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1、In the dining-saloon I sit at a table with three other men; Laura sits some way oft with a married couple and their daughter. I can observe her without her knowing, and this gives me pleasure, for it is as in a moving picture that I can note the grace of her gestures, whether she raises a glass of w
2、ine to her lips or turns with a remark to one of her neighbours or takes a cigarette from her case with those slender fingers. I have never had much of an eye for noticing the clothes of women, but I get the impression that Laura is always in grey and white by day, looking cool when other people are
3、 flushed and shiny in the tropical heat; in the evening she wears soft rich colours, dark red, olive green, midnight blue, always of the most supple flowing texture. I ventured to say something of the kind to her, when she laughed at my clumsy compliment and said I had better take to writing fashion
4、 articles instead of political leaders. 在餐厅里，我同另外三个男人围坐在一张桌子旁，而劳拉同一对夫妇及他们的女儿一块儿坐在离我不远的地方。我可以观察她而不让她发觉，这使我觉得开心，因为我可以像看电影一样地欣赏她优雅的动作，不论是举杯送到唇边，还是扭头与邻座交谈，抑或是用她那纤细的手指从烟盒中夹取香烟的动作。我向来不太会欣赏也不大注意女人的衣着，但我却有这样的印象：劳拉白天总穿着灰色和白色的衣服，因而当别人被热带的高温烘烤得红光满面时，她看上去却给人一种清爽的感觉。到了晚间，她又总是穿着深红、橄榄绿、深蓝等色调柔和富丽、质料柔软光滑的衣服。当我不揣冒昧地将
5、这话对她讲时，她对我这种笨拙的恭维报以开心的大笑，还说我最好不再写什么政坛人物的述评文章而改行专写时装评论算了。The tall Colonel whose name is Dalrymple seems a nice chap . He and I and Laura and a Chinese woman improbably galled Mme Merveille have made up a Bridge-tour and thus beguile ourselves for an hour or so after dinner while others dance on deck.
6、 The Colonel, who is not too offensively an Empire-builder, sometimes tries to talk to me about public affairs; he says he used to read me, and is rather charmingly deferential , prefacing his remarks by Of course its not for me to suggest to you and then proceeding to tell me exactly how he thinks
7、some topical item of our dome, the or foreign policy should be handled. He is by no means stupid or ill-informed; a little opinionated perhaps, and just about as far to the Right as anybody could go, but I like him, and try not to tease him by putting forward views which would only bring a puzzled l
8、ook to his face. Besides, I do not want to become involved in discussion. I observe with amusement how totally the concerns of the world, which once absorbed me to the exclusion of all else except an occasional relaxation with poetry or music, have lost interest for me eve to the extent of a bored d
9、istaste. Doubtless some instinct impels me gluttonously to cram these the last weeks of my life with the gentler things I never had time for, releasing some suppressed inclination which in fact was always latent. Or maybe Lauras unwitting influence has called it out. 那个名叫达里波的高个子上校看样子是个好相处的人。他和我同劳拉及一
10、个竟被人称呼为麦尔维尔夫人的中国妇女凑成一桌桥牌，四人搭档。这样，晚饭后，当其他的人在甲板上跳舞时，我们便用打牌来消遣个把小时。上校不是个令人讨厌的帝国的卫道士，他经常找我谈论一些国家大事。他说他以前常读我写的文章；他说话温文尔雅，彬彬有礼，一开口总是先来上一句“当然，我没有资格建议您”接下来他就会明确地谈他该如何处置关于某项国内或外交事务的意见。他决不算愚笨，也绝谈不上孤陋寡闻，只是可能有一点偏执，政治思想上极端右倾保守，但我对他颇有好感，因而尽量不提出一些只会使他露出困惑的神色的见解，以免使他难堪。况且，我也不想陷入讨论的旋涡。我有趣地发觉，自己过去除偶尔借诗歌或音乐消遣放松一下外，一心专
11、注的世界大事现在不仅是索然无味，而且简直是令人厌烦了。这无疑是自己受某种本能的驱使，要贪婪地用一些过去无暇享受的赏心乐事来填补自己生命中的最后几周，释放那些在过去虽受到压抑但一直潜伏在自己心中的欲望。也许是劳拉的无意的影响唤起了我心中的欲望。Dismissive as Pharisee, I regarded as moonlings all those whose life was lived on a less practical plane. Protests about damage to natural beauty froze me wit, contempt, for I bel
12、ieved in progress and could spare no regrets for a lake dammed into hydraulic use for the benefit of an industrial city in the Midlands. And so it was for all things. A hard materialism was my creed, accepted as a law of progress; any ascription of disinterested motives aroused not only my suspicion
13、 but my scorn. 过去，我像法利赛人一样自以为是，轻视别人。只要别人的生活不像我这么讲求实际，我就把他们看作月球居民。对于人们因“大自然的美”遭到破坏而提出的抗议我嗤之以鼻，因为我相信文明的进步的合理性。对于为了利用水力使内地某个工业城市受益而在某个湖泊上筑起拦湖大坝这种事情我根本不觉得遗憾。对一切事物我都是这种态度。我信仰绝对的实用主义，并将其看作是人类进步的自然法则。任何人若标榜自己的行为出于无私的动机，那不仅会引起我的怀疑，而且会引起我的轻蔑。And now see how I stand, as sentimental and sensitive as any old ma
14、id doing water-colour s of sunsets! I once flattered myself that I was an adult man; I now perceive that I am gloriously and abolescently silly. A new Clovis, loving what I have despised, and suffering from calf-love into the bar gain, I want my till of beauty before I go. Geographically I did not c
15、are and scarcely know where I am. There are no signposts in the sea.可是看看现在的我吧，竟然像一个老处女正用水彩画着西下的残阳，十分地多愁善感!我曾自诩为老成持重，现在却意识到自己原来这么幼稚无知。就像那个改弦易辙的克洛维一样，我竟然对自己过去所鄙视的一切开始热爱起来，并且还要遭受少年初恋的痛苦。我想在离开人世之前尽情享受一切美好的东西。我不知道也不想知道自己身处何方。茫茫大海无路标。The young moon lies on her back tonight as is her habit in the tropics,
16、and as, I think, is suitable if not seemly for a virgin. Not a star but might not shoot down and accept the invitation to become her lover. When all my fellow-passengers have finally dispersed to bed, I creep up again to the deserted deck and slip into the swimming pool and float, no longer what people believe me to be, a middle-aged journalist taking a holiday on an ocean-going liner, but a liberated being, bathed in () mythological water s, an Endymion
