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She came to know what heavy housework meant and the odious cares of the kitchen.
她开始做种种家务上的粗重工作了，厨房里厌烦的日常任务了。
She washed the dishes, using her dainty fingers and rosy nails on greasy pots and pans.
她清洗杯盘碗碟，在罐子锅子的油垢底子上磨坏了那些玫瑰色的指甲。
She washed the soiled linen, the shirts and the dishcloths, which she dried upon a line;
内衣和抹布都由她亲自用肥皂洗净再晾到绳子上；
she carried the slops down to the street every morning and carried up the water, stopping for breath at every landing.
每天早起，她搬运垃圾下楼，再把水提到楼上，每逢走完一层楼，就得坐在楼梯上喘口气。
And dressed like a woman of the people, she went to the fruiterer, the grocer, the butcher,
并且她穿得像是一个平民妇人了，她走到蔬菜店里、杂货店里和肉店里
a basket on her arm, bargaining, meeting with impertinence, defending her miserable money, sou by sou.
提着篮子去讲价钱，去挨骂，极力一个铜元一个铜元地去防护她那点儿可怜的零钱。
Every month they had to meet some notes, renew others, obtain more time.
每月都要收回好些借据，一面另外立几张新的去展缓日期。
Her husband worked evenings, making up a tradesman's accounts,
她丈夫在傍晚的时候替一个商人誊清账目，
and late at night he often copied manuscript for five sous a page.
时常到了深夜，他还得抄录那种五个铜元一面的书。
This life lasted ten years.
末后，这种生活延长到十年之久。
At the end of ten years they had paid everything, everything,
十年之末，他俩居然还清了全部债务，
with the rates of usury and the accumulations of the compound interest.
连同高利贷者的利钱以及由利上加利滚成的数目。
Madame Loisel looked old now. She had become the woman of impoverished households—strong and hard and rough.
骆塞尔太太像是老了。现在，她已经变成了贫苦人家吃苦耐劳的妇人了。
With frowsy hair, skirts askew and red hands, she talked loud while washing the floor with great swishes of water.
乱挽着头发，歪歪地系着裙子，露着一双发红的手，高声说话，大盆水洗地板。
But sometimes, when her husband was at the office, she sat down near the window
但是有时候她丈夫到办公室里去了，她独自坐在窗前，
and she thought of that gay evening of long ago, of that ball where she had been so beautiful and so admired.
于是就回想从前的那个晚会，那个舞会，在那里，她当时是那样美貌，那样快活。
What would have happened if she had not lost that necklace? Who knows? Who knows?
倘若当时没有失掉那件首饰，她现在会走到什么样的境界？谁知道？谁知道？
How strange and changeful is life! How small a thing is needed to make or ruin us!
人生真是古怪，真是变化无常啊。无论是害您或者救您，只消一点点小事。
