Chapter5-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《月亮与六便士The Moon and Sixpence》

Chapter V During the summer I met Mrs.Strickland not infrequently.I went now and then to pleasant little luncheons at her flat,and to rather more formidable tea- parties.We took a fancy to one another.I was very young,and perhaps she liked the idea of guiding my virgin steps on the hard road of letters;while for me it was pleasant to have someone I could go to with my small troubles,certain of an attentive ear and reasonable counsel.Mrs.Strickland had the gift of sympathy. It is a charming faculty,but one often abused by those who are conscious of its possession:for there is something ghoulish in the avidity with which they will pounce upon the misfortune of their friends so that they may exercise their dexterity.It gushes forth like an oil-well,and the sympathetic pour out their sympathy with an abandon that is sometimes embarrassing to their victims. There are bosoms on which so many tears have been shed that I cannot bedew them with mine.Mrs.Strickland used her advantage with tact.You felt that you obliged her by accepting her sympathy.When,in the enthusiasm of my youth,I remarked on this to Rose Waterford,she said: "Milk is very nice,especially with a drop of brandy in it,but the domestic cow is only too glad to be rid of it.A swollen udder is very uncomfortable." ·036· 五 夏天我同斯特里克兰德太太见面的次数可就不少 啦。我时不时地到她家里去吃午饭，或是去参加茶会： formidable ['fo:midobl]a. 令人惊叹的 小型午餐令人愉快，茶点更令人惊叹。我跟斯特里克兰 德太太很投缘。当时的我还青春年少，对于她来说，大 概她喜欢导引我稚嫩的脚步踏上文坛的艰辛之路：对于 我来说，在遇到一些小麻烦也愿意找个人吐吐苦水，而 我确信她会耐心地倾听，还会给我一些理智的建议。斯 特里克兰德太太有同情人的天赋。这是个迷人的能力， @ghoulish [gu:li明a.食尸鬼 但是却常常被那些意识到自己有这种能力的人滥用。他 似的 ③avidity[vidt坷n.急切， 们一发现自己的朋友遭遇了不幸，就恶魔般迫不及待地 迫切的心情 扑到朋友身上，大显身手。同情心如同油井喷油，滥用 dexterity [dek'steroti]n. 灵敏：头脑灵活 同情的人让油恣意忘形，有时让那些受难者非常尴尬。 ⑤gush[g】涌出，喷出 有的人胸膛上已经落了那么多的泪，我再雪上加霜，于 @bedew[bi'djuv使被露 珠（或泪、汗）沾湿，润 心不忍。斯特里克兰德太太把自己的长项发挥得恰到好 湿 处，她让你觉得，你接受她的同情是帮了她的忙。我年 少轻狂的时候一时兴起，还跟罗斯·瓦特尔芙德讨论过 这个问题，她却答道： “牛奶好喝，特别是在加了一滴白兰地以后。只是 家养的母牛迫不及待地想把它挤出去，乳头胀胀的可不 舒服呢。” 罗斯·瓦特尔芙德的嘴尖酸刻薄，这么毒舌的话没有 人说得出口，然而话又说回来，也没有人如她般舌灿莲花。 ·037· ChapterV Rose Waterford had a blistering tongue.No one could say such bitter things;on the other hand,no one could do more charming ones. There was another thing I liked in Mrs.Strickland.She managed her surroundings with elegance.Her flat was always neat and cheerful,gay with flowers,and the chintzes in the drawing-room,notwithstanding their severe design,were bright and pretty.The meals in the artistic little dining-room were pleasant;the table looked nice,the two maids were trim and comely;the food was well cooked.It was impossible not to see that Mrs.Strickland was an excellent housekeeper.And you felt sure that she was an admirable mother.There were photographs in the drawing-room of her son and daughter.The son-his name was Robert-was a boy of sixteen at Rugby;and you saw him in flannels and a cricket cap,and again in a tail-coat and a stand-up collar.He had his mother's candid brow and fine,reflective eyes.He looked clean,healthy,and normal. "I don't know that he's very clever,"she said one day,when I was looking at the photograph,"but I know he's good.He has a charming character." The daughter was fourteen.Her hair,thick and dark like her mother's,fell over her shoulders in fine profusion,and she had the same kindly expression and sedate⑧，untroubled eyes. “They're both of them the image of you,”I said, "Yes;I think they are more like me than their father." "Why have you never let me meet him?"I asked. s“Would you like to?” She smiled,her smile was really very sweet,and she blushed a little;it was singular that a woman of that age should flush so readily.Perhaps her naivete was her greatest charm. “You know,he's not at all literary,”she said.“He's a perfect philistine,” She said this not disparagingly,but affectionately rather,as though, by acknowledging the worst about him,she wished to protect him from the aspersions of her friends. "He's on the Stock Exchange,and he's a typical broker.I think he'd bore ·038· 五 blistering ['blistorin]a. 还有一点让我对斯特里克兰德太太心生好感，她 评、抨击、攻击等)非 常严厉的 把家打理得优雅宜人。房间总是摆放着色彩鲜艳的鲜 花，干干净净，喜气洋洋。客厅里的印花布窗帘虽然 图案朴素，可是色彩明艳，煞是好看。在富有艺术性 ②chintz[tfints]n.印度印花 的小餐厅里吃饭心情愉快：餐桌的款式美观，两个侍女 布 苗条清秀，饭菜可口。谁都看得出，斯特里克兰德太 太是一位出类拔萃的家庭主妇，此外，你还可以有把 ③trim[trim]a.苗条的：匀 称的 握地推断，她还是一个慈母。客厅里摆着她儿女的照片。 ④comely[kAmli]a.清秀的 儿子—名叫罗伯特—今年十六岁，正在罗格贝学校 读书：你在照片上可以看到，他穿着法兰绒套装，头戴 板球帽。还有一张照片，上面的他身穿燕尾服，系着硬 挺的立领。他长着与母亲一样无辜的双眉和一双若有所 ⑤flannel[flaenl]n.法兰绒 ⑥candid[kaendid]a.无睾 思的漂亮眼晴。他看起来干净整洁，身体健康，形象 的 端庄。 “我知道他算不上聪明伶俐，”有一天我正在看照 片的时候，斯特里克兰德太太说道，“可我知道他人好， 他性格很迷人。” 女儿十四岁，像母亲一样，有一头瀑布一样的披肩 profusion [prou'fju:3on]n. 乌发。她像母亲一样，面相和善、沉静，有着一双无忧 丰富：大量 无虑的眼晴。 ⑧sedate[si'deit)a.沉静的 “他们俩长得都挺像你的。”我说道。 “就是，他们更随我，不随他们的父亲。” “你为什么从来没让我见见他呢？” “你愿意见吗？” 她微微一笑，她的笑容真的很甜美，脸上微微地 @readily ['redili]ad.容易 泛出了绯红：她这个年龄的女人很少有这么容易飞红脸 地，没有困难地 的，大约她的天真无邪就是她最迷人的地方吧。 naivete na:'i:vtei n. 真无邪 “你也是知道的，他完全没有文学素养，”她说，“他 philistine [filistain;fi'listin] 是个百分百的小市民。” n.外行：门外汉（对专 她说这句话的时候非但没有贬低的意思，反而是深 业知识一窍不通的人) disparagingly [dispaerid3in- 情款款的，似乎只要她把自黑进行到底就可以保护他， 的ad.贬低地 她的朋友们也就不好意思再接着黑他了。 3aspersion [a'spa:fan]n. “他在证券交易所做事，是一个典型的证券经纪 伤，诋毁 人。我猜想，他一定会叫你觉得乏味透顶。” ·039· ChapterV you to death.” "Does he bore you?"I asked. "You see,I happen to be his wife.I'm very fond of him." She smiled to cover her shyness,and I fancied she had a fear that I would make the sort of gibe that such a confession could hardly have failed to elieit from Rose Waterford.She hesitated a little.Her eyes grew tender. "He doesn't pretend to be a genius.He doesn't even make much money on the Stock Exchange.But he's awfully good and kind." "I think I should like him very much." "I'll ask you to dine with us quietly some time,but mind,you come at your own risk;don't blame me if you have a very dull evening." ·040· 五1 “你觉得他乏味吗？” “你看，我恰好是他的妻子，我还是很喜欢他的。” 她不好意思起来，微微笑了笑来掩饰。我想她可能 担心我会取笑她。假如罗斯·瓦特尔芙德在场的话，听 见她这样实话实说，绝对不会不冷嘲热讽一番的。她稍 ①gibe[daib]n.嘲笑 ②elicit[ilisit)使谈出， 微犹豫了一下，目光愈见温柔了。 使透露，使吐露 “他不冒充天才，连在证券交易所里也挣不了多少 钱，不过他宅心仁厚，心地善良。” “我想我会非常喜欢他的。” “等哪天咱们自己安安静静地吃顿晚饭。不过我把 丑话说在前头，是你自讨苦吃冒这个险的：如果那天晚 上你觉得乏味无聊，可不要怪我哦。” ·041·