“You see， she likes to have people come and stop with us—people who know things， and can talk—people like you. She delights in it， for she knows—oh， she knows nearly everything herself， and can talk， oh， like a bird—and the books she reads， why， you would be astonished. Dont go， its only a little while， you know， and shell be so disappointed.”
“你知道，她喜欢有人来和我们待在一起——那些见多识广，善于谈吐的人——就像你这样的人。这使她感到快乐。因为她知道——啊，她几乎什么都知道，而且也很能交谈，嗯，就像只小鸟——她还读很多书，噢，你会吃惊的。请不要走，不会耽搁你很久，你知道，她会非常失望的。”
I heard the words， but hardly noticed them， I was so deep in my thinkings and strugglings. He left me， but I didnt know. Presently he was back， with the picture case in his hand， and he held it open before me and said， “There， now， tell her to her face you could have stayed to see her， and you wouldnt.”
我听着这些话，却几乎没有留意。我深陷在内心的思索和矛盾斗争中。他走开了，我却不知道。很快他回来了，手里拿着那个相框，他把它拿到我面前说：“喏，这会儿你当着她的面对她说，你本来是可以留下来见她的，可是你不愿意。”
That second glimpseglimpse n.一瞥， 一看 v.瞥见 broke down my good resolution. I would stay and take the risk. That night we smoked the tranquil pipe， and talked till late about various things， but mainly about her， and certainly I had had no such pleasant and restful time for many a day. The Thursday followed and slipped comfortably away. Toward twilight a big miner from three miles away came—one of the grizzled， stranded pioneers—and gave us warm salutationsalutation n.招呼， clothed in grave and sober speech. Then he said， “I only just dropped over to ask about the little madam， and when is she coming home. Any news from her？ ”
这第二次看见她使我本来坚定不移的决心彻底瓦解了，我愿意留下来冒冒险。那天晚上，我们安安静静地抽着烟斗聊天，一直聊到深夜。我们聊了各种话题，不过主要都和她有关。很久以来，我确实没有过这么愉快这么悠闲的时光了。星期四来了，又轻松自在地溜走了。黄昏时分，一个大个子矿工从三英里外来到这儿。他是那种头发灰白、无依无靠的拓荒者。他用沉着、庄重的口气同我们热情地打过招呼，然后说：“我只是顺便来问问小夫人的情况，她什么时候回来？她有信来吗？”
“Oh， yes， a letter. Would you like to hear it， Tom？ ”
“哦，是的，有一封信，你愿意听听吗？汤姆？”
“Well， I should think I would， if you dont mind， Henry！ ”
“呃，如果你不介意，我想我是愿意听听的，亨利！”
Henry got the letter out of his wallet， and said he would skip some of the private phrases， if we were willing， then he went on and read the bulk of it—a loving， sedate， and altogether charming and gracious piece of handiworkhandiwork n.手工， 手艺， 手工， with a postscript full of affectionate regards and messages to Tom， and Joe， and Charley， and other close friends and neighbors.
亨利从皮夹子里把信拿出来，说如果我们不反对的话，他将跳过一些私人用语，然后他读了起来。他读了来信的大部分——这是一件她亲手完成的妩媚优雅的作品，充满着爱恋、安详的感情。在信的附言中，还满怀深情地问候和祝福汤姆、乔、查利以及其他的好友和邻居们。
As the reader finished， he glanced at Tom， and cried out， “Oh， youre at it again！ Take your hands away， and let me see your eyes. You always do that when I read a letter from her. I will write and tell her.”
当他读完时，他瞥了一眼汤姆，叫道：“啊哈，你又是这样！把你的双手拿开，让我看看你的眼睛。我读她的信你总是这样，我要写信告诉她。”
“Oh no， you mustnt， Henry. Im getting old， you know， and any little disappointmentdisappointment n.失望 makes me want to cry. I thought shed be here herself， and now youve got only a letter.”
“啊不，你千万别这样，亨利。我老啦，你知道，任何一点小小的失望都会使我流泪。我以为她已经回来了，可现在你只收到一封信。”
“Well， now， what put that in your head？ I thought everybody knew she wasnt coming till Saturday.”
“咦，你这是怎么啦？我以为大家都知道她要到星期六才回来的呀！”
“Saturday！ Why， come to think， I did know it. I wonder whats the matter with me lately？ Certainly I knew it. Arennt we all getting ready for her？ Well， I must be going now. But Ill be on hand when she comes， old man！ ”
“星期六！哈，想起来啦，我的确是知道的。我怀疑最近我的脑子是不是出了毛病？我当然知道啦。我们干吗不为她做好一切准备呢？好了，我现在得走了，不过她回来时我会来的，老伙计！”
Late Friday afternoon another gray veteranveteran n.老兵， 老手， 富有经验的人， 退伍军人 adj.老兵的， 经验丰富的 tramped over from his cabin a mile or so away， and said the boys wanted to have a little gaiety and a good time Saturday night， if Henry thought she wouldnt be too tired after her journey to be kept up.
星期五傍晚，又来了一个头发灰白的老淘金人，他住的小木屋离这儿差不多一英里。他说小伙子们想在星期六晚上来热闹热闹，痛痛快快地玩一玩，如果亨利认为她在旅行之后不至于疲倦得支撑不了的话。
“Tired？ She tired？ Oh， hear the man！ Joe， you know shed sit up six weeks to please any one of you！ ”
“疲倦？她会感到疲倦？哼，听他说的！乔，你知道，不管你们当中的谁，只要你们高兴，她愿意一连六个星期不睡觉的！”
When Joe heard that there was a letter， he asked to have it read， and the loving messages in it for him broke the old fellow all up， but he said he was such an old wreckwreck n.失事船(或飞机)， 残骸， (船， 飞机的)失事 vt.破坏， 拆毁 that that would happen to him if she only just mentioned his name. “Lord， we miss her so！ ” he said.
当乔听说有封信时，就请求读给他听。信里对他亲切的问候使这个老伙伴控制不住自己的感情，但是他说，他老得不中用啦，尽管她只是提到他的名字，那也使他受不了。“上帝，我们多么想念她呀！”他说道。
Saturday afternoon I found I was taking out my watch pretty often. Henry noticed it， and said， with a startled look， “You dont think she ought to be here soon， do you？ ”
星期六下午，我发现自己不时地看表。亨利注意到了，他带着惊讶的神情说道：“你认为她不会很快就到，是吗？”
I felt caught， and a little embarrassed， but I laughed， and said it was a habit of mine when I was in a state of expectancy. But he didnt seem quite satisfied， and from that time on he began to show uneasiness. Four times he walked me up the road to a point whence we could see a long distance， and there he would stand， shading his eyes with his hand， and looking. Several times he said， “Im getting worried， Im getting right down worried. I know shes not due till about nine oclock， and yet something seems to be trying to warn me that somethings happened. You dont think anything has happened， do you？ ”
我像被人发现了内心秘密似的感到有些窘迫。不过我笑着说，我等人的时候就是这么个习惯。但是他似乎不太满意，从那一刻起，他开始有点心神不安。他四次拉着我沿着大路走到一处，从那儿我们可以看到很远的地方，他总是站在那儿，手搭凉棚，眺望着，好几次，他这么说：“我有些担心了，我真担心。我知道她在九点以前不会到的，可是好像有什么老是想警告我出了什么事儿。你想不会出什么事儿的，是吧？”