評論
打印
When Blanche quarrelled with Strickland she had only to leave him, and her husband was waiting humbly to forgive and forget. I was not prepared to feel any great sympathy for her.
當勃朗什同思特里克蘭德吵了架以后，她只有離開他一條路好走，而她丈夫卻在低聲下氣地等著，準備原諒她，把過去的事忘掉。我對勃朗什是不想寄予很大同情的。
You see, you don't love her, said Stroeve.
“你知道，你是不喜歡她的。”施特略夫說。
After all, there's nothing to prove that she is unhappy. For all we know they may have settled down into a most domestic couple.
“歸根結底，現在還沒有跡象說明她生活得不幸福。據我們所知道，說不定這兩人已經象夫妻一樣過起日子來了。”
Stroeve gave me a look with his woeful eyes.
施特略夫用他那對愁苦的眼睛瞪了我一眼。
Of course it doesn't much matter to you, but to me it's so serious, so intensely serious.
“當然了，這對你是無所謂的，可是對我說，這件事很重要，極端重要。”
I was sorry if I had seemed impatient or flippant.
如果當時我的神色有些不耐煩，或者不夠嚴肅，我是有點兒對不起施特略夫的。
Will you do something for me? asked Stroeve.
“你愿意不愿意替我做一件事？”施特略夫問我。
Willingly.
“愿意。”
Will you write to Blanche for me?
“你能不能替我給勃朗什寫一封信？”
Why can't you write yourself?
“你為什么自己不寫呢？”
I've written over and over again. I didn't expect her to answer. I don't think she reads the letters.
“我已經寫了不知多少封了。我早就想到她不會回信。我猜我寫的那些信她根本就不看。”
You make no account of feminine curiosity. Do you think she could resist?
“你沒有把婦女的好奇心考慮在內。你認為她抵拒得了自己的好奇心嗎？”
She could—mine.
“她沒有好奇心——對于我。”
I looked at him quickly. He lowered his eyes. That answer of his seemed to me strangely humiliating. He was conscious that she regarded him with an indifference so profound that the sight of his handwriting would have not the slightest effect on her.
我很快地看了他一眼。他垂下了眼皮。他的這句回答我聽著有一種奇怪的自暴自棄的味道。他清楚地意識到她對他冷漠到極點，見到他的筆跡一絲一毫的反響也沒有。
Do you really believe that she'll ever come back to you? I asked.
“你真的相信有一天她會回到你身邊來嗎？”我問道。
I want her to know that if the worst comes to the worst she can count on me. That's what I want you to tell her.
“我想叫她知道，萬一有什么不幸的事情發生，她還是可以指望我的。我要讓你寫信告訴她的就是這一點。”
I took a sheet of paper.
我拿出來一張信紙。
What is it exactly you wish me to say?
“你要說的具體是什么？”
This is what I wrote:
下面是我寫的信：
Dear Mrs. Stroeve, Dirk wishes me to tell you that if at any time you want him he will be grateful for the opportunity of being of service to you. He has no ill-feeling towards you on account of anything that has happened. His love for you is unaltered. You will always find him at the following address:
親愛的施特略夫太太：戴爾克讓我告訴你，不論任何時候如果你要他做什么事，他將會非常感激你給他一個替你效勞的機會。對于已經發生的事，他對你并無嫌怨。他對你的愛情始終如一。你在下列地址隨時可以和他取得聯系。
