狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第47章Part3

'I must have done something,' said Florence. 'Tell me what it is. You have changed your manner to me, dear Mama. I cannot say how instantly I feel the least change; for I love you with my whole heart.'
'As I do you,' said Edith. 'Ah, Florence, believe me never more than now!'
'Why do you go away from me so often, and keep away?' asked Florence. 'And why do you sometimes look so strangely on me, dear Mama? You do so, do you not?'
Edith signified assent with her dark eyes.
'Why?' returned Florence imploringly. 'Tell me why, that I may know how to please you better; and tell me this shall not be so any more.
'My Florence,' answered Edith, taking the hand that embraced her neck, and looking into the eyes that looked into hers so lovingly, as Florence knelt upon the ground before her; 'why it is, I cannot tell you. It is neither for me to say, nor you to hear; but that it is, and that it must be, I know. Should I do it if I did not?'
'Are we to be estranged, Mama?' asked Florence, gazing at her like one frightened.
Edith's silent lips formed 'Yes.'
Florence looked at her with increasing fear and wonder, until she could see her no more through the blinding tears that ran down her face.
'Florence! my life!' said Edith, hurriedly, 'listen to me. I cannot bear to see this grief. Be calmer. You see that I am composed, and is it nothing to me?'
She resumed her steady voice and manner as she said the latter words, and added presently:
'Not wholly estranged. Partially: and only that, in appearance, Florence, for in my own breast I am still the same to you, and ever will be. But what I do is not done for myself.'
'Is it for me, Mama?' asked Florence.

“我一定做錯什麼事了，”弗洛倫斯說道，”請告訴我是什麼吧。您對我的態度改變了，親愛的媽媽。我說不出我是多麼迅速地感覺到最細微的變化，因爲我全心全意地愛您。”
“就像我愛你一樣，”伊迪絲說道，”啊，弗洛倫斯，請相信我，我從沒有比現在更強烈地愛你！”
“爲什麼您時常離開我、迴避我呢？”弗洛倫斯問道，”爲什麼您有時那麼奇怪地看着我呢，親愛的媽媽？您是這樣的，難道不是嗎？”
伊迪絲用她的黑眼睛表示同意。
“爲什麼呢？”弗洛倫斯懇求地問道，”告訴我爲什麼，這樣我好知道怎樣更好地使您高興。請跟我說，我們不應當再這樣了。”
“我親愛的弗洛倫斯，”伊迪絲回答道，一邊緊緊地握着摟抱住她脖子的手，注視着那雙十分親熱地注視着她的眼睛，這時弗洛倫斯跪在她的面前；”這是什麼原因，我不能告訴你。這是我不應當說，也是你不應當聽的。可是我知道；但事實就是這樣，而且必須是這樣的，這點我知道。如果我不知道的話，難道我會這樣對待你嗎？”
“是不是我們必須相互疏遠，媽媽？”弗洛倫斯像一個受了驚嚇的人那樣注視着她，問道。
伊迪絲無聲地動了動嘴脣，作出一個說”是”的形狀。
弗洛倫斯懷着更大的恐懼與驚異，望着她，直到流到臉上的淚水迷糊了她的眼睛，使她看不見伊迪絲爲止。
“弗洛倫斯！我的命根子！”伊迪絲急忙說道，”請聽我說。看到你這樣悲傷，我受不了。冷靜些。你看我是沉着冷靜的，難道我做到這點是容易的嗎？”
她說最後幾個字的時候，又恢復了鎮靜的與態度，並立即補充道：
“不是完全疏遠。只是部分地疏遠。僅僅在表面上裝裝樣子，弗洛倫斯，因爲在我的內心，我對你仍舊和過去一樣，而且將永遠是這樣。不過我這樣做並不是爲了我自己。”
“是爲了我嗎，媽媽？”弗洛倫斯問道。