月亮和六便士 第五十四章(2)

 "How strange that you should say that!" I answered. “真奇怪，你怎么会也这么说？”我回答道。

"For long ago I had the idea that he was possessed¹ of a devil." “很久以前，我正是也有这种想法。我觉得他这个人是被魔鬼抓住了。”

"And the passion that held Strickland was a passion to create beauty. “使思特里克兰德着了迷的是一种创作欲，他热切地想创造出美来。

It gave him no peace. It urged him hither and thither². 这种激情叫他一刻也不能宁静。逼着他东奔西走。

He was eternally a pilgrim, haunted by a divine nostalgia³, and the demon⁴ within him was ruthless. 他好像是一个终生跋涉的朝香者，永远思慕着一块圣地。盘踞在他心头的魔鬼对他毫无怜悯之情。

There are men whose desire for truth is so great that to attain⁵ it they will shatter the very foundation of their world. 世上有些人渴望寻获真理，他们的要求非常强烈，为了达到这个目的，就是叫他们把生活的基础完全打翻，也在所不惜。

Of such was Strickland, only beauty with him took the place of truth. 思特里克兰德就是这样一个人；只不过他追求的是美，而不是真理。

I could only feel for him a profound compassion⁶." 对于像他这样的人，我从心眼里感到怜悯。”

"That is strange also. 你说的这一点也很奇怪。

A man whom he had deeply wronged told me that he felt a great pity for him." “有一个他曾经伤害过的人也这样对我说，说他非常可怜思特里克兰德。”

I was silent for a moment. 我沉默了一会儿。

"I wonder if there you have found the explanation of a character which has always seemed to me inexplicable⁷. “我很想知道，对于一种我一直感到迷惑不解的性格，你是不是已经找到了答案。

How did you hit on it?" 你怎么会想到这个道理的？”

He turned to me with a smile. 他对我笑了笑。

"Did I not tell you that I, too, in my way was an artist? “我不是告诉你了，从某一个角度讲，我也是个艺术家吗？

I realised in myself the same desire as animated⁸ him. 我在自己身上也深深感到激励着他的那种热望。

But whereas his medium was paint, mine has been life." 但是他的手段是绘画，我的却是生活。”

Then Captain Brunot told me a story which I must repeat, since, if only by way of contrast, it adds something to my impression of Strickland. 布吕诺船长这时给我讲了一个故事，我想我应该在这里说一说。因为即使作为对比，这个故事对我记叙思特里克兰德的生平也能说明一些问题。

It has also to my mind a beauty of its own. 再说，我认为这个故事本身就是非常美的。

1 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

2 thither   

adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的

参考例句：

• He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。
• He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

3 nostalgia   

n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧

参考例句：

• He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
• I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌，心中充满了怀旧之情。

4 demon   

n.魔鬼，恶魔

参考例句：

• The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。
• He has been possessed by the demon of disease for years.他多年来病魔缠身。

5 attain   

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

• I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
• His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

6 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

7 inexplicable   

adj.无法解释的，难理解的

参考例句：

• It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的，现在已经无法说清楚了。
• There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。

8 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。