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Tiare paused to take breath.
蒂阿瑞停下來喘了一口氣。
"It was then he told me of his wife in England. 'My poor Strickland,' I said to him, 'they've all got a wife somewhere; that is generally why they come to the islands. Ata is a sensible girl, and she doesn't expect any ceremony before the Mayor. She's a Protestant, and you know they don't look upon these things like the Catholics.'
“就在這個時候，他告訴我他在英國是有老婆的。‘我可憐的思特里克蘭德，’我對他說，‘他們在別的地方都有個外家；一般說來，這也是為什么他們到我們這些島上來的原故。愛塔是個通情達理的姑娘，她不要求當著市長的面舉行什么儀式。她是個耶穌教徒，你知道，信耶穌教的對待這種事不象信天主教的人那么古板。’”
"Then he said: 'But what does Ata say to it?' 'It appears that she has a beguin for you,' I said. 'She's willing if you are. Shall I call her?' He chuckled in a funny, dry way he had, and I called her. She knew what I was talking about, the hussy, and I saw her out of the corner of my eyes listening with all her ears, while she pretended to iron a blouse that she had been washing for me. She came. She was laughing, but I could see that she was a little shy, and Strickland looked at her without speaking."
“這時候他說道：‘那么愛塔對這件事有什么意見呢？’‘看起來，她對你很有情意，’我說，‘如果你愿意，她也會同意的。要不要我叫她來一下？’思特里克蘭德咯咯地笑起來，象他平常那樣，笑聲干干巴巴，樣子非常滑稽。于是我就把愛塔叫過來。愛塔知道剛才我在同思特里克蘭德談什么，這個騷丫頭；我一直用眼角盯著她，她假裝在給我熨一件剛剛洗過的罩衫，耳朵卻一個字不漏地聽著我們倆講話。她走到我面前，咯咯地笑著，但是我看得出來，她有一些害羞。思特里克蘭德打量了她一陣，沒有說什么。”
"Was she pretty?" I asked.
“她長得好看嗎？”我問。
"Not bad. But you must have seen pictures of her. He painted her over and over again, sometimes with a pareo on and sometimes with nothing at all. Yes, she was pretty enough. And she knew how to cook. I taught her myself. I saw Strickland was thinking of it, so I said to him: 'I've given her good wages and she's saved them, and the captains and the first mates she's known have given her a little something now and then. She's saved several hundred francs.'
“挺漂亮。但是你過去一定看到過她的畫兒了。他給她畫了一幅又一幅，有時候圍著一件帕利歐（當地人的服裝，一種用土布做的束腰），有時候什么都不穿。不錯，她長得蠻漂亮。她會做飯。是我親自教會她的。我看到思特里克蘭德正在琢磨這件事，我就對他說：‘我給她的工資很多，她都攢起來了。她認識的那些船長和大副有時候也送給她一點兒東西。她已經攢了好幾百法郎了。’”
