1 The Artist
Chapter 3
As they entered the house, they saw Dorian Gray. He was sitting by the window
and turning some pages of music.
'You must lend me this music, Basil,' he said. Then he turned and saw Lord Henry.
'Oh, I'm sorry, Basil. I didn't realize...'
'Dorian, this is Lord Henry Wotton,' said Basil. 'He's an old friend of mine.'
Dorian Gray shook hands with Lord Henry, and while they talked, Lord Henry studied
the young man. Yes, he was very good-looking indeed, with his bright blue eyes and his
gold hair. He had an open, honest face. There were no dark secrets in that face. Lord Henry
could understand Basil's feelings for him.
Basil was getting his paints ready. Now he looked at Lord Henry. 'Harry,' he said, 'I want
to finish this portrait of Dorian today. I'm afraid I must ask you to go away.'
Lord Henry smiled and looked at Dorian Gray. 'Should I go, Mr Gray?' he asked.
'Oh, please don't leave, Lord Henry. Basil never talks when he's painting, and it's so boring.
Please stay. I'd like you to talk to me.'
'Well, Basil?' Lord Henry asked.
The artist bit his lip. 'Very well, Harry. Stay... if you must.'
While Basil painted, Lord Henry talked, and the young man listened. The words filled Dorian's
head like music—wild, exciting music. What a beautiful voice Lord Henry has, he thought. They
are only words, but how terrible they are! How bright and dangerous! You cannot escape from
words. Dorian began to understand things about himself that he had never understood before.
Why had he never seen himself so clearly, he wondered?
Lord Henry watched Dorian, and smiled. He knew when to speak, and when to be silent. He
felt very interested in this young man, with his wonderful face.
Later they walked in the garden together, while Basil worked at the portrait. The rich scent of
the flowers was all around them. Dorian looked at the older man, and wondered about him. He was tall,
with a thin dark face and cool white hands. Dorian liked him, but why did he feel a little afraid of him?
'You must come out of the sun, Mr Gray,' said Lord Henry. 'A brown skin isn't fashionable and it
won't suit you.'
'Oh, it doesn't matter,' laughed Dorian.
'But it should matter to you, Mr Gray.'
'Why?' asked Dorian.
'Because you're young, and being young is wonderful. Ah, you smile. You don't think so now, but one
day you'll understand what I mean—when you're old, and tired, and no longer beautiful. You have a wonderfully
beautiful face, Mr Gray. It's true. Don't shake your head at me. And there's nothing more important, more valuable
than beauty. When your youth goes, your beauty will go with it. Then you'll suddenly discover that your life is
empty—there will be nothing to enjoy, nothing to hope for. Time is your enemy, Mr Gray. It will steal everything
from you. People are afraid of themselves today. Afraid to live. But you, with your face and your youth, there's
nothing that you cannot do. You must live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! We can never be young again.
Youth! Ah, there is nothing in the world as important as youth!'
Dorian Gray listened and wondered. New ideas filled his head. He felt strange, different.
At that moment Basil called them from the house. Lord Henry turned to Dorian. 'You're happy that you've
met me, Mr Gray,' he said.
'Yes, I'm happy now. Will I always be happy, I wonder?'
'Always!' Lord Henry smiled. 'What a terrible word! Women use it much too often. What does it mean?
It's today that is important.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
open adj. not hiding anything. 坦白的；直率的。
honest adj. (of people) trustworthy; not likely to lie or to cheat. （指人）诚实的；忠实的。
music n. the arrangement of sounds in pleasant patterns and tunes. 音乐。
dangerous adj. able to or likely to cause danger. 招致危险的；危险的。
valuable adj. having great usefulness or value. 宝贵的；有价值的；用途很大的。
youth n. the period of being young, esp. the period between being a child and being fully grown; early life. 青年时期；青春时代。
浙公网安备 33010602011771号