雙語·《刀鋒》 第二章 六

CHAPTER TWO 6
第二章 六

I had come back from the East and was spending some time in London just then. It was perhaps a fortnight after the events I have just related that Elliott called me up one morning.I was not surprised to hear his voice, for I knew that he was in the habit of coming to England to enjoy the fag end of the season.He told me that Mrs.Bradley and Isabelwere with him and if I would drop in that evening at six for a drink they would be glad to see me.They were, of course, staying at Claridge's.I was at that time living not far from there, so I strolled down Park Lane and through the quiet, dignified streets of Mayfair till I came to the hotel.Elliott had his usual suite.It was panelled in brown wood like the wood of a cigar box and furnished with quiet sumptuousness.He was alone when I was ushered in.Mrs.Bradley and Isabel had gone shopping and he was expecting them at any minute.He told me that Isabel had broken her engagement to Larry.
此時，我已從東方返回倫敦，準備在倫敦住一住。上述事件發(fā)生后大概有兩個星期吧，一天上午艾略特打來了電話。聽見他的聲音，我并不感到奇怪，因為他有個習慣，總愛在交際季節(jié)落幕時來英國游一趟。他告訴我，布雷德利夫人和伊莎貝爾與他一起來了，說如果我傍晚六點鐘能去他那兒喝杯酒，她們見到我一定會很高興的。他們一家當然住的是克拉里奇酒店了。我下榻的地方離那兒不遠，于是我便以步代車朝那兒走，先是漫步于公園巷，然后穿過梅菲爾區(qū)那一條條靜謐、高貴的街道，一直走到克拉里奇酒店。艾略特住的還是平時住過的那套房間，墻上鑲著褐色壁板，壁板的材質跟雪茄盒的一樣，陳設既典雅又豪華。服務生把我領進去時，房間里只有他一個人，布雷德利夫人和伊莎貝爾出去購物了，但是也快回來了。他把伊莎貝爾和拉里解除婚約的事情告訴了我。

Elliott with his romantic and highly conventional sense of how people should comport themselves under given circumstances had been disconcerted by the young people's behaviour. Not only had Larry come to lunch the very day after the break, but he had acted as though his position were unchanged.He was as pleasant, attentive, and soberly gay as usual.He treated Isabel with the same comradely affectionateness with which he had always treated her.He seemed neither harassed, upset, nor woebegone.Nor did Isabel appear dispirited.She looked as happy, she laughed as lightly, she jested as merrily as though she had not just taken a decisive and surely searing step in her life.Elliott could not make head or tail of it.From such scraps of their conversation as he caught he gathered that they had no intention of breaking any of the dates they had made.On the first opportunity he talked it over with his sister.
對于如何行為、如何處世，艾略特自有一套看法，一套既浪漫又十分傳統(tǒng)的看法。這倆年輕人的做法叫他頗為不安。解除婚約后的第二天，拉里不但照樣來赴午宴，還沒事人似的，就好像他的地位并沒有改變。他仍像往常那樣和顏悅色、彬彬有禮，還是那樣安靜和快活。對待伊莎貝爾，他也是一如既往，仍是那般遺情繾綣。他似乎沒有感到落魄，沒有情緒低落，也沒有哀傷。伊莎貝爾亦沒有精神低迷的跡象，而是一臉的快活，笑聲朗朗，高高興興地插科打諢，仿佛并不曾剛剛做出了一項有關自己一生的重大、痛切的決定。艾略特如墜五里霧中，一下子摸不著頭腦了。那倆年輕人說話的只言片語傳進了他的耳朵，于是他得知他們無意取消以前商量好的約會。他瞅了個機會，把此事和姐姐談了談。

“It's not decent，”he said.“They can't run around together as if they were still engaged. Larry really should have more sense of propriety.Besides, it damages Isabel's chances.Young Fotheringham, that boy at the British Embassy, is obviously taken with her；he's got money and he's very well connected；if he knew the coast was clear I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he made her an offer, I think you ought to talk to her about it.”
“這不成體統(tǒng)?！彼f，“他們不能夠仍舊像訂婚一樣，一塊兒到處跑，拉里真的應該懂得一點進退。再說，這樣會毀掉伊莎貝爾的機會。福瑟林厄姆，就是英國大使館的那個小伙子很明顯看上了伊莎貝爾，他可是既有錢又有社會地位。假如他知道伊莎貝爾解除了婚約，并向她伸出橄欖枝，那我一點都不會感到奇怪。依我看，你應該跟伊莎貝爾好好談談。”

“My dear, Isabel's twenty and she has a technique for telling you to mind your own business without offensiveness which I've always found very difficult to cope with.”
“親愛的，伊莎貝爾是二十歲的人了，她有套辦法能夠委婉地告訴你不要管她的事情。這使我一直很難對付?！?/p>

“Then you've brought her up extremely badly, Louisa. And besides, it is your business.”
“那么，就都怪你管教太不得當了，路易莎。話又說回來，她的終身大事也是你分內(nèi)的事?！?/p>

“That is a point on which you and she would certainly differ.”
“在這一點上，你和她有著明顯的分歧?！?/p>

“You're trying my patience, Louisa.”
“你簡直叫我無法容忍，路易莎?！?/p>

“My poor Elliott, if you'd ever had a grown-up daughter you'd know that by comparison a bucking steer is easy to manage. And as to knowing what goes on inside her-well, it's much better to pretend you're the simple, innocent old fool she almost certainly takes you for.”
“我可憐的艾略特，假如你有個已經(jīng)長大成人的女兒，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)她比一匹亂尥蹶子的小馬還難管。你還想知道她心里是怎么想的……算了吧，還是裝糊涂的好，裝作一個頭腦簡單、什么都不懂的老糊涂蟲——你在她眼里八成就是這么個樣子?！?/p>

“But you have talked the matter over with her?”
“可你不是跟她談過這件事了么？”

“I tried to. She laughed at me and told me there was really nothing to tell.”
“我打算談來著。她卻沖我哈哈大笑，說實在沒有什么可談的?！?/p>

“Is she cut up?”
“她難過嗎？”

“I wouldn't know. All I do know is that she eats well and sleeps like a child.”
“我也不知道，只知道她吃飯吃得香，睡覺也睡得香，睡起覺就像個小孩子一樣。”

“Well, take my word for it, if you let them go on like this they'll go off one of these days and get married without saying a word to anybody.”
“哼，你記住我的話，如果你聽任他們這樣繼續(xù)下去，總有一天他們會溜掉，招呼也不打就結婚的。”

Mrs. Bradley permitted herself to smile.
布雷德利夫人忍不住笑了。

“It must be a relief to you to think that at present we're living in a country where every facility is afforded to sexual irregularity and every obstacle put in the way of marriage.”
“你盡管可以放心——他們現(xiàn)在在這么一個國家里呢，不正常的男女關系有著種種方便，結婚卻會遇到重重障礙?！?/p>

“And quite rightly. Marriage is a serious matter on which rest the security of the family and the stability of the state.But marriage can only maintain its authority if extra-conjugal relations are not only tolerated but sanctioned.Prostitution, my poor Louisa—”
“這沒什么不好的。結婚是嚴肅的事情，關乎家庭的安全和國家的穩(wěn)定?；橥馇椴粌H要容忍，還應該得到認可，唯有如此，才能保障婚姻的威嚴。嫖娼賣淫嘛，我可憐的路易莎……”

“That'll do, Elliott，'interrupted Mrs. Bradley.“I'm not interested in your views on the social and moral values of promiscuous fornication.”
“夠啦，艾略特！”布雷德利夫人打斷了他的話，“你對不正常男女關系的社會價值和道德價值所發(fā)表的奇談怪論我不感興趣。”

It was then he put forward a scheme that would interrupt Isabel's continued intercourse with Larry, which was so repugnant to his sense of what was fitting. The Paris season was drawing to a close and all the best people were arranging to go to watering places or to Deauville before repairing for the rest of the summer to their ancestral chateaux in Touraine, Anjou, or Brittany.Ordinarily Elliott went to London at the end of June, but his family feeling was strong and his affection for his sister and Isabel sincere；he had been quite ready to sacrifice himself and remain in Paris, ifthey wished it, when no one who was anyone was there；but he found himself now in the agreeable situation of being able to do what was best for others and at the same time what was convenient to himself.He proposed to Mrs.Bradley that the three of them should go to London immediately, where the season was still in full swing and where new interests and new friends would distract Isabel’s mind from her unfortunate entanglement.According to the papers the great specialist on Mrs.Bradley’s disease was then in the British capital and the desirability of consulting him would reasonably account for their precipitate departure and override any disinclination to leave Paris that Isabel might have.Mrs.Bradley fell in with the plan.She was puzzled by Isabel.She could not make up her mind whether she was as carefree as she seemed or whether, hurt, angry, or heartsick, she was putting on a bold front to conceal her wounded feelings.Mrs.Bradley could only agree with Elliott that it would do Isabel good to see new people and new places.
就在這時，艾略特提出了一項計劃，可以切斷伊莎貝爾和拉里藕斷絲連的關系——這種關系叫他厭惡，不符合他的人生觀。巴黎的社交季節(jié)已接近尾聲。上流社會的人們都在準備到海濱度假地去，或者到多維爾去，然后各自回祖?zhèn)鞯某潜は摹切┏潜し植加诙继m、安茹或者布列塔尼。艾略特通常都是在六月底去倫敦的，可是由于他的家庭觀念很強，對姐姐以及伊莎貝爾的感情又是那么誠摯，所以他準備犧牲自己的利益，就是在有頭有臉的人都走光的情況下，只要姐姐她們倆想留在巴黎，他也會留下相陪。不過，他發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種兩全其美的途徑，既能夠為他人考慮，又方便了自己。他向布雷德利夫人建議，他們?nèi)藨摿⒖虇⒊痰絺惗厝?。那兒的社交季?jié)正處在高潮，可以參加新的有趣的活動，結交新的朋友，這會轉移伊莎貝爾的注意力，使她不再去想她那不幸的遭遇。根據(jù)報紙上的報道，專治布雷德利夫人這種病的那位出了名的醫(yī)生恰好正在英國的首都，找他治病可以成為他們匆匆離開巴黎的一種合理的說法，即便伊莎貝爾不情愿，也會說不出口的。布雷德利夫人同意了這個計劃。伊莎貝爾的表現(xiàn)叫她感到困惑。她實在弄不清自己的女兒，不知女兒是不是真的像表面那樣一點不在乎，還是心里痛苦、氣憤或者傷心，卻裝出一副英雄相，把打掉的牙往肚子里咽。她只能同意艾略特的說法——結識新的人，游歷新的地方，對伊莎貝爾自有好處。

Elliott got busy on the telephone and when Isabel, who had been spending the day at Versailles with Larry, came home, he was able to tell her that he had made an appointment for her mother to see the celebrated doctor three days from then, that he had engaged a suite at Claridge's and that they were starting on the next day but one. Mrs.Bradley watched her daughter while this intelligence was being somewhat smugly imparted to her by Elliott, but she did not turn a hair.
接下來，艾略特打了一通電話。此時的伊莎貝爾正和拉里一同逛凡爾賽宮。等到她回來，艾略特把情況告訴了她，說他已經(jīng)約好帶她的母親去那位名醫(yī)處看病，約定的時間是三天后，還說在克拉里奇酒店已訂好了房間，他們一家后天便要啟程到倫敦去。當艾略特頗有得色地給伊莎貝爾講述出行計劃時，布雷德利夫人留意觀察女兒的反應，卻見她神色不動。

“Oh, darling, I'm so glad you're going to see that doctor，”she cried with her usual rather breathless impetuosity.“Of course, you mustn't miss the chance. And it'll be grand going to London.How long are we going to stay?”
“啊，親愛的媽媽，很高興你能夠去找那個醫(yī)生看病?！币辽悹栒f道，語調仍像往常那樣急火火的，像喘不過氣似的，“這個機會當然是不容錯過的。到倫敦去一定是段非凡的經(jīng)歷。在那兒待多長時間呢？”

“It would be useless to come back to Paris，”said Elliott.“There won't be a soul here in a week. I want you to stay with me at Claridge's for the rest of the season.There are always some good balls in July and of course there's Wimbledon.And then Goodwood and Cowes.I'm sure the Ellinghams will be glad to have us on their yacht for Cowes and the Bantocks always have a large party for Goodwood.”
“急著返回巴黎是毫無意義的，”艾略特說，“因為一個星期之內(nèi)，這里的人都要走光了。我要你們跟我在克拉里奇酒店住完這個社交季節(jié)。七月份總會有些別開生面的舞會的，當然還有溫布爾登網(wǎng)球公開賽嘍。之后，還有古德伍德公園附近舉行的賽馬會和考斯的賽船。我敢說，埃林厄姆家一定會歡迎咱們坐他們的游艇去考斯看賽船的，而班托克家歷來都會在古德伍德賽馬時舉辦一場規(guī)模宏大的宴會?！?/p>

Isabel appeared to be delighted and Mrs. Bradley was reassured.It looked as though she were not giving Larry a thought.
伊莎貝爾看上去很高興，布雷德利夫人這才松了口氣。伊莎貝爾好像根本沒有把拉里往心里放。

Elliott had just finished telling me all this when mother and daughter came in. I had not seen them for more than eighteen months.Mrs.Bradley was a little thinner than before and more pasty-faced；she looked tired and none too well.But Isabel was blooming.With her high colour, the rich brown of her hair, her shining hazel eyes, her clear skin, she gave an impression of such youth, of so much enjoyment of the mere fact of being alive, that you felt half inclined to laugh with delight.She gave me the rather absurd notion of a pear, golden and luscious, perfectly ripe and simply asking to be eaten.She radiated warmth so that you thought that if you held out your hands you could feel its comfort.She looked taller than when I had last seen her, whether because she wore higher heels or because the clever dressmaker had cut her frock to conceal her youthful plumpness I don't know, and she held herself with the graceful ease of a girl who has played outdoor games since childhood.She was in short sexually a very attractive young woman.Had I been her mother I should have thought it high time she was married.
艾略特剛給我把情況介紹完，那一對母女就回來了。沒見她們的面，已經(jīng)有超過一年半的時間了。布雷德利夫人比以前瘦了些，臉色也比以前蒼白了，倦容滿面，氣色極差。而伊莎貝爾卻容光煥發(fā)，臉蛋紅撲撲的，一頭深褐色的頭發(fā)，淡褐色的眼睛神采奕奕，膚如凝脂，給人以青春蕩漾的印象，樂樂呵呵的，好像活著就是一種幸福。看到她，你心里會不由得充滿喜悅，笑出聲來。我甚至產(chǎn)生了一個十分荒唐的想法，覺得她就像一枚金黃的熟透了的梨子，香甜可口，只等你來吃呢。她身上散發(fā)出陣陣暖意，讓你覺得只要伸出手就能感受到溫馨。與上次見到她時相比，她看上去高了些，不知道是因為穿了高跟鞋的緣故，還是因為那個聰明的裁縫把她的衣服裁剪得好，遮住了她年輕豐滿的軀體，使她的個頭顯高了些。她的一舉一動都顯示出自小便習慣于戶外運動的女孩子的那種瀟灑自如?？傊?，從性的角度看，她已經(jīng)出落成了一個非常誘人的年輕女子。我要是她母親的話，會認為她已經(jīng)到嫁人的時候了。

Glad of the opportunity to repay some of the kindness I had received from Mrs. Bradley in Chicago, I asked them all three to come to a play with me one evening.I arranged to give a luncheon for them.
我很高興現(xiàn)在有了機會，總算可以稍稍報答一下布雷德利夫人對我的招待了。我邀請他們?nèi)齻€晚上一塊兒去看戲，還為他們?nèi)税才帕艘淮挝缪纭?/p>

“You'll be wise to get in at once, my dear fellow，”said Elliott.“I've already let my friends know we're here and I presume that in a day or two we shall be fixed up for the rest of the season.”
“干得好，你約的正是時候，親愛的老伙計?！卑蕴卣f，“我已經(jīng)通知了一些朋友，說我們到了倫敦。一兩天之內(nèi)，這個季節(jié)我們的日程恐怕就會被排得滿滿的了。”

I understood by this that Elliott meant that then they would have no time for the likes of me and I laughed. Elliott gave me a glance in which I discerned a certain hauteur.
聽他的話音，像是說他們沒有時間陪我這樣的人。我只好付之一笑。艾略特看了我一眼，眼神里帶著幾分傲慢。

“But of course you'll generally find us here about six o'clock and we shall always be glad to see you，”he said graciously, but with the evident intention of putting me, as an author, in my humble place.
“不過，我們每天下午六點鐘左右一般都在酒店里，你來我們會很高興的。”他說話的語氣很委婉，意思卻很明確——我只不過是個小作家，地位低下。

But the worm sometimes turns.
殊不知兔子急了也會咬人的。

“You must try to get in touch with the St. Olpherds，”I said.“I hear they want to dispose of their Constable of Salisbury Cathedral.”
“你應該和圣奧爾弗德家聯(lián)系一下，”我話中有話地說，“聽說他們想賣掉家中的那幅康斯特布爾畫的《索爾茲伯里大教堂》?！?/p>

“I'm not buying any pictures just now.”
“我眼下不想買什么畫。”

“I know, but I thought you might dispose of it for them.”
“這我知道，但我覺得你可以幫他們處理掉嘛。”

A steely glitter came into Elliott's eyes.
艾略特的眼睛里透出了一絲冷冷的光。

“My dear fellow, the English are a great people, but they have never been able to paint and never will be able to paint. I am not interested in the English school.”
“親愛的老伙計，英國人是一個偉大的民族，可是他們沒有繪畫的天賦，永遠也不會有的。我對英國畫派不感興趣?！?/p>