🔊 I did not see Strickland again before I left for Tahiti. I had no occasion to go to the hotel at which he was staying, and he made no attempt to see me. It was not till I had been some days in Papeete that I ran across him by chance.

在我动身前往塔希提之前,没有再见到斯特里克兰。我没有机会去他住的旅馆,他也无意来见我。直到我在帕皮提待了几天,才偶然碰见他。

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occasion /əˈkeɪʒən/

n. 场合；时机➕

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attempt /əˈtempt/

n. 尝试；努力➕

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ran across /ræn əˈkrɒs/

v. 偶然遇见➕

🔊 I was sitting in the kitchen of the hotel one evening, when he came in to order a meal. He did not see me, and I watched him for a moment before I spoke. He was dressed as I had seen him last, in the same shabby clothes, and he looked as if he had not shaved for a week.

一天傍晚,我正坐在旅馆的厨房里,他进来点餐。他没有看到我,我先打量了他一会儿才开口。他穿着和我上次见他时一样破旧的衣服,看起来好像一周没刮胡子了。

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shabby /ˈʃæbi/

adj. 破旧的；邋遢的➕

🔊 "Strickland," I said.

我说:“斯特里克兰。”

🔊 He turned round and recognised me. He showed no surprise.

他转过身认出了我。脸上没有露出丝毫惊讶。

🔊 "Hullo," he said. "What are you doing here?"

他说:“喂,你在这儿干什么？”

🔊 "I've come to look for you," I answered.

我答道:“我来找你。”

🔊 "I thought you were in London," he said.

他说:“我以为你在伦敦。”

🔊 "I got tired of it," I replied. "I wanted a change."

我回答:“我厌倦了那儿,想换个环境。”

🔊 He did not say anything more, and I waited for him to speak. He ordered his meal, and when the Chinese cook had given it to him he sat down at a table and began to eat. He ate hungrily, and I wondered when he had had a meal last.

他没再说什么,我等着他开口。他点了餐,中国厨子把饭递给他后,他在一张桌子旁坐下,开始吃起来。他吃得狼吞虎咽,我心想他上一顿饭是什么时候吃的。

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hungrily /ˈhʌŋɡrɪli/

adv. 饥饿地；渴望地➕

🔊 I watched him for a while in silence.

我默默看了他一会儿。

🔊 "Have you been painting?" I asked at length.

我终于问道:“你还在画画吗？”

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at length /æt leŋθ/

adv. 最终；详细地➕

🔊 "When I can," he answered.

他答道:“有空就画。”

🔊 He said no more, and I felt that he was unwilling to converse. I finished my own meal, and called the boy to pay. Then I turned to Strickland.

他没再说话,我觉得他不想交谈。我吃完自己的饭,叫伙计来结账。然后我转向斯特里克兰。

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unwilling /ʌnˈwɪlɪŋ/

adj. 不愿意的；不情愿的➕

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converse /kənˈvɜːrs/

v. 交谈；谈话➕

🔊 "Will you come and have a drink with me?" I asked.

我问:“愿意跟我去喝一杯吗？”

🔊 "I don't mind," he said.

他说:“无所谓。”

🔊 We went to a cafe that was frequented by the seamen and the traders of the port. It was a large, bare room, with a billiard-table at one end and a gramophone at the other. There were a few men sitting about, drinking, and one or two were playing cards. Strickland and I sat down at a small table in a corner.

我们去了港口海员和商人常光顾的一家咖啡馆。那是个空荡荡的大房间,一头摆着台球桌,另一头放着留声机。有几个人散坐着喝酒,一两个在打牌。斯特里克兰和我在角落一张小桌子旁坐下。

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frequented /ˈfriːkwəntɪd/

v. 经常光顾,常去➕

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seamen /ˈsiːmən/

n. 海员,水手➕

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traders /ˈtreɪdəz/

n. 商人,贸易商➕

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billiard-table /ˈbɪljəd ˌteɪbl/

n. 台球桌➕

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gramophone /ˈɡræməfəʊn/

n. 留声机（旧式唱机）➕

🔊 I ordered two whiskies.

我要了两杯威士忌。

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whiskies /ˈwɪskiz/

n. 威士忌酒（复数）➕

🔊 "How have you been getting on?" I asked.

我问:“你过得怎么样？”

🔊 "All right," he said.

他说:“还行。”

🔊 His manner was so curt that I found it difficult to go on. However, I was determined to get something out of him.

他态度如此简短,我觉得很难继续谈下去。但我决心要从他嘴里套出点话来。

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curt /kɜːt/

adj. 简短而失礼的,唐突的➕

🔊 "Have you been living here long?" I asked.

我问:“你在这儿住很久了吗？”

🔊 "About six months," he answered.

他答道:“大概六个月。”

🔊 "Why did you come to Tahiti?"

“你为什么来塔希提？”

🔊 "I wanted to."

“想来就来了。”

🔊 He did not look at me as he spoke, but kept his eyes fixed on the men playing cards. There was a sullen look on his face, and I felt that he was in one of his morose moods. We sat for some time in silence. I smoked a cigarette and watched him. I could not understand why he had come to this island, or what he was doing here. He had no money, and as far as I could see he was living from hand to mouth. He looked older and more worn than when I had last seen him, and his clothes were in rags. I wondered what had become of the pictures he had painted. Had he sold any? Had he given up painting altogether?

他说这话时没看我,眼睛一直盯着打牌的人。他脸上带着阴郁的神情,我觉得他又陷入了那种闷闷不乐的情绪。我们默默坐了一阵子。我抽着烟,打量着他。我不明白他为什么要来这个岛,在这里做什么。他没钱,据我所见他过得朝不保夕。他看起来比我上次见他时更老、更憔悴,衣服破破烂烂。我琢磨着他画的那些画怎么样了。卖出去过吗？还是完全放弃了画画？

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sullen /ˈsʌlən/

adj. 闷闷不乐的,阴郁的➕

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morose /məˈrəʊs/

adj. 闷闷不乐的,抑郁的➕

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moods /muːdz/

n. 情绪,心情（复数）➕

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from hand to mouth /frɒm hænd tə maʊθ/

idiom. 仅够糊口,生活拮据➕