I was a little impatient with her; I had not suspected that she was so neurotic a woman. Then I heard Stroeve's voice again. It seemed to break oddly on the silence.
我对她有些不耐烦。我没想到她是这样神经质的女人。接着我又听到施特略夫的话语声,沉寂似乎奇怪地被他的声音打破了。
Haven't you been in bitter distress once when a helping hand was held out to you? You know how much it means. Couldn't you like to do someone a good turn when you have the chance?
“你自己是不是也一度陷于非常悲惨的境地,恰好有人把援助的手伸给你?你知道那对你是多么重要的事。如果遇到这种情况,你不愿意也帮别人一下儿吗?”
The words were ordinary enough, and to my mind there was in them something so hortatory that I almost smiled. I was astonished at the effect they had on Blanche Stroeve. She started a little, and gave her husband a long look. His eyes were fixed on the ground. I did not know why he seemed embarrassed. A faint colour came into her cheeks, and then her face became white—more than white, ghastly; you felt that the blood had shrunk away from the whole surface of her body; and even her hands were pale. A shiver passed through her. The silence of the studio seemed to gather body, so that it became an almost palpable presence. I was bewildered.
他这番话一点也不新鲜,我甚至觉得这里面还有一些教训的意味;我差点儿笑了出未。但是它对勃朗什·施特略夫的影响却叫我大吃一惊。她身体抖动了一下,好久好久凝视着她的丈夫。施特略夫紧紧盯住地面。我不懂为什么他的样子显得非常困窘。施特略夫太太的脸上泛上一层淡淡的红晕,接着又变白——变得惨白;你会觉得她身上的血液都从表面收缩回去,连两只手也一点血色没有了。她全身颤抖起来。画室寂静无声,好象那寂静已经变成了实体,只要伸出手就摸得到似的。我奇怪得不得了。
Bring Strickland here, Dirk. I'll do my best for him.
“把思特里克兰德带来吧,戴尔克。我会尽量照顾他。”
My precious, he smiled.
“我的亲爱的,”他笑了。
He wanted to take her in his arms, but she avoided him.
他想抱住她,但是她却避开了。
Don't be affectionate before strangers, Dirk, she said. "It makes me feel such a fool."
“当着生人的面别这么多情了,戴尔克,”她说,“叫人多下不来台啊。”
Her manner was quite normal again, and no one could have told that so shortly before she had been shaken by such a great emotion.
她的神情已经完全自然了;没有人敢说几分钟以前她还被一种强烈的感情激动着。