For the next month, occupied with my own affairs, I saw no one connected with this lamentable1 business, and my mind ceased to be occupied with it. But one day, when I was walking along, bent2 on some errand, I passed Charles Strickland. The sight of him brought back to me all the horror which I was not unwilling3 to forget, and I felt in me a sudden repulsion for the cause of it. Nodding, for it would have been childish to cut him, I walked on quickly; but in a minute I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"You're in a great hurry, " he said cordially.
It was characteristic of him to display geniality4 with anyone who showed a disinclination to meet him, and the coolness of my greeting can have left him in little doubt of that.
"I'll walk along with you, " he said.
"Why?" I asked.
"For the pleasure of your society. "
I did not answer, and he walked by my side silently. We continued thus for perhaps a quarter of a mile. I began to feel a little ridiculous. At last we passed a stationer's, and it occurred to me that I might as well buy some paper. It would be an excuse to be rid of him.
"I'm going in here, " I said. "Good-bye. "
"I'll wait for you. "
I shrugged7 my shoulders, and went into the shop. I reflected that French paper was bad, and that, foiled of my purpose, I need not burden myself with a purchase that I did not need. I asked for something I knew could not be provided, and in a minute came out into the street.
"Did you get what you wanted?" he asked.
"No. "
We walked on in silence, and then came to a place where several streets met. I stopped at the curb8.
"Which way do you go?" I enquired9.
"Your way, " he smiled.
"I'm going home. "
"I'll come along with you and smoke a pipe. "
"You might wait for an invitation, " I retorted frigidly10.
"I would if I thought there was any chance of getting one. "
"Do you see that wall in front of you?" I said, pointing.
"Yes. "
"In that case I should have thought you could see also that I don't want your company. "
"I vaguely11 suspected it, I confess. "
I could not help a chuckle12. It is one of the defects of my character that I cannot altogether dislike anyone who makes me laugh. But I pulled myself together.
"I think you're detestable. You're the most loathsome13 beast that it's ever been my misfortune to meet. Why do you seek the society of someone who hates and despises you?"
"My dear fellow, what the hell do you suppose I care what you think of me?"
"Damn it all, " I said, more violently because I had an inkling my motive14 was none too creditable, "I don't want to know you. "
"Are you afraid I shall corrupt15 you?"
His tone made me feel not a little ridiculous. I knew that he was looking at me sideways, with a sardonic16 smile.
"I suppose you are hard up, " I remarked insolently17.
"I should be a damned fool if I thought I had any chance of borrowing money from you. "
"You've come down in the world if you can bring yourself to flatter. "
He grinned.
"You'll never really dislike me so long as I give you the opportunity to get off a good thing now and then. "
I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from laughing. What he said had a hateful truth in it, and another defect of my character is that I enjoy the company of those, however depraved, who can give me a Roland for my Oliver. I began to feel that my abhorrence18 for Strickland could only be sustained by an effort on my part. I recognised my moral weakness, but saw that my disapprobation had in it already something of a pose; and I knew that if I felt it, his own keen instinct had discovered it, too. He was certainly laughing at me up his sleeve. I left him the last word, and sought refuge in a shrug6 of the shoulders and taciturnity.
在施特略夫离开以后的一个月里，我忙于自己的事务，再也没有见到过哪个同这件悲惨事件有关的人，我也不再去想它了。但是有一天，正当我出外办事的时候，却在路上看到了查理斯·思特里克兰德。一见到他，那些我宁肯忘掉的令人气愤的事马上又回到我的脑子里来，我对这个造成这场祸事的人感到一阵嫌恶。但是佯装不见也未免大孩子气，我还是对他点了点头，然后加快了脚步，继续走自己的路。可是马上就有一只手搭在我的肩膀上。
“你挺忙啊。”他热诚地说。
对于任何一个不屑于理他的人他总是非常亲切，这是思特里克兰德的一个特点；从我刚才同他打招呼时的冷淡态度，他清楚地知道我对他的看法。
“挺忙。”我的回答非常简短。
“我同你一起走一段路。”他说。
“干什么？”我问。
“因为高兴同你在一起。”
我没有说什么，他默不作声地伴着我走。我们就这样走了大约四分之一里路。我开始觉得有一点滑稽。最后我们走过一家文具店，我突然想到我不妨进去买些纸，这样我就可以把他甩掉了。
“我要进去买点东西，”我说，“再见。”
“我等着你。”
我耸了耸肩膀，便走进文具店去。我想到法国纸并不好，既然我原来的打算已经落空，自然也就用不着买一些我不需要的东西增加负担了。于是我问了一两样他们准不会有的东西，一分钟以后就走出来了。
“买到你要买的东西了吗？”他问。
“没有。”
我们又一声不响地往前走，最后走到一处几条路交叉的路口。我在马路边上停下来。
“你往哪边走？”我问他。
“同你走一条路。”
“我回家。”
“我到你那里去抽一斗烟。”
“你总得等人请你吧。”我冷冷地说。
“要是我知道有被邀请的可能我就等着了。”
“你看到前面那堵墙了吗？”我问，向前面指了一下。
“看到了。”
“要是你还有这种眼力，我想你也就会看到我并不欢迎你了。”
“说老实话，我猜到了这一点。”
我噗哧地一声笑了。我不能讨厌一个能惹我发笑的人，这也许是我性格上的一个弱点。但是我马上就绷起脸来。
“我觉得你是一个非常讨厌的人。我怎么会那么倒霉，认识了你这么一个最惹人嫌的东西。你为什么偏偏要缠着一个讨厌你、看不起你的人呢？”
“你以为我很注意你对我的看法吗，老兄？”
“真见鬼！”我说，因为感觉到我的动机一点也站不住脚，反而装出一副更加气愤的样子。“我不想认识你。”
“你怕我会把你带坏了吗？”
他的语气让我觉得自己非常可笑。我知道他正斜着眼睛看我，脸上带着讥嘲的笑容。
“我猜想你手头又窘了吧！”我傲慢地说。
“要是我还认为有希望从你手里借到钱，我真是个大傻瓜了。”
“要是你硬逼着自己讨别人喜欢，那说明你现在已经穷得没有办法了。”
他咧开嘴笑了笑。
“只要我不时地能叫你开开心，你是永远也不会真正讨厌我的。”
我不能不咬住嘴唇才憋着没有笑出来。他说的话尽管可恶，却有一定的真实性。此外，我的性格还有一个弱点：不论什么人，尽管道德上非常堕落，但只要能够和我唇枪舌剑，针锋相对，我还是愿意同他在一起的。我开始觉得我对思特里克兰德的厌恶只有靠我单方面努力才能维持下去。我认识到我精神上的弱点，看到我对他的态度实在有点儿装腔作势。而且我还知道，如果我自己已经感觉到这点，思特里克兰德的敏锐的观察力是不会看不到的。他肯定正在暗暗地笑我呢。我耸了耸肩膀，没有再说什么，让他在这场舌战中占了上风。
收听单词发音 |
1
lamentable
|
|
| adj.令人惋惜的，悔恨的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
unwilling
|
|
| adj.不情愿的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
geniality
|
|
| n.和蔼，诚恳；愉快 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
briefly
|
|
| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
shrug
|
|
| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
curb
|
|
| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
enquired
|
|
| 打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
frigidly
|
|
| adv.寒冷地；冷漠地；冷淡地；呆板地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
11
vaguely
|
|
| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
chuckle
|
|
| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
loathsome
|
|
| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
motive
|
|
| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
corrupt
|
|
| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
sardonic
|
|
| adj.嘲笑的，冷笑的，讥讽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
insolently
|
|
| adv.自豪地，自傲地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
abhorrence
|
|
| n.憎恶；可憎恶的事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |