupling her name with this young fellow’s.”
这就是让人感到如此可恶的地方–把她的名字和这个年轻人联系起来。”

“My dear Chettam, it won’t lead to anything, you know,” said Mr. Brooke, seating himself and sticking on his eye- glass again. —
“亲爱的切特姆, 你知道的，这件事不会有任何结果，”布鲁克先生说着，坐下来再戴上他的眼镜。 —

“It’s all of a piece with Casaubon’s oddity. —
“这与卡索邦的怪癖一脉相承。 —

This paper, now, Synoptical Tabulation' and so on,for the use of Mrs. Casaubon,’ it was locked up in the desk with the will. —
现在这张文件，概要表格之类的，供卡索邦夫人使用，是和遗嘱一起锁在写字台里的。 —

I suppose he meant Dorothea to publish his researches, eh? —
我想他是想让多萝西娅发表他的研究成果，是吧？ —

and she’ll do it, you know; she has gone into his studies uncommonly.”
而她会这样做，你知道的；她对他的研究进展良好。”

“My dear sir,” said Sir James, impatiently, “that is neither here nor there. —
“我亲爱的先生，”詹姆斯爵士不耐烦地说，“这不在话下。 —

The question is, whether you don’t see with me the propriety of sending young Ladislaw away?”
问题是，你难道不同意我应该把年轻的拉迪斯劳送走吗？”

“Well, no, not the urgency of the thing. By-and-by, perhaps, it may come round. —
“嗯，不，事情没那么紧迫。也许，以后会解决。 —

As to gossip, you know, sending him away won’t hinder gossip. —
至于流言蜚语，你知道的，送他走并不会阻止谣言。 —

People say what they like to say, not what they have chapter and verse for,” said Mr Brooke, becoming acute about the truths that lay on the side of his own wishes. —
人们说他们想说的，而不是他们可以引述的内容，”布鲁克先生对自己的期望产生了敏锐的观察。 —

“I might get rid of Ladislaw up to a certain point–take away the Pioneer' from him, and that sort of thing; --- <span><tang1>"我可能会在一定时候摆脱拉迪斯劳——拿走他的先锋’，那种东西； —

but I couldn’t send him out of the country if he didn’t choose to go–didn’t choose, you know.”
但如果他不选择离开，我就不能把他送出国家——你懂的，不选择的话。”

Mr. Brooke, persisting as quietly as if he were only discussing the nature of last year’s weather, and nodding at the end with his usual amenity, was an exasperating form of obstinacy.
布鲁克先生，像是在讨论去年的天气一样坚持平静，最后友好地点点头，这种顽固令人恼火。

“Good God!” said Sir James, with as much passion as he ever showed, “let us get him a post; —
“天哪！”詹姆斯爵士说，表现出了他很少表现的激情，”给他找个职位吧； —

let us spend money on him. If he could go in the suite of some Colonial Governor! —
让我们花钱在他身上。如果他能在某个殖民地统治者的随行人员中去！ —

Grampus might take him– and I could write to Fulke about it.”
Grampus可能会接纳他——我可以向富尔克提一下这件事。”

“But Ladislaw won’t be shipped off like a head of cattle, my dear fellow; Ladislaw has his ideas. —
“但拉迪斯劳不会像一头牲畜一样被运走，亲爱的朋友；拉迪斯劳有他的主意。 —

It’s my opinion that if he were to part from me to-morrow, you’d only hear the more of him in the country. —
我认为如果他明天离开我，你只会在这个国家更多地听到他。 —

With his talent for speaking and drawing up documents, there are few men who could come up to him as an agitator–an agitator, you know.”
凭借他的演讲才能和起草文件的才能，很少有人能像他那样成为一个煽动者——一个煽动者，你懂的。”

“Agitator!” said Sir James, with bitter emphasis, feeling that the syllables of this word properly repeated were a sufficient exposure of its hatefulness.
“煽动者！”詹姆斯爵士带着痛苦的强调说，感觉这个词的音节正确重复已足以暴露其可憎之处。

“But be reasonable, Chettam. Dorothea, now. —
“但要理性一点，切塔姆。多萝西娅，现在。 —

As you say, she had better go to Celia as soon as possible. —
如你所说，她最好尽快去西莉亚那里。 —

She can stay under your roof, and in the mean time things may come round quietly. —
她可以在你的屋檐下住下，而与此同时事情可能会悄悄地好转。 —

Don’t let us be firing off our guns in a hurry, you know. —
别急着开枪，你知道。 —

Standish will keep our counsel, and the news will be old before it’s known. —
斯坦迪什会守住我们的秘密，而这个消息在被知道之前就会过时了。” —

Twenty things may happen to carry off Ladislaw– without my doing anything, you know.”
二十件事情可能会发生，把拉迪斯劳带走–你知道，这与我无关。

“Then I am to conclude that you decline to do anything?”
“那么我可以得出结论，你拒绝采取任何行动吗？”

“Decline, Chettam?–no–I didn’t say decline. —
“拒绝，切特姆？-不–我没有说拒绝。 —

But I really don’t see what I could do. Ladislaw is a gentleman.”
但我真的不知道我能做什么。拉迪斯劳是个绅士。

“I am glad to hear It!” said Sir James, his irritation making him forget himself a little. —
“我很高兴听到这个！” 塞射了一下，他的愤怒使他有点忘乎所以。 —

“I am sure Casaubon was not.”
“我确信卡索本不是。”

“Well, it would have been worse if he had made the codicil to hinder her from marrying again at all, you know.”
“嗯，如果他在遗嘱中设下条件让她根本不能再嫁娶的话，那将会更糟糕，你知道。”

“I don’t know that,” said Sir James. “It would have been less indelicate.”
“我并不知道，” 切特姆说。“那将会更不得体。”

“One of poor Casaubon’s freaks! That attack upset his brain a little. —
“卡索本的一个怪念头！那场病发让他脑子有点失常。 —

It all goes for nothing. She doesn’t want to marry Ladislaw.”
一切都白费了。她不想跟拉迪斯劳结婚。”

“But this codicil is framed so as to make everybody believe that she did. —
“但这份遗嘱被表述得让所有人都相信她想要。 —

I don’t believe anything of the sort about Dorothea,” said Sir James– then frowningly, “but I suspect Ladislaw. —
我对多萝西娅一点都不相信，” 切特姆说着，然后皱着眉头，“但我怀疑拉迪斯劳。 —

I tell you frankly, I suspect Ladislaw.”
坦率地说，我怀疑拉迪斯劳。”

“I couldn’t take any immediate action on that ground, Chettam. —
“我无法基于这个理由立即采取行动，切特姆。 —

In fact, if it were possible to pack him off–send him to Norfolk Island– that sort of thing–it would look all the worse for Dorothea to those who knew about it. —
实际上，如果有可能让他消失-把他送到诺福克岛-那种东西-那样的行动只会让那些知道的人对多萝西娅看得更糟。” —

It would seem as if we distrusted her– distrusted her, you know.”
看起来好像我们不信任她–不信任她，你懂的。

That Mr. Brooke had hit on an undeniable argument, did not tend to soothe Sir James. He put out his hand to reach his hat, implying that he did not mean to contend further, and said, still with some heat–
布鲁克先生找到了一个无可否认的论点，并没有缓和詹姆斯爵士的情绪。他伸出手去拿帽子，表示不想再争论，然后带着一些怒气说道–

“Well, I can only say that I think Dorothea was sacrificed once, because her friends were too careless. —
嗯，我只能说我认为朵洛thea曾经受到了牺牲，因为她的朋友们太粗心了。 —

I shall do what I can, as her brother, to protect her now.”
作为她的哥哥，我将尽力保护她。

“You can’t do better than get her to Freshitt as soon as possible, Chettam. —
现在你最好尽快把她带到弗雷西特，切塔姆。 —

I approve that plan altogether,” said Mr. Brooke, well pleased that he had won the argument. —
我完全赞同这个计划，”布鲁克先生说道，很高兴自己赢得了争论。 —

It would have been highly inconvenient to him to part with Ladislaw at that time, when a dissolution might happen any day, and electors were to be convinced of the course by which the interests of the country would be best served. —
在那个时候，送走拉迪斯劳会对他非常不方便，因为任何时候都可能发生解散，选民们需要相信对国家利益服务最佳的那个方针。 —

Mr. Brooke sincerely believed that this end could be secured by his own return to Parliament: —
布鲁克先生诚挚地相信自己重返议会可以实现这一目标： —

he offered the forces of his mind honestly to the nation.
他诚实地向国家奉献了自己头脑的力量。