达特茅的边上就是南德文郡海港城市普利茅斯Plymouth，那个将名字借给欧洲移民在北美最早的定居地麻省普利矛斯的英国城市，我曾经来到麻省普利茅斯海港，观看那条纪念这个港市历史的五月花号（英语：Mayflower)，今天停泊在码头的五月花号为仿制品，纪念1620年这艘从英格兰的普利茅斯搭载著清教徒等人前往位於美洲新大陆马萨诸塞普利茅斯殖民地的客船。

五月花号木帆船当年于9月6日载着102名乘客从英格兰出发，11月11日在鱈魚角附近登陆美洲。值得一提的是，由于逆风和时差，它没有能到达预定的目的地——更南方的弗吉尼亚詹姆斯敦，而是在圣诞节后的第一天，把他们送上了新英格兰的土地。缺衣少粮的新教徒们面对的是比詹姆斯顿冷得多的冰雪海岸，由此还引发了另一个美国纪念日，感恩节。

在保持内容和次序的完整性前提下，译文分开了一些古典英语小说中常见的超长段落(有些地方加上中文注释)。虽然作者布莱克默在首次发布《罗娜. 杜恩》时声明书中人物"纯属虚构"以免除麻烦，这部小说的研究者一致认为本书反映着英国十七世纪查尔斯二世(Charles II) 时期的宫廷权力斗争与历史人物的真实历史。

Lorna Doone 罗娜. 杜恩

《Lorna Doone  罗娜 . 杜恩》 第 33 章

AN EARLY MORNING CALL

 R.D. 布莱克默  (1869) Cancan  译




第三十三章     晨曦之唤



次日凌晨，太阳出来之前我已起身穿越朝向拜底沃斯河的山野丛林，疾行在山涧高高而下的瀑布旁。

黎明的日出，在初寒犹暖的十月之晨显得辉煌绚丽。一轮红日初放霞光，它从灰雾朦胧的山峦与连绵起伏的高地边缘有力地抽出肩头。在它的光泽下，夜雾匍匐后退着，退进洼地和山谷，同时成丝带缕地消失。只有悬岩下隐秘的山谷和岩石突兀的草甸上面依然雾霭笼罩。雾霭的边缘游移着，让位给不断从夜幕挺立出来的山峰。

晨雾中重峦叠嶂的山林草木依次隐现，宛若披在梦醒山峦身上的纱幔，庄淑中带着几分拘谨，仿佛尚未从暴风骤雨的惊骸中回过神来。

秋天正用她成熟柔润的手抚慰着这片丰饶的山林，将她的色泽调配得浓郁欲滴。山林用层林尽染的金黄，水红和橄榄绿，表达着对朝日由衷的欢欣，这欢欣，与其说是献给新郎般气势磅礴的朝阳，毋宁说是对威严父亲致以的崇敬。

在这流光异彩的景色消逝之前，一股更为鲜活的光亮一跃而起，洒向峰峦山谷，将它所有投射到的地方和周边染绘成青，紫，琥珀和带着华丽光泽的玫瑰色， －－朝阳照到哪里，哪里就恍如遮盖一幅幅油彩画面上的幕布般纷纷滑落下来。

而这所有的光明，都驱散着黑暗的魔影和恐赫；朝阳下所有的一切，都在展开翅膀满携着希望扶摇高翔；都在大声地向世界宣告： “上帝与我同在！”


这无限的生机从蛰伏的每一处洞穴中欢腾雀跃开来；一切的鲜花，蓓蕾和鸟儿都在为生命的激情颤动歌唱，在上帝的恩泽下褶褶生辉，一齐交汇出瑰丽多彩的辉煌。

也许，人类大同的永恒晨光也是如此降临，－－让世间再也没有险沟峻壑，没有峰刀裂谷，再没有艮古般隔绝人心的海洋，万物欢跃升腾，在造物主慈爱的怀抱中欣欣向荣，因为太阳，高高升起来了！


上帝总是这么将阳光普照在一切公正与不公之上，而做为阳光普照的一份附加，杜恩.格兰们［书中之前章节描述过的当地邪恶势力家族］将被禁锢于黑暗世界之下。

带着几分短促的喘息，我完成了很少能够这样欣喜感受的拂晓跋涉 — —摸黑登上长长峡谷的顶端，独行于崎岖谷地。对日出景象的惊诧和欢欣若狂，一扫心中所有的辛劳、忧虑和愤瞒。我无法抑制地回想着从前至今的一切，心底如天赐般渐渐睿智明晰起来。也许，正因为这份大彻的感悟是如此珍稀，一切才会这样清晰如画地刻划在我的心里。

一杵带有饱经风雨的锈色沟槽的暗灰色巨岩，依旧矗立在黑暗的阴影之下。然而，阳光已经攀越上来，照亮东部崇高峻伟的高地，直穿挂满树木青藤和朝露闪烁的绒草的石拱辐射过来。峭壁上一长绺灌木斜倚着向山崖西侧仰去，在阳光照射下为崖畔的草坡镶上流苏般的荫影。山溪那水晶般明亮的急流欢悦奔腾着，弯腰掬起水中的阳光，就象满盛起无数个希望。

在溪流的两畔，禾草正用密如刀丛般的叶芒展示着在秋天中的生机，一个个纯情饱满地竖立起带有精致白毛的矛尖，锦缎般的绒膜将嫩绿包裹着，含羞中透出生命的圣洁。

此刻，我的灵魂也随着圣洁升腾，内心里不断地发出充满赞叹的感慨，啊！有谁能够抛开人世的一切烦恼愧疚，完整无缺地独自感受造物主创造的清新静谧璀璨辉煌？

唯一让我没有愧疚之情，却因为过于欣喜而带着些许不安的，是当我看到罗娜从远处走过来时的感受。她比露珠还清丽，比晨曦还明快，正是她身上的这一切使我无限倾心：那有如春风吹散白云一样拂动我的身心的罗娜，那永远与灿烂和发自内心的欢欣同在的罗娜。而这些，都无时不伴随着她少女般的羞涩和对世界所充满的无限憧憬与好奇。

此刻，罗娜正从山谷的那边走来，由于这段时间我们没有相会（缘于格兰.杜恩家族对我的袭击和关押）而未想到我会在这里眺望 －－至少不会知道我会在山谷的黎明中等侯着她。

在这清新的晨光里，她轻快的脚步和身姿就像一道银波，荡漾在朝气蓬勃的的晨光中。突然，看到因为不想让罗娜以为我要偷窥而跳跃到她面前的我，她的面颊羞涩地红蕴起来，一双眸子闪出欣喜的光芒。

＂你终于来了，乔! 我不停地担忧你已经遗忘了我  －－你不知道这份忧虑每晚都象囚笼一样折磨着我。快到那个隐蔽的岩屋里去，这里［格兰山谷，杜恩.格兰家族的私有领地］对你实在是太危险了。＂

这惊喜至极的见面让我说不出任何话语，只是随她走向那处我们曾来过两次的隐秘岩屋。内心神圣地预感到我一生所期待的最庄严幸福的时刻 －－罗娜的爱情，就要降临。

而罗娜象是区分这是不是梦境一样从我的凝神端望下回过神来，忽闪着锦缎般长长的睫毛，踯躅中，罗娜似乎想用什么话题来打破这份寂静。

＂不，我来这里的目的不是这个，＂

我温柔地耳语道：＂你知道我赶来见你是想要告诉你什么，＂

＂如果你真是这么执着地要来告诉我什么，为什么会让人如此长久地折磨和等待？＂

她委屈地扭过身去。我看见她的双唇在颤抖。

＂我如此之晚才来向你告白，是因为我无限担心着你对我这份奢求的答复; 因为我全部的命运都系于你所说出的一个词; 因为，一个曾经如此靠近我的人，一个远远重于我整个人生世界，重于成千个世界的人，或许由于我的冒然一问而不再靠近。＂

我挚诚温柔地向她表述着内心的话语，这带来了罗娜更加颤抖的双唇，可是，她没有出声，甚至没有转过头来看一看我。

＂我是多么深深地一直爱着你，＂

顾不上鲁莽，我急促地补充着：＂在你还是小女孩时，做为一个男孩我在心里不断跟你说着话儿；当你成为亮丽的少女，做为青春少年，我不停地默默爱慕着你； 现在，你已经完全是婷婷玉立的大家闺秀，我所有的身心只会更加疯狂地爱着你，﹣﹣我用世上所无法形容的语言，无法隐藏的心地，深深地爱着你。我不断期待着这样表白的机会却又不断地担忧，可是，即使我是那么地仰慕你和在你面前深感卑微，我亦决定不再等待了，我要你现在就告诉我你的答复。＂

＂乔，你，......是如此的真诚，＂ 她象是要对岩洞里的蕨草和苔藓说话那样低声说到：

＂我，我必须安慰你勇敢而真挚心，＂

＂不不，我追求的不是安抚，＂

我说道：＂我不要任何带有勉强的喜欢，不要因为同情而给出的安慰，那最多只是一份善良的容忍。我要的是一份完整的爱，或者是一份完全的拒绝，我的爱必须拥有你芳心的全部，一如我决心奉献出我的全部一样。＂

在我深情述说的过程中，罗娜忽闪着长长的睫毛害羞地扫过一瞥，可是，她看上去是那样的高贵，那样冰清玉洁，这一瞥无疑加重了我的忧虑。这时，她转过脸来用那清澈秀丽的眼睛对视着我，饱含灿烂的温馨和款款深情，一双手轻轻地环抱起我的脖颈，用她心底的话语说出我正在焦急等待着的答复，－－

＂亲爱的乔，你赢得了你所期待的全部，我将不再属于自己，我是你的，我的全部都属于你，从今以后，…直到永远。＂

我完全不知道自己回答和做了些什么，这幸福的答复和眼神让我欣喜若狂，只记住了唯一的一件事情，那就是眼前罗娜如小孩般仰起的芳唇，正在迎接我的亲吻。这世上最甜蜜的诱惑让我一把托住她的秀发，深情亲吻和拥抱起她，几乎顾不上礼仪和留给她喘息的余地。


＂这，达到了你的要求，＂罗娜满面羞红，轻声地说：＂从此我们拥有了彼此全部的爱，乔，我亲爱的，请记住从现在起所有的温存邀请来自于我这一边，而你应该保持对待青春处女的必要距离和礼仪，除非有我的邀请。但是，你可以行吻手礼，啊，乔，你知道你可以亲吻我的手，一定啊！我忘了我们应该用吻手礼来定情，看我是多么的愚笨。＂

我握住罗娜的秀手温情注视着，内心无比自豪地感受这拥有整个世界中最向往的幸福。我拿起藏在岩壁上的那枚戒指，把它戴到罗娜的手上。

这一次罗娜完全接受了它，挚爱地注视着，紧紧地贴着我，泪流满面。

“今后每次见到你哭泣，” 我抱紧她说：”我应该看做是获得你允许打破我们之间距离规定的许可。今后，亲爱的，再也没有人能够让你伤心哭泣，你不会有任何叹息，而是生活在安详和幸福之中，拥有我全部的珍爱和保护，－－有谁胆敢让你不安？”  罗娜长长地叹息了一下，泪如泉涌，紧紧地将我的头颅贴向她青春圣洁的胸房。


“再也不会有人，再不会，”

她低声自言着： “还有人能让我这么梦想成真么？ 我从心底知道，再也没有，永远不再会有。”

John Ridd 乔.瑞德 (图片来自这部小说改编的同名电影)

LORNA DOONE,  by R.D. Blackmore (1869)


CHAPTER XXXIII

AN EARLY MORNING CALL



Of course I was up the very next morning before the October sunrise, and away through the wild and the woodland towards the Badgworthy water, at the foot of the long cascade. The rising of the sun was noble in the cold and warmth of it; peeping down the spread of light, he raised his shoulder heavily over the edge of grey mountain, and wavering length of upland. Beneath his gaze the dew-fogs dipped, and crept to the hollow places; then stole away in line and column, holding skirts, and clinging subtly at the sheltering corners, where rock hung over grass-land; while the brave lines of the hills came forth, one beyond other gliding.

Then the woods arose in folds, like drapery of awakened mountains, stately with a depth of awe, and memory of the tempests. Autumn’s mellow hand was on them, as they owned already, touched with gold, and red, and olive; and their joy towards the sun was less to a bridegroom than a father.
Yet before the floating impress of the woods could clear itself, suddenly the gladsome light leaped over hill and valley, casting amber, blue, and purple, and a tint of rich red rose; according to the scene they lit on, and the curtain flung around; yet all alike dispelling fear and the cloven hoof of darkness, all on the wings of hope advancing, and proclaiming, “God is here.” Then life and joy sprang reassured from every crouching hollow; every flower, and bud, and bird, had a fluttering sense of them; and all the flashing of God’s gaze merged into soft beneficence.
So perhaps shall break upon us that eternal morning, when crag and chasm shall be no more, neither hill and valley, nor great unvintaged ocean; when glory shall not scare happiness, neither happiness envy glory; but all things shall arise and shine in the light of the Father’s countenance, because itself is risen.

Who maketh His sun to rise upon both the just and the unjust. And surely but for the saving clause, Doone Glen had been in darkness. Now, as I stood with scanty breath — for few men could have won that climb — at the top of the long defile, and the bottom of the mountain gorge all of myself, and the pain of it, and the cark of my discontent fell away into wonder and rapture. For I cannot help seeing things now and then, slow-witted as I have a right to be; and perhaps because it comes so rarely, the sight dwells with me like a picture.

The bar of rock, with the water-cleft breaking steeply through it, stood bold and bare, and dark in shadow, grey with red gullies down it. But the sun was beginning to glisten over the comb of the eastern highland, and through an archway of the wood hung with old nests and ivy. The lines of many a leaning tree were thrown, from the cliffs of the foreland, down upon the sparkling grass at the foot of the western crags. And through the dewy meadow’s breast, fringed with shade, but touched on one side with the sun-smile, ran the crystal water, curving in its brightness like diverted hope.

On either bank, the blades of grass, making their last autumn growth, pricked their spears and crisped their tuftings with the pearly purity. The tenderness of their green appeared under the glaucous mantle; while that grey suffusion, which is the blush of green life, spread its damask chastity. Even then my soul was lifted, worried though my mind was: who can see such large kind doings, and not be ashamed of human grief?

Not only unashamed of grief, but much abashed with joy, was I, when I saw my Lorna coming, purer than the morning dew, than the sun more bright and clear. That which made me love her so, that which lifted my heart to her, as the Spring wind lifts the clouds, was the gayness of her nature, and its inborn playfulness. And yet all this with maiden shame, a conscious dream of things unknown, and a sense of fate about them.

Down the valley still she came, not witting that I looked at her, having ceased (through my own misprison) to expect me yet awhile; or at least she told herself so. In the joy of awakened life and brightness of the morning, she had cast all care away, and seemed to float upon the sunrise, like a buoyant silver wave. Suddenly at sight of me, for I leaped forth at once, in fear of seeming to watch her unawares, the bloom upon her cheeks was deepened, and the radiance of her eyes; and she came to meet me gladly.

“At last then, you are come, John. I thought you had forgotten me. I could not make you understand — they have kept me prisoner every evening: but come into my house; you are in danger here.”

Meanwhile I could not answer, being overcome with joy, but followed to her little grotto, where I had been twice before. I knew that the crowning moment of my life was coming — that Lorna would own her love for me.

She made for awhile as if she dreamed not of the meaning of my gaze, but tried to speak of other things, faltering now and then, and mantling with a richer damask below her long eyelashes.

“This is not what I came to know,” I whispered very softly, “you know what I am come to ask.”

“If you are come on purpose to ask anything, why do you delay so?” She turned away very bravely, but I saw that her lips were trembling.
“I delay so long, because I fear; because my whole life hangs in balance on a single word; because what I have near me now may never more be near me after, though more than all the world, or than a thousand worlds, to me.” As I spoke these words of passion in a low soft voice, Lorna trembled more and more; but she made no answer, neither yet looked up at me.

“I have loved you long and long,” I pursued, being reckless now, “when you were a little child, as a boy I worshipped you: then when I saw you a comely girl, as a stripling I adored you: now that you are a full-grown maiden all the rest I do, and more — I love you more than tongue can tell, or heart can hold in silence. I have waited long and long; and though I am so far below you I can wait no longer; but must have my answer.”

“You have been very faithful, John,” she murmured to the fern and moss; “I suppose I must reward you.”

“That will not do for me,” I said; “I will not have reluctant liking, nor assent for pity’s sake; which only means endurance. I must have all love, or none, I must have your heart of hearts; even as you have mine, Lorna.”

While I spoke, she glanced up shyly through her fluttering lashes, to prolong my doubt one moment, for her own delicious pride. Then she opened wide upon me all the glorious depth and softness of her loving eyes, and flung both arms around my neck, and answered with her heart on mine, —

“Darling, you have won it all. I shall never be my own again. I am yours, my own one, for ever and for ever.”

I am sure I know not what I did, or what I said thereafter, being overcome with transport by her words and at her gaze. Only one thing I remember, when she raised her bright lips to me, like a child, for me to kiss, such a smile of sweet temptation met me through her flowing hair, that I almost forgot my manners, giving her no time to breathe.

“That will do,” said Lorna gently, but violently blushing; “for the present that will do, John. And now remember one thing, dear. All the kindness is to be on my side; and you are to be very distant, as behoves to a young maiden; except when I invite you. But you may kiss my hand, John; oh, yes, you may kiss my hand, you know. Ah to be sure! I had forgotten; how very stupid of me!”

For by this time I had taken one sweet hand and gazed on it, with the pride of all the world to think that such a lovely thing was mine; and then I slipped my little ring upon the wedding finger; and this time Lorna kept it, and looked with fondness on its beauty, and clung to me with a flood of tears.

“Every time you cry,” said I, drawing her closer to me “I shall consider it an invitation not to be too distant. There now, none shall make you weep. Darling, you shall sigh no more, but live in peace and happiness, with me to guard and cherish you: and who shall dare to vex you?” But she drew a long sad sigh, and looked at the ground with the great tears rolling, and pressed one hand upon the trouble of her pure young breast.

“It can never, never be,”

she murmured to herself alone: “Who am I, to dream of it? Something in my heart tells me it can be so never, never.”