第十七章（第7/18页）

Hilda half liked being drugged. She liked looking at all the women, speculating about them. The women were absorbingly interested in the women. How does she look! What man has she captured? What fun is she getting out of it?— The men were like great dogs in white flannel trousers, waiting to be patted, waiting to wallow, waiting to plaster some woman's stomach against their own, in jazz.

希尔达对麻醉半推半就。她热衷于审视所有的女子，揣度着她们。女人总是对女人充满好奇。她长得怎样？她搭上怎样的情郎？她如何取乐？——男人们身着法兰绒长裤，好像渴望被爱抚的大狗，渴望就地打滚，渴望跟女人肚皮贴肚皮，大跳爵士舞。

Hilda liked jazz, because she could plaster her stomach against the stomach of some so-called man, and let him control her movement from the visceral centre, here and there across the floor, and then she could break loose and ignore 'the creature'. He had been merely made use of. Poor Connie was rather unhappy. She wouldn't jazz, because she simply couldn't plaster her stomach against some 'creature's' stomach. She hated the conglomerate mass of nearly nude flesh on the Lido: there was hardly enough water to wet them all. She disliked Sir Alexander and Lady Cooper. She did not want Michaelis or anybody else trailing her.

希尔达热爱爵士舞，因为她乐得跟那些色厉内荏的男人们纠缠，在舞池内紧紧相拥，任他掌控着脚步的移动，四处打转，数曲跳罢，她便可以将那些可怜的家伙丢到一旁。他不过是被利用的对象。可怜的康妮却郁闷不已。她不愿跟臭男人们紧紧相拥，拒绝步入爵士舞场。她更讨厌利多海滩上无穷无尽的半裸肉体，就算深不见底的海水也无法将他们浸湿。她讨厌亚历山大爵士夫妇。她更不愿搭理米凯利斯和其他狂蜂浪蝶。

The happiest times were when she got Hilda to go with her away across the lagoon, far across to some lonely shingle-bank, where they could bathe quite alone, the gondola remaining on the inner side of the reef.

最愉快的时光，莫过于她说服希尔达，横渡泻湖，来到人迹罕至的砂石海滩。在那儿，她俩可以不受任何人打扰，自在地享受海水浴，而将凤尾船停泊在礁石后面。

Then Giovanni got another gondolier to help him, because it was a long way and he sweated terrifically in the sun. Giovanni was very nice: affectionate, as the Italians are, and quite passionless. The Italians are not passionate: passion has deep reserves. They are easily moved, and often affectionate, but they rarely have any abiding passion of any sort.

乔瓦尼找来另一名船夫帮忙，航程过长，炽热的阳光总让他挥汗如雨。乔瓦尼人很随和，总是深情款款，跟其他意大利人一样，但追求的只是短暂的激情。意大利人并非感性的民族，因为情感需要日积月累的沉淀。他们容易动情，总是含情脉脉，但他们的感情总是来去匆匆。

So Giovanni was already devoted to his ladies, as he had been devoted to cargoes of ladies in the past. He was perfectly ready to prostitute himself to them, if they wanted hint: he secretly hoped they would want him. They would give him a handsome present, and it would come in very handy, as he was just going to be married. He told them about his marriage, and they were suitably interested.

因此，乔瓦尼早已对两位夫人心有所属，正如他过去曾经恋上过无数太太小姐一样。只要她俩有所暗示，他随时做好献身的准备，这家伙早已暗自希冀着姐妹俩能提出此类要求。这样一来，他就能得到可观的馈赠，这可能派上大用场，因为他正打算结婚。他跟她俩谈及自己的婚事，康妮姐妹倒也颇感兴趣。

He thought this trip to some lonely bank across the lagoon probably meant business: business being l'amore, love. So he got a mate to help him, for it was a long way; and after all, they were two ladies. Two ladies, two mackerels! Good arithmetic! Beautiful ladies, too! He was justly proud of them. And though it was the Signora who paid him and gave him orders, he rather hoped it would be the young milady who would select hint for L'AMORE. She would give more money too.

他认为横渡泻湖、远赴无人的海岸，就意味着那种事，性爱之事。他这才想起找个同伴，路途遥远固然是原因，而且毕竟有两位贵妇。两位贵妇，两只肥羊！多么高明的计算！再说又是两位漂亮的贵妇！他不禁暗暗得意起来。虽然付钱和下达命令的都是那位年长些的夫人，但他还是希望那位年轻些的能够选中自己。她给的报酬肯定更加优厚。

The mate he brought was called Daniele. He was not a regular gondolier, so he had none of the cadger and prostitute about him. He was a sandola man, a sandola being a big boat that brings in fruit and produce from the islands.