評論
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"Did you get what you wanted?" he asked.
“買到你要買的東西了嗎？”他問。
"No."
“沒有。”
We walked on in silence, and then came to a place where several streets met. I stopped at the curb.
我們又一聲不響地往前走，最后走到一處幾條路交叉的路口。我在馬路邊上停下來。
"Which way do you go?" I enquired.
“你往哪邊走？”我問他。
"Your way," he smiled.
“同你走一條路。”
"I'm going home."
“我回家。”
"I'll come along with you and smoke a pipe."
“我到你那里去抽一斗煙。”
"You might wait for an invitation," I retorted frigidly.
“你總得等人請你吧。”我冷冷地說。
"I would if I thought there was any chance of getting one."
“要是我知道有被邀請的可能我就等著了。”
"Do you see that wall in front of you?" I said, pointing.
“你看到前面那堵墻了嗎？”我問，向前面指了一下。
"Yes."
“看到了。”
"In that case I should have thought you could see also that I don't want your company."
“要是你還有這種眼力，我想你也就會看到我并不歡迎你了。”
"I vaguely suspected it, I confess."
“說老實話，我猜到了這一點。”
I could not help a chuckle. It is one of the defects of my character that I cannot altogether dislike anyone who makes me laugh. But I pulled myself together.
我噗哧地一聲笑了。我不能討厭一個能惹我發笑的人，這也許是我性格上的一個弱點。但是我馬上就繃起臉來。
"I think you're detestable. You're the most loathsome beast that it's ever been my misfortune to meet. Why do you seek the society of someone who hates and despises you?"
“我覺得你是一個非常討厭的人。我怎么會那么倒霉，認識了你這么一個最惹人嫌的東西。你為什么偏偏要纏著一個討厭你、看不起你的人呢？”
"My dear fellow, what the hell do you suppose I care what you think of me?"
“你以為我很注意你對我的看法嗎，老兄？”
"Damn it all," I said, more violently because I had an inkling my motive was none too creditable, "I don't want to know you."
“真見鬼！”我說，因為感覺到我的動機一點也站不住腳，反而裝出一副更加氣憤的樣子。“我不想認識你。”
"Are you afraid I shall corrupt you?"
“你怕我會把你帶壞了嗎？”
His tone made me feel not a little ridiculous. I knew that he was looking at me sideways, with a sardonic smile.
他的語氣讓我覺得自己非常可笑。我知道他正斜著眼睛看我，臉上帶著譏嘲的笑容。
"I suppose you are hard up," I remarked insolently.
“我猜想你手頭又窘了吧！”我傲慢地說。
"I should be a damned fool if I thought I had any chance of borrowing money from you."
“要是我還認為有希望從你手里借到錢，我真是個大傻瓜了。”
"You've come down in the world if you can bring yourself to flatter."
“要是你硬逼著自己討別人喜歡，那說明你現在已經窮得沒有辦法了。”
He grinned.
他咧開嘴笑了笑。
"You'll never really dislike me so long as I give you the opportunity to get off a good thing now and then."
“只要我不時地能叫你開開心，你是永遠也不會真正討厭我的。”
I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from laughing. What he said had a hateful truth in it, and another defect of my character is that I enjoy the company of those, however depraved, who can give me a Roland for my Oliver. I began to feel that my abhorrence for Strickland could only be sustained by an effort on my part. I recognised my moral weakness, but saw that my disapprobation had in it already something of a pose; and I knew that if I felt it, his own keen instinct had discovered it, too. He was certainly laughing at me up his sleeve. I left him the last word, and sought refuge in a shrug of the shoulders and taciturnity.
我不能不咬住嘴唇才憋著沒有笑出來。他說的話盡管可惡，卻有一定的真實性。此外，我的性格還有一個弱點：不論什么人，盡管道德上非常墮落，但只要能夠和我唇槍舌劍，針鋒相對，我還是愿意同他在一起的。我開始覺得我對思特里克蘭德的厭惡只有靠我單方面努力才能維持下去。我認識到我精神上的弱點，看到我對他的態度實在有點兒裝腔作勢。而且我還知道，如果我自己已經感覺到這點，思特里克蘭德的敏銳的觀察力是不會看不到的。他肯定正在暗暗地笑我呢。我聳了聳肩膀，沒有再說什么，讓他在這場舌戰中占了上風。
