双语·《刀锋》 第五章 七

CHAPTER FIVE 7
第五章 七

I found a message from Joseph, Elliott's manservant, to tell me that Elliott was ill in bed and would be glad to see me, so next day I drove over to Antibes. Joseph, before taking me up to see his master, told me that Elliott had had an attack of uraemia and that his doctor took a grave view of his condition.He had come through it and was getting better, but his kidneys were diseased and it was impossible that he should ever completely recover.Joseph had been with Elliott for forty years and was devoted to him, but though his manner was regretful it was impossible not to notice the inner satisfaction with which, like so many members of his class, catastrophe in the house filled him.
我看到艾略特的男仆约瑟夫写来的一封信，说艾略特卧病在床，很想见见我。于是，次日我便驱车去了安提比斯。约瑟夫在领我上楼见他主人之前，告诉我说艾略特突患尿毒症，医生认为病情不容乐观，好在他挺了过来，现在病情好转；不过，他的肾脏有问题，不可能完全康复。约瑟夫跟随艾略特四十年，对他忠心耿耿，可是，尽管表面显得难过，却不难看出内心在幸灾乐祸——仆人们多数如此，一旦主人家祸起萧墙，他们不忧反乐。

“Ce pauvre monsieur，”he sighed.“Evidently he had his manias but at bottom he was good. Sooner or later he must die.”
“先生真可怜。”约瑟夫叹了口气说，“他有他的怪癖，但归根结底也算是个好人。人迟早都是要死的。”

He spoke already as though Elliott were at his last gasp.
他说话的口气就好像艾略特眼看就要断气了似的。

“I'm sure he's provided for you, Joseph，”I said grimly.
“我敢说他把你今后的生活已安排好了，约瑟夫。”我板着脸说。

“One must hope it，”he said mournfully.
“但愿如此。”他语气哀痛地说。

I was surprised when he ushered me into the bedroom to find Elliott very spry. He was pale and looked old, but was in good spirits.He was shaved and his hair was neatly brushed.He wore pale blue silk pyjamas, on the pocket of which were embroidered his initials surmounted by his count's crown.These, much larger and again with the crown, were heavily embroidered on the turned-down sheet.
他把我领进艾略特的卧房时，我却意外地看到艾略特一副生龙活虎的样子。他固然脸色苍白、面相衰老，但精神头很好。他刮了脸，头发梳得整整齐齐，身穿淡蓝色丝绸睡衣，睡衣口袋上绣着他姓名的缩写字母，而字母上方则绣着他的伯爵冠饰。在翻过来的被单上，也绣有这些字母和冠饰，型号比睡衣上的要大许多。

I asked him how he felt.
我问他感觉如何。

“Perfectly well，”he said cheerfully.“It's only a temporary indisposition. I shall be up and about again in a few days.I've got the Grand Duke Dimitri lunching with me on Saturday, and I've told my doctor he must put me to rights by then at all costs.”
“感觉好极了。”他乐呵呵地说，“只不过偶染小恙，用不了几天就可以活蹦乱跳了。我约了迪米特里大公在星期六和我共进午餐。我已告诉了我的医生，让他无论如何要在这之前把我的病治好。”

I spent half an hour with him, and on my way out asked Joseph to let me know if Elliott had a relapse. I was astonished a week later when I went to lunch with one of my neighbours to find him there.Dressed for a party, he looked like death.
我陪他坐了半小时，出来时告诉约瑟夫，说如果他的病复发，就来通知我。一个星期后，我到一个邻居家赴午宴，却惊奇地发现艾略特也在那里，穿着礼服，脸色像死人。

“You oughtn't to be out, Elliott，”I told him.
“你不应该出来，艾略特。”我对他说。

“Oh, what nonsense, my dear fellow. Frieda is expecting the Princess Mafalda.I've known the Italian royal family for years, ever since poor Louisa was en poste at Rome, and I couldn't let poor Frieda down.”
“胡说什么呀，老伙计。弗里达请了玛法达公主呢。从路易莎在罗马任上的时候起，我认识意大利王室已有多年了。我说什么也不能叫可怜的弗里达失望。”

I did not know whether to admire his indomitable spirit or to lament that at his age, stricken with mortal illness, he should still retain his passion for society. You would never have thought he was a sick man.Like a dying actor when he has the grease paint on his face and steps on the stage, who forgets for the time being his aches and pains, Elliott played his part of the polished courtier with his accustomed assurance.He was infinitely amiable, flatter-ingly attentive to the proper people, and amusing with that malicious irony at which he was an adept.I think I had never seen him display his social gift to greater advantage.When the Royal Highness had departed（and the grace with which Elliott bowed, managing to combine respect for her exalted rank with an old man's admiration for a comely woman, was a sight to see）I was not surprised to hear our hostess tell him that he had been the life and soul of the party.
他年事已高，且身患绝症，对社交活动却始终保持着高涨的热情，真不知是应该敬佩他不屈不挠的精神还是应该可怜他。你绝对不会想到他这个样子，竟然是个病人。他就像一个垂死的演员，脸上涂了油彩，登台表演时，立刻忘掉了病痛。他担任捧场的角色，潇洒自如地将此角色扮演得极其到位，对客人们和蔼可亲、殷勤周到，用他最擅长的手法捧臀啜屁，却妙语如珠，令人开怀。我觉得自己从未见过他把社交艺术发挥到如此高的水平。当公主殿下离开时，艾略特弓腰送行，风度雅致，既表现了对公主崇高身份的尊敬，又表现了一个老人对一个年轻美丽女子的景慕，令人叹为观止。难怪设宴的女主人事后称他为宴会的生命和灵魂。

A few days later he was in bed again and his doctor forbade him to leave his room. Elliott was exasperated.
几天后，他又卧倒在了病床上。医生对他下了禁令，不许他离开房间半步。艾略特为此感到非常窝火。

“It's too bad this should happen just now. It's a particularly brilliant season.”
“早不病晚不病，偏偏这个时候病了。社交季节正如火如荼。”

He reeled off a long list of persons of importance who were spending the summer on the Riviera.
他列了一长串重量级人物的名单，说他们夏天齐聚里维埃拉。

I went to see him every three or four days. Sometimes he was in bed, but sometimes he lay on a chaise longue in a gorgeous dressing-gown.He seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of them, for I do not remember that I ever saw him in the same one twice.On one of these occasions, it was the beginning of August by now, I found Elliott unusually quiet.Joseph had told me when he let me into the house that he seemed a little better so I was surprised that he was so listless.I tried to amuse him with such gossip of the coast as I had picked up, but he was plainly uninterested.There was a slight frown between his eyes, and a sullenness in his expression that was unusual with him.
我每隔三四天都去探望他一次。他有时候躺在床上，有时候穿一件华丽的晨衣坐在一把躺椅上。这种晨衣他似乎备有无数件，记得从未见他穿重过样。八月初的一天，我又去看望他，发现他反常地少言寡语。迎我进门时，约瑟夫曾告诉我，说他病情有所好转，所以见他如此没有精神头，我便觉得有些奇怪了。我把自己得来的一些当地的小道消息讲给他听，想让他高兴起来，他却一点兴趣也没有。他双眉微蹙，脸上有种愠怒的表情，这在他是少见的。

“Are you going to Edna Novemali's party?”he asked me suddenly.
“埃德娜·诺威马里举办宴会，你去参加吗？”他冷不丁这样问道。

“No, of course not.”
“不去。怎么啦？”

“Has she asked you?”
“她邀请你了没有？”

“She's asked everybody on the Riviera.”
“里维埃拉的每个人她都邀请了。”

The Princess Novemali was an American of immense wealth who had married a Roman prince, but not an ordinary prince such as go for two a penny in Italy, but the head of a great family and the descendant of a condottiere who had carved out a principality for himself in the sixteenth century. She was a woman of sixty, a widow, and since the Fascist regime demanded too large a slice of her American income to suit her, she had left Italy and built herself, on a fine estate behind Cannes, a Florentine villa.She had brought marble from Italy with which to line the walls of her great reception rooms and imported painters to paint the ceilings.Her pictures, her bronzes, were uncommonly fine and even Elliott, though he didn't like Italian furniture, was obliged to admit that hers was magnificent.The gardens were lovely and the swimming-pool must have cost a small fortune.She entertained largely and you never sat down less than twenty at table.She had arranged to give a fancy-dress party on the night of the August full moon, and although it was still three weeks ahead nothing else was being talked of on the Riviera.There were to be fireworks and she was bringing down a coloured orchestra from Paris.The exiled royalties were telling one another with envious admiration that it would cost her more than they had to live on for a year.
诺威马里王妃原是美国的一个腰缠万贯的富婆，嫁给了一位罗马的王子，此王子可不是意大利的那种穷得叮当响的普通王子，而是一个伟大家族的族长，一个雇佣兵队长的后代——那个队长在十六世纪曾为自己开拓出了一个公国。诺威马里王妃年已六十，是个寡妇，由于不满意大利法西斯政权对她美国的进项课以重税，便来到法国，在戛纳山背面的一块漂亮的土地上盖了一幢佛罗伦萨风格的别墅。她特意从意大利运来大理石，为她那些大客厅的墙壁镶边，还从国外请来画家给她画天顶画。她的藏画和铜像都异常精美；连素来不喜欢意大利家具的艾略特，也不得不承认她的家具十分华贵。她家的花园美观漂亮，游泳池造价肯定不菲。她请客高朋满座，每次都不少于二十个人。她安排好在八月里月圆时举行一次化装舞会。虽然还有三个星期的时间，里维埃拉已经到处都在谈论这次舞会了。那天晚上要放焰火，她还要从巴黎带一个黑人乐队过来助兴。那些流亡的王公贵族相互谈论时又是羡慕，又是妒忌，认为她这一晚的花费足够他们一年的用度。

“It's princely，”they said.
“真是气派呀。”有的人说。

“It's crazy，”they said.
“简直是发疯。”有的人说。

“It's in bad taste，”they said.
“没品位。”有的人说。

“What are you going to wear?”Elliott asked me.
“你准备穿什么样的衣服？”艾略特问我。

“But I told you, Elliott, I'm not going. You don't think I'm going to dress myself up in fancy dress at my time of life.”
“我不是告诉你了么，艾略特，我就不打算去。你以为我这把岁数了还会穿得花里胡哨去参加什么化装舞会。”

“She hasn't asked me，”he said hoarsely.
“她没有邀请我。”他声音嘶哑地说。

He looked at me with haggard eyes.
说完，他用一双倦怠无神的眼睛望着我。

“Oh, she will，”I said coolly.“I dare say all the invitations haven't gone out yet.”
“哦，她会请的。”我平心静气地说，“请帖肯定还在陆续发着呢。”

“She's not going to ask me.”His voice broke.“It's a deliberate insult.”
“她不会请我的。”他声音有些哽咽地说，“这是故意叫我下不了台。”

“Oh, Elliott, I can't believe that. I'm sure it's an oversight.”
“哎，艾略特，这我就不能相信了。中间肯定是有些疏漏。”

“I'm not a man that people overlook.”
“我可不是个容人蔑视的人。”

“Anyhow, you wouldn't have been well enough to go.”
“再怎么说，你身体不好，反正也去不成。”

“Of course I should. The best party of the season！If I were on my deathbed I'd get up for it.I've got the costume of my ancestor, the Count de Lauria, to wear.”
“去不成也要去。这是本季节最盛大的一次聚会。我只要还有一口气，就是爬着也要去。我要把我的祖先劳里亚伯爵的那套礼服穿在身上。”

I did not quite know what to say and so remained silent.
我真不知说什么好了，于是干脆闭上了嘴。

“Paul Barton was in to see me just before you came，”Elliott said suddenly.
“就在你来之前，保罗·巴顿来看过我。”艾略特突然开口说道。

I cannot expect the reader to remember who this was, since I had to look back myself to see what name I had given him. Paul Barton was the young American whom Elliott had introduced into London society and who had aroused his hatred by dropping him when he no longer had any use for him.He had been somewhat in the public eye of late, first because he had adopted British nationality and then because he had married the daughter of a news-paper magnate who had been raised to the peerage.With this influence behind him and with his own adroitness it was evident that he would go far.Elliott was very bitter.
我不能指望读者还记得这个人，因为我自己也得重温前文看我究竟给了他一个什么名字。保罗·巴顿就是那个由艾略特引进伦敦社交界，后来觉得艾略特派不上用场，就不再理会他的美国青年，艾略特恨他恨得牙根痒痒。此人近来相当引人注目，先是因为他加入了英国国籍，后来又由于他娶了一个报界巨头的千金，而这位巨头已经晋升为贵族了。有了这样的后台，再加上此人八面玲珑，显然前途不可限量。艾略特为此像吃了黄连一样心里感到苦涩。

“Whenever I wake up in the night and hear a mouse scratching away in the wainscoat I say：‘That's Paul Barton climbing.'Believe me, my dear fellow, he'll end up in the House of Lords. Thank God, I shan't be alive to see it.”
“夜里一旦醒来，听见老鼠窸窸窣窣在壁橱里爬动，我就心想：‘这是保罗·巴顿在朝上爬。’请相信我的话，老伙计，这家伙早晚能钻进上议院的。谢天谢地，那一天我是看不到了。”

“What did he want?”I asked, for I knew as well as Elliott that this young man did nothing for nothing.
“他来这儿有何贵干？”我问。我和艾略特心里都很清楚，这个年轻人无事不登三宝殿。

“I'll tell you what he wanted，”said Elliott, snarling.“He wanted to borrow my Count de Lauria costume.”
“让我告诉你，他有何贵干吧。”艾略特气得咆哮道，“他想借用我祖先劳里亚伯爵的那套礼服。”

“Nerve！”
“恬不知耻！”

“Don't you see what it means?It means he knew Edna hadn't asked me and wasn't going to ask me. She put him up to it.The old bitch.She'd never have got anywhere without me.I gave parties for her.I introduced her to everyone she knows.She sleeps with her chauffeur；you knew that of course.Disgusting！He sat there and told me that she's having the whole garden illuminated and there are going to be fireworks.I love fireworks.And he told me that Edna was being pestered by people who were asking for invitations, but she had turned them all down because she wanted the party to be really brilliant.He spoke as though there were no question of my being invited.”
“难道你看不出他的用心？显然，他知道埃德娜没有邀请我，也不打算邀请我。这是埃德娜唆使他来气我的。那条老母狗。没有我，她哪有今日。当初，我特意为她举办宴会，她认识的人都是我介绍的。她和自己的司机睡觉，这个当然你也是知道的。真叫人恶心！巴顿来了告诉我，说她要给花园里张灯结彩，还要放焰火。谁不知道我最爱看的就是放焰火。他说许多人死乞白赖跟埃德娜要请帖，却都一一碰壁，因为埃德娜不愿人多，想把宴会办得别开生面。听他说话的口气，就好像我肯定是在被邀请之列似的。”

“And are you lending him the costume?”
“你准备把礼服借给他吗？”

“I'd see him dead and in hell first. I'm going to be buried in it.”Elliott, sitting up in bed, rocked to and fro like a woman distraught.“Oh, it's so unkind，”he said.“I hate them, I hate them all.They were glad enough to make a fuss of me when I could entertain them, but now I'm old and sick they have no use for me.Not ten people have called to inquire since I've been laid up, and all this week only one miserable bunch of flowers.I’ve done every-thing for them.They’ve eaten my food and drunk my wine.I’ve run their errands for them.I’ve made their parties for them.I’ve turned myself inside out to do them favours.And what have I got out of it?Nothing, nothing, nothing.There’s not one of them who cares if I live or die.Oh, it’s so cruel.”He began to cry.Great heavy tears trickled down his withered cheeks.“I wish to God I’d never left America.”
“让他去死吧，恨不得把他送进十八层地狱。我就是死了穿着它下葬也不借给他。”说到这里，艾略特猛地从床上坐起，像个发了疯的女人一样，把身子晃来晃去的，“全都是些狼心狗肺的东西。”他咬牙切齿地说，“我恨他们，我恨他们所有的人。当我能够为他们捧场时，他们无一不围着我转。现在我又老又病，他们就把我弃如敝屣。自从我卧床不起，来探望的人不超过十个。这都一个星期了，只可怜巴巴地送来了一束花。我为他们可以说是尽心尽力。他们吃我的喝我的，我为他们跑前跑后，为他们张罗宴会，鞠躬尽瘁地为他们服务。可是，我得到什么回报了呢？什么也没有，一点回报也没有。没有一个人关心我的死活。天呀，全都是些绝情绝义的坏东西。”说到伤心处，他嘤嘤地哭出了声来，大滴大滴的眼泪顺着皱巴巴的脸颊直朝下滚，“真后悔呀，当初就不该离开美国。”

It was lamentable to see that old man, with the grave yawning in front of him, weep like a child because he hadn't been asked to a party：shocking and at the same time almost intolerably pathetic.
看见这个不久于人世的老人仅仅因为别人没有请他去赴宴，便像个孩子一样号啕大哭，着实可悲可怜。这样的一幅情景叫人吃惊，也难免会心生恻隐。

“Never mind, Elliott，”I said，“it may rain on the night of the party. That'll bitch it.”
“不请你也没有关系，艾略特，”我说，“也许那天晚上会下雨，叫他们放不成焰火。”

He caught at my words like the drowning man we've all heard about at a straw. He began to giggle through his tears.
他一听，就像人们所说的快死的人抓住了一根救命稻草一样，含着泪花笑了起来。

“I've never thought of that. I'll pray to God for rain as I've never prayed before.You're quite right；that'll bitch it.”
“我怎么没想到。我祈求上天，无比虔诚地祈求上天，愿到时候天降大雨。你说得不错，叫他们放不成焰火。”

I managed to divert his frivolous mind into another channel and left him, if not cheerful, at least composed. But I was not willing to let the matter rest, so on getting home I called up Edna Novemali and, saying I had to come to Cannes next day, asked if I could lunch with her.She sent a message that she'd be pleased but there'd be no party.Nevertheless when I arrived I found ten people there besides herself.She was not a bad sort, generous and hospitable, and her only grave fault was her malicious tongue.She could not help saying beastly things about even her intimate friends, but she did this because she was a stupid woman and knew no other way to make herself interesting.Since her slanders were repeated she was often not on speaking terms with the objects of her venom, but she gave good parties and most of them found it convenient after a while to forgive her.I did not want to expose Elliott to the humiliation of asking her to invite him to her big do, so waited to see how the land lay.She was excited about it and the conversation at luncheon was concerned with nothing else.
我的几句话让他改变了想法，放弃了那些愚蠢的念头。待我辞别时，他即便不是心情快活，也起码是心平气和了。不过，我还是放心不下，一回到家就给埃德娜·诺威马里挂了个电话，说我次日到戛纳去，问能不能和她一起吃顿午饭。后来，她叫人传话来，说她很高兴请我吃饭，但仅仅是便宴。可是我到达后，却发现除她之外，还有十位客人也在场。她是个挺不错的人，慷慨大方、热情好客，只有一个坏毛病，那就是嘴上不饶人。即便是对好朋友，她也会在背后说人家的坏话。这倒不是说她天性恶毒，而是因为大脑愚钝，再想不出别的方式引起别人的注意了。她说的话传出去，被她中伤的人就不再搭理她了。不过，她举办的宴会总是别开生面，过上一阵子，大多数被她得罪的人就觉得不便跟她斤斤计较了。我觉得一开口就求她邀请艾略特来参加即将举办的盛会，会让艾略特丢面子，想想还是见机行事的好。她对这次盛会兴致很高，吃饭时把话头全集中在了这上面。

“Elliott will be delighted to have an opportunity to wear his Philip the Second costume，”I said as casually as I could.
“艾略特一定会高兴死的，这下子算是有机会穿他那套菲力普二世时代的礼服了。”我尽量做出一副漫不经心的样子随口说道。

“I haven't asked him，”she said.
“我没有邀请他。”她说道。

“Why not?”I replied, with an air of surprise.
“为什么没邀请？”我装作诧异地问。

“Why should I?He doesn't count socially any more. He's a bore and a snob and a scandalmonger.”
“为什么要请他呢？他在社交圈子里已风光不再，纯粹是个老厌物、势利眼，就喜欢传播流言蜚语。”

Since these accusations could with equal truth be brought against her, I thought this a bit thick. She was a fool.
这一番指控用在她自己的身上倒是挺合适的。我觉得她太刻薄，蠢里蠢气的。

“Besides，”she added，“I want Paul to wear Elliott's costume. He'll look simply divine in it.”
“再说，”她又补加了一句，“我想让保罗把艾略特的那件礼服穿上。保罗穿上一定显得很高贵。”

I said nothing more, but determined by hook or by crook to get poor Elliott the invitation he hankered after. After luncheon Edna took her friends out into the garden.That gave me the chance I was looking for.On one occasion I had stayed in the house for a few days and knew its arrangement.I guessed that there would still be a number of invitation cards left over and that they would be in the secretary's room.I whipped along there, meaning to slip one in my pocket, write Elliott's name on it, and post it.I knew he was much too ill to go, but it would mean a great deal to him to receive it.I was taken aback when I opened the door to find Edna's secretary at her desk.I had expected her to be still at lunch.She was a middle-aged Scotch woman, called Miss Keith, with sandy hair, a freckled face, pince-nez, and an air of determined virginity.I collected myself.
我不再说话，但决心要替艾略特把他朝思暮想的请帖弄到手，不管用什么样的手段都在所不惜。午饭后，埃德娜把她的朋友们带到花园里去散步。这给了我可乘之机。我曾经有一次在这里做过几天客，所以知道一点她家的情况。我猜想可能还会有些请帖剩下来，保存在秘书的房间里。我悄悄向那儿溜去，打算拿一张请帖塞进口袋，回去后写上艾略特的名字寄给他。我知道他病得厉害，根本无法成行，但能拿到这份请帖对他而言却意义重大。可是一推开房门，我却惊呆了，只见埃德娜的秘书坐在她的办公桌旁。我原以为她还没有吃完午饭呢。秘书是个中年的苏格兰女子，名叫吉斯小姐，沙色头发，雀斑脸，戴一副夹鼻眼镜，显出一副守身如玉的处女气质。我急忙稳定住情绪。

“The Princess is taking the crowd around the garden, so I thought I'd come in and smoke a cigarette with you.”
“王妃带客人们到花园散步去了。我没事，想着就到你这儿来抽根烟吧。”

“You're welcome.”
“欢迎你来。”

Miss Keith spoke with a Scotch burr and when she indulged in the dry humour which she reserved for her favourites she so broadened it as to make her remarks extremely amusing, but when you were overcome with laughter she looked at you with pained surprise as though she thought you daft to see anything funny in what she said.
吉斯小姐说话时带有苏格兰语的那种小舌颤音。和自己喜欢的人在一起时，她会表现出一种“干幽默”，而此时她的小舌颤音就颤得更厉害了，会惹得听者发笑。可是，你禁不住笑出声来时，她则向你投来气恼、诧异的目光，就好像她认为你昏了头，竟然觉得她的话好笑。

“I suppose this party is giving you a hell of a lot of work. Miss Keith，”I said.
“这次举办那宴会肯定给你增加了不少负担，吉斯小姐。”我说道。

“I don't know whether I'm standing on my head or on my heels.”
“忙得团团转，都分不清东南西北了。”

Knowing I could trust her, I went straight to the point.
知道她可以信赖，于是我开门见山地说：

“Why hasn't the old girl asked Mr. Templeton?”
“为什么王妃没有邀请邓普顿先生呢？”

Miss Keith permitted a smile to cross her grim features.
吉斯小姐那不苟言笑的脸上此时浮出一丝笑容，说道：

“You know what she is. She's got a down on him.She crossed his name out on the list herself.”
“你知道她是怎样的人。她跟他有过节。是她亲自从客人名单上把他的名字划掉的。”

“He's dying, you know. He'll never leave his bed again.He's awfully hurt at being left out.”
“你知道，他已是垂死之人了，这辈子也离不开病床了。受到如此冷落，他心里难过到了极点。”

“If he wanted to keep in with the Princess he'd have been wiser not to tell everyone that she goes to bed with her chauffeur. And him with a wife and three children.”
“如果他不想跟王妃闹翻，他就不应该逢人便说王妃跟自己的司机睡觉。她的司机是有老婆的，还有三个孩子呢。”

“And does she?”
“她到底睡了没有？”

Miss Keith looked at me over her pince-nez.
吉斯小姐的目光从夹鼻眼镜的上方瞟过来，望了我一眼。

“I've been a secretary for twenty-one years, my dear sir, and I've made it a rule to believe all my employers as pure as the driven snow. I'll admit that when one of my ladies found herself three months gone in the family way when his lordship had been shooting lions in Africa for six, my faith was sorely tried, but she took a little trip to Paris, a very expensive little trip it was too, and all was well.Her ladyship and I shared a deep sigh of relief.”
“我当秘书已经有二十一个年头了。我有一个原则，那就是相信自己的雇主像白雪一样纯洁。必须承认，有时候我的某个雇主会发现自己已有三个月的身孕，而老爷去非洲猎狮，去了有半个年头。此时，我对女主人坚信不疑的原则会经受严峻的考验。不过，女主人只要到巴黎去一趟，进行一次极其昂贵的短途旅行，就会化险为夷。我和女主人便如释重负，长长松一口气。”

“Miss Keith, I didn't come here to smoke a cigarette with you, I came to snitch an invitation card and send it to Mr. Templeton myself.”
“吉斯小姐，我并不是想抽烟才到这儿来的。我来是想偷一张请帖亲自寄给邓普顿先生。”

“That would have been a very unscrupulous thing to do.”
“这样做十分不妥当。”

“Granted. Be a good sport, Miss Keith.Give me a card.He won't come and it'll make the poor old man happy.You've got nothing against him, have you?”
“我也知道不妥当。行行好，吉斯小姐，那就请你给我一张请帖吧。那个可怜的老人反正也是来不了的，只是给他张请帖叫他高兴高兴。他没有什么叫你感到不痛快的地方吧？”

“No, he's always been very civil to me. He's a gentleman, I will say that for him, and that's more than you can say for most of the people who come here and fill their fat bellies at the Princess's expense.”
“没有。他对我总是客客气气的。我敢说他是真正的绅士，比大多数跑到王妃这儿骗吃骗喝的人都要强。”

All important persons have about them someone in a subordinate position who has their ear. These dependents are very susceptible to slights, and, when they are not treated as they think they should be, will by well-directed shafts, constantly repeated, poison the minds of their patrons against those who have provoked their animosity.It is well to keep in with them.This Elliott knew better than anybody and he had always a friendly word and a cordial smile for the poor relation, the old maidservant or the trusted secretary.I was sure he had often exchanged pleasant badinage with Miss Keith and at Christmas had not forgotten to send her a box of chocolates, a vanity case, or a handbag.
所有重要人物的身边都有些得宠的下属。这些仰人鼻息的人，你是万万得罪不起的。假如他们觉得自己没有得到应有的尊重，他们就会在主子面前放你的冷箭，挑拨离间。和这些人，你是必须要搞好关系的。艾略特比任何人都更懂得这一点，所以对那些穷亲戚、老年女佣或者受主人信赖的秘书，见了面他总会亲热地寒暄几句，或者热忱地赔个笑脸。我敢说，他肯定经常跟吉斯小姐说开心的话，过圣诞节时不会忘了送给她一盒巧克力、一个化妆盒或者一个手提包。

“Come on, Miss Keith, have a heart.”
“求求你，吉斯小姐，发个善心吧。”

Miss Keith fixed her pince-nez more firmly on her prominent nose.
吉斯小姐把夹鼻眼镜在她那高鼻梁上固定得更牢了些。

“I am sure you wish me to do nothing disloyal to my employer, Mr. Maugham, besides which the old cow would fire me if she found out I'd disobeyed her.The cards are on the desk in their envelopes.I am going to look out of the window, partly to stretch my legs which are cramped from sitting too long in one position and also to observe the beauty of the prospect.What happens when my back is turned neither God nor man can hold me responsible for.”
“毛姆先生，我坚信你绝不愿意让我去干对我的雇主不忠实的事情；再说，万一叫那个老母牛发现我违背了她的意愿，必定会炒我的鱿鱼。请帖就在这张桌子上，装在信封里。我现在要到窗户跟前向外瞭望瞭望，一是因为我在一个位置上坐得太久了，腿有点僵，想活动一下；二是因为想欣赏一下窗外美丽的景色。当我将脸转过去的时候，背后发生什么事，不管是老天还是任何人都不能叫我为之负责了。”

When Miss Keith resumed her seat the invitation was in my pocket.
当吉斯小姐重新回到她的座位上时，请帖已经进了我的口袋。

“It's been nice to see you, Miss Keith，”I said, holding out my hand.“What are you wearing at the fancy-dressparty?”
“今天见到你，真是叫人舒心，吉斯小姐。”我说着，伸出了手，“化装舞会上你准备穿什么服装？”

“I am a minister's daughter, my dear sir，”she replied.“I leave such foolishness to the upper classes. When I have seen that the representatives of the Herald and the Mail get a good supper and a bottle of our second-best champagne, my duties will be terminated and I shall retire to the privacy of my bedchamber with a detective story.”
“我亲爱的先生，我是牧师的女儿，”她回答说，“这种荒唐的事情就让那些上层阶级的人去做吧。只要把《先驱报》和《邮报》的代表们招待好，让他们酒足饭饱，我的责任就算尽到了。我将回到卧室里去，安安静静地看我的侦探小说。”