我们也许都熟悉那个年代
We may think ourselves familiar in this day and age
认为形形色♥色♥的妓♥女♥
with the notion that whores of every description
很容易做到名利双收
can very easily achieve fame and fortune.
从19世纪末开始
But towards the end of the 19th century
这段时间在法国被称作”美好时期(直到一战前)”
in what came to be known in France as the Belle Epoque,
有很短一段时期 一群名妓成为了
a select group of courtesans became, for a short period,
漫长的娼妓史上 名噪一时且握有权势的女人
the most celebrated and powerful women in the long history of prostitution.
包括有Emilienne d’Alencon 自以为是个演员
There was Milienne D’Alenson, who fancied herself as an actress,
但她更有名的是
but was better known as the woman
让比利时国王Leopold二世破产
who’d all but bankrupted King Leopold II of Belgium.
还有Liane de Pougy
There was Liane de Pougy,
她那时的情人送她
who, when shown a million and a half francs worth of jewels
价值150万法郎的珠宝
by her lover of the moment
让她昏了头
became paralyzed with indecision.
往后还迫使他买♥♥整个橱窗的珠宝送她
Thus, obliging him to buy her the entire display.
后来她当了修女
She later became a nun.
这是La Belle Otero
There was La Belle Otero,
西班牙舞者 自杀死了
Spanish dancer, provoker of suicides
她至少是六个欧洲君主的情人
and lover of at least six crowned European monarchs,
戛纳新卡尔顿酒店的圆顶
whose breasts served as models
就是按她的胸部建造的
for the cupolas on the new Carlton Hotel at Cannes.
这位是Lea de Lonval
And there was Lea de Lonval.
生于Leone Vallon
Born Leone Vallon,
她出众的样貌惹来不少妒忌
envied by many as the most beautiful of all.
她良好的判断力
Her good sense had enabled her
帮助她避开了很多职场风险
to avoid the most dangerous hazard facing those of her profession,
也就是爱情
namely falling in love.
现在 当前任情人离开她
Now, with the departure of her most recent lover
去了他的俄♥罗♥斯♥庄园
to his Russian estates,
Lea 意识到自己已经离
Lea, aware that she was not far away from being a certain age
退休的年纪不远了
was beginning to entertain the idea of retiring.
世上还有什么事会比
Is there anything in the world more wonderful
独占一张床更舒服吗?
than a bed all to oneself?
– 太太 晚安 – 晚安 Rose
– Good night, madame. – Mm, good night, Rose.
谢利-改编自Colette同名小说
美好时期的总部
Headquarters of the Belle Epoque
在巴黎马克西姆饭店
was Maxim’s restaurant
饭店领班有一本必不可少的花名册
whose maitre d’ possessed an indispensable notebook
里面列有一长串可供选择的交际花
containing a long list of names of available women.
再来一瓶Pommery酒
More Pommery.
Pommery酒到了 Fred
Pommery is on its way, Fred.
其中一个常客
One of his most regular customers
是Fred Peloux 也叫Cheri
was Fred Peloux, known as Cheri,
一个名妓的儿子 有钱但不张扬
the rich but neglected son of another celebrated courtesan.
他是独子 而他妈妈又醉心于她的事业
As the only child of a woman focused obsessively on her career,
Cheri过着寂寞又浑沌的生活
Cheri had led a solitary and often confusing life.
现在19岁的他
Now, at the age of 19,
老实说 过了几年沉湎酒色的生活后
truth be told, after several years of conscientious debauchery,
他累了 也开始很热切的在考虑
he was exhausted enough to be starting himself to think longingly
退休这事
of the notion of retirement.
有时候
Every so often,
Lea de Lonval觉得应该早点起床
Lea de Lonval found it necessary to rise early
悉心打扮一番再去战斗
and prepare herself as if for gladiatorial combat.
哎 Rose 为什么我要答应跟那个恶心的女人
Oh, Rose, why did I agree to have lunch with that dreadful woman
去她阴森的家里吃饭呢?
in that hideous mausoleum?
Ernest 带我去Palace of Varieties
To the Palace of Varieties, Ernest.
跟大部分
Like most women
一生都献给各种各样的爱
who have devoted their lives to various forms of love
但最终都被上流社会排斥的女人一样
and been ostracized from polite society as a result,
Lea发现自己被局限在极小的交际圈子内
Lea now found herself confined to an extremely narrow circle of friends.
今天 她要拜访以前的同事Charlotte
Today, she was visiting her former colleague, Charlotte,
曾经是她最强劲的竞争者之一
once one of her most ruthless competitors,
这个女人出了名的精明老练
a woman of legendary astuteness and skill
从客人那儿榨了不少油水
at extracting immense sums from her clients.
热衷于聊八卦
Normally ravenous for gossip,
但今天Charlotte只关心自己的一个大问题
today Charlotte was preoccupied with a particular problem of her own.
我对那孩子已经无计可施了
That child will be the death of me.
– 无计可施 – Charlotte那孩子19岁了
– The death of me. – Charlotte, that child is 19.
你记得他小的时候多漂亮吗?
Can you remember what a gorgeous little boy he was?
一头卷发
All those curls.
我记得比你还清楚
I expect I remember better than you.
我不懂你是什么意思
I can’t imagine what you mean.
有时候我甚至怀疑他是不是同一个人
Sometimes I wonder if it’s the same person.
深深的黑眼圈
Black circles under his eyes.
不到下午茶时间绝不起床
Doesn’t get up till the middle of the afternoon.
不给他买♥♥新汽车就一直喋喋不休
Never stopped nagging me until I bought him a new motorcar.
我以前还觉得自己是多么幸福的妈妈
And I used to think of myself as such a happy mother.
家家有本难念的经
We all have our cross to bear.
老实说
To tell you the truth,
我希望你和他谈谈
I was hoping you might have a word with him.
我?
I?
他一直把你当教母
He’s always thought of you as a kind of godmother.
他根本不搭理我
He pays no attention to me anymore.
但我相信他会听你的话
But I’m sure he’ll listen to anything you have to say.
“每天最多10根烟” 他说的
“No more than ten cigarettes a day,” he said.
白兰地只能周末喝 他说那是为了我的心脏好
And brandy only at the weekend. He said it was my heart.
他还是关心你的嘛
So there is one.
– Nounoune – Cheri
– Nounoune. – Cheri.
你什么时候开始用这个词 来登场亮相的?
What sort of time do you call this to be making an appearance?
– 哇 天啊 这是谁啊? – 你少恶心
– Oh, my God, who’s that? – Don’t start that.
哦 当然 你是我母亲 对吗?
Ah, yes, you’re my mother, aren’t you?
我依稀记得小时候见过你几次
I vaguely remember meeting you a few times when I was little.
一点也不好笑
That’s not at all amusing.
我听说上星期你在酒吧
I was told you were seen in a bar last week
坐在老Lili的膝盖上
sitting on old Lili’s knee.
荒谬 Lili才没有膝盖
Don’t be ridiculous. Lili hasn’t got any knees.
几年前就看不见了
They disappeared years ago.
瞧见了吧?
You see what I mean?
我看一下舌头
Show me your tongue.
你不能再喝杜松子酒了
You shouldn’t drink gin.
– 白兰地也不行 – 可是 让我母亲独饮
– Or brandy. – Well, it wouldn’t be polite
也太不礼貌了 是吧?
to let my mother drink alone, now would it?
你看起来身体很糟
You don’t look at all well.
没错 Lea 他现在骨瘦如柴 皮包骨头了
You’re quite right, Lea. He’s a bag of bones. A bag of bones.
– 我很好啊 – 你脸色很差
– I feel fine. – You’re a bad color.
脸色发青
Distinctly green about the gills.
我是想问你 亲爱的 你星期天有空吗?
I meant to ask you, my dear, are you free on Sunday?
不行 我明天要去一趟在诺曼底的房♥子
No, I’m going down to my house in Normandy tomorrow.
– 跟Speleieff一起? – 不 我跟他玩完了
– With Speleieff? – No, that’s over.
你应该记得 Speleieff已经回俄♥罗♥斯♥了
Speleieff’s gone back to Russia. Do concentrate.
你的记性够差的 Cheri
Your memory, Cheri.
几个月前我们还去了告别宴会
We went to the farewell dinner a couple of months ago.
啊 对 我们还吃了海螯虾
Ah, yes. We had langoustine.
我现在倒想吃一盘
I could just do with a plate of them now.
前一分钟他什么都不想吃 现在又想吃海螯虾了
One minute he won’t eat, the next he’s asking for langoustine.
谁陪你去诺曼底?
Which one are you taking to Normandy with you?
我自己去
I’m going on my own.
有钱人真是好啊
Nice to be so rich.
你想来的话很欢迎啊
You’re welcome to come if you like.
反正在那除了吃喝睡 也没别的事
There’s nothing to do there but eat, drink and sleep.
这地方在哪儿?
Where is this place?
沿Honfleur的海岸往南走就是
It’s just down the coast from Honfleur.
我一直觉得好累
I’m so exhausted all the time.
我就说你看起来不对劲
I said you don’t look at all well.
去 去 去!
Pfft, pfft, pfft!
在乡下呆一阵子对你有好处
Do you good to spend some time in the country.
只有一些简单的东西
Just simple things.
烤鸡 草莓和奶油
Grilled chicken, strawberries and cream.
没有女人
No women.
– 没有女人? 听起来太诱人了 – 哈哈哈
– No women? Sounds irresistible. – Ha-ha-ha.