I said first, "Take a chair, Mr. Rivers."

我先是说：“坐一下，里弗斯先生，”

But he answered, as he always did, that he could not stay.

可是他照例又回答说，不能逗留。

"Very well," I responded, mentally,

“很好，”我心里回答，

"stand if you like; but you shall not go just yet,I am determined:

“要是你高兴，你就站着吧，但你还不能走，我的决心已下。

solitude is at least as bad for you as it is for me.

寂寞对你和对我至少是一样不好，

I'll try if I cannot discover the secret spring of your confidence,

我倒要试试，看我能不能发现你内心的秘密，

and find an aperture in that marble breast through which I can shed one drop of the balm of sympathy."

在你大理石般的胸膛找到一个孔，从那里我可以灌进一滴同情的香油。”

"Is this portrait like?" I asked bluntly.

“这幅画像不像？”我直截了当地问。

"Like! Like whom? I did not observe it closely."

“像！像谁呀？我没细看。”

"You did, Mr. Rivers."

“你看了，里弗斯先生。”

He almost started at my sudden and strange abruptness: he looked at me astonished.

他被我直率得有些突然和奇怪的发问弄得几乎跳了起来，惊异地看着我。

"Oh, that is nothing yet," I muttered within.

“呵，那还算不了什么，”我心里嘟哝着。

"I don't mean to be baffled by a little stiffness on your part;

“我不想因为你一点点生硬态度而罢休。

I'm prepared to go to considerable lengths." I continued,

我准备付出巨大的努力。”我继续想道，

"You observed it closely and distinctly; but I have no objection to your looking at it again,"

“你看得很仔细很清楚，但我不反对你再看一遍。”

and I rose and placed it in his hand.

我站起来把画放在他手里。

"A well-executed picture," he said;

“一张画得很好的画，”他说，

"very soft, clear colouring; very graceful and correct drawing."

“色彩柔和清晰，是一张很优美、很恰当的画。”

"Yes, yes; I know all that.

“是呀，是呀，这我都知道。

But what of the resemblance? Who is it like?"

不过像不像呢？这像谁？”