The Moon and Sixpence月亮与六便士VI英文版.docx

The Moon and Sixpence月亮与六便士VI英文版.docx

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TheMoonandSixpence月亮与六便士VI英文版

TheMoonandSixpence月亮与六便士（VI）英文版

W.Somerset

ChapterL

Ihaveanideathatsomemenarebornoutoftheirdueplace.Accidenthascastthemamidcertainsurroundings,buttheyhavealwaysanostalgiaforahometheyknownot.Theyarestrangersintheirbirthplace,andtheleafylanestheyhaveknownfromchildhoodorthepopulousstreetsinwhichtheyhaveplayed,remainbutaplaceofpassage.Theymayspendtheirwholelivesaliensamongtheirkindredandremainaloofamongtheonlyscenestheyhaveeverknown.Perhapsitisthissenseofstrangenessthatsendsmenfarandwideinthesearchforsomethingpermanent,towhichtheymayattachthemselves.Perhapssomedeeprootedatavismurgesthewandererbacktolandswhichhisancestorsleftinthedimbeginningsofhistory.Sometimesamanhitsuponaplacetowhichhemysteriouslyfeelsthathebelongs.Hereisthehomehesought,andhewillsettleamidscenesthathehasneverseenbefore,amongmenhehasneverknown,asthoughtheywerefamiliartohimfromhisbirth.Hereatlasthefindsrest.

ItoldTiarethestoryofamanIhadknownatSt.Thomas'sHospital.HewasaJewnamedAbraham,ablond,ratherstoutyoungman,shyandveryunassuming;buthehadremarkablegifts.Heenteredthehospitalwithascholarship,andduringthefiveyearsofthecurriculumgainedeveryprizethatwasopentohim.Hewasmadehouse-physicianandhouse-surgeon.Hisbrilliancewasallowedbyall.Finallyhewaselectedtoapositiononthestaff,andhiscareerwasassured.Sofarashumanthingscanbepredicted,itwascertainthathewouldrisetothegreatestheightsofhisprofession.Honoursandwealthawaitedhim.Beforeheentereduponhisnewdutieshewishedtotakeaholiday,and,havingnoprivatemeans,hewentassurgeononatrampsteamertotheLevant.Itdidnotgenerallycarryadoctor,butoneoftheseniorsurgeonsatthehospitalknewadirectoroftheline,andAbrahamwastakenasafavour.

Inafewweekstheauthoritiesreceivedhisresignationofthecovetedpositiononthestaff.Itcreatedprofoundastonishment,andwildrumourswerecurrent.Wheneveramandoesanythingunexpected,hisfellowsascribeittothemostdiscreditablemotives.Buttherewasamanready

tostepintoAbraham'sshoes,andAbrahamwasforgotten.Nothingmorewasheardofhim.Hevanished.

Itwasperhapstenyearslaterthatonemorningonboardship,abouttolandatAlexandria,Iwasbiddentolineupwiththeotherpassengersforthedoctor'sexamination.Thedoctorwasastoutmaninshabbyclothes,andwhenhetookoffhishatInoticedthathewasverybald.IhadanideathatIhadseenhimbefore.SuddenlyIremembered.

"Abraham,"Isaid.

Heturnedtomewithapuzzledlook,andthen,recognizingme,seizedmyhand.Afterexpressionsofsurpriseoneitherside,hearingthatImeanttospendthenightinAlexandria,heaskedmetodinewithhimattheEnglishClub.WhenwemetagainIdeclaredmyastonishmentatfindinghimthere.Itwasaverymodestpositionthatheoccupied,andtherewasabouthimanairofstraitenedcircumstance.Thenhetoldmehisstory.WhenhesetoutonhisholidayintheMediterraneanhehadeveryintentionofreturningtoLondonandhisappointmentatSt.Thomas's.OnemorningthetrampdockedatAlexandria,andfromthedeckhelookedatthecity,whiteinthesunlight,andthecrowdonthewharf;hesawthenativesintheirshabbygabardines,theblacksfromtheSoudan,thenoisythrongofGreeksandItalians,thegraveTurksintarbooshes,thesunshineandthebluesky;andsomethinghappenedtohim.Hecouldnotdescribeit.Itwaslikeathunder-clap,hesaid,andthen,dissatisfiedwiththis,hesaiditwaslikearevelation.Somethingseemedtotwisthisheart,andsuddenlyhefeltanexultation,asenseofwonderfulfreedom.Hefelthimselfathome,andhemadeuphismindthereandthen,inaminute,thathewouldlivetherestofhislifeinAlexandria.Hehadnogreatdifficultyinleavingtheship,andintwenty-fourhours,withallhisbelongings,hewasonshore.

"TheCaptainmusthavethoughtyouasmadasahatter,"Ismiled.

"Ididn'tcarewhatanybodythought.Itwasn'tIthatacted,butsomethingstrongerwithinme.IthoughtIwouldgotoalittleGreekhotel,whileIlookedabout,andIfeltIknewwheretofindone.Anddoyouknow,Iwalkedstraightthere,andwhenIsawit,Irecogniseditatonce."

"HadyoubeentoAlexandriabefore?

"

"No;I'dneverbeenoutofEnglandinmylife."

PresentlyheenteredtheGovernmentservice,andtherehehadbeeneversince.

"Haveyouneverregrettedit?

"

"Never,notforaminute.Iearnjustenoughtoliveupon,andI'msatisfied.IasknothingmorethantoremainasIamtillIdie.I'vehadawonderfullife."

IleftAlexandrianextday,andIforgotaboutAbrahamtillalittlewhileago,whenIwasdiningwithanotheroldfriendintheprofession,AlecCarmichael,whowasinEnglandonshortleave.Iranacrosshiminthestreetandcongratulatedhimontheknighthoodwithwhichhiseminentservicesduringthewarhadbeenrewarded.Wearrangedtospendaneveningtogetherforoldtime'ssake,andwhenIagreedtodinewithhim,heproposedthatheshouldasknobodyelse,sothatwecouldchatwithoutinterruption.HehadabeautifuloldhouseinQueenAnneStreet,andbeingamanoftastehehadfurnisheditadmirably.OnthewallsofthediningroomIsawacharmingBellotto,andtherewasapairofZoffanysthatIenvied.Whenhiswife,atall,lovelycreatureinclothofgold,hadleftus,Iremarkedlaughinglyonthechangeinhispresentcircumstancesfromthosewhenwehadbothbeenmedicalstudents.WehadlookeduponitthenasanextravagancetodineinashabbyItalianrestaurantintheWestminsterBridgeRoad.NowAlecCarmichaelwasonthestaffofhalfadozenhospitals.Ishouldthinkheearnedtenthousandayear,andhisknighthoodwasbutthefirstofthehonourswhichmustinevitablyfalltohislot.

"I'vedoneprettywell,"hesaid,"butthestrangethingisthatIoweitalltoonepieceofluck."

"Whatdoyoumeanbythat?

"

"Well,doyourememberAbraham?

Hewasthemanwhohadthefuture.Whenwewerestudentshebeatmeallalongtheline.HegottheprizesandthescholarshipsthatIwentinfor.Ialwaysplayedsecondfiddletohim.Ifhe'dkeptonhe'dbeinthepositionI'minnow.Thatmanhadageniusforsurgery.Noonehadalookinwithhim.WhenhewasappointedRegistraratThomas'sIhadn'tachanceofgettingonthestaff.IshouldhavehadtobecomeaG.P.,andyouknowwhatlikelihoodthereisforaG.P.evertogetoutofthecommonrut.ButAbrahamfellout,andIgotthejob.Thatgavememyopportunity."

"Idaresaythat'strue."

"Itwasjustluck.IsupposetherewassomekinkinAbraham.Poordevil,he'sgonetothedogsaltogether.He'sgotsometwopenny-halfpennyjobinthemedicalatAlexandria--sanitaryofficerorsomethinglikethat.I'mtoldheliveswithanuglyoldGreekwomanandhashalfadozenscrofulouskids.Thefactis,Isuppose,thatit'snotenoughtohavebrains.Thethingthatcountsischaracter.Abrahamhadn'tgotcharacter."

Character?

Ishouldhavethoughtitneededagooddealofcharactertothrowupacareerafterhalfanhour'smeditation,becauseyousawinanotherwayoflivingamoreintensesignificance.Anditrequiredstillmorecharacternevertoregretthesuddenstep.ButIsaidnothing,andAlecCarmichaelproceededreflectively:

"OfcourseitwouldbehypocriticalformetopretendthatIregretwhatAbrahamdid.Afterall,I'vescoredbyit."HepuffedluxuriouslyatthelongCoronahewassmoking."ButifIweren'tpersonallyconcernedIshouldbesorryatthewaste.Itseemsarottenthingthatamanshouldmakesuchahashoflife."

IwonderedifAbrahamreallyhadmadeahashoflife.Istodowhatyoumostwant,toliveundertheconditionsthatpleaseyou,inpeacewithyourself,tomakeahashoflife;andisitsuccesstobeaneminentsurgeonwithtenthousandayearandabeautifulwife?

Isupposeitdependsonwhatmeaningyouattachtolife,theclaimwhichyouacknowledgetosociety,andtheclaimoftheindividual.ButagainIheldmytongue,forwhoamItoarguewithaknight?

ChapterLI

Tiare,whenItoldherthisstory,praisedmyprudence,andforafewminutesweworkedinsilence,forwewereshellingpeas.Thenhereyes,alwaysalertfortheaffairsofherkitchen,fellonsomeactionoftheChinesecookwhicharousedherviolentdisapproval.Sheturnedonhimwithatorrentofabuse.TheChinkwasnotbackwardtodefendhimself,andaverylivelyquarrelensued.Theyspokeinthenativelanguage,ofwhichIhadlearntbuthalfadozenwords,anditsoundedasthoughtheworldwouldshortlycometoanend;butpresentlypeacewasrestoredandTiaregavethecookacigarette.Theybothsmokedcomfortably.

"Doyouknow,itwasIwhofoundhimhiswife?

"saidTiaresuddenly,withasmilethatspreadalloverherimmenseface.

"Thecook?

""No,Strickland."

"Buthehadonealready."

"Thatiswhathesaid,butItoldhimshewasinEngland,andEnglandisattheotherendoftheworld."

"True,"Ireplied.

"HewouldcometoPapeeteeverytwoorthreemonths,whenhewantedpaintsortobaccoormoney,andthenhewouldwanderaboutlikealostdog.Iwassorryforhim.IhadagirlherethencalledAtatodotherooms;shewassomesortofarelationofmine,andherfatherandmotherweredead,soIhadhertolivewithme.Stricklandusedtocomeherenowandthentohaveasquaremealortoplaychesswithoneoftheboys.Inoticedthatshelookedathimwhenhecame,andIaskedherifshelikedhim.Shesaidshelikedhimwellenough.Youknowwhatthesegirlsare;they'realwayspleased