雙語(yǔ)·《刀鋒》 第一章 八

CHAPTER ONE 8
第一章 八

Next day Elliott asked me to lunch at the Palmer House to meet the elder Maturin and his son. We were only four.Henry Maturin was a big man, nearly as big as his son, with a red fleshy face and a great jowl, and he had the same blunt aggressive nose, but his eyes were smaller than his son's, not so blue and very, very shrewd.Though he could not have been much more than fifty he looked ten years older and his hair, rapidly thinning, was snow-white.At first sight he was not prepossessing.He looked as though for many years he had done himself too well, and I received the impression of a brutal, clever, competent man who, in business matters at all events, would be pitiless.At first he said little and I had a notion that he was taking my measure.I could not but perceive that he looked upon Elliott as something of a joke.Gray, amiable and polite, was almost completely silent, and the party would have been sticky if Elliott, with his perfect social tact, hadn't kept up a flow of easy conversation.I guessed that in the past he had acquired a good deal of experience in dealing with Middle Western businessmen who had to be cajoled into paying a fancy price for an old master.Presently Mr.Maturin began to feel more at his ease and he made one or two remarks that showed he was brighter than he looked and indeed had a dry sense of humour.For a while the conversation turned on stocks and shares.I should have been surprised to discover that Elliott was very knowledgeable on the subject if I had not long been aware that for all his nonsense he was nobody's fool.It was then that Mr.Maturin remarked：
次日，艾略特請(qǐng)我去帕爾瑪飯店共進(jìn)午餐，同時(shí)會(huì)見(jiàn)馬圖林父子。這一席總共四人。亨利·馬圖林也是個(gè)大塊頭，差不多和他兒子一樣魁梧，一張肉乎乎的紅臉，大下巴，也有著一個(gè)咄咄逼人的獅子鼻，但眼睛卻比兒子的小，也不如兒子的那樣藍(lán)，露出幾分刁鉆詭詐。論年歲，他也只不過(guò)五十開(kāi)外，面相卻老上十歲，頭發(fā)稀得很厲害，白如霜染；初看上去，并不給人好感?？此臍馀?，好像這些年頭混得挺不錯(cuò)。他給我留下的印象是一個(gè)殘酷、精明、能干的人，這種人在生意場(chǎng)上是絕不會(huì)講情面的。起初，他少言寡語(yǔ)的，我覺(jué)得他在打量我。我一眼就看得出，艾略特在他的眼中只是個(gè)可笑的人。格雷溫和可親、彬彬有禮，幾乎一句話不說(shuō)，如若不是艾略特交際手腕老到，滔滔不絕扯些閑話，局面一定會(huì)很僵的。我猜他過(guò)去和那些中西部商人做交易，積累了不少經(jīng)驗(yàn)——那些人不用甜言蜜語(yǔ)哄著，是不會(huì)花那樣驚人的價(jià)錢(qián)買(mǎi)一張古舊名畫(huà)的。過(guò)了一會(huì)兒，馬圖林先生漸漸放松了下來(lái)，吐出了幾句話語(yǔ)，這才顯出他并不似表面那樣嚴(yán)峻，而且的確還有點(diǎn)干巴巴的幽默感。席間有那么一會(huì)兒，話題轉(zhuǎn)到了股票證券上。艾略特口若懸河，顯得知識(shí)極為淵博，這一點(diǎn)也不叫人驚奇，因?yàn)槲乙幌蛑浪m然處事荒唐可笑，在這方面卻絕非飯桶。就在這時(shí)候，只聽(tīng)馬圖林先生說(shuō)道：

“I had a letter from Gray's friend Larry Darrell this morning.”
“今天上午我收到格雷的朋友拉里·達(dá)雷爾寫(xiě)的一封信?！?/p>

“You didn't tell me, Dad，”said Gray.
“沒(méi)聽(tīng)你講起過(guò)呀，爸爸?！备窭渍f(shuō)。

Mr. Maturin turned to me.
馬圖林先生轉(zhuǎn)向我問(wèn)：

“You know Larry, don't you?”I nodded.“Gray persuaded me to take him into my business. They're great friends.Gray thinks the world of him，”
“你認(rèn)識(shí)拉里吧？”我點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭?！案窭鬃鲞^(guò)我的工作，讓我在公司里給他安排一個(gè)位置。他們是好朋友。格雷對(duì)他極為上心?！?/p>

“What did he say, Dad?”
“他是怎么說(shuō)的，爸爸？”

“He thanked me. He said he realized it was a great chance for a young fellow and he'd thought it over very carefully and come to the conclusion he'd have been a disappointment to me and thought it better to refuse.”
“他向我表示感謝，說(shuō)這對(duì)一個(gè)年輕人而言是千載難逢的好機(jī)會(huì)。他認(rèn)真做了一番思考，最后覺(jué)得一定會(huì)辜負(fù)我的栽培，還不如最初就不接受的好?！?/p>

“That's very foolish of him，”said Elliott.
“簡(jiǎn)直愚蠢之極?！卑蕴卣f(shuō)。

“It is，”said Mr. Maturin.
“是這樣的?！瘪R圖林先生說(shuō)。

“I'm awfully sorry, Dad，”said Gray.“It would have been grand if we could have worked together.”
“太讓人遺憾了，爸爸。”格雷說(shuō)，“如果我們倆能在一起工作，那該多好呀?！?/p>

“You can lead a horse to the water, but you can't make him drink.”
“強(qiáng)扭的瓜不甜呀?！?/p>

Mr. Maturin looked at his son while he said this and his shrewd eyes softened.I realized that there was anotherside to the hard businessman；he doted on this great hulking son of his.He turned to me once more.
馬圖林先生說(shuō)這話時(shí)看著兒子，那雙詭詐的眼睛頓時(shí)變得溫柔起來(lái)。我這才看出這位寡情的商人還有另外的一面——他對(duì)自己的那個(gè)大塊頭兒子有著極深的舐?tīng)僦?。隨后，他將目光又一次轉(zhuǎn)向了我。

“D'you know, that boy did our course in two under par on Sunday. He beat me seven and six.I could have brained him with my niblick.And to think that I taught him to play golf myself.”
“你知道這孩子星期天在場(chǎng)子上打了兩盤(pán)標(biāo)桿賽，贏了我七桿和六桿。我真該用球棒揍他一頓。想起來(lái)，他打高爾夫球，還是我一手教會(huì)的呢?！?/p>

He was brimming over with pride. I began to like him.
他的表情很為兒子感到自豪，叫我開(kāi)始對(duì)他有了好感。

“I had a lot of luck, Dad.”
“我只不過(guò)是運(yùn)氣好嘛，爸爸?！?/p>

“Not a bit of it. Is it luck when you get out of a bunker and lay your ball six inches from the hole?Thirty-five yards if it was an inch, the shot was.I want him to go into the amateur championship next year.”
“根本不是那回事。你把球從沙坑里打出來(lái)，落下來(lái)離洞口只有六英寸遠(yuǎn)，難道憑的是運(yùn)氣不成？那一桿打了三十五碼遠(yuǎn)，一英寸也不會(huì)少。明年我還想叫他去參加業(yè)余錦標(biāo)賽呢?！?/p>

“I shouldn't be able to spare the time.”
“我恐怕抽不出時(shí)間來(lái)?！?/p>

“I'm your boss, ain't I?”
“我是你的老板，難道不是嗎？”

“Don't I know it！The hell you raise if I'm a minute late at the office.”
“我可知道你的厲害！我上班哪怕遲到一分鐘，你也會(huì)暴跳如雷的。”

Mr. Maturin chuckled.
馬圖林先生撲哧一聲笑了。

“He's trying to make me out a tyrant，”he said to me.“Don't you believe him. I'm my business, my partners are no good, and I'm very proud of my business.I've started this boy of mine at the bottom and I expect him to work his way up just like any young fellow I’ve hired, so that when the time comes for him to take my place he’ll be ready for it.It’s a great responsibility, a business like mine.I’ve looked after the investments of some of my clients for thirty years and they trust me.To tell you the truth, I’d rather lose my own money than see them lose theirs.”
“看這小子把我描繪成了個(gè)專制霸王了?！彼麑?duì)我說(shuō)道，“別信他的話。公司靠我撐著呢，我的合伙人都不行。我為自己的業(yè)績(jī)感到自豪。我叫這孩子從底層干起，希望他跟其他的年輕員工一樣一步一個(gè)腳印地干上去，一旦需要他繼承我的事業(yè)時(shí)，他也就成熟了。像我的這個(gè)公司規(guī)模，可是千斤重?fù)?dān)呢。我為有些客戶打理投資業(yè)務(wù)，有長(zhǎng)達(dá)三十年的歷史了，他們對(duì)我是信任的。實(shí)不相瞞，哪怕是我自己賠錢(qián)，也不愿看客戶折本?！?/p>

Gray laughed.
格雷笑了。

“The other day when an old girl came in and wanted to invest a thousand dollars in a wildcat scheme that her minister had recommended he refused to take the order, and when she insisted he gave her such hell that she went out sobbing. And then he called up the minister and gave him hell too.”
“那天，有個(gè)老姑娘來(lái)找他，想投資一個(gè)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)很大的項(xiàng)目，說(shuō)是牧師建議她這么做的，他拒絕為她辦理。老姑娘認(rèn)死理，惹得他發(fā)了一頓脾氣，結(jié)果老姑娘哭著走了。后來(lái)他又跑去找那個(gè)牧師，將牧師也訓(xùn)了一通?！?/p>

“People say a lot of hard things about us brokers, but there are brokers and brokers. I don't want people to lose money, I want them to make it, and the way they act, most of them, you'd think their one object in life was to get rid of every cent they have.”
“別人談?wù)撈鹞覀兘?jīng)紀(jì)人，總把我們說(shuō)的一無(wú)是處，殊不知經(jīng)紀(jì)人也有好壞之分呢。對(duì)客戶，我不想讓他們折本，只想叫他們賺錢(qián)。大多數(shù)客戶不領(lǐng)情，看他們那做派，就好像人生只有一個(gè)目標(biāo)——散漫使錢(qián)，非得將錢(qián)折騰光不可?！?/p>

“Well, what did you think of him?”Elliott asked me as we walked away after the Maturins had left us to go back to the office.
飯后，馬圖林父子辭別，回公司去了。我和艾略特離開(kāi)飯店時(shí)，他突然問(wèn)我：“你怎么看馬圖林先生？”

“I'm always glad to meet new types. I thought the mutual affection of father and son was rather touching.I don't know that that's so common in England.”
“我一向喜歡結(jié)交各種不同類型的人。我覺(jué)得他們父子之間感情深厚，令人感動(dòng)。想來(lái)這在英國(guó)是不多見(jiàn)的?！?/p>

“He adores that boy. He's a queer mixture.What he said about his clients was quite true.He's got hundreds of old women, retired service men, and ministers whose savings he looks after.I'd have thought they were more trouble than they're worth, but he takes pride in the confidence they have in him.But when he's got some big deal on and he’s up against powerful interests there isn’t a man who can be harder and more ruthless.There’s no mercy in him then.He wants his pound of flesh and there’s nothing much he’ll stop at to get it.Get on the wrong side of him and he’ll not only ruin you, but get a big laugh out of doing it.”
“他對(duì)兒子寵愛(ài)得不得了。他的性格的確有點(diǎn)古怪。他評(píng)論自己客戶的那席話倒是句句真實(shí)。他的客戶有好幾百，都是些老太婆、退伍軍人和牧師，把手里的積蓄交給他搞投資。那些人麻煩得很，我覺(jué)得為他們打理生意很劃不來(lái)。可他極為看重那些人對(duì)他的信任。不過(guò)，遇到大生意，有厚利可圖，他就會(huì)翻臉不認(rèn)人，誰(shuí)都不如他心狠手辣。這時(shí)的他是一點(diǎn)情面都不講的。他要想從你身上割一磅肉，那他會(huì)不達(dá)目的誓不罷休。你要是跟他對(duì)著干，他會(huì)叫你傾家蕩產(chǎn)，非整倒你而后快?！?/p>

On getting home Elliott told Mrs. Bradley that Larry had refused Henry Maturin's offer.Isabel had been lunching with girl friends and came in while they were still talking about it.They told her.I gathered from Elliott's account of the conversation that ensued that he had expressed himself with considerable eloquence.Though he had certainly not done a stroke of work for ten years, and the work by which he had amassed an ample competence had been far from arduous, he was firmly of opinion that for the run of mankind industry was essential.Larry was a perfectly ordinary young fellow, of no social consequence, and there was no possible reason why he shouldn't conform to the commendable customs of his country.It was evident to a man as clear-sighted as Elliott that America was entering upon a period of prosperity such as it had never known.Larry had a chance of getting in on the ground floor, and if he kept his nose to the grindstone he might well be many times a millionaire by the time he was forty.If he wanted to retire then and live like a gentleman, in Paris, say, with an apartment in the Avenue du Bois and a chateau in Touraine, he（Elliott）would have nothing to say against it.But Louisa Bradley was more succinct and more unanswerable.
回到家，艾略特對(duì)布雷德利夫人直言相告，說(shuō)拉里拒絕了亨利·馬圖林給他的機(jī)會(huì)。伊莎貝爾正跟閨密們共進(jìn)午餐，走進(jìn)來(lái)時(shí)，姐弟還談著這件事。他們將結(jié)果告訴了她。后來(lái)，艾略特把這次談話的情況講給我聽(tīng)，我覺(jué)得他把一番大道理說(shuō)得頭頭是道。雖然他自己沒(méi)有干什么艱苦的活兒，他用以發(fā)家致富的工作一點(diǎn)辛苦的味兒也沒(méi)有，他卻堅(jiān)定地認(rèn)為經(jīng)營(yíng)實(shí)業(yè)乃國(guó)之本。拉里只不過(guò)是個(gè)普普通通的青年，又沒(méi)有社會(huì)背景，沒(méi)有理由不按照國(guó)之常情辦事。在艾略特這樣有眼光的人看來(lái)，美國(guó)顯然正在步入一個(gè)空前的繁榮時(shí)代。拉里現(xiàn)在有個(gè)入門(mén)的機(jī)會(huì)，只要他腳踏實(shí)地撒手干，到了不惑之年也許能掙幾百萬(wàn)。那時(shí)候，他要是愿意歇手，過(guò)過(guò)上等人的日子，完全可以當(dāng)個(gè)寓公，在巴黎的杜波依斯大道買(mǎi)一套公寓，或者在都蘭購(gòu)一幢別墅，他艾略特將無(wú)話可說(shuō)。這時(shí)，布雷德利夫人沖著女兒說(shuō)的一句話更為直截了當(dāng)，叫伊莎貝爾難以回答：

“If he loves you, he ought to be prepared to work for you.”
“他要是愛(ài)你的話，為了你，他也應(yīng)該出去工作?！?/p>

I don't know what Isabel answered to all this, but she was sensible enough to see that her elders had reason on their side. All the young men of her acquaintance were studying to enter some profession or already busy in an office.Larry could hardly expect to live the rest of his life on his distinguished record in the air corps.The war was over, everyone was sick of it and anxious only to forget about it as quickly as possible.The result of the discussion was that Isabel agreed to have the matter out with Larry once and for all.Mrs.Bradley suggested that Isabel should ask him to drive her down to Marvin.She was ordering new curtains for the living-room and had mislaid the measurements, so she wanted Isabel to take them again.
伊莎貝爾具體是怎么回應(yīng)的，我無(wú)從得知。這姑娘胸藏錦繡，情知大人的話不無(wú)道理。她認(rèn)識(shí)的小伙子們都有了出路，或?qū)W習(xí)深造，或進(jìn)哪個(gè)行當(dāng)實(shí)干，或進(jìn)公司經(jīng)商。拉里雖在空軍有過(guò)輝煌的業(yè)績(jī)，但也不能指望著吃一輩子呀。戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)硝煙已散，人人都對(duì)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)深惡痛絕，恨不能趕快忘掉戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的創(chuàng)傷。經(jīng)過(guò)一番討論，伊莎貝爾答應(yīng)跟拉里攤牌，把事情來(lái)個(gè)徹底了斷。布雷德利夫人獻(xiàn)計(jì)：伊莎貝爾可以求拉里開(kāi)車(chē)送她去馬文，就說(shuō)她在給客廳定制新窗簾，一張量好的尺寸單被她丟掉，所以要叫伊莎貝爾再去量一下。

“Bob Nelson will give you luncheon，”she said.
“鮑勃·納爾遜會(huì)留你吃午飯的?！彼f(shuō)。

“I have a better plan than that，”said Elliott.“Put up a luncheon basket for them and let them lunch on the stoop and after lunch they can talk.”
“我有個(gè)更好的主意?！卑蕴卣f(shuō)，“不如準(zhǔn)備個(gè)午餐籃，就在門(mén)廊那兒吃，吃完好說(shuō)事兒?！?/p>

“That would be fun，”said Isabel.
“這樣倒是怪有趣的?！?/p>

“There are few things so pleasant as a picnic eaten in perfect comfort，”Elliott added sententiously.“The old Duchesse d'Uzès used to tell me that the most recalcitrant male becomes amenable to suggestion in these conditions.What will you give them for luncheon?”
“自自在在來(lái)一頓野餐，是天下最美的享受了?！卑蕴夭皇r(shí)機(jī)地補(bǔ)充說(shuō)，“澤斯公爵老夫人曾私下對(duì)我說(shuō)，再怎么執(zhí)拗的男子，到了這種場(chǎng)合也會(huì)變得溫順?lè)?。路易莎，你打算給他們準(zhǔn)備什么樣的午餐？”

“Stuffed eggs and a chicken sandwich.”
“煮雞蛋和雞肉三明治?！?/p>

“Nonsense. You can't have a picnic without paté de foie gras.You must give them curried shrimps to start with, breast of chicken in aspic, with a heart-of-lettuce salad for which I’ll make the dressing myself, and after the paté if you like, as a concession to your American habits, an apple pie.”
“凈胡來(lái)。野餐嘛，哪能沒(méi)有肥鵝肝醬餅。頭一道菜應(yīng)該是咖喱蝦仁，再下來(lái)就是雞脯肉凍，配上生菜心沙拉，沙拉的調(diào)料由我來(lái)配制。有了肥鵝肝醬餅，如果愿意的話，可以按你們美國(guó)人的習(xí)慣，準(zhǔn)備上一個(gè)蘋(píng)果派?！?/p>

“I shall give them stuffed eggs and a chicken sandwich, Elliott，”said Mrs. Bradley with decision.
“我只給他們準(zhǔn)備煮雞蛋和雞肉三明治，艾略特。”布雷德利夫人斬釘截鐵地說(shuō)。

“Well, mark my words, it'll be a failure and you'll only have yourself to blame.”
“那你記住我的話：此事一定會(huì)泡湯，怪只能怪你自己?！?/p>

“Larry eats very little, Uncle Elliott，”said Isabel，“and I don't believe he notices what he eats.”
“拉里的胃口非常小，舅舅，”伊莎貝爾說(shuō)，“而且吃進(jìn)肚子里的是什么他從不注意。”

“I hope you don't think that is to his credit, my poor child，”her uncle returned.
“但愿你不要把這當(dāng)作他的優(yōu)點(diǎn)，傻孩子?！弊鼍司说幕亓艘痪?。

But what Mrs. Bradley said they should have was what they got.When Elliott later told me the outcome of the excursion he shrugged his shoulders in a very French way.
至于那次野餐，布雷德利夫人硬是堅(jiān)持家里有什么就讓他們吃什么。事情過(guò)后，艾略特告訴我結(jié)果時(shí)，法國(guó)味十分濃地聳了聳肩膀。

“I told them it would be a failure. I begged Louisa to put in a bottle of the Montrachet I sent her just before the war, but she wouldn't listen to me.They took a thermos of hot coffee and nothing else.What would you expect?”
“我早就有言在先，說(shuō)事情會(huì)泡湯的。我戰(zhàn)前送給路易莎一瓶蒙哈榭白葡萄酒，這次求她放進(jìn)野餐籃，可是她充耳不聞。伊莎貝爾他們只用熱水瓶灌了些咖啡，其他一點(diǎn)酒水都沒(méi)有。你還能指望有什么好結(jié)果呢！”

It appeared that Louisa Bradley and Elliott were sitting by themselves in the living-room when they heard the car stop at the door and Isabel came into the house. It was just after dark and the curtains were drawn.Elliott was lounging in an armchair by the fireside reading a novel and Mrs.Bradley was at work on a piece of tapestry that was to be made into a firescreen.Isabel did not come in, but went on up to her room. Elliott looked over his spectacles at his sister.
據(jù)說(shuō)，伊莎貝爾回家時(shí)，路易莎·布雷德利和艾略特正坐在客廳里。汽車(chē)吱扭一聲停在大門(mén)前，伊莎貝爾走了進(jìn)來(lái)。天擦黑，窗簾已拉上。艾略特懶散地坐在扶手椅上，在爐邊看一本小說(shuō)。布雷德利夫人在繡一塊帷簾，是要當(dāng)作防火屏風(fēng)用的。伊莎貝爾沒(méi)有來(lái)客廳，而是直接回樓上她的房間去了。艾略特抬起頭，目光從眼鏡的上方望了望姐姐。

“I expect she's gone to take off her hat. She'll be down in a minute，”she said.
“我想她脫掉帽子，用不了一分鐘就會(huì)下來(lái)的?！弊鼋憬愕恼f(shuō)。

But Isabel did not come. Several minutes passed.
可是伊莎貝爾沒(méi)有下來(lái)，好幾分鐘過(guò)去了也沒(méi)下來(lái)。

“Perhaps she's tired. She may be lying down.”
“可能是累了，躺在床上休息呢。”

“Wouldn't you have expected Larry to have come in?”
“你難道沒(méi)想到，拉里應(yīng)該進(jìn)來(lái)坐坐嗎？”

“Don't be exasperating, Elliott.”
“別說(shuō)叫人生氣的話，艾略特?！?/p>

“Well, it's your business, not mine.”
“好吧，反正這是你家的事，我這是狗拿耗子多管閑事?！?/p>

He returned to his book. Mrs.Bradley went on working.But when half an hour had gone by she got up suddenly.
說(shuō)完，他又繼續(xù)看他的書(shū)了。布雷德利夫人繼續(xù)刺繡屏風(fēng)。但半個(gè)小時(shí)后，布雷德利夫人坐不住了，突然站了起來(lái)。

“I think perhaps I'd better go up and see that she's all right. If she's resting I won't disturb her.”
“我想，還是上去看看她怎樣了吧。假如休息了，我就不驚動(dòng)她了?！?/p>

She left the room, but in a very short while came down again.
她離開(kāi)客廳上樓去，可沒(méi)過(guò)多大一會(huì)兒就又下來(lái)了。

“She's been crying. Larry's going to Paris.He's going to be away for two years.She's promised to wait for him.”
“她哭了一場(chǎng)。拉里要到巴黎去，兩年內(nèi)回不來(lái)。她答應(yīng)等他?！?/p>

“Why does he want to go to Paris?”
“他為什么要到巴黎去？”

“It's no good asking me questions, Elliott. I don't know.She won't tell me anything.She says she understands and she isn't going to stand in his way.I said to her，‘If he's prepared to leave you for two years he can’t love you verymuch.’‘I can’t help that，’she said，‘the thing that matters is that I love him very much.’‘Even after what’s happened today?’I said.‘Today’s made me love him more than ever I did，’she said，‘a(chǎn)nd he does love me, Mamma.I’m sure of that.’”
“問(wèn)我沒(méi)有用，艾略特，我無(wú)從得知。她什么都不肯告訴我。她說(shuō)她理解拉里，不愿當(dāng)他的絆腳石。我跟她說(shuō)：‘他一別就是兩年，證明他愛(ài)你愛(ài)得不十分深。’她說(shuō)：‘我也沒(méi)有辦法。問(wèn)題在于我愛(ài)他愛(ài)得十分深?！艺f(shuō)：‘有了今天的變化，你對(duì)他的愛(ài)還十分深嗎？’她說(shuō)：‘今天的變化反而叫我比以往任何時(shí)候都更加愛(ài)他了。他也愛(ài)我，對(duì)這一點(diǎn)我堅(jiān)信不疑?！?/p>

Elliott reflected for a while.
艾略特細(xì)細(xì)思索了一會(huì)兒。

“And what's to happen at the end of two years?”
“兩年之后會(huì)出現(xiàn)什么情況呢？”

“I tell you I don't know, Elliott.”
“我哪能知道，艾略特?！?/p>

“Don't you think it's very unsatisfactory?”
“你不覺(jué)得這樣的結(jié)局讓人十分掃興嗎？”

“Very.”
“的確叫人十分掃興?！?/p>

“There's only one thing to be said and that is that they're both very young. It won't hurt them to wait two years and in that time a lot may happen.”
“沒(méi)什么可講的了，只能說(shuō)他們還很年輕，等上兩年也無(wú)妨。在這兩年當(dāng)中，什么事都可能發(fā)生?！?/p>

They agreed that it would be better to leave Isabel in peace. They were going out to dinner that night.
姐弟倆達(dá)成一致，最好不要去打攪伊莎貝爾。一家人原打算出去吃晚飯，于此只好作罷。

“I don't want to upset her，”said Mrs. Bradley.“People would only wonder if her eyes were all swollen.”
“我可不想讓她聽(tīng)了別人的議論而感到難過(guò)?！辈祭椎吕蛉苏f(shuō)道，“那些人見(jiàn)她哭腫了眼泡，肯定會(huì)感到好奇的?！?/p>

But next day after luncheon, which they had by themselves, Mrs. Bradley brought the subject up again.But she got little out of Isabel.
第二天，他們?cè)诩依锍晕顼?，飯后布雷德利夫人舊話重提，把那件事又?jǐn)[在了桌面上，可還是從伊莎貝爾嘴里問(wèn)不出話來(lái)。

“There's really nothing more to tell you than I've told you already, Mamma，”she said.
“能告訴你的都告訴你了，媽媽，實(shí)在沒(méi)有什么可講的了?！币辽悹栒f(shuō)。

“But what does he want to do in Paris?”
“我問(wèn)你，他到巴黎究竟想去干什么？”

Isabel smiled, for she knew how preposterous her answer would seem to her mother.
伊莎貝爾微微一笑，因?yàn)樗雷约航酉聛?lái)的回答一定會(huì)叫母親感到不可思議。

“Loaf.”
“他要去逛大街?！彼f(shuō)道。

“Loaf?What on earth do you mean?”
“逛大街？這是什么鬼話？”

“That's what he told me.”
“他就是這么說(shuō)的?！?/p>

“Really I have no patience with you. If you had any spirit you'd have broken off your engagement there and then.He's just playing with you.”
“我真是受不了你。你要是有點(diǎn)骨氣的話，就應(yīng)該跟他一刀兩斷。這不明明在耍你嘛?！?/p>

Isabel looked at the ring she wore on her left hand.
伊莎貝爾看了看戴在左手上的訂婚戒指，然后說(shuō)道：

“What can I do?I love him.”
“我有什么辦法呢？我愛(ài)他?！?/p>

Then Elliott entered the conversation. He approached the matter with his famous tact，“Not as if I was her uncle, my dear fellow, but as a man of the world speaking to an inexperienced girl，”but he did no better than her mother had done.I received the impression that she had told him, no doubt politely but quite unmistakably, to mind his own business.Elliott told me all this later on in the day in the little sitting-room I had at the Blackstone.
后來(lái)，艾略特也加入了母女的談話。他運(yùn)用嫻熟的說(shuō)話技巧摻和了進(jìn)去?！拔铱蓻](méi)有擺舅舅的譜，親愛(ài)的伙計(jì)，而是作為一個(gè)通曉世情的人跟一個(gè)毫無(wú)社會(huì)經(jīng)驗(yàn)的女孩對(duì)話。”他對(duì)我解釋道?？墒?，他所達(dá)到的效果并不比他的姐姐強(qiáng)。伊莎貝爾好像叫他別管閑事，語(yǔ)氣當(dāng)然是很客氣的，說(shuō)得卻是擲地有聲。就在當(dāng)天晚一些的時(shí)候，艾略特來(lái)到黑石旅館，在我的小客廳里將事情的來(lái)龍去脈一五一十告訴了我。

“Of course Louisa is quite right，”he added.“It's all very unsatisfactory, but that's the sort of thing you run up against when young people are left to arrange their marriages on no better basis than mutual inclination. I've told Louisa not to worry；I think it'll turn out better than she expects.With Larry out of the way and young Gray Maturin on the spot-well, if I know anything about my fellow-creatures the outcome is fairly obvious.When you're eighteen your emotions are violent, but they’re not durable.”
“當(dāng)然，路易莎是完全正確的?！彼詈笱a(bǔ)充道，“此事弄得人非常窩火。男女青年僅僅是相互愛(ài)慕，除此之外什么也不懂，讓他們決定自己的婚姻，這種結(jié)果是避免不了的。我叫路易莎不必為此愁腸百結(jié)，也許會(huì)有柳暗花明那一天呢。拉里走了，格雷·馬圖林還在嘛……如果我對(duì)自己的國(guó)人看法沒(méi)錯(cuò)的話，結(jié)局是很明顯的。十八歲的年輕人感情熾熱如火，但長(zhǎng)久不了。”

“You're full of worldly wisdom, Elliott，”I smiled.
“你真是熟諳世態(tài)炎涼呀，艾略特?！蔽倚α诵φf(shuō)。

“I haven't read my La Rochefoucauld for nothing. You know what Chicago is；they'll be meeting all the time.It flatters a girl to have a man so devoted to her, and when she knows there isn't one of her girl friends who wouldn't be only too glad to marry him-well, I ask you, is it in human nature to resist the temptation of cutting out everyone else?I mean it's like going to a party where you know you’ll be bored to distraction and the only refreshments will be lemonade and biscuits；but you go because you know your best friends would give their eye-teeth to and haven’t been asked.”
“我讀拉羅什富科的書(shū)，總算沒(méi)有白讀。你知道芝加哥社會(huì)是個(gè)小圈子。他們天天見(jiàn)面。女孩子家，有個(gè)男子死心塌地愛(ài)她，肯定會(huì)芳心大悅。她要是知道自己的閨密無(wú)一不心甘情愿地想嫁給這個(gè)男子，那你想想，她是不是出于人的本能也會(huì)拼一拼、爭(zhēng)一爭(zhēng)寵呢？這情形猶如去參加一個(gè)宴會(huì)——你明明知道去了會(huì)無(wú)聊得不行，吃的東西也只有檸檬水和餅干，然而你還是去了，因?yàn)槟阒雷约鹤詈玫呐笥褌兇蚱祁^都想去，卻沒(méi)有受到邀請(qǐng)。”

“When does Larry go?”
“拉里何時(shí)啟程？”

“I don't know. I don't think that's been decided yet.”Elliott took a long, thin cigarette case in platinum and gold out of his pocket and extracted an Egyptian cigarette.Not for him were Fatimas, Chesterfields, Camels, or Lucky Strikes.He looked at me with a smile full of insinuation.“Of course I wouldn't care to say so to Louisa, but I don't mind telling you that I have a sneaking sympathy for the young fellow.I understand that he got a glimpse of Parisduring the war, and I can’t blame him if he was captivated by the only city in the world fit for a civilized man to live in.He’s young and I have no doubt he wants to sow his wild oats before he settles down to married life.Very natural and very proper.I’ll keep an eye on him.I’ll introduce him to the right people；he has nice manners and with a hint or two from me he’ll be quite presentable；I can guarantee to show him a side of French life that very few Americans have a chance of seeing.Believe me, my dear fellow, the average American can get into the kingdom of heaven much more easily than he can get into the Boulevard St.Germain.He’s twenty and he has charm.I think I could probably arrange a liaison for him with an older woman.It would form him.I always think there’s no better education for a young man than to become the lover of a woman of a certain age and of course if she is the sort of person I have in view, a femme du monde, you know, it would immediately give him a situation in Paris.”
“不知道。行程可能還沒(méi)有決定呢?！卑蕴卣f(shuō)著從口袋里掏出一個(gè)長(zhǎng)方形的薄薄的鑲金鉑質(zhì)煙盒，取出一支埃及煙。對(duì)于法蒂瑪牌、契斯特菲爾德牌和駱駝牌那樣的香煙，他是瞧不上眼的。他笑瞇瞇地用眼睛瞅著我，笑容含蓄，別有深意?！坝行┰挷槐阒v給路易莎聽(tīng)，不過(guò)可以告訴你：對(duì)于那個(gè)小伙子，我暗藏同情之心。戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)期間，他可能目睹了巴黎的風(fēng)采。他要是被這個(gè)天下唯一適合于文明人居住的城市迷了心竅，那我一點(diǎn)都不感到奇怪。他年紀(jì)輕，無(wú)疑是想在結(jié)婚過(guò)小日子之前，縱情風(fēng)流一把。這很正常，也很自然。我要照拂他的，引薦他認(rèn)識(shí)應(yīng)該認(rèn)識(shí)的人。論風(fēng)度，他還是能上得了席面的，稍加指點(diǎn)，便可以出入社交場(chǎng)合了。我保證能叫他看到真正的法蘭西生活——能有這種機(jī)會(huì)的美國(guó)人少之又少。老伙計(jì)，請(qǐng)相信我的話：普通的美國(guó)人要進(jìn)入圣日爾曼大道，真比登天還難。他二十歲，魅力還是有的。我可以做出安排，讓他跟一個(gè)年紀(jì)大一些的女人建立聯(lián)系，這對(duì)他的成長(zhǎng)大有裨益。我總覺(jué)得，一個(gè)年輕男子給一個(gè)有些歲數(shù)的女人當(dāng)情郎，本身就是一種最好的教育方式。當(dāng)然，我所說(shuō)的女人必須是社交名媛，這會(huì)叫他一步登天，步入巴黎上流社會(huì)?！?/p>

“Did you tell that to Mrs. Bradley?”I asked, smiling.
“你把這錦囊妙計(jì)告訴布雷德利夫人了嗎？”我微笑著問(wèn)。

Elliott chuckled.
艾略特嘿嘿嘿地笑了。

“My dear fellow, if there's one thing I pride myself on it's my tact. I did not tell her.She wouldn't understand, poor dear.It's one of the things I've never understood about Louisa；though she’s lived half her life in diplomatic society, in half the capitals of the world, she’s remained hopelessly American.”
“我的老伙計(jì)，假如我有值得自豪之處，那就是我的處世方針。我沒(méi)有告訴她，就是說(shuō)出來(lái)，她也不會(huì)理解的?？蓱z的路易莎！她有許多地方叫我永遠(yuǎn)也吃不透，而這就是其中的一點(diǎn)。她半輩子都生活在外交界，世界上有一半國(guó)家的首都她都待過(guò)，可骨頭縫里仍然是一個(gè)死腦筋的美國(guó)人?！?/p>