Chapter 4

In fact, perhaps this is the pure and perfect incest: the brother realizing that the sister’s virginity must be destroyed in order to have existed at all, taking that virginity in the person of the brother-in-law, the man whom he would be if he could become, metamorphose into, the lover, the husband; by whom he would be despoiled, choose for despoiler, if he could become, metamorphose into the sister, the mistress, the bride.
李文俊译：
“事实上，也许这正是那纯正与完美的乱伦：哥哥理解到妹妹的贞操必须被破坏这样它才能存在，而取走童贞的人又体现在那位妹夫的身上，这正是他愿意当的那个人如果他能成为，能化身为这情人与丈夫的话；也愿意被此人掠夺，选中此人当掠夺者若是他能成为，能化身为那妹妹、情人与新娘的话。”
读译本的时候没能体会到这句的妙处，直到读了福克纳原著，亨利扭曲的爱欲通过精妙的回环结构表现出来，看得我头皮发麻。