月亮和六便士 第五十四章(2)

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"For long ago I had the idea that he was possessed¹ of a devil." “很久以前，我正是也有这种想法。我觉得他这个人是被魔鬼抓住了。”

"And the passion that held Strickland was a passion to create beauty. “使思特里克兰德着了迷的是一种创作欲，他热切地想创造出美来。

It gave him no peace. It urged him hither and thither². 这种激情叫他一刻也不能宁静。逼着他东奔西走。

He was eternally a pilgrim, haunted by a divine nostalgia³, and the demon⁴ within him was ruthless. 他好像是一个终生跋涉的朝香者，永远思慕着一块圣地。盘踞在他心头的魔鬼对他毫无怜悯之情。

There are men whose desire for truth is so great that to attain⁵ it they will shatter the very foundation of their world. 世上有些人渴望寻获真理，他们的要求非常强烈，为了达到这个目的，就是叫他们把生活的基础完全打翻，也在所不惜。

Of such was Strickland, only beauty with him took the place of truth. 思特里克兰德就是这样一个人；只不过他追求的是美，而不是真理。

I could only feel for him a profound compassion⁶." 对于像他这样的人，我从心眼里感到怜悯。”

"That is strange also. 你说的这一点也很奇怪。

A man whom he had deeply wronged told me that he felt a great pity for him." “有一个他曾经伤害过的人也这样对我说，说他非常可怜思特里克兰德。”

I was silent for a moment. 我沉默了一会儿。

"I wonder if there you have found the explanation of a character which has always seemed to me inexplicable⁷. “我很想知道，对于一种我一直感到迷惑不解的性格，你是不是已经找到了答案。

How did you hit on it?" 你怎么会想到这个道理的？”

He turned to me with a smile. 他对我笑了笑。

"Did I not tell you that I, too, in my way was an artist? “我不是告诉你了，从某一个角度讲，我也是个艺术家吗？

I realised in myself the same desire as animated⁸ him. 我在自己身上也深深感到激励着他的那种热望。

But whereas his medium was paint, mine has been life." 但是他的手段是绘画，我的却是生活。”

Then Captain Brunot told me a story which I must repeat, since, if only by way of contrast, it adds something to my impression of Strickland. 布吕诺船长这时给我讲了一个故事，我想我应该在这里说一说。因为即使作为对比，这个故事对我记叙思特里克兰德的生平也能说明一些问题。

It has also to my mind a beauty of its own. 再说，我认为这个故事本身就是非常美的。

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