第七章（第4/17页）

Even Clifford's cool and contactless assurance that he belonged to the ruling class didn't prevent his tongue lolling out of his mouth, as he panted after the bitch-goddess. After all, Michaelis was really more dignified in the matter, and far, far more successful. Really, if you looked closely at Clifford, he was a buffoon, and a buffoon is more humiliating than a bounder.

就连克利福德这种自以为是、高高在上，自诩为统治阶级的家伙，都不能免俗，吐着舌头，气喘吁吁地在她身后猛追。其实，在这方面，米凯利斯反倒有尊严得多，所取得的成就也远胜克利福德。说实话，若仔细观察，克利福德不过是跳梁小丑，甚至比泼皮无赖更加恬不知耻。

As between the two men, Michaelis really had far more use for her than Clifford had. He had even more need of her. Any good nurse can attend to crippled legs! And as for the heroic effort, Michaelis was a heroic rat, and Clifford was very much of a poodle showing off.

这两个男人相比较，米凯利斯对她的用处远大于克利福德。而米凯利斯也更需要她。任何优秀的护士都能照顾好瘫痪的病人。论及自强不息的精神，米凯利斯算得过街鼠中的好汉，而克利福德不过是只哗众取宠的卷毛狗。

There were people staying in the house, among them Clifford's Aunt Eva, Lady Bennerley. She was a thin woman of sixty, with a red nose, a widow, and still something of a grande DAME. She belonged to one of the best families, and had the character to carry it off. Connie liked her, she was so perfectly simple and rank, as far as she intended to be frank, and superficially kind. Inside herself she was a past-mistress in holding her own, and holding other people a little lower. She was not at all a snob: far too sure of herself. She was perfect at the social sport of coolly holding her own, and making other people defer to her.

家里最近住了好些客人，其中有伊娃·本奈利夫人，克利福德的姑妈。她六十多岁，丈夫早亡，身材干瘦，酒糟鼻，但仍不失贵妇的派头。她出身名门，举手投足间显出大家风范。康妮对她颇有好感，只要她打算直抒胸臆，就会开诚布公，毫无保留，而且外表更是和蔼可亲。至于装腔作势，抬高自己，她更是行家里手。但她绝非势利小人，只是太过夜郎自大。她深谙社交技巧，总能端足架势，让别人唯自己马首是瞻。

She was kind to Connie, and tried to worm into her woman's soul with the sharp gimlet of her well-born observations.

她对康妮甚是友好，试图用自己锐利如锥的高贵眼光，穿透康妮那颗细腻的女人心。

"You're quite wonderful, in my opinion," she said to Connie. "You've done wonders for Clifford. I never saw any budding genius myself, and there he is, all the rage.” Aunt Eva was quite complacently proud of Clifford's success. Another feather in the family cap! She didn't care a straw about his books, but why should she? "Oh, I don't think it's my doing," said Connie.

“我觉得你确实了不起。”她称赞康妮。“你帮克利福德取得惊人的成就。我从未见过如此前程远大的天才作家，而他就是其中之一，如今的确红得发紫。”对于侄儿的成功，伊娃姑妈沾沾自喜，深感骄傲。这可是光宗耀祖的大事！而对于他的作品，她却毫不关心，可她又有什么理由要关心呢？“噢，我认为那并非我的功劳。”康妮说

"It must be! Can't be anybody else's. And it seems to me you don't get enough out of it.” "How?" "Look at the way you are shut up here. I said to Clifford: If that child rebels one day you'll have yourself to thank!

“当然得归功于你！除你之外，还有谁呢？在我看来，你并没有得到应有的回报。”“此话怎讲？”“终日闭门不出可不行。我跟克利福德说过：要是哪天那孩子造起反来，也全是你自食其果！”