Chapter4-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《月亮与六便士The Moon and Sixpence》

ChapterIV No one was kinder to me at that time than Rose Waterford, She combined a masculine intelligence with a feminine perversity, and the novels she wrote were original and disconcerting{}. It was at her house one day that I met Charles Strickland's wife. Miss Waterford was giving a tea-party, and her small room was more than usually full. Everyone seemed to be talking, and I. sitting in silence, felt awkward: but I was too shy to break into any of the groups tha seemed absorbed in their own affairs. Miss Waterford was a good hostess, and seeing my embarrassment came up to me. "I want you to talk to Mrs. Strickland,"she said. "She's raving{②}about your book." "What does she do?"I asked I was conscious of my ignorance, and if Mrs. Strickland was a well-known writer I thought it as well to ascertain③ the fact before I spoke to her. Rose Waterford cast down her eyes demurely{④ to give greater effect to her reply. "She gives luncheon-parties. You've only got to roar a little, and she'll ask you." Rose Waterford was a cynic{}. She looked upon life as an opportunity for .028. 四 那些年,罗斯·瓦特尔芙德对我最好了。她既具备 男性的智慧,又有女人的矫情。她写的小说原创性很强 令人心潮起伏。我就是在她家里结识了查尔斯·斯特里 ① disconcerting Idiskon'sa:tin] a.令人不安的 克兰德太太。那一天,瓦特尔芙德小姐举办了一个茶话 会,来她那间小屋子里的客人比平时多。好像人人都在 跟别人聊得热火朝天,只有我一个人默默无语,感觉 很不自在;眼看着客人们都在三五成群热火朝天地各说 各话,我也不好意思闯进去了。瓦特尔芙德小姐是个 体贴入微的女主人,她注意到我的不自在,于是向我 走来。 ②rave freiy:极力赞抒 “我想让你去跟斯特里克兰德太太聊聊,”她说,“她 对你的书非常崇拜哦。” “她是做哪行的?”我问道。 我深知自己孤陋寡闻,所以我想,假如斯特里克兰 ③ ascertain Laesa'tein]v 查 明(真相等) 德夫人是一位名作家的话,我最好在跟她谈话以前心中 ④ demurely [di'mjuali] ad 有数。 假正经地,故作庄重地 为了让自己回答的效果最大化,瓦特尔笑德故意双 目低垂。 “她办午餐聚会。你只要弄出点动静,她一定会邀 请你赴宴的。” cynic sinik]n. 玩世不恭 的人 罗斯·瓦特尔芙德是一个玩世不恭的人。她把生活 ·029· Chapter/v writing novels and the public as her raw material. Now and then she invited members of it to her house if they showed an appreciation of her talent and entertained with proper lavishness{. She held their weakness for lions in good- humoured contempt, but played to them her part of the distinguished woman of letters with decorum{②}. I was led up to Mrs. Strickland, and for ten minutes we talked together. noticed nothing about her except that she had a pleasant voice. She had a flat in Westminster, overlooking the unfinished cathedral. and because we lived in the same neighbourhood we felt friendly disposed to one another. The Army and Navy Stores are a bond of union between all who dwell between the river and St. James's Park, Mrs, Strickland asked me for my address, and a few days latei I received an invitation to luncheon. My engagements were few, and I was glad to accept. When I arrived, a little late, because in my fear of being too early I had walked three times round the cathedral, I found the party already complete. Miss Waterford was there and Mrs. Jay, Richard Twining and George Road. We were all writers. It was a fine day, early in spring, and we were in a good humour. We talked about a hundred things. Miss Waterford. torn between the aestheticism of her early youth, when she used to go to parties in sage green, holding a daffodil{}, and the flippancy of her maturer years, which tended to high heels and Paris frocks. wore a new hat. It put her in high spirits. I had never heard her more malicious about our common friends. Mrs. Jay, aware that impropriety④ is the soul of wit. made observations in tones hardly above a whisper that might well have tinged the snowy tablecloth with a rosy{②}hue^{}. Richard Twining bubbled over with quaint absurdities, and George Road, conscious that he need not exhibit a brilliancy which was almost a by-word{}, opened his mouth only to put food into it. Mrs. Strickland did not talk much, but she had a pleasant gift for keeping the conversation general: and when there was a pause she threw in jus .030. 四 视为创作小说的一个机会,把文学爱好者视为小说的素 材。如果有哪个文学爱好者表现出欣赏她的才能而且慷 ① lavishness I'laevifnis] n. 浪 既地招待过她,她时不时地也会在家里回请他们。面对 费,过分慷慨 这些人对作家的盲目崇拜,她怀着一种愉悦的鄙视,然 而她却表现得彬彬有礼,展示出一个著名女作家应有的 ② decorum [di'ko:roml n. 体 面:端庄稳重,正派得 风采。 体 我被罗斯·瓦特尔芙德领到斯特里克兰德太太面 前,我们聊了十分钟。除了声音悦耳动听之外,我没有 发现她有什么值得注意的地方。她在威斯敏斯特区有一 套公寓,可以俯尚未完工的大教堂。因为我们住在同 一个区,相互间就更觉亲近了些。对于所有住在泰晤士 河与圣杰姆斯公园之间的人来说,陆海军商店就如同一 个纽带,把他们联结起来。斯特里克兰德太太询问了 我的住址,没过几天,我就收到她的一张请帖,请我吃 午饭。 我的约会寥寥无几,所以很高兴地接受了这个激 请。由于担心去得太早,我绕着大教堂转了三圈,所以 我到她家略迟到了一点儿。进去以后,我发现聚会的客 人都已经到齐了。瓦特尔芙德来了,此外还有杰伊太太。 理查·特维宁和乔治·娄德。我们都是作家。这是早春, ③ daffodil ['daefodil] n. 【植 物】黄水仙 天气晴好,人人都兴致勃勃的。我们说东道西,无话不 谈。瓦特尔芙德小姐在纠结参加聚会时穿什么,是依然 保持年轻时的审美,一身灰绿,手拈一支水仙花呢,还 ④ impropriety I.impra'prais- 是轻熟范儿,如果是轻熟范儿的话,就需要穿上高跟鞋 ti]n.不得体的言辞 和巴黎式的上衣,戴一顶新帽子了。这让她兴致盎然 rosy 'rouzila. 红润的 这还是我第一次听到她这么刻薄地对待我们共同的朋 huelhju:]n.颜色,色彩 友。杰伊太太一清二楚,惊世骇俗的话是智慧之魂,所 by-word 惯用语 以她会轻言细语,比耳语的分贝还要低,说完全可以让 雪自的桌布徘红羞繁的话。理查·特维宁则喋喋不休地 大放厥词,内容荒谬可笑。乔治·娄德心知肚明,自己 的连珠妙语差不多已经成了格言,犯不着再炫技,所以 张嘴只是吃东西。斯特里克兰德太太寡言少语,而她却 有一种宜人的本领,可以引导大家的谈话不至于跑题 .031· Chapter/v the right remark to set it going once more. She was a woman of thirty-seven. rather tall and plump^{}. without being fat: she was not pretty, but her face was pleasing, chiefly, perhaps, on account of her kind brown eyes. Her skin was rather sallow②. Her dark hair was elaborately dressed. She was the only woman of the three whose face was free of make-up, and by contrast with the others she seemed simple and unaffected The dining-room was in the good taste of the period. It was very severe. There was a high dado of white wood and a green paper on which were etchings③}by Whistler in neat black frames. The green curtains with their peacock design, hung in straight lines, and the green carpet, in the pattern of which pale rabbits frolicked among leafy trees, suggested the influence of William Morris. There was blue delft^{④} on the chimney-piece. At that time there must have been five hundred dining-rooms in London decorated in exactly the same manner. It was chaste, artistic, and dull When we left I walked away with Miss Waterford, and the fine day and he new hat persuaded us to saunter^{} through the Park “That was a very nice party."I said “Did you think the food was good? I told her that if she wanted writers she must feed them well." “Admirable advice." I answered."But why does she want them?" Miss Waterford shrugged her shoulders “She finds them amusing. She wants to be in the movement. I fancy she's rather simple, poor dear, and she thinks we're all wonderful. After all, it pleases her to ask us to luncheon, and it doesn't hurt us. I like her for it." Looking back, I think that Mrs. Strickland was the most harmless of all the lion-hunters that pursue their quarry^{} from the rarefied^{} heights of Hampstead .032: 四 一目冷场,她总能说一句恰到好处的话,谈话就可以顺 ① plump IplAmpla. 丰满的 利进行下去。那一年,斯特里克兰德太太三十七岁,身 材高挑,体态丰腴却不显胖。她长得并不漂亮,可那张 脸蛋讨喜,这可能主要是因为她那双和善的棕色眼睛 ② sallow l'saeloula.(肤色. 病容等)灰黄色的,土 吧。她的肤色有些暗沉,一头乌发精心梳理过。她是在 色的 座的三个女人中唯一没有化妆的,然而与那两个女人比 较来看,她反而显得更朴实无华,自然天成。 餐室是按照当时的流行的艺术品位布置的,简朴至 极。高高的白色护墙板,绿色的糊墙纸上挂着惠斯勒 ③etching I'etfinln. 蚀刻画 的蚀刻画,画嵌在精致的黑镜框里。带有孔雀图案的绿 色窗帘线条笔直,挂得高高。地毯也是绿色的,上面是 小白兔在密林浓荫下嘻戏的图案,使人联想到是受了威 ④ delft [delf]n. 铲质精陶 廉·莫利斯②的影响。壁炉架上摆着白袖蓝彩陶器。那 些年,伦敦一定有五百间餐厅的装满跟这里完全相同 风格简单,艺术精美,却有些单调乏味。 我是跟瓦特尔芙德小姐一起离开斯特里克兰德太太 saunter ['so:nto: 'sa:n-] v 家的。那天天气晴好,又加上她戴的这顶新帽子让她兴 漫步,散步:闲荡 致盎然,于是,我们决定逛一逛,穿过圣杰姆斯公园。 “这场聚会办得很成功啊。”我说道。 “你觉得吃的做得好吃吧?我告诉过她,她想跟作 家来往的话,就得喂好他们的胃。” “你的建议真赞。”我答道。“不过,她为什么要跟 作家来往啊?” 瓦特尔芙德小姐耸了耸肩,不置可否。 “她觉得作家有趣。她想要紧跟时尚。我猜测这个 小可怜可能是太天真,她以为我们这些作家个个出类拔 萃。说到底,她就是喜欢请我们吃午饭,而吃她一顿饭 也不对我们造成伤害。我就是喜欢她这一点。” quarry ['kwari]n. 猎牧 rarefied l'rcorifaidla. 变为 现在回想起来,在那些惯爱结交文人名士的人中 稀薄的;变稀少的 斯特里克兰德太太是最无害的了,这些人为了追猎,从 1 杰姆斯·艾波特·麦克奈尔·惠斯勒(1834一1903),美国画家 和蚀刻画家,长期定居英国。 2 威廉·莫利斯(1834一1896),英国诗人和艺术家。 .033· ChapterIv to the nethermost studios of Cheyne Walk. She had led a very quiet youth in the country, and the books that came down from Mudie's Library brought with them not only their own romance, but the romance of London. She had a real passion for reading (rare in her kind, who for the most part are more interested in the author than in his book, in the painter than in his pictures), and she invented a world of the imagination in which she lived with a freedom she nevel acquired in the world of every day. When she came to know writers it was like adventuring upon a stage which till then she had known only from the other side of the footlights. She saw them dramatically, and really seemed herself to live a larger life because she entertained them and visited them in their fastnesses. She accepted the rules with which they played the game of life as valid for them but never for a moment thought of regulating her own conduct in accordance with them. Their moral eccentricities, like their oddities of dress, their wild theories and paradoxes, were an entertainment which amused her, but had not the slightest influence on her convictions “Is there a Mr. Strickland?" I asked. “Oh yes: he's something in the city. I believe he's a stockbroker. He's very dull." "Are they good friends?" "They adore one another. You'll meet him if you dine^{①} there. But she doesn't often have people to dinner. He's very quiet. He's not in the least interested in literature or the arts." "Why do nice women marry dull men?" “Because intelligent men won't marry nice women." I could not think of any retort to this, so I asked if Mrs. Strickland had children. "Yes: she has a boy and a girl. They're both at school." The subject was exhausted. and we began to talk of other things .034: 四 汉普斯台德与世隔绝的象牙塔追到柴纳街寒酸破旧的画 室。斯特里克兰德太太的青葱岁月是在乡下静静地度过 的,从穆迪图书馆借阅的书籍给她带来的不仅仅是他们 的浪漫故事,还有伦敦城的浪漫故事。她是真正热爱阅 读的人(这一点在她们这类人中可是凤毛鳞角,这些人 中的大多数对作家本人比对作家的作品、对画家本人比 对画家的画作兴趣更大),她为自已创造了一个想象中 的幻界,而她就生活在这一幻界里,享受着日常生活里 享受不到的自由。她与作家们结识以后,有一种原来透 过对面脚灯遥望的舞台,现在可以登台探险的感觉。她 看着这些人戏剧化的表演,仿佛真正扩大了自已的生活 圈子,因为她不仅可以设宴款待他们,还可以进入这些 人偏远的幽居里去。她认为这些人游戏人生的规则无可 非议,然而她本人却没有一刻闪过见异思迁、在行为上 改弦易辙的念头。这些人在德行上的种种异形异状,正 如他们的奇装异服、奇谈怪论一样,对于她来说是一种 娱乐消遣,让她觉得趣味横生,对她的信念却没有一丝 一毫的影响。 “斯特里克兰德先生还在的吧?”我问道。 “哦,在的。他在伦敦工作。我想是个证券经纪人 吧。他挺乏味的。” ①dine [dainlv: 进正餐 “他们俩感情好吗?” “两个人相亲相爱。如果你到他们家吃晚饭,你会 见到他的。但是她很少请人吃晚饭。他寡言少语,对文 学艺术没有一丝一毫的兴趣。” “为什么好女人总是嫁给笨男人呢?” “因为有智慧的男人不要好女人啊。” 对此,我无言以对,于是就把话题岔开,打听斯特 里克兰德太太有没有孩子。 “有,一儿一女。两个孩子都在上学。” 这个话题已经谈尽了。于是我们开始聊其他话题。 .035·