月亮和六便士 第二十三章(1)

 Chapter 23 第二十三章

I saw Strickland not infrequently, and now and then played chess with him. 我常常见到思特里克兰德，有时候同他下下棋。

He was of uncertain temper. 他的脾气时好时坏。

Sometimes he would sit silent and abstracted, taking no notice of anyone; 有些时候他神思不定地坐在那里，一言不发，任何人都不理；

and at others, when he was in a good humour, he would talk in his own halting way. 另外一些时候他的兴致比较好，就磕磕巴巴地同你闲扯。

He never said a clever thing, but he had a vein¹ of brutal² sarcasm³ which was not ineffective, and he always said exactly what he thought. 他说不出什么寓意深长的话来，但是他惯用恶毒的语言挖苦讽刺，不由你不被打动；此外，他总是把心里想的如实说出来，一点也不隐讳。

He was indifferent to the susceptibilities of others, and when he wounded them was amused. 他丝毫也不理会别人是否经受得住；如果他把别人刺伤了，就感到得意非常。

He was constantly offending Dirk Stroeve so bitterly that he flung away, vowing⁴ he would never speak to him again; 他总是不断刻薄戴尔克·施特略夫，弄得施特略夫气冲冲地走开，发誓再也不同他谈话了。

but there was a solid force in Strickland that attracted the fat Dutchman against his will, 但是在思特里克兰德身上却有一股强大的力量，这位肥胖的荷兰人身不由己地被它吸引着，

so that he came back, fawning⁵ like a clumsy dog, though he knew that his only greeting would be the blow he dreaded⁶. 最终还是跑了回来，象只笨拙的小狗一样向他摇尾巴，尽管他心里一清二楚，迎接他的将是他非常害怕的当头一棒。

I do not know why Strickland put up with me. 我不知道为什么思特里克兰德对我始终保留着情面。

Our relations were peculiar⁷.  我们两人的关系有些特殊。

One day he asked me to lend him fifty francs. I wouldn't dream of it, I replied. 有一天他开口向我借五十法郎。“这真是我连做梦也没想到的事，”我回答说。

Why not? It wouldn't amuse me. “为什么没有？”“这不是一件使我感到有趣的事。”

I'm frightfully hard up, you know. I don't care. “我已经穷得叮当响了，知道吧？”“我管不着。”

You don't care if I starve? “我饿死你也管不着吗？”

Why on earth should I? I asked in my turn. “我为什么要管呢？”我反问道。

He looked at me for a minute or two, pulling his untidy beard. I smiled at him. 他盯着我看了一两分钟，一面揪着他那乱蓬蓬的胡子。我对他笑了笑。

What are you amused at? he said, with a gleam of anger in his eyes. “你有什么好笑的？”他说，眼睛里闪现出一丝恼怒的神色。

You're so simple. “你这人太没心眼了。

You recognise no obligations. No one is under any obligation to you. 你从来不懂欠人家的情。谁也不欠你的情。”

Wouldn't it make you uncomfortable if I went and hanged myself because I'd been turned out of my room as I couldn't pay the rent? “如果我因为交不起房租被撵了出来，逼得去上了吊，你不觉得心里不安吗？”

Not a bit. He chuckled⁸. “一点也不觉得。”他咯咯地笑起来。

1 vein   

n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络

参考例句：

• The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
• The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。

2 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

3 sarcasm   

n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic）

参考例句：

• His sarcasm hurt her feelings.他的讽刺伤害了她的感情。
• She was given to using bitter sarcasm.她惯于用尖酸刻薄语言挖苦人。

4 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

5 fawning   

adj.乞怜的，奉承的v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的现在分词 )；巴结；讨好

参考例句：

• The servant worn a fawning smile. 仆人的脸上露出一种谄笑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Then, what submission, what cringing and fawning, what servility, what abject humiliation! 好一个低眉垂首、阿谀逢迎、胁肩谄笑、卑躬屈膝的场面！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

6 dreaded   

adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
• He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》

7 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

8 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。