世界之脊第十五章不再是孩子(页 1) - 文字翻译室 - 龙骑士城堡奇幻论坛奇幻文学,翻译,原创,龙与地下城

jarod 发表于 2005-8-10 17:22

世界之脊第十五章不再是孩子

第十五章不再是孩子   “您应当在最佳时机示爱，我的领主。”泰米格斯特对弗林戈领主耳语道。他已经将年轻的主人领到了花园远离玛萝达的另一端，女孩此刻正在墙边凝视着大海。管家早已发现多情的年轻人一直在对玛萝达施压，每星期都会恳求她嫁给他。而慌乱的姑娘则总是报以一个又一个的礼貌回答来请求原谅，尽管每一个借口都被顽固的弗林戈击溃。   “最佳时机？”弗林戈充满怀疑地重复着，“我都已经快要因饥渴而变疯了。我什么都没法想，除了玛萝达！”   他最后一句说得很大声，之后两个男人都用余光看到了皱着眉头的玛萝达正从身后看向他们。   “就像这样，让它正常地进行下去，”泰米格斯特悄声说，“让我们看看，这种强烈的感觉是否能通过时间的考验。这样持续的感觉才是爱情的真谛啊，我的领主。”   “你还在怀疑我？”惊讶的弗林戈领主回答道。   “不，我的领主，不是我，”泰米格斯特解释道，“而是那些村民，他们必须要看到你同像玛萝达那样的一个姑娘结合是在真正的爱的基础上，而不是愚蠢的冲动。你必须考虑到她的声誉。”   最后那句话使得弗林戈领主平静了下来。他回头盯着姑娘看了看，之后又转向泰米格斯特，明显感到了困惑，“一旦她嫁给了我，那么还会有什么来伤害她的声誉呢？”   “如果婚礼来的很快，那么那些农民就会设想她是用自己身为女人的那种魅力蛊惑了你，”泰米格斯特解释，“目前对她而言更好的方式是你花上几星期时间来展示你对她那的忠诚而充满敬意的爱。除了妒忌之外，我的领主，有一些人还会憎恨她的。现在你必须保护她，而最好的方法就是你选好自己求婚的时机。”   “要多久？”热切的年轻领主问。   “春分那天吧，”泰米格斯特提议道，这一建议为领主脸上带来了另一道惊悸表情，“只有那时合适了。”   “我会死的。”弗林戈哀嚎道。   泰米格斯特对过度紧张的领主皱了皱眉头，“如果您想变得很有名的话我们可以为您安排一个同别的女人的会面。”   弗林戈领主把头要得像拨浪鼓一样，“我可没有激情去想别的什么女人。”   愉快地微笑着，泰米格斯特拍了拍年轻人地肩膀，“这才是一个真正坠入爱情的人的正确回答，”他说道，“也许我们可以在过年时就安排婚礼。”   弗林戈领主的脸亮了起来，之后他又再次皱起了眉：“还要五个月。”他咕哝着。   “但是请想想这段时间里的快乐吧。”   “我想不起什么别的。”阴郁的弗林戈说道。   “你们在说什么哪？”当弗林戈在泰米格斯特致以歉意走掉后再次回到站在墙边的玛萝达身边时女孩问。   “当然是婚礼了，”领主回答，“泰米格斯特管家认为我们必须等待，直到明年春天。他认为爱情是一种需要慢慢成长、开花结果的东西。”弗林戈说道，他的声音中带着淡淡的怀疑。   “的确是这样的。”玛萝达如释重负地赞同着，心底暗自感激泰米格斯特。   弗林戈突然握住她的手将她拉近。“我无法相信自己对你的爱还能成长得多大。”他解释道。领主吻了吻她，而玛萝达也回吻了，她很高兴弗林戈并没有像平常所采取的策略那样对她要求更多的东西。   与往日不同的是，年轻的领主将她推回到了一臂之外。   “泰米格斯特已经告诫我了，对你要报以敬意，”他承认，“让那些村民看看，我们的爱是真实的、持续的。所以，我会等待。此外，这样也给了普里西拉筹备此事所需要的时间。她答应过，要准备一场整个奥克尼－－整个北地－－都没有见过的婚礼。”   玛萝达露出了真正诚恳的微笑。她很高兴这次延期，很高兴自己有了时间能将位于弗林戈领主和贾卡之间的感情调整到一个更为合适的位置，最终能带着她自己的决心和责任步入礼堂。玛萝达坚信自己能够带着这些感觉度过这一关，而不是像一个正在受苦受难的女人。她可以嫁给弗林戈领主，并表现出作为奥克尼女士的样子，为了她的母亲、她的家庭。也许这并不是那么糟糕的一件事。   姑娘看着弗林戈的眼神中闪过一丝感情的火花，领主正站在那里盯着漆黑的海浪。有点冲动地，她把一支胳膊搂到了男子的腰上，将头靠在了他的肩膀上，对着这个即将成为自己丈夫的人露出了一道淳朴而感激的微笑作为奖赏。他没有说话，甚至没有去做出进一步的要求。玛萝达不得不承认这的确让人......高兴。 *****   “噢，都告诉我吧！”托瑞悄声道，在玛萝达的床上折腾着，大女孩今晚已经回到了家里，“他碰你了吗？”   “我们只是聊天，看海浪。”玛萝达含糊地回答。   “你还爱他吗？”   玛萝达瞪着她妹妹。她爱弗林戈领主？不，她很确定自己会说不，至少不能同贾卡套在她头上的热情缰绳相比，但是也许那样做也没错。也许她可以去爱那个慷慨大方的弗林戈领主。当然了他并不是个丑陋的人－－远远不是。随着他们间的关系不断发展，已经超越了那个男人单方面拼命痛苦摸索的时期，玛萝达开始看到了他身上不少好的品质，那些她开始喜欢上的品质。   “你还爱贾卡吗？”托瑞问。   这个沉痛的提醒使得玛萝达那满足的微笑瞬间消散无踪了。她没有回答，而这一次托瑞也感觉到自己不该再问了，因为姐姐已经转过身去，蜷伏在那里，尽量不让自己哭出声来。   一整晚女孩都在做着灼热的梦，令自己裹在毯子里紊乱迷惘。尽管如此，第二天早上玛萝达的情绪还是变得更好了，特别是当她走进客厅听到母亲正在和曼姆·园丁说话时。那客人是他们一个爱管闲事的邻居（这个小侏儒长着一张能让秃鹰羞愧的尖嘴），女孩母亲正高兴地同她谈着自己在城堡花园里散布地事。   “曼姆·园丁给你带来了些鸡蛋，”柏丝特·甘德蕾指着一锅堆得乱七八糟的鸡蛋解释道。“快吃吧，在我还没改主意拿回来之前。”侏儒开玩笑道。   玛萝达冲那慷慨的邻居微笑着，然后走向平底锅。突然间，年轻的姑娘感到自己的胃对眼前的食物和香味产生了一种很奇怪的反应，她不得不从房子里冲去，在门外的小灌木丛里呕吐起来。   曼姆·园丁立即跟到她后面，“你还好吧，女孩？”她问。   玛萝达与其说难受，不如说更为吃惊，她站起身来，“是城堡里那些丰盛的食物，”她解释道，“他们把我伺候得太好了，我恐怕。”   曼姆·园丁咆哮般地大声笑着，“哦，但是你以后会习惯的！”她说道，“你会变得肥嘟嘟、胖鼓鼓，轻松惬意吃穿不愁地生活着的。”   玛萝达对其报以微笑，走回屋里。   “不过你还是得吃饭。”侏儒说着将她领向那些鸡蛋。   而对于玛萝达，只是想一想那些食物便使她的胃再次开始罢工了。“我想我需要离开一会儿，去躺一下。”她解释着，头也不回地回到自己的房间去了。   女孩听到了那两个老女人嘀嘀咕咕讨论她这种症状的声音，曼姆在告诉柏丝特关于丰盛食物的事情，而后者对于生病已经是毫不陌生了，盼望着女儿的不舒服就此打住。   私下里，玛萝达也不是很确定自己是不是病了。但当她沿着时间轴回忆到三星期前同贾卡的相遇时才有所明白，说真的，她一直都没有来月经，但当时女孩没有太在意，因为她从没接受过这方面的系统性教育......   年轻的姑娘捂着自己的腹部，沉浸在了喜悦同恐惧之中。   在这次之后，她第二天早上又发作了一次，但玛萝达只能靠远离那些鸡蛋以及它们所发出的味道来掩盖自己的现状。在呕吐一阵后她感觉好些了，便不再去担心这件事了，实际上确切地讲，是对有孩子一事感觉好多了。   幻想之中，能有贾卡·斯库利的孩子好像并不是那么可怕的事。此时她在脑海里勾画出的是自己同那个年轻的无赖结婚，共同生活在城堡里，并肩漫步在花园中，这一景象反而让她觉得要可怕得多。   她背叛了弗林戈领主，更糟糕的是，她也背叛了她的家庭。因为那一晚的偷情，她现在可能要接受母亲之死所带来的谴责，带着妓女烙印接受全村人目光的审判。   会不会发生更为可怕的事呢？她想象着。一旦父亲发现事情真相他会杀了她的－－毕竟他曾经那样痛打过她。或者弗林戈领主会带着她游行般走过大街小巷以便让那些村民可以肆意辱骂嘲弄并向她扔腐烂地水果、唾吐她。更或者弗林戈领主大怒之下可能会把孩子从她的子宫里揪出来，并派士兵去杀掉贾卡。   那么孩子怎么办？奥克尼的贵族们会去接受一个领主的不贞妻子所生的孩子吗？玛萝达曾经听过不少其他国家类似的例子故事，那些国王和潜在威胁的传说，那些杀死婴孩的传说。   当玛萝达躺在床上时所有的这些可能在她的脑海里盘旋了一整夜,都是那么可怕，那么糟糕，令她简直无法想象，也无法真诚地去面对。女孩爬起身来安静地穿好衣服，然后走进母亲的房间，看着她挽着父亲的胳膊，安详地睡在那里。   玛萝达张开嘴发出了一声悲痛而无声的道歉之后偷偷跑出了屋子。这是一个潮湿多风的夜晚，带着女性特有的惊恐沮丧，她并没有在贾卡往常所待的能够俯视所有房屋的那片高地上找到他，因此玛萝达换而向男孩的居所走去。为了尽量不吵醒他的家人，姑娘往贾卡家那没有玻璃的窗户帘子上扔了几颗小石子。   窗帘突然被拉向两边，贾卡那张英俊的脸从打开的窗子里探了出来。   “是我，我是玛萝达。”女孩悄声细语道，那年轻人的脸上立刻充满了惊喜。他向她伸出手，当姑娘牢牢抓住时，他将那小手拉近贴到面颊上，笑容都咧到了耳朵根。   “我必须同你谈谈，”玛萝达解释道，“请出来一下。”   “这儿更暖和些。”贾卡以他那一贯的狡猾、下流腔调回答。   虽然知道这样做是愚蠢的，但是考虑到夜晚寒冷彻骨的空气，玛萝达还是向前门急急地移了过去。突然间，贾卡出现在那里，赤裸着上身举着一支简陋的小蜡烛。他边将手指压在自己撅起的嘴唇上边用胳膊揽住了玛萝达，领着她悄悄地穿过门帘来到自己的卧室。在女孩能够开始解释之前，贾卡便堵住了她的嘴，吻着她，把她拉向躺在床上的自己。   “停下！”姑娘挣扎着发出声音，将他推开，“我们必须谈谈。”   “稍后。”贾卡说道，他的双手开始不规矩起来。   玛萝达从床的一边翻滚下来向旁边退开几步，“就现在，”她说道，“这很重要。”   贾卡一屁股坐到了床边，还是一副嬉皮笑脸的样子，但是没有再去追赶她了。   “现在再不走就来不及了。”玛萝达坦率地解释道。   贾卡的脸色像凝拧螺丝般皱了起来，他没有听懂。   “我有孩子了，”姑娘未加思索轻声说道，“你的孩子。”   这句话的效果不亚于她朝贾卡脸上干净利落地来上一棍子。“怎么回事？”他结结巴巴了一会儿后用颤抖忧郁的声音问道，“我们只有过一次啊。”   “那么，我猜那次我们是一枪命中了。”姑娘的语气变得干巴巴的。   “但是－－”贾卡开始摇着头说道，“那弗林戈领主呢？我们该怎么办？”他突然再次停下话来，随后将一道锐利的眼神投向玛萝达，“难道是你和他－－？”   “只有你，”玛萝达坚定地回答道，“我一生中只有过那么一次。”   “那我们该怎么办？”贾卡紧张地重复着。玛萝达从没见过他如此地激动不安。   “我以前一直认为自己应该嫁给弗林戈领主，”玛萝达解释，走过来握住了男孩的手想要令他安定下来，“因为这是为了我的家庭，而不是我自己，但是现在事情改变了，”她看着贾卡的眼睛说道，“毕竟我不能把另一个男人的孩子带进奥克城堡。”   “那么然后呢？”贾卡问道，他的样子看上去还是没有从绝望的边缘缓过劲来。   “你说过你想要我的，”玛萝达温柔地、充满希望地说道，“所以，你要对我肚子里的你所带来的东西负责，还有我的心。”   “弗林戈领主会杀了我的。”   “那时我们已经不再待在这里了，”玛萝达回答，“你说过我们可以沿着剑湾旅行，一直到路斯坎、到深水城的，所以我们可以这么做，所以我们也必须这么做。”   这种想法看上去并没有使贾卡表现出多少赞同。他刚开口说了句：“但是...”又缩了回去，不断地摇着头。最后还是玛萝达使劲摇了摇他令男孩清醒了些，能够面对着自己。   “这一切都是真的，我们只能这样做了，”她说道，“你是我的爱人，就像我是你的一样，而现在命运已经将我们两个绑在一起了。”   “这太疯狂了，”贾卡从她面前退开后回答，“我们没法逃跑。我们一分钱都没有。我们什么都没有。我们甚至连路斯坎都赶不到就会死在半道上。”   “什么都没有？”玛萝达不信地反问着，她开始认识到这种回答中除了震惊之外还包含着别的意思，“我们有彼此在。我们有我们的爱情在，还有我们即将出生的孩子。”   “你认为这样就够了？”贾卡以同样怀疑的腔调问道，“在这样的情况下我们会找到怎样的生活？一辈子乞讨？一辈子吃泥巴并在泥巴中生下我们的孩子？”   “那我们还有什么选择？”   “我们？”贾卡刚嚷出这个词便闭上了嘴，担心现在考虑刚才自己的声音太大是不是已经有点晚了。   玛萝达将一丝恐惧压回心底：“你是说当我躺在你身下时你所说的那些都是假的？你是说你并不爱我？”   “我没那么说，”贾卡为了使她安静下来把一只手放在了女孩的肩膀上，“但是我们有什么生存的机会呢？难道你认为光有爱情就够了？不会吧？我们没有食物，没有钱，却要养活三张嘴。而且当你变得又肥又丑的时候该怎么办？那时我们甚至连做爱的乐趣都没有了。”   姑娘变得脸色苍白从他的怀抱里挣脱出来。他再次伸出手，但立刻被她拍得远远的，“你说过你爱我的。”她说道。   “我说过，”贾卡回答，“而且我现在也爱你啊。”   她慢慢地摇着头，紧眯着的双眼在一瞬间变得无比清澈。“你只是对我有强烈的性欲，但却从没爱过我。”她的声音颤抖得很厉害，但是姑娘还是决定继续自己的这种坚强行动，“你这个蠢货。你甚至都不能分辨好坏善恶。”带着这句话她转身跑出了房子。贾卡在身后一动都没动，没有追出来。   玛萝达整晚都在下着雨的山腰上哭泣，直到清晨才回到家。但是不管她采取什么发泄的方式，事实仍然摆在眼前。爱上贾卡·斯库利，她发现这对自己来说是多么愚蠢的一件事啊。因为在姑娘今后的日子里，一旦当她回顾起自己成为女人、告别天真可爱的女孩时期的那一刹那，她会发现那并不是在自己失去处女贞洁的那个晚上。不，是在今晚，真正的一瞬间是在她第一次认清自己已将最为宝贵的东西给了一个自私、冷漠、浅薄的男人的时候。不，不是男人－－是个还未成熟的男孩。她曾经是多么的愚蠢啊。

jarod 发表于 2005-8-10 17:26

原文 Chapter 15 A CHILD NO MORE "You must give love time to blossom, my lord," Temigast whispered to Lord Feringal. He'd ushered the young lord to the far side of the garden, away from Meralda, who was staring out over the sea wall. The steward had discovered the amorous young man pressuring Meralda to marry him the very next week. The flustered woman was making polite excuse after polite excuse, with stubborn Feringal defeating each one. "Time to blossom?" Feringal echoed incredulously. "I am going mad with desire. I can think of nothing but Meralda!" He said the last loudly, and both men glanced to see a frowning Meralda looking back at them. "As it should be," Steward Temigast whispered. "Let us discover if the feeling holds strong over the course of time. The duration of such feelings is the true meaning of love, my lord." "You doubt me still?" a horrified Lord Feringal replied. "No, my lord, not I," Temigast explained, "but the villagers must see your union to a woman of Meralda's station as true love and not infatuation. You must consider her reputation." That last statement gave Lord Feringal pause. He glanced back at the woman, then at Temigast, obviously confused. "If she is married to me, then what harm could come to her reputation?" "If the marriage is quickly brought, then the peasants will assume she used her womanly tricks to bewitch you," Temigast explained. "Better for her, by far, if you spend the weeks showing your honest and respectful love for her. Many will resent her in any case, my lord, out of jealousy. Now you must protect her, and the best way to do that is to take your time with the engagement." "How much time?" the eager young lord asked. "The spring equinox," Temigast offered, bringing another horrified look from Feringal. "It is only proper." "I shall die," wailed Feringal. Temigast frowned at the overwrought lord. "We can arrange a meeting with another woman if your needs become too great." Lord Feringal shook his head vigorously. "I cannot think of passion with another woman." Smiling warmly, Temigast patted the young man on the shoulder. "That is the correct answer for a man who is truly in love," he said. "Perhaps we can arrange the wedding for the turn of the year." Lord Feringal's face brightened, then he frowned again. "Five months," he grumbled. "But think of the pleasure when the time has passed." "I think of nothing else," said a glum Feringal. "What were you speaking of?" Meralda asked when Feringal joined her by the wall after Temigast excused himself from the garden. "The wedding, of course," the lord replied. "Steward Temigast believes we must wait until the turn of the year. He believes love to be a growing, blossoming thing," said Feringal, his voice tinged with doubt. "And so it is," Meralda agreed with relief and gratitude to Temigast. Feringal grabbed her suddenly and pulled her close. "I cannot believe that my love for you could grow any stronger," he explained. He kissed her, and Meralda returned it, and glad she was that he didn't try to take it any further than that, as had been his usual tactics. Instead, Lord Feringal pushed her back to arms' length. "Temigast has warned me to show my respect for you," he admitted. "To show the villagers that our love is a real and lasting thing. And so I shall by waiting. Besides, that will give Priscilla the time she needs to prepare the event. She has promised a wedding such as Auckney-as the whole of the North-has never before seen." Meralda's smile was genuine indeed. She was glad for the delay, glad for the time she needed to put her feelings for Lord Feringal and Jaka in the proper order, to come to terms with her decision and her responsibility. Meralda was certain she could go through with this, and not as a suffering woman. She could marry Lord Feringal and act as lady of Auckney for the sake of her mother and her family. Perhaps it would not be such a terrible thing. The woman looked with a glimmer of affection at Feringal, who stood watching the dark waves. Impulsively she put an arm around the man's waist and rested her head on his shoulder and was rewarded with a chaste but grateful smile from her husband-to-be. He said nothing, didn't even try to take the touch further. Meralda had to admit it was . . . pleasant. ***** "Oh, tell me everything!" Tori whispered, scrambling to Meralda's bed when the older girl at last returned home that night. "Did he touch you?" "We talked and watched the waves," Meralda replied noncommittally. "Do you love him yet?" Meralda stared at her sister. Did she love Lord Feringal? No, she could say for certain she did not, at least not in the heated manner in which she longed for Jaka, but perhaps that was all right. Perhaps she would come to love the generous lord of Auckney. Certainly Lord Feringal wasn't an ugly man-far from it. As their relationship grew, as they began to move beyond the tortured man's desperate groping, Meralda was starting to see his many good qualities, qualities she could indeed grow to love. "Don't you still love Jaka?" Tori asked. Meralda's contented smile dissipated at once with the painful reminder. She didn't answer, and for once Tori had the sense to let it drop as Meralda turned over, curled in upon herself, and tried hard not to cry. It was a night of torrid dreams that left her tangled in her blankets. Still, Meralda's mood was better that next morning, and it improved even more when she entered the common room to hear her mother talking with Mam Gardener, one of their nosier neighbors (the little gnome had a beak that could shame a vulture), happily telling the visitor about her stroll in the castle garden. "Mam Gardener brought us some eggs," Biaste Ganderlay explained, pointing to a skillet of scrambled eggs. "Help yourself, as I'm not wanting to get back up." Meralda smiled at the generous gnome, then moved to the pan. Unexplicably, the young woman felt her stomach lurch at the sight and the smell and had to rush from the house to throw up beside the small bush outside the door. Mam Gardener was there beside her in an instant. "Are you all right, girl?" she asked. Meralda, more surprised than sick, stood back up. "The rich food at the castle," she explained. "They're feeding me too good, I fear." Mam Gardener howled with laughter. "Oh, but you'll be getting used to that!" she said. "All fat and plump you'll get, living easy and eating well." Meralda returned her smile and went back into the house. "You still got to eat," Mam Gardener said, guiding her toward the eggs. Even the thought of the eggs made Meralda's stomach turn again. "I'm thinking that I need to go and lay down," she explained, pulling away to head back to her room. She heard the older ladies discussing her plight, with Mam telling Biaste about the rich food. Biaste, no stranger to illness, hoped that to be all it was. Privately, Meralda wasn't so sure. Only then did she consider the timeline since her encounter with Jaka three weeks before. It was true she'd not had her monthly, but she hadn't thought much about it, for she'd never been regular in that manner anyway. . . . The young woman clutched at her belly, both overwhelmed with joy and fear. She was sick again the next morning, and the next after that, but she was able to hide her condition by going nowhere near the smell or sight of eggs. She felt well after throwing up in the morning and was not troubled with it after that, and so it became clear to her that she was, indeed, with child. In her fantasies, the thought of having Jaka Sculi's babe was not terrible. She could picture herself married to the young rogue, living in a castle, walking in the gardens beside him, but the reality of her situation was far more terrifying. She had betrayed the lord of Auckney, and worse, she had betrayed her family. Stealing that one night for herself, she had likely condemned her mother to death and branded herself a whore in the eyes of all the village. Would it even get that far? she wondered. Perhaps when her father learned the truth he would kill her-he'd beaten her for far less. Or perhaps Lord Feringal would have her paraded through the streets so that the villagers might taunt her and throw rotten fruit and spit upon her. Or perhaps in a fit of rage Lord Feringal would cut the baby from her womb and send soldiers out to murder Jaka. What of the baby? What might the nobles of Auckney do to a child who was the result of the cuckolding of their lord? Meralda had heard stories of such instances in other kingdoms, tales of potential threats to the throne, tales of murdered infants. All the possibilities whirled in Meralda's mind one night as she lay in her bed, all the terrible possibilities, events too wicked for her to truly imagine, and too terrifying for her to honestly face. She rose and dressed quietly, then went in to see her mother, sleeping comfortably, curled up in her father's arms. Meralda silently mouthed a heartsick apology to them both, then stole out of the house. It was a wet and windy night. To the woman's dismay, she didn't find Jaka in his usual spot in the fields above the houses, so she went to his house. Trying not to wake his kin, Meralda tossed pebbles against the curtain screening his glassless window. The curtain was abruptly yanked to the side, and Jaka's handsome face poked through the opening. "It's me, Meralda," she whispered, and the young man's face brightened in surprise. He held his hand out to her, and when she clenched it, he pulled it close to his face through the opening, his smile wide enough to take in his ears. "I must talk with you," Meralda explained. "Please come outside." "It's warmer in here," Jaka replied in his usual sly, lewd tone. Knowing it unwise but shivering in the chill night air, Meralda motioned to the front door and scurried to it. Jaka was there in a moment, stripped bare to the waist and holding a single candle. He put his finger over his pursed lips and took Meralda by the arm, walking her quietly through the curtained doorway that led to his bedchamber. Before the young woman could begin to explain, Jaka was against her, kissing her, pulling her down beside him. "Stop!" she hissed, pulling away. "We must talk." "Later," Jaka said, his hands roaming. Meralda rolled off the side of the bed and took a step away. "Now," she said. " 'Tis important." Jaka sat up on the edge of the bed, grinning still but making no move to pursue her. "I'm running too late," Meralda explained bluntly. Jaka's face screwed up as though he didn't understand. "I am with child," the woman blurted softly. "Your child." The effect of her words would have been no less dramatic if she had smashed Jaka across the face with a cudgel. "How?" he I stammered after a long, trembling pause. "It was only once." "I'm guessing that we did it right, then," the woman returned dryly. "But-" Jaka started, shaking his head. "Lord Feringal? What are we to do?" He paused again, then turned a sharp eye upon Meralda. "Have you and he-?" "Only yourself," Meralda firmly replied. "Only that once in all my life." "What are we to do?" Jaka repeated, pacing nervously. Meralda had never seen him so agitated. "I was thinking that I had to marry Lord Feringal," Meralda explained, moving over and taking hold of the man to steady him. "For the sake of my family, if not my own, but now things are changed," she said, looking Jaka in the eyes. "I cannot bring another man's child into Castle Auck, after all." "Then what?" asked Jaka, still appearing on the very edge of desperation. "You said you wanted me," Meralda said softly, hopefully. "So, with what's in my belly you've got me, and all my heart." "Lord Feringal will kill me." "We'll not stay, then," Meralda replied. "You said we'd travel the Sword Coast to Luskan and to Waterdeep, and so we shall, and so I must." The thought didn't seem to sit very well with Jaka. He said "But . . ." and shook his head repeatedly. Finally, Meralda gave him a shake to steady him and pushed herself up against him. "Truly, this is for the better," she said. "You're my love, as I'm your own, and now fate has intervened to put us together." "It's crazy," Jaka replied, pulling back from her. "We can't run away. We have no money. We have nothing. We shall die on the road before we ever get near Luskan." "Nothing?" Meralda echoed incredulously, starting to realize that this was more than shock speaking. "We've each other. We've our love, and our child coming." "You think that's enough?" Jaka asked in the same incredulous tone. "What life are we to find under such circumstances as this? Paupers forever, eating mud and raising our child in mud?" "What choice have we?" "We?" Jaka bit back the word as soon as it left his mouth, realizing too late that it had not been wise to say aloud. Meralda fought back tears. "Are you saying that you lied to get me to lay down with you? Are you saying that you do not love me?" "That's not what I'm saying," Jaka reassured her, coming over to put a hand on her shoulder, "but what chance shall we have to survive? You don't really believe that love is enough, do you? We shall have no food, no money, and three to feed. And how will it be when you get all fat and ugly, and we have not even our lovemaking to bring us joy?" The woman blanched and fell back from his reach. He came for her, but she slapped him away. "You said you loved me," she said. "I did," Jaka replied. "I do." She shook her head slowly, eyes narrowing in a moment of clarity. "You lusted for me but never loved me." Her voice quivered, but the woman was determined to hold strong her course. "You fool. You're not even knowing the difference." With that she turned and ran out of the house. Jaka didn't make a move to go after her. Meralda cried all through the night on the rainy hillside and didn't return home until early in the morning. The truth was there before her now, whatever might happen next. What a fool she felt for giving herself to Jaka Sculi. For the rest of her life, when she would look back on the moment she became a woman, the moment she left her innocent life as a girl behind her, it would not be the night she lost her virginity. No, it would be this night, when she first realized she had given her most secret self to a selfish, uncaring, shallow man. No, not a man-a boy. What a fool she had been.

tyan 发表于 2005-8-13 08:21

多谢楼主！！！ <img src='http://www.cndkc.net/bbs_en/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /> <img src='http://www.cndkc.net/bbs_en/html/emoticons/cool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cool.gif' />

基拉发表于 2005-9-8 13:18

楼主加油，在主页只能看到第13章，呵呵。 PS:小三什么时候出来啊？我就是来看他的。

jarod 发表于 2005-9-10 15:27

最近一直在忙,忙得一塌糊涂,开学分到个班主任干,窝在学校里回家都很晚,键盘都生疏了.连载可能还要耽搁一段时间,过几天准备买个手提了,做做课件放放习题,一帮刚高一的小鬼,不给他题海一下是不能成大器的<img src='http://www.cndkc.net/bbs_en/html/emoticons/happy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='happy.gif' />,当然也就可以在学校里翻译了,到时候会再放出连载.

基拉发表于 2005-9-10 16:49

原来楼主是伟大的教师！ 趁还不算晚，说一声教师节快乐！

whzy219 发表于 2005-10-21 16:46

谢谢楼主的精彩翻译,加油继续<img src='http://www.cndkc.net/bbs_en/html/emoticons/amazing.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='amazing.gif' />!!

whzy219 发表于 2005-10-21 16:47

谢谢楼主的精彩翻译,加油继续<img src='http://www.cndkc.net/bbs_en/html/emoticons/amazing.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='amazing.gif' />!![COLOR=red]

moneyworm 发表于 2005-12-9 14:31

楼主辛苦咯~~~~支持支持

Mystryl 发表于 2005-12-9 16:15

有人掘了个小坟堆 上面的~~

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龙骑士城堡奇幻论坛's Archiver

世界之脊第十五章 不再是孩子

世界之脊第十五章不再是孩子