雙語(yǔ)·《刀鋒》 第三章 五

CHAPTER THREE 5
第三章 五

I was in London then and at first we in England did not realize how grave the situation was nor how distressing its results would be. For my own part, though chagrined at losing a considerable sum, it was for the most part paper profits that I lost, and when the dust had settled I found myself little the poorer in cash.I knew that Elliott had been gambling heavily and feared that he was badly hit, but I did not see him till we both returned to the Riviera for Christmas.He toldme then that Henry Maturin was dead and Gray ruined.
當(dāng)時(shí)，我正在倫敦。我們身處英國(guó)，起初沒有意識(shí)到情況是多么嚴(yán)重，后果會(huì)是多么叫人心灰意冷。就我自己而言，雖然對(duì)損失了相當(dāng)大的一筆錢感到煩惱，但損失的大部分是票面利潤(rùn)，等到塵埃落定，我發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的現(xiàn)款并無縮水。我知道艾略特買股票下的賭注很大，擔(dān)心他會(huì)受到沉重打擊?？墒?，我一直沒有和他見面。直到過圣誕節(jié)，我們重返里維埃拉，才得以相見。他告訴我，亨利·馬圖林死了，格雷破產(chǎn)了。

I know little of business matters and I dare say that my account of the events, given me by Elliott, will seem confused. So far as I could make out the catastrophe that had befallen the firm was due in part to Henry Maturin's self-will and in part to Gray's rashness.Henry Maturin at first would not believe that the break was serious, but persuaded himself that it was a plot of the New York brokers to put a quick one over their provincial brethren, and setting his teeth he poured forth money to support the market.He raged against the Chicago brokers who were letting themselves be stampeded by those scoundrels in New York.He had always prided himself on the fact that none of his smaller clients, widows with settled incomes, retired officers and such like, had ever lost a penny by following his advice, and now, instead of letting them take a loss, he supported their accounts out of his own pocket.He said he was prepared to go broke, he could make another fortune, but he could never hold up his head again if the little people who trusted him lost their all.He thought he was magnanimous；he was only vain.His great fortune melted and one night he had a heart attack.He was in his sixties, he had always worked hard, played hard, eaten too much, and drunk heavily；after a few hours of agony he died of coronary thrombosis.
我對(duì)做生意一竅不通，艾略特給我講述了事件的經(jīng)過，聽得我一頭霧水。我只覺得之所以大難臨頭，一半要怪亨利·馬圖林一意孤行，一半要怪格雷急躁冒進(jìn)。亨利·馬圖林開頭不相信事情會(huì)那么嚴(yán)重，認(rèn)為只不過是紐約股票經(jīng)紀(jì)人玩的小把戲，無非是想從別的地方的同行身上榨點(diǎn)油出來，于是咬緊牙關(guān)拿出大筆的錢來支撐市場(chǎng)。芝加哥的經(jīng)紀(jì)人們被紐約的那些無賴嚇得屁滾尿流，這叫他十分生氣。他的那些小客戶——有固定進(jìn)項(xiàng)的寡婦、退伍的軍官等，過去聽從他的建議，不曾損失過一分錢，他以此而感到自豪，現(xiàn)在為了不使他們受到損失，就自己掏腰包給他們的賬戶注入資金。他說大不了就是破產(chǎn)么，他還可以東山再起；但是，如果讓信任他的小客戶蒙受損失，他就永遠(yuǎn)也無法抬起頭來做人了。他自以為有一副俠肝義膽，然而卻挽不住狂瀾，偌大的家產(chǎn)投進(jìn)去，頃刻化為烏有。一天夜里，他的心臟病突然發(fā)作。他已是六十多歲的人了，平時(shí)勞累過度，暴飲暴食，經(jīng)過幾個(gè)小時(shí)痛苦的掙扎，最終因冠狀動(dòng)脈栓塞而溘然長(zhǎng)逝。

Gray was left to deal with the situation alone. He had been speculating extensively on the side, without the knowledge of his father, and was personally in the greatest difficulty.His efforts to extricate himself failed.The banks would not lend him money；older men on the exchange told him that the only thing was to throw up the sponge.I am not clear about the rest of the story.He was unable to meet his obligations and was, I understand, declared bankrupt；he had already mortgaged his own house and was glad to hand it over to the mortgagees；his father's house on Lake Shore Drive and the house at Marvin were sold for what they would fetch；Isabel sold her jewels：all that was left them was the plantation in South Carolina, which was settled on Isabel and for which a purchaser could not be found.Gray was wiped out.
只剩下格雷一人獨(dú)立面對(duì)危局。這之前，他在投機(jī)生意上廣泛涉入，父親對(duì)此一無所知，而今他自己也深陷債務(wù)危機(jī)。他千方百計(jì)想擺脫困境，但最終歸于失敗。銀行不肯貸款給他，交易所里老一輩的人告訴他，說僅有一條路可走了——低頭認(rèn)輸。其余的情況我就不太清楚了?？赡芩麩o法履行還債的義務(wù)，于是便宣告破產(chǎn)了。他家的房子此前早已抵押了出去，這時(shí)便乖乖將房子交給了債權(quán)人。他父親在湖濱道的房子以及馬文的那套房子均折價(jià)賣了出去。伊莎貝爾把首飾也賣了個(gè)精光。南卡羅來納州的那個(gè)農(nóng)場(chǎng)成了他們僅有的財(cái)產(chǎn)（此農(nóng)場(chǎng)過戶在伊莎貝爾的名下），想賣也找不到買主。格雷成了一文不名的窮光蛋。

“And what about you, Elliott?”I asked.
“你的情況怎么樣，艾略特？”我問道。

“Oh, I'm not complaining，”he answered airily.“God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb.”
“哦，我倒沒什么可抱怨的?！彼Z(yǔ)氣輕松地回答道，“承蒙老天垂憐?！?/p>

I did not question him further, for his financial affairs were no business of mine, but whatever his losses were I presumed that like the rest of us he had suffered.
我沒有打破砂鍋問到底，因?yàn)樗慕?jīng)濟(jì)情況與我無關(guān)。但不管怎樣，他跟我們大家一樣肯定也蒙受了損失。

The depression did not at first hit the Riviera badly. I heard of two or three people who had lost a good deal, many villas remained closed for the winter and several were put up for sale.The hotels were far from full and the Casino at Monte Carlo complained that the season was poor.But it was not for a couple of years that the draught made itself felt.Then an estate agent told me that on the stretch of coast that reaches from Toulon to the Italian border there were forty-eight thousand properties, large and small, to be sold.The shares of the Casino slumped.The great hotels put down their prices in a vain attempt to attract.The only foreigners to be seen were those who had always been so poor that they couldn't be poorer, and they spent no money because they had no money to spend.The shopkeepers were in despair.But Elliott neither diminished his staff nor lessened their wages as many did；he continued to provide choice food and choice wines to royal and titled persons.He bought himself a large new car, which he imported from America and on which he had to pay a heavy duty.He gave generously to the charity the bishop had organized to provide free meals for the families of the workless.In fact he lived as though there had never been a crisis and half the world were not staggering from its effects.
經(jīng)濟(jì)大蕭條的惡潮起初對(duì)里維埃拉的沖擊還不算大。后來聽說有兩三戶人家損失慘重，許多別墅冬季都關(guān)門閉戶，有幾家還掛出了牌子出售。旅館冷冷清清，蒙特卡洛的賭場(chǎng)牢騷滿腹，說生意慘淡。不過，一直到兩年之后，里維埃拉才真正感受到了這場(chǎng)颶風(fēng)的影響。一個(gè)地產(chǎn)商告訴我，說從土倫到意大利邊界的地中海沿岸，大大小小有四萬(wàn)八千處房地產(chǎn)要出售。賭場(chǎng)的股票跌到了谷底。大型旅館壓低價(jià)錢以吸引顧客，卻無濟(jì)于事。能看得見的外國(guó)游客，全都是些窮得不能再窮的人。他們分文不花，因?yàn)樗麄儔焊蜎]有錢可花。商鋪的老板們個(gè)個(gè)都大失所望。而艾略特與別人不同，他既沒有辭退自家的仆人，也沒有減少他們的工資。他繼續(xù)用好酒好菜招待那些王公貴族，還買了一輛嶄新的大汽車，是從美國(guó)進(jìn)口的，為此付了很大一筆關(guān)稅。主教大人組織慈善活動(dòng)，給失業(yè)家庭施舍義餐，他為之慷慨解囊。事實(shí)上，他一如既往，好像壓根沒發(fā)生經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī)似的，好像半個(gè)世界沒有因此被沖擊得搖搖晃晃似的。

I discovered the reason by chance：Elliott had by this time ceased to go to England except for a fortnight once a year to buy clothes, but he still transferred his establishment to his apartment in Paris for three months in the autumn and for May and June, these being the periods when the Riviera was deserted by Elliott's friends；he liked the summer there, partly on account of the bathing, but chiefly, I think, because the hot weather gave him the opportunity to indulge in a gaiety of dress that his sense of decorum had always forced him to eschew. He would appear then in trousers of startling colour, red, blue, green, or yellow, and with them wear singlets of contrasting hue, mauve, violet, puce, or harlequin, and would accept the compliments his attire clamoured for with the deprecating grace of an actress who is told that she has played a new role divinely.
后來，我無意中發(fā)現(xiàn)了其中的原因：艾略特此時(shí)除掉一年一度去倫敦兩個(gè)星期購(gòu)置衣服外，已經(jīng)不去英國(guó)了，然而他仍舊每年秋天回巴黎在自己的公寓里住三個(gè)月，五月和六月也在巴黎度過，因?yàn)檫@幾個(gè)月里他的朋友們是不去里維埃拉的；他喜歡里維埃拉的夏天，部分原因是能洗海水浴，而我覺得主要是因?yàn)檠谉岬奶鞖馐顾袡C(jī)會(huì)穿上五顏六色的衣服放松一下，平時(shí)，為了顧及體統(tǒng)，他是不能這樣做的。這時(shí)候，他會(huì)穿上顏色鮮艷的褲子（紅的、藍(lán)的、綠的或者黃的），配上色調(diào)形成鮮明對(duì)比的汗衫（淡紫色的、藍(lán)紫色的、深褐色的或者雜色的），接受人們對(duì)衣服的恭維，神情不以為然，謙虛得就像一個(gè)女演員聽見人家說她扮演一個(gè)新角色演得非常成功一樣。

I happened to be spending a day in Paris in the spring on my way back to Cap Ferrat and had asked Elliott to lunch with me. We met in the Ritz bar, no longer thronged with college boys come from America to have a good time, but as deserted as a playwright after the first night of an unsuccessful play.We had a cocktail, a transatlantic habit to which Elliott had at last become reconciled, and ordered our lunch.When we had finished, he suggested that we should go round the curio shops, and though I told him I had no money to spend I was glad enough to accompany him.We walked through the Place Vend?me and he asked if I would mind going in to Charvet’s for a moment；he had ordered some things and wanted to know if they were ready.It appeared that he was having some vests made, and some drawers, and he was having his initials embroidered on them.The vests had not come in yet, but the drawers were there and the shop assistant asked Elliott if he would like to see them.
那年春天，在返回費(fèi)拉角的途中，我在巴黎待了一天，邀艾略特和我一同吃午飯。我們?cè)诶锎木瓢梢娏嗣?。此處一片冷清，不見了從美?guó)跑來尋樂子的大學(xué)生，就和一出戲劇初演之夜便砸了鍋的情形一樣人去屋空。我們喝了一杯雞尾酒（此為美國(guó)人的習(xí)慣，艾略特最終還是無奈地接受了），然后點(diǎn)了飯菜。酒足飯飽，他建議一同去逛逛古玩店。我聲稱自己錢囊羞澀，但愿意舍命陪君子。我們步行穿過旺多姆廣場(chǎng)，他問我愿意不愿意跟他到查維特服飾店去一趟——他在那家店里定做了幾件衣服，想問問做好了沒有。原來，他訂的是幾件內(nèi)衣內(nèi)褲，上面要用手工繡上他的姓名的縮寫字母。內(nèi)衣尚未做好，內(nèi)褲已完工，店員問他要不要看一下。

“I would，”said he, and when the man had gone to fetch them added to me；“I have them made to order on a pattern of my own.”
“那就看看吧?！彼f道。趁著店員去拿內(nèi)褲的時(shí)候，他對(duì)我說道：“我讓他們縫衣服時(shí)加上我的圖案。”

They were brought, and to me, except that they were of silk, looked exactly like the drawers I had frequently bought for myself at Macy's；but what caught my eye was that above the intertwined E. T.of the initials was a count's crown.I did not say a word.
內(nèi)褲拿來了，和我平時(shí)在麥西服裝店買的一個(gè)樣子，只不過料子是絲綢罷了。但我注意到，在E.T.兩個(gè)縮寫字母的上方繡著一個(gè)伯爵的冠飾。我看了，卻一句話也沒說。

“Very nice, very nice，”said Elliott.“Well, when the undershirts are ready you'll send them along.”
“非常漂亮，非常漂亮?！卑蕴卣f，“等內(nèi)衣做好，一同給我送去?！?/p>

We left the shop and Elliott, as he walked away, turned to me with a smile.
出了衣服店，離開那兒時(shí)，艾略特笑盈盈地轉(zhuǎn)過臉對(duì)我說：

“Did you notice the crown?To tell you the truth, I'd forgotten about it when I asked you to come in to Charvet's. I don't think I've had occasion to tell you that His Holiness has been graciously pleased to revive in my favour my old family title.”
“注意到那個(gè)冠飾了嗎？實(shí)話說，我拉你來查維特服飾店的時(shí)候，把這個(gè)給忘了。我一直沒機(jī)會(huì)告訴你：教皇陛下給我面子，仁慈地恢復(fù)了我家古老的頭銜?！?/p>

“Your what?”I said, startled out of my politeness.
“恢復(fù)了什么？”我詫異地問，完全忘掉了提問時(shí)應(yīng)該委婉些。

Elliott raised a disapproving eyebrow.
艾略特不滿地抬起了眉毛。

“Didn't you know?I am descended in the female line from the Count de Lauria who came over to England in the suite of Philip the Second and married a maid of honour of Queen Mary's.”
“你不知道嗎？我母系那一方是勞里亞伯爵的后代，他是隨從菲力普二世到英國(guó)來的，并且娶了瑪麗王后的一個(gè)侍女?！?/p>

“Our old friend Bloody Mary?”
“就是那個(gè)血腥瑪麗嗎？”

“That, I believe, is what heretics call her，”Elliott answered stiffly.“I don't think I ever told you that I spent September of'twenty-nine in Rome. I thought it a bore having to go because Rome is empty then, but it was fortunate for me that my sense of duty prevailed over my desire for worldly pleasures.My friends at the Vatican told me that the crash was coming and strongly advised me to sell all my American securities.The Catholic Church has the wisdom of twenty centuries behind it and I didn't hesitate for a moment.I cabled to Henry Maturin to sell everything and buy gold, and I cabled to Louisa to tell her to do the same.Henry cabled back asking me if I was crazy and said he'd do nothing until I confirmed the instructions.I immediately cabled in the most peremptory manner, telling him to carry them out and to cable me that he had done so.Poor Louisa paid no attention to my advice and suffered for it.”
“我認(rèn)為這是異教徒對(duì)她的稱呼。”艾略特有點(diǎn)尷尬地說，“恐怕我沒有告訴過你，一九二九年的九月我是在羅馬度過的。我覺得去羅馬是件很乏味的事情，因?yàn)槟莾簬缀醭闪丝粘?。不過，幸虧我的責(zé)任感戰(zhàn)勝了我追求世俗享樂的欲望。當(dāng)時(shí)，梵蒂岡的朋友告訴我，說經(jīng)濟(jì)大崩潰就要來了，力勸我賣掉手頭所有美國(guó)的股票。天主教會(huì)擁有兩千年之久的智慧，所以我一刻也沒有耽擱，馬上拍電報(bào)給亨利·馬圖林，叫他把所有的股票全賣掉，購(gòu)入黃金。我還發(fā)了封電報(bào)給路易莎，讓她也如此辦理。亨利·馬圖林回電問我是不是瘋了，說除非我再發(fā)一封電報(bào)證實(shí)我的指示，否則他什么也不會(huì)做。我立刻又發(fā)了封電報(bào)，以極為強(qiáng)硬的語(yǔ)氣，要他按我說的做，然后回電報(bào)把結(jié)果告訴我?？蓱z的路易莎沒有聽我的話，因此栽了跟頭。”

“So when the crash came you were sitting pretty?”
“這么說，大崩潰降臨時(shí)，你毛發(fā)未損？”

“An Americanism, my dear fellow, which I see no occasion for you to use, but it expresses my situation with a good deal of accuracy. I lost nothing；in fact I had made what you would probably call a packet.I was able some time later to buy back my securities for a fraction of their original cost, and since I owed it all to what I can only describe as the direct interposition of Providence I felt it only right and proper that I should do something for Providence in return.”
“這是美式用語(yǔ)，勸你還是別用的好。不過，用它來形容我那時(shí)的狀況，倒是十分貼切的。我一分錢也沒損失，實(shí)際上還撿了些便宜（你也許會(huì)稱之為油水吧）。過了一段時(shí)期以后，我只花了很少一點(diǎn)錢就把原來賣掉的那些股票全買回來了。我認(rèn)為只能把這種現(xiàn)象叫作上帝的直接干預(yù)，于是覺得應(yīng)該做點(diǎn)事情來報(bào)答上帝，這樣才合乎情理?！?/p>

“Oh, and how did you set about that?”
“哦，那你是怎樣報(bào)答的呢？”

“Well, you know the Duce has been reclaiming great tracts of land in the Pontine Marshes and it was represented to me that His Holiness was gravely concerned at the lack of places of worship for the settlers. So, to cut a long story short, I built a little Romanesque church, an exact copy of one I knew in Provence, and perfect in every detail, which, though I say it myself, is a gem.It is dedicated to St.Martin because I was lucky enough to find an old stained-glass window representing St.Martin in the act of cutting his cloak in two to give half of it to a naked beggar, and as the symbolism seemed so apt I bought it and placed it over the high altar.” I didn't interrupt Elliott to ask him what connexion he saw between the Saint's celebrated action and the rake-offon the pretty penny he had made by selling out in the nick of time which, like an agent's commission, he was paying to a higher power. But to a prosaic person like me symbolism is often obscure.He went on.
“這個(gè)嘛，你知道教廷在蓬蒂內(nèi)沼澤開墾了大片的土地，他們告訴我，說教皇陛下對(duì)那邊的居民缺少一個(gè)做禮拜的地方深感焦慮。簡(jiǎn)而言之，我出資在那兒建了一座羅馬式教堂，和我在普羅旺斯看到的一座一模一樣，每一個(gè)部分都異常完美，可以說是一枚燦爛的明珠。教堂是奉獻(xiàn)給圣馬丁的。說來話長(zhǎng)，一次，我有幸發(fā)現(xiàn)了一扇古香古色的反映圣馬丁事跡的彩色玻璃窗，畫面上的圣馬丁將自己的長(zhǎng)袍割成兩半，一半給了一位光身子的乞丐讓他遮體。我覺得這幅畫很有象征意義，于是把玻璃窗買下，后來鑲嵌在了主祭壇的上方。”我沒有打斷艾略特的話。但我不明白圣馬丁的那種世人皆知的善舉和艾略特的行為之間有什么聯(lián)系——他只不過瞅準(zhǔn)時(shí)機(jī)賣掉股票大撈了一把，從中取出一部分小錢貢獻(xiàn)給上帝，就像是給代理人的回扣似的。不過，我這種人畢竟是俗胎凡眼，看不透其中的象征意義罷了。艾略特繼續(xù)說道：

“When I was privileged to show the photographs to the Holy Father, he was gracious enough to tell me that he could see at a glance that I was a man of impeccable taste, and he added that it was a pleasure to him to find in this degenerate age someone who combined devotion to the Church with such rare artistic gifts. A memorable experience, my dear fellow, a memorable experience.But no one was more surprised than I when shortly afterwards it was intimated to me that he had been pleased to confer a title upon me.As an American citizen I feel it more modest not to use it, except of course at the Vatican, so I have forbidden my Joseph to address me as Monsieur le Comte, and I trust you will respect my confidence.I don't wish it bruited abroad.But I would not like His Holiness to think that I do not value the honour that he has done me and it is purely out of respect for him that I have the crown embroidered on my personal linen.I don't mind telling you that I take a modest pride in concealing my rank under the sober pin-stripe of an American gentleman.”
“一次受到教皇陛下的接見，我把教堂和彩色玻璃的照片拿給他看。他圣顏大悅，說他一眼就看出我是個(gè)很有品味的人，并且說在這個(gè)世風(fēng)日下的時(shí)代能發(fā)現(xiàn)一個(gè)既忠于教會(huì)，又具有如此罕見藝術(shù)修養(yǎng)的人，讓他感到很高興。當(dāng)時(shí)的情景叫人終生難忘，老伙計(jì)，終生難忘呀。但最讓我感到意外的是，過后不久便有人通知我，說教皇陛下有心賜給我一個(gè)爵位。我是個(gè)美國(guó)公民，覺得還是謙虛些好，除非在梵蒂岡，在別的地方就不用這個(gè)頭銜了。所以我禁止我的仆人約瑟夫稱我為伯爵大人。我相信你會(huì)尊重我的隱私的。我不想把此事張揚(yáng)出去?？墒?，我又不愿讓教皇陛下覺得我不珍重他賜給我的榮譽(yù)，所以我把冠飾繡在我個(gè)人的襯衣上，這完全是出于對(duì)他的尊敬?？梢赃@樣說：我把爵位的標(biāo)記不顯山不露水地縫在內(nèi)衣上，既是謙虛的表現(xiàn)，又透露出自豪感?！?/p>

We parted. Elliott told me he would come down to the Riviera at the end of June.He did not do so.He had just made his arrangements to transfer his staff from Paris, intending to drive down leisurely in his car so that every-thing should be in perfect order on his arrival, when he received a cable from Isabel to say that her mother had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.Elliott, besides being fond of his sister, had, as I have said, a strong strain of family feeling.He took the first ship out of Cherbourg and from New York went to Chicago.He wrote to tell me that Mrs.Bradley was very ill and grown so thin that it was a shock to him.She might last a few weeks longer or even a few months, but in any case he felt it his sad duty to remain with her till the end.He said he found the great heat more supportable than he had expected, but the lack of congenial society only tolerable because at such a moment he had in any case no heart for it.He said he was disappointed with the way his fellow-countrymen had reacted to the depression；he would have expected them to take their misfortune with more equanimity.Knowing that nothing is easier than to bear other people's calamities with fortitude, I thought that Elliott, richer now than he had ever been in his life, was perhaps hardly entitled to be severe.He ended by giving me messages for several of his friends and bade me by no means forget to explain to everyone I met why it was that his house must remain closed for the summer.
我們分手了。艾略特告訴我，說他將于六月底到里維埃拉來。可是他卻沒有如約而來。原因是這樣的：當(dāng)時(shí)他剛剛做好安排把仆人們從巴黎調(diào)往里維埃拉，而他本人準(zhǔn)備開車過來，消消停停的，這樣抵達(dá)里維埃拉時(shí)，便已萬(wàn)事俱備了；就在此時(shí)，伊莎貝爾來了封電報(bào)，說她的母親病情突然加重。我在上文便說過，艾略特喜歡他的姐姐，家族感情非常強(qiáng)。他立刻從瑟堡乘船到了紐約，再?gòu)哪莾悍祷刂ゼ痈纭Ｋ麑懶鸥嬖V我，說布雷德利夫人病得很厲害，瘦得不成人樣，著實(shí)嚇了他一跳。也許她還能活上幾個(gè)星期，甚至幾個(gè)月，可是不論怎樣，他覺得自己有責(zé)任給她送終——不管這種責(zé)任是多么痛苦。他說芝加哥的高溫比他預(yù)計(jì)的要容易忍受得多，然而卻缺乏愜意的社交活動(dòng)，不過這也沒什么關(guān)系，因?yàn)檫@種時(shí)刻他反正沒有心思與人交往。他說他的國(guó)人對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)蕭條的反應(yīng)令他感到失望，因?yàn)樗詾閲?guó)人會(huì)以比較平靜的心態(tài)對(duì)待這場(chǎng)災(zāi)難呢?？匆妱e人遭難，以泰然的語(yǔ)氣說些大話，這是再容易不過了。我覺得艾略特比他一生中任何時(shí)候都要富有，恐怕沒資格對(duì)別人要求這樣苛刻。最后，他請(qǐng)我把情況轉(zhuǎn)告給他的幾個(gè)朋友，并且請(qǐng)我務(wù)必記著向所有碰見的人解釋，為什么他的府邸今年夏天沒有開門迎客。

Little more than a month later I received another letter from him to tell me that Mrs. Bradley had died.He wrote with sincerity and emotion.I should never have thought him capable of expressing himself with such dignity, real feeling, and simplicity, had I not long known that notwithstanding his snobbishness and his absurd affectations Elliott was a kindly, affectionate, and honest man.In the course of this letter he told me that Mrs.Bradley's affairs appeared to be in some disorder.Her elder son, a diplomatist, being chargé d’affaires in Tokyo during the absence of the ambassador, had been of course unable to leave his post.Her second son, Templeton, who had been in the Philippines when I first knew the Bradleys, had been in due course recalled to Washington and occupied a responsible position in the State Department.He had come with his wife to Chicago when his mother’s condition was recognized as hopeless, but had been obliged to return to the capital immediately after the funeral.In these circumstances Elliott felt that he must remain in America until things were straightened out.Mrs.Bradley had divided her fortune equally between her three children, but it appeared that her losses in the crash of’twenty-nine had been substantial.Fortunately they had found a purchaser for the farm at Marvin.Elliott in his letter referred to it as dear Louisa’s country place.
過了不到一個(gè)月的時(shí)間，我又收到他的一封信，說布雷德利夫人過世了，詞句寫得悲痛，充滿了深情。我早就認(rèn)為盡管他為人勢(shì)利，而且有許多荒唐做作的地方，但他仍不失為一個(gè)善良、多情和誠(chéng)實(shí)的人，所以便覺得這樣一封真誠(chéng)、動(dòng)情和單純的信是出自于一片真心。他在信中告訴我，說在處理布雷德利夫人的喪事時(shí)亂事如麻。布雷德利夫人的長(zhǎng)子是個(gè)外交官，由于駐日大使離任，他臨時(shí)代理東京的外交事務(wù)，一時(shí)抽不出身奔喪。她的次子叫鄧普頓，我最初認(rèn)識(shí)布雷德利一家時(shí)，他在菲律賓群島供職，后來調(diào)回華盛頓，并在國(guó)務(wù)院擔(dān)任要職。母親病危時(shí)，他帶著妻子來到芝加哥，但母親一下葬，便立刻返回了首都。遇到這種情況，艾略特覺得自己應(yīng)該待在美國(guó)把后事料理完再說。布雷德利夫人把財(cái)產(chǎn)平均分成三份，給了她的三個(gè)孩子。不過，看上去，她在一九二九年經(jīng)濟(jì)大崩潰時(shí)遭受了重大損失。幸好馬文的那個(gè)農(nóng)場(chǎng)有了買主。艾略特在信中把農(nóng)場(chǎng)說成是“親愛的路易莎的鄉(xiāng)間別墅”。

“It is always sad when a family has to part with its ancestral home，”he wrote，“but of late years I have seen this forced upon so many of my English friends that I feel that my nephews and Isabel must accept the inevitable with the same courage and resignation that they have. Noblesse oblige.”
“一戶人家最后落得變賣祖屋，難免令人唏噓?！彼谛胖袑懙剑安贿^，近年來眼見得許多英國(guó)朋友都被迫出此下策，我也就覺得兩個(gè)外甥和伊莎貝爾必須以同樣的勇氣以及聽天由命的態(tài)度接受這種不可避免的后果了。有權(quán)利就有義務(wù)?！?/p>

They had been lucky too in disposing of Mrs. Bradley's house in Chicago.There had long been a scheme afoot to tear down the row of houses in one of which Mrs.Bradley lived and build in their stead a great block of apartments, but it had been held up by her obstinate determination to die in the house in which she had lived.But no sooner was the breath out of her body than the promoters came forward with an offer and it was promptly accepted.Yet even at that Isabel was left very ill provided for.
他們運(yùn)氣好，把布雷德利夫人在芝加哥的房子也處理掉了。其實(shí)，早有人計(jì)劃著要把布雷德利夫人以及其他幾戶人家住的那排房屋拆掉，在原址上建一幢大型公寓樓，但是，布雷德利夫人非常頑固，堅(jiān)持要死在自己住的房子里，所以這個(gè)計(jì)劃始終沒有實(shí)現(xiàn)。布雷德利夫人一斷氣，就有中間人跑來提出要買房子，布家立刻就接受了?？杀M管有了這筆錢，伊莎貝爾還是覺得不夠用。

After the crash Gray had tried to get a job, even as a clerk in the office of such of the brokers as had weathered the storm, but there was no business. He applied to his old friends to give him something to do, however humble and however badly paid, but he applied in vain.His frenzied efforts to stave off the disaster that finally overwhelmed him, the burden of anxiety, the humiliation, resulted in a nervous breakdown, and he began to have headaches so severe that he was incapacitated for twenty-four hours and as limp as a wet rag when they ceased.It had appeared to Isabel that they could not do better than go down with the children to the plantation in South Carolina till Gray regained his health.In its day it had brought in a hundred thousand dollars a year for its rice crop, but for long now had been no more than a wilderness of marsh and gumwood, useful only to sportsmen who wanted to shoot duck, and no purchaser could be found for it.There they had lived off and on since the crash and there they proposed to return till conditions improved and Gray could find employment.
經(jīng)濟(jì)大崩潰之后，格雷試圖找份工作干，哪怕為那些挺過了災(zāi)難的經(jīng)紀(jì)人效力，在辦公室當(dāng)個(gè)小職員也可以，但屢屢碰壁。他找老朋友幫忙，想弄個(gè)差事做，不管地位多么卑賤，薪水多么低都可以，仍無果而終。為了度過這場(chǎng)災(zāi)難，他拼命掙扎，再加上憂慮過度和內(nèi)心蒙受的屈辱，導(dǎo)致他的神經(jīng)最終崩潰。他有時(shí)頭痛欲裂，晝夜不息，頭痛癥一旦過去，便渾身軟綿綿的，像面條一樣。伊莎貝爾無奈之中，覺得只好先帶著孩子舉家前往南卡羅來納州的那個(gè)農(nóng)場(chǎng)暫住，等格雷恢復(fù)了健康再作計(jì)較。農(nóng)場(chǎng)有過興盛期，一年靠出產(chǎn)大米亦有十萬(wàn)塊錢的進(jìn)項(xiàng)，后來撂荒，成了一片澤國(guó)和荒林，對(duì)喜歡打野鴨的獵手才能派上用場(chǎng)，想脫手也苦于找不到買主。大崩潰發(fā)生后，他們偶爾在那兒住住，現(xiàn)在打算回到農(nóng)場(chǎng)去，待情況轉(zhuǎn)好，格雷能找到工作再說。

“I couldn't allow that，”Elliott wrote.“Why, my dear fellow, they live like pigs. Isabel without a maid, no governess for the children, and only a couple of coloured women to look after them.So I've offered them my apart-ment in Paris and proposed that they should stay there till things change in this fantastic country.I shall provide them with a staff, as a matter of fact my kitchen-maid is a very good cook, so I shall leave her with them and I can easily find someone to take her place.I shall arrange to settle the accounts myself so that Isabel can spend her small income on her clothes and the menus plaisirs of the family.This means of course that I shall spend much more of my time on the Riviera and so hope to see a great deal more of you, my dear fellow, than I have in the past.London and Paris being now what they are, I'm really more at home on the Riviera.It's the only place remaining where I can meet people who speak my own language.I dare say I shall go to Paris now and then for a few days, but when I do, I don't in the least mind pigging it at the Ritz.I’m glad to say that I’ve at long last persuaded Gray and Isabel to accede to my wishes and I’m bringing them all over as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made.The furniture and the pictures（very poor in quality, my dear fellow, and of the most doubtful authenticity）are being sold the week after next and meanwhile, as I thought to live in the house till the last moment would be painful to them, I have brought them to stay with me at the Drake.I shall settle them in when we get to Paris and then come down to the Riviera.Don’t forget to remember me to your royal neighbour.”
“我不能叫他們過那樣的日子，”艾略特在信中寫到，“老伙計(jì)，那是牲口一樣的日子——伊莎貝爾沒有貼身女傭，孩子沒有家庭教師，只有兩個(gè)黑種女人料理家務(wù)。我提出把我在巴黎的那套公寓讓給他們住，等到這個(gè)風(fēng)雨飄搖的國(guó)家形勢(shì)改觀之后再說。我將會(huì)給他們雇幾個(gè)用人。其實(shí)，我廚房里的女傭燒得一手好菜，可以留給他們用，我自己完全能夠再找一個(gè)代替她。他們所有的開銷都由我負(fù)擔(dān)，伊莎貝爾的那一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)進(jìn)項(xiàng)，就讓她買些衣服以及給家里買點(diǎn)好吃好喝的。當(dāng)然，這意味著我在里維埃拉的時(shí)間要比以前多得多了，希望能多見見你，老伙計(jì)。倫敦和巴黎現(xiàn)在成了這個(gè)樣子，我覺得還是住在里維埃拉自在些。里維埃拉成了唯一的一塊凈土，在這兒，我可以會(huì)會(huì)和自己有共同語(yǔ)言的人。巴黎當(dāng)然也還會(huì)去的，偶爾住上幾天。不過，即便去了巴黎，我也不在乎在里茨飯店湊合湊合。我可以很高興地告訴你，我總算不枉費(fèi)口舌，讓格雷和伊莎貝爾接受了我的要求。把必要的事宜安排妥當(dāng)，我立刻就帶他們過來。那些家具和油畫非常差勁，老伙計(jì)，真?zhèn)坞y辨，再過上一個(gè)星期就賣掉它們。我怕他們住在家里傷心，已經(jīng)把他們帶了來，目前和我一道暫住在德雷克飯店。過后去巴黎，我把他們安頓好，就回到里維埃拉去。別忘記替我向你的皇家鄰居問好。”

Who could deny that Elliott, that arch-snob, was also the kindest, most considerate and generous of men?
無可否認(rèn)，艾略特雖然是天字號(hào)的勢(shì)利眼，然而也是最善良、最體貼、最慷慨的一個(gè)人！