Chapter13-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《月亮与六便士The Moon and Sixpence》

Chapter XIII I dare say it would have been more seemly to decline this proposal.I think perhaps I should have made a show of the indignation I really felt,and I am sure that Colonel MacAndrew at least would have thought well of me if I had been able to report my stout refusal to sit at the same table with a man of such character.But the fear of not being able to carry it through effectively has always made me shy of assuming the moral attitude;and in this case the certainty that my sentiments would be lost on Strickland made it peculiarly embarrassing to utter them.Only the poet or the saint can water an asphalt pavement in the confident anticipation that lilies will reward his labour. I paid for what we had drunk,and we made our way to a cheap restaurant, crowded and gay,where we dined with pleasure.I had the appetite of youth and he of a hardened conscience.Then we went to a tavern to have coffee and liqueurs. I had said all I had to say on the subject that had brought me to Paris,and though I felt it in a manner treacherous to Mrs.Strickland not to pursue it,I could not struggle against his indifference.It requires the feminine temperament to repeat the same thing three times with unabated zest.I solaced"myself by thinking that it would be useful for me to find out what I could about Strickland's state of mind.It also interested me much more.But this was not an easy thing ·110- 十三 的确，拒绝他这一邀请会更为得体。我想我应该把 我感同身受的义愤表现出来，我想这样回去以后向他们 汇报的时候，就可以说我断然拒绝了与品质如此败坏的 人坐在一起共进晚餐，我可以肯定，至少麦克安德鲁上 ①stout[staut]a.坚定的， 校会对我评价高些。但是我总是害怕自己装得不像样， 坚决的 装不下去，所以我借道德高度虚张声势的时候就不免尴 尬羞怯。此外，我心知肚明，我再慷慨陈词，斯特里克 兰德也不会有特别的反应，这就更加使我难以开口了。 ②asphalt「esfaelt]a.沥青 只有诗人和圣徒才能坚信：付出就有回报，只要在沥青 的：柏油的 路面上辛勤地浇水，就会长出百合花来。 我付了酒钱，跟他向一家廉价的饭馆走去。我们在 这家人头攒动、人声鼎沸的餐馆里开心地吃了顿晚饭。 我们俩都胃口大开，我是因为年轻，他是因为良心已经 变硬。然后，我们去一家酒店去喝咖啡和甜酒。 关于我派遣到巴黎这件事情，能交代的我都已经交 代清楚了，虽然我的半途而废似乎对斯特里克兰德太太 3 treacherous ['tretforas]a. 背叛的 有背叛的意思，我却斗不过斯特里克兰德的冷漠。只有 temperament ['temparamant] 女性才会对同一问题连说三遍，热情不减。我自我安慰， 儿.性格：性情 ⑤zCst[zcst)n.热情 心想了解了斯特里克兰德的心态对我还是有用的。况且， ⑥solace['slbs;is安慰 我对这个问题的兴趣大多了。然而，做起来却困难重重， 因为斯特里克兰德不是一个伶牙俐齿的人，好像把他自 ·111· Chapter XIII to do,for Strickland was not a fluent talker.He seemed to express himself with difficulty,as though words were not the medium with which his mind worked; and you had to guess the intentions of his soul by hackneyed phrases,slang, and vague,unfinished gestures.But though he said nothing of any consequence, there was something in his personality which prevented him from being dull. Perhaps it was sincerity.He did not seem to care much about the Paris he was now seeing for the first time(I did not count the visit with his wife),and he accepted sights which must have been strange to him without any sense of astonishment.I have been to Paris a hundred times,and it never fails to give me a thrill of excitement;I can never walk its streets without feeling myself on the verge of adventure.Strickland remained placid.Looking back,I think now that he was blind to everything but to some disturbing vision in his soul. One rather absurd incident took place.There were a number of harlots in the tavern:some were sitting with men,others by themselves;and presently I noticed that one of these was looking at us.When she caught Strickland's eye she smiled.I do not think he saw her.In a little while she went out,but in a minute returned and,passing our table,very politely asked us to buy her something to drink.She sat down and I began to chat with her;but,it was plain that her interest was in Strickland.I explained that he knew no more than two words of French.She tried to talk to him,partly by signs,partly in pidgin French,which,for some reason,she thought would be more comprehensible to him,and she had half a dozen phrases of English.She made me translate what she could only express in her own tongue,and eagerly asked for the meaning of his replies.He was quite good-tempered,a little amused,but his indifference was obvious. "I think you've made a conquest,"I laughed. T'm not flattered.” In his place I should have been more embarrassed and less calm.She had laughing eyes and a most charming mouth.She was young.I wondered what she found so attractive in Strickland.She made no secret of her desires,and I ·112· 十三 己的意思说清楚都困难，好像语言不是他心灵得心应手 的工具。你要猜度他灵魂的意向，只能透过他使用的陈 ①hackneyed [haeknid]a.陈 词滥调般的短语和俚语，那些不明确的、半途而废的手 词滥调的 势。但是虽然他说不出什么重要的话来，他的性格中却 含有一种成分，让你觉得他不是个无趣的人。可能是由 于他的真挚动人吧。对于巴黎，他虽然是第一次目睹（我 没有把他跟他妻子来度蜜月那一次算在内)，却似乎并 不十分在意，对于那些对他说来一定是没见过的景象也 安之若素。我来巴黎很多次了，然而每一次来都会心情 激动，兴奋不已，我走在巴黎街头，总觉得随时都会有 奇遇发生。斯特里克兰德却一直一副云淡风轻的样子。 我现在回忆起来，认为他当时对一切都视而不见，只看 到了自己灵魂中某种躁动不安的幻象。 就在这时，发生了一件相当荒唐的意外事件。酒馆 里有一些妓女：一些跟男人坐在一起，另一些跟同伴坐 在一起。我们坐下没多长时间，我就注意到其中一个妓 女在看我们。当她捕捉到斯特里克兰德的目光以后，她 微微一笑。我想斯特里克兰德并没有看到她。不一会儿， 她走出了酒馆，可随即返回，经过我们座位，彬彬有礼 地请我们给她买点喝的。她坐了下来，我跟她闲聊起来， 不过显而易见她的兴趣在斯特里克兰德身上。我对她解 释道，他法文只懂两个词。她试着跟他说话，半靠手势， 半靠外国人说的蹩脚法语，不知什么缘故，她认为他更 容易理解这种话，另外，她倒也会说六句英国短语。她 只会用法国说的话，她就让我帮她翻译过来，然后迫不 及待地向我打听他回话的意思。斯特里克兰德好脾气地 应付着，还觉得有点好玩，不过，他的无动于衷是一目 了然的。 “我想你已经征服了她。”我哈哈大笑。 “我并不自以为是。” 如果我是他的话，我会感到尴尬难堪，也不会像他 这样心平气和。她长着一双笑盈盈的眼晴，一张非常迷 人的嘴。她青春年少。我奇怪她在斯特里克兰德身上发 ·113· Chapter XIII was bidden to translate. “She wants you to go home with her.” "I'm not taking any,"he replied. I put his answer as pleasantly as I could.It seemed to me a little ungracious to decline an invitation of that sort,and I ascribed his refusal to lack of money. “But I like him,”she said.“Tell him it's for love.” When I translated this,Strickland shrugged his shoulders impatiently. "Tell her to go to hell,"he said. His manner made his answer quite plain,and the girl threw back her head with a sudden gesture.Perhaps she reddened under her paint.She rose to her feet. “Monsieur n'est pas poli,,”she said. She walked out of the inn.I was slightly vexed. "There wasn't any need to insult her that I can see,"I said."After all,it was rather a compliment she was paying you." "That sort of thing makes me sick,"he said roughly. I looked at him curiously.There was a real distaste in his face,and yet it was the face of a coarse and sensual man.I suppose the girl had been attracted by a certain brutality in it. "I could have got all the women I wanted in London.I didn't come here for that.” ·114· 十三 现了什么吸引人的地方。她根本没打算隐藏自己的渴望， 她让我都翻译出来。 “她要你把她带回家。” “我不带任何女人。”他答道。 ①ascribe[b'skraib]把 我尽量把他的答话翻译得好接受些：我觉得拒绝这 归因（于） 类邀请有点失礼。我帮他找借口说是因为没钱所以拒 绝的。 “可是我喜欢他，”她说道，“告诉他是因为爱情。” 听到我把她的话翻译出来，斯特里克兰德不耐烦地 耸了耸肩。 “告诉她去见鬼。”他说道。 他的态度让他的回答昭然若揭，女孩子突然把头一 扬。也许她涂了脂粉的脸也红了起来。她站起身来。 “这位先生太不懂礼貌'。”她说道。 她走出酒馆，我有点恼火。 “我看不出你有任何必要这样侮辱她，”我说道，“说 到底，她这更像是对你的赞赏啊。” “这种事叫我恶心。”他态度粗暴地说道。 我好奇地看着他。他的脸上确实有一种厌恶的表情， ②sensual'sensju:5la.肉感 的，性感的 可这却是一张粗野的、性感的脸，我猜测正是他脸上的 这种粗野吸引了那个女孩。 “我在伦敦想要什么女人就能搞到什么女人，我来 这里不是为这个。” 1原文为法语。 ·115·