月亮和六便士 第五十四章(3)

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He left it on his marriage, and settled down on a small property he had near Quimper to live for the rest of his days in peace; 结婚以后，他退了役，在坎佩尔附近一小份产业上定居下来，准备在恬静的乡居生活中过自己的后半生。

but the failure of an attorney left him suddenly penniless, 但是由于替他料理财务的一位代理人出了差错，一夜之间，他发现自己已经一文不名了。

and neither he nor his wife was willing to live in penury¹ where they had enjoyed consideration. 他和他的妻子在当地人们眼目中本来享有一定的地位，他俩绝对不愿意仍然捱在原来的地方过苦日子。

During his sea faring days he had cruised the South Seas, and he determined² now to seek his fortune there. 早年他在远涉重洋时，曾经到过南太平洋群岛；这时他就打定主意再到南海去闯一条路子。

He spent some months in Papeete to make his plans and gain experience; 他先在帕皮提住了几个月，一方面规划一下自己的未来，一方面积累一些经验。

then, on money borrowed from a friend in France, he bought an island in the Paumotus. 几个月以后，他从法国一位朋友手里借了一笔钱，在包莫图斯群岛里买下一个很小的岛屿。

It was a ring of land round a deep lagoon³, uninhabited, and covered only with scrub and wild guava. 这是一个环形小岛，中间围着一个咸水湖；岛上长满了灌木和野生的香石榴，从来没有人居住过。

With the intrepid⁴ woman who was his wife, and a few natives, he landed there, 他的老婆是个很勇敢的女人，他就带着自己的老婆和几个土人登上这个小岛。

and set about building a house, and clearing the scrub so that he could plant cocoa-nuts. 他们首先着手盖房子，清理灌木丛，准备种植椰子。

That was twenty years before, and now what had been a barren island was a garden. 这是在我遇到他二十年以前的事，现在这个荒岛已经成了一座整饬的种植园了。

"It was hard and anxious work at first, and we worked strenuously⁵, both of us. “开始一段日子工作非常艰苦。我们两个人拚死拚活地干活儿。

Every day I was up at dawn, clearing, planting, working on my house, 每天天一亮我就起来，除草、种树、盖房子，

and at night when I threw myself on my bed it was to sleep like a log till morning. 晚上一倒在床上，我总是像条死狗似地一觉睡到天亮。

My wife worked as hard as I did. 我的妻子同我一样毫不吝惜自己的力气。

Then children were born to us, first a son and then a daughter. 后来我们有了孩子，先是一个男孩儿，后来又生了个女儿。

My wife and I have taught them all they know. 他们知道的一点儿知识都是我俩教的。

We had a piano sent out from France, 我们托人从国内运来一架钢琴。

and she has taught them to play and to speak English, and I have taught them Latin and mathematics, and we read history together. 我妻子教他们弹琴、说英语，我教他们拉丁文和数学；我们一起读历史。

They can sail a boat. 两个孩子还学会了驾船，

They can swim as well as the natives. 游泳的本领也一点儿不比土人差。

There is nothing about the land of which they are ignorant. 岛上的事儿他们样样都很精通。

Our trees have prospered⁶, and there is shell on my reef. 我们的椰子林长得很好，此外，我们那里的珊瑚礁上还盛产珠蚌。

I have come to Tahiti now to buy a schooner⁷. 我这次到塔希提来是为了买一艘双桅帆船。

I can get enough shell to make it worth while to fish for it, and, who knows? I may find pearls. 我想用这艘船打捞蚌壳，准能把买船的钱赚回来。谁能说准，我也许真会捞获一些珍珠呢。

I have made something where there was nothing. 我干的每一件事都是白手起家的。

I too have made beauty. 我也创造了美。

Ah, you do not know what it is to look at those tall, healthy trees and think that every one I planted myself." 在我瞧着那些高大、挺拔的椰子树，心里想到每一棵都是自己亲手培植出米的，你真不知道我那时是什么心情啊。”

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