07 The Late Letter of Love A 迟到的情书 A
I was always a little in awe of Great-aunt Stephina. 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 being 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 Stephina and an old colored maid spent their days. Old aunt Sanna would open the door to the rather frightened little messenger and would usher him or her into the dark living room, where the shutters were always closed to keep out the heat and the flies.There we would wait, in trembling but not altogether unpleasant.
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 living room 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.
She never embraced us. She would greet us and take our 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.
Aunt Sanna would bring in dishes of sweet, sticky South African 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.
When we had finished our sweetmeats or fruit she would accompany us to the step, bidding us thank our mother for her gift and sending quaint, old-fashioned messages to her and our father. Then she would turn and enter the house, closing the door behind, so that it became once more a place of mystery.
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 did 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.
"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?"
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.
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.
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.
When I arrived I found her sitting on the step. 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 Stephan 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.I came up to her.She hit the near chair with a light smile."Sit down my dear."She said."I have something to tell you."
我对斯蒂菲娜老姑总是怀着敬畏之情。说实在话，我们几个孩子对她都怕得要命。她不和家人一块生活，宁愿住在她的小屋子里，而不愿住在舒舒服服、热热闹闹的家里——我们六个孩子都是在家里长大的——这更加重了我们对她的敬畏之情。
我们经常轮流着从我们住的大房子里带些母亲为她做的可口的食物到她和一名黑人女仆一块生活的那间小屋里去。桑娜阿姨总是为每一个上门来的怯生生的小使者打开房门，将他或她领进昏暗的客厅。那里的百叶窗长年关闭着，以防热气和苍蝇进去。我们总是在那里哆哆嗦嗦但又不是完全不高兴地等着斯蒂菲娜老姑出来。
难以想象一个像她那样身材纤细的女人居然能赢得我们如此的尊敬。她总是身穿黑色衣服，与客厅里的阴暗背景融成一体，将她的身材衬托得更加娇小。但她一进门，我们就感到有一种说不清道不明、充满活力和坚强的气息，尽管她的步子慢悠悠的，声调甜美而温柔。
她从不拥抱我们，但总是和我们寒暄，将我们热乎乎的小手握在她那双秀美清爽的手里。她的手背上露出一些青筋，就像手上白嫩的皮肤细薄得遮不住它们似的。
桑娜阿姨每次都要端出几碟黏糊糊的南非糖果和一钵葡萄或桃子给我们吃。斯蒂菲娜老姑总是一本正经地说些农场里的事，偶尔也谈些外边世界发生的事。
待我们吃完糖果或水果，她总要将我们送到屋前的门廊，叮嘱我们要多谢母亲给她送食物，并要我们对父母转达一些稀奇古怪的老式祝愿，然后就转身回到屋里，随手关上大门，使那里再次成为一个神秘的世界。
让我感到吃惊的是，随着我逐渐长大，我开始打心眼里喜欢起我那位孤零零的老姑来。至今我仍不知道那是一种什么样的奇异动力，使我在还没有透露给别人之前就把乔治领去看望姑姑，告诉她我们已经订婚的消息。没想到，听到这个消息以后，她竟非常高兴。
“是英国人！”她惊讶地大声说道，“好极了，好极了。
你，”她转向乔治，“你要在南非安家吗？你现在不打算回国吧？”
当她听说乔治已经在我们农场附近购置了一片农场并打算定居下来时，好像松了一口气。她兴致勃勃地和乔治攀谈起来。
从那以后，我常常到那所位于玉米地边的小屋里去。有一次，当斯蒂菲娜老姑听说我们决定再过两年才结婚时，她的脸上露出了失望的神色，但听说我的父母亲都对这门亲事满意时，她又放宽了心。
但她还是将我的婚姻大事经常挂在嘴边。她常常问一些怪怪的问题，几乎像担心我的婚事会告吹一样。但我没想到，当我提到乔治打算在婚前匆匆回一趟英国时，她突然变得非常激动。只见她浑身哆嗦着大声嚷道：“他不能回去！爱娜！你不能放他走，你得答应我不放他走！”我尽力安慰她，但她还是显得萎靡不振。我只得劝她回屋休息，并答应第二天再去看她。
我第二天去看她时，她正坐在屋前的门廊上，流露出抑郁孤寂的神情。我第一次感到纳闷：以前怎么没有人娶她、照料和爱抚她呢？记得母亲曾经说过，斯蒂菲娜老姑以前曾是一个楚楚可爱的小姑娘。尽管除了她那褐色的眼睛尚能保留一点昔日的风韵之外，她的美貌早已荡然无存。但她看上去还是那样小巧玲珑、惹人爱怜，总能引起男人的惜香怜玉之情。我走到她的跟前。她拍着身边的椅子，淡淡一笑。“坐下吧，亲爱的，”她说，“我有话要告诉你。”
单词解析 Word Analysis
语法知识点 Grammar Points
①I was always a little in awe of Great-aunt Stephina.Indeed, as children we were all frankly terrified of her.
②The fact that she did not live with the family, preferring her tiny cottage and being solitude to the comfortable but rather noisy household where we were brought up-added to the respectful fear in which she was held.
③As I grew older I found, rather to my surprise, that I had become genuinely fond of my aloof old Great-aunt.
④You do not intend to return to England just yet?
⑤She 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.
经典名句 Famous Classics
读书笔记
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