TheFly及其译文.docx

TheFly及其译文.docx

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TheFly及其译文

TheFly

byKatherineMansfield

'Youareverysnuginhere,'pipedoldMrWoodifield,andhepeeredoutofthegreat,greenleatherarmchairbyhisfriendtheboss'sdeskasababypeersoutofitspram.Histalkwasover;itwastimeforhimtobeoff.Buthedidnotwanttogo.Sincehehadretired,sincehis...stroke,thewifeandthegirlskepthimboxedupinthehouseeverydayoftheweekexceptTuesday.OnTuesdayhewasdressedandbrushedandallowedtocutbacktotheCityfortheday.Thoughwhathedidtherethewifeandgirlscouldn'timagine.Madeanuisanceofhimselftohisfriends,theysupposed....Well,perhapsso.Allthesame,weclingtoourlastpleasuresasthetreeclingstoitslastleaves.SotheresatoldWoodifield,smokingacigarandstaringalmostgreedilyattheboss,whorolledinhisoncechair,stout,rosy,fiveyearsolderthanhe,andstillgoingstrong,stillatthehelm.Itdidonegoodtoseehim.

Wistfully,admiringly,theoldvoiceadded,'It'ssnuginhere--uponmyword!

'

'Yes,it'scomfortableenough,'agreedtheboss,andhenippedtheFinancialTimeswithapaper-knife.Asamatteroffacthewasproudofhisroom;helikedtohaveitadmired,especiallybyoldWoodifield.Itgavehimafeelingofdeep,solidsatisfactiontobeplantedthereinthemidstofitinfullviewofthatfrailoldfigureinthemuffler.

'I'vehaditdoneuplately,'heexplained,ashehadexplainedforthepast--howmany?

--weeks.'Newcarpet,'andhepointedtothebrightredcarpetwithapatternoflargewhiterings.'Newfurniture,'andhenoddedtowardsthemassivebookcaseandthetablewithlegsliketwistedtreacle.'Electricheating!

'Hewavedalmostexultantlytowardsthefivetransparent,pearlysausagesglowingsosoftlyinthetiltedcopperpan.

ButhedidnotdrawoldWoodifield'sattentiontothephotographoverthetableofagrave-lookingboyinuniformstandinginoneofthosespectralphotographers'parkswithphotographers'storm-cloudsbehindhim.Itwasnotnew.Ithadbeenthereforoversixyears.

'TherewassomethingIwantedtotellyou,'saidoldWoodifield,andhiseyesgrewdimremembering.'Nowwhatwasit?

IhaditinmymindwhenIstartedoutthismorning.'Hishandsbegantotremble,andpatchesofredshowedabovehisbeard.

Pooroldchap,he'sonhislastpins,thoughttheboss.And,feelingkindly,hewinkedattheoldman,andsaidjokingly,'Itellyouwhat.I'vegotalittledropofsomethingherethatwilldoyougoodbeforeyougooutintothecoldagain.It'sbeautifulstuff.Itwouldn'thurtachild.'Hetookakeyoffhiswatch-chain,unlockedacupboardbelowhisdesk,anddrewforthadark,squatbottle.'That'sthemedicine,'saidhe.'AndthemanfromwhomIgotittoldmeonthestrictQ.T.itcamefromthecellarsatWindsorCassel.'

OldWoodifield'smouthfellopenatthesight.Hecouldn'thavelookedmoresurprisedifthebosshadproducedarabbit.

'It'swhisky,ain'tit?

'hepiped,feebly.

Thebossturnedthebottleandlovinglyshowedhimthelabel.Whiskyitwas.

'Doyouknow,'saidhe,peeringupatthebosswonderingly,'theywon'tletmetouchitathome.'Andhelookedasthoughhewasgoingtocry.

'Ah,that'swhereweknowabitmorethantheladies,'criedtheboss,swoopingacrossfortwotumblersthatstoodonthetablewiththewater-bottle,andpouringagenerousfingerintoeach.'Drinkitdown.It'lldoyougood.Anddon'tputanywaterwithit.It'ssacrilegetotamperwithstufflikethis.Ah!

'Hetossedoffhis,pulledouthishandkerchief,hastilywipedhismoustaches,andcockedaneyeatoldWoodifield,whowasrollinghisinhischaps.

Theoldmanswallowed,wassilentamoment,andthensaidfaintly,'It'snutty!

'

Butitwarmedhim;itcreptintohischilloldbrain--heremembered.

'Thatwasit,'hesaid,heavinghimselfoutofhischair.'Ithoughtyou'dliketoknow.ThegirlswereinBelgiumlastweekhavingalookatpoorReggie'sgrave,andtheyhappenedtocomeacrossyourboy's.They'requiteneareachother,itseems.'

OldWoodifieldpaused,butthebossmadenoreply.Onlyaquiverinhiseyelidsshowedthatheheard.

'Thegirlsweredelightedwiththewaytheplaceiskept,'pipedtheoldvoice.'Beautifullylookedafter.Couldn'tbebetteriftheywereathome.You'venotbeenacross,haveyer?

'

'No,no!

'Forvariousreasonsthebosshadnotbeenacross.

'There'smilesofit,'quaveredoldWoodifield,'andit'sallasneatasagarden.Flowersgrowingonallthegraves.Nicebroadpaths.'Itwasplainfromhisvoicehowmuchhelikedanicebroadpath.

Thepausecameagain.Thentheoldmanbrightenedwonderfully.

'Doyouknowwhatthehotelmadethegirlspayforapotofjam?

'hepiped.'Tenfrancs!

Robbery,Icallit.Itwasalittlepot,soGertrudesays,nobiggerthanahalf-crown.Andshehadn'ttakenmorethanaspoonfulwhentheychargedhertenfrancs.Gertrudebroughtthepotawaywithhertoteach'emalesson.Quiteright,too;it'stradingonourfeelings.Theythinkbecausewe'reovertherehavingalookroundwe'rereadytopayanything.That'swhatitis.'Andheturnedtowardsthedoor.

'Quiteright,quiteright!

'criedtheboss,thoughwhatwasquiterighthehadn'ttheleastidea.Hecameroundbyhisdesk,followedtheshufflingfootstepstothedoor,andsawtheoldfellowout.Woodifieldwasgone.

Foralongmomentthebossstayed,staringatnothing,whilethegrey-hairedofficemessenger,watchinghim,dodgedinandoutofhiscubbyholelikeadogthatexpectstobetakenforarun.Then:

'I'llseenobodyforhalfanhour,Macey,'saidtheboss.'Understand?

Nobodyatall.'

Verygood,sir.'

Thedoorshut,thefirmheavystepsrecrossedthebrightcarpet,thefatbodyplumpeddowninthespringchair,andleaningforward,thebosscoveredhisfacewithhishands.Hewanted,heintended,hehadarrangedtoweep....

IthadbeenaterribleshocktohimwhenoldWoodifieldsprangthatremarkuponhimabouttheboy'sgrave.ItwasexactlyasthoughtheearthhadopenedandhehadseentheboylyingtherewithWoodifield'sgirlsstaringdownathim.Foritwasstrange.Althoughoversixyearshadpassedaway,thebossneverthoughtoftheboyexceptaslyingunchanged,unblemishedinhisuniform,asleepforever.'Myson!

'groanedtheboss.Butnotearscameyet.Inthepast,inthefirstmonthsandevenyearsaftertheboy'sdeath,hehadonlytosaythosewordstobeovercomebysuchgriefthatnothingshortofaviolentfitofweepingcouldrelievehim.Time,hehaddeclaredthen,hehadtoldeverybody,couldmakenodifference.Othermenperhapsmightrecover,mightlivetheirlossdown,butnothe.Howwasitpossible?

Hisboywasanonlyson.Eversincehisbirththebosshadworkedatbuildingupthisbusinessforhim;ithadnoothermeaningifitwasnotfortheboy.Lifeitselfhadcometohavenoothermeaning.Howonearthcouldhehaveslaved,deniedhimself,keptgoingallthoseyearswithoutthepromiseforeverbeforehimoftheboy'ssteppingintohisshoesandcarryingonwhereheleftoff?

Andthatpromisehadbeensonearbeingfulfilled.Theboyhadbeenintheofficelearningtheropesforayearbeforethewar.Everymorningtheyhadstartedofftogether;theyhadcomebackbythesametrain.Andwhatcongratulationshehadreceivedastheboy'sfather!

Nowonder;hehadtakentoitmarvelously.Astohispopularitywiththestag,everymanjackofthemdowntooldMaceycouldn'tmakeenoughoftheboy.Andhewasn'tintheleastspoiled.No,hewasjusthisbright,naturalself,withtherightwordforeverybody,withthatboyishlookandhishabitofsaying,'Simplysplendid.'

Butallthatwasoveranddonewithasthoughitneverhadbeen.ThedayhadcomewhenMaceyhadhandedhimthetelegram*thatbroughtthewholeplacecrashingabouthishead.'Deeplyregrettoinformyou....'Andhehadlefttheofficeabrokenman,withhislifeinruins.

Sixyearsago,sixyears....Howquicklytimepassed!

Itmighthavehappenedyesterday.Thebosstookhishandsfromhisface;hewaspuzzled.Somethingseemedtobewrongwithhim.Hewasn'tfeelingashewantedtofeel.Hedecidedtogetupandhavealookattheboy'sphotograph.Butitwasn'tafavouritephotographofhis;theexpressionwasunnatural.Itwascold,evenstern-looking.Theboyhadneverlookedlikethat.

Atthatmomentthebossnoticedthataflyhadfallenintohisbroadinkpot,andwastryingfeeblybutdesperatelytoclamberoutagain.Help!

help!

saidthosestrugglinglegs.Butthesidesoftheinkpotwerewetandslippery;ittillbackagainandbegantoswim.Thebosstookupapen,pickedtheflyoutoftheink,andshookitontoapieceofblotting-paper.Forafractionofaseconditlaystillonthedarkpatchthatoozedroundit.Thenthefrontlegswaved,tookhold,and,pullingitssmall,soddenbodyupitbegantheimmensetaskofcleaningtheinkfromitswings.Overandunder,overandunder,wentalegalongawing,asthestonegoesoverandunderthescythe.Thentherewasapause,whilethefly,seemingtostandonthetipsofitstoes,triedtoexpandfirstonewingandthentheother.Itsucceededatlast,and,sittingdown,itbegan,likeaminutecat,tocleanitsface.Nowonecouldimaginethatthelittlefrontlegsrubbedagainsteachotherlightly,joyfully.Thehorribledangerwasover;ithadescaped;itwasreadyforlifeagain.

Butjustthenthebosshadanidea.Heplungedhispenbackintotheink,leanedhisthickwristontheblottingpaper,andastheflytrieditswingsdowncameagreatheavyblot.Whatwoulditmakeofthat?

Whatindeed!

Thelittlebeggarseemedabsolutelycowed,stunned,andafraidtomovebecauseofwhatwouldhappennext.Butthen,asifpainfully,itdraggeditse