author who could write books and poems, and whose photograph appeared in the illustrated newspapers. She was thrilled to a weird passion. And his "educating" her roused in her a passion of excitement and response much deeper than any love affair could have done. In truth, the very fact that there could be no love affair left her free to thrill to her very marrow with this other passion, the peculiar passion of knowing, knowing as he knew.

在康妮看来，克利福德正慢慢露出本来面目：庸俗不堪，平淡无奇，单调乏味，笨头笨脑。艾维·博尔顿的鬼把戏，还有那故作恭顺实作威福的态度，都太过明显。但她居然为克利福德意乱情迷，也让康妮大为不解。若说她堕入情网，确实过于牵强。她之所以激动，是因为有幸常伴克利福德左右，而他含着金汤匙出生，拥有从男爵头衔，擅长舞文弄墨，照片更是屡在报上刊登。她心醉不已，无法理解的热情才应运而生。他的调教，将她的热情彻底激发出来，让她更加积极地做出回应，其效果较爱情尤甚。实际上，正是不担心萌发恋情，使她可以忘我地投入到别样的热情中去，这种热情源自求知欲，渴望像他那样博古通今。

There was no mistake that the woman was in some way in love with him: whatever force we give to the word love. She looked so handsome and so young, and her grey eyes were sometimes marvellous. At the same time, there was a lurking soft satisfaction about her, even of triumph, and private satisfaction. Ugh, that private satisfaction. How Connie loathed it!

从某种角度来讲，这女人确实爱上了克利福德，无论我们赋予“爱”字怎样的含义。她面容娇好，青春未逝，灰白色的双眸有时倒也神采奕奕。同时，隐约可见的满足神情在她脸上闪现，志得意满，欲盖弥彰。唷，那欲盖弥彰的满足感。康妮真是腻歪透了！

But no wonder Clifford was caught by the woman! She absolutely adored him, in her persistent fashion, and put herself absolutely at his service, for him to use as he liked. No wonder he was flattered!

不过，克利福德被那女人俘获，倒也不足为奇！她对他的崇拜达到无以附加的程度，没有片刻懈怠，没有半点杂念，只愿服侍他，任他随意差遣。难怪他会有飘飘然的感觉！

Connie heard long conversations going on between the two. Or rather, it bas mostly Mrs. Bolton talking. She had unloosed to him the stream of gossip about Tevershall village. It was more than gossip. It was Mrs. Gaskell and George Eliot and Miss Mitford all rolled in one, with a great deal more, that these women left out." Once started, Mrs. Bolton was better than any book, about the lives of the people. She knew them all so intimately, and had such a peculiar, flamey zest in all their affairs, it was wonderful, if jus