The Dilettante By edith Wharton It was on an impulse hardly need ing the arguments he found himself ad vancing in its favor, that Thursdale, on his way to the club, turned as usual into Mrs. Vervain's street The"as usual"was his own qual ification of the act; a convenient way of brid ging the interval -in days and other sequences - that lay between this visit and the last. It was characteristic of him that he instinctively excluded his call two days earlier. with Ruth gaynor, from the list of his visits to Mrs. Vervain: the special conditions attending it had made it no more like a visit to Mrs. Vervain than an engraved dinner invitation is like a personal letter. Yet it was to talk over his call with Miss gaynor that he was now returning to the scene of that episode and it was because Mrs Vervain could be trusted to handle the talking over as skilfully as the interview itself that, at her corner, he had felt the dilettante's irresistible crav ing 6 to take a last look at a work of art that was passing out of his possession On the whole, he knew no one better fitted to deal with the unexpected than Mrs Vervain?. She excelled in the rare art of taking things for granted, and Thursdale felt a pardonable pride in the thought that she owed her excellence to his training. Early in his career Thursdale had made the mistake, at the outset of his acquaintance with a lady, of telling her that he loved her and exacting the same avowal in return .The latter part of that episode had been like the long walk back from a picnic, when one has to carry all the crockery one has finished using: it was the last time Thursdale 1 The Dilettante:浅薄的涉猎者,半吊子 2.2 characteristic:特质,独有的品质 3.3 instinctively:本能,直觉地 4.‘ engraved:修饰的,雕饰的,故意安排的 5. 5 episode:一段经历,小插曲,片段 6.6 the dilettante's irresistible craving:半吊子艺术爱好者无法抵制的渴望 7.7 he knew no one better fitted to deal with the unexpected:他认为没有人可以更 好地处理他的背叛啦 8.8 pardonable:可原谅,可安慰的 9.9 at the outset of:从~一开始 10.0 exacting the same avowal in return:严格地要求得到同样的爱的回报 1l. II crockery:陶器,瓦器,碟盘
The Dilettante1 By Edith Wharton It was on an impulse hardly needing the arguments he found himself advancing in its favor, that Thursdale, on his way to the club, turned as usual into Mrs. Vervain's street. The "as usual" was his own qualification of the act; a convenient way of bridging the interval -- in days and other sequences -- that lay between this visit and the last. It was characteristic2 of him that he instinctively3 excluded his call two days earlier, with Ruth Gaynor, from the list of his visits to Mrs. Vervain: the special conditions attending it had made it no more like a visit to Mrs. Vervain than an engraved4 dinner invitation is like a personal letter. Yet it was to talk over his call with Miss Gaynor that he was now returning to the scene of that episode5 ; and it was because Mrs. Vervain could be trusted to handle the talking over as skilfully as the interview itself that, at her corner, he had felt the dilettante's irresistible craving6 to take a last look at a work of art that was passing out of his possession. On the whole, he knew no one better fitted to deal with the unexpected than Mrs. Vervain7 . She excelled in the rare art of taking things for granted, and Thursdale felt a pardonable8 pride in the thought that she owed her excellence to his training. Early in his career Thursdale had made the mistake, at the outset of9 his acquaintance with a lady, of telling her that he loved her and exacting the same avowal in return 10 . The latter part of that episode had been like the long walk back from a picnic, when one has to carry all the crockery11 one has finished using: it was the last time Thursdale 1. 1 The Dilettante：浅薄的涉猎者，半吊子 2. 2 characteristic：特质，独有的品质 3. 3 instinctively：本能，直觉地 4. 4 engraved：修饰的，雕饰的，故意安排的 5. 5 episode：一段经历，小插曲，片段 6. 6 the dilettante's irresistible craving：半吊子艺术爱好者无法抵制的渴望 7. 7 he knew no one better fitted to deal with the unexpected：他认为没有人可以更 好地处理他的背叛啦 8. 8 pardonable：可原谅，可安慰的 9. 9 at the outset of：从~一开始 10. 10 exacting the same avowal in return：严格地要求得到同样的爱的回报 11. 11 crockery：陶器，瓦器，碟盘
allowed himself to be encumbered with the debris of a feast 12 He thus entally learned that the privilege of loving her is one of the least favors that a charming woman can accord; and in seeking to avoid the pitfalls of sentiment he had developed a science of evasion in which the woman of the moment became a mere implement of the game. He owed a great deal of delicate enjoyment to the cultivation of this art. The perils from which it had been his refuge became naively harmless:w it possible that he who now took his easy way along the levels had once preferred to gasp on the raw heights of emotion? Youth is a high-colored season; but he had the satisfaction of feeling that he had entered earlier than most into that chiaroscuro of sensation where every half-tone has its value As a promoter of this pleasure no one he had known was comparable to Mrs Vervain. He had taught a good many women not to betray their feelings, but he had never before had such fine material to work in. She had been surprisingly crude when he first knew her; capable of making the most awkward inferences, of plunging through thin ice 4, of recklessly undressing her emotions; but she had acquired, under the discipline of his reticences and evasions 5, a skill almost perhaps more remarkable in that it involved keeping time with any tune he played and reading at sight some uncommonly difficult passages It had taken Thursdale seven years to form this fine talent; but the result justified the effort. At the crucial moment she had been perfect: her way of greeting Miss Gaynor had made him regret that he had announced his engagement by letter. It was an evasion that confessed a d ifficulty; a deviation 6 implying an obstacle, where by common consent, it was agreed to see none; it betrayed, in short, a lack of confidence in the completeness of his method It had been his pride never to put himself in position which had to be quitted, as it were, by the back door; but here, as he perceived, the main portals would have opened for him of their own accord. All this and much more. he read in the finished naturalness with which Mrs. Vervain had met Miss Gaynor. He had never seen a better piece of work: there was no over-eagerness no suspicious warmth, above all (and this gave her art the grace of a natural quality there were none of those damnable implications whereby a woman, in welcoming her friend,'s betrothed 8, may keep him on pins and needles while she laps the lady in complacency. So masterly a performance, indeed, hardly needed the offset of Miss 12.12 be encumbered with the debris of a feast:宴会后的残渣,锁物所限制 13.13 chiaroscuro of sensation:感官上的明暗对比法 14.14 of plunging through thin ice:肤浅的 15. 5 reticences and evasions:保守与托词 16.16 deviation:出轨,背叛 17.17 damnable implications whereby a woman:带来可怕的后果与影响 18.18 betrothed:未婚妻
ever allowed himself to be encumbered with the debris of a feast 12 He thus incidentally learned that the privilege of loving her is one of the least favors that a charming woman can accord; and in seeking to avoid the pitfalls of sentiment he had developed a science of evasion in which the woman of the moment became a mere implement of the game. He owed a great deal of delicate enjoyment to the cultivation of this art. The perils from which it had been his refuge became naively harmless: was it possible that he who now took his easy way along the levels had once preferred to gasp on the raw heights of emotion? Youth is a high-colored season; but he had the satisfaction of feeling that he had entered earlier than most into that chiar'oscuro of sensation 13where every half-tone has its value. As a promoter of this pleasure no one he had known was comparable to Mrs. Vervain. He had taught a good many women not to betray their feelings, but he had never before had such fine material to work in. She had been surprisingly crude when he first knew her; capable of making the most awkward inferences, of plunging through thin ice14, of recklessly undressing her emotions; but she had acquired, under the discipline of his reticences and evasions 15, a skill almost equal to his own, and perhaps more remarkable in that it involved keeping time with any tune he played and reading at sight some uncommonly difficult passages. It had taken Thursdale seven years to form this fine talent; but the result justified the effort. At the crucial moment she had been perfect: her way of greeting Miss Gaynor had made him regret that he had announced his engagement by letter. It was an evasion that confessed a difficulty; a deviation16 implying an obstacle, where, by common consent, it was agreed to see none; it betrayed, in short, a lack of confidence in the completeness of his method. It had been his pride never to put himself in a position which had to be quitted, as it were, by the back door; but here, as he perceived, the main portals would have opened for him of their own accord. All this, and much more, he read in the finished naturalness with which Mrs. Vervain had met Miss Gaynor. He had never seen a better piece of work: there was no over-eagerness, no suspicious warmth, above all (and this gave her art the grace of a natural quality) there were none of those damnable implications whereby a woman17, in welcoming her friend's betrothed18, may keep him on pins and needles while she laps the lady in complacency. So masterly a performance, indeed, hardly needed the offset of Miss 12. 12 be encumbered with the debris of a feast：宴会后的残渣，锁物所限制 13. 13 chiar'oscuro of sensation：感官上的明暗对比法 14. 14 of plunging through thin ice：肤浅的 15. 15 reticences and evasions：保守与托词 16. 16 deviation：出轨，背叛 17. 17 damnable implications whereby a woman：带来可怕的后果与影响 18. 18 betrothed：未婚妻
Gaynor's door-step wordsl9-"To be so kind to me, how she must have liked you! though he caught himself wishing it lay within the bounds of fitness to transmit them as a final tribute, to the one woman he knew who was unfail ingly certain to enjoy a good thing. It was perhaps the one drawback to his new situation that it might develop good things which it would be impossible to hand on to Margaret Vervain. 20 The fact that he had made the mistake of underrating 2I his friends powers, the consciousness that his writing must have betrayed his distrust of her efficiency, seemed an added reason for turning down her street instead of going on to the club He would show her that he knew how to value her he would ask her to achieve with him a feat infinitely rarer and more delicate than the one he had appeared to avoid Incidentally, he would also dispose of the interval of time before dinner: ever since he had seen Miss Gaynor off, an hour earlier, on her return journey to buffalo, he had been wondering how he should put in the rest of the afternoon. It was absurd, how he irL. Yes that was it the desire to talk about her was after all. at the bottom of his impulse to call on Mrs. Vervain It was absurd, if you like-but it was delightfully rejuvenating. He could recall the time when he had been afraid of being obvious: now he felt that this return to the primitive emotions might be as restorative as a holiday in the canad ian woods 3. and it was precisely by the girls candor, 24 her directness, her lack of complications, that he was taken. The sense that she might say something rash at any moment was positively exhilarating: if she had thrown her arms about him at the station he would not have given a thought to his crumpled dignity It surprised Thursdale to find what freshness of heart he brought to the adventure, and though his sense of irony prevented his ascribing his intactness to any conscious purpose, he could but rejoice in the fact that his sentimental economies had left him such a large surplus to draw upon Mrs. Vervain was at home -as usual. When one visits the cemetery one expects to find the angel on the tombstone, and it struck Thursdale as another proof of his 19.9 hardly needed the offset of Miss gaynor's door- step words:不需要任何上门道 歉的话来作为补偿 20.0 it would be impossible to hand on to Margaret Vervain:在 Vervain身上毫无 改造空间 21.2 underrating:低估 22.2 delightfully rejuvenating:充满欢乐的青春与活力 23.23 as restorative as a holiday in the Canad ian woods:那仿佛像是在加拿大度假 般令人神往解放 24.24 candor:真诚坦率 25.25 crumpled dignity:受损的自尊心
Gaynor's door-step words19 -- "To be so kind to me, how she must have liked you!" -- though he caught himself wishing it lay within the bounds of fitness to transmit them, as a final tribute, to the one woman he knew who was unfailingly certain to enjoy a good thing. It was perhaps the one drawback to his new situation that it might develop good things which it would be impossible to hand on to Margaret Vervain.20 The fact that he had made the mistake of underrating21 his friend's powers, the consciousness that his writing must have betrayed his distrust of her efficiency, seemed an added reason for turning down her street instead of going on to the club. He would show her that he knew how to value her; he would ask her to achieve with him a feat infinitely rarer and more delicate than the one he had appeared to avoid. Incidentally, he would also dispose of the interval of time before dinner: ever since he had seen Miss Gaynor off, an hour earlier, on her return journey to Buffalo, he had been wondering how he should put in the rest of the afternoon. It was absurd, how he missed the girl. . . . Yes, that was it; the desire to talk about her was, after all, at the bottom of his impulse to call on Mrs. Vervain! It was absurd, if you like -- but it was delightfully rejuvenating.22 He could recall the time when he had been afraid of being obvious: now he felt that this return to the primitive emotions might be as restorative as a holiday in the Canadian woods23 . And it was precisely by the girl's candor,24 her directness, her lack of complications, that he was taken. The sense that she might say something rash at any moment was positively exhilarating: if she had thrown her arms about him at the station he would not have given a thought to his crumpled dignity25 . It surprised Thursdale to find what freshness of heart he brought to the adventure; and though his sense of irony prevented his ascribing his intactness to any conscious purpose, he could but rejoice in the fact that his sentimental economies had left him such a large surplus to draw upon. Mrs. Vervain was at home -- as usual. When one visits the cemetery one expects to find the angel on the tombstone, and it struck Thursdale as another proof of his 19. 19 hardly needed the offset of Miss Gaynor's door-step words：不需要任何上门道 歉的话来作为补偿 20. 20 it would be impossible to hand on to Margaret Vervain.：在 Vervain 身上毫无 改造空间 21. 21 underrating：低估 22. 22 delightfully rejuvenating：充满欢乐的青春与活力 23. 23 as restorative as a holiday in the Canadian woods：那仿佛像是在加拿大度假 般令人神往解放。 24. 24 candor：真诚坦率 25. 25 crumpled dignity：受损的自尊心
friend's good taste that she had been in no undue haste to change her habits. 26The whole house appeared to count on his coming; the footman took his hat and overcoat as naturally as though there had been no lapse in his visits; and the drawing-room at loped him hat atmosphere of tacit intellig imparted to her very furniture It was a surprise that, in this general harmony of circumstances, Mrs. Vervain should herself sound the first false note You? " she exclaimed; and the book she held slipped from her hand It was crude, certainly; unless it were a touch of the finest art. The difficulty of classifying it disturbed Thursdale's balance Why not? he said, restoring the book. "Isn,'t it my hour? And as she made no answer, he added gently, " Unless it's some one else's? She laid the book aside and sank back into her chair. Mine, merely " she said I hope that doesn,'t mean that you're unwilling to share it? With you? By no means. You're welcome to my last crust He looked at her reproachfully 8"Do you call this the last? She smiled as he dropped into the seat across the hearth. " It's a way of giving it more flavor! He returned the smile. "a visit to you doesn ' t need such condiments. 29 She took this with just the right measure of retrospective.amusement Ah, but I want to put into this one a very special taste, "she confessed Her smile was so confident, so reassuring, that it lulled him into the imprudence of saying, " Why should you want it to be different from what was always so perfectly She hesitated. "Doesnt the fact that it's the last constitute a difference? The last -my last visit to you? "Oh, metaphorically 3l, I mean -there's a break in the continuity Decidedly, she was pressing too hard: unlearning his arts already! I don't recognize it, " he said Unless you make me -"he added, with a note that slightly stirred her attitude of languid attention She turned to him with grave eyes. You recognize no difference whatever? None -- except an added link in the chain 26.26 no undue haste to change her habits:并未过分着急改变他的习惯 27. enveloped him in:使他包裹在 28.2 reproachfully:责备地 29.29 condiments:调味剂 30.30 retrospective:怀旧的,重温的 31.3 I metaphorically:隐喻地
friend's good taste that she had been in no undue haste to change her habits.26 The whole house appeared to count on his coming; the footman took his hat and overcoat as naturally as though there had been no lapse in his visits; and the drawing-room at once enveloped him in27 that atmosphere of tacit intelligence which Mrs. Vervain imparted to her very furniture. It was a surprise that, in this general harmony of circumstances, Mrs. Vervain should herself sound the first false note. "You?" she exclaimed; and the book she held slipped from her hand. It was crude, certainly; unless it were a touch of the finest art. The difficulty of classifying it disturbed Thursdale's balance. "Why not?" he said, restoring the book. "Isn't it my hour?" And as she made no answer, he added gently, "Unless it's some one else's?" She laid the book aside and sank back into her chair. "Mine, merely," she said. "I hope that doesn't mean that you're unwilling to share it?" "With you? By no means. You're welcome to my last crust." He looked at her reproachfully. 28 "Do you call this the last?" She smiled as he dropped into the seat across the hearth. "It's a way of giving it more flavor!" He returned the smile. "A visit to you doesn't need such condiments.29 " She took this with just the right measure of retrospective30 amusement. "Ah, but I want to put into this one a very special taste," she confessed. Her smile was so confident, so reassuring, that it lulled him into the imprudence of saying, "Why should you want it to be different from what was always so perfectly right?" She hesitated. "Doesn't the fact that it's the last constitute a difference?" "The last -- my last visit to you?" "Oh, metaphorically31, I mean -- there's a break in the continuity." Decidedly, she was pressing too hard: unlearning his arts already! "I don't recognize it," he said. "Unless you make me --" he added, with a note that slightly stirred her attitude of languid attention. She turned to him with grave eyes. "You recognize no difference whatever?" "None -- except an added link in the chain." 26. 26 no undue haste to change her habits：并未过分着急改变他的习惯 27. 27enveloped him in：使他包裹在 28. 28reproachfully.：责备地 29. 29 condiments：调味剂 30. 30 retrospective：怀旧的，重温的 31. 31 metaphorically：隐喻地
"An added link? " In having one more thing to like you for -your letting Miss Gaynor see why I had already so many. He flattered himself that this turn had taken the least hint of from the phr Mrs. Vervain sank into her former easy pose. Was it that you came for? she sked almost gaily 'To talk to me about Miss Gaynor?, Chat was one If it To tell you how she talks about That will be very interesting --especially if you have seen her since her second visit to me "Her second visit? Thursdale pushed his chair back with a start and moved to another. She came to see you again? This morning, yes--by app pointment He continued to look at her blankly. 33"You sent for her i didn't have to she wrote and asked me last night. But no doubt you seen her since Thursdale sat silent. He was trying to se te his words from his thoughts but they still clung together inextricably. " I saw her off just now at the station And she didn,'t tell you that she had been here again? There was hardly time, I suppose - there were people about -"he floundered Ah. shell write. then He regained his composure. " Of course she'll write: very often, I hope. You know I' m absurdly in love, " he cried audaciously She tilted her head back, looking up at him as he leaned against the chimney-piece. He had leaned there so often that the attitude touched a pulse which set up a throbbing in her throat. Oh, my poor Thursdale! she murmured I suppose it's rather ridiculous, "he owned and as she remained silent, he added with a sudden break --"Or have you another reason for pitying me? Her answer was another question. "Have you been back to your rooms since you left her? Since i left her at the station? i came straight here Ah, yes- you could: there was no reason --"Her words passed into a silent Thursdale moved nervously nearer. "You said you had something to tell me? Perhaps I had better let her do so. There may be a letter at your rooms "A letter? What do you mean? A letter from her? What has happened? His paleness shook her, and she raised a hand of reassurance. " Nothing has 32 32 He flattered himself that this turn had taken the least hint of fatuity from the phrase:他满意的认为这次回答并没有那么愚昧 33.3 look at her blankly:茫然地看着他 34.34 floundered:错乱地
"An added link?" "In having one more thing to like you for -- your letting Miss Gaynor see why I had already so many." He flattered himself that this turn had taken the least hint of fatuity from the phrase32 . Mrs. Vervain sank into her former easy pose. "Was it that you came for?" she asked, almost gaily. "If it is necessary to have a reason -- that was one." "To talk to me about Miss Gaynor?" "To tell you how she talks about you." "That will be very interesting -- especially if you have seen her since her second visit to me." "Her second visit?" Thursdale pushed his chair back with a start and moved to another. "She came to see you again?" "This morning, yes -- by appointment." He continued to look at her blankly.33 "You sent for her?" "I didn't have to -- she wrote and asked me last night. But no doubt you have seen her since." Thursdale sat silent. He was trying to separate his words from his thoughts, but they still clung together inextricably. "I saw her off just now at the station." "And she didn't tell you that she had been here again?" "There was hardly time, I suppose -- there were people about --" he floundered34 "Ah, she'll write, then." He regained his composure. "Of course she'll write: very often, I hope. You know I'm absurdly in love," he cried audaciously. She tilted her head back, looking up at him as he leaned against the chimney-piece. He had leaned there so often that the attitude touched a pulse which set up a throbbing in her throat. "Oh, my poor Thursdale!" she murmured. "I suppose it's rather ridiculous," he owned; and as she remained silent, he added, with a sudden break --"Or have you another reason for pitying me?" Her answer was another question. "Have you been back to your rooms since you left her?" "Since I left her at the station? I came straight here." "Ah, yes -- you could : there was no reason --" Her words passed into a silent musing. Thursdale moved nervously nearer. "You said you had something to tell me?" "Perhaps I had better let her do so. There may be a letter at your rooms." "A letter? What do you mean? A letter from her ? What has happened?" His paleness shook her, and she raised a hand of reassurance. "Nothing has 32. 32 He flattered himself that this turn had taken the least hint of fatuity from the phrase：他满意的认为这次回答并没有那么愚昧 33. 33 look at her blankly.：茫然地看着他 34. 34 floundered：错乱地
happened- perhaps that is just the worst of its You always hated, you know, "she added incoherently, " to have things happen you never would let them "And now all, that was what she came here for: I supposed you had guessed To know if anything had happened Had happened? He gazed at her slowly. Between you and me? he said with a rush of light The words were so much cruder than any that had ever passed between them that the color rose to her face; but she held his startled gaze "You know girls are not quite as unsophisticated as they used to be. are you urprised that such an idea should occur to her? His own color answered hers it was the only reply that came to him Mrs. Vervain went on, smoothly: "I supposed it might have struck you that there were times when we presented that appearance He made an impatient gesture. "A man,s past is his own Perhaps -- it certainly never belongs to the woman who has shared it. But one learns such truths only by experience, and Miss Gaynor is naturally inexperienced Of course - but-supposing her act a natural one -"he floundered lamentably among his innuendoes 8-"I still don, t see-how there was anything -" Anything to take hold of? There wasn't Well, then--? escaped him, in crude satisfaction; but as she did not complete the sentence he went on with a faltering laugh: She can hardly object to the existence of a mere friendship between us "But she does. "said Mrs. Vervain Thursdale stood perplexed. He had seen, on the previous day, no trace of jealousy or resentment in his betrothed he could still hear the candid ring of the girl's praise of Mrs. Vervain. If she were such an abyss 9 of insincerity as to dissemble distrust under such frankness. she must at least be more subtle than to bring her doubts to her rival for solution. The situation seemed one through which one could no longer move in a penumbra 0, and he let in a burst of light with the direct query Won't you explain what you mean? Mrs. Vervain sat silent, not provokingly, as though to prolong his distress, but as 35.35 Nothing has happened- perhaps that is just the worst of it:什么都没有发生 才是最坏的部分 36.36 unsophisticated:单纯的,毫无城府的 3737 Miss Gaynor is naturally inexperienced: Miss Gaynor并没有什么经验 38.38 he floundered lamentably among his innuendoes:他的嘲讽中充满了悲哀与混 乱 39.39abys:深渊,深度 enumbra 对手
happened -- perhaps that is just the worst of it35 You always hated , you know," she added incoherently, "to have things happen: you never would let them." "And now -- ?" "Well, that was what she came here for: I supposed you had guessed. To know if anything had happened." "Had happened?" He gazed at her slowly. "Between you and me?" he said with a rush of light. The words were so much cruder than any that had ever passed between them that the color rose to her face; but she held his startled gaze. "You know girls are not quite as unsophisticated36 as they used to be. Are you surprised that such an idea should occur to her?" His own color answered hers: it was the only reply that came to him. Mrs. Vervain went on, smoothly: "I supposed it might have struck you that there were times when we presented that appearance." He made an impatient gesture. "A man's past is his own!" "Perhaps -- it certainly never belongs to the woman who has shared it. But one learns such truths only by experience; and Miss Gaynor is naturally inexperienced37 ." "Of course -- but -- supposing her act a natural one -- " he floundered lamentably among his innuendoes38 -- "I still don't see -- how there was anything --" "Anything to take hold of? There wasn't --" "Well, then -- ?" escaped him, in crude satisfaction; but as she did not complete the sentence he went on with a faltering laugh: "She can hardly object to the existence of a mere friendship between us!" "But she does," said Mrs. Vervain. Thursdale stood perplexed. He had seen, on the previous day, no trace of jealousy or resentment in his betrothed: he could still hear the candid ring of the girl's praise of Mrs. Vervain. If she were such an abyss39 of insincerity as to dissemble distrust under such frankness, she must at least be more subtle than to bring her doubts to her rival for solution. The situation seemed one through which one could no longer move in a penumbra40, and he let in a burst of light with the direct query: "Won't you explain what you mean?" Mrs. Vervain sat silent, not provokingly, as though to prolong his distress, but as 35. 35 "Nothing has happened -- perhaps that is just the worst of it：什么都没有发生 才是最坏的部分 36. 36 unsophisticated：单纯的，毫无城府的 37. 37 Miss Gaynor is naturally inexperienced：Miss Gaynor 并没有什么经验 38. 38 he floundered lamentably among his innuendoes：他的嘲讽中充满了悲哀与混 乱 39. 39 abyss：深渊，深度 40. 40 penumbra：对手
if, in the attenuated phraseology he had taught her, it was difficult to find words robust enough to meet his challenge. It was the first time he had ever asked her to explain anything; and she had lived so long in dread of offering elucidations +which were not wanted, that she seemed unable to produce one on the spot At last she said slowly: "She came to find out if you were really free Thursdale colored again. "Free? " he stammered, with a sense of physical disgust at contact with such crassness Yes--if I had quite done with you. "She smiled in recovered security. " It seems she likes clear outlines; she has a passion for definitions Yes-well? he said, wincing at the echo of his own subtlety "Well --and when i told her that you had never belonged to me she wanted me to define my status- to know exactly where I had stood all along Thursd ale sat gazing at her intently; his hand was not yet on the clue even when you had told her that- Even when i had told her that i hadhad no status that i had never stood nywhere, in any sense she meant, "said Mrs Vervain, slowly--"even then she wasn't satisfied. it seems He uttered an uneasy exclamation. "She didn, t believe you, you mean? I mean that she did believe me: too thoroughly "Well. then -- in God's name what did she want? Something more --those were the words she used Something more? Between -between you and me? Is it a conundrum 4? He laughed awkwardly Girls are not what they were in my day they are no longer forbidden to contemplate the relation of the sexes So it seems! "he commented. " But since, in this case, there wasn't any -"he broke off, catching the dawn of a revelation in her gaze That's just it. The unpardonable offence has been -in our not offend ing He flung himself down despairingly. " I give it up! - What di you tell her? "he burst out with sud den crudeness The exact truth. If I had only known, "she broke off with a beseeching tenderness, 5" t you believe that I would still have lied for you? Lied for me? Why on earth should you have lied for either of us? "To save you- to hide you from her to the last! As I've hidden you from myself 41.4 robust:含糊其辞 42.42 lived so long in dread of offering elucidations:她活在不敢提出任何要求和解 释的恐惧当中 43.43 his hand was not yet on the clue:他并没有在其中加入评论 44.4 conundrum:难题,难事 45.45 beseeching tenderness,:亲切般哀求
if, in the attenuated phraseology he had taught her, it was difficult to find words robust41 enough to meet his challenge. It was the first time he had ever asked her to explain anything; and she had lived so long in dread of offering elucidations 42which were not wanted, that she seemed unable to produce one on the spot. At last she said slowly: "She came to find out if you were really free." Thursdale colored again. "Free?" he stammered, with a sense of physical disgust at contact with such crassness. "Yes -- if I had quite done with you." She smiled in recovered security. "It seems she likes clear outlines; she has a passion for definitions." "Yes -- well?" he said, wincing at the echo of his own subtlety. "Well -- and when I told her that you had never belonged to me, she wanted me to define my status -- to know exactly where I had stood all along." Thursdale sat gazing at her intently; his hand was not yet on the clue 43 "And even when you had told her that --" "Even when I had told her that I had had no status -- that I had never stood anywhere, in any sense she meant," said Mrs. Vervain, slowly -- "even then she wasn't satisfied, it seems." He uttered an uneasy exclamation. "She didn't believe you, you mean?" "I mean that she did believe me: too thoroughly." "Well, then -- in God's name, what did she want?" "Something more -- those were the words she used." "Something more? Between -- between you and me? Is it a conundrum44?" He laughed awkwardly. "Girls are not what they were in my day; they are no longer forbidden to contemplate the relation of the sexes." "So it seems!" he commented. "But since, in this case, there wasn't any --" he broke off, catching the dawn of a revelation in her gaze. "That's just it. The unpardonable offence has been -- in our not offending." He flung himself down despairingly. "I give it up! -- What did you tell her?" he burst out with sudden crudeness. "The exact truth. If I had only known," she broke off with a beseeching tenderness,45 "won't you believe that I would still have lied for you?" "Lied for me? Why on earth should you have lied for either of us?" "To save you -- to hide you from her to the last! As I've hidden you from myself 41. 41 robust：含糊其辞 42. 42 lived so long in dread of offering elucidations：她活在不敢提出任何要求和解 释的恐惧当中 43. 43 his hand was not yet on the clue：他并没有在其中加入评论 44. 44 conundrum：难题，难事 45. 45 beseeching tenderness,：亲切般哀求
all these years! "She stood up with a sudden tragic import in her movement. "You believe me capable of that, don't you? If I had only guessed--but I have never known a girl like her; she had the truth out of me with a spring The truth that you and I had never Had never-never in all these years! Oh, she knew why -she measured us both in a flash 6. She didn, t suspect me of having haggled with you--her words pelted me like hail. 47 'He just took what he wanted--sifted and sorted you to suit his taste Burnt out the gold and left a heap of cinders. And you let him- you let yourself be cut in bits'-she mixed her metaphors a little -"be cut in bits, and used or discarded while all the while every drop of blood in you belonged to him+! But he's Shylock- and you have bled to death of the pound of flesh he has cut out of you. But she despises me the most, you know --far the most--"Mrs. Vervain ended The words fell strangely on the scented stillness of the room they seemed out of harmony with its setting of afternoon intimacy, the kind of intimacy on which at any moment, a visitor might intrude without perceptibly lowering the atmosphere. It was as though a grand opera-singer had strained the acoustics of a private music-room Thursdale stood up, facing his hostess. Half the room was between them, but they seemed to stare close at each other now that the veils of reticence and ambiguity had fallen His first words were characteristic. "She does despise me then? he exclaimed 'She thinks the pound of flesh you took was a little too near the heart 1 He was excessively pale. " Please tell me exactly what she said of me She did not speak much of you: she is proud. But I gather that while she understands love or indifference, her eyes have never been opened to the many intermed iate shades of feeling. At any rate, she expressed an unwillingness to be taken with reservations--she thinks you would have loved her better if you had loved some one else first. The point of view is original - she insists on a man with a past Oh, a past--if she 's serious--I could rake up a past! he said with a laugh So I suggested but she has her eyes on his particular portion of it. She insists on 46.46 in a flash:一瞬间 47.47 her words pelted me like hail:如同冰雹一般反击我 48.48 sifted and sorted you to suit his taste:通过过滤净化般筛选而令他满意 49.49 be cut in bits, and used or discarded, while all the while every drop of blood in you belonged to him:残酷地切割,利用抛弃,最后甚至每一滴血都属于他 50.s° Shylock:!(喻)敲诈勒索的放债者,冷酷无情的商人,泠酷无情的人,夏洛克,冷酷的 高利贷者 51.5 i the pound of flesh you took was a little too near the heart:他所切割的那部分 离你的心脏最近 52.2 rake up:重翻
all these years!" She stood up with a sudden tragic import in her movement. "You believe me capable of that, don't you? If I had only guessed -- but I have never known a girl like her; she had the truth out of me with a spring." "The truth that you and I had never --" "Had never -- never in all these years! Oh, she knew why -- she measured us both in a flash46. She didn't suspect me of having haggled with you -- her words pelted me like hail.47 'He just took what he wanted -- sifted and sorted you to suit his taste48 . Burnt out the gold and left a heap of cinders. And you let him -- you let yourself be cut in bits' -- she mixed her metaphors a little -- 'be cut in bits, and used or discarded, while all the while every drop of blood in you belonged to him49! But he's Shylock50 -- and you have bled to death of the pound of flesh he has cut out of you.' But she despises me the most, you know -- far the most --" Mrs. Vervain ended. The words fell strangely on the scented stillness of the room: they seemed out of harmony with its setting of afternoon intimacy, the kind of intimacy on which at any moment, a visitor might intrude without perceptibly lowering the atmosphere. It was as though a grand opera-singer had strained the acoustics of a private music-room. Thursdale stood up, facing his hostess. Half the room was between them, but they seemed to stare close at each other now that the veils of reticence and ambiguity had fallen. His first words were characteristic. "She does despise me, then?" he exclaimed. "She thinks the pound of flesh you took was a little too near the heart.51 " He was excessively pale. "Please tell me exactly what she said of me." "She did not speak much of you: she is proud. But I gather that while she understands love or indifference, her eyes have never been opened to the many intermediate shades of feeling. At any rate, she expressed an unwillingness to be taken with reservations -- she thinks you would have loved her better if you had loved some one else first. The point of view is original -- she insists on a man with a past!" "Oh, a past -- if she's serious -- I could rake up52 a past!" he said with a laugh. "So I suggested: but she has her eyes on his particular portion of it. She insists on 46. 46 in a flash：一瞬间 47. 47 her words pelted me like hail：如同冰雹一般反击我 48. 48 sifted and sorted you to suit his taste：通过过滤净化般筛选而令他满意 49. 49 be cut in bits, and used or discarded, while all the while every drop of blood in you belonged to him：残酷地切割，利用抛弃，最后甚至每一滴血都属于他 50. 50 Shylock：.(喻)敲诈勒索的放债者, 冷酷无情的商人, 冷酷无情的人, 夏洛克, 冷酷的 高利贷者 51. 51 the pound of flesh you took was a little too near the heart：他所切割的那部分 离你的心脏最近 52. 52 rake up：重翻
making it a test case. She wanted to know what you had done to me; and before I could guess Thursdale drew a difficult breath. I never supposed - your revenge is He heard a little gasp in her throat. "My revenge? When I sent for you to warn you-to save you from being surprised as I was surprised? You're very good -but it's rather late to talk of saving me "He held out hi hand in the mechanical gesture of leave-taking How you must care!--for I never saw you so dull, "was her answer. " Don't you e that it's not too late for me to help you? " And as he continued to stare, she brought out sublimely 3: Take the rest--in imagination Let it at least be of that much use to you. Tell her I lied to her- she's too ready to believe it! And so, after all, in a sense sha'n 't have been wasted His stare hung on her, widening to a kind of wonder. She gave the look back brightly, unblushingly, as though the expedient were too simple to need oblique approaches 54. It was extraord inary how a few words had swept them from an atmosphere of the most complex dissimulations55 to this contact of naked souls It was not in Thursdale to expand with the pressure of fate but something in him cracked with it, and the rift let in new light. He went up to his friend and took her You would do it-you would do it! She looked at him, smiling, but her hand shook Good-by, he said, kissing it Good-by? You are goin To get my letter Your letter? The letter won't matter, if you will only do what I ask He returned her gaze. I might, I suppose, without being out of character. Only, don't you see that if your plan helped me it could only harm her? "Harm her To sacrif ice you wouldn, t make me different. I shall go on being what I have always been -- sifting and sorting, as she calls it. Do you want my punishment to fal on her She looked at him long and deeply. "Ah, if I had to choose between you -! You would let her take her chance? But I can't, you see. I must take my punishment alone She drew her hand away, sighing. " Oh, there will be no punishment for eith For either of us? There will be the read ing of her letter for me 53.53 sublimely:傲慢的 54. 64 exped ient were too simple to need oblique approaches:计谋十分简单不需要 任何复杂的方法引出 55.5 dissimulations:掩饰
making it a test case. She wanted to know what you had done to me; and before I could guess her drift I blundered into telling her." Thursdale drew a difficult breath. "I never supposed -- your revenge is complete," he said slowly. He heard a little gasp in her throat. "My revenge? When I sent for you to warn you -- to save you from being surprised as I was surprised?" "You're very good -- but it's rather late to talk of saving me." He held out his hand in the mechanical gesture of leave-taking. "How you must care! -- for I never saw you so dull," was her answer. "Don't you see that it's not too late for me to help you?" And as he continued to stare, she brought out sublimely53: "Take the rest -- in imagination! Let it at least be of that much use to you. Tell her I lied to her -- she's too ready to believe it! And so, after all, in a sense, I sha'n't have been wasted." His stare hung on her, widening to a kind of wonder. She gave the look back brightly, unblushingly, as though the expedient were too simple to need oblique approaches 54 . It was extraordinary how a few words had swept them from an atmosphere of the most complex dissimulations55 to this contact of naked souls. It was not in Thursdale to expand with the pressure of fate; but something in him cracked with it, and the rift let in new light. He went up to his friend and took her hand. "You would do it -- you would do it!" She looked at him, smiling, but her hand shook. "Good-by," he said, kissing it. "Good-by? You are going -- ?" "To get my letter." "Your letter? The letter won't matter, if you will only do what I ask." He returned her gaze. "I might, I suppose, without being out of character. Only, don't you see that if your plan helped me it could only harm her?" "Harm her ?" "To sacrifice you wouldn't make me different. I shall go on being what I have always been -- sifting and sorting, as she calls it. Do you want my punishment to fall on her ?" She looked at him long and deeply. "Ah, if I had to choose between you -- !" "You would let her take her chance? But I can't, you see. I must take my punishment alone." She drew her hand away, sighing. "Oh, there will be no punishment for either of you." "For either of us? There will be the reading of her letter for me." 53. 53 sublimely：傲慢的 54. 54 expedient were too simple to need oblique approaches：计谋十分简单不需要 任何复杂的方法引出 55. 55 dissimulations：掩饰
She shook her head with a slight laugh. "There will be no letter Thursd ale faced about from the threshold with fresh life in his look. " No letter? You don 't mean I mean that she's been with you since I saw her -she's seen you and heard your voice. If there is a letter, she has recalled it-from the first station, by telegraph He turned back to the door forcing an answer to her smile. "but in the mean while i shall have read it. "he said The door closed on him, and she hid her eyes from the dreadful emptiness of the room The dilettante 读完伊迪斯华顿的 The dilettante之后,一种莫名的伤感涌上心头。这部小 说再次让我们见证了伊迪斯一贯的悲剧式结尾。结尾女主人公 Vervain所带给我 的那种孤寂,无助,凄凉之感是在其他小说中所无法感受的。伊迪斯美国著名女 作家,1862年出生于纽约。在她还十分年轻的时候就开始了诗歌与小说创作。 她真正投身于写作事业应是在她婚姻失败之后,在此期间小说伴随她度过了很长 一段的艰难时刻,成为了她心灵的寄托与依靠。但是,她的小说之路并没不是 帆风顺的,华顿的父母将她的小说事业看作是家门之辱同时她的作品又受到了当 时社会的批判与抨击。正是在这样的社会大环境的打压之下,促成了她一贯的现 代主义讽刺批判性的悲剧式小说 he dilettante正是她悲剧批判式小说中的一部代表作品。我将其题目译为 《半吊子艺术者》,不知道是否与作者想表达的原意相符。在华顿的一段背景介 绍当中我发现了这样的一段介绍。在华顿作品发展的中后期,她曾亲身加入一些 当代作家组织。但令她十分困扰的是她发现这些男性作家很少有深入投身于艺术 创作当中的,仅仅为了敷衍社会取悦大众而创作那些不入流的作品这更加促使华 顿开辟新的写作模式冲破当代社会所对女性作家的束缚与限制。我将华顿的这段 经历作为她创作《半吊子艺术者》的背景与动力。或许这其中浅薄的男性作家们 是 The dilettante中男主角的原型而遭遇束缚的华顿和那年代下有同样经历的女 人们则是小说中女主人公的前身。 The dilettante作为一部现代主义讽刺,批判 揭露小说主要讲的是男主人公 Thursdale与两个女主人公 Mrs vervain, Miss Ruth
She shook her head with a slight laugh. "There will be no letter." Thursdale faced about from the threshold with fresh life in his look. "No letter? You don't mean --" "I mean that she's been with you since I saw her -- she's seen you and heard your voice. If there is a letter, she has recalled it -- from the first station, by telegraph." He turned back to the door, forcing an answer to her smile. "But in the mean while I shall have read it," he said. The door closed on him, and she hid her eyes from the dreadful emptiness of the room. The dilettante 读完伊迪斯-华顿的 The Dilettante 之后，一种莫名的伤感涌上心头。这部小 说再次让我们见证了伊迪斯一贯的悲剧式结尾。结尾女主人公 Vervain 所带给我 的那种孤寂，无助，凄凉之感是在其他小说中所无法感受的。伊迪斯美国著名女 作家，1862 年出生于纽约。在她还十分年轻的时候就开始了诗歌与小说创作。 她真正投身于写作事业应是在她婚姻失败之后，在此期间小说伴随她度过了很长 一段的艰难时刻，成为了她心灵的寄托与依靠。但是，她的小说之路并没不是一 帆风顺的，华顿的父母将她的小说事业看作是家门之辱同时她的作品又受到了当 时社会的批判与抨击。正是在这样的社会大环境的打压之下，促成了她一贯的现 代主义讽刺批判性的悲剧式小说。 The Dilettante 正是她悲剧批判式小说中的一部代表作品。我将其题目译为 《半吊子艺术者》，不知道是否与作者想表达的原意相符。在华顿的一段背景介 绍当中我发现了这样的一段介绍。在华顿作品发展的中后期，她曾亲身加入一些 当代作家组织。但令她十分困扰的是她发现这些男性作家很少有深入投身于艺术 创作当中的，仅仅为了敷衍社会取悦大众而创作那些不入流的作品这更加促使华 顿开辟新的写作模式冲破当代社会所对女性作家的束缚与限制。我将华顿的这段 经历作为她创作《半吊子艺术者》的背景与动力。或许这其中浅薄的男性作家们 是 The Dilettante 中男主角的原型而遭遇束缚的华顿和那年代下有同样经历的女 人们则是小说中女主人公的前身。The Dilettante 作为一部现代主义讽刺，批判， 揭露小说主要讲的是男主人公 Thursdale 与两个女主人公 Mrs.Vervain，Miss.Ruth