who run this world. That's why I can't get on. I hate the impudence of money, and I hate the impudence of class. So in the world as it is, what have I to offer a woman?” "But why offer anything? It's not a bargain. It's just that we love one another," she said.

“这样说来，我明白你的话。”他默默思索着。然后，他继续说道：“过去，他们常说我太娘了。但其实并非如此。我不忍射杀鸟儿，不愿聚敛私财，也不想往上爬，这并非娘们的写照。对我而言，在军队里谋得高位轻而易举，但我却讨厌军旅生涯。虽说我也能把部下管理得服服帖帖，他们都很爱戴我，我生气的时候，他们也都怕得要命。不，都怪那些愚蠢顽固的当权派，是他们将军队搞得死气沉沉，乌烟瘴气。我与世人并无隔阂，大家也都愿意接纳我。我只是无法忍受这个世界当权者的骄横跋扈、厚颜无耻。这正是我不求高升的原因。我憎恨肮脏丑恶的金钱，厌恶不知廉耻的统治阶级。容身的世界尚且如此，我又能拿些什么，来奉献给女人呢？”“可为什么要奉献呢？这并非讨价还价的交易。我们只是彼此相爱。”她说。

"Nay, nay! It's more than that. Living is moving and moving on. My life won't go down the proper gutters, it just won't. So I'm a bit of a waste ticket by myself. And I've no business to take a woman into my life, unless my life does something and gets somewhere, inwardly at least, to keep us both fresh. A man must offer a woman some meaning in his life, if it's going to be an isolated life, and if she's a genuine woman. I can't be just your male concubine.” "Why not?" she said.

“不，不！事情远非如此简单。生活意味着不断前进，不断发展。而我不甘自己的生活堕进微贱。我就像张作废的车票。我无权把一个女人扯进自己的生活，除非能够有所起色，有所成就，至少是内在的，能让彼此都保持新鲜感。男人必须将生命中有意义的部分奉献给自己的另一半，只要她是位诚挚的女子，如果他们愿意相守一生。我不想只做你的情夫。”“为什么？”她问。

"Why, because I can't. And you would soon hate it.” "As if you couldn't trust me," she said.

“呵，因为我无法说服自己。而你很快也会感到厌倦。”“就像你无法信任我一样。”她说。

The grin flickered on his face.

他苦笑着。

"The money is yours, the position is yours, the decisions will lie with you. I'm not just my Lady's fucker, after all.” "What else are you?" "You may well ask. It no doubt is invisible. Yet I'm something to myself at least. I can see the point of my own existence, though I can quite understand nobody else's seeing it.” "And will your existence have less point, if you live with me?" He paused a long time before replying: "It might." She too stayed to think about it.

“你手握金钱，坐拥地位，将决定权牢牢掌控。毕竟，我不只是夫人您的纵欲机器。”“不然，你还是什