第十八章（第17/17页）

“最好同时也请我做你的模特。”梅勒斯说。“最好把我俩画在一起，坠入艺术之网的伏尔甘（注：罗马神话中的火与锻造之神，维纳斯的丈夫）和维纳斯。做守林人之前，我当过铁匠呢。”“感激不尽。”画家回应道。“伏尔甘那身材我可不感兴趣。”“即便将它装扮得像根管子都不行吗？”邓肯没有回答。画家不屑于再跟梅勒斯攀谈。

It was a dismal party, in which the artist henceforth steadily ignored the presence of the other man, and talked only briefly, as if the words were wrung out of the depths of his gloomy portentousness, to the women.

晚餐时的气氛相当沉闷。邓肯始终没有再搭理梅勒斯，只是跟两位女士谈话，而且尽量做到言简意赅，仿佛那些语句是从他忧郁自负的深渊里挤出来的一般。

"You didn't like him, but he's better than that, really. He's really kind," Connie explained as they left.

“你不喜欢他，但实际上他的个性并非如此。他真的是个好人。”从邓肯家出来，康妮向梅勒斯解释着。

"He's a little black pup with a corrugated distemper," said Mellors.

“他像条患上螺纹狂热症的小黑狗。”梅勒斯说。

"No, he wasn't nice today.” "And will you go and be a model to him?" "Oh, I don't really mind any more. He won't touch me. And I don't mind anything, if it paves the way to a life together for you and me.” "But he'll only shit on you on canvas.” "I don't care. He'll only be painting his own feelings for me, and I don't mind if he does that. I wouldn't have him touch me, not for anything. But if he thinks he can do anything with his owlish arty staring, let him stare. He can make as many empty tubes and corrugations out of me as he likes. It's his funeral. He hated you for what you said: that his tubified art is sentimental and self-important. But of course it's true.”

“嗯，他今天确实有些讨人嫌。”“你会去给他做模特吗？”“噢，我已经无所谓了。他绝不会碰我。只要我们最终能走到一起，其他的都无所谓。”“但他会在画布上对你胡涂乱抹。”“我不在乎。他只会画出对我的感觉，那样的话，我就不会介意。我不会让他碰我分毫。可若是他认为仅用那对画家的直眼睛盯着我看，就能得到满足，那不妨让他看好了。他尽可以把我画成许多空管子还有螺纹。那是他的自由。他之所以讨厌你，就是因为你的那番言论：他画的管子只不过是无病呻吟，妄自尊大。不过当然这评价确实一针见血。”