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Thelma: Pardon me, ma'am, but there's a gentleman to see you. Here's his card, ma'am. (Hands Mrs. Kent a card.)
Mrs. Kent: (startled) Professor C. Waring! Strange — the same name! But I never heard of him. (Shrugs.) Show him in, Thelma.
(Exit Thelma. She returns, bringing in Professor Waring. Exit Thelma.)
Professor Waring: (Comes forward smiling, takes her hand.) I'm Charles Waring, and you're Bessie Kent — you were Bessie Waring once, wife of my brother Clifford, That's a long time ago. I've always wanted to know you, but right after Clifford's death I spent some years in Europe, then wandered over various other parts of the globe so that I never did get a chance to see you.

Mrs. Kent: Why, yes — now I do remember. Clifford spoke of having a brother, but it's all so long ago. I'd forgotten. But do sit down, I'm glad to know you, Charles, (Both sit down.) You must have had a most interesting life traveling around as you have. Tell me, was it solely for pleasure?
Professor Waring: No, I was continually working, investigating and studying, collecting material for my new book on experimental psychology. But tell me about yourself, Bessie — I always envied Clifford his brief happiness.

Mrs. Kent: (Sighs.) Oh, I was happy then! But it ended so quickly, as all perfect things seem to end. We had only a few short months together. Then the World War came, and in 1917 Clifford was killed in France. We never even found where his grave was for certain.
Professor Waring: I have heard, Bessie. But afterward? I knew you remarried and I have always hoped that you had in some measure found a new happiness.
Mrs. Kent: (Weeping as she talks, dabs her eyes continually with her handkerchief.) Oh, Charles, you are so kind! Yes, I thought, I was happy, ideally so — but, oh, Charles, it was a fool's paradise! I found that out just before you came!
Professor Waring: (sympathetically) Tell me all about it, Bessie.

Mrs. Kent: Eve, my little girl — she's eighteen now — has just decided to run off with the boy next door, and try an experimental marriage. Nothing I can say or do can stop her. And she has opened my eyes to my own life, too — has made me see that Tom only stays with me for conventional reasons and he wouldn't even care if I ran off with another man! Oh, Charles, I am very miserable, but I have no right to trouble you with my problems. Only I do feel close to you. You are a sort of relative to me, aren't you?
Professor Waring: Oh, yes indeed, Bessie, I want you to feel that way, and I want to help you if I can. Now let me see. (Rubs forehead speculatively, pauses.) Will your husband and daughter be here soon?

Mrs. Kent: Oh, yes, they'll both be down for tea in a few minutes. And Stephen too — he's the boy Eve is running off with. (Starts weeping.) Oh, Charles, what shall I do?
Professor Waring: Oh, yes indeed, what you want, Bessie, is this: to prevent this foolishness on Eve's part, and to know if your husband still loves you. Am I right?
Mrs. Kent: Oh, Charles, yes, that's it!

参考译文

塞尔玛：对不起，夫人，有一位绅士要见你。这是他的名片，夫人。（递给肯特夫人一张名片。）
肯特夫人：（惊讶地）韦林教授！真奇怪--是同一个姓！但是我从来没有听说过他。
（耸肩）把他带进来，塞尔玛。
（塞尔玛下。她把韦林教授带进来。塞尔玛下。）
韦林教授：（微笑着上前，握住她的手）我是韦林教授，你是贝西.肯特--你曾经是贝西.韦林，我哥哥柯利福德的妻子。那是很久以前的事了。我一直想认识你，但是柯利福德死后，我在欧洲游历了几年，后来又漫游世界，因此我一直没机会见你。

肯特夫人：奥，对了--我想起来了。科林福德说过他有个弟弟，但那时很久以前的事，我都忘了。但请坐，那仅仅是为了娱乐吗？
韦林教授：不是的，我一直在工作，调查，研究，为我的关于实验心理学的新书收集资料，跟我谈谈你自己吧，贝西--我一直羡慕柯利福德短暂的幸福。

肯特夫人：（叹了口气）那时我非常快乐！但它很快就完结了，好像美好的事物总是昙花一现。我们在一起只过了短短几个月。接着世界大战爆发了，1917年柯利福德在法国牺牲了。我们甚至找不到他坟墓的确切地点。
韦林教授：我听说了，贝西。但是后来呢？我知道你又结婚了，我一直希望在某种程度上你找到了新的幸福。
肯特夫人：（边哭边说，不停地用手帕擦拭眼睛）哦，查尔斯，你太好了！是的，我原以为我很快乐，像理想中的一样--但，奥，查尔斯，那只是傻子的天堂！就在你来之前我才明白！
韦林教授：（同情地）都告诉我吧，贝西。

肯特夫人：伊娃，我的小女儿--她现在18岁--已经决定与隔壁的男孩私奔，并且试婚。无论我说什么或做什么都不能阻止她。她也使我看清了我过去的生活--使我明白汤姆和我生活在一起仅仅是因为传统的原因，而且即使我与另一个男人私奔，他也不会在意！奥，查尔斯，我很痛苦，但我没有权利用我的问题麻烦你。只是我确实感觉和你很亲密。从某种方面来说你是我的亲戚，是不是？
韦林教授：确实如此，贝西，我希望你能那样想，而且只要我能帮上忙，我非常想帮助你。让我想想，（沉思地擦擦前额，停止）你的丈夫和女儿一会儿会来这儿吗？

肯特夫人：哦，是的，他们一会儿会下来喝茶。史蒂芬也回来--他就是那个要与伊娃私奔的男孩。（开始抽泣）哦，查尔斯，我该怎么办呢？
韦林教授：奥，真的，贝西，你想要是就是：阻止伊娃做这样愚蠢的事，看看你的丈夫是否还爱你。我说的对吗？
肯特夫人：奥，查尔斯，正是这样！

词汇释义

1.solely adv.独自; 完全; 单独

例句：

The responsibility lies solely with them.
这完全得由他们负责。

2.continually adv.连续不断地

例句：

The telephone has been ringing continually in the office all morning.
整个早上办公室里的电话铃声不断。

3.sympathetically adv.同情地, 怜悯地, 感应着

例句：

He is looking at her sympathetically.
他同情地望着她。

4.speculatively adv. 思索地(投机性地)

例句：

He looked at her speculatively.
他若有所思的看着她。

短语释义

1.wander over a place 闲荡，漫游，闲逛

例句：

Look at that little boy wandering over the street--perhaps he's lost his mother.

看那个在街上闲逛的小男孩--他可能是找不着妈妈了。

2.for certain 确切地，肯定地

例句：

I know for certain that he's in there, but he won't answer me.

我肯定他就在里面，但他就是不回答我。

3.in some measure 在某种程度上

例句：

His latest book is based in some measure on the work of Cohen.

他的最新著作在某种程度上是以科恩的成果为基础的。

4.run off with sb. 拿着...潜逃；带着...私奔

例句：

He ran off with his boss's wife.

他带着他老板的妻子私奔了。