sked him if it was true that he entertained ladies down at the cottage, and all he said was: "Why, what's that to you, Sir Clifford?” I told him I intended to have decency observed on my estate, to which he replied: "Then you mun button the mouths o' a' th' women.”— When I pressed him about his manner of life at the cottage, he said: "surely you might ma'e a scandal out o' me an' my bitch Flossie. You've missed summat there.” As a matter of fact, for an example of impertinence he'd be hard to beat.

我问他在家里留宿女人是否为实，他却说：“呵，这跟您有什么关系，克利福德爵士？”我说不希望领地里出现有伤风化的丑事，他却说：“那您可要把那些恶婆娘的嘴巴都封上。”我再度追问留宿女人的事，他却回答：“您大可以编段我和母狗弗洛西乱搞的丑事。您可错过了好机会呢。”说实话，他可真是厚颜无耻的典型，无人能及。

I asked him if it would be easy for him to find another job. He said: "if you're hintin' that you'd like to shunt me out of this job, it'd be easy as wink.” So he made no trouble at all about leaving at the end of next week, and apparently is willing to initiate a young fellow, Joe Chambers, into as many mysteries of the craft as possible. I told him I would give him a month's wages extra, when he left. He said he'd rather I kept my money, as I'd no occasion to ease my conscience. I asked him what he meant, and he said: "you don't owe me nothing extra, Sir Clifford, so don't pay me nothing extra. If you think you see my shirt hanging out, just tell me.” Well, there is the end of it for the time being. The woman has gone away: we don't know where to: but she is liable to arrest if she shows her face in Tevershall. And I heard she is mortally afraid of gaol, because she merits it so well. Mellors will depart on Saturday week, and the place will soon become normal again.

我问他另找工作是否容易。他说：“要是您在暗示我卷铺盖走人，那再简单不过。”他毫未犹豫，答应下周末离开，似乎也毫不吝啬，愿意将自己的经验所得传授给年轻的乔·钱伯斯。我说会在他离职时，多付一个月的薪水。他却说宁愿我留着自己的钱，没必要借此换个心安理得。我问他此话怎讲，他说：“您没欠我任何东西，克利福德爵士，也没必要多付我钱。要是您还有什么不满，只管说出来。”好了，眼下这件事终于可以告一段落。那女人不见踪影，谁也不知道她去了哪里，只要她再在特弗沙尔露面，就会立即被关进班房。我听说她对坐牢怕得要命，可确实应该给她点教训。梅勒斯下周六就会走人，这里很快就将恢复原貌。