雙語·《刀鋒》 第三章 三

CHAPTER THREE 3
第三章 三

Isabel was married to Gray Maturin early in the June of the year after the termination of her engagement to Larry. Though Elliott hated leaving Paris at a moment when the season was at its height and he must miss a number of grand parties, his family feeling was too strong to allow him to neglect what he thought a social duty.Isabel's brothers were unable to leave their distant posts and so it behoved him to make the irksome journey to Chicago to give his niece away.Remembering that French aristocrats had gone to the guillotine in all their finery, he made a special journey to London to get himself a new morning coat, a dove-grey double-breasted waistcoat, and a silk hat.On his return to Paris he invited me to come and see them on.He was in a state of perturbation because the grey pearl he usually wore in his necktie would not make any sort of effect against the pale grey tie he had chosen as suitable to the festive occasion.I suggested his emerald-and-diamond pin.
跟拉里解除婚約后第二年的六月初，伊莎貝爾就嫁給了格雷·馬圖林。此時，巴黎的社交季節(jié)正在高潮，艾略特要參加許多場規(guī)模宏大的宴會，所以他一百個不愿意離開巴黎，但由于他的家族感情異常強烈，容不得他忽略掉在他看來是自己分內(nèi)的職責(zé)。伊莎貝爾的兄長們遠在天邊，無法拋下那兒的工作回家參加婚禮，于是他只好踏上惱人的旅途，前往芝加哥為外甥女主婚了。他想起那些法國貴族都是穿著盛裝上斷頭臺的，所以特地上倫敦購置了一套新晨禮服、一件青灰色雙排紐扣的大衣和一頂絲綢禮帽。一返回巴黎，他就把我請去看他試裝。他選了一條淺灰色的領(lǐng)帶，自認(rèn)為適合于婚禮上佩戴，可是再用平時的那枚珍珠別針，便不倫不類了，這叫他很惱火。我建議他改用他那枚鑲著翡翠和鉆石的別針。

“If I were a guest-yes，”he said.“But in the particular position I shall occupy I feel that a pearl is indicated.”
“如果我只是個賓客嘛……這也就罷了，”他說，“而我擔(dān)任主婚人的特殊責(zé)任，便感覺到珍珠有一種象征意義?！?/p>

He was much pleased with the marriage, which concorded with all his ideas of propriety, and he spoke of it with the unctuousness of a dowager duchess expressing herself on the suitability of a union between a scion of the La Rochefoucaulds with a daughter of the Montmorencys. As a visible mark of his satisfaction he was taking over as a wedding present, sparing no expense, a fine portrait by Nattier of a princess of the House of France.
他對這門親事非常滿意，認(rèn)為從各方面看，雙方都是門當(dāng)戶對的。一說起來，他便眉飛色舞，就像個孀居的公爵夫人在議論拉羅什富科家族的公子跟蒙特默倫西家族的千金結(jié)下的天設(shè)地造的良緣。為了明確表示自己滿意的心情，他不惜重金買了一幅納蒂埃為法蘭西王室的一個公主畫的精美的肖像，準(zhǔn)備帶去作為結(jié)婚禮物。

It appeared that Henry Maturin had bought for the young couple a house in Astor Street so that they should be close to where Mrs. Bradley lived and not too far from his own palatial residence on Lake Shore Drive.By a happy chance, in which I suspected the deft complicity of Elliott, Gregory Brabazon was in Chicago at the time the purchase was made and the decoration was entrusted to him.When Elliott returned to Europe and, throwing in his hand so far as the season in Paris was concerned, came straight to London, he brought photographs of the result.Gregory Brabazon had let himself go.In the drawing-room he had gone all George the Second and it was very grand.In the library, which was to be Gray's den, he had been inspired by a room in the Amalienburg Palace at Munich, and except that there was no place in it for books it was perfect.Save for the twin beds, Louis Quinze visiting Madame de Pompadour would have found himself perfectly at home in the bedroom Gregory had provided for this young American couple, but Isabel's bathroom would have been an eye-opener to him；it was all glass-walls, ceiling and bath-and on the walls silver fish meandered profusely among gilded aquatic plants.
亨利·馬圖林好像給小兩口在阿斯特街買了一幢房子，靠近布雷德利夫人住的地方，離他自己在湖濱道的那座富麗堂皇的府邸也不太遠。說來也巧，購置這幢房子時，格雷戈里·布拉巴宗恰好在芝加哥，房子的內(nèi)部裝飾就交給了他，而我懷疑艾略特和布拉巴宗在這件事上是串通好了的。艾略特返回歐洲時，舍棄了巴黎的社交盛宴，直接取道前往倫敦，給格雷戈里·布拉巴宗帶去一些室內(nèi)裝飾的照片作為樣本。后者放手大干了一場。客廳的裝飾完全是喬治二世時期的風(fēng)格，顯得金碧輝煌。至于書房——格雷將來的小天地，格雷戈里是靠慕尼黑的阿瑪利堡宮里一間屋子給他的啟發(fā)來進行裝飾的，除了沒有地方放書外，可以說無懈可擊。格雷戈里為這對年輕的美國夫婦把寢室裝飾得十分舒適（那張雙人床不算在內(nèi)），就是法王路易十五在這里幽會蓬帕杜夫人，也會覺得舒心安逸，而伊莎貝爾的浴室則會叫路易十五大開眼界——那兒完全是玻璃世界，有玻璃墻壁、玻璃天花板、玻璃浴缸；墻根的玻璃魚缸里有銀色的小魚在金色的水草中游來游去。

“Of course it's a tiny house，”said Elliott，“but Henry told me the decoration set him back a hundred thousand dollars. A fortune to some people.”
“當(dāng)然，房子是很小的?！卑蕴卣f道，“可是亨利告訴我，說室內(nèi)裝修花了他十萬塊。對普通人來說，這可是數(shù)目很大的一筆錢?！?/p>

The ceremony was performed with such pomp as the Episcopalian church could afford.
婚禮很氣派，在圣公會教會允許的范圍內(nèi)極盡奢華。

“Not like a wedding at Notre Dame，”he told me complacently，“but for a Protestant affair it didn't lack style.”
“跟巴黎圣母院里舉行的那種婚禮有所不同，”艾略特帶著幾分自豪告訴我說，“但就新教的婚禮來說，卻是別具一格?！?/p>

The press had behaved very handsomely and Elliott negligently tossed the cuttings to me. He showed me photographs of Isabel, hefty but handsome in her wedding-dress, and Gray, a massive but fine figure of a man, a trifle self-conscious in his formal clothes.There was a group of the young couple with bridesmaids and another group with Mrs.Bradley in a sumptuous garment and Elliott holding his new top-hat with a grace that only he could have achieved.I asked how Mrs.Bradley was.
報紙對婚禮高調(diào)進行了報道，艾略特剪下幾條，做出一副漫不經(jīng)意的樣子丟給我看。他還讓我看了新人的結(jié)婚照——伊莎貝爾穿著新娘服裝，有些胖，然而很漂亮；格雷是個大塊頭，但身材不錯，穿一身結(jié)婚的禮服，顯得有點不自在。還有一張新婚夫婦和伴娘們的合影，一張小兩口跟布雷德利夫人、艾略特一起拍的照片——布雷德利夫人穿一件華貴的衣服；艾略特把他的新帽子拿在手里，風(fēng)度翩翩，那種高雅的勁兒簡直無法比擬。我問他布雷德利夫人的身體狀況怎樣。

“She's lost a good deal of weight and I don't like her colour, but she's pretty well. Of course the whole thing was a strain on her, but now it's all over she'll be able to rest up.”
“瘦了許多，臉色不盡如人意，但身體狀況還是挺好的。當(dāng)然，婚事叫她操盡了心，好在現(xiàn)已辦完，她總算能徹底休息休息了?！?/p>

A year later Isabel was delivered of a daughter, to whom, following the fashion of the moment, she gave the name of Joan；and after an interval of two years she had another daughter whom, following another fashion, she called Priscilla.
一年后，伊莎貝爾生了一個女兒，根據(jù)當(dāng)時流行的名字，取名叫瓊；隔了兩年，她又生了一個女兒，還是根據(jù)當(dāng)時流行的名字，取名叫普里西拉。

One of Henry Maturin's partners died and the other two under pressure soon afterwards retired, so that he entered into sole possession of the business over which he had always exercised despotic control. He realized the ambition he had long entertained and took Gray into partnership with him.The firm had never been so prosperous.
亨利·馬圖林的一個合伙人死了，另外兩個合伙人在重壓之下不久也退休了。公司原來就由著他獨斷專行，而今更成了他一人的天下。多年的抱負一朝實現(xiàn)。他讓兒子和他一道經(jīng)營，公司出現(xiàn)了空前繁榮的景象。

“They're making money hand over fist, my dear fellow，”Elliott told me.“Why, Gray at the age of twenty-five is making fifty thousand a year, and that's only a beginning. The resources of America are inexhaustible.It isn't a boom, it's just the natural development of a great country.”
“他們賺錢易如反掌，老伙計?！卑蕴貙ξ艺f道，“呵，格雷才二十五歲，一年就能賺五萬塊。而且，這還只是開了個頭。美國的財富是永不枯竭的。這種繁榮并非曇花一現(xiàn)，而是一個偉大國家的常態(tài)。”

His chest swelled with an unwonted patriotic fervour.
他的胸中泛起了少見的愛國主義熱情。

“Henry Maturin can't live for ever, high blood pressure, you know, and by the time Gray's forty he should be worth twenty million dollars. Princely, my dear fellow, princely.”
“亨利·馬圖林不可能永遠活下去。要知道，他患有高血壓。格雷到了四十歲時，將坐擁兩千萬元的資產(chǎn)。那可是富比王侯，老伙計，富比王侯呀?！?/p>

Elliott kept up a fairly regular correspondence with his sister and from time to time as the years went on passed on to me what she told him. Gray and Isabel were very happy, and the babies were sweet.They lived in a style that Elliott gladly admitted was eminently suitable；they entertained lavishly and were lavishly entertained；he told me with satisfaction that Isabel and Gray hadn't dined by themselves once in three months.Their whirl of gaiety was interrupted by the death of Mrs.Maturin, that colourless, highborn lady whom Henry Maturin had married for her connexions when he was making a place for himself in the city to which his father had come as a country bumpkin；and out of respect for her memory for a year the young couple never entertained more than six people to dinner.
艾略特和姐姐之間家書不斷。一年一年的時光悄然流逝，他時不時會把姐姐告訴他的事情講給我聽。格雷和伊莎貝爾生活幸福，兩個孩子活潑可愛。他們一家的生活方式叫艾略特贊不絕口，說完全合乎他們的社會地位——請客請得風(fēng)風(fēng)光光，別人請他們也排場闊氣。艾略特非常滿意地告訴我，說他們?nèi)齻€月里單獨吃飯吃不上一次。后來，由于馬圖林夫人的離世，這種快活的日子戛然而止。亨利·馬圖林當(dāng)初娶那位面無血色、高顴骨的女人，是想利用她的社會關(guān)系，好在芝加哥有一席之地，因為他父親是農(nóng)村來的鄉(xiāng)巴佬，指望不上。為了紀(jì)念馬圖林夫人，小兩口兒有一年的工夫，請客吃飯一次頂多只請六個人。

“I've always said that eight was the perfect number，”said Elliott, determined to look on the bright side of things.“It's intimate enough to permit of general conversation and yet large enough to give the impression of a party.”
“我一直認(rèn)為請客請八個人最為合適。”艾略特看問題看的是樂觀的一面，于是這樣說道，“八個人氣氛融和，利于交談，同時給人的印象是夠得上宴會的規(guī)模?！?/p>

Gray was wonderfully generous to his wife. On the birth of their first child he gave her a square-cut diamond ring and on the birth of her second a sable coat.He was too busy to leave Chicago much, but such holidays as he could take they spent at Henry Maturin's imposing house at Marvin.Henry could deny nothing to the son whom he adored and one Christmas gave him a plantation in South Carolina so that he could get a fortnight's duck-shooting in the season.
格雷對妻子慷慨得出奇，生第一胎時，送給她一枚四面都經(jīng)過打磨的鉆石戒指，生第二胎，贈給她的是一件紫貂皮大衣。由于太忙，他很少離開芝加哥。中間如果能休息幾天，他們?nèi)揖蜁胶嗬ゑR圖林在馬文的那幢豪宅里度假。亨利愛兒子，有求必應(yīng)。一次過圣誕節(jié)的時候，他把在南卡羅來納州買的一處農(nóng)場送給了兒子——這樣兒子可以在狩獵季節(jié)到那兒去打兩個星期的野鴨子。

“Of course our merchant princes correspond to those great patrons of the arts of the Italian Renaissance who made fortunes by commerce. The Medici, for instance.Two kings of France were not too proud to marry the daughters of that illustrious family and I foresee the day when the crowned heads of Europe will seek the hands of our dollar princesses.What was it Shelley said?‘The world's great age begins anew, the golden years return.'”
“當(dāng)然，我們的商業(yè)巨頭跟意大利文藝復(fù)興時期靠商業(yè)發(fā)財?shù)哪切﹤ゴ蟮乃囆g(shù)贊助人很相似。就拿美第奇家族來說吧——甚至就連法國的兩個國王也放下身段跟這個顯赫家族的千金聯(lián)姻?？梢灶A(yù)見，總有一天，歐洲的君主會跑到美國來，向這個金元帝國的公主求婚的。正如詩人雪萊所說：‘世界的偉大時代重又降臨，黃金的歲月回來了?！?/p>

Henry Maturin had for many years looked after Mrs. Bradley's and Elliott's investments and they had a well-justified confidence in his acumen.He had never countenanced speculation and had put their money into sound securities, but with the great increase in values they found their comparatively modest fortunes increased in a manner that both surprised and delighted them.Elliott told me that, without stirring a finger, he was nearly twice as rich in 1926 as he had been in 1918.He was sixty-five, his hair was grey, his face lined, and there were pouches under his eyes, but he bore his years gallantly；he was as slim and held himself as erectly as ever；he had always been moderate in his habits and taken care of his appearance.He had no intention of submitting to the ravages of time so long as he could have his clothes made by the best tailor in London, his hair dressed and his face shaved by his own particular barber, and a masseur to come in every morning to keep his elegant body in perfect condition.He had long forgotten that he had ever so far demeaned himself as to engage in a trade, and without ever saying so outright, for he was not so stupid as to tell a lie that might be found out, he was inclined to suggest that in his youth he had been in the diplomatic service.I must admit that if I had ever had occasion to draw a portrait of an ambassador I should without hesitation have chosen Elliott as my model.
多年來，布雷德利夫人和艾略特的投資都交給亨利·馬圖林打理，姐弟倆對他的眼光深信不疑。亨利從不冒風(fēng)險搞投機，而是將他們的錢都放在可靠的股票上。由于股票的價值大漲，他們的投資也水漲船高，小小的幾筆錢增加了許多，讓他們又驚又喜。艾略特告訴我，說他連一根手指頭都沒有動，一九一八年投進去的錢，至一九二六年便幾乎翻了一倍。他已經(jīng)六十五歲，兩鬢霜染，臉上有皺紋，眼睛下面出現(xiàn)了眼袋，但他沒有向歲月屈服，仍保持著身材瘦削、腰桿筆挺。他歷來都很注意自己的生活習(xí)慣，注意自己的外表。只要能夠有倫敦最好的裁縫給他做衣服，有自己的特約理發(fā)師為他理發(fā)修面，有按摩師天天早晨上門按摩，使他的優(yōu)美體形保持良好的狀態(tài)，他就絕不會任由時光擺弄自己。他早已欣然淡忘自己已淪落于商賈之流，而傾向于暗示自己年輕時曾在外交界供職，不過他從不把話說得很明白，因為他并不愚蠢，不會就這一點撒謊，免得日后被人戳穿。我得承認(rèn)，如果我有機會描寫一位大使的話，我會毫不遲疑地選艾略特做我的模本。

But things were changing. Such of the great ladies who had advanced Elliott's career as were still alive were well along in years.The English peeresses, having lost their lords, had been forced to surrender their mansions to daughters-in-law, and had retired to villas at Cheltenham or to modest houses in Regent's Park.Stafford House was turned into a museum, Curzon House became the seat of an organization, Devonshire House was for sale.The yacht on which Elliott had been in the habit of staying at Cowes had passed into other hands.The fashionable persons who occupied the stage had no use for the elderly man that Elliott now was.They found him tiresome and ridiculous.They were still willing to come to his elaborate luncheon parties at Claridge's but he was quick-witted enough to know that they came to meet one another rather than to see him.He could no longer pick and choose among the invitations that once had littered his writing-table, and much more often than he would have liked anyone to know he suffered the humiliation of dining by himself in the privacy of his suite.Women of rank in England, when a scandal has closed the doors of society to them, develop an interest in the arts and surround themselves with painters, writers and musicians.Elliott was too proud thus to humiliate himself.
但是，世道在變。當(dāng)初對艾略特有提攜之恩的顯貴女性，有些仍活著，卻年事已高。那些英國的貴族夫人，在她們的爵爺去世后，只得把府邸讓給媳婦，自己住進切爾滕納姆的別墅或者攝政公園里的普通房屋。斯塔福德府邸改造成了博物館，柯曾宅院成了一個機構(gòu)的辦事處，德文郡的衙門如今在出售。艾略特在考斯時經(jīng)常乘坐的那艘游艇已轉(zhuǎn)手他人。眼下唱主角的那些弄潮兒覺得艾略特老兒已成了無用的廢物，認(rèn)為他是個荒唐可笑的老厭物。他們?nèi)耘f愿意參加他在克拉里奇酒店舉辦的盛大午宴，但艾略特眼光敏銳，看得出他們來赴宴，只是想彼此見見面，而非來看望他。過去，寫字臺上滿是請?zhí)?，由著他挑選，而今那樣的情形已不復(fù)存在。他常常獨自一人在酒店房間里用餐，這種丟人的事情他可不愿叫外人知道。在英國，有地位的女人一旦出了丑聞，就會被社交界拒之門外，她們轉(zhuǎn)而會對藝術(shù)產(chǎn)生興趣，召集畫家、作家和音樂家圍繞于身邊。艾略特心高氣傲，絕不愿委屈自己，與之為伍。

“The death duties and the war profiteers have ruined English society，”he told me.“People don't seem to mind whothey know. London still has its tailors, its bootmakers, and its hatters, and I trust they'll last my time, but except for them it's finished.My dear fellow, do you know that the St.Erth's have women to wait at table?”
“遺產(chǎn)稅和戰(zhàn)爭投機商把英國社交界給毀掉了?！彼麑ξ艺f道，“人們好像對于和什么人來往全不在乎。按說，倫敦的裁縫和鞋帽匠還是不錯的。我相信我死之前會一直如此。除了這一點好處之外，這座城市便一無是處了。老伙計，圣艾爾斯家要女傭伺候飯桌，這你知道嗎？”

This he said when we were walking away from Carlton House Terrace after a luncheon party at which an unfortunate incident had occurred. Our noble host had a well-known collection of pictures, and a young American who was there, Paul Barton by name, expressed a desire to see them.
這話是他和我在卡爾頓府邸吃完午宴，離開時講的。就在那天的午宴上，發(fā)生了一樁不幸事件。尊貴的東道主在藏畫上小有名氣，午宴上有個年輕的美國客人，名叫保羅·巴頓，此人提出想看看他的藏畫。

“You've got a Titian, haven't you?”
“你是不是有幅提香的畫？”

“We had. It's in America now.Some old Jew offered us a packet of money for it and we were damned hard up at the time, so my governor sold it.”
“曾經(jīng)有過。現(xiàn)在，這幅畫在美國呢。一個猶太佬出一大筆錢買它，而我們家當(dāng)時手頭正拮據(jù)，所以老爺子就把它賣了?！?/p>

I noticed that Elliott, bristling, threw a venomous glance at the jovial marquess, and guessed that it was he who had bought the picture. He was furious at hearing himself, Virginian born and the descendant of a signatory of the Declaration, thus described.He had never in his life suffered so great an affront.And what made it worse was that Paul Barton was the object of his virulent hatred.He was a young man who had appeared in London soon after the war.He was twenty-three, blond, very good-looking, charming, a beautiful dancer, and had an ample fortune.He had brought a letter of introduction to Elliott, who with the kindness of heart natural to him had presented him to several of his friends.Not content with this he had given him some valuable hints on conduct.Delving back into his own experience, he had shown him how it was possible, by paying small attentions to old ladies and by lending a willing ear to distinguished men, however tedious, for a stranger to make his way in society.
我注意到艾略特一邊支棱起耳朵聽，一邊把談笑風(fēng)生的侯爵狠狠瞪了一眼，于是便猜到那個買畫人就是艾略特。他這么個出身于弗吉尼亞，祖先曾在《獨立宣言》上簽過字的人，竟然聽見自己遭到如此奚落，簡直都快把肺氣炸了。他有生以來從未受過這樣的奇恥大辱。最叫他受不了的是，挑起事端的是他恨之入骨的保羅·巴頓。這個年輕人戰(zhàn)后不久便來到了倫敦。他二十三歲的年紀(jì)，金發(fā)碧眼，一表人才，風(fēng)度翩翩，跳舞跳得好，手里很有錢。他拿了一封信來見艾略特，艾略特素來有善心，就把他介紹給了自己的好多朋友。這還不夠，他還為他指點迷津，給了他一些寶貴的忠告。根據(jù)自己的親身經(jīng)歷，艾略特向他傳授經(jīng)驗，說只要對年齡大的貴婦人獻獻殷勤，對顯貴人物說的話，不管怎樣膩味，都應(yīng)該洗耳恭聽，這樣，即便是一個舉目無親的人也能躋身于社交界。

But it was a different world that Paul Barton entered from that into which, a generation before, Elliott Templeton had penetrated by means of dogged perseverance. It was a world bent on amusing itself.Paul Barton's high spirits, pleasing exterior, and engaging manner did for him in a few weeks what Elliott had achieved only after years of industry and determination.Soon he no longer needed Elliott's help and took small pains to conceal the fact.He was pleasant to him when they met, but in an offhand way that deeply offended the older man.Elliott did not ask people to a party because he liked them, but because they helped to make it go, and since Paul Barton was popular he continued to invite him on occasion to his weekly luncheons；but the successful young man was generally engaged and twice he threw Elliott over at the last moment.Elliott had done this himself too often not to know it was because he had just had a more tempting invitation.
可是，保羅·巴頓步入的社交界和幾十年前艾略特·鄧普頓費盡千辛萬苦才鉆進去的社交界完全是兩個世界。這個世界只追歡尋樂。保羅·巴頓豪情滿懷、儀表堂堂、風(fēng)度翩翩，沒用幾個星期便有了效果，其成就不亞于艾略特多年的苦心經(jīng)營。很快，他便不需要艾略特的提攜了，對此他也沒有做出樣子加以掩飾。兩人見面時，保羅·巴頓仍然說些開心的話，但語氣卻漫不經(jīng)心，深深刺傷了這位老者的自尊。艾略特請客，不是視自己是否喜歡，而是看對方能不能給宴會增輝，鑒于保羅·巴頓人緣不錯，所以每星期設(shè)午宴仍舊請他。不過，這個成功的年輕人一般都有約會，有兩次到了最后時刻才告知艾略特，給艾略特弄個措手不及。這種事艾略特本人過去也經(jīng)常做，哪能不知底細——保羅·巴頓顯然是剛剛收到了一份更具吸引力的邀請。

“I don't ask you to believe it，”Elliott told me, fuming，“but it's God's truth that when I see him now he patronizes me. ME.Titian.Titian，”he spluttered.“He wouldn't know a Titian if he saw one.”
“我也不要求你相信我的話，”艾略特氣哼哼地對我說，“但事實如此——他竟然想在我面前擺譜。我是誰呀！還談什么提香不提香?！闭f到此處，艾略特一副氣急敗壞的樣子，“就是把提香的畫放在他面前，他也不見得能認(rèn)出來?！?/p>

I had never seen Elliott so angry and I guessed his wrath was caused by his belief that Paul Barton had asked about the picture maliciously, having somehow learnt that Elliott had bought it, and would make a funny story at his expense out of the noble lord's reply.
我從來沒見過艾略特生這么大的氣。據(jù)我猜想，他之所以動怒，是因為他覺得保羅·巴頓問起這張畫是出于惡意；這個年輕人不知從哪兒獲悉艾略特買了這幅畫，于是就想利用那位貴族老爺?shù)幕卮鹉冒蕴亻_涮。

“He's nothing but a dirty little snob, and if there's one thing in the world I detest and despise it's snobbishness. He'd have been nowhere except for me.Would you believe it, his father makes office furniture.Office furniture.”He put withering scorn into the two words.“And when I tell people he simply doesn't exist in America, his origins couldn’t be more humble, they don’t seem to care.Take my word for it, my dear fellow, English society is as dead as the dodo.”
“他是個厚顏無恥的市儈，天下我最痛恨、最瞧不起的就是這種勢利小人。要不是我，他狗屁都不是。相信不相信，他的父親是做辦公家具的。辦公家具！”說最后幾個字的時候，他的語氣十分輕蔑，“我告誡人們，說他在美國是個無名之輩，出身極其寒酸，可是他們好像并不在乎。請記住我的話，老伙計，英國的社交界算是完了，跟渡渡鳥一個樣。”

Nor did Elliott find France much better. There the great ladies of his youth, if still alive, were given over to bridge（a game he loathed），piety, and the care of their grandchildren.Manufacturers, Argentines, Chileans, American women separated or divorced from their husbands, inhabited the stately houses of the aristocracy and entertained with splendour, but at their parties Elliott was confounded to meet politicians who spoke French with a vulgar accent, journalists whose table manners were deplorable, and even actors.The scions of princely families thought it no shame to marry the daughters of shopkeepers.It was true Paris was gay, but with what a shoddy gaiety！The young, devoted to the mad pursuit of pleasure, thought nothing more amusing than to go from one stuffy little night club to another, drinking champagne at a hundred francs a bottle and dancing close-packed with the riff-raff of the town till five o'clock in the morning.The smoke, the heat, the noise made Elliott's head ache.This was not the Paris that he had accepted thirty years before as his spiritual home.This was not the Paris that good Americans went to when they died.
依艾略特看，法國的情形也好不到哪兒去。他年輕時結(jié)識的那些貴婦人，即便仍活著，也是沉迷于打橋牌（他最討厭的一種牌戲）、做祈禱和照料孫輩。如今，工廠主們、阿根廷人、智利人以及那些和丈夫分居或者離了婚的美國婦女，卻住進了貴族那富麗堂皇的府邸，請客吃飯，極盡奢華之能事。叫艾略特所不齒的是，在他們舉辦的宴會上，見到的都是些說起法語俗不可耐的政客、要吃相沒吃相要坐相沒坐相的記者，甚至還有戲子。侯門家的少爺娶個商店店主的小家碧玉，并不覺得丟人。誠然，巴黎是歡樂之都，但這種歡樂是何等缺乏品味！年輕人們追求的是紙醉金迷、燈紅酒綠，認(rèn)為最有趣的生活莫過于走進一家空間狹小、烏煙瘴氣的夜總會，花一百法郎喝一瓶香檳酒，擠在不三不四的人群里跳舞，一直跳到次日凌晨五點鐘。煙氣、熱氣、嘈雜聲，這些叫艾略特感到頭痛。眼前的巴黎不再是他三十年前心目中的精神家園，不再是有品位的美國人渴望在死后升入的天堂。