第十二章（第3/9页）

“是的！他行动不便，不愿出外旅行。”“是呀，可怜的家伙！”他同情地说。

There was a pause.

两人沉默片刻。

"You won't forget me when I'm gone, will you?" she asked.

“我离开的时候，你不会忘记我吧？”她问。

Again he lifted his eyes and looked full at her.

他又抬起眼睛，全神贯注地凝望着她。

"Forget?" he said.

“忘记？”他说。

"You know nobody forgets. It's not a question of memory;” She wanted to say: "When then?" but she didn't. Instead, she said in a mute kind of voice: "I told Clifford I might have a child." Now he really looked at her, intense and searching.

“要知道，没有人会忘记。这与记忆力无关。”她想问：“那与什么有关？”但话到嘴边又咽下。而是压低声音说：“我跟克利福德说，我或许会身怀六甲。”此刻，他的注意力都集中在她身上，眼神炽热而又充满疑问。

"You did?" He said at last. "And what did he say?" "Oh, he wouldn't mind. He'd be glad, really, so long as it seemed to be his." she dared not look up at him.

“你这么说的？”他终于说道。“他怎样回应？”“噢，他并不介怀。只要孩子名义上属于他，他就会感到很开心。”她不敢直视他的眼睛。

He was silent a long time, then he gazed again on her face.

他沉默良久，目光再度落在她的脸庞。

"No mention of ME, of course?"

“你自然不会提到我，对吗？”

"No. No mention of you," she said.

“没有。我没提到你。”她说。

"No, he'd hardly swallow me as a substitute breeder. Then where are you supposed to be getting the child?” "I might have a love-affair in Venice," she said.

“不行，若我是孩子的生父，他恐怕很难接受。那么，你打算在何处怀上孩子呢？”“我可以去威尼斯找个情人。”她说。

"You might," he replied slowly. "So that's why you're going?” "Not to have the love-affair," she said, looking up at him, pleading.

“当然可以。”他缓缓应道。“这才是你去哪儿的原因？”“并非如此。”她抬头望着他，为自己辩解道。

"Just the appearance of one," he said.

“只是做做样子。”他说。

There was silence. He sat staring out the window, with a faint grin, half mockery, half bitterness, on his face. She hated his grin.

沉默再度降临。他望向窗外，微微咧嘴笑着，半是讽刺，半是苦涩。她讨厌他咧嘴的笑容。

"You've not taken any precautions against having a child then?” He asked her suddenly. "Because I haven't.” "No," she said faintly. "I should hate that." He looked at her, then again with the peculiar subtle grin out of the window. There was a tense silence.

“你没采取任何措施，以免怀孕吗？”他冷不防地提出疑问。“因为我没采取过措施。”“没有。”她低声说。“我讨厌那样做。”他盯着她，然后嘴角又露出那淡淡的苦笑，目光移向窗外。沉默的空气变得异常紧张。

At last he turned his head and said satirically: "That was why you wanted me, then, to get a child?" She hung her head.

最终，他转过头，带着挖苦的口吻说：“这样说来，你找我的目的，只是为了怀上孩子？”她低下头。

"No. Not really," she said. "What then, REALLY?" He asked rather bitingly.

“不。并不是你想的那样。”她说。“那么是哪样？”他问她的语调变得尖锐起来。

She looked up at him reproachfully, saying: "I don't know.” He broke into a laugh.

她抬眼望着他，目光中写满埋怨，说：“我不知道。”他大笑起来。

"Then I'm damned if I do," he said.

“要是我知道，那倒真是奇怪。”他说。

There was a long pause of silence, a cold silence.

又是长久的沉默，冷战的气氛渐浓。

"Well," he said at last. "It's as your Ladyship likes. If you get the baby, Sir Clifford's welcome to it. I shan't have lost anything. On the contrary, I've had a very nice experience, very nice indeed!”—and he stretched in a half-suppressed sort of yawn.

“唉，”末了，他叹道。“悉听夫人尊便。要是您怀上孩子，那就给克利福德爵士吧。我不会有任何损失。相反，我还能够体验到美妙绝伦的性爱，畅快淋漓！”——他伸个懒腰，压抑着不让自己打哈欠。

"If you've made use of me," he said, "it's not the first time I've been made use of; and I don't suppose it's ever been as pleasant as this time; though of course one can't feel tremendously dignified about it.” He stretched again, curiously, his muscles quivering, and his jaw oddly set.

“如果你只把我当成利用的对象，”他说，“那这也并非我首次扮演这样的角色，而且能够如此满足的被利用，倒也是件快事，虽然这种做法算不得光明磊落。”他又伸个懒腰，姿势怪异，他的肌肉战栗着，牙关奇怪地紧咬着。

"But I didn't make use of you," she said, pleading.

“可是，我并没有利用你。”她解释着。

"At your Ladyship's service," he replied.

“愿意为夫人您效犬马之劳。”他应道。

"No," she said. "I liked your body."

“并非你想的那样。”她说。“我喜欢你的肉体。”

"Did you?" he replied, and he laughed.

“此话当真？”他笑着答道。

"Well, then, we're quits, because I liked yours.” He looked at her with queer darkened eyes.

“那么，好吧，咱俩两清了，因为我也喜欢你的。”他盯着她，双眸变得诡异而阴暗。

"Would you like to go upstairs now?" He asked her, in a strangled sort of voice.

“咱俩现在就上楼安寝怎样？”他的语调让她快要窒息。

"No, not here. Not now!" She said heavily, though if he had used any power over her, she would have gone, for she had no strength against him.

“不，这儿不行。现在不可以！”她语气沉重地说，但如果他稍加坚持，她也只能屈从，因为根本无力反抗。

He turned his face away again, and seemed to forget her. "I want to touch you like you touch me," she said. "I've never really touched your body.” He looked at her, and smiled again. "Now?" he said.

他又背过脸去，似乎决意将她遗忘。“我想触摸你，就像你触摸我一样。”她说。“我从未真正触摸过你的身躯。”他瞧着她，再次露出笑容。“现在？”他问。