雙語·《刀鋒》 第五章 五

CHAPTER FIVE 5
第五章 五

My little party did not go too badly. Gray and Isabel arrived first；Larry and Sophie Macdonald five minutes later.Isabel and Sophie kissed each other warmly and Isabel and Gray congratulated her on her engagement.I caught the appraising sweep of the eyes with which Isabel took in Sophie's appearance.I was shocked at it.When I saw her in that dive in the Rue de Lappe, outrageously painted, with hennaed hair, in the bright green coat, though she looked outrageous and was very drunk, there was something provocative and even basely alluring in her；but now she looked drab and, though certainly a year or two younger than Isabel, much older.She still had that gallant tilt of her head, but now, I don't know why, it was pathetic.She was letting her hair go back to its natural colour and it had the slatternly look that hair has when it has been dyed and left to grow.Except for a streak of red on her lips she had no make-up on.Her skin was rough and it had an unhealthy pallor.I remembered how vividly green her eyes had looked, but now they were pale and grey.She wore a red dress, obviously brand-new, with hat, shoes, and bag to match；I don't pretend to know anything about women's clothes, but I had a feeling that it was fussy and too elaborate for the occasion.On her breast was a piece of showy artificial jewellery such as you buy in the Rue de Rivoli.Beside Isabel, in black silk, with a string of cultured pearls round her neck and in a very smart hat, she looked cheap and dowdy.
我舉辦的這個小宴會還是挺不錯的。格雷和伊莎貝爾先到；五分鐘后，拉里和索菲·麥克唐納也來了。伊莎貝爾和索菲親熱地互吻。之后，伊莎貝爾和格雷對她表示了祝賀，祝賀她跟拉里訂婚。寒暄間，只見伊莎貝爾飛眼將索菲打量了一遍。索菲的變化叫我看了吃驚。上次在拉佩街的那家咖啡館見到她時，她濃妝艷抹，頭發(fā)染成了紅色，穿一件亮色的綠上衣，神情放蕩，喝得醉醺醺的，渾身上下具有一種挑逗的味兒和狐貍精的媚勁。而現(xiàn)在她一臉的晦氣，雖然比伊莎貝爾小一兩歲，樣子卻比伊莎貝爾老許多。她雖然仍舊將頭揚得高高的，不知為什么，卻叫我覺得可憐。她的頭發(fā)正在恢復(fù)原色，顯出染過色的頭發(fā)和新長出的頭發(fā)雜在一起的那種邋遢相。除了嘴唇上涂了些口紅之外，她什么脂粉都沒有搽。她皮膚粗糙，呈現(xiàn)出不健康的蒼白色。記得她的眼珠是鮮亮的綠色，而現(xiàn)在卻變得暗淡無光了。她穿一件紅衣服，簇新簇新的，還配了同色的帽子、鞋子和手提包。對于女裝，我不能說自己是個內(nèi)行，但我總覺得她的這套行頭過于招搖和刺眼，不適合今天的聚會。她胸前戴了一件很俗麗的人造寶石首飾，就是里沃利街賣的那種大路貨。伊莎貝爾一身黑綢衣，頸上掛一串人工養(yǎng)殖的珍珠，頭戴一頂很漂亮的帽子，把她比得廉價和庸俗。

I ordered cocktails, but Larry and Sophie refused them. Then Elliott arrived.His progress through the vast foyer was, however, impeded by the hands he had to shake and the hands he had to kiss as he saw one person after the other whom he knew.He behaved as though the Ritz were his private house and he were assuring his guests of his pleasure that they had been able to accept his invitation.He had been told nothing about Sophie except she had lost her husband and child in a motor accident and was now going to marry Larry.When at last he reached us he congratulated them both with the elaborate graciousness of which he was a master.We went in to the dining-room and since we were four men and two women I placed Isabel and Sophie opposite one another at the round table, with Sophie between Gray and myself；but the table was small enough for the conversation to be general.I had already ordered the luncheon and the wine waiter came along with the wine card.
我點了雞尾酒，不過拉里和索菲都拒絕喝。后來，艾略特姍姍而至。穿過開闊的前廳時，遇見了一個個的熟人，于是他跟這位先生握握手，又在那位女士的手上吻兩下，那樣子就好像他是里茨飯店的東家，對光臨此處的客人們表示熱烈歡迎。索菲的事情，我們什么都沒有告訴他，只說她丈夫和孩子在車禍中死于非命，現(xiàn)在要跟拉里喜結(jié)良緣。當他最終走到我們面前時，他以自己最精通的那一套禮儀對二人表示祝賀，說出的話落落大方、滴水不漏。隨后，大家一道步入餐廳。我們共四男二女，于是我讓伊莎貝爾和索菲面對面圍圓桌而坐，我和格雷分坐在索菲的兩邊。桌子小，所以誰說話都可以聽得清。午宴是提前訂好的，專門侍奉酒水的侍者將酒單送了來。

“You don't know anything about wine, my dear fellow，”said Elliott.“Give me the wine card, Albert.”He turned over the pages.“I drink nothing but Vichy myself, but I can't bear to see people drink wine that isn't perfect.”
“你壓根就不懂酒，老伙計，”艾略特說，“把酒單給我，阿爾伯特?！彼幻娣茊危幻孢€說著話，“我自己只喝維奇礦泉水，但看到別人喝劣等酒，我會受不了的?！?/p>

He and Albert, the wine waiter, were old friends and after an animated discussion they decided on the wine I should give my guests. Then he turned to Sophie.
他跟侍奉酒水的侍者阿爾伯特是老朋友。二人經(jīng)過激烈討論，才把我應(yīng)當請客人喝什么酒一事決定了下來。隨后，他扭過頭來問索菲：

“And where are you going for your honeymoon, my dear?”
“你們準備到哪兒度蜜月呀，親愛的？”

He glanced at her dress and an almost imperceptible raising of his eyebrows showed me that he had formed an unfavourable opinion of it.
他瞧了一眼索菲的衣裝，幾乎不被人察覺地微微皺了皺眉頭，于是我判斷他對那套行頭看法不佳。

“We're going to Greece.”
“我們打算到希臘去。”

“I've been trying to get there for ten years，”said Larry，“but somehow I've never been able to manage it.”
“這十年里我一直都想到那兒去一趟，”拉里說，“可由于各種原因，始終未能成行?！?/p>

“It ought to be lovely at this time of the year，”said Isabel, with a show of enthusiasm.
“這個季節(jié)去，景色一定非常迷人?！币辽悹栵@出一副很感興趣的樣子說。

She remembered, as I remembered, that that was where Larry proposed to take her when he wanted her to marry him. It seemed to be an idée fixe with Larry to go to Greece on a honeymoon.
她和我都記得，當初拉里準備娶她為妻時，提出要帶她去的地方正是希臘。對拉里而言，希臘似乎成了度蜜月的必去之地。

The conversation flowed none too easily and I should have found it a difficult row to hoe if it hadn't been for Isabel. She was on her best behaviour.Whenever silence seemed to threaten us and I racked my brain for some-thing fresh to talk about, she broke in with facile chatter.I was grateful to her.Sophie hardly spoke except when she was spoken to and then it seemed an effort to her.The spirit had gone out of her.You would have said that something had died in her and I asked myself if Larry wasn't putting her to a strain greater than she could support.If as I suspected she had doped as well as drunk, the sudden deprivation must have worn her nerves to a frazzle.Sometimes I intercepted a look between them.In his I saw tenderness and encouragement, but in hers an appeal that was pathetic.It may be that Gray with his sweetness of disposition instinctively felt what I thought I saw, for he began to tell her how Larry had cured him of the headaches that had incapacitated him and went on to say how much he had depended on him and how much he owed him.
席間的談話進行得并不怎么容易，假如沒有伊莎貝爾出面幫襯，我都覺得難以應(yīng)付當時的場面了。她的表現(xiàn)極其值得稱道。一旦冷場的風險出現(xiàn)時，我便絞盡腦汁想發(fā)掘出一個新話題，她則站出來捧場，談笑風生。我對她心存感激。索菲幾乎不說話，只有別人跟她講話，她才勉強回應(yīng)幾句。她已經(jīng)沒有了精氣神，似乎一顆心如死灰一般。我心想可能是拉里在改造她時，對她約束過度，令她難以支撐。我懷疑她以前不但酗酒，而且也吸毒，而今突然戒酒戒毒，定會叫她處于崩潰的邊緣。有時候，只見二人你看我一眼，我望你一眼。拉里的眼神里含著溫存和鼓勵，索菲的眼里透露出的則是哀求，令人頓生惻隱之心。格雷天性忠厚，可能本能地覺察到了我所猜測的情況，于是就跟她聊起來，說他以前有頭疼病，什么事都做不了，后來拉里治愈了他，還說他現(xiàn)在都離不開拉里了，對拉里感恩不盡。

“Now I'm fit as a flea，”he continued.“As soon as ever I can get a job I'm going back to work. I've got several irons in the fire and I'm hoping to land something before long.Gosh, it'll be good to be back home again.”
“如今，我的身體非常棒，”他滔滔不絕地說著，“只要有機會，我就找工作干。目前正在和幾個地方接觸，希望不久便會有個眉目。啊，能回國去工作，該多么叫人開心呀。”

Gray meant well, but what he had said was perhaps not very tactful if, as I supposed, Larry to cure Sophie of her aggravated alcoholism had used with her the same method of suggestion-for that to my mind was what it was-that had been successful with Gray.
格雷倒是出于好心，可是他的話也許有些不分場合。我猜想，拉里曾用暗示術(shù)（我稱之為“暗示術(shù)”）醫(yī)治格雷，并取得了成功，現(xiàn)在又用同樣的方法醫(yī)治索菲酗酒的頑疾，就不知是否能奏效了。

“You never have headaches now, Gray?”asked Elliott.
“你現(xiàn)在一點也不頭疼了嗎，格雷？”

“I haven't had one for three months and if I think one's coming on I take hold of my charm and I'm all right.”He fished out of his pocket the ancient coin Larry had given him.“I wouldn't sell it for a million dollars.”
“三個月都沒有疼過了。萬一出現(xiàn)頭疼的苗頭，我就緊緊抓住我的護身符，便能轉(zhuǎn)危為安?！彼f著，從口袋里掏出了那枚拉里送給他的古幣，“這是寶貝，你就是給我一百萬塊錢我也不會賣的?！?/p>

We finished luncheon and coffee was served. The wine waiter came up and asked whether we wanted liqueurs.We all refused except Gray, who said he would have a brandy.When the bottle was brought Elliott insisted on looking at it.
飯后，咖啡端了上來。侍奉酒水的侍者走過來問我們還要不要喝點酒。我們都婉拒了，只有格雷說要一瓶白蘭地。酒送來時，艾略特一定要看看是什么牌子的。

“Yes, I can recommend it. That'll do you no harm.”
“不錯，我覺得不錯，對你只有好處沒有壞處?！?/p>

“A little glass for Monsieur?”asked the waiter.
“先生，你也來一小杯吧？”侍者問。

“Alas, it's forbidden me.”
“哎，我是不能喝的?！?/p>

Elliott told him at some length that he was having trouble with his kidneys and that his doctor would not allow him to drink alcohol.
隨后，艾略特便詳詳細細地告訴侍者，說他的腎功能不好，醫(yī)生不準他喝酒。

“A tear of zubrovka could do Monsieur no harm. It's well known to be very good for the kidneys.We have just received a consignment from Poland.”
“這兒有齊白露加酒，喝一點是不礙事的，先生。人人都知道這種酒對腎有好處。我們剛從波蘭進了一批貨?！?/p>

“Is that true?It's hard to get nowadays. Let me have a look at a bottle.”
“真的嗎？這種酒如今是很難弄到手的。你拿一瓶來我看看。”

The wine waiter, a portly, dignified creature with a long silver chain round his neck, went away to fetch it, and Elliott explained that it was the Polish form of vodka but in every way superior.
這位侍者胖乎乎的，有點氣質(zhì)，頸上掛了長長的一條銀項鏈，一聽這話，轉(zhuǎn)身就去拿酒了。艾略特解釋說齊白露加酒是波蘭的伏特加，各方面都勝似俄羅斯的伏特加。

“We used to drink it at the Radziwills when I stayed with them for the shooting. You should have seen those Polish princes putting it away；I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that they'd drink it by the tumbler without turning a hair.Good blood, of course；aristocrats to the tips of their fingers.Sophie, you must try it, and you too, Isabel.It's an experience no one can afford to miss.”
“當初住在拉齊維爾府上參加打獵時，我倒是常常喝這種酒。你們可是沒見那些波蘭王子們是怎樣豪飲的。真的，我可一點不夸張，他們大杯大杯地喝酒，眼皮都不眨一下。那可都是些金枝玉葉呀，從頭到腳都是皇族味。索菲，你一定要嘗上幾口。伊莎貝爾，你也一樣。這種機會失不再來?！?/p>

The wine waiter brought the bottle. Larry, Sophie, and I refused to be tempted, but Isabel said she would like to try it.I was surprised, for habitually she drank very little and she had had two cocktails and two or three glasses of wine.The waiter poured out a glass of pale green liquid and Isabel sniffed it.
那位侍者把酒拿了來。拉里、索菲和我都不愿沾唇。而伊莎貝爾說她想嘗幾口。我感到詫異，因為她平時的酒量是很小的，剛才已經(jīng)喝過兩杯雞尾酒和兩三杯葡萄酒了。侍者把那淡綠色的酒液倒了一杯，伊莎貝爾接過來聞了聞。

“Oh, what a lovely smell.”
“啊，酒香撲鼻呀。”

“Hasn't it?”cried Elliott.“That's the herbs they put in it；it's they that give it its delicate taste. Just to keep you company I'll have a drop.It can't hurt me for once.”
“是不是？”艾略特高聲說道，“這是因為他們在酒里加了一種草藥，讓酒的味道更加醇香。我來陪你喝一杯吧。喝一點點，對身體并無害處?！?/p>

“It tastes divine，”said Isabel.“It's like mother's milk. I've never tasted anything so good.”
“味道美極了，”伊莎貝爾贊不絕口，“真是像瓊漿玉液。這樣醇香的酒，以前從沒有喝到過?！?/p>

Elliott raised his glass to his lips.
艾略特把酒杯舉到唇邊。

“Oh, how it brings back the old days！You people who never stayed with the Radziwills don't know what living is. That was the grand style.Feudal, you know.You might have thought yourself back in the Middle Ages.You were met at the station by a carriage with six horses and postilions.And at dinner a footman in livery behind every person.”
“啊，舉杯在手，往事歷歷如在眼前！你們沒有在拉齊維爾府上住過，不知道什么是真正的生活。那種風格真是無與倫比。要知道，那是封建社會的回歸，仿佛又回到了中世紀。到車站去迎接你的是套著六匹馬的馬車以及專門的車夫。吃飯時，每個客人身后都站著個身穿制服的家仆伺候?！?/p>

He went on to describe the magnificence and luxury of the establishment and the brilliance of the parties；and the suspicion, doubtless unworthy, occurred to me that the whole thing was a put-up job between Elliott and the wine waiter to give Elliott an opportunity to discourse upon the grandeur of this princely family and the host of Polish aristocrats he hobnobbed with in their castle. There was no stopping him.
他繪聲繪色描述著王府紙醉金迷的生活以及豪華奢侈的宴會。我的心里突然冒出一個疑團（顯然是毫無根據(jù)的疑團），懷疑這是艾略特和那個侍者精心安排的一出戲，只是為了讓艾略特有機會吹噓吹噓那個王族以及他在王府結(jié)識的波蘭貴族們的燈紅酒綠的生活。他話匣子一打開，想攔都攔不住了。

“Another glass, Isabel?”
“再來一杯吧，伊莎貝爾？”

“Oh, I daren't. But it is heavenly.I'm so glad to know about it；Gray, we must get some.”
“哎呀，不敢再喝了。不過，這簡直像仙酒，喝了叫人心曠神怡。格雷，咱們也應(yīng)該買幾瓶。”

“I'll have some sent round to the apartment.”
“我叫人送幾瓶到你們家去?！?/p>

“Oh, Uncle Elliott, would you?”cried Isabel enthusiastically.“You are so kind to us. You must try it, Gray；it smells of freshly mown hay and spring flowers, of thyme and lavender, and it's soft on the palate and so comfort-able, it's like listening to music by moonlight.”
“真的嗎，艾略特舅舅？”伊莎貝爾樂不可支地叫了起來，“你對我們太好啦。格雷，勸你嘗一嘗。這酒聞起來像新割的稻草和春天的鮮花，像百里香和薰香草，味道柔和、爽口。喝這酒，就像在月光下聽音樂一般愜意?！?/p>

It was unlike Isabel to gush inordinately and I wondered if she was a trifle tight. The party broke up.I shook hands with Sophie.
她說話有點語無倫次，跟平時大不相同。我懷疑她喝醉了。筵席散時，我同索菲握手道別。

“When are you going to be married?”I asked her.
“你們什么時候結(jié)婚？”我問她。

“The week after next. I hope you'll come to the wedding.”
“下下個星期。希望你能來參加婚禮?！?/p>

“I'm afraid I shan't be in Paris. I'm leaving for London tomorrow.”
“恐怕那時候我不在巴黎。我明天就到倫敦去了。”

While I was saying good-bye to the rest of my guests Isabel took Sophie aside and talked to her for a minute, then turned to Gray.
當我和別的客人道別時，伊莎貝爾把索菲拉到一旁，跟她談了幾句話，然后轉(zhuǎn)向格雷說：

“Oh, Gray, I'm not coming home just yet. There's a dress show at Molyneux's and I'm taking Sophie to it.She ought to see the new models.”
“格雷，我現(xiàn)在還不打算回家去。莫利紐克斯服裝店那兒有個時裝展覽，我要帶索菲去看看。應(yīng)該讓她看看新式服裝。”

“I'd love to，”said Sophie.
“我很樂意去?！彼鞣普f。

We parted. I took Suzanne Rouvier out to dinner that night and next morning started for England.
大家就此分手。當晚，我?guī)K姍娜·魯維埃去吃了頓飯，第二天上午便起程前往英國了。