月亮和六便士 第四十一章(2)

 The writer is more concerned to know than to judge. 作家更关心的是了解人性，而不是判断人性。

There was in my soul a perfectly¹ genuine horror of Strickland, and side by side with it a cold curiosity to discover his motives². 我的灵魂对思特里克兰德确实感到恐怖，但与恐怖并存的还有一种叫我心寒的好奇心：我想寻找出他行为的动机。

I was puzzled by him, and I was eager to see how he regarded the tragedy he had caused in the lives of people who had used him with so much kindness. 他使我困惑莫解，他对那些那么关怀他的人制造了一出悲剧，我很想知道他对自己一手制造的这出悲剧究竟抱什么态度。

I applied³ the scalpel boldly. 我大胆地挥舞起手术刀来。

"Stroeve told me that picture you painted of his wife was the best thing you've ever done." “施特略夫对我说，你给他妻子画的那幅画是你的最好的作品。”

Strickland took his pipe out of his mouth, and a smile lit up his eyes. 思特里克兰德把烟斗从嘴里拿出来，微笑使他的眼睛发出亮光。

"It was great fun to do." “画那幅画我非常开心。”

"Why did you give it him?" “为什么你要给他？”

"I'd finished it. It wasn't any good to me." “我已经画完了。对我没有用了。”

"Do you know that Stroeve nearly destroyed it?" “你知道施特略夫差点儿把它毁掉吗？”

"It wasn't altogether satisfactory." “那幅画一点儿也不令人满意。”

He was quiet for a moment or two, then he took his pipe out of his mouth again, and chuckled⁴. 他沉默了一会儿，接着又把烟斗从嘴里拿出来，呵呵地笑出声来。

"Do you know that the little man came to see me?" “你知道那个小胖子来找过我吗？”他说。

"Weren't you rather touched by what he had to say?" “他说的话没有使你感动吗？”

"No; I thought it damned silly and sentimental⁵." “没有。我觉得他的话软绵绵的非常傻气。”

"I suppose it escaped your memory that you'd ruined his life?" I remarked. “我想你大概忘了，是你把他的生活毁了的，”我说。

He rubbed his bearded chin reflectively. 他沉思地摩挲着自己长满胡须的下巴。

"He's a very bad painter." “他是个很蹩脚的画家。”

"But a very good man." “可是他是个很好的人。”

"And an excellent cook," Strickland added derisively⁶. “还是一个手艺高超的厨师，”思特里克兰德嘲弄地加添了一句。

His callousness⁷ was inhuman⁸, and in my indignation I was not inclined to mince⁹ my words. 他心肠冷酷到没有人性的地步，我气愤得要命，一点儿也不想给他留情面。

"As a mere¹⁰ matter of curiosity I wish you'd tell me, have you felt the smallest twinge of remorse¹¹ for Blanche Stroeve's death?" “我想你可以不可以告诉我——我问这个问题只是出于好奇——你对勃朗什·施特略夫的惨死良心上一点儿也不感到内疚吗？”

I watched his face for some change of expression, but it remained impassive. 我瞅着他的脸，看他的面容有没有什么变化，但是他的脸仍然毫无表情。

1 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

2 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

3 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

4 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。

5 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

6 derisively   

adv. 嘲笑地，嘲弄地

参考例句：

• This answer came derisively from several places at the same instant. 好几个人都不约而同地以讥讽的口吻作出回答。
• The others laughed derisively. 其余的人不以为然地笑了起来。

7 callousness   

参考例句：

• He remembered with what callousness he had watched her. 他记得自己以何等无情的态度瞧着她。 来自辞典例句
• She also lacks the callousness required of a truly great leader. 她还缺乏一个真正伟大领袖所应具备的铁石心肠。 来自辞典例句

8 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。

9 mince   

n.切碎物；v.切碎，矫揉做作地说

参考例句：

• Would you like me to mince the meat for you?你要我替你把肉切碎吗？
• Don't mince matters,but speak plainly.不要含糊其词，有话就直说吧。

10 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

11 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。