登陆注册
20002400000006

第6章

I find a strange pleasure in saying things to him that I know I shall be sorry for having said.As a rule, he is charming to me, and we sit in the studio and talk of a thousand things.Now and then, however, he is horribly thoughtless, and seems to take a real delight in giving me pain.Then Ifeel, Harry, that I have given away my whole soul to some one who treats it as if it were a flower to put in his coat, a bit of decoration to charm his vanity, an ornament for a summer's day.""Days in summer, Basil, are apt to linger," murmured Lord Henry.

"Perhaps you will tire sooner than he will.It is a sad thing to think of, but there is no doubt that genius lasts longer than beauty.That accounts for the fact that we all take such pains to over-educate ourselves.In the wild struggle for existence, we want to have something that endures, and so we fill our minds with rubbish and facts, in the silly hope of keeping our place.The thoroughly well-informed man--that is the modern ideal.

And the mind of the thoroughly well-informed man is a dreadful thing.It is like a bric-a-brac shop, all monsters and dust, with everything priced above its proper value.I think you will tire first, all the same.Some day you will look at your friend, and he will seem to you to be a little out of drawing, or you won't like his tone of colour, or something.You will bitterly reproach him in your own heart, and seriously think that he has behaved very badly to you.The next time he calls, you will be perfectly cold and indifferent.It will be a great pity, for it will alter you.What you have told me is quite a romance, a romance of art one might call it, and the worst of having a romance of any kind is that it leaves one so unromantic.""Harry, don't talk like that.As long as I live, the personality of Dorian Gray will dominate me.You can't feel what I feel.You change too often.""Ah, my dear Basil, that is exactly why I can feel it.Those who are faithful know only the trivial side of love: it is the faithless who know love's tragedies." And Lord Henry struck a light on a dainty silver case and began to smoke a cigarette with a self-conscious and satisfied air, as if he had summed up the world in a phrase.There was a rustle of chirruping sparrows in the green lacquer leaves of the ivy, and the blue cloud-shadows chased themselves across the grass like swallows.How pleasant it was in the garden! And how delightful other people's emotions were!--much more delightful than their ideas, it seemed to him.One's own soul, and the passions of one's friends--those were the fascinating things in life.He pictured to himself with silent amusement the tedious luncheon that he had missed by staying so long with Basil Hallward.Had he gone to his aunt's, he would have been sure to have met Lord Goodbody there, and the whole conversation would have been about the feeding of the poor and the necessity for model lodging-houses.Each class would have preached the importance of those virtues, for whose exercise there was no necessity in their own lives.The rich would have spoken on the value of thrift, and the idle grown eloquent over the dignity of labour.It was charming to have escaped all that! As he thought of his aunt, an idea seemed to strike him.He turned to Hallward and said, "My dear fellow, I have just remembered.""Remembered what, Harry?"

"Where I heard the name of Dorian Gray."

"Where was it?" asked Hallward, with a slight frown.

"Don't look so angry, Basil.It was at my aunt, Lady Agatha's.

She told me she had discovered a wonderful young man who was going to help her in the East End, and that his name was Dorian Gray.I am bound to state that she never told me he was good-looking.Women have no appreciation of good looks; at least, good women have not.She said that he was very earnest and had a beautiful nature.I at once pictured to myself a creature with spectacles and lank hair, horribly freckled, and tramping about on huge feet.I wish I had known it was your friend.""I am very glad you didn't, Harry."

"Why?"

"I don't want you to meet him."

"You don't want me to meet him?"

"No."

"Mr.Dorian Gray is in the studio, sir," said the butler, coming into the garden.

"You must introduce me now," cried Lord Henry, laughing.

The painter turned to his servant, who stood blinking in the sunlight.

"Ask Mr.Gray to wait, Parker: I shall be in in a few moments." The man bowed and went up the walk.

Then he looked at Lord Henry."Dorian Gray is my dearest friend,"he said."He has a simple and a beautiful nature.Your aunt was quite right in what she said of him.Don't spoil him.Don't try to influence him.Your influence would be bad.The world is wide, and has many marvellous people in it.Don't take away from me the one person who gives to my art whatever charm it possesses: my life as an artist depends on him.Mind, Harry, Itrust you." He spoke very slowly, and the words seemed wrung out of him almost against his will.

"What nonsense you talk!" said Lord Henry, smiling, and taking Hallward by the arm, he almost led him into the house.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 魔法老师之红翼

    魔法老师之红翼

    一不小心我穿越了,一不小心拯救世界了,一不小心做了英雄了,一不小心被骄傲王女爱上了,一不小心又被萝莉吸血鬼给缠上了,一不小心……我擦泪!她两肚子被我搞大了!!!(PS:有生之年续作,此乃陨石坑,管挖不埋,看书请谨慎!)
  • 黄庭坚集

    黄庭坚集

    黄庭坚(1045—1105),字鲁直,号山谷,又号涪翁,洪州分宁(今江西修水)人。宋英宗治平四年(1067)进士,曾任集贤校理、国史编修官、鄂州太守。在新旧党争中两度受谪,最后死于宜州(今广西宜山)贬所。终年六十一岁。有《山谷集》,一名《豫章集》。
  • 我的韩国甜心妞

    我的韩国甜心妞

    我,萧言,富家子弟,只因爸爸又娶了个女人,我一气之下去了韩国留学,发誓不再与他相见。她,全溪雯,美女校花,本性清纯文静,骨子里却满是俏皮古怪,她跟我会发生什么关系?她,金善柔,倔强善良,为了给身患重病的弟弟治病,她毅然放弃了进入高校深造的机会,用脆弱的肩膀肩负起了家庭的重担,她跟我的生命会有交集吗?她,尹菲萱,美女警花,只因一段失败的感情经历,从心底痛恨中国人,所以即使我没得罪她,可她在看到我的第一眼就有想把我给阉了的念头,而她会跟我发生感情纠葛那?
  • 中国近代文物事业简史

    中国近代文物事业简史

    《中国近代文物事业简史》共分为七章,第一至五章按照编年顺序,依次记叙晚清时期、中华民国北京政府时期、中华民国南京国民政府时期、抗日战争时期、解放战争时期的中国文物事业;第六章记叙台湾、伪满洲国、华北、华中等沦陷区的文物事业;第七章记叙中国近代文物商业亦即古玩业的发展简史。此外,《中国近代文物事业简史》附录还原文辑选了1912年至1949年民国政府、日伪政权和中国共产党颁布实施的主要文物事业法律法规及规范性文件42件,以方便读者研究参考。
  • 凝聚力

    凝聚力

    当今是团队作战时代,一个企业仅靠个人的能力显然难以生存,唯有依靠团队的智慧和力量,才能使其获得长远的竞争优势和发展潜力,一个优秀的、具有凝聚力的团队才具有战无不胜的竞争力。凝聚力已经成为一个人乃至一个企业立足当今时代的核心竞争力。为什么你的企业内部总是有矛盾?为什么你的企业服务总是不到位?为什么你布置的工作属下总是做不好?关键在于:凝聚力!一个群体如果没有凝聚力,就像是一盘散沙,如何让团队形成共同的价值观,统一意志,统一行动,拥有最大的战斗力,这是所有企业的共同希望。本书以生动的现实性案例和通俗易懂的语言多方位、全角度告诉人们,一个企业如果没有凝聚力将举步维艰。该书适合普通员工和管理人员阅读。
  • 思路决定财路

    思路决定财路

    本书以丰富、生动的事例说明人们在求财创富的道路上,思路决定财路的道理。而正确的思路则来源于对市场现状与发展趋势的全面了解和准确预测,来源于对商机的高度敏感性与及时把握等。
  • 四号楼

    四号楼

    当四号楼成为废墟日记正式开始运转事实,变成掩饰的工具真相,沦为断线的木偶谁在胡言乱语?谁在以假乱真?谁在装疯卖傻?谁在暗中布局?呵——欢迎来到疯子的世界我叫——四号楼
  • 灵动飘渺

    灵动飘渺

    他本是至高无上的存在,拥有无尽岁月,至高无上的修为,由于种种原因,舍弃修为,重新入轮回,经历生死。来到异界,成为众人眼中的天才,可是他没有因此而沾沾自喜,反而更加努力的修行……不一样的玄幻,不一样的精彩,享受极品玄幻大餐,尽在《灵动飘渺》等阶化分:聚灵,虚灵,结丹,洞虚,破虚,悟虚,灵婴,成婴,大成,真灵,度劫……新书,大家看完后,还望收藏,点票,豆子在这拜谢了……
  • 让你的谈吐打动人心

    让你的谈吐打动人心

    本书从心理学和逻辑学的角度出发,用大量生动的例子讲述说话的艺术与技巧。
  • 逍遥神农

    逍遥神农

    一个来自于蓬莱仙岛的年轻人,开始了一段游戏人间。江明如是说道:我后花园那颗青橘树,随便摘一颗,就媲美灵丹妙药。我门前的那汪清泉,随便舀一瓢,就能让人起死回生。我来自蓬莱,一个你无法揣测的存在。