The days passed. Success went fizzily to Bernard's head, and in the process completely reconciled him (as any good intoxicant should do) to a world which, up till then, he had found very unsatisfactory.
日子一天天过去,成功在伯纳的脑袋里嘶嘶地响,让他跟那个他一向不满的世界和解了,其效果有如一切美酒。
In so far as it recognized him as important, the order of things was good.
只要这个社会承认他是个重要人物,一切秩序都是好的。
But, reconciled by his success, he yet refused to forego the privilege of criticizing this order.
但是尽管他的成功使他和解,他仍然拒绝放弃对现存秩序的批判,
For the act of criticizing heightened his sense of importance, made him feel larger.
因为批判行为提高了他的重要感,让他觉得自己伟大多了。
Moreover, he did genuinely believe that there were things to criticize. (At the same time, he genuinely liked being a success and having all the girls he wanted.)
何况他还真正感到有些东西应当批判(同时他也确实喜欢做个成功的人,得到想得到的姑娘)。
Before those who now, for the sake of the Savage,paid their court to him, Bernard would parade a carping unorthodoxy.
他在因为野蛮人而讨好他的人面前总想摆出一副离经叛道者的挑剔形象。
He was politely listened to. But behind his back people shook their heads.
人家当面有礼貌地听着,背后却摇头。
"That young man will come to a bad end," they said,
“那小青年没有好下场。”他们说,
prophesying the more confidently in that they themselves would in due course personally see to it that the end was bad.
同时很有把握地预言,他们早晚会见到他倒霉的。
"He won't find another Savage to help him out a second time," they said.
“那时他就再也找不到第二个野蛮人帮助他脱离危险了,”他们说。
Meanwhile, however, there was the first Savage; they were polite.
不过,第一个野蛮人还在,他们还得客气。
And because they were polite, Bernard felt positively gigantic–gigantic and at the same time light with elation, lighter than air.
而他则因为他们的客气老觉得自己确实伟大——伟大。同时快活得飘飘然,比空气还轻。
"Lighter than air," said Bernard, pointing upwards.
“比空气还轻。”伯纳说,指着天上。
Like a pearl in the sky, high, high above them, the Weather Department's captive balloon shone rosily in the sunshine.
气象部门的探索气球在阳光里闪着玫瑰色的光,像天上的一颗珍珠,高高飘在他们头顶。
"… the said Savage," so ran Bernard's instructions, "to be shown civilized life in all its aspects.…"
“……对上述的野蛮人,”伯纳指点着说,“展示了文明生活的方方面面……。”
He was being shown a bird's-eye view of it at present,a bird's-eye view from the platform of the Charing-T Tower.
现在他们正将文明世界的鸟瞰图向野蛮人展示——从切林T字架平台上看去。
The Station Master and the Resident Meteorologist were acting as guides.
航空站站长和现任气象专家在给野蛮人做向导,
But it was Bernard who did most of the talking.
但大部分的话还是伯纳包揽了。
Intoxicated, he was behaving as though, at the very least, he were a visiting World Controller. Lighter than air.
他非常激动,表现得严然至少是个前来访问的世界总统,比空气还轻。