月亮和六便士 第1章(4)

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　　It is not strange, then, that those who wrote of him should have eked¹ out their scanty² recollections with a lively fancy,  因此，那些给他写文章的人必须借助于活跃的想象以弥补贫乏的事实，看来也就不足为奇了。

　　and it is evident that there was enough in the little that was known of him to give opportunity to the romantic scribe;  非常清楚，尽管人们对思特里克兰德生平的事迹知道得并不多，也尽够浪漫主义的文人从中找到大量铺陈敷衍的材料，

　　there was much in his life which was strange and terrible, in his character something outrageous³, and in his fate not a little that was pathetic.  他的生活中有不少离奇可怕的行径，他的性格里有不少荒谬绝伦的怪僻，他的命运中又不乏悲壮凄怆的遭遇。

　　In due course a legend arose of such circumstantiality that the wise historian would hesitate to attack it. 经过一段时间，从这一系列事情的演绎附会中便产生了一个神话，明智的历史学家对这种神话是不会贸然反对的。

　　But a wise historian is precisely⁴ what the Rev⁵. Robert Strickland is not.  罗伯特·思特里克兰德牧师偏偏不是这样一位明智的历史学家。

　　He wrote his biography "Strickland： The Man and His Work， " by his son， Robert Strickland. Wm. Heinemann， 1913. 他公开申明自己写这部传记【《思特里克兰德，生平与作品》，画家的儿子罗伯特·思特里克兰德撰写，1913年海因曼出版。（作者注）】

　　avowedly⁶ to "remove certain misconceptions which had gained currency" in regard to the later part of his father's life,  他认为有关他父亲的后半生人们误解颇多，就是为了“排除某些成为流传的误解”，

　　and which had "caused considerable pain to persons still living."  这些谬种流传“给生者带来很大的痛苦”。

　　It is obvious that there was much in the commonly received account of Strickland's life to embarrass a respectable family.  谁都清楚，在外界传播的思特里克兰德生平轶事里有许多使一个体面的家庭感到难堪的事。

　　I have read this work with a good deal of amusement, and upon this I congratulate myself, since it is colourless and dull.  我读这本传记的时候忍不住哑然失笑，但也暗自庆幸，幸好这本书写得实在枯燥乏味。

　　Mr. Strickland has drawn⁷ the portrait of an excellent husband and father, a man of kindly⁸ temper, industrious⁹ habits, and moral disposition¹⁰.  思特里克兰德牧师在传记里刻划的是一个体贴的丈夫和慈祥的父亲，一个性格善良、作风勤奋、品行端正的君子。

　　The modern clergyman has acquired in his study of the science which I believe is called exegesis¹¹ an astonishing facility for explaining things away,  当代的教士在研究人们称之为《圣经》诠释这门学问中都学会了遮掩粉饰的惊人本领，

　　but the subtlety¹² with which the Rev. Robert Strickland has "interpreted" all the facts in his father's life  但罗伯特·思特里克兰德牧师用以“解释” 他父亲行状

　　which a dutiful son might find it inconvenient¹³ to remember must surely lead him in the fullness of time to the highest dignities of the Church.  （这些开行动都是一个孝顺的儿子认为值得记住的）的那种精思敏辩，在时机成熟时肯定会导致他在教会中荣获显职的。

　　I see already his muscular calves¹⁴ encased in the gaiters episcopal.  我好象已经看到他那筋骨强健的小腿套上了主教的皮裹腿了。

　　It was a hazardous¹⁵, though maybe a gallant¹⁶ thing to do,  他做的是一件危险的，但或许是很勇敢的事，

　　since it is probable that the legend commonly received has had no small share in the growth of Strickland's reputation;  因为思特里克兰德之所以名传遐迩，

　　for there are many who have been attracted to his art by the detestation in which they held his character  在很大程度上要归功于人们普遍接受了的传说。他的艺术对很多人有那么大的魅力，或者是由于人们对他性格的嫌恶，

　　or the compassion¹⁷ with which they regarded his death; and the son's well-meaning efforts threw a singular chill upon the father's admirers.  或者是对他惨死的同情；而儿子的这部旨在为父亲遮羞掩丑的传记对于父亲的崇拜者却不啻当头浇了一盆冷水。

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