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吉姆老爷|Lord Jim

4.马洛伸出援手|4.Marlow offers to help

属类: 双语小说 【分类】世界名著 -[作者: 约瑟夫-康拉德] 阅读:[4950]
出生自牧师家庭的吉姆在“帕特那号”上当大副时,因发生海难弃船而逃,独自到法庭受审,被取消了航海资格,之后他在马洛船长的帮助下,换了许多工作,最后他在马洛和斯坦的安排下躲进与文明隔绝的土著人居住区帕图桑,并在那里取得了头人的信赖,一次,他为伙白人海盗求情,获准。结果海盗在离去时背信弃义,杀死了头人的儿子,吉姆满腔悲愤,向头人请罪,心甘情愿地走向了死亡。
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1
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我们喝完咖啡,也抽完了雪茄。我知道明天——也许应该说是今天了,现在已经过了午夜——审判官会根据法律制裁吉姆。我反复告诉自己,这个年轻人是有罪的,但我想帮助他逃跑。我的朋友,如果你们不理解我为什么这样做,那你们刚才肯定没有认真听。

1
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Our coffee and cigars were finished. I knew that tomorrow—or was it today? It was well past midnight—the inquiry judges would take up the weapon of the law and punish Jim. I told myself repeatedly that the young man was guilty, but I wanted to help him get away. My friends, if you can’t understand my reasons, you haven’t been listening to me all this time.

2
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我向吉姆建议了布赖尔利的逃跑计划。我表示能借给他一些钱——他什么时候还都可以——我还会给仰光的一个朋友写信,请他给吉姆一份工作,吉姆可以在当天离开,逃过最后一天在法庭上众目睽睽下蒙受的屈辱。我迫不及待想马上动笔写信,但吉姆拒绝了。

2
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So I suggested Brierly’s plan of escape to Jim. I would lend him some money—he could pay it back when he liked—and I would also write a letter to a friend of mine in Rangoon, who would give him a job. Jim could leave that same day, and save himself the shame of the final day in the crowded courthouse. I was impatient to begin writing the letter immediately. But Jim refused.

3
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“逃跑?不,我连想都不能这么想,”他摇着头说,“你对我很好,但我不能这样。”

3
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Run away? No, I couldn’t think of it,’ he said, shaking his head. ’It’s awfully good of you, but no.’

4
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我确信他当时前途未卜,但他毫不犹豫地拒绝了我。他年轻力壮,心里还有不切实际的美梦,认为自己会幸免于难。

4
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I am sure that things looked terribly uncertain to him at that moment, but he did not hesitate. He was young and strong, and there was something fine in his wild hope that he would survive.

5
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但我生气了。“这件倒霉事对你这样的人而言已经够受的了……”我开始说起来。

5
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I felt angry, however. ’The whole miserable business is bitter enough for a man like you...’ I started saying.

6
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“对,是的,是的。”他低声说,眼睛盯着地面。他说话的样子触动了我。“船长逃走了——其余人都躲进了医院——他们都跑了……”他轻蔑地挥着手,“但我必须承担这件事。我不会逃避任何处罚。”

6
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Yes, it is, it is,’ he whispered, his eyes fixed on the floor. The way he spoke touched me to the heart. ’The captain escaped—the others went to hospital—they all got away...’ He waved them scornfully away with his hand. ’But I’ve got to accept this thing. I’m not going to avoid any of it.’

7
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“哦,事实上,伙计……”我生气地说。

7
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Oh really, my dear man...’ I said crossly.

8
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“你不明白,”他回答,眼睛直视着我,“我跳了,但没有逃。”

8
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You don’t understand,’ he replied, looking straight into my eyes. ’I jumped, but I don’t run away.’

9
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我们俩都不知道怎样把谈话继续下去。最后我站起来说:“我都不知道已经这么晚了。”

9
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Neither of us knew how to continue the conversation. I stood up at last, saying, ’I had no idea it was so late.’

10
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“我想你已经听够了,”他说,“实话对你说,我也受够了。”

10
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I expect you’ve had enough of this,’ he said, ’and to tell you the truth, so have I.’

11
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就这样,他拒绝了我的帮助,准备离开。外面等着他的是沉默而危险的夜。我们一起默默无语地站了一会儿。

11
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Well, he had refused my offer of help, and he was ready to go now. Outside, the night was waiting for him, quietly and dangerously. For a few seconds we stood together silently.

12
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“往后——往后你怎么办?”我用很低的声音问道。

12
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What will you do after—after...?’ I asked, very low.

13
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“也许下地狱吧。”他答道。

13
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Go to hell, probably,’ he replied.

14
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我想轻描淡写的回答会是最好的,于是说:“请记住,你走之前我很想见见你。”

14
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I judged it best to answer lightly, ’Please remember, I would very much like to see you before you go.’

15
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“没有什么会阻拦你,”他伤心地说,“每个人都会知道我在哪儿。”

15
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Nothing will prevent you,’ he said bitterly. ’Everybody will know where I am.’

16
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于是我们道别,他傻傻地认为我不想和他握手。他先主动伸出手,然后又缩了回去,犹豫了一会儿,然后——真是说不出的别扭。我不得不对他喊道:“吉姆!和我握握手吧,小伙子!”一切结束后,他消失在夜色中。我听见他沉重的脚步声。他奔跑着,却无处可去,而他才23岁。

16
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And then, as we said goodbye, he stupidly imagined that I did not want to shake hands with him. First he offered his hand, then pulled back, then hesitated, then—it was too awful for words. I had to shout at him, ’Jim! Shake hands with me, man!’ Finally it was over, and he disappeared into the night. I heard his heavy footsteps. He was running, with nowhere to go to. And he was only twenty-three.

17
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次日是审判的最后一天,我一大早就到了法庭。我不该这么做,因为我的大副在等我去船上看看,但是我必须知道吉姆会怎么样。法庭外阳光灿烂,街道上五彩斑斓,但法庭里光线很暗,空气也不畅通。吉姆站在那儿,白皙的脸涨红了,一副严肃的表情。法官宣判:“法庭判决帕特纳号的船员有罪,他们对船上所有的乘客负有责任,然而在船只遇险时,他们却忘记了自己明确的职责,弃船而去,法庭因此决定吊销船长和大副的执照。”

17
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Next morning, the last day of the inquiry, I was in court again. It was really very wrong of me, because my chief mate was expecting me to visit my ship, but I had to know what would happen to Jim. Outside, the streets were full of colour and bright sunshine, but the courtroom was dark and airless. Jim stood there, pink and fair and serious, while the judge spoke. ’This court has decided that the officers of the Patna, who were responsible for all the ship’s passengers, were guilty of forgetting their clear duty, when they left the ship in the moment of danger. The court has therefore decided to take away the master’s certificates of the captain and chief mate.’

18
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屋子里静悄悄的,人们渐渐散去。我看见了吉姆,他脸色阴沉,脚步迟疑地慢慢朝外走去。当我正看着吉姆的时候,一个名叫切斯特的人跟我说起了话。我对此人略知一二,他是澳大利亚西部人,常在太平洋一带做生意,他来这儿是想买一只便宜的船。他看着吉姆走出去。

18
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The room was silent, then people started to leave. I saw Jim, his face as black as thunder, walking out slowly and a little uncertainly. As I was watching him, a man called Chester spoke to me. I knew him a little. He was a West Australian who normally traded in the Pacific, but had come here looking for a cheap ship to buy. He watched Jim walking away.

19
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“那个年轻人不怎么样,对吧?”他说,“但是我能给他一份工作。我在沃波尔暗礁区发现了一个鸟粪岛,它能让我发财。那里暗礁很多,在那儿登陆有点儿危险。我找不到愿意做这份工作的人,但是我需要一个人在那儿为我工作。我不介意他是不是懦夫,有没有执照。他要带着四十个当地人去收集鸟粪,当然我还会给他几杆枪。你能劝说他接受这份工作吗,马洛?”

19
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That young man’s no good, is he?’ he said. ’But I can give him a job. I’ve discovered a guano island among the Walpole rocks which is going to make me rich. It’s rocky, and a bit dangerous to land there. I can’t get anybody to take the job, but I need a man to do the work there for me. I don’t care if he’s a bit of a coward, or hasn’t got his certificate. He’ll have forty natives to collect the guano, and I’ll give him a couple of guns, of course. You could persuade him to take the job, Marlow, couldn’t you?’

20
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我惊恐地看着他。我知道他说的地方。那个岛上没有水,也很少下雨。我的眼前突然出现了一个画面:吉姆站在光秃秃的礁石上,踩着没膝的鸟粪,耳边是海鸟的尖叫,烈日照在他的头上。

20
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I stared at him in horror. I knew the place he was talking about. There was no water on the island and very little rain fell there. I had a sudden picture of Jim on a shadowless rock, up to his knees in guano, with the screams of seabirds in his ears, and the sun beating down on his head.

21
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“即使是我的死对头,我都不会劝他去接受这份工作的。”我轻蔑地说。

21
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I wouldn’t advise my worst enemy to accept your offer,’ I said scornfully.

22
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“这个活儿适合他,”切斯特笑得叫人讨厌,“我敢保证,那个海岛不会在他的脚下沉没的——我相信,他对这个话题有些敏感。”

22
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It’s just the job for him.’ Chester smiled unpleasantly. ’I can promise the island wouldn’t sink under him—and I believe he’s a bit sensitive on that question.’

23
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“再见。”我冷冷地说,转身走开了,丢下他在后面愤怒地瞪着我。

23
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Good morning,’ I said sharply, and walked away, leaving him staring angrily after me.

24
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我快步走到海边,发现吉姆正忧郁地望着大海。他没听见我走过来,但我碰了碰他的肩膀,他很快就转过身。他顺从地跟着我回到酒店。我知道,他在这个世界上找不到什么地方去独自承受他的痛苦。

24
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I hurried down to the waterside, and found Jim looking miserably at the sea. He didn’t hear me come up, but turned quickly when I touched his shoulder. He followed me back to the hotel obediently. I realized that he had nowhere in the whole world where he could be alone with his suffering.

25
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他在我的房间度过了那一天余下的时光,他站在那里看着外面的阳台;我坐在桌前忙着写信。我们相互没有说话。我把欠着别人的信全写完了,之后又写了几封信给其他几个人,这些人收到我的信一定会无比惊讶。我一直写到天黑。吉姆显然很不开心。我不时看见他宽厚的肩膀颤抖着,幸好他的家人看不到他这个样子。突然,“砰”的一声,他推开通往阳台的玻璃门,走到黑暗中,站在那儿,像黑暗、无望的大海上的一个孤影。我感觉他把这一切看得太严重了。我应该劝他接受切斯特提供的机会吗?我知道,在他和黑暗的大海之间,除了我再没有别的了。但我什么都没说。

25
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He spent the rest of the day in my room, where he stood looking out on the veranda, while I sat at my desk, busily writing letters. We did not speak to each other. I wrote all the letters I owed people, and then I wrote to people who would certainly be surprised to receive a letter from me. It became dark, and still I went on writing. It was clear that he was very unhappy. Occasionally I saw his strong shoulders shaking, and I was glad his family could not see him like that. Suddenly, with a crash, he pushed open the glass door on to the veranda, and stepped out into the blackness, standing there like a lonely figure by a dark and hopeless sea. I began to think he was taking it all too seriously. Should I persuade him to accept Chester’s offer? I knew there was nothing except myself between him and the dark sea. But I said nothing.

26
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总有一天我会听到人们像谈论英雄一样说起他。事实也的确如此。他后来在马来西亚的丛林中找到了荣誉和完满的幸福。几年以后我最后一次看见他时,他已经完全把握了自己的命运,变得强壮、成功,还赢得了帕图桑当地人的爱戴和信任。但他留给我的记忆并不是这些。我永远记得他在酒店阳台上孤独颤抖的身影,在黑暗中承受着痛苦。

26
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The time was coming when I would hear him described as a hero. It’s true, I tell you. Towards the end, he found honour and a perfect happiness in the Malaysian jungle. When I saw him for the last time, a few years later, he was completely in control, strong and successful, loved and trusted by the natives of Patusan. But that is not the way I remember him. I shall always see his lonely, shaking figure on that hotel veranda, suffering in the darkness.

27
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随着一声雷鸣,我抬起头,闪电突然间照亮了黑夜。片刻之后,暴风雨铺天盖地而来,狂风摇晃着窗户。他走进来,关上身后的门。

27
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A crash of thunder made me lift my head, and lightning suddenly lit up the night. A few moments later, we were in the middle of a storm, with an angry wind shaking the windows. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

28
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“好了,一切都过去了。”他说,听上去已经恢复了常态。我这才抬头看他。“我想我现在好了,”他继续说,“谢谢你——让我——待在你的房间——我没有其他去处。”此时雨水密集地打在阳台上。“那么——再见。”他说着就要转身离去。

28
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Well, that’s over,’ he said, sounding almost normal. This encouraged me to look up at him. ’I think I’m all right now,’ he went on. ’Thank you—for letting me—here in your room—nowhere else to go.’ The rain was falling heavily on the veranda by now. ’Well—goodbye,’ he said, and turned to go.

29
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“等等!回来!”我喊着,“看!让我帮帮你吧!”

29
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Wait! Come back!’ I cried. ’Look! Let me help you!’

30
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“你帮不了的,”他凄惨地回答,“我不能要你的钱……”

30
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You can’t,’ he replied miserably. ’I can’t take money...’

31
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“我没有要给你钱!”我生气地说,“看我正在写的这封信!这是给我的一个熟人的,我请他给你一份工作。我只会为好朋友做这些。你考虑一下吧。”

31
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It’s not money I’m offering you!’ I answered angrily. ’Look at this letter I’m writing! It’s to a man I know well, asking him to give you work. I would only do this for a good friend. Just think about that.’

32
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他的脸色一下子变了。“上帝啊!”他喊道,“我没想到会是这样!我要怎么感谢你呢?这正是我想要的——一个让我重新开始的机会!我知道我能行的!看——对不起——我不能待在这儿——我太激动了!”

32
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His face changed in a moment. ’My God!’ he shouted. ’I never realized! How can I thank you? It’s just what I wanted—an opportunity to start again! I know I can do it! Look—I’m sorry—I can’t stay—I’m too excited!’

33
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他跑着离开房间,我挥了挥手。也许我救了他,让他免于早逝或疯狂,但我很难过。他如此年轻,如此自信,如此相信生活的美好!而我已不再年轻了,我知道他的命运和我的一样已成定局,是他改变不了的。

33
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I waved my hand as he ran from the room. I had probably saved him from an early death, or perhaps from madness, but I felt sad. He was so young, and believed so fully in himself and in the beauty of life! I was no longer young, and I knew that his fate, like mine, was written in large letters on the face of a rock, and nothing he could do would change it.

34
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我的朋友不仅雇用了他,还让他在自己家里住。不幸的是,仅仅一年之后,帕特纳号的大管轮出人意料地出现在仰光,吉姆决定立即离开这个港口。听到这个消息我很失望,但我又帮吉姆在南边一千多公里之外的一个港口找了一份工作。新的老板很欣赏他,把所有的生意都交给了他。但有一天,有人提到了帕特纳号,吉姆对这个名字仍很敏感。他又一次立即离开了。从那以后,他不断从一个港口迁移到另一个港口,试图隐瞒他可怕的秘密,一有知情人提到这件事情,他又会继续迁移。我觉得自己对他负有责任,总是尽力帮助他,鼓励他,但我知道虽然在我面前他总是乐呵呵的,也很有礼貌,但他已逐渐对自己失去了信心。这一切将如何收场?吉姆还能从他的过去逃离多久呢?

34
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My friend not only employed Jim, but welcomed him into his house. Unfortunately, only a year later, the second engineer from the Patna arrived unexpectedly in Rangoon, and Jim decided to leave the port at once. I was extremely disappointed to hear this, but helped Jim to find a second job in a port a thousand kilometres south of there. His new employers thought a lot of Jim, and trusted him with all their business. But one day the name of the Patna was mentioned, and Jim was too sensitive to bear it. Again, he left the place immediately. From now on, he moved from port to port to find work, trying to hide his terrible secret, until someone who knew the story spoke of it, and then he moved on again. I felt responsible for him, and helped and encouraged him as much as I could, but I knew that he was losing confidence in himself, although he was always cheerful and polite to me. What would be the end of it all? How long could Jim go on running away from his past?

35
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我决定去向一个人寻求建议。比起大多数人,我更信得过这个人。他是一位德国富商,名叫斯坦,他的生意很大,在东方的海岛、港口和丛林村庄将各种东西买进卖出。他高大瘦削,有一张富有同情心而智慧的脸,花白的头发从高高的额头向后面梳过去。他的一生漫长而充满传奇色彩,但现在他将大部分时间都用于研究和收集蝴蝶,而且如今已经成了世界著名的蝴蝶收藏家。大家都喜欢他,因为他过去的英勇行为,也因为他对所有人都很友善。

35
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I decided to ask for advice from someone I trusted more than most men. He was a rich German trader called Stein, who had a large business buying and selling all kinds of things in the islands, ports and jungle villages of the East. He was tall and thin, with a sympathetic, intelligent face, and white hair brushed back from a high forehead. Although his life had been long and adventurous, he now spent most of his time studying and collecting butterflies. In fact, by now he had become a world-famous collector. He was liked by everyone, for the bravery of his past, and the kindness he showed to all of us.

36
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我去他昏暗的大书房拜访他时,他正兴致勃勃地欣赏着他最好的藏品。“这个标本真棒!”他笑着说,“多漂亮,多完美啊!”

36
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When I visited him in his large, dark study, he was looking delightedly at the best butterfly in his collection. ’A wonderful example!’ he said, smiling. ’So beautiful! So perfect!’

37
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“我有另一件大自然中的样本要与你探讨,”我说,“但不是昆虫,而是一个人。”

37
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I have another example of nature to discuss with you,’ I said. ’But I’m afraid it’s a man, not an insect.’

38
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他收起了笑容,鼓励我说下去。我讲完了吉姆的故事,他说:“我能理解他,他很浪漫。”

38
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His smile disappeared, but he listened encouragingly. ’I understand very well,’ he said, when I had finished telling him Jim’s story. ’He is romantic.’

39
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我感觉自己像是一个求医的病人,所以自然而然地问:“那应该怎么办呢?”

39
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I felt like a patient asking his doctor for advice, so it seemed natural to say, ’What is good for it?’

40
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“只有一种药能救他!只有一样东西可以使我们不再是自己——那就是死亡!”

40
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There is only one kind of medicine! One thing alone can stop us from being ourselves—death!’

41
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问题听起来很简单,但却没有解决的希望。“对,”我说,“因此真正的问题不是如何使情况好转,而是怎样活下去。”

41
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The problem appeared simple, but hopeless. ’Yes,’ I said, ’so, the real question is not how to get better, but how to go on living.’

42
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斯坦悲伤地认同了我的观点。“对蝴蝶而言,美丽地活下去就足够了;但对于一个敏感的人,情况就不同了。每当他闭上眼睛,他就把自己想象成一个英雄,一个完美的人。而这只是一个梦——他永远不会那么好。因此,当他睁开眼睛发现梦想无法成真时,就会痛苦不堪。这对他很残酷。但你问我——怎么活下去?”他的声音突然浑厚、自信起来。他把目光从我身上移开,移到他过去的影子上。“只有一条路。追寻梦想,一次又一次地追寻着梦想,这样——直到最后。”

42
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Stein agreed sadly. ’For a butterfly it is enough to be beautiful, and to live. But for man it is different, if he is sensitive. Every time he shuts his eyes, he sees himself as a hero, as a perfect man. It’s all a dream—he can never be as fine as that. And so it is painful when he opens his eyes, to find he cannot make his dream come true. It is terrible for him. But you ask me—how to live?’ His voice sounded suddenly strong and confident. He looked away from me into the shadows of his past. ’There is only one way. Follow the dream, and again, follow the dream, and so—to the end.’

43
-

毫无疑问斯坦是对的。他的人生之旅已经走了很远,他一直那么勇敢,那么果断,命运给他带来了朋友、爱情和历险。但在我看来,他的一生是孤独、艰难的。“没有人会比你更浪漫,”我对他说,“有时你会梦到一只蝴蝶,但当它出现时,你不会让机会溜走,对吗?你会抓住它。可是吉姆——”

43
-

No doubt Stein was right. He had travelled very far in life, always bravely, always without hesitating, and fate had brought him friends, love, adventure. But it seemed a lonely, difficult life to me. ’Nobody could be more romantic than you,’ I told him. ’And sometimes you dream of a beautiful butterfly, but when it appears, you don’t let the opportunity go, do you? You catch it! But Jim—’

44
-

斯坦举起手。“你知道我失去过多少机会,丢掉了多少梦想吗?”他悲伤地摇头,“或许我自己也不知道。每个人都有一两个那样的梦想。这就是麻烦……好吧,不早了。今晚你就在这儿睡吧,明天咱们想个办法帮助这个年轻人。”

44
-

Stein lifted his hand. ’Do you know how many opportunities I have missed? How many dreams I have lost?’ He shook his head sadly. ’Perhaps I myself don’t know. Everyone knows of one or two dreams like that. And that is the trouble... Well, it’s getting late. Tonight you will sleep here, and tomorrow we will think of a way of helping the young man.’

45
-

他带我去了房间,和我握手道晚安。我看着他,他从来路回去了。他又回他的蝴蝶世界去了。

45
-

He showed me to my room, and shook hands with me. ’Good night,’ he said. I watched him return the way he had come. He was going back to his butterflies.

序号 英文/音标 中文解释 更多操作

past

[pɑːst]

a. 过去的;

impatient

[ɪm’peɪʃnt]

adj.不耐烦的;急躁的

felted

[’feltɪd]

v. 把 ... 制成毡(使 ... 粘结)

miserable

[’mɪzrəbl]

adj.痛苦的;悲惨的;贫乏的;狼狈的

scornfully

[’skɔːnfəli]

adv.轻蔑地

conversation

[ˌkɒnvə’seɪʃn]

n.谈话;会话

bitterly

[’bɪtəli]

adv.残酷地;痛苦地

goodbye

[gʊdˈbaɪ]

再见

footstep

[’fʊtstep]

n.脚步;脚步声;足迹

Pacific

[pə’sɪfɪk]

adj.太平洋的

rocky

[’rɒki]

adj.岩石的;像岩石的;坚硬的;麻木的;困难重重的;摇晃的,不稳定的

seabird

[’siːbɜːd]

n.海鸟

unpleasantly

[ʌn’plezntli]

adv.令人不愉快地

angrily

[’æŋɡrəli]

adv.气愤地

miserably

[’mɪzrəbli]

adv.悲惨地;糟糕地

obedient

[ə’biːdiənt]

adj.服从的;顺从的

hopeless

[’həʊpləs]

adj.没有希望的;绝望的;无可救药的

honour

[ˈɒnə]

n.光荣;

Malaysian

[mə’leɪʒn]

adj.马来西亚的;马亚群岛的

excite

[ɪk’saɪt]

vt.使兴奋;使激动;刺激;激起

madness

[’mædnəs]

n.疯狂;愚蠢的行为

trader

[’treɪdə(r)]

n.商人;商船

traveled

[’trævld]

adj.有旅行经验的;旅客多的,

shook

[ʃʊk]

n.(装配木桶或箱;盒等的)一套现成板料

简典