The Fly及其译文知识分享.docx
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The Fly及其译文知识分享.docx
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TheFly及其译文知识分享
TheFly及其译文
TheFly
byKatherineMansfield
'Youareverysnuginhere,'pipedoldMrWoodifield,andhepeeredoutofthegreat,greenleatherarmchairbyhisfriendtheboss'sdeskasababypeersoutofitspram.Histalkwasover;itwastimeforhimtobeoff.Buthedidnotwanttogo.Sincehehadretired,sincehis...stroke,thewifeandthegirlskepthimboxedupinthehouseeverydayoftheweekexceptTuesday.OnTuesdayhewasdressedandbrushedandallowedtocutbacktotheCityfortheday.Thoughwhathedidtherethewifeandgirlscouldn'timagine.Madeanuisanceofhimselftohisfriends,theysupposed....Well,perhapsso.Allthesame,weclingtoourlastpleasuresasthetreeclingstoitslastleaves.SotheresatoldWoodifield,smokingacigarandstaringalmostgreedilyattheboss,whorolledinhisoncechair,stout,rosy,fiveyearsolderthanhe,andstillgoingstrong,stillatthehelm.Itdidonegoodtoseehim.
Wistfully,admiringly,theoldvoiceadded,'It'ssnuginhere--uponmyword!
'
'Yes,it'scomfortableenough,'agreedtheboss,andhenippedtheFinancialTimeswithapaper-knife.Asamatteroffacthewasproudofhisroom;helikedtohaveitadmired,especiallybyoldWoodifield.Itgavehimafeelingofdeep,solidsatisfactiontobeplantedthereinthemidstofitinfullviewofthatfrailoldfigureinthemuffler.
'I'vehaditdoneuplately,'heexplained,ashehadexplainedforthepast--howmany?
--weeks.'Newcarpet,'andhepointedtothebrightredcarpetwithapatternoflargewhiterings.'Newfurniture,'andhenoddedtowardsthemassivebookcaseandthetablewithlegsliketwistedtreacle.'Electricheating!
'Hewavedalmostexultantlytowardsthefivetransparent,pearlysausagesglowingsosoftlyinthetiltedcopperpan.
ButhedidnotdrawoldWoodifield'sattentiontothephotographoverthetableofagrave-lookingboyinuniformstandinginoneofthosespectralphotographers'parkswithphotographers'storm-cloudsbehindhim.Itwasnotnew.Ithadbeenthereforoversixyears.
'TherewassomethingIwantedtotellyou,'saidoldWoodifield,andhiseyesgrewdimremembering.'Nowwhatwasit?
IhaditinmymindwhenIstartedoutthismorning.'Hishandsbegantotremble,andpatchesofredshowedabovehisbeard.
Pooroldchap,he'sonhislastpins,thoughttheboss.And,feelingkindly,hewinkedattheoldman,andsaidjokingly,'Itellyouwhat.I'vegotalittledropofsomethingherethatwilldoyougoodbeforeyougooutintothecoldagain.It'sbeautifulstuff.Itwouldn'thurtachild.'Hetookakeyoffhiswatch-chain,unlockedacupboardbelowhisdesk,anddrewforthadark,squatbottle.'That'sthemedicine,'saidhe.'AndthemanfromwhomIgotittoldmeonthestrictQ.T.itcamefromthecellarsatWindsorCassel.'
OldWoodifield'smouthfellopenatthesight.Hecouldn'thavelookedmoresurprisedifthebosshadproducedarabbit.
'It'swhisky,ain'tit?
'hepiped,feebly.
Thebossturnedthebottleandlovinglyshowedhimthelabel.Whiskyitwas.
'Doyouknow,'saidhe,peeringupatthebosswonderingly,'theywon'tletmetouchitathome.'Andhelookedasthoughhewasgoingtocry.
'Ah,that'swhereweknowabitmorethantheladies,'criedtheboss,swoopingacrossfortwotumblersthatstoodonthetablewiththewater-bottle,andpouringagenerousfingerintoeach.'Drinkitdown.It'lldoyougood.Anddon'tputanywaterwithit.It'ssacrilegetotamperwithstufflikethis.Ah!
'Hetossedoffhis,pulledouthishandkerchief,hastilywipedhismoustaches,andcockedaneyeatoldWoodifield,whowasrollinghisinhischaps.
Theoldmanswallowed,wassilentamoment,andthensaidfaintly,'It'snutty!
'
Butitwarmedhim;itcreptintohischilloldbrain--heremembered.
'Thatwasit,'hesaid,heavinghimselfoutofhischair.'Ithoughtyou'dliketoknow.ThegirlswereinBelgiumlastweekhavingalookatpoorReggie'sgrave,andtheyhappenedtocomeacrossyourboy's.They'requiteneareachother,itseems.'
OldWoodifieldpaused,butthebossmadenoreply.Onlyaquiverinhiseyelidsshowedthatheheard.
'Thegirlsweredelightedwiththewaytheplaceiskept,'pipedtheoldvoice.'Beautifullylookedafter.Couldn'tbebetteriftheywereathome.You'venotbeenacross,haveyer?
'
'No,no!
'Forvariousreasonsthebosshadnotbeenacross.
'There'smilesofit,'quaveredoldWoodifield,'andit'sallasneatasagarden.Flowersgrowingonallthegraves.Nicebroadpaths.'Itwasplainfromhisvoicehowmuchhelikedanicebroadpath.
Thepausecameagain.Thentheoldmanbrightenedwonderfully.
'Doyouknowwhatthehotelmadethegirlspayforapotofjam?
'hepiped.'Tenfrancs!
Robbery,Icallit.Itwasalittlepot,soGertrudesays,nobiggerthanahalf-crown.Andshehadn'ttakenmorethanaspoonfulwhentheychargedhertenfrancs.Gertrudebroughtthepotawaywithhertoteach'emalesson.Quiteright,too;it'stradingonourfeelings.Theythinkbecausewe'reovertherehavingalookroundwe'rereadytopayanything.That'swhatitis.'Andheturnedtowardsthedoor.
'Quiteright,quiteright!
'criedtheboss,thoughwhatwasquiterighthehadn'ttheleastidea.Hecameroundbyhisdesk,followedtheshufflingfootstepstothedoor,andsawtheoldfellowout.Woodifieldwasgone.
Foralongmomentthebossstayed,staringatnothing,whilethegrey-hairedofficemessenger,watchinghim,dodgedinandoutofhiscubbyholelikeadogthatexpectstobetakenforarun.Then:
'I'llseenobodyforhalfanhour,Macey,'saidtheboss.'Understand?
Nobodyatall.'
Verygood,sir.'
Thedoorshut,thefirmheavystepsrecrossedthebrightcarpet,thefatbodyplumpeddowninthespringchair,andleaningforward,thebosscoveredhisfacewithhishands.Hewanted,heintended,hehadarrangedtoweep....
IthadbeenaterribleshocktohimwhenoldWoodifieldsprangthatremarkuponhimabouttheboy'sgrave.ItwasexactlyasthoughtheearthhadopenedandhehadseentheboylyingtherewithWoodifield'sgirlsstaringdownathim.Foritwasstrange.Althoughoversixyearshadpassedaway,thebossneverthoughtoftheboyexceptaslyingunchanged,unblemishedinhisuniform,asleepforever.'Myson!
'groanedtheboss.Butnotearscameyet.Inthepast,inthefirstmonthsandevenyearsaftertheboy'sdeath,hehadonlytosaythosewordstobeovercomebysuchgriefthatnothingshortofaviolentfitofweepingcouldrelievehim.Time,hehaddeclaredthen,hehadtoldeverybody,couldmakenodifference.Othermenperhapsmightrecover,mightlivetheirlossdown,butnothe.Howwasitpossible?
Hisboywasanonlyson.Eversincehisbirththebosshadworkedatbuildingupthisbusinessforhim;ithadnoothermeaningifitwasnotfortheboy.Lifeitselfhadcometohavenoothermeaning.Howonearthcouldhehaveslaved,deniedhimself,keptgoingallthoseyearswithoutthepromiseforeverbeforehimoftheboy'ssteppingintohisshoesandcarryingonwhereheleftoff?
Andthatpromisehadbeensonearbeingfulfilled.Theboyhadbeenintheofficelearningtheropesforayearbeforethewar.Everymorningtheyhadstartedofftogether;theyhadcomebackbythesametrain.Andwhatcongratulationshehadreceivedastheboy'sfather!
Nowonder;hehadtakentoitmarvelously.Astohispopularitywiththestag,everymanjackofthemdowntooldMaceycouldn'tmakeenoughoftheboy.Andhewasn'tintheleastspoiled.No,hewasjusthisbright,naturalself,withtherightwordforeverybody,withthatboyishlookandhishabitofsaying,'Simplysplendid.'
Butallthatwasoveranddonewithasthoughitneverhadbeen.ThedayhadcomewhenMaceyhadhandedhimthetelegram*thatbroughtthewholeplacecrashingabouthishead.'Deeplyregrettoinformyou....'Andhehadlefttheofficeabrokenman,withhislifeinruins.
Sixyearsago,sixyears....Howquicklytimepassed!
Itmighthavehappenedyesterday.Thebosstookhishandsfromhisface;hewaspuzzled.Somethingseemedtobewrongwithhim.Hewasn'tfeelingashewantedtofeel.Hedecidedtogetupandhavealookattheboy'sphotograph.Butitwasn'tafavouritephotographofhis;theexpressionwasunnatural.Itwascold,evenstern-looking.Theboyhadneverlookedlikethat.
Atthatmomentthebossnoticedthataflyhadfallenintohisbroadinkpot,andwastryingfeeblybutdesperatelytoclamberoutagain.Help!
help!
saidthosestrugglinglegs.Butthesidesoftheinkpotwerewetandslippery;ittillbackagainandbegantoswim.Thebosstookupapen,pickedtheflyoutoftheink,andshookitontoapieceofblotting-paper.Forafractionofaseconditlaystillonthedarkpatchthatoozedroundit.Thenthefrontlegswaved,tookhold,and,pullingitssmall,soddenbodyupitbegantheimmensetaskofcleaningtheinkfromitswings.Overandunder,overandunder,wentalegalongawing,asthestonegoesoverandunderthescythe.Thentherewasapause,whilethefly,seemingtostandonthetipsofitstoes,triedtoexpandfirstonewingandthentheother.Itsucceededatlast,and,sittingdown,itbegan,likeaminutecat,tocleanitsface.Nowonecouldimaginethatthelittlefrontlegsrubbedagainsteachotherlightly,joyfully.Thehorribledangerwasover;ithadescaped;itwasreadyforlifeagain.
Butjustthenthebosshadanidea.Heplungedhispenbackintotheink,leanedhisthickwristontheblottingpaper,andastheflytrieditswingsdowncameagreatheavyblot.Whatwoulditmakeofthat?
Whatindeed!
Thelittlebeggarseemedabsolutelycowed,stunned,andafraidtomovebecauseofwhatwouldhappennext.Butthen,asifpain
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