TheFly及其译文.docx
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TheFly及其译文.docx
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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,asifpainfully,itdraggedits
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