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Joseph stopped reading and there was silence for a moment.
约瑟夫不读了。俩人沉默了一会儿，
Then his mother said, 'There was no more than that?'
他母亲问：“没有别的了？”
'No, Mother, nothing.'
“没有了，妈妈，没有别的了。”
'And have you met this Mr Fowler?'
“你见过这位福勒先生吗？”
'Yes. He came to speak once or twice at Oxford.'
“见过，他来牛津讲过一两次课。”
'Well, 'said the mother, as he was a friend of the Squire, I think you should write to him and tell him what…what has happened. You will know what to say. And the letter is for him, after all.'
“好吧，”母亲说，“既然他俩是朋友，我想你应该给他写封信，告诉他……出了什么事情。你知道该说些什么。不管怎么说信是写给他的。”
'You're right, Mother, 'replied Joseph. 'I'll write to him at once. 'And he wrote that same evening.
“你说得对，妈妈，”约瑟夫答道，“我马上给他写。”那天晚上他便写了。
In time a letter came back from Gloucester and with it a large packet; and there were more evening talks in the library at the Hall. At the end of one evening, the mother said:
过了一段时间，格洛斯特那个人发来了回信，还有个大包裹。乡绅府书房里夜晚的谈话更多了。一天晚上，母亲说：
'Well, if you are sure, do it tonight. Go round by the fields where no one will see you. Oh, and here's a cloth you can use.'
“好了，如果你觉得没问题，今天晚上就干吧，绕过那片旷野，那里不会有人看见你的。噢，你可以用这块布。”
'What cloth is it, Mother? 'asked Joseph.
“这是什么布呀，妈妈？”约瑟夫问。
'Just a cloth, 'was the answer.
“就是一块布。”母亲回答。
Joseph went out by the garden door, and his mother stood in the doorway, thinking, with her hand over her mouth. Then she said quietly, 'It was the cloth to cover his face. Oh, I wish I had not been so hurried!'
约瑟夫从花园的门出来，他母亲站在门口，手捂着嘴想着事儿。接着她小声说：“用这块布盖住他的脸。噢，我当时不那么慌张多好呀！”
The night was very dark and a strong wind blew loud over the black fields; loud enough to drown all sounds of calling or answering—if anyone did call or answer.
那天晚上天很黑，大风刮过黑暗的旷野，声音大得能把所有的喊叫和回答声淹没——假如真有人喊叫或回答的话。
