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Chapter 23
第二十三章
I saw Strickland not infrequently, and now and then played chess with him. He was of uncertain temper. Sometimes he would sit silent and abstracted, taking no notice of anyone; and at others, when he was in a good humour, he would talk in his own halting way. He never said a clever thing, but he had a vein of brutal sarcasm which was not ineffective, and he always said exactly what he thought. He was indifferent to the susceptibilities of others, and when he wounded them was amused. He was constantly offending Dirk Stroeve so bitterly that he flung away, vowing he would never speak to him again; but there was a solid force in Strickland that attracted the fat Dutchman against his will, so that he came back, fawning like a clumsy dog, though he knew that his only greeting would be the blow he dreaded.
我常常见到思特里克兰德，有时候同他下下棋。他的脾气时好时坏。有些时候他神思不定地坐在那里，一言不发，任何人都不理；另外一些时候他的兴致比较好，就磕磕巴巴地同你闲扯。他说不出什么寓意深长的话来，但是他惯用恶毒的语言挖苦讽刺，不由你不被打动；此外，他总是把心里想的如实说出来，一点也不隐讳。他丝毫也不理会别人是否经受得住；如果他把别人刺伤了，就感到得意非常。他总是不断刻薄戴尔克·施特略夫，弄得施特略夫气冲冲地走开，发誓再也不同他谈话了。但是在思特里克兰德身上却有一股强大的力量，这位肥胖的荷兰人身不由己地被它吸引着，最终还是跑了回来，象只笨拙的小狗一样向他摇尾巴，尽管他心里一清二楚，迎接他的将是他非常害怕的当头一棒。
I do not know why Strickland put up with me. Our relations were peculiar. One day he asked me to lend him fifty francs.
我不知道为什么思特里克兰德对我始终保留着情面。我们两人的关系有些特殊。有一天他开口向我借五十法郎。
I wouldn't dream of it, I replied.
“这真是我连做梦也没想到的事，”我回答说。
Why not?
“为什么没有？”
It wouldn't amuse me.
“这不是一件使我感到有趣的事。”
I'm frightfully hard up, you know.
“我已经穷得叮当响了，知道吧？”
I don't care.
“我管不着。”
You don't care if I starve?
“我饿死你也管不着吗？”
Why on earth should I? I asked in my turn.
“我为什么要管呢？”我反问道。
He looked at me for a minute or two, pulling his untidy beard. I smiled at him.
他盯着我看了一两分钟，一面揪着他那乱蓬蓬的胡子。我对他笑了笑。
What are you amused at? he said, with a gleam of anger in his eyes.
“你有什么好笑的？”他说，眼睛里闪现出一丝恼怒的神色。
You're so simple. You recognise no obligations. No one is under any obligation to you.
“你这人太没心眼了。你从来不懂欠人家的情。谁也不欠你的情。”
Wouldn't it make you uncomfortable if I went and hanged myself because I'd been turned out of my room as I couldn't pay the rent?
“如果我因为交不起房租被撵了出来，逼得去上了吊，你不觉得心里不安吗？”
Not a bit.
“一点也不觉得。”
He chuckled.
他咯咯地笑起来。
