for a moment in a kiss. And he had to come in to her at once, to enter the peace on earth of her soft, quiescent body. It was the moment of pure peace for him, the entry into the body of the woman.

她静静地躺着，像已沉沉睡去，像已坠入梦中。然后，他的手继续温情款款地摸索着，探入她的衣衫，左右游走，动作略显笨拙，而她的身躯则随之扭动起来。不过，这只笨拙的手却懂得用在恰当的地方，把衣衫解开。他将她那单薄的丝绸衣裙褪到脚踝处，动作缓慢而谨慎。然后，他的全身因狂喜而颤抖着，他的手爱抚着她温软的娇躯，双唇停留在她的肚脐，轻吻着。他渴望立即插入，与她合二为一，深入她那柔软安静的身体里的平和之处。插进她身体的瞬间，对他而言是品尝平和极致的体验。

She lay still, in a kind of sleep, always in a kind of sleep. The activity, the orgasm was his, all his; she could strive for herself no more. Even the tightness of his arms round her, even the intense movement of his body, and the springing of his seed in her, was a kind of sleep, from which she did not begin to rouse till he had finished and lay softly panting against her breast.

她静静地躺着，像已沉沉睡去，久久不愿醒来。所有的动作，最终的高潮都属于他，也只属于他，她不再主动，只是顺从。虽然他的双臂紧紧拥着她，虽然他的身体剧烈地抽动，甚至他的精液在她的体内喷射而出，都没将她从睡梦中唤醒。直到他彻底满足，依偎在她胸前轻喘，她才醒来。

Then she wondered, just dimly wondered, why? Why was this necessary? Why had it lifted a great cloud from her and given her peace? Was it real? Was it real? Her tormented modern-woman's brain still had no rest. Was it real? And she knew, if she gave herself to the man, it was real. But if she kept herself for herself it was nothing. She was old; millions of years old, she felt. And at last, she could bear the burden of herself no more. She was to be had for the taking. To be had for the taking.

此刻，她心生疑问，于朦胧中心生疑问，究竟为什么？为什么要这样？为什么这样做能拨散缠绕已久的巨大阴霾，让她重获宁静？这是真的吗？这是真的吗？她那现代女性的大脑曾饱经折磨，即使现在仍不愿停歇。这是真的吗？她明白，如果自愿献身给眼前的男人，一切就都是真实的。但如果她仍不愿对他敞开胸怀，一切都是白费。她感觉自己已经衰老，甚至足有百万岁。她终于无法继续承受所有的重担。她随时做好奉献自己的准备。任他自由攫取。

The man lay in a mysterious stillness. What was he feeling? What was he thinking? She did not know. He was a strange man to her, she did not know him. She must only wait, for she did not dare to break his mysterious stillness. He lay there with his arms round her, his body on hers, his wet body touching hers, so close. And completely unknown. Yet not unpeacefu