月亮和六便士 第四十二章(4)

 The final impression I received was of a prodigious¹ effort to express some state of the soul, and in this effort, 他的这些画给我的最后一个印象是他为了表现某一精神境界所作的惊人的努力。

I fancied, must be sought the explanation of what so utterly² perplexed³ me. 我认为，要想解释他的作品为什么使我这样惶惑莫解，也必须从这一角度去寻找答案。

It was evident that colours and forms had a significance for Strickland that was peculiar⁴ to himself. 对于思特里克兰德，色彩和形式显然具有一种独特的意义。

He was under an intolerable necessity to convey something that he felt, and he created them with that intention alone. 他几乎无法忍受地感到必须把自己的某种感受传达给别人；这是他进行创作的唯一意图。

He did not hesitate to simplify or to distort if he could get nearer to that unknown thing he sought. 只要他觉得能够接近他追寻的事物，采用简单的线条也好，画得歪七扭八也好，他一点儿也不在乎。

Facts were nothing to him, for beneath the mass of irrelevant⁵ incidents he looked for something significant to himself. 他根本不考虑真实情况，因为他要在一堆互不相关的偶然的现象下面寻找他自己感到意义重大的事物。

It was as though he had become aware of the soul of the universe and were compelled to express it. 他好象已经抓到了宇宙的灵魂，一定要把它表现出来不可。

Though these pictures confused and puzzled me, I could not be unmoved by the emotion that was patent in them; 尽管这些画使我困惑、混乱，我却不能不被它们特有的热情所触动。

and, I knew not why, I felt in myself a feeling that with regard to Strickland was the last I had ever expected to experience. 我觉得看过这些画以后心里产生了一种感情，我绝没想到对思特里克兰德会有这样一种感情。

I felt an overwhelming compassion⁶. 我感到非常非常同情他。

"I think I know now why you surrendered to your feeling for Blanche Stroeve," I said to him. "Why?" “我想我现在懂得了，你为什么屈从于对勃朗什·施特略夫的感情了，”我对他说。“为什么？”

"I think your courage failed. “我想你失掉勇气了。

The weakness of your body communicated itself to your soul. 你肉体的软弱感染了你的灵魂。

I do not know what infinite yearning⁷ possesses you, 我不知道是怎样一种无限思慕之情把你攫在手中，

so that you are driven to a perilous⁸, lonely search for some goal where you expect to find a final release from the spirit that torments⁹ you. 逼着你走上一条危险的、孤独的道路，你一直在寻找一个地方，希望到达那里就可以使自己从那折磨着你的精灵手里解放出来。

I see you as the eternal pilgrim to some shrine¹⁰ that perhaps does not exist. 我觉得你很象一个终生跋涉的香客，不停地寻找一座可能根本不存在的神庙。

I do not know to what inscrutable Nirvana you aim. Do you know yourself? 我不知道你寻求的是什么不可思议的涅盘。你自己知道吗？

Perhaps it is Truth and Freedom that you seek, and for a moment you thought that you might find release in Love. 也许你寻找的是真理同自由，在一个短暂的时间里你认为或许能在爱情中获得解脱。

I think your tired soul sought rest in a woman's arms, and when you found no rest there you hated her. 我想，你的疲倦的灵魂可能期望在女人的怀抱里求得休憩，当你在那里没能找到的时候，你就开始恨她了。

You had no pity for her, because you have no pity for yourself. 你对她一点也不怜悯，因为你对自己就不怜悯。

And you killed her out of fear, because you trembled still at the danger you had barely escaped." 你把她杀死是因为惧怕，因为你还为你刚刚逃脱的危险而索索发抖呢。”

He smiled dryly and pulled his beard. 他揪着自己的胡子干笑了一下。

"You are a dreadful sentimentalist, my poor friend." “你真是个可怕的感伤主义者，可怜的朋友。”

A week later I heard by chance that Strickland had gone to Marseilles. I never saw him again. 一个星期以后，我偶然听说他已经到马赛去了。我再也没有看见过他。

1 prodigious   

adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的

参考例句：

• This business generates cash in prodigious amounts.这种业务收益丰厚。
• He impressed all who met him with his prodigious memory.他惊人的记忆力让所有见过他的人都印象深刻。

2 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

3 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

4 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。

5 irrelevant   

adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的

参考例句：

• That is completely irrelevant to the subject under discussion.这跟讨论的主题完全不相关。
• A question about arithmetic is irrelevant in a music lesson.在音乐课上，一个数学的问题是风马牛不相及的。

6 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

7 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。

8 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

9 torments   

（肉体或精神上的）折磨，痛苦( torment的名词复数 )； 造成痛苦的事物[人]

参考例句：

• He released me from my torments. 他解除了我的痛苦。
• He suffered torments from his aching teeth. 他牙痛得难受。

10 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。