自译 契诃夫短篇 A WORK OF ART 己所不欲(3)

刚子解开包裹，把东西郑重地摆在了桌子上。是一件精雕细刻，上了年头的大烛台。这件烛台应该是成对的：底座上刻着两个从头光到脚的女的，至于二人的神情，碍于风序良俗，我就不细细描述了。她们的脸上都挂着浪笑，仿佛她俩的本职不是支撑烛台，而是别的什么有伤风化的事，至于是什么就供您自行遐想吧。
Looking at the present, the doctor slowly scratched behind his ear, cleared his throat and blew his nose irresolutely.
看了看礼物，侯大夫挠了挠耳朵背，清了清嗓，踌躇不定地醒了醒鼻子。
“Yes, it certainly is a fine thing,” he muttered, “but... how shall I express it?... it’s... h’m... it’s not quite for family reading. It’s not simply decolleté but beyond anything, dash it all. . . .”
“啊哈哈，是，是不错。”他小声道，“不过…嘶…怎么说呢？这，这…不太适合摆在家里。首先说它缺一个配对的，再者这玩意儿实在不像话……”
“How do you mean?”
“什么叫不像话？”
“The serpent-tempter himself could not have invented anything worse.... Why, to put such a phantasmagoria on the table would be defiling the whole flat.”
“好家伙，让外人看见还以为打窑子里顺出来的呢……这玩意儿在家里没法放啊。”
“What a strange way of looking at art, doctor!” said Sasha, offended. “Why, it is an artistic thing, look at it! There is so much beauty and elegance that it fills one’s soul with a feeling of reverence and brings a lump into one’s throat! When one sees anything so beautiful one forgets everything earthly.... Only look, how much movement, what an atmosphere, what expression!”