雙語·《刀鋒》 第七章 五

CHAPTER SEVEN 5
第七章 五

I continued to see Suzanne Rouvier from time to time until an unexpected change in her condition caused her to leave Paris and she too went out of my life. One afternoon, roughly two years after the events that I have just related, having spent an hour pleasantly browsing over the books in the galleries of the Odéon and with nothing to do for a while, I thought I would call on Suzanne.I had not seen her for six months.She opened the door, a palette on her thumb and a paintbrush between her teeth, clad in a smock covered with paint.
我仍然時(shí)不時(shí)去看望看望蘇姍娜·魯維埃。后來，她的境遇發(fā)生了意想不到的變化，使她離開巴黎，也從我的生活中消失了。那是一天下午，大致在我敘述的那些事件發(fā)生兩年之后，我在奧德昂大劇院走廊的書攤前瀏覽書籍，很愜意地消磨了一個(gè)小時(shí)，后來覺著閑得無事可做，就想起去看望一下蘇姍娜。我已有半年時(shí)間沒有見她了。她開門時(shí)，手端調(diào)色板，嘴里銜著一支畫筆，穿一件罩衫，上面滿是油彩。

“Ah, c'est vous, cher ami. Entrez, je vous en prie.”
“啊，是您，親愛的朋友。請(qǐng)進(jìn)，請(qǐng)您進(jìn)來?！?/p>

I was a little surprised at this formal address, for generally we spoke to one another in the second person singular, but I stepped into the small room that served both as living-room and studio. There was a canvas on the easel.
她這樣客氣使我有點(diǎn)詫異，因?yàn)槲覀冎g一般只是以你我相稱。我跨進(jìn)那個(gè)既當(dāng)客廳又做畫室的小房間，見畫架上放了一幅油畫。

“I'm so busy, I don't know which way to turn, but sit down and I will go on with my work. I haven't a moment to waste.You wouldn't believe it, but I'm giving a one-man show at Meyerheim’s, and I have to get thirty canvases ready.”
“我忙得不可開交，簡(jiǎn)直都暈頭轉(zhuǎn)向了。你請(qǐng)坐吧，我得繼續(xù)工作了，一會(huì)兒都耽擱不得。說來你也不信，我要在邁耶海姆畫廊辦個(gè)人畫展，必須準(zhǔn)備三十幅畫參展?！?/p>

“At Meyerheim's?That's wonderful. How on earth have you managed that?”
“在邁耶海姆畫廊？這真了不起。你是怎樣做到的？”

For Meyerheim is not one of those fly-by-night dealers in the Rue de la Seine who have a small shop that is always on the verge of closing for lack of money to pay the rent. Meyerheim has a fine gallery on the moneyed side of the Seine and he has an international reputation.An artist whom he takes up is well on the way to fortune.
邁耶海姆畫廊可不是塞納路上的那些靠不住的小畫廊——那些野畫廊門面小，一缺錢付不起房租，就會(huì)關(guān)門大吉。邁耶海姆畫廊是一個(gè)很體面的畫廊，位于塞納河畔有錢人的地區(qū)，享有國(guó)際聲譽(yù)。一個(gè)畫家一旦被這家畫廊看中，就會(huì)走上通向成功的康莊大道。

“Monsieur Achille brought him to see my work and he thinks I have a lot of talent.”
“阿吉里先生帶邁耶海姆先生來看過我的畫，邁耶海姆先生認(rèn)為我很有才氣?！?/p>

“à d’autres, ma vieille，”I replied, which I think can best be translated by：“Tell that to the marines, old girl.”
“別吹了，老伙計(jì)?！蔽一亓艘痪?。我覺得這句話最好翻譯為：“鬼才會(huì)相信你的話，老伙計(jì)。”

She threw me a glance and giggled.
她瞥了我一眼，隨即撲哧笑出了聲。

“I'm going to be married.”
“我要嫁人了?！?/p>

“To Meyerheim?”
“嫁給邁耶海姆嗎？”

“Don't be an idiot.”She put down her brushes and her palette.“I've been working all day and I deserve a rest. Let us have a little glass of porto and I'll tell you all about it.”
“別犯傻！”她放下了畫筆和調(diào)色板說，“我畫畫畫了一整天，也該休息一下了。咱們不妨來杯波特酒，容我細(xì)細(xì)道來?！?/p>

One of the less agreeable features of French life is that you are apt to be pressed to drink a glass of vinegary port at an unseasonable hour. You must resign yourself to it.Suzanne fetched a bottle and two glasses, filled them, and sat down with a sigh of relief.
法國(guó)人的生活中也有令人不爽的一面——他們常常在最不恰當(dāng)?shù)臅r(shí)候逼你喝下一杯酸不拉嘰的波特酒。此時(shí)，你必須乖乖地從命。蘇姍娜取出一瓶酒和兩只杯子，把杯子斟滿，坐下來如釋重負(fù)地嘆了一口氣。

“I've been standing for hours and my varicose veins are aching. Well, it's like this.Monsieur Achille's wife died at the beginning of this year.She was a good woman and a good Catholic, but he did not marry her from inclination, he married her because it was good business, and though he esteemed and respected her it would be an exaggeration to say that her death left him inconsolable.His son is suitably married and is doing well in the firm and now a marriage has been arranged between his daughter and a count.Belgian it is true, but authentic, with a very pretty chateau in theneighbourhood of Namur.Monsieur Achille thought his poor wife would not wish the happiness of two young people to be deferred on her account, so the marriage, notwithstanding that they are in mourning, is to take place as soon as the financial arrangements are completed.Evidently Monsieur Achille will be lonely in that large house at Lille, and needs a woman not only to minister to his comfort, but also to run the important establishment necessary to his position.To cut a long story short, he has asked me to take the place of his poor wife, for as he very reasonably said：‘I married for the first time to eliminate competition between two rival firms, and I do not regret it, but there is no reason why I should not marry the second time to please myself.’”
“今天畫畫，一連站了幾個(gè)小時(shí)，站得我靜脈曲張、腿發(fā)痛。情況是這樣的。阿吉里先生的妻子今年年初去世了。她是個(gè)好人，也是個(gè)好天主教徒。不過，阿吉里先生娶她并非出于本意，而是出于對(duì)生意的考慮。他固然敬重她，但若說她的死令他痛不欲生，那就言過其實(shí)了。他兒子的婚姻門當(dāng)戶對(duì)，事業(yè)也干得風(fēng)生水起；他女兒的婚事亦安排妥當(dāng)，要嫁給一位伯爵——那伯爵雖說是比利時(shí)人，卻是貨真價(jià)實(shí)的貴族，在那慕爾附近有一座非常漂亮的城堡。阿吉里先生認(rèn)為，他妻子的在天之靈絕不愿因?yàn)樽约旱木壒实R了一雙兒女的幸福，于是決定不等服滿喪期，只要安排停當(dāng)就舉辦婚禮。里爾的房子那么大，只剩下了阿吉里先生一個(gè)人，孤零零的，顯然需要一個(gè)女人在身邊，照顧他的起居，料理事務(wù)——他那么有身份的人，勢(shì)必有重要的事務(wù)需要關(guān)照。長(zhǎng)話短說，他請(qǐng)求我代替他妻子的位置。他說的話入情入理：‘我第一次結(jié)婚是為了消除兩家對(duì)立公司的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)，為此我毫不后悔，但第二次婚姻就要合自己的心意，選自己喜歡的人了。’”

“I congratulate you，”said I.
“恭喜，恭喜。”我說。

“Evidently I shall miss my liberty. I have enjoyed it.But one has to think of the future.Between ourselves, I don't mind telling you that I shall never see forty again.Monsieur Achille is at a dangerous age；where should I be if he suddenly took it into his head to run after a girl of twenty?And then there is my daughter to think of.She is now sixteen and promises to be as beautiful as her father.I have given her a good education.But it is no good denying facts that stare you in the face；she has neither the talent to be an actress nor the temperament to be a whore like her poor mother：I ask you then, what has she to look forward to?A secretaryship or a job in the post office.Monsieur Achille has very generously agreed that she should live with us and has promised to give her a handsome dot so that she can make a good marriage.Believe me, my dear friend, people can say what they like, but marriage still remains the most satisfactory profession a woman can adopt.Obviously when my daughter's welfare was concerned I could not hesitate to accept a proposition even at the cost of certain satisfactions which in any case, as the years go by, I should find it more difficult to obtain；for I must tell you that when I am married I propose to be of a ferocious virtue（d'une vertu farouche），for my long experience has convinced me that the only basis of a happy marriage is complete fidelity on both sides.”
“代價(jià)是失去自由。我喜歡無拘無束的生活，但前途卻是不得不考慮的。不瞞你說，我馬上就要步入不惑之年了。阿吉里先生正在危險(xiǎn)的年齡段，萬一他突發(fā)奇想，去追求一個(gè)二十歲的大姑娘，那該如何是好？我還得為我的女兒想一想。她今年十六歲，水靈靈的，越長(zhǎng)越像她爸爸。我讓她接受了良好的教育固然不錯(cuò)，但殘酷的現(xiàn)實(shí)擺在你面前不容忽視：她既沒有當(dāng)演員的天賦，也沒有她可憐母親的那種氣質(zhì)去當(dāng)妓女。那我問你，她有什么盼頭呢？末了只好給人家當(dāng)秘書，或者在郵局里謀個(gè)差事。阿吉里先生極其慷慨，同意讓她和我們住在一起，并且答應(yīng)給她一筆豐厚的奩資，使她能嫁個(gè)好人家。請(qǐng)相信我，親愛的朋友，不管別人怎么說，婚姻仍是女人最實(shí)在的職業(yè)。于是，考慮到女兒的幸福，我毫不猶豫地接受了阿吉里先生的求婚，即使?fàn)奚撤N滿足也在所不惜——再說，一年一年地過去，這種滿足愈來愈不容易獲得了。有一點(diǎn)我必須告訴你：一旦結(jié)婚，我將絕對(duì)恪守婦道（dune vertu farouche）。根據(jù)多年的經(jīng)驗(yàn)，我深信夫妻雙方必須絕對(duì)忠實(shí)，才能使幸福的婚姻固若金湯?！?/p>

“A highly moral sentiment, my pretty，'I said.“And will Monsieur Achille continue to make his fortnightly visits to Paris on business?”
“這是多么崇高的情操啊，我的美人兒！”我說，“阿吉里先生還會(huì)和從前一樣每?jī)蓚€(gè)星期來一趟巴黎洽談生意嗎？”

“Oh, la la, for whom do you take me, my little one?The first thing I said to Monsieur Achille when he asked for my hand was：‘Now listen, my dear, when you come to Paris for your board meetings it is understood that I come too. I am not going to trust you here by yourself.'‘You cannot imagine that I am capable of committing follies at my age，'he answered.‘Monsieur Achille，'I said to him，‘you are a man in the prime of life and no one knows better than I that you have a passionate temperament.You have a fine presence and a distinguished air.You have everything to please a woman；in short I think it better that you should not be exposed to temptation.'In the end he agreed to give up his place on the board to his son, who will come to Paris instead of his father.Monsieur Achille pretended to think me unreasonable, but he was in point of fact enormously flattered.”Suzanne gave a sigh of satisfaction.“Life would be even harder for us poor women than it is if it were not for the unbelievable vanity of men.”
“哎呀呀，你把我當(dāng)成傻瓜了不成，我的小寶貝？阿吉里先生向我求婚，我提的第一個(gè)條件就是：‘親愛的，請(qǐng)聽我說，你來巴黎開董事會(huì)，我也跟著來。讓你一個(gè)人來，我是不放心的。’他回答說：‘請(qǐng)放心，我都這把歲數(shù)了，不會(huì)做出蠢事來的?！覄t說：‘阿吉里先生，你正當(dāng)生命力旺盛的年齡，我比誰都清楚你充滿了激情，而且相貌堂堂、氣宇軒昂，舉手投足都讓女人動(dòng)心?？偠灾遗履憬?jīng)不起誘惑?！詈?，他答應(yīng)把董事會(huì)的位置讓給兒子，由兒子代替他來巴黎開會(huì)。阿吉里先生假裝不快，好像我不通情理似的，其實(shí)心里像灌了蜜一樣甜?！闭f到此處，蘇姍娜滿足地長(zhǎng)出了一口氣，“對(duì)我們可憐的女人來說，假如男人沒有這種難以捉摸的虛榮心，日子就如雪上加霜。”

“All that is very fine, but what has it got to do with your having a one-man show at Meyerheim's?”
“這樣的結(jié)局非常好。但這和你在邁耶海姆畫廊辦個(gè)人畫展有什么聯(lián)系呢？”

“You are a little stupid today, my poor friend. Have I not told you for years that Monsieur Achille is a highly intelligent man?He has his position to think of and the people of Lille are censorious.Monsieur Achille wishes me to take the place in society which as the wife of a man of his importance it will be my right to occupy.You know what these provincials are, they love to poke their long noses in other people's affairs, and the first thing they will ask is：who is Suzanne Rouvier?Well, they will have their answer.She is the distinguished painter whose recent show at the Meyerheim Gallery had a remarkable and well-deserved success.‘Madame Suzanne Rouvier, the widow of an officer in the colonial infantry, has with the courage characteristic of our Frenchwomen for some years supported herself and a charming daughter deprived too soon of a father's care by means of her talent, and we are happy to know that the general public will soon have the opportunity to appreciate the delicacy of her touch and the soundness of her technique at the galleries of the ever perspicacious Monsieur Meyerheim.'”
“我可憐的朋友，今天你可真是有點(diǎn)不開竅了。多少年來我不是告訴你，說阿吉里先生是一個(gè)聰明絕頂?shù)娜藛幔克每紤]自己的社會(huì)地位，得考慮里爾的人喜歡評(píng)頭論足。他是個(gè)重要人物，而我作為他法定的妻子，按他的愿望應(yīng)該在社會(huì)上占有一席之地。你也知道外省人的那種德行，他們喜歡管別人的閑事。他們勢(shì)必會(huì)問，蘇姍娜·魯維埃是何許人？他們將得到這樣的回答：‘蘇姍娜·魯維埃是一位出類拔萃的畫家，最近在邁耶海姆畫廊的個(gè)人畫展取得了巨大成功，真是實(shí)至名歸?！K姍娜·魯維埃是殖民步兵團(tuán)一位軍官的遺孀，多年靠賣畫為生，含辛茹苦撫養(yǎng)一個(gè)早早便喪失父愛的嬌女，表現(xiàn)出了一個(gè)法國(guó)婦女的剛毅性格。令人快慰的是，善于發(fā)現(xiàn)人才的邁耶海姆畫廊將為她舉辦個(gè)人畫展，公眾不久便可大飽眼福，欣賞到她細(xì)膩的筆觸和嫻熟的技法?！?/p>

“What gibberish is that?”I said, pricking up my ears.
“這是胡扯些什么呀？”我豎著耳朵聽后，啟口問道。

“That, my dear, is the advance publicity that Monsieur Achille is putting out. It will appear in every paper inFrance of any consequence.He has been magnificent.Meyerheim's terms were onerous, but Monsieur Achille accepted them as if they were a bagatelle.There will be a champagne d'honneur at the private view and the Minister of Fine Arts, who is under an obligation to Monsieur Achille, will open the exhibition with an eloquent speech in which he will dwell upon my virtues as a woman and my talent as a painter and which he will end with the declaration that the state, whose duty and privilege it is to reward merit, has bought one of my pictures for the national collections.All Paris will be there and Meyerheim is looking after the critics himself.He has guaranteed that their notices will be not only favourable but lengthy.Poor devils, they earn so little, it is a charity to give them an opportunity of making something on the side.”
“親愛的，這是阿吉里先生設(shè)計(jì)的廣告語，將會(huì)在法國(guó)的各大報(bào)紙登出。他做事滴水不漏。邁耶海姆提的條件非?？量?，但阿吉里先生卻認(rèn)為是小事一樁，予以全盤接受。畫展的開幕式上，將會(huì)喝香檳酒表示慶祝，美術(shù)部長(zhǎng)（此人欠阿吉里先生的人情）將要發(fā)表精彩的致辭，將會(huì)盛贊我作為女人的情操以及作為藝術(shù)家的天賦，最后宣布國(guó)家有責(zé)任、有義務(wù)獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)人才，已經(jīng)買下我的一幅畫由國(guó)家收藏。巴黎各界人士都將到場(chǎng)。邁耶海姆將親自關(guān)照那些評(píng)論家，確保他們的評(píng)論文章不僅要大加贊譽(yù)，而且篇幅要長(zhǎng)。評(píng)論家們是很可憐的，掙的錢實(shí)在太少了。給他們一個(gè)撈外快的機(jī)會(huì)，也算是積德行善了?！?/p>

“You've deserved it all, my dear. You've always been a good sort.”
“這都是你應(yīng)該得到的，親愛的，”我說道，“好人有好報(bào)嘛?！?/p>

“Et ta soeur，”she replied, which is untranslatable.“But that's not all. Monsieur Achille has bought in my name a villa on the coast at St.Rafael, so I shall take my place in Lille society not only as a distinguished artist, but as a woman of property.In two or three years he is going to retire and we shall live on the Riviera like gentlefolks（comme des gens bien）.He can paddle in the sea and catch shrimps while I devote myself to my art.Now I will show you my pictures.”
“Et ta soeur，”她答道，這句話很難翻譯，“還不止這些呢。阿吉里先生又用我的名字在圣拉斐爾海邊買了一幢別墅，這樣，我在里爾的社交界便有了自己的位置，一是因?yàn)槲沂莻€(gè)杰出的藝術(shù)家，二是由于我還是個(gè)有產(chǎn)業(yè)的女人。再過兩三年他就要退休了，那時(shí)，我們將像上流人士（comme des gens bien）那樣在里維埃拉住下去。他可以在海上劃船、捕撈海蝦，我則專心于藝術(shù)創(chuàng)作。我先讓你看看我的畫再說吧?！?/p>

Suzanne had been painting for several years and she had worked through the manner of her various lovers to arrive at a style of her own. She still could not draw, but she had acquired a pretty sense of colour.She showed me landscapes that she had painted while staying with her mother in the province of Anjou, bits of the gardens at Versailles and the forest at Fontainebleau, street scenes that had taken her fancy in the suburbs of Paris.Her painting was vaporous and unsubstantial, but it had a flowerlike grace and even a certain careless elegance.There was one picture that took my fancy and because I thought she would be pleased I offered to buy it. I cannot remember whether it was called A Glade in the Forest or The White Scarf and subsequent examination has left me uncertain to this day.I asked the price, which was reasonable, and said I would take it.
蘇姍娜畫畫已有多年。深受諸多畫家情人的影響，她廣采眾長(zhǎng)，最后形成了自己獨(dú)特的風(fēng)格。她的線條仍畫不好，但色彩感相當(dāng)強(qiáng)。她讓我看了幾幅風(fēng)景畫，有一幅是她隨母親在昂儒省居住時(shí)畫的，一幅畫的是凡爾賽宮花園的小景，一幅畫的是楓丹白露森林，還有一幅畫的是巴黎近郊她所喜歡的街景。她的畫朦朦朧朧，似海市蜃樓，卻有一種鮮花般的美和一種非刻意雕琢的雅致。我對(duì)其中的一幅畫產(chǎn)生了興趣，同時(shí)為了取悅她，便提出想花錢買下。記不清那幅畫是叫《林間空地》還是叫《白圍巾》，時(shí)至今日也弄不清名稱。我問了價(jià)錢，要價(jià)也很合理，于是決定購買。

“You're an angel，”she cried.“My first sale. Of course you can't have it till after the show, but I'll see that it gets into the papers that you've bought it.After all, a little publicity can do you no harm.I'm glad you’ve chosen that one, I think it’s one of my best.”She took a hand mirror and looked at the picture in it.“It has charm，”she said, screwing up her eyes.“No one can deny that.Those greens-how rich they are and yet how delicate！And that white note in the middle, that is a real find；it ties the picture together, it has distinction.There’s talent there, there can be no doubt of it, there’s real talent.”
“你真是個(gè)天使！”她樂得叫出了聲，“這是我的第一筆交易。當(dāng)然，畫展結(jié)束后你才能拿到手。我要讓此事上報(bào)紙，說你買下了這幅畫。反正造造聲勢(shì)對(duì)你也沒有害處嘛。很高興你選中了這一幅——它恐怕是我最得意的作品了?！彼闷鹨幻骁R子，從鏡子里端詳這幅畫?！昂苡星檎{(diào)，”她一邊瞇起眼睛欣賞一邊說道，“這是誰都否認(rèn)不了的。這幾塊綠色青翠欲滴，多么精致呀！中間點(diǎn)一筆白色，起到了畫龍點(diǎn)睛的作用，將全部畫面連接為一個(gè)整體。這不是才氣是什么？！毫無疑問，這是地地道道的才氣。”

I saw that she was already a long way on the road to being a professional painter.
看得出來，她朝著專業(yè)畫家目標(biāo)已走出了很遠(yuǎn)。

“And now, my little one, we've gossiped long enough, I must get back to work.”
“哎呀，我的小寶貝，咱們聊得太久了，我得趕快干活去了?！?/p>

“And I must be going，”I said.
“我也得走了?！蔽艺f。

“à propos, is that poor Larry still among the Redskins?”
“順帶問一句，那個(gè)可憐的拉里是不是仍然和那些紅皮膚的人在一起？”

For that was the disrespectful way in which she was accustomed to refer to the inhabitants of God's Own Country.
每次提到神的國(guó)度里的居民，她總是喜歡用這種鄙薄的口氣。

“So far as I know.”
“據(jù)我所知，情況的確如此。”

“It must be hard for someone like him who is so sweet and gentle. If one can believe the movies life is terrible over there with all those gangsters and cowboys and Mexicans.Not that those cowboys haven't physical attraction which says something to you.Oh, la la！But it appears that it is excessively dangerous to go out into the streets of New York without a revolver in your pocket.”
“拉里和藹可親、溫文爾雅，他那種人和野蠻人在一起處境一定很艱難。如果電影里的情節(jié)可信的話，那些土匪、牛仔和墨西哥人可不是好惹的。倒不是說牛仔缺乏讓你動(dòng)心的吸引力。哎呀呀，可是，你上紐約的大街上去，口袋里不藏把槍，好像是極其危險(xiǎn)的?！?/p>

She came to the door to see me out and kissed me on both cheeks.
她把我送到門口，在我的兩頰上吻了吻。

“We've had some good times together. Keep a good recollection of me.”
“你我相處，開開心心的。日后多想著我點(diǎn)?！?/p>