第六章（第9/9页）

“我觉得他确有可取之处，但对他并无太多了解。他去年刚刚退伍，至今还未满一年。没记错的话，他是从印度回来的。他本可闯出点名堂的，好像是哪位高官的勤务兵，后来职位得到擢升。许多军人都有这样的经历。但他们难以从中受益，一旦退伍返乡，就只能各归各位。”康妮两眼盯着克利福德，陷入沉思。她看得出，丈夫对有机会平步青云的下等人极端抵触，也深知这是贵族阶层的通病。

"But don't you think there is something special about him?" she asked.

“可是，难道你不觉得他有些异乎寻常吗？”她问。

"Frankly, no! Nothing I had noticed." He looked at her curiously, uneasily, half-suspiciously. And she felt he wasn't telling her the real truth; he wasn't telling himself the real truth, that was it. He disliked any suggestion of a really exceptional human being. People must be more or less at his level, or below it.

“说实话，一点也没有！我没注意有什么特别的。”他不解地看着她，显得心意烦乱，将信将疑。她感觉丈夫没有吐露实情，他压根没对自己说实话，这才是根本原因。他讨厌承认有什么人是超凡脱俗的。他只能接受别人与自己难分伯仲，或者仅是瞠乎其后。

Connie felt again the tightness, niggardliness of the men of her generation. They were so tight, so scared of life!

康妮再次体验到这一代男性的鼠肚鸡肠，心胸狭隘。他们的气量如此狭小，对生活如此充满畏惧！