伊夫莱娜 (Fanny Burney): 第三封信

第三封信 【写于上一封信后的几个月】

霍华德夫人致维拉斯牧师先生 发信地： 霍华德庄园，3 月 8 日 (Howard Grove, March 8)

Dear and Rev. Sir, YOUR last letter gave me infinite pleasure: after so long and tedious an illness, how grateful to yourself and to your friends must be your returning health! You have the hearty wishes of every individual of this place for its continuance and increase.

亲爱的牧师先生， 你上封信令我欣喜无限：经历了如此漫长而令人厌倦的病痛之后，你恢复健康，对你自己和你的朋友们来说该是多么可喜可贺！本地每一位人士都衷心祝愿你的健康得以持续并日益增进。

Will you not think I take advantage of your acknowledged recovery, if I once more venture to mention your pupil and Howard Grove together? Yet you must remember the patience with which we submitted to your desire of not parting with her during the bad state of your health, tho’ it was with much reluctance we forbore to solicit her company. My grand-daughter in particular, has scarce been able to repress her eagerness to again meet the friend of her infancy; and for my own part, it is very strongly my wish to manifest the regard I had for the unfortunate Lady Belmont, by proving serviceable to her child; which seems to me the best respect that can be paid to her memory. Permit me, therefore, to lay before you a plan which Mrs. Mirvan and I have formed, in consequence of your restoration to health.

若我再次冒昧提起你的学生和霍华德庄园，你不会认为我是在趁你已然康复之机吧？然而你必须记得，在你身体欠佳期间，我们是多么耐心地顺从了你不愿与她分开的心愿，尽管我们当时极不情愿地克制住了请求她作伴的愿望。尤其是我的孙女，几乎按捺不住她再次见到童年好友的急切心情；而我自己，则非常希望通过对她孩子有所帮助，来表明我对不幸的贝尔蒙特夫人曾怀有的敬重；在我看来，这正是对她的记忆所能致以的最好敬意。因此，请允许我向你陈述一个我和米尔万夫人因你恢复健康而拟定的计划。

I would not frighten you;-but do you think you could bear to part with your young companion for two or three months? Mrs. Mirvan proposes to spend the ensuing spring in London, whither for the first time, my grandchild will accompany her:

我并不想吓唬您；——不过，您觉得能否忍心与您的年轻同伴分离两三个月呢？米尔万太太打算在明年春天前往伦敦，我们的外孙女将第一次陪同她同行：

• 【注】伦敦社交季： 在18世纪至19世纪的英国，每年的春季到初夏是贵族和乡绅阶层离开各自的乡间庄园，涌入首都伦敦的固定时期。在这个季节里，伦敦会举办密集的舞会、剧院演出、晚宴。这也是乡绅家庭将适龄女儿带入社交界（Coming out）、寻找合适联姻对象的核心场所。

Now, my good friend, it is very earnestly their wish to enlarge and enliven their party by the addition of your amiable ward, who would share, equally with her own daughter, the care and attention of Mrs. Mirvan.

如今，我的好朋友，他们真诚地希望，能把您那位可爱的监护人也加进他们的行列，使这群人更加热闹有趣；她将与米尔万太太的亲生女儿一样，得到同等的照料与关怀。

• 【注】赞助人/引荐人制度： 米尔万太太（已婚且有地位的女性）提出带女主去伦敦，并承诺给予“同等的照料”。在当时的社会，一个出身底细不明或来自偏远乡下的年轻女孩，如果想要进入上流社交圈，必须依附于一位有身份、有财力且声誉良好的贵妇作为“赞助人”和保护者。米尔万太太在这里充当了女主跨越阶级门槛的引路人。

Do not start at this proposal; it is time that she should see something of the world. When young people are too rigidly sequestered from it, their lively and romantic imaginations paint it to them as a paradise of which they have been beguiled; but when they are shown it properly, and in due time, they see it such as it really is, equally shared by pain and pleasure, hope and disappointment.

请不要因这项提议而吃惊；她也该是时候见识一下世面了。年轻人若被过分严密地隔绝于世事之外，她们那活泼而富于幻想的想象，便会把世间描绘成一个被她们错失的乐园；但当她们在适当的时候、以恰当的方式见到它时，就会明白它的本来面目：痛苦与快乐、希望与失望同样并存。

You have nothing to apprehend from her meeting with Sir John Belmont, as that abandoned man is now abroad, and not expected home this year.

您不必担心她会与约翰·贝尔蒙特爵士相见，因为那个无耻之徒如今身在国外，今年也不会回来。

• 【注】逃往欧洲大陆： “身在国外”在18世纪的英国贵族语境中，常常是一个带有暗示性的词汇，类似于如禁的润人。当一个贵族爵士犯下丑闻、惹上官司或背负巨额债务时，由于当时的法律管辖权和交通限制，逃往欧洲大陆（法国或意大利）是最常见的跑路手段。

Well, my good Sir, what say you to our scheme? I hope it will meet with your approbation; but if it should not, be assured I can never object to any decision of one who is so much respected and esteemed as Mr. Villars, by His most faithful, humble servant, M. HOWARD.

嗯，尊敬的先生，您对我们的计划怎么看？我希望它能得到您的认可；但如果不能，也请您放心，我绝不会反对像维拉尔先生这样备受尊敬和敬重之人的任何决定。您最忠实、最谦卑的仆人，M. 霍华德。