“我出生在1901年的芝加哥。”他停下來(lái),用眼角的余光瞥著我。我的臉上是小心翼翼的毫不驚訝的神情,我耐心地等待著下文。他淡淡一笑,然后繼續(xù)說(shuō)道。“1918年的夏天,卡萊爾在一家醫(yī)院里發(fā)現(xiàn)了我。我才十七歲,正因?yàn)槲靼嘌懒鞲卸鵀l臨死亡。”
He heard my intake of breath, though it was barely audible to my own ears. He looked downinto my eyes again.
他聽(tīng)見(jiàn)了我倒抽一口冷氣的聲音,盡管這聲音小得幾乎只有我自己能聽(tīng)見(jiàn)。他低下頭,再次看著我的眼睛。
"I don't remember it well — it was a very long time ago, and human memories fade." He was lostin his thoughts for a short time before he went on. "I do remember how it felt, when Carlislesaved me. It's not an easy thing, not something you could forget."
“我記不太清了——那是很久以前的事了,而人類(lèi)的記憶總在褪色。”他陷入了沉思,片刻之后,接著說(shuō)道。“我確實(shí)還記得,卡萊爾救我時(shí)的感覺(jué)。那不是件容易的事,不是你輕易可以忘掉的事。”
"Your parents?"
“你的父母呢?”
"They had already died from the disease. I was alone. That was why he chose me. In all thechaos of the epidemic, no one would ever realize I was gone."
“他們都已經(jīng)在這場(chǎng)瘟疫中死去了。我成了孤兒。這就是為什么他選擇了我。在瘟疫流行的一片混亂中,沒(méi)人會(huì)注意到我不見(jiàn)了。”
"How did he… save you?"
“他是怎樣……救你的?”
A few seconds passed before he answered. He seemed to choose his words carefully.
幾分鐘后,他才回答了我的問(wèn)題。他似乎在謹(jǐn)慎地選擇著字眼。
"It was difficult. Not many of us have the restraint necessary to accomplish it. But Carlisle hasalways been the most humane, the most compassionate of us… I don't think you could findhis equal throughout all of history." He paused. "For me, it was merely very, very painful."
“這很困難。我們中沒(méi)幾個(gè)人有足夠的自制力來(lái)做到這件事。但卡萊爾總是我們之中最人道的,最慈悲的那個(gè)……我不認(rèn)為你能在整個(gè)人類(lèi)歷史中找到可與他相提并論的人。”他頓了頓。“但對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō),整個(gè)過(guò)程都僅僅是非常,非常的痛苦。”
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