The Moon And Sixpence 55.1

Mr. Coutras wasan old Frenchman of great stature and exceeding bulk. His body was shaped likea huge duck's egg; and his eyes, sharp, blue, and good-natured, rested now and thenwith self-satisfaction on his enormous paunch. His complexion was florid andhis hair white. He was a man to attract immediate sympathy. He received us in aroom that might have been in a house in a provincial town in France, and theone or two Polynesian curios had an odd look. He took my hand in both of his --they were huge -- and gave me a hearty look, in which, however, was greatshrewdness. When he shook hands with Capitaine Brunot he enquired politelyafter Madame et les enfants. For some minutes there was an exchange ofcourtesies and some local gossip about the island, the prospects of copra andthe vanilla crop; then we came to the object of my visit.

I shall nottell what Dr. Coutras related to me in his words, but in my own, for I cannothope to give at second hand any impression of his vivacious delivery. He had adeep, resonant voice, fitted to his massive frame, and a keen sense of thedramatic. To listen to him was, as the phrase goes, as good as a play; and muchbetter than most.

库特拉斯医生是一个又高又胖的法国人，已经有了一把年纪。他的体型好象一只大鸭蛋，一对蓝眼睛的的逼人，却又充满了善意，时不时地带着志满意得的神情落在自己鼓起的大肚皮上。他的脸色红扑扑的，配着一头白发，让人一看见就发生好感。他接见我们的地方很象在法国小城市里的一所住宅，两件波利尼西亚的摆设在屋子里显得非常刺眼。库特拉斯医生用两只手握住我的手——他的手很大——，亲切地看着我；但是从他的眼神我却可以看出他是个非常精明的人。在他同布吕诺船长握手的时候，他很客气地问候夫人和孩子①。我们寒暄了几句。又闲扯了一会儿本地的各种新闻，今年椰子和香草果的收成等等。这以后谈话转到我这次来访的本题。

①原文为法语。

我现在只能用自己的语言把库特拉斯给我讲的故事写下来；他当时给我叙述时，绘声绘色，他的原话经我一转述就要大为减色，他的嗓音低沉，带着回音，同他魁梧的体格非常相配。他说话时很善于表演。听他讲话，正象一般人爱用的一个譬喻，就象在观看戏剧，而且比大多数戏演得更为精彩。