月亮与六便士【中英字幕】

We happenedthen to cross the street, and the traffic prevented us from speaking. WhatColonel MacAndrew had told me seemed very improbable, and I suspected that Mrs.Strickland, for reasons of her own, had concealed from him some part of thefacts. It was clear that a man after seventeen years of wedlock did not leavehis wife without certain occurrences which must have led her to suspect thatall was not well with their married life. The Colonel caught me up.

"Ofcourse, there was no explanation he could give except that he'd gone off with awoman. I suppose he thought she could find that out for herself. That's thesort of chap he was. "

"What isMrs. Strickland going to do?"

"Well, thefirst thing is to get our proofs. I'm going over to Paris myself. "

"And whatabout his business?"

"That'swhere he's been so artful. He's been drawing in his horns for the last year."

"Did hetell his partner he was leaving?"

"Not aword. "

说到这里我们正好过马路，过往车辆把我们的谈话打断了。麦克安德鲁告诉我的事听起来很难令人相信，我怀疑思特里克兰德太太根据她自己的理由把一部分事实隐瞒着没对他说。非常清楚，一个人结婚十七年不会平白无故地离家出走的，这里面一定有一些事会使她猜想两人的夫妻生活并不美满。我正在思忖这件事，上校又从后面赶上来。

“当然了，除了坦白承认自己是同另外一个女人私奔之外，他是无法解释这件事的。据我看，他认为早晚她会自己弄清楚的。他就是这样一个人。”

“思特里克兰德太太打算怎么办？”

“哈，第一件事是抓到证据。我准备自己到巴黎去一趟。”

“他的买卖怎么办？”

“这正是他狡诈的地方。一年来他一直把摊子越缩越小。”

“他告诉没告诉他的合股人他不想干了？”

“一句也没透露。”

"This is aterrible thing, " he said, the moment we got out into the street.

I realised thathe had come away with me in order to discuss once more what he had been alreadydiscussing for hours with his sister-in-law.

"We don'tknow who the woman is, you know, " he said. "All we know is that theblackguard's gone to Paris. "

"I thoughtthey got on so well. "

"So theydid. Why, just before you came in Amy said they'd never had a quarrel in thewhole of their married life. You know Amy. There never was a better woman inthe world. "

Since theseconfidences were thrust on me, I saw no harm in asking a few questions.

"But doyou mean to say she suspected nothing?"

"Nothing.He spent August with her and the children in Norfolk. He was just the same ashe'd always been. We went down for two or three days, my wife and I, and Iplayed golf with him. He came back to town in September to let his partner goaway, and Amy stayed on in the country. They'd taken a house for six weeks, andat the end of her tenancy she wrote to tell him on which day she was arrivingin London. He answered from Paris. He said he'd made up his mind not to livewith her any more. "

"Whatexplanation did he give?"

"My dearfellow, he gave no explanation. I've seen the letter. It wasn't more than tenlines. "

"Butthat's extraordinary. "

“真太可怕了，”我们刚刚走到大街上，他马上开口说。

我看出来，他同我一起出来目的就是想同我继续谈论这件他已经同他的小姨子谈了好几小时的事。

“我们根本弄不清是哪个女人，你知道，”他说，“我们只知道那个流氓跑到巴黎去了。”

“我一直以为他们俩感情挺不错。”

“是不错。哼，你来以前，阿美还说他们结婚这么多年就没有吵过一次嘴。你知道阿美是怎样一个人。世界上没有比她更好的女人了。”

既然他主动把这家人的秘密都告诉我，我觉得我不妨继续提出几个问题来。

“你的意思是说她什么也没有猜到？”

“什么也没猜到。八月他是同她和孩子们一起在诺佛克度过的。他同平常日子一模一样，一点也没有反常的地方。我和我妻子到他们乡下过了两三天，我还同他玩过高尔夫球。九月，他回到城里来，为了让他的合股人去度假。阿美仍然待在乡下。他们在乡下房子租了六个星期，房子快满期以前她给他写了封信，告诉他自己哪一天回伦敦来。他的回信是从巴黎发的，说他已经打定主意不同她一起生活了。”

“他怎样解释呢？”

“他根本没有解释，小朋友。那封信我看了。还不到十行字。”

“真是奇怪了。”

Mrs. Strickland clasped herhands.

"Tell me exactly whatshe said. " And when I hesitated, she insisted. "I particularly wantto know. "

"You know the waypeople talk. She's not very reliable, is she? She said your husband had leftyou. "

"Is that all?"

I did not choose to repeatRose Waterford's parting reference to a girl from a tea-shop. I lied.

"She didn't sayanything about his going with anyone?"

"No. "

"That's all I wanted toknow. "

I was a little puzzled, butat all events I understood that I might now take my leave. When I shook handswith Mrs. Strickland I told her that if I could be of any use to her I shouldbe very glad. She smiled wanly.

"Thank you so much. Idon't know that anybody can do anything for me. "

Too shy to express mysympathy, I turned to say good-bye to the Colonel. He did not take my hand.

"I'm just coming. Ifyou're walking up Victoria Street, I'll come along with you. "

"All right, " Isaid. "Come on. "

思特里克兰德太太拍了一下巴掌。

“她是怎么说的，把她的原话一个字不差地告诉我。”我有点儿踌躇，她却坚持叫我讲。“我特别想知道她怎么谈论这件事。”

“你知道别人怎么谈论。她这个人说话靠不住，对不对？她说你的丈夫把你丢开了。”

“就说了这些吗？”

我不想告诉她柔斯·瓦特尔芙德分手时讲到茶点店女侍的那句话。我对她扯了个谎。

“她说没说他是跟一个什么人一块走的？”

“没有。”

“我想知道的就是这件事。”

我有一些困惑莫解，但是不管怎么说我知道现在我可以告辞了。当我同思特里克兰德太太握手告别的时候我对她说，如果有什么事需要我做，我一定为她尽力。她的脸上掠过一丝笑影。

“非常感谢你。我不知道有谁能替我做什么。”

我不好意思向她表示我的同情，便转过身去同上校告别。上校并没有同我握手。

“我也要走。如果你从维多利亚路走，我跟你同路。”

“好吧，”我说，“咱们一起走。”

I could not help thinkingthat Colonel MacAndrew might have some difficulty in doing this, since Stricklandhad struck me as a hefty fellow, but I did not say anything. It is alwaysdistressing when outraged morality does not possess the strength of arm toadminister direct chastisement on the sinner. I was making up my mind toanother attempt at going when Mrs. Strickland came back. She had dried her eyesand powdered her nose.

"I'm sorry I brokedown, " she said. "I'm glad you didn't go away. "

She sat down. I did not atall know what to say. I felt a certain shyness at referring to matters whichwere no concern of mine. I did not then know the besetting sin of woman, thepassion to discuss her private affairs with anyone who is willing to listen.Mrs. Strickland seemed to make an effort over herself.

"Are people talkingabout it?" she asked.

I was taken aback by herassumption that I knew all about her domestic misfortune.

"I've only just comeback. The only person I've seen is Rose Waterford. "

我禁不住想，麦克安德鲁上校做这件事并不很容易，因为思特里克兰德身强力壮，给我留下的印象很深，但是我并没有说什么。如果一个人受到侮辱损害而又没有力量对罪人直接施行惩罚，这实在是一件痛苦不堪的事。我正准备再作一次努力向他告辞，这时思特里克兰德太太又回到屋子里来了。她已经把眼泪揩干，在鼻子上扑了点儿粉。

“真是对不起，我的感情太脆弱了，”她说，“我很高兴你没有走。”

她坐了下来。我一点儿也不知道该说什么。我不太好意思谈论同自己毫不相干的事。那时候我还不懂女人的一种无法摆脱的恶习——热衷于同任何一个愿意倾听的人讨论自己的私事。思特里克兰德太太似乎在努力克制着自己。

“人们是不是都在议论这件事啊？”她问。我非常吃惊，她竟认为我知道她家的这件不幸是想当然的事。

“我刚刚回来。我就见到了柔斯·瓦特尔芙德一个人。”

"I dare say you'd likeme to go, " I said to the Colonel, getting up.

"I suppose you've heardthat blackguard has deserted her, " he cried explosively.

I hesitated.

"You know how peoplegossip, " I answered. "I was vaguely told that something was wrong."

"He's bolted. He's goneoff to Paris with a woman. He's left Amy without a penny. "

"I'm awfully sorry," I said, not knowing what else to say.

The Colonel gulped down hiswhisky. He was a tall, lean man of fifty, with a drooping moustache and greyhair. He had pale blue eyes and a weak mouth. I remembered from my previousmeeting with him that he had a foolish face, and was proud of the fact that forthe ten years before he left the army he had played polo three days a week.

"I don't suppose Mrs.Strickland wants to be bothered with me just now, " I said. "Will youtell her how sorry I am? If there's anything I can do. I shall be delighted todo it. "

He took no notice of me.

"I don't know what's tobecome of her. And then there are the children. Are they going to live on air?Seventeen years. "

"What about seventeenyears?"

"They've been married," he snapped. "I never liked him. Of course he was my brother-in-law,and I made the best of it. Did you think him a gentleman? She ought never tohave married him. "

"Is it absolutelyfinal?"

"There's only one thingfor her to do, and that's to divorce him. That's what I was telling her whenyou came in. 'Fire in with your petition, my dear Amy, ' I said. `You owe it toyourself and you owe it to the children. ' He'd better not let me catch sightof him. I'd thrash him within an inch of his life. "

“我看我该走了吧，”我对上校说，站起身来。

“我想你已经听说那个流氓把她甩了的事吧，”他一下子爆发出来。

我踌躇了一会儿。

“你知道人们怎样爱扯闲话，”我说，“有人闪烁其词地对我说，这里出了点儿事。”

“他逃跑了。他同一个女人跑到巴黎去了。他把阿美扔了，一个便士也没留下。”

“我感到很难过，”我说；我实在找不到别的什么话了。

上校一口气把威士忌灌下去。他是一个五十岁左右的高大、削瘦的汉子，胡须向下垂着，头发已经灰白。他的眼睛是浅蓝色的，嘴唇的轮廓很不鲜明。我从上一次见到他就记得他长着一副傻里傻气的面孔，并且自夸他离开军队以前每星期打三次马球，十年没有间断过。

“我想现在我不必再打搅思特里克兰德太太了，”我说，“好不好请你告诉她，我非常为她难过？如果有什么我能做的事，我很愿意为她效劳。”

他没有理会我的话。

“我不知道她以后怎么办。而且还有孩子。难道让他们靠空气过活？十六年啊！”

“什么十六年？”

“他们结婚十六年了，”他没好气儿地说。“我从来就不喜欢他。当然了，他是我的连襟，我尽量容忍着。你以为他是个绅士吗？她根本就不应该嫁给他。”

“就没有挽回的余地了吗？”

“她只有一件事好做：同他离婚。这就是你刚进来的时候我对她说的。‘把离婚申请书递上去，亲爱的阿美，’我说，‘为了你自己，为了你的孩子，你都该这么做。’他最好还是别叫我遇见。我不把他打得灵魂出窍才怪。”

This was the firstsuggestion that anything untoward had happened. I took no notice, and did mybest to engage Mrs. Strickland in talk. The Colonel, still standing in front ofthe fireplace, uttered no word. I wondered how soon I could decently take myleave, and I asked myself why on earth Mrs. Strickland had allowed me to come.There were no flowers, and various knick-knacks, put away during the summer,had not been replaced; there was something cheerless and stiff about the roomwhich had always seemed so friendly; it gave you an odd feeling, as thoughsomeone were lying dead on the other side of the wall. I finished tea.

"Will you have acigarette?" asked Mrs. Strickland.

She looked about for thebox, but it was not to be seen.

"I'm afraid there arenone. "

Suddenly she burst intotears, and hurried from the room.

I was startled. I supposenow that the lack of cigarettes, brought as a rule by her husband, forced himback upon her recollection, and the new feeling that the small comforts she wasused to were missing gave her a sudden pang. She realised that the old life wasgone and done with. It was impossible to keep up our social pretences anylonger.

这是暗示发生了一件不幸事件的第一句话。我故意不作理会，尽量同思特里克兰德太太东拉西扯。上校仍然站在壁炉前面一句话也不说。我很想知道什么时候我才能不失礼仪地向主人告别，我奇怪地问我自己，思特里克兰德太太让我进来究竟是为了什么。屋子里没有摆花，度夏以前收拾起的一些摆设也没有重新摆上。一向舒适愉快的房间显得一片寂寥清冷，给人一种感觉，倒仿佛墙壁的另一边停着一个死人似的。我把茶喝完。

“要不要吸一支烟？”思特里克兰德太太问我道。

她四处看了看，要找烟盒，但是却没有找到。

“我怕已经没有了。”

一下子，她的眼泪扑簌簌地落下来，匆匆跑出了客厅。

我吃了一惊。我想到纸烟过去一向是由她丈夫添置的，现在突然发现找不到纸烟，这件小事显然勾起了她的记忆，她伸手就能拿到的东西竟然丢三短四的这种新感觉仿佛在她胸口上突然刺了一刀，她意识到旧日的生活已经一去不复返了，过去那种光荣体面不可能再维持下去了。

"Will you come thisway, sir?" she said.

I followed her into thedrawing-room. The blinds were partly drawn to darken the room, and Mrs.Strickland was sitting with her back to the light. Her brother-in-law, ColonelMacAndrew, stood in front of the fireplace, warming his back at an unlit fire.To myself my entrance seemed excessively awkward. I imagined that my arrivalhad taken them by surprise, and Mrs. Strickland had let me come in only becauseshe had forgotten to put me off. I fancied that the Colonel resented theinterruption.

"I wasn't quite sure ifyou expected me, " I said, trying to seem unconcerned.

"Of course I did. Annewill bring the tea in a minute. "

Even in the darkened room, Icould not help seeing that Mrs. Strickland's face was all swollen with tears.Her skin, never very good, was earthy.

"You remember mybrother-in-law, don't you? You met at dinner, just before the holidays. "

We shook hands. I felt soshy that I could think of nothing to say, but Mrs. Strickland came to myrescue. She asked me what I had been doing with myself during the summer, andwith this help I managed to make some conversation till tea was brought in. TheColonel asked for a whisky-and-soda.

"You'd better have onetoo, Amy, " he said.

"No; I prefer tea."

“请您跟我来，先生，”她说。

我跟在她后面走进客厅。为了使室内光线暗淡，窗帘没有完全拉开。思特里克兰德太太的姐夫麦克安德鲁上校正站在壁炉前面，在没有燃旺的火炉前边烤自己的脊背。我觉得我闯进来是一件极其尴尬的事。我猜想我到这里来一定很出他们意料之外，思特里克兰德太太只是忘记同我另外约会日子才不得不让我进来。我还想，上校一定为我打扰了他们非常生气。

“我不太清楚，你是不是等着我来，”我说，故意装作一副若无其事的样子。

“当然我在等着你。安妮马上就把茶拿来。”

尽管屋子里光线很暗，我也看出来思特里克兰德太太的眼睛已经哭肿了。她的面色本来就不太好，现在更是变成土灰色了。

“你还记得我的姐夫吧？度假以前，你在这里吃饭的那天和他见过面。”

我们握了握手。我感到忐忑不安，想不出一句好说的话来。但是思特里克兰德太太解救了我；她问起我怎样消夏的事。有她提了这个头，我多少也找到些话说，直捱到使女端上茶点来。上校要了一杯苏打威士忌。

“你最好也喝一杯，阿美，”他说。

“不，我还是喝茶吧。”

And this news was slightlydisconcerting to me personally, because I had written from the country to Mrs.Strickland, announcing my return, and had added that unless I heard from her tothe contrary, I would come on a certain day to drink a dish of tea with her.This was the very day, and I had received no word from Mrs. Strickland. Did shewant to see me or did she not? It was likely enough that in the agitation ofthe moment my note had escaped her memory. Perhaps I should be wiser not to go.On the other hand, she might wish to keep the affair quiet, and it might behighly indiscreet on my part to give any sign that this strange news hadreached me. I was torn between the fear of hurting a nice woman's feelings andthe fear of being in the way. I felt she must be suffering, and I did not wantto see a pain which I could not help; but in my heart was a desire, that I felta little ashamed of, to see how she was taking it. I did not know what to do.

Finally it occurred to methat I would call as though nothing had happened, and send a message in by themaid asking Mrs. Strickland if it was convenient for her to see me. This wouldgive her the opportunity to send me away. But I was overwhelmed withembarrassment when I said to the maid the phrase I had prepared, and while Iwaited for the answer in a dark passage I had to call up all my strength ofmind not to bolt. The maid came back. Her manner suggested to my excited fancya complete knowledge of the domestic calamity.

除此以外，这个新闻也给我个人添了点儿小麻烦。原来我在乡下就给思特里克兰德太太写了信，通知她我回伦敦的日期，并且在信中说好如果她不回信另作安排的话，我将在某月某日到她家去吃茶。我遇见瓦特尔芙德小姐正是在这一天，可是思特里克兰德太太并没有给我捎什么信来。她到底想不想见我呢？非常可能，她在心绪烦乱中把我信里订的约会忘到脑后了。也许我应该有自知之明，不去打扰她。可是另一方面，她也可能想把这件事瞒着我，如果我叫她猜出来自己已经听到这件奇怪的消息，那就太不慎重了。我既怕伤害这位夫人的感情，又怕去她家作客惹她心烦，心里非常矛盾。我知道她这时一定痛苦不堪，我不愿意看到别人受苦，自己无力替她分忧；但另一方面我又很想看一看思特里克兰德太太对这件事有何反应，尽管我对这个想法自己也觉得不好意思。我真不知道该怎么办好了。

最后我想了个主意：我应该象什么事也没发生那样到她家去，先叫使女进去问一声，思特里克兰德太太方便不方便会客。如果她不想见我，就可以把我打发走了。尽管如此，在我对使女讲起我事前准备的一套话时，我还是窘得要命。当我在幽暗的过道里等着回话的当儿，我不得不鼓起全部勇气才没有中途溜掉。使女从里面走出来。也可能是我过于激动，胡乱猜想，我觉得从那使女的神情看，好象她已经完全知道这家人遭遇的不幸了。

Miss Waterford certainlyfelt that she could not do her subject justice on the curb of Jermyn Street,and so, like an artist, flung the bare fact at me and declared that she knew nodetails. I could not do her the injustice of supposing that so trifling acircumstance would have prevented her from giving them, but she was obstinate.

"I tell you I knownothing, " she said, in reply to my agitated questions, and then, with anairy shrug of the shoulders: "I believe that a young person in a citytea-shop has left her situation. "

She flashed a smile at me,and, protesting an engagement with her dentist, jauntily walked on. I was moreinterested than distressed. In those days my experience of life at first handwas small, and it excited me to come upon an incident among people I knew ofthe same sort as /ai/ had read in books. I confess that time has now accustomed meto incidents of this character among my acquaintance. But I was a littleshocked. Strickland was certainly forty, and I thought it disgusting that a manof his age should concern himself with affairs of the heart. With thesuperciliousness of extreme youth, I put thirty-five as the utmost limit atwhich a man might fall in love without making a fool of himself.

瓦特尔芙德小姐肯定觉得，在杰尔敏大街马路边上讲这个故事太辱没这样一个好题目，所以她只是象个艺术家似地把主题抛出来，宣称她并不知道细节。而我却不能埋没她的口才，认为根本无需介意的环境竟会妨碍她给我讲述故事。但是她还是执拗地不肯讲。

“我告诉你我什么也不知道，”她回答我激动的问题说，接着，很俏皮地耸了耸肩膀，又加了一句：“我相信伦敦哪家茶点店准有一位年轻姑娘把活儿辞了。”

她朝我笑了一下，道歉说同牙医生约定了时间，便神气十足地扬长而去。这个消息与其说叫我难过，不如说使我很感兴趣。在那些日子里我的见闻还很少是亲身经历的第一手材料，因此在我碰到这样一件我在书本里阅读到的故事时，觉得非常兴奋。我承认，现在时间和阅历已经使我习惯于在我相识的人中遇到这类事情了。但是我当时还有一种惊骇的感觉。思特里克兰德那一年一定已经有四十岁了，我认为象他这样年纪的人再牵扯到这种爱情瓜葛中未免令人作呕。在我当时年幼无知，睥睨一切的目光中，一个人陷入爱情而又不使自己成为笑柄，三十五岁是最大的年限。

When I reflect on all thathappened later, I ask myself if I was thick-witted not to see that there was inCharles Strickland at least something out of the common. Perhaps. I think thatI have gathered in the years that intervene between then and now a fairknowledge of mankind, but even if when I first met the Stricklands /ai/ had theexperience which I have now, I do not believe that I should have judged themdifferently. But because I have learnt that man is incalculable, I should notat this time of day be so surprised by the news that reached me when in theearly autumn I returned to London.

I had not been back twenty-fourhours before I ran across Rose Waterford in Jermyn Street.

"You look very gay andsprightly, " I said. "What's the matter with you?"

She smiled, and her eyesshone with a malice I knew already. It meant that she had heard some scandalabout one of her friends, and the instinct of the literary woman was all alert.

"You did meet CharlesStrickland, didn't you?"

Not only her face, but herwhole body, gave a sense of alacrity. I nodded. I wondered if the poor devilhad been hammered on the Stock Exchange or run over by an omnibus.

"Isn't it dreadful?He's run away from his wife. "

当我想到后来发生的种种事情时，不禁自问：是不是当初我过于迟钝，没有看出查理斯·思特里克兰德身上与常人不同的地方啊？也许是这样的。从那个时候起到现在已经过了这么多年，在此期间我对人情世故知道了不少东西，但是即使当初我认识他们夫妇时就已经有了今天的阅历，我也不认为我对他们的判断就有所不同。只不过有一点会和当年不一样：在我了解到人是多么玄妙莫测之后，我今天决不会象那年初秋我刚刚回到伦敦时那样，在听到那个消息以后会那样大吃一惊了。

回到伦敦还不到二十四小时，我就在杰尔敏大街上遇见了柔斯·瓦特尔芙德。

“看你今天这么喜气洋洋的样子，”我说，“有什么开心的事啊？”

她笑了起来，眼睛流露出一道我早已熟悉的幸灾乐祸的闪光。这意味着她又听到她的某个朋友的一件丑闻，这位女作家的直觉已经处于极度警觉状态。

“你看见过查理斯·思特里克兰德，是不是？”

不仅她的面孔，就连她的全身都变得非常紧张。我点了点头。我怀疑这个倒霉鬼是不是在证券交易所蚀了老本儿，要不就是让公共汽车轧伤了。

“你说，是不是太可怕了？他把他老婆扔了，跑掉了。”