I scarcely know how we got through that day. —
我几乎不知道那一天我们是如何熬过来的。 —

Stroeve could not bear to be alone, and I exhausted myself in efforts to distract him. —
斯特罗夫无法独自一人，而我努力让他分心，结果精疲力尽。 —

I took him to the Louvre, and he pretended to look at pictures, but I saw that his thoughts were constantly with his wife. —
我带他去卢浮宫，他假装在看画，但我看得出他的思绪总是在妻子身上。 —

I forced him to eat, and after luncheon I induced him to lie down, but he could not sleep. —
我强迫他吃东西，午餐后我让他躺下，但他无法入睡。 —

He accepted willingly my invitation to remain for a few days in my apartment. —
他乐意接受我邀请在我公寓住几天。 —

I gave him books to read, but after a page or two he would put the book down and stare miserably into space. —
我给他一些书看，但一页或两页后他就会放下书，悲伤地凝视着空间。 —

During the evening we played innumerable games of piquet, and bravely, not to disappoint my efforts, he tried to appear interested. —
晚上我们玩了无数局皮克特牌，他勉力不让我失望，试图显得感兴趣。 —

Finally I gave him a draught, and he sank into uneasy slumber.
最后我给他服了药，他陷入不安的睡眠中。

When we went again to the hospital we saw a nursing sister. —
我们再次去了医院，遇到一位护士姐姐。 —

She told us that Blanche seemed a little better, and she went in to ask if she would see her husband. —
她告诉我们布兰奇看起来好一点了，然后进去问她是否愿意见她的丈夫。 —

We heard voices in the room in which she lay, and presently the nurse returned to say that the patient refused to see anyone. —
我们听见她躺着的房间里有声音，不久护士回来说病人拒绝见任何人。 —

We had told her that if she refused to see Dirk the nurse was to ask if she would see me, but this she refused also. —
我们告诉她如果她不愿意见德克，护士应该问她是否愿意见我，但她也拒绝了。 —

Dirk’s lips trembled.
德克的嘴唇颤抖。

“I dare not insist, ” said the nurse. “She is too ill. —
“我不敢坚持，” 护士说，“她太虚弱了。 —

Perhaps in a day or two she may change her mind. “
也许过几天她会改变主意。”

“Is there anyone else she wants to see?” asked Dirk, in a voice so low it was almost a whisper.
“她还想见其他人吗？”迪克低声问道，声音几乎像是在耳语。

“She says she only wants to be left in peace. “
“她说她只想被安心地留下。”

Dirk’s hands moved strangely, as though they had nothing to do with his body, with a movement of their own.
迪克的手奇异地移动着，仿佛它们与他的身体无关，独自运动。

“Will you tell her that if there is anyone else she wishes to see I will bring him? —
“请告诉她，如果她还希望见其他人，我可以带他来。 —

I only want her to be happy. “
我只想让她快乐。”

The nurse looked at him with her calm, kind eyes, which had seen all the horror and pain of the world, and yet, filled with the vision of a world without sin, remained serene.
护士用她那双宁静、善良的眼睛看着他，这双眼睛见过世界上所有的恐惧和痛苦，但仍然宁静地怀有一个没有罪恶的世界的幻想。

“I will tell her when she is a little calmer. “
“她情绪稍微平静一点的时候我会告诉她。”

Dirk, filled with compassion, begged her to take the message at once.
迪克充满怜悯，恳求她立刻传达这个消息。

“It may cure her. I beseech you to ask her now. “
“这可能会让她好转。我求求你现在就问问她。”

With a faint smile of pity, the nurse went back into the room. —
护士带着怜悯的微笑再次走进房间。 —

We heard her low voice, and then, in a voice I did not recognise the answer:
我们听到她低低的声音，然后，有一个我不认识的声音回答道：

“No. No. No. “
“不。不。不。”

The nurse came out again and shook her head.
护士再次走出来摇了摇头。

“Was that she who spoke then?” I asked. “Her voice sounded so strange. “
“那是她刚才说话吗？”我问道。”她的声音听起来很奇怪。”

“It appears that her vocal cords have been burnt by the acid. “
“看起来她的声带已经被酸蚀伤到了。”

Dirk gave a low cry of distress. I asked him to go on and wait for me at the entrance, for I wanted to say something to the nurse. —
迪克发出低低的苦恼叫声。我让他继续等我在入口处，因为我想对护士说几句话。 —

He did not ask what it was, but went silently. —
他没有问那是什么，静静地走了。 —

He seemed to have lost all power of will; —
他似乎失去了所有意志力; —

he was like an obedient child.
他就像一名听话的孩子。

“Has she told you why she did it?” I asked.
“她告诉过你为什么这样做吗?”我问。

“No. She won’t speak. She lies on her back quite quietly. She doesn’t move for hours at a time. —
“没有。她不愿开口。她一直静静地躺在床上。有时候几个小时都不动。 —

But she cries always. Her pillow is all wet. —
但她总是哭。她的枕头都湿透了。 —

She’s too weak to use a handkerchief, and the tears just run down her face. “
她太虚弱了，无力使用手绢，眼泪直流下来。”

It gave me a sudden wrench of the heart-strings. —
这让我感到内心一阵剧痛。 —

I could have killed Strickland then, and I knew that my voice was trembling when I bade the nurse goodbye.
那时我几乎想杀了斯特里克兰，我知道当我跟护士告别时，我的声音在颤抖。

I found Dirk waiting for me on the steps. —
我发现迪克正等在台阶上。 —

He seemed to see nothing, and did not notice that I had joined him till I touched him on the arm. —
他似乎什么都看不见，甚至没注意到我加入他，直到我碰了他的手臂。 —

We walked along in silence. I tried to imagine what had happened to drive the poor creature to that dreadful step. —
我们沿着街走着。我试图想象是什么事情把可怜的人逼到那么可怕的地步。 —

I presumed that Strickland knew what had happened, for someone must have been to see him from the police, and he must have made his statement. —
我猜想斯特里克兰知道发生了什么，因为肯定有人从警察来找他了，他应该已经做了陈述。 —

I did not know where he was. I supposed he had gone back to the shabby attic which served him as a studio. —
我不知道他在哪里。我猜他可能回到了那个破旧的阁楼，那里是他的工作室。 —

It was curious that she should not wish to see him. —
奇怪的是，她竟然不想见他。 —

Perhaps she refused to have him sent for because she knew he would refuse to come. —
也许她拒绝让人去找他，是因为她知道他会拒绝前来。 —

I wondered what an abyss of cruelty she must have looked into that in horror she refused to live.
我想知道她究竟看到了怎样残忍的深渊，以至于恐惧地拒绝继续活下去。