孤儿院里的女孩茱蒂因为自己写的一篇文章,受到了孤儿院一位自称为“约翰·史密斯(在美国很通用的匿名)”的理事的资助上大学。她从未见过这位好心的理事,只是有一次在昏暗的光线中偶然看到他的身影——个子很高,腿很长,因此,她戏称他为“长腿叔叔”。这位理事让茱蒂每个月都要给他写信汇报学习和生活情况,并声明不会回信,以此作为其资助要求。于是,茱蒂开始兴致盎然地以幽默逗趣而又真情流露的笔调,给她心中的“长腿叔叔”写信。在大学生活中,她偶然认识了同学的叔叔——比她年长14岁的杰维·彭德尔顿。他独到的见解和渊博的知识吸引了她,但毕业时,深爱着杰维的她却因为自己卑微的出身而拒绝了他的求婚。就在这时,一直未曾谋面,甚至从未给她回过一封信的“长腿叔叔”邀请她到纽约和他见面。直到见面的那一刻,茱蒂才发现“长腿叔叔”竟然是……
相信80后一代人中有不少人都看过改编自该书的卡通片《长腿叔叔》吧,相信你们和小编们一样都曾为片末那个温馨的结局而感动。这期,就让我们翻开原著,重温茱蒂和“长腿叔叔”见面时的那个温馨场面,一同分享茱蒂的幸福心情吧!^_^
本文节选自该书最后一章。——Lavender
文字难度：★★☆
Thursday Morning 星期四早上
My Very Dearest Master-Jervie-Daddy-Long-Legs Pendleton-Smith,
我最最亲爱的杰维主人兼长腿叔叔彭德尔顿·史密斯:
Did you sleep last night? I didn’t. Not a single wink. I was too amazed and excited and1)bewildered and happy. I don’t believe I ever shall sleep again—or eat either. But I hope you slept; you must, you know, because then you will get well faster and can come to me.
你昨晚睡着了吗?我没有。一刻也没有睡着。我太惊讶又太兴奋,太困惑又太开心了。我想,我不会再睡觉,或再吃东西了。但我希望你睡着了。你必须睡觉,你知道的,因为只有这样你才能更快好起来,并能来到我的身边。
Dear Man, I can’t bear to think how ill you’ve been—and all the time I never knew it. When the doctor came down yesterday to put me in the cab, he told me that for three days they gave you up. Oh, dearest, if that had happened, the light would have gone out of the world for me. I suppose that some day in the far future—one of us must leave the other; but at least we shall have had our happiness and there will be memories to live with.
亲爱的先生,你的病那么重,我完全不忍去想,你的病况我也是才知道的。昨天,医生下楼送我上出租车时告诉我,有那么三天,他们都想放弃对你的治疗了。噢,我最亲爱的,若果真如此,这世界对我而言已毫无希望。我想,在遥远未来的某一天,我们中的一个必须先离去,但至少我们拥有过属于我们的幸福,并且另一个人将带着记忆活下去。
I meant to cheer you up—and instead I have to cheer myself. For in spite of being happier than I ever dreamed I could be, I’m also 2)soberer. The fear that something may happen rests like a shadow on my heart. Always before I could be 3)frivolous and care-free and unconcerned, because I had nothing precious to lose. But now—I shall have a Great Big Worry all the rest of my life. Whenever you are away from me I shall be thinking of all the automobiles that can run over you, or the sign-boards that can fall on your head, or the dreadful, 4)squirmy 5)germs that you may be swallowing. My peace of mind is gone for ever—but anyway, I never cared much for just plain peace.
我想让你打起精神来——而相反,我得先给自己打气。尽管得到了超越梦想般的快乐,我也变得更沉郁。怕坏事会降临的那种恐惧现在如同阴影一般笼罩在我心头。之前,我总是可以轻率行事,可以无忧无虑,因为过去我没有什么珍贵的东西怕失去。但现在——我下半辈子可都会有个大烦恼了。只要你一离开我的身边,我就会想到汽车可能会撞到你,招牌可能会掉下来砸到你的头,还担心你会把那些可怕且恶心的细菌吞进肚子。我的心从此永不得安宁——但,无论如何,我从未过于喜欢那种平淡的安宁。
Please get well—fast—fast—fast. I want to have you close by where I can touch you and make sure you are tangible. Such a little half hour we had together! I’m afraid maybe I dreamed it. If I were only a member of your family (a very distant fourth cousin) then I could come and visit you every day, and read aloud and 6)plump up your pillow and smooth out those two little wrinkles in your forehead and make the corners of your mouth turn up in a nice cheerful smile. But you are cheerful again, aren’t you? You were yesterday before I left. The doctor said I must be a good nurse, that you looked ten years younger. I hope that being in love doesn’t make everyone ten years younger. Will you still care for me, darling, if I turn out to be only eleven?
请快——快——快点好起来。我要你紧靠在我伸手可及的地方,好确定你真实存在着。我们在一起才呆了那么短的半小时!我害怕自己也许只是在做梦。如果我是你家族的一员(比如你远亲中排第四的表亲)该多好,这样我就可以天天去看你,并且大声朗读、为你弄好靠枕、抚平你额头上那两条小额纹,并让你快乐微笑嘴角轻扬。不过,你又高兴起来了,不是吗?就在昨天我离开以前。医生说我一定是个好护士,因为你看起来年轻了10岁。我希望恋爱不会使每个人都年轻10岁。亲爱的,如果我变得只有11岁,你还会喜欢我吗?
Yesterday was the most wonderful day that could ever happen. If I live to be ninety-nine I shall never forget the tiniest detail. The girl that left Lock Willow at dawn was a very different person from the one who came back at night. Mrs. Semple called me at half past four. I started wide awake in the darkness and the first thought that popped into my head was, “I am going to see Daddy-Long-Legs!” I ate breakfast in the kitchen by candle-light, and then drove the five miles to the station through the most glorious October colouring. The sun came up on the way, and the 7)swamp maples and 8)dogwood glowed 9)crimson and orange and the stone walls and 10)cornfields sparkled with 11)hoar frost; the air was 12)keen and clear and full of promise. I knew something was going to happen. All the way in the train the rails kept singing, “You’re going to see Daddy-Long-Legs.” It made me feel secure. I had such faith in Daddy’s ability to set things right. And I knew that somewhere another man—dearer than Daddy—was wanting to see me, and somehow I had a feeling that before the journey ended I should meet him, too. And you see!
昨天是我出生以来最美妙的一天。如果我能活到99岁,我也决不会忘记最微小的细节。清晨离开洛克威洛的那个女孩和晚上回来的那个大不相同。山普太太凌晨四点半叫我起床。在黑暗中,我开始苏醒过来,而第一个闪入我脑中的念头是“我要去见长腿叔叔啦!”我借着烛光在厨房吃了早餐,然后开车开了五英里路到达车站,穿越了十月最辉煌的色彩。太阳渐渐升起来,沼泽枫和山茱萸映着深红橘黄的光辉,石墙和小麦田上的冰霜闪闪发亮,空气清新而刺骨,弥漫着希望的气息。我当时就知道有些事要发生了。一路上,铁轨都在唱着“你就要见到长腿叔叔了。”这让我分外安心。我对叔叔的处事能力有信心。并且我相信,在某处,有另一位男子——比长腿叔叔更亲爱的人——正等着要见我,不知何故,我有种感觉:在旅程结束前我应该也见见他。而你瞧!
When I came to the house on Madison Avenue it looked so big and brown and 13)forbidding that I didn’t dare go in, so I walked around the block to get up my courage. But I needn’t have been a bit afraid; your 14)butler is such a nice, fatherly old man that he made me feel at home at once. “Is this Miss Abbott?” he said to me, and I said, “Yes,” so I didn’t have to ask for Mr. Smith after all. He told me to wait in the 15)drawing-room. It was a very 16)sombre, magnificent, man’s sort of room. I sat down on the edge of a big 17)upholstered chair and kept saying to myself: “I’m going to see Daddy-Long-Legs! I’m going to see Daddy-Long-Legs!”
当我抵达位于麦迪逊大道的房子时,它看起来如此大,棕色外墙,令人生畏,以至我都不敢走进去,于是我绕着房子走了一会儿,好让自己鼓起勇气。但我根本一点都不用怕;你的男管家十分友善,是个像父亲一般和蔼可亲的老人,让我立刻感觉像在家一样。“是阿伯特小姐吗?”他问我,而我回答“是的。”因此我根本不用提出求见史密斯先生。他让我在客厅等候。客厅布置得沉稳庄重,是典型的男人住的房子。我坐在一张舒适的大椅子边上,心里不断想道:“我要见到长腿叔叔了!我要见到长腿叔叔了!”
Then presently the man came back and asked me please to step up to the library. I was so excited that really and truly my feet would hardly take me up. Outside the door he turned and whispered, “He’s been very ill, Miss. This is the first day he’s been allowed to sit up. You’ll not stay long enough to excite him?” I knew from the way he said it that he loved you—and I think he’s an old dear!
不一会儿,管家回来请我移步到书房。我兴奋得双脚真的几乎走不上楼了。到了书房门口后,他转过头低声说道:“小姐,他病得很重。他是今天才被允许坐起来的。你不会呆太久让他过于激动吧?”我从他说话的样子就知道他爱着你——而我觉得他是位亲爱的老先生!
Then he knocked and said, “Miss Abbott,” and I went in and the door closed behind me.
然后,他边敲门边说道:“阿伯特小姐到了。”然后我走进去,门在我身后关上了。
It was so dim coming in from the brightly lighted hall that for a moment I could scarcely 18)make out anything; then I saw a big easy chair before the fire and a shining tea table with a smaller chair beside it. And I realized that a man was sitting in the big chair propped up by pillows with a 19)rug over his knees. Before I could stop him, he rose—rather shakily—and steadied himself by the back of the chair and just looked at me without a word. And then—and then—I saw it was you! But even with that I didn’t understand. I thought Daddy had had you come there to meet me or for a surprise.
从明亮的客厅走进这里一切变得很暗,有那么一会儿,我的眼睛几乎看不到什么东西。接着,我看到火炉前有张大的安乐椅,旁边有一个闪亮的茶几和一张小一点的椅子。并且我看到有个人靠着一些枕头坐在大椅子上,膝上盖着一张毯子。我还来不及阻止他,他已经站了起来——身体颤抖得很厉害——靠着椅背稳住自己,一语不发,只是看着我。然后——然后——我看到那是你啊!不过就算是这样,我也还是不明白。我以为是长腿叔叔让你来那儿见我,或是给我一个惊喜。
Then you laughed and held out your hand and said, “Dear little Judy, couldn’t you guess that I was Daddy-Long-Legs?”
然后,你笑着伸出手,说道:“亲爱的小茱蒂,难道你猜不出我就是长腿叔叔吗?”
In an instant it flashed over me. Oh, but I have been stupid! A hundred little things might have told me, if I had had any 20)wits. I wouldn’t make a very good detective, would I, Daddy? Jervie? What must I call you? Just plain Jervie sounds disrespectful, and I can’t be disrespectful to you!
我顿时醒悟过来了。噢,一直以来我可真笨!有一百件小事可能都已告诉了我答案,如果我有点脑子的话。我不是个很好的侦探。不是吗?叔叔?杰维?我该怎么称呼你?只是叫你“杰维”显得失礼,我可不能对你失礼!
It was a very sweet half hour before your doctor came and sent me away. I was so dazed when I got to the station that I almost took a train for St Louis. And you were pretty dazed, too. You forgot to give me any tea. But we’re both very, very happy, aren’t we? I drove back to Lock Willow in the dark but oh, how the stars were shining! And this morning I’ve been out with Colin visiting all the places that you and I went to together, and remembering what you said and how you looked. The woods today are 21)burnished bronze and the air is full of frost. It’s CLIMBING weather. I wish you were here to climb the hills with me. I am missing you dreadfully, Jervie dear, but it’s a happy kind of missing; we’ll be together soon. We belong to each other now really and truly, no make-believe. Doesn’t it seem 22)queer for me to belong to someone at last? It seems very, very sweet.
在你的医生来把我送走前,那是非常甜蜜的半个小时。当我抵达车站时,我兴奋得头脑发昏,以至差点搭上前往圣·路易斯的火车。而你也激动得头脑发昏,连一杯茶也没给我倒。但我俩都非常非常快乐,不是吗?我摸黑开车回到洛克威洛——噢,满天星光闪烁!今早,我和柯林走遍了所有我和你一起去过的地方,想着你说的话,和你当时的样子。今天,树木被抹上了金黄色彩,空气冷冽清新。这是个爬山的好天气。我真希望你在这儿陪我爬山。我想你想得不行了,亲爱的杰维,但这是种愉快的思念。我们很快就会在一起了。现在,我们真的属于对方了,一点也不假!我终究属于某人了,这不是件似乎挺奇怪的事吗?这似乎是件非常非常甜蜜的事。
And I shall never let you be sorry for a single instant.
并且,我今后将不会让你有片刻的伤心。
Yours, for ever and ever,
Judy
PS: This is the first love-letter I have ever written. Isn’t it funny that I knew how?
你永远并始终如一的,
茱蒂
另:这是我曾写下的第一封情书。我竟然知道该怎么写,好玩吧?
作者简介：
Jcan Webster（1876-1916），美国作家，出生于纽约。她大学毕业后就成为了一个自由撰稿人和小说家。她的第一本小说When Patty Went to College (《当帕蒂去念大学的时候》)于1903年被出版。Jean一生共写了8部小说和无数未出版的故事和剧本，她的作品一向以语言朴实、清新、机智而著名，Daddy-Long-Legs（《长腿叔叔》）是她最受欢迎的作品之一，出版后不久便被改编成了舞台剧。1915年，Jean与一个石油商的儿子Glenn Ford McKinney举行了简单的婚礼。当时，Daddy-Long-Legs已广为流传，且其续集Dear Enemy（《亲爱的敌人》）也已出版。1916年6月11日，Jean因为难产而逝世。