目 录 上一节 下一节 
“就这样说定了，”玛格丽特在只剩下我们两个人的时候接着说：“您就不要再爱我了。” 'I shall go away.' “我马上就走。” 'It's as bad as that?' “竟然到这种地步了吗？” I had gone too far to turn back, and besides, this girl overwhelmed me. Her mixture of high spirits, sadness, ingenuousness and prostitution, the very illness which as surely heightened her sensitivity to impressions as it did her nervous reactions ?everything made me see that if, from the outset, I did not gain some hold over her heedless, fickle nature, then she would be lost to me forever. 我真是骑虎难下，再说，这个姑娘已经使我失魂落魄了。这种既有快乐，又有悲伤，既有纯洁，又有淫欲的混合物，还有那使她精神亢奋，容易冲动的疾病，这一切都使我知道了如果一开始我就控制不了这个轻浮和健忘的女人，我就会失去她。 'So what you are saying is quite serious? ' she said. “那么，您说的是真话吗？”她说。 
“完全是真的。” 'But why didn't you tell me all this before?' “那您为什么不早对我说？” 'When could I have told you?' “我什么时候有机会对您说这些话呢？” 'The day after you were introduced to me at the Opera-Comique.' “您在喜剧歌剧院被介绍给我的第二天就可以对我说嘛。” 'I think you'd have received me very badly if I had come to see you.' “我以为如果我来看您的话，您大概不会欢迎我的。” 
“为什么？” 'Because I had behaved stupidly the previous evening.' “因为前一天晚上我有点傻里傻气。” 'Yes, that's true. But all the same, you were already in love with me then.' “这倒是真的，但是，您那个时候不是已经爱上我了吗？” 'Yes.' “是啊。” 'None of which prevented you from going home to bed and sleeping very soundly after the play. We all know about great loves of that sort.' “既然如此，您在散戏后倒还能回家去安心睡觉。这些伟大的爱情就是这么回事，这个我们一清二楚。” 
“那么，您就错了，您知道那天晚上我在离开喜剧歌剧院以后干了些什么？” 'No. ' “我不知道。” 'I waited for you outside the entrance to the Cafe Anglais. I followed the carriage which brought you and your friends back here and, when I saw you get out by yourself and go up to your apartment alone, I was very happy.' “我先在英国咖啡馆门口等您，后来跟着您和您三位朋友乘坐的车子，到了您家门口。当我看到您一个人下了车，又一个人回家的时候，我心里很高兴。” Marguerite began to laugh. 玛格丽特笑了。 'What are you laughing at?' “您笑什么？” 
“没有什么。” 'Tell me, I beg you, or I shall think that you're laughing at me again.' “告诉我，我求求您，不然我以为您还在取笑我。” 'You won't be cross?' “您不会生气吗？” 'I have no right to be cross.' “我有什么权利生气呢？” 'Well, there was a good reason why I should return alone.' “好吧，我一个人回家有一个很美妙的原因。” 
“什么原因？” 'There was someone waiting for me here.' “有人在这里等我。” Had she stabbed me with a knife, she could not have hurt me more. I stood up and, offering my hand, said: 'Goodbye.' 即使她给我一刀子也不会比这更使我痛苦，我站起来，向她伸过手去。 “再见，”我对她说。 'I knew you'd be cross, ' she said. 'Men have a mania for wanting to know things that will upset them.' “我早知道您一定会生气的，”她说，“男人们总是急不可耐地要知道会使他们心里难受的事情。” 'But I assure you, ' I added coldly, as though I had wanted to show that I was cured of my passion for ever, ' I assure you that I am not cross. It was only natural that someone should have been waiting for you, as natural as it is that I should leave here at three in the morning.' “但是，我向您保证，”我冷冰冰地接着说，仿佛要证明我已经完全控制住了我的激情，“我向您保证我没有生气。有人等您那是十分自然的事，就像我凌晨三点钟要告辞一样，也是十分自然的事。” 
“是不是也有人在家里等您呢？” 'No, but I must go.' “没有，但是我非走不可。” 'Goodbye, then.' “那么，再见啦。” 'You are sending me away.' “您打发我走吗？” 'Not at all.' “没有的事。” 
“为什么您要使我痛苦？” 'What hurtful things?' “我使您痛苦什么啦？” 'You told me someone was waiting for you.' “您对我说那时候有人在等您。” 'I couldn't help laughing at the thought of your being so happy to see me coming in by myself, when there was such a good reason for me to do so.' “当我想到您看见我单独一人回家就觉得那么高兴，而那时又有这么一个美妙的原因的时候，我就忍不住要笑出来啦。” 'People often find happiness in foolish things. It is unkind to destroy their happiness when, simply by allowing it to continue, we can increase the joy of those who have discovered such happiness.' “我们经常会有一种孩子般的快乐，而要是只有让这种快乐保持下去，才能使得到这种快乐的人更加幸福的话，去摧毁这种快乐就太恶毒了。” 
“可是您到底把我当什么人看呀？我既不是黄花闺女，又不是公爵夫人。我不过今天才认识您，我的行为跟您有什么相干，就算将来有一天我要成为您情妇的话，您也该知道，除了您我还有别的情人，如果您现在还没有成为我的情人就跟我吃起醋来了，那么将来，就算有这个‘将来’吧，又该怎么办呢？我从来没有看见过像您这样的男人。” 'That's because no man has ever loved you as I do.' “这是因为从来也没有一个人像我这样爱过您。” 'Let's be clear about this: are you really in love with me?' “好吧，您说心里话，您真的很爱我吗？” 'As much as anyone could possibly love anybody, I believe.' “我想，我能爱到什么程度就爱到了什么程度。” 'And how long has this been going on?' “而这一切是从……？” 
“从我看见您从马车上下来走进絮斯商店那一天起开始的，那是三年以前的事了。”
| 
