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剧院风情|Theater

第九章|Chapter 9

属类： 双语小说 【分类】双语小说 -[作者: 毛姆] 阅读：[17336]
朱莉娅是个兽医的女儿，家庭条件一般。初入演艺圈的时候，也没什么传奇经历，不过是慢慢表演，慢慢展露才华，得到一个有眼光的导演的肯定，一步步把表演能力提升，渐渐地成了大明星。她丈夫是位绅士，外貌条件非常好，但在表演方面天才有限，只能演一些小角色。不过他是位出色的商人。这样，他们俩一个经营，一个表演，可谓是珠联璧合。他们的剧院经营得相当出色，两个人也是演艺圈里的模范夫妻。
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1
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他们上演了这部剧，演出非常成功。那之后，他们一年又一年地上演一部部戏剧。由于迈克尔像管理他们的家那样节俭地经营剧院，因此他们虽然有失手的时候，但并没有损失很多钱，戏剧演出成功的时候却挣了每一分能挣的钱。迈克尔很得意，他认为伦敦没有一个剧院经理像他这样能在剧作上花这么少的钱。迈克尔精于改装旧布景，使它们看起来像新的一样，他还给渐渐积攒起来的家具改头换面，省下了租赁的费用。他们赢得了有开创精神的名声，因为不想给那些有名的剧作家高额的费用，迈克尔总是愿意尝试不知名的剧作家的作品。他还寻找那些从未有过演出机会以及薪水很少的演员，也因而发掘了不少有利可图的新演员。

1
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They put on the play, and it was a success. After that they continued to produce plays year after year. Because Michael ran the theatre with the method and thrift with which he ran his home they lost little over the failures, which of course they sometimes had, and made every possible penny out of their successes. Michael flattered himself that there was not a management in London where less money was spent on the productions. He exercised great ingenuity in disguising old sets so that they looked new, and by ringing the changes on the furniture that he gradually collected in the store-room saved the expense of hiring. They gained the reputation of being an enterprising management because Michael, in order not to pay the high royalties of well-known authors, was always willing to give an unknown one a trial. He sought out actors who had never been given a chance and whose salaries were small. He thus made some very profitable discoveries.

2
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在经营了三年后，他们已经有充足的经济底子，足以让迈克尔从银行贷款买下一个刚刚建成的剧院的地契。在几番讨论后，他们最终决定将之命名为西登斯剧院。开业的第一部剧就很失败，接着上演的另一部也没有好转。朱莉娅害怕起来，有些泄气。她觉得这剧院走了霉运，公众开始厌烦她了。也就是在这段时间里，迈克尔展现了他最可贵的品质。他泰然处之。

2
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When they had been in management for three years they were sufficiently well-established for Michael to be able to borrow from the bank enough money to buy the lease of a Theatre that had just been built. After much discussion they decided to call it the Siddons Theatre. They opened with a failure and this was succeeded by another. Julia was frightened and discouraged. She thought that the theatre was unlucky and that the public were getting sick of her. It was then that Michael showed himself at his best. He was unperturbed.

3
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“在这一行，你必须好坏都能一起接纳。你是英国最好的女演员。只有三个人，不论剧本好坏，都能叫座，你就是其中一个。我们已经发了两发哑炮。下部剧一定会有起色的，那时，我们不仅会收回之前我们损失的，还能大赚一笔。”

3
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“In this business you have to take the rough with the smooth. You’re the best actress in England. There are only three people who bring money into the theatre regardless of the play, and you’re one of them. We’ve had a couple of duds. The next play’s bound to be all right and then we shall get back all we’ve lost and a packet into the bargain.”

4
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当迈克尔感到自己立稳了脚跟，他立刻试图买回多莉·德·弗里斯的股份，但多莉并不听从他的劝说，对他的冷漠也视而不见。这一次，他的狡猾找到了对手。多莉觉得没有理由卖出看起来还不错的投资，而且对剧院持股让她能与朱莉娅保持亲密联系。但现在，在新剧院经营状况不稳定的时候，迈克尔鼓足勇气试图摆脱她。但多莉义正词严地拒绝在他们遇到困难的时候抛下他们，于是他只能放弃了。他安慰自己，想着多莉可能会留给罗杰，她的教子，一大笔钱。除了在南非的几个侄子，她没有什么亲人，而且她看起来像是患有高血压。同时，他们可以随时去吉尔福德附近的别墅，这也带来不少便利，还节约了他们置办一栋郊区别墅的钱。第三部剧非常成功，迈克尔丝毫没有犹豫地指出他当时有多么正确。他说话的方式好像这部剧的成功全部归功于他。朱莉娅几乎希望这部剧和前两部一样失败，好杀杀他的气焰，因为他那自负的样子实在让人觉得可恶。当然，你必须承认，他有几分聪明，或者是精明，但他绝没有自己想象的那般聪明。他总是觉得在任何事情上都比别人知道得多。

4
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As soon as Michael had felt himself safe he had tried to buy Dolly de Vries out, but she would not listen to his persuasion and was indifferent to his coldness. For once his cunning found its match. Dolly saw no reason to sell out an investment that seemed sound, and her half share in the partnership kept her in close touch with Julia. But now with great courage he made another effort to get rid of her. Dolly indignantly refused to desert them when they were in difficulties, and he gave it up as a bad job. He consoled himself by thinking that Dolly might leave Roger, her godson, a great deal of money. She had no one belonging to her but nephews in South Africa, and you could not look at her without suspecting that she had a high blood pressure. Meanwhile it was convenient to have the house near Guildford to go to whenever they wished. It saved the expense of having a country house of their own. The third play was a winner, and Michael did not hesitate to point out how right he had been. He spoke as though he was directly responsible for its success. Julia could almost have wished that it had failed like the others in order to take him down a peg or two. For his conceit was outrageous. Of course you had to admit that he had a sort of cleverness, shrewdness rather, but he was not nearly so clever as he thought himself. There was nothing in which he did not think that he knew better than anybody else.

5
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随着时间流逝，迈克尔开始渐渐不再演戏。他发现自己对管理剧院更有兴趣。

5
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As time went on he began to act less frequently. He found himself much more interested in management.

6
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“我想像管理市政府机关那样有条不紊地经营剧院。”他说道。

6
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“I want to run my theatre in as businesslike a way as a city office,” he said.

7
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同时，迈克尔觉得在朱莉娅演戏的晚上去一些边远的剧院转转，并试图发掘好演员，可以更加高效地利用他的夜晚时间。他有一个小本子，里面记录了他对每一位看起来有前途的演员的笔记。然后他开始导演戏剧。每想到那些导演要求用那么多钱去排练一出戏剧，他总是抱怨连天。最近，有些导演甚至坚持要获得总收入的一部分作为报酬。最终，朱莉娅最中意的两个导演都没空，另外一个她信任的导演在演戏，因而无法全情投入导演的工作中。

7
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And he felt that he could more profitably spend his evenings, when Julia was acting, by going to outlying theatres and trying to find talent. He kept a little book in which he made a note for every actor who seemed to show promise. Then he had taken to directing. It had always grizzled him that directors should ask so much money for rehearsing a play, and of late some of them had even insisted on a percentage on the gross. At last an occasion came when the two directors Julia liked best were engaged and the only other one she trusted was acting and thus could not give them all his time.

8
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“我非常想亲自试试。”迈克尔说道。

8
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“I’ve got a good mind to have a shot at it myself,” said Michael.

9
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朱莉娅表示怀疑。他缺乏想象力，想法也极为普通。她不确定他是否能驾驭得了整个剧组。但唯一能请来的导演要求的报酬在两人看来高得离谱，除了让迈克尔一试之外也没有别的办法了。但迈克尔的表现超出了朱莉娅的预期。他细致缜密，工作很努力。让朱莉娅感到非常奇怪的是，迈克尔比以往任何导演都更能激发她的潜能。他知道她的能力极限，对她音调的每一处变化、美妙双眸的每一次注视以及她身体的每一个优雅的动作都非常熟悉，他给她的建议，让她成功地展现出她职业生涯迄今为止最好的表演。迈克尔与整个剧组的相处模式既宽容，又严格。当大家的脾气到达爆发边缘时，他那副好个性，再加上他真诚的友善，能让事情平息下来。在那之后，毫无疑问他应该继续导演他们自己的戏剧。剧作家们也都喜欢迈克尔，由于他缺乏想象，他只能按照剧本所写的来导戏，而且他时常不能确定剧本所描述的意思，只能去请教他们。

9
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Julia was doubtful. He had no fantasy and his ideas were commonplace. She was not sure that he would have authority over the cast. But the only available director demanded a fee that they both thought exorbitant and there was nothing left but to let Michael try. He made a much better job of it than Julia expected. He was thorough; he worked hard. Julia, strangely enough, felt that he was getting more out of her than any other director had done. He knew what she was capable of, and, familiar with her every inflection, every glance of her wonderful eyes, every graceful movement of her body, he was able to give hersuggestions out of which she managed to build up the best performance of her career. With the cast he was at once conciliatory and exacting. When tempers were frayed his good-humour, his real kindliness, smoothed things over. After that there was no question but that he should continue to direct their plays. Authors liked him because, being unimaginative, he was forced to let the plays speak for themselves and often not being quite sure what they meant he was obliged to listen to them.

10
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朱莉娅现在是个有钱女人了。她不得不承认，对于她的钱迈克尔如同对自己的钱那样爱护。他小心地关注着她的投资，当迈克尔把她户头的股票以高利润的价格卖出去时，高兴得如同自己挣了钱一般。他给她很大一笔薪水，并且非常骄傲地宣称她是伦敦最贵的女演员，但当他自己演出的时候，他给自己的薪水从来不会高出角色应得的报酬。当他导演戏剧的时候，他给自己二流导演的费用。他们共同承担房子的花销以及罗杰教育的开支。罗杰出生不到一周，他们便给他在伊顿公学报了名。不可否认，迈克尔在公平和诚实方面做得一丝不苟。当朱莉娅意识到她比迈克尔富有得多时，她想自己承担所有的费用。

10
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Julia was now a rich woman. She could not but admit that Michael was as careful of her money as of his own. He watched her investments and was as pleased when he could sell stocks at a profit on her account as if he had made the money for himself. He put her down for a very large salary, and was proud to be able to say that she was the most highly-paid actress in London, but when he himself acted he never put himself down for a higher salary than he thought the part was worth. When he directed a play he put down on the expense account the fee that a director of the second rank would have received. They shared the expenses of the house and the cost of Roger’s education. Roger had been entered for Eton within a week of his birth. It was impossible to deny that Michael was scrupulously fair and honest. When Julia realized how much richer she was than he she wanted to pay all these expenses herself.

11
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“你没有任何理由这么做，”迈克尔说道，“只要我还付得起，我就会支付。你比我挣得多因为你值得那么多。我给你付高薪水因为那是你应得的。”

11
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“There’s no reason why you should,” said Michael. “As long as I can pay my whack I’ll pay it. You earn more than I do because you’re worth more. I put you down for a good salary because you draw it.”

12
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没人不敬佩他为了她而牺牲自我的克己精神。他放弃了自己的一切抱负，为了成就她的职业。甚至不喜欢迈克尔的多莉也承认他的无私奉献。每当朱莉娅想和多莉讨论迈克尔，总是被一种羞怯阻止，但精明的多莉很早就发现迈克尔让朱莉娅恼怒，于是多莉时不时地向她指出他对她的帮助有多大。所有人都赞美他。一个完美的丈夫。在她看来，除了她没人知道和他这样一个虚荣的怪物住在一起是什么感觉。当他在高尔夫球场上打败对手或者在生意场上占了某人的上风时显示出的扬扬自得的神情令人火冒三丈。他美化他的狡猾。他令人生厌，彻头彻尾地让人厌恶。他喜欢告诉朱莉娅他做的一切，以及他脑海中出现的一切诡计；起初仅仅是拥有他就让她开怀的时光多么美好，但这么多年来她渐渐无法忍受他的装腔作势。无论描述什么，他都要把大大小小的细节讲出来。他不仅仅对自己的商业头脑感到得意；随着年事增长，他竟无耻地为自己的英俊潇洒而感到自豪。年轻时，他对自己的美貌不以为然；现在却开始花更多心思在上面，并且不遗余力地保持他残留的风采。他对自己外表的关注几乎成了一种执念，对自己的体形也花了不少心思。他从不会吃让他长胖的食物，从不会忘记运动。他发现自己的头发稀疏起来，便向美发专家咨询。如果能让他的脸年轻起来，朱莉娅确信他会暗地里做手术。他已经养成某种坐姿，使他的脖子稍稍前突，这样他脖子上的皱纹就不会显现出来，并且他会弓起背，防止肚子下垂。如果他经过一面镜子，他必定会照一照。他渴望被恭维，能得到一句赞美便眉开眼笑。奉承话是他的食物和水。朱莉娅想起来是她让他养成了这个习惯，不禁苦笑起来。有许多年，她总是告诉迈克尔他有多美，现在他竟然离不开这些恭维了。这是他唯一的弱点。一个没工作的女演员只需当面告诉迈克尔他太帅了，他就会在脑子里想想是否有她能演的角色。这么多年来，朱莉娅知道，迈克尔并不在乎女人，不过等他到了四十五岁左右，竟然开始和女人打情骂俏。朱莉娅并不觉得这些调情会有什么实际结果。他只是希望得到她们的崇拜。据她所知，当那些女人追得过紧，他就会用她来做挡箭牌甩掉她们。要么是他不能冒险做任何伤害她的事情，要么是她嫉妒心强或者多疑，因此这段友谊最好到此为止。

12
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No one could do other than admire the self-abnegation with which he sacrificed himself for her sake. Any ambition he may have had for himself he had abandoned in order to foster her career. Even Dolly, who did not like him, acknowledged his unselfishness. A sort of modesty had always prevented Julia from discussing him with Dolly, but Dolly, with her shrewdness, had long seen how intensely Michael exasperated his wife, and now and then took the trouble to point out how useful he was to her. Everybody praised him. A perfect husband. It seemed to her that none but she knew what it was like to live with a man who was such a monster of vanity. His complacency when he had beaten an opponent at golf or got the better of someone in a business deal was infuriating. He gloried in his artfulness. He was a bore, a crashing bore. He liked to tell Julia everything he did and every scheme that passed through his head; it had been charming when merely to have him with her was a delight, but for years she had found his prosiness intolerable. He could describe nothing without circumstantial detail. Nor was he only vain of his business acumen; with advancing years he had become outrageously vain of his person. As a youth he had taken his beauty for granted: now he began to pay more attention to it and spared no pains to keep what was left of it. It became an obsession. He devoted anxious care to his figure. He never ate a fattening thing and never forgot his exercises. He consulted hair specialists when he thought his hair was thinning, and Julia was convinced that had it been possible to get the operation done secretly he would have had his face lifted. He had got into the way of sitting with his chin slightly thrust out so that the wrinkles in his neck should not show and he held himself with an arched back to keep his belly from sagging. He could not pass a mirror without looking into it. He hankered for compliments and beamed with delight when he had managed to extract one. They were food and drink to him. Julia laughed bitterly when she remembered that it was she who had accustomed him to them. For years she had told him how beautiful he was and now he could not live without flattery. It was the only chink in his armour. An actress out of a job had only to tell him to his face that he was too handsome to be true for him to think that she might do for a part he had in mind. For years, so far as Julia knew, Michael had not bothered with women, but when he reached the middle forties he began to have little flirtations. Julia suspected that nothing much came of them. He was prudent, and all he wanted was admiration. She had heard that when women became pressing he used her as a pretext to get rid of them. Either he couldn’t risk doing anything to hurt her, or she was jealous or suspicious and it seemed better that the friendship should cease.

13
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“上帝知道她们看上了他什么。”朱莉娅对着空房子感叹道。

13
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“God knows what they see in him,” Julia exclaimed to the empty room.

14
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她随意拿了半打他最近的照片，一张一张仔细观察。她耸耸肩。

14
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She took up half-a-dozen of his later photographs at random and looked at them carefully one by one. She shrugged her shoulders.

15
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“好吧，我想我也不能责怪她们，我也曾爱上他。当然那时他更好看些。”

15
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“Well, I suppose I can’t blame them. I fell in love with him too. Of course he was better-looking in those days.”

16
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想起她曾经多么爱他，让朱莉娅有点伤感。因为她的爱消失了，她感到自己被生活欺骗了。朱莉娅叹了口气。

16
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It made Julia a little sad to think how much she had loved him. Because her love had died she felt that life had cheated her. She sighed.

17
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“我的背开始痛了。”她说道。

17
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“And my back’s aching,” she said.

序号 英文/音标 中文解释 更多操作

Michael

['maɪkəl]

n.迈克尔(男子名)

theatre

[ˈθɪətə]

n.戏院,剧场,电影院

penny

['peni]

n.便士;【美】分

flatter

['flætə(r)]

v.奉承;恭维;取悦;显得好看

gradual

['ɡrædʒuəl]

adj.逐渐的;逐步的;平缓的

royalty

['rɔɪəlti]

n.皇家;皇族

lease

[liːs]

n.租约

Theatre

[ˈθɪətə]

n.戏院,剧场,电影院

dud

[dʌd]

adj.无价值的

packet

['pækɪt]

n.小袋

felted

['feltɪd]

v. 把 ... 制成毡(使 ... 粘结)

Dolly

['dɒli]

n.洋娃娃;摄影车;手推车;洗衣棒;多莉(人名)

cunning

['kʌnɪŋ]

adj.狡猾的;有眼光的;精巧的;可爱的

indignant

[ɪn'dɪɡnənt]

adj.愤慨的;愤愤不平的

console

[kən'səʊl]

vt.安慰;慰藉

Roger

['rɒdʒə(r)]

n.罗杰(男子名)

nephew

['nefjuː]

n.外甥;侄子

Africa

['æfrɪkə]

n.非洲

profitably

[ˌprɒfɪtəbli]

adv.有利地;有益地

rehearse

[rɪ'hɜːs]

vt.预演;排演;预先演习;详述;复述

casting

['kɑːstɪŋ]

n.铸造

thorough

['θʌrə]

adj.彻底的;完全的;详尽的;细致深入的

graceful

['ɡreɪsfl]

adj.优雅的;得体的

fray

[freɪ]

v.恼火;紧张

oblige

[ə'blaɪdʒ]

vt.迫使;责成;使感激;施恩于;帮 ... 的忙;使…成为必要

scrupulous

['skruːpjələs]

adj.小心谨慎的;细心的;严谨的

artful

['ɑːtfl]

adj.狡猾的;有技巧的;巧妙的

outrageous

[aʊt'reɪdʒəs]

adj.过分的;骇人的

fatten

['fætn]

v.养肥;使肥胖

liftable

[lɪftəbl]

a.1. 可以举起的

thrust

[θrʌst]

v.刺;插入;推挤

arch

[ɑːtʃ]

n.拱;拱门;拱状物

hanker

['hæŋkə(r)]

v.向往;渴望;期望

compliment

['kɒmplɪmənt]

n.称赞;恭维;(复数)致意

extract

['ekstrækt]

vt.摘录;提取

pretext

['priːtekst]

n.借口

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