and after being directed from this official to that, up endless stairs 我们从一个办公室被支到另一个办公室，爬上数不尽的楼梯，穿过走不到头儿的光秃秃的走廊，

and through long, bare corridors, found the doctor in charge of the case, we were told that the patient was too ill to see anyone that day. 最后找到主治的医生，但是我们却被告诉说，病人健康状况太坏，这一天不能接见任何探视的人。

The doctor was a little bearded man in white, with an offhand manner. 同我们讲话的这个医生蓄着胡须、身材矮小，穿着一身白衣服，态度一点也不客气。

He evidently looked upon a case as a case, and anxious relatives as a nuisance which must be treated with firmness. 他显然只把病人当作病人，把焦急不安的亲属当作惹厌的东西，毫无通融的余地。

Moreover, to him the affair was commonplace; it was just an hysterical woman who had quarrelled with her lover and taken poison; it was constantly happening. 此外，对他说来，这类事早已司空见惯；这只不过是一个歇斯底里的女人同爱人吵了嘴、赌气服了毒而已，这是经常发生的事。

At first he thought that Dirk was the cause of the disaster, and he was needlessly brusque with him. 最初他还以为戴尔克是罪魁祸首，毫无必要地顶撞了他几句。

When I explained that he was the husband, anxious to forgive, the doctor looked at him suddenly, with curious, searching eyes. 在我向他解释了戴尔克是病人的丈夫、渴望宽恕她以后，医生突然用炯炯逼人的好奇目光打量起他来。

I seemed to see in them a hint of mockery; it was true that Stroeve had the head of the husband who is deceived. 我好象在医生的目光里看到一丝挪揄的神色；施特略夫的长相一望而知是个受老婆欺骗的窝囊汉子。

The doctor faintly shrugged his shoulders. 医生把肩膀微微一耸。

There is no immediate danger, he said, in answer to our questioning. "One doesn't know how much she took. It may be that she will get off with a fright. “目前没有什么危险，”他回答我们的询问说，“还不知道她吞服了多少。也很可能只是一场虚惊。

Women are constantly trying to commit suicide for love,  女人们不断为了爱情而自寻短见，

but generally they take care not to succeed. It's generally a gesture to arouse pity or terror in their lover." 但是一般说来她们总是做得很小心，不让自杀成为事实。通常这只是为了引起她们情人的怜悯或者恐怖而作的一个姿态。”

There was in his tone a frigid contempt. 他的语气里有一种冷漠、轻蔑的味道。

It was obvious that to him Blanche Stroeve was only a unit to be added to the statistical list of attempted suicides in the city of Paris during the current year. 对他说来，勃朗什·施特略夫显然不过是即将列入巴黎这一年自杀未遂的统计表中的一个数字。

He was busy, and could waste no more time on us. He told us  医生非常忙，不可能为了我们浪费自己的时间。他告诉我们，

that if we came at a certain hour next day, should Blanche be better, it might be possible for her husband to see her. 如果我们在第二天某一个时刻来，假如勃朗什好一些，她的丈夫是可以见到她的。