Mount Tsukuba beckoned, there in Hitachi, but Kaoru hesitated to approach even the verdant foothills. He had his good name to think of. —
当筑波山在常州诱人，但薰却迟疑着靠近即便是郁郁葱葱的山脚下。他有名誉需要考虑。 —

It would be indiscreet even to write to the girl. —
甚至写信给这位女孩都会不慎。 —

Though from time to time the nun Bennokimi gave the girl’s mother a hint of what he had said, the mother found it hard to believe that his intentions were serious. —
虽然时不时尼姑弁居去给女孩的母亲透露他的话，母亲仍难以相信他的意图是认真的。 —

She was glad that he had noticed the girl, but she was aware of his exalted rank; —
她很高兴他注意到了这位女孩，但她意识到他的身份显赫； —

and she could only lament that their own was not high enough to make a match possible.
她只能悲叹他们自己的身份不够高贵，无法成婚。

The governor had numerous children by a former wife, now dead. —
州长的前妻已经去世，他有很多孩子。 —

By his present wife he had a daughter who was known as Himegimi, much pampered, and five or six other children, all of them very young. —
他现在的妻子生了一个叫姬君的女儿，受宠爱，还有五六个其他都很小的孩子。 —

His affections monopolized by the others, he tended to treat the Eighth Prince’s daughter, Ukifune, like an outsider. —
他因为对其他孩子的偏爱，往往把第八王子的女儿浮舟当做局外人。 —

The mother greatly resented this partiality, and the thought never left her mind of shaming them all by finding a splendid husband for the girl. —
母亲非常不满这种偏袒，她始终心怀一种念头，要为女孩找一个出色的丈夫来羞辱他们。 —

She would not have fretted so had Ukifune been no prettier than the others — she was, after all, legally the governor’s daughter. —
如果浮舟不比其他人更漂亮，她不会如此烦恼 — 毕竟，她在法律上是州长的女儿。 —

But her beauty and grace were more pronounced as she grew older. —
但她越长越美丽优雅。 —

How deplorable, thought the mother, that they should go unnoticed.
母亲想，他们居然漠视了她，太令人遗憾了。

Aware that the family was well supplied with daughters, several men from the ranks of the petty nobility had indicated an interest in one or another of them. —
意识到家庭中女儿众多，几位来自小贵族阶层的男士表现出对其中一两个女孩的兴趣。 —

Even now, with two or three of the older girls already married, the governor’s wife refused to abandon her high hopes for Ukifune, who was the center of her life.
即使已经有两三个年长的女孩结婚了，州长的夫人仍然不放弃对浮舟的殷切希望，她是她生命的中心。

The governor could not have been called a man of low estate. —
州长不能被称为卑贱之人。 —

He numbered among his relatives several high courtiers. —
他的亲戚之中有几位高级官员。 —

Being a man of considerable private wealth, he indulged himself as his status allowed, and presided over an orderly and not at all vulgar household. —
作为一个私人财富相当可观的人，他尽情地享受着他的身份允许的待遇，并管理着一个井然有序丝毫不粗俗的家庭。 —

A strangely coarse and rustic manner, however, belied these tasteful surroundings. —
然而，一种古怪粗糙的态度暴露了这些优雅的环境。 —

Probably because he had long been buried in the remote East Country, he was incapable of uttering a syllable that struck the cultivated ear as correct. —
可能是因为长期埋头于东乡，他无法说出一个被耕耘过的耳朵认为正确的音节。 —

Aware of this defect, he kept his distance from higher circles at court, and koto, but he was an expert archer. —
他意识到这个缺陷，所以他远离了朝廷的高层圈子和箜篌，但他是一个专家级的射手。 —

Numbers of well-favored women, indeed women rather too good for such a household, had been pulled into its service by the power of money. —
实际上，很多容貌出众的女性，其实是对这样的家庭来说有点太好了，被金钱的力量拖入这个家庭服务。 —

In dress they were excessively modish, and they wrote bad poetry and fiction and otherwise sought to cultivate the skills that see one through the Kōshin vigil.
他们打扮得过分时髦，写糟糕的诗和小说，努力培养能够度过庚申之夜的技能。

This noisy way of life came to be noticed, and Ukifune acquired a certain vogue among the young gallants. —
这种喧哗的生活方式引起了注意，而浮舟在年轻的绅士中产生了一定的风气。 —

They assumed her to be an accomplished young lady, and very pretty as well. —
他们认为她是一个有才华的少女，而且非常漂亮。 —

Among those who had thrown themselves into the competition for her hand was a certain guards lieutenant. —
在那些为争夺她的手而投入竞争的人群中，有一名卫队中尉。 —

In his early twenties, he was a quiet man who was reputed to have a scholarly bent. —
他二十几岁，是一个性格内向的人，据说有学者的倾向。 —

He was unable to hold his own in the world of high fashion, and perhaps for this reason had given up his pursuit of other women and commenced paying ardent court to Ukifune. —
他无法在高尚时尚界站稳脚跟，也许正因为这个原因，他放弃了对其他女性的追求，而开始热情地追求浮舟。 —

Her mother had decided that he was the most promising of her suitors. —
她的母亲决定他是最有前途的求婚者。 —

He was an honorable man, she said, and a man of discrimination. —
她说他是一个诚实的人，也是一个有鉴赏力的人。 —

Though not inexperienced in amorous matters, he was no philanderer. —
虽然在爱情事务方面并不缺乏经验，但他并不是一个轻佻的人。 —

And beautiful though the girl was, she was not likely to attract anyone better.
即使这位女孩很漂亮，她也不太可能吸引到更好的人。

The mother accepted his letters, and on suitable occasions had the girl send friendly replies. —
母亲收下了他的信，适当时候让女孩回复友好的回信。 —

As far as she was concerned, everything was settled. —
在她看来，一切都已经决定了。 —

The governor might favor the other girls, but she herself was prepared to sacrifice everything for Ukifune. —
尽管州官可能喜欢其他女孩，但她自己已经为憂丽峰牺牲了一切。 —

There was not the slightest chance, once the lieutenant had laid eyes on her, that he would spurn her because of her low rank. —
一旦中尉看到她，他绝对不会因为她低微的地位而拒绝她。 —

It was presently agreed that the marriage would take place in the Eighth Month. The mother began putting a trousseau together. —
很快就商定了婚期，定在了八月。母亲开始收拾嫁妆。 —

When some trifle, some little piece of lacquer or inlay, would catch her eye for its high quality and good design, she would put it aside for Ukifune, commending to the governor’s attention, for the use of his other daughters, something altogether inferior. —
当她看到一些小巧玲珑的漆器或镶嵌品，质量上乘且设计优雅时，她会为憂丽峰留下来，向州官推荐⼀些品质明显⽓⺫的东西供他的其他⼥⼦使⽤，质量完全不同。 —

He was no judge in these matters, but he collected indefatigably, until they were barely able to see out over the mountains of gimcrackery. —
他在这些⻛半帆半挂的过程中成了不知疲劳的收藏家，直到他们⾮常费劲才能看到翠来品山。 —

A teacher was summoned from the palace to give them lute and koto lessons, and when he had seen them safely through a piece the governor would kowtow with gratitude and bury the man in gifts. —
一位来自皇宫的教师被召来教她们琵琶和箏，当他牵她们顺利通过⼀曲时，州官会感激不尽，沉浸在礼物中。 —

On a pleasant evening he would have them at a lively strain, and the effusions with which the governor greeted the performance were quite deafening. —
在一个宜人的⽂晚，他会让她们演奏⼀首欣快的曲调，州⼴赞扬表演的效果之⾃⾃♬。 —

Knowing what was good and what was not, his wife would look on contemptuously and refuse to join in the paeans. —
知道什么是好的，什么是不好的，他的妻⼦⻅了都轻蔑不屑，拒绝加⼊这些颂歌。 —

She might make note now and then, he was constantly saying, that his girl s had their good points too.
他总说⼀声，他的女孩们也有好处。

The lieutenant was becoming impatient. Must they wait until the Eighth Month? —
中尉变得⼤千⼈耐心。他们必须等到八⽉吗？ —

But the governor’s wife was beginning to have second thoughts. —
但州官的妻⼦开始动摇了。 —

Perhaps she should have consulted her husband — and was she quite sure she could trust the man?
也许她应该咨询她的丈夫——她能完全信任这个⼈吗？

The intermediary stopped by one day.
中间人某天顺便拜访了。

“I have so many things to worry about,” said the mother, calling him aside. —
“我有太多事情要担心,” 母亲说着，把他拉到一边。 —

“It’s a long time to wait, I know, and I wouldn’t want to seem rude, putting off such an important gentleman. —
“我知道等待时间很长，我不想显得无礼，耽搁这样一个重要的绅士。 —

And of course everything is decided. But she has no father to look after her, and I have had to do everything myself. —
当然一切都已决定。但她没有父亲照顾，我不得不自己做一切。 —

I would hate to have him think I have mismanaged things. —
我不想让他认为我管理不善。 —

All the others have someone to look after them, and I don’t worry a great deal about them. —
其他人都有人照顾，我对他们不怎么担心。 —

But this one — what will happen to her when I am gone? —
但她——我离开之后她会怎样？ —

I have not set any conditions, because everyone says he is a gentleman of understanding. —
我没有设定任何条件，因为大家都说他是个理解的绅士。 —

But sometimes a person will wonder, you know. —
但有时一个人会想，你知道的。 —

Might he have a change of heart and leave the poor girl for people to laugh at?”
他会改变主意，抛弃可怜的女孩让人取笑吗？”

The intermediary passed all of this on to the lieutenant. —
中间人把所有这些转告给中尉。 —

A look of consternation came over his face.
他脸上露出困惑的表情。

“You mean she’s not the governor’s daughter? The first I’d heard of it. —
“你的意思是她不是总督的女儿？这是我第一次听说这件事。 —

You may say she’s his stepdaughter and that’s just as good, but I’d be lowering myself before the whole world. —
你可以说她是他的继女，这样也一样好，但我会在全世界面前丢脸。 —

It won’t do. Thank you for not looking into things before you came to me. —
这行不通。 谢谢你在来找我之前没深究事情。” —

Thank you very much indeed.”
“非常感谢。”

“I swear I didn’t know,” said the intermediary, guiltily. —
中间人内疚地说：“我发誓我不知道。” —

“Someone at my place told me what you had said. —
“我家有人告诉我你说过什么。” —

Seeing that she was the favorite, I naturally assumed she was his daughter. —
我看到她是他最喜欢的，自然会认为她是他的女儿。 —

I didn’t think to ask whether he had a stepdaughter. —
我没有想要问他是否有继女。 —

I hadn’t heard anything even suggesting it. —
我从来没有听到过任何暗示。 —

I had heard that she was beautiful and well behaved, and that her mother couldn’t do enough for her and was set on getting her a really good husband. —
我听说她很美丽，举止得体，她的母亲对她照顾有加，想要给她找一个好丈夫。 —

You said you wanted a go-between. Well, I was your man, and I told you so — and how was I to guess that you didn’t know all about her? —
你说你需要一个媒人。我正是你需要的人，我告诉过你这一点-我怎么能猜到你对她一无所知呢？ —

I don’t think you have any right to call me careless.”
我觉得你没有权利责怪我粗心大意。”

He was a crafty man, and a good talker.
他是个狡猾而口才流利的人。

The lieutenant’s reply was not very elegant. —
中尉的回答并不太优雅。 —

“It’s not a family a man would want to marry into for what it is. —
“对于这个家庭，一个男人是不会想要娶进去的。 —

I’m just doing what all the others do, and no one can blame me for it. —
我只是在做其它人都在做的事，没有人可以指责我。 —

I thought that if I could get the governor of Hitachi behind me I might overlook a few other details. —
我想如果我能得到常陆守的支持，可能就可以忽略一些细节。 —

He may think of her as no different from his own daughters, but people will say that it doesn’t seem to matter to me what I get. —
也许他认为她和他自己的女儿没有什么不同，但人们会说我似乎无所谓我得到什么。 —

The Minamoto councillor and the governor of Sanuki strut in and out of the house, and how would I feel, the last and smallest in the whole long line?”
源氏的议员和讥讽州的州长在房子里走来走去，而作为整个长队中最后而且最弱小的我会感觉如何？

The intermediary was an unprincipled man. —
这个中间人是个没原则的人。 —

He was sorry for what had happened, because he had expected favors from both sides.
他为发生的事情感到抱歉，因为他本来期望从两方面得到好处。

“You want one of the governor’s own daughters, then? —
“你想要州长自己的女儿之一，是吗？ —

They’re still very young, but maybe I could tell him. —
她们还很年轻，但也许我可以告诉他。 —

The next-oldest they call Himegimi. I hear she’s his favorite.”
下一个年龄大的他们称为姬君。我听说她是他的最爱。”

“Well — it might not seem very nice just to drop the poor girl and ask for another, now that I’ve gone this far. —
“嗯——现在既然我已经做到这一步，就抛弃那可怜的女孩再要求另一个似乎并不太好看。” —

But let me tell you how I really feel. I got into this because the governor is a man of substance who handles himself well, and I wanted his backing. —
但让我告诉你我真正的感受。我参与这件事是因为州长是一个有实力的人，举止得体，我希望他的支持。 —

That’s all. I don’t ask for beauty or superior morals. —
就是这样。我不要求美貌或高尚的道德。 —

It wouldn’t be any trouble at all to find that sort of thing, and good manners and a good family to boot. —
找到那种东西并不麻烦，还有良好的礼仪和良好的家庭背景。 —

But a poor man who marries a girl with tastes beyond his means is asking for trouble, and can’t expect much praise from the world. —
但是一个贫穷的男人娶了一个品味超出他承受能力的女孩是在自寻烦恼，不能指望得到世界的夸赞。 —

No, I’ve seen enough examples of that sort of thing, and I think I’d be willing to put up with a little roughness for a safe, dependable marriage. —
不，我已经见过足够多这种情况的例子，我想我愿意为了一个稳定、可靠的婚姻而容忍一点粗野。 —

If you tell the governor how I feel and if he feels the same, I don’t see how anyone could object.”
如果你告诉州长我是怎么想的，如果他有同样的感觉，我不明白有谁会反对。”

The intermediary had undertaken the assignment because he had a sister in the west wing of the governor’s mansion. —
这位中介承担了这个任务，因为他的妹妹住在州长府的西厢房。 —

He was not personally acquainted with the governor. —
他并不认识州长。 —

He marched directly into the governor’s quarters all the same.
尽管如此，他直接走进了州长的房间。

“There is something we ought to discuss.”
“有件事我们应该讨论一下。”

“I’d heard about you and your visits. —
“我听说过你和你的拜访。” —

” The governor’s manner was not friendly. —
州长的态度并不友好。 —

“But I don’t recall ever inviting you.”
“但我不记得曾邀请过你。”

“I am here at the request of the guards lieutenant.”
“我是在卫队中尉的请求下来的。”

The governor consented to an interview. The man edged closer, as if finding the matter hard to broach.
州长同意进行面谈。这个人缓缓靠近，好像觉得很难开口。

“For quite a while now he has been in touch with your lady. —
“他和你夫人联系已经有一段时间了。 —

They had arranged for him to marry her daughter. They had even picked a lucky day. —
他们安排他和她女儿结婚。甚至选定了一个好日子。 —

He is an impatient man. But then someone, I don’t know just exactly who, seems to have told him that the girl is your wife’s daughter but not yours. —
他是个急躁的人。但是有人告诉他，不知道是谁，貌似女孩是你夫人的女儿，不是你的女儿。 —

It wouldn’t look good, you know, for him to marry a governor’s step-daughter. —
你知道，他娶一位州长的继女好像不太合适。 —

Everyone would say it didn’t seem to matter to him what he got. —
每个人都会说，他好像并不在乎得到什么。 —

When fine gentlemen marry governors’ daughters, it’s to have the backing of their fathers-in-law, to be treated like their own prized sons. —
当好绅士娶州长的女儿时，是为了得到他们公公的支持，被当作他们亲爱的儿子看待。 —

When there seems like a good chance of it, then that sort of marriage can sometimes be arranged. —
当有这样的机会时，这种婚姻有时会安排起来。 —

But what would be the point otherwise? What would be the point if the man found that his father-in-law, the governor, hardly recognized him, treated him like the last and smallest of them all? —
否则有什么意义？如果这位男士发现他的岳父，也就是州长，几乎不认识他，对他像对待他们全部子女里最末小的那个有什么意义？ —

People have been saying things, and he is upset. —
大家都在说些事情，他很不高兴。 —

He tells me he hit on you immediately, sir, because His Majesty himself had spoken of the brilliance and solidity of your house, and so he asked me to approach you. —
他告诉我，立即和您接触是因为国王亲自提到了您家的辉煌和稳健，所以他让我和您接洽。 —

He had not known, he tells me, that one of the young ladies was not your daughter. —
他告诉我，他不知道有一个年轻女士不是您的女儿。 —

And now, seeing that you have so many daughters — yes, we know they are very young — but seeing you have so many, he would like to go back to his very first hope, and would be pleased if he might have your cooperation. —
现在，看到您有这么多女儿 — 是的，我们知道她们都很年轻 — 但看到您有这么多女儿，他想回到他最初的希望，如果能得到您的合作，他会很高兴。 —

He asked me to sound you out.”
他让我试探一下您的口风。”

“I hadn’t heard in any detail what he had in mind. —
“我没有听详细他有什么打算。 —

The girl is treated exactly like any daughter of my own. —
这个女孩被对待得和我自己的女儿一样。” —

But it’s true that I have several other silly girls, and I’m not very good at these things, and it’s more than I can do to look after them all. —
但确实我还有几个其他傻女孩，我并不擅长处理这些事情，照顾她们已经超出了我的能力范围。 —

So her mother has the notion that I treat the girl like an outsider, and she’s always complaining, and I have no say in the girl’s affairs. —
所以她妈妈认为我对这个女孩不够关心，她总是抱怨，而我对这个女孩的事情没有发言权。 —

I heard that something was going on — but that the young gentleman should be looking to me for support — well, I am delighted. —
我听说有些事情正在进行中 —— 那个年轻绅士竟然在向我求助 —— 我感到很高兴。 —

I have a daughter I’m fond of. More than fond of — I’d give my life for her. —
我有一个女儿，我对她很钟爱。不只是钟爱 —— 我可以为她赴汤蹈火。 —

She’s had proposals, but I haven’t been able to make up my mind. —
她收到过求婚，但我还没能下定决心。 —

The reports I get about the younger generation aren’t good, and I’ve been thinking my best might not be enough to make her happy. —
我听到关于年轻一代的报告不太好，我开始觉得我的最好也许不足以让她幸福。 —

Day and night I ask myself how I’m to go about finding a good, safe man for her. —
日日夜夜我都在考虑如何为她找到一个好的、可靠的男人。 —

I know the lieutenant. When I was young I worked for his father, the general, now deceased. —
我认识这位中尉。在我年轻时我为他父亲，已故的将军，工作过。 —

I could see from close up what a fine, talented boy he was. —
我能亲眼看到他是多么优秀、有才华。 —

I hoped I might work for him too someday. —
我希望将来也可以为他工作。 —

But then I was away in the provinces all those years, and since I’ve been back I’ve been shy about making friends again. —
但后来我在外省呆了那么多年，自我回来后又有些害羞重新交朋友。 —

I’m very glad to hear how he feels about me. Why, I could let him have my girl tomorrow. —
听到他对我的感受我感到非常高兴。噢，我明天就可以把我的女儿许配给他。 —

The only trouble is I wouldn’t want her mother to think I’m trying to snatch a husband away from the other girl.”
唯一的问题是我不想让她妈妈认为我想从另一个女孩手中抢走丈夫。

The intermediary was delighted. Things were going nicely.
这位中间人很高兴。事情进展得很顺利。

“Why hold back? If you agree, everything is as good as settled. —
“为什么还犹豫呢？如果你同意，一切就会很顺利解决。” —

What he really wants is a bride with a father who loves her, it doesn’t matter how young she is. —
他真正想要的是一个有父爱的新娘，她年纪多大并不重要。 —

He knows he made a mistake when he let himself get involved with the other one. —
当他让自己与另一个人牵扯在一起时，他知道自己犯了一个错误。 —

He’s a fine young fellow, and everyone expects great things from him. —
他是一个优秀的年轻人，每个人都期待他有伟大作为。 —

And he’s a good deal quieter and steadier than you’d expect such an important young fellow to be. —
他比人们预期的重要年轻人要安静和稳重得多。 —

He knows his way around, and he has land scattered all over the country. —
他熟悉周围的情况，他在全国各地都有土地。 —

Of course he doesn’t have much money yet, but to the manner born, as they say. —
当然，他现在没有太多的钱，但是如他们所说，出身高贵。 —

You’d do a good deal better to have him than some flashy upstart, I don’t care how rich he might be. —
与一些花哨的暴发户相比，你选择他会更好多了，不管他有多富有。 —

Next year he’ll make the Fourth Rank, not a doubt about it. —
明年他将获得四品官衔，毫无疑问。 —

His Majesty himself has promised to make him a privy secretary, so you see there’s absolutely not a doubt about it. —
陛下亲自承诺要让他成为内阁秘书，所以可以肯定地说毫无疑问。 —

His Majesty goes on to say it’s a crying shame that such a fine young fellow, why you couldn’t find a flaw in him, should still be single. —
陛下接着说，如此优秀的年轻人，简直无懈可击，竟然还是单身，真是一个悲哀。 —

Go get yourself a wife, His Majesty keeps saying, and useful inlaws. —
“去找一个妻子，”陛下不断地说，还有对你有帮助的亲戚。 —

One of these days he’ll be right in there with the best of them — His Majesty says he’ll be there himself to promise it. —
总有一天他将与最优秀的人一样出类拔萃——陛下说他会亲自应许。 —

His Majesty doesn’t have a more devoted servant, and knows it. Two people couldn’t be closer. —
陛下没有比他更忠心的仆人，他也知道。两个人再亲密不过了。 —

Talented, serious, dedicated — all this and more. —
有才华、认真、专注——这些还不止。 —

Why not make up your mind right here on the spot? —
为什么不在这里立刻做出决定呢？ —

A man might almost say if you asked him that this is more than you bargained for. —
一个人如果你问他，他可能会说这超过了你所期望的。 —

Hundreds of people would jump at the chance to have him for a son-in-law. —
数百人会抓住机会让他成为女婿。 —

If you hesitate you’re lost. What I say I say because I have your interests at heart.”
如果你犹豫就会失败。我说的都是出于对你的利益。

It had been a long and persuasive speech. The countrified governor had listened smiling.
这是一个漫长而有说服力的演讲。乡村化的州长一边听一边微笑。

“I don’t care whether he has money or not. I can smother him in money. —
“我不在乎他是否有钱。我可以给他堆钱。” —

Do you think I’d leave him short? It’s true I might die on him, but I’ve decided to leave everything, land and warehouses and everything, to my Himegimi. —
你觉得我会让他吃亏吗？说实话，我可能会在他身上花光，但我已经决定把一切，土地和仓库以及一切都留给我的姬媚。 —

No one can say anything about her right to them. —
没有人可以质疑她对这些的权利。 —

I have all sorts of children, but she’s far and away my favorite. —
我有各种各样的孩子，但她是我最喜欢的。 —

Just let him be good to her, and I’ll see him all the way, I’ll make a minister of him. —
只要他对她好，我会一直支持他，我会让他成为一名部长。 —

He won’t have to ask for a thing, even if I have to borrow money while I’m getting things done. —
他不必请求任何东西，即使在推动事情进展时我不得不借钱。 —

Why, anyone that close to His Majesty doesn’t have to worry about whether he can depend on me or not. —
为了他那么靠近陛下，不必担心他是否可以依靠我。 —

What a match for the both of them, him and my girl, maybe, if you know what I mean.”
对他们两个来说，无论如何，这是多么完美的匹配，他和我的女儿，也许，如果你知道我是什么意思。

He spoke as if arrangements were complete. —
他说得就好像一切都已经安排妥当。 —

Overjoyed, the intermediary did not bother to tell his sister what had happened, or to call on the governor’s wife. —
中间人欢喜地没有告诉他的姐姐发生了什么，也没有去拜访州长的妻子。 —

He went directly to the lieutenant. Everything was in order, he said, describing the interview. —
他直接去找中尉。一切都准备就绪，他说，描述了会谈。 —

The lieutenant was not at all unhappy, though he thought it somewhat provincial to talk of buying a ministry.
中尉并不感到不高兴，尽管他认为谈论购买一个官职有点乡土气息。

“And have you spoken to his wife? She’s been dead set on marrying me to the other girl. —
“你有没有和他的妻子谈过？她一直坚决要我娶另一个女孩。” —

People will say I have bad manners. They may even say I’m not honest. —
人们会说我没礼貌。他们甚至可能会说我不诚实。 —

” He was having brief doubts.
他开始产生短暂的疑虑。

“Come, now. This Himegimi is her real favorite. —
“来吧，现在。这个姬君才是她真正的最爱。” —

It’s only that she thought the oldest daughter should marry first, and so she aimed her in your direction. —
这只是因为她认为大女儿应该先结婚，所以她把目光转向了你。 —

You were a good solution to her problem.”
你对她的问题是一个好的解决方案。”

It seemed a little odd to the lieutenant that the younger daughter should suddenly have replaced Ukifune as the favorite. —
中尉觉得有点奇怪，年幼的女儿竟然突然取代了宇伊船的地位。 —

But it was better to take the long view, even at a risk of having to endure the displeasure of the mother and the reproaches of the world for a time. —
但即使要忍受母亲的不悦和世人的责备，最好还是放长远考虑。 —

He was a practical young man, and he quickly made up his mind. —
他是个实际的年轻人，很快就下定决心。 —

On the evening of the very day that had been selected for his marriage to Ukifune he went to the second daughter.
在选定与宇伊船结婚的那天晚上，他去找了次女儿。

In ignorance of all this, the governor’s wife was pushing ahead with the arrangements. —
校尉夫人浑然不知地在加紧安排着婚礼。 —

Her women were all decked out in nuptial finery and their rooms were properly appointed, and she had seen to the needs of the bride herself, washed her hair, helped her to dress. —
她的女人们都穿着婚礼的盛装，她们的房间被妥善布置，她还照顾新娘自己，洗她的头发，帮她穿衣。 —

She was too good for the lieutenant. Her father was dead, of course, but if he had recognized her and she had grown up with her sisters, then it would not have been wholly out of the question, though perhaps just a little presumptuous, to think of marrying her to Kaoru. But the sad truth was that she would always be looked down upon as an adopted daughter and a girl whose father had not recognized her.
她太过优秀了，不配得上这位中尉。当然，她的父亲已经去世了，但如果他承认了她，她和她的姐妹一起长大，那么把她嫁给薰也并不是完全不可能的，尽管或许有点自以为是。但悲哀的事实是她总会被人看不起，被视为被收养的女儿和父亲未曾认可的女孩。

Enough of these thoughts. She was passing her prime, and here was this man, from a not inconsiderable family, of not despicable rank, with his solemn proposals. —
足够了这些念头。她正值壮年，而这里有这个男人，来自一家不算小的家族，地位也不低，提出了郑重的求婚。 —

Keeping her own counsel, the mother had made her decision. —
母亲守口如瓶，已经做出了决定。 —

The intermediary was a skillful persuader, able to get around even the governor; —
中间人是一个技巧高超的劝说者，甚至能够绕过总督； —

and it was not at all surprising that he should have succeeded with a woman.
并不奇怪他能成功地说服一个女人。

The hour was approaching. Mother and daughter were very busy.
时间临近了。母女俩非常忙碌。

In came the governor with a headlong account of what had happened.
总督急匆匆地进来，讲述所发生的事情。

“In that sneaky way of yours, you tried to take away my girl’s husband. —
“用你那阴险的方式，试图将我女儿的丈夫夺走。 —

What you need is a good long look at your place in the world. —
你需要好好审视一下你在这个世界的位置。 —

Don’t go thinking fine young gentlemen might be interested in that girl of yours. —
不要以为高尚的绅士可能会对你女儿感兴趣。 —

My own may be ugly little things, but for some reason, I don’t just know what it is, men seem to like them better. —
我自己的女儿可能长得难看，但不知为何，男人似乎更喜欢她们。 —

You had your plans, and pretty good ones too. He had different ones. —
你有你的计划，而且还挺不错。他有不同的计划。 —

If it was all the same, he said, he’d like to have one of my girls, and I said yes.”
如果一切顺利的话，他说，他想娶我们的一个女孩，我答应了。”

It was a graceless description of the case and it took no account of his wife’s feelings.
这是一个不体面的陈述案例，并且没有考虑到他妻子的感受。

She was stunned. She sat for a time on the verge of tears, recalling one after another the cold, hard ways of the world. —
她震惊了。她坐在那里，眼泪快要流出，一遍又一遍回想着世界的残酷之处。 —

Abruptly, she got up and left.
她突然站起身来离开了。

She went to Ukifune’s room. The girl was charming, beautiful — a superior girl, without question, despite what had happened. —
她走进卧室找到了绫音。这个女孩很迷人，很美丽—无可否认是一个优秀的女孩，尽管发生了什么。 —

In tears, the governor’s wife told the nurse her story.
在泪水中，州长夫人向护士讲述了她的故事。

“Men are utterly cruel. I have always said to myself that I must have no favorites among my sons-in-law, but I have known that I would give up everything for the husband of this one. —
“人们是绝对残忍的。我一直告诉自己，我不能对女婿们中有所偏爱，但我知道我会为这一个女婿放弃一切。 —

And look at him, throwing her over because she has no father, taking a mere child in her place. —
瞧他，因为她没有父亲就抛弃了她，用一个年幼的孩子替代。 —

He’s impossible. I do not want to be where I have to see him or hear his voice. —
他不可理喻。我不想去一个地方，必须在那里看到他或听到他的声音。 —

Just listen to them if you will — as if it were the greatest honor in the world. —
如果你愿意，听听他们——仿佛这是世界上最伟大的荣誉。 —

They’re a match for each other, that man and my good husband. —
那人和我好丈夫真是天造地设的一对。 —

I want no part of it. I only wish that I could get out of this house.”
我不想参与其中。我只希望我能离开这个家。”

The nurse was incensed. It was good of him to look down upon her lady. —
护士很生气。他居然看不起她的夫人。 —

“But there’s nothing to carry on about. I say she’s lucky this has happened. —
“但没什么好发脾气的。我说她很幸运这样的事情发生了。 —

If that’s the sort of person he is, well, let’s just say that he has no taste. —
如果他就是那种人，嗯，我们就说他没有眼光。 —

We’ll wait for someone with good taste to come along. —
我们等待着一个有眼光的人出现。 —

I had just the quickest glimpse of the gentleman at Uji the other day, and it added years to my life. —
几天前我只在宇治看到这位绅士的一瞥，为我的生命增添了几年。 —

If he says he’s interested, well, all we have to do is let things run their course.”
如果他说他感兴趣，那么我们只需要让事情顺其自然。”

“You’re mad. Everyone says it takes the most extraordinary kind of woman to interest him. —
“你疯了。每个人都说只有最特别的女人才能吸引他。 —

Lord Yūgiri and Lord Kōbai and Prince Hotaru all went down on their knees, they say, and he sent them away and finally got one of His Majesty’s own daughters. —
据说弓切公、红梅公和螢子王都跪倒在他面前，他把他们赶走，最终娶了皇帝的女儿。” —

I imagine he just thinks of putting the child in his mother’s service and seeing her now and then. It would be a fine house to be in, of course, but I would worry even so. —
我想他只是想把孩子送到他母亲身边，偶尔去看望一下。毫无疑问，那将是一个很好的家，但即便如此，我仍会担心。 —

Everyone says how lucky her sister is, and certainly she has her worries. —
大家都说她妹妹有多幸运，当然，她也有自己的烦恼。 —

The only man you can trust is the man who is willing to make do with one wife. —
唯一可信赖的人是那个愿意只守一位妻子的人。 —

I know that well enough from my own experience. —
我从自己的经验中深有体会。 —

The prince at Uji was a fine, sensitive gentleman, but he treated me as if I were less than human. —
宇治的亲王是一个优雅细腻的绅士，但他对待我就好像我不是人一样。 —

I can’t tell you how much I suffered. The governor is a complete boor and not at all good-looking, but the years have gone quietly by because he has been faithful to me. —
我不知道该如何形容我受的苦。那位州知事完全是个粗人，长相也一般，但这些年过得相安无事，是因为他对我忠诚。 —

The sort of thing he did tonight isn’t easy to live with, but he has never given me reason to be jealous. —
他今晚做的那种事，让人难以忍受，但他从未让我感到嫉妒的理由。 —

When we have had our quarrels they have been out in the open. —
我们有过争执，但都是当面解决的。 —

All those grand houses, ministers and princes and that sort of people — they may be so stylish they make you dizzy. —
所有那些高官显贵，大臣和王子之类的人 — 他们或许风华绝代得让你眼花缭乱。 —

But a woman has to remember her place in the world. —
但一个女人必须记得自己在世界上的位置。 —

That’s what makes all the difference, and that’s why I’m so sad for the poor child. —
这就是造成所有差别的原因，也是为什么我为这个可怜的孩子感到难过。 —

I only wish I could make her a match that people wouldn’t laugh at.”
我只希望能为她找个不会让人嘲笑的配偶。

The governor, busy with his own preparations, looked in upon them once more. —
忙于自己准备事务的知事再次走进来看了一眼。 —

“You have all these pretty young things. Send them over to be with my Himegimi. —
“你那么多漂亮的年轻姑娘。就送她们去陪我的姬君吧。” —

And I understand you have new bed curtains. —
我听说你们有新的床帷。 —

We haven’t had much time, so we’ll just make do with them.”
我们没有太多时间，所以就凑合着用吧。”

Jumping up and sitting down and jumping up again, he directed the operations. —
跳跃起身，坐下，再跳起来，他指挥着操作。 —

The rooms had been appointed in quiet good taste, but he had screens brought in until they made solid walls, and vanities and cupboards until they seemed to be fighting for space. —
这些房间的陈设是相当雅致的，但他让人们搬来屏风，直到它们变成了实体墙壁，搬来梳妆台和橱柜，直到它们似乎在争夺空间。 —

He was very pleased with himself. His wife had better taste, but she kept her peace, resolved not to interfere. —
他对自己感到很满意。他的妻子品味更好，但她保持沉默，决心不去干涉。 —

Ukifune had withdrawn to an inner room.
公主已经退到内室。

“I know you,” he said. “Well, my girl is your girl too, and maybe you could help just a little. —
“我认识你，”他说。“嗯，我的女孩也是你的女孩，也许你可以帮上一点忙。 —

But it doesn’t matter. Plenty of girls get by without mothers.”
但不要紧。许多女孩没有母亲也能过得去。”

Himegimi’s nurse had been at work since noonday, and the results were not at all displeasing. —
公主的奶妈从中午时分就开始忙碌，结果令人满意。 —

Himegimi was fifteen or sixteen, small and plump, with hair that trailed to the hems of her skirts and was thick and luxuriant to the farthest edges. —
公主十五或十六岁，身材娇小丰满，头发披到裙摆的边缘，浓密丰盛到无边无际。 —

The governor was very proud of it.
总督为此感到非常自豪。

“Maybe I should feel guilty about taking a man my wife had other ideas about. —
“也许我应该感到内疚，去抢走一个我妻子心目中其他人的男子。 —

But he’s too good to let get away. The whole town’s after him, and someone might get him, and I wouldn’t want that to happen. —
但他太好了，不能让他白白溜走。整个城镇都在追求他，有人可能会得到他，我可不想这种事发生。 —

” The go-between had been very successful.
媒人非常成功。

As for the lieutenant, his future seemed bright. The governor was known to be very rich. —
至于中尉，他的前程似乎一片光明。总督众所周知是非常富有的人。 —

Not even bothering to change the date, he made his nuptial visit.
甚至连改变日期的时间都没有，他进行了婚礼访问。

The mother and the nurse were outraged. Poor Ukifune was as good as homeless.
母亲和护士感到愤怒。可怜的憉舟就如同无家可归一般。

And so the mother wrote to Nakanokimi, Prince Niou’s wife: —
母亲于是写信给中内君，两仙家的王妃： —

“I have thought that It would be impertinent of me to approach you without good reason, and so I have not written. —
“我一直认为毫无理由地接近你是很无礼的，所以我一直没有写信。 —

Certain developments now make life rather difficult for my daughter, and it seems advisable that she be away from here for a time. —
某些事态的发展让我女儿的生活变得相当困难，似乎有必要让她离开这里一段时间。 —

If there were a place in your house where she could hide, attracting the attention of no one, I should be very happy indeed. —
如果你家中有个地方可以让她躲起来，不引起任何人的注意，我会非常高兴。 —

It is not possible for an insignificant person like myself to see adequately to her needs, and sad events do have a way in this world of piling one upon another. —
像我这样一个无足轻重的人不可能充分照顾她的需要，悲伤的事情在这个世界上确实总是迭加。 —

I have no one to turn to except you.”
我已无人可依。”

She was in tears as she wrote. Nakanokimi was deeply moved, but in a quandary. —
写这封信时，她泪流满面。中内君感动至深，但陷入了困境。 —

Would it be right for her, the guardian of his memory, to take in the daughter to whom her father had to the end denied recognition? —
作为他记忆的守护者，接纳这位父亲直到最后未曾承认的女儿合适吗？ —

And on the other hand it would not be easy to look away while her sister suffered and perhaps went to ruin. —
另一方面，看着她的姐妹遭受痛苦，甚至可能毁灭，也不容易掉头而去。 —

Nor would it do honor to the memory of her father if, for no good reason, the two were to become strangers. —
如果没有正当理由，她们二人成为陌路人，也无法向她父亲的记忆致敬。 —

What was she to do?
她该怎么办？

In an agony of indecision, she appealed to the woman Tayū.
在痛苦的犹豫中，她求助于女人太太。

“She must have her reasons,” said Tayū. “Please do not answer in a way that might strike her as even slightly unfriendly. —
太太说：“她一定有她的理由，请不要回复任何可能让她感到丝毫不友好的方式。 —

Daughters of low-ranking mistresses are always keeping company with daughters of proper wives. —
低级妾室的女儿总是和正室的女儿交往在一起。” —

Your good father was altogether too inflexible.”
你的好父亲实在太过死板。

The princess sent off her answer: “We have a place in the west wing where she may hide. —
公主回了复信：“我们西厢有个地方可以让她躲藏。 —

It will be uncomfortable, I am sure, but if she can bear with it she is most welcome.”
我确定会很不舒服，但如果她能忍受的话，她是最受欢迎的。”

The mother was delighted, and the two of them, mother and daughter, slipped out of the house. —
母亲很高兴，母女俩悄悄离开了房屋。 —

Ukifune was by now rather happy at her misfortune, because it offered a chance for new intimacy with her sister.
玉舟对自己的不幸感到相当开心，因为这为她与妹妹建立新的亲密关系提供了机会。

The governor had been determined that his new son-in-law be re ceived with the utmost splendor; —
总督坚决要求他新女婿受到最大的辉煌接待； —

but the restraint that makes for true brilliance was foreign to him. —
但是束缚真正辉煌的那种克制对他是陌生的。 —

He scattered East Country silks in all directions, and at the banquet, a clamorous affair, the dishes threatened to crowd one another off the tables. —
他四处撒播东国绫罗，宴会上一番热闹，菜肴差点挤满餐桌。 —

The underlings were delighted at all this largesse, and even the lieutenant was pleased. —
下属们都为这些富贵欢喜，甚至连副将都感到高兴。 —

It had been clever of him to woo the governor. —
这样巧妙地追求总督是他的功劳。 —

The governor’s wife suffered in silence, acquiescing in her husband’s demands, for she could hardly be absent from the festivities. —
总督夫人默默忍受着丈夫的要求，因为她几乎不能缺席宴会。 —

This room was to be for the lieutenant, those over there for his attendants, and in the end scarcely a room was left in the whole vast house. —
这间房是给副将的，那边是他的随从，最终整栋巨大的房子几乎没有空房间留下。 —

The Minamoto councillor occupied the east wing, and the governor had many sons. —
源氏辅政占领着东厢，总督有很多儿子。 —

Himegimi having taken over Ukifune’s west wing, Ukifune herself would have to make do with a corner of a gallery somewhere.
姫君接管了玉舟的西厢，玉舟自己只能在某处的走廊角落里安顿。

It was in these desperate circumstances that the governor’s wife thought of Nakanokimi. —
在这种绝望的情况下，总督夫人想起中君。 —

With no powerful relatives, poor Ukifune would suffer increasing scorn and abuse. —
没有权势的亲戚支持，贫穷的六船会遭受越来越多的蔑视和虐待。 —

The governor’s wife did not find it easy to seek the help of a lady whose father had refused to accept his responsibilities.
州官的夫人找不到求助于一个父亲拒绝承担责任的女士的事情容易。

The girl’s nurse and two or three young attendants went with them. —
女孩的保姆和两三个年轻侍女和她们一起去了。 —

A room had been prepared at the northwest corner of the west wing, remote from the main activities of the house. —
一间房间在西厢房的西北角已经准备好，远离房子主要的活动。 —

They had lived far apart over the years, the princess and the governor’s wife, but they were not, after all, complete strangers. —
多年来，公主和州官的夫人生活得很遥远，但毕竟他们并不完全陌生。 —

The princess received her guests warmly. —
公主热情地接待了客人。 —

Used to a different sort of company, the governor’s wife thought her charming. —
习惯了不同类型的交往，州官的夫人觉得她很迷人。 —

Yet envy at the young mother and child before her was mixed in with the pleasure. —
然而，对她面前的年轻母亲和孩子的嫉妒也夹杂着愉悦。 —

Was she herself so utterly inferior to the wife of the Eighth Prince? —
她自己难道比第八皇子的妻子差到这种地步吗？ —

No, he had refused to accept her only because she had been in domestic service. —
不，他拒绝接受她只是因为她曾经在家庭服务中。 —

There could be no other reason for such scorn. —
没有其他原因可以解释这种蔑视。 —

Forcing her daughter upon the princess had not been easy for her. —
强迫她的女儿托付给公主对她来说并不容易。 —

Word having been sent out that the girl was in retreat, no one came to her room. —
有人传话说女孩正在闭关，所以没有人来拜访她的房间。 —

The mother stayed for several days, quietly studying the household.
母亲呆了几天，悄悄地研究着这个家庭。

Niou appeared one day. Overcome with curiosity, the governor’s wife looked out through a crack between two doors, and thought him radiant as a cherry in full bloom. —
有一天鸟绪来了。州官的夫人好奇心泛滥，透过两扇门之间的缝隙望去，觉得他如盛开的樱花一样灿烂。 —

Numerous courtiers of the Fourth and Fifth ranks waited upon him, far superior in manner and appearance to the husband upon whom she depended, and whom, maddening though he might be, she did not mean to reject. —
第四、第五等级的众多侍从等候着他，举止和外表都远比她所依赖的丈夫要出色得多，尽管他可能让人发狂，但她并不打算拒绝他。 —

Nakanokimi’s stewards came in to discuss this and that problem in their several domains. —
中间步军的管家们进来讨论各自领域的问题。 —

Among the young courtiers of the Fifth Rank were many whom she did not recognize. —
在第五等级的年轻侍从中，有许多她认不出来的人。 —

Her own stepson, a secretary in the ministry of rites, came with a message from court, but he was of too inferior a rank to address the prince. —
她自己的继子，一个礼部的秘书，带着一则宫廷消息来了，但他地位太低，无法直接向王子发问。 —

What glory, she thought; and what happiness to be near him! —
她想，多么荣耀啊；多么幸福能够靠近他！ —

Why should an outsider like herself have thought that, grand though he might be, he meant unhappiness for his princess? —
为什么像她这样的局外人认为，尽管他可能很伟大，却会给他的公主带来不幸？ —

She should have known better. So remarkable were his face and his bearing as he took the child in his arms that any woman should be delighted at the meager prospect of an annual interview, like the stars at their midsummer meeting. —
她应该知道得更清楚。他将孩子抱在怀里时，他的脸和举止是如此显著，任何女人都会因一年一度的见面而欣喜若狂，就像星星在仲夏相会一样。 —

The princess was behind a low curtain, which he pushed aside as he spoke to her. —
公主身后挂着一道低垂的帘子，他在同她说话时把它掀开。 —

They were a perfect match. The governor’s wife thought of the Eighth Prince and the lonely life he had led, and knew that there were princes and there were princes.
他们是天作之合。总督夫人想到了第八皇子和他过去孤单的生活，知道有皇子和有皇子之分。

Niou withdrew to the bedchamber. Nurses and young serving women were left in charge of the child. —
牛王退回寝室。护士和年轻女仆被留下照看孩子。 —

Visitors came in swarms, but he said that he was not feeling well and stayed in bed until nightfall. The elegance of each small detail quite dazzled the governor’s wife. —
来宾络绎不绝，但他称自己感觉不舒服，一直躺在床上，直到夜幕降临。总督夫人被每一个小细节的优雅所眩惑。 —

She had thought herself dedicated to the pursuit of good taste, and she saw now that there was a certain point beyond which ordinary people could not go. —
她曾以追求品位为己任，现在她看到了一个普通人无法达到的某一点。 —

But she had one daughter, at least, who could mix with the best of them. —
但她至少有一个女儿，可以与最优秀的人交往。 —

They too were her daughters, the girls the governor talked of buying ministries and thrones for; —
他们也是她的女儿，总督想要为她们购置部长和王位； —

yet how different! She must not give up, she must persist with her high ambitions. —
然而他们又如何不同！她不能放弃，她必须坚持自己的高远抱负。 —

She lay awake all night, thinking of the future.
她整夜难以入眠，想着未来。

The sun was high when Niou arose. The empress was again indisposed, he said, changing to court dress, and he must inquire after her. —
拧起眉头的时候，宁王起床时太后再次身体不适，他说要去问候一下她，然后换上了朝服。 —

Still consumed with curiosity, the governor’s wife looked out through the same aperture. —
尽管心中仍然充满好奇，总督的妻子还是透过同一个孔隙向外张望。 —

In formal dress he was incomparable. He sat dandling the child, clearly reluctant to leave; —
穿上正装的他无与伦比。他坐着抱着孩子，明显不愿离开； —

but finally, after a light breakfast, he made his way out. —
但最终，在吃过一顿简单的早餐后，他还是离开了。 —

His escort had emerged from the barracks. —
他的护送人员已经从兵营走出来。 —

Among them was one who, though dressed well enough (he had on a lined robe and wore a sword), had not one mark of real distinction. —
其中有一个人虽然穿得体面（他穿着一件带衬里的长袍，腰间佩着一把剑），却毫无真正的显赫之处。 —

Indeed, he was rather homely. Before the prince he shrank to a cipher.
事实上，他相当不起眼。在王子面前，他如同一个无足轻重的人。

The women were talking.
这些妇女在交谈着。

“That’s the lieutenant, the governor of Hitachi’s son-in-law. —
“那个是中台守的女婿中尉。 —

He was supposed to marry our new guest, but he thought he’d do better for himself if he married one of the governor’s daughters. —
他原本应该娶我们的新客人，但他认为如果娶中台守的女儿会更好。 —

So he got himself a little dwarf of a thing.”
于是他找了个矮子。”

“The lady hasn’t said a word.”
“那位女士一个字也没说。”

“But we have our ways. We have our spies over there.”
“但我们有办法。我们派了密探在那里。”

Only half listening, the governor’s wife was suddenly attentive, and startled. —
虽然只听了一半，总督的妻子突然变得专注起来，吓了一跳。 —

So that was who the man was! What a fool she had been to think him even remotely acceptable! —
原来那个男人就是他！她真是愚蠢至极，竟然曾经觉得他还能勉强接受！ —

She had only contempt for him now.
她现在对他只有鄙视。

On hands and knees, the little prince was peering from under a blind. —
小王子趴在地上，从盲目中仔细地观察。 —

Niou came back and gave him another bouncing.
牛王子回来又把他抱起。

“If the empress is feeling better, I’ll come straight home. —
“如果皇后觉得好点了，我就立刻回家。否则我想我得留到早晨。哪怕只是离开一个晚上，我也讨厌。” —

Otherwise I suppose I’ll have to stay until morning. —
府州太君注视着，直到他最后离开，他走后，她感到孤独。 —

I do hate to be away for even a single night.”
她无法找到足够强烈的赞美之词。

The governor’s wife gazed on and on until finally he made his departure, and when he was gone she was somehow lonely.
中宫微笑着想，这种缺乏约束的行为有点像乡下人。

She could not find strong enough words of praise. —
“当你母亲去世的时候，你还是个婴儿。我们所有人，包括你的父亲，都在想，你将来会怎么样。你出生在幸运的星座。 —

Nakanokimi smiled, thinking the lack of restraint a bit countrified.
所以你能在山里长大，依然成为现在这个出色的少女。

“You were a mere infant when your mother died. —
可惜你的姐姐不得不离开我们。” —

All of us, and your father too, wondered what would become of you. You were born under lucky stars. —
她流泪了，令中宫的眼睛也湿润了。 —

That’s why you could grow up way off in the mountains and still be the fine young lady you are. —
Nakanokimi微笑着，想着缺乏约束有点像乡下人。 —

What a tragedy that your sister had to leave us.”
“Your father too， wondered what would become of you. 你父亲也，一直在想你以后会怎样。

She was in tears, and Nakanokimi’s eyes were moist. —
你在幸运的星座下诞生，所以你能在山里长大，依然成为现在这个出色的少女。 —

“A person lives on, and there are times when anger and resentment seem very far away. —
“一个人继续生活着，有时候愤怒和怨恨似乎很遥远。” —

I have become resigned to a great many things — that I was fated to live longer than those who were most important to me, that I was not meant to know my own mother. —
“我对很多事情已经尘埃落定 — 我命中注定比我最重要的人活得更久，我注定不能认识自己的母亲。” —

But I do go on weeping for my sister. Why did she have to die, when a man like the general, a man of real feeling, could not take his mind from her?”
“然而我依然为我的姐姐哭泣。为什么她必须去世，而像将军这样真心实感的男人却放不下她？”

“But isn’t he just a little too pleased with himself, now that the emperor has singled him out for special attention? —
“但他是不是有点自鸣得意，现在皇帝特别关注他了？” —

If your sister were still alive, there would be the other princess standing between them.”
“如果你的姐姐还活着，另一个公主将站在他们之间。”

“I wonder. We would have been alike, you mean, with the whole world laughing at us? —
“我在想。我们会很相像，你是这个意思吗，整个世界都在嘲笑我们？” —

You may be right. It may be better that she died. —
“你可能是对的。她去世可能更好。” —

He goes on grieving, I suppose, because she never let him come near. But it is more than that. —
“他继续悲伤，我想，因为她从未让他靠近。但不仅仅是这样。” —

He seems completely unable to forget — it is very odd, really. —
“他似乎完全无法忘记 — 真的非常奇怪。” —

And he has taken care of all the memorial services for Father. —
“而且他一直在安排父亲的各种追悼仪式。” —

” She did not mention the more troublesome aspects of their relationship.
”她没有提及他们关系中更为棘手的方面。”

“He seems to have told the nun at Uji that he would like to have my daughter, useless little thing, in place of your poor dead sister. —
“他似乎告诉宇治寺的尼姑，他愿意让我的女儿，这个无用的小东西，代替你可怜的死去的妹妹。” —

It is not for me to say it, I know, but there are’those lavender grasses.’”
“我知道我无权说这番话，不过却有‘那些薰衣草’。”

In tears, she went on to tell of Ukifune’s troubles. —
她含着泪，继续讲述浮舟的困扰。 —

Thinking that Nakanokimi might have heard of the affair, though not perhaps in detail, she spoke obliquely of how the girl had been wronged by her stepfather and the lieutenant.
虽然以为那位中宫可能听说过这事，尽管细节未必，她侧面提到了那个女孩被继父和校尉所伤害的事情。

“While I am alive we can somehow get by, I suppose. —
“我活着的时候，我们可能还能勉强维持下去，我想。 —

I can take care of her after a fashion, and we can be a comfort to each other. —
我能在某种程度上照顾她，我们可以彼此成为慰藉。 —

But what awful things will happen to her when I die and leave her behind? —
但当我去世离开她时，她会遭遇多么可怕的事情？ —

I worry, and have almost decided that it would be best to give up the idea of finding a husband for her, and put her in a nunnery somewhere off in the mountains.”
我担心，几乎已经决定最好放弃为她找个丈夫的想法，把她送到一座离山上某处的修道院。

“Yes, it is very sad. But we who have been left behind must learn to live with insults. —
“是的，这很悲哀。但我们被留下的人必须学会忍受侮辱。 —

It was not possible for my sister and me to go into a nunnery, and so Father chose the next-best thing, and taught us to live alone, away from the world. —
我和姐姐没有可能进入修道院，因此父亲选择了次好的事物，教会我们独自生活，远离世俗。 —

And here I am, living this strange life, right in the middle of the city. —
而我就是，在城市的中心生活着这种奇怪的生活。 —

No, you mustn’t think of it. I couldn’t bear to see her in those awful blacks and grays.”
不，你不可以这样想。我无法忍受看到她身穿那些可怕的黑灰色衣服。”

It had been spoken with care and gravity, and the governor’s wife was much comforted. —
“这话说得非常慎重认真，使省长夫人非常安慰。 —

Though no longer young, she dressed with modest good taste. —
虽然不再年轻，她穿着端庄得体。 —

She had not, however, been able to control a tendency toward fleshiness, and her generous proportions made her an admirable match for His Eminence of Hitachi.
然而，她控制不住肥胖的倾向，她丰腴的身材使她成了一个令人赞赏的相配者，与常陸宮的尊者。

“Your esteemed father was not kind to her, I have always thought, and that is why the world chooses to treat her as if she were less than human; —
“我一直认为，你尊敬的父亲不善待她，这就是为什么世人选择把她当作不是人的原因； —

but what you have said does a great deal to help me forget the old sorrow. —
但你说的话对我来说有很大帮助来忘记那旧悲伤。 —

” She talked of her life over the years and of places she had seen, wild, remote places like Ukishima. —
“她谈论了这些年的生活以及她看过的地方，像是乌希岛这样的荒凉偏远之地。 —

“ I was’left alone to think these dismal thoughts,’ and now I find such pleasure in your company that I would like to stay on and on, and possibly give you some idea of what it is like to live at the foot of Tsukuba, where there is no one, literally no one, to talk to. —
“我被‘独自留下来去想这些令人沮丧的念头’，现在我发现与你在一起如此愉悦，我希望能一直留下来，也许给你一些关于在筑波山脚下生活是什么感觉，那里没有人，真的没有人，可以交谈。” —

But all those other tiresome children will be raising a great stir, I know, and I am, after all, a little restless. —
但是所有那些令人厌烦的孩子们肯定会闹得沸沸扬扬，我知道，而且我也有点不安。 —

I know better than most what it means to lose your proper place in the world, and so I shall leave her with you, and say no more.”
我比大多数人更明白失去自己在世界中合适地位意味着什么，所以我会把她留给你们，不多说了。”

The list of her grievances stretched on. Nakanokimi did indeed hope that something could be done for the girl, who was certainly attractive and seemed to have a pleasant disposition. —
她的抱怨清单拉得很长。中留希望能为这个女孩做些什么，她确实很吸引人，似乎性情也不错。 —

She was quiet and composed and yet not excessively shy, and her way of avoiding the scrutiny of even Nakanokimi’s women suggested that she was not wanting in intelligence. —
她沉默自若，不过也不过分害羞，躲避中留女眷监视的方式表明她并不缺乏智慧。 —

Her speech was astonishingly reminiscent of Oigimi’s. —
她的谈吐令人惊讶地让人想起了乙君。 —

Yes, thought Nakanokimi, remembering that there had been talk of a statue of her sister. —
是的，中留想着，回忆起有人谈论过要立一尊她妹妹的雕像。 —

She would like to have him see this image.
她想让他看看这个塑像。

And just then there came a shouting. “The general is here, the general is here?”
就在那时传来一阵喧闹声。“将军来了，将军来了？”

The usual care went into arranging the curtains.
像往常一样，帷幕被精心布置起来。

“I must have a look at him,” said the governor’s wife. —
“我一定要看看他，”知府的夫人说。 —

“Everyone says he’s wonderfully handsome, but of course he can’t possibly be as handsome as the prince.”
“大家都说他英俊得很，但当然无法与王子相比。”

“We don’t know about that,” replied the women. —
“我们不确定，”女人们回答说。 —

“We’d be hard put to choose between them.”
“要在他们并肩站立时来选择倒是很困难。”

“When they are side by side,” said Nakanokimi, “my husband seems rather short on good looks; —
“当他们分开时，”中留说，“我丈夫的容貌似乎有些欠缺； —

but when they are apart it really is impossible to decide which one is the better-looking. —
但当他们分开时，真的很难说哪一个更帅气。” —

The way good looks have of blotting out everyone else can be rather annoying.”
看起来帅气的人总是会把其他人都挤到一边，有点烦人。

“This is just talk,” laughed one of her women. —
“这只是说说而已，”她的一个女人笑道。 —

“It would take a very extraordinary man to blot out Prince Niou.”
“恐怕很少有人能够让丹丘陛下黯然失色。”

Now he was getting out of his carriage, came the report; —
现在他正走出他的马车，传来了报告; —

but he was concealed by his retinue, shouting to clear the way. Then they saw him approaching. —
但由于他的随从遮挡着，一片喧嚷声中才看到他正在走来。 —

Yes, thought the governor’s wife: these were not the showy kind of good looks, but the impression was of a gentle elegance such as to make one feel rather common. —
是的，省长夫人想：这种外表并不炫目，但印象却是一种细致的优雅，使人感到相形见绌。 —

She smoothed her hair at the forehead.
她在额前抚平了头发。

He had a large retinue, for he was on his way home from court.
他带着一大批随从，因为他正在从宫廷回家的路上。

“I was told last night that Her Majesty was ill. —
“昨晚有人告诉我陛下病了。 —

She seemed lonely without her children, and so I stayed on in place of the prince. —
她没有孩子在身边，显得有些孤独，所以我代替了王子留了下来。 —

He was late this morning too. You must be charged with responsibility for these delinquencies, I fear.”
他今天早上又迟到了。我担心您必须为这些疏忽负责。”

“Very kind of you,” she answered simply, “I am sure.”
“您太好了，”她简单地回答道，“我相信。”

He of course had something on his mind, for he had come at a time when he knew that Niou would be at court. —
他当然有心事，因为他知道丹丘会在宫廷。 —

His manner was, as always, affectionately nostalgic. —
他总是带着深情的怀旧之情说话。 —

He spoke with circumspection of his inability to forget the past and his unhappiness with his marriage. —
他慎重地谈到了他无法忘记过去以及对他的婚姻的不快。 —

How, she wondered, could he go on forever thinking of her sister? —
她想，他怎么会永远都只想着她妹妹呢？ —

Or was there an element of pretense in his tenacity? —
他的坚持中是否有些伪装的成分？ —

Having been so ardent at the outset, he would not have it thought that he had forgotten? —
他起初如此热烈，不想让人觉得他已经忘记？ —

But he seemed so open with her that, not being a log or a stone, she had presently to recognize the genuineness of his sorrow. —
但他对她如此坦诚，她不是木头石头，不得不承认他的悲伤是真挚的。 —

She sighed. Then, perhaps hoping to wash away part of the pain, she mentioned the “image” of which they had spoken. —
她叹了口气。然后，也许希望能洗刷部分痛苦，她提到了他们谈过的“形象”。 —

An image had come in secret to this very house, she let it be known.
一尊形象已经秘密地来到这所房子，她透露了这个消息。

This was exciting news. He longed to be shown to the girl’s presence, but feared that he might seem capricious.
这是令人激动的消息。他渴望被领到女孩的面前，但又担心自己可能会显得反复无常。

“It would indeed be a comfort if an idol were to come at my command. —
“如果一个偶像能听从我的指令，那的确会是一种安慰。 —

But a bad conscience would only muddy the waters.”
但是一个虚伪的良心只会搅浑水。

“It is not easy to be a saint.” She laughed a soft laugh which the governor’s wife found charming.
“做一个圣人并不容易。”她轻轻笑了笑，那笑声让总督夫人觉得迷人。

“But you might at least describe my feelings to them. —
“但你至少可以把我的感受描述给他们听听。 —

I am reminded of an earlier case of evasion and it does not bode well for the future. —
我想起了早些时候的一个逃避案例，这对未来并不吉兆。 —

” There were tears in his voice, which he sought to cover with a playful poem.
”他的声音里带着泪水，他试图用一首俏皮的诗来掩饰。

“The permanent loan, if you please, of a useful image,
“请永久借给我一个有用的形象，

A handy memento, to take away the gloom.”
一个方便的纪念品，带走阴霾。”

“To float downstream afresh at each atonement,
“每次赎罪都像从新漂流，

And yet to have forever at your side?
永远有你在身边？

No, there are too many hands tugging at you. I would fear for the poor girl.”
不，有太多双手在拽你。我会为那个可怜的女孩担忧。”

“You know very well which shoal I shall come upon in the end. —
“你心知肚明我最终会碰到哪个暗礁。 —

Please do not pretend that you do not. I am like the foam that sinks and rises again, and I find your talk of being floated downstream very much to the point. —
请不要假装不知道。我就像沉浮起伏的泡沫，觉得你说的漂流下游非常贴切。 —

Where will the foam come to rest?”
泡沫将会停息在哪里？”

It was growing dark, and she had her guests to think about. —
天色渐晚，她还要考虑客人们。 —

“I do seem to have some people with me at the moment, and must have a thought or two for appearances. —
“我现在好像有些人在身边，必须顾忌一下形象。 —

Suppose you go home early, this one time.”
这次你就早点回家吧。”

“You might tell her, if it would not be too much trouble, that these feelings have been with me for some years, and that it would be wrong of her to think herself the victim of a sudden whim. —
“如果可以的话，你可以告诉她，这些感觉已经伴随我多年，她不应该以为自己是突然的一时冲动的受害者。 —

But I tend to be wrapped up in myself, and handle these matters clumsily.”
但我常常被自己困扰，处理这些事情很笨拙。”

And he went out.
他走了出去。

The governor’s wife thought him splendid, indeed quite flawless. —
州长夫人觉得他太完美了，甚至是无懈可击的。 —

Bennokimi had on more than one occasion spoken of a possibility which she had dismissed as altogether too remote; —
本诺基米曾多次提到一个她认为太过遥远的可能性； —

but now she thought that one could easily wait a whole year to bathe in the light of such a star. —
但现在她觉得一个人可以轻易等待一整年，只为沐浴在那样一颗星星的光辉之下。 —

She was determined that her daughter go to no ordinary man; —
她决心不能让她的女儿嫁给平凡的男人； —

and she was aghast at her want of discrimination (for she had long kept company with rough East Country people) in thinking the lieutenant acceptable. —
她对她缺乏辨别力感到震惊(因为她长期与粗野的东部乡村人为伴)，觉得中尉是可以接受的。 —

As for the perfume left at the cypress pillar and upon the cushion, she despaired of finding words to describe it.
至于留在柏柱和靠垫上的香水，她绝望于找不到词语来描述它。

And those who knew him well had to praise him afresh. —
那些了解他的人不得不再次赞扬他。 —

“The good books tell us that a strong perfume is one of the real signs of grace. It must be true. —
“好书告诉我们，浓烈的香气是恩典的真正迹象之一。这一定是真的。 —

There’s that sandalwood from Oxhead Mountain (awful name) that the Lotus Sutra makes so much of. —
有那个来自牛头山的檀香(真是个可怕的名字)，《法华经》大谈特谈。 —

The first whiff of him and you know what it means. —
闻到他的第一口气，你就知道是什么意思。 —

He’s been at his books and beads ever since he was a little boy.”
他从小就埋头于书本和念珠。”

And another: “What I’d like to know is what he was up to in other lives to deserve it all.”
还有一个:“我想知道他在前世中做了些什么才配享受这一切。”

The governor’s wife listened smiling.
州牧夫人微笑着听着。

Nakanokimi relayed certain of his remarks. —
中息姬转述了他的一些话。 —

“And once he has made up his mind to something, it becomes an obsession with him. —
“一旦他下定决心，对他来说，那就成了一个执念。 —

Nothing can budge him. Yes, I know that his life is complicated; —
没有什么能动摇他。是的，我知道他的生活很复杂； —

but if you really have thought of sending her off to a nunnery, you have nothing to lose by giving him a try.”
但如果你真的考虑送她去庵堂，给他一个机会也无妨。”

“Yes, it is true that I’ve thought of sending her where’no birds fly singing overhead. —
“是的，我曾考虑过送她去‘没有鸟儿飞过头顶歌唱的’地方。 —

’ I’ve thought of it as the only way to protect her. —
我一直把这当作保护她的唯一方法。 —

But now I see that just being near him, just being one of his servants, would give new meaning to life; —
但现在我明白，只要靠近他，只要成为他的一名仆人，就会赋予生活新的意义； —

and if that is the effect he has upon me, think what he must do to a young girl. —
如果他对我产生了这样的影响，想想他会对一个年轻女孩做成什么样的影响。 —

But I don’t know — she is such an unattractive little thing — we might just be asking for trouble. —
但我不知道 — 她是个如此不招人喜欢的小姑娘 — 或许我们只会自讨苦吃。 —

Life is not good to us women. All of us, high and low, have to live with unhappiness, in this life and all the others. —
生活对我们女人并不公平。无论地位高低，我们都不得不忍受不幸，这一生和来生都是如此。 —

I want to weep, just thinking about it. But I leave everything to you. —
我想哭，只是一想到就觉得心痛。但我把一切都交给你。 —

I know you will do the right thing.”
我相信你会做正确的事情。”

“As I have said, he has been honesty itself through the years.” Nakanokimi sighed. —
“正如我所说，他这些年来一直诚实。”中衣姬叹了口气。 —

This new responsibility was not entirely welcome. —
这个新的责任并不完全受欢迎。 —

“But we can never be sure of the future. —
“但我们永远无法确定未来。 —

” She said no more.
”她没有再多说。

The next morning a carriage came for the governor’s wife, and with it a strongly worded letter. —
第二天早晨，一个马车来接州长的妻子，信上字里行间充满了怒意。 —

The governor was angry.
州长很生气。

“I shouldn’t, I know, but I do leave everything to you. Keep her hidden for a while. —
“我不应该这么做，我知道，但我还是把一切都交给你。暂时把她藏起来。 —

She is useless, but keep her with you, and teach her what she needs to know. —
她没用，但要和你在一起，教她需要知道的一切。 —

I’ll be thinking what to do with her, whether to send her oft to some cave among the rocks, or what. —
我会考虑怎么处理她，是送她去岩石间的洞穴，还是别的办法。 —

” She was in tears as she got into her carriage.
她泪流满面地上了马车。

This was Ukifune’s first separation from her mother, and she was of course sad; —
这是宇治船的第一次与母亲分开，她当然很难过； —

and yet the prospect of living with her sister for a time in a bright, fashionable house was not unpleasing.
但与姐姐一起在一个明亮、时髦的房子里生活的前景并不令人不快。

The carriage left at dawn. Niou and his retinue, on their way from court, were just then coming in the gate. —
马车在黎明时分离开了。丹后和他的随行人员，正好从宫廷返回，正在走进大门。 —

Having slipped away for a quiet visit with his son, he had few attendants and his carriage was plainer than his rank called for. —
他悄悄离开去见自己的儿子，只有几个随从，他的马车比他的身份要低调一些。 —

The governor’s wife had her carriage pulled aside while his was brought up to a gallery. —
州守的夫人的马车被腾到一边，而他的马车被拉到了一个长廊。 —

He glared at the other party suspiciously. And who would they be, sneaking away in the night? —
他怀疑地瞪着另一派。他们是谁，半夜悄悄溜走？ —

So it was, he said to himself, that an adventurer made his escape. —
他对自己说，这就是一个冒险者逃跑的方式。 —

He had a not very lovable way of judging others by himself.
他那种用不怎么可爱的方式以自己来评判别人的习惯。

One of her attendants identified her as “a noble person from Hitachi.”
她的一个随从把她认定为“来自常陆的贵人”。

“A noble person from Hitachi!” His young men roared with laughter. —
“来自常陆的贵人！”他的年轻人们哈哈大笑起来。 —

“Suppose we give them a bit of the real thing for their troubles.”
“让我们给他们一点真实的东西，以抚慰他们的烦恼。”

Yes, sighed the governor’s wife, it had been a poor choice of words; —
是的，州守的夫人叹了口气，那是一个不恰当的措辞； —

in such company she was scarcely to be called noble. —
在这样的公司里，她几乎不能被称作贵人。 —

And she so longed to make a decent match for her daughter, who certainly deserved a better than ordinary husband.
她渴望为女儿找个体面的对象，她的女儿确实配得上比一般丈夫更好的人选。

Niou made his way inside. “And so you have had a noble person from Hitachi with you? —
新雄朝里走去。“你们跟你们一起有一位来自常陆的贵人吗？ —

A carriage and guard disappearing in the night — I think most people would find it suspicious.”
夜晚一辆马车和护卫消失了，我觉得大多数人都会觉得可疑。”

He was impossible. She turned away in a show of annoyance which he thought charming.
他真是不可理喻。她掉转头去，装出生气的样子，他觉得很迷人。

“It was an old friend of Tayū‘s — no one interesting enough for you to concern yourself with. —
“是太太的一位老友 - 对你来说不值得关注的人。 —

Why must you always put the wrong meaning on things? —
你为什么总是曲解事情？ —

You seem absolutely intent on turning people against me.”
你似乎完全想要把人们变得敌对。”

He slept on as if the sun had not risen. Presently a party of courtiers arrived, and he went to receive them in the main hall. —
他继续睡着，好像太阳还没有升起。不久一群朝臣到来，他去大厅接待他们。 —

The empress was better, it seemed, her indisposition not having been serious. —
皇后似乎好转了，她的不适似乎并不严重。 —

Thus relieved of court duties, he passed several pleasant hours with Yūgiri’s sons and others, in such pursuits as Go and rhyme guessing.
因此解除了朝廷职务后，他与弓折的儿子和其他人度过了几个愉快的小时光，一起下围棋和猜谜语。

In the evening he returned to the princess’s rooms. She was having her hair washed. —
傍晚他回到了公主的房间。她正在洗头发。 —

Most of her women had withdrawn. He sent a little girl in with a message: —
大多数侍女都已离开。他派一个小女孩送去一条消息： —

“A very nice time you have chosen for laundering your hair. —
“你选的洗头发的时间真好。 —

I don’t suppose you expect me to watch? —
我想你不会指望我看着吧？ —

And so I am to sit with my boredom?”
所以我要坐在这里无聊吗？”

“Yes, it is unfortunate,” agreed Tayū. “She usually washes her hair while you are away, but she has been putting it off and putting it off. —
“是的，真不幸。” 女管家太夫同意道。“通常你不在的时候她会洗头发，但是她一直推迟着。 —

This is the last good day before the end of the month, and of course she can’t do it next month or the month after. —
这是月底前的最后一个好日子，当然她接下来两个月也不可能了。 —

And so I have been at work on it.”
所以我一直在处理这件事。”

Several women were putting the baby prince to bed. —
几个女人正在哄宝贝王子入睡。 —

Wandering restlessly here and there, Niou came upon a girl whom he had not seen before, out towards the west veranda. —
尼奥到处游荡，发现了一个他之前没见过的女孩，靠近西边的走廊。 —

A new maidservant, perhaps? Midway along the partition a door was slightly open. —
新来的女仆吗？隔板中间的门微微开着。 —

About a foot beyond he saw a screen, and beside it a curtain backed by a blind. —
大约有一英尺远，他看到了一个屏风，旁边有一条被百叶窗挡住的帘子。 —

One section had been folded over the frame. —
有一部分被折叠在框架上。 —

From beneath protruded the sleeves of a bright lavender robe and a cloak of greenish yellow. —
从下面露出了一件亮紫色长袍和一件浅绿色的披风。 —

He could see without being seen, for one panel of the screen was folded back. —
他可以看见而不被发现，因为屏风的一块被折叠起来。 —

He softly opened the door a few inches more and edged closer to the mysterious lady. —
他轻轻再把门推开几英寸，靠近神秘女士。 —

The garden, enclosed by a gallery, was in the best of taste, a profusion of flowers with high rocks along a brook. —
花园被画廊环绕，布置精美，花朵盛开，溪边有高高的岩石。 —

The girl was at the edge of the veranda, leaning on an armrest and gazing out. —
女孩站在走廊边缘，倚在扶手上凝望着远方。 —

He opened the door yet a little more and peered from behind the screen. —
他再稍微打开门，从屏风后面窥视出去。 —

She was very pretty indeed as she looked up, thinking that one of the women had come in. —
当她抬起头，以为其中一位女子进来了，她的确十分漂亮。 —

Never one to hold back on such occasions, he clutched at her skirt. —
在这种场合，他从不犹豫，抓住了她的裙子。 —

He pushed the door shut with his other hand and seated himself beside the screen. —
他用另一只手把门推上，坐在屏风旁边。 —

Aware now that there was something unusual about the visitor, she brought a fan to her face, and, very engaging in her shyness, turned to see who he might be. —
她意识到访客有些不寻常，于是拿起一把扇子，非常害羞地转过身去看他是谁。 —

He took the hand that held the fan.
他握住了拿着扇子的手。

What was she to do? And who might he be? He had caught her quite unawares. —
她该怎么办呢？他可能是谁？他完全出乎她的意料。 —

His face averted, he was sitting in the shadow of the screen. —
他的脸被朝向屏风的阴影所遮蔽。 —

The gentleman who had expressed such an improbable interest in her, perhaps? —
可能是对她表现出如此不可思议的兴趣的那位绅士吗？ —

The fragrance suggested as much.
香味就暗示了这一点。

Her nurse, sensing the presence of the invader, pushed aside the screen. —
她的护士感知到了入侵者的存在，打开屏风。 —

“What is going on in here? Something very odd is going on in here.”
“这里发生了什么事？这里发生了非常奇怪的事。”

But he was not to be put off by so minor a reproof. —
但他并不因如此微小的责备而退却。 —

Though the encounter had been quite unplanned, he was at no loss for words. —
虽然这次邂逅并不是计划中的，但他并不缺乏言辞。 —

He talked of this and that, and soon it was evening.
他闲谈了这个那个，很快就到了晚上。

“What is your name? I won’t let you go till you tell me.”
“你叫什么名字？在你告诉我之前，我不会让你走。”

He stretched out familiarly beside her. The nurse was horrified, for she had at length guessed who he was.
他熟络地伸手躺在她旁边。护士感到震惊，因为她终于猜出了他是谁。

Lamps were being lighted at the eaves. The maids announced that Nakanokimi’s toilet was finished and that she had returned to the main room. —
屋檐上点亮了灯。女仆们宣布中君的卫生间已经整理好，她已回到主房间。 —

From other parts of the hall came the sound of shutters being closed. —
大厅的其他地方传来百叶窗关闭的声音。 —

Ukifune’s quarters, in a remote corner, were furnished with but a pair of highboys. —
浮船的房间，远处一角，只摆放了一对高柜。 —

Crated screens lay about in much disorder. —
拆卸的屏风四处散乱。 —

A door had been left open for routine comings and goings. —
一扇门被留着供日常出入。 —

Ukon, a daughter of Tayū also in Nakanokimi’s service, was closing the shutters, gradually nearer.
也是中君侍奉中的太夫的女儿的白昼逐渐靠近，关上百叶窗。

“My, but it’s dark in here. No one has brought you a light? Well just look at this, will you. —
“哎哟，这里真暗。没人给您拿灯吗？看看这个，你看看这个。” —

I’ve been in such a rush getting these things shut that I don’t even know where I am. —
我一直在匆匆忙忙地关上这些东西，甚至不知道自己在哪里。 —

” She opened a shutter she had just closed. —
她打开了刚刚关上的百叶窗。 —

Niou was mildly disconcerted.
仁王有些不安。

“Come here and listen to what I have to tell you.” The nurse was an emphatic woman. —
“过来听听我要告诉你的事情。”护士是一个坚决的女人。 —

“The most dreadful thing has been going on in here. —
“这里发生了最可怕的事情。 —

I’ve worn myself out keeping watch. I haven’t been able to budge from this spot.”
我守候着，已经累坏了。我一动不动。

Ukon groped her way through the darkness, and came upon a fragrantly reclining figure in a man’s singlet. —
午君在黑暗中摸索着，发现躺在床上的一个焕发气息的人。 —

So he was at it again! She knew immediately that he did not have Ukifune’s permission.
他又在做这种事情！她立刻意识到他没有得到憂森的许可。

“It most certainly is dreadful. What shall I do? Go this minute and tell our lady?”
“这绝对是可怕的。我该怎么办？立刻去告诉我们的女主人吗？

She started off. No, said the other, that would hardly be the proper thing to do. —
她动身去了。不，另一个人说，那样做显然不太合适。 —

Niou was not in the least worried. But he was puzzled. —
仁王一点也不担心。但他感到困惑。 —

Here was this wonderfully attractive girl, and he could tell from Ukon’s manner that she was more than a new maidservant. —
这个非常吸引人的女孩，从午君的态度中，他可以看出她不仅仅是一个新的女仆。 —

At great length, he tried to coax her from her silence. —
他试图长时间劝说她开口。 —

There was nothing ill-natured or disagreeable about it, but he could see that she was near distraction. —
没有任何恶意或不快，但他能看出她快要崩溃了。 —

He was genuinely sorry and put much feeling into his efforts to comfort her. —
他真的很遗憾，很用心地努力安慰她。 —

Ukon hurried off to tell Nakanokimi. “Very sad, very sad,” she said. —
乌今匆匆去告诉中表，“真是太悲伤了，太悲伤了。” —

“I can imagine how the poor girl feels.”
“我可以想象那个可怜女孩的感受。”

“That awful habit of his. Her mother will think it very careless of us. —
“他那可恶的习惯。她母亲会觉得我们太粗心了。” —

I don’t know how many times she told me to take care of the child.”
“她告诉过我很多次要好好照顾这个孩子。”

But what was she to do? He had a remarkable way of spying out everyone in the household who was even moderately young and attractive. —
但她该怎么办呢？他有一种出色的能力，能看穿家里任何一个年轻并且有魅力的人。 —

How had he learned that the girl was here? —
他是怎么知道这女孩在这里的呢？ —

She fell into an outraged silence.
她陷入了愤怒的沉默中。

Ukon had gone on to take a woman named Shōshō into her confidence.
乌今继续向一个名叫少将的女人倾诉心事。

“Usually when he’s at games with those fine gentlemen they play on into the night. —
“通常当他和那些绅士们玩游戏时，他们会玩到深夜。” —

And so he caught us off guard. There we were, sprawled all over the house. —
“所以他抓住了我们措手不及。我们四处泛滥地躺在屋子里。” —

But the question is what to do now.”
“但现在的问题是该怎么办。”

“That nurse of hers is quite a woman. Nothing could make her budge an inch. —
“她那个保姆可不是一般的女人。无论如何都无法使她退让一步。” —

I almost thought she was going to separate them by main force.”
“我几乎以为她要用强力来分开他们。”

Just then a messenger arrived from court with the news that the empress had suffered a relapse. —
就在这时，一个送信人从宫廷传来消息，说皇后病情恶化。 —

She had been in great pain since earlier in the evening.
从傍晚开始她一直在剧痛当中。

“How very inconsiderate of her, when he was having such a good time. —
“她真是太不体贴了，当他正玩得开心的时候。” —

” Ukon started in with the message.
乌贡开始传达消息。

“What’s done is done,” said Shōshō. —
“已经成定局了”，尚书说道。 —

“Don’t go scolding him and making yourself look silly.”
“不要责备他，让自己看起来愚蠢。”

“But I doubt if it is quite done.”
“但我怀疑是否完全结束了。”

They were whispering busily to each other. And what would all the rest be thinking? —
他们在低声交谈着。其他人会怎么想呢？ —

sighed Nakanokimi. People with an ordinary sense of propriety would be reproving her as well as Niou.
中宫叹了口气。具有普通礼节感的人也会责备她和匿凤。

Ukon relayed the message, embroidering upon it somewhat.
乌贡传达了消息，稍微加以渲染。

“And who was the august messenger?” he asked, showing no disposition to move. —
“那位威严的使者是谁？”他问道，没有表示出要动身的意愿。 —

“I’m sure he overdid it.”
“我肯定他夸张了。”

“A chamberlain to Her Majesty who announced himself as Taira no Shigetsune.”
“是宣布自己是平重经的陛下的侍从。”

He was in no hurry to go, whatever all the others might be thinking. —
不管其他人怎么想，他都不着急离开。 —

Ukon went for the messenger, who came to the west veranda. —
乌贡去找使者，使者来到西厢房。 —

With him was the man who had earlier brought in his message.
跟他一起的是之前送过他消息的人。

“Prince Nakatsukasa is already at court, and I saw Her Majesty’s chamberlain leaving his house.”
“中勅已经到朝廷了，我看见陛下的侍从离开了他的房子。”

She did from time to time have these seizures. —
她时不时会出现这种癫痫发作。 —

He started out, leaving behind many complaints and promises. —
他开始了，留下了许多抱怨和承诺。 —

It would not do to be thought unfilial.
被认为不孝可不行。

Soaked in perspiration, Ukifune sat with bowed head. It was as if she had awakened from a nightmare. —
浑身大汗的憂捲坐着，低着头。 仿佛她从噩梦中醒来。 —

Her nurse was beside her, wielding a fan as she offered her views in the matter.
她的护士在旁边，手持着扇子，对此事提出了自己的看法。

“This place is not for us. We have no defenses, none at all, and it will be even worse now that he knows you are here. —
“这个地方不适合我们。 我们毫无防御，完全没有，而现在他知道你在这里后将更糟。 —

I’m terrified. He may be a royal highness and all that sort of thing, but his conduct is inexcusable. —
我害怕。 他可能是王室成员，但他的行为不可原谅。 —

No — you must find someone outside the family. —
不，你必须找一个家族之外的人。 —

Your own brother-in-law — why the shame of it had me glowering at him like a proper devil. —
你亲自的姐夫 —— 丢脸之极已经让我对他怒视如鬼。 —

I can’t have been a pretty sight, and I think I possibly had him a little frightened. —
我可能不是一道漂亮的风景，我觉得我可能有点吓到他了。 —

He gave my hand a playful little tweak. I almost had to laugh at that.
他握了握我的手。我几乎忍住了笑。

“There was a battle at the other house today. —
“今天在对面的房子里发生了一场战斗。 —

His Honor the governor said your mother only cared about you and had as good as abandoned all the others. —
州长阁下说你母亲只在乎你，几乎抛弃了其他人。 —

It was a complete disgrace for her to be out of the house, he said, just when they had this new bridegroom coming in. —
他说她出门是完全的耻辱，正好有这么个新的女婿进来。 —

For a minute or so they thought he might hit her. They heard it all, and they were all on her side. —
一会儿他们以为他可能会打她。 他们都听到了，并且都站在她这边。 —

It was that lieutenant’s fault, they said. —
他们说，那位中尉的错。 —

If it hadn’t been for him and his grand ideas, they said, well, there might have been a little fighting in the family from time to time, but things would have gone on pretty much the same.”
如果不是因为他和他那些伟大的想法，他们说，嗯，家里可能会时不时出现一些争吵，但事情基本上会继续下去。

But the girl was beyond worrying about her mother. —
但是这个女孩已经不再担心她的母亲。 —

Added to tenor such as she had not known before was concern for Nakanokimi’s feelings. —
她心中的忧虑，前所未有的紧张，加上对中宫感受的关切。 —

She sat weeping, her head bowed.
她坐着哭泣，头低低地垂着。

The nurse now commenced painting a brighter picture. —
护士现在开始描绘一个更加光明的前景。 —

“Oh, come now — there’s no need for all these tears. —
“噢，别这么流眼泪，没必要。 —

It’s all so much sadder for a girl who has no mother. —
对于一个没有母亲的女孩来说，一切都更加悲伤。 —

People may have a way of looking down on a girl with no father, but there’s nothing worse, let me tell you, than a nasty step-mother. —
人们可能会多少看不起没有父亲的女孩，但我告诉你，没有比一个讨厌的继母更糟糕的了。 —

You have your mother to look after you, and she’ll do it too, somehow. So stop this carrying on. —
你有母亲来照顾你，而且她会的。所以别再这样了。 —

You’ve been to Hatsuse time after time and you’re not used to traveling, and the Blessed One is sure to have noticed. —
你一次次去过初瀬，又不习惯旅行，神明肯定已经注意到了。 —

People may be mean to you now, but I’m praying for the day when you’ll make a marriage that will startle them all. —
人们现在可能对你很刻薄，但我为你会有一天结下令他们都吃惊的婚姻而祈祷。 —

You’ll have the last laugh, I know you will.”
你会笑到最后，我知道你会的。”

Niou hurried out. As he went through this west gate, which seemed to be nearer the palace, he was singing some of his favorites from the anthologies. —
仁王匆匆走了出去。当他穿过这个似乎更靠近宫殿的西门时，他哼唱着一些选自文选的歌曲。 —

He had an uncommonly good voice, but it did not please her. —
他有一种异常好听的声音，但她并不喜欢。 —

His retinue was simple, some ten guardsmen on plainly fitted horses.
他的随从很简单，大约有十名骑着普通马匹的护卫。

Nakanokimi guessed what Ukifune would be going through and sent for her as if nothing had happened. —
中宮料到了浮舟可能经历的事情，并派人叫她过来，就好像什么事都没有发生过。 —

“The prince has gone to inquire after Her Majesty and will probably not be back tonight. —
“王子已经去探望陛下了，今晚可能不会回来了。” —

Washing my hair somehow depresses me and I am still up. —
洗头总让我觉得压抑，我还没睡。 —

Do come over and keep me company. You must be bored.?”
你过来陪我吧。你一定很无聊吧？

Ukifune sent her nurse with a reply. “I am not feeling well myself. —
浮舟让她的侍女回复：“我自己也不太舒服。我想我应该休息一会。” —

I think I should rest for a while.”
立刻又传来一条消息。“怎么了？”

Another message came immediately. “And what will the trouble be?”
“其实没什么特别的，只是我感觉不太对劲。”

“Nothing in particular, really. It is just that I am not quite myself.”
右近和松尾交换了一下眼神。他们知道情况，而其他人也知道，并没有帮到她。

Ukon and Shōshō exchanged glances. They knew what was the matter, and the fact that all the others knew too did not help.
这对可怜的女孩真的太悲伤了，中宫想。

It was really too sad for the poor girl, Nakanokimi was thinking. —
郓主对她表示了兴趣，她必须保护自己，否则会让他失望。 —

Kaoru had indicated an interest in her, and he would have little admiration for her failure to defend herself. —
至于仲尼，他真是太可恶了，总是在她生活中找麻烦，自己却免疫于此，总是乱指控别人，却从不反思自己的弱点。 —

As for Niou, he was outrageous, always sniffing out scandals in her life when his own was riddled with them, always making baseless charges while conveniently overlooking his own vulnerability. —
而文正，一直保持着苦涩和克制，使人绝望地认为自己永远无法达到这个水平，他现在也担心浮舟。 —

And Kaoru, keeping his bitter counsels, of such gravity and restraint as to make one despair of ever reaching a similar level — he now had Ukifune to worry about. —
她和浮舟这些年一直分开生活，但现在他们见面了，任何事情都不能让她们分开。 —

She and Ukifune had lived apart over the years, but now that they had met nothing must separate them. —
她和浮舟这些年一直分开生活，但现在他们见面了，任何事情都不能让她们分开。 —

Yes, it was all very sad. The world was full of the most remarkable complications. —
是的，这一切都非常悲伤。世界充满了最复杂的困扰。 —

She had her own troubles, but she must count herself among the lucky ones. —
她有自己的烦恼，但她必须算是幸运的人之一。 —

She had seemed destined for just such misfortunes, but something had kept her from falling the whole distance. —
她似乎注定要遭受这样的不幸，但某种力量让她没有完全堕落。 —

If she could but see that infatuation of Kaoru’s smoothly transferred elsewhere, her troubles would be over. —
如果能看到薰对她的感情顺利地转移到别处，她的烦恼就会结束。 —

Her hair, thick and long, was very slow to dry. —
她那浓密又长的头发干得非常慢。 —

She had lain down, a winsome, delicate figure in a white singlet.
她躺下来，身着白色背心，一副娇媚、精致的形象。

Ukifune was still in a daze. Her nurse, though sympathetic, urged her to action. —
浮舟还处于恍惚状态。她的护士虽然同情她，却催促她采取行动。 —

“This will not do at all. She will think that something really happened. —
“这一点也不行。她会以为真的发生了什么事。 —

Pull yourself together, do, and go in to her. I will tell Ukon everything. —
振作起来吧，去见她。我会告诉宇今一切的。 —

” She went to the door. “I would like to speak to Ukon, please.”
”她走到门口。“我想和宇今说话，请。

“This horrible affair has left her running a fever,” she continued when Ukon had come out,” and she is in a bad state. —
“这可怕的事情让她发烧了，”当宇今走出来时，她继续说道，“她情况很不好。 —

Have your lady comfort her, please, if you will. —
请让你们的夫人去安慰她，如果可以的话。 —

She has not done a thing to apologize for, and here she is all guilt and regrets. —
她没有做任何需要道歉的事情，但她却满是愧疚和懊悔。 —

That’s how she is — a little more experience and she would think nothing of it. —
她就是这样——再多经历一些，她就会觉得没什么大不了的。 —

” She went on fussing over the girl and presently saw her to the princess’s rooms.
”她继续关心着这个女孩，并很快见她去了公主的房间。

Ukifune was in an agony of embarrassment. What would they all be thinking? —
乌基舩感到极度尴尬难堪。他们会怎么想呢？ —

Almost too docile and yielding, she allowed herself to be led off.
几乎过分温顺顺从，她任由别人带走。

She sat turned away from the light, lest they see that her hair was wet from tears. —
她背对着光，唯恐他们看到她的头发湿了，是因为泪水。 —

The women had thought their mistress unique, but here was her match. —
那些女人原以为她们的女主人独一无二，但这里出现了她的匹敌。 —

She could not very well hide herself from her own sister, and the two women, Ukon and Shōshō, were able to have a good look at her. —
她无法躲避自己的姐姐目光，于是绫和璞翠得以仔细打量她。 —

They shuddered to think what would happen if Niou were to give her his full attention. —
他们不敢想象，如果仰优全神贯注地看她会发生什么事情。 —

He was always being attracted to new women who had far less to recommend them.
他总是被一些没有多少优点的新女人吸引。

“You are to think of this as your own house, and you are not to be forever on your guard,” said Nakanokimi in intimate, affectionate tones. —
“你要把这里当做自己的家，不必时时提防。”中肆亲密地说道。 —

“I have not for one moment stopped mourning for my sister, and I have been angry at myself for living on without her. —
“我始终没有停止为妹妹哀悼，为自己活着却没有她而感到愤怒。” —

You are a great joy and comfort — you do so look like her. —
你是我巨大的快乐和慰藉——你看起来那么像她。 —

There is no one who really cares for me. —
没有人真正在乎我。 —

It would please me enormously if you could learn to think of me as she did.”
如果你能像她一样看待我，那将使我欣喜不已。

Ukifune was shy and still somewhat countrified, and had trouble finding an answer. —
乌基舩害羞而有些乡下气息，回答起来有些困难。 —

Finally she said in an almost childlike voice: —
最后，她几乎带着孩子般的声音说： —

“All those years I thought of you, miles and miles away. —
“那些年里我一直想着你，在遥远的寂静中。 —

It is a great comfort for me too, seeing you after so long.”
见到你这么久之后，我也感到非常欣慰。

The princess took out illustrations to old romances, which they examined while Ukon read from the texts. —
公主拿出了古老浪漫小说的插图，她们一边查看插图，一边阅读文本。 —

Absorbed now in the pictures and facing her sister in the lamplight, Ukifune had a delicate, girlish beauty that was perfection of its kind. —
此刻，身在灯光下，专心欣赏插图的雪舞出了一种精致、少女般的美，堪称完美。 —

The quiet elegance of the face, with a slight glow about the eyes and at the forehead, was so like Oigimi that Nakanokimi herself was paying little attention to the pictures. —
脸上的静谧优雅，眼睛和额头微微泛着光芒，与继续欣赏插图的奈叶公主非常相似。 —

A longing for the past flooded over her. She compared the two in her mind. —
奈叶公主心中涌起对往事的怀念。她在心中比较起两个人来。 —

How could they be so alike? No doubt the girl took after their father. —
她们怎么能如此相像呢？毫无疑问，这位姑娘是像他们的父亲的。 —

Old women long in the Eighth Prince’s service had said that Oigimi looked like her father, Nakanokimi herself like her mother. —
长年侍奉八王子的老妇人们曾说，继公主像她的父亲，奈叶公主则像她的母亲。 —

What affection and yearning she did call up, this girl so like the two now gone! —
她们已离去的两位人物形象，今日在这位非常相像的女孩身上重现，引起了奈叶公主强烈的感情和向往。 —

Nakanokimi felt tears coming to her eyes. —
奈叶公主感到眼泪涌上了眼眶。 —

Oigimi had been a lady of cold, proud nobility, but she had had an affectionate strain and could be docile and accommodating to excess. —
继公主虽然是一位高贵冷傲的贵族女子，却有一种深情的心灵，有时甚至过于温顺顺从。 —

Ukifune still had not outgrown a certain childish awkwardness, and perhaps because of it and because of her shyness one would have had to put her down as rather inferior to Oigimi in the sort of undeniable beauty that immediately catches the eye. —
雪舞至今仍未摆脱某种幼稚笨拙，也许正是因为这种性格和羞怯，让人很难不认为她在那种一眼就能吸引人的绝对美丽方面比继公主逊色一些。 —

Given a certain mellowing and deepening, however, she would not seem in any degree a mismatch for Kaoru. Nakanokimi was beginning to behave like an elder sister.
如果有一种柔和和深刻的变化，她将会变成薰的合适伴侣，奈叶公主开始变得像姐姐一样。

They talked until dawn, when they lay down side by side to sleep. —
她们一直谈到黎明时分，然后并肩躺下休息。 —

Nakanokimi spoke of her father, though at no great length, and of the life they had lived at Uji. Ukifune sighed that she had not been allowed to share it.
奈叶公主谈到了她的父亲，虽然并不详细，还有他们在宇治生活的情况。雪舞叹息道，她曾被禁止分享这份生活。

Meanwhile others who knew something of what had happened were also talking.
与此同时，其他了解发生事情的人也开始交谈。

“How far do you suppose it went? She really is very pretty — and what horrid luck! —
“你觉得它走得有多远？她真的很漂亮 —— 运气真是太糟糕了！” —

Our lady may be fond of her, but small good that will do her now.”
“我们的夫人可能喜欢她，但现在这并没有什么好处。”

“Oh, I don’t think it went far at all,” replied Ukon. They were conversing in whispers. —
“哦，我觉得它并没有走太远，”乌今回答道。他们在轻声交谈。 —

” That nurse of hers pulled me in and had a few things to say, but she didn’t make it sound as if she had allowed much to happen. —
“她的保姆拉我进去，说了几件事，但她没有让我觉得事情发生了很多。” —

And then the prince was reciting the poem about’meeting and not meeting’ when he went out. —
当王子出去的时候，他还在背诵那首关于‘相遇与不相遇’的诗。 —

But I don’t know — maybe he did it to put me off the track. You never can tell. —
不过我不知道 —— 或许他那么做是为了让我误入歧途。你永远猜不透。 —

But remember how calm and cool she was when she was sitting with our lady? —
但你还记得她和夫人坐在一起时是多么镇定自若吗？ —

She certainly didn’t look like someone with a great deal to hide.”
她确实看起来不像是有很多事情要隐藏的人。”

The nurse borrowed a carriage and went to the governor’s house. The governor’s wife was stunned. —
保姆借了一辆马车去了总督府。总督夫人惊讶不已。 —

The whole Nijō house would be scandalized — and what of Nakanokimi herself? —
整个二条家肯定会受到丑闻的影响 —— 娜香公主又会怎么样呢？ —

jealousy favored no particular rank, she knew from her own experience. —
她知道，嫉妒不会偏袒任何地位，这是她自己的经验。 —

She rushed off to Nijō that night. It was a great relief to find Niou away.
她当晚赶去了二条家。发现了二王不在家让她如释重负。

“She is still a child. I thought she would be safe here. —
“她还是个孩子。我原以为她在这里会安全。” —

But with the cat away, as they say. All those silly people at home are at me day and night.”
不过猫不在家，他们说。家里那些愚蠢的人日夜都盯着我。”

“Oh, she’s not all that much of a child,” laughed Nakanokimi. —
“哦，她并不是那么小孩子，”娜香公主笑了起来。 —

“The trouble is having you off there watching us, like the cat you say is away.”
“麻烦的是你在那里窥视着我们，就像你说离开的猫一样。”

This calm beauty only stirred new doubts. —
这种宁静的美丽只是激起了新的疑虑。 —

What would she really be thinking? The governor’s wife could not of course ask.
省长夫人当然不能问她真正在想什么。

“I thought I had finally found what I had been hunting for all these years, and told myself that no one would ever look down on us again. —
“我以为我终于找到了我多年来一直在追寻的东西，告诉自己以后再也没有人会瞧不起我们了。” —

” She was weeping. “I see now that I should not have come to you. —
她在哭泣。“我现在明白我不应该来找你。” —

I was right the first time. She must go into a nunnery.”
我第一次的想法是对的。她必须进修道院。

“What is it that worries you so?” Nakanokimi was deeply moved. —
“你为什么如此担心？”中宫深受感动。 —

“You would have cause to object if I seemed not to want her here. —
“如果我似乎不想她在这里，你有理由反对。 —

Yes, I know there is a man who is not as much in control of himself as he might be and who occasionally misbehaves; —
是的，我知道有一个男人并没有控制自己，偶尔会行为不端； —

but everyone knows about him and keeps watch. —
但大家都知道他，会保持警惕。 —

I will see to it myself that nothing happens to her. —
我自会亲自确保她的安全。 —

What can have turned you against me?”
是什么让你对我产生了反感？

“I certainly do not accuse you of behaving as if you did not want her. —
“我绝不会指责你行为好像你不想让她在这里。 —

Why should I hold you responsible for the way your father treated us? —
我为何要因为你父亲对待我们的方式而责备你？ —

No, I turned to you not because of him but because of that other bond between
不，我求助于你不是因为他，而是因为那种其他的联系。”

us.” There was deep urgency in her voice. —
“我们必须赶紧行动。”她的声音里充满了紧迫感。 —

“In any case, she must be in retreat tomorrow and the next day. She must see no one. —
“无论如何，明天和后天她必须闭关。她不得见任何人。 —

I have a very quiet place in mind for her. —
我已经想好了一个非常安静的地方给她。 —

I will bring her again one day soon.”
我会很快再带她过来。”

And she took the girl off with her.
然后她带着女孩走了。

All most unfortunate, thought Nakanokimi, seeking to detain her no further. —
中井君想着，不再留她，一切都非常不幸。 —

The governor’s wife was so badly shaken that she rushed out with scarcely a word of farewell.
那位州官夫人受到的打击太大，几乎没有和他道别就匆匆离开了。

She had a cottage for use when the stars demanded a change of direction. —
她有一间小屋可供星星指引改变方向时使用。 —

It was a tasteful place, modestly furnished and still in process of construction.
这是一个很有品味、朴素装饰并且仍在建设中的地方。

“What a time I do have trying to find you a home. —
“寻找一个家对你来说真是件麻烦事。 —

It is better for a woman to die young, when the whole world seems against her. —
对一个女人来说，年轻时离开这个世界可能更好些，当整个世界似乎都与她作对时。 —

I would not mind the worst sort of loneliness and humiliation and degradation if I had only myself to think of; —
如果只需要考虑自己，我不介意最糟糕的孤独、屈辱和堕落。 —

but here we are friends again after all the years of bitterness. —
但我们经历了那么多年的仇恨后，我们又成了朋友。 —

The world would roar with laughter if anything were to go wrong. —
如果发生了任何不幸的事，整个世界都会哈哈大笑。 —

It’s all very sad, but anyway —” She was picking herself up to depart. —
一切都很悲伤，但无论如何——” 她站起身准备离开。 —

“This isn’t a very elegant place, I know, but bear with it for a while, and don’t let anyone see you. —
“这个地方不太雅致，我知道，但忍耐一下，不要让任何人看到你。 —

I’ll think of something else one of these days, I promise you.”
我保证有一天会想出其他办法。”

The girl was a sad little figure, weeping tears of utter dejection, sorry even to be alive. —
那个女孩是个悲伤的小人物，流着沮丧的眼泪，连活着都觉得遗憾。 —

Matters were no better with the governor’s wife. —
州官夫人的情况也没好到哪里去。 —

It would be a shame to waste such beauty, she had told herself. —
浪费这样的美貌实在太可惜了，她对自己说。 —

She had hoped that the girl, seen safely to womanhood, might make a good marriage for herself. —
她曾希望这个女孩长大后能为自己找个好婚姻。 —

And now they had the scorn of the world to look forward to, and must face charges of rashness and frivolity. —
如今他们将面临世人的鄙视，必须面对轻率和轻浮的指责。 —

She was not an insensitive woman, but she tended to be headstrong and somewhat erratic. —
她不是个没有同情心的女人，但她倾向于刚愎和有些反复无常。 —

Though it would not have been impossible to hide Ukifune in a corner of the governor’s mansion, she had dismissed the thought as too unfeeling. —
虽然把宇帘藏在州官府的一个角落里并非不可能，但她驳回了这个念头，觉得太过冷酷。 —

They had always been together and the separation was cruel for both of them.
她们一直在一起，如今的分离对她们两人都是残酷的。

“This place won’t be really safe either until it is finished. Do be careful. —
“这个地方在完成前也不会真正安全。一定要小心。 —

I’ve sent some women to look after you and given orders to the guards. —
我已派了一些女人来照料你，并且给了卫兵们命令。 —

But I know I’ll go on worrying — and everyone at the other house is furious.”
但我知道我会一直担心——而另一家的所有人都在气恼。”

The gove
州官夫人，这个女人，虽然不低情，但常常胡来，有些喜新厌旧。