第一章（第8/8页）

But Emma said No! She was ten years older than Clifford, and she felt his marrying would be a desertion and a betrayal of what the young ones of the family had stood for.

但是艾玛却反对弟弟的婚事！她长克利福德十岁，认为弟弟娶妻就是将自己弃之不顾，违背了他们昔日的约誓。

Clifford married Connie, nevertheless, and had his month's honeymoon with her. It was the terrible year 1917, and they were intimate as two people who stand together on a sinking ship. He had been virgin when he married: and the sex part did not mean much to him. They were so close, he and she, apart from that. And Connie exulted a little in this intimacy which was beyond sex, and beyond a man's "satisfaction". Clifford anyhow was not just keen on his 'satisfaction', as so many men seemed to be. No, the intimacy was deeper, more personal than that. And sex was merely an accident, or an adjunct, one of the curious obsolete, organic processes which persisted in its own clumsiness, but was not really necessary. Though Connie did want children: if only to fortify her against her sister-in-law Emma.

尽管如此，克利福德仍与康妮完婚，共渡蜜月。那时正值兵荒马乱的1917年，小两口好似矗立在行将沉没的船舶之上一样亲密无间、不肯分离。结婚时克利福德还是童子之身，而性爱对他而言形同鸡肋。除此之外两人爱得如胶似漆。这种与性事和男子欲望满足无关的亲密，让康妮欣喜若狂。克利福德并不像许多男人那般，沉迷于他的欲望满足之中。或者应该这样说，这种情感远比单纯的性爱更笃厚，更私密。而性事只能偶尔为之，或当成某种点缀，那只是一种奇妙的却又过气笨拙的器官交合的过程，并非不可或缺。康妮渴望生下一儿半女，以此来巩固自己的地位，对抗丈夫的姐姐艾玛。

But early in 1918 Clifford was shipped home smashed, and there was no child. And Sir Geoffrey died of chagrin.

但天不遂人愿，1918年年初，遍体鳞伤的克利福德被送回国内，留下子嗣的希望随之泯灭。杰弗里爵士也郁郁而终。