月亮与六便士【中英字幕】

He looked at mewith an astonishment that was certainly not feigned. The smile abandoned hislips, and he spoke quite seriously.

"But, mydear fellow, I don't care. It doesn't matter a twopenny damn to me one way orthe other. "

I laughed.

"Oh, comenow; you mustn't think us such fools as all that. We happen to know that youcame away with a woman. "

He gave alittle start, and then suddenly burst into a shout of laughter. He laughed souproariously that people sitting near us looked round, and some of them beganto laugh too.

"I don'tsee anything very amusing in that. "

"Poor Amy," he grinned.

Then his facegrew bitterly scornful.

"What poorminds women have got! Love. It's always love. They think a man leaves onlybecause he wants others. Do you think I should be such a fool as to do whatI've done for a woman?"

"Do youmean to say you didn't leave your wife for another woman?"

"Of coursenot. "

"On yourword of honour?"

I don't knowwhy I asked for that. It was very ingenuous of me.

"On myword of honour. "

"Then,what in God's name have you left her for?"

"I want topaint. "

I looked at himfor quite a long time. I did not understand. I thought he was mad. It must beremembered that I was very young, and I looked upon him as a middle-aged man. Iforgot everything but my own amazement.

他非常惊讶地紧紧盯着我，显然不是在装假。笑容从他嘴角上消失了，他一本正经地说：

“但是，亲爱的朋友，我才不管她怎么做呢。她同我离婚也好，不离婚也好，我都无所谓。”

我笑了起来。

“噢，算了吧！你别把我们当成那样的傻瓜了。我们凑巧知道你是同一个女人一起走的。”

他愣了一下，但是马上就哈哈大笑起来。他笑得声音那么响，连坐在我们旁边的人都好奇地转过头来，甚至还有几个人也跟着笑起来。

“我看不出这有什么可笑的。”

“可怜的阿美，”他笑容未消地说。

接着，他的面容一变而为鄙夷不屑的样子。

“女人的脑子太可怜了！爱情。她们就知道爱情。她们认为如果男人离开了她们就是因为又有了新宠。你是不是认为我是这么一个傻瓜，还要再做一遍我已经为一个女人做过了的那些事？”

“你是说你不是因为另外一个女人才离开你妻子？”

“当然不是。”

“你敢发誓？”

我不知道为什么我这样要求他。我问这句话完全没有动脑子。

“我发誓。”

“那么你到底是为什么离开她的？”

“我要画画儿。”

我半天半天目不转睛地盯着他。我一点儿也不理解。我想这个人准是疯了。读者应该记住，我那时还很年轻，我把他看做是一个中年人。我除了感到自己的惊诧外什么都不记得了。

"What haveyou to say to that?"

"Only thatyou're a damned fool. "

"At allevents, you can be forced to support your wife and children, " I retorted,somewhat piqued. "I suppose the law has some protection to offer them."

"Can thelaw get blood out of a stone? I haven't any money. I've got about a hundred pounds."

I began to bemore puzzled than before. It was true that his hotel pointed to the moststraitened circumstances.

"What areyou going to do when you've spent that?"

"Earnsome. "

He wasperfectly cool, and his eyes kept that mocking smile which made all I said seemrather foolish. I paused for a little while to consider what I had better saynext. But it was he who spoke first.

"Whydoesn't Amy marry again? She's comparatively young, and she's not unattractive.I can recommend her as an excellent wife. If she wants to divorce me I don'tmind giving her the necessary grounds. "

Now it was myturn to smile. He was very cunning, but it was evidently this that he wasaiming at. He had some reason to conceal the fact that he had run away with awoman, and he was using every precaution to hide her whereabouts. I answeredwith decision.

"Your wifesays that nothing you can do will ever induce her to divorce you. She's quitemade up her mind. You can put any possibility of that definitely out of yourhead. "

“你有什么要说的？”

“我要说的只有一句：你是个大傻蛋。”

“不管怎么说，法律可以强迫你扶养你的妻子儿女，”我有些生气地驳斥说，“我想法律会提出对他们的保障的。”

“法律能够从石头里榨出油来吗？我没有钱，只有百十来镑。”

我比以前更糊涂了。当然，从他住的旅馆看，他的经济情况是非常窘迫的。

“把这笔钱花完了你怎么办？”

“再去挣一点儿。”

他冷静得要命，眼睛里始终闪露着讪笑，倒仿佛我在说一些愚不可及的蠢话似的。我停了一会儿，考虑下面该怎么说。但是这回他倒先开口了。

“为什么阿美不重新嫁人呢？她年纪并不老，也还有吸引人的地方。我还可以推荐一下：她是个贤妻。如果她想同我离婚，我完全可以给她制造她需要的借口。”

现在该轮到我发笑了。他很狡猾，但是他谁也瞒不过，这才是他的真正目的呢。由于某种原因，他必须把自己同另外一个女人私奔的事隐瞒着，他采取了一切预防措施把那个女人的行踪隐藏起来。我斩钉截铁地说：

“你的妻子说，不论你用什么手段她也不同你离婚。她已经打定主意了。我劝你还是死了这条心吧。”

"Damn itall, there are your children to think of. They've never done you any harm. Theydidn't ask to be brought into the world. If you chuck everything like this,they'll be thrown on the streets.

"They'vehad a good many years of comfort. It's much more than the majority of childrenhave. Besides, somebody will look after them. When it comes to the point, theMacAndrews will pay for their schooling. "

"Butaren't you fond of them? They're such awfully nice kids. Do you mean to say youdon't want to have anything more to do with them?"

"I likedthem all right when they were kids, but now they're growing up I haven't gotany particular feeling for them. "

"It's justinhuman. "

"I daresay. "

"You don'tseem in the least ashamed. "

"I'm not."

I tried anothertack.

"Everyonewill think you a perfect swine. "

"Let them."

"Won't itmean anything to you to know that people loathe and despise you?"

"No."

His briefanswer was so scornful that it made my question, natural though it was, seemabsurd. I reflected for a minute or two.

"I wonderif one can live quite comfortably when one's conscious of the disapproval ofone's fellows? Are you sure it won't begin to worry you? Everyone has some sortof a conscience, and sooner or later it will find you out. Supposing your wifedied, wouldn't you be tortured by remorse?"

He did notanswer, and I waited for some time for him to speak. At last I had to break thesilence myself.

“他妈的，你得想想自己的孩子啊。他们从来没有做过对不起你的事。他们不是自己要求到这个世界上来的。如果你这样把一家人都扔了，他们就只好流浪街头了。”

“他们已经过了不少年舒服日子了。大多数孩子都没有享过这么大的福。再说，总有人养活他们。必要的时候，麦克安德鲁夫妇可以供他们上学的。”

“可是，你难道不喜欢他们吗？你的两个孩子多么可爱啊！你的意思是，你不想再同他们有任何关系了吗？”

“孩子小的时候我确实喜欢他们，可是现在他们都长大了，我对他们没有什么特殊的感情了。”

“你简直太没有人性了。”

“我看就是这样的。”

“你一点儿也不觉得害臊。”

“我不害臊。”

我想再变换一个手法。

“谁都会认为你是个没有人性的坏蛋。”

“让他们这样想去吧。”

“所有的人都讨厌你、鄙视你，这对你一点儿都无所谓吗？”

“无所谓。”

他那短得不能再短的回答使得我提出的问题（尽管我的问题提得很有道理）显得非常荒谬。我想了一两分钟。

“我怀疑，如果一个人知道自己的亲戚朋友都责骂自己，他能不能心安理得地活下去。你准知道你就一点儿无动于衷吗？谁都不能没有一点儿良心，早晚你会受到良心谴责的。假如你的妻子死了，你难道一点儿也不悔恨吗？”

他并没有回答我的问题，我等了一会儿，看他是不是开口。最后我不得不自己打破沉寂。

"What,then?" asked Strickland.

I tried to curlmy lip.

"Well, ifyou acknowledge that, there doesn't seem much more to be said. "

"I don'tthink there is. "

I felt that I wasnot carrying out my embassy with any great skill. I was distinctly nettled.

"Hang itall, one can't leave a woman without a bob. "

"Whynot?"

"How isshe going to live?"

"I'vesupported her for seventeen years. Why shouldn't she support herself for a change?"

"Shecan't. "

"Let hertry. "

Of course therewere many things I might have answered to this. I might have spoken of theeconomic position of woman, of the contract, tacit and overt, which a manaccepts by his marriage, and of much else; but I felt that there was only onepoint which really signified.

"Don't youcare for her any more?"

"Not abit, " he replied.

The matter wasimmensely serious for all the parties concerned, but there was in the manner ofhis answer such a cheerful effrontery that I had to bite my lips in order notto laugh. I reminded myself that his behaviour was abominable. I worked myselfup into a state of moral indignation.

“你还要说什么？”思特里克兰德说。

我对他撇了撇嘴。

“没什么了，如果你都承认了，好象也没有什么要多说的了。”

“我想也是。”

我觉得我这次执行任务手腕太不高明。我显然有些冒火了。

“别的都不要说了，你总不能一个铜板也不留就把你女人甩了啊！”

“为什么不能？”

“她怎么活下去呢？”

“我已经养活她十七年了。为什么她不能换换样，自己养活自己呢？”

“她养活不了。”

“她不妨试一试。”

我当然有许多话可以答辩。我可以谈妇女的经济地位，谈男人结婚以后公开或默认地承担的义务，还有许许多多别的道理，但是我认为真正重要的只有一点。

“你还爱她不爱她了？”

“一点儿也不爱了，”他回答。

不论对哪方面讲，这都是一件极端严肃的事，可是他的答话却带着那么一种幸灾乐祸、厚颜无耻的劲儿；为了不笑出声来，我拼命咬住嘴唇。我一再提醒自己他的行为是可恶的。我终于激动起自己的义愤来。

"Beastlyjob for you this, isn't it?"

"Oh, Idon't know, " I answered.

"Well,look here, you get it over, and then we'll have a jolly evening. "

I hesitated.

"Has itoccurred to you that your wife is frightfully unhappy?"

"She'llget over it. "

I cannot describethe extraordinary callousness with which he made this reply. It disconcertedme, but I did my best not to show it. I adopted the tone used by my UncleHenry, a clergyman, when he was asking one of his relatives for a subscriptionto the Additional Curates Society.

"You don'tmind my talking to you frankly?"

He shook hishead, smiling.

"Has shedeserved that you should treat her like this?"

"No."

"Have youany complaint to make against her?"

"None."

"Then,isn't it monstrous to leave her in this fashion, after seventeen years ofmarried life, without a fault to find with her?"

"Monstrous."

I glanced athim with surprise. His cordial agreement with all I said cut the ground fromunder my feet. It made my position complicated, not to say ludicrous. I wasprepared to be persuasive, touching, and hortatory, admonitory andexpostulating, if need be vituperative even, indignant and sarcastic; but whatthe devil does a mentor do when the sinner makes no bones about confessing hissin? I had no experience, since my own practice has always been to denyeverything.

“交给你办的事很叫你头疼，对不对？”

“啊，我不知道，”我回答。

“听我说，你赶快把肚子里的事说出来，以后咱们可以痛快地玩一个晚上。”

我犹豫不定。

“你想到过没有，你的妻子痛苦极了？”

“事情会过去的。”

他说这句话的那种冷漠无情我简直无法描摹。我被他这种态度搞得心慌意乱，但是我尽量掩盖着自己。我采用了我的一位亨利叔叔说话的语调；亨利叔叔是个牧师，每逢他请求哪位亲戚给候补副牧师协会捐款的时候总是用这种语调。

“我说话不同你转弯抹角，你不介意吧？”

他笑着摇了摇头。

“你这样对待她说得过去吗？”

“说不过去。”

“你有什么不满意她的地方吗？”

“没有。”

“那么，你们结婚十七年，你又挑不出她任何毛病，你这样离开了她不是太岂有此理了吗？”

“是太岂有此理了。”

我感到非常惊奇，看了他一眼。不管我说什么，他都从心眼里赞同，这就把我的口预先箝住了。他使我的处境变得非常复杂，且不说滑稽可笑了。本来我预备说服他、打动他、规劝他、训诫他、同他讲道理，如果需要的话还要斥责他，要发一通脾气，要把他冷嘲热讽个够；但是如果罪人对自己犯的罪直认不讳，规劝的人还有什么事情好做呢？我对他这种人一点也没有经验，因为我自己如果做错了事总是矢口否认。

The Avenue deClichy was crowded at that hour, and a lively fancy might see in the passers-bythe personages of many a sordid romance. There were clerks and shopgirls; oldfellows who might have stepped out of the pages of Honore de Balzac; members,male and female, of the professions which make their profit of the frailties ofmankind. There is in the streets of the poorer quarters of Paris a throngingvitality which excites the blood and prepares the soul for the unexpected.

"Do youknow Paris well?" I asked.

"No. Wecame on our honeymoon. I haven't been since. "

"How onearth did you find out your hotel?"

"It wasrecommended to me. I wanted something cheap. "

The absinthecame, and with due solemnity we dropped water over the melting sugar.

"I thoughtI'd better tell you at once why I had come to see you, " I said, notwithout embarrassment.

His eyestwinkled. "I thought somebody would come along sooner or later. I've had alot of letters from Amy. "

"Then youknow pretty well what I've got to say. "

"I've notread them. "

I lit acigarette to give myself a moment's time. I did not quite know now how to setabout my mission. The eloquent phrases I had arranged, pathetic or indignant,seemed out of place on the Avenue de Clichy. Suddenly he gave a chuckle.

这会儿正是克里舍林荫路最热闹的时刻，只需要发挥一点儿想象力，就能够在过往行人中发现不少庸俗罗曼司中的人物。小职员和女售货员，宛如从巴尔扎克的小说中走出来的老古董，靠着人性的弱点赚钱糊口的一些行当的男女成员。在巴黎的一些贫穷地区，街道上总是人群熙攘，充满无限生机，使你血流激动，随时准备为你演一出意想不到的好戏。

“你对巴黎熟悉不熟悉？”我问。

“不熟悉。我们度蜜月的时候来过。以后我从来没有再来。”

“那你怎么会找到这家旅馆的？”

“别人介绍的。我要找一家便宜的。”

苦艾酒端上来了，我们一本正经地把水浇在溶化的糖上。

“我想我还是坦白对你讲我为什么来找你吧，”我有一些困窘地说。

他的眼睛闪闪发亮。

“我早就想迟早会有个人来的。阿美已经给我写了一大堆信来了。”

“那么我要对你讲的，不用我说你也知道得很清楚了。”

“她那些信我都没有看。”

我点了一支烟，为了给自己一些思索的时间。我这时候真不知道该怎样办理我承担下的这件差事了。我准备好的一套绝妙词令，哀婉的也罢、愤激的也罢，在克里舍林荫道上以乎都不合拍了。突然，思特里克兰德咯咯地笑起来。

"I've cometo see you on behalf of your wife. "

"I wasjust going out to have a drink before dinner. You'd better come too. Do youlike absinthe?"

"I candrink it. "

"Come on,then. "

He put on abowler hat much in need of brushing.

"We mightdine together. You owe me a dinner, you know. "

"Certainly.Are you alone?"

I flatteredmyself that I had got in that important question very naturally.

"Oh yes.In point of fact I've not spoken to a soul for three days. My French isn'texactly brilliant. "

I wondered as Ipreceded him downstairs what had happened to the little lady in the tea-shop.Had they quarrelled already, or was his infatuation passed? It seemed hardlylikely if, as appeared, he had been taking steps for a year to make hisdesperate plunge. We walked to the Avenue de Clichy, and sat down at one of thetables on the pavement of a large cafe.

“我是受你妻子的嘱托来看你的。”

“我正预备在吃晚饭以前到外边去喝点什么。你最好同我一起去。你喜欢喝苦艾酒？”

“可以喝一点儿。”

“那咱们就走吧”

他戴上一顶圆顶礼帽；帽子也早就该刷洗了。

“我们可以一起吃饭。你还欠我一顿饭呢，你知道。”

“当然了。你就一个人吗？”

我很得意，这样重要的一个问题我竟极其自然地提了出来。

“啊，是的。说实在的，我已经有三天没有同人讲话了。我的法文很不高明。”

当我领先走下楼梯的时候，我想起茶点店的那位女郎来，我很想知道她出了什么事了。是他们已经吵架了呢，还是他迷恋的热劲儿已经过去了？从我见到的光景看，很难相信他策划了一年只是为了这样没头没脑地窜到巴黎来。我们步行到克里舍林荫路，在一家大咖啡馆摆在人行道上的许多台子中拣了一张坐下。

I entered. Itwas a very small room, overcrowded with furniture of the style which the Frenchknow as Louis Philippe. There was a large wooden bedstead on which was abillowing red eiderdown, and there was a large wardrobe, a round table, a verysmall washstand, and two stuffed chairs covered with red rep. Everything wasdirty and shabby. There was no sign of the abandoned luxury that ColonelMacAndrew had so confidently described. Strickland threw on the floor theclothes that burdened one of the chairs, and I sat down on it.

"What canI do for you?" he asked.

In that smallroom he seemed even bigger than I remembered him. He wore an old Norfolkjacket, and he had not shaved for several days. When last I saw him he wasspruce enough, but he looked ill at ease: now, untidy and ill-kempt, he lookedperfectly at home. I did not know how he would take the remark I had prepared.

我走进去。这是一间很小的房间，几件法国人称之为路易·菲力浦式样的家具把屋子挤得转不过身来。有一张大木床，上面堆放着一床鼓鼓囊囊的大红鸭绒被，一张大衣柜，一张圆桌，一个很小的脸盆架，两把软座椅子，包着红色棱纹平布。没有一件东西不是肮脏、破烂的。麦克安德鲁上校煞有介事地描述的那种浪荡浮华这里连一点儿影子也看不到。思特里克兰德把乱堆在一把椅子上的衣服扔到地上，叫我坐下。

“你来找我有事吗？”他问。

在这间小屋子里他好象比我记忆中的更加高大。他穿着一件诺弗克式的旧上衣，胡须有很多天没有刮了。我上次见到他，他修饰得整齐干净，可是看去却不很自在；现在他邋里邋遢，神态却非常自然。我不知道他听了我准备好的一番话以后会有什么反应。

I do not knowwhy I made my enquiry as casual as possible.

"Does Mr.Strickland live here by any chance?" I asked.

"Numberthirty-two. On the sixth floor. "

I was sosurprised that for a moment I did not answer.

"Is hein?"

The waiterlooked at a board in the bureau.

"He hasn'tleft his key. Go up and you'll see. "

I thought it aswell to put one more question.

"Madameest la?"

"Monsieurest seul. "

The waiterlooked at me suspiciously as I made my way upstairs. They were dark andairless. There was a foul and musty smell. Three flights up a Woman in adressing-gown, with touzled hair, opened a door and looked at me silently as Ipassed. At length I reached the sixth floor, and knocked at the door numberedthirty-two. There was a sound within, and the door was partly opened. CharlesStrickland stood before me. He uttered not a word. He evidently did not knowme.

I told him myname. I tried my best to assume an airy manner.

"You don'tremember me. I had the pleasure of dining with you last July. "

"Come in," he said cheerily. "I'm delighted to see you. Take a pew. "

我自己不知道为什么我向他打听思特里克兰德时要装出一副漫不经心的样子。

“这里住没住着一位思特里克兰德先生？”我问。

“三十二号，六楼。”

我大吃一惊，一时没有答出话来。

“他在家吗？”

侍者看了看账房里的一块木板。

“他的钥匙不在这里。自己上去看看吧。”

我想不妨再问他一个问题。

“太太也在这里吗③？”

③原文为法语。

“只有先生一个人④。”

④原文为法语。

当我走上楼梯的时候，侍者一直怀疑地打量着我。楼梯又闷又暗，一股污浊的霉味扑鼻而来。三层楼梯上面有一扇门开了，我经过的时候，一个披着睡衣、头发蓬松的女人一声不吭地盯着我。最后，我走到六楼，在三十二号房门上敲了敲。屋里响动了一下，房门开了一条缝。查理斯·思特里克兰德出现在我面前。他一语不发地站在那里，显然没有认出我是谁来。

我通报了姓名。我尽量摆出一副大大咧咧的样子。

“你不记得我了。今年六月我荣幸地在你家吃过饭。”

“进来吧，”他兴致很高地说，“很高兴见到你。坐下。”

My own hotelwas modest enough, but it was magnificent in comparison with this. It was atall, shabby building, that cannot have been painted for years, and it had sobedraggled an air that the houses on each side of it looked neat and clean. Thedirty windows were all shut. It was not here that Charles Strickland lived inguilty splendour with the unknown charmer for whose sake he had abandonedhonour and duty. I was vexed, for I felt that I had been made a fool of, and Inearly turned away without making an enquiry. I went in only to be able to tellMrs. Strickland that I had done my best.

The door was atthe side of a shop. It stood open, and just within was a sign: Bureau aupremier. I walked up narrow stairs, and on the landing found a sort of box,glassed in, within which were a desk and a couple of chairs. There was a benchoutside, on which it might be presumed the night porter passed uneasy nights.There was no one about, but under an electric bell was written Garcon. I rang,and presently a waiter appeared. He was a young man with furtive eyes and asullen look. He was in shirt-sleeves and carpet slippers.

我自己住的是一家普普通通的旅馆，可是同这家旅馆比起来简直宏伟极了。这是一座破烂的小楼，多年没有粉刷过，龌龌龊龊，相形之下，两边的房子倒显得又干净又整齐。肮脏的窗子全部关着。查理斯·思特里克兰德同那位勾引他丢弃了名誉和职责的美女显然不会在这样一个地方寻欢作乐，享受他们罪恶而豪华的生活。我非常恼火，觉得自己分明是被耍弄了。我差一点连问都不问就扭头而去。我走进去只是为了事后好向思特里克兰德太太交待，告诉她我已经尽了最大的努力。

旅馆的入口在一家店铺的旁边，门开着，一进门便有一块牌子：账房在二楼①。我沿着狭窄的楼梯走上去，在楼梯平台上看到一间用玻璃门窗隔起来的小阁子，里面摆着一张办公桌和两三把椅子。阁子外面有一条长凳，晚上守门人多半就在这里过夜。附近没有一个人影，但是我在一个电铃按钮下面看到有侍者②字样。我按了一下，马上从什么地方钻出一个人来。这人很年轻，贼眉鼠眼，满脸丧气，身上只穿一件衬衫，趿拉着一双毡子拖鞋。

①  ②原文为法语。