"Iconfess, " said the doctor, turning to me, "that I hesitated. I didnot relish fourteen kilometres over a bad pathway, and there was no chance thatI could get back to Papeete that night. Besides, Strickland was not sympatheticto me. He was an idle, useless scoundrel, who preferred to live with a nativewoman rather than work for his living like the rest of us. Mon Dieu, how was Ito know that one day the world would come to the conclusion that he had genius?I asked the girl if he was not well enough to have come down to see me. I askedher what she thought was the matter with him. She would not answer. I pressedher, angrily perhaps, but she looked down on the ground and began to cry. ThenI shrugged my shoulders; after all, perhaps it was my duty to go, and in a verybad temper I bade her lead the way. "His temper wascertainly no better when he arrived, perspiring freely and thirsty. Ata was onthe look-out for him, and came a little way along the path to meet him."Before Isee anyone give me something to drink or I shall die of thirst, " he criedout. " Pour l'amour de Dieu, get me a cocoa-nut. "She called out,and a boy came running along. He swarmed up a tree, and presently threw down aripe nut. Ata pierced a hole in it, and the doctor took a long, refreshingdraught. Then he rolled himself a cigarette and felt in a better humour."Now,where is the Red One?" he asked."He is inthe house, painting. I have not told him you were coming. Go in and see him.""But whatdoes he complain of? If he is well enough to paint, he is well enough to havecome down to Taravao and save me this confounded walk. I presume my time is noless valuable than his. "“说老实话，”医生转过头来对我说， “我当时有些踌躇。在崎岖不平的小路上来回走十四公里路，那滋味着实不好受，而且我也没法当夜再赶回帕皮提了。此外，我对思特里克兰德也没有什么好感。他只不过是个游手好闲的懒汉，宁愿跟一个土著女人姘居，也不想象别人似地自己挣钱吃饭。我的上帝①，我当时怎么知道，有一天全世界都承认他是个伟大天才呢？我问了问那个女孩子，他是不是病得很厉害，不能到我那儿去看病。我还问她，思特里克兰德得的是什么病。但是她什么也不说。我又叮问了她几句，也许还对她发了火，结果她眼睛看着地，扑簌簌地掉起眼泪来。我无可奈何地耸了耸肩膀。不管怎么说，给病人看病是医生的职责，尽管我一肚子闷气，还是跟着她去了。”①原文为法语。库特拉斯医生走到目的地的时候，脾气一点儿也不比出发的时候好，他走得满身大汗，又渴又累。爱塔正在焦急地等着，还走了一段路来接他。“在我给任何人看病以前，先让我喝点儿什么，不然我就渴死了，”医生喊道，“看在上帝份儿上②，给我摘个椰子来。”②原文为法语。爱塔喊了一声，一个男孩子跑了过来，噌噌几下就爬上一棵椰子树，扔下一只成熟的椰子来。爱塔在椰子上开了一个洞，医生痛痛快快地喝了一气，这以后，他给自己卷了一很纸烟，情绪比刚才好多了。“红毛在什么地方啊？”他问道。“他在屋子里画画儿呢。我没有告诉他你要来。你进去看看他吧。”“他有什么不舒服？要是他还画得了画儿，就能到塔拉窝走一趟。叫我走这么该死的远路来看他，是不是我的时间不如他的值钱？”