月亮和六便士 第十章(3)

 　　Mrs. Strickland was the daughter of an Indian civilian 1, who on his retirement 2 had settled in the depths of the country,  思特里克兰德太太的父亲在印度当过文职官吏，退休以后定居到英国偏远的乡间，

　　but it was his habit every August to take his family to Eastbourne for change of air;  但每年八月他总要带着一家老小到伊思特堡恩去换一换环境。
　　and it was here, when she was twenty, that she met Charles Strickland.  她就是在那里认识了查理斯·思特里克兰德的。
　　He was twenty-three. They played together, walked on the front together, listened together to the nigger minstrels;  那一年她二十岁，思特里克兰德二十三岁。他们一起打网球，在滨海大路上散步，听黑人流浪歌手唱歌。
　　and she had made up her mind to accept him a week before he proposed to her.  在他正式提出以前一个星期她已经决心接受他的求婚了。
　　They lived in London, first in Hampstead, and then, as he grew more prosperous, in town. Two children were born to them. 他们在伦敦定居下来，开始时住在汉普斯台德区，后来他们的生活逐渐富裕起来，便搬到市区里来。他们有两个孩子。
　　He always seemed very fond of them. Even if he was tired of me, I wonder that he had the heart to leave them.  “他好象一直很喜欢这两个孩子。即使他对我厌倦了，我不理解他怎么会忍心把孩子也抛弃了。
　　It's all so incredible 3. Even now I can hardly believe it's true. 这一切简直令人不能置信。到了今天我也不能相信这会是真事。”
　　At last she showed me the letter he had written. I was curious to see it, but had not ventured to ask for it. 最后她把他写来的信拿出来给我看。我本来就有些好奇，可是一直没敢大胆提出来。
　　"MY DEAR AMY,I think you will find everything all right in the flat.  亲爱的阿美：我想你会发现家中一切都已安排好。
　　I have given Anne your instructions, and dinner will be ready for you and the children when you come.  你嘱咐安妮的事我都已转告她。你同孩子到家以后晚饭会给你们准备好。
　　I shall not be there to meet you. I have made up my mind to live apart from you, and I am going to Paris in the morning.  我将不能迎接你们了。我已决心同你分居另过，明晨我就去巴黎。
　　I shall post this letter on my arrival. I shall not come back. My decision is irrevocable." 这封信我等到巴黎后再发出。我不回来了。我的决定不能更改了。
　　"Yours always,CHARLES STRICKLAND.""" 永远是你的，查理斯·思特里克兰德
　　Not a word of explanation or regret. Don't you think it's inhuman 4? “没有一句解释的话，也丝毫没有表示歉仄不安。你是不是觉得这人太没有人性了？”
　　It's a very strange letter under the circumstances, I replied. “在这种情况下这封信是很奇怪，”我回答。
　　There's only one explanation, and that is that he's not himself.  “只有一个解释，那就是他人已经变了。
　　I don't know who this woman is who's got hold of him, but she's made him into another man.  我不知道是哪个女人把他抓在手掌里，但是她肯定把他变成另外一个人了。
　　It's evidently been going on a long time. 事情非常清楚，这件事已经进行了很长一段时间了。”
　　What makes you think that? “你这么想有什么根据？”
　　Fred found that out. My husband said he went to the club three or four nights a week to play bridge.  “弗雷德已经发现了。我丈夫总是说每星期他要去俱乐部打三四个晚上桥牌。
　　Fred knows one of the members, and said something about Charles being a great bridge-player.  弗雷德认识那个俱乐部的一个会员，有一次同他说起查理斯喜欢打桥牌的事。
　　The man was surprised. He said he'd never even seen Charles in the card-room.  这个人非常惊讶，他说他从来没有在玩牌的屋子看见过查理斯。
　　It's quite clear now that when I thought Charles was at his club he was with her. 这就非常清楚了，我以为查理斯在俱乐部的时间，实际上他是在同那个女人厮混。”