双语·面纱 第六十四章

64

Dawn was breaking now, and here and there a Chinese was taking down the shutters of his shop. In its dark recesses, by the light of a taper, a woman was washing her hands and face. In a tea-house at a corner a group of men were eating an early meal. The grey, cold light of the rising day sidled along the narrow lanes like a thief. There was a pale mist on the river and the masts of the crowded junks loomed through it like the lances of a phantom army. It was chilly as they crossed and Kitty huddled herself up in her gay and colored shawl. They walked up the hill and they were above the mist. The sun shone from an unclouded sky. It shone as though this were a day like another and nothing had happened to distinguish it from its fellows.

“Wouldn't you like to lie down?” said Waddington when they entered the bungalow.

“No, I'll sit at the window.”

She had sat at the window so often and so long during the weeks that had passed and her eyes now were so familiar with the fantastic, garish, beautiful, and mysterious temple on its great bastion that it rested her spirit. It was so unreal, even in the crude light of mid-day, that it withdrew her from the reality of life.

“I'll get the boy to make you some tea. I'm afraid it will be necessary to bury him this morning. I'll make all the arrangements.”

“Thank you.”

第六十四章

天已经破晓，街上各处店铺的中国人正摘下门板，准备开业。在店铺的黑暗处，借着蜡烛的光线，一位妇女正洗着手和脸。在茶馆的一个角落中，一群人正在吃着早点。升起的日头散发出灰白、清冷的光线，从狭窄小巷的侧面偷偷地照射进来，如同窃贼一般。河面上弥漫着白色的雾气，雾气中拥挤的小船上的桅杆时隐时现，仿佛幽灵军队的长矛在逼近。当他们渡河时，一股寒意阵阵袭来，凯蒂把自己裹在艳丽的花花绿绿的披肩中。他们走到了山上，也身处在云雾缭绕之中。太阳从万里无云的天空上照耀着，好像这一天跟其他日子没有什么两样，什么事也没有发生。

“你不想躺会儿吗？”当他们走进平房，威廷顿说道。

“不了，我还是在窗户边坐会儿吧。”

她在过去的几周里，经常坐在窗边，长久地眺望外面，她已经对远处城堡之中梦幻般的、金碧辉煌的、美丽多姿的、神秘莫测的庙宇非常熟悉了，它能够让她的心神平静下来。一切都好像那么不真实，甚至就在正午未加遮掩的阳光之下，她竟脱离了现实的生活。

“我让男仆给你沏点儿茶，恐怕今天上午就得埋葬他了。我得做点儿准备。”

“谢谢你。”