月亮和六便士 第四十章(1)

 Chapter 40 第四十章

For the next month, occupied with my own affairs, I saw no one connected with this lamentable¹ business, and my mind ceased to be occupied with it. 在施特略夫离开以后的一个月里，我忙于自己的事务，再也没有见到过哪个同这件悲惨事件有关的人，我也不再去想它了。

But one day, when I was walking along, bent² on some errand, I passed Charles Strickland. 但是有一天，正当我出外办事的时候，却在路上看到了查理斯·思特里克兰德。

The sight of him brought back to me all the horror which I was not unwilling³ to forget, and I felt in me a sudden repulsion for the cause of it. 一见到他，那些我宁肯忘掉的令人气愤的事马上又回到我的脑子里来，我对这个造成这场祸事的人感到一阵嫌恶。

Nodding, for it would have been childish to cut him, I walked on quickly; but in a minute I felt a hand on my shoulder. 但是佯装不见也未免大孩子气，我还是对他点了点头，然后加快了脚步，继续走自己的路。可是马上就有一只手搭在我的肩膀上。

"You're in a great hurry," he said cordially. “你挺忙啊。”他热诚地说。

It was characteristic of him to display geniality⁴ with anyone who showed a disinclination to meet him, 对于任何一个不屑于理他的人他总是非常亲切，这是思特里克兰德的一个特点；

and the coolness of my greeting can have left him in little doubt of that. 从我刚才同他打招呼时的冷淡态度，他清楚地知道我对他的看法。

"I am," I answered briefly⁵. “挺忙。”我的回答非常简短。

"I'll walk along with you," he said. “我同你一起走一段路。”他说。

"Why?" I asked. “干什么？”我问。

"For the pleasure of your society." “因为高兴同你在一起。”

I did not answer, and he walked by my side silently. 我没有说什么，他默不作声地伴着我走。

We continued thus for perhaps a quarter of a mile. 我们就这样走了大约四分之一里路。

I began to feel a little ridiculous. 我开始觉得有一点滑稽。

At last we passed a stationer's, and it occurred to me that I might as well buy some paper. It would be an excuse to be rid of him. 最后我们走过一家文具店，我突然想到我不妨进去买些纸，这样我就可以把他甩掉了。

"I'm going in here," I said. "Good-bye." “我要进去买点东西，”我说，“再见。”

"I'll wait for you." “我等着你。”

I shrugged⁶ my shoulders, and went into the shop. 我耸了耸肩膀，便走进文具店去。

I reflected that French paper was bad, and that, foiled of my purpose, I need not burden myself with a purchase that I did not need. 我想到法国纸并不好，既然我原来的打算已经落空，自然也就用不着买一些我不需要的东西增加负担了。

I asked for something I knew could not be provided, and in a minute came out into the street. 于是我问了一两样他们准不会有的东西，一分钟以后就走出来了。

1 lamentable   

adj.令人惋惜的，悔恨的

参考例句：

• This lamentable state of affairs lasted until 1947.这一令人遗憾的事态一直持续至1947年。
• His practice of inebriation was lamentable.他的酗酒常闹得别人束手无策。

2 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

3 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

4 geniality   

n.和蔼，诚恳；愉快

参考例句：

• They said he is a pitiless,cold-blooded fellow,with no geniality in him.他们说他是个毫无怜悯心、一点也不和蔼的冷血动物。
• Not a shade was there of anything save geniality and kindness.他的眼神里只显出愉快与和气，看不出一丝邪意。

5 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

6 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》