ToRoomNineteenDORISLESSIN十九号房英文原文Word下载.docx

ToRoomNineteenDORISLESSIN十九号房英文原文Word下载.docx

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Archives（1979-83）.ShewonNobelPrizeforLiteraturein2007.

ToRoomNineteen

Thisisastory,Isuppose,aboutafailureinintelligence:

theRawlings’marriagewasgroundedinintelligence.

Theywereolderwhentheymarriedthanmostoftheirmarriedfriends:

intheirwell-seasonedlatetwenties.Bothhadhadanumberofaffairs,sweetratherthanbitter;

andwhentheyfellinlove—fortheydidfallinlove—hadknowneachotherforsometime.Theyjokedthattheyhadsavedeachother“fortherealthing.”Thattheyhadwaitedsolong（butnottoolong）forthisrealthingwastothemaproofoftheirsensiblediscrimination.Agoodmanyoftheirfriendshadmarriedyoung,andnow（theyfelt）probablyregrettedlostopportunities;

whileothers,stillunmarried,seemedtothemarid,self-doubting,andlikelytomakedesperateorromanticmarriages.

Notonlythey,butothers,felttheywerewellmatched:

theirfriends’delightwasanadditionalproofoftheirhappiness.Theyhadplayedthesameroles,maleandfemale,inthisgrouporset,ifsuchawide,looselyconnected,constantlychangingconstellationofpeoplecouldbecalledaset.Theyhadbothbecome,byvirtueoftheirmoderation,theirhumour,andtheirabstinencefrompainfulexperiencepeopletowhomotherscameforadvice.Theycouldbe,andwere,reliedon.Itwasoneofthosecasesofamanandawomanlinkingthemselveswhomnooneelsehadeverthoughtoflinking,probablybecauseoftheirsimilarities.Buttheneveryoneexclaimed:

Ofcourse!

Howright!

Howwasitweneverthoughtofitbefore!

Andsotheymarriedamidgeneralrejoicing,andbecauseoftheirforesightandtheirsenseforwhatwasprobable,nothingwasasurprisetothem.

Bothhadwell-paidjobs.MatthewwasasubeditoronalargeLondonnewspaper,andSusanworkedinanadvertisingfirm.Hewasnotthestuffofwhicheditorsorpublicisedjournalistsaremade,buthewasmuchmorethan“asubeditor,”beingoneoftheessentialbackgroundpeoplewhoinfactsteady,inspireandmakepossiblethepeopleinthelimelight.Hewascontentwiththisposition.Susanhadatalentforcommercialdrawing.Shewashumorousabouttheadvertisementsshewasresponsiblefor,butshedidnotfeelstronglyaboutthemonewayortheother.

Both,beforetheymarried,hadhadpleasantflats,buttheyfeltitunwisetobaseamarriageoneitherflat,becauseitmightseemlikeasubmissionofpersonalityonthepartoftheonewhoseflatitwasnot.TheymovedintoanewflatinSouthKensingtonontheclearunderstandingthatwhentheirmarriagehadsettleddown（aprocesstheyknewwouldnottakelong,andwasinfactmoreahumorousconcessiontopopularwisdomthanwhatwasduetothemselves）theywouldbuyahouseandstartafamily.

Andthisiswhathappened.Theylivedintheircharmingflatfortwoyears,givingpartiesandgoingtothem,beingapopularyoungmarriedcouple,andthenSusanbecamepregnant,shegaveupherjob,andtheyboughtahouseinRichmond.Itwastypicalofthiscouplethattheyhadasonfirst,thenadaughter,thentwins,sonanddaughter.Everythingright,appropriate,andwhateveryonewouldwishfor,iftheycouldchoose.Butpeopledidfeelthesetwohadchosen;

thisbalancedandsensiblefamilywasnomorethanwhatwasduetothembecauseoftheirinfalliblesenseforchoosingright.

AndsotheylivedwiththeirfourchildrenintheirgardenedhouseinRichmondandWerehappy.Theyhadeverythingtheyhadwantedandhadplanned

for.

Andyet...

Well,eventhiswasexpected,thattheremustbeacertainflatness....

Yes,yes,ofcourse,itwasnaturaltheysometimesfeltlikethis.Likewhat?

Theirlifeseemedtobelikeasnakebitingitstail.Matthew’sjobforthesakeofSusan,children,house,andgarden—whichcaravanseraineededawell-paidjobtomaintainit.AndSusan’spracticalintelligenceforthesakeofMatthew,thechildren,thehouseandthegarden—whichunitwouldhavecollapsedinaweekwithouther.

Buttherewasnopointaboutwhicheithercouldsay:

“Forthesakeofthisisalltherest.”Children?

Butchildrencan’tbeacentreoflifeandareasonforbeing.Theycanbeathousandthingsthataredelightful,interesting,satisfying,buttheycan’tbeawellspringtolivefrom.Ortheyshouldn’tbe.SusanandMatthewknewthatwellenough.

Matthew’sjob?

Ridiculous.Itwasaninterestingjob,butscarcelyareasonforliving.Matthewtookprideindoingitwell;

buthecouldhardlybeexpectedtobeproudofthenewspaper:

thenewspaperheread,hisnewspaper,wasnottheoneheworkedfor.

Theirloveforeachother?

Well,thatwasnearestit.Ifthiswasn’tacentre,whatwas?

Yes,itwasaroundthispoint,theirlove,thatthewholeextraordinarystructurerevolved.Forextraordinaryitcertainlywas.BothSusanandMatthewhadmomentsofthinkingso,oflookinginsecretdisbeliefatthisthingtheyhadcreated:

marriage,fourchildren,bighouse,garden,charwomen,

presumablyitwasn’timportanteitherwhenMatthewandIfirstwenttobedwitheachotherthatafternoonwhosedelightevennow（likeaverylongshadowatsundown）laysalong,wand-likefingeroverus.（WhydidIsaysundown?

）Well,ifwhatwefeltthatafternoonwasnotimportant,nothingisimportant,becauseifithadn’tbeenforwhatwefelt,wewouldn’tbeMr.andMrs.Rawlingswithfourchildren,etc.,etc.Thewholethingisabsurd—forhimtohavecomehomeandtoldmewasabsurd.Forhimnottohavetoldmewasabsurd.Formetocare,orforthatmatternottocare,isabsurd...andwhoisMyraJenkins?

Why,nooneatall.

Therewasonlyonethingtodo,andofcoursethesesensiblepeopledidit:

theyputthethingbehindthem,andconsciously,knowingwhattheyweredoing,movedforwardintoadifferentphaseoftheirmarriage,givingthanksforpastgoodfortuneastheydidso.

Foritwasinevitablethatthehandsome,blond,attractive,manlyman,MatthewRawlings,shouldbeattimestempted（oh,whataword!

）bytheattractivegirlsatpartiesshecouldnotattendbecauseofthefourchildren;

andthatsometimeshewouldsuccumb（awordevenmorerepulsive,ifpossible）andthatshe,agood-lookingwomaninthebigwell-tendedgardenatRichmond,wouldsometimesbepiercedasbyanarrowfromtheskywithbitterness.Exceptthatbitternesswasnotinorder,itwasoutofcourt.Didthecasualgirlstouchthemarriage?

Theydidnot.RatheritwastheywhoknewdefeatbecauseofthehandsomeMatthewRawlings’marriagebodyandsoultoSusanRawlings.

InthatcasewhydidSusanfeel（thoughluckilynotforlongerthanafewsecondsatatime）asiflifehadbecomeadesert,andthatnothingmattered,andthatherchildrenwerenotherown?

Meanwhileherintelligencecontinuedtoassertthatallwaswell.WhatifherMatthewdidhaveanoccasionalsweetafternoon,theoddaffair?

Forsheknewquitewell,exceptinhermomentsofaridity,thattheywereveryhappy,thattheaffairswerenotimportant.

Perhapsthatwasthetrouble?

Itwasinthenatureofthingsthattheadventuresanddelightscouldnolongerbehers,becauseofthefourchildrenandthebighousethatneededsomuchattention.Butperhapsshewassecretlywishing,andevenknowingthatshedid,thatthewildnessandthebeautycouldbehis.Buthewasmarriedtoher.Shewasmarriedtohim.Theyweremarriedinextricably.Andthereforethegodscouldnotstrikehimwiththerealmagic,notreally.Well,wasitSusan’sfaultthatafterhecamehomefromanadventurehelookedharassedratherthanfulfilled?

（Infact,thatwashowsheknewhehadbeenunfaithful,becauseofhissullenair,andhisglancesather,similartohersathim:

WhatisitthatIsharewiththispersonthatshieldsalldelightfromme?

）Butnoneofitbyanybody’sfault.（Butwhatdidtheyfeeloughttobesomebody’sfault?

）Nobody’sfault,nothingtobeatfault,noonetoblame,noonetoofferortotakeit...andnothingwrong,either,exceptthatMatthewneverwasreallystruck,ashewantedtobe,byjoy;

andthatSusanwasmoreandmoreoftenthreatenedbyemptiness.（Itwasusuallyinthegardenthatshewasinvadedbythisfeeling:

shewascomingtoavoidthegarden,unlessthechildrenorMatthewwerewithher.）Therewasnoneedtousethedramaticwords,unfaithful,forgive,andtherest:

intelligenceforbadethem.Intelligencebarred,too,quarrelling,sulking,anger,silencesofwithdrawal,accusationsandtears.Aboveall,intelligenceforbidstears.

Ahighpricehastobepaidforthehappymarriagewiththefourhealthychildreninthelargewhitegardenedhouse.

Andtheywerepayingit,willingly,knowingwhattheyweredoing.Whentheylaysidebysideorbreasttobreastinthebigcivilisedbedroomoverlookingthewildsulliedriver,theylaughed,often,fornoparticularreason;

buttheyknewitwasreallybecauseofthesetwosmallpeople,SusanandMatthew,supportingsuchanedificeontheirintelligentlove.Thelaughcomfortedthem;

itsavedthemboth,thoughfromwhat,theydidnotknow.

Theywerenowbothfortyish.Theolderchildren,boyandgirlweretenandeight,atschool.Thetwins,six,werestillathome.Susandidnothavenursesorgirlstohelpher:

childhoodisshort;

andsh