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多少晚上，康妮坐在那儿听这四个人或其他一二个人的讨论！他们的讨论从来没有什么结果，她也不觉得多大的烦恼。她喜欢听他们的心曲，特别是唐米在座的时候，那是有趣的。他们并不吻你，摸触你，便是他们却把心灵向你盘托出。那是很有趣的。不过他们的心是多么冷酷啊； And also it was a little irritating. She had more respect for Michaelis, on whose name they all poured such withering contempt, as a little mongrel arriviste, and uneducated bounder of the worst sort. Mongrel and bounder or not, he jumped to his own conclusions. He didn't merely walk round them with millions of words, in the parade of the life of the mind. 然而有时也有点令她觉得讨厌。他们一提起蔑克里斯的名，便盛气凌人地骂他是杂种的幸进者，是无教育的最贱的下流人，但是康妮却比较尊重他。不论他是不是杂种的下流人，他却一直向目的地走去。他并不仅仅用无限的言词，到处去夸耀精神生活。 Connie quite liked the life of the mind, and got a great thrill out of it. But she did think it overdid itself a little. She loved being there, amidst the tobacco smoke of those famous evenings of the cronies, as she called them privately to herself. She was infinitely amused, and proud too, that even their talking they could not do, without her silent presence. She had an immense respect for thought...and these men, at least, tried to think honestly. But somehow there was a cat, and it wouldn't jump. They all alike talked at something, though what it was, for the life of her she couldn't say. It was something that Mick didn't clear, either. 康妮并不讨太原市精神生活；并且她还从中得到奋激，但是她觉得人们把精神生活的好处说得太过于铺张扬历了。她很喜欢那香烟的烟雾参加这些"密友夜聚"--这是她私下起的名字，她觉得很有趣，而且觉得自得，因为没有她默默地座的时候，他们连谈话都不起劲。但无论如何、那儿有个深不可解的神秘，他们空洞地、无结果地谈论着，但是谈论的究竟是什么，她怎么也不能知道。而蔑克里斯也弄不明白。 But then Mick wasn't trying to do anything, but just get through his life, and put as much across other people as they tried to put across him. He was really anti-social, which was what Clifford and his cronies had against him. Clifford and his cronies were not anti-social; they were more or less bent on saving mankind, or on instructing it, to say the least. 但蔑克并不想做什么，他只求胆哲保身，蝎力哄骗人家，正如人家之竭力哄骗他一样。他实在是反对社会的，这是克利福的他的密支们都反对他的缘故。克利福和他的密友们是拥护社会的；他们多少是在拯救人类，至少是想开导人类的。 There was a gorgeous talk on Sunday evening, when the conversation drifted again to love. 星期日的晚上，有个起劲的聚谈，话柄又转到爱情上。 
祝福把我们的心结合为一的联系，……"唐米·督克斯说，"我很知道这联系究竟是什么……此刻把我们结合起来的联系，是我们的精神的交触。除此以外，我们间的联系的确少极了。我们一转过了背，梗互相底毁起来，象所有其他的该死的知识分子一样，象所有的该死的人一样，因为所有的人都这么干。不然的话，我们便把这些互相底毁的话，用甜言蜜语隐藏起来。说也奇怪，精神生活，若不植于怨恨里和不可名状的无底的深恨里，不好象便不会欣欣向荣似的。这是一向就这样的！看看苏格拉底和拍拉图一类人罢！那种深假如大恨，那种以诽谤他人为无上快乐的态度，不论是他们的敌人普罗塔哥拉斯(Proagoras)或是任何人！亚尔西比亚得斯(Alcibides)和其他所有的狐群狗党的弟子们都加入作乱！这使我们宁可选择那默默地坐在菩提树下的佛，或是那毫无诡谲狡猾的心而和平地向弟子们说教的耶酥"不，精神生活在根本上就有什么毛病。它是植根于仇恨与嫉、嫉与仇恨之中的。你看了果子便知道树是什么了。" I don't think we're altogether so spiteful,' protested Clifford. " 我就不相信我们大家都这样仇恨的。"克利福抗仪说。 My dear Clifford, think of the way we talk each other over, all of us. I'm rather worse than anybody else, myself. Because I infinitely prefer the spontaneous spite to the concocted sugaries; now they are poison; when I begin saying what a fine fellow Clifford is, etc., etc., then poor Clifford is to be pitied. For God's sake, all of you, say spiteful things about me, then I shall know I mean something to you. Don't say sugaries, or I'm done.' 我亲爱的克利福，想想我们大家互相品评的样子罢。我自己比任何人都坏。因为我宁愿那自然而然的执根，而不愿那做作的甜言蜜语。傲作的甜言蜜语就是毒药。当我们开始说克利福是个好人这一类的恭维话时，那是因为克利福太可怜了的缘故。天呀，请你们说我的坏话罢，这一来我却知道你们还看得起我。千万别甜言蜜语，否则我便完了！" Oh, but I do think we honestly like one another,' said Hammond. " 啊！但是我相信我们彼此上诚实地相爱的。"韩蒙说。 I tell you we must...we say such spiteful things to one another, about one another, behind our backs! I'm the worst.' " 我告诉你，我们安得不相爱……因为我们在背地里都说彼此的坏话！我自己便是一个顶坏的人。" 
我相信你把精神生活和批评活动混在一起了。苏格拉底在批评活动上给了一个大大的推动，这点我是和你的意见一致的，但是他的工作并不尽于此。"查里·梅煞有介事地说。他们这班密友们，表面上假装谦虚，实在都是怪自命不凡的。他们骨子里是目空一切。却地装出那低首下气的神气。 Dukes refused to be drawn about Socrates. 督克斯不愿再谈苏格拉底了。 That's quite true, criticism and knowledge are not the same thing,' said Hammond. " 的确，批评和学问是两回事。"韩蒙说。 They aren't, of course,' chimed in Berry, a brown, shy young man, who had called to see Dukes, and was staying the night. " 当然，那是两回事。"巴里附和说。巴里是个褐色头发的羞怯的青年，他来这儿访督克斯，晚上便在这儿过夜了。 They all looked at him as if the ass had spoken. 大家都望着分，仿佛听见驴子说了话似的。 
我并不是在讨论学问……我是在讨论精神生活。"督克斯笑着说，"真正的学问是从全部的有总识的肉体产生出来的；不但从你的脑里和精神里产生出来，而且也从你的肚里和生殖器钳制其他一切。这两种东西便只好批评而抹煞一切了。这两种东西只好这样做。这是很重要的问题。我的上帝，我们现在的世界需要批评……致命的批评。所以还是让我们过着精神的生活，'尽量的仇恨，而把腐旧的西洋镜戳穿罢。但是你注意这一点：当你过着你的生活时，你至少是参与全生活的机构的一部分。但是你一开始了精神生活后，你就等于把苹果从树上摘了下来；你把树和苹果的关系--固有的关系截断了。如果你在生命里只有精神生活，那么你是从树上掉下来了……你自己就是一个摘下赤的苹果了。这一来，你便逻辑地不得不要仇恨起来，正如一个摘下来的苹果，自然地不得不要腐坏一样。" Clifford made big eyes: it was all stuff to him. Connie secretly laughed to herself. 克利福睁着两眼，这些活对他是毫无意义的。康妮对自己暗笑着。 Well then we're all plucked apples,' said Hammond, rather acidly and petulantly. " 好，那么我们都是摘下赤的苹果了。"韩蒙有点恼怒地说。 So let's make cider of ourselves,' said Charlie. " 既是这燕，让我们把自己来酿成苹果酒好了。"查量说。 But what do you think of Bolshevism?' put in the brown Berry, as if everything had led up to it. " 但是你觉得波尔雪维克主义怎样？"那褐色头发的巴里问道，仿佛这些讨论应庐归结到这上面似的； 
妙哪！"查里高叫道，"你觉得波尔雪维克主义怎样？" Come on! Let's make hay of Bolshevism!' said Dukes. " 算了罢！让我们把波尔雪维克主义切成肉酱罢！"督克斯说。 I'm afraid Bolshevism is a large question,' said Hammond, shaking his head seriously. " 我恐怕波尔雪维克主义是个太大的问题。"韩蒙摇着头郑重地说。 Bolshevism, it seems to me,' said Charlie, is just a superlative hatred of the thing they call the bourgeois; and what the bourgeois is, isn't quite defined. It is Capitalism, among other things. Feelings and emotions are also so decidedly bourgeois that you have to invent a man without them. " 在我看来，"查理说，"波尔雪维克主义就是对于他们所谓的布尔乔亚的一种极端的仇屈服主义；至于布尔乔亚是什么？却没有确实的界说。它偷旬资本主义，这是界说之一。感情和情绪是决然地布尔乔亚的，所以你得发明一个无感情无情绪的人。"
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