刀锋（1946）

这个故事是我关于一个非常不寻常的年轻人的回忆
This story consists of my recollections of a very unusual young man…
我们间隔很长时间才有机会见面
…with whom I was thrown into contact at long intervals.
1919年夏天…
In the summer of 1919…
…我起身到远东去，路过芝加哥…
…while passing through Chicago on my way to the Far East…
…我在伦敦和巴黎见过的一个朋友，艾略特·坦波登…
…a friend of mine, Elliott Templeton, whom I had known in London and Paris…
…邀请我和他和他的姐姐布拉德利夫人一起吃饭
…invited me to dine with him and his sister, Mrs. Bradley.
他们在一个乡村俱乐部举办晚宴
They were giving a dinner party at one of those sprawling country clubs…
蓬勃生长的俱乐部那时是美国繁荣的战后生活不可缺少的一部分
which were so much a part of the American scene in the early days of the postwar boom
-晚上好，先生 -晚上好，请问坦波登先生的座位在哪里？
– Good evening, sir. – Good evening. Mr. Templeton’s table?
-在那边，先生 -他们到了吗？
– Yes, sir. – Are they here?
他们在那边吃点心，先生
They’re having refreshments, sir.
-哦，这给你 -再来一杯干马提尼吗，先生
– Oh, here you are. – With a dry martini, sir.
都怪禁酒令，简直就是胡来
Prohibition, of all the bloody nonsense.
-艾略特 -怎么了?
– Elliott. – Yes, dear?
你今晚邀请来吃饭的这个人是谁?
Who is this man that you asked to dinner?
他是一位英国作家，他很好，实际上他还很有名
He’s an English author. He’s quite all right. In fact, he’s really quite famous.
所以如果你不知道也请假装你听说过他
So pretend that you’ve heard of him.
那太多了 再拿一些杯子来
That’s too much. Get the other glasses.
艾略特，如果你也经常写东西的话那你肯定在偷懒
Elliott, you must be slipping if you frequent authors.
*嘲讽艾略特沉迷于社交生活*
怎么会呢亲爱的，现在作家们都喜欢到处走走
Not at all, my dear. Authors go everywhere nowadays.
在伦敦，我甚至还在聚会上遇到过演员
While in London, I even met actors and actresses in society.
他来了
Here he is now.
亲爱的朋友，见到你真高兴
My dear fellow, how very nice to see you.
好久不见，艾略特
Hello, Elliott.
给你介绍我的姐姐，布拉德利夫人
Let me present you to my sister, Mrs. Bradley.
路易莎
Louisa.
路易莎，亲爱的，这位是萨默塞特·毛姆先生
Louisa, dear, this is Mr. Somerset Maugham.
你好，毛姆先生，很荣幸你能来
How do you do, Mr. Maugham? It’s an honor to have you with us.
谢谢 我也很高兴来这儿
Thank you. It’s very nice to be here.
你现在到底在这个还没开化的地方干什么?
What on earth are you doing in this benighted city?
我…只是路过，你呢，我还以为你永远都不会离开过巴黎呢
I‘m…I’m just passing through, but you, I thought you never left Paris.
我为什么要呢?
Why should I?
事实上，我是来看我姐姐和我侄女伊莎贝尔的
In fact, I came to see my sister and my niece, Isabel.
我从战前就没回来过了
I haven’t been back since before the war.
希望你不介意，有几位年轻人今晚会和我们一起…
I hope you don’t mind, a few young things are joining us for dinner…
…但是我们可以早点离开
…but we can leave early.
我为什么会介意？我喜欢青春洋溢的年轻人们
Why should I mind? I like young things if they’re good to look at.
顺便说一句，和我侄女订婚的年轻人也会来
Incidentally, you’ll meet the young man my niece has got herself engaged to.
他叫拉里·达雷尔，艾略特不喜欢他
His name is Larry Darrell, and I’ll tell you that Elliott doesn’t approve of him.
我对他没有意见，只是他没有钱，我姐姐家里也不富裕
I have nothing against him, but he hasn’t any money. And my sister’s not rich.
-她需要很多的… -艾略特…
– She needs all she’s got. – Elliott…
…有必要把我们的私事都告诉毛姆先生吗?
…is it necessary to tell Mr. Maugham all our private affairs?
-我们不可能都是百万富翁吧，艾略特 -他可是连工作都没有
– We can’t all be millionaires, Elliott. – He hasn’t even got a job.
-他可以找一个 -但他不想
– He can get one. – He doesn’t want a job.
-为什么? -可能他生来懒惰吧
– Why not? – Because he’s bone idle.
像你这样一辈子都没挣过一分钱的人一定很惊讶吧
That must shock a man like you who’s never earned a penny in his life.
*讽刺艾略特，原著中艾略特早年靠倒卖♥♥古董大赚了一笔钱，实际上也是没有正经工作的， 他一直不愿提及这一段经历（毛姆，你是真的嘴毒）*
亲爱的朋友，你可能没听说过我的事情…
It may have escaped your notice, my dear fellow…
…但我可不是一个普通人
…but I am not an ordinary man.
-来杯鸡尾酒? -好，谢谢
– Cocktail? – Oh, yes, please.
我们的社会要运转，勤勉是必须的
For the run of mankind, industry is essential.
我不明白为什么我侄女要和这个人订婚…
I see no reason why this man my niece has got herself engaged to…
…他连这点社会规范都不想遵守
…should not conform to the customs of his country.
她来了
Here’s my niece now.
哦,妈妈
Oh, Mother.
-你好，伊莎贝尔 -你好
– Hello, Isabel. – Hello.
-毛姆先生，这是我女儿伊莎贝尔 -你好，毛姆先生
– Mr. Maugham this is my daughter, Isabel. – How do you do, Mr. Maugham?
-拉里在哪儿? -他迟到了
– Where’s Larry? – Late.
可怜的拉里，我猜他昨晚肯定又忘了给表上发条了
Poor sweet. I suppose he forgot to wind his watch last night as usual.
他就是那样的
You wouldn’t know about Larry.
妈妈，你把牌弄混了
Say, Mother, you’ve mixed up the cards–
-索菲！亲爱的 -你好，索菲
– Oh, Sophie, dear. – Hello, Sophie.
这是索菲·尼尔森，这是萨姆塞特·毛姆先生。索菲是之前我们在乡下的邻居
This is Sophie Nelson, this is Mr. S. Maugham. Sophie is a neighbor of ours in the country.
-你好 -你今天真好看索菲
– How do you do? – You look charming, Sophie.
-是吗 -是的 -我过去跟索菲说几句
-Yes. -doesn’t she? -Excuse us.
这边来，让我仔细看看你
Come here. I want to have a look at you.
-索菲，你看起来真好看 -都是借了裙子的光
– Sophie, you look lovely. – It’s the dress.
-你确定不介意我穿它吗? -当然不介意
– You sure you don’t mind my wearing it? – Of course not.
-如果你喜欢，就当礼物收下吧 -你真是太好了
– If you like it, take it as a present. – Oh, that’s awfully sweet of you.
鲍勃看到我穿得这么体面一定会很惊喜的
Oh, it’ll be such a surprise for Bob to see me decently dressed.
你知道鲍勃的，他太爱你了，可能根本没法注意你穿的什么
Oh, you know Bob’s much too much in love with you to notice what you wear.
他现在才没有我爱他那样爱我呢
He’s no more crazy about me than I am about him.
我觉得没有人像我爱他这样爱过另一个人
I don’t think anyone ever loved anyone as I love him.
-生活真美好啊 -是的
– Isn’t it heavenly to be alive? – Yes.
-嗨 -哈喽，格雷
– Hi. – Hello, Gray.
-哈喽，格雷 -我打断你们了吗？
– Hello, Gray. – May I break this up?
没事
Sure.
你好
Hello.
-你今天真好看 -真的吗？
– You look lovely. – Think so?
你好啊，索菲 -你好
– Hello, Sophie. – Hello.
可以请你喝一杯吗，索菲…
May I get you one, Miss…?
-尼尔森小姐? -是的，索菲·尼尔森
– Miss Nelson, isn’t it? – Yes, Sophie Nelson.
我很愿意
I’d love it.
算了，我想最好还是不了
No, I guess I’d better not.
-为什么？鸡尾酒有什么问题吗？ -不，不是
– Why? What’s wrong with cocktails? – Oh, nothing.
只是，我答应过鲍勃不喝酒
Only, I promised Bob I wouldn’t.
-鲍勃是? -我男朋友
– Who’s Bob? – My boyfriend.
他不喜欢我喝酒，他觉得我过于喜欢酒精了
He doesn’t like me to drink. He thinks I’m too fond of it.
-哪个是鲍勃？ -他不在这儿，他还在上班
– Which is Bob? – Oh, he isn’t here. He’s working.
他自己供自己读法律
He’s putting himself through law school.
但他一会儿会来接我回去
He’s gonna drop in later and take me home.
你要来一杯吗？如果我佣人约瑟夫看到我现在这样…
Will you have one of these? If my man Joseph could see me now…
…他肯定会晕倒的
…I give you my word, he’d faint dead away.
你和坦波登先生是好朋友对吧
You’re a great friend of Mr. Templeton’s aren’t you?
哦，我可不会这么说，他没有朋友，只有熟人
Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Elliott has no friends, only acquaintances.
-他是个可怕的势利小人，你觉得呢？-是的，非常势利，但他也很善良、慷慨
– He’s an awful snob, isn’t he? – Oh, awful. But he’s kind and generous.
大家在背后嘲笑他，却吃着他的食物，喝他的酒
People laugh at him, but they eat his food and drink his wine.
-哦，毛姆先生，毛姆先生，你的座位在我妈妈旁边
Oh, Mr. Maugham. Mr. Maugham, you’re next to Mother.
索菲，你坐格雷旁边
And Sophie, you’re next to Gray.
-我们挨着 – 这位是毛姆先生，这是马图林先生
– That’s us, toots. – Mr. Maugham, Mr. Maturin.
-伊莎贝尔 -怎么啦？
– Isabel. – Yes?
-吃饭吧，朋友们 -哦，好的
– Dinner, my dear fellow. – Oh, yes.
我想问 马图林先生是?
And who’s Mr. Maturin?
哦，格雷，他是我们之间最有钱的
Oh, Gray. He’s our millionaire.
他父亲是个大股票经理，我们都以他为荣
His father’s a big broker. We’re proud of him.
他把我们的身价都提高了，但他人很好
He gives us class. But he’s nice.
我知道好几个女孩子都拼命追他，简直就要到动手的地步了
I know several girls who’d stop at nothing short of murder to get him.
-但她们一点机会也不会有 -为什么？
– They haven’t a chance. – Why not?
他爱死伊莎贝尔了
He’s so in love with Isabel he can’t see straight.
原来如此，但伊莎贝尔爱的是拉里
I see. And she’s in love with Larry Darrell.
这就很复杂了
I suppose that does complicate matters.
是的，如果你像格雷一样够意思的话
It does, if you’re as high-principled as Gray is.
拉里没来吗？
And Larry isn’t here.
哦，他刚到，就在那边，你看
Yes, he’s just coming in now, way over there. Look.
走吧，去吃饭了
Come on, dinner.
这就是我所说的那个年轻人
This is the young man of whom I write.
他并不出名
He is not famous.
也许在他生命结束之际…
It may be that when his life at last comes to an end…
…他在世上留下的痕迹…
…he will leave no more trace of his sojourn on this earth…
… 并不会比把石子投入河中留在水面的痕迹更多…
…than a stone thrown into a river leaves on the surface of the water.
但是，他替自己选择的生活方式…
Yet it may be that the way of life he has chosen for himself…
…可能会对他的同类产生日益加深的影响…
…may have an ever-growing influence over his fellow men…
…所以， 也许在他离开很久之后…
…so that, long after his death perhaps…
…人们才会意识到，在这个时代曾经生活过一个非常了不起的人物
…it may be realized that there lived in this age a very remarkable creature.
-你来得太晚了，拉里 -抱歉
– You’re very late, Larry. – I’m sorry.
-索菲，毛姆先生在哪?
Sophie, where is Mr. Maugham?
-看来拉里还不懂得守时的礼节呢 -艾略特你少说几句
-Evidently, Larry hasn’t learned that punctuality is the politeness of kings. -Elliott.
毛姆先生，这位是拉里·达雷尔
Elliott. Mr. Maugham, this is Larry Darrell.
-什么时候可以开始晚宴？ -毛姆先生是个小说家，亲爱的
– When can we start dinner? – Mr. Maugham’s a novelist, darling.
真的吗？
Oh?