月亮和六便士 第三十六章

 Chapter 36 第三十六章

The next week was dreadful. 这以后的一个星期简直是一场噩梦。

Stroeve went twice a day to the hospital to enquire¹ after his wife, who still declined to see him; 施特略夫每天去医院两次探听妻子的病况，勃朗什始终不肯见他。

and came away at first relieved and hopeful because he was told that she seemed to be growing better, 头几天他从医院回来心情比较宽慰，而且满怀希望，因为医院的人对他讲，勃朗什似乎日趋好转；

and then in despair because, the complication which the doctor had feared having ensued, recovery was impossible. 但是几天以后，施特略夫便陷入痛苦绝望中，医生所担心的并发症果然发生了，病人看来没有希望了。

The nurse was pitiful to his distress², but she had little to say that could console him. 护士对施特略夫非常同情，但是却找不到什么安慰他的言词。

The poor woman lay quite still, refusing to speak, with her eyes intent, as though she watched for the coming of death. 病人只是一动不动地躺在床上，一句话也不说，两眼凝视着半空，好象在望着死神的降临。

It could now be only the question of a day or two; 看来这个可怜的女人只有一两天的活头儿了。

and when, late one evening, Stroeve came to see me I knew it was to tell me she was dead. 一天晚上，已经很晚了，施特略夫走来看我。不等他开口，我就知道他是来向我报告病人的死讯的。

He was absolutely exhausted³. His volubility had left him at last, and he sank down wearily on my sofa. 施特略夫身心交瘁到了极点。往日他总是滔滔不绝地同我讲话，这一天却一语不发，一进屋子就疲劳不堪地躺在我的沙发上。

I felt that no words of condolence availed, and I let him lie there quietly. 我觉得无论说什么安慰的话也无济于事，便索性让他一声不响地躺在那里。

I feared he would think it heartless if I read, so I sat by the window, smoking a pipe, till he felt inclined to speak. 我想看点书，又怕他认为我太无心肝，于是我只好坐在窗户前边默默地抽烟斗，等着他什么时候愿意开口再同他讲话。

You've been very kind to me, he said at last. "Everyone's been very kind." “你对我太好了，”最后他说，“没有一个人不对我好的。”

Nonsense, I said, a little embarrassed. “别胡说了，”我有些尴尬地说。

At the hospital they told me I might wait. “刚才在医院里他们对我说我可以等着。

They gave me a chair, and I sat outside the door. 他们给我搬来一把椅子，我就在病房外边坐着。

When she became unconscious they said I might go in. 等到她已经不省人事的时候他们叫我进去了。

Her mouth and chin were all burnt by the acid. 她的嘴和下巴都被酸液烧伤了。

It was awful to see her lovely skin all wounded. 看到她那可爱的皮肤满是伤痕真叫人心痛极了。

She died very peacefully, so that I didn't know she was dead till the sister told me. 她死得非常平静，还是护士告诉了我我才知道她已经死了。”

He was too tired to weep. 他累得连哭的力气都没有了。

He lay on his back limply, as though all the strength had gone out of his limbs, and presently I saw that he had fallen asleep. 他浑身瘫软地仰面躺着，好象四肢的力量都已枯竭，没过一会儿便昏昏沉沉地睡着了。

It was the first natural sleep he had had for a week. 这是一个星期以来他第一次不靠吃安眠药自己进入了梦乡。

Nature, sometimes so cruel, is sometimes merciful. 自然对人有时候很残忍，有时候又很仁慈。

I covered him and turned down the light. 我给他盖上被，把灯熄掉。

In the morning when I awoke he was still asleep.  第二天早晨我醒来的时候他仍然没有睡醒。

He had not moved. His gold-rimmed spectacles were still on his nose. 他一夜连身都没翻，金边眼镜一直架在鼻梁上。

1 enquire   

v.打听，询问；调查，查问

参考例句：

• She wrote to enquire the cause of the delay.她只得写信去询问拖延的理由。
• We will enquire into the matter.我们将调查这事。

2 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

3 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。