佩内洛普·菲茨杰拉德 张菊

【导读】本文节选自1979年英国布克奖小说《离岸》。该部小说是英国女作家佩内洛普·菲茨杰拉德（1916—2000）的半自传体小说，讲述了20世纪60年代初，女主人公尼娜和两个女儿及其他船居者在泰晤士河畔的船居生活。作家以精简细腻的笔触揭示了船居者所面临的物质、精神、情感等多重困境。本节选部分主要展示了上世纪60年代初伦敦国王路一带繁华商业区的风貌。

国王路是伦敦切尔西地区一条东西向的路，曾是查理二世的专用道路;1830年，为改善伦敦交通而开放给民众使用。国王路汇集豪华专卖店、国际名牌店及古董店。通过本节选内容，读者可跟随玛莎和海因里希这对年轻懵懂的小情侣游览国王路，窥一斑而知全豹，领略上世纪60年代初“摇摆伦敦”的特点：浸透着消费主义又略带小资情调的氛圍。

In this， its heyday， the Kings Road fluttered， like a gypsy encampment， with hastily-dyed finery， while stage folk emerged from their beds at a given hour， to patrol the long pavements between Sloane Square and the Town Hall. Heinrich and Martha went in and out of one boutique after another， Dressing Down， Wearwithal， Wearabouts， Virtuous Heroin， Legs， Rags， Bags. A paradise for children， a riot of misrule， the queer looking shops reversed every fixed idea in the venerable history of commerce. Sellers， dressed in brilliant colours， outshone the purchasers， and， instead of welcoming them， either ignored them or were so rude that they could only have hoped to drive them away. The customers in return sneered at the clothing offered to them， and flung it on the ground. There were no prices， no sizes， no way to tell which stock was which， so that racks and rails of dresses were transferred as though by a magic hand from one shop to another. The doors stood open， breathing out incense and heavy soul， and the spirit was that of the market scene in the pantomime when the cast， encouraged by the audience， has let the business get out of hand.

Heinrich and Martha walked through this world， which was fated to last only a few years before the spell was broken， like a prince and princess. At Wearwithal， Heinrich tried on a pair of pale blue sateen trousers， which fitted tightly. Martha， guarding his jeans while he changed， admired him more for deciding against them than if he had bought them.

“Wont they do？” she asked.

“Such trousers are not worn on the Continent.”

“I thought perhaps you hadnt enough money.”

Heinrich in fact had plenty of money， and his own chequebook， but his delicacy， responding to Marthas pride， prevented him from saying so.

“We will go to a coffee bar.”

These， too， were something new in London， if not in Vienna. The shining Gaggia1 dispensed one-and-a-half inches of bitter froth into an earthenware cup， and for two shillings lovers could sit for many hours in the dark brown shadows， with a bowl of brown sugar between them.

“Perhaps theyll be annoyed if we dont have another cup.”

Heinrich again put his fine， long-fingered hand over hers. She was amazed at its cleanliness. Her own hands were almost as black as Tildas.

“You must not worry. I am in charge. How does that suit you？”

“Im not sure. Ill tell you later，” said Martha， who wished one of her school friends would come in and see her. Theyd tell Father Watson and the nuns， but what did that matter， they must know why she was absent from school anyway.

“I expect， living here in Chelsea， you go out a great deal.”

“How can I？ Ive no-one to go out with.”

… He leaned forward and kissed her cheek， which， from being cold when they entered the coffee-bar， was now glowing pink. This was quite the right thing to do in a coffee-bar in the Kings road. But afterwards they became， for the time being， rather more distant.

“It has been very pleasant to spend the day here， Martha， and to see your boat.”

“Yes， well， at least thats something you havent got in Vienna.”

Heinrichs father was a member of the Wiener Yacht Club.

“Certainly， not such a large one.”

Outside the boutiques were still aglow with heaps of motley flung about the feet of the disdainful assistants. The music grew louder， the Chelsea Granada welcomed all who would like to come in and watch the transmission of Bootsie and Snudge2. They wandered on together at random.

“Two people can become close in a very short time，” Heinrich said. “It is up to them not to let circumstances get the better of them. It is my intention， as I think I told you， to shape my own life.”

【英文出自：Penelope Fitzgerald， Offshore， London： Fourth Estate， 2009： 147-152。感謝原作版权代理人特伦斯·杜利先生（Mr. Terence Dooley）授权刊发。】

此时正是国王路一天中最热闹的时候，不断有人涌入，就像吉卜赛人的营地，各种服饰色彩奔放。斯隆广场和市政厅之间长长的人行道上，人群熙熙攘攘，人们就像在某个特定时间醒来登场的舞台演员。海因里希和玛莎乐此不疲地逛着一家家精品店：酷装、维尔唯我、维尔宝姿、美德女装、裤装店、布料店和手袋店。这里真是孩子的乐园，一片混乱之中，看起来奇奇怪怪的店铺颠覆了古老商业史上的每一个陈见。售货员衣着光鲜，比顾客穿得还好，而且顾客并不受待见，售货员要么对他们视而不见，要么粗鲁到恨不得直接把顾客赶走。顾客则对提供的试装服报以讥讽，把衣服扔在地上。衣服上没有价签，没有型号大小，也没法说哪件衣服是哪堆货里的，衣服和衣架像是被一只神奇的手从一家店转到另一家店。门都敞开着，向外飘出熏香和深沉的灵乐，那店铺就像哑剧里的市场，受到观众怂恿的演员演着演着就完全失控了。

海因里希和玛莎仿如王子和公主穿行在这个世界——然而只要再过几年，魔咒就会被解除。在维尔唯我，海因里希试穿了一条淡蓝色棉缎裤，紧紧地贴身绷着。玛莎在他试衣时看着他脱下的牛仔裤，他决定不买后，她因此而更敬佩他。

“是不合适吗？”她问。

“欧洲大陆不穿这种风格的裤子。”

“我以为你钱不够呢。”

事实是海因里希很有钱，他还有自己的支票簿，但他很细心，很照顾玛莎的自尊心，没把实情托出。

“我们去咖啡吧坐会儿。”

虽然咖啡吧在维也纳已不算新事物，但在伦敦还是。闪闪发光的加吉亚咖啡机把一英寸半的苦沫倒进陶制杯子，情侣们花两先令就可以在深棕色调的环境里坐上好几个小时，桌上还放着一碗红糖。

“要是我们不再点一杯，他们也许会生气。”

海因里希把手又放在了她的手上，他的手指细长秀气。她惊叹这只手如此干净——她自己的手几乎跟蒂尔达的一样黑。

“别担心，我付账。你觉得怎么样？”

“我不确定，过会儿告诉你。”玛莎说。她真希望她的同学能进来看到她。她们就会把看到的报告给沃森神父和修女，但那有什么关系呢，得让他们明白她到底为什么逃学了。

“我猜，你们既然住在切尔西，一定经常出门。”

“怎么会呢？没人陪我。”

……他俯身向前亲了亲她的脸，刚进咖啡吧时，她的脸凉凉的，现在白里透红。在国王路的咖啡馆，这正是应该做的事情。但之后，他们暂时又变得疏远了。

“玛莎，我在这儿待了一天，还看了你们的船，很愉快。”

“那好啊，嗯，起码在维也纳你们没有这样的船。”

海因里希的父亲是维也纳游艇俱乐部成员。

“是，没这么大的船。”

精品店外依旧灯火通明，倨傲的店员脚边扔着一堆堆乱七八糟的东西。音乐声越来越大，切尔西格拉纳达欢迎任何一个想进店看《布西和斯威齐》转播的人。他俩漫无目的地逛着。

“两个人可以在很短时间内变得很亲密，”海因里希说，“受不受外界干扰要看他们自己。我想我告诉过你，我的目标就是塑造我自己的生活。”

【中文出自：《离岸》，佩内洛普·菲茨杰拉德著，张菊译，中信出版社，2020。感谢中信出版社授权刊发。】

（译者单位：北京化工大学）

1加吉亚，意大利历史悠久的咖啡机品牌。产品包括家用全自动、半自动意式咖啡机，商用全自动、半自动大型咖啡机等，由意大利人加吉亚发明。

2《布西和斯威齐》，英国情景喜剧，1960至1963年在ITV上播出了三季;1974年播出了第四季。该节目是《陆军游戏》的衍生作品，讲述了前中士克劳德·斯威齐少校和布西下士退役后的生活。