月亮和六便士 第四十六章(2)

 My friend's appearance suggested that he was now in the same predicament, and I prepared myself to cultivate an agreeable acquaintance. 从我这位朋友的仪表来看，今天他的境遇一点也不比那时好；我决定同他交个朋友。

The society of beach-combers always repays the small pains you need be at to enjoy it. 同这些在南海群岛的流浪汉相处，尽管得付出一点小代价，但总不会叫你吃亏的。
They are easy of approach and affable in conversation. 这些人很容易接近，谈起话来很殷勤。
They seldom put on airs, and the offer of a drink is a sure way to their hearts. 他们很少摆架子，只要一杯水酒，就一定能把他们的心打动。
You need no laborious 1 steps to enter upon familiarity with them, 要想同他们混熟，用不着走一段艰辛的路途，只要对他们的闲扯洗耳恭听，
and you can earn not only their confidence, but their gratitude 2, by turning an attentive 3 ear to their discourse 4. 他们就不但对你非常信任，而且还会对你满怀感激。
They look upon conversation as the great pleasure of life, thereby 5 proving the excellence 6 of their civilisation 7, 他们把谈话看做是生活的最大乐趣，用以证明自己出色的修养。
and for the most part they are entertaining talkers. 这些人大多数谈话都很有风趣。
The extent of their experience is pleasantly balanced by the fertility of their imagination. 他们的阅历很广，又善于运用丰富的想象力。
It cannot be said that they are without guile 8, but they have a tolerant respect for the law, when the law is supported by strength. 不能说这些人没有某种程度的欺诈，但是他们对法律还是非常容忍，尽量遵守，只要法律有强大靠山的时候。
It is hazardous 9 to play poker 10 with them, but their ingenuity 11 adds a peculiar 12 excitement to the best game in the world. 同他们玩牌是件危险的勾当，但是他们那种头脑敏捷会使这一最有趣的游戏平添了极大的刺激。
I came to know Captain Nichols very well before I left Tahiti, and I am the richer for his acquaintance. 在我离开塔希提之前，已经同尼柯尔斯船长混得很熟了，我同他的这段交情只有使我的经验更加丰富。
I do not consider that the cigars and whisky he consumed at my expense 尽管我招待了他许多雪茄和威士忌
(he always refused cocktails 13, since he was practically a teetotaller), （他从来不喝鸡尾酒，因为他实际上是个戒酒主义者），
and the few dollars, borrowed with a civil air of conferring a favour upon me, that passed from my pocket to his, 尽管他带着一副施恩于人的温文有礼的神气向我借钱，好几块银币从我的口袋转到了他的口袋里去，
were in any way equivalent to the entertainment he afforded me. 我还是觉得他让我享受到的乐趣大大超过了我付出的代价。
I remained his debtor 14. 自始至终他都是我的债主。
I should be sorry if my conscience, insisting on a rigid 15 attention to the matter in hand, forced me to dismiss him in a couple of lines. 如果我听从作者的良心，不肯走离本题，只用几行简单的文字就把尼柯尔斯打发掉，我会感到对不起他的。
I do not know why Captain Nichols first left England. 我不知道尼柯尔斯船长最初为什么要离开英国。
It was a matter upon which he was reticent 16, and with persons of his kind a direct question is never very discreet 17. 这是一个他讳莫如深的话题；对于像他这样的人直接问这类事也是很不谨慎的。
He hinted at undeserved misfortune, and there is no doubt that he looked upon himself as the victim of injustice 18. 从他的话语里听得出来，他曾经受了不白之冤。毫无疑问，他把自己看作是执法不公的牺牲品。
My fancy played with the various forms of fraud and violence, 我的想象却总爱把他同某种诈骗或暴行联系起来。
and I agreed with him sympathetically when he remarked that the authorities in the old country were so damned technical. 当他谈到英国当局执法过于机械时，我非常同情地表示同意。
But it was nice to see that any unpleasantness he had endured in his native land had not impaired 19 his ardent 20 patriotism 21. 令人高兴的是，即使他在家乡有过什么不愉快的遭遇，他的爱国热情却并未因此受到任何损伤。
He frequently declared that England was the finest country in the world, sir, 他常对我说，英国是全世界最了不起的国家，
and he felt a lively superiority over Americans, Colonials, Dagos, Dutchmen, and Kanakas. 他觉得自己比哪国人都优越得多，不管什么美国人、殖民地人、达哥人、荷兰人，或是卡纳加人，全不在他眼里。