Mrs.Dallowaysaidshewouldbuytheflowersherself.達洛維夫人說她要親自去買些花。ForLucyhadherworkcutoutforher.Thedoorswouldbetakenofftheirhinges;umpelmayer'smenwerecoming.Andthen,thoughtClarissaDalloway,whatamorning—freshasifissuedtochildrenonabeach.因為露西已有一份合適的工作要做。要把門從鉸鏈上卸下來；昂伯爾梅爾公司的人就要到了。然后，克拉麗莎·達洛維思忖，多愜意的早晨啊——空氣清新得仿佛是特意送給海灘上的孩子們似的。Whatalark!Whataplunge!Forsoithadalwaysseemedtoher,when,withalittlesqueakofthehinges,whichshecouldhearnow,shehadburstopentheFrenchwindowsandplungedatBourtonintotheopenair.Howfresh,howcalm,stillerthanthisofcourse,theairwasintheearlymorning;liketheflapofawave;thekissofawave;chillandsharpandyet(foragirlofeighteenasshethenwas)solemn,feelingasshedid,standingthereattheopenwindow,thatsomethingawfulwasabouttohappen;lookingattheflowers,atthetreeswiththesmokewindingoffthemandtherooksrising,falling;standingandlookinguntilPeterWalshsaid,"Musingamongthevegetables?"—wasthatit?—"Iprefermentocauliflowers"—wasthatit?Hemusthavesaiditatbreakfastonemorningwhenshehadgoneoutontotheterrace—PeterWalsh.HewouldbebackfromIndiaoneofthesedays,JuneorJuly,sheforgotwhich,forhisletterswereawfullydull;itwashissayingsoneremembered;hiseyes,hispocket-knife,hissmile,hisgrumpinessand,whenmillionsofthingshadutterlyvanished—howstrangeitwas!—afewsayingslikethisaboutcabbages.多么動聽的百靈！多么迅疾的舉動！對她來說過去似乎總是這樣，隨著合葉輕微的吱吱聲，這聲音她現在也能聽到，她會突然打開落地窗，扎到伯頓的戶外。那里清晨的空氣多清新、多寧靜，自然比眼前的更靜謐，宛如浪濤拍打，又像浪花親吻，冰冷刺骨卻又（對當時她這樣芳齡十八的姑娘來說）顯得肅穆，那時她對著敞開的窗佇立著，預感到某種可怕的事即將發生。她賞著花，凝視著霧靄繚繞的樹叢和飛起飛落的白嘴鴨，這樣站著凝視著直到聽見彼得·沃爾什說：“在蔬菜中冥想嗎？”——說了那樣的話嗎？“我喜歡人勝過花椰菜”——說了那樣的話嗎？他——彼得·沃爾什一定在一天早晨吃早餐時說了那樣的話，那時她已走到外面的陽臺了。近日他會從印度歸來，是六月還是七月，她忘了，因為他寫的信異常乏味。他的話她倒記得。他的雙眼、他的折疊刀、他的微笑、他的暴躁，千百萬件往事都已如煙消散——真怪！幾句如此有關卷心菜的話卻浮現出來。Shestiffenedalittleonthekerb,waitingforDurtnall'svantopass.Acharmingwoman,ScropePurvisthoughther(knowingherasonedoesknowpeoplewholivenextdoortooneinWestminster);atouchofthebirdabouther,ofthejay,blue-green,light,vivacious,thoughshewasoverfifty,andgrownverywhitesinceherillness.Theresheperched,neverseeinghim,waitingtocross,veryupright.她站在馬路邊上的一個大石頭旁，稍微挺了挺身子，等達特奈爾公司的運貨車開過。真是個迷人的女人，斯克羅普·珀維斯這樣認為（他熟悉她就如你了解住在威斯敏斯特區隔壁的人那樣）。她有一點鳥的特性，猶如松鴉，青綠、輕快、活潑，盡管她已五十有余，并且患病以來愈顯蒼白。她倚在馬路邊上，壓根兒沒看到他，直立著身子，等著過街。ForhavinglivedinWestminster—howmanyyearsnow?overtwenty,—onefeelseveninthemidstofthetraffic,orwakingatnight,Clarissawaspositive,aparticularhush,orsolemnity;anindescribablepause;asuspense(butthatmightbeherheart,affected,theysaid,byinfluenza)beforeBigBenstrikes.There!Outitboomed.Firstawarning,musical;thenthehour,irrevocable.Theleadencirclesdissolvedintheair.Suchfoolsweare,shethought,crossingVictoriaStreet.ForHeavenonlyknowswhyonelovesitso,howoneseesitso,makingitup,buildingitroundone,tumblingit,creatingiteverymomentafresh;buttheveriestfrumps,themostdejectedofmiseriessittingondoorsteps(drinktheirdownfall)dothesame;can'tbedealtwith,shefeltpositive,byActsofParliamentforthatveryreason:theylovelife.Inpeople'seyes,intheswing,tramp,andtrudge;inthebellowandtheuproar;thecarriages,motorcars,omnibuses,vans,sandwichmenshufflingandswinging;brassbands;barrelorgans;inthetriumphandthejingleandthestrangehighsingingofsomeaeroplaneoverheadwaswhatsheloved;life;London;thismomentofJune.在威斯敏斯特區住了——到如今多少年？有二十幾年吧——克拉麗莎可以肯定，即使置身于川流不息的大街，亦或夜晚夢醒，你都會覺察出一種特有的靜謐，或是肅穆；一種難以名狀的停滯；大本鐘敲響之前的心神不寧（不過他們說，那或許是由于她的心臟受了流感的影響）。聽啊！鐘聲隆隆地響起來了。開始是預報，悅耳動聽；接著是報時，精確無誤。如鉛般沉重的音波在空氣中漸漸消逝。她一邊穿過維多利亞大街，一邊思忖，我們真是大笨蛋。因為只有天曉得為何人如此熱愛生活，怎樣看待生活，為之精心構思，圍繞自己來構建生活，又將其推翻，每時每刻都在刷新重建；但是即便衣著過時之極的老頑固，坐在門階上異常懊喪苦惱之輩（酗酒致使他們潦倒）也這般看待生活；她毫不懷疑，正是由于那個原因，即使是議會法案也無可奈何：人們就是熱愛生活。在人們眼里，在輕盈的、沉重的、艱難的步履中，在吼叫和喧囂里，在四輪馬車、汽車、公共汽車、有蓬貨車、胸前身后都掛有廣告牌的腳步沉重、搖搖擺擺的廣告員中，銅管樂隊，手搖風琴，在慶功的歡呼聲和鈴兒的叮當聲以及頭頂上空飛機奇怪的高歌聲中，有她熱愛的事物。生活、倫敦、這六月的時刻。ForitwasthemiddleofJune.TheWarwasover,exceptforsomeonelikeMrs.FoxcroftattheEmbassylastnighteatingherheartoutbecausethatniceboywaskilledandnowtheoldManorHousemustgotoacousin;orLadyBexboroughwhoopenedabazaar,theysaid,withthetelegraminherhand,John,herfavourite,killed;butitwasover;thankHeaven—over.ItwasJune.TheKingandQueenwereatthePalace.Andeverywhere,thoughitwasstillsoearly,therewasabeating,astirringofgallopingponies,tappingofcricketbats;Lords,Ascot,Ranelaghandalltherestofit;wrappedinthesoftmeshofthegrey-bluemorningair,which,asthedayworeon,wouldunwindthem,andsetdownontheirlawnsandpitchesthebouncingponies,whoseforefeetjuststruckthegroundanduptheysprung,thewhirlingyoungmen,andlaughinggirlsintheirtransparentmuslinswho,evennow,afterdancingallnight,weretakingtheirabsurdwoollydogsforarun;andevennow,atthishour,discreetolddowagerswereshootingoutintheirmotorcarsonerrandsofmystery;andtheshopkeeperswerefidgetingintheirwindowswiththeirpasteanddiamonds,theirlovelyoldsea-greenbroochesineighteenth-centurysettingstotemptAmericans(butonemusteconomise,notbuythingsrashlyforElizabeth),andshe,too,lovingitasshedidwithanabsurdandfaithfulpassion,beingpartofit,sinceherpeoplewerecourtiersonceinthetimeoftheGeorges,she,too,wasgoingthatverynighttokindleandilluminate;togiveherparty.Buthowstrange,onenteringthePark,thesilence;themist;thehum;theslow-swimminghappyducks;thepouchedbirdswaddling;andwhoshouldbecomingalongwithhisbackagainsttheGovernmentbuildings,mostappropriately,carryingadespatchboxstampedwiththeRoyalArms,whobutHughWhitbread;heroldfriendHugh—theadmirableHugh!因為時值六月中旬。戰事停止了，除了如?？怂箍肆_夫特夫人一樣的人以外，昨晚她在大使館悲痛欲絕，她的好兒子戰死了，如今那座古老的莊園只好歸于她侄子名下；還有貝克斯伯勒女士，人們說她主持義賣開幕時，手中還握著電報，通知她最疼的兒子約翰陣亡了。不過—andshehadtoo—nottomarryhim.Forinmarriagealittlelicence,alittleindependencetheremustbebetweenpeoplelivingtogetherdayindayoutinthesamehouse;whichRichardgaveher,andshehim.(Wherewashethismorningforinstance?Somecommittee,sheneveraskedwhat.)ButwithPetereverythinghadtobeshared;everythinggoneinto.Anditwasintolerable,andwhenitcametothatsceneinthelittlegardenbythefountain,shehadtobreakwithhimortheywouldhavebeendestroyed,bothofthemruined,shewasconvinced;thoughshehadborneaboutwithherforyearslikeanarrowstickinginherheartthegrief,theanguish;andthenthehorrorofthemomentwhensomeonetoldherataconcertthathehadmarriedawomanmetontheboatgoingtoIndia!Nevershouldsheforgetallth