Beyond Betrayal
超越背叛
Christine Michels
克莉斯汀.米歇尔斯（美）
译文 雨尘
Chapter One
第一章
Montana Territory, May 1887
蒙大纳地区，1887年5月
Immune to the soothing clackety-clack rhythm of the train, Delilah Sinclair tightened her black-gloved fingers on her reticule as she fell prey once again to anxious thoughts. The paper on which her sister’s letter had been written crinkled beneath her grasp. She’d read it so many times she had it all but memorized. Still, with disquiet in her mind and a chill in her heart, she removed it and read it again.
火车在有节奏的韵率声中前行，黛利拉.辛克莱并没有受其影响，她再一次陷入焦虑的思想当中，她的手戴着黑手套，更紧地抓着她的手提袋。妹妹写给她的信都被她抓皱了。虽然信的内容她早已默记在心，可是她还是把它拿起来又读了一遍，心绪不宁，忧愁重重。
Dearest Delilah,
亲爱的黛利拉，
I hope this letter finds you well. It seems that it has been much more than a year since we last saw each other, though I know it has not. I think of you often, and miss you dreadfully.
希望在收到这封信的时候，你一切都好。尽管我知道距离我们上次见面尚未一年，但在我感觉远不只此。我常常地想起你，非常地想你。
I wish I could tell you that good news had prompted the writing of this letter, but I cannot. Although the hellish winter is thankfully over, the recovery process continues. The brutal winter hit us hard here in <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags">
我多么希望是有好消息要告诉你才写这封信的，却不是的。所幸的是，地狱般的寒冬已结束，不过要恢复还有待时日。在蒙大纳这个地区，这个严酷的冬天给我们带来了很大的打击。我们损失了大量的家畜。一些母牛过早生产了。上次，汤姆和一些人在试图把一些小动物从可怕的寒冷和齐腰深的雪里救出来的时候，他把腿弄断了，很严重。
Then, a couple of weeks ago, we lost to rustlers a number of the cattle that had survived the winter. These were cattle that we had planned to sell ourselves. Many of our neighbors have suffered similar losses. The sheriff is investigating, but thus far the rustling continues.
而且，几个星期前，那些好不容易熬过了这个严冬的牛被盗贼偷去了好多。而我们正打算将这些牛亲自出售。我们的很多邻居也遭受了同样的损失。警长正在调查此事，但是迄今为止偷盗事件还在继续发生。
In addition, the annual mortgage payment is due on the ranch in June. Having already spoken with the banker on numerous occasions, I can tell you that he is not in the least sympathetic to our situation. There are simply too many others whom hardship has hit as severely. In fact, some of the larger ranchers, not having any hay stores at all, are even worse off. So I guess I shall be grateful for small blessings.
另外，买农场的抵押贷款六月份就要到期了。已经在很多场合下跟银行代理说过了，我可以告诉你，对我们的处境他并不是没有些许的同情。只是有太多的其他的人也遭受了同样严重的打击。事实上，有些更大的农场主，根本没有任何的干草贮备，他们的情况更糟糕。所以我应当感到还有些许的庆幸。
I despise the necessity for asking, dear sister, but I must, though I do so without Tom’s knowledge. If you have any means of assisting us, your kindness would be greatly appreciated. You know that I will repay you as soon as I am able.
Your loving sister, always, Eve.
我亲爱的姐姐，我非常不喜欢跟你提这样的请求，可是我不得不这样做，还没有让汤姆知道。如果你能够以任何一种方式帮助我们，我们都将不胜感激。你知道，我会尽可能的尽快还你。
你亲爱的的妹妹，永远的，伊夫
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Delilah closed her eyes briefly as she considered the implications hidden between the lines of script. Eve had as much pride and independence as any Sinclair. She’d never ask for help unless there was dire need of it. And, although she’d alluded only to the need for financial help, Delilah couldn’t shake the certainty that there was something her sister wasn’t saying. Regardless, the problem that Delilah faced at the moment was that she wasn’t much better off financially than Eve. Yet somehow, in some way, she had to find the means to aid her. She’d promised Daddy long ago that she’d always look out for her younger sister.
黛利拉暂且闭上了眼睛，想着妹妹信中字里行间所隐含的意思。伊夫是同其他任何一个辛克莱家族的人一样，骄傲又独立。除非是有了十分的需要，不然她是永远不会要求帮助的。而且，尽管她只提到需要经济上帮助，不过黛利拉却不能摆脱这种想法，她妹妹一定还有一事情没说出来。暂且不管这些，现在问题是黛利拉自己的经济状况并不比伊夫好多少。然而，在某种程度上来说，她必需想方设法帮助她。在很久以前她就向爸爸承诺过，她
会一直地关照妹妹的。
With single-minded intensity, Delilah stared at the passing landscapes as though the answer to her problems lay out there somewhere. Perhaps in the lee of a hillock or boulder where, in the higher altitudes, dirty clumps of snow still battled the inevitable onslaught of spring. Perhaps beneath the warmth of the sunlight in the greening meadows, where the spring warmth had coaxed the tender young grass and crocuses to the surface. Or perhaps in some of the more distant mountain peaks, where the snows receded, crowning the peaks while leaving vast valleys free at last for the cattle that had survived the winter to graze upon.
因为一心一意地想着妹妹的事，黛利拉盯着那些一闪即逝的风景，好象她那些问题的答案就在那里的某个地方。或许在那些较高处的一个小山丘或大石头的庇荫里，那里变脏的雪堆还在竭力抵抗着不可避免的泉水的冲击。或许在那绿绿的草地上，阳光暖暖地照着，春天的热情诱惑了那些嫩嫩的小草和番红花探出头来到地面上。又或许在一些更远的山峰上，那里，冰雪正在消融，只有稍许尚在山顶上，最终把那些巨大的山谷留给了已经活过严冬的牛儿们在那里吃草。
But she saw no answers there. With a sigh, she returned her gaze to the nearer landscape, and stared sightlessly at the newly emerged tender silver-green leaves on the sagebrush lining the railroad. In the seat across from her, she heard the rustle of Mrs. Higgins’s skirts as the lady shifted position. She was no doubt settling her three-year-old daughter’s head more comfortably on her lap; the child had been asleep for some time.
但是她没有在那里看到答案。叹了口气，她把目光移到近些的风景来，茫然地盯着沿着铁路边的山艾树上新近冒出的银青色的叶子。从她对面的座位上传来希
Mrs. Higgins was young—certainly no older than Delilah’s own twenty-two years—and, Delilah had noted, she seemed rather naïve.
希
On the seat next to Delilah sat a man who’d gotten on the last stop—continuing a journey he’d begun some time ago, according to his initial conversation with the man across the way. From his direction came the periodic crackle of paper as he sorted through a sheaf that he’d pulled from a worn leather satchel shortly after seating himself.
靠近黛利拉坐着一个男人，他是在上一站上车的—根据他开始时跟对面一个男人的交谈，可以知道他是不久前才开始他的旅程。坐下不久，他从一个破旧的皮包里取出一捆纸，然后就不时地从他那边传来哗啦啦翻动纸的声音。
“Are you a bounty hunter, sir?” Mrs. Higgins’s quiet voice attracted Delilah’s attention, the question piquing her own interest, and, despite herself, she listened for the reply.
“Yes, ma’am.” The man’s drawl was definitely southern in origin, diluted by years in the West. “Joseph Pike’s the name.”
“Mrs. Higgins. Clara Higgins,” Clara introduced herself. “This is my daughter, Sarah.”
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am.” Pike cleared his throat. “I’m looking for these here three men.” More crackling paper. “Heard they’d been seen up this way.”
Her attention captured, Delilah looked. Noting her regard, Pike tipped his hat and introduced himself again. “Mrs. Delilah Sterne,” Delilah offered with a nod, the lie coming easily to her lips after years of use. She’d been only seventeen when she’d claimed it as her own.
“先生，你是一个赏金猎人吗？”希
“是的，夫人。”从这个男人懒洋洋说话声音，可以看出他原来在南方，后来在西部数年，口音就冲淡了。
“约瑟夫.派克是我的名字。”
“希
“很高兴见到你，夫人。”派克清了清喉咙。“我正在寻找这三个人。”黛利拉听到更响翻纸的声音。“听说有人看到他们朝这个方向来了。”
黛利拉的注意力被吸引过来，也转来头来看。注意到了黛利拉，派克微触帽沿打招呼并再次介绍自己。“黛利拉 斯特恩夫人，”黛利拉点头回答。用了多年以后，这句谎话很容易就从她的嘴里滑了出来。当只有17岁的时候，她就开始把它作为自己的称呼来使用了。
“It’s right terrible to see such a young woman dressed in black. You been widowed long, ma’am?”
“Not long enough forget him,” she replied in a suitably subdued voice, as her blue eyes misted. Her statement confirmed her widowhood even as it erected a barrier against unwanted male attention.
“看到这么年轻的女人就穿着黑衣真是叫人难过。你失去他很长时间了吗，夫人？”
“还不足以长到忘记他，”她以一种相称的缓慢的声调回答道，这时她的蓝色的眼睛变得模糊了。
她表明自己寡妇的身份，正好树起一道屏障以抵挡那些讨厌的男人的关注。
“My sympathies, ma’am.” Pike returned his attention to the WANTED posters and angled them so that both she and Clara could see them. “These here are the men I’m lookin’ for. You jest let me know if you’ve seen any of ’em. Murderers and thieves, the lot of them. Butch Morgan, here,” he said, pointing to the first poster, “is a rustler and a bank robber.” The rendering on the poster revealed an inpidual with a long narrow face, unshaven appearance, and cold eyes. Pike slid Morgan’s poster behind and revealed the next man he hunted. “This here’s George Clark. He’s wanted for robbin’ a bank and killin’ the clerk in Pine Bluffs. Word is he’s travelin’ with Morgan now.” George Clark was a clean-cut-looking man with a large walrus mustache. Had it not been for the scar on his left cheek, he would not have appeared dangerous in the least.
“我深表遗憾，夫人。”派克又把他的注意力转移到了那些通缉告示上来，并到它们转个角度以便黛利拉和克拉拉都能看得清楚。“这里这些就是我要寻找的人。你们只请告诉我是否见过他们中的任何一个。他们中很多是杀人犯或是小偷。布奇摩根，这里，”他指着第一条告示说，“是一个偷牛贼和银行抢劫犯。”从告示上的图像可以看出，这是男人脸又窄又长，脸上胡子未刮，眼神冷漠。派克把摩根的告示翻到后面去，显示出另一个他要寻找的人。“这里这个是乔治克拉克。他之所以被通缉，是因为他在派恩布拉夫斯抢劫一家银行并杀死了一名职员。有人说现在他正同摩根一起前行。”乔治克拉克是一个有着海象一样胡须脸上刮得很干净的男人。如果不是他左脸颊上有一道伤疤，看上去你一点都不会觉得他有什么危险。
(未完)
页面更新：2024-03-28
