評論
打印
I wish you weren't so damned monosyllabic. Have you never had a moment's regret for all the unhappiness you caused them?
“我希望你別他媽的老說一個字。你給他們帶來這么多不幸，難道你就一分鐘也沒有后悔過？”
His lips broke into a smile, and he shook his head.
他咧開嘴笑了，搖了搖頭。
I should have thought sometimes you couldn't help thinking of the past. I don't mean the past of seven or eight years ago, but further back still, when you first met your wife, and loved her, and married her. Don't you remember the joy with which you first took her in your arms?
“我能想象得出，有時候你還是會不由自主地想起過去的。我不是說想起六七年以前的事，我是說更早以前，你和你妻子剛剛認識的時候，你愛她，同她結了婚。你難道就忘了第一次把她抱在懷里的時候你感到的喜悅？”
I don't think of the past. The only thing that matters is the everlasting present.
“我不想過去。對我說來，最重要的是永恒的現在。”
I thought for a moment over this reply. It was obscure, perhaps, but I thought that I saw dimly his meaning.
我想了想他這句答話的意思。也許他的語義很隱晦，但是我想我還是懂得他大概指的是什么了。
Are you happy? I asked.
“你快活嗎？”我問。
Yes.
“當然了。”
I was silent. I looked at him reflectively. He held my stare, and presently a sardonic twinkle lit up his eyes.
我沒有說什么。我沉思地凝視著他。他也目不轉睛地望著我，沒過一會兒他的眼睛又閃爍起譏笑的光芒。
I'm afraid you disapprove of me?
“我想你對我有點兒意見吧？”
Nonsense, I answered promptly; "I don't disapprove of the boa-constrictor; on the contrary, I'm interested in his mental processes."
“你這話問得沒意義，”我馬上接口說，“我對蟒蛇的習性并不反對，相反地我對它的心理活動倒很感興趣。”
It's a purely professional interest you take in me?
“這么說來，你純粹是從職業的角度對我發生興趣啰？”
Purely.
“純粹是這樣。”
It's only right that you shouldn't disapprove of me. You have a despicable character.
“你不反對我是理所當然的，你的性格也實在討厭。”
Perhaps that's why you feel at home with me, I retorted.
“也許這正是你同我在一起感到很自然的原故，”我反唇相譏說。
He smiled dryly, but said nothing. I wish I knew how to describe his smile. I do not know that it was attractive, but it lit up his face, changing the expression, which was generally sombre, and gave it a look of not ill-natured malice. It was a slow smile, starting and sometimes ending in the eyes; it was very sensual, neither cruel nor kindly, but suggested rather the inhuman glee of the satyr. It was his smile that made me ask him:
他只干笑了一下，沒說什么。我真希望我能形容一下兒他笑的樣子。我不敢說他的笑容多么好看，但是他一笑起來，臉就泛起光彩，使他平時總是陰沉著的面容改了樣子，平添了某種刁鉆刻薄的神情。他的笑容來得很慢，常常是從眼睛開始也就消失在眼梢上。另外，他的微笑給人以一種色欲感，既不是殘忍的，也不是仁慈的，令人想到森林之神的那種獸性的喜悅。正是他的這種笑容使我提出一個問題。
