第九章（第11/13页）

如今，他意识到要在两个世界获得成功，需要采取不同的方法，因为存在着享乐阶层及劳作阶层这两个不同的群体。他，作为个体，以自己的小说取悦着享乐阶层。他也因此声名鹊起。但在享乐阶层之下，还存在着劳作阶层，他们野蛮肮脏，却又令人生畏。供给者对他们而言，同样不可或缺。完成对劳作阶层的供给任务，远比为享乐阶层服务困难得多。他孜孜不倦地致力于自己的小说，在声望世界春风得意时，特弗沙尔却已经走投无路。

He realized now that the bitch-goddess of Success had two main appetites: one for flattery, adulation, stroking and tickling such as writers and artists gave her; but the other a grimmer appetite for meat and bones. And the meat and bones for the bitch-goddess were provided by the men who made money in industry.

他终于恍然大悟，成功这位堕落女神有两大嗜好：甜言蜜语，阿谀奉承，溜须拍马，这些由作家和艺术家来提供；而更为恐怖的是她对肉和骨头的渴望。负责为堕落女神供给肉和骨头的，是在工业领域淘金的人们。

Yes, there were two great groups of dogs wrangling for the bitch-goddess: the group of the flatterers, those who offered her amusement, stories, films, plays: and the other, much less showy, much more savage breed, those who gave her meat, the real substance of money. The well-groomed showy dogs of amusement wrangled and snarled among themselves for the favours of the bitch-goddess. But it was nothing to the silent fight-to-the-death that went on among the indispensables, the bone-bringers.

没错，两大群狗为赢得堕落女神的青睐，斗得不可开交。一群是谄媚者，他们献上小说、电影、戏剧等消遣元素。而另一群虽然低调许多，但更加野蛮粗暴，他们奉上的则是肉食——真正的金钱与财富。那群贡献娱乐元素的狗总是衣着光鲜，好出风头，他们彼此咆哮着，吼叫着，希望得到堕落女神的垂青。但他们跟那群提供肉和骨头的狗相比，简直不值一提，后者更加举足轻重，而他们暗中的较量更是生死攸关。

But under Mrs. Bolton's influence, Clifford was tempted to enter this other fight, to capture the bitch-goddess by brute means of industrial production. Somehow, he got his pecker up.

由于博尔顿太太的影响，克利福德渴望投身更为激烈的争斗中去，用工业生产的原始手段，来俘虏堕落女神的芳心。不知是何原因，他此番鼓足了勇气。

In one way, Mrs. Bolton made a man of him, as Connie never did. Connie kept him apart, and made him sensitive and conscious of himself and his own states. Mrs. Bolton made hint aware only of outside things. Inwardly he began to go soft as pulp. But outwardly he began to be effective.

从某种程度来讲，博尔顿将让克利福德塑造成真正的男子汉，而这是康妮从未企及的。康妮对他若即若离，让他变得极为敏感，对自己和自己的状态有清醒的认识。博尔顿太太则让他只管放眼外界。在内心深处，他变得软弱不堪。而从表面看来，他却显得斗志昂扬。

He even roused himself to go to the mines once more: and when he was there, he went down in a tub, and in a tub he was hauled out into the workings. Things he had learned before the war, and seemed utterly to have forgotten, now came back to him. He sat there, crippled, in a tub, with the underground manager showing him the seam with a powerful torch. And he said little. But his mind began to work.

他甚至振奋精神，重返矿场。他乘着矿车下到井底，被拖拽着审查过各个矿坑。大战爆发前，他熟知矿场的一切，而这些曾彻底被抛诸脑后，此刻却又再度回到原位。下肢瘫痪的他坐在矿车里，井下主管则用强力矿灯照亮矿层，便于他审视。他很少做声。但心里却开始盘算起什么。