05-04-远离尘嚣 [63]
，and weakly let him put it on her finger. He left her.
In a few minutes she was calmer. She put on her cloak and went downstairs. She paused at the foot of the stairs. Bold-wood was standing near the fire，and he had just noticed that a group of villagers were whispering among themselves.
‘What's the matter，men？’he asked cheerfully. ‘Is any-body engaged or married，born or dead？Tell us the news，Tall. ’
‘I wish somebody was dead，’replied Laban Tall in a whisper.
‘What was that，Tall？’asked Boldwood. ‘Speak out，if you have anything to say. ’
At that moment there was a knock on the front door. One of the men opened it. ‘A stranger wants to see Mrs Troy，’he said.
‘Ask him to come in，’said Boldwood.
The message was given，and Troy，wrapped up to his eyes in the cloak，stood in the doorway. Those who knew he was in the area recognized him immediately. Boldwood did not. He said，‘Come in，stranger，and have a Christmas drink with us！’
Troy entered，threw off his cloak and looked Boldwood in the face. But it was only when he laughed that Boldwood recognized the man who had destroyed his hope and happiness once and was about to do it again.
Troy turned to Bathsheba. She had dropped miserably on to the lowest stair. Her mouth was blue and dry，her eyes empty and staring. He said，‘Bathsheba，I've come here for you！’She did not reply. ‘Come home with me，do you hear！’He went towards her.
A strange，thin voice，full of despair，came from the fire-place. ‘Bathsheba，go with your husband！’said Boldwood.
She did not move，and when Troy stretched out his hand to pull her towards him，she fell back with a quick，low scream.
A second later there was a loud bang，and the hall was filled with smoke. At Bathsheba's cry，Boldwood's despair had turned to anger. From the wall above the fireplace he had taken a gun and shot Troy，who now lay very still. Boldwood turned the gun on himself，but was stopped by one of his men.
‘It doesn't matter！’Boldwood gasped. ‘There's another way to die！’
He crossed the room to Bathsheba，and kissed her hand. Then he went out into the darkness before anyone could prevent him.
■ 18 伯德伍德先生举办圣诞宴会
几个月来，威瑟伯里的人们一直在谈论伯德伍德先生将在圣诞节之前举行的宴会，现在这一天终于来到了。芭丝谢芭正为赴宴作准备。
“我挺心烦的，利蒂。我真蠢，我知道，”她说。“真希望我能不去。去年秋天我答应圣诞节去见他，从那以后我就没和他说过什么话，所以，我是得去。请给我穿上黑绸裙子。”
“你今晚用不着穿黑吧，太太？你守寡已经14个月了，时间够长的了。”
“不行，我要是穿上鲜亮衣裙，人们会说我在鼓励伯德伍德先生。你看我怎么样？”
“我还没怎么见过你这么漂亮呢，太太。”
“如果我不去，就会得罪他。唉，真想继续过这一年多的这种日子，既没有希望，也没有恐惧，既没有欢乐，也没有哀愁。”
“如果伯德伍德先生要你和他远走高飞，你说什么呀，太太？”利蒂微笑着说。
“利蒂，别开玩笑了。这可是严肃的事。我嫁给谁都长不了。给我拿斗篷，该走了。”
这时，伯德伍德也在房里穿衣打扮。他正在试穿刚刚送到的一件新上衣。今晚，他想以最佳状态出场。
就在这时，盖伯瑞尔进来了，汇报农事进展情况。
“来，奥克，”伯德伍德说。“你今晚是一定要参加宴会的了。”
“如果我不太忙，就尽量来，”盖伯瑞尔平静地说。“看到你快活起来我真高兴，先生。”
“你说得对，今晚我是快活。不过，我的快活取决于一个希望。奥克，我的手在抖。你能帮我系一下扣子吗？”
In a few minutes she was calmer. She put on her cloak and went downstairs. She paused at the foot of the stairs. Bold-wood was standing near the fire，and he had just noticed that a group of villagers were whispering among themselves.
‘What's the matter，men？’he asked cheerfully. ‘Is any-body engaged or married，born or dead？Tell us the news，Tall. ’
‘I wish somebody was dead，’replied Laban Tall in a whisper.
‘What was that，Tall？’asked Boldwood. ‘Speak out，if you have anything to say. ’
At that moment there was a knock on the front door. One of the men opened it. ‘A stranger wants to see Mrs Troy，’he said.
‘Ask him to come in，’said Boldwood.
The message was given，and Troy，wrapped up to his eyes in the cloak，stood in the doorway. Those who knew he was in the area recognized him immediately. Boldwood did not. He said，‘Come in，stranger，and have a Christmas drink with us！’
Troy entered，threw off his cloak and looked Boldwood in the face. But it was only when he laughed that Boldwood recognized the man who had destroyed his hope and happiness once and was about to do it again.
Troy turned to Bathsheba. She had dropped miserably on to the lowest stair. Her mouth was blue and dry，her eyes empty and staring. He said，‘Bathsheba，I've come here for you！’She did not reply. ‘Come home with me，do you hear！’He went towards her.
A strange，thin voice，full of despair，came from the fire-place. ‘Bathsheba，go with your husband！’said Boldwood.
She did not move，and when Troy stretched out his hand to pull her towards him，she fell back with a quick，low scream.
A second later there was a loud bang，and the hall was filled with smoke. At Bathsheba's cry，Boldwood's despair had turned to anger. From the wall above the fireplace he had taken a gun and shot Troy，who now lay very still. Boldwood turned the gun on himself，but was stopped by one of his men.
‘It doesn't matter！’Boldwood gasped. ‘There's another way to die！’
He crossed the room to Bathsheba，and kissed her hand. Then he went out into the darkness before anyone could prevent him.
■ 18 伯德伍德先生举办圣诞宴会
几个月来，威瑟伯里的人们一直在谈论伯德伍德先生将在圣诞节之前举行的宴会，现在这一天终于来到了。芭丝谢芭正为赴宴作准备。
“我挺心烦的，利蒂。我真蠢，我知道，”她说。“真希望我能不去。去年秋天我答应圣诞节去见他，从那以后我就没和他说过什么话，所以，我是得去。请给我穿上黑绸裙子。”
“你今晚用不着穿黑吧，太太？你守寡已经14个月了，时间够长的了。”
“不行，我要是穿上鲜亮衣裙，人们会说我在鼓励伯德伍德先生。你看我怎么样？”
“我还没怎么见过你这么漂亮呢，太太。”
“如果我不去，就会得罪他。唉，真想继续过这一年多的这种日子，既没有希望，也没有恐惧，既没有欢乐，也没有哀愁。”
“如果伯德伍德先生要你和他远走高飞，你说什么呀，太太？”利蒂微笑着说。
“利蒂，别开玩笑了。这可是严肃的事。我嫁给谁都长不了。给我拿斗篷，该走了。”
这时，伯德伍德也在房里穿衣打扮。他正在试穿刚刚送到的一件新上衣。今晚，他想以最佳状态出场。
就在这时，盖伯瑞尔进来了，汇报农事进展情况。
“来，奥克，”伯德伍德说。“你今晚是一定要参加宴会的了。”
“如果我不太忙，就尽量来，”盖伯瑞尔平静地说。“看到你快活起来我真高兴，先生。”
“你说得对，今晚我是快活。不过，我的快活取决于一个希望。奥克，我的手在抖。你能帮我系一下扣子吗？”