名著·茶花女 - 第21节

　　“晚上好，亲爱的加斯东，”玛格丽特对我的同伴说，“看到您很高兴，在杂耍剧院，您为什么不到我包厢里来？”

'I was afraid of being indiscreet.'

　　“我怕有点冒昧。”

'Friends, ' and Marguerite stressed the word, as though she wish to let it be known to all who were present that, despite the familiar way in which she greeted him, Gaston was not and had never been anything other than a friend, 'friends can never be indiscreet.'

　　“作为朋友来说，永远也谈不上冒昧。”玛格丽特着重地说了朋友这两个字，仿佛她要使在场的人了解，尽管她接待加斯东的样子很亲热，但加斯东不论过去和现在都只不过是一个朋友而已。

'In that case, allow me to present Monsieur Armand Duval!'

　　“那么，您允许我向您介绍阿尔芒·迪瓦尔先生吗？”

'I've already given Prudence leave to do so.'

　　“我已经答应普律当丝给我介绍了。”

　　“不过，夫人，”我弯了弯腰，好不容易讲了一句勉强听得清的话，“我有幸早已被人介绍给您过了。”

Marguerite's delightful eyes seemed to be searching among her memories, but she did not remember, or appeared not to remember.

　　从玛格丽特迷人的眼睛里似乎看得出她在回忆，但是她一点儿也想不起来，或者是，看起来似乎她想不起来。

'Madame, ' I went on, 'I am grateful that you have forgotten that first meeting, for I behaved quite ridiculously and must surely have seemed very tiresome to you. It was two years ago, at the Opera-Comique; I was with Ernest de.'

　　“夫人，”接着我又说，“我很感激您已经忘记了第一次的介绍，因为那时我很可笑，一定惹您生气了。那是两年前，在喜剧歌剧院，跟我在一起的是欧内斯特·德……”

'Ah! Now I remember!' Marguerite went on with a smile. 'It wasn't that you were ridiculous, but I who was a tease. As I still am rather, though less so nowadays. Have you forgiven me?'

　　“唷！我记起来了！”玛格丽特微笑着说，“那时候不是您可笑，而是我爱捉弄人，就像现在一样，不过我现在比过去好些了。您已经原谅我了吧，先生？”

And she held out her hand which I kissed.

　　她把手递给我，我吻了一下。

　　“真是这样，”她又说，“您想象得到我的脾气有多坏，我老是喜欢捉弄初次见面的人，使他们难堪，这样做其实是很傻的。我的医生对我说，这是因为我有些神经质，并且总是觉得不舒服的缘故，请相信我医生的话吧。”

'But you look extremely well.'

　　“但是现在看来您的身体很健康。”

'Oh! I've been very ill.'

　　“啊！我生过一场大病。”

'I know.'

　　“这我知道。”

'Who told you?'

　　“是谁对您说的？”

　　“您生病大家都知道，我经常来打听您的病情，后来我很高兴地知道您的病好了。”

'No one ever brought me your card.'

　　“我从来没有收到过您的名片。”

'I never left one.'

　　“我从来不留名片。”

'Are you the young man who called every day to ask after me all the time I was ill, and would never leave his name?'

　　“据说在我生病的时候，有一个青年每天都来打听我的病情，但一直不愿留下姓名，这个年轻人难道就是您吗？”

'I am.'

　　“就是我。”

　　“那么，您不仅宽宏大量，而且心肠挺好。”她向我望了一眼。女人们在给一个男人作评价感到用语言不足以表达时，常用这种眼光来补充。随后她转身向N伯爵说：“伯爵，换了您就不会这样做了吧。”

'I have known you for only two months, ' replied the Count.

　　“我认识您才不过两个月呀，”伯爵辩解说。

'And this gentleman has known me for only five minutes. You always give the silliest answers.'

　　“而这位先生认识我才不过五分钟呢，您尽讲些蠢话。”

Women are pitiless with people they dislike.

　　女人们对她们不喜欢的人是冷酷无情的。

The Count reddened and bit his lip.

　　伯爵满脸通红，咬着嘴唇。

　　我有些可怜他，看来他似乎像我一样爱上了她，而玛格丽特毫不掩饰的生硬态度一定使他很难堪，尤其是在两个陌生人面前。

'You were playing something when we arrived, ' I then said, to change the subject. 'Won't you give me the pleasure of treating me like an old friend, and continue?'

　　“我们进来的时候，您正在弹琴，”我想把话扯开去，就说道，“请您把我当老朋友看待，继续弹下去好吗？”

'Oh!' she said, settling on to the sofa and gesturing to us to sit down beside her, 'Gaston knows exactly what my playing is like. It's all very well when I'm alone with the Count, but I shouldn't wish to put you through such torture.'

　　“啊！”她一面对我们做手势要我们坐下，一面倒在长沙发上说，“加斯东知道我弹些什么。如果我只是跟伯爵在一起弹弹倒还凑合，但是我可不愿意让你们两位遭这份罪。”

'So you do favour me in this respect?' replied Monsieur de N, with a smile intended to be subtle and ironic.

　　“您对我居然这么偏爱？”N伯爵聊以解嘲地微笑着说。

'You are quite wrong to reproach me for doing so. It's the only time I ever favour you in anything.'

　　“您这就错怪我了；我指的仅仅是这一件事罢了。”

　　这个可怜的青年注定只能一言不发了，他简直像哀求似地向那个姑娘望了一眼。

'Tell me, Prudence, ' she continued, 'did you do what I asked?'

　　“那么，普律当丝，”她接着说，“我托您的事办好了吗？”

'Yes.'

　　“办好了。”

'Good, you shall tell me all about it later. We have things to talk about, so you mustn't go until I've spoken to you.'

　　“那好，过一会儿告诉我好了。我们有些事要谈谈，在我没有跟您谈之前，您先别走呀。”

'I think we are intruding, ' I said at this point, 'and now that we ?or rather I ?have managed a second introduction to expunge the memory of the first, Gaston and I will withdraw.'

　　“我们也许来得不是时候，”于是我说，“现在我们，还不如说是我，已经得到了第二次介绍，这样就可以把第一次介绍忘掉。我们，加斯东和我，少陪了。”