評論
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Mrs. Strickland was the daughter of an Indian civilian, who on his retirement had settled in the depths of the country, but it was his habit every August to take his family to Eastbourne for change of air; and it was here, when she was twenty, that she met Charles Strickland. He was twenty-three. They played together, walked on the front together, listened together to the nigger minstrels; and she had made up her mind to accept him a week before he proposed to her. They lived in London, first in Hampstead, and then, as he grew more prosperous, in town. Two children were born to them.
思特里克蘭德太太的父親在印度當過文職官吏，退休以后定居到英國偏遠的鄉(xiāng)間，但每年八月他總要帶著一家老小到伊思特堡恩去換一換環(huán)境。她就是在那里認識了查理斯·思特里克蘭德的。那一年她二十歲，思特里克蘭德二十三歲。他們一起打網(wǎng)球，在濱海大路上散步，聽黑人流浪歌手唱歌。在他正式提出以前一個星期她已經(jīng)決心接受他的求婚了。他們在倫敦定居下來，開始時住在漢普斯臺德區(qū)，后來他們的生活逐漸富裕起來，便搬到市區(qū)里來。他們有兩個孩子。
He always seemed very fond of them. Even if he was tired of me, I wonder that he had the heart to leave them. It's all so incredible. Even now I can hardly believe it's true.
“他好象一直很喜歡這兩個孩子。即使他對我厭倦了，我不理解他怎么會忍心把孩子也拋棄了。這一切簡直令人不能置信。到了今天我也不能相信這會是真事。”
At last she showed me the letter he had written. I was curious to see it, but had not ventured to ask for it.
最后她把他寫來的信拿出來給我看。我本來就有些好奇，可是一直沒敢大膽提出來。
"MY DEAR AMY,
I think you will find everything all right in the flat. I have given Anne your instructions, and dinner will be ready for you and the children when you come. I shall not be there to meet you. I have made up my mind to live apart from you, and I am going to Paris in the morning. I shall post this letter on my arrival. I shall not come back. My decision is irrevocable."
親愛的阿美：我想你會發(fā)現(xiàn)家中一切都已安排好。你囑咐安妮的事我都已轉(zhuǎn)告她。你同孩子到家以后晚飯會給你們準備好。我將不能迎接你們了。我已決心同你分居另過，明晨我就去巴黎。這封信我等到巴黎后再發(fā)出。我不回來了。我的決定不能更改了。
"Yours always,
CHARLES STRICKLAND."""
永遠是你的，查理斯·思特里克蘭德
Not a word of explanation or regret. Don't you think it's inhuman?
“沒有一句解釋的話，也絲毫沒有表示歉仄不安。你是不是覺得這人太沒有人性了？”
It's a very strange letter under the circumstances, I replied.
“在這種情況下這封信是很奇怪，”我回答。
There's only one explanation, and that is that he's not himself. I don't know who this woman is who's got hold of him, but she's made him into another man. It's evidently been going on a long time.
“只有一個解釋，那就是他人已經(jīng)變了。我不知道是哪個女人把他抓在手掌里，但是她肯定把他變成另外一個人了。事情非常清楚，這件事已經(jīng)進行了很長一段時間了。”
What makes you think that?
“你這么想有什么根據(jù)？”
Fred found that out. My husband said he went to the club three or four nights a week to play bridge. Fred knows one of the members, and said something about Charles being a great bridge-player. The man was surprised. He said he'd never even seen Charles in the card-room. It's quite clear now that when I thought Charles was at his club he was with her.
“弗雷德已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)了。我丈夫總是說每星期他要去俱樂部打三四個晚上橋牌。弗雷德認識那個俱樂部的一個會員，有一次同他說起查理斯喜歡打橋牌的事。這個人非常驚訝，他說他從來沒有在玩牌的屋子看見過查理斯。這就非常清楚了，我以為查理斯在俱樂部的時間，實際上他是在同那個女人廝混。”
