月亮和六便士 第十章(5)

 　　It chilled me a little that Mrs. Strickland should be concerned with gossip,  思特里克兰德太太对流言蜚语这样介意，叫我心里有些发凉，

　　for I did not know then how great a part is played in women's life by the opinion of others.  因为当时我还不知道旁人的意见对于女人的生活竟有这么大的关系。

　　It throws a shadow of insincerity over their most deeply felt emotions. 我认为这种态度对她们深切的情感投掷上一层不真挚的暗影。

　　It was known where Strickland was staying.  思特里克兰德住的地方家里人是知道的。

　　His partner, in a violent letter, sent to his bank, had taunted¹ him with hiding his whereabouts:  他的合股人曾通过思特里克兰德存款的银行给他写过一封措词严厉的信，责骂他隐匿自己行踪；

　　and Strickland, in a cynical² and humourous reply, had told his partner exactly where to find him.  思特里克兰德在一封冷嘲热讽的回信里告诉这位合股人在什么地方可以找到他。

　　He was apparently³ living in an Hotel. 看来他正住在一家旅馆里。

　　I've never heard of it, said Mrs. Strickland. "But Fred knows it well. He says it's very expensive." “我没听说过这个地方，”思特里克兰德太太说。“但是弗雷德对这家旅馆非常熟悉。他说这是很昂贵的一家。”

　　She flushed darkly.  她的脸涨得通红。

　　I imagined that she saw her husband installed in a luxurious⁴ suite⁵ of rooms, dining at one smart restaurant after another,  我猜想她似乎看到自己的丈夫正住在一套豪华的房间里，在一家又一家的讲究的饭店吃饭。

　　and she pictured his days spent at race-meetings and his evenings at the play. 她想象他正过着花天酒地的生活，天天去赛马厅，夜夜去剧场。

　　It can't go on at his age, she said. "After all, he's forty.  “象他这样的年龄，不能老过这种生活，”她说，“他到底是四十岁的人了。

　　I could understand it in a young man, but I think it's horrible in a man of his years, with children who are nearly grown up.  如果是一个年轻人，我是能够理解的。可是他这种年纪就太可怕了，他的孩子都快长大成人了。

　　His health will never stand it." 再说他的身体也受不住。”

　　Anger struggled in her breast with misery⁶. 愤怒同痛苦在她胸中搏斗着。

　　Tell him that our home cries out for him.  “告诉他，他的家在召唤他回来。

　　Everything is just the same, and yet everything is different.  家里什么都同过去一样，但是也都同过去不一样了。

　　I can't live without him. I'd sooner kill myself.  没有他我无法生活下去。我宁可杀死自己。

　　Talk to him about the past, and all we've gone through together. What am I to say to the children when they ask for him?  同他谈谈往事，谈谈我们的共同经历。如果孩子们问起来，我该对他们说什么呢？

　　His room is exactly as it was when he left it. It's waiting for him. We're all waiting for him. 他的屋子还同他走的时候一模一样。他的屋子在等着他呢。我们都在等着他呢。”

　　Now she told me exactly what I should say. She gave me elaborate answers to every possible observation of his. 我到那里该谈什么，她句句都告诉我了。她甚至想到思特里克兰德可能说什么话。教给我怎样答对。

　　You will do everything you can for me? she said pitifully. "Tell him what a state I'm in." “你会尽一切力量替我把这件事办好吧？”她可怜巴巴地说，“把我现在的处境告诉他。”

　　I saw that she wished me to appeal to his sympathies by every means in my power.  我看出来，她希望我施展一切手段打动他的怜悯心。

　　She was weeping freely. I was extraordinarily⁷ touched.  她的眼泪一个劲儿往下落。我心里难过极了。

　　I felt indignant at Strickland's cold cruelty, and I promised to do all I could to bring him back.  我对思特里克兰德的冷酷、残忍非常气愤，我答应她我要尽一切力量把他弄回来。

　　I agreed to go over on the next day but one, and to stay in Paris till I had achieved something.  我同意再过一天就启程，不把事情办出个眉目决不回来。

　　Then, as it was growing late and we were both exhausted⁸ by so much emotion, I left her. 这时天色已晚，我们两人也都由于感情激动而疲惫不堪，我就向她告辞了。

1 taunted   

嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落

参考例句：

• The other kids continually taunted him about his size. 其他孩子不断地耻笑他的个头儿。
• Some of the girls taunted her about her weight. 有些女孩子笑她胖。

2 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

5 suite   

n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员

参考例句：

• She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
• That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。

6 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

7 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

8 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。