評論
打印
I don't know that he's very clever, she said one day, when I was looking at the photograph, "but I know he's good. He has a charming character."
“我想他不算太聰明，”有一天我正在看照片的時候，思特里克蘭德太太說，“但是我知道他是個好孩子。性格很可愛。”
The daughter was fourteen. Her hair, thick and dark like her mother's, fell over her shoulders in fine profusion, and she had the same kindly expression and sedate, untroubled eyes.
女兒十四歲。頭發同母親一樣，又粗又黑，濃密地披在肩膀上。溫順的臉相，端莊、明凈的眼睛也同母親活脫兒一樣。
They're both of them the image of you, I said.
“他們兩個人長得都非常象你，”我說。
Yes; I think they are more like me than their father.
“可不是，他們都更隨我，不隨他們的父親。”
Why have you never let me meet him? I asked.
“你為什么一直不讓我同他見面？”
Would you like to?
“你愿意見他嗎？”
She smiled, her smile was really very sweet, and she blushed a little; it was singular that a woman of that age should flush so readily. Perhaps her naivete was her greatest charm.
她笑了，她的笑容很甜，臉上微微泛起一層紅暈；象她這樣年紀的女人竟這么容易臉紅，是很少有的。也許她最迷人之處就在于她的純真。
You know, he's not at all literary, she said. "He's a perfect philistine."
“你知道，他一點兒也沒有文學修養，”她說，“他是個十足的小市民。”
She said this not disparagingly, but affectionately rather, as though, by acknowledging the worst about him, she wished to protect him from the aspersions of her friends.
她用這個詞一點兒也沒有貶抑的意思，相反地，倒是懷著一股深情，好象由她自己說出他最大的缺點就可以保護他不受她朋友們的挖苦以的。
He's on the Stock Exchange, and he's a typical broker. I think he'd bore you to death.
“他在證券交易所干事兒，是一個典型的經紀人。我猜想，他一定會叫你覺得很厭煩的。”
Does he bore you? I asked.
“你對他感到厭煩嗎？”
You see, I happen to be his wife. I'm very fond of him.
“你知道，我剛好是他的妻子。我很喜歡他。”
She smiled to cover her shyness, and I fancied she had a fear that I would make the sort of gibe that such a confession could hardly have failed to elicit from Rose Waterford. She hesitated a little. Her eyes grew tender.
她笑了一下，掩蓋住自己的羞澀。我想她可能擔心我會說一句什么打趣的話，換了柔斯·瓦特爾芙德，聽見她這樣坦白，肯定會挖苦諷刺幾句的。她躊躇了一會兒，眼神變得更加溫柔了。
He doesn't pretend to be a genius. He doesn't even make much money on the Stock Exchange. But he's awfully good and kind.
“他不想假充自己有什么才華。就是在證券交易所里他賺的錢也不多。但是他心地非常善良。”
I think I should like him very much.
“我想我會非常喜歡他的。”
I'll ask you to dine with us quietly some time, but mind, you come at your own risk; don't blame me if you have a very dull evening.
“等哪天沒有外人的時候，我請你來吃晚飯。但是我把話說在前頭，你可是自愿冒這個風險；如果這天晚上你過得非常無聊，可千萬不要怨我。”
