月亮和六便士 第十四章(2)

 　　But to my practical mind it remained to be seen whether the passion which obsessed 1 him would be justified 2 of its works.  但是以我讲求实际的眼睛看来，使他着了迷的这种热情是否能产生出有价值的作品来，还有待时间证明。

　　When I asked him what his brother-students at the night classes he had attended in London thought of his painting, he answered with a grin: 等我问起他在伦敦学画时夜校的同学对他的绘画如何评价的时候，他笑了笑说：
　　They thought it a joke. "他们觉得我是在闹着玩。"
　　Have you begun to go to a studio here? "你到了这里以后，开始进哪个绘画学校了么？"
　　Yes. The blighter came round this morning-the master, you know; when he saw my drawing he just raised his eyebrows 3 and walked on. "进了。今天早晨那个笨蛋还到我住的地方来过--我是说那个老师，你知道；他看了我的画以后，只是把眉毛一挑，连话也没说就走了。"
　　Strickland chuckled 4. He did not seem discouraged. He was independent of the opinion of his fellows. 思特里克兰德咯咯地笑起来。他似乎一点也没有灰心丧气。别人的意见对他是毫无影响的。
　　And it was just that which had most disconcerted me in my dealings with him.  在我同他打交道的时候，正是这一点使我狼狈不堪。
　　When people say they do not care what others think of them, for the most part they deceive themselves.  有人也说他不在乎别人对他的看法，但这多半是自欺欺人。
　　Generally they mean only that they will do as they choose, in the confidence that no one will know their vagaries;  一般说来，他们能够自行其是是因为相信别人都看不出来他们的怪异的想法；
　　and at the utmost only that they are willing to act contrary to the opinion of the majority because they are supported by the approval of their neighbours.  最甚者也是因为有几个近邻知交表示支持，才敢违背大多数人的意见行事。
　　It is not difficult to be unconventional in the eyes of the world when your unconventionality is but the convention of your set.  如果一个人违反传统实际上是他这一阶层人的常规，那他在世人面前作出违反传统的事倒也不困难。
　　It affords you then an inordinate 5 amount of self-esteem.  相反地，他还会为此洋洋自得。
　　You have the self-satisfaction of courage without the inconvenience of danger.  他既可以标榜自己的勇气又不致冒什么风险。
　　But the desire for approbation 6 is perhaps the most deeply seated instinct of civilised man.  但是我总觉得事事要邀获别人批准，或许是文明人类最根深蒂固的一种天性。
　　No one runs so hurriedly to the cover of respectability as the unconventional woman who has exposed herself to the slings 7 and arrows of outraged 9 propriety 10.  一个标新立异的女人一旦冒犯了礼规，招致了唇枪舌剑的物议，再没有谁会象她那样飞快地跑去寻找尊严体面的庇护了。
　　I do not believe the people who tell me they do not care a row of pins for the opinion of their fellows.  那些告诉我他们毫不在乎别人对他们的看法的人，我是绝不相信的。
　　It is the bravado 11 of ignorance.  这只不过是一种无知的虚张声势。
　　They mean only that they do not fear reproaches for peccadillos which they are convinced none will discover. 他们的意思是：他们相信别人根本不会发现自己的微疵小瑕，因此更不怕别人对这些小过失加以谴责了。
　　But here was a man who sincerely did not mind what people thought of him, and so convention had no hold on him; he was like a wrestler 12 whose body is oiled;  但是这里却有一个真正不计较别人如何看待他的人，因而传统礼规对他一点也奈何不得。他象是一个身上涂了油的角力者，
　　you could not get a grip on him; it gave him a freedom which was an outrage 8.  你根本抓不住他。这就给了他一种自由，叫你感到火冒三丈。
　　I remember saying to him: 我还记得我对他说：