07 The Late Letter of Love A　遲到的情書 A

I was always a little in awe of Great-aunt Stephina. Indeed, as children we were all frankly terrified of her.The fact that she did not live with the family, preferring her tiny cottage and being solitude to the comfortable but rather noisy household where we were brought up-added to the respectful fear in which she was held.

We used to take it in turn to carry small delicacies which my mother had made down from the big house to the little cottage where Aunt Stephina and an old colored maid spent their days. Old aunt Sanna would open the door to the rather frightened little messenger and would usher him or her into the dark living room, where the shutters were always closed to keep out the heat and the flies.There we would wait, in trembling but not altogether unpleasant.

She was a tiny little woman to inspire so much veneration. She was always dressed in black, and her dark clothes melted into the shadows of the living room and made her look smaller than ever.But you felt, the moment she entered, that something vital and strong and somehow indestructible had come in with her, although she moved slowly, and her voice was sweet and soft.

She never embraced us. She would greet us and take our hot little hands in her own beautiful cool one, with blue veins standing out on the back of it, as though the white skin were almost too delicate to contain them.

Aunt Sanna would bring in dishes of sweet, sticky South African candy, or a great bowl of grapes or peaches, and Great-aunt Stephina would converse gravely about happenings on the farm, and, more rarely, of the outer world.

When we had finished our sweetmeats or fruit she would accompany us to the step, bidding us thank our mother for her gift and sending quaint, old-fashioned messages to her and our father. Then she would turn and enter the house, closing the door behind, so that it became once more a place of mystery.

As I grew older I found, rather to my surprise, that I had become genuinely fond of my aloof old Great-aunt. But to this day I did not know what strange impulse made me take George to see her and to tell her, before I had confided in another living soul, of our engagement.To my astonishment, she was delighted.

"An Englishman."She exclaimed."But that is splendid, splendid. And you，"she turned to George，"you are making your home in this country?You do not intend to return to England just yet?"

She seemed relieved when she heard that George had bought a farm near our own farm and intended to settle in South Africa. She became quite animated, and chattered away to him.

After that I would often slip away to the little cottage by the mealie lands. Once she was somewhat disappointed on hearing that we had decided to wait for two years before getting married, but when she learned that my father and mother were both pleased with the match she seemed reassured.

Still, she often appeared anxious about my love affair, and would ask questions that seemed to me strange, almost as though she feared that something would happen to destroy my romance. But I was quite unprepared for her outburst when I mentioned that George thought of paying a lightning visit to England before we were married."He must not do it."She cried."Ina, you must not let him go.Promise me you will prevent him."She was trembling all over.I did what I could to console her, but she looked so tired and pale that I persuaded her to go to her room and rest, promising to return the next day.

When I arrived I found her sitting on the step. She looked lonely and pathetic, and for the first time I wondered why no man had ever taken her and looked after her and loved her.Mother had told me that Great-aunt Stephan had been lovely as a young girl, and although no trace of that beauty remained, except perhaps in her brown eyes, yet she looked so small and appealing that any man, one felt, would have wanted to protect her.I came up to her.She hit the near chair with a light smile."Sit down my dear."She said."I have something to tell you."

我對斯蒂菲娜老姑總是懷著敬畏之情。說實在話，我們幾個孩子對她都怕得要命。她不和家人一塊生活，寧愿住在她的小屋子里，而不愿住在舒舒服服、熱熱鬧鬧的家里——我們六個孩子都是在家里長大的——這更加重了我們對她的敬畏之情。

我們經常輪流著從我們住的大房子里帶些母親為她做的可口的食物到她和一名黑人女仆一塊生活的那間小屋里去。桑娜阿姨總是為每一個上門來的怯生生的小使者打開房門，將他或她領進昏暗的客廳。那里的百葉窗長年關閉著，以防熱氣和蒼蠅進去。我們總是在那里哆哆嗦嗦但又不是完全不高興地等著斯蒂菲娜老姑出來。

難以想象一個像她那樣身材纖細的女人居然能贏得我們如此的尊敬。她總是身穿黑色衣服，與客廳里的陰暗背景融成一體，將她的身材襯托得更加嬌小。但她一進門，我們就感到有一種說不清道不明、充滿活力和堅強的氣息，盡管她的步子慢悠悠的，聲調甜美而溫柔。

她從不擁抱我們，但總是和我們寒暄，將我們熱乎乎的小手握在她那雙秀美清爽的手里。她的手背上露出一些青筋，就像手上白嫩的皮膚細薄得遮不住它們似的。

桑娜阿姨每次都要端出幾碟黏糊糊的南非糖果和一缽葡萄或桃子給我們吃。斯蒂菲娜老姑總是一本正經地說些農場里的事，偶爾也談些外邊世界發生的事。

待我們吃完糖果或水果，她總要將我們送到屋前的門廊，叮囑我們要多謝母親給她送食物，并要我們對父母轉達一些稀奇古怪的老式祝愿，然后就轉身回到屋里，隨手關上大門，使那里再次成為一個神秘的世界。

讓我感到吃驚的是，隨著我逐漸長大，我開始打心眼里喜歡起我那位孤零零的老姑來。至今我仍不知道那是一種什么樣的奇異動力，使我在還沒有透露給別人之前就把喬治領去看望姑姑，告訴她我們已經訂婚的消息。沒想到，聽到這個消息以后，她竟非常高興。

“是英國人！”她驚訝地大聲說道，“好極了，好極了。

你，”她轉向喬治，“你要在南非安家嗎？你現在不打算回國吧？”

當她聽說喬治已經在我們農場附近購置了一片農場并打算定居下來時，好像松了一口氣。她興致勃勃地和喬治攀談起來。

從那以后，我常常到那所位于玉米地邊的小屋里去。有一次，當斯蒂菲娜老姑聽說我們決定再過兩年才結婚時，她的臉上露出了失望的神色，但聽說我的父母親都對這門親事滿意時，她又放寬了心。

但她還是將我的婚姻大事經常掛在嘴邊。她常常問一些怪怪的問題，幾乎像擔心我的婚事會告吹一樣。但我沒想到，當我提到喬治打算在婚前匆匆回一趟英國時，她突然變得非常激動。只見她渾身哆嗦著大聲嚷道：“他不能回去！愛娜！你不能放他走，你得答應我不放他走！”我盡力安慰她，但她還是顯得萎靡不振。我只得勸她回屋休息，并答應第二天再去看她。

我第二天去看她時，她正坐在屋前的門廊上，流露出抑郁孤寂的神情。我第一次感到納悶：以前怎么沒有人娶她、照料和愛撫她呢？記得母親曾經說過，斯蒂菲娜老姑以前曾是一個楚楚可愛的小姑娘。盡管除了她那褐色的眼睛尚能保留一點昔日的風韻之外，她的美貌早已蕩然無存。但她看上去還是那樣小巧玲瓏、惹人愛憐，總能引起男人的惜香憐玉之情。我走到她的跟前。她拍著身邊的椅子，淡淡一笑。“坐下吧，親愛的，”她說，“我有話要告訴你。”

單詞解析 Word Analysis

awe[?]n.敬畏；驚嘆；驚懼 v.使敬畏；使驚懼；使驚奇

例　She fiIIed me with a sense of awe.

她讓我心生敬畏。

terrified[?ter?fa?d]adj.很害怕的，極度驚慌的，嚇壞了的 v.使恐怖，使驚嚇，恐嚇（terrify的過去式和過去分詞）

例　They couId see that I was terrified, and hid me untiI the coast was cIear.

他們能看出我很害怕，就把我藏起來，直到沒有危險了才讓我出來。

cottage[?kɑ?t?d?]n.小屋，村舍；（農舍式的）小別墅

例　My wife and I have taken the cottage for a month.

我和妻子租下這套鄉間小屋已經一個月了。

veneration[?v?n??re??n]n.尊敬

例　This scripture has aIways been heId in the greatest veneration in Mahayana countries.

這經文一直在大乘佛教國家受到最大的尊敬。

converse[k?n?v??rs]v.交談，談話 adj.相反的，逆的，顛倒的 n.逆向；談話，會談；相反的事物；[邏輯]逆命題

例　They were conversing in German, their onIy common Ianguage.

他們正用德語交談，這是他們唯一的共同語言。

quaint[kwent]adj.古色古香的；少見的，古怪的；離奇有趣的；做得精巧的

例　The piano has a quaint oId-worId tone about it.

這架鋼琴的音色具有一種古雅的老式風味。

animated[??n??met?d]adj.活生生的，有生氣的；活潑的，活躍的；愉快的；動畫（片）的 v.使……有生氣（animate的過去式）

例　Everyone became more animated.

每個人都變得更加活潑熱情。

persuade[p?r?swe?d]v.說服；勸說；使相信；使信服

例　They were eventuaIIy persuaded by the poIice to give themseIves up.

最終他們被警方勸服，同意投案自首。

pathetic[p??θ?t?k]adj.令人同情的，可憐的；無價值的；蕩氣回腸

例　Don’t be so pathetic.

別那么討人厭。

語法知識點 Grammar Points

①I was always a little in awe of Great-aunt Stephina.Indeed, as children we were all frankly terrified of her.

這個句子中有兩個結構“be in awe of”和“be terrified of”，分別表示“崇敬某人”和“害怕某人”。

例　I was terrified of my mother, specificaIIy, in awe of her.

我很怕我媽媽，準確來說，很崇敬她。

②The fact that she did not live with the family, preferring her tiny cottage and being solitude to the comfortable but rather noisy household where we were brought up-added to the respectful fear in which she was held.

這句話里有三個結構“live with”、“prefer A to B”和“bring sb.up”，分別表示“和某人一起住”、“比起B更喜歡A”和“把某人撫養長大”。這個句子開頭的the fact that引導了一個同位語從句，謂語動詞是add，這一事實增加了我們對她的敬畏。

例　He Iived with a famous poet Iast year.

他去年和一位有名的詩人住在一起。

I preferred EngIish to maths.

比起數學，我更喜歡英語。

I was brought up by my aunt so I was not cIose to my mom.

我從小是阿姨帶大的，所以和母親感情并不親密。

③As I grew older I found, rather to my surprise, that I had become genuinely fond of my aloof old Great-aunt.

這句話中有一個結構“be fond of”，表示“喜歡”。相當于like、love、be interested in等。

例　I am fond of bunnies.

我喜歡小兔子。

④You do not intend to return to England just yet?

這句話中有一個結構“intend to do”，表示“打算做某事”。相當于plan to do。

例　I didn’t intend to teach aII my Iife.

我并未打算一生教書。

⑤She looked lonely and pathetic, and for the first time I wondered why no man had ever taken her and looked after her and loved her.

這句話中有一個結構“for the first time”，表示“第一次”。wonder后面引導一個賓語從句，表示為什么納悶。

例　I hated the schooI for the first time when it took my favorite teacher away.

我第一次厭惡起了學校，因為它把我最喜歡的老師調走了。

經典名句 Famous Classics

1.Why do I always have tears in my eyes?Because I deeply love you.

為什么我的眼里常含淚水？因為我對你愛得深沉。

2.I don't know if you'd like to be the one I love the most.

不知道，你是否愿意做我最愛的那個人？

3.Whatever you do, remember to do it for yourself.

無論做什么，記得是為自己而做。

4.Distance makes the hearts grow fonder.

距離使兩顆心靠得更近。

5.When a cigarette falls in love with a match, it is destined to be hurt.

香煙愛上火柴，注定受到傷害。

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