少年维特之烦恼(英文版)-第23部分
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to ply with her request。 He trembled ； his heart was ready to burst
： then ， taking up the book again ， he remenced reading ， in a
voice broken by sobs。 〃Why dost thou waken me ， O spring ？ Thy voice
woos me ， exclaiming ， I refresh thee with heavenly dews； but the time
of my decay is approaching， the storm is nigh that shall whither my leaves。
Tomorrow the traveller shall e ， he shall e， who beheld me in
beauty： his eye shall seek me in the field around， but he shall not
find me。〃
The whole force of these words fell upon the unfortunate Werther。
Full of despair ， he threw himself at Charlotte's feet ， seized her
hands ， and pressed them to his eyes and to his forehead。 An apprehension
of his fatal project now struck her for the first time。 Her senses were
bewildered： she held his hands ， pressed them to her bosom； and， leaning
toward him with emotions of the tenderest pity， her warm cheek touched
his。 They lost sight of everything。 The world disappeared from their eyes。
He clasped her in his arms， strained her to his bosom， and covered her
trembling lips with passionate kisses。 〃Werther ！〃 she cried with a faint
voice ， turning herself away ； 〃Werther ！〃 and ， with a feeble hand，
she pushed him from her。 At length， with the firm voice of virtue， she
exclaimed ， 〃Werther ！〃 He resisted not ， but， tearing himself from
her arms， fell on his knees before her。 Charlotte rose ， and， with
disordered grief， in mingled tones of love and resentment， she exclaimed，
〃It is the last time， Werther！ You shall never see me any more！〃 Then，
casting one last， tender look upon her unfortunate lover ， she rushed
into the adjoining room ， and locked the door。 Werther held out his arms，
but did not dare to detain her。 He continued on the ground， with his
head resting on the sofa， for half an hour ， till he heard a noise which
brought him to his senses。 The servant entered。 He then walked up and
down the room ； and， when he was again left alone ， he went to Charlotte's
door， and， in a low voice ， said ， 〃Charlotte ， Charlotte！ but one
word more ， one last adieu ！〃 She returned no answer。 He stopped， and
listened and entreated； but all was silent。 At length he tore himself
from the place， crying ， 〃Adieu ， Charlotte， adieu for ever ！〃
Werther ran to the gate of the town。 The guards ， who knew him ，
let him pass in silence。 The night was dark and stormy，—— it rained
and snowed。 He reached his own door about eleven。 His servant ， although
seeing him enter the house without his hat， did not venture to say anything
； and； as he undressed his master ， he found that his clothes were
wet。 His hat was afterward found on the point of a rock overhanging the
valley； and it is inconceivable how he could have climbed to the summit
on such a dark， tempestuous night without losing his life。
He retired to bed ， and slept to a late hour。 The next morning his
servant ， upon being called to bring his coffee， found him writing。
He was adding ， to Charlotte ， what we here annex。
〃For the last ， last time I open these eyes。 Alas！ they will behold
the sun no more。 It is covered by a thick ， impenetrable cloud。 Yes，
Nature！ put on mourning： your child ， your friend， your lover ， draws
near his end！ This thought ， Charlotte， is without parallel； and yet
it seems like a mysterious dream when I repeat—— this is my last day！
The last！ Charlotte， no word can adequately express this thought。 The
last！ To…day I stand erect in all my strength to…morrow， cold and stark，
I shall lie extended upon the ground。 To die！ what is death？ We do but
dream in our discourse upon it。 I have seen many human beings die ； but，
so straitened is our feeble nature， we have no clear conception of the
beginning or the end of our existence。 At this moment I am my own ——
or rather I am thine， thine， my adored！ and the next we are parted ，
severed —— perhaps for ever ！ No ， Charlotte， no ！ How can I， how
can you ， be annihilated ？ We exist。 What is annihilation ？ A mere
word， an unmeaning sound that fixes no impression on the mind。 Dead，
Charlotte ！ laid in the cold earth ， in the dark and narrow grave ！
I had a friend once who was everything to me in early youth。 She died。
I followed her hearse ； I stood by her grave when the coffin was lowered
； and when I heard the creaking of the cords as they were loosened and
drawn up， when the first shovelful of earth was thrown in， and the coffin
returned a hollow sound ， which grew fainter and fainter till all was
pletely covered over ， I threw myself on the ground ； my heart was
smitten ， grieved， shattered， rent —— but I neither knew what had
happened， nor what was to happen to me。 Death！ the grave！ I understand
not the words。—— Forgive， oh ， forgive me ！ Yesterday—— ah ， that
day should have been the last of my life！ Thou angel ！ for the first
time in my existence， I felt rapture glow within my inmost soul。 She
loves ， she loves me ！ Still burns upon my lips the sacred fire they
received from thine。 New torrents of delight overwhelm my soul。 Forgive
me， oh ， forgive！
〃I knew that I was dear to you； I saw it in your first entrancing
look， knew it by the first pressure of your hand ； but when I was absent
from you， when I saw Albert at your side ， my doubts and fears returned。
〃Do you remember the flowers you sent me， when ， at that crowded
assembly， you could neither speak nor extend your hand to me ？ Half
the night I was on my knees before those flowers， and I regarded them
as the pledges of your love ； but those impressions grew fainter ， and
were at length effaced。
〃Everything passes away ； but a whole eternity could not extinguish
the living flame which was yesterday kindled by your lips ， and which
now burns within me。 She loves me ！ These arms have encircled her waist，
these lips have trembled upon hers。 She is mine ！ Yes， Charlotte， you
are mine for ever ！
〃And what do they mean by saying Albert is your husband ？ He may
be so for this world； and in this world it is a sin to love you， to
wish to tear you from his embrace。 Yes， it is a crime； and I suffer
the punishment， but I have enjoyed the full delight of my sin。 I have
inhaled a balm that has revived my soul。 From this hour you are mine；
yes ， Charlotte， you are mine ！ I go before you。 I go to my Father
and to your Father。 I will pour out my sorrows before him ， and he will
give me fort till you arrive。 Then will I fly to meet you。 I will claim
you ， and remain your eternal embrace， in the presence of the Almighty。
〃I do not dream ， I do not rave。 Drawing nearer to the grave my perceptions
bee clearer。 We shall exist； we shall see each other again； we shall
behold your mother； I shall behold her ， and expose to her my inmost
heart。 Your mother—— your image ！〃
About eleven o'clock Werther asked his servant if Albert had returned。
He answered ， 〃Yes ；〃 for he had seen him pass on horseback ： upon
which Werther sent him the following note ， unsealed ：
〃Be so good as to lend me your pistols for a journey。 Adieu。〃
Charlotte had slept little during the past night。 All her apprehensions
were realised in a way that she could neither foresee nor avoid。 Her blood
was boiling in her veins， and a thousand painful sensations rent her
pure heart。 Was it the ardour of Werther's passionate embraces that she
felt within her bosom ？ Was it anger at his daring ？ Was it the sad
parison of her present condition with former days of innocence ， tranquillity，
and self…confidence ？ How could she approach her husband ， and confess
a scene which she had no reason to conceal， and which she yet felt ，
nevertheless， unwilling to avow？ They had preserved so long a silence
toward each other and should she be the first to break it by so unexpected
a discovery ？ She feared that the mere statement of Werther's visit would
trouble him ， and his distress would be heightened by her perfect candour。
She wished that he could see her in her true light， and judge her without
prejudice ； but was she anxious that he should read her inmost soul？
On the other hand ， could she deceive a being to whom all her thoughts
had ever been exposed as clearly as crystal ， and from whom no sentiment
had ever been concealed ？ These reflections made her anxious and thoughtful。
Her mind still dwelt on Werther ， who was now lost to her， but whom
she could not bring herself to resign ， and for whom she knew nothing
was left but despair if she should be lost to him for ever。
A recollection of that mysterious estrangement which had lately subsisted
between herself and Albert， and which she could never thoroughly understand，
was now beyond measure painful to her。 Even the prudent and the good have
before now hesitated to explain their mutual differences， and have dwelt
in silence upon their imaginary grievances， until circumstances have
bee so entangled ， that in that critical juncture ， when a calm explanation
would have saved all parties， an understanding was impossible。 And thus
if domestic confidence had been earlier established between them， if
love and kind forbearance had mutually animated and expanded their hearts，
it might not， perhaps， even yet have been too late to save our friend。
But we must not forget one remarkable circumstance。 We may observe
from the character of Werther's correspondence， that he had never affected
to conceal his anxious desire to quit this world。 He had often discussed
the subject with Albert ； and， between the latter and Charlotte ， it
had not unfrequently formed a topic of conversation。 Albert was so opposed
to the very idea of such an action， that ， with a degree of irritation
unusual in him， he had more than once given Werther to understand that
he doubted the seriousness of his threats ， and not only turned them
into ridicule ， but caused Charlotte to share his feelings of incredulity。
Her heart was thus tranquillised when she felt disposed to view the melancholy
subje
