The Moon And Sixpence 4.5

When she cameto know writers it was like adventuring upon a stage which till then she hadknown only from the other side of the footlights. She saw them dramatically,and really seemed herself to live a larger life because she entertained themand visited them in their fastnesses. She accepted the rules with which theyplayed the game of life as valid for them, but never for a moment thought ofregulating her own conduct in accordance with them. Their moral eccentricities,like their oddities of dress, their wild theories and paradoxes, were anentertainment which amused her, but had not the slightest influence on herconvictions.

"Is therea Mr. Strickland?" I asked

"Oh yes;he's something in the city. I believe he's a stockbroker. He's very dull."

"Are theygood friends?"

"Theyadore one another. You'll meet him if you dine there. But she doesn't oftenhave people to dinner. He's very quiet. He's not in the least interested inliterature or the arts. "

"Why donice women marry dull men?"

"Becauseintelligent men won't marry nice women. "

I could notthink of any retort to this, so I asked if Mrs. Strickland had children.

"Yes; shehas a boy and a girl. They're both at school. "

The subject wasexhausted, and we began to talk of other things.

当她同作家结识以后，她有一种感觉，仿佛过去只能隔着脚灯了望的舞台，这回却亲身登上去了。她看着这些人粉墨登场，好象自己的生活也扩大了，因为她不仅设宴招待他们，而且居然闯进这些人的重门深锁的幽居里去。对于这些人游戏人生的信条她认为无可厚非，但是她自己却一分钟也不想按照他们的方式调整自己的生活。这些人道德伦理上的奇行怪癖，正如他们奇特的衣着、荒唐背理的言论一样，使她觉得非常有趣，但是对她自己立身处世的原则却丝毫也没有影响。

“有没有一位思特里克兰德先生啊？”我问。

“怎么没有啊。他在伦敦做事。我想是个证券经纪人吧。没有什么风趣。”

“他们俩感情好吗？”

“两个人互敬互爱。如果你在他们家吃晚饭，你会见到他的。但是她很少请人吃晚饭。他不太爱说话，对文学艺术一点儿也不感兴趣。”

“为什么讨人喜欢的女人总是嫁给蠢物啊？”

“因为有脑子的男人是不娶讨人喜欢的女人的。”

我想不出什么反驳的话来，于是我就把话头转开，打听思特里克兰德太太有没有孩子。

“有，一个男孩和一个女孩。两个人都在上学。”

这个题目已经没有好说的了。我们又扯起别的事来。