佚名/Anonymous
It is the close of a busy and vexatious day—say half past five or six o’clock of a winter afternoon. I have had a cocktail or two, and am stretched out on a divan in front of a fire, smoking. At the edge of the divan, close enough for me to reach her with my hands, sits a woman not too young, but still good-looking and well-dressed—above all, a woman with a soft, low-pitched, agreeable voice. As I snooze she talks—of anything, everything, all the things that women talk of: books, music, dress, men, other women. No politics. No business. No theology. No metaphysics. Nothing challenging and vexatious—but remember, she is intelligent; what she says is clearly expressed, and often picturesquely. I observe the fine sheen of her hair, the pretty cut of her frock, the glint of her white teeth, the arch of her eyebrow, the graceful curve of her arm. I listen to the exquisite murmur of her voice. Gradually I fall asleep—but only for an instant. At once, observing it, she raises her voice ever so little, and I am awake. Then to sleep again—slowly and charmingly down that slippery hill of dreams. And then awake again, and then asleep again, and so on.
I ask you seriously: could anything be more unutterably beautiful? The sensation of falling asleep is to me the most delightful in the world. I relish it so much that I even look forward to death itself with a sneaking wonder and desire. Well, here is sleep poetized and made doubly sweet. Here is sleep set to the finest music in the world. I match this situation against any that you call think of. It is only enchanting; it is also, in a very true sense, ennobling. In the end, when the lady grows prettily miffed and throws me out, I return to my sorrows somehow purged and glorified. I am a better man in my own sight. I have gazed upon the fields of asphodel. I have been genuinely, completely and unregrettably happy.
那是在繁忙、劳神的一天要结束的时候，大约是冬日下午的五点半或六点钟光景。我喝了一两杯鸡尾酒，抽着烟躺在壁炉前的长沙发上。在沙发的边缘，坐着一位不是很年轻的女人，离我很近，近得都能碰到我的手。她依然漂亮大方，穿着得体，最主要的是，她有娓娓动人的声音。我昏昏欲睡时，她在谈论着——所有女人喜爱谈论的一切事情：书籍、音乐、衣服、男人、别的女人。不过，没有政治、商业、神学、玄学，都是些没有挑战和玄机的东西。但请记住，她聪慧，她表达清晰，而且观点很独特。我观察了她：一头秀发健康亮泽，一袭长裙做工考究，洁白的牙齿，弯弯的眉毛，纤细的手臂。我倾听她高雅而轻柔的声音。渐渐地，我睡着了，但只是一会儿，她稍稍提高了声音，我就会立即醒来，继续观察。然后，慢慢地、甜蜜地进入梦境。然后再次醒来，再次睡去；反反复复。