During the summer I met Mrs. Strickland not infrequently.  夏天我同思特里克兰德太太见面的次数不算少。

　　I went now and then to pleasant little luncheons at her flat, and to rather more formidable tea-parties.  我时不时地到她家里去吃午饭，或是去参加茶会；午饭总是吃得很好，茶点更是非常丰盛。

　　We took a fancy to one another.  我同思特里克兰德太太很相投。

　　I was very young, and perhaps she liked the idea of guiding my virgin steps on the hard road of letters;  我当时年纪很轻，或许她喜欢的是指引着我幼稚的脚步走上文坛的艰辛道路，

　　while for me it was pleasant to have someone I could go to with my small troubles, certain of an attentive ear and reasonable counsel.  而在我这一方面，遇到一些不如意的琐事也乐于找到一个人倾诉一番。我准知道她会专神倾听，也一定能给我一些合乎情理的劝告。

　　Mrs. Strickland had the gift of sympathy.  思特里克兰德太太是很会同情人的。

　　It is a charming faculty, but one often abused by those who are conscious of its possession:  同情体贴本是一种很难得的本领，但是却常常被那些知道自己有这种本领的人滥用了。

　　for there is something ghoulish in the avidity with which they will pounce upon the misfortune of their friends so that they may exercise their dexterity.  他们一看到自己的朋友有什么不幸就恶狠狠地扑到人们身上，把自己的全部才能施展出来，这就未免太可怕了。

　　It gushes forth like an oil-well, and the sympathetic pour out their sympathy with an abandon that is sometimes embarrassing to their victims.  同情心应该象一口油井一样喷薄自出；惯爱表同情的人让它纵情奔放，反而使那些受难者非常困窘。

　　There are bosoms on which so many tears have been shed that I cannot bedew them with mine.  有的人胸膛上已经沾了那么多泪水，我不忍再把我的洒上了。

　　Mrs. Strickland used her advantage with tact.  思特里克兰德太太对自己的长处运用很得体，

　　You felt that you obliged her by accepting her sympathy.  她让你觉得你接受她的同情是对她作了一件好事。

　　When, in the enthusiasm of my youth, I remarked on this to Rose Waterford, she said: 我年轻的时候在一阵热情冲动中，曾同柔斯?瓦特尔芙德谈论这件事，她说：

　　Milk is very nice, especially with a drop of brandy in it, but the domestic cow is only too glad to be rid of it.  "牛奶很好吃，特别是加上几滴白兰地。但是母牛却巴不得赶快让它淌出去。

　　A swollen udder is very uncomfortable. 肿胀的乳头是很不舒服的。"

　　Rose Waterford had a blistering tongue.  柔斯?瓦特尔芙德的嘴非常刻薄。

　　No one could say such bitter things; on the other hand, no one could do more charming ones. 这种辛辣的话谁也说不出口，但是另一方面，哪个人做事也没有她漂亮。

　　There was another thing I liked in Mrs. Strickland.  还有一件事叫我喜欢思特里克兰德太太。

　　She managed her surroundings with elegance.  她的住所布置得非常优雅。

　　Her flat was always neat and cheerful, gay with flowers, and the chintzes in the drawing-room, 房间总是干干净净，摆着花，叫人感到非常舒服。客厅里的印花布窗帘

　　notwithstanding their severe design, were bright and pretty.  虽然图案比较古板，可是色彩光艳，淡雅宜人。

　　The meals in the artistic little dining-room were pleasant; the table looked nice, the two maids were trim and comely; the food was well cooked.  在雅致的小餐厅里吃饭是一种享受；餐桌式样大方，两个侍女干净利落，菜肴烹调得非常精致。

　　It was impossible not to see that Mrs. Strickland was an excellent housekeeper.  谁都看得出，思特里克兰德太太是一位能干的主妇，

　　And you felt sure that she was an admirable mother.  另外，毫无疑问她也是一位贤妻良母。

　　There were photographs in the drawing-room of her son and daughter.  客厅里摆着她儿女的照片。

　　The son-his name was Robert-was a boy of sixteen at Rugby;  儿子--他名叫罗伯特--十六岁，正在罗格贝学校读书；

　　and you saw him in flannels and a cricket cap, and again in a tail-coat and a stand-up collar.  你在照片上看到他穿着一套法兰绒衣服，戴着板球帽，另外一张照片穿的是燕尾服，系着直立的硬领。

　　He had his mother's candid brow and fine, reflective eyes.  他同母亲一样，生着宽净的前额和沉思的漂亮的眼睛。

　　He looked clean, healthy, and normal. 他的样子干净整齐，看去又健康，又端正。