Chapter 6 ends of the earth

George Moon was sitting in his office.His work was done and he was still hanging around the office because he wasn't in the mood to go to the club.It's almost lunch time, and there must be a lot of people in the club's bar room.Maybe two or three of them would buy him a drink, and he couldn't face their enthusiasm.He had known some people for thirty years.They bored him, he hated them in general, and yet now it pained him to think that this was the last time he would see them.Tonight, they will hold a farewell banquet for him.Everyone will be there, and they will give him the silver tea service he doesn't even want as a souvenir.They will deliver speeches praising his excellent service in the colony, regretting his departure and wishing him a long life in retirement.He will give the appropriate answer.He had prepared a speech in which he wanted to talk about some of the changes that had taken place over the years - he had first come to Singapore as a midshipman.He would like to thank everyone for their cooperation during his tenure, and expressed his honor to serve the residents of Kota Belud, and wished this area a bright future, especially Kota Belud, there will be a bright future .He would remind people that the Kota Belud he knew when he first came was just a poor village with a few Chinese shops, but now it is a prosperous town with trams running through the streets, There are stone houses lining the streets, a wealthy Chinese enclave and a flashy club – the second-best club in Singapore.They might sing "Because He's a Jolly Good Company" and "It's Good Days."Next, everyone may dance, and many young men may get drunk.The Malays had already given him a farewell banquet, and the Chinese had given him a long-lasting feast.Tomorrow, many people will go to the train station to see him off.He wondered what they would say.Malays and Chinese may say that he has always been strict, but they also understand that he has always been fair.The growers didn't like him very much, because they felt that George Moon never thought of them.His subordinates were also afraid of him.He always persecutes them.He has no patience for lazy or inefficient people.He never allowed himself to be idle, so there was no reason for anyone else to be idle.Everyone thought he was very inhuman.There really wasn't much attractive about him.Even at clubs, he would not drop his official airs and laugh with everyone at a cheesy joke, nor would he crack a joke on anyone.He understood that his presence was unpleasant, and playing bridge with him (he played between six and eight every day) was seen as a special treat rather than entertainment.When young people at other tables cheered happily while playing cards, he would always look in that direction with displeasure; sometimes, older members would walk up to the noisy young people and advise them in a low voice Be quiet.George Moon sighed.From an official point of view, his career was very successful, he was the youngest official sent here, and because of his outstanding contribution, he was even awarded a knighthood; but from a human point of view, he It's another matter entirely.He did command the respect of his people for his ability, hard work, and dependability, but he also knew full well that he did not inspire affection.No one will regret his passing.After a few months, people will forget him completely.

He smiled coldly.He is not sentimental.He relished his entitlement, and the thought of him running things smoothly gave him great satisfaction.Even knowing that people feared him more than they loved him didn't offend him.He sees his own life as a problem in advanced mathematics. To find the answer, he must use his life's strength comprehensively, but the results often have nothing to do with the actual results.The joy of it is in its intricacies and the beauty experienced in solving it.But like those pure beauties, it has no end.His future is a blank slate.He is fifty-five years old, still full of energy, his mind still seems to him as quick as his youth, and his life's experience rich: but all he wants now is to go to a small country town in England or go to a pleasant place. Settle somewhere cheap on the Riviera, where he can play bridge with older ladies and golf with retired colonels.Before leaving, he met the old officers and saw that they were making a series of adjustments to deal with his departure.They also began to look forward to the freedom after retirement, and they also pictured in their minds a wonderful future in their leisure time.fantasy.After getting used to living in big houses and having half a dozen Chinese boys at your service, it might not be pleasant to leave such a life.Especially after realizing that you are no longer someone important, after you have grown accustomed to all kinds of flattery, knowing that a compliment can cheer and a frown can humiliate, the leisure of retirement may It's also not satisfying.

George Moon reached out and took out a cigarette from a cigarette case on the table.That's when he noticed the stripes on the back of his hand, and the thinness of his withered fingers.He felt a sudden revulsion and frowned.This is a pair of old hands.There is a Chinese glass mirror on his desk, which he bought a long time ago, and now, he decided to keep it here.He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror.He saw a thin, sallow, wrinkled face, with a shut mouth, thin gray hair, and tired gray eyes.He was tall and very thin, with narrow shoulders, but always erect.He's been playing water polo all his life, and even now can easily beat most youngsters on the tennis court.When you talk to him, he always looks straight into your face and listens intently, but his expression never changes, so you have no idea what effect your words have on him .Perhaps he never realized how much embarrassment this would cause.He also rarely smiles.

At this moment, an orderly came in, holding a note with his name on it.George Moon glanced at the note, and ordered the orderly to bring the man in.He sat back in his chair again, and stared coldly at the door: in a short while, visitors would come in through that door.It was Tom Safari who came in, and Moon wondered why Safari was here.It could be about tonight's farewell party.What Munn finds interesting is that he heard that the chairman of the committee that organized the farewell party turned out to be Tom Safari, because their relationship in the past year was nothing more than a casual acquaintance.Safari was a planter and had been accused of assault by one of his Tamir foremen.The Tamir was rude to him, so Safari gave him a good beating.George Moon realized that this was a serious provocation, but he always stood against the growers and fined Safari in accordance with the law.In order to show that he had no ill feeling towards Safari, Moon invited Safari to lunch; however, Safari, who felt that he had been unduly and publicly offended, resented himself and flatly declined Moon's invitation , and the relationship between the two parties is also self-evident.Sometimes George Moon would nervously (for fear of offence) say hello to Safari, and he would say yes, but the two never played bridge or tennis together again.Safari is the manager of one of the largest rubber estates in the area.George Moon then asked him whether it was his dignity to give him the farewell dinner and the speech, or whether it was a sentimental feeling that he was going away, and he wanted a little grace.George Moon couldn't help laughing at the thought that Tom Safari would be giving the evening's keynote speech, speaking of the admirable qualities of the departing chief and saying goodbye to Moon on behalf of the people. Sad to have gone, and the irreparable loss caused by his departure.

The orderly ushered in Tom Safari.Our officer rose from his chair, shook hands with his visitor, and smiled slightly. "Hello. Sit down, please. Want a cigarette?" "Hello." Safari sat down where our host indicated, and our officer waited for his statement of purpose.He felt that his guest seemed a little embarrassed.He was a big, muscular, solid fellow with a red face, a double chin, curly black hair, and blue eyes.He was in great shape, as strong as a horse, and it was obvious that he put a lot of work into his sport.He ran his estate very efficiently, was very popular, and was considered a good man.He is very generous and always willing to lend a helping hand to those in financial distress.It dawned on our officer that Safari had come to see him now to avoid the possible embarrassment of mutual indifference at lunch.When thinking this way, the officer couldn't help showing a hint of contempt with a smile.He has no enemies, because everyone is so insignificant in his eyes, but if there were, he thought, he would hate him to the end.

"I think you'll be a little surprised to see me here this morning, and I guess you'll be very busy as this is your last day here." George Moon did not answer, so Safari continued his speech. "I'm here on a somewhat embarrassing occasion. In fact, my wife and I won't be able to attend tonight's farewell party, and in view of the bad things that happened between us last year, I thought it was necessary to come in person. To explain to you, it's not really about what happened last year. I think you were too rough on me and I don't care about the money I get fined, I care about the humiliation, but it's over. Now that you are leaving, I don't want you to think that I have any dislike for you."

"I know you are in charge of the farewell banquet tonight," our officer replied politely, "and I am sorry that you cannot come tonight." "I'm very sorry, too. It's because of Robbie Clark's death," Safari replied after a moment of hesitation. "My wife and I are very saddened." "It's really sad. He's a very good friend of yours, isn't he?" "He was my best friend in the colonies." As he spoke, Tom Safari's eyes suddenly filled with tears.Fat people are really emotional, thought George Moon. "I understand that in such a state of mind you may not be in the mood for any raucous parties," he said kindly. "Do you know what the circumstances are?"

"I don't know, I just know what was reported in the newspaper." "He came out of here looking perfectly healthy." "As far as I know, he has never been ill in his life." "I guess it's a heart problem. How old is he?" "Same age as me, thirty-eight years old this year." "That would be an untimely death." Robbie Clark is a grower, and he manages the estate next to Safari's.George Moon liked him, too.Clark was rather ugly, with sandy-brown hair, large, pale eyes, deep-set, and a large mouth.However, his smile is very attractive, and his demeanor is especially generous.He's a very funny guy and a great storyteller.He has a good mood by nature, and everyone thinks it is a very happy thing to get along with him.He's good at playing, too, and he's no fool.George Moon might say he's boring.In his career, he has seen many such people.They were always coming and going around him.Robbie Clark left them for England a fortnight ago, and our Commander knows that the Safaris gave him a great farewell dinner the night before he left.He was married, so it was only natural for his wife to go with him.

"I'm really sorry for his wife," said George Moon. "It must have been a big blow to her. He was buried at sea, wasn't he?" "Yes. That's what the papers say." The news reached Timbong last night.The Singapore papers arrive here at six o'clock, which is when people go to clubs, and many glance at the papers while they wait for everyone to join in a game of bridge or pool.Suddenly, a guy yelled: "Did you see that? Robbie is dead." On a normal info column, there is a three-line paragraph: Mace Star, Mosley & Co. received a telegram informing them that Mr. Harold Clark of Kota Belud had passed away suddenly on his way home and had been buried at sea.

A man approached the speaker, snatched the newspaper from the man's hand, and began to read it for himself suspiciously.Another person beside him tilted his body and looked up.They began to quickly read the three lines of text that seemed to have nothing to do with them. "My God," one of them called. "I said, this is really unlucky," said another. These two enthusiastic, cheerful, careless men suddenly trembled with frustration, and it took a long time to recover from the memory of mortality.Others came to the club, thinking about the drink, eager to see their friends, but caught up with this terrible moment.

"I said, did you hear that? Poor Robbie Clarke's dead." "Didn't you hear? I say, this is terrible news!" "He's really unlucky, isn't he?" "Too bad luck." "He's a nice guy." "Arguably one of the best." "I was taken aback when I chanced upon the news in the papers." "You can imagine." Someone took the newspaper to the pool room to tell everyone the news.People there are competing for the Prince of Wales Cup.Tom Safari was taking on a man called Douglas, and our chief, having been defeated in the previous round, was sitting in the audience with a dozen or so others.The scorekeeper monotonously shouted the scores of both sides.The man who brought the news waited until Tom Safari had hit his ball before calling out to him: "I said, Tom, Robbie's dead." "Robbie? That's not true." The visitor handed him the newspaper.Three or four more people gathered around and read the message with him. "My goodness!" For a moment there was an eerie silence in the pool room.People passed the newspaper to each other.Strange thing, no one seemed willing to believe it was true until they had seen the news in writing. "Oh, what a pity." "I said, it's a real blow to his wife," Tom Safari said. "Her baby is about to be born. My wife is going to be very sad about it, too." "Why is this? He has only been away from here for two weeks." "He went away in good health." "very healthy." Safari's round, red face suddenly drooped a little. He walked to a table, picked up his glass and drank wildly. "I say, Tom," said his opponent, "do you wish to call off the match?" "Still not." Safari glanced at the scoreboard and found himself in the lead. "No, let's end this game. Then I'll go home and break the news to Violet." Douglas hit one to bring the score to fourteen.Tom Safari missed a great opportunity.Douglas hit another ball, but this time he wasn't as lucky.Then, Safari missed another good goal chance that would never have been missed in normal times.He frowned.He knew that his friends had bet big on him, and he didn't want them to lose.Douglas has scored twenty-two points.Safari drank the wine in his glass and tried his best to finish the game, and the surrounding spectators who focused on watching the battle sympathized with him.He raised his score to 18 and was applauded when he missed a long ball.He became more confident and quickly returned to scoring points.Douglas also played very well, and the competition became more and more fierce, so this game became more and more exciting.Safari's short-term distraction made the opponent catch up with the score. Now, the game has reached a close situation. "Two hundred and thirty-five points," the Malay yelled in extremely clear English. "It's two hundred and twenty-eight points. Let's improvise." Douglas scored another eight points, and then a pale Safari brought his total to 240 points, giving his opponent a chance to kill two birds with one stone.Douglas, however, missed a ball, allowing Safari to score another point. "Two hundred and forty-three points," cried the marker, "to two hundred and forty-one points. Go on." Safari then hit three fine balls to end the game. "This is really a victory that everyone expects." The onlookers shouted. "Congratulations, man," said Douglas. "Boy," said Safari, "ask the gentlemen what they're going to do. Poor old Robbie." He sighed heavily.The waiter brought the wine and Safari signed the bill.But he said he was leaving.Two guys had started another game at the pool table. "He can still play that well," someone commented after Safari left. "Yeah, that's enough to show his courage." "For a moment, I thought he was going to lose badly." "He pulled himself back together very gracefully. He knew a lot of people had bet on him. He didn't want to let down those who supported him." "Of course it's a big blow, something like this." "They were great friends. I wondered what the hell he died of." "He hit the ball really well." George Moon recalled the scene at that time, and suddenly felt a little strange: how Tom Safari, who had shown extreme self-control when he heard the news of his friend's death, should now show his grief so clearly.It may be that, just as in war, soldiers who are hit often do not realize they have been attacked until after the fact, Safari also did not realize that Harold Clark's death meant much to him until after he had had time to think about it. What a heavy blow.It seemed to him, however, that Safari would probably go on with his life as usual, seeking sympathy among his companions, while his wife believed that, according to traditional etiquette, they were in a time of great grief and they should avoid them. Have a fun party.Violet was a good little woman, three or four years younger than her husband; not particularly pretty, but pleasant to look at, and always well dressed.She was friendly, ladylike and humble.In the days when Robbie Clarke and Safari were friendly, our officer often dined with them.He thought she was very nice, but not very funny.Except for some very ordinary things, they hardly talked about anything else.And recently, he seldom saw her.When we met by chance, she always gave him a friendly smile, and he would occasionally speak politely to her.Yet he had to work very hard to distinguish her from the colonial ladies he had befriended through his duties. Safari had probably finished saying what he had deliberately come to explain, so our officer was a little surprised that he did not rise to take his leave.He sat in a chair strangely, and it felt as if his bones could no longer support his body, and the flesh on his body was oppressing him.He gazed dully at the table which lay between him and our officer.After a while, he sighed deeply. "Don't be too sad, Safari," said George Moon. "You know how uncertain life is in the East. You should get used to it. People always lose what they love." .” Safari slowly shifted his gaze from the table to George Moon's face.He just looked straight at our officer without even blinking.George Moon loved people looking him in the eye.Maybe he thought he could control people when they saw him that way.Soon two lines of tears came from Safari's blue eyes, and the tears ran slowly down his cheeks.He looked strange and confused, something must have scared him.Is it death?no.Something he thought was worse.He looked as if he was cowering.He looks a little groveling, making you feel like a dog that's been beaten for no reason. "It's not about that," he stammered, "I can live with that." George Moon did not answer.He looked at the strong and powerful man coldly, waiting patiently.He was aware of his utter indifference, and was delighted by it.Safari, on the other hand, glanced at the newspaper on the table in disgust. "I think I may be taking up too much of your time." "It's okay, I don't have anything to do right now." Safari looked out the window.Suddenly, he began to tremble, and he seemed a little hesitant. "I was wondering if I could ask for your advice," he finally said. "Of course." When our chief replied, a smile flickered across the corner of his mouth. "This is also one of the purposes of my coming here." "This is a purely personal matter." "You can rest assured that I will never betray your trust in me." "No, I know you won't give it away, it's just that it's an embarrassing thing, and I'm sure I'll be embarrassed when I run into you. But you're leaving tomorrow, which makes it easier Many, I hope you understand what I mean." "Very understanding." Safari began to speak, his voice was very soft, and he looked sullen, as if he was ashamed, and, like a person who was not very familiar with the text, he continued his narration clumsily.He would go back and tell the same thing all over again.He can mix things up.He would start a long, complicated sentence and then stop suddenly because he didn't know how to finish it.George Moon listened in silence, his face like a mask.He listened, smoked, and only took his eyes off Safari's face when changing to another cigarette, which he took from the box in front of him, and nearly exhausted the previous one. cigarette to light the last one.As he listens to the grower tell his story, he also learns in passing the humdrum life of our narrator.It's like the silent thread that has been with the whole storyline, becoming an incongruous variation on that unexpected melody. Now that rubber was cheap and thrift was being practiced, Tom Safari had a large estate, and yet he had to do some of the work himself which his former assistants had done for him.He had to get up before dawn, and then go to the place where the workers gathered.At this time, it was still dark, and he could barely read the names of the workers from the paper with the faint light. After hearing the answers, he crossed them out and assigned tasks to each group, and everyone began to complete their tasks. things.Afterwards, Safari went home to have breakfast, light his pipe, and then went out to check on the work of the workers.The kids were playing outside and the babies were crawling around.Tamil women cook rice on the sidewalk.Their dark skin was oily from the sun.Red leaf cotton with no bright colors is hung above their heads, and golden decorations are also worn on their heads.Some of them were very pretty, with excellent figures, and slender and graceful hands.Yet watching them, Safari found nothing but disgust.He thought of his own estate again.In my own manor, the trees grow well and are arranged in an orderly manner, which always gives people a bright feeling, just like the solemn forests in German fairy tales.The ground is covered with thick fallen leaves.He is always accompanied by a Tamir foreman, with long black hair tied in a bun, barefoot, wearing a sarong and traditional Malay attire, and wearing a conspicuous ring on his hand.Safari's footsteps were heavy, and he bravely jumped over the ditch when he encountered it. Before long, he was covered in sweat.He checks the trees to see if they have been properly tapped, and when he passes a boy at work, he checks the shaved surface, and if it is too thick, he scolds the worker and deducts half a day from him salary.For trees from which the rubber could no longer be obtained, he would order the foreman to remove the cups and the wires wound around the trunk.The weeders all come out to work together in groups. At noon, Safari would go home for a beer, but since there was no ice, it was just a lukewarm beer.He would take off his khaki jacket, his flannel jacket and his heavy boots and stockings, and then he would shave and take a shower.He would eat lunch in a sarong and Malay traditional attire, lie down and rest for half an hour before going to his office and working until five o'clock.After that, he would have a cup of tea and go to the club.Around eight o'clock he started getting ready to go home, had dinner, and half an hour later started getting ready for bed. But last night, after his game, he went home immediately.Violet was not with him that day.While the Clarks were here, they had met every afternoon at the club, but since they left Violet has rarely been there.She said there wasn't much interesting people in the club now and she was tired of what everyone was talking about there.She doesn't play bridge, so it would be boring to wait for her husband while he was playing.She told Tom that she didn't mind being alone and that there were plenty of things to do at home. On this day, seeing her husband come home so early, Violet guessed that he must be eager to go home and tell herself the news of his victory.Like a child, he is very complacent with small victories.He is a kind and simple person, and she also knows that his happiness because of winning is not only for himself, but also because he thinks it can also bring her happiness.It was lovely that he had hurried home to tell her the news without delay. "How did today's game go?" she asked him as soon as he shuffled into the living room. "I won." "Was it easy to win?" "Well, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I started out a little bit ahead and then I was stuck and completely powerless with myself, and you know what kind of character Douglas is, not very technically dominant, but always playing All right, so he took advantage of the situation to catch up. Then I said to myself, well, if I don't pull myself together, I will be defeated, and I have some luck, so, long story short, I finally beat him by seven Minute." "Is it a good game? You should be able to win all the games, right?" "Well, I have three games left. If I make it to the semi-finals, then I still have a chance to win." Violet smiled.She was anxious to show her husband that she too was interested in it, as intensely as he wanted it to be. "Why are you suddenly stuck in the middle?" His face suddenly fell. "That's why I rushed back right away. The reason why I insisted on winning the game was because I felt that if I let my emotions go, it would be very unfair to those who supported me. Watson Olette, I really don't know what to tell you." She looked at him suspiciously. "What, is something wrong? It can't be bad news, can it?" "Terrible news. Robbie's dead." She had been staring at him for a long time, and her elegant, friendly little face was suddenly filled with fear and haggardness.At first, she seemed unable to understand her husband's words. "What do you mean?" she cried. "That's what the newspapers said. He died on the boat, and he was buried at sea." Suddenly, she screamed and fell head first to the floor.She just passed out. "Violet," he called, falling on his knees and taking his wife's head in his arms, "child, boy." When a boy burst into the house, startled and terrified, on hearing his master's voice, Safari yelled at him to fetch some brandy.Afterwards he grudgingly poured Violet some brandy.She finally opened her eyes, but when she remembered what happened before she fell into a coma, she fell into pain again.Her face was tightly twisted, like a child's face when he was about to cry.He picked her up and put her on the sofa.She turned her head. "Oh, Tom, it's not true. It can't be true." "I'm sorry, that does seem to be the case." "No, no, no." She cried, and cried convulsively.That cry sounded horrible.Safari had no idea what to do with himself.He knelt down beside her, trying to comfort her.He wanted to take her into his arms, but she suddenly pushed him away. "Don't touch me," she yelled, and her tone was so strong that Safari was surprised. So he stood up. "Please try not to be too sad, honey," he said. "I know it's a terrible blow. He's one of the nicest people." She buried her face in the sofa cushions and wept in despair.It pained Safari to see his wife's body shaking from uncontrollable crying.Her emotions were completely out of control.He gently put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "Come on, my dear. It won't do you any good." She broke free from his hand again. "For God's sake, just leave me alone," she cried. "Oh, Hal, Hal." He had never heard his wife call dead Robbie that way before.Of course, his name was Harold, but everyone called him Robbie. "What should I do?" she said mournfully. "I can't take it. I can't take it." Safari began to grow impatient.To him, such grief seemed a little overdone.Violet wasn't usually this emotional.He guessed it was because of the damn climate.The weather makes women nervous and easily excitable.Violet has not been home for four years.Now, she no longer hides her face.She was lying on the sofa, almost falling, because of the extreme pain, she opened her mouth so wide, and tears kept gushing out of her dull eyes.She feels like she is going crazy now. Suddenly, she stood up and pushed Safari aside.She gave him a hateful look. "Go away, Tom. I don't need your sympathy. I just want to be alone." She walked softly to an armchair and sat down on it.She raised her head, and her poor pale face was full of pain. "Oh, that's so unfair," she lamented. "What have I become now? Oh, God, I wish I were dead too." "Violet!" His voice trembled with pain.He was almost on the verge of crying too.And Violet was still stamping impatiently. "Go away, I let you go away." He was shocked.He stared at her for a moment, then gasped and shivered.He took a step forward, then stopped, yet never took his eyes off her pale, pained face; he looked into them as if there was something in them that startled him.Then, he lowered his head and left the room silently.He went to an even smaller living room at the back of the house--they rarely went there now--and sank heavily into a chair.He began to meditate.Presently the gong sounded for supper.And he hasn't showered yet.He looked at his hands, not bothering to wash them.He walked slowly into the dining room.He sent the boy to inform Violet that dinner was ready.After a while, the boy came back and said that the lady didn't want to eat anything. "Okay. Let me eat it myself, then," Safari said. He served Violet some soup, and some slices of toast, and when the fish was served, he put some on another plate, and bade the boy to bring it to Violet.But the kid soon came back with these things intact. "Sir, she said she wanted nothing," he said. 萨法里独自用完了晚餐。他还是像往常一样慢慢地吃着，并且也是平常的那顺序。他喝了一些啤酒。餐后，男童端来了一杯咖啡，他也为自己点燃了一根雪茄。萨法里一直坐到抽完那根雪茄。He is thinking.最终，他站起身来，回到他们常常坐在那里的那个走廊。瓦奥莱特依然蜷缩在那椅子里，就像他刚才离开时那样。她原本闭着眼睛，当听见丈夫的脚步声后，她睁开了双眼。他拉过一把较轻的椅子，在她面前坐了下来。 “瓦奥莱特，罗比是你的什么人？”他说。 她略微吃了一惊。她将眼睛望向了别处，没有回答。 “我完全想不明白，为什么你在听到他的死讯后，会变得如此心烦意乱。” “这是个可怕的打击。” “当然。但如果有人因为一个朋友的死而完全崩溃掉，这就非常奇怪。” “我不明白你的意思。”她说。 她很勉强地才说出这句话来，萨法里还看到，她的双唇都在颤抖。 “我从未听见你叫过他哈尔。即使是他老婆，也叫他罗比的。” 她没再讲话。她那满是悲伤的眼睛此刻正茫然地望着前方。 “瓦奥莱特，看着我。” 她轻轻地转过头来，无精打采地看着他。 “他是你的情人吗？” 她闭上了眼睛，眼泪又流了下来。她的嘴巴也很奇怪地扭曲着。 “你完全没什么想要说的吗？” She shook her head. “你必须回答我，瓦奥莱特。” “我现在的状态不适合同你讲话。”她呻吟道，“你怎么可以如此冷酷？” “很抱歉，我现在没有感到非常同情你。现在，我们必须把这件事情搞清楚。你想要喝点儿水吗？” “我什么也不想要。” “那么，就回答我的问题吧。” “你没有权利问这个。这是种侮辱。” “你难道以为我会相信，像你这样的女人，会随便为了一个人的死去而晕厥，并在醒来后毫无理智地大哭吗？为什么，即使是某人的孩子去世，人们的悲伤也不过如此。在我们听到你母亲的死讯时，你确实也哭了，当然，谁都会哭的，我也知道你那时很痛苦，但你选择了来向我寻求安慰，你说，如果没有我，你都不知道自己会去做些什么。” “这次的消息来得如此突然。” “你母亲的死讯来得也很突然。” “我当然很喜欢罗比。” “有多喜欢？喜欢到当你听说他去世时，就不知道也不在乎自己在说些什么了？你为什么要说这不公平？为什么你要说'我现在成了什么了？'” 她深深地叹了口气。她扭过头去，就像是一只绵羊试图要躲开屠夫的手。 “瓦奥莱特，你不要把我当作十足的傻瓜。我告诉你，如果你们之间没有什么，你绝不可能因为这打击而崩溃成这样。” “好吧，既然你要这么想，为什么还要拿问题来折磨我？” “亲爱的，优柔寡断一点儿好处也没有。我们不能这样。你知道我现在的感受吗？” 当他说这话时，瓦奥莱特开始转过脸来看着他。她完全就没有考虑到他。她太过沉溺于自己的痛苦了，因此她一点儿也没有想到他。 “我现在很累。”她叹了口气，说道。 他靠上前来，粗暴地抓住了她的手腕。 “你说话啊！”他叫道。 “你弄疼我了。” “那我呢？你以为你就没有伤害到我吗？你怎么能忍心让我经历这一切？” 他放开了她，然后站起身来。他走到房间的尽头，然后又走了回来。看起来，这动作反而激起了他的愤怒。他抓住她的肩膀，将她提了起来，然后开始摇她。 “如果你不把真相告诉我，我就杀了你。”他叫道。 “我真希望你杀了我。”她说。 “他真的是你的情人？” "yes." “你这个荡妇。” 他仍将一手握住她的肩膀，以防止她跑开，另一只手则收了回来，用尽所有的力气扇她巴掌。她因为这突如其来的袭击而颤抖，但却并没有退缩，也没有哭。他不停地抽她耳光。突然间，他发现她是如此呆滞，他放开了她，然后她便毫无意识地倒在了地板上。他突然怕了。他弯下身来碰了碰她，一边还喊着她的名字。然而她却一动不动。他将她抱起，放到不久前他才从中把她拖起的那张把子上。她第一次晕倒时男童拿来的白兰地仍旧放在桌边，萨法里于是拿起酒瓶，试图强灌一些至她的喉咙里。她被这酒呛到了，酒水于是洒到了她的下巴及脖子上。她的一面苍白的脸上，萨法里所留下的掌印还清晰可见。她叹了口气，然后睁开眼来。他又将那白兰地凑到她唇边，支撑着她的头，她也就抿了一小口。萨法里现在后悔而又担忧地看着她。 “瓦奥莱特，我很抱歉。我不是故意要那么做的。我感到很惭愧。我从没想过自己竟会沦落到打女人的地步。” 尽管她现在非常虚弱，脸上也挨了打，然而她的唇边却浮起了一丝笑容。可怜的汤姆。他就是说了这些话，他也确实是这样想的。如果有人问他，一个男人为什么会这样打一个女人，那将会是有多么丢脸。然而萨法里在看到这个勉强的微笑后，也对她那不愿服输的勇气而感到无可招架。他想，天啊，她可真是个勇敢的小女人。游戏二字已不足以描述这一切了。 “给我一支烟吧。”她说。 他从盒子里取出一只，放到她的嘴里。他试了两三次，想要点燃自己的打火机，但却没有成功。 “去取根火柴会不会更好？”她说。 这一瞬间，她忘记了自己那撕心裂肺的疼痛，反倒略微被那一刻的情形给逗乐了。他从桌上拿起一盒火柴，点燃之后又为她燃起了烟。她吸了一口，感到无尽的解脱。 “瓦奥莱特，我真的感到无以言表的羞愧。”他说，“我觉得自己太恶心。我不知道今天我究竟是怎么了。” “哦，没关系。这很自然。你为什么不喝上一杯？这对你会有好处的。” 他没有说话，肩往下耷拉着，就像压在他身上的压力是物质一样。他为自己弄了点儿白兰地苏打水。然后，他又默默地坐了下来。而瓦奥莱特则盯着自己吐出的那些卷曲的蓝色烟圈。 “你打算要怎么办？”她终于开口道。 他做了一个绝望而疲惫的手势。 “我们明天再谈这个。你今晚不适合谈这个。等你把烟抽完，就去睡觉吧。” “你已经知道很多了，我还是把一切都告诉你吧。” “现在别说了，瓦奥莱特。” “不，就是现在。” 她开始讲起来。他听见了她说的话，但似乎并未明白那话中的含义。他这时的感觉就像是个用自己的爱心来铸造了一所房子的人，原本期盼着能在这房子里住一辈子，然而突然，他也不知道为什么，一伙拿着锄头与重锤的强盗闯了进来，一间间地砸毁他的房间，直到一个漂亮的住所变为一处废墟为止。而造成这一切的竟是罗比·克拉克。他们乘着同一艘船来到这里，一开始的时候，也在同一个庄园里工作。人们称年轻的种植者为爬山虎，在新加坡的大街上，通过他们所戴的双边呢帽，你便能认出他们，当然，还有长及手腕的卡其布外套。那些不成熟的年轻人总喜欢在街上闲逛，然后被一些狡诈的中国人骗拐，购买一些伯明翰来的没有价值的东西，然后把它们当作东方古董寄回家。汤姆和罗比是形影不离的朋友。汤姆是个强壮而有力的家伙，为人单纯、诚实，工作也很勤勉；而罗比则有些笨拙，然而却很有吸引力，有着一双深陷的眼睛，凹陷的脸颊和大大的充满幽默感的嘴。他们在一起时，常常是罗比讲笑话供汤姆笑。汤姆比罗比要先结婚。他在休假时认识了瓦奥莱特。瓦奥莱特的父亲是位医生，在战争中被杀害，她当时在给一些人做家庭教师。他爱上她，是因为她如此孤独地活在这世上，一想到瓦奥莱特的生活可能面临的种种困境，汤姆那温柔的心便感到无比沉重。而罗比结婚却是因为汤姆先结婚了，没有了汤姆的终日陪伴，他感到有些不知所措，于是，他和一个随亲戚们来东方过冬的女孩恋爱了。伊妮德·克拉克是个非常漂亮的女孩，尽管她那曾经滋润又清新的皮肤现在已经失去了光泽，然而她的正面看起来仍然十分可爱。不过她长着一个小小的、微不足道的下巴，侧面看起来可能让你感觉像只羊。她有一头漂亮的淡黄色的头发，那头发很直——因在那样热的天气下很难让头发保持卷曲，还有一双蓝蓝的眼睛。尽管才二十六岁，她看起来已经有了疲惫之色。婚后一年，她生下一个孩子，但那孩子在两岁时便夭折了。正是在这件事情之后，汤姆·萨法里才设法让罗比当上了相邻那个庄园的经理。两个男人又愉快地恢复了从前的亲近，从这以后，他们那原本并不是很熟的妻子开始成为好朋友。她们常模仿彼此连衣裙的样式来为自己做衣服，在一方举办聚会时，另一方总不忘借给其佣人及陶器。他们四人每天都会见面，他们到哪里都是形影不离。汤姆·萨法里认为这样很好。 奇怪的人，在爱上彼此之前，瓦奥莱特和罗比·克拉克竟亲密而友好地相处了三年。那三年里，他们都没有觉得有什么不对劲儿的地方。大家都觉得他们只是两个因形势而熟识起来的朋友，虽然彼此都为有对方的陪伴而感到快乐，却并不觉得有什么超越友谊的东西。他们在一起时，也并没有什么特别幸福的感觉，仅仅是一种无声的安慰感。如果他们有一天没能见面，他们便会莫名地觉得无聊。这看起来是非常自然的事情。他们一起玩游戏，一起跳舞，也会拿彼此来开玩笑。然而一次极偶然的事件，让他们发觉了两人间那比友谊更多的东西。那天，他们都去了俱乐部跳舞，然后乘着萨法里的车回家。克拉克家的庄园就在萨法里回家的途中，于是，萨法里便将他们送到了家门口。瓦奥莱特和罗比坐在汽车的后座上。他那天喝了很多酒，但并没有喝醉。他们的手偶然间碰到了一起，于是，他便顺势握住了瓦奥莱特的手。他们都没有讲话。他们都很累了。然而突然，那香槟的兴奋劲儿散去，罗比突然清醒了许多。那一瞬间，他们意识到彼此都已疯狂地爱上了对方；同时，也意识到，在这之前，他们可以说是从来没有爱过。在克拉克他们到家后，汤姆对妻子说： “瓦奥莱特，你最好坐到我旁边来。” “我太累了，现在一点儿也不想动。”她说。 她的腿直发软，觉得自己好像再也站不起来了。 第二天，当他们见面时，谁也没有提及前一天所发生的事，但两人心里也都明白，有些东西已经变得不可避免了。他们仍像往常一样对待彼此，他们就这样持续了几个星期，然而他们也感觉到一切都不一样了。最终，血肉之躯再也无法忍受那诱惑，于是，他们便成为了彼此的情人。然而在他们的关系中，肉体的联系是最不重要的，并且，事实上，他们的生活方式使他们几乎很难有机会发生肉体关系，只有在极少数的情况下，他们才有机会享受亲密接触。能够每天看见彼此，他们便觉得很满足了——虽然旁边总还是有其他人；只需要一瞥，只需要一次手的触碰以确定他们之间的爱依然存在，那就够了。而性行为不过是对他们灵魂之结合的一种印证罢了。 他们很少相互提及汤姆或伊妮德。即使偶尔一起嘲笑那两人的一些小缺点，也并非是充满恶意的。如果他们肯花心思仔细想想，他们就会明白各自每天面对的最多的人，对自己而言反倒显得有多么微不足道；又或者，他们也会为此而感到奇怪。他们各自与家里那位的关系都降到了例行公事一样的境地，就像是每日的剃须、穿衣与一日三餐，然而也并没有人留意到这点。他们还是很温柔地对待家中那人。他们甚至会有意地去逗他们开心，就像是对待卧床不起的伤残者一样，因为他们是如此幸福，所以，出于人道，他们也必须为那些较为不幸福的人做点儿什么。他们毫无顾忌。他们太沉湎于彼此的关系，因而不愿让自责影响了自身一丝一毫的幸福。现在，他们从前那种单调乏味的生活中突然出现了美，并且，那份美还令人振奋地点燃了所有快乐的火种。 突然，他们的生活里发生了一件让他们都感到惊愕万分的事情。汤姆所就职的公司打算在英属北婆罗洲买下更大面积的橡胶园，并邀请汤姆前去负责管理。这工作比他目前的这份还好，薪水更高，并且，由于还有几个助理，他也不用再工作得那么辛苦了。萨法里很欢迎这个工作邀约。克拉克和萨法里的假期原本都要到了，两对夫妇也打算好一起回家探亲。他们甚至都已经订好了船票。然而，突然间，一切都被改变了。汤姆将会有至少一年的时间不能离开东方。等到克拉克夫妇回来时，萨法里一家应该已经在婆罗洲定居了。不久，瓦奥莱特和罗比便发现，他们现在只有唯一的一件事可做。他们也愿意事情按原来的模式发展下去，尽管他们在享受彼此的爱时有些受到阻碍，但他们确定能频繁地看到彼此，于是那阻碍也就显得不那么重要了；他们觉得彼此还有无尽的时间可以享受，未来也是充满了幸福的光泽，并且似乎毫无尽头。但一想到即将到来的分离，他们便都觉得承受不了了。他们打定主意要一起私奔，他们突然意识到，这样，他们便能永远地在一起了。这激情完全吞没了他们，让他们不愿再在其他人身上浪费感情。他们几乎没有考虑到汤姆和伊妮德可能因此而受到的伤害。这将是个不幸，但却无可避免。他们谨慎地计划好了一切。罗比会假装因为业务上的事情去新加坡，瓦奥莱特则会告诉汤姆，她将和朋友们一起到另一个庄园去待上一周，然后，她将同罗比汇合。他们会去爪哇岛，在那里乘船去悉尼。到达以后，罗比会在悉尼找份工作。当瓦奥莱特告诉汤姆，麦肯齐一家邀请她过去玩几天时，汤姆感到很高兴。 “这挺好的。亲爱的，我也觉得你需要换个环境调整一下了。”他说，“我感觉你最近看起来很是憔悴。” 他充满爱意地轻抚了一下她的脸。这动作突然触动了瓦奥莱特。 “汤姆，你总是对我这么好。”她说着，眼里突然就盈满了泪水。 “哦，这是我应该做的。因为，你可是这世界上最好的女人。” “过去的八年中，同我在一起，你感到幸福吗？” “非常幸福。” “哦，太棒了，不是吗？没有人能从你身边躲着这幸福。” 她一直告诉自己，萨法里是那种可以很快治愈自己的人。他是喜欢女人的，在他重获自由之后，要不了多久，他便能找到另一个他想要娶的女人。那时，他将会同新的妻子一起过着幸福的生活，就像是同瓦奥莱特一起度过的这些年一样。或许，他还可以娶伊妮德为妻。伊妮德是那种依赖性很强的小女人，这点有时会惹恼瓦奥莱特，但她也不觉得伊妮德对罗比会有多么深厚的感情。她的自尊心将会受到伤害，但不会是伤心欲绝。然而现在，木已成舟，一定都已经定了下来，日子也定好了，她却突然产生了疑虑。自责的情感突然席卷了她。她希望，如果有可能的话，不要对另外两人造成巨大的伤害。她迟疑了。 “汤姆，我们在这里度过了非常美好的时光。”她说，“我在想，离开会不会更好一些。我们正在为那不可预知的未来而放弃现在的所有一切。” “亲爱的，这可是个百万分之一的机会，我们可以多挣很多钱。” “金钱不是万能的。还有幸福呢。” “我知道，但我们去了婆罗洲后也可以同现在一样幸福啊。并且，我也没得选择。我并不是自己的主人。主管希望我去，我就必须去，事情就是这样。” She sighed.她也没得选择了。She shrugged.伤害别人是件可恶的事，但有时，你也免不了会要伤害到别人。汤姆于她而言已经不再是特别的人了，他现在就好像是瓦奥莱特在航行途中遇到的对她很友善的人而已：若要让她为了这个人而牺牲自己的幸福，这才真是件荒谬的事情。 两周内，克拉克夫妇就要回英国探亲，这于是也为他们的私奔设下了时间限制。日子在一天天流逝。瓦奥莱特感到急躁不安，却也异常兴奋。她愉快地展望着那让她失去了平静的未来，她相信，只要他们一登上船舶的甲板，便是开启了最终将带给她完美幸福生活的大门。 她开始收拾衣物。她假称要一起玩的那些朋友是很好客的人，因此也就给了她理由装备了大大的行李箱。第二天，她就要走了。这是在上午十一点，汤姆还在庄园里处理他的事务。一个男童来到她房间，告诉她克拉克夫人来了，与此同时，她听见了伊妮德在叫她。她赶紧关上行李箱盖子，往走廊上走去。让她感到吃惊的是，伊妮德向她走来，抱住她，并热切地亲吻她。她看着伊妮德，发现她往常那张苍白的脸此刻起了红晕，眼睛也是炯炯有神。很快，伊妮德甚至流下了眼泪。 “亲爱的，这到底是怎么回事？”她叫道。 一霎间，她感到有些害怕，担心依妮德会不会是知道了一切。然而依妮德却高兴得涨红了脸，既没有嫉妒，也没有愤怒。 “我刚刚去见了哈罗医生。”她说，“我现在不想说具体的会面情况。我曾得过些虚假警报，让我空欢喜了两三次，不过这次，他说一定是确信无疑了。” 瓦奥莱特的心突然凉了下来。 “你这是什么意思？你该不会是……” 她看着伊妮德，后者则高兴地点了点头。 “是的，他说这次完全没有任何疑问了。他认为我至少已怀孕三个月了。哦，亲爱的，我真是太高兴了。” 她又一次蹦入了瓦奥莱特的怀抱，紧贴着她，然后开始哭泣。 “哦，亲爱的，别这样。” 瓦奥莱特感觉自己已变得像死人般苍白，她意识到，如果不好好把持住自己，她一定会晕倒过去。 “罗比知道这事吗？” “不知道，我还没有告诉他。他以前可是特别失望。我们的孩子去世时，他受到了非常沉重的打击。他特别希望我能再怀上小孩。” 瓦奥莱特强迫自己说点儿依妮德现在期望听到的话，但她却好像没有在听的样子。她想要讲述她的所有希望和恐惧的故事，还有她怀孕的症状，以及她同医生会面时的情况。她就那么一直不停地说。 “你打算什么时候告诉罗比？”瓦奥莱特最终问道，“现在，等他回到家的时候？” “哦，不，他回来的时候总是又累又饿。我打算等到晚上，待用过晚餐后再告诉他。” 瓦奥莱特压制住了自己的恼怒，伊妮德要出手了，她要抢走自己的幸福。但不管怎么说，这是件很自然的事情。幸运的是，她还有机会比伊妮德更早见到罗比。刚一摆脱掉伊妮德，瓦奥莱特便跑去找罗比。她知道他在回家前总会先去他的办公室看看，于是便在那里给他留下便条，让他给她打电话。她很怕他没在汤姆回家前给她电话，但她也必须要冒这个险。终于，电话铃声响起，而汤姆还没有回来。 “哈尔？” "yes." “你可以在三点的时候去一趟小房子那里吗？” “可以。发生什么事了吗？” “我会当面告诉你的。别担心。” 随后，她挂掉了电话。她所说的小房子是罗比的庄园中的一处庇护所，她很容易就能到达那里，他们偶尔也在那里碰面。小工们会在工作时经过那里，因此那儿并不是什么隐蔽之处；但那里却是个很方便的地方，在他们并不需要进行激动的谈话时，可以去那里简单地聊几句。下午三点是伊妮德的休息时间，而汤姆也会在办公室里工作。 瓦奥莱特走进那小屋时，发现罗比已经到那里了。他倒抽了一口气。 “瓦奥莱特，你现在看起来非常苍白。” 她向他伸出了手。他们不知道是否会被别人看到，因此，他们在这里时，总是假定任何人都能看到他们。 “今天上午，伊妮德来找我了。她打算今天晚上告诉你的。我想你应该提前有个警告才是。她怀上孩子了。” “瓦奥莱特！” 他满脸惊骇地看着她，而她则开始哭泣起来。他们从未彼此讨论过各自与另一半的关系，他和他妻子的关系，或是她和她丈夫的关系。他们有意忽视这问题，因为这会给对方带来痛苦。瓦奥莱特很清楚自己的生活算是什么，她总是满足丈夫的欲望，然而，她也有女人的那种奇怪的冷淡，因为她觉得这并未给她带来快乐，因此从未将这事放在心上。然而她却说服自己说，和哈尔在一起时却是完全不同的。罗比此刻本能地觉察到，瓦奥莱特新发现的这一切对她造成了多大的伤害。他开始试着为自己找借口。 “亲爱的，我真的是无法控制自己。” 她默默地流着眼泪，而罗比则痛苦地看着她。 “我知道这看起来很残忍，”他说，“不过我又能怎么做？我似乎并没有任何理由……” She cut him off. “我不怪你。这是无可避免的事。我之所以感到如此痛苦，仅仅是因为我太愚蠢。” “亲爱的！” “我们应该在两年前就私奔的。一想到我们现在的处境，我就感觉快要疯掉一样。” “你确定伊妮德这次一定是怀上孩子了吗？三四年前，她就曾认为自己怀孕过。” “哦，是的，她说得没错。她现在特别开心。她说你特别希望有个孩子。” “这可真是个可怕的惊喜。我好像现在还没明白过来。” 她看着他。他正用疲倦的眼神看着那铺满落叶的大地。她微微笑了一笑。 “可怜的哈尔，”然后，她又深深叹了口气，“我们不需要再做什么了。我们结束了。” “你这是什么意思？”他叫道。 “哦，亲爱的，你现在可不能离开她，对吧？在此之前，一切都没有问题。她也许会不高兴，但很快就会恢复过来。但现在却不同了。对一个女人来说，这可不是个承受打击的时刻。几个月来，她都多多少少地感到有些不舒服。她需要关爱。她需要有人照顾。如果要留她一个人来承受这些可怕的后果，那会是件很可怕的事情。” “你的意思是，你希望我和她一起回英国吗？” 她严肃地点了点头。 “你这一去也是件好事。你离开后，我们就不能每天见到彼此，这会让事情变得容易很多。” “但是现在我已经离不开你了。” “哦，不，你可以的。你也必须这样做。我认为我可以。这对我而言更是糟糕，因为我仍留在原地，而我什么也没有。” “哦，瓦奥莱特，这不可能。” “亲爱的，没什么争论的必要了。在她告诉我的那一刻，我就明白了。这就是我想要提前见到你的原因。我担心你会因受到打击而讲出所有的事情。你知道，我爱你，超过了这世上的所有人。但她从未伤害过我，我不能在这个时候将你从她身边夺走。对我俩而言，这都是个坏消息，不过事情已经发生了，我不敢再做什么卑鄙的事情。” “我真希望我可以死掉。”他呻吟道。 “你若是死掉，对她而言可不是件好事，对我，亦是如此。”她笑着说道。 “那么我们的未来呢？我们要就这么牺牲掉整个的生活吗？” “我想是这样了。亲爱的，这听起来很残酷，但我认为，我们早晚会熬过来的。把所有的一切都忘掉。” 她看了看自己的腕表。 “我该回去了。汤姆就快回家了。我们五点在俱乐部见吧。” “汤姆和我计划好打网球的。”他很是悲惨地看了她一眼，“哦，瓦奥莱特，我们真是太不幸了。” “我知道。我也很痛苦。但我们就这个问题谈再多，也是无济于事。” 她向他伸出手来，但罗比却将她抱到怀里并亲吻了她，等到她挣脱他的怀抱时，她的脸上已沾满了罗比的眼泪。然而此时她已经到了绝望得哭不出来的地步。 十天后，克拉克夫妇离开了。 乔治·穆恩听汤姆·萨法里讲到这里时，以他那特有的冷淡而超然的方式表示了他的惊奇，他没有想到，这些将生活过得单调乏味的陈腐的人们竟会惹上这样的惨剧。谁又能想到，那个如此整洁而端庄的瓦奥莱特·萨法里，那个常常在俱乐部阅读插图画报或是和朋友一起喝着柠檬水聊天的女人，竟会为了一个那样普通的男人而痛苦地撕心裂肺？乔治·穆恩想起了自己于罗比出发前一晚在俱乐部见到他时的情景。他看起来似乎情绪高昂。大家都很羡慕他，因为他就要回家了。那些刚从英国回来的人告诉他，千万不要错过了展览馆的表演。大家尽情地喝酒。萨法里夫妇为克拉克一家举行了告别宴，但并未要求我们的长官出席，不过，穆恩可以想象得出这聚会会是什么样子，大家兴高采烈，热忱友好，相互戏弄。晚饭后，音乐响起，于是大家便开始跳舞。他在想，那晚瓦奥莱特和克拉克一起跳舞时，会是什么感受。他猜他们的内心一定非常痛苦，然而却要装出快乐的样子，想到这里，自己也不禁一阵感伤。 另一方面，乔治·穆恩也想到了自己的过去。很少有人知道他的过去。毕竟，那已经是二十五年前的事了。 “萨法里，你现在打算怎么办？”他问道。 “哦，这正是我想要征询你意见的地方。现在，罗比已经死了，如果我提出离婚，不知道她将会做出什么事情来。” “哦，那你想离婚吗？” “那个，我必须离婚。” 乔治·穆恩又点了一根烟，盯着袅袅上升的烟圈看了一会儿。 “你知道我也结过婚吗？” “知道，我听说过。你是个鳏夫，对吧？” “不，我是与妻子离婚了，也是我提出来的。我有个儿子，今年二十七岁。他在新西兰种地。我最后一次见我妻子，是在上一次休假回家之时。我们是在看演出时碰到的。一开始，我们都没有认出彼此。后来，她跟我讲话，然后我邀请她去伯克利用晚餐。” 乔治·穆恩自顾自地笑了起来。他那天是自己一个人去的，那是场音乐喜剧。他发现自己坐在一个又黑又胖的女人旁边，并且有些似曾相识的样子，但演出刚好就开始了，于是他也就没再多看她一眼。当第一幕结束，舞台上的帷幕也落下来后，旁边的女人突然两眼发光地看着他，并开口对他讲话。 “你还好吧，乔治？” 这正是他妻子。她看起来大胆又友善，似乎很安逸。 “我们已经好久没见过面了。”她说。 "Indeed." “你过得还好吧？” “哦，还不错。” “我猜想你现在应该是个地方长官了。你还没有退休，对吧？” “是的。不过我很快就要退休了，真不走运。”