I suppose thenext three years were the happiest of Strickland's life. Ata's house stoodabout eight kilometres from the road that runs round the island, and you wentto it along a winding pathway shaded by the luxuriant trees of the tropics. Itwas a bungalow of unpainted wood, consisting of two small rooms, and outsidewas a small shed that served as a kitchen. There was no furniture except themats they used as beds, and a rocking-chair, which stood on the verandah.Bananas with their great ragged leaves, like the tattered habiliments of anempress in adversity, grew close up to the house. There was a tree just behindwhich bore alligator pears, and all about were the cocoa-nuts which gave theland its revenue. Ata's father had planted crotons round his property, and theygrew in coloured profusion, gay and brilliant; they fenced the land with flame.A mango grew in front of the house, and at the edge of the clearing were twoflamboyants, twin trees, that challenged the gold of the cocoa-nuts with theirscarlet flowers.Here Stricklandlived, coming seldom to Papeete, on the produce of the land. There was a littlestream that ran not far away, in which he bathed, and down this on occasionwould come a shoal of fish. Then the natives would assemble with spears, andwith much shouting would transfix the great startled things as they hurrieddown to the sea. Sometimes Strickland would go down to the reef, and come backwith a basket of small, coloured fish that Ata would fry in cocoa-nut oil, orwith a lobster; and sometimes she would make a savoury dish of the greatland-crabs that scuttled away under your feet. Up the mountain were wild-orangetrees, and now and then Ata would go with two or three women from the villageand return laden with the green, sweet, luscious fruit. 我想，这以后的三年是思特里克兰德一生中最幸福的一段日子。爱塔的房子距离环岛公路有八公里远，要到那里去需要走过一条为热带丛林浓荫覆盖着的羊肠小道。这是一幢用本色木头盖成的带凉台的平房，一共有两间屋子，屋外还有一间用作厨房的小棚子。室内没有家具，地上铺着席子当床用。只有凉台上放着一把摇椅。芭蕉树一直长到房子的跟前；巨大的叶子破破烂烂，好象一位遭了厄运的女王的破烂衣衫。房子背后有一株梨树，房子四周到处种着能变钱花的椰子树。爱塔的父亲生前围着这片地产种了一圈巴豆；这些巴豆如今生得密密匝匝，开着绚烂的花朵，象一道火焰墙似地把椰林围绕起来。此外，正对着房子还有一棵芒果树，房前一块空地边上有两棵姊妹树，开着火红的花朵，同椰子树的金黄椰果竞相斗妍。思特里克兰德就靠着这块地的出产过活，很少到帕皮提去。离他住的地方不远有一条小河，他经常在里面洗澡。有时候河水里有鱼群出现，土人们便拿着长矛从各处走来，大吵大嚷地把正向海里游去的受惊的大鱼叉上来。思特里克兰德有时候也到海滩上去，回来的时候总带来一筐各种颜色的小鱼。爱塔用椰子油把鱼炸了，有时还配上一只大海虾，另外她还常常给他做一盘味道鲜美的螃蟹，这种螃蟹在脚底下爬来爬去，一伸手就可以捉住。山上面长着野桔子树；爱塔偶然同村子里两三个女伴上山去，总是满载而归，带回许多芬芳甘美的绿色小桔子。