第四章（第2/9页）

"Why, exactly! So I should be if he began to urinate in a corner of my drawing-room. There's a place for all these things.” "You mean you wouldn't mind if he made love to Julia in some discreet alcove?” Charlie May was slightly satirical, for he had flirted a very little with Julia, and Hammond had cut up very roughly.

“那当然！如果有人胆敢在我家客厅墙角撒尿，总该在合适的地点做恰当的事。”“你是说如果有人跟茱莉亚背地里卿卿我我，你反倒会毫不介意？”查理·梅语略带讽刺，当日这位仁兄就曾跟茱莉亚眉目传情，搞得哈蒙德大为光火。

"Of course I should mind. Sex is a private thing between me and Julia; and of course I should mind anyone else trying to mix in." "As a matter of fact," said the lean and freckled Tommy Dukes, who looked much more Irish than May, who was pale and rather fat: "As a matter of fact, Hammond, you have a strong property instinct, and a strong will to self-assertion, and you want success. Since I've been in the army definitely, I've got out of the way of the world, and now I see how inordinately strong the craving for self-assertion and success is in men. It is enormously overdeveloped. All our individuality has run that way. And of course men like you think you'll get through better with a woman's backing. That's why you're so jealous. That's what sex is to you...a vital little dynamo between you and Julia, to bring success. If you began to be unsuccessful you'd begin to flirt, like Charlie, who isn't successful. Married people like you and Julia have labels on you, like travellers' trunks. Julia is labelled MRS ARNOLD B. HAMMOND —just like a trunk on the railway that belongs to somebody. And you are labelled ARNOLD B. HHAMMOND, C/O MRS ARNOLD B. HAMMOND. Oh, you're quite right, you're quite right! The life of the mind needs a comfortable house and decent cooking. You're quite right. It even needs posterity. But it all hinges on the instinct for success. That is the pivot on which all things turn.” Hammond looked rather piqued. He was rather proud of the integrity of his mind, and of his NOT being a time-server. None the less, he did want success.

“我当然介意。性爱本是我们夫妻的私事，别人妄想横插一杠，我怎么会无动于衷？”“说实话，”汤米·杜克斯接过话茬，他身材干瘦，满脸雀斑，若论长相，比白皙肥硕的梅更像爱尔兰人，“说实话，哈蒙德，你欲壑难填，骄横自负，对成功充满渴望。因为我身在行伍，便少涉世事，如今却发现世人争名逐利的欲求已经强烈到无可附加的地步。这种趋势如火如荼，不可抑制。几乎人人都沉迷此道。当然，你这样的男人认为有贤内助的支持，会更接近成功。因此才会妒火中烧。性爱对你而言……是台不可或缺的小发动机，用来维系你与茱莉亚的感情，以便获得最终的成功。如果遭遇挫折，就会投身情场，失意的查理便是如此。你和茱莉亚这样的已婚夫妇都贴有标签，好像旅行者拖的行李箱。茱莉亚的标签上面写着‘阿诺德·B·哈蒙德太太’——如同火车上某人托运的皮箱。而你的上面则有如此的字样‘阿诺德·B·哈蒙德，由其夫人转交。’噢，你做得很对，毫无差错！舒适的住处，美味的饭菜都是精神生活的必需品。你的想法无可指摘。繁衍后代更是必不可少的。但对成功的渴望是绝对的轴心。一切都围绕着它运转。”哈蒙德显得异常恼火。他自诩清正高洁，从不屑于趋炎附势，因此也颇为得意。尽管如此，他确实对成功充满渴求。

"It's quite true, you can't live without cash," said May. "You've got to have a certain amount of it to be able to live and get along...even to be free to think you must have a certain amount of money, or your stomach stops you. But it seems to me you might leave the labels off sex. We're free to talk to anybody; so why shouldn't we be free to make love to any woman who inclines us that way?” "There speaks the lascivious Celt," said Clifford.

“说得太对了，没钱确实无法过活。”梅说。“要生存，要度日，可得有不小的一笔钱……甚至自由思考都是如此，否则肚子可不会答应。但依我看，在性爱的领域，你大可把标签揭去。既然可以跟任何人畅所欲言，为何不能跟属意自己的女子尽情欢好呢？”“淫荡无耻的凯尔特人才会这么说。”克利福德说。

"Lascivious! well, why not—? I can't see I do a woman any more harm by sleeping with her than by dancing with her...or even talking to her about the weather. It's just an interchange of sensations instead of ideas, so why not?” "Be as promiscuous as the rabbits!" said Hammond.

“淫荡无耻！哟，为什么不呢——？跟女人同寝也好，共舞……或者谈论天气也罢，我不觉得前者会对她带来更大的伤害。只不过是感觉的交流代替了思想的交换，那么何乐而不为呢？”“像兔子那样肆意苟合！”哈蒙德说。