Shortly before Christmas Dirk Stroeve came to ask me to spend the holiday with him. —
不久前，德克·斯特罗夫来找我，要我和他一起度过圣诞节。 —

He had a characteristic sentimentality about the day and wanted to pass it among his friends with suitable ceremonies. —
他对这一天有一种特有的感伤情怀，想要在朋友们中间进行适当的仪式。 —

Neither of us had seen Strickland for two or three weeks – I because I had been busy with friends who were spending a little while in Paris, and Stroeve because, having quarreled with him more violently than usual, he had made up his mind to have nothing more to do with him. —
我们俩都有两三周没有见到斯特里克兰了–我是因为我忙着和一些在巴黎度假的朋友在一起，而斯特罗夫则是因为他与他发生比平常更激烈的争吵，并下定决心不再和他有任何联系。 —

Strickland was impossible, and he swore never to speak to him again. —
斯特里克兰太难相处了，他发誓永远不会再和他说话。 —

But the season touched him with gentle feeling, and he hated the thought of Strickland spending Christmas Day by himself; —
但是这个季节触动了他的柔情，他不愿意想到斯特里克兰会独自度过圣诞节； —

he ascribed his own emotions to him, and could not bear that on an occasion given up to good-fellowship the lonely painter should be abandoned to his own melancholy. —
他把自己的情感投射到他身上，无法忍受在一个致力于友谊的日子里，这位孤独的画家会被抛弃在自己的忧郁中。 —

Stroeve had set up a Christmas-tree in his studio, and I suspected that we should both find absurd little presents hanging on its festive branches; —
斯特罗夫在他的工作室里装饰了一个圣诞树，我怀疑我们两个都会在这个喜庆的树枝上发现荒谬的小礼物； —

but he was shy about seeing Strickland again; —
但他对再次见到斯特里克兰感到害羞； —

it was a little humiliating to forgive so easily insults so outrageous, and he wished me to be present at the reconciliation on which he was determined.
那么轻易地原谅如此令人无法容忍的侮辱，有点令人羞愧，他希望我在他决定要进行的和解时在场。

We walked together down the Avenue de Clichy, but Strickland was not in the cafe. —
我们一起沿着克里希大街走，但是斯特里克兰没有出现在咖啡馆里。 —

It was too cold to sit outside, and we took our places on leather benches within. —
外面太冷了，我们在内部的皮制长凳上坐下来。 —

It was hot and stuffy, and the air was gray with smoke. —
里面又热又闷，空气里弥漫着烟雾。 —

Strickland did not come, but presently we saw the French painter who occasionally played chess with him. —
斯特里克兰没有出现，但是我们随后看到了偶尔与他下象棋的法国画家。 —

I had formed a casual acquaintance with him, and he sat down at our table. —
我有一点点认识他，他在我们的桌子旁坐下。 —

Stroeve asked him if he had seen Strickland.
斯特罗夫问他是否见过斯特里克兰。

“He’s ill, ” he said. “Didn’t you know?”
“他病了，”他说。“你不知道吗？”

“Seriously?”
“真的吗？”

“Very, I understand. “
“确实如此，我明白。”

Stroeve’s face grew white.
斯特罗夫的脸变得苍白。

“Why didn’t he write and tell me? How stupid of me to quarrel with him. —
“他为什么不写信告诉我？我跟他吵架真是太愚蠢了。” —

We must go to him at once. He can have no one to look after him. —
“我们必须立刻去看他。他可能没有人照顾。” —

Where does he live?”
“他住在哪里？”

“I have no idea, ” said the Frenchman.
“我一点都不知道，”法国人说。

We discovered that none of us knew how to find him. Stroeve grew more and more distressed.
我们发现我们都不知道如何找到他。斯特罗夫变得越来越焦虑。

“He might die, and not a soul would know anything about it. It’s dreadful. —
“他可能会死，却没有一个人知道。太可怕了。” —

I can’t bear the thought. We must find him at once. “
“我无法忍受这个想法。我们必须立刻找到他。”

I tried to make Stroeve understand that it was absurd to hunt vaguely about Paris. We must first think of some plan.
我试图让斯特罗夫明白，在巴黎四处寻找是荒谬的。我们必须先想出一些计划。

“Yes; but all this time he may be dying, and when we get there it may be too late to do anything. “
“是的；但这段时间他可能在临死，等我们找到他时可能已经来不及做任何事了。”

“Sit still and let us think, ” I said impatiently.
“坐下来让我们先想想，”我不耐烦地说。

The only address I knew was the Hotel des Belges, but Strickland had long left that, and they would have no recollection of him. —
我唯一知道的地址是Hotel des Belges，但斯特里克兰德很久以前就离开了那里，他们可能不会记得他。 —

With that queer idea of his to keep his whereabouts secret, it was unlikely that, on leaving, he had said where he was going. —
有了他保守行踪的古怪想法，他离开时不太可能告诉别人他去了哪里。 —

Besides, it was more than five years ago. I felt pretty sure that he had not moved far. —
况且，那已经是五年前的事了。我很确定他并没有搬得很远。 —

If he continued to frequent the same cafe as when he had stayed at the hotel, it was probably because it was the most convenient. —
如果他依然经常光顾住过的咖啡馆，那可能是因为那是最方便的。 —

Suddenly I remembered that he had got his commission to paint a portrait through the baker from whom he bought his bread, and it struck me that there one might find his address. —
突然我记起他得到画一幅肖像的委托是通过他买面包的面包师从而得到的，我意识到那里也许能找到他的地址。 —

I called for a directory and looked out the bakers. —
我呼叫了一个电话簿查找面包师。 —

There were five in the immediate neighbourhood, and the only thing was to go to all of them. —
附近有五家，唯一的办法就是全都去一遍。 —

Stroeve accompanied me unwillingly. His own plan was to run up and down the streets that led out of the Avenue de Clichy and ask at every house if Strickland lived there. —
斯特罗夫不情愿地陪着我。他自己的计划是在往克利希大道出去的街道上来回跑，问每一家房子里是不是住着斯特里克兰。 —

My commonplace scheme was, after all, effective, for in the second shop we asked at the woman behind the counter acknowledged that she knew him. —
结果，我的平凡计划还真管用，因为在第二家店，我们问后柜台的女售货员承认她认识他。 —

She was not certain where he lived, but it was in one of the three houses opposite. —
她不确定他住在哪里，不过肯定是对面那三栋房子的一栋里。 —

Luck favoured us, and in the first we tried the concierge told us that we should find him on the top floor.
运气眷顾我们，在我们尝试的第一家，看门人告诉我们会在顶楼找到他。

“It appears that he’s ill, ” said Stroeve.
“好像他病了，” 斯特罗夫说。

“It may be, ” answered the concierge indifferently. —
“也许吧，”看门人漠不关心地回答。 —

” En effet, I have not seen him for several days. “
“事实上，我有好几天没见他了。”

Stroeve ran up the stairs ahead of me, and when I reached the top floor I found him talking to a workman in his shirt-sleeves who had opened a door at which Stroeve had knocked. —
斯特罗夫在我之前跑上楼梯，当我到达顶楼时，发现他正和一个穿着汗衫的工人交谈，后者打开了斯特罗夫敲门的一扇门。 —

He pointed to another door. He believed that the person who lived there was a painter. —
他指向另一扇门。他相信住在那里的人是个画家。 —

He had not seen him for a week. Stroeve made as though he were about to knock, and then turned to me with a gesture of helplessness. —
他已经一个星期没见到他了。斯特罗夫仿佛要敲门，然后转身向我做了个无奈的手势。 —

I saw that he was panic-stricken.
我看出他惊慌失措了。

“Supposing he’s dead?”
“要是他死了呢？”

“Not he, ” I said.
“不会的，”我说道。

I knocked. There was no answer. I tried the handle, and found the door unlocked. —
我敲门，没有回应。我试了试门把手，发现门没锁。 —

I walked in, and Stroeve followed me. The room was in darkness. —
我走了进去，斯特罗夫跟在我后面。房间一片黑暗。 —

I could only see that it was an attic, with a sloping roof; —
我只能看到这是个阁楼，有一个倾斜的屋顶； —

and a faint glimmer, no more than a less profound obscurity, came from a skylight.
从一个天窗透进来的微弱光芒，只能让我看清一个比较昏暗的地方。

“Strickland, ” I called.
“斯特里克兰德，”我喊道。

There was no answer. It was really rather mysterious, and it seemed to me that Stroeve, standing just behind, was trembling in his shoes. —
没有回应。这真的有点神秘，我觉得站在我身后的斯特罗夫正在瑟瑟发抖。 —

For a moment I hesitated to strike a light. —
我犹豫了一下是否点灯。 —

I dimly perceived a bed in the corner, and I wondered whether the light would disclose lying on it a dead body.
我隐约看到角落里有一张床，我不知道灯光照亮后是否会露出一具躺着的尸体。

“Haven’t you got a match, you fool?”
“你没火柴吗，蠢货？”

Strickland’s voice, coming out of the darkness, harshly, made me start.
斯特里克兰德的声音从黑暗中刺耳地传来，把我吓了一跳。

Stroeve cried out.
斯特罗夫惊叫起来。

“Oh, my God, I thought you were dead. “
“天啊，我还以为你已经死了。”

I struck a match, and looked about for a candle. —
我划着一根火柴，四处寻找蜡烛。 —

I had a rapid glimpse of a tiny apartment, half room, half studio, in which was nothing but a bed, canvases with their faces to the wall, an easel, a table, and a chair. —
我迅速看到了一个微小的公寓，半个房间，半个画室，里面除了一张床、面朝墙壁的画布、一个画架、一张桌子和一把椅子之外什么都没有。 —

There was no carpet on the floor. There was no fire-place. —
地板上没有地毯。也没有火炉。 —

On the table, crowded with paints, palette-knives, and litter of all kinds, was the end of a candle. I lit it. —
桌子上堆满了颜料、调色刀和各种杂乱的东西，上面有一支蜡烛的一端。我点燃了它。 —

Strickland was lying in the bed, uncomfortably because it was too small for him, and he had put all his clothes over him for warmth. —
斯特里克兰躺在床上，因为床对他来说太小而感到不舒服，他把所有的衣服都盖在身上取暖。 —

It was obvious at a glance that he was in a high fever. —
一眼看去就能看出他发高烧了。 —

Stroeve, his voice cracking with emotion, went up to him.
斯特罗夫充满情感地走向他。

“Oh, my poor friend, what is the matter with you? I had no idea you were ill. —
“哦，我的可怜朋友，你怎么了？我完全不知道你病了。 —

Why didn’t you let me know? You must know I’d have done anything in the world for you. —
为什么不告诉我？你应该知道我会为你做任何事。 —

Were you thinking of what I said? I didn’t mean it. —
你是不是在想我说的话？我并不是那个意思。 —

I was wrong. It was stupid of me to take offence. “
我错了。我愚蠢地冒犯了。”

“Go to hell, ” said Strickland.
“滚吧，”斯特里克兰说。

“Now, be reasonable. Let me make you comfortable. Haven’t you anyone to look after you?”
“现在，理智点。让我让你舒服些。你难道没有人照顾你吗？”

He looked round the squalid attic in dismay. He tried to arrange the bed-clothes. —
他沮丧地看了看肮脏的阁楼。他试图整理床上的被褥。 —

Strickland, breathing laboriously, kept an angry silence. —
斯特里克兰很费力地呼吸着，保持着愤怒的沉默。 —

He gave me a resentful glance. I stood quite quietly, looking at him.
他不悦地瞥了我一眼。我站在那里静静地看着他。

“If you want to do something for me, you can get me some milk, ” he said at last. —
“如果你想帮我，可以去给我拿点牛奶，”他最终说道。 —

“I haven’t been able to get out for two days. —
“我已经连续两天没能出去了。 —

” There was an empty bottle by the side of the bed, which had contained milk, and in a piece of newspaper a few crumbs.
床边有一个空瓶子，里面装着牛奶，还有一张报纸上有几根面包屑。

“What have you been having?” I asked.
“你吃过什么？”我问道。

“Nothing. “
“什么都没吃。

“For how long?” cried Stroeve. “Do you mean to say you’ve had nothing to eat or drink for two days? It’s horrible. “
“多久了？”斯特罗夫大喊道，”难道你真的连续两天没吃没喝吗？太可怕了。

“I’ve had water. “
“我只喝了水。

His eyes dwelt for a moment on a large can within reach of an outstretched arm.
他的眼睛顿时转向了床边一个大桶，只要伸手就能够够到。

“I’ll go immediately, ” said Stroeve. “Is there anything you fancy?”
“我马上去，”斯特罗夫说道，”你想要什么？”

I suggested that he should get a thermometer, and a few grapes, and some bread. —
我建议他带一个体温计，几颗葡萄，还有一些面包。 —

Stroeve, glad to make himself useful, clattered down the stairs.
斯特罗夫乐意帮忙，踏着脚步下了楼。

“Damned fool, ” muttered Strickland.
“可恶的傻瓜，”斯特里克兰喃喃自语。

I felt his pulse. It was beating quickly and feebly. —
我测了他的脉搏。跳动急促又无力。 —

I asked him one or two questions, but he would not answer, and when I pressed him he turned his face irritably to the wall. —
我问了他一两个问题，但他不肯回答，当我逼问他时，他恼怒地将脸朝向墙壁。 —

The only thing was to wait in silence. In ten minutes Stroeve, panting, came back. —
唯一的办法就是默默地等待。十分钟后，气喘吁吁的斯特罗夫回来了。 —

Besides what I had suggested, he brought candles, and meat-juice, and a spirit-lamp. —
除了我建议的东西，他还带来了蜡烛、肉汁和一只酒精灯。 —

He was a practical little fellow, and without delay set about making bread-and-milk. —
他是一个实际的小家伙，毫不拖延地开始制作面包牛奶。 —

I took Strickland’s temperature. It was a hundred and four. —
我给斯特里克兰量了体温。是一百零四度。 —

He was obviously very ill.
显然他病得很厉害。