Henry James.docx
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Henry James.docx
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HenryJames
HenryJames(亨利·詹姆斯,1843-1916)
作品选读
ThePortraitofaLady
ChapterVI
IsabelArcherwasayoungpersonofmanytheories;herimaginationwasremarkablyactive.Ithadbeenherfortunetopossessafinermindthanmostofthepersonsamongwhomherlotwascast;tohavealargerperceptionofsurroundingfactsandtocareforknowledgethatwastingedwiththeunfamiliar.Itistruethatamonghercontemporariesshepassedforayoungwomanofextraordinaryprofundity;fortheseexcellentpeopleneverwithheldtheiradmirationfromareachofintellectofwhichtheythemselveswerenotconscious,andspokeofIsabelasaprodigyoflearning,acreaturereportedtohavereadtheclassicauthors—intranslations.Herpaternalaunt,Mrs.Varian,oncespreadtherumourthatIsabelwaswritingabook—Mrs.Varianhavingareverenceforbooks,andaverredthatthegirlwoulddistinguishherselfinprint.Mrs.Varianthoughthighlyofliterature,forwhichsheentertainedthatesteemthatisconnectedwithasenseofprivation.Herownlargehouse,remarkableforitsassortmentofmosaictablesanddecoratedceilings,wasunfurnishedwithalibrary,andinthewayofprintedvolumescontainednothingbuthalfadozennovelsinpaperonashelfintheapartmentofoneoftheMissVarians.Practically,Mrs.Varian’sacquaintancewithliteraturewasconfinedtoTheNewYorkInterviewer;assheveryjustlysaid,afteryouhadreadtheIntervieweryouhadlostallfaithinculture.Hertendency,withthis,wasrathertokeeptheIntervieweroutofthewayofherdaughters;shewasdeterminedtobringthemupproperly,andtheyreadnothingatall.HerimpressionwithregardtoIsabel’slabourswasquiteillusory;thegirlhadneverattemptedtowriteabookandhadnodesireforthelaurelsofauthorship.Shehadnotalentforexpressionandtoolittleoftheconsciousnessofgenius;sheonlyhadageneralideathatpeoplewererightwhentheytreatedherasifshewererathersuperior.Whetherornosheweresuperior,peoplewererightinadmiringheriftheythoughtherso;foritseemedtoheroftenthathermindmovedmorequicklythantheirs,andthisencouragedanimpatiencethatmighteasilybeconfoundedwithsuperiority.ItmaybeaffirmedwithoutdelaythatIsabelwasprobablyveryliabletothesinofself-esteem;sheoftensurveyedwithcomplacencythefieldofherownnature;shewasinthehabitoftakingforgranted,onscantyevidence,thatshewasright;shetreatedherselftooccasionsofhomage.[1]Meanwhilehererrorsanddelusionswerefrequentlysuchasabiographerinterestedinpreservingthedignityofhissubjectmustshrinkfromspecifying.Herthoughtswereatangleofvagueoutlineswhichhadneverbeencorrectedbythejudgmentofpeoplespeakingwithauthority.Inmattersofopinionshehadhadherownway,andithadledherintoathousandridiculouszigzags.Atmomentsshediscoveredshewasgrotesquelywrong,andthenshetreatedherselftoaweekofpassionatehumility.Afterthissheheldherheadhigherthaneveragain;foritwasofnouse,shehadanunquenchabledesiretothinkwellofherself.Shehadatheorythatitwasonlyunderthisprovisionlifewasworthliving;thatoneshouldbeoneofthebest,shouldbeconsciousofafineorganization(shecouldn’thelpknowingherorganizationwasfine),shouldmoveinarealmoflight,ofnaturalwisdom,ofhappyimpulse,ofinspirationgracefullychronic.[2]Itwasalmostasunnecessarytocultivatedoubtofone’sselfastocultivatedoubtofone’sbestfriend:
oneshouldtrytobeone’sownbestfriendandtogiveone’sself,inthismanner,distinguishedcompany.Thegirlhadacertainnoblenessofimaginationwhichrenderedheragoodmanyservicesandplayedheragreatmanytricks.Shespenthalfhertimeinthinkingofbeautyandbraveryandmagnanimity;shehadafixeddeterminationtoregardtheworldasaplaceofbrightness,offreeexpansion,ofirresistibleaction:
[3]shehelditmustbedetestabletobeafraidorashamed.Shehadaninfinitehopethatsheshouldneverdoanythingwrong.Shehadresentedsostrongly,afterdiscoveringthem,hermereerrorsoffeeling(thediscoveryalwaysmadehertrembleasifshehadescapedfromatrapwhichmighthavecaughtherandsmotheredher)thatthechanceofinflictingasensibleinjuryuponanotherperson,presentedonlyasacontingency,causedheratmomentstoholdherbreath.Thatalwaysstruckherastheworstthingthatcouldhappentoher.Onthewhole,reflectively,shewasinnouncertaintyaboutthethingsthatwerewrong.Shehadnoloveoftheirlook,butwhenshefixedthemhardsherecognisedthem.Itwaswrongtobemean,tobejealous,tobefalse,tobecruel;shehadseenverylittleoftheeviloftheworld,butshehadseenwomenwholiedandwhotriedtohurteachother.Seeingsuchthingshadquickenedherhighspirit;itseemedindecentnottoscornthem.[4]Ofcoursethedangerofahighspiritwasthedangerofinconsistency—thedangerofkeepinguptheflagaftertheplacehassurrendered;asortofbehavioursocrookedastobealmostadishonortotheflag.ButIsabel,whoknewlittleofthesortsofartillerytowhichyoungwomenareexposed,flatteredherselfthatsuchcontradictionswouldneverbenotedinherownconduct.Herlifeshouldalwaysbeinharmonywiththemostpleasingimpressionsheshouldproduce;shewouldbewhatsheappeared,andshewouldappearwhatshewas.[5]Sometimesshewentsofarastowishthatshemightfindherselfsomedayinadifficultposition,sothatsheshouldhavethepleasureofbeingasheroicastheoccasiondemanded.Altogether,withhermeagerknowledge,herinflatedideals,herconfidenceatonceinnocentanddogmatic,hertemperatonceexactingandindulgent,hermixtureofcuriosityandfastidiousness,ofvivacityandindifference,herdesiretolookverywellandtobeifpossibleevenbetter,herdeterminationtosee,totry,toknow,hercombinationofthedelicate,desultory,flame-likespiritandtheeagerandpersonalcreatureofconditions:
[6]shewouldbeaneasyvictimofscientificcriticismifshewerenotintendedtoawakenonthereader’spartanimpulsemoretenderandmorepurelyexpectant.
ItwasoneofhertheoriesthatIsabelArcherwasveryfortunateinbeingindependent,andthatsheoughttomakesomeveryenlighteneduseofthatstate.Shenevercalleditthestateofsolitude,muchlessofsingleness;shethoughtsuchdescriptionsweak,and,besides,hersisterLilyconstantlyurgedhertocomeandabide.Shehadafriendwhoseacquaintanceshehadmadeshortlybeforeherfather’sdeath,whoofferedsohighanexampleofusefulactivitythatIsabelalwaysthoughtofherasamodel.HenriettaStackpolehadtheadvantageofanadmiredability;shewasthoroughlylaunchedinjournalism,andherletterstotheInterviewer,fromWashington,Newport,theWhiteMountainsandotherplaces,wereuniversallyquoted.Isabelpronouncedthemwithconfidence“ephemeral”,butsheesteemedthecourage,energyandgood-humorofthewriter,who,withoutparentsandwithoutproperty,hadadoptedthreeofthechildrenofaninfirmandwidowedsisterandwaspayingtheirschool-billsoutoftheproceedsofherliterarylabor.Henriettawasinthevanofprogressandhadclear-cutviewsonmostsubjects;hercherisheddesirehadlongbeentocometoEuropeandwriteaseriesofletterstotheInterviewerfromtheradicalpointofview—anenterprisethelessdifficultassheknewperfectlyinadvancewhatheropinionswouldbeandtohowmanyobjectionsmostEuropeaninstitutionslayopen.WhensheheardthatIsabelwascomingshewishedtostartatonce;thinking,naturally,thatitwouldbedelightfulthetwoshouldtraveltogether.Shehadbeenobliged,however,topostponethisenterprise.ShethoughtIsabelagloriouscreature,andhadspokenofhercovertlyinsomeofherletters,thoughshenevermentionedthefacttoherfriend,whowouldnothavetakenpleasureinitandwasnotaregularstudentoftheInterviewer.Henrietta,forIsabel,waschieflyaproofthatawomanmightsufficetoherselfandbehappy.Herresourceswereoftheobviouskind;butevenifonehadnotthejournalistictalentandageniusforguessing,asHenriettasaid,whatthepublicwasgoingtowant,onewasnotthereforetoconcludethatonehadnovocation,nobeneficentaptitudeofanysort,andresignone’sselftobeingfrivolousandhollow.Isabelwasstoutlydeterminednottobehollow.Ifoneshouldwaitwiththerightpatienceonewouldfindsomehappyworktoone’shand.Ofcourse,amonghertheories,thisyoungladywasnotwithoutacollectionofviewsonthesubjectofmarriage.Thefirstonthelistwasaconvictionofthevulgarityofthinkingtoomuchofit.Fromlapsingintoeagernessonthispointsheearnestlyprayedshemightbedelivered;sheheldthatawomanoughttobeabletolivetoherself,intheabsenceofexceptionalflimsiness,andthatitwasperfectlypossibletobehappywithoutthesocietyofamoreorlesscoarse-mindedpersonofanothersex.[7]Thegirl’sprayerwasverysufficientlyanswered;somethingpureandproudthattherewasinher—somethingcoldanddryanunappreciatedsuitorwithatasteforanalysismighthavecalledit—hadhithertokeptherfromanygreatvanityofconjectureonthearticleofpossiblehusbands.Fewofthemenshesawseemedwortharuinousexpenditure,anditmadehersmiletothinkthatoneofthemshouldpresenthimselfasanincentivetohopeandarewardofpatience.Deepinhersoul—itwasthedeepestthingthere—layabeliefthatifacertainlightshoulddawnshecouldgiveherselfcompletely;butthisimage,onthewhole,wastooformidabletobeattractive.[8]Isabel’sthoughtshoveredaboutit,butt
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