"I confess," said the doctor, turning to me, "that I hesitated. I did not relish fourteen kilometres over a bad pathway, and there was no chance that I could get back to Papeete that night. Besides, Strickland was not sympathetic to me. He was an idle, useless scoundrel, who preferred to live with a native woman rather than work for his living like the rest of us. Mon Dieu, how was I to know that one day the world would come to the conclusion that he had genius? I asked the girl if he was not well enough to have come down to see me. I asked her what she thought was the matter with him. She would not answer. I pressed her, angrily perhaps, but she looked down on the ground and began to cry. Then I shrugged my shoulders; after all, perhaps it was my duty to go, and in a very bad temper I bade her lead the way."
“說老實話，”醫生轉過頭來對我說，“我當時有些躊躇。在崎嶇不平的小路上來回走十四公里路，那滋味著實不好受，而且我也沒法當夜再趕回帕皮提了。此外，我對思特里克蘭德也沒有什么好感。他只不過是個游手好閑的懶漢，寧愿跟一個土著女人姘居，也不想象別人似地自己掙錢吃飯。我的上帝，我當時怎么知道，有一天全世界都承認他是個偉大天才呢？我問了問那個女孩子，他是不是病得很厲害，不能到我那兒去看病。我還問她，思特里克蘭德得的是什么病。但是她什么也不說。我又叮問了她幾句，也許還對她發了火，結果她眼睛看著地，撲簌簌地掉起眼淚來。我無可奈何地聳了聳肩膀。不管怎么說，給病人看病是醫生的職責，盡管我一肚子悶氣，還是跟著她去了。”
His temper was certainly no better when he arrived, perspiring freely and thirsty. Ata was on the look-out for him, and came a little way along the path to meet him.
庫特拉斯醫生走到目的地的時候，脾氣一點兒也不比出發的時候好，他走得滿身大汗，又渴又累。愛塔正在焦急地等著，還走了一段路來接他。
"Before I see anyone give me something to drink or I shall die of thirst," he cried out. "Pour l'amour de Dieu, get me a cocoa-nut."
“在我給任何人看病以前，先讓我喝點兒什么，不然我就渴死了，”醫生喊道，“看在上帝份兒上，給我摘個椰子來。”
She called out, and a boy came running along. He swarmed up a tree, and presently threw down a ripe nut. Ata pierced a hole in it, and the doctor took a long, refreshing draught. Then he rolled himself a cigarette and felt in a better humour.
愛塔喊了一聲，一個男孩子跑了過來，噌噌幾下就爬上一棵椰子樹，扔下一只成熟的椰子來。愛塔在椰子上開了一個洞，醫生痛痛快快地喝了一氣，這以后，他給自己卷了一很紙煙，情緒比剛才好多了。
"Now, where is the Red One?" he asked.
“紅毛在什么地方啊？”他問道。
"He is in the house, painting. I have not told him you were coming. Go in and see him."
“他在屋子里畫畫兒呢。我沒有告訴他你要來。你進去看看他吧。”
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