歪唇男人 01瘾君子(1)（在线收听）

The Man With The Twisted Lip

歪唇男人

I saw Hiyney, brother of the late Elias Whitney, D. D., Principal of the Theological College of St. George's, was much addicted to opium.

艾萨·惠特尼是圣乔治大学神学院已故院长伊莱亚斯·惠特尼的兄弟，他沉溺于鸦片烟，瘾癖很大。

The habit grew upon him, as I understand, from some foolish freak when he was at college;

据我所知，他染上这一恶习是由于在大学读书时产生的一种愚蠢的怪念头造成的。

for having read De Quincey's description of his dreams and sensations,

当时他因为读了德·昆西对梦幻和激情的描绘，

he had drenched his tobacco with laudanum in an attempt to produce the same effects.

就将烟草在鸦片酊里浸泡过后来吸，以期获得梦幻和激情的效果。

He found, as so many more have done, that the practice is easier to attain than to get rid of,

他像许多人一样，后来才发觉这样做上瘾容易戒除难，

and for many years he continued to be a slave to the drug, an object of mingled horror and pity to his friends and relatives.

所以他多年来便吸毒成癖不能自拔，他的亲属和朋友们对他既深为厌恶，同时又不无怜惜之感。

I can see him now, with yellow, pasty face, drooping lids, and pin-point pupils,

他的那副神态我至今还记忆犹新：面色青黄憔悴，眼皮耷拉，两瞳无神，

all huddled in a chair, the wreck and ruin of a noble man.

身体缩成一团蜷曲在一把椅子里，活现出一副落迫王孙的倒霉相。

One night–it was in June, '89–there came a ring to my bell,

一八八九年六月的一个夜晚，有人在门外揿铃，

about the hour when a man gives his first yawn and glances at the clock.

那正是一般人开始打呵欠、抬眼望钟的时刻。

I sat up in my chair, and my wife laid her needle-work down in her lap and made a little face of disappointment.

我当即从椅子里坐起身来，我的妻子把她的针线活放在膝盖上，脸上露出一副不乐意的样子。

"A patient!" said she. "You'll have to go out."

"有病人，"她说，"你又得出诊了。"

I groaned, for I was newly come back from a weary day.

我叹了口气，因为我忙了一整天，疲惫不堪，刚从外面回来。