雙語·《刀鋒》 第五章 三

CHAPTER FIVE 3
第五章 三

On the following evening I took the Blue Train to the Riviera and two or three days later went over to Antibes to see Elliott and give him news of Paris. He looked far from well.The cure at Montecatini had not done him the good he expected, and his subsequent wanderings had exhausted him.He found a baptismal font in Venice and then went on to Florence to buy the triptych he had been negotiating for.Anxious to see these objects duly placed, he went down to the Pontine Marshes and put up at a miserable inn where the heat had been hard to bear.His precious purchases were a long time on the way, but determined not to leave till he had accomplished his purpose, he stayed on.He was delighted with the effect when at last everything was in order, and he showed me with pride the photographs he had taken.The church, though small, had dignity, and the restrained richness of the interior was proof of Elliott's good taste.
第二天傍晚，我搭乘藍色列車去了里維埃拉，兩三天后前往安提比斯去看望艾略特，把巴黎的新聞告訴了他。他看上去氣色很糟，蒙特卡蒂尼的療養(yǎng)并沒有取得預期的療效，而事后去各處旅行又弄得他精疲力竭。他在威尼斯找到一只圣洗池，然后又到佛羅倫薩去買下那幅經(jīng)過討價還價才敲定的三聯(lián)浮雕畫。他急于把這些東西安裝在教堂里，便跑到了蓬蒂內沼澤去，下榻于一家條件很差的客棧，屋里熱得令人無法忍受。他買的那些寶貝東西要很長時間才能到貨，但他下定決心不達目的誓不離開，于是就堅持了下來。最后，一切料理停當，他對效果極為滿意。見了我，他就自豪地把拍的照片拿給我看。教堂雖然小，但很有氣派，內部裝修富于情調，對艾略特高雅的藝術品味是一種佐證。

“I saw an early Christian sarcophagus in Rome that took my fancy and I deliberated a long time about buying it, but in the end I thought better of it.”
“我到羅馬時，看見一具早期基督教時期的石棺，不由動了心，考慮了好久，想把它買下來，但最后想了想，還是放棄了?！?/p>

“What on earth did you want with an early Christian sarcophagus, Elliott?”
“你怎么會想到要買一口早期基督教時期的石棺呢，艾略特？”

“To put myself in it, my dear fellow. It was of a very good design, and I thought it would balance the font on the other side of the entrance, but those early Christians were stumpy little fellows and I shouldn't have fitted in.I wasn't going to lie there till the Last Trump with my knees doubled up to my chin like a foetus.Most uncomfortable.”
“是給我自己用的，親愛的老伙計。這具石棺極為精美，可以和門道另一側的圣洗池配成一雙。不過，早期的基督徒都是些矮胖子，他們的石棺裝不下我。我可不愿在最后審判日的號聲吹響時，膝蓋頂著下巴躺在里面，像個胎兒一樣。那種姿勢太不舒服了。”

I laughed, but Elliott was serious.
我被逗笑了，而艾略特卻是一本正經(jīng)的。

“I had a better idea. I've made all arrangements, with some difficulty, but that was to be expected, to be buried in front of the altar at the foot of the chancel steps, so that when the poor peasants of the Pontine Marshes come up to take the Sacrament they'll clump over my bones with their heavy shoes.Rather chic, don't you think?Just a plain stone slab with my name on it and a couple of dates.Si monumentum quaeris, circumspice.If you seek his monument, look around, you know.”“I do know enough Latin to understand a hackneyed quotation, Elliott，”I said tartly.
“我想出了一個比較好的辦法，并做出了具體安排，中間遇到了一些困難，但這也是在意料之中的。我死后要葬在祭壇前邊的臺階跟前。這樣，蓬蒂內沼澤的那些可憐的農民前來領圣餐時，會穿著沉重的皮靴踏著我的遺骨走過去。你不覺得這樣很酷嗎？那兒只放一塊普通的石板，上面刻有我的名字和生卒年月。還刻有Si monumentum quoeris, circumspiece，意思“我懂拉丁語，知道這句被人們廣泛引用的銘文是什么意思，用不著你翻譯，艾略特?！蔽矣悬c刻薄地說。

“I beg your pardon, my dear fellow. I'm so accustomed to the crass ignorance of the upper classes, I forgot for the moment that I was talking to an author.”
“對不起，老伙計。我慣常跟愚昧無知的上流社會的人打交道，一時竟忘了這是在跟一位作家說話。”

He scored.
他嘴上不饒人，嗆了我這么一句。

“But what I wanted to say to you was this，”he continued.“I've left proper instructions in my will, but I want you to see they're carried out. I will not be buried on the Riviera among a lot of retired colonels and middle-class French people.”
“有件事情我想對你講一講?！彼^續(xù)說道，“對于身后之事，我已在遺囑里寫明，只是希望你能監(jiān)督執(zhí)行。我可不愿葬在里維埃拉，和那些退役上校以及法國的中產階級埋在一起?！?/p>

“Of course I'll do what you wish, Elliott, but I don't think we need plan for anything like that for many years to come.”
“我當然會按你的意愿辦理，艾略特。不過，我認為那是多年以后的事了，用不著現(xiàn)在就制訂計劃?！?/p>

“I'm getting on, you know, and to tell you the truth I shan't be sorry to go. What are those lines of Landor's?‘I've warmed both hands……'”
“你知道，我也是上了歲數(shù)的人了。說實在話，離開人世，我并不為之感到難過。蘭多的那幾句詩是怎么說的來著？我雙手烤著火……”

Though I have a bad verbal memory, the poem is very short and I was able to repeat it.
我對詩文的記性雖則很差，但是，這首詩很短，所以我能背得出來：

“I strove with none, for none was worth my strife.
我與世無爭，和誰爭我都不愿；

Nature I loved, and, next to Nature, Art；
我愛藝術，僅次于我愛大自然；

I warmed both hands before the fire of Life；
我雙手烤著火，用生命之火取暖；

It sinks and I am ready to depart.”
火漸熄，我已做好了走的打算。

“That's it，”he said.
“是這幾句詩?！彼f。

I could not but reflect that it was only by a violent stretch of the imagination that Elliott could fit the epigram to himself.
我不由心想，艾略特真是想入非非，竟拿這幾句詩形容自己的狀況，實在牽強。

“It expresses my sentiments exactly，”he said, however.“The only thing I could add to it is that I've always moved in the best society in Europe.”
“這首詩淋漓盡致地表達了我的心情。”卻聽他這樣繼續(xù)說道，“唯有一點我需要補充進去，那就是我終生與歐洲的上流社會打交道?！?/p>

“It would be difficult to squeeze that into a quatrain.”
“在一首這么短的四行詩里，把你的人生經(jīng)歷加進去恐怕是件棘手的事?！?/p>

“Society is dead. At one time I had hopes that America would take the place of Europe and create an aristocracy that the hoi polloi would respect, but the depression has destroyed any chance of that.My poor country is becoming hopelessly middle-class.You wouldn't believe it, my dear fellow, but last time I was in America a taxi driver addressed me as brother.”
“社交界已走進了死胡同。我曾經(jīng)滿懷憧憬，希望美國能取代歐洲的位置，創(chuàng)造一個萬民敬仰的貴族階層，誰料經(jīng)濟大蕭條將此化為一場空夢。我不幸的祖國越來越叫人失望，成為一個極其平庸的國度。我說出來你也不會相信，老伙計，上次去美國，一個出租車司機竟然稱我為‘兄弟’?！?/p>

But though the Riviera, still shaken by the crash of'twenty-nine, was not what it had been, Elliott continued to give parties and go to parties. He had never frequented Jews, making an exception only for the family of Rothschild, but the grandest parties were being given now by members of the chosen race, and when there was a party Elliott could not bear not to go to it.He wandered through these gatherings, graciously shaking the hand of one or kissing that of another, but with a kind of forlorn detachment like an exiled royalty who felt a trifle embarrassed to find himself in such company.The exiled royalties, however, had the time of their lives, and to meet a film star seemed the height of their ambitions.Nor had Elliott ever looked with approval on the modern practice of treating members of the theatrical profession as persons whom you met socially；but a retired actress had built herself a sumptuous residence in his immediate neighbourhood and kept open house.Cabinet ministers, dukes, great ladies stayed with her for weeks on end.Elliott became a constant visitor.
受到一九二九年經(jīng)濟大崩潰的沖擊，里維埃拉已好景不再，仍然沒有恢復過來。艾略特卻依然如故，照舊舉辦宴會，并參加別人舉辦的宴會。他從不跟猶太人你來我往，不過對羅慈吉爾茲家族卻是個例外。話又說回來，最為盛大的宴會往往正是這些上帝選中的人舉辦的。而只要有宴會，艾略特心里就發(fā)癢，不得不去。他穿梭于這些聚會，優(yōu)雅地握握這位先生的手，或者吻吻那位女士的手，表情卻憂郁、超然，就像是一個流亡皇族混雜于平民，頗覺尷尬。而那些真正的流亡皇族卻審時度勢，將結識電影明星視為崇高的愿望。眼下有一種風氣，將演藝界的人納入了社交圈子，艾略特對此是看不順眼的?？墒?，一位隱退的女演員在離他家很近的地方建了一座豪宅，敞開門接待四方來賓，內閣部長、公爵、闊太太富小姐在她府上一住就是幾個星期，艾略特也成了她的座上賓。

“Of course it's a very mixed crowd，”he told me，“but one doesn't have to talk to people one doesn't want to. She'sa compatriot of mine and I feel I ought to help her out.It must be a relief to her house guests to find someone who can talk their own language.”
“當然，她的客人形形色色，什么人都有?！彼嬖V我說，“不過，那些人你不愿意跟他們說話，可以不予理睬。再怎么她也是我的同胞嘛，我覺得自己有義務伸出援手。住在她家的那些法國客人，看見一個會說法語的，心里一定會放松不少?！?/p>

Sometimes he was obviously so far from well that I asked him why he didn't take things more easily.
有時候看得很明顯，他的身體十分不好。我勸他不要把社交活動看得太重。

“My dear fellow, at my age one can't afford to fall out. You don't think I've moved in the highest circles for nearly fifty years without realizing that if you're not seen everywhere you're forgotten.”
“老伙計，我這種年齡，只能進不能退。我在上流社會混了快五十年了，此處的道理我哪能不知——你不露面，別人就會把你忘掉?！?/p>

I wondered if he realized what a lamentable confession he was then making. I had not the heart to laugh at Elliott any more；he seemed to me a profoundly pathetic object.Society was what he lived for, a party was the breath of his nostrils, not to be asked to one was an affront, to be alone was a mortification；and, an old man now, he was desperately afraid.
真不知他明不明白自己的這一番表白是多么可悲。我都沒有心情再去取笑他了，覺得他是一個徹頭徹尾的可憐蟲。他活著就是為了從事社交活動，而宴會則是他的生命支柱。不邀請他，就是對他的侮辱，無人理睬會叫他丟面子；現(xiàn)在上了年紀，他最怕的就是受冷落。

So the summer passed. Elliott spent it scurrying from one end of the Riviera to the other, lunching in Cannes, dining in Monte Carlo, and exercising all his ingenuity to fit in a tea party here and a cocktail party there；and however tired he felt, taking pains to be affable, chatty, and amusing.He was full of gossip and you could trust him to know the details of the latest scandal before anyone but the parties immediately concerned.He would have stared at you with frank amazement had you suggested to him that his existence was futile.He would have thought you distressingly plebeian.
夏天一溜而過。艾略特在里維埃拉從這頭跑到那頭，疲于奔命，在戛納吃午飯，又跑到蒙特卡洛吃晚飯，忽而茶會，忽而雞尾酒會，使出渾身解數(shù)應付場面，不管有多累，他都會強打起精神，裝出一副和藹、健談和風趣的樣子。他知道許多小道消息，對于最近發(fā)生的丑聞，除了當事人，恐怕數(shù)他了解得最清楚了。假如你向他指出這樣的生活毫無價值，他一定會呆呆地望著你，滿臉的驚愕，覺得你簡直就是個令人掃興的蠢蛋。