名著·娜娜 - 第41章

　　晚上，在马比耶舞厅里，娜娜大出风头。将近十点钟时，娜娜来了，那里已经人声鼎沸。这个传统的狂欢晚会把所有风流青年都聚集到一起，上流社会的人蜂拥而至，他们的行动像下等人一样粗俗、愚蠢。大家在煤气彩灯下挤来挤去；黑色礼服，袒胸露肩的奇装异服，还有耐脏的旧裙子全都混杂在一起，人们旋转着，叫嚷着，人人醉醺醺的。三十步远处的铜管乐声都听不见。没有一个人在跳舞，胡言乱语在一群群人中传着，不知道为什么要反复说这些话。谁都想表现得滑稽可笑，但是总是毫无效果，白费力气。七个女人被关在衣帽间里，哭闹着要求把她们放出来。有人找来一棵葱，进行拍卖，竟被人加价到两个金路易。恰恰就在这时候，娜娜来了，她身上仍然穿着观看赛马时的蓝白两色衣服。在雷鸣般的掌声中，大家把那棵葱给了她。不管她愿意不愿意，有人把她一把抓住，三个欣喜若狂的男人把她举起来，穿过被踩得乱七八糟的草坪和遭破坏的树丛，一直抬到花园里；因为乐队挡住了他们的去路，他们便向乐队扑过去，砸碎了椅子和乐谱架。一名像慈父一样的警察在那里指挥这场混战。

It was only on Tuesday that Nana recovered from the excitements of victory. That morning she was chatting with Mme Lerat, the old lady having come in to bring her news of Louiset, whom the open air had upset. A long story, which was occupying the attention of all Paris, interested her beyond measure. Vandeuvres, after being warned off all racecourses and posted at the Cercle Imperial on the very evening after the disaster, had set fire to his stable on the morrow and had burned himself and his horses to death.

　　直到星期二，娜娜才从胜利的兴奋中平静下来。早上勒拉太太来了，娜娜与她谈起来。她是来告诉娜娜小路易的情况的，小路易在外面着了凉，生病了。目前有一则新闻轰动整个巴黎，娜娜听后，心里很不平静。旺德夫尔被开除出赛马场，这项决定是在赛马当天晚上，在皇家俱乐部宣布的，第二天他便在他的马厩里放了一把火，自己与马匹同归于尽了。

"He certainly told me he was going to," the young woman kept saying. "That man was a regular maniac! Oh, how they did frighten me when they told me about it yesterday evening! You see, he might easily have murdered me some fine night. And besides, oughtn't he to have given me a hint about his horse? I should at any rate have made my fortune! He said to Labordette that if I knew about the matter I would immediately inform my hairdresser and a whole lot of other men. How polite, eh? Oh dear, no, I certainly can't grieve much for him.""

　　他早就对我说过，他要这样死。"娜娜说道，"这个人真正是个疯子！……昨天晚上我知道这个消息时，我被吓坏了。你知道，他简直能杀死我，一天夜里……另外，他哪一匹马能跑赢也不告诉我一声，这样做对吗？如果告诉我，我至少能发一笔财！……他对拉博德特说过，如果让我知道了，我就会立即告诉我的理发师和许多男人。这话说得多么不礼貌！……啊！不，说实话，对他的死我也不怎么惋惜。"

After some reflection she had grown very angry. Just then Labordette came in; he had seen about her bets and was now the bearer of some forty thousand francs. This only added to her bad temper, for she ought to have gained a million. Labordette, who during the whole of this episode had been pretending entire innocence, abandoned Vandeuvres in decisive terms. Those old families, he opined, were worn out and apt to make a stupid ending.

　　她越想越生气。恰巧这时候，拉博德特走进来；他已算好了帐，给娜娜送来四万法郎。她见了这笔钱，更是火上加油，因为她本来可以赢一百万法郎，对于这次投机勾当，拉博德特装得一身清白，干脆抛弃了旺德夫尔。这些古老家族早就徒有其名了，最后都落得这样愚蠢的结局。

"Oh dear no!" said Nana. "It isn't stupid to burn oneself in one's stable as he did. For my part, I think he made a dashing finish; but, oh, you know, I'm not defending that story about him and Marechal. It's too silly. Just to think that Blanche has had the cheek to want to lay the blame of it on me! I said to her: 'Did I tell him to steal?' Don't you think one can ask a man for money without urging him to commit crime? If he had said to me, 'I've got nothing left,' I should have said to him, 'All right, let's part.' And the matter wouldn't have gone further.""

　　啊！不对，"娜娜说道，"把自己关在马厩里自焚，这种做法并不算愚蠢，我倒觉得这样是挺有勇气的……啊！你知道，他与马雷夏尔的那件纠葛，我并不为他辩护。我一想到布朗瑟想把这件事的责任推给我，我就回答说：'难道我叫他去舞弊的吗？'一个女人向一个男人讨钱，并不是叫他去犯罪，你说是吗？如果他对我说：'我一个子儿也没有了'，我就会对他说，'行了，我们分手吧。'这样事情就不会糟到这个地步。"

　　一点不错，"姑妈严肃地说，"男人固执己见，他们倒霉活该。"

"But as to the merry little finish up, oh, that was awfully smart!" continued Nana. "It appears to have been terrible enough to give you the shudders! He sent everybody away and boxed himself up in the place with a lot of petroleum. And it blazed! You should have seen it! Just think, a great big affair, almost all made of wood and stuffed with hay and straw! The flames simply towered up, and the finest part of the business was that the horses didn't want to be roasted. They could be heard plunging, throwing themselves against the doors, crying aloud just like human beings. Yes, people haven't got rid of the horror of it yet.""

　　不过他那略具喜庆色彩的结局倒是很精彩的！"娜娜又说，"看上去很可怕，令人毛骨悚然。他把所有人都打发走，把自己关在马厩里，浇上汽油……接着烧起来，此景值得一看！可以想象，一个几乎完全是木质结构的庞然大物，里面又堆满麦秸和干草！……火焰蹿得有宝塔一般高……最壮观的，是那些不愿被活活烧死的马。只听见它们尥着蹶子，拼命撞门，像人一样喊叫……是的，人们对这幕可怖情景还心有余悸呢。"

Labordette let a low, incredulous whistle escape him. For his part, he did not believe in the death of Vandeuvres. Somebody had sworn he had seen him escaping through a window. He had set fire to his stable in a fit of aberration, but when it had begun to grow too warm it must have sobered him. A man so besotted about the women and so utterly worn out could not possibly die so pluckily.

　　拉博德特轻轻舒了口气，样子像将信将疑。他不相信旺德夫尔已经死了。有人发誓说，亲眼看见他从一扇窗户逃了出去。他是一时神经错乱才点火烧马厩的。不过，到被烧到不能忍受时，他神智清醒了。一个在女人圈子里鬼混、落到囊空如洗境地的蠢男人是不会这样勇敢自杀的。

Nana listened in her disillusionment and could only remark:

　　娜娜听后很扫兴，只说了一句：

"Oh, the poor wretch, it was so beautiful!""

　　啊！他真不幸！他的行为真高尚！"

　　快到深夜一点钟了，娜娜和伯爵躺在那张铺着威尼斯针织花边床单的大床上，还没有入睡。他怄了三天气，那天晚上回来了。卧室内只有一盏灯，灯光惨淡，充满睡意，弥漫着温暖、潮湿和作爱的气氛。镶银的白漆家具在灯光下泛着朦胧的白色。放下的帷幔把床湮没在一片黑暗之中。一声叹息，随后一个亲吻，打破了寂静的气氛，娜娜倏地从被窝里钻出来，光着腿在床沿上坐了片刻。伯爵的头落到枕头上，呆在黑暗中。

"Dearest, you believe in the good God, don't you?" she queried after some moments' reflection. Her face was serious; she had been overcome by pious terrors on quitting her lover's arms."

　　亲爱的，你信仰仁慈的上帝吗？"娜娜思索了一会儿才这样问道。她离开情人的怀里后，表情严肃，内心充满对宗教的恐惧。

Since morning, indeed, she had been complaining of feeling uncomfortable, and all her stupid notions, as she phrased it, notions about death and hell, were secretly torturing her. From time to time she had nights such as these, during which childish fears and atrocious fancies would thrill her with waking nightmares. She continued:

　　从早上起，她就抱怨自己身体不适。正如她所说，她的一些愚蠢的想法，如对死亡和地狱的想法，在暗暗地折磨着她。有时，她在夜里像孩子一样害怕起来，头脑中产生一些可怕的想法，把她折磨得睁着眼睛做噩梦。她又说道：

"I say, d'you think I shall go to heaven?""

　　怎么样？你想不到我要上天堂了吗？"

And with that she shivered, while the count, in his surprise at her putting such singular questions at such a moment, felt his old religious remorse returning upon him. Then with her chemise slipping from her shoulders and her hair unpinned, she again threw herself upon his breast, sobbing and clinging to him as she did so.

　　接着，她打了一个战栗。伯爵感到蹊跷，在这样的时刻她竟然提出这些怪问题来，他觉得自己心中又萌发了天主教徒的悔恨。这时，睡衣从她的肩上落下来，头发披散着，猛然扑到伯爵的怀里，紧紧搂住他，呜咽起来：

　　我怕死……我怕死……"

He had all the trouble in the world to disengage himself. Indeed, he was himself afraid of giving in to the sudden madness of this woman clinging to his body in her dread of the Invisible. Such dread is contagious, and he reasoned with her. Her conduct was perfect--she had only to conduct herself well in order one day to merit pardon. But she shook her head. Doubtless she was doing no one any harm; nay, she was even in the constant habit of wearing a medal of the Virgin, which she showed to him as it hung by a red thread between her breasts. Only it had been foreordained that all unmarried women who held conversation with men would go to hell. Scraps of her catechism recurred to her remembrance. Ah, if one only knew for certain, but, alas, one was sure of nothing; nobody ever brought back any information, and then, truly, it would be stupid to bother oneself about things if the priests were talking foolishness all the time. Nevertheless, she religiously kissed her medal, which was still warm from contact with her skin, as though by way of charm against death, the idea of which filled her with icy horror. Muffat was obliged to accompany her into the dressing room, for she shook at the idea of being alone there for one moment, even though she had left the door open. When he had lain down again she still roamed about the room, visiting its several corners and starting and shivering at the slightest noise. A mirror stopped her, and as of old she lapsed into obvious contemplation of her nakedness. But the sight of her breast, her waist and her thighs only doubled her terror, and she ended by feeling with both hands very slowly over the bones of her face.

　　他使出全身力气才挣脱了她。这个女人因为怕死，紧紧地抱住他，这种恐惧感是有传染性的，他生怕自己的情绪也受到她的精神错乱的影响，便劝导她。他说她身体很好，只要她行为规矩一些，总有一天，她会得到上帝宽恕的。但是她摇摇头，她不曾伤害过任何人，这是不容置疑的。她胸前总是戴着圣母像，她还把一根红线系在两乳之间的圣母像指给他看；不过，上帝是安排好了的，凡是没有结过婚同男人同居的女人都要入地狱。她想起了教理书中的零零星星的东西。啊！人要能知道死后怎样，那该多好，但是什么也不知道，没有一个人带回来死后的消息。确实，如果神甫们说的是蠢话，我们去烦这烦那，真是傻瓜。不过，她仍然虔诚地吻那个带着她体温的圣像，她把那个圣像看成可以驱除死亡的祛邪物，她一想到死就怕得浑身发冷。她到梳洗间去也要缪法陪同，即使开着门，她在那里呆一会儿，也怕得浑身发抖。缪法又躺到床上，她还在卧室里踱来踱去，每个角落她都要看看，那怕听见一点点声音，便吓得浑身打哆嗦。她在一面镜子前面停下来，像从前一样，她一看见自己的裸体，就忘掉了一切。但是这一次，她看见自己的胸脯、腰部和大腿，更加害怕起来，最后她抬起双手摸着脸上的骨头，摸了好一阵子。

"You're ugly when you're dead," she said in deliberate tones."

　　人死后样子就难看了。"她拖长声音说道。

And she pressed her cheeks, enlarging her eyes and pushing down her jaw, in order to see how she would look. Thus disfigured, she turned toward the count.

　　她用手挤压双颊，睁大眼睛，下颌向内收缩，想看看自己死后是什么样子。接着，她把这副鬼脸转向伯爵，说道：

"Do look! My head'll be quite small, it will!""

　　你瞧，我死后脑袋会变得很小。"

　　伯爵见她那样子，生气了。

"You're mad; come to bed!""

　　你疯了，快点睡觉吧。"

He fancied he saw her in a grave, emaciated by a century of sleep, and he joined his hands and stammered a prayer. It was some time ago that the religious sense had reconquered him, and now his daily access of faith had again assumed the apoplectic intensity which was wont to leave him well-nigh stunned. The joints of his fingers used to crack, and he would repeat without cease these words only: "My God, my God, my God!" It was the cry of his impotence, the cry of that sin against which, though his damnation was certain, he felt powerless to strive. When Nana returned she found him hidden beneath the bedclothes; he was haggard; he had dug his nails into his bosom, and his eyes stared upward as though in search of heaven. And with that she started to weep again. Then they both embraced, and their teeth chattered they knew not why, as the same imbecile obsession over-mastered them. They had already passed a similar night, but on this occasion the thing was utterly idiotic, as Nana declared when she ceased to be frightened. She suspected something, and this caused her to question the count in a prudent sort of way. It might be that Rose Mignon had sent the famous letter! But that was not the case; it was sheer fright, nothing more, for he was still ignorant whether he was a cuckold or no.

　　他仿佛看见她躺在坟墓里，长眠了一个世纪，只剩下一身白骨。于是他双手合十，口中念念有词，祈祷起来。已有一段时间，宗教信仰又征服了他，每天这种信仰发作起来，就像中风一样来势凶猛，把他弄得疲惫不堪。他的手指格格作响，口中不停地念着："我的天主……我的天主……我的天主……"这是他的软弱无力的叫喊，是他的罪孽的叫喊。尽管他知道自己肯定要下地狱，但他却无力洗刷自己的罪孽。娜娜回到床上时，她发现他盖着被子，神色惶恐不安，指甲放在胸口，眼睛仰望着空中，似乎在寻找天国。娜娜又哭了，两人搂抱起来，牙齿咬得格格响，他俩自己也莫名其妙，只能在愚蠢的顽念中打滚。以前他们已经度过类似这样的一个夜晚；不过，这一次太荒唐了，娜娜不再害怕后，自己也这么说。她突然起了疑心，便谨慎地问伯爵：罗丝·米尼翁大概已经把那封告发信寄出去了。但是事情并不是这样，不过是伯爵害怕而已，没有别的，因为他还不知道自己戴了绿帽子。

Two days later, after a fresh disappearance, Muffat presented himself in the morning, a time of day at which he never came. He was livid; his eyes were red and his whole man still shaken by a great internal struggle. But Zoe, being scared herself, did not notice his troubled state. She had run to meet him and now began crying:

　　缪法又一次离开娜娜出走，两天没回来，一天早上，他突然来了；他从来不在这样的时刻回来。他脸色铁青，两眼通红，心绪不宁，内心还在激烈斗争着。可是心里慌张的佐爱没有发觉他忐忑不安的神态，便跑过来迎接他，对他说道：

"Oh, monsieur, do come in! Madame nearly died yesterday evening!""

　　啊！先生，您终于回来了！昨天晚上，太太差点死了。"

　　伯爵问她详细情况，她回答道：

"Something it's impossible to believe has happened--a miscarriage, monsieur.""

　　这事说了别人难以相信……太太小产了，先生！"

Nana had been in the family way for the past three months. For long she had simply thought herself out of sorts, and Dr Boutarel had himself been in doubt. But when afterward he made her a decisive announcement, she felt so bored thereby that she did all she possibly could to disguise her condition. Her nervous terrors, her dark humors, sprang to some extent from this unfortunate state of things, the secret of which she kept very shamefacedly, as became a courtesan mother who is obliged to conceal her plight. The thing struck her as a ridiculous accident, which made her appear small in her own eyes and would, had it been known, have led people to chaff her.She was necessarily very sharp set when she thought her last hour had come. There was no end to her surprise, too; her sexual economy seemed to her to have got out of order; it produced children then even when one did not want them and when one employed it for quite other purposes! Nature drove her to exasperation; this appearance of serious motherhood in a career of pleasure, this gift of life amid all the deaths she was spreading around, exasperated her. Why could one not dispose of oneself as fancy dictated, without all this fuss? And whence had this brat come? She could not even suggest a father. Ah, dear heaven, the man who made him would have a splendid notion had he kept him in his own hands, for nobody asked for him; he was in everybody's way, and he would certainly not have much happiness in life!

　　娜娜怀孕已经三个月了。很长时间以来，她以为自己只是身体不适，但布塔雷医生却有点怀疑，后来他明确说她怀了孕。因为她觉得很烦恼，就竭尽全力隐瞒怀孕真相。她神经质般地恐惧，心情忧郁，与这件事多少有点关系。她对怀孕之事守口如瓶，为没有结婚就怀了孕而感到很害羞，不得不把真相隐瞒起来。对她来说，这似乎是一件意外事故，人家知道了会有损她的声誉，人家会取笑她。哎？真是开玩笑！真倒霉！她以为自己不会再怀孕了，这次偏偏又碰上了。她惊讶不已，仿佛她的性器官的功能紊乱了，她不想要孩子，并把这东西作了别的用途时，她偏偏怀了孕。造化令她恼怒，在她正当享乐的时候，竟然要让她当上严肃的母亲，在她把周围的男人一个个害死的时候，竟然给她一个小生命。难道人不该少遇到一些麻烦，按照自己的意愿来安排生活吗？这个小孩是从哪里掉下来的呢？连她自己也说不清楚。啊！天哪！这个孩子的父亲要有好心肠才会承认孩子是自己的，因为现在还没有一个人承认，如果一个人专门损害别人，他自己一生中肯定不会很幸福的。

Meanwhile Zoe described the catastrophe.

　　这时，佐爱把这件倒霉的事的经过讲给伯爵听。

"Madame was seized with colic toward four o'clock. When she didn't come back out of the dressing room I went in and found her lying stretched on the floor in a faint. Yes, monsieur, on the floor in a pool of blood, as though she had been murdered. Then I understood, you see. I was furious; Madame might quite well have confided her trouble to me. As it happened, Monsieur Georges was there, and he helped me to lift her up, and directly a miscarriage was mentioned he felt ill in his turn! Oh, it's true I've had the hump since yesterday!""

　　将近四点钟时，太太肚子疼起来。我见她到梳妆室去很久不出来，就进去看看，发现她躺在地上，晕了过去。是的，先生，她晕倒在地上，还有一摊血，像被人谋杀了似的……于是，我明白了是怎么回事。我很生气，太太应该把这事告诉我……当时恰巧乔治先生也在场。他帮我把她扶起来，他一听到小产这个词，也难过了……说真的，从昨天起，我就为太太发愁！"

　　公馆里确实乱糟糟的，仆人们跑上跑下，每个房间里都有仆人进进出出。乔治在客厅的一张椅子上过了一夜。晚上，在太太平常接待客人的时间，乔治把这个消息告诉了太太的朋友们。他面色苍白，带着惊愕和激动的神态，讲述事情发生的经过。斯泰内、拉法卢瓦兹、菲利普和其他人已经来过了。他们听到第一句话，就大叫一声，这不可能！一定是在开玩笑！接着，他们变得严肃起来，目光盯着房门，神态惆怅，摇摇头，不再觉得这是可笑的了。共有十二位先生坐在壁炉前，他们低声聊天，一直聊到午夜为止。他们都是朋友，每个人都在苦苦思索，究竟谁是父亲。他们好像彼此原谅，个个惴惴不安，觉得自己做了蠢事。然后，他们弓起背，觉得这事与他们毫不相干，这是娜娜自己的事。哎！这个娜娜真了不起！人家从来没有想到她会闹出这样的笑话！随后他们一个接一个蹑手蹑脚地走了，似乎这间卧室里死了人，不能笑出声来。

"Come up all the same, monsieur," said Zoe to Muffat. "Madame is much better and will see you. We are expecting the doctor, who promised to come back this morning.""

　　先生，还是上楼去吧，"佐爱对缪法说道，"太太身体好多了，她会接待你的……我们在等大夫来，他答应今天早上来看太太。"

The lady's maid had persuaded Georges to go back home to sleep, and upstairs in the drawing room only Satin remained. She lay stretched on a divan, smoking a cigarette and scanning the ceiling. Amid the household scare which had followed the accident she had been white with rage, had shrugged her shoulders violently and had made ferocious remarks. Accordingly, when Zoe was passing in front of her and telling Monsieur that poor, dear Madame had suffered a great deal:

　　这个贴身女仆劝说乔治回家睡觉了。楼上客厅里只剩下萨丹一个人，她躺在一张长沙发上，嘴里叼支香烟，眼睛望着上空。娜娜意外小产后，公馆里的人个个惊慌失措，她却无动于衷，肚子里憋着气，不时耸耸肩膀，说几句刻薄话。佐爱走过她面前时，跟伯爵说，可怜的太太这次可吃了大苦头。萨丹脱口说了一句难听的话：

"That's right; it'll teach him!" said Satin curtly."

　　这才好呢，这次可教训了她一下！"

They turned round in surprise, but she had not moved a muscle; her eyes were still turned toward the ceiling, and her cigarette was still wedged tightly between her lips.

　　他俩吃惊地掉过头来。萨丹一动也没有动，眸子一直盯住天花板，两片嘴唇死命地叼着那支香烟。

　　哎！你的心肠真好！"佐爱说道。

But Satin sat up, looked savagely at the count and once more hurled her remark at him.

　　萨丹坐起来，气乎乎地瞧着伯爵，对准他的面孔又说了一遍：

"That's right; it'll teach him!""

　　这才好呢，这次可教训了她一下！"

And she lay down again and blew forth a thin jet of smoke, as though she had no interest in present events and were resolved not to meddle in any of them. No, it was all too silly!

　　说完，她又躺下来，吐出淡淡的一缕烟，仿佛事不关己并决心不介入这事。不管啦，真是太愚蠢了！

Zoe, however, introduced Muffat into the bedroom, where a scent of ether lingered amid warm, heavy silence, scarce broken by the dull roll of occasional carriages in the Avenue de Villiers. Nana, looking very white on her pillow, was lying awake with wide-open, meditative eyes. She smiled when she saw the count but did not move.

　　佐爱还是领缪法进了卧室。屋里温暖而又宁静，散发着一股乙醚的气味，维里埃大街上偶尔有马车驶过，车轮发出低沉的声音，有点打破室内的寂静。娜娜的头枕在枕头上，面色苍白，还没有入睡，眼睛睁得大大的，像在沉思冥想。她看见伯爵，一动没动，只嫣然一笑。

　　啊！我的心肝，"她拖长声音悄声说道，"我原来以为永远见不到你了。"

Then as he leaned forward to kiss her on the hair, she grew tender toward him and spoke frankly about the child, as though he were its father.

　　他俯下身子去吻她的头发，她感动了，真心诚意地对他谈到孩子，似乎伯爵就是孩子的父亲。

"I never dared tell you; I felt so happy about it! Oh, I used to dream about it; I should have liked to be worthy of you! And now there's nothing left. Ah well, perhaps that's best. I don't want to bring a stumbling block into your life.""

　　我一直不敢告诉你……我感到很幸福！我做过不少梦，我真希望他不愧是你的孩子，现在一切都完了……不过，这样也许更好些。我不想给你生活中添麻烦。"

Astounded by this story of paternity, he began stammering vague phrases. He had taken a chair and had sat down by the bed, leaning one arm on the coverlet. Then the young woman noticed his wild expression, the blood reddening his eyes, the fever that set his lips aquiver.

　　他听说自己是孩子的父亲，感到很惊讶，结结巴巴说了几句话。他搬了一把椅子，坐到床边，把一只胳膊搁在被子上。这时候，娜娜发现他大惊失色，眼睛通红，嘴唇像发烧似的颤抖着。

"What's the matter then?" she asked. "You're ill too.""

　　你怎么啦？"她问道，"难道你也病啦？"

　　没有。"他不无痛苦地说道。

She gazed at him with a profound expression. Then she signed to Zoe to retire, for the latter was lingering round arranging the medicine bottles. And when they were alone she drew him down to her and again asked:

　　她用深情的目光瞧瞧他。接着她做了一个手势，把呆在那里收拾药瓶的佐爱打发走。等房间里只有他们两个人时，她把他拉到身边，问道：

"What's the matter with you, darling? The tears are ready to burst from your eyes--I can see that quite well. Well now, speak out; you've come to tell me something.""

　　你怎么啦，亲爱的？……你眼泪汪汪，我看得很清楚……说出来吧，你来肯定有什么事情要对我说。"

"No, no, I swear I haven't," he blurted out. But he was choking with suffering, and this sickroom, into which he had suddenly entered unawares, so worked on his feelings that he burst out sobbing and buried his face in the bedclothes to smother the violence of his grief. Nana understood. Rose Mignon had most assuredly decided to send the letter. She let him weep for some moments, and he was shaken by convulsions so fierce that the bed trembled under her. At length in accents of motherly compassion she queried:"

　　没有事情，没有事情，我向你保证。"他结结巴巴说道。可是他痛苦得喉咙哽住了，不知道自己为什么进了病人的房间，进来了非常伤感，抽抽噎噎哭了，他把脸埋到被子里，试图不让痛苦迸发出来。娜娜这下明白了，一定是罗丝·米尼翁下了狠心，把那封信寄走了。娜娜让他哭了一会儿。他哭得身子猛烈抽搐着，连她躺着的床都被震动了。末了，她用慈母般的同情口吻问道：

"You've had bothers at your home?""

　　你家里发生了什么麻烦事了吗？"

　　他点点头。她停了一会，然后低声问道：

"Then you know all?""

　　那么，你全知道了？"

He nodded assent. And a heavy silence fell over the chamber of suffering. The night before, on his return from a party given by the empress, he had received the letter Sabine had written her lover. After an atrocious night passed in the meditation of vengeance he had gone out in the morning in order to resist a longing which prompted him to kill his wife. Outside, under a sudden, sweet influence of a fine June morning, he had lost the thread of his thoughts and had come to Nana's, as he always came at terrible moments in his life. There only he gave way to his misery, for he felt a cowardly joy at the thought that she would console him.

　　他又点点头。于是这间痛苦气氛甚浓的房间里顿时又沉静下来。昨天夜里，他参加皇后举行的晚会后，回到家里就收到萨比娜写给她的情人的那封信。他度过了痛苦不堪的一夜，他在思索着如何报仇。他早上就出来了，想缓和一下杀妻的念头。到了外面，他被六月早晨的风和日丽的气候陶醉了，报仇的念头消失了，便来到娜娜家里。每当他在生活中碰到不堪忍受的事情，就来这里，只有在这里，他才能摆脱痛苦，娜娜安慰他一下，他就会消气，心情也愉快起来。

"Now look here, be calm!" the young woman continued, becoming at the same time extremely kind. "I've known it a long time, but it was certainly not I that would have opened your eyes. You remember you had your doubts last year, but then things arranged themselves, owing to my prudence. In fact, you wanted proofs. The deuce, you've got one today, and I know it's hard lines. Nevertheless, you must look at the matter quietly: you're not dishonored because it's happened.""

　　算了，冷静一下吧，"娜娜露出很善良的样子说道，"我早就知道这件事了。但是，当然不该由我来让你睁开眼睛。你还记得吧，去年你就产生过怀疑。后来由于我小心谨慎，事情才没有闹出来。总而言之，你还没有证据……当然罗！今天你有了一个证据，你心里很难过，这我很理解。不过，这事不会影响你的声誉的。现在你应该迁就这一既成事实。"

He had left off weeping. A sense of shame restrained him from saying what he wanted to, although he had long ago slipped into the most intimate confessions about his household. She had to encourage him. Dear me, she was a woman; she could understand everything. When in a dull voice he exclaimed:

　　他不哭了。可是他仍然感到羞耻，尽管他早就对娜娜谈过他们夫妻间最隐秘的事情。她不得不安慰他。要知道，她是女人，她什么话郁听得进。他用低沉的声音随口说道：

　　你在病中，缠住你有什么好处呢！……我来这里真蠢。我走啦。"

"No," she answered briskly enough. "Stay! Perhaps I shall be able to give you some good advice. Only don't make me talk too much; the medical man's forbidden it."

　　别走。"她连忙说道，"你再留一下，也许我会给你出个好主意。不过，不要叫我说得太多，医生不让我多说话。"

He had ended by rising, and he was now walking up and down the room. Then she questioned him:

　　最后他站起来，在卧室里来回走动。于是，她问他：

"Now what are you going to do?"

　　现在，你准备怎么办？"

"I'm going to box the man's ears--by heavens, yes!""

　　我要去掴那个男人的耳光，这是理所当然的。"