07 Miss Brill

07 Miss Brill Lesson 7: Miss Brill Lesson 7: Miss Brill布里尔小姐 Although it was so brilliantly fine – the blue sky 尽管阳光明媚——蓝天涂上了金色，巨大的powdered with gold and the great spots of light like 光点犹如泼洒在公共花园里的白葡萄酒——布里white wine splashed over the Jardins Publiques – Miss 尔小姐很高兴自己还是决定戴上了狐皮围巾。Brill was glad that she had decided on her fur. The air was motionless, but when you opened 空气中一丝风也没有，但当你张开嘴时，却your mouth there was just a faint chill, like a chill 有那么一丝丝凉意。那感觉犹如你要吸一小口冰水from a glass of iced water before you sip, and now 时从杯子里冒出的凉气那样。不时有一片落叶从无and again a leaf came drifting – from nowhere, from 人知晓的地方飘来，从天空飘来。they sky. Miss Brill put up her hand and touched her fur.布里尔小姐抬起手来摸着狐皮围巾。 Dear little thing! I t was nice to feel it again. 爱的小东西～再次触摸到它感觉真好。 She had taken it out of its box tat afternoon, 下午她把它从盒子里拿了出来，抖掉防蛀粉，shaken out the moth-powder, given it a good brush, 好好地刷了一遍，把没有光泽的小眼睛擦得又恢and rubbed the life back into the dim little eyes.复了生气。 What has been happening to me?” said the “ “我怎么了,”忧伤的小眼睛问道。sad little eyes. Oh, how sweet it was to see them snap at her 哈，看到它们从红鸭绒垫上再次亮闪闪地盯again from the red eiderdown! 着她，实在是令人高兴， But the nose, which was of some black …但是用某种黑色合成物做的鼻子很不结实了，composition, wasn’t at all firm. It must have had a knock, somehow. 一定是不知怎么被撞了一下。 Never mind – a little dab of black sealing-wax 没关系，到时候，到绝对必要的时候用黑色的when the time came – when it was absolutely 火漆擦一擦小淘气～ necessary. … Little rogue! Yes, she really felt like that about it. 是的，她的确觉得它是个小淘气。 Little rogue biting its tail just by her left ear.这个小淘气就在她左耳边咬住自己的尾巴。 She could have taken it off and laid it on her lap 她本可以取下它来放在膝上抚弄一下，她感到and stroked it. She felt a tingling in her hands and 手和胳膊略微有些刺痛， arms. But that came from walking, she supposed.她想可能是由于走了路的缘故。 And when she breathed, something light and sad 当她呼吸时，似乎有一种轻柔忧郁的东西——– no, not sad, exactly – something gentle seemed to 不，不是忧郁——是某种温柔的东西在她的胸中move in her bosom.移动。 There were a number of people out this 今天下午出来的人很多，比上星期日多多了，afternoon. far more than last Sunday. And the band sounded louder and gayer.而且乐队演奏得也好像更加响亮、欢快。 That was because the Season had begun.那是因为演出季节开始了。 For although the band played all the year round 尽管乐队每逢星期日都演奏，但不是演出季on Sundays, out of season it was never the same. 节时总是不太一样。 It was like someone playing with only the family 就好像一个人只演奏给家里人听那样，没有to listen; it didn’t care how it played if there weren’t 陌生人在场，演得怎样都没关系。any strangers present. 1 Lesson 7: Miss Brill Wasn’t the conductor wearing a new coat, too? 指挥不也穿了一件新上衣吗, She was sure it was new.她肯定那是新的。 He scraped wit his foot and flapped his arms like 他像一只正要鸣叫的公鸡那样一只脚蹭着地，a rooster about to crow, and the bandsmen sitting in 摆动着双臂。坐在绿色圆亭里的乐队成员们鼓起两the green rotunda blew out their cheeks and glared at 腮，眼睛盯着乐谱。the music. Now there came a little “flutey” bit – very pretty! 这时传来“长笛般”柔和清亮的一小段音乐—– a litter chain of bright drops. —十分悦耳——一长串活泼的急降。 She was sure it would be repeated. 她知道这一段一定会重复出现的。 It was; she lifted her head and smiled.是的，重复了，她抬起头来笑了。 Only two people shared her “special” seat: a fine 只有两个人和她一起坐在她的“专座”上，一old man in a velvet coat, his hands clasped over a 位是穿着丝绒上衣相貌出众的老头，双手握着一huge carved walking-stick, and a bid old woman, 根巨大的雕花手杖;还有一个身材高大的老太太，sitting upright, with a roll of knitting on her 笔直地坐着，绣花围裙上放着一卷织着的毛活。embroidered apron. They did not speak. 他们都不说话， This was disappointing, for Miss Brill always 令人非常失望，因为布里尔小姐总是期待着looked forward to conversation. 别人的谈话， She had become really quite expert, she thought, 她觉得自己能够十分老练、不动声色地听别人at listening as though she didn’t listen, at sitting in 的谈话，十分在行地利用别人在她周围谈话的时other people’s lives just a minute while they talked 机短暂地介入别人的生活。round her. She glanced, sideways, at the old couple.她斜眼看了看这对老人， Perhaps they would go soon. 他们也许很快就会走的。 Last Sunday, too, hadn’t been as interesting as 上星期日也不如平时那么有趣。usual. Englishman and his wife, he wearing a dreadful 那天有一个英国人和他的妻子，男人戴了顶Panama hat and she button boots. 非常难看的巴拿马草帽，女人穿了双带扣长筒靴。 And she’s gone on the whole time about how she 所有的时间里她都在说她如何应该戴眼镜，她ought to wear spectacles; she knew she needed them; 知道自己需要眼镜，可买眼镜也不行，也许会打But that it was no good getting any; they’d be sure to 碎，总是戴不住。 break and they’d never keep on. And he’d been so patient. 而男人是那么耐心， He’d suggested everything – gold rims, the kind 他什么建议都提了，金丝镜框，那种镜腿弯that curved round your ears, little pads inside the 曲紧扣耳朵的镜框，眼镜鼻架侧面安上小垫。bridge. No, nothing would please her. 不行，什么也无法使她满意。 They’ll always be sliding down my nose!” ““它总是会从鼻子上滑下来的～”布里尔小Miss Brill had wanted to shake her.姐真想抓住她好好地摇她几下。 The old people sat on the bench, still as statues. 那两个老人坐在座位上，仍像雕像一样一声不Never mind, there was always the crowd to watch.响。没关系，总有许多人可看。 To and fro, in from of the flower-beds and the 在花圃前和乐队所在的圆亭前，成双成对或三band rotunda, the couples and groups paraded, 五成群的人们来回漫步，时而停下来交谈、打招呼，stopped to talk, to greet, to buy a handful of flowers 或从一个把花盘捆在栏杆上的老乞丐手里买上一from the old beggar who had his tray fixed to the 把花。 railings. 2 Lesson 7: Miss Brill Little children ran among them, swooping and 孩子们在他们中间奔跑着，打闹着，大声笑laughing; little boys with big white silk bows under 着，男孩子们下巴底下戴着大个的白色丝绸蝴蝶their chins; little girls, little French dolls, dressed up in 领结，女孩子们打扮得就像法国玩具娃娃，穿着velvet and lace.丝绸带花边的衣服。 And sometimes a tiny staggered came suddenly 有时一个刚刚学步的小家伙突然从树下摇摇晃rocking into the open from under the trees, stopped, 晃地走出来，在空地上停下，睁大眼睛张望着，stared, as suddenly sat down "flop," until its small 突然“扑通”一下坐在地上，直到他娇小的母亲high-stepping mother, like a young hen, and rushed 高抬着脚步像只小母鸡一样一边责备着一边冲过scolding to its rescue. 去把他救起。 Other people sat on the benches and green chairs, 另外一些人坐在长凳上或是绿色的椅子上，但but they were nearly always the same, Sunday alter 一个又一个星期日，几乎总是同样的一些人，而Sunday, and—Miss Brill had often noticed—there was 且布里尔小姐常常注意到他们几乎所有的人身上some-thing funny about nearly all of them. 都有一些奇怪之处。 They were odd, silent, nearly all old, and from 他们古怪、沉默，几乎都很老。看他们睁大眼睛the way they stared they looked as though they'd just 的样子，好像是刚从黑暗的小屋子里出来，甚至come from dark little rooms or even—-even ——甚至是刚从小橱柜里出来。cupboards! Behind the rotunda the slender trees with yellow 在圆形大厅后面是垂着黄叶的细长的树木，leaves down drooping, and through them just a line of 穿过树叶可见一线大海，在那之外便是漂浮着金sea, and beyond the blue sky gold-veined clouds.色纹脉白云的蓝天 Tum-tum-tum tiddle-um! Tiddle-um! Turn tiddley-um turn ta! Blew the band. Two young girls in red came by and two young 两个穿红色衣服的年轻姑娘从附近走过，两soldiers in blue met them, and they laughed and paired 个穿蓝色军装的年轻土兵同她们相遇。他们高声笑and went off arm in arm. 着分成两对挽臂而去。 Two peasant women with funny straw hats 两个戴着可笑草帽的农妇神情庄重地牵着漂亮passed, gravely, leading beautiful smoke-colored 的暗灰色的毛驴走了过去。 donkey. A cold, pale nun hurried by. 一个冷冰冰的，面色苍白的修女匆匆走过。 A beautiful woman came along and dropped her 一个美貌的女人向这边走来，将一束紫罗兰掉bunch of violets, and a little boy ran after to hand 在地上，一个小男孩追上去把花递还给她，她接them to her, and she took them and threw them away 过去后又扔掉了，仿佛花被放了毒似的。as if they'd been poisoned. Dear me! Miss Brill didn't know whether to 天哪，布里尔小姐真不知道该不该称赞这种admire that or not! 行为。 And now an ermine toque and a gentleman in 现在一个戴貂皮无沿帽的女人和一个穿灰衣服grey met just in front of her. 的先生正好在她面前相遇了。 He was tall, stiff, dignified, and she was wearing 他身材高大、神态拘谨、举止庄重，而她戴的the ermine toque she'd bought when her hair was 貂皮无沿帽是在她的头发是黄色时买的。yellow. Now everything, her hair, her face, even her eyes, 而现在她的一切，头发，脸，甚至眼睛都和was the same color as the shabby ermine, and her 这顶破旧的貂皮帽一样颜色苍白了。她抬起来轻抹hand, in its cleaned glove, lifted to dab her lips, was a 嘴唇的那只戴着洗过手套的手是只发黄的爪子。tiny yellowish paw. Oh, she was so pleased to see him—delighted!哈～她见到他真是太高兴了——太愉快了～ 3 Lesson 7: Miss Brill She rather thought they were going to meet that 她觉得他们是定好下午会面的。afternoon. She described where she'd been— everywhere, 她描述她到了什么地方——这儿、那儿、海边here, there, along by the sea.到处都去了。 The day was so charming—didn't he agree? 天气是这样可爱——难道他不同意吗, And wouldn't he, perhaps?也许他不愿意吧, But he shook his head, lighted a cigarette, …但他摇了摇头，点上一支香烟，徐徐地把一slowly breathed a great deep puff into her face and, 大口烟喷在了她的脸上，在她仍在谈笑风生时，even while she was still talking and laughing, flicked 把火柴轻轻向外一弹，继续走开去。the match away and walked on. The ermine toque was alone; she smiled more 只有貂皮无沿帽独自呆在那里，她笑得更加brightly than over. 明快了。 But even the band seemed to know what she was 就连乐队也似乎知道她的感觉而演奏得更轻feeling and played more softly, played tenderly, and 柔了，乐队轻柔地演奏着，鼓点声一遍又一遍地the drum beat "The Brute! The Brute!" over and over. 敲出:“畜生～畜生～” What would she do? 她要做些什么呢, What was going to happen now? 现在会发生什么事, But as Miss Brill wondered, the ermine toque 然而就在布里尔小姐想着这些的时候，貂皮无turned, raised her hand as though she'd seen someone 沿帽转过身去，好像看见了就在那边有另一个更else, much nicer, just over there, and pattered away. 好的人似地扬起手，嗒嗒地走了。 And the band changed again and played more 乐队又一次改变节奏，演奏得比任何时候都quickly, more gaily than ever, and the old couple on 更快，更欢，坐在布里尔小姐凳子上的老人站起Miss Brill’s seat got up and marched away, and such a 身来走了。乐队又一次改变节奏，演奏得比任何时funny old man with long whiskers hobbled along in 候都更快，更欢，坐在布里尔小姐凳子上的老人time to the music and was nearly knocked over by 站起身来走了。这个连鬓胡子很长的老头真滑稽，four girls walking abreast.和着音乐的节拍蹒跚地走着，差点被四个并排走 着的姑娘给撞倒。 Oh, how fascinating it was! 啊，这一切是多么的迷人～ How she enjoyed it! 多么令她欣喜～ How she loved sitting here, watching it all! 她是多么喜欢坐在这里，看着这一切～ It was like a play. It was exactly like a play. 就像是一出戏，完全就像是一出戏。 Who could believe the sky at the back wasn’t 谁能相信背后的天空不是画出来的,painted? But it wasn’t till a little brown dog trotted on 　但是直到一只棕色的小狗神色庄重地迈着solemnly and then slowly trotted off, like a little 小步走过来，然后又慢慢迈着小步走过去，就像“theatre” dog, a little dog that had been drugged, that 一只“演戏”的小狗，一只被轻度麻醉的小狗那Miss Brill discovered what it was that made it so 样，直到这时布里尔小姐才发现这一切如此令人exciting. 激动。 They were all on the stage. They weren’t only the audience, not only looking 他们全都在舞台上。 on; they were acting.他们不仅仅是观众，不仅仅在一边观看，他 Even she had a part and came every Sunday. 们也在演戏。 就连她自己也是其中的一个角色，每个星期 No doubt somebody would have noticed if she 天都来。 hadn't been there; she was part of the performance, 毫无疑问，如果她没有来，就会引起别人的注after all. 意，她毕竟是整个演出的一部分。 4 Lesson 7: Miss Brill How strange shod never thought of it like that 奇怪，她过去从未这样想过。before! And yet it explained why she made such a point 但是这也解释了她为什么每一个星期都要这of starting from home at just the same time each week样特意在同一时间离家——是为了不误演出———so as not to be late for the performance—and it also 而且这也解释了为什么她在给来向她学习英语的explained why she had quite a queer, shy feeling at 学生讲她如何度过每个星期日下午时会有这样古telling her English pupils how she spent her Sunday 怪的羞怯的感觉。 afternoons. No wonder! Miss Brill nearly laughed out loud. 真是难怪～布里尔小姐几乎笑出声来。 She was on the stage. 她是在舞台上。 She thought of the old invalid gentleman to 她想起了那个生病的老人，她每周有四个下whom she read the newspaper four afternoons a week 午趁他在花园里躺着时给他读报纸。while he slept in the garden. She had goy quite used to the frail head on the 她已经完全习惯了在棉布枕头上的那个虚弱的cotton pillow, the hollowed eyes, the open mouth and 脑袋，那深深凹陷的眼睛，张着的嘴巴和高高的the high pinched nose. 皱缩的鼻子。 If he'd been dead she mightn't have noticed for 如果他死去，很可能她许多个星期都不会注意weeks; she wouldn't have minded. 到，也不会在乎。 But suddenly he knew he was having the paper 但是他突然知道了给他读报纸的是个女演员～read to him by an actress! "An actress!" The old head lifted; two points of “一个女演员～”衰老的头抬了起来，昏花light quivered in the old eyes. 的眼中闪动着两个光点。 "An actress—are ye?" And Miss Brill smoothed “女演员——是你吗,”布里尔小姐于是抚the newspaper as though it were the manuscript of her 平报纸，仿佛这是她的台词，并且温柔地说道:pan and said gently: "Yes, I have been an actress for a long time."“是的，我当演员已经很久了。” The band had been having a rest. 乐队刚才一直在休息， Now they started again. 现在又重新开始演奏了。 And what they played was warm, sunny, yet there 他们演奏的乐曲热烈、明快，然而透着一丝凉was just a faint chill— a something, what was it? —意——一种难以言状的东西。是什么呢,——不是not sadness—no, not sadness—a something that made 悲哀——不，不是悲哀——是一种使你想唱歌的you want to sing. 气氛。 The tune lifted, lifted, the light shone; and n 曲调升华，升华，阳光灿烂，布里尔小姐感到seemed to Miss Brill that in another moment all of 再过一会儿他们所有的人，剧团全体人员都会唱them, all the whole company, would begin singing. 起来。 The young ones, the laughing ones who were 那些年轻的人，那些在一起活动的笑着的人会moving together, they would begin, and the men's 先开始歌唱，然后坚定勇敢的男声会加入进来，voices, very resolute and brave, would join them. And then she too, she too, and the others on the 然后她也加入，还有长凳上坐着的其他人—benches—they would come in with a kind of —他们会以伴唱的形式加入进来——声音很低，accompaniment—something low, that scarcely rose or 几乎没有起伏，非常动听——感人……布里尔小fell, something so beautiful—moving…and Miss 姐眼中充满泪水，微笑着看着剧团的全体人员。Brill's eyes filled with tears and she looked smiling at all the other members of the company. 5 Lesson 7: Miss Brill 是的，我们明白，我们明白，她想到——虽 Yes we understand, we understand, she thought 然她并不知道他们明白什么。—though what they understood she didn't know. Just at that moment a boy and a girl came and sat 这个时候一对青年男女走过来坐在刚才那对down where the old couple had been. 老夫妻坐的地方。 They were beautifully dressed; they were in love. 他们衣着鲜亮，正在恋爱。 The hero and heroine, of course, just arrived 当然男女主人公刚刚从他父亲的游艇上下来。from his father's yacht. And still soundlessly singing, still with that 布里尔小姐仍然在无声地唱着歌，仍带着颤trembling smile, Miss Brill prepared to listen.抖的微笑，她准备好听他们的谈话。 "No, not now," said the girl. "Not here, I can't." “不行，现在不行，”姑娘说道，“别在这里， 我不能。” "But why? Because of that stupid old thing at the “可是为什么,是因为坐在那一头的那个愚蠢的end there?" asked the boy.老家伙吗,”小伙子问。 "Why does she come here at all—who wants her? “她为什么要到这里来——谁需要她, Why doesn't she keep her silly old mug at 她为什么不把她那副愚蠢的尊容留在家里,home?"” "It's her fu-fur which is so funny," giggled the girl.“她的那条皮围巾太滑稽了。”姑娘哈哈地笑 "It's exactly like a fried whiting." 着说， "Ah, be off with you!" said the boy in an angry “和一条炸鲤鱼完全一样。”whisper. Then: "Tell me, ma petite chere—" “嘿，滚你的吧～”小伙子生气地低语道。接着 "No, not here, “said the girl. "Not yet."又说:“告诉我，小心肝——” On her way home she usually bought a slice of “不，别在这里，”姑娘说道，“先别这样。”honey-cake at the baker's. 在回家的路上她总是要在面包店买上一块蜂蜜 It was her Sunday treat.蛋糕。 Sometimes there was an almond in her slice, 这是她星期日的特殊享受。sometimes not. 有时候买的蛋糕里有粒杏仁，有时候没有。 It made a great difference. If there was an almond it was like carrying home 有没有大不一样。 a tiny present—a surprise—something that might very 如果有杏仁，就像是带回家一个小小的礼物—well not have been there. —一份惊喜——一个本来很可能没有的东西。 She hurried on the almond Sundays and .struck the match for the kettle in quite a dashing在有杏仁的那些星期日，她总是匆匆赶回家， But today she passed the baker's by, climbed the 精神抖擞地划火柴点火烧水。stairs, went into the little dark room—her room like a 　但是今天她径直从面包店门前走过，爬上楼cupboard—and sat down on the red eiderdown.梯走进那个昏暗的小屋——她的像小柜橱一般的 She sat there for a long time. 小屋——坐在红鸭绒垫上。 The box that the fur came out of was on the bed. 她坐了很久。 She unclasped the neck let quickly; quickly, 装狐皮围巾的那只盒子放在床上。 without looking, laid it inside. 她迅速解下围巾，看也不看，很快地把它放进 But when she put the lid on she thought she 了盒子。 heard something crying.但当她盖上盒盖时，她觉得听见了哭声。 6