The Moon And Sixpence 39.4

Suddenly hecaught sight of a canvas with its face to the wall. It was a much larger onethan he himself was in the habit of using, and he wondered what it did there.He went over to it and leaned it towards him so that he could see the painting.It was a nude. His heart began to beat quickly, for he guessed at once that itwas one of Strickland's pictures. He flung it back against the wall angrily --what did he mean by leaving it there? -- but his movement caused it to fall,face downwards, on the ground. No mater whose the picture, he could not leaveit there in the dust, and he raised it; but then curiosity got the better ofhim. He thought he would like to have a proper look at it, so he brought italong and set it on the easel. Then he stood back in order to see it at hisease.He gave a gasp.It was the picture of a woman lying on a sofa, with one arm beneath her headand the other along her body; one knee was raised, and the other leg wasstretched out. The pose was classic. Stroeve's head swam. It was Blanche. Griefand jealousy and rage seized him, and he cried out hoarsely; he wasinarticulate; he clenched his fists and raised them threateningly at aninvisible enemy. He screamed at the top of his voice. He was beside himself. Hecould not bear it. That was too much. He looked round wildly for someinstrument; he wanted to hack the picture to pieces; it should not existanother minute. He could see nothing that would serve his purpose; he rummagedabout his painting things; somehow he could not find a thing; he was frantic. Atlast he came upon what he sought, a large scraper, and he pounced on it with acry of triumph. He seized it as though it were a dagger, and ran to thepicture.突然，他发现有一幅画面朝里地挂在墙上。这幅画的尺寸比他自己通常画的要大得多，他很奇怪为什么屋子里摆着这么一幅画。他走过去把它翻转过来，想看一看上面画的是什么。他发现这是一张裸体的女人像。他的心开始剧烈地跳动起来，因为他马上就猜到这是思特里克兰德的作品。他气呼呼地把它往墙上一摔， ——思特里克兰德把画留在这里有什么用意？——因为用力过猛，画掉了下来，面朝下地落到地上。不管是谁画的，他也不能叫它扔在尘土里；他把它捡了起来。这时他的好奇心占了上风，他想要好好地看一看，于是他把这张画拿到画架上摆好，往后退了两步，准备仔细瞅一瞅。①一称“断臂的阿芙罗底德”，1820年在希腊美洛斯发现的古希腊云石雕像，现存巴黎卢佛尔宫。②十七世纪在意大利发掘出的雕像，因长期收藏在罗马麦迪琪宫，故得名，现收藏于佛罗伦萨乌非济美术馆。③德尔夫特系荷兰西部一个小城，以生产蓝白色上釉陶器闻名。他倒抽了一口气。画面是一个女人躺在长沙发上，一只胳臂枕在头底下，另一只顺着身躯平摆着，屈着一条腿，另一条伸直。这是一个古典的姿势。施特略夫的脑袋嗡的一下胀了起来。画面的女人是勃朗什。悲痛、忌妒和愤怒一下子把他抓住；他一句完整的话也说不出，只是嘶哑地喊叫了一声。他握紧了拳头对着看不见的敌人摇晃着。他开始扯直了喉咙尖叫起来。他快要发疯了。他实在忍受不了；这简直太过分了。他向四周看了看，想寻找一件器具，把这幅画砍个粉碎，一分钟也不允许它在这个世界上存在。但是身边并没有任何合手的武器，他在绘画用品里翻寻了一遍，不知为什么还是什么也没有找到。他简直发狂了。最后他终于找到了他需要的东西——一把刮油彩用的大刮刀。他一把把刮刀抄起来，发出一声胜利的喊叫，象擎着一把匕首似地向那幅图画奔去。