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是呀，是呀，这我都知道。不过像不像呢？这像谁？" Mastering some hesitation, he answered, "Miss Oliver, I presume." 他打消了某种犹豫，回答说："我想是奥利弗小姐。" "Of course. And now, sir, to reward you for the accurate guess, Iwill promise to paint you a careful and faithful duplicate of thisvery picture, provided you admit that the gift would be acceptableto you. I don't wish to throw away my time and trouble on anoffering you would deem worthless."" 当然。而现在，先生，为了奖励你猜得准，我答应给我创作一幅精细准确的复制品，要是你答应这个礼物是可以接受的。我不想把时间和精力化在一件你认为毫无价值的东西上。" He continued to gaze at the picture: the longer he looked, thefirmer he held it, the more he seemed to covet it. "It is like!" hemurmured; "the eye is well managed: the colour, light, expression,are perfect. It smiles!" 他继续凝视着这张画。他看得越久就把画捧得越紧，同时也似乎越想看它。"是很像！"他喃喃地说。"眼睛画得很好。颜色、光线、表情都很完美。它微笑着！" "Would it comfort, or would it wound you to have a similar painting?Tell me that. When you are at Madagascar, or at the Cape, or inIndia, would it be a consolation to have that memento in yourpossession? or would the sight of it bring recollections calculatedto enervate and distress?"" 保存一张复制品会使你感到安慰呢，还是会伤你的心？请你告诉我。当你在马达加斯加，或者好望角，或者印度，在你的行囊中有这样的纪念品，对你是一种安慰呢，还是一看见就激起你令人丧气和难受的回忆？" 
这时他偷偷地抬起眼来。他犹犹豫豫忐忑不安地看了我一眼，再次细看起这幅画来。 "That I should like to have it is certain: whether it would bejudicious or wise is another question."" 我是肯定要的，不过这样做是不是审慎或明智，那就是另外一回事了。" Since I had ascertained that Rosamond really preferred him, and thather father was not likely to oppose the match, I--less exalted in myviews than St. John--had been strongly disposed in my own heart toadvocate their union. It seemed to me that, should he become thepossessor of Mr. Oliver's large fortune, he might do as much goodwith it as if he went and laid his genius out to wither, and hisstrength to waste, under a tropical sun. With this persuasion I nowanswered - 既然我已弄明白罗莎蒙德真的喜欢他，她的父亲也不大可能反对这门亲事，我--我对自己的观点并不像圣.约翰那样得意扬扬--我心里完全倾向于主张他们的结合。我觉得要是他能获得奥利弗先生的大宗财产，他可以用这笔钱做很多事情，强似在热带的太阳下让才能枯竭，让力气白费。想着可以这么劝说他，我此刻回答说： "As far as I can see, it would be wiser and more judicious if youwere to take to yourself the original at once."" 依我看来，立刻把画中的本人要走，倒是更明智和更有识见的。" By this time he had sat down: he had laid the picture on the tablebefore him, and with his brow supported on both hands, hung fondlyover it. I discerned he was now neither angry nor shocked at myaudacity. I saw even that to be thus frankly addressed on a subjecthe had deemed unapproachable--to hear it thus freely handled--wasbeginning to be felt by him as a new pleasure--an unhoped-forrelief. Reserved people often really need the frank discussion oftheir sentiments and griefs more than the expansive. The sternest-seeming stoic is human after all; and to "burst" with boldness andgood-will into "the silent sea" of their souls is often to confer onthem the first of obligations. 这时候他已坐了下来，把画放在面前的桌子上，双手支撑着额头，多情地反复看着这张画。我发觉他对我的大胆放肆既不发火也不感到震惊。我甚至还看到，那么坦率地谈论一个他认为不可接触的话题--听这个话题任意处理--开始被他感到是一种新的乐趣--一种出乎意外的宽慰。沉默寡言的人常常要比性格爽朗的人更需要直率地讨论他们的感情和不幸，看似最严酷的禁欲主义者毕竟也是人。大胆和好心"闯入"他们灵魂的"沉寂大海"，常常等于是赋予他们最好的恩惠。 
她喜欢你，我敢肯定，"我站在他椅子背后说，"她的父亲尊重你，此外，她是个可爱的姑娘--不大有想法。但你会有够你们两个管用的想法。你应当娶她。" "DOES she like me?" he asked." 难道她喜欢我？"他问。 "Certainly; better than she likes any one else. She talks of youcontinually: there is no subject she enjoys so much or touches uponso often."" 当然，胜过爱任何其他人。她不断谈起你，没有比这个更使她喜欢或者触及得更多的话题了。" "It is very pleasant to hear this," he said--"very: go on foranother quarter of an hour." And he actually took out his watch andlaid it upon the table to measure the time." 很高兴听你这样说，"他说--"很高兴，再淡一刻钟吧。"他真的取出手表，放在桌上掌握时间。 "But where is the use of going on," I asked, "when you are probablypreparing some iron blow of contradiction, or forging a fresh chainto fetter your heart?"" 可是继续谈有什么用？"我问，"既然你也许正在浇铸反抗的铁拳，或者锻造新的链条把自己的心束缚起来。" 
别想这些严酷无情的东西了。要想象我让步了，被感化了，就像我正在做的那样。人类的爱像是我心田里新开辟的喷泉，不断上涨，甜蜜的洪水四溢，流淌到了我仔细而辛劳地开垦出来的田野--这里辛勤地播种着善意和自我克制的种子。现在这里泛滥着甜美的洪水--稚嫩的萌芽已被淹没--可口的毒药腐蚀着它们。此刻我看到自己躺在溪谷庄休息室的睡榻上，在我的新娘罗莎蒙德．奥利弗的脚跟前。她用那甜甜的嗓音同我在说话--用被你灵巧的手画得那么逼真的眼睛俯视着我--她那珊瑚色的嘴唇朝我微笑着--她是我的--我是她的--眼前的生活和过眼烟云般的世界对我已经足够了。嘘！别张嘴！一-我欣喜万分--我神魂颠倒-让我平静地度过我所规定的时间。" I humoured him: the watch ticked on: he breathed fast and low: Istood silent. Amidst this hush the quartet sped; he replaced thewatch, laid the picture down, rose, and stood on the hearth. 我满足了他。手表嘀嗒嘀嗒响着，他的呼吸时紧时慢，我默默地站着。在一片静谧中一刻钟过去了。他拿起手表，放下画，立起来，站在壁炉边。 "Now," said he, "that little space was given to delirium anddelusion. I rested my temples on the breast of temptation, and putmy neck voluntarily under her yoke of flowers. I tasted her cup.The pillow was burning: there is an asp in the garland: the winehas a bitter taste: her promises are hollow--her offers false: Isee and know all this."" 行啦，"他说，"在那一小段时间中我己沉溺于痴心妄想了。我把脑袋靠在诱惑的胸口，心甘情愿地把脖子伸向她花一般的枷锁。我尝了她的酒杯，枕头还燃着火，花环里有一条毒蛇，酒有苦味，她的允诺是空的--建议是假的。这一切我都明白。" I gazed at him in wonder. 我惊诧不己地瞪着他。 "It is strange," pursued he, "that while I love Rosamond Oliver sowildly--with all the intensity, indeed, of a first passion, theobject of which is exquisitely beautiful, graceful, fascinating--Iexperience at the same time a calm, unwarped consciousness that shewould not make me a good wife; that she is not the partner suited tome; that I should discover this within a year after marriage; andthat to twelve months' rapture would succeed a lifetime of regret.This I know."" 事情也怪，"他说下去，"我那么狂热地爱着罗莎蒙德．奥利弗--说真的怀着初恋的全部热情，而恋上的对象绝对漂亮、优雅、迷人--与此同时我又有一种宁静而不偏不倚的感悟，觉得她不会当个好妻子，不是适合我的伴侣，婚后一年之内我便会发现。十二个月销魂似的日子之后，接踵而来的是终身遗憾。这我知道。" 
奇怪，真奇怪！"我禁不住叫了起来。 "While something in me," he went on, "is acutely sensible to hercharms, something else is as deeply impressed with her defects:they are such that she could sympathise in nothing I aspired to--co-operate in nothing I undertook. Rosamond a sufferer, a labourer, afemale apostle? Rosamond a missionary's wife? No!"" 我内心的某一方面，"他说下去，对她的魅力深为敏感，但另一方面对她的缺陷，印象也很深。那就是她无法对我所追求的产生共鸣--不能为我所做的事业携手合作。难道罗莎蒙德是一个吃得起苦的人，一个劳作者，一个女使徒吗？难道罗莎蒙德是一个传教士的妻子？不！" "But you need not be a missionary. You might relinquish thatscheme."" 不过你不必当传教士？你可以放弃那个打算。" "Relinquish! What! my vocation? My great work? My foundation laidon earth for a mansion in heaven? My hopes of being numbered in theband who have merged all ambitions in the glorious one of betteringtheir race--of carrying knowledge into the realms of ignorance--ofsubstituting peace for war--freedom for bondage--religion forsuperstition--the hope of heaven for the fear of hell? Must Irelinquish that? It is dearer than the blood in my veins. It iswhat I have to look forward to, and to live for."" 放弃！什么--我的职业？我的伟大的工作？我为天堂里的大厦在世间所打的基础？我要成为那一小群人的希望？这群人把自己的一切雄心壮志同那桩光荣的事业合而为一，那就是提高他们的种族--把知识传播到无知的领域--用和平代替战争--用自由代替束缚--宗教代替迷信--上天堂的愿望代替入地狱的恐俱。难道连这也得放弃？它比我血管里流的血还可贵。这正是我所向往的，是我活着的目的。" After a considerable pause, I said--"And Miss Oliver? Are herdisappointment and sorrow of no interest to you?" 他沉默了好长一会儿后，我说--"那么奥利弗小姐呢，难道你就不关心她的失望和哀伤了？"
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