The Serious Discourse1 of Clym with His Cousin
Throughout this period Yeobright had more or less pondered on his duty to his cousin Thomasin. He could not help feeling that it would be a pitiful waste of sweet material if the tender-natured thing should be doomed2 from this early stage of her life onwards to dribble3 away her winsome4 qualities on lonely gorse and fern. But he felt this as an economist5 merely, and not as a lover. His passion for Eustacia had been a sort of conserve7 of his whole life, and he had nothing more of that supreme8 quality left to bestow9. So far the obvious thing was not to entertain any idea of marriage with Thomasin, even to oblige her.
But this was not all. Years ago there had been in his mother's mind a great fancy about Thomasin and himself. It had not positively10 amounted to a desire, but it had always been a favourite dream. That they should be man and wife in good time, if the happiness of neither were endangered thereby11, was the fancy in question. So that what course save one was there now left for any son who reverenced12 his mother's memory as Yeobright did? It is an unfortunate fact that any particular whim13 of parents, which might have been dispersed14 by half an hour's conversation during their lives, becomes sublimated15 by their deaths into a fiat16 the most absolute, with such results to conscientious17 children as those parents, had they lived, would have been the first to decry18.
Had only Yeobright's own future been involved he would have proposed to Thomasin with a ready heart. He had nothing to lose by carrying out a dead mother's hope. But he dreaded19 to contemplate20 Thomasin wedded21 to the mere6 corpse22 of a lover that he now felt himself to be. He had but three activities alive in him. One was his almost daily walk to the little graveyard23 wherein his mother lay, another, his just as frequent visits by night to the more distant enclosure which numbered his Eustacia among its dead; the third was self-preparation for a vocation24 which alone seemed likely to satisfy his cravings--that of an itinerant25 preacher of the eleventh commandment. It was difficult to believe that Thomasin would be cheered by a husband with such tendencies as these.
Yet he resolved to ask her, and let her decide for herself. It was even with a pleasant sense of doing his duty that he went downstairs to her one evening for this purpose, when the sun was printing on the valley the same long shadow of the housetop that he had seen lying there times out of number while his mother lived.
Thomasin was not in her room, and he found her in the front garden. "I have long been wanting, Thomasin," he began, "to say something about a matter that concerns both our futures26."
"And you are going to say it now?" she remarked quickly, colouring as she met his gaze. "Do stop a minute, Clym, and let me speak first, for oddly enough, I have been wanting to say something to you."
"By all means say on, Tamsie."
"I suppose nobody can overhear us?" she went on, casting her eyes around and lowering her voice. "Well, first you will promise me this--that you won't be angry and call me anything harsh if you disagree with what I propose?"
Yeobright promised, and she continued: "What I want is your advice, for you are my relation--I mean, a sort of guardian27 to me--aren't you, Clym?"
"Well, yes, I suppose I am; a sort of guardian. In fact, I am, of course," he said, altogether perplexed28 as to her drift.
"I am thinking of marrying," she then observed blandly29. "But I shall not marry unless you assure me that you approve of such a step. Why don't you speak?"
"I was taken rather by surprise. But, nevertheless, I am very glad to hear such news. I shall approve, of course, dear Tamsie. Who can it be? I am quite at a loss to guess. No I am not--'tis the old doctor!--not that I mean to call him old, for he is not very old after all. Ah--I noticed when he attended you last time!"
"No, no," she said hastily. "'Tis Mr. Venn."
Clym's face suddenly became grave.
"There, now, you don't like him, and I wish I hadn't mentioned him!" she exclaimed almost petulantly30. "And I shouldn't have done it, either, only he keeps on bothering me so till I don't know what to do!"
Clym looked at the heath. "I like Venn well enough," he answered at last. "He is a very honest and at the same time astute31 man. He is clever too, as is proved by his having got you to favour him. But really, Thomasin, he is not quite--"
"Gentleman enough for me? That is just what I feel. I am sorry now that I asked you, and I won't think any more of him. At the same time I must marry him if I marry anybody--that I WILL say!"
"I don't see that," said Clym, carefully concealing32 every clue to his own interrupted intention, which she plainly had not guessed. "You might marry a professional man, or somebody of that sort, by going into the town to live and forming acquaintances there."
"I am not fit for town life--so very rural and silly as I always have been. Do not you yourself notice my countrified ways?"
"Well, when I came home from Paris I did, a little; but I don't now."
"That's because you have got countrified too. O, I couldn't live in a street for the world! Egdon is a ridiculous old place; but I have got used to it, and I couldn't be happy anywhere else at all."
"Neither could I," said Clym.
"Then how could you say that I should marry some town man? I am sure, say what you will, that I must marry Diggory, if I marry at all. He has been kinder to me than anybody else, and has helped me in many ways that I don't know of!" Thomasin almost pouted33 now.
"Yes, he has," said Clym in a neutral tone. "Well, I wish with all my heart that I could say, marry him. But I cannot forget what my mother thought on that matter, and it goes rather against me not to respect her opinion. There is too much reason why we should do the little we can to respect it now."
"Very well, then," sighed Thomasin. "I will say no more."
"But you are not bound to obey my wishes. I merely say what I think."
"O no--I don't want to be rebellious34 in that way," she said sadly. "I had no business to think of him--I ought to have thought of my family. What dreadfully bad impulses there are in me!" Her lips trembled, and she turned away to hide a tear.
Clym, though vexed35 at what seemed her unaccountable taste, was in a measure relieved to find that at any rate the marriage question in relation to himself was shelved. Through several succeeding days he saw her at different times from the window of his room moping disconsolately36 about the garden. He was half angry with her for choosing Venn; then he was grieved at having put himself in the way of Venn's happiness, who was, after all, as honest and persevering37 a young fellow as any on Egdon, since he had turned over a new leaf. In short, Clym did not know what to do.
When next they met she said abruptly38, "He is much more respectable now than he was then!"
"Who? O yes--Diggory Venn."
"Aunt only objected because he was a reddleman."
"Well, Thomasin, perhaps I don't know all the particulars of my mother's wish. So you had better use your own discretion39."
"You will always feel that I slighted your mother's memory."
"No, I will not. I shall think you are convinced that, had she seen Diggory in his present position, she would have considered him a fitting husband for you. Now, that's my real feeling. Don't consult me any more, but do as you like, Thomasin. I shall be content."
It is to be supposed that Thomasin was convinced; for a few days after this, when Clym strayed into a part of the heath that he had not lately visited, Humphrey, who was at work there, said to him, "I am glad to see that Mrs. Wildeve and Venn have made it up again, seemingly."
"Have they?" said Clym abstractedly.
"Yes; and he do contrive40 to stumble upon her whenever she walks out on fine days with the chiel. But, Mr. Yeobright, I can't help feeling that your cousin ought to have married you. 'Tis a pity to make two chimleycorners where there need be only one. You could get her away from him now, 'tis my belief, if you were only to set about it."
"How can I have the conscience to marry after having driven two women to their deaths? Don't think such a thing, Humphrey. After my experience I should consider it too much of a burlesque41 to go to church and take a wife. In the words of Job, 'I have made a covenant42 with mine eyes; when then should I think upon a maid?'"
"No, Mr. Clym, don't fancy that about driving two women to their deaths. You shouldn't say it."
"Well, we'll leave that out," said Yeobright. "But anyhow God has set a mark upon me which wouldn't look well in a love-making scene. I have two ideas in my head, and no others. I am going to keep a night-school; and I am going to turn preacher. What have you got to say to that, Humphrey?"
"I'll come and hear 'ee with all my heart."
"Thanks. 'Tis all I wish."
As Clym descended43 into the valley Thomasin came down by the other path, and met him at the gate. "What do you think I have to tell you, Clym?" she said, looking archly over her shoulder at him.
"I can guess," he replied.
She scrutinized44 his face. "Yes, you guess right. It is going to be after all. He thinks I may as well make up my mind, and I have got to think so too. It is to be on the twenty-fifth of next month, if you don't object."
"Do what you think right, dear. I am only too glad that you see your way clear to happiness again. My sex owes you every amends45 for the treatment you received in days gone by."'
' The writer may state here that the original conception of the story did not design a marriage between Thomasin and Venn. He was to have retained his isolated46 and weird47 character to the last, and to have disappeared mysteriously from the heath, nobody knowing whither--Thomasin remaining a widow. But certain circumstances of serial48 publication led to a change of intent.
Readers can therefore choose between the endings, and those with an austere49 artistic50 code can assume the more consistent conclusion to be the true one.
收听单词发音 |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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dribble
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| v.点滴留下，流口水；n.口水 | |
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winsome
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| n.迷人的，漂亮的 | |
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economist
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| n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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conserve
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| vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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reverenced
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| v.尊敬，崇敬( reverence的过去式和过去分词 )；敬礼 | |
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whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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sublimated
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| v.（使某物质）升华( sublimate的过去式和过去分词 )；使净化；纯化 | |
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fiat
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| n.命令，法令，批准；vt.批准，颁布 | |
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conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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decry
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| v.危难，谴责 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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wedded
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| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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graveyard
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| n.坟场 | |
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vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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itinerant
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| adj.巡回的；流动的 | |
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futures
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| n.期货，期货交易 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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blandly
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| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
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petulantly
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astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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pouted
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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disconsolately
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| adv.悲伤地，愁闷地；哭丧着脸 | |
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persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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burlesque
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| v.嘲弄，戏仿；n.嘲弄，取笑，滑稽模仿 | |
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covenant
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| n.盟约，契约；v.订盟约 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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amends
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| n. 赔偿 | |
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isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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serial
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| n.连本影片，连本电视节目；adj.连续的 | |
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austere
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| adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的 | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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