I settled down in Paris and began to write a play. —
我在巴黎定居下来，开始写一部戏剧。 —

I led a very regular life, working in the morning, and in the afternoon lounging about the gardens of the Luxembourg or sauntering through the streets. —
我过着非常规律的生活，早晨工作，下午在卢森堡花园闲逛或在街上漫步。 —

I spent long hours in the Louvre, the most friendly of all galleries and the most convenient for meditation; —
我在卢浮宫待了很长时间，这是所有画廊中最友好、最适合冥想的地方。 —

or idled on the quays, fingering second-hand books that I never meant to buy. —
或者在河岸闲逛，摸摸那些我从未打算购买的旧书。 —

I read a page here and there, and made acquaintance with a great many authors whom I was content to know thus desultorily. —
我随意地阅读一两页，并结识了很多作者，我很满足于这种零星的认识。 —

In the evenings I went to see my friends. —
晚上我去看朋友。 —

I looked in often on the Stroeves, and sometimes shared their modest fare. —
我经常拜访斯特鲁夫一家，并有时与他们共进简朴的晚餐。 —

Dirk Stroeve flattered himself on his skill in cooking Italian dishes, and I confess that his spaghetti were very much better than his pictures. —
德克·斯特罗夫自认为自己擅长做意大利菜，我承认他的意面比他的画好得多。 —

It was a dinner for a King when he brought in a huge dish of it, succulent with tomatoes, and we ate it together with the good household bread and a bottle of red wine. —
他真正饱满多汁的西红柿意面端上来时，那是一顿国王的大餐，我们一起享用着好面包和一瓶红酒。 —

I grew more intimate with Blanche Stroeve, and I think, because I was English and she knew few English people, she was glad to see me. —
我与布兰奇·斯特罗夫的友谊更加亲密，我想，因为我是英国人，而她认识的英国人不多，所以她很高兴见到我。 —

She was pleasant and simple, but she remained always rather silent, and I knew not why, gave me the impression that she was concealing something. —
她很愉快、很纯真，但我不知道为什么，却给我一种她在隐瞒某事的印象。 —

But I thought that was perhaps no more than a natural reserve accentuated by the verbose frankness of her husband. —
但我想那或许仅仅是一种自然的保留，被她丈夫滔滔不绝的坦率所夸大。 —

Dirk never concealed anything. He discussed the most intimate matters with a complete lack of self-consciousness. —
德克从不隐藏任何事情。他毫不自觉地讨论最私密的事情。 —

Sometimes he embarrassed his wife, and the only time I saw her put out of countenance was when he insisted on telling me that he had taken a purge, and went into somewhat realistic details on the subject. —
有时他会让他妻子尴尬，我见她为他坚持要告诉我他吃泻药的事而感到难堪，而且在这个话题上有些逼真地细节描述。 —

The perfect seriousness with which he narrated his misfortunes convulsed me with laughter, and this added to Mrs. Stroeve’s irritation.
他认真地叙述自己的不幸使我捧腹大笑，这让斯特罗夫太太感到更加愤怒。

“You seem to like making a fool of yourself, ” she said.
“她说，’你似乎喜欢让自己出丑。’”

His round eyes grew rounder still, and his brow puckered in dismay as he saw that she was angry.
“他圆圆的眼睛变得更加圆，他的额头因为看到她生气而皱起来，表现出惊愕。”

“Sweetheart, have I vexed you? I’ll never take another. It was only because I was bilious. —
”‘亲爱的，我让你生气了吗？我绝不再接受别人。只是因为我胃不舒服。” —

I lead a sedentary life. I don’t take enough exercise. —
“我过着久坐的生活。我不运动不够。” —

For three days I hadn’t … “
“三天没……”

“For goodness sake, hold your tongue, ” she interrupted, tears of annoyance in her eyes.
“求求你，闭嘴吧，”她打断了他，眼里闪着烦恼的泪光。

His face fell, and he pouted his lips like a scolded child. —
“他的脸色一沉，撅起嘴像个受到责骂的孩子。 —

He gave me a look of appeal, so that I might put things right, but, unable to control myself, I shook with helpless laughter.
“他向我求助的眼神，希望我能把事情弄对，但无法控制自己，我只能无奈地笑个不停。

We went one day to the picture-dealer in whose shop Stroeve thought he could show me at least two or three of Strickland’s pictures, but when we arrived were told that Strickland himself had taken them away. —
“我们有一天去了图画商那里，Stroeve认为他至少能给我展示两三幅Strickland的画，但当我们到达时被告知Strickland自己已经把它们拿走了。 —

The dealer did not know why.
店主也不知道为什么。

“But don’t imagine to yourself that I make myself bad blood on that account. —
“但别误会我因此而自讨没趣。 —

I took them to oblige Monsieur Stroeve, and I said I would sell them if I could. —
我只是为了让Stroeve满意才带走的，我说如果可以我会卖掉它们。 —

But really –” He shrugged his shoulders. —
但实际上——”他耸了耸肩。 —

“I’m interested in the young men, but voyons, you yourself, Monsieur Stroeve, you don’t think there’s any talent there. “
“我对年轻艺术家很感兴趣，但是，你啊，Stroeve先生，你不觉得那里有天赋。

“I give you my word of honour, there’s no one painting to-day in whose talent I am more convinced. —
“我发誓，现在没有一个我对他的才华更加确信的画家。” —

Take my word for it, you are missing a good affair. —
相信我，你错过了一段很好的事件。 —

Some day those pictures will be worth more than all you have in your shop. —
总有一天，这些照片将比你店里所有的东西都更有价值。 —

Remember Monet, who could not get anyone to buy his pictures for a hundred francs. —
还记得莫奈吗，当时没有人愿意以一百法郎买他的画。 —

What are they worth now?”
现在他们值多少钱？

“True. But there were a hundred as good painters as Monet who couldn’t sell their pictures at that time, and their pictures are worth nothing still. —
“没错。但有一百位和莫奈一样好的画家当时也无法卖出自己的画，他们的画至今毫无价值。” —

How can one tell? Is merit enough to bring success? Don’t believe it. —
如何辨别呢？光凭才华就能获得成功吗？别傻信。 —

Du reste, it has still to be proved that this friend of yours has merit. —
此外，你的那位朋友是否有才华还有待考证。 —

No one claims it for him but Monsieur Stroeve. “
除了斯特罗夫先生，没有人为他宣扬才华。

“And how, then, will you recognise merit?” asked Dirk, red in the face with anger.
“那么，你如何辨别才华？”迪尔克气得脸红了。

“There is only one way – by success. “
“只有一种方法——通过成功。”

“Philistine, ” cried Dirk.
“市侩！”迪尔克叫道。

“But think of the great artists of the past – Raphael, Michael Angelo, Ingres, Delacroix – they were all successful. “
“但想一想过去的伟大艺术家——拉斐尔、米开朗基罗、英格里斯、德拉克洛瓦——他们都取得了成功。”

“Let us go, ” said Stroeve to me, “or I shall kill this man. “
“咱们走吧。”斯特罗夫对我说，“不然我会杀了这人。”