ntal way. And Charles May, though she liked something about him, seemed a little distasteful and messy, in spite of his stars.

“这样啊，我和查理都认为性爱和谈话没啥两样，不过是种交流的方式。要是那名女子要跟我展开性对话，一旦时机成熟，我自然不会放过在床上跟她成其好事的机会。不幸的是，没有女人要和我进行此种交流，因此我只好独守空床，而这也没什么不好的……至少我希望如此，不管怎样，我怎么能够通晓天机呢？我没有天文学问题要去烦忧，也没有不朽著作要去书写。我只是个躲在行伍间、逃避世事的家伙而已……”沉默再度降临。四个男人一声不吭地吸着烟。坐在一旁的康妮继续摆弄着手上的针线活……没错，她就坐在那里！她不得不默不作声地坐在那里。她必须静默得像只老鼠，以免打扰这些才思敏捷的绅士们做出惊世骇俗的推断。但她又必须在场。没有她的存在，男人们的谈论不会如此热火朝天，他们的思路也不会如此敏捷灵活。妻子不在身边，克利福德会变得更加拘谨和胆怯，甚至更快失去发言的勇气，谈话自然也就无法进行下去。汤米·杜克斯的表现最为抢眼，显然是康妮的在场让他颇受鼓舞。她对哈蒙德不太感冒，那家伙的精神太过狭隘。至于查尔斯·梅，虽说也有几分讨她欢喜，但这位仁兄尽管以星辰为研究对象，其谈吐却粗俗无礼，条理混乱。

How many evenings had Connie sat and listened to the manifestations of these four men! these, and one or two others. That they never seemed to get anywhere didn't trouble her deeply. She liked to hear what they had to say, especially when Tommy was there. It was fun. Instead of men kissing you, and touching you with their bodies, they revealed their minds to you. It was great fun! But what cold minds!

无数个夜晚康妮就坐在那里，静静听着这四个男人闲扯。这四位是固定组合，偶尔也会有其他一两人加入其中。他们探讨的话题似乎永无定论，这一点康妮并不怎么在意。她热衷于听他们说出心底的话，尤其是汤米在场的时候。这是种有趣的经历。非是亲吻，非是身体上的爱抚，此刻男人们是在向你吐露自己的心声。这确实是妙趣横生的体验！但是他们的心声竟然也冷酷异常！

And also it was a little irritating. She had more respect for Michaelis, on whose name they all poured such withering contempt, as a little mongrel arriviste, and uneducated bounder of the worst sort. Mongrel and bounder or not, he jumped to his own conclusions. He didn't merely walk round them with millions of words, in the parade of the life of the mind.

有时康妮也会感到忿忿不平。她对米凯利斯的敬重之情远胜这些自命不凡的家伙，可他们却极尽诋毁之能事，将他斥为争名逐利不择手段的小杂种，没有教养的下流胚。杂种也好，无赖也罢，米凯利斯总会快速得出自己的结论。而不会只是漫无边际地夸夸其谈，炫耀自己的精神生活。

Connie quite liked the life of the mind, and got a great thrill out of it. But she did think it overdid itself a little. She loved being there, amidst the tobacco smoke of those famous evenings of the cronies, as she called them privately to herself. She was infinitely amused, and proud too, that even their talking they