月亮和六便士 第八章(4)

 　　This was the first suggestion that anything untoward¹ had happened.  这是暗示发生了一件不幸事件的第一句话。

　　I took no notice, and did my best to engage Mrs.Strickland in talk.  我故意不作理会，尽量同思特里克兰德太太东拉西扯。

　　The Colonel, still standing² in front of the fireplace, uttered no word.  上校仍然站在壁炉前面一句话也不说。

　　I wondered how soon I could decently take my leave, and I asked myself why on earth Mrs.Strickland had allowed me to come.  我很想知道什么时候我才能不失礼仪地向主人告别，我奇怪地问我自己，思特里克兰德太太让我进来究竟是为了什么。

　　There were no flowers, and various knick-knacks, put away during the summer, had not been replaced;  屋子里没有摆花，度夏以前收拾起的一些摆设也没有重新摆上。

　　there was something cheerless and stiff about the room which had always seemed so friendly;  一向舒适愉快的房间显得一片寂寥清冷，

　　it gave you an odd feeling, as though someone were lying dead on the other side of the wall.  给人一种感觉，倒仿佛墙壁的另一边停着一个死人似的。

　　I finished tea. 我把茶喝完。

　　Will you have a cigarette? asked Mrs.Strickland. "要不要吸一支烟？"思特里克兰德太太问我道。

　　She looked about for the box, but it was not to be seen. 她四处看了看，要找烟盒，但是却没有找到。

　　I'm afraid there are none. "我怕已经没有了。"

　　Suddenly she burst into tears, and hurried from the room. 一下子，她的眼泪扑簌簌地落下来，匆匆跑出了客厅。

　　I was startled.  我吃了一惊。

　　I suppose now that the lack of cigarettes, brought as a rule by her husband, forced him back upon her recollection,  我想到纸烟过去一向是由她丈夫添置的，现在突然发现找不到纸烟，这件小事显然勾起了她的记忆，

　　and the new feeling that the small comforts she was used to were missing gave her a sudden pang³.  她伸手就能拿到的东西竟然丢三短四的这种新感觉仿佛在她胸口上突然刺了一刀，

　　She realised that the old life was gone and done with.  她意识到旧日的生活已经一去不复返了，

　　It was impossible to keep up our social pretences⁴ any longer. 过去那种光荣体面不可能再维持下去了。

　　I dare say you'd like me to go, I said to the Colonel, getting up. "我看我该走了吧，"我对上校说，站起身来。

　　I suppose you've heard that blackguard has deserted⁵ her, he cried explosively. "我想你已经听说那个流氓把她甩了的事吧，"他一下子爆发出来。

　　I hesitated. 我踌躇了一会儿。

　　You know how people gossip, I answered.  "你知道人们怎样爱扯闲话，"我说，

　　"I was vaguely⁶ told that something was wrong." "有人闪烁其词地对我说，这里出了点儿事。"

　　He's bolted. He's gone off to Paris with a woman. He's left Amy without a penny. "他逃跑了。他同一个女人跑到巴黎去了。他把阿美扔了，一个便士也没留下。"

　　I'm awfully⁷ sorry, I said, not knowing what else to say. "我感到很难过，"我说；我实在找不到别的什么话了。

　　The Colonel gulped⁸ down his whisky.  上校一口气把威士忌灌下去。

　　He was a tall, lean man of fifty, with a drooping⁹ moustache and grey hair.  他是一个五十岁左右的高大、削瘦的汉子，胡须向下垂着，头发已经灰白。

　　He had pale blue eyes and a weak mouth.  他的眼睛是浅蓝色的，嘴唇的轮廓很不鲜明。

　　I remembered from my previous meeting with him that he had a foolish face,  我从上一次见到他就记得他长着一副傻里傻气的面孔，

　　and was proud of the fact that for the ten years before he left the army he had played polo three days a week. 并且自夸他离开军队以前每星期打三次马球，十年没有间断过。

　　I don't suppose Mrs.Strickland wants to be bothered with me just now, I said.  "我想现在我不必再打搅思特里克兰德太太了，"我说，

　　"Will you tell her how sorry I am? If there's anything I can do. I shall be delighted to do it." "好不好请你告诉她，我非常为她难过？如果有什么我能做的事，我很愿意为她效劳。"

　　He took no notice of me. 他没有理会我的话。

　　I don't know what's to become of her. And then there are the children. Are they going to live on air? Seventeen years. "我不知道她以后怎么办。而且还有孩子。难道让他们靠空气过活？十六年啊！"

　　What about seventeen years? "什么十六年？"

1 untoward   

adj.不利的，不幸的，困难重重的

参考例句：

• Untoward circumstances prevent me from being with you on this festive occasion.有些不幸的事件使我不能在这欢庆的时刻和你在一起。
• I'll come if nothing untoward happens.我要是没有特殊情况一定来。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 pang   

n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷

参考例句：

• She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。
• She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。

4 pretences   

n.假装( pretence的名词复数 )；作假；自命；自称

参考例句：

• You've brought your old friends out here under false pretences. 你用虚假的名义把你的那些狐朋狗党带到这里来。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• There are no pretences about him. 他一点不虚伪。 来自辞典例句

5 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

6 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

7 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

8 gulped   

v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住

参考例句：

• He gulped down the rest of his tea and went out. 他把剩下的茶一饮而尽便出去了。
• She gulped nervously, as if the question bothered her. 她紧张地咽了一下，似乎那问题把她难住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 drooping   

adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词

参考例句：

• The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
• The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。