双语·《刀锋》 第五章 九

CHAPTER FIVE 9
第五章 九

Thinking that Elliott might want to be alone after the ceremony in which he had taken part, I went up to the drawing-room and began to read, but no sooner had I settled myself than the nurse came in to tell me that he wanted to see me. I climbed the flight of stairs to his room.Whether owing to a shot that the doctor had given him to help him to support the Ordeal before him or whether from the excitement of it, he was calmly cheerful and his eyes were bright.
想着艾略特刚接受过圣礼，也许不愿见人，我便进了客厅，看起书来。谁知屁股刚坐稳，护士就跑了来，说艾略特想见我。我爬上那串楼梯到了他的房间。他接受圣礼之前，医生曾给他打过一针，叫他振作起来，此时不知是因为这一针的效力，还是因为情绪激动，反正他一副兴奋的样子，眼睛闪闪发光。

“A great honour, my dear fellow，”he said.“I shall enter the kingdom of heaven with a letter of introduction from a prince of the Church. I fancy that all doors will be open to me.”
“这是莫大的荣誉呀，我的老伙计。”他说道，“这下子，我可以拿着教会一位重要人物的介绍信进天国了。我想，天国里各家各户都会敞开大门欢迎我的。”

“I'm afraid you'll find the company very mixed，”I smiled.
“恐怕你会发现那儿什么样的人都有。”我笑了笑说。

“Don't you believe it, my dear fellow. We know from Holy Writ that there are class distinctions in heaven just as there are on earth.There are seraphim and cherubim, archangels and angels.I have always moved in the best society in Europe and I have no doubt that I shall move in the best society in heaven.Our Lord has said：The House of my Father hath many mansions.It would be highly unsuitable to lodge the hoi polloi in a way to which they're entirely unaccustomed.”
“也许你不会相信，我的老伙计，我们从《圣经》上得知，天国和人间一样是有等级区别的。那儿有六翼天使和四翼天使，有天使长和普通天使。在人世间，我游走于欧洲的上流社会，到了天国我毫无疑问也将游走于那儿的上流社会。主曾经说过：‘在我父的家园里有千万住房，分配时应该让众民各得其所。’”

I suspected that Elliott saw the celestial habitations in the guise of the chateaux of a Baron de Rothschild with eighteenth-century panelling on the walls, Buhl tables, marquetry cabinets, and Louis Quinze suites covered with their original petit-point.
我怀疑艾略特把天国的住房想象成了罗慈吉尔兹男爵的城堡那样的风格——墙上镶有十八世纪的护壁板，有镶嵌细工的桌子、精雕细刻的壁橱以及路易十五风格的器皿，器皿上蒙着路易十五时代的刺绣品。

“Believe me, my dear fellow，”he went on after a pause，“there'll be none of this damned equality in heaven.”
“请相信我的话，老伙计，”他停顿了一下，然后继续说道，“天国是没有什么绝对平等的。”

He dropped off quite suddenly into a doze. I sat down with a book.He slept off and on.At one o'clock the nurse came in to tell me that Joseph had luncheon ready for me.Joseph was subdued.
说完，他不知怎么昏睡了过去。我坐下来，拿本书看。他一直昏睡不醒。到一点钟时，护士进来告诉我，说约瑟夫把午饭准备好了。见到约瑟夫，发现他一副服服帖帖的样子。

“Fancy Monseigneur the Bishop coming himself. It is a great honour he has done our poor gentleman.You saw me kiss his ring?”
“想不到主教大人竟然亲自大驾光临了，这对我们可怜的主人是莫大的荣幸。你看见我吻他的戒指了吗？”

“I did.”
“看见了。”

“It's not a thing I would have done of myself！I did it to satisfy my poor wife.”
“按说，我不会主动去吻的，那样做全是为了让我的妻子见了高兴。”

I spent the afternoon in Elliott's room. In the course of it a telegram came from Isabel to say that she and Gray would arrive by the Blue Train next morning.I could hardly hope they would be in time.The doctor came.He shook his head.Towards sunset Elliott awoke and was able to take a little nourishment.It seemed to give him a momentary strength.He beckoned to me and I went up to the bed.His voice was very weak.
我在艾略特的房间里待了一下午。这期间，收到伊莎贝尔的一封电报，说她和格雷乘坐蓝色列车第二天上午抵达。我担心他们恐怕赶不上为艾略特送终了。医生来了，见了艾略特的状况直摇头。太阳落山时分，艾略特从昏睡中醒来，可以稍微吃点东西了。肚子里有了食，他似乎暂时有了些气力。他冲我招了招手，我走到了床边。只听他声音极其微弱地说：

“I haven't answered Edna's invitation.”
“收到埃德娜的请帖，我还没有回信呢。”

“Oh, don't bother about that now, Elliott.”
“没关系，别管那些了，艾略特。”

“Why not?I've always been a man of the world；there's no reason why I should forget my manners as I'm leaving it. Where is the card?”
“怎么能不管呢？在这个世界，我一直是个懂情理的人，不能因为就要离开这个世界，便置礼节于不顾。请帖在哪儿呢？”

It was on the chimney piece and I put it in his hand, but I doubt whether he could see it.
请帖放在壁炉架上，我取来交到他手里，不过我觉得此时他是想看也看不清楚的。

“You'll find a pad of writing paper in my study. If you'll get it I'll dictate my answer.”
“你去书房找几张信纸来。我口授，由你写回信。”

I went into the next room and came back with writing materials. I sat down by the side of his bed.
我走进隔壁的书房，把信纸拿了来，在他的床边坐下。

“Are you ready?”
“你准备好了吗？”

“Yes.”
“好了。”

His eyes were closed, but there was a mischievous smile on his lips and I wondered what was coming.
他闭上眼睛，嘴边露出一丝顽皮的微笑。我心里纳闷，不知他会说出什么话来。

“Mr. Elliott Templeton regrets that he cannot accept Princess Novemali's kind invitation owing to a previousengagement with his Blessed Lord.”
“鉴于之前和万能的主有约，恕艾略特·邓普顿无法接受诺威马里王妃善意的邀请。”

He gave a faint, ghostly chuckle. His face was of a strange blue-white, ghastly to behold, and he exhaled the nauseating stench peculiar to his disease.Poor Elliott who had loved to spray himself with the perfumes of Chanel and Molyneux.He was still holding the purloined invitation card and, thinking it incommoded him, I tried to take it out of his hand, but he tightened his grip on it.I was startled to hear him speak quite loudly.
他淡淡地狞笑一声，脸色发青，看上去像鬼一样，呼出的气带有一种他这种病特有的恶臭味。可怜的艾略特，平时总是喜欢在身上洒点香水的呀，有时洒香奈儿牌的，有时洒慕尼丽丝牌的。他手里仍旧抓着那张我偷来的请帖。我觉得他那样拿着很不舒服，想从他手里取出来，谁知他紧紧抓住不放，大吼了一声，吓了我一跳。

“The old bitch，”he said.
“老淫妇！”

These were the last words he spoke. He sank into a coma.The nurse had been up with him all the previous night and looked very tired, so I sent her to bed, promising to call her if necessary, and said I would sit up.There was indeed nothing to do.I lit a shaded lamp and read till my eyes ached and then, turning it off, I sat in darkness.The night was warm and the windows wide open.At regular intervals the flash of the lighthouse swept the room with a passing glimmer.The moon, which when full would look upon the vacuous, noisy gaiety of Edna Novemali's fancy-dress party, set, and in the sky, a deep, deep blue, the countless stars shone with their terrifying brilliance.I think I may have dropped off into a light sleep, but my senses were still awake, and I was suddenly startled into intense consciousness by a hurried, angry sound, the most awe-inspiring sound anyone can hear, the death rattle.I went over to the bed and by the gleam of the lighthouse felt Elliott's pulse.He was dead.I lit the lamp by his bedside and looked at him.His jaw had fallen.His eyes were open and before closing them I stared into them for a minute.I was moved and I think a few tears trickled down my cheeks.An old, kind friend.It made me sad to think how silly, useless, and trivial his life had been.It mattered very little now that he had gone to so many parties and had hobnobbed with all those princes, dukes, and counts.They had forgotten him already.
这是他留在人世间的最后一句话。话一出口，他便陷入了昏迷之中。昨天，护士守在病床旁熬了一夜，看上去疲倦极了，我让她去睡觉，答应在必要时叫她，由我来守夜。其实，守夜是无事可做的，于是我打开一盏带罩子的电灯看起书来，直至把眼睛看得发酸，这才将灯熄灭，坐在黑暗里休息。这是一个闷热的夜晚，窗户都大敞着。灯塔上的探照灯扫来扫去，每隔一段时间就会把光射进屋子里来。月亮隐去了身影，当月圆的时候来临时，就会看到埃德娜·诺威马里的化装舞会那热闹的场面，人声喧嚷却空虚乏味。此时，天空是一片深蓝色，星星多得数不清，一颗颗亮得惊人。我昏昏沉沉的，大概是进入了浅睡之中，但意识还是清醒的。突然，一种急促、愤怒的叫喊吓了我一跳，惊得我彻底醒了过来。那是临死之人发出的叫喊，令人毛骨悚然。我急忙走到病床边，借着灯塔上探照灯的光摸了摸他的脉搏，发现他已经死了。我打开床头灯看看他，见他下巴耷拉着，双目睁开。我静静地望着那双眼，过了一会儿才为他把眼合上。我感到很伤心，觉得有几滴眼泪顺双颊流了下来。一个老朋友，一个善良的老朋友就这么走了。想到他的一生是那么愚蠢、无益和无聊，我不由黯然神伤。他参加过许多宴会，跟王子、公爵、伯爵们举杯同饮，而今一切都化为乌有。那些人已欣然将他淡忘。

I saw no reason to wake the exhausted nurse, so I returned to my chair by the window. I was asleep when she came in at seven.I left her to do whatever she thought fit and had breakfast, then I went to the station to meet Gray and Isabel.I told them that Elliott was dead, and since there was no room for them in his house asked them to stay with me, but they preferred to go to a hotel.I went back to my own house to have a bath, shave, and change.
我不忍心叫醒那个已经累瘫了的护士，于是就回到窗旁，坐在我的椅子上睡着了。护士在早晨七点钟进来时，我仍在沉睡。醒来后，我丢下护士履行她的职责，自己去吃早餐，然后到车站接格雷和伊莎贝尔。我告诉他们，艾略特已经去世。由于艾略特的家里没有客房，我邀他们到我那儿去住，可他们愿意去住旅馆。我回到自己家中，洗过澡，刮了脸，然后换了身衣服。

In the course of the morning Gray called me to say that Joseph had given them a letter addressed to me that Elliott had entrusted to him. Since it might contain something for my eyes alone I said I would drive over at once, and so less than an hour later I once more entered the house.The letter, marked on the envelope：To be delivered immediately after my death, contained instruc-tions for his obsequies.I knew that he had set his heart on being buried in the church that he had built and I had already told Isabel.He wished to be embalmed and mentioned the name of the firm to which the commission should be given.“I have made inquiries，”he continued，“and I am informed that they make a very good job of it.I trust you to see that it is not scamped.I desire to be dressed in the dress of my ancestor the Count de Lauria, with his sword by my side and the order of the Golden Fleece on my breast.I leave the choice of my coffin to you.It should be unpretentious but suitable to my posi-tion.In order to give no one unnecessary trouble I desire that Thomas Cook and Son should make all arrangements for the transportation of my remains and that one of their men should accompany the coffin to its final resting-place.”
这天上午，格雷打电话来，说约瑟夫交给他们一封信，信是写给我的，艾略特生前曾嘱咐由约瑟夫转交。由于这封信只能让我一个人看，于是我答应马上开车过去。不到一小时，我又走进了艾略特的家。那封信的信皮上写着：“我死后即刻转交，内含葬礼的安排。”我知道，他一心一意要葬在他造的那座教堂里，曾把此事对伊莎贝尔讲过。他希望将自己的遗体进行防腐处理，并说出了经营这项业务的公司的名称。“我打听过，”他在信里写道，“人人都说这家公司的防腐术十分高超。我委托你监督此事，一定要做好。下葬时，我要穿上我的祖先劳里亚伯爵的那套礼服，腰挎他的宝剑，胸前佩戴那个金羊毛勋章。至于挑选棺木，交给你决定，不要太招眼，但一定要符合我的身份。为了不给别人增添不必要的负担，遗体的转运事宜由托马斯·库克父子公司承办，让他们派个人护送棺木到下葬地去。”

I remembered that Elliott had said he wanted to be buried in that fancy dress of his, but I had taken it for a passing whim and hadn't thought he meant it seriously. Joseph was insistent that his wishes be carried out and there seemed no reason why they should not be.The body was duly embalmed and then I went with Joseph to dress it in those absurd clothes.It was a gruesome business.We slipped his long legs into the white silk hose and pulled the cloth-of-gold over them.It was a job to get his arms through the sleeves of the doublet.We fixed the great starched ruff and draped the satin cape over his shoulders.Finally we placed the flat velvet cap on his head and the collar of the Golden Fleece round his neck.The embalmer had rouged his cheeks and reddened his lips.Elliott, the costume too large now for his emaciated frame, looked like a chorus man in an early opera of Verdi's.The sad Don Quixote of a worthless purpose.When the undertaker's men had put him in the coffin I laid the property sword down the length of his body, between his legs, with his hands on the pommel as I have seen the sword laid on the sculptured tomb of a Crusader.
记得艾略特曾经说过他要穿他那套豪华礼服下葬，当时以为他只是心血来潮，随便说说，没想到他竟然是认真的。约瑟夫坚持要按主人的遗愿办理，也就只好如此了。先是给他的遗体进行了防腐处理，然后我和约瑟夫去给他穿上那套荒唐的礼服。这件差事挺折磨人的。我们给他的长腿套上白绸长袜，再穿上那条金布紧身裤。随后，费了很大的气力把他的两条胳膊塞进紧身上衣的袖管里，给他戴上那浆洗好的宽大轮状绉领，再把锦缎斗篷给他披在肩上。最后，把那个平顶丝绒帽戴在他头上，把金羊毛的领圈围上他的脖子。遗体防腐公司的人在这之前曾给他的脸搽了胭脂，给他的嘴唇涂了口红。他如今骨瘦如柴，礼服穿在身上显得特别大，样子就像是威尔第早期歌剧里的一名歌手，又像是为了没有价值的目标而奋斗的堂吉诃德。当殡葬承办人将他抬进棺材时，我把那柄作为道具的宝剑竖着放在他的两腿之间，让他的手按在剑柄的圆头上——我曾经见一个十字军骑士的墓碑雕塑像就是这种持剑的方式。

Gray and Isabel went to Italy to attend the funeral.
格雷和伊莎贝尔一路赶到了意大利去参加葬礼。