第十一章

Connie was sorting out one of the Wragby lumber rooms. There were several: the house was a warren, and the family never sold anything. Sir Geoffery's father had liked pictures and Sir Geoffery's mother had liked cinquecento furniture. Sir Geoffery himself had liked old carved oak chests, vestry chests. So it went on through the generations. Clifford collected very modern pictures, at very moderate prices.

在拉格比的一间储藏室里，康妮正整理着杂物。这样的储藏室有好几间，格拉比显得拥挤不堪，查泰莱家族的成员从没有卖掉陈货的习惯。杰弗里爵士的父亲喜爱绘画作品，他的母亲则热衷于16世纪的意大利家具。杰弗里爵士本人偏好橡木雕刻的古旧箱子，还有圣器箱。这样的习惯代代相传。克利福德收藏近代的画作，价格较为低廉。

So in the lumber room there were bad Sir Edwin Landseers and pathetic William Henry Hunt birds' nests: and other Academy stuff, enough to frighten the daughter of an R.A. She determined to look through it one day, and clear it all. And the grotesque furniture interested her.

在这间储藏室里，几幅埃德温·兰西尔爵士（注：1802-1873，英国画家，以动物画著称。）的画作堪称败笔，几张威廉·亨利·亨特（注：1790-1864，英国水彩画家，擅长表现水果、花木、飞禽、鸟巢等题材，是拉斐尔前派的代表人物之一。）的鸟巢也算不得佳作，还有其他不少出自皇家艺术学会名家的作品，已足够让身为会员之女的她咋舌不已。她决定找一天，将这里清查一遍，收拾停当。那些奇形怪状的家具引起了她的兴趣。

Wrapped up carefully to preserve it from damage and dry-rot was the old family cradle, of rosewood. She had to unwrap it, to look at it. It had a certain charm: she looked at it a longtime.

她找到家传的红木摇篮，包裹得严严实实，以防损坏或干腐。她只得层层拆开来看。摇篮有某种独特的魔力，让她注视良久。

"It's thousand pities it won't be called for," sighed Mrs. Bolton, who was helping. "Though cradles like that are out of date nowadays." "It might be called for. I might have a child," said Connie casually, as if saying she might have a new hat.

“它派不上用场，实在太可惜了，”在旁帮忙的博尔顿太太叹道，“不过，这种摇篮已经过时了。”“或许会用得着。或许我会生个孩子。”康妮轻描淡写地说，似乎在宣布自己要买顶新帽子。

"You mean if anything happened to Sir Clifford!" stammered Mrs. Bolton.

“您是说如果克利福德爵士能康复？”博尔顿太太结结巴巴地说。

"No! I mean as things are. It's only muscular paralysis with Sir Clifford—it doesn't affect him," said Connie, lying as naturally as breathing.

“不！我是说依照目前的状况而行。克利福德爵士只不过是肌肉麻痹而已——并不影响他孕育后代。”康妮说，扯谎如同呼吸般轻而易举。

Clifford had put the idea into her head. He had said: "of course I may have a child yet. I'm not really mutilated at all. The potency may easily come back, even if the muscles of the hips and legs are paralysed. And then the seed may be transferred.” He really felt, when he had his periods of energy and worked so hard at the question of the mines, as if his sexual potency were returning. Connie had looked at him in terror. But she was quite quick-witted enough to use his suggestion for her own preservation. For she would have a child if she could: but not his.

克利福德给她灌输过这种想法。他曾经说过：“我当然还可以生孩子。我并没有完全残废。即使臀部和双腿的肌肉已经瘫痪，生育能力还是能够轻松地恢复。而且精子也可以移植。”当他精力充沛，专心致志地钻研煤矿问题时，他真的感觉自己的性能力就要恢复。康妮看着他，不禁心生畏惧。但她的反应也确实机敏，用克利福德的暗示，当作自己的挡箭牌。因为如果可能的话，她愿意生个孩子，但父亲绝不会是克利福德。