The worthy Master Gryphus, as the reader may have seen, wasfar from sharing the kindly feeling of his daughter for thegodson of Cornelius de Witt.
值得尊敬的格里弗斯大师，正如读者可能已经看到的那样，远非与康奈利斯·德·威特的教子抱有同样的好感。

　　There being only five prisoners at Loewestein, the post ofturnkey was not a very onerous one, but rather a sort ofsinecure, given after a long period of service.
在罗韦斯坦只有五名囚犯，所以看守的工作并不十分繁重，而只是一种近乎闲职，是在长期服役后获得的。

　　But the worthy jailer, in his zeal, had magnified with allthe power of his imagination the importance of his office.
但这名尊贵的狱卒，出于热忱，夸大了自己职责的重要性。

To him Cornelius had swelled to the gigantic proportions ofa criminal of the first order. —
对于他来说，康奈利斯已经膨胀成为一批最高级别的罪犯。 —

He looked upon him,therefore, as the most dangerous of all his prisoners. —
因此，他将他视为所有囚犯中最危险的一个。 —

Hewatched all his steps, and always spoke to him with an angrycountenance; —
他密切关注他的一举一动，并总是带着愤怒的表情和他说话； —

punishing him for what he called his dreadfulrebellion against such a clement prince as the Stadtholder.
指责他对如此宽容的统治者，也就是那位督政官，采取了可怕的反叛行动。

Three times a day he entered Van Baerle’s cell, expecting tofind him trespassing; —
一天里，他三次进入范·巴尔勒的牢房，期待着发现他在犯错误； —

but Cornelius had ceased tocorrespond, since his correspondent was at hand. —
但是自从他有了当面的通信对象以后，康奈利斯已经停止了通信。 —

It is evenprobable that, if Cornelius had obtained his full liberty,with permission to go wherever he liked, the prison, withRosa and his bulbs, would have appeared to him preferable toany other habitation in the world without Rosa and hisbulbs.
甚至可以推测，如果康奈利斯获得了完全自由，并被允许去任何他想去的地方，那么与罗莎和他的球茎在一起的监狱，将比没有罗莎和他的球茎的世界上任何其他住所更可取。

　　Rosa, in fact, had promised to come and see him everyevening, and from the first evening she had kept her word.
事实上，罗莎已经承诺每天晚上来看他，而从第一晚开始她一直信守诺言。

On the following evening she went up as before, with thesame mysteriousness and the same precaution. —
第二天晚上，她像之前一样，带着同样的神秘和谨慎上楼来。 —

Only she hadthis time resolved within herself not to approach too nearthe grating. —
但是这一次，她决定不再靠近铁栅栏。 —

In order, however, to engage Van Baerle in aconversation from the very first which would seriouslyoccupy his attention, she tendered to him through thegrating the three bulbs, which were still wrapped up in thesame paper.
为了从一开始就让范·巴尔勒认真地投入一场谈话，她透过栅栏递给他那包裹着同一张纸的三枚球茎。

　　But to the great astonishment of Rosa, Van Baerle pushedback her white hand with the tips of his fingers.
然而，令罗莎大为惊讶的是，范·巴尔勒用手指尖推开她白皙的手。

　　The young man had been considering about the matter.
这位年轻人一直在考虑这件事。

“Listen to me,” he said. “I think we should risk too much byembarking our whole fortune in one ship. —
“听我说，”他说。“我认为我们把全部财产都投入一艘船中，冒的风险太大了。 —

Only think, my dearRosa, that the question is to carry out an enterprise whichuntil now has been considered impossible, namely, that ofmaking the great black tulip flower. —
想想看，我亲爱的罗莎，问题是要实现一个直到现在都被认为是不可能的企业，那就是使伟大的黑色郁金香开花。 —

Let us, therefore, takeevery possible precaution, so that in case of a failure wemay not have anything to reproach ourselves with. —
因此，让我们采取一切可能的预防措施，这样万一失败，我们就不会自责。 —

I will nowtell you the way I have traced out for us.” —
我现在将告诉你我为我们制定的计划。” —

Rosa was all attention to what he would say, much more onaccount of the importance which the unfortunatetulip-fancier attached to it, than that she felt interestedin the matter herself.
罗莎对他所说的事情非常关注，这更多是因为那位不幸的郁金香爱好者所赋予的重要性，而不是她自己感兴趣。

“I will explain to you, Rosa,” he said. —
“我会向你解释，罗莎，”他说。 —

“I dare say you havein this fortress a small garden, or some courtyard, or, ifnot that, at least some terrace.” —
“我敢说你在这座堡垒里有一个小花园，或是某个庭院，或者如果没有，至少有个露台。” —

“We have a very fine garden,” said Rosa, “it runs along theedge of the Waal, and is full of fine old trees.” —
“我们有一个非常美丽的花园，”罗莎说，“它沿着瓦尔河边，布满了一些优美的古树。” —

“Could you bring me some soil from the garden, that I mayjudge?”“I will do so to-morrow.” —
“你能给我带些花园里的土吗，这样我才能判断？”“明天我会这么做。” —

“Take some from a sunny spot, and some from a shady, so thatI may judge of its properties in a dry and in a moiststate.” —
“从一个阳光充足的地方取一些，再从一个阴凉的地方取一些，这样我才能判断它在干燥和潮湿状态下的性质。” —

“Be assured I shall.”“After having chosen the soil, and, if it be necessary,modified it, we will divide our three bulbs; —
“你放心，我会的。”“选定土壤之后，如果需要调整，我们将分开我们的三个球茎； —

you will takeone and plant it, on the day that I will tell you, in thesoil chosen by me. —
你拿一个，按照我告诉你的日子，种植在我选定的土壤中。 —

It is sure to flower, if you tend itaccording to my directions.” —
如果你按照我的指示精心照料，它一定会开花。” —

“I will not lose sight of it for a minute.” —
“我不会离它一分钟。” —

“You will give me another, which I will try to grow here inmy cell, and which will help me to beguile those long wearyhours when I cannot see you. —
你会给我另一个，我将尝试在自己的牢房里种植，这将帮助我消磨那些漫长乏味的时光，当我无法见到你时。 —

I confess to you I have verylittle hope for the latter one, and I look beforehand onthis unfortunate bulb as sacrificed to my selfishness.
我得承认我对后者几乎没有希望，我预先把这个不幸的鳞茎当作了对我的自私牺牲。

However, the sun sometimes visits me. —
不过，阳光有时会来看我。 —

I will, besides, tryto convert everything into an artificial help, even the heatand the ashes of my pipe, and lastly, we, or rather you,will keep in reserve the third sucker as our last resource,in case our first two experiments should prove a failure. —
我还会尝试将一切都变成一种人工帮助，甚至是我烟斗的热度和灰烬，最后，我们，或者更确切地说是你，会保留第三个分蘖作为我们的最后资源，以防我们的前两次实验失败。 —

Inthis manner, my dear Rosa, it is impossible that we shouldnot succeed in gaining the hundred thousand guilders foryour marriage portion; —
亲爱的罗莎，用这种方式，我们不可能不成功地赢得十万荷兰盾作为你的嫁妆； —

and how dearly shall we enjoy thatsupreme happiness of seeing our work brought to a successfulissue!”“I know it all now,” said Rosa. “I will bring you the soilto-morrow, and you will choose it for your bulb and formine. —
我们将多么珍视那种看到我们的努力取得成功的最高幸福！ —

As to that in which yours is to grow, I shall haveseveral journeys to convey it to you, as I cannot bring muchat a time.” —
“现在我全都知道了,“罗莎说。”明天我会给你带土壤，你会为你自己的鳞茎和我的鳞茎选择它。 —

“There is no hurry for it, dear Rosa; our tulips need not beput into the ground for a month at least. So you see we haveplenty of time before us. —
“亲爱的罗莎，我们种的郁金香至少还有一个月才需要种入土中。所以你看，我们有足够的时间。” —

Only I hope that, in planting yourbulb, you will strictly follow all my instructions.” —
“只是希望你，在种植你的鳞茎时，严格遵循我的所有指示。” —

“I promise you I will.”“And when you have once planted it, you will communicate tome all the circumstances which may interest our nursling; —
“我保证我会的。” —

such as change of weather, footprints on the walks, orfootprints in the borders. —
“一旦你种下了它，你会告诉我所有可能会引起我们的心育注目的情况；” —

You will listen at night whetherour garden is not resorted to by cats. —
“比如天气变化、小径上的脚印，或者花坛里的脚印。” —

A couple of thoseuntoward animals laid waste two of my borders at Dort.““I will listen.” —
“你会在晚上听听我们的花园是否被猫光顾了。” —

“On moonlight nights have you ever looked at your garden, mydear child?” —
“在月光之夜，你是否曾经看过你的花园，亲爱的孩子？” —

“The window of my sleeping-room overlooks it.” —
我寝室的窗户正对着它。 —

“Well, on moonlight nights you will observe whether any ratscome out from the holes in the wall. —
嗯，在月光夜晚，你会观察是否有老鼠从墙上的洞里出来。 —

The rats are mostmischievous by their gnawing everything; —
这些老鼠最淘气，啃咬着一切； —

and I have heardunfortunate tulip-growers complain most bitterly of Noah forhaving put a couple of rats in the ark.” —
我曾听到一些不幸的郁金香种植者对挪亚抱怨，说他把一对老鼠放进方舟。 —

“I will observe, and if there are cats or rats —- ““You will apprise me of it, – that’s right. —
“我会观察的，如果有猫或老鼠—-”“你会知会我的，–没错。 —

And, moreover,“Van Baerle, having become mistrustful in his captivity,continued, “there is an animal much more to be feared thaneven the cat or the rat.” —
此外，”范·巴尔莱因为在囚禁中变得不信任了，继续说道，“有一个比猫或老鼠更可怕的动物。” —

“What animal?”“Man. You comprehend, my dear Rosa, a man may steal aguilder, and risk the prison for such a trifle, and,consequently, it is much more likely that some one mightsteal a hundred thousand guilders.” —
“什么动物？”“人。你明白吧，亲爱的罗莎，一个人可能偷走一吉尔德，为这么点小事冒着被关进监狱的风险，因此更有可能有人可能偷走十万吉尔德呢。” —

“No one ever enters the garden but myself.” —
“除了我，从来没有人进过这个花园。” —

“Thank you, thank you, my dear Rosa. All the joy of my lifehas still to come from you.” —
“谢谢你，谢谢你，我亲爱的罗莎。我一生中所有的欢乐都要来自你。” —

And as the lips of Van Baerle approached the grating withthe same ardor as the day before, and as, moreover, the hourfor retiring had struck, Rosa drew back her head, andstretched out her hand.
当范·巴尔莱的嘴唇向着铁栅栏展现出与前一天同样的热情时，而且退休时间也到了，罗莎缩回头，伸出手。

　　In this pretty little hand, of which the coquettish damselwas particularly proud, was the bulb.
在这只俏皮的小手中，这只偏爱的手，藏着鳞茎。

Cornelius kissed most tenderly the tips of her fingers. —
科内利斯温柔地吻了吻她手指的尖端。 —

Didhe do so because the hand kept one of the bulbs of the greatblack tulip, or because this hand was Rosa’s? —
他这样做是因为这只手握着一只大黑郁金香的鳞茎，还是因为这只手是罗莎的？ —

We shall leavethis point to the decision of wiser heads than ours.
我们将这一点留给比我们更明智的头脑来决定。

　　Rosa withdrew with the other two suckers, pressing them toher heart.
罗莎带走了其他两个吸盘，将它们紧贴在心上。

　　Did she press them to her heart because they were the bulbsof the great black tulip, or because she had them fromCornelius?
她将它们紧紧拥在胸前是因为它们是伟大的黑色郁金香的鳞茎，还是因为她从科尼利厄斯那里得到了它们？

　　This point, we believe, might be more readily decided thanthe other.
我们认为这一点可能比其他的更容易确定。

　　However that may have been, from that moment life becamesweet, and again full of interest to the prisoner.
无论怎样，从那一刻起，囚犯的生活变得甜蜜而充满兴致。

　　Rosa, as we have seen, had returned to him one of thesuckers.
正如我们所见，罗莎把其中一个分枝还给了他。

　　Every evening she brought to him, handful by handful, aquantity of soil from that part of the garden which he hadfound to be the best, and which, indeed, was excellent.
每天晚上，她一把一把地把从花园中最好的那部分带来的土递给他，那个地方確實很优秀。

A large jug, which Cornelius had skilfully broken, didservice as a flower-pot. —
一个大罐子，是科尼利厄斯巧妙打破的，做为一个花盆。 —

He half filled it, and mixed theearth of the garden with a small portion of dried river mud,a mixture which formed an excellent soil.
他把它半填满，并将花园的土与一小部分干燥的河泥混合在一起，这种混合物形成了优质的土壤。

　　Then, at the beginning of April, he planted his first suckerin that jug.
然后，在四月初，他在那个罐子里种下了他的第一株瓜皮。

　　Not a day passed on which Rosa did not come to have her chatwith Cornelius.
罗莎每天都会来找科内利乌斯聊天。

The tulips, concerning whose cultivation Rosa was taught allthe mysteries of the art, formed the principal topic of theconversation; —
罗莎学到种植郁金香的所有技巧，谈到这些花占据了他们谈话的主要内容； —

but, interesting as the subject was, peoplecannot always talk about tulips.
但是，尽管这个主题很有趣，人们并不总是能只谈论郁金香。

　　They therefore began to chat also about other things, andthe tulip-fancier found out to his great astonishment what avast range of subjects a conversation may comprise.
因此，他们开始聊起了其他事情，这让种植郁金香的人感到十分惊讶，一次谈话可以包含如此广泛的主题。

　　Only Rosa had made it a habit to keep her pretty faceinvariably six inches distant from the grating, havingperhaps become distrustful of herself.
只有罗莎已经习惯了将她漂亮的脸始终保持在离那个栅栏六英寸的距离，她也许对自己产生了不信任。

　　There was one thing especially which gave Cornelius almostas much anxiety as his bulbs – a subject to which he alwaysreturned – the dependence of Rosa on her father.
有一件事尤其让科内利乌斯担心不已，那就是罗莎对她父亲的依赖。

Indeed, Van Baerle’s happiness depended on the whim of thisman. —
事实上，范巴尔的幸福取决于这个人的心情。 —

He might one day find Loewestein dull, or the air ofthe place unhealthy, or the gin bad, and leave the fortress,and take his daughter with him, when Cornelius and Rosawould again be separated.
他可能有一天会觉得洛伊斯坦无聊，或者这个地方的空气不健康，或者那里的杜杜难闻，于是离开这个堡垒，带着他女儿一起离开，此时科内利乌斯和罗莎会再次分开。

“Of what use would the carrier pigeons then be?” —
“那时信鸽还有什么用呢？”科内利乌斯对罗莎说：“因为亲爱的，你将无法阅读我给你写的东西，也无法用文字回答我。” —

saidCornelius to Rosa, “as you, my dear girl, would not be ableto read what I should write to you, nor to write to me yourthoughts in return.” —
罗莎答道，她内心与科内利乌斯一样害怕分离：“好吧，我们每天晚上有一个小时，让我们好好利用它。” —

“Well,” answered Rosa, who in her heart was as much afraidof a separation as Cornelius himself, “we have one hourevery evening, let us make good use of it.” —
“我觉得我们现在已经很好地利用了这个时间。” —

“I don’t think we make such a bad use of it as it is.” —
“让我们更好地利用它，”罗莎笑着说，“教我读书写字吧。我会充分利用你的教诲，相信我；” —

“Let us employ it even better,” said Rosa, smiling. “Teachme to read and write. —
“我不认为我们现在没有好好利用这段时间。” —

I shall make the best of your lessons,believe me; —
“让我们更好地利用它吧，”罗莎笑着说，“教我读书写字。我会充分利用你的教诲，相信我；”。 —

and, in this way, we shall never be separatedany more, except by our own will.” —
“这样，我们将永远不会再被分开，除非是因为我们自己的意愿。” —

“Oh, then, we have an eternity before us,” said Cornelius.
“哦，那么，我们面前有一生的时间。”康内利厄斯说。

　　Rosa smiled, and quietly shrugged her shoulders.
罗莎微笑着，静静地耸了耸肩。

“Will you remain for ever in prison?” —
“你会永远留在监狱里吗？”她说，“即使已经赐予了你生命，殿下也会赐予你自由吗？ —

she said, “and afterhaving granted you your life, will not his Highness alsogrant you your liberty? —
然后你就能收回你的财富，成为一个富有的人，然后，当你坐在自己的马车上，骑着自己的马时，你还会看着可怜的罗莎吗，一个狱卒的女儿，几乎比绞刑台的刽子手好不了多少？” —

And will you not then recover yourfortune, and be a rich man, and then, when you are drivingin your own coach, riding your own horse, will you stilllook at poor Rosa, the daughter of a jailer, scarcely betterthan a hangman?” —
康内利厄斯试图反驳她，无疑，他会全心全意地这样做，因为他的心灵充满了爱。 —

Cornelius tried to contradict her, and certainly he wouldhave done so with all his heart, and with all the sincerityof a soul full of love.
“你不会再看不起我，是吧？ 你不会的， 对吗？” 拉图尔发愤的说道。

She, however, smilingly interrupted him, saying, “How isyour tulip going on?” —
然而，她微笑着打断他，说：”你的郁金香怎么样了？” —

To speak to Cornelius of his tulip was an expedient resortedto by her to make him forget everything, even Rosa herself.
和科尼留斯谈论他的郁金香是她采取的一个策略，让他忘记一切，甚至包括罗莎自己。

“Very well, indeed,” he said, “the coat is growing black,the sprouting has commenced, the veins of the bulb areswelling, in eight days hence, and perhaps sooner, we maydistinguish the first buds of the leaves protruding. —
“非常好，”他说，”球茎长出黑色，发芽已经开始，球茎的血管在膨胀，再过八天，也许更早，我们可能能看出第一片叶子的芽出现。 —

Andyours Rosa?““Oh, I have done things on a large scale, and according toyour directions.” —
那么你的罗莎呢？”“哦，我做得很大程度上，而且根据你的指示。” —

“Now, let me hear, Rosa, what you have done,” saidCornelius, with as tender an anxiety as he had lately shownto herself.
“现在，让我听听，罗莎，你做了什么，”科尼留斯语气温柔地表现出最近对她和黑郁金香的双重爱意。

“Well,” she said, smiling, for in her own heart she couldnot help studying this double love of the prisoner forherself and for the black tulip, “I have done things on alarge scale; —
“嗯，”她笑着说，因为她在内心里无法不注意囚犯对她和黑郁金香的这种双重爱情，”我做得很大程度上； —

I have prepared a bed as you described it tome, on a clear spot, far from trees and walls, in a soilslightly mixed with sand, rather moist than dry without afragment of stone or pebble.” —
我按照你告诉我的方式准备了床，放在一块清晰的地点，远离树木和墙壁，在微湿而不是干燥的土壤中，略带砂土，没有任何碎石或鹅卵石。 —

“Well done, Rosa, well done.”“I am now only waiting for your further orders to put in thebulb, you know that I must be behindhand with you, as I havein my favour all the chances of good air, of the sun, andabundance of moisture.” —
“做得好，罗莎，做得好。”“现在我只是等待着你进一步的命令来种球了，你知道我与你有些不协调，因为我拥有所有的好气候，阳光和充足的湿气。 —

“All true, all true,” exclaimed Cornelius, clapping hishands with joy, “you are a good pupil, Rosa, and you aresure to gain your hundred thousand guilders.” —
“一切属实，一切属实，” 科尼留斯兴高采烈地拍着手说，”你是一位好学生，罗莎，你一定会赢得你的十万荷兰盾。” —

“Don’t forget,” said Rosa, smiling, “that your pupil, as youcall me, has still other things to learn besides thecultivation of tulips.” —
“别忘了，”罗莎笑道，”你称呼我为学生，但我除了培养郁金香以外还有其他事情要学。 —

“Yes, yes, and I am as anxious as you are, Rosa, that youshould learn to read.”“When shall we begin?” —
“是的，是的，我和你一样渴望，罗莎，你能学会阅读。”“我们什么时候开始？” —

“At once.”“No, to-morrow.”“Why to-morrow?”“Because to-day our hour is expired, and I must leave you.” —
“立刻。”“不，明天。”“为什么明天？”“因为今天我们的时间已经到了，我必须离开你。 —

“Already? But what shall we read?”“Oh,” said Rosa, “I have a book, – a book which I hope willbring us luck.” —
“已经？但我们读什么？” “哦，”罗莎说，”我有一本书—一本我希望会给我们带来好运的书。 —

“To-morrow, then.”“Yes, to-morrow.“On the following evening Rosa returned with the Bible ofCornelius de Witt.
“那好，明天。”“是的，明天。” 第二天晚上，罗莎带回了科内利厄斯·德·维特的《圣经》。