Chapter 2 Godfrey and Dunstan Cass(1)
第二章戈弗雷·凯斯和邓斯坦·凯斯（一）
The most important person in Raveloe was Squire Cass, a gentleman farmer, who lived with his three sons in the handsome red house opposite the church, and owned a number of farms outside the village. His wife had died many years before.
拉弗尔最重要的人物是乡绅凯斯，他妻子多年前就去世了。他与他的三个儿子住在教堂对面漂亮的红楼里，在村外拥有许多家农场。
One dark November evening, fifteen years after Silas Marner had first arrived in Raveloe, some of the villagers were drinking beer in the public house, the Rainbow. Old Mr Macey, the church clerk, was remembering the Squire's wife.
十一月的一个黑漆漆的夜晚，在塞拉斯·马南到拉弗尔村的十五年后，一些村民在一家叫“彩虹”的酒馆里喝啤酒。教堂职员老梅西先生正在缅怀乡绅的妻子。
‘She was a wonderful lady,’ he said shaking his grey head sadly. ‘Everything was always so pretty and clean at the Red House when she was alive! When she died, all those years ago, the poor Squire, well, he didn't know what to do. And he's still lonely, believe me! That’s why we often see him in here in the evenings. And another thing, if poor Mrs Cass were alive today, I’m sure she'd be very disappointed with her sons. The Squire should make those boys do some work, but instead he lets them stay at home and gives them money to spend on horses, or gambling, or women!’
“她是一位很好的女士，”他伤心地摇摇头发都灰白的头说。“她活着时，红楼里的一切都那么漂亮和干净！许多年前，她去世时，可怜的乡绅，唉，他不知道该怎么办。他很孤独，信我说的！所以我们晚上经常能在这看到他。还有一件事，要是凯斯太太现在还活着的话，我肯定她会对她的儿子们很失望。乡绅应该让那些男孩做些工作，但他却让他们呆家里游手好闲，还给他们钱玩马，赌博，或找女人！”
‘Come, come, Mr Macey,’ said the landlord. ‘They're rich young gentlemen, after all. You can’t expect them to work on the farms like us country people. But you're right about Dunstan Cass. He’s a bad one, he is. Always borrowing money and never paying it back. Always gambling, always in trouble! He'll come to a bad end, he will!’
“行了，行了，梅西先生，”酒馆店主说。“他们毕竟是富有的年轻绅士。你不能指望他们像我们乡下人一样在农场干活。但邓斯坦·凯斯你是说对了。他是个坏家伙。老是借钱又不还钱。还总爱赌博、总惹麻烦！他不会有好结局的，他不会！”
‘But the other two are different,’ said the butcher, a red-faced, smiling man. ‘Bob Cass is still only a boy. And Mr Godfrey, the eldest, well, I don’t believe he’ll be like his brother Dunstan. Just look at him! He’s got an open, honest face. And he's going to inherit the Squire’s money and all the land. And what's more, he's going to marry Miss Nancy Lammeter. When she moves into the Red House as Mrs Godfrey Cass, she'll make life more comfortable for all the Casses. She’ll save the Squire money too-the Lammeters have the best of everything in their house, but they’re very careful with their money.’
“但另外两个不一样，”笑眯眯的红脸屠夫说。“鲍勃·凯斯还只是个男孩。戈弗雷先生，最大的那个，呃，我不相信他会像他的弟弟邓斯坦。看看他！他有一张坦率诚实的脸。他会继承乡绅的钱和所有土地。更重要的是，他要娶南希·拉默特小姐。当她以戈弗雷·凯斯夫人的身份搬进红楼时，她会让所有凯斯家的人都生活得更加舒适。她也能省下乡绅的钱——拉默特家的房子里有各种好东西，但他们花钱很小心。”
The farrier, a small man with a sharp face, always enjoyed disagreeing with the butcher. ‘Mr Godfrey marry Miss Nancy!' he laughed. ‘That’s what you think! Haven't you noticed how Miss Nancy has changed towards Godfrey since last year? You remember, he was away from home, for days and days. Nobody knows what he was doing, but Godfrey hasn't been the same since then. Miss Nancy isn't stupid -she won’t marry a man she can't trust!’
长着尖脸的小个子男人蹄铁匠总爱跟屠夫过不去。“戈弗雷先生娶南希小姐！”他哈哈大笑。“只有你才这么想！你没注意到从去年起南希小姐对戈弗雷的态度变了吗？你还记得，他离开过家好些天吧。没人知道他做了什么，但从那以后戈弗雷就不一样了。南希小姐又不傻——她不会嫁给一个她不信任的男人！”
The landlord always tried to prevent his customers from arguing. ‘What you all say is very true. But let’s hope that Mr Godfrey doesn't lose his chance of marrying Miss Nancy.’
酒馆店主总是极力劝阻顾客争吵。“你们说的都是事实。但愿戈弗雷先生不会错失娶南希小姐的机会。”
Meanwhile, at the Red House, Godfrey Cass was waiting for his brother in the sitting-room, with a very worried expression on his handsome face. Soon the door opened, and a heavy-looking young man entered. It was Dunstan. He had clearly been drinking.
此时，红楼里，戈弗雷·凯斯正在客厅里等他弟弟，他俊俏的脸上满是忧心忡忡的表情。不久，门开了，一个面容粗犷的年轻人走了进来。是邓斯坦。显然他喝酒了。
‘How I hate him!’ thought Godfrey.
“真讨厌他！”戈弗雷想。
‘Well, sir,’ said Dunstan unpleasantly, ‘you sent for me, and as you're the oldest, and you’ll be the Squire one day. I have to obey you. So what do you want?’
“呃，先生，”邓斯坦不悦地说，“把我叫来，是因为你年纪最大，总有一天你会成为乡绅。我必须服从你。那么，你叫我来做什么？”
‘Just listen, will you?' replied Godfrey angrily, ‘if you aren't too drunk to understand! You must pay me back the money I lent you last month. You know I got it from Fowler of Church Farm. He owed the money to the Squire, and asked me to give it to him. Now the Squire is angry with Fowler for not paying, and I've got to give the money back!’
“仔细听着，行吗？”戈弗雷愤愤地回，“如果你没喝得太醉，能听懂我说话！你必须把我上个月借给你的钱还给我。你知道我是从教会农场的福勒那拿来的钱。他欠乡绅的钱，让我把钱还他。现在乡绅因福勒没钱还他很生气，我得把钱还他！”
Dunstan came close to Godfrey and smiled in an evil way. ‘Well, my dear kind brother, why don't you find the money yourself? That would be much less trouble for me!’
邓斯坦走近戈弗雷，不怀好意地笑了笑。“好吧，我亲爱的好兄弟，你为什么不自己去弄钱呢？那让我也少了麻烦！”
Godfrey controlled himself with difficulty. ‘Don't smile at me like that, or I'll hit you!’
戈弗雷极力控制住自己。“别那样对我笑，否则我会打你！”
‘Oh no, you won’t,’ answered Dunstan. ‘Because if you do, I’ll tell the Squire your secret. I'll tell him that his handsome eldest son fell in love with that poor girl Molly in the town, and married her in a hurry. The Squire'll be angry because you married her in secret, and he’ll disinherit you. Then I’ll get the house and land when the old man dies! But don't worry, I’m a good brother to you. I won't tell him, and you’ll find the money to pay back, I know you will.'
“哦，不，你不会的，”邓斯坦回。“你要是打我，我就向乡绅告发你的秘密。我要告诉他，他英俊的长子爱上了城里的贫苦女孩莫莉，并且还闪婚了。乡绅会大发雷霆，因为你擅自娶了她，他也会剥夺你的继承权。到时候等老人死了我就能拿到房子和土地！但别担心，我是你的好兄弟。我不会告诉他的，你会弄到钱的，我知道你会的。
PS:本书为书虫系列四级读物，由英国著名女作家乔治·艾略特所著、英国书虫系列著名作家克莱尔·韦斯特改写。
英文为书虫系列原文，译文是笔者翻译。本文仅因个人兴趣而译，故本文谢绝转载和各种商业用途，同时承诺若出现任何责任由作者承担，必要时简书可删除文章。