“Bah!” exclaimed Karl Massouligny, “the question of complaisant husbands is a difficult one.
“啊！”卡尔·马苏利尼大声说道，“对于顺从丈夫的问题确实很难说清楚。 —

I have seen many kinds, and yet I am unable to give an opinion about any of them.
我见过很多种类，但是我对它们都无法发表意见。 —

I have often tried to determine whether they are blind, weak or clairvoyant.
我常常试图确定他们是糊涂、软弱还是有洞察力。 —

I believe that there are some which belong to each of these categories.
我相信每个类别中都有一些。

“Let us quickly pass over the blind ones.
“我们先忽略掉那些糊涂的人。 —

They cannot rightly be called complaisant, since they do not know, but they are good creatures who cannot see farther than their nose.
他们不能被称为顺从，因为他们不明白，但他们是善良的人，看不到比自己的鼻子更远的地方。 —

It is a curious and interesting thing to notice the ease with which men and women can, be deceived.
男人和女人被愚弄的能力是一件有趣而又令人着迷的事情。 —

We are taken in by the slightest trick of those who surround us, by our children, our friends, our servants, our tradespeople.
我们被身边的人——孩子、朋友、仆人、商人轻易地欺骗。 —

Humanity is credulous, and in order to discover deceit in others, we do not display one-tenth the shrewdness which we use when we, in turn, wish to deceive some one else.
人类是易轻信的，为了发现他人的欺骗，我们所展示出的机智不及我们欺骗他人时所使用的十分之一。

“Clairvoyant husbands may be divided into three classes:
有洞察力的丈夫可以分为三类： —

Those who have some interest, pecuniary, ambitious or otherwise, in their wife’s having love affairs.
那些在妻子有情事方面有一些利益、金钱上的、野心上的，或其他方面的； —

These ask only to safeguard appearances as much as possible, and they are satisfied.
这些人只是希望尽可能地维护外表，他们觉得满足了；

“Next come those who get angry.
接下来是那些生气的人。 —

What a beautiful novel one could write about them!
我们可以写一个多么美丽的小说来描述他们啊！

“Finally the weak ones! Those who are afraid of scandal.
最后是懦弱的人！那些害怕丑闻的人；

“There are also those who are powerless, or, rather, tired, who flee from the duties of matrimony through fear of ataxia or apoplexy, who are satisfied to see a friend run these risks.
还有那些无能或者更准确地说是疲惫的人，他们逃避婚姻的责任，害怕发生失调或中风，他们满足于看到一个朋友冒这些风险；

“But I once met a husband of a rare species, who guarded against the common accident in a strange and witty manner.
但是我曾经遇到过一种罕见的丈夫，他以一种奇特而机智的方式避免了常见的意外；

“In Paris I had made the acquaintance of an elegant, fashionable couple.
在巴黎，我结识了一个优雅时尚的夫妇； —

The woman, nervous, tall, slender, courted, was supposed to have had many love adventures.
这个女人神经质，高挑，苗条，被追求，人们认为她有过许多情事； —

She pleased me with her wit, and I believe that I pleased her also.
她的机智让我喜欢她，我相信我也讨她喜欢。 —

I courted her, a trial courting to which she answered with evident provocations.
我追求她，这是一段明显具有挑衅意味的追求。 —

Soon we got to tender glances, hand pressures, all the little gallantries which precede the final attack.
很快我们开始投以温柔的眼神，手指的交叠，所有那些在最后攻势之前进行的小小殷勤。

“Nevertheless, I hesitated. I consider that, as a rule, the majority of society intrigues, however short they may be, are not worth the trouble which they give us and the difficulties which may arise.
“然而，我犹豫了。我认为，通常情况下，社交纠葛无论多么短暂，都不值得我们花费精力和可能出现的困难。 —

I therefore mentally compared the advantages and disadvantages which I might expect, and I thought I noticed that the husband suspected me.
因此，我在心中比较了可能带来的利益和不利之处，我觉得丈夫对我有所怀疑。

“One evening, at a ball, as I was saying tender things to the young woman in a little parlor leading from the big hall where the dancing was going on, I noticed in a mirror the reflection of some one who was watching me.
“一个晚上，在一个舞会上，当我在一个从大厅通往小沙龙里对年轻女人说情话时，我在镜子里注意到有人在看着我。 —

It was he. Our looks met and then I saw him turn his head and walk away.
那人就是他。我们的目光相遇，然后我看到他转过头走开。

“I murmured: ‘Your husband is spying on us.’
“我轻声说：’你丈夫在监视我们。’

“She seemed dumbfounded and asked: ‘My husband?’
她似乎惊愕地问道：’我丈夫？’

“’Yes, he has been watching us for some time:
‘是的，他已经在暗中观察我们有一段时间了。’

“’Nonsense! Are you sure?’
““胡说！你确定吗？”

“’Very sure.’
““非常确定。”

“’How strange! He is usually extraordinarily pleasant to all my friends.’
““太奇怪了！他通常对我所有的朋友都极为友善。”

“’Perhaps he guessed that I love you!’
““也许他猜到我爱你！”

“’Nonsense! You are not the first one to pay attention to me.
““胡扯！你不是第一个注意我的人。 —

Every woman who is a little in view drags behind her a herd of admirers.’
每一个引人注目的女人身后都有一群追求者。”

“’Yes. But I love you deeply.’
““是的。但我深深地爱着你。”

“’Admitting that that is true, does a husband ever guess those things?’
““假如那是真的，一个丈夫会猜出这些事情吗？”

“’Then he is not jealous?’
““那他不嫉妒吗？”

“’No-no!’
““不，不会！”

“She thought for an instant and then continued:
“她思考了一会儿，然后继续说：“不。 —

‘No. I do not think that I ever noticed any jealousy on his part.’
我想我从来没有注意到他对此有任何嫉妒之处。”

“’Has he never watched you?’
““他从没有监视过你吗？”

“’No. As I said, he is always agreeable to my friends.’
““没有。正如我所说，他对我的朋友总是非常友好。”

“From that day my courting became much more assiduous.
“从那一天起，我的追求变得更加勤奋。 —

The woman did not please me any more than before, but the probable jealousy of her husband tempted me greatly.
这个女人并不比以前讨好我，但她丈夫可能的嫉妒却极大地引起了我的诱惑。

“As for her, I judged her coolly and clearly.
“至于她，我客观而清楚地判断她。 —

She had a certain worldly charm, due to a quick, gay, amiable and superficial mind, but no real, deep attraction.
她有一种世俗的魅力，源于敏捷、快乐、友善而肤浅的头脑，但没有真正深刻的吸引力。” —

She was, as I have already said, an excitable little being, all on the surface, with rather a showy elegance.
她，正如我之前所说，是一个容易激动的小家伙，表面上一片张扬的优雅。 —

How can I explain myself? She was an ornament, not a home.
我该如何解释呢？她只是一个装饰品，而不是一个家。

“One day, after taking dinner with her, her husband said to me, just as I was leaving:
“有一天，在与她共进晚餐后，她的丈夫在我离开时对我说： —

‘My dear friend’ (he now called me ‘friend’), ‘we soon leave for the country.
“亲爱的朋友”（他现在称呼我为“朋友”），“我们很快要去乡间了。 —

It is a great pleasure to my wife and myself to entertain people whom we like.
能够招待我们喜欢的人对我和我妻子来说是一大乐事。 —

We would be very pleased to have you spend a month with us.
如果你能和我们在一起一个月， —

It would be very nice of you to do so.’
那就太好了。”

“I was dumbfounded, but I accepted.
我惊讶得目瞪口呆，但我还是接受了。

“A month later I arrived at their estate of Vertcresson, in Touraine. They were waiting for me at the station, five miles from the chateau.
一个月后，我来到了他们在图林省的Vertcresson庄园。他们在离城堡五英里的车站等我。 —

There were three of them, she, the husband and a gentleman unknown to me, the Comte de Morterade, to whom I was introduced.
那里有三个人，她、她的丈夫和一个我不认识的绅士，名叫莫特拉德伯爵，我被介绍给了他。 —

He appeared to be delighted to make my acquaintance, and the strangest ideas passed through my mind while we trotted along the beautiful road between two hedges.
他看起来非常高兴与我结识，我们在两边是美丽的路上一直驰骋，我的脑海中涌现了最奇怪的念头。 —

I was saying to myself: ‘Let’s see, what can this mean?
我对自己说：“看看，这是什么意思呢？ —

Here is a husband who cannot doubt that his wife and I are on more than friendly terms, and yet he invites me to his house, receives me like an old friend and seems to say:
这个丈夫不能怀疑他的妻子和我不只是普通朋友的关系，然而他却邀请我到他家，像对待一位老朋友一样接待我，并且似乎在说着： —

“Go ahead, my friend, the road is clear!”’
“继续吧，我的朋友，道路畅通无阻！”

“Then I am introduced to a very pleasant gentleman, who seems already to have settled down in the house, and—and who is perhaps trying to get out of it, and who seems as pleased at my arrival as the husband himself.
“然后我认识了一个非常愉快的绅士，他似乎已经在这个家里安顿下来了，或许他正试图脱离这个家庭，他看到我的到来似乎和丈夫本人一样高兴。

“Is it some former admirer who wishes to retire?
“难道他是之前的仰慕者，希望退出舞台吗？ —

One might think so.
这样想也不无道理。 —

But, then, would these two men tacitly have come to one of these infamous little agreements so common in society?
但是，那么这两个男人可能默契地达成了一种在社交界中常见的卑劣的协议吗？ —

And it is proposed to me that I should quietly enter into the pact and carry it out.
然后，有人提议我悄悄地加入这个协议并执行它。 —

All hands and arms are held out to me.
所有的手和臂都向我伸出。 —

All doors and hearts are open to me.
所有的门和心灵都向我敞开。

“And what about her? An enigma.
“那她呢？个谜。 —

She cannot be ignorant of everything.
她不可能一无所知。 —

However—however—Well, I cannot understand it.
然而-然而-嗯，我无法理解。”

“The dinner was very gay and cordial.
“晚餐非常愉快且亲切。 —

On leaving the table the husband and his friend began to play cards, while I went out on the porch to look at the moonlight with madame.
离开餐桌后，丈夫和他的朋友开始打牌，而我和夫人一起走到阳台上欣赏月光。 —

She seemed to be greatly affected by nature, and I judged that the moment for my happiness was near.
她似乎对大自然非常感动，我觉得我幸福的时刻即将到来。 —

That evening she was really delightful.
那个晚上她真是令人愉快的。 —

The country had seemed to make her more tender. Her long, slender waist looked pretty on this stone porch beside a great vase in which grew some flowers.
乡村使她变得更加温柔。她修长的腰身在这个石质的阳台上看起来很美，在一个大花瓶旁边种有一些花。 —

I felt like dragging her out under the trees, throwing myself at her feet and speaking to her words of love.
我感觉很想把她拉到树下，跪在她脚前对她说情话。

“Her husband’s voice called ‘Louise!’
“她丈夫的声音喊道，‘露易丝！’

“’Yes, dear.’
“‘是的，亲爱的。’

“’You are forgetting the tea.’
“‘你忘记了茶。’

“’I’ll go and see about it, my friend.’
“‘我去看看，我的朋友。’

“We returned to the house, and she gave us some tea.
“我们回到屋子里，她给我们倒了些茶。 —

When the two men had finished playing cards, they were visibly tired.
两个男人打完牌后，明显都很疲倦。 —

I had to go to my room. I did not get to sleep till late, and then I slept badly.
我必须去我的房间了。我到很晚才入睡，而且睡得不好。”

“An excursion was decided upon for the following afternoon, and we went in an open carriage to visit some ruins.
“第二天下午我们决定进行一次短途旅行，我们乘坐开放式马车去参观一些废墟。 —

She and I were in the back of the vehicle and they were opposite us, riding backward. The conversation was sympathetic and agreeable.
她和我坐在车辆的后排，而他们则坐在我们对面，背向前行。我们的对话非常亲切和愉快。 —

I am an orphan, and it seemed to me as though I had just found my family, I felt so at home with them.
我是一个孤儿，但我觉得我刚刚找到了自己的家人，我和他们在一起感觉很亲切。

“Suddenly, as she had stretched out her foot between her husband’s legs, he murmured reproachfully:
“突然间，在她把脚伸在丈夫的腿之间时，他不满地嘀咕道： —

‘Louise, please don’t wear out your old shoes yourself.
‘露易丝，请不要把你的旧鞋子穿烂了自己。 —

There is no reason for being neater in Paris than in the country.’
在巴黎没有比在乡村更整洁的理由。’

“I lowered my eyes. She was indeed wearing worn-out shoes, and I noticed that her stockings were not pulled up tight.
“我垂下了眼睛。她的确穿着破旧的鞋子，我注意到她的袜子没有拉紧。

“She had blushed and hidden her foot under her dress.
“她脸红了，把脚藏在了裙子下面。 —

The friend was looking out in the distance with an indifferent and unconcerned look.
这位朋友则漠然地看着远处。

“The husband offered me a cigar, which I accepted.
“丈夫给了我一支雪茄，我接受了。 —

For a few days it was impossible for me to be alone with her for two minutes;
接下来的几天，我和她独处两分钟都是不可能的； —

he was with us everywhere. He was delightful to me, however.
他随处和我们在一起。但对我来说，他确实令人愉快。

“One morning he came to get me to take a walk before breakfast, and the conversation happened to turn on marriage.
“一天早上，在早餐前他来找我散步，谈话偶然转到了婚姻上。 —

I spoke a little about solitude and about how charming life can be made by the affection of a woman.
我稍微谈了一点关于孤独和女性的爱可以如何使生活变得迷人。突然， —

Suddenly he interrupted me, saying:
他打断了我，说道： —

‘My friend, don’t talk about things you know nothing about.
‘朋友，别谈你一无所知的事情。 —

A woman who has no other reason for loving you will not love you long.
一个没有其他理由爱你的女人不会长久地爱你。 —

All the little coquetries which make them so exquisite when they do not definitely belong to us cease as soon as they become ours.
所有那些使她们如此美妙的小手段在她们成为我们的人之后迅速消失。 —

And then—the respectable women—that is to say our wives—are—are not—in fact do not understand their profession of wife.
而且，贤妻们，也就是我们的妻子，不，实际上是不理解她们作为妻子的职业。 —

Do you understand?’
你懂吗？

“He said no more, and I could not guess his thoughts.
他没有再说话，我无法猜测他的想法。

“Two days after this conversation he called me to his room quite early, in order to show me a collection of engravings.
这次谈话两天后，他很早就叫我去他房间，给我看他的版画收藏。 —

I sat in an easy chair opposite the big door which separated his apartment from his wife’s, and behind this door I heard some one walking and moving, and I was thinking very little of the engravings, although I kept exclaiming:
我坐在一个舒适的扶手椅上，对着一扇大门，这扇门隔开了他的公寓和他妻子的房间。这扇门后面有人在走动，我对那些雕刻几乎没有什么想法，尽管我不断地惊叹道： —

‘Oh, charming! delightful! exquisite!’
“哦，迷人！可爱！精美！”

“He suddenly said: ‘Oh, I have a beautiful specimen in the next room.
“他突然说：‘哦，我在隔壁房间里有个漂亮的标本。 —

I’ll go and get it.’
我去取一下。’”

“He ran to the door quickly, and both sides opened as though for a theatrical effect.
“他迅速跑到门口，双面门就像剧院效果一样打开了。”

“In a large room, all in disorder, in the midst of skirts, collars, waists lying around on the floor, stood a tall, dried-up creature.
“在一间凌乱的大房间里，地板上散落着裙子、领子和上衣，在这一切中间站着一个干瘪的高个子人。” —

The lower part of her body was covered with an old, worn-out silk petticoat, which was hanging limply on her shapeless form, and she was standing in front of a mirror brushing some short, sparse blond hairs.
“她的下半身穿着一条破旧的丝质内裤，松垂地挂在她形状模糊的身上，她站在镜子前梳理着一些稀疏的金黄色短发。” —

Her arms formed two acute angles, and as she turned around in astonishment I saw under a common cotton chemise a regular cemetery of ribs, which were hidden from the public gaze by well-arranged pads.
“她的双臂呈两个锐角，当她惊讶地转过身时，我看到她在一件普通的棉质衬衫下面藏着一片排列整齐的假肋骨，这些肋骨是通过巧妙的填充物隐藏起来的，以避免被公众所见。”

“The husband uttered a natural exclamation and came back, closing the doors, and said: ‘Gracious!
“丈夫发出一个自然的惊叹声，然后回来关上门，说道：‘天哪！我真是多么愚蠢啊！哦，我多么不考虑啊！我的妻子永远不会原谅我这样做的！’” —

how stupid I am! Oh, how thoughtless!
“我已经觉得要感谢他了。三天后，我离开了， —

My wife will never forgive me for that!’
在与两个男人热情地握手和亲吻女士的手指后。”

“I already felt like thanking him.
—

I left three days later, after cordially shaking hands with the two men and kissing the lady’s fingers.
“她冷冷地告别我。” —

She bade me a cold good-by.”
卡尔·马苏利尼沉默了。有人问：“那位朋友是什么样的？”

Karl Massouligny was silent. Some one asked:
“我不知道，但是他看起来非常苦恼见我这么快就离开。 —

“But what was the friend?”
”

“I don’t know—however—however he looked greatly distressed to see me leaving so soon.”
“我不知道。”