奥兰多orlando (英文版)作者:弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙-第50章

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ts；　or　boy’s　boots　anywhere　about。　And　indeed；　she　was　about　to　descend　again；　without　buying　anything；　but　was　saved　from　that　outrage　by　saying　aloud　automatically　the　last　item　on　her　list；　which　happened　to　be　‘sheets　for　a　double　bed’。

‘Sheets　for　a　double　bed；’　she　said　to　a　man　at　a　counter　and；　by　a　dispensation　of　Providence；　it　was　sheets　that　the　man　at　that　particular　counter　happened　to　sell。　For　Grimsditch；　no；　Grimsditch　was　dead；　Bartholomew；　no；　Bartholomew　was　dead；　Louise　then—Louise　had　e　to　her　in　a　great　taking　the　other　day；　for　she　had　found　a　hole　in　the　bottom　of　the　sheet　in　the　royal　bed。　Many　kings　and　queens　had　slept　there—Elizabeth；　James；　Charles；　George；　Victoria；　Edward；　no　wonder　the　sheet　had　a　hole　in　it。　But　Louise　was　positive　she　knew　who　had　done　it。　It　was　the　Prince　Consort。

‘Sale　bosch！’　she　said　（for　there　had　been　another　war；　this　time　against　the　Germans）。

‘Sheets　for　a　double　bed；’　Orlando　repeated　dreamily；　for　a　double　bed　with　a　silver　counterpane　in　a　room　fitted　in　a　taste　which　she　now　thought　perhaps　a　little　vulgar—all　in　silver；　but　she　had　furnished　it　when　she　had　a　passion　for　that　metal。　While　the　man　went　to　get　sheets　for　a　double　bed；　she　took　out　a　little　looking–glass　and　a　powder　puff。　Women　were　not　nearly　as　roundabout　in　their　ways；　she　thought；　powdering　herself　with　the　greatest　unconcern；　as　they　had　been　when　she　herself　first　turned　woman　and　lay　on　the　deck　of　the　“Enamoured　Lady”。　She　gave　her　nose　the　right　tint　deliberately。　She　never　touched　her　cheeks。　Honestly；　though　she　was　now　thirty–six；　she　scarcely　looked　a　day　older。　She　looked　just　as　pouting；　as　sulky；　as　handsome；　as　rosy　（like　a　million–candled　Christmas　tree；　Sasha　had　said）　as　she　had　done　that　day　on　the　ice；　when　the　Thames　was　frozen　and　they　had　gone　skating—

‘The　best　Irish　linen；　Ma’am；’　said　the　shopman；　spreading　the　sheets　on　the　counter；—and　they　had　met　an　old　woman　picking　up　sticks。　Here；　as　she　was　fingering　the　linen　abstractedly；　one　of　the　swing–doors　between　the　departments　opened　and　let　through；　perhaps　from　the　fancy–goods　department；　a　whiff　of　scent；　waxen；　tinted　as　if　from　pink　candles；　and　the　scent　curved　like　a　shell　round　a　figure—was　it　a　boy’s　or　was　it　a　girl’s—young；　slender；　seductive—a　girl；　by　God！　furred；　pearled；　in　Russian　trousers；　but　faithless；　faithless！

‘Faithless！’　cried　Orlando　（the　man　had　gone）　and　all　the　shop　seemed　to　pitch　and　toss　with　yellow　water　and　far　off　she　saw　the　masts　of　the　Russian　ship　standing　out　to　sea；　and　then；　miraculously　（perhaps　the　door　opened　again）　the　conch　which　the　scent　had　made　became　a　platform；　a　dais；　off　which　stepped　a　fat；　furred　woman；　marvellously　well　preserved；　seductive；　diademed；　a　Grand　Duke’s　mistress；　she　who；　leaning　over　the　banks　of　the　Volga；　eating　sandwiches；　had　watched　men　drown；　and　began　walking　down　the　shop　towards　her。

‘Oh　Sasha！’　Orlando　cried。　Really；　she　was　shocked　that　she　should　have　e　to　this；　she　had　grown　so　fat；　so　lethargic；　and　she　bowed　her　head　over　the　linen　so　that　this　apparition　of　a　grey　woman　in　fur；　and　a　girl　in　Russian　trousers；　with　all　these　smells　of　wax　candles；　white　flowers；　and　old　ships　that　it　brought　with　it　might　pass　behind　her　back　unseen。

‘Any　napkins；　towels；　dusters　today；　Ma’am？’　the　shopman　persisted。　And　it　is　enormously　to　the　credit　of　the　shopping　list；　which　Orlando　now　consulted；　that　she　was　able　to　reply　with　every　appearance　of　posure；　that　there　was　only　one　thing　in　the　world　she　wanted　and　that　was　bath　salts；　which　was　in　another　department。

But　descending　in　the　lift　again—so　insidious　is　the　repetition　of　any　scene—she　was　again　sunk　far　beneath　the　present　moment；　and　thought　when　the　lift　bumped　on　the　ground；　that　she　heard　a　pot　broken　against　a　river　bank。　As　for　finding　the　right　department；　whatever　it　might　be；　she　stood　engrossed　among　the　handbags；　deaf　to　the　suggestions　of　all　the　polite；　black；　bed；　sprightly　shop　assistants；　who　descending　as　they　did　equally　and　some　of　them；　perhaps；　as　proudly；　even　from　such　depths　of　the　past　as　she　did；　chose　to　let　down　the　impervious　screen　of　the　present　so　that　today　they　appeared　shop　assistants　in　Marshall　&　Snelgrove’s　merely。　Orlando　stood　there　hesitating。　Through　the　great　glass　doors　she　could　see　the　traffic　in　Oxford　Street。　Omnibus　seemed　to　pile　itself　upon　omnibus　and　then　to　jerk　itself　apart。　So　the　ice　blocks　had　pitched　and　tossed　that　day　on　the　Thames。　An　old　nobleman—in　furred　slippers　had　sat　astride　one　of　them。　There　he　went—she　could　see　him　now—calling　down　maledictions　upon　the　Irish　rebels。　He　had　sunk　there；　where　her　car　stood。

‘Time　has　passed　over　me；’　she　thought；　trying　to　collect　herself；　‘this　is　the　one　of　middle　age。　How　strange　it　is！　Nothing　is　any　longer　one　thing。　I　take　up　a　handbag　and　I　think　of　an　old　bumboat　woman　frozen　in　the　ice。　Someone　lights　a　pink　candle　and　I　see　a　girl　in　Russian　trousers。　When　I　step　out　of　doors—as　I　do　now；’　here　she　stepped　on　to　the　pavement　of　Oxford　Street；　‘what　is　it　that　I　taste？　Little　herbs。　I　hear　goat　bells。　I　see　mountains。　Turkey？　India？　Persia？’　Her　eyes　filled　with　tears。

That　Orlando　had　gone　a　little　too　far　from　the　present　moment　will；　perhaps；　strike　the　reader　who　sees　her　now　preparing　to　get　into　her　motor–car　with　her　eyes　full　of　tears　and　visions　of　Persian　mountains。　And　indeed；　it　cannot　be　denied　that　the　most　successful　practitioners　of　the　art　of　life；　often　unknown　people　by　the　way；　somehow　contrive　to　synchronize　the　sixty　or　seventy　different　times　which　beat　simultaneously　in　every　normal　human　system　so　that　when　eleven　strikes；　all　the　rest　chime　in　unison；　and　the　present　is　neither　a　violent　disruption　nor　pletely　forgotten　in　the　past。　Of　them　we　can　justly　say　that　they　live　precisely　the　sixty–eight　or　seventy–two　years　allotted　them　on　the　tombstone。　Of　the　rest　some　we　know　to　be　dead　though　they　walk　among　us；　some　are　not　yet　born　though　they　go　through　the　forms　of　life；　others　are　hundreds　of　years　old　though　they　call　themselves　thirty–six。　The　true　length　of　a　person’s　life；　whatever　the　“Dictionary　of　National　Biography”　may　say；　is　always　a　matter　of　dispute。　For　it　is　a　difficult　business—this　time–keeping；　nothing　more　quickly　disorders　it　than　contact　with　any　of　the　arts；　and　it　may　have　been　her　love　of　poetry　that　was　to　blame　for　making　Orlando　lose　her　shopping　list　and　start　home　without　the　sardines；　the　bath　salts；　or　the　boots。　Now　as　she　stood　with　her　hand　on　the　door　of　her　motor–car；　the　present　again　struck　her　on　the　head。　Eleven　times　she　was　violently　assaulted。

‘Confound　it　all！’　she　cried；　for　it　is　a　great　shock　to　the　nervous　system；　hearing　a　clock　strike—so　much　so　that　for　some　time　now　there　is　nothing　to　be　said　of　her　save　that　she　frowned　slightly；　changed　her　gears　admirably；　and　cried　out；　as　before；　‘Look　where　you’re　going！’　‘Don’t　you　know　your　own　mind？’　‘Why　didn’t　you　say　so　then？’　while　the　motor–car　shot；　swung；　squeezed；　and　slid；　for　she　was　an　expert　driver；　down　Regent　Street；　down　Haymarket；　down　Northumberland　Avenue；　over　Westminster　Bridge；　to　the　left；　straight　on；　to　the　right；　straight　on　again。。。

The　Old　Kent　Road　was　very　crowded　on　Thursday；　the　eleventh　of　October　1928。　People　spilt　off　the　pavement。　There　were　women　with　shopping　bags。　Children　ran　out。　There　were　sales　at　drapers’　shops。　Streets　widened　and　narrowed。　Long　vistas　steadily　shrunk　together。　Here　was　a　market。　Here　a　funeral。　Here　a　procession　with　banners　upon　which　was　written　‘Ra—Un’；　but　what　else？　Meat　was　very　red。　Butchers　stood　at　the　door。　Women　almost　had　their　heels　sliced　off。　Amor　Vin—　that　was　over　a　porch。　A　woman　looked　out　of　a　bedroom　window；　profoundly　contemplative；　and　very　still。　Applejohn　and　Applebed；　Undert—。　Nothing　could　be　seen　whole　or　read　from　start　to　finish。　What　was　seen　begun—like　two　friends　starting　to　meet　each　other　across　the　street—was　never　seen　ended。　After　twenty　minutes　the　body　and　mind　were　like　scraps　of　torn　paper　tumbling　from　a　sack　and；　indeed；　the　process　of