月亮和六便士 第二十六章(5)

 Strickland seemed to bear in his heart strange harmonies and unadventured patterns, and I foresaw for him an end of torture and despair. 思特里克兰德的心里好象怀着奇妙的和弦同未经探索过的画面。我预见到他的结局将是遭受痛苦的折磨和绝望。

I had again the feeling that he was possessed¹ of a devil; 我心里又产生了一种他被魔鬼附体的感觉；

but you could not say that it was a devil of evil, for it was a primitive² force that existed before good and ill. 但你却不能说这是邪恶的魔鬼，因为这是在宇宙混沌、善恶未分之前就存在的一种原始的力量。

He was still too weak to paint, and he sat in the studio, silent, occupied with God knows what dreams, or reading. 他身体仍然很弱，不能作画。他沉默不语地坐在画室里，天晓得脑子里在想什么。

The books he liked were queer; sometimes I would find him poring over the poems of Mallarme, 有时候他也看书。他喜欢看的书都很怪；有时候我发现他在阅读马拉美的诗。

and he read them as a child reads, forming the words with his lips, 他读书的样子就象小孩子一样，动着嘴唇一个字一个字地拼读。

and I wondered what strange emotion he got from those subtle cadences³ and obscure phrases; 我很想知道那些精巧的韵律和晦涩的诗句给他一些什么奇怪的感情。

and again I found him absorbed in the detective novels of Gaboriau. 另外一些时候我发现他浸沉在嘉包里奥的侦探小说里。

I amused myself by thinking that in his choice of books he showed pleasantly the irreconcilable⁴ sides of his fantastic nature. 我想，他对书的选择表现出组成他怪诞性格的不可调和的方面；我对自己的这个想法感到很有趣。

It was singular to notice that even in the weak state of his body he had no thought for its comfort. 尽管他的身体很弱，但是仍象往常一样，从不讲求舒适，这真是他奇怪的个性。

Stroeve liked his ease, and in his studio were a couple of heavily upholstered arm-chairs and a large divan⁵. 施特略夫喜欢把起居环境弄得舒服一些，画室里摆着一对非常柔软的扶手椅和一张长沙发椅。

Strickland would not go near them, not from any affectation of stoicism, 思特里克兰德从来不坐这些椅子；他并不是矫揉造作，故意表示甘于艰苦，

for I found him seated on a three-legged stool when I went into the studio one day and he was alone, but because he did not like them. 而是因为不喜欢它们。有一次我来看他，画室里只有他一个人，我发现他正坐在一只三脚凳上。

For choice he sat on a kitchen chair without arms. 如果叫他选择的话，他会喜欢不带扶手的硬背椅。

It often exasperated⁶ me to see him. 他的这种习性常常叫我很恼火。

I never knew a man so entirely⁷ indifferent to his surroundings. 我从来没有见过哪个人这么不关心周围的生活环境的。

1 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

2 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

3 cadences   

n.（声音的）抑扬顿挫( cadence的名词复数 )；节奏；韵律；调子

参考例句：

• He delivered his words in slow, measured cadences. 他讲话缓慢而抑扬顿挫、把握有度。
• He recognized the Polish cadences in her voice. 他从她的口音中听出了波兰腔。 来自辞典例句

4 irreconcilable   

adj.（指人）难和解的，势不两立的

参考例句：

• These practices are irreconcilable with the law of the Church.这种做法与教规是相悖的。
• These old concepts are irreconcilable with modern life.这些陈旧的观念与现代生活格格不入。

5 divan   

n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集

参考例句：

• Lord Henry stretched himself out on the divan and laughed.亨利勋爵伸手摊脚地躺在沙发椅上，笑着。
• She noticed that Muffat was sitting resignedly on a narrow divan-bed.她看见莫法正垂头丧气地坐在一张不宽的坐床上。

6 exasperated   

adj.恼怒的

参考例句：

• We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
• Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

7 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。