Chapter 1

——The Home by the Sea

第一章 海边的家

The weather was most distressing. It had rained all night. The roaring of the overflowing gutters filled the deserted streets, in which the houses, like sponges, absorbed the humidity, which penetrating to the interior, made the walls sweat from cellar to garret. Jeanne had left the convent the day before, free for all time, ready to seize all the joys of life, of which she had dreamed so long. She was afraid her father would not set out for the new home in bad weather, and for the hundredth time since daybreak she examined the horizon. Then she noticed that she had omitted to put her calendar in her travelling bag. She took from the wall the little card which bore in golden figures the date of the current year, 1819. Then she marked with a pencil the first four columns, drawing a line through the name of each saint up to the 2d of May, the day that she left the convent. A voice outside the door called "Jeannette. " Jeanne replied, "Come in, papa. " And her father entered. Baron Simon—Jacques Le Perthuis des Vauds was a gentleman of the last century, eccentric and good. An enthusiastic disciple of Jean Jacques Rousseau, he had the tenderness of a lover for nature, in the fields, in the woods and in the animals. Of aristocratic birth, he hated instinctively the year 1793, but being a philosopher by temperament and liberal by education, he execrated tyranny with an inoffensive and declamatory hatred. His great strength and his great weakness was his kind—heartedness, which had not arms enough to caress, to give, to embrace; the benevolence of a god, that gave freely, without questioning; in a word, a kindness of inertia that became almost a vice. A man of theory, he thought out a plan of education for his daughter, to the end that she might become happy, good, upright and gentle. She had lived at home until the age of twelve, when, despite the tears of her mother, she was placed in the Convent of the Sacred Heart. He had kept her severely secluded, cloistered, in ignorance of the secrets of life. He wished the Sisters to restore her to him pure at seventeen years of age, so that he might imbue her mind with a sort of rational poetry, and by means of the fields, in the midst of the fruitful earth, unfold her soul, enlighten her ignorance through the aspect of love in nature, through the simple tenderness of the animals, through the placid laws of existence. She was leaving the convent radiant, full of the joy of life, ready for all the happiness, all the charming incidents which her mind had pictured in her idle hours and in the long, quiet nights. She was like a portrait by Veronese with her fair, glossy hair, which seemed to cast a radiance on her skin, a skin with the faintest tinge of pink, softened by a light velvety down which could be perceived when the sun kissed her cheek. Her eyes were an opaque blue, like those of Dutch porcelain figures. She had a tiny mole on her left nostril and another on the right of her chin. She was tall, well developed, with willowy figure. Her clear voice sounded at times a little too sharp, but her frank, sincere laugh spread joy around her. Often, with a familiar gesture, she would raise her hands to her temples as if to arrange her hair.

天气极其令人烦闷。下了一夜的雨。街道上空无一人，阴沟里的水漫了出来，遍地横流，水声喧嚣。街道两边的房屋像海绵似的吸收着水分，湿气渗入房屋内部，使得从底层到顶楼的墙上都是湿漉漉的。让娜是昨天从修道院回来的，想到以后可以自由地生活了，她做好了一切准备，尽情享受她向往已久的人生乐趣。目前她担心的是，天气不放晴的话，她父亲是不会动身赶往新家的。自从天亮，她已经朝地平线看了上百次了。这时她发现自已忘了把日历放进行李包里。她从墙上摘下那个小小的日历牌，牌子上有金字印的当年（1819）的日期。接着她用铅笔划掉了前四栏日期，并将这几栏中每位圣人的名号都一笔勾掉，直到5月2日，就是她离开修道院的这一天。 “让娜！” 门外响起了一个声音。让娜回答说： “进来吧，爸爸。” 她父亲走进她的房间。这就是勒佩尔蒂? 德沃男爵，名叫西蒙? 雅克。他属于上个世纪的贵族，性情古怪，但是心地善良。他是让? 雅克? 卢梭的狂热推崇者，对大自然充满了热爱之情，热爱田野、树木和动物。身为贵族，男爵对发生在1793年的事件本能地怀有反感，但由于他那哲人的气质和所受的自由主义教育，虽然他痛恨暴政，也不过无关痛痒地发发牢骚而已。秉性善良是他最大的优点，也是最大的弱点。这令他虽有心怜爱、施与、拥抱所有的人，却力不从心；那是一种神才有的博爱——乐善好施、从无质疑，总之，是一种几乎成为缺点的惯性行善。作为一个理论家，他为女儿的教育想出了一套完整的方案，将来她或许可以成为一个幸福、善良、正直而温柔的女性。让娜在家里一直住到十二岁。然后，虽然母亲流着眼泪，她还是被送到圣心修道院去寄宿了。父亲让她在那里过着严格的隐居生活，与外界隔绝，不让她知道外面发生的一切。他希望在她十七岁时，修女们还给他的仍是一个纯真无邪的小女孩。然后他就可以用主理诗歌来对她的思想进行渗透，并且，在丰饶肥沃的土地上，通过田园生活开启她的心灵，通过对自然的热爱，对动物纯朴的爱抚，通过生命的和谐法则来对她进行启蒙教育。如今她已经从修道院回来了，容光焕发，活力四射，准备迎接人生的一切幸福，一切美好的事物，就像她在闲暇时刻和寂静长夜里所梦想的那样。她很像韦罗内塞的一幅肖像画，她的一头金发熠熠生辉，映衬着她的肌肤，那是一种白皙而粉嫩的皮肤，在阳光的抚弄下，隐约可以看到脸上还蒙着一层细绒般的汗毛，令她的小脸显得愈发柔和。她的眼睛是暗蓝色的，就像那些荷兰小瓷人的眼睛一样。在她鼻子的左侧有一颗小黑痣，下巴右边也有一颗。她身材修长，发育得很好，体型优美。她清脆的嗓音有时候听起来有点太尖，但是她率真的笑声能使身边的人都感觉到快乐。她经常会做一个习惯性动作：把双手放到鬓角边，好像是去抚平她的头发。

She ran to her father and embraced him warmly. "Well, are we going to start? " she said. He smiled, shook his head and said, pointing toward the window, "How can we travel in such weather? " But she implored in a cajoling and tender manner, "Oh, papa, do let us start. It will clear up in the afternoon. " "But your mother will never consent to it. " "Yes, I promise you that she will, I will arrange that. " "If you succeed in persuading your mother, I am perfectly willing. " In a few moments she returned from her mother's room, shouting in a voice that could be heard all through the house, "Papa, papa, mamma is willing. Have the horses harnessed. " The rain was not abating; one might almost have said that it was raining harder when the carriage drove up to the door. Jeanne was ready to step in when the baroness came downstairs, supported on one side by her husband and on the other by a tall housemaid, strong and strapping as a boy. She was a Norman woman of the country of Caux, who looked at least twenty, although she was but eighteen at the most. She was treated by the family as a second daughter, for she was Jeanne's foster sister. Her name was Rosalie, and her chief duty lay in guiding the steps of her mistress, who had grown enormous in the last few years and also had an affection of the heart, which kept her complaining continually. The baroness, gasping from over—exertion, finally reached the doorstep of the old residence, looked at the court where the water was streaming and remarked: "It really is not wise. " Her husband, always pleasant, replied: "It was you who desired it, Madame Adelaide. " He always preceded her pompous name of Adelaide with the title madame with an air of half respectful mockery. Madame mounted with difficulty into the carriage, causing all the springs to bend. The baron sat beside her, while Jeanne and Rosalie were seated opposite, with their backs to the horses. Ludivine, the cook, brought a heap of wraps to put over their knees and two baskets, which were placed under the seats; then she climbed on the box beside Father Simon, wrapping herself in a great rug which covered her completely. The porter and his wife came to bid them good—by as they closed the carriage door, taking the last orders about the trunks, which were to follow in a wagon. So they started. Father Simon, the coachman, with head bowed and back bent in the pouring rain, was completely covered by his box coat with its triple cape. The howling storm beat upon the carriage windows and inundated the highway.

她迎过去给父亲一个热情的拥抱。 “我们要出发了吗？” 她说。他笑着摇了摇头，指向窗外，说： “这样的天气我们怎么出得了门呢？” 然而她半撒娇半哄骗地央求道： “啊！爸爸，求求您，我们走吧。下午天气就会晴的。” “但是你妈妈是绝不会同意的。” “会的，我向你保证她会答应的，我去跟她说就是了。” “如果你能说服你妈妈，我完全没意见。” 不一会儿，她从妈妈的房间跑回来，整个屋子都响彻着她的叫喊声： “爸爸，爸爸，妈妈答应啦！快备车吧！” 雨还是没有停。当那辆马车候在门口时，可以说，雨越下越大了。让娜要上车时，男爵夫人才从楼梯上被搀扶下来，一边是她的丈夫，一边是一个高个儿的女佣，健壮魁梧，就像一个小伙子。那个女佣是来自科区的诺曼人，虽然顶多只有十八岁，但是看起来至少有二十岁。这家人把她当成第二个女儿看待，因为她是让娜被收养的姐妹。她的名字叫罗莎莉，主要职责是搀扶她的女主人行走。近年来女主人严重发福，又得上了心脏病，故而老是抱怨。男爵夫人因为过度疲劳而不停地喘气，终于来到这所古老的府邸的台阶前。望着四处淌水的院子，她说： “真是不够明智。” 她那总是会讨人开心的丈夫回答说： “这可是您自已拿的主意，阿代拉伊德夫人。” 由于她有阿代拉伊德这么一个华贵的名字，所以她丈夫叫她时，总要在后面加上 “夫人” 二字，表示尊敬，同时也含有几分嘲笑的意味。男爵夫人很吃力地上了马车，把车身的弹簧都压扁了。男爵坐在她的身旁，让娜和罗莎莉坐在他们的对面，背对着车头。厨子吕迪芬抱来几床毛毯搭在他们的膝盖上，又拿来两个筐子，塞到座位下面。然后她爬到西蒙老爹旁边的箱子上坐下，用一块大毡子裹住了全身。门房夫妇过来向全家道别并关上车门。按照主人最后的吩咐，行李箱随后用两轮车运送。就这样，他们出发了。马车夫西蒙老爹在倾盆大雨中低着头，弓着背，完全被他那带着三重披肩的厚大衣盖住了。狂风暴雨拍打着车窗，淹没了马路。

They drove rapidly to the wharf and continued alongside the line of tall—masted vessels until they reached the boulevard of Mont Riboudet. Then they crossed the meadows, where from time to time a drowned willow, its branches drooping limply, could be faintly distinguished through the mist of rain. No one spoke. Their minds themselves seemed to be saturated with moisture like the earth.

两辆马车飞快地驶向码头，并跟着旁边高桅杆大船的线路继续前进，直到他们来到里节台山的林阴大道。随后他们穿过一片草地，不时会有一棵被淹的垂柳，枝条无力地下垂着，在雨雾中隐约可见。谁也没有说话。他们的心情和大地一样，仿佛充满了湿气。

The baroness leaned her head against the cushions and closed her eyes. The baron looked out with mournful eyes at the monotonous and drenched landscape. Rosalie, with a parcel on her knee, was dreaming in the dull reverie of a peasant. But Jeanne, under this downpour, felt herself revive like a plant that has been shut up and has just been restored to the air, and so great was her joy that, like foliage, it sheltered her heart from sadness. Although she did not speak, she longed to burst out singing, to reach out her hands to catch the rain that she might drink it. She enjoyed to the full being carried along rapidly by the horses, enjoyed gazing at the desolate landscape and feeling herself under shelter amid this general inundation. Beneath the pelting rain the gleaming backs of the two horses emitted a warm steam.

男爵夫人把头倚在靠垫上，闭上了眼睛。男爵哀伤地望着外面单调而湿漉漉的景色。罗莎莉的膝上放着一个包，像乡下老百姓一样在怔怔出神。然而在这种倾盆大雨之下，让娜却感觉她像一棵被禁锢已久、刚被移植到户外的花草一样重新活了过来。她那欢快的情绪，犹如茂密的树叶，把她心里的忧愁掩蔽了起来。她虽然没有说话，却很想放声歌唱，恨不得把手伸到窗外，接一些雨水来喝。她尽情地享受着被马儿载着飞奔的感觉，尽情地注视着沿路凄凉的景色，尽情地享受着在倾盆大雨之中，自已隐蔽于车中的感觉。两匹马的背部在倾盆大雨中闪闪发光，并散发出一阵阵热气。

Little by little the baroness fell asleep, and presently began to snore sonorously. Her husband leaned over and placed in her hands a little leather pocketbook.

渐渐地，男爵夫人睡着了，不一会儿开始发出响亮的鼾声。她丈夫向她靠过去，把一个皮夹子放到她的手里。

This awakened her, and she looked at the pocket—book with the stupid, sleepy look of one suddenly aroused. It fell off her lap and sprang open and gold and bank bills were scattered on the floor of the carriage. This roused her completely, and Jeanne gave vent to her mirth in a merry peal of girlish laughter.

这一举动把她惊醒了，她用人们在熟睡中突然被惊醒时的那种呆滞、困乏的眼神看了看钱包。钱包从她腿上掉了下来，袋口散开了，金币和票据撒了一马车。这使得她完全清醒过来，让娜放开嗓子，开怀大笑起来。

The baron picked up the money and placed it on her knees. "This, my dear, " he said, "is all that is left of my farm at Eletot. I have sold it—so as to be able to repair the 'Poplars, ' where we shall often live in the future.”

男爵把钱币捡起来放到她的膝盖上。 “你看，亲爱的，” 他说， “这是艾勒多田产换来的所有的钱。我卖掉它是为了修缮白杨山庄，以后我们要常住那里了。”

She counted six thousand four hundred francs and quietly put them in her pocket. This was the ninth of thirty—one farms that they had inherited which they had sold in this way. Nevertheless they still possessed about twenty thousand livres income annually in land rentals, which, with proper care, would have yielded about thirty thousand francs a year.

她数了数，一共是六千四百法郎，然后不慌不忙地放进自已的口袋里。这是祖传的三十一处田产中，这样被卖掉的第九处田产。尽管这样，他们每年仍然有两万里弗赫的地租收入，如果经营得法，每年将可以带来三万法郎的收益。

Living simply as they did, this income would have sufficed had there not been a bottomless hole always open in their house—kind—hearted generosity. It dried up the money in their hands as the sun dries the water in marshes. It flowed, fled, disappeared. How? No one knew. Frequently one would say to the other, "I don't know how it happens, but I have spent one hundred francs to—day, and I have bought nothing of any consequence.” This faculty of giving was, however, one of the greatest pleasures of their life, and they all agreed on this point in a superb and touching manner.

他们生活简朴，如果不是因为家里有一个一直敞开着的无底洞，这些收入完全足够全家开销。这个无底洞就是乐善好施。这种施舍用光了他们手里所有的钱，就像阳光吸干沼泽里的水一样。钱像水一样流出去了，消失得无影无踪。怎么花的？没有人知道。总会有一个人对另一个人说： “我不知道钱是怎么花出去的。我今天花了一百法郎，可是并没有买到什么要紧的东西。” 这种乐善好施倒也是他们生活中的一大乐趣，在这一点上，他们志趣相投，而且态度极其一致。

Jeanne asked her father, "Is it beautiful now, my castle? " The baron replied, "You shall see, my little girl. "

让娜问爸爸： “我的那座城堡现在是不是很漂亮？” 男爵回答说： “我的乖女儿，你去看看就知道了。”

The storm began to abate. The vault of clouds seemed to rise and heighten and suddenly, through a rift, a long ray of sunshine fell upon the fields, and presently the clouds separated, showing the blue firmament, and then, like the tearing of a veil, the opening grew larger and the beautiful azure sky, clear and fathomless, spread over the world. A fresh and gentle breeze passed over the earth like a happy sigh, and as they passed beside gardens or woods they heard occasionally the bright chirp of a bird as he dried his wings.

暴雨渐渐地停了。天空的云彩升高了，天色晴朗起来。突然，一抹斜阳从云隙间照射到田野上。不一会儿，云雾散开了，露出了蓝色的天幕，接着像面纱撕开了一样，裂口越来越大，那美丽碧蓝、明净深邃的苍穹便展现在世人面前了。一阵清新的微风从地上拂过，像是欣慰的叹息。而当马车驶进田园和树林的时候，他们偶尔可以听到一只鸟儿弄干羽毛时发出的清脆叫声。

Evening was approaching. Everyone in the carriage was asleep except Jeanne. They stopped to rest and feed the horses. The sun had set. In the distance bells were heard. They passed a little village as the inhabitants were lighting their lamps, and the sky became also illuminated by myriads of stars. Suddenly they saw behind a hill, through the branches of the fir trees, the moon rising, red and full as if it were torpid with sleep.

夜暮降临了。除了让娜，车子里的人都睡了。他们停下来歇息，顺便喂喂马。太阳下山了。远处传来教堂的钟声。他们穿过一个小村庄时，家家户户都点起了灯，繁星密布，照亮了夜空。忽然，透过杉树林的枝叶，他们看见在一座小山的背后，升起一轮又红又圆的明月，仿佛还带着浓浓的睡意。

The air was so soft that the windows were not closed. Jeanne, exhausted with dreams and happy visions, was now asleep. Finally they stopped. Some men and women were standing before the carriage door with lanterns in their hands. They had arrived. Jeanne, suddenly awakened, was the first to jump out. Her father and Rosalie had practically to carry the baroness, who was groaning and continually repeating in a weak little voice, "Oh, my God, my poor children! " She refused all offers of refreshment, but went to bed and immediately fell asleep.

空气如此宜人，因此大家都没有关上窗户。梦想和幸福的幻想过后，让娜疲惫地睡着了。马车终于停了下来。一些男人和女人手提着灯笼，站在车门前。他们到达目的地了。让娜突然醒来，第一个跳下车。男爵夫人几乎是被男爵和罗莎莉抬下车的，她一直用微弱的声音不停地呻吟和重复着： “啊，天哪，我可怜的孩子们！” 她什么东西都不肯吃，只肯躺在床上，不久便睡着了。

Jeanne and her father, the baron, took supper together. They were in perfect sympathy with each other. Later, seized with a childish joy, they started on a tour of inspection through the restored manor. It was one of those high and vast Norman residences that comprise both farmhouse and castle, built of white stone which had turned gray, large enough to contain a whole race of people.

让娜便和她的父亲——男爵共进晚餐。他们彼此都深深喜爱着对方。饭后，带着孩子般的快乐劲儿，他们一同去观看修缮过的庄园。那是一座高大宽敞的诺曼式住宅，分为农庄和邸宅。它是用已呈灰白色的白色石头彻成的，宽敞得足以容纳整个家族。

An immense hall divided the house from front to rear and a staircase went up at either side of the entrance, meeting in a bridge on the first floor. The huge drawing—room was on the ground floor to the right and was hung with tapestries representing birds and foliage. All the furniture was covered with fine needlework tapestry illustrating La Fontaine's fables, and Jeanne was delighted at finding a chair she had loved as a child, which pictured the story of "The Fox and the Stork. "

一间宽广无比的大厅贯穿整个住宅，将它分成左右两部分。进门处两侧都有楼梯，分别从两面延伸，像一座桥一样，在二楼汇合。底层的右侧是一间其大无比的客厅，墙上挂着绘有花鸟图案的壁毯。所有的家具上都覆着手工精细的锦毡，图案全是拉方丹寓言中的故事。这时，让娜发现了她小时候喜爱的一把椅子，高兴极了。这把椅子上画的是《狐狸和鹳》这个故事的图案。

Beside the drawing—room were the library, full of old books, and two unused rooms; at the left was the dining—room, the laundry, the kitchen, etc.

客厅的旁边是堆满了古书的藏书室和两间空房。左边是餐厅，洗衣房和厨房什么的。

A corridor divided the whole first floor, the doors of ten rooms opening into it. At the end, on the right, was Jeanne's room. She and her father went in. He had had it all newly done over, using the furniture and draperies that had been in the storeroom.

二楼有一条贯穿全楼的走廊，十个房间的门都是正对着走廊的。右手边最靠里的一间便是让娜的房间。她和父亲走进房间。这个房间是男爵最近才让人整修的，家具和帷帐都是之前存在储藏室里没用过的。

There were some very old Flemish tapestries, with their peculiar looking figures. At sight of her bed, the young girl uttered a scream of joy. Four large birds carved in oak, black from age and highly polished, bore up the bed and seemed to be its protectors. On the sides were carved two wide garlands of flowers and fruit, and four finely fluted columns, terminating in Corinthian capitals, supported a cornice of cupids with roses intertwined. The tester and the coverlet were of antique blue silk, embroidered in gold fleur de lys. When Jeanne had sufficiently admired it, she lifted up the candle to examine the tapestries and the allegories they represented. They were mostly conventional subjects, but the last hanging represented a drama. Near a rabbit, which was still nibbling, a young man lay stretched out, apparently dead. A young girl, gazing at him, was plunging a sword into her bosom, and the fruit of the tree had turned black. Jeanne gave up trying to divine the meaning underlying this picture, when she saw in the corner a tiny little animal which the rabbit, had he lived, could have swallowed like a blade of grass; and yet it was a lion. Then she recognized the story of "Pyramus and Thisbe, " and though she smiled at the simplicity of the design, she felt happy to have in her room this love adventure which would continually speak to her of her cherished hopes, and every night this legendary love would hover about her dreams.

挂毡都是非常古老的佛兰芒产品，上面有许多稀奇古怪的人物。当看到她的床时，这个小女孩高兴地尖叫起来。床身由四根亮闪闪的橡木支撑着，橡木上面刻着大鸟。因年代久远，橡木已经变黑了。它们像守护者一样围抱着床。床架两侧刻有两个由花朵和鲜果织成的大花环；四根细刻精镂的凹纹床柱的末端是科林斯式柱头，床柱托着檐板，檐板上面刻着身缠蔷薇花的小爱神。床顶的天幕和床面的罩单都是用深蓝色古式丝绸做成的，上面绣着金色的大百合花。让娜把床细致地观赏一番后，便举起蜡烛去看墙上的挂毡，想知道那些挂毡背后的寓言故事。他们大多是一些常见的题材，但是挂在最后的那幅描述的是一段剧情。在一只正在啃草的兔子旁边，一个年轻人摊倒在地上，像是死了。一个少女盯着他，把利剑刺进自已的胸膛。树上的果子变成了黑色。让娜猜不出这幅画所蕴含的意思，正想走开时，她却发现在画的角落里还有一只小得看不见的动物。如果图案中的兔子是活的，会把它当作一片草叶一样吞下去；然而那是一头狮子。这时她才意识到，这是《皮剌摩斯和提斯柏》的故事。虽然这幅图的天真使她发笑，但是房间里有这个爱情冒险故事作伴，也感觉挺高兴，这会不断向她诉说她内心珍藏的希望。这个传说中的爱情故事夜夜都会在她的梦中徘徊。

It struck eleven and the baron kissed Jeanne goodnight and retired to his room. Before retiring, Jeanne cast a last glance round her room and then regretfully extinguished the candle. Through her window she could see the bright moonlight bathing the trees and the wonderful landscape. Presently she arose, opened a window and looked out. The night was so clear that one could see as plainly as by daylight. She looked across the park with its two long avenues of very tall poplars that gave its name to the chateau and separated it from the two farms that belonged to it, one occupied by the Couillard family, the other by the Martins. Beyond the enclosure stretched a long, uncultivated plain, thickly overgrown with rushes, where the breeze whistled day and night. The land ended abruptly in a steep white cliff three hundred feet high, with its base in the ocean waves.

十一点的钟声敲响了。男爵吻别了让娜，回卧室休息了。睡觉之前，让娜最后环视了一遍她的房间，然后才恋恋不舍地吹灭蜡烛。透过窗户，她可以看到倾泻在树上的皎洁的月光和迷人的夜景。不一会儿，她坐起身来，打开窗户往外看。夜色那样明亮，让人感觉像在白天一样，看得很清楚。她看到，园林的左右两侧各有一条悠长的林阴路，路旁是高大的白杨树，庄园便以此命名。林阴路将属于它的两个农场分隔开来，一个归库亚尔一家看管，另一个归马丁家看管。在这周围，还有一大片未开垦的荒地，长满了浓密的金雀花。在那里，海风昼夜吹拂着。荒地突然在一个很陡的白色悬崖边终止了，崖高三百英尺，崖脚浸没在海浪里。

Jeanne looked out over the long, undulating surface that seemed to slumber beneath the heavens. All the fragrance of the earth was in the night air. The odor of jasmine rose from the lower windows, and light whiffs of briny air and of seaweed were wafted from the ocean.

让娜眺望着微波荡漾的茫茫海面，感觉海面好像在星空下酣睡。在这样的夜晚，大地散发出各种芳香。楼下窗子周围的茉莉花散发着浓郁的香味。海风阵阵袭来，带着海水的咸味和海藻的气息。

Merely to breathe was enough for Jeanne, and the restful calm of the country was like a soothing bath. She felt as though her heart was expanding and she began dreaming of love. What was it? She did not know. She only knew that she would adore him with all her soul and that he would cherish her with all his strength. They would walk hand in hand on nights like this, hearing the beating of their hearts, mingling their love with the sweet simplicity of the summer nights in such close communion of thought that by the sole power of their tenderness they would easily penetrate each other's most secret thoughts. This would continue forever in the calm of an enduring affection. It seemed to her that she felt him there beside her. And an unusual sensation came over her. She remained long musing thus, when suddenly she thought she heard a footstep behind the house. "If it were he. " But it passed on and she felt as if she had been deceived. The air became cooler. The day broke. Slowly bursting aside the gleaming clouds, touching with fire the trees, the plains, the ocean, all the horizon, the great flaming orb of the sun appeared.

仅仅能够呼吸这样的空气就使让娜感觉很满足。乡间宁静的气氛，让人心平气和，像是一次舒适的沐浴。她仿佛觉得自已的心在膨胀，于是她开始幻想起爱情了。它是什么样的呢？她不知道。她只知道她会全心全意地爱慕他，他也会竭尽全力去珍爱她。在这样的夜晚，他们会手牵着手，听着彼此的心跳，把他们的爱情和夏夜里的质朴甜美交织在一起。在这种亲密的思想交合中，他们只凭相亲相爱的力量，就能轻易地发现彼此内心深处最隐秘的想法。而此情此景将在天长地久的平静爱情中永远进行下去。她感觉他好像就在自己的身旁。一种不寻常的感觉向她袭来。因此，她继续着这种长长的遐想，直到好像忽然听见房屋后面传来的脚步声。 “是不是他？” 但是脚步声已经远去了，她感觉自已像是被欺骗了。空气变得凉起来。天亮了。太阳渐渐地拨开耀眼的云彩，像火球一样出现了，它把火一样的红光倾泻到树上，平原上，海洋上和整个大地上。

Jeanne felt herself becoming mad with happiness. A delirious joy, an infinite tenderness at the splendor of nature overcame her fluttering heart. It was her sun, her dawn! The beginning of her life! Thoroughly fatigued at last, she flung herself down and slept till her father called her at eight o'clock. He walked into the room and proposed to show her the improvements of the castle, of her castle. The road, called the parish road, connecting the farms, joined the high road between Havre and Fecamp, a mile and a half further on.

让娜欣喜若狂。在这种无比壮观的自然景象面前，一种激动人心的喜悦，一种无限的柔情，吞没了她躁动的心。这是她的日出，她的黎明！这是她生命的起点！这时她彻底疲倦了，终于倒在床上睡着了，直到八点时父亲叫她起床。他走进她的房间，带她去看修缮后的庄园——她的城堡。直接通向农场的那条路叫做教区路，往前一英里半路的样子，便接上从阿夫雷通往费康的公路了。

Jeanne and the baron inspected everything and returned home for breakfast. When the meal was over, as the baroness had decided that she would rest, the baron proposed to Jeanne that they should go down to Yport. They started, and passing through the hamlet of Etouvent, where the poplars were, and going through the wooded slope by a winding valley leading down to the sea, they presently perceived the village of Yport. Women sat in their doorways mending linen; brown fish—nets were hanging against the doors of the huts, where an entire family lived in one room. It was a typical little French fishing village, with all its concomitant odors. To Jeanne it was all like a scene in a play. On turning a corner they saw before them the limitless blue ocean. They bought a brill from a fisherman and another sailor offered to take them out sailing, repeating his name, "Lastique, Josephin Lastique, " several times, that they might not forget it, and the baron promised to remember. They walked home, chattering like two children, carrying the big fish between them, Jeanne having pushed her father's walking cane through its gills.

让娜和男爵到处查看了一遍，便回家吃早饭了。早餐之后，男爵夫人想去休息一会儿，男爵便建议让娜和他到伊波尔去一趟。他们出发了，先是穿过有很多白杨树的埃都旺村，然后顺着曲折的山谷，穿越通向海边的树木繁茂的斜坡。不久，伊波尔村便出现在他们眼前了。女人们坐在家门口缝补衣服，棕色的鱼网晾在房舍门口。这里的每户人家都是全家人住在一间房里。这是一个很独特的法国小渔村，弥漫着浓烈的鱼腥味儿。对于让娜来说，所有的这一切都像是戏剧里的场面。在一个拐角处，他们看见一望无垠的、碧蓝的大海出现在他们面前。他们从一个渔夫那里买了一条比目鱼，一个船夫带他们出海。为了让人记住自已的名字，那个船夫把他的名字重复了好几遍： “拉斯蒂克，约瑟芬? 拉斯蒂克。” 男爵答应记住他的名字。他们是步行回家的。让娜用父亲的手杖穿住鱼腮，父女俩便抬着比目鱼，边走边聊天，像两个快活的孩子。