双语·《刀锋》 第七章 六

CHAPTER SEVEN 6
第七章 六

This is the end of my story. I have heard nothing of Larry, nor indeed did I expect to.Since he generally did what he proposed, I think it likely that on his return to America he got a job in a garage and then drove a truck till he had acquired the knowledge he wanted of the country from which he had for so many years absented himself.When he had done that he may very well have carried out his fantastic suggestion of becoming a taxi driver：true, it was only arandom idea thrown across a café table in jest, but I shouldn’t be altogether surprised if he had put it into effect；and I have never since taken a taxi in New York without glancing at the driver on the chance that I might meet Larry’s gravely smiling, deep-set eyes.I never have.War broke out.He would have been too old to fly, but he may be once more driving a truck, at home or abroad；or he may be working in a factory.I should like to think that in his leisure hours he is writing a book in which he is trying to set forth whatever life has taught him and the message he has to deliver to his fellow-men；but if he is, it may be long before it is finished.He has plenty of time, for the years have left no mark on him and to all intents and purposes he is still a young man.
我讲的故事到这里就结束了。拉里那边音讯全无，其实我也没指望能听到他的消息。他历来我行我素，由着自己的性子干事。想必他回到阔别多年的美国，先是在汽车修理厂找了份工作干，后来便当了个卡车司机四处跑，直至把这个国家了解个透。这一目标实现之后，他很可能会把他那奇怪的想法付诸实施——开出租车。那原本是在和我喝咖啡时开玩笑的一句话，但他如果当真做起来，我一点都不会感到稀奇。那以后我每次在纽约搭乘出租车，都要把司机扫一眼，想着说不定会看见拉里的那双深陷的庄重而含笑的眼睛，却始终没有看见过。后来第二次世界大战爆发，他年龄太大，当不成飞行员，但他很可能又去开卡车了，在国内或海外运输物资，要不然就是进工厂做工，尽自己的一份力量。有了闲暇时间，他很可能会著书立传，讲述自己的人生经验，向自己的同胞传经送宝。不过，对他而言，要完成一部书稿得花很长的时间。反正他有的是时间——岁月在他的身上没有留下印痕，不管从哪一方面说，他都仍然是个青年。

He is without ambition and he has no desire for fame；to become anything of a public figure would be deeply distasteful to him；and so it may be that he is satisfied to lead his chosen life and be no more than just himself. He is too modest to set himself up as an example to others；but it may be he thinks that a few uncertain souls, drawn to him like moths to a candle, will be brought in time to share his own glowing belief that ultimate satisfaction can only be found in the life of the spirit, and that by himself following with selflessness and renunciation the path of perfection he will serve as well as if he wrote books or addressed multitudes.
他没有野心，无意追名逐利。要他蝇营狗苟以成为社会名流，只会叫他大倒胃口。他按自己选择的道路生活，心安理得、随遇而安。他是个谦谦君子，不图为人之榜样。但他觉得可能有一些人会受到他的感召，和他具有同样炽热的激情和信仰——人生最大的满足感只能在精神生活中获取。他无私无欲、严于律己，走的是一条不断完善自我的道路，对旁人产生的影响无异于著书立传或传经布道。

But this is conjecture. I am of the earth, earthy；I can only admire the radiance of such a rare creature, I cannot step into his shoes and enter into his innermost heart as I sometimes think I can do with persons more nearly allied to the common run of men.Larry has been absorbed, as he wished, into that tumultuous conglomeration of humanity, distracted by so many conflicting interests, so lost in the world's confusion, so wishful of good, so cocksure on the outside, so diffident within, so kind, so hard, so trustful, and so cagey, so mean and so generous, which is the people of the United States.That is all I can tell of him：I know it is very unsatisfactory；I can't help it.But as I was finishing this book, uneasily conscious that I must leave my reader in the air and seeing no way to avoid it, I looked back with my mind's eye on my long narrative to see if there was any way in which I could devise a more satisfactory ending；and to my intense surprise it dawned upon me that without in the least intending to I had written nothing more or less than a success story.For all the persons with whom I have been concerned got what they wanted：Elliott social eminence；Isabel an assured position backed by a substantial fortune in an active and cultured community；Gray a steady and lucrative job, with an office to go to from nine till six every day；Suzanne Rouvier security；Sophie death；and Larry happiness.And however superciliously the highbrows carp, we the public in our heart of hearts all like a success story；so perhaps my ending is not so unsatisfactory after all.
我毕竟是个凡夫俗子，对于他的胸怀只能揣度一二。对于普通的饮食男女，我还是比较了解的。但对于拉里这样光彩夺目的人之翘楚，我只有敬仰的份儿，他之情怀及内心世界却不甚了了。拉里如其所愿，融入了喧嚣激荡的人海中——这茫茫的人海为错综复杂的利益和矛盾所纠缠，迷失于风雨飘摇的大世界，人们渴望美好的生活，外表笃定而内心彷徨，有善者也有恶者，有守财奴也有仗义疏财者。这，就是美利坚合众国的人民！关于拉里的故事，我只能讲这许多了，深知不足，却也只好如此了。完稿后，我觉得读者阅读此书，可能会迷茫，对故事的主旨有些摸不着头脑，于是便将这部长篇小说重温一遍，看能不能设计一个令人满意一点的结局。这一重温不当紧，我突然有所感悟，万分惊讶地发现，我虽无写“成功”之意，但此书却的确是一部关于“成功”的小说。书中跟我有关的主人公无不如愿以偿——艾略特成为社交界名流；伊莎贝尔有雄厚的经济基础，在一个生机勃勃、文化气氛浓郁的社区占有稳固的一席之地；格雷找到一个稳定而赚钱的职业，早晨九点上班，下午六点下班；苏姗娜·鲁维埃过上了衣食无忧的日子；索菲以死亡解脱；拉里寻觅到了幸福的归宿。那些自命不凡的人也许会吹毛求疵，但普通大众打心眼里还是喜欢“成功”小说的。就这一点而论，本故事的结局还算令人称心吧。