ol betweenwhiles, as by a river.

如今，我已习惯禁欲，因为那是性爱的激情散去后，留驻在心间的平静。如今的我乐得坚守忠贞。我对它的喜爱，堪比雪花对雪的依恋。我对忠贞充满爱意，这是我们性爱间歇期的平和状态，就像你我之间永不熄灭的纯洁爱火，如同雪花那般娇艳。当春意洒遍大地，当你我得以重聚，我们便可再度享受到性爱的乐趣，将这小小的爱火燃得更加光辉灿烂。可现在还不是时候，春天还没有到来！现在是守贞的时刻，能够享受短暂的禁欲时光实在美妙，就像清凉的河水流过我的心田。我热爱贞洁，它如今就流淌于你我之间。就如同淡水与雨水。男人玩弄女性的行径多么丑陋。像唐璜（注：西班牙传奇中的浪荡子）那样实在可悲，无法在性爱过后，安享心灵的寂静；无法在体验过熊熊爱火之后，品味守贞的清凉余暇，就像停驻在水流湍急的河边。

Well, so many words, because I can't touch you. If I could sleep with my arms round you, the ink could stay in the bottle. We could be chaste together just as we can fuck together. But we have to be separate for a while, and I suppose it is really the wiser way. If only one were sure.

哦，不觉已是滔滔千言，只因我无法触碰到你。如果我能够拥你在怀，同入梦乡，墨水就可以安然留在瓶中。我们能够共守贞洁，就如同我们能够共享性爱一般。但我们不得不暂时分别，而这似乎也是更明智的选择。只要彼此能够坚守信念。

Never mind, never mind, we won't get worked up. We really trust in the little flame, and in the unnamed god that shields it from being blown out. There's so much of you here with me, really, that it's a pity you aren't all here.

没关系，没关系，我们都不必烦忧。只要坚信那小小的爱火能得到那无名神祗的庇佑而永不熄灭。我的心中总能幻化出无数你的影像，但在现实世界，你却不在我的身边，这实在是件憾事。

Never mind about Sir Clifford. If you don't hear anything from him, never mind. He can't really do anything to you. Wait, he will want to get rid of you at last, to cast you out. And if he doesn't, we'll manage to keep clear of him. But he will. In the end he will want to spew you out as the abominable thing.

不用在意克利福德爵士。如果你并未听闻他的消息，那就无需着急。他并不会伤害于你。耐心等待，他终要将你摆脱，把你抛弃。如果他不那样做，我们也有办法远离他的纠缠。但他会想清楚的。最终，他会把你从脏腑中吐出，像摆脱某种可恶的东西。

Now I can't even leave off writing to you.

现在，我甚至已经写到无法停笔。

But a great deal of us is together, and we can but abide by it, and steer our courses to meet soon. John Thomas says goodnight to Lady Jane, a little droopingly, but with a hopeful heart.

但我们的心始终连在一起，只要坚持到底，彼此命运的航路便会很快再度交汇。约翰·托马斯跟简夫人道晚安，虽然他有点情绪低落地垂着头，但心中却满怀希望。