The Rainbow-虹(英文版)

第3部分 (第5/7頁)

the　doorway　guarding　my　outgoing　and　my　ining。〃　And

the　woman　fulfilled　her　trust；　the　men　rested　implicitly　in　her；

receiving　her　praise　or　her　blame　with　pleasure　or　with　anger；

rebelling　and　storming；　but　never　for　a　moment　really　escaping

in　their　own　souls　from　her　prerogative。　They　depended　on　her

for　their　stability。　Without　her；　they　would　have　felt　like

straws　in　the　wind；　to　be　blown　hither　and　thither　at　random。

She　was　the　anchor　and　the　security；　she　was　the　restraining

hand　of　God；　at　times　highly　to　be　execrated。

Now　when　Tom　Brangwen；　at　nineteen；　a　youth　fresh　like　a

plant；　rooted　in　his　mother　and　his　sister；　found　that　he　had

lain　with　a　prostitute　woman　in　a　mon　public　house；　he　was

very　much　startled。　For　him　there　was　until　that　time　only　one

kind　of　woman……his　mother　and　sister。

But　now？　He　did　not　know　what　to　feel。　There　was　a　slight

wonder；　a　pang　of　anger；　of　disappointment；　a　first　taste　of　ash

and　of　cold　fear　lest　this　was　all　that　would　happen；　lest　his

relations　with　woman　were　going　to　be　no　more　than　this

nothingness；　there　was　a　slight　sense　of　shame　before　the

prostitute；　fear　that　she　would　despise　him　for　his

inefficiency；　there　was　a　cold　distaste　for　her；　and　a　fear　of

her；　there　was　a　moment　of　paralyzed　horror　when　he　felt　he

might　have　taken　a　disease　from　her；　and　upon　all　this　startled

tumult　of　emotion；　was　laid　the　steadying　hand　of　mon　sense；

which　said　it　did　not　matter　very　much；　so　long　as　he　had　no

disease。　He　soon　recovered　balance；　and　really　it　did　not　matter

so　very　much。

But　it　had　shocked　him；　and　put　a　mistrust　into　his　heart；