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Chapter 4
第四章
No one was kinder to me at that time than Rose Waterford. She combined a masculine intelligence with a feminine perversity, and the novels she wrote were original and disconcerting. It was at her house one day that I met Charles Strickland's wife. Miss Waterford was giving a tea-party, and her small room was more than usually full. Everyone seemed to be talking, and I, sitting in silence, felt awkward; but I was too shy to break into any of the groups that seemed absorbed in their own affairs. Miss Waterford was a good hostess, and seeing my embarrassment came up to me.
在那些日子里，再没有谁象柔斯·瓦特尔芙德那样关心照拂我了。她既有男性的才智又有女人的怪脾气。她写的小说很有特色，读起来叫你心绪不能平静。正是在她家里，有一天我见到了查理斯·思特里克兰德太太。那一天瓦特尔芙德小姐举行了一次茶话会，在她的一间小屋子里，客人比往常来得还多。每个人好象都在和别人交谈，只有我一个人静静地坐在那里，感到很窘；既然客人们都在三三两两地谈他们自己的事，我就很不好意思挤进哪个人堆里去了。瓦特尔芙德小姐是个很体贴的女主人，她注意到我有些尴尬，便走到我身边来。
"I want you to talk to Mrs. Strickland," she said. "She's raving about your book."
“我想让你去同思特里克兰德太太谈一谈，”她说，“她对你的书崇拜得了不得。”
"What does she do?" I asked.
“她是干什么的？”我问。
I was conscious of my ignorance, and if Mrs. Strickland was a well-known writer I thought it as well to ascertain the fact before I spoke to her.
我知道自己孤陋寡闻，如果思特里克兰德是一位名作家，我在同她谈话以前最好还是把情况弄清楚。
Rose Waterford cast down her eyes demurely to give greater effect to her reply.
为了使自己的答话给我更深的印象，瓦特尔芙德故意把眼皮一低，做出一副一本正经的样子。
"She gives luncheon-parties. You've only got to roar a little, and she'll ask you."
“她专门招待人吃午餐。你只要别那么腼腆，多吹嘘自己几句，她准会请你吃饭的。”
Rose Waterford was a cynic. She looked upon life as an opportunity for writing novels and the public as her raw material. Now and then she invited members of it to her house if they showed an appreciation of her talent and entertained with proper lavishness. She held their weakness for lions in good-humoured contempt, but played to them her part of the distinguished woman of letters with decorum.
柔斯·瓦特尔芙德处世采取的是一种玩世不恭的态度。她把生活看作是给她写小说的一个机会，把世人当作她作品的素材。如果读者中有谁对她的才能非常赏识而且慷慨地宴请过她，她有时也会请他们到自己家招待一番。这些人对作家的崇拜热让她感到又好笑又鄙夷，但是她却同他们周旋应酬，十足表现出一个有名望的女文学家的风度。
I was led up to Mrs. Strickland, and for ten minutes we talked together. I noticed nothing about her except that she had a pleasant voice. She had a flat in Westminster, overlooking the unfinished cathedral, and because we lived in the same neighbourhood we felt friendly disposed to one another. The Army and Navy Stores are a bond of union between all who dwell between the river and St. James's Park. Mrs. Strickland asked me for my address, and a few days later I received an invitation to luncheon.
我被带到思特里克兰德太太面前，同她谈了十来分钟的话。除了她的声音很悦耳外，我没有发现她有什么特别的地方。她在威斯敏斯特区有一套房子，正对着没有完工的大教堂。因为我也住在那一带，我们两人就觉得亲近了一层。对于所有那些住在泰晤士河同圣杰姆斯公园之间的人来说，陆海军商店好象是一个把他们联结起来的纽带。思特里克兰德太太要了我的住址，又过了几天我收到她一张请吃午饭的请柬。
