19-5-20 【英语美文】发乎情，止乎礼的情感观—凯特•肖邦著名短篇《一个正派女人》

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A Respectable Woman

By: Kate Chopin,edited version

1.     Mrs. Baroda was looking forward to a period of unbroken rest withher husband, until he informed her that his friend Gouvernail was coming totheir house to stay a week or two. This was a man she had heard much of, buthad never seen. He had been her husband's college friend; was now a journalist,and in no sense a social personwhich was, perhaps, the reason she had never met him. But she had unconsciouslyformed an image of him in her mind. She pictured him tall, slim, cynical; with eye-glasses, and hishands in his pockets; and she did not like him.

2.     Gouvernail was slim enough,but he wasn't very tall nor very cynical; neither did he wear eyeglasses norcarry his hands in his pockets. And she rather liked him when he firstpresented himself. But why she liked him she could not explain to herself whenshe attempted to do so. She could discover in him none of those attractive brilliantand promising traits which Gaston,her husband, clearly had. On the contrary, he sat down rather mute and made himself feel at home. Hemade no efforts at all to get her approval or even esteem.

3.     Once settled at the plantation, he liked to sit in the shade, smokinghis cigar lazily and listening attentively to Gaston's experience as a sugar planter. "This is what Icall living," he would utter with deep satisfaction. He did not care to fish, and displayed no eagerness togo out and kill wild animals when Gaston proposed doing so.

4.     Gouvernail's personality puzzled Mrs. Baroda, but she liked him. Indeed, he was a lovable fellow. At first, sheleft her husband and her guest, for the most part, alone together. When shenoticed that Gouvernail was not interested in her, she started accompanying himin his idle strolls to the mill andwalks along the lake.

5.     "When is he going—your friend?" she one day asked herhusband. "For my part, he tiresme frightfully." "Not fora week yet, dear. I can't understand; he gives you no trouble." "No.I would like him if he were more like others." Gaston took his wife'spretty face between his hands and looked tenderly and laughingly into hertroubled eyes. "You are full of surprises, ma belle," he said to her. "Even I can never predict howyou are going to act under given conditions. Here you are, taking poorGouvernail seriously and making a commotion over him, the last thing he would desire or expect."

6.     "Commotion! Nonsense! How can you say such a thing? You know,you said he was clever." "So he is. But the poor fellow is run down by overwork now. That's why Iasked him here to take a rest." "You used to say he was a man ofideas," she continued. "I expected him to be interesting, at least.I'm going to the city in the morning to have my spring gowns fitted. Let me know when Mr. Gouvernail is gone; Ishall be at my Aunt Octavie's."

7.     That night she sat down beneath an oak tree. She had never experiencedher thoughts or her intentions in such a confused way. Then, Mrs. Baroda heardfootsteps; but could only see the approaching red point of a lighted cigar inthe darkness of the night. She knew it was Gouvernail, for her husband did notsmoke. She hoped to remain unnoticed, but her white gown revealed her to him.He threw away his cigar and seated himself upon the bench beside her; without asuspicion that she might object to his presence.    

8.     Gouvernail was in no sense a shy man, for he was not a self-conscious one. Sitting therebeside Mrs. Baroda, his silence melted. He talked freely and intimately in a low, hesitating tone thatwas not unpleasant to hear. He talked of the old college days when he andGaston had been a good deal to each other; of the days of ambitions and large intentions.

9.     Her mind only vaguely grasped what he was saying. She was notthinking of his words, only drinking in the tones of his voice. She wanted toreach out her hand in the darkness and touch him with the tips of her fingers.She wanted to draw close to him and whisper against his cheek—she did not carewhat—as she might have done if she had not been a respectable woman. The stronger the impulse grew to bring herself near him, the further, in fact, didshe draw away from him. As soon as she could do so, she rose and left him therealone.

10.  Mrs. Baroda wasgreatly tempted that night to tell her husband of this folly that had seized her. But she did not yield to the temptation. Besides being arespectable woman she was a very sensible one; and she knew there are somebattles in life which a human being must fight alone. When Gaston arose in themorning, she had taken an early morning train to the city already. She did notreturn till Gouvernail was gone from under her roof. There was some talk ofhaving him back during the summer that followed. That is, Gaston greatly desiredit; but this desire lost to his wife's strong opposition.

11.  However, before theyear ended, she proposed, wholly from herself, to have Gouvernail visit themagain. Her husband was surprised and delighted with the suggestion coming fromher. "I am glad, chere amie, toknow that you have finally overcome your dislike for him; truly he did notdeserve it."  "Oh," shetold him, laughingly, after pressing a long, tender kiss upon his lips, "Ihave overcome everything! you will see. This time I shall be very nice tohim."