Unit 9B - A String of Beads
A String of Beads
W.Somerset Maugham
"What a bit of luck that I'm placed next to you," said Laura, as we sat down to dinner.
"For me," I replied politely.
"That remains to be seen. I particularly wanted to have the chance of talking to you. I've got a story to tell you."
At this my heart sank a little.
"I'd sooner you talked about yourself," I answered. "Or even about me."
"Oh, but I must tell you the story. I think you'll be able to use it."
"If you must, you must. But let's look at the menu first."
"Don't you want me to?" she said, somewhat aggrieved. "I thought you'd be pleased."
"I am. You might have written a play and wanted to read me that."
"It happened to some friends of mine. It's perfectly true."
"That's no recommendation. A true story is never quite so true as an invented one."
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing very much," I admitted. "But I thought it sounded well."
"I wish you'd let me get on with it."
"I'm all attention. I'm not going to eat the soup. It's fattening."
She gave me a pinched look and then glanced at the menu. She uttered a light sigh.
"Oh, well, if you're going to deny yourself I suppose I must too. Heaven knows, I can't afford to take liberties with my figure."
"And yet is there any soup more heavenly than the sort of soup in which you put a great dollop of cream?"
"Borscht," she said. "It's the only soup I really like."
"Never mind. Tell me your story and we'll forget about food till the fish comes."
"Well, I was actually there when it happened. I was dining with the Livingstones. Do you know the Livingstones?"
"No, I don't think I do."
"Well, you can ask them and they'll confirm every word I say. They'd asked their governess to come in to dinner because some woman had thrown them over at the last moment—you know how inconsiderate people are—and they would have been thirteen at table. Their governess was a Miss Robinson, quite a nice girl, young, you know, twenty or twenty-one, and rather pretty. Personally I would never engage a governess who was young and pretty. One never knows."
"But one hopes for the best."
Laura paid no attention to my remark.
"The chances are that she'll be thinking of young men instead of attending to her duties and then, just when she's got used to your ways, she'll want to go and get married. But Miss Robinson had excellent references, and I must allow that she was a very nice, respectable person. I believe in point of fact she was a clergyman's daughter.
"There was a man at dinner whom I don't suppose you've ever heard of, but who's quite a celebrity in his way. He's a Count Borselli and he knows more about precious stones than anyone in the world. He was sitting next to Mary Lyngate, who rather fancies herself on her pearls, and in the course of conversation she asked him what he thought of the string she was wearing. He said it was very pretty. She was rather piqued at this and told him it was valued at eight thousand pounds.
"Yes, it's worth that,' he said.
"Miss Robinson was sitting opposite to him. She was looking rather nice that evening. Of course I recognized her dress, it was one of Sophie's old ones; but if you hadn't known Miss Robinson was the governess you would never have suspected it.
"'That's a very beautiful necklace that young lady has on,' said Borselli.
"Oh, but that's Mrs Livingstone's governess,' said Mary Lyngate.
"'I can't help that,' he said. 'She's wearing one of the finest strings of pearls for its size that I've seen in my life. It must be worth fifty thousand pounds.'
"'Nonsense.'
"'I give you my word it is.'
"Mary Lyngate leant over. She has rather a shrill voice.
"'Miss Robinson, do you know what Count Borselli says?' she exclaimed. 'He says that string of pearls you're wearing is worth fifty thousand pounds.'"
Just at that moment there was a sort of pause in the conversation so that everybody heard. We all turned and looked at Miss Robinson. She flushed a little and laughed.
"'Well, I made a very good bargain,' she said, 'because I paid fifteen shillings for it.'
"'You certainly did.'
"We all laughed. It was of course absurd. We've all heard of wives palming off on their husbands as false a string of pearls that was real and expensive. That story is as old as the hills."
"Thank you," I said, thinking of a little narrative of my own.
"But it was too ridiculous to suppose that a governess would remain a governess if she owned a string of pearls worth fifty thousand pounds. It was obvious that the Count had made a bloomer. Then an extraordinary thing happened. The long arm of coincidence came in."
"It shouldn't," I retorted. "It's had too much exercise. Haven't you seen that charming book called A Dictionary of English Usage?"
"I wish you wouldn't interrupt just when I'm really getting to the exciting point."
But I had to do so again, for just then a young grilled salmon was insinuated round my left elbow.
"Mrs Livingstone is giving us a heavenly dinner," I said.
"Is salmon fattening?" asked Laura.
"Very," I answered as I took a large helping.
"Bunk," she said.
"Go on," I begged her. "The long arm of coincidence was about to make a gesture."
"Well, at that very moment the butler bent over Miss Robinson and whispered something in her ear. I thought she turned a trifle pale. It's such a mistake not to wear rouge; you never know what tricks nature will play on you. She certainly looked startled. She leant forwards.
"'Mrs Livingstone, Dawson says there are two men in the hall who want to speak to me at once.'
"'Well, you'd better go,' said Sophie Livingstone.
"Miss Robinson got up and left the room. Of course the same thought flashed through all our minds, but I said it first.
"'I hope they haven't come to arrest her,' I said to Sophie. 'It would be too dreadful for you, my dear.'
"'Are you sure it was a real necklace, Borselli?' she asked.
"'Oh, quite.'
"'She could hardly have had the nerve to wear it tonight if it were stolen,' I said.
"Sophie Livingstone turned as pale as death under her makeup and I saw she was wondering if everything was all right in her jewel case. I only had on a little chain of diamonds, but instinctively I put my hand up to my neck to feel it was still there.
"'Don't talk nonsense,' said Sophie Livingstone. 'How on earth would Miss Robinson have had the chance of sneaking a valuable string of pearls?'
"'She may be a receiver,' I said.
"'Oh, but she had such wonderful references," said Sophie.
"'They always do,' I said.
I was positively forced to interrupt Laura once more.
"You don't seem to have been determined to take a very bright view of the case," I remarked.
"Of course I knew nothing against Miss Robinson and I had every reason to think her a very nice girl, but it would have been rather thrilling to find out that she was a notorious thief and a well-known member of a gang of international crooks."
"Just like a film. I'm dreadfully afraid that it's only in films that exciting things like that happen."
"Well, we waited in breathless suspense. There was not a sound. I expected to hear a scuffle in the hall or at least a smothered shriek. I thought the silence very ominous. Then the door opened and Miss Robinson walked in. I noticed at once that the necklace was gone. I could see that she was pale and excited. She came back to the table, sat down and with a smile threw on it—''
"On what?"
"On the table, you fool. A string of pearls."
"'There's my necklace,' she said.
"Count Borselli leant forwards.
"'Oh, but those are false,' he said.
"'I told you they were,' she laughed.
"'That's not the same string you had on a few moments ago,' he said.
"She shook her head and smiled mysteriously. We were all intrigued. I don't know that Sophie Livingstone was so very much pleased at her governess making herself the centre of interest like that and I thought there was a suspicion of tartness in her manner when she suggested that Miss Robinson had better explain. Well, Miss Robinson said that when she went into the hall she found two men who said they'd come from Jarrot's Stones. She'd bought her string there, as she said, for fifteen shillings, and she'd taken it back because the clasp was loose and had only fetched it that afternoon. The men said they had given her the wrong string. Someone had left a string of real pearls to be restrung and the assistant had made a mistake. Of course I can't understand how anyone could be so stupid as to take a really valuable string to Jarrot's, they aren't used to dealing with that sort of thing, and they wouldn't know real pearls from false; but you know what fools some women are. Anyhow it was the string Miss Robinson was wearing and it was valued at fifty thousand pounds. She naturally gave it back to them—she couldn't do anything else, I suppose, though it must have been a wrench— and they returned her own string to her; then they said that although of course they were under no obligation—you know the silly, pompous way men talk when they're trying to be businesslike—they were instructed, as a solatium or whatever you call it, to offer her a check for three hundred pounds. Miss Robinson actually showed it to us. She was as pleased as Punch."
"Well, it was a piece of luck, wasn't it?"
"You'd have thought so. As it turned out it was the ruin of her."
"Oh, how was that?"
"Well, when the time came for her to go on her holiday she told Sophie Livingstone that she'd made up her mind to go to Deauville for a month and blow the whole three hundred pounds. Of course Sophie tried to dissuade her, and begged her to put the money in the savings bank, but she wouldn't hear of it. She said she'd never had such a chance before and would never have it again and she meant for at least four weeks to live like a duchess. Sophie couldn't really do anything and so she gave way. She sold Miss Robinson a lot of clothes that she didn't want; she'd been wearing them all through the season and was sick to death of them; she says she gave them to her, but I don't suppose she quite did that—I dare say she sold them very cheap—and Miss Robinson started off, entirely alone, for Deauville. What do you think happened then?"
"I haven't a notion," I replied. "I hope she had the time of her life."
"Well, a week before she was due to come back she wrote to Sophie and said that she'd changed her plans and had entered another profession and hoped Mrs Livingstone would forgive her if she didn't return. Of course poor Sophie was furious. What had actually happened was that Miss Robinson had picked up a rich Argentine in Deauville and had gone off to Paris with him. She's been in Paris ever since. I've seen her myself at Florence's, with bracelets right up to her elbow and ropes of pearls round her neck. Of course I cut her dead. They say she has a house in the Bois de Boulogne and I know she has a Rolls. She threw over the Argentine in a few months and then got hold of a Greek; I don't know who she's with now, but the long and short of it is that she's far and away the smartest cocotte in Paris."
"When you say she was ruined you use the word in a purely technical sense, I conclude," said I.
"I don't know what you mean by that," said Laura. "But don't you think you could make a story out of it?"
"Unfortunately I've already written a story about a pearl necklace. One can't go on writing stories about pearl necklaces."
"I've got half a mind to write it myself. Only of course I should change the end."
"Oh, how would you end it?"
"Well, I should have had her engaged to a bank clerk who had been badly knocked about in the war, with only one leg, say, or half his face shot away: and they'd be dreadfully poor and there would be no prospect of their marriage for years, and he would be putting all his savings into buying a little house in the suburbs and they'd have arranged to marry when he had saved the last installment. And then she takes him the three hundred pounds and they can hardly believe it, they're so happy and he cries on her shoulder. He just cries like a child. And they get the little house in the suburbs and they marry, and they have his old mother to live with them, and he goes to the bank every day, and if she's careful not to have babies she can still go out as a daily governess and he's often ill—with his wound, you know—and she nurses him, and it's all very pathetic and sweet and lovely."
"It sounds rather dull to me," I ventured.
"Yes, but moral," said Laura.
参考译文——一串珍珠项链
一串珍珠项链
W.萨摩赛特·毛姆
“我能和你挨着真是荣幸，”劳拉在我们坐下吃饭的时候说。
“我也感到很荣幸，”我礼貌地回答。
“这得看情况再说。我特别想有机会和你谈谈。我有个故事想讲给你听。"
听到这句话，我的心微微一沉。
“我宁愿你谈谈你自己，”我答道“或者甚至谈谈我”
“哦，但我必须要讲这个故事给你听我觉得你能用得上。”
“如果你一定要讲的话，那就请讲吧。不过咱们先来看看菜单。”
“难道你不想让我讲吗？ ”她有点委屈地说“我本以为你会很高兴呢”
“我很高兴。你可能写了剧本要念给我听。”
“这件事发生在我的一些朋友身上。它完全属实。”
“这并非好的推荐。一个真实的故事从来都没有虚构的故事来得真实。”
“这是什么意思？”
“没什么意思，”我承认“但我觉得这听起来不错。”
“我希望你能让我继续讲这个故事。”
“我洗耳恭听。我不打算喝这汤了，这汤令人发胖。”
她面容疲倦地看了我一眼，粗略地看了看菜单，发出一声轻叹。
“哦，那么如果你要克制自己的话，我想我必须也这么做。天知道，我不能随意对待我的身材。”
“那么有比那种放了一大团奶油的汤更美味的汤吗？”
“罗宋汤，”她说。“那是我唯一真正喜欢的汤。”
“没关系。给我讲你的故事吧，让我们在鱼上来之前先忘记食物。”
“嗯，事情发生的时候我实际上在场。当时我正和利文斯通家的人一起用餐。你认识利文斯通一家吗？”
“不，我不认识。”
“哦，你可以问问他们，他们会证实我所说的每句话。他们请他们的女家庭教师过来用餐，因为某位女士在最后一刻爽约了——你知道的，人们是多么不为别人着想——他们本应该有13个人一起用餐的。他们的女家庭教师是罗宾逊小姐，很好的一位女孩，很年轻，你知道的，20岁或21岁的样子，而且非常漂亮。我个人是绝不会聘用年轻漂亮的家庭女教师的。都不知道会发生什么事。”
“但是人都希望一切顺利。”
劳拉没有在意我的话。
“很有可能她会想着年轻男人而不是专注于自己的职责，然后，当她刚习惯了你的行事方式后，她会想要离开去结婚。但是罗宾逊小姐有极好的推荐人，而且我必须承认她是一位很好的、值得尊敬的人。事实上，我认为她是一位牧师的女儿。
“一起用餐的有一位先生，我想你应该从来没听说过他，但他在自己的领域非常有名。他是博尔塞利爵士，比世界上任何人都懂宝石。他挨着玛丽•林格特，她因自己的珍珠很是自命不凡，在谈话期间，她问他觉得她戴的那串珍珠怎么样。他说很漂亮。为此她感到非常恼怒，并告诉他这串项链值8,000英镑。
“‘是的，它值这么多，’他说。
“罗宾逊小姐坐在他的对面。她那晚看起来很漂亮。当然，我认得她的衣服，那是索菲的一件旧裙子，但是你若之前不知道罗宾逊小姐是家庭女教师的话，你根本不会怀疑。
“‘这位年轻女士戴的项链十分漂亮，’博尔塞利说。
“‘哦，但她是利文斯通夫人的家庭女教师，’玛丽•林格特说。
“‘我忍不住要说，’他说，‘由于尺寸的原因，她戴的珍珠项链是我一生中见过的最好的项链之一。它一定值50,000英镑。’
“‘胡说。’
“‘我可以向你保证这一点。’
“玛丽•林格特俯下身子。她的声音十分尖锐。
“‘罗宾逊小姐,你知道博尔塞利爵士在说什么吗？’她惊叫道。‘他说你戴的那串珍珠项链值50,000英镑。’
“在那一刻，谈话出现了短暂的停顿，所以在座的每个人都听到了。我们都转头看向罗宾逊小姐。她有点脸红并笑起来。
“‘那么我这笔交易很划算，’她说，‘因为我买这串项链只花了15先令。’
“‘的确是这样。’
“我们都笑了起来。这当然很荒唐。我们都听说过妻子拿昂贵的真的珍珠项链哄骗丈夫说是假货的故事。这种故事已经很古老了。”
“谢谢，”我说，想起了我自己写的一篇小故事。
“但是如果一名家庭女教师拥有一条价值50,000英镑的珍珠项链，却仍然是名家庭女教师的话，这简直太荒谬了。很显然，爵士判断错了。然后一件不寻常的事情发生了。出现了一个奇异的巧合。”
“不应该是这样，”我反驳道。“有太多这种实例了。难道你没看过一本叫做《英语用法大辞典》的迷人的书吗？”
“我希望在我正要讲到令人兴奋的情节时，你不要打断我。”
然而我不得不再次打断她，因为一条烤制的小三文鱼从我的左边端上了餐桌。
“利文斯通夫人为我们提供了一顿美好的晚餐，”我说。
“吃三文鱼容易让人发胖吗？”劳拉问。
“非常容易，”我边拿起一大份鱼边回答她。
“胡说，”她说。
“请继续讲,”我乞求她。“那个奇异的巧合应该显形了。”
“嗯，就在那时，男管家弯下身对罗宾逊小姐耳语了些什么。我觉得她脸色变得有点苍白。不涂抹胭脂真是个错误，你永远都不知道上天会跟你开什么玩笑。她看起来当然很震惊，身子往前倾了倾。
“‘利文斯通夫人，道森说大厅里有两个人想立刻见我。’
“‘哦，你最好过去看看，’索菲•利文斯通说。
“罗宾逊小姐起身离开了房间。当然我们的脑海中都闪过了同样的想法，但我是第一个说出来的。
“‘我希望他们不是来逮捕她的，’我对索菲说。‘亲爱的，这对你来说将会太糟糕了。’
“‘你确定那条项链是真的吗，博尔塞利？ ’她问道。
“‘是的，非常确定。’
“‘如果那条项链是偷来的，今晚她应该没勇气戴着它，’我说。
“索菲•利文斯通妆容下的那张脸变得面无血色，我觉得她是在想自己的珠宝盒是否一切安好。虽然我只戴了一小串钻石，但是我还是本能地把手放在脖子上摸了一下看它是否还在。
“‘别胡说，’索菲•利文斯通说。‘罗宾逊小姐怎么会有机会偷这么贵重的珍珠项链呢？’
“‘可能是别人送给她的，’我说。
“‘推荐人们都很优秀，’索菲说。
“‘他们一向这样，’我说。”
我不得不再次主动打断劳拉。
“对于这件事你似乎并没有决定持特别明朗的观点，”我说。
“当然，我对罗宾逊小姐一无所知，我完全有理由去相信她是位很好的女孩，但若发现她是个声名狼藉的小偷或者是国际骗子团伙中有名的一员，这多么令人兴奋。”
“就像电影一样。我非常遗憾只有在电影中才会发生那样刺激的事情。”
“哦，我们屏着呼吸，带着悬念等待着。然而没有任何声音。我期待能听见大厅里的冲突声或者至少是被压制住的尖叫声。我觉得这种沉默是不祥的预兆。然后门开了，罗宾逊小姐走了进来。我立刻注意到她的项链不见了。我可以看出来她脸色苍白，情绪激动。她回到餐桌坐了下来，将笑容投向它——”
“投向哪儿？”
“桌子，你个笨蛋。一串珍珠项链。”
“‘这是我的项链，’她说。
“博尔塞利爵士身子向前一倾。
“‘哦，但这珍珠是假的，’他说。
“‘我说过了它们是假的，’她笑了起来。
“‘这和你刚才戴的那串项链不是同一串，’他说。
“她摇了摇头，神秘地笑了。我们都感到好奇。我不知道索菲•利文斯通对于自己的家庭女教师这样把自己置于众人之中是否感到非常高兴，我觉得她在暗示罗宾逊小姐最好解释清楚这件事时，态度有点刻薄。然后，罗宾逊小姐说她到大厅时看见两个自称来自雅罗珠宝店的人。她说她就是在那儿花了15先令买的她那串项链，因为项链的扣环松了，她把项链送回店里修理，然后那天下午刚去店里取的。那两个人说他们给错了项链。有人把一串真的珍珠项链留在店里重新串线，店员给搞错了。当然，我不理解怎么会有人如此愚蠢把一串贵重的项链送去雅罗珠宝店，他们不习惯处理那样的事情，并且不能分辨珍珠的真假；但是你也知道有些女人就是这么愚蠢。不管怎么说，那串真的珍珠项链就是罗宾逊小姐戴的那串，价值50,000英镑。她自然将那串项链还给了他们——我觉得她别无选择，尽管这一定是件痛苦的事情——他们也将她的项链还给了她；然后他们说尽管他们当然没有责任——你知道当那些人试图表现得工作认真而又有条理时那种愚蠢、浮夸的说话方式——但他们得到指示，给她300英镑的支票作为抚慰金或者随便什么名目。罗宾逊小姐确实给我们看了支票。她十分高兴。”
“哦，这真走运，不是吗？”
“你是应该这么想。不过结果证明这毁了她。”
“哦，怎么会那样？”
“嗯，当她的假期到了的时候，她告诉索菲•利文斯通她已经决定去多维尔一个月，挥霍掉这整整300英镑。当然，索菲试着劝阻她并请求她把钱存入银行，但是她不听她的。她说自己以前从没有这样的机会而且以后也不会再有了，她想至少有四周的时间她可以生活得像位公爵夫人，索菲并不能真正做些什么，于是便妥协了。她卖给罗宾逊小姐很多她不想要的衣服；她整季都在穿这些衣服，已经非常厌恶这些衣服；她说她把这些衣服送给了罗宾逊小姐，但我觉得她不会那么做——我敢说她是以非常低的价格卖给她的——然后罗宾逊小姐出发去多维尔了，完全自己一个人。你觉得接下来发生了什么？”
“我不知道，”我回答道。“我希望她过得很愉快。”
“嗯，在她应该返回的一周前，她写了封信给索菲说她改变了计划，并已经找到了其他的工作，如果她不回去的话希望利文斯通夫人能原谅她。可怜的索菲当然很生气。事实上，罗宾逊小姐在多维尔遇到了一位富有的阿根廷人并跟着他去了巴黎。从那以后，她一直待在巴黎。 我曾在佛罗伦萨酒店亲眼见过她，手腕上戴着几只手镯，脖子上戴着一串串珍珠项链。我当然假装不认识她。他们说她在布洛涅森林有座房子，我知道她有一辆劳斯莱斯汽车。几个月后， 她抛弃了那个阿根廷人，转而傍上一位希腊人；我不知道她现在和谁在一起，但总而言之，她当之无愧是巴黎最精明的妓女。”
“我觉得，当你说她被毁了的时候，你的用词很有技巧性，”我说。
“我不知道你这样说是什么意思，”劳拉说。“但是你不觉得可以根据这件事写个故事吗？”
“很遗憾我已经写过一个关于珍珠项链的故事了。一个人不能一直写关于珍珠项链的故事。”
“我很想自己写，当然，只是我会改掉结局。”
“哦，你会怎样写结局？”
“嗯，我会让她与一位银行职员订婚，这位银行职员在战争中受过重伤，比方说，只有一条腿或者半边脸受到枪击：他们十分贫困，数年内，他们的婚期无望，他将用他所有的存款在郊区买一所小房子，他们准备在他存入最后一期付款时结婚。然后当她拿出300英镑时，他们几乎不能相信，他们如此高兴以至于他伏在她的肩上哭了。他哭得像个孩子。然后，他们得到了在郊区的小房子并结了婚，他的老母亲与他们生活在一起，他每天去银行上班。如果她很小心没怀上孩子，她依然可以作为日常家庭女教师去工作，而他经常生病——他有伤，你知道的——她照顾着他，这一切十分悲惨，却也很甜蜜并充满快乐。'”
“对我而言，这听起来十分枯燥，”我试探地说。
“是的，但是这样比较符合道德,”劳拉说。
Key Words:
aggrieved [ə'gri:vd]
adj. (因受伤害而)愤愤不平的，痛心的，受到侵犯的
respectable [ri'spektəbl]
n. 品格高尚的人
shrill [ʃril]
n. 尖锐的声音 adj. 尖锐的，刺耳的 v. 用尖锐
haven ['heivn]
n. 港口，避难所，安息所 v. 安置 ... 于港中，
salmon ['sæmən]
n. 鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的
ridiculous [ri'dikjuləs]
adj. 荒谬的，可笑的
ominous ['ɔminəs]
adj. 预兆的，不祥的
pompous ['pɔmpəs]
adj. 傲慢的，自大的，浮华的
intrigued
adj. 好奇的；被迷住了的 v. 引起…的兴趣；使迷惑
pompous ['pɔmpəs]
adj. 傲慢的，自大的，浮华的
参考资料：
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(1)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(2)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(3)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(4)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(5)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(6)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(7)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(8)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(9)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(10)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(11)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第四册:U9B A String of Beads(12)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语