評論
打印
Well then, on that mercenary ground, will you agree to let me hector a little?
好吧，那么出于雇傭觀點，你肯讓我耍點兒威風(fēng)嗎？
No, sir, not on that ground, but, on the ground that you did forget it,
不，先生，不是出于那個理由。但出于你忘掉了雇傭觀點，
and that you care whether or not a dependent is comfortable in his dependency, I agree heartily.
卻關(guān)心你的下屬處于從屬地位心情是否愉快，我是完全肯的。
And will you consent to dispense with a great many conventional forms and phrases,
你會同意我省去很多陳規(guī)舊矩，
without thinking that the omission arises from insolence?
而不認為這出自于蠻橫嗎？
I am sure, sir, I should never mistake informality for insolence.
我肯定同意，先生。我決不會把不拘禮節(jié)錯當(dāng)蠻橫無理。
One I rather like, the other nothing free-born would submit to, even for a salary.
一個是我比較喜歡的，而另一個是任何一位自由人都不會屈從的，即使是為了賺取薪金。
Humbug! Most things free-born will submit to anything for a salary.
胡扯！為了薪金，大多數(shù)自由人對什么都會屈服。
Therefore, keep to yourself, and don't venture on generalities of which you are intensely ignorant.
因此，只說你自己吧，不要妄談普遍現(xiàn)象，你對此一無所知。
However, I mentally shake hands with you for your answer, despite its inaccuracy.
盡管你的回答并不確切，但因為它，我在心里同你握手言好。
And as much for the manner in which it was said, as for the substance of the speech;
同樣還因為你回答的內(nèi)容和回答的態(tài)度。
The manner was frank and sincere.
這種態(tài)度坦率誠懇。
One does not often see such a manner.
并不常見。
No, on the contrary, affectation, or coldness,
不，恰恰相反，矯揉造作或者冷漠無情，
or stupid, coarse-minded misapprehension of one's meaning are the usual rewards of candour.
或者對你的意思愚蠢而粗俗地加以誤解，常常是坦率正直所得到的報答。
Not three in three thousand raw school-girl-governesses would have answered me as you have just done.
三千個初出校門的女學(xué)生式家庭教師中，像你剛才那么回答我的不到三個。
But I don't mean to flatter you.
不過我無意恭維你。
If you are cast in a different mould to the majority, it is no merit of yours. Nature did it.
要說你是從跟大多數(shù)人不同的模子里澆制出來的，這不是你的功勞，而是造化的圣績。
And then, after all, I go too fast in my conclusions.
再說我的結(jié)論畢竟下得過于匆忙。
For what I yet know, you may be no better than the rest.
就我所知，你也未必勝過其他人。
You may have intolerable defects to counterbalance your few good points.
也許有難以容忍的缺點，抵銷你不多的長處。
“And so may you,” I thought.
“可能你也一樣，”我想，
My eye met his as the idea crossed my mind.
這想法掠過腦際時，他的目光與我的相遇了。
He seemed to read the glance, answering as if its import had been spoken as well as imagined.
他似乎已揣度出我眼神的含意，便作了回答，仿佛那含意不僅存在于想象之中，而且己經(jīng)說出口了。
"Yes, yes, you are right, "said he; “I have plenty of faults of my own.
“對，對，你說得對，”他說，“我自己也有很多過失。
I know it, and I don't wish to palliate them, I assure you.
我知道。我向你擔(dān)保，我不想掩飾。
God wot I need not be too severe about others.
上帝知道，我不必對別人太苛刻。
I have a past existence, a series of deeds, a colour of life to contemplate within my own breast,
我要反省往昔的經(jīng)歷、一連串行為和一種生活方式，
which might well call my sneers and censures from my neighbours to myself.
因此會招來鄰居的譏諷和責(zé)備。
