第九章（第13/13页）

At first he thought the solution lay in electricity: convert the coal into electric power. Then a new idea came. The Germans invented a new locomotive engine with a self feeder, that did not need a fireman. And it was to be fed with a new fuel, that burnt in small quantities at a great heat, under peculiar conditions.

刚开始，解决之道在于发电，他认为可以将煤炭转化为电能。后来，他又萌发出新点子。德国人研制出某种新型机车，能够自供燃料，无需配备司炉工。它使用的新燃料，在特定的条件下，只需微量便可产生极大的热能。

The idea of a new concentrated fuel that burnt with a hard slowness at a fierce heat was what first attracted Clifford. There must be some sort of external stimulus of the burning of such fuel, not merely air supply. He began to experiment, and got a clever young fellow, who had proved brilliant in chemistry, to help him.

一种新型浓缩燃料，能够产生巨大的热能，且能持久使用，这个想法立刻吸引住克利福德。但此种燃料仅在空气中无法燃烧，必须借助某种外部催化剂。他开始投入实验，并得到某位聪颖青年的帮助，那人在化学领域颇有建树。

And he felt triumphant. He had at last got out of himself. He had fulfilled his life-long secret yearning to get out of himself. Art had not done it for him. Art had only made it worse. But now, now he had done it.

他嗅到成功的味道。他终于跳脱出过去的自我。实现了深藏心底的毕生愿望。艺术没能帮他实现这一愿望。反而将情况变得更糟。而现在，他总算完成夙愿。

He was not aware how much Mrs. Bolton was behind him. He did not know how much he depended on her. But for all that, it was evident that when he was with her his voice dropped to an easy rhythm of intimacy, almost a trifle vulgar.

他并未意识到博尔顿太太是多么强有力的后盾。他并不清楚自己是多么依赖她。但尽管如此，每当与她共处，他的语调会变得轻松而亲切，甚至有点粗俗，这一点显而易见。

With Connie, he was a little stiff. He felt he owed her everything, and he showed her the utmost respect and consideration, so long as she gave him mere outward respect. But it was obvious he had a secret dread of her. The new Achilles in hint had a heel, and in this heel the woman, the woman like Connie, his wife, could lame him fatally. He went in a certain half-subservient dread of her, and was extremely nice to her. But his voice was a little tense when he spoke to her, and he began to be silent whenever she was present.

而跟康妮在一起，他仍然稍显拘谨。他觉得亏欠妻子太多，只要她表面上仍旧尊重自己，他就会报以至高的敬意和体谅。但很明显，他心里依然惧她三分。重获新生的阿喀琉斯依然没有摆脱致命的弱点，而这个弱点就是康妮这样的女人，他的妻子可以轻而易举地将他驯服。他对她怀有敬畏之意，在她面前总是和颜悦色，对她极为温柔和善。但跟她交谈时，他的声音总是显得有些紧张，每当她出现，他就会选择收声。

Only when he was alone with Mrs. Bolton did he really feel a lord and a master, and his voice ran on with her almost as easily and garrulously as her own could run. And he let her shave him or sponge all his body as if he were a child, really as if he were a child.

只有单独跟博尔顿太太相处时，他才能找回当家做主的感觉，说话时也变得跟她一样轻松自如，絮絮叨叨。他让她为自己刮脸，或者用海绵擦拭全身，好像他仍身处孩提时代，仍身在襁褓之中。