Flat-dwellers shall indorse my dictum that theirs is the only true happiness. If a home is happy it cannot fit too close—

公寓生活是唯一真正的快乐，住过公寓的人一定都赞成我的论断。家庭只要幸福，房间小又何妨——

let the dresser collapse and become a billiard table; let the mantel turn to a rowing machine,

让梳妆台翻倒下来作为弹子桌；把火炉架改作练习划船的器材；

the escritoire to a spare bedchamber, the washstand to an upright piano; let the four walls come together, if they will,

让写字桌充当临时的卧榻，洗脸架充当竖式钢琴；就算房间再小一些也没关系，

so you and your Delia are between. But if home be the other kind, let it be wide and long--enter you at the Golden Gate,

你和你的德丽雅仍旧在里面，可是假若家庭不幸福，随它怎么宽敞——你从金门进去，

hang your hat on Hatteras, your cape on Cape Horn and go out by the Labrador.

把帽子挂在哈得拉斯，把披肩挂在合恩角，然后穿过拉布拉多出去，到头还是枉然。

Joe was painting in the class of the great Magister--you know his fame. His fees are high;

乔在伟大的马杰斯脱那儿学画——各位都知道他的声望。他收费高昂；

his lessons are light--his high-lights have brought him renown. Delia was studying under Rosenstock—

课程轻松——他的高昂轻松给他带来了声望。德丽雅在罗森斯托克那儿学习，

you know his repute as a disturber of the piano keys.

各位也知道他对钢琴是出了名的一丝不苟。

They were mighty happy as long as their money lasted. So is every-- but I will not be cynical.

只要他们的钱没用完，他们的生活是非常幸福的。谁都是这样——算了吧，我不愿意说愤世嫉俗的话。

Their aims were very clear and defined. Joe was to become capable very soon of turning out pictures

他们的目标非常清楚明确。乔很快就能有佳作问世，

that old gentlemen with thin side-whiskers and thick pocketbooks would sandbag one another in his studio for the privilege of buying.

那些鬓须稀朗而钱袋厚实的老先生，就要争先恐后地挤到他的画室里来抢购他的作品。

Delia was to become familiar and then contemptuous with Music, so that when she saw the orchestra seats and boxes unsold

德丽雅要把音乐搞好，然后对它满不在乎，如果她看到音乐厅里的位置和包厢不满座的话，

she could have sore throat and lobster in a private dining-room and refuse to go on the stage.

她可以推托喉咙痛，拒绝登台，然后在专用的餐室里吃龙虾。

But the best, in my opinion, was the home life in the little flat-- the ardent, voluble chats after the day's study;

但是依我说，最美满的还是那小公寓里的家庭生活：学习了一天之后的情话絮语；

the cozy dinners and fresh, light breakfasts; the interchange of ambitions—

舒适的晚饭和新鲜、清淡的早餐；关于志向的交谈——

ambitions interwoven each with the other's or else inconsiderable--the mutual help and inspiration;

他们不但关心自己的，也关心对方的志向，否则就没有意义了——互助和灵感；

and--overlook my artlessness--stuffed olives and cheese sandwiches at 11 p.m.

还有——恕我直率——晚上十一点钟吃的菜裹肉片和奶酪三明治。