月亮和六便士 第十二章(3)

 　　Damn it all, there are your children to think of. They've never done you any harm.  “他妈的，你得想想自己的孩子啊。他们从来没有做过对不起你的事。

　　They didn't ask to be brought into the world. If you chuck everything like this, they'll be thrown on the streets. 他们不是自己要求到这个世界上来的。如果你这样把一家人都扔了，他们就只好流浪街头了。”

　　They've had a good many years of comfort. It's much more than the majority of children have.  “他们已经过了不少年舒服日子了。大多数孩子都没有享过这么大的福。

　　Besides, somebody will look after them. When it comes to the point, the MacAndrews will pay for their schooling¹." 再说，总有人养活他们。必要的时候，麦克安德鲁夫妇可以供他们上学的。”

　　But aren't you fond of them? They're such awfully² nice kids.  “可是，你难道不喜欢他们吗？你的两个孩子多么可爱啊！

　　Do you mean to say you don't want to have anything more to do with them? 你的意思是，你不想再同他们有任何关系了吗？”

　　I liked them all right when they were kids, but now they're growing up I haven't got any particular feeling for them. “孩子小的时候我确实喜欢他们，可是现在他们都长大了，我对他们没有什么特殊的感情了。”

　　It's just inhuman³. I dare say. “你简直太没有人性了。”“我看就是这样的。”

　　You don't seem in the least ashamed. I'm not. “你一点儿也不觉得害臊。”“我不害臊。”

　　I tried another tack⁴. 我想再变换一个手法。

　　Everyone will think you a perfect swine. Let them. “谁都会认为你是个没有人性的坏蛋。”“让他们这样想去吧。”

　　Won't it mean anything to you to know that people loathe⁵ and despise you? No. “所有的人都讨厌你、鄙视你，这对你一点儿都无所谓吗？”“无所谓。”

　　His brief answer was so scornful that it made my question, natural though it was, seem absurd. I reflected for a minute or two. 他那短得不能再短的回答使得我提出的问题（尽管我的问题提得很有道理）显得非常荒谬。我想了一两分钟。

　　I wonder if one can live quite comfortably when one's conscious of the disapproval⁶ of one's fellows?  “我怀疑，如果一个人知道自己的亲戚朋友都责骂自己，他能不能心安理得地活下去。

　　Are you sure it won't begin to worry you? Everyone has some sort of a conscience, and sooner or later it will find you out.  你准知道你就一点儿无动于衷吗？谁都不能没有一点儿良心，早晚你会受到良心谴责的。

　　Supposing your wife died, wouldn't you be tortured by remorse⁷? 假如你的妻子死了，你难道一点儿也不悔恨吗？”

　　He did not answer, and I waited for some time for him to speak. At last I had to break the silence myself. 他并没有回答我的问题，我等了一会儿，看他是不是开口。最后我不得不自己打破沉寂。

　　What have you to say to that? “你有什么要说的？”

　　Only that you're a damned fool. “我要说的只有一句：你是个大傻蛋。”

　　At all events, you can be forced to support your wife and children, I retorted, somewhat piqued⁸. "I suppose the law has some protection to offer them." “不管怎么说，法律可以强迫你扶养你的妻子儿女，”我有些生气地驳斥说，“我想法律会提出对他们的保障的。”

　　Can the law get blood out of a stone? I haven't any money. I've got about a hundred pounds. “法律能够从石头里榨出油来吗？我没有钱，只有百十来镑。”

1 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

2 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

3 inhuman   

adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的

参考例句：

• We must unite the workers in fighting against inhuman conditions.我们必须使工人们团结起来反对那些难以忍受的工作条件。
• It was inhuman to refuse him permission to see his wife.不容许他去看自己的妻子是太不近人情了。

4 tack   

n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝

参考例句：

• He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。
• We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。

5 loathe   

v.厌恶，嫌恶

参考例句：

• I loathe the smell of burning rubber.我厌恶燃着的橡胶散发的气味。
• You loathe the smell of greasy food when you are seasick.当你晕船时，你会厌恶油腻的气味。

6 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

7 remorse   

n.痛恨，悔恨，自责

参考例句：

• She had no remorse about what she had said.她对所说的话不后悔。
• He has shown no remorse for his actions.他对自己的行为没有任何悔恨之意。

8 piqued   

v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心）

参考例句：

• Their curiosity piqued, they stopped writing. 他们的好奇心被挑起，停下了手中的笔。 来自辞典例句
• This phenomenon piqued Dr Morris' interest. 这一现象激起了莫里斯医生的兴趣。 来自辞典例句