The Moon And Sixpence 51.2

"Yes; shehadn't a drop of white blood in her. Well, after I'd talked to her I sent forStrickland, and I said to him: `Strickland, it's time for you to settle down. Aman of your age shouldn't go playing about with the girls down at the front.They're bad lots, and you'll come to no good with them. You've got no money,and you can never keep a job for more than a month or two. No one will employyou now. You say you can always live in the bush with one or other of thenatives, and they're glad to have you because you're a white man, but it's notdecent for a white man. Now, listen to me, Strickland. '"Tiare mingledFrench with English in her conversation, for she used both languages with equalfacility. She spoke them with a singing accent which was not unpleasing. Youfelt that a bird would speak in these tones if it could speak English."'Now,what do you say to marrying Ata? She's a good girl and she's only seventeen.She's never been promiscuous like some of these girls -- a captain or a firstmate, yes, but she's never been touched by a native. Elle se respecte, vois-tu.The purser of the Oahu told me last journey that he hadn't met a nicer girl inthe islands. It's time she settled down too, and besides, the captains and thefirst mates like a change now and then. I don't keep my girls too long. She hasa bit of property down by Taravao, just before you come to the peninsula, andwith copra at the price it is now you could live quite comfortably. There's ahouse, and you'd have all the time you wanted for your painting. What do yousay to it?"Tiare paused totake breath.“是的，一滴白人的血液也没有。就这样，在我同她谈了以后，我就派人把思特里克兰德找来，我对他说：‘思特里克兰德啊，你也该在这里安家落户了。象你这样年龄的人不应该再同码头边上的女人鬼混了。那里面没有好人，跟她们在一起你是落不出好儿来的。你又没有钱，不管什么事你都干不长，没有干过两个月的。现在没有人肯雇你了。尽管你说你可以同哪个土人一直住在丛林里头，他们也愿意同你住在一起，因为你是个白人，但是作为一个白人来说，你这种生活可不象样子。现在我给你出个主意，思特里克兰德。’”蒂阿瑞说话的时候一会儿用法语，一会儿用英语，因为这两种话她说得同样流利。她说话的时候语调象是在唱歌，听起来非常悦耳。如果小鸟会讲英语的话，你会觉得它正是用这种调子说话的。“‘听我说，你跟爱塔结婚怎么样？她是个好姑娘，今年才十七岁。她从来不象这里有些女孩那样乱来——同个把船长或是大副要好过，这种事倒是有，但是跟当地人却绝对没有乱来过。她是很自爱的，你知道①。上回奥阿胡号到这里来的时候，船上的事务长对我讲，他在所有这些岛上还从来没有遇见过比她更好的姑娘呢。她现在也到了寻个归宿的时候啦，再说，船长也好、大副也好，总不时地想换个口味。凡是给我干活的女孩子我都不叫她们干多少年。爱塔在塔拉窝河旁弄到一小块地产，就在你到这里不久以前，收获的椰子干按现在的市价算足够你舒舒服服过日子。那里还有一幢房子，你要想画画儿要多少时间有多少时间。你觉得怎么样？’”①原文为法语。蒂阿瑞停下来喘了一口气。