摘錄：嚴(yán)格說來，它算不上是一封情書，實(shí)際是只是幾頁內(nèi)容詳盡的行動(dòng)指南。信里稱"我最親愛的菲娜"該怎么擺脫她父親的監(jiān)視，夜里逃出家門，詹杰會(huì)在淺灘上牽馬等著她，然后將她馱到史密斯多普，到了那里再去找理查德的"知心朋友亨利·威爾遜"，他會(huì)給她錢為她作好安排，使她能跟隨她的情人到開普敦，隨后轉(zhuǎn)道英國(guó)。"

　　感人愛情故事：一封遲來的情書

　　I was always a little in awe of Great-aunt Stephina Roos. 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 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 Stephia and an old colored maid spent their days. Old Tnate Sanna would open the door to the rather frightened little messenger and would usher him-or her - into the dark voor-kamer, where the shutters were always closed to keep out the heat and the flies. There we would wait, in trembling but not altogether unpleasant.

　　我對(duì)斯蒂菲娜老姑總是懷著敬畏之情。說實(shí)在話，我們幾個(gè)孩子對(duì)她都怕得要死。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(gè)孩子都是在家里帶大的--這更加重了我們對(duì)她的敬畏之情。

　　我們經(jīng)常輪替著從我們住的大房子里帶些母親為她做的可口的食品到她和一名黑人女仆一塊過活的那間小屋里去。桑娜老姨總是為每一個(gè)上門來的怯生生的小使者打開房門，將他或她領(lǐng)進(jìn)昏暗的客廳。那里的百葉窗長(zhǎng)年關(guān)閉著，以防熱氣和蒼蠅進(jìn)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。

　　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 voor-kamer 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.

　　一個(gè)像她那樣身材纖細(xì)的女人居然能贏得我們?nèi)绱俗鹁础Ｋ偸巧泶┖谏路c客廳里的陰暗背景融成一體，將她的身材襯托得更加?jì)尚?。但她一進(jìn)門，我們就感到有一種說不清道不明、充滿活力和剛強(qiáng)的氣氛，盡管她的步子慢悠、聲調(diào)甜柔。

　　She never embraced us. She would greet us and take out 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.

　　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(xì)薄得遮不住它們似的。

　　Tante Sanna would bring in dishes of sweet, sweet, sticky 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.

　　桑娜阿姨每次都要端出幾碟粘乎乎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(jīng)他說些農(nóng)場(chǎng)里的事，偶爾也談些外邊世界發(fā)生的事。

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

　　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品，要我們對(duì)父母親轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)一些稀奇古怪的老式祝愿，然后就轉(zhuǎn)身回到屋里，隨手關(guān)上門，使那里再次成為神秘世界。

　　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 do 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.

　　讓我感到吃驚的是，隨著我逐漸長(zhǎng)大，我發(fā)現(xiàn)打心眼里喜歡起我那位孤伶伶的老姑姑來。至今我仍不知道那是一種什么樣的奇異動(dòng)力，使我在還沒有透露給別人之前就把喬治領(lǐng)去看望姑姑，告訴她我們已經(jīng)訂婚的消息。不成想，聽到這個(gè)消息以后，她竟非常高興。

　　"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?"

　　"是英國(guó)人!"她驚訝地大聲說道，"好極了。你，"她轉(zhuǎn)向喬治，"你要在南非安家嗎?你現(xiàn)在不打算回國(guó)吧?"

　　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.

　　當(dāng)她聽說喬治已經(jīng)在我們農(nóng)場(chǎng)附近購(gòu)置了一片農(nóng)場(chǎng)并打算定居下來時(shí)，好像松了一口氣。她興致勃勃地和喬治攀談起來。

　　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.

　　從那以后，我常常到那所位于玉米地邊的小屋。有一次，當(dāng)斯蒂菲娜老姑聽說我們決定再過兩年結(jié)婚時(shí)，露出了失望的神色，但一聽說我的父母親都對(duì)這門親事滿意時(shí)，她又放寬了心。

　　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.

　　但她對(duì)我的婚姻大事還是經(jīng)常掛在嘴邊。她常常問一些怪怪的問題，幾乎像擔(dān)心我的婚事會(huì)告吹一樣。當(dāng)我提到喬治打算在婚前匆匆回一趟國(guó)時(shí)，她竟激動(dòng)了起來。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(yīng)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(yīng)第二天再去看她。

　　When I arrived I found her sitting on the stoep. 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 Stephina 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.

　　我第二天去看她時(shí)，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(jīng)說過，斯蒂菲娜老姑以前曾是一個(gè)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(diǎn)昔日的風(fēng)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，引起男人們的惜香憐玉之情。

　　She paused, as though she did not quite know how to begin.Then she seemed to give herself, mentally, a little shake. "You must have wondered ", she said, "why I was so upset at the thought of young George's going to England without you. I am an old woman, and perhaps I have the silly fancies of the old, but I should like to tell you my own love story, and then you can decide whether it is wise for your man to leave you before you are married."

　　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。"她欲言又止，好像不知道話從何說起似的。接著，她仿佛振作了起來。她說："我聽你說喬治要回國(guó)，又不帶你走，心里非常不安。我這份心事你是不明白的。我是一個(gè)老婆子了，大概還懷著老人們的那顆癡心吧。不過，我想把自己的愛情故事講給你聽。這樣你就能明白在你們結(jié)婚之前讓你的未婚夫離開你，是不是一個(gè)明智之舉。"

　　"I was quite a young girl when I first met Richard Weston. He was an Englishman who boarded with the Van Rensburgs on the next farm, four or five miles from us. Richard was not strong. He had a weak chest, and the doctors had sent him to South Africa so that the dry air could cure him. He taught the Van Rensburg children, who were younger than I was, though we often played together, but he did this for pleasure and not because he needed money.

　　"我第一次遇見理查德·威斯頓時(shí)還是一個(gè)年輕姑娘。他是一個(gè)英國(guó)人，寄宿在我家附近四、五英里一個(gè)農(nóng)場(chǎng)上的范·倫斯堡家里。他身體不好，胸悶氣短。醫(yī)生讓他去南非讓干燥的氣候治好他的病。他教倫斯堡的孩子們念書，他們都比我小，盡管我們經(jīng)常在一塊玩。理查德是以教書為樂，并不是為了賺錢。