When I was twenty-seven years old, I was a mining-broker’s clerk in San Francisco, and an expert in all the details of stock traffic. —
当我二十七岁时，我是旧金山的一名矿业经纪人办事员，精通股票交易的所有细节。 —

I was alone in the world, and had nothing to depend upon but my wits and a clean reputation; —
我是世界上唯一一个，除了我的智慧和清白声誉，没有其他依靠的人； —

but these were setting my feet in the road to eventual fortune, and I was content with the prospect.
但这些都使我踏上了通向最终财富的道路，我对前景感到满意。

My time was my own after the afternoon board, Saturdays, and I was accustomed to put it in on a little sail-boat on the bay. —
每到星期六下午股市收盘后，我的时间就自由了，我习惯于在海湾上的一艘小帆船上度过。 —

One day I ventured too far, and was carried out to sea. —
有一天我冒险走得太远，被卷入大海。 —

Just at nightfall, when hope was about gone, I was picked up by a small brig which was bound for London. —
正值黄昏，几乎希望破灭时，我被一艘开往伦敦的小帆船救起。 —

It was a long and stormy voyage, and they made me work my passage without pay, as a common sailor. —
这是一次漫长而多灾多难的航行，他们让我无偿地像普通水手一样工作。 —

When I stepped ashore in London my clothes were ragged and shabby, and I had only a dollar in my pocket. —
当我踏上伦敦的陆地时，我的衣服破旧不堪，口袋里只有一美元。 —

This money fed and 2sheltered me twenty-four hours. —
这笔钱供我吃饭住宿了二十四小时。 —

During the next twenty-four I went without food and shelter.
接下来的二十四小时，我忍着饥饿和没有住的痛苦。

About ten o’clock on the following morning, seedy and hungry, I was dragging myself along Portland Place, when a child that was passing, towed by a nursemaid, tossed a luscious big pear—minus one bite—into the gutter. —
第二天上午十点左右，病态又饥饿，我沿着波特兰街艰难前行，这时路过的一个保姆拉着一个孩子，把一个咬了一口的鲜美大梨扔进了水沟。 —

I stopped, of course, and fastened my desiring eye on that muddy treasure. —
我当然停下来，盯着那个泥泞的珍宝。 —

My mouth watered for it, my stomach craved it, my whole being begged for it. —
我口水直流，肚子发出请求，整个我都渴望得到它。 —

But every time I made a move to get it some passing eye detected my purpose, and of course I straightened up, then, and looked indifferent, and pretended that I hadn’t been thinking about the pear at all. —
但每次我想去拿它时，都有人的眼光注意到了我的目的，我当然就挺直身子，看起来漠不关心，假装没有想着梨。 —

This same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldn’t get the pear. —
这种事情一次次发生，一次次，我就无法得到那个梨。 —

I was just getting desperate enough to brave all the shame, and to seize it, when a window behind me was raised, and a gentleman spoke out of it, saying:
当时，我正变得绝望到足以忍受所有羞耻，并且开始有所求解的时候，窗户后面突然被打开，一个绅士说道：

‘Step in here, please.’
‘请进来吧。’

I was admitted by a gorgeous flunkey, and shown into a sumptuous room where a couple of elderly gentlemen were sitting. —
一个华丽的仆人引领我进去，带我进入一间豪华的房间，里面坐着两个年长的绅士。 —

They sent away the servant, and made me sit down. —
他们打发仆人离开，让我坐下。 —

They had just finished their breakfast, and the sight of the 3remains of it almost overpowered me. —
他们刚刚吃完早餐，食物的残留几乎让我不堪重负。 —

I could hardly keep my wits together in the presence of that food, but as I was not asked to sample it, I had to bear my trouble as best I could.
在那些食物面前，我几乎无法保持清醒，但因为没有被邀请尝试，我只能尽力忍受我的烦恼。

Now, something had been happening there a little before, which I did not know anything about until a good many days afterwards, but I will tell you about it now. —
现在，其实在那里之前发生了一些事情，直到好多天后我才知道，但我现在告诉你。 —

Those two old brothers had been having a pretty hot argument a couple of days before, and had ended by agreeing to decide it by a bet, which is the English way of settling everything.
那两兄弟在两天前发生了激烈的争论，最终决定通过赌注来解决，这是英国人解决一切事情的方式。

You will remember that the Bank of England once issued two notes of a million pounds each, to be used for a special purpose connected with some public transaction with a foreign country. —
你会记得，英格兰银行曾经发行了两张价值一百万英镑的钞票，用于某次与外国国家的公共交易有关的特殊目的。 —

For some reason or other only one of these had been used and cancelled; —
由于某种原因，只有一张被使用和作废； —

the other still lay in the vaults of the Bank. Well, the brothers, chatting along, happened to get to wondering what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that million-pound bank-note, and no way to account for his being in possession of it. —
另一张仍放在银行的金库里。嗯，两兄弟闲聊间开始猜想一个完全诚实聪明的陌生人如果被扔到伦敦里、没有朋友、只有那张百万英镑的银行票据，而且没有办法解释为何拥有它，他的命运会是怎样。 —

Brother A said he would starve to death; Brother B said he wouldn’t. —
A兄说他会饿死；B兄说不会。 —

Brother A said he couldn’t offer it at a bank or anywhere else, because he would be arrested on the spot. —
A兄说他无法在银行或其他任何地方兑现，因为他会立刻被逮捕。 —

So they went on disputing till Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pounds that the man would live thirty days, any way, on that million, and keep out of jail, too. —
于是他们争论下去，直到B兄说他赌两万英镑，那个人会在那张百万英镑上活三十天，而且也不会进监狱。 —

Brother A took him up. Brother B went down to the Bank and bought that note. —
A兄接受了。B兄去了银行，并买下了那张票。 —

Just like an Englishman, you see; pluck to the backbone. —
就像一个英国绅士一样，你很有胆量。 —

Then he dictated a letter, which one of his clerks wrote out in a beautiful round hand, and then the two brothers sat at the window a whole day watching for the right man to give it to.
然后他口述了一封信，他的一个职员用漂亮的圆楷手写了出来，然后两兄弟坐在窗前一整天，等着找到合适的人交给他。

They saw many honest faces go by that were not intelligent enough; —
他们看到很多诚实的面孔走过，但不够聪明； —

many that were intelligent but not honest enough; —
也看到很多聪明但不够诚实的； —

many that were both, but the possessors were not poor enough, or, if poor enough, were not strangers. —
还看到很多两者都具备的人，但拥有者要么不够穷，要么够穷但不是陌生人。 —

There was always a defect, until I came along; but they agreed that I filled the bill all around; —
总是有一些缺陷，直到我出现为止；但他们一致同意我完全符合要求； —

so they elected me unanimously, and there I was, now, waiting to know why I was called in. —
所以他们一致选举了我，现在我在这里，等待知道为什么我被召见。 —

They began to ask me questions about myself, and pretty soon they had my story. —
他们开始问我关于自己的问题，很快他们听到了我的故事。 —

Finally they told me I would answer their purpose. —
最后他们告诉我我会符合他们的目的。 —

I said I was sincerely glad, and asked what it was. —
我说我真诚地高兴，并问那是什么。 —

Then one of them handed me an envelope, and said I would find the explanation inside. —
然后其中一个递给我一个信封，说我会在里面找到解释。 —

I was going 5to open it, but he said no; —
我想打开它，但他说不； —

take it to my lodgings, and look it over carefully, and not be hasty or rash. —
带回我的住处，仔细看过再说，不要急躁或鲁莽。 —

I was puzzled, and wanted to discuss the matter a little further, but they didn’t; —
我感到困惑，想进一步讨论这件事，但他们没有； —

so I took my leave, feeling hurt and insulted to be made the butt of what was apparently some kind of a practical joke, and yet obliged to put up with it, not being in circumstances to resent affronts from rich and strong folk.
所以我告辞，感到受伤和受辱，成为了一场明显某种恶作剧的笑柄，但又不得不忍受，因为我没有条件去对付来自富有和强大的人的侮辱。

I would have picked up the pear, now, and eaten it before all the world, but it was gone; —
我本想捡起那个梨，现在，把它吃掉，可是它不见了； —

so I had lost that by this unlucky business, and the thought of it did not soften my feeling towards those men. —
所以我失去了那个梨，这件不幸的事情并没有减轻我对那些人的感觉。 —

As soon as I was out of sight of that house I opened my envelope, and saw that it contained money! —
我刚一离开那所房子的视线，就打开了我的信封，看到里面装着钱！ —

My opinion of those people changed, I can tell you! —
我对那些人的看法改变了，我告诉你！ —

I lost not a moment, but shoved note and money into my vest-pocket, and broke for the nearest cheap eating-house. —
我立刻没有耽搁，把便条和钱塞进背心口袋里，冲向了最近的廉价饭店。 —

Well, how I did eat! When at last I couldn’t hold any more, I took out my money and unfolded it, took one glimpse and nearly fainted. —
噢，我吃了多少！最后实在撑不住了，把钱拿出来展开，一眼看去，差点晕倒。 —

Five millions of dollars! Why, it made my head swim.
五百万美元！哎呀，我的脑袋都晕了。

I must have sat there stunned and blinking at the note as much as a minute before I came rightly to myself again. —
我必须呆呆地坐在那里，眨巴着眼睛看着那张便条，大约有一分钟，直到我再次清醒过来。 —

The first thing I noticed, then, 6was the landlord. His eye was on the note, and he was petrified. —
然后我注意到的第一件事是房东。他的眼睛盯着那张便条，宛如石化一般。 —

He was worshipping, with all his body and soul, but he looked as if he couldn’t stir hand or foot. I took my cue in a moment, and did the only rational thing there was to do. —
他全身心地顶礼膜拜，但看起来像是手脚无法动弹。我立刻明白了情况，做出了唯一合理的举动。 —

I reached the note towards him, and said carelessly:
我把便条递给他，漫不经心地说道:

‘Give me the change, please.’
“请给我找零钱。”

Then he was restored to his normal condition, and made a thousand apologies for not being able to break the bill, and I couldn’t get him to touch it. —
然后他恢复了正常状态，为无法找开票的道歉不停地道歉，我怎么也让不他去动那张便条。 —

He wanted to look at it, and keep on looking at it; —
他想看看，一直看，一直看。 —

he couldn’t seem to get enough of it to quench the thirst of his eye, but he shrank from touching it as if it had been something too sacred for poor common clay to handle. I said:
他似乎无法满足对它的眼睛的渴望，但他却害怕触摸它，仿佛这是一件贫乏的普通泥土无法触碰的神圣之物。我说：

‘I am sorry if it is an inconvenience, but I must insist. —
‘如果这是个不便，我很抱歉，但我必须坚持。 —

Please change it; I haven’t anything else.’
请换掉它；我没有别的了。’

But he said that wasn’t any matter; he was quite willing to let the trifle stand over till another time. —
但他说那不要紧；他很愿意让这点小事推迟到以后再处理。 —

I said I might not be in his neighbourhood again for a good while; —
我说也许有一段时间我不会再在他的邻里出现； —

but he said it was of no consequence, he could wait, and, moreover, I could have anything I wanted, any time I chose, and let the account run as long as I pleased. —
但他说那无所谓，他可以等，而且我可以随时有任何所需，账单也可以随意拖延。 —

He said he hoped he wasn’t afraid to trust as rich a gentleman as I was, merely because I was of a merry disposition, and chose to play larks on the public in the matter of dress. —
他说他希望我不因为他是如此富有的绅士而害怕相信他，仅仅因为我性情快活，选择在服装问题上愚弄公众。 —

By this time another customer was entering, and the landlord hinted to me to put the monster out of sight; —
这时又有另一个顾客进来了，店主暗示我把那怪兽藏起来； —

then he bowed me all the way to the door, and I started straight for that house and those brothers, to correct the mistake which had been made before the police should hunt me up, and help me do it. —
然后他一直向我鞠躬到门口，我直接朝着那座房子和那些兄弟走去，以便在警方找到我之前纠正之前发生的错误，并帮我解决。 —

I was pretty nervous, in fact pretty badly frightened, though, of course, I was no way in fault; —
我很紧张，事实上非常害怕，尽管，当然，我根本没有过错； —

but I knew men well enough to know that when they find they’ve given a tramp a million-pound bill when they thought it was a one-pounder, they are in a frantic rage against him instead of quarrelling with their own near-sightedness, as they ought. —
但我足够了解人们，知道当他们发现他们把一张百万英镑的钞票给了一个流浪汉，而以为是一英镑时，他们会对他发狂，而不是责备他们自己的近视，这是他们应该做的。 —

As I approached the house my excitement began to abate, for all was quiet there, which made me feel pretty sure the blunder was not discovered yet. —
当我接近那座房子时，我的兴奋开始消退，因为一切都很安静，这让我相当肯定，错误还没有被发现。 —

I rang. The same servant appeared. I asked for those gentlemen.
我按了门铃，同一个仆人出现了，我要求见那些绅士。

‘They are gone.’ This in the lofty, cold way of that fellow’s tribe.
‘他们走了。’这是那个家伙族群的高傲冷淡的方式。

‘Gone? Gone where?’
‘走了？去哪里了？’

‘On a journey.’
‘在旅途中。’

‘But whereabouts?’
‘但在哪里？’

‘To the Continent, I think.’
‘我想是去欧洲大陆。’

8‘The Continent?’
‘欧洲大陆？’

‘Yes, sir.’
‘是的，先生。’

‘Which way—by what route?’
‘走哪条路线？’

‘I can’t say, sir.’
‘我说不准，先生。’

‘When will they be back?’
‘他们什么时候回来？’

‘In a month, they said.’
‘他们说一个月后。’

‘A month! Oh, this is awful! Give me some sort of idea of how to get a word to them. —
‘一个月！哦，这太糟糕了！给我点办法让他们知道，这件事非常重要。’ —

It’s of the last importance.’
‘实在不知道应该怎么联系他们，先生。’

‘I can’t, indeed. I’ve no idea where they’ve gone, sir.’
‘那我必须找到他们家里的某个人。’

‘Then I must see some member of the family.’
‘家里的人也不在，他们几个月前出国了—去了埃及和印度，我想。’

‘Family’s away too; been abroad months—in Egypt and India, I think.’
‘啊，肯定发生了巨大的误会。他们今晚之前就会回来。’

‘Man, there’s been an immense mistake made. They’ll be back before night. —
‘你告诉他们我来过了，我会继续来直到一切都搞清楚，他们不用担心。’ —

Will you tell them I’ve been here, and that I will keep coming till it’s all made right, and they needn’t be afraid?’
‘如果他们回来了，我会告诉他们的，但是我并不指望他们回来。’

‘I’ll tell them, if they come back, but I am not expecting them. —
‘他们说你会在一个小时内过来询问，但是我必须告诉你，没事的，他们会按时到达并等着你的。’ —

They said you would be here in an hour to make inquiries, but I must tell you it’s all right, they’ll be here on time and expect you.’
‘所以我不得不放弃然后离开。这究竟是什么谜题！简直让我要发疯了。’

So I had to give it up and go away. What a riddle it all was! I was like to lose my mind. —
‘他们会‘按时’到。这是什么意思？哦，信里可能有解释。’ —

They would be here ‘on time.’ What could that 9mean? Oh, the letter would explain, maybe. —
‘我忘记了这封信；我拿出来读了一下。’ —

I had forgotten the letter; I got it out and read it. —
信上写着： —

This is what it said:
“这是信的内容”

‘You are an intelligent and honest man, as one may see by your face. —
你是一个聪明诚实的人，正如人们可以从你的脸上看出来的。 —

We conceive you to be poor and a stranger. Enclosed you will find a sum of money. —
我们认为你是个穷人和陌生人。信封里有一笔钱送给你。 —

It is lent to you for thirty days, without interest. Report at this house at the end of that time. —
这是借给你的，不带利息，期限为30天。在那个时间结束时来这个房子报到。 —

I have a bet on you. If I win it you shall have any situation that is in my gift—any, that is, that you shall be able to prove yourself familiar with and competent to fill.’
我对你打了赌。如果我赢了，你将得到我能提供的任何职位——任何你可以证明自己熟悉并有能力胜任的。

No signature, no address, no date.
没有签名，没有地址，没有日期。

Well, here was a coil to be in! You are posted on what had preceded all this, but I was not. —
唔，这可真是一个麻烦事啊！你知道前面发生了什么，但我不知道。 —

It was just a deep, dark puzzle to me. I hadn’t the least idea what the game was, nor whether harm was meant me or a kindness. —
对我来说，这只是一个深奥的难题。我完全不知道这是什么游戏，他们是在对我起什么意图，是善意还是恶意。 —

I went into a park, and sat down to try to think it out, and to consider what I had best do.
我到了一个公园，坐下来试图思考清楚，考虑我该怎么办。

At the end of an hour, my reasonings had crystallised into this verdict.
一个小时后，我的思索变成了这个定论。

Maybe those men mean me well, maybe they mean me ill; no way to decide that—let it go. —
也许那些人对我好，也许他们对我有害；无法判断 —— 就这样吧。 —

They’ve got a game, or a scheme, or an experiment of some kind on hand; —
他们有一个计划，或者一个方案，或者某种实验； —

no way to determine what 10it is—let it go. There’s a bet on me; —
无法确定究竟是什么 —— 就这样吧。有人对我打赌； —

no way to find out what it is—let it go. That disposes of the indeterminable quantities; —
无法弄清楚是什么 —— 就这样吧。这解决了无法确定的部分； —

the remainder of the matter is tangible, solid, and may be classed and labelled with certainty. —
剩下的事情是切实可行，坚固的，可以肯定地分类和标记。 —

If I ask the Bank of England to place this bill to the credit of the man it belongs to, they’ll do it, for they know him, although I don’t; —
如果我要求英格兰银行把这张票据记入属于它的那个人的账户，他们会这样做，因为他们认识他，尽管我不认识他； —

but they will ask me how I came in possession of it, and if I tell the truth, they’ll put me in the asylum, naturally, and a lie will land me in jail. —
但他们会问我如何得到这张钞票，如果我说实话，他们会把我送进疯人院，当然，撒谎会让我进监狱。 —

The same result would follow if I tried to bank the bill anywhere or to borrow money on it. —
如果我尝试在任何地方存钱或借钱，都会导致相同的结果。 —

I have got to carry this immense burden around until those men come back, whether I want to or not. —
我不得不负担这个巨大的负担，直到那些人回来，不管我愿意还是不愿意。 —

It is useless to me, as useless as a handful of ashes, and yet I must take care of it, and watch over it, while I beg my living. —
这对我毫无用处，就像一把灰烬，但我必须照顾它，看护它，当我靠讨饭维生时。 —

I couldn’t give it away, if I should try, for neither honest citizen nor highwayman would accept it or meddle with it for anything. —
如果我试图送给别人，也无济于事，因为正直的公民和强盗都不会接受它或为之介入。 —

Those brothers are safe. Even if I lose their bill, or burn it, they are still safe, because they can stop payment, and the Bank will make them whole; —
这些兄弟是安全的。即使我失去他们的钞票，或者将其烧毁，他们仍然是安全的，因为他们可以停止支付，银行会赔偿他们; —

but meantime, I’ve got to do a month’s suffering without wages or profit—unless I help win that bet, whatever it may be, and get that situation that I am promised. —
但同时，我必须忍受一个月的苦痛，没有工资或利润 - 除非我帮助赢得那笔赌注，获得我所承诺的那个职位。 —

I 11should like to get that; men of their sort have situations in their gift that are worth having.
我想得到那个;类似他们这样的人有权力赠与的职位值得拥有。

I got to thinking a good deal about that situation. My hopes began to rise high. —
我开始对那个职位有很多想法。我的希望开始高涨。 —

Without doubt the salary would be large. It would begin in a month; —
毫无疑问，薪水会很高。一个月后会开始; —

after that I should be all right. Pretty soon I was feeling first-rate. —
之后我就会没问题了。很快，我感觉很好。 —

By this time I was tramping the streets again. —
这时候我又开始在街上漫步。 —

The sight of a tailor-shop gave me a sharp longing to shed my rags, and to clothe myself decently once more. —
一家裁缝店的视线让我急切地想要脱掉我的破烂，再次体面地穿着衣服。 —

Could I afford it? No; I had nothing in the world but a million pounds. —
我能负担得起吗？不，我世界上除了一百万英镑什么都没有。 —

So I forced myself to go on by. But soon I was drifting back again. —
所以我强迫自己继续前进。但很快我又开始迷失在回忆里。 —

The temptation persecuted me cruelly. I must have passed that shop back and forth six times during that manful struggle. —
那种诱惑狠狠地折磨着我。在那场艰苦的斗争中，我想我来回走过那家店至少六次。 —

At last I gave in; I had to. I asked if they had a misfit suit that had been thrown on their hands. —
最终，我屈服了；我不得不问他们是否有一套被丢弃的不合身的西装。 —

The fellow I spoke to nodded his head towards another fellow, and gave me no answer. —
我对话的那个家伙朝另一个家伙点了点头，没有回答我。 —

I went to the indicated fellow, and he indicated another fellow with his head, and no words. —
我去找那个被指示的家伙，他用头指了指另一个家伙，没有说话。 —

I went to him, and he said:
我去找他，他说：

‘’Tend to you presently.’
“马上就为您处理。”

I waited till he was done with what he was at, then he took me into a back room, and overhauled a pile of rejected suits, and selected the rattiest one 12for me. —
我等到他结束手头的事情后，他带我进了一个后屋，从一堆被拒绝的西装中挑选出一套最破旧的给我。 —

I put it on. It didn’t fit, and wasn’t in any way attractive, but it was new, and I was anxious to have it; —
我穿上它。它不合身，也不怎么吸引人，但是它是新的，我急于要这件衣服； —

so I didn’t find any fault, but said with some diffidence:
所以我没有发现任何问题，只是有些犹豫地说：

‘It would be an accommodation to me if you could wait some days for the money. —
“如果您能等几天收钱，对我来说会很方便。 —

I haven’t any small change about me.’
我身上没有零钱。”

The fellow worked up a most sarcastic expression of countenance, and said:
那个家伙的脸上露出了一种讽刺的表情，说道：

‘Oh, you haven’t? Well, of course, I didn’t expect it. —
“哦，你没有？嗯，当然，我也不指望。 —

I’d only expect gentlemen like you to carry large change.’
我只会期待像您这样的绅士带着大额零钱。”

I was nettled, and said:
我有些恼火，说：

‘My friend, you shouldn’t judge a stranger always by the clothes he wears. —
“朋友，你不应该总是以陌生人穿着来判断他。” —

I am quite able to pay for this suit; I simply didn’t wish to put you to the trouble of changing a large note.’
“我完全有能力支付这套衣服；我只是不想让你为找零钱而麻烦。”

He modified his style a little at that, and said, though still with something of an air:
他稍微改变了他的风格，带着一些气势地说道：

‘I didn’t mean any particular harm, but as long as rebukes are going, I might say it wasn’t quite your affair to jump to the conclusion that we couldn’t change any note that you might happen to be carrying around. —
“我并没有特别恶意，但既然在责备上变得激烈，我可以说你并不应该轻易下定论我们不能换零钱来。” —

On the contrary, we can.’
“相反，我们可以。”

I handed the note to him, and said:
我把钞票递给他，说道：

‘Oh, very well; I apologise.’
“好吧，我道歉。”

13He received it with a smile, one of those large smiles which goes all around over, and has folds in it, and wrinkles, and spirals, and looks like the place where you have thrown a brick in a pond; —
他微笑着接过，那种尽情绽放的笑容围绕着他，有褶皱、皱纹和螺旋，看起来像你在池塘里扔了一块砖的地方； —

and then in the act of his taking a glimpse of the bill this smile froze solid, and turned yellow, and looked like those wavy, wormy spreads of lava which you find hardened on little levels on the side of Vesuvius. —
而在他看一眼账单时，这笑容突然停滞了，变得黯淡，看起来像是那些在维苏威火山山腰上硬化的波纹状、蠕虫状的熔岩扩张物。 —

I never before saw a smile caught like that, and perpetuated. —
我以前从未见过一个笑容被困住并得以保存的例子。 —

The man stood there holding the bill, and looking like that, and the proprietor hustled up to see what was the matter, and said briskly:
那个男人站在那里拿着账单，看着那个样子，店主急忙走过来看出了问题，活泼地说道：

‘Well, what’s up? what’s the trouble? what’s wanting?’
“好了，怎么了？出了什么问题？需要什么？”

I said, ‘There isn’t any trouble. I’m waiting for my change.’
我说，“没有问题。我在等着找零。”

‘Come, come; get him his change, Tod; get him his change.’
“快点，给他找零，托德；给他找零。”

Tod retorted: ‘Get him his change! It’s easy to say, sir; but look at the bill yourself.’
托德回应说：“给他找零！说容易，先生；但你自己看看这张账单。”

The proprietor took a look, gave a low, eloquent whistle, then made a dive for the pile of rejected clothing, and began to snatch it this way and that, talking all the time excitedly, and as if to himself:
店主看了一眼，发出低沉而有 eloquent 的口哨声，然后扑向那堆被拒绝的衣服，开始慌乱地这边抓那边抓，一边激动地自言自语：

‘Sell an eccentric millionaire such an unspeakable 14suit as that! Tod’s a fool—a born fool. —
“要卖给一个古怪的百万富翁那样一套无法形容的衣服！Tod 是个傻瓜—天生的傻瓜。 —

Always doing something like this. Drives every millionaire away from this place, because he can’t tell a millionaire from a tramp, and never could. —
一直做这种事。每次都弄得每个百万富翁都离开这里，因为他分不清百万富翁和乞丐，而且从来分不清。 —

Ah, here’s the thing I’m after. Please get those things off, sir, and throw them in the fire. —
啊，这就是我要的东西。请把那些东西脱掉，先生，扔到火里。 —

Do me the favour to put on this shirt and this suit; —
请帮个忙，穿上这件衬衫和这套西装； —

it’s just the thing, the very thing—plain, rich, modest, and just ducally nobby; —
这正是我要的东西—简单、丰富、端庄，而且非常有品味； —

made to order for a foreign prince—you may know him, sir, his Serene Highness the Hospodar of Halifax; —
是专为一个外国王子而定制的—你可能认识他，他的高贵殿下哈利法克斯圭亚君主; —

had to leave it with us and take a mourning-suit because his mother was going to die—which she didn’t. —
不得不把它留在我们这里，然后换了一套丧服，因为他的母亲要去世—但她没有去世。 —

But that’s all right; we can’t always have things the way we—that is, the way they—there! —
但没关系；我们不总是能按照我们—那是，他们—的意愿做事——啊！ —

trousers all right, they fit you to a charm, sir; now the waistcoat: aha, right again! —
裤子很好，很合身，先生；现在背心：啊哈，也对！ —

now the coat—lord! look at that, now! Perfect, the whole thing! —
现在外套—天哪！现在看看那个！完美，整套都完美！ —

I never saw such a triumph in all my experience.’
我从未在我所有的经验中见过如此的成功。”

I expressed my satisfaction.
我表达了我的满意。

‘Quite right, sir, quite right; it’ll do for a makeshift, I’m bound to say. —
“完全正确，先生，完全正确；这对应急来说可以。 —

But wait till you see what we’ll get up for you on your own measure. Come, Tod, book and pen; —
但等你看看我们根据你的尺寸为你准备的衣服。过来，Tod，拿本书和笔； —

get at it. Length of leg, 32’—and so on. —
开始吧。腿长32英寸——等等。 —

Before I could get in a word he had measured me, and was giving orders for dress-suits, 15morning suits, shirts, and all sorts of things. —
我还没来得及说一句话，他已经给我量好了尺寸，并且开始下订单制作礼服、15套正装、衬衫以及各种东西。 —

When I got a chance I said:
等我有机会说话的时候，我说：

‘But, my dear sir, I can’t give these orders, unless you can wait indefinitely, or change the bill.’
‘但是，亲爱的先生，我无法下这些订单，除非您能无限耐心等待，或者改变账单。’

‘Indefinitely! It’s a weak word, sir, a weak word. Eternally—that’s the word, sir. —
‘无限耐心！这是个软弱的词汇，先生，软弱的词汇。永远——那才是正确的词汇，先生。 —

Tod, rush these things through, and send them to the gentleman’s address without any waste of time. —
Tod，赶紧办理这些事情，并立即寄到这位先生的地址。 —

Let the minor customers wait. Set down the gentleman’s address and——’
让其他小客户等一等。记下这位先生的地址和——’

‘I’m changing my quarters. I will drop in and leave the new address.’
‘我要换地方了。我会看望您并留下新的地址。’

‘Quite right, sir, quite right. One moment—let me show you out, sir. —
‘非常好，先生，非常好。请等一下——让我送您出去，先生。 —

There—good day, sir, good day.’
这就对了，先生，再见，先生，再见。’

Well, don’t you see what was bound to happen? —
嗯，你难道看不出必然会发生什么吗？ —

I drifted naturally into buying whatever I wanted, and asking for change. —
我自然地开始购买我想要的任何东西，并要求找零。 —

Within a week I was sumptuously equipped with all needful comforts and luxuries, and was housed in an expensive private hotel in Hanover Square. —
一周内，我就豪华地装备齐全，拥有一切必需的舒适品和奢华品，住在汉诺威广场的一个昂贵的私人酒店里。 —

I took my dinners there, but for breakfast I stuck by Harris’s humble feeding-house, where I had got my first meal on my million-pound bill. —
晚餐我在那里吃，但早餐我仍然坚持在哈里斯那家朴素的餐馆吃，那是我拿到百万英镑账单时第一顿饭。 —

I was the making of Harris. The fact had gone all abroad that the 16foreign crank who carried million-pound bills in his vest-pocket was the patron saint of the place. —
哈里斯因我而走红。全城都传开了，那个在背心口袋里装着百万英镑账单的外国怪人是这家餐馆的守护神。 —

That was enough. From being a poor, struggling, little hand-to-mouth enterprise, it had become celebrated, and overcrowded with customers. —
这已经足够了。从一个贫困、挣扎、小打小闹的企业，变成了备受赞誉、客流拥挤的场所。 —

Harris was so grateful that he forced loans upon me, and would not be denied; —
哈里斯非常感激，强迫向我借钱，不愿被拒绝； —

and so, pauper as I was, I had money to spend, and was living like the rich and the great. —
尽管我是个穷光蛋，我有钱可花，过着富人大人般的生活。 —

I judged that there was going to be a crash by and by, but I was in, now, and must swim across or drown. —
我断定迟早会发生崩溃，但现在我已经参与了，必须要奋力前行，否则就会灭亡。 —

You see there was just that element of impending disaster to give a serious side, a sober side, yes, a tragic side, to a state of things which would otherwise have been purely ridiculous. —
你看，正是那种即将发生灾难的元素赋予了事情一种严肃的一面，一个清醒的一面，甚至一个悲剧性的一面，使得这种状况本应纯粹荒谬。 —

In the night, in the dark, the tragedy part was always to the front, and always warning, always threatening; —
在夜里，在黑暗中，悲剧部分总是处在前方，总是在警告、在威胁； —

and so I moaned and tossed, and sleep was hard to find. —
所以我痛苦地辗转反侧，一度难以入眠。 —

But in the cheerful daylight the tragedy element faded out and disappeared, and I walked on air, and was happy to giddiness, to intoxication, you may say.
但在明媚的白昼里，悲剧元素淡出视线，消失不见，我如履云霄，幸福得头晕目眩，可以说是陶醉其间。

And it was natural; for I had become one of the notorieties of the metropolis of the world, and it turned my head, not just a little, but a good deal. —
这是自然的；因为我已成为世界大都市的一个名人，这使我变得自负，不只是有点，而是相当多。 —

You could not take up a newspaper, English, Scotch, or Irish, without finding in it one or more 17references to the ‘vest-pocket million-pounder’ and his latest doings and sayings. —
你无法翻开报纸，无论是英国的、苏格兰的还是爱尔兰的，都不会找不到提到“口袋里的百万富翁”和他的最新行动和言论的文章。 —

At first, in these mentions, I was at the bottom of the personal gossip column; —
起初，在这些提及中，我被列在个人八卦专栏的底部； —

next, I was listed above the knights, next above the baronets, next above the barons, and so on, and so on, climbing steadily, as my notoriety augmented, until I reached the highest altitude possible, and there I remained, taking precedence of all dukes not royal, and of all ecclesiastics except the Primate of all England. —
接着，我排在骑士之上，贵族之上，男爵之上，依此类推，随着我名声的增长而稳步攀升，一直到达到可能的最高高度，我在那里停留，超越了所有非皇室的公爵，以及英国所有大主教。 —

But, mind, this was not fame; as yet I had achieved only notoriety. —
但请注意，这并不是名声；到目前为止，我只是赢得了名声。 —

Then came the climaxing stroke—the accolade, so to speak—which in a single instance transmuted the perishable dross of notoriety into the enduring gold of fame: —
然后是高潮的一击——相当于授予骑士头衔——在一个单一案例中，将即将消逝的名声转变为永恒的名望的黄金： —

‘Punch’ caricatured me! Yes, I was a made man, now: my place was established. —
《笑谈》给我画了漫画！是的，我现在是一个成功之人：我的地位已经确立。 —

I might be joked about still, but reverently, not hilariously, not rudely; —
我可能会被开玩笑，但是恭敬地，不是滑稽地，也不是粗鲁地； —

I could be smiled at, but not laughed at. The time for that had gone by. —
我可能会被微笑，但不会被笑得那样大声。那种时候已经过去了。 —

‘Punch’ pictured me all a-flutter with rags, dickering with a beefeater for the Tower of London. Well, you can imagine how it was with a young fellow who had never been taken notice of before, and now all of a sudden couldn’t say a thing that wasn’t taken up and repeated everywhere; —
《打油诗》把我描绘成了一个穿着破烂、和一个卫兵讨价还价要买伦敦塔的姿态。嗯，你可以想象一下，对于一个从未被注意到的年轻人来说，突然之间什么话也说不出来不被引为谈资，到处都有人重复着， —

couldn’t stir abroad without constantly 18overhearing the remark flying from lip to lip, ‘There he goes; —
随处听到这样的评论传遍耳边：‘那就是他！’出门根本没法不引起注意； —

that’s him!’ couldn’t take his breakfast without a crowd to look on; —
甚至吃早餐也要有一群人围观； —

couldn’t appear in an opera-box without concentrating there the fire of a thousand lorgnettes. —
要是出现在歌剧包厢，就会集中成千上万的望远镜瞄准自己。 —

Why, I just swam in glory all day long—that is the amount of it.
哎呀，我整天都沐浴在荣耀之中—就是这种感觉。

You know, I even kept my old suit of rags, and every now and then appeared in them, so as to have the old pleasure of buying trifles, and being insulted, and then shooting the scoffer dead with the million-pound bill. —
你知道，我甚至保留了我的旧破衣服，不时地穿上它们，这样就能重新感受买点小东西、挨骂、然后用百万账单将那些嘲笑者打死的旧乐趣。 —

But I couldn’t keep that up. The illustrated papers made the outfit so familiar that when I went out in it I was at once recognised and followed by a crowd, and if I attempted a purchase the man would offer me his whole shop on credit before I could pull my note on him.
但我无法继续下去。插图报纸对我的装扮如此熟悉，以至于当我穿着它出门时立刻就被认出并被一群人跟随，如果我尝试购物，店主会在我拿出我那张钞票前立刻向我兜售整个店铺。

About the tenth day of my fame I went to fulfil my duty to my flag by paying my respects to the American minister. —
在我名声鼎盛的第十天，我去履行我的国旗之义，向美国大使致敬。 —

He received me with the enthusiasm proper in my case, upbraided me for being so tardy in my duty, and said that there was only one way to get his forgiveness, and that was to take the seat at his dinner-party that night made vacant by the illness of one of his guests. —
他用适当的热情接待了我，在我的情况下责备我迟迟未尽职，说唯一得到他原谅的办法就是今晚在他的晚宴上坐他一名客人因病空出的座位。 —

I said I 19would, and we got to talking. —
我答应了，我们开始聊了起来。 —

It turned out that he and my father had been schoolmates in boyhood, Yale students together later, and always warm friends up to my father’s death. —
事实证明，他和我父亲在少年时期是同学，后来在耶鲁大学也是同学，一直到我父亲去世都是亲密的朋友。 —

So then he required me to put in at his house all the odd time I might have to spare, and I was very willing, of course.
因此，他要求我在有空的时候都来他家，我当然非常乐意。

In fact I was more than willing; I was glad. —
事实上，我不仅乐意；我很高兴。 —

When the crash should come, he might somehow be able to save me from total destruction; —
当崩溃来临时，他或许能想出一种方式来拯救我免于彻底毁灭； —

I didn’t know how, but he might think of a way, maybe. —
我不知道怎样，但他或许会想出一个办法，也许； —

I couldn’t venture to unbosom myself to him at this late date, a thing which I would have been quick to do in the beginning of this awful career of mine in London. —
我不能冒险向他倾诉，现在这个时候，这是我在伦敦这漫长可怕历程的开始时期会毫不犹豫做的事情。 —

No, I couldn’t venture it now; I was in too deep; —
不，我现在不能冒险，我已沉得太深； —

that is, too deep for me to be risking revelations to so new a friend, though not clear beyond my depth, as I looked at it. —
也就是说，对我来说，沉得太深，我无法冒险向一个新的朋友透露秘密，虽然我并不认为这已经超出我的深度。 —

Because, you see, with all my borrowing, I was carefully keeping within my means—I mean within my salary. —
因为你看，尽管我一直借贷，但我一直谨守自己的能力范围——我的薪水范围。 —

Of course I couldn’t know what my salary was going to be, but I had a good enough basis for an estimate in the fact that, if I won the bet, I was to have choice of any situation in that rich old gentleman’s gift provided I was competent—and I should certainly prove competent; —
当然，我并不知道我的薪水会是多少，但我有一个足够依据的估计，如果我赢了赌注，我将有机会选择那位富有老绅士任何职位，前提是我能胜任——而我肯定会胜任； —

I hadn’t any doubt about 20that. And as to the bet, I wasn’t worrying about that; —
我对此毫无疑虑。至于赌注，我并不担心； —

I had always been lucky. Now, my estimate of the salary was six hundred to a thousand a year; —
我一直很幸运。现在，我估计工资是每年六百到一千英镑； —

say, six hundred for the first year, and so on up year by year, till I struck the upper figure by proved merit. —
第一年说六百，然后每年逐渐上升，直到我因表现卓越而达到更高的数字。 —

At present I was only in debt for my first year’s salary. —
目前我只欠下了我第一年的薪水。 —

Everybody had been trying to lend me money, but I had fought off the most of them on one pretext or another; —
所有人都想借钱给我，但我拒绝了大部分人的借口或另类方法。 —

so this indebtedness represented only £300 borrowed money, the other £ —
所以这笔债务只代表了借款的300英镑，另外的300英镑代表了我的生活费和购物费用。 —

300 represented my keep and my purchases. —
我相信我的第二年薪水如果我继续谨慎和节俭，足够我度过剩下的这个月，我打算好好把握。 —

I believed my second year’s salary would carry me through the rest of the month if I went on being cautious and economical, and I intended to look sharply out for that. —
我的月底到了，我的雇主也从出差回来了，我就又会没什么问题，因为我准备马上把两年的薪水分给我的债权人，然后专心工作。 —

My month ended, my employer back from his journey, I should be all right once more, for I should at once divide the two years’ salary among my creditors by assignment, and get right down to my work.
这是一个十四人的美好晚宴。

It was a lovely dinner party of fourteen. —
我期待着向我的雇主申报一个美好的晚餐派对。 —

The Duke and Duchess of Shoreditch, and their daughter the Lady Anne-Grace-Eleanor-Celeste-and-so-forth-and-so-forth-de-Bohun, the Earl and Countess of Newgate, Viscount Cheapside, Lord and Lady Blatherskite, some untitled people of both sexes, the minister and his wife and daughter, and his 21daughter’s visiting friend, an English girl of twenty-two, named Portia Langham, whom I fell in love with in two minutes, and she with me—I could see it without glasses. —
来自肖德奇的公爵与公爵夫人，以及他们的女儿安妮-格雷斯-埃莉诺-塞勒斯特等等，以及诺盖特伯爵和伯爵夫人，奇普赛德子爵，布莱瑟斯凯特勋爵和夫人，还有一些男女无称号的来宾，牧师和他的妻子与女儿，以及女儿的来访友人——一位名叫波西娅·兰姆的22岁英国女孩，我在两分钟内爱上了她，她也爱上了我——就算不用眼镜也能看得出来。 —

There was still another guest, an American—but I am a little ahead of my story. —
这里还有一位美国客人——但我在故事中稍稍跑偏了。 —

While the people were still in the drawing-room, whetting up for dinner, and coldly inspecting the late comers, the servant announced:
人们仍在客厅里准备晚宴，冷冷地审视着迟到的人，这时仆人宣布：

‘Mr. Lloyd Hastings.’
‘劳埃德·黑斯廷斯先生。’

The moment the usual civilities were over, Hastings caught sight of me, and came straight with cordially outstretched hand; —
在通常的礼节结束后，黑斯廷斯看到了我，径直走过来，伸出了热情的手； —

then stopped short when about to shake, and said with an embarrassed look:
然后当他要握手时停了下来，露出一副尴尬的表情说道：

‘I beg your pardon, sir, I thought I knew you.’
‘不好意思，先生，我以为认识你。’

‘Why, you do know me, old fellow.’
‘呀，老兄，你确实认识我。’

‘No! Are you the—the——?’
‘不可能！你就是那个——？’

‘Vest-pocket monster? I am, indeed. Don’t be afraid to call me by my nickname; —
‘胸袋怪兽？确实如此。别害怕叫我外号； —

I’m used to it.’
我已习惯了。’

‘Well, well, well, this is a surprise. Once or twice I’ve seen your own name coupled with the nickname, but it never occurred to me that you could be the Henry Adams referred to. —
‘嗯，嗯，嗯，这太惊讶了。我偶尔曾见过你的名字和外号挂钩，但从未想过你可能就是所指的亨利·亚当斯。 —

Why, it isn’t six months since you were clerking away for Blake Hopkins in Frisco on a salary, and sitting up nights on an extra allowance, helping me arrange and verify the 22Gould and Curry Extension papers and statistics. —
真不可思议，不过六个月前你还在旧金山的布莱克·霍普金斯那里做文员，领着薪水，并用额外的津贴熬夜帮我整理和核实古尔德和柯里延伸公司的文件和统计数据。 —

The idea of your being in London, and a vast millionaire, and a colossal celebrity! —
你居然在伦敦，成了亿万富翁，一个巨大的名人！ —

Why, it’s the Arabian Nights come again. Man, I can’t take it in at all; —
哎呀，这犹如一场《一千零一夜》。伙计，我完全不敢相信； —

can’t realise it; give me time to settle the whirl in my head.’
我无法意识到这一点；让我有时间平静下来。

‘The fact is, Lloyd, you are no worse off than I am. I can’t realise it myself.’
实际上，洛伊德，你和我处境并无不同。我自己也无法意识到这一点。

‘Dear me, it is stunning, now, isn’t it? —
我的天啊，现在的情况太惊人了，不是吗？ —

Why, it’s just three months to-day since we went to the Miners’ restaurant——’
为什么，今天离我们去Miners餐厅已经三个月了——

‘No; the What Cheer.’
不，是What Cheer。

‘Right, it was the What Cheer; went there at two in the morning, and had a chop and coffee after a hard six hours’ grind over those Extension papers, and I tried to persuade you to come to London with me, and offered to get leave of absence for you and pay all your expenses, and give you something over if I succeeded in making the sale; —
对，是What Cheer；凌晨两点去了那里，翻阅了六个小时的Extension文件后吃了一顿肉排和咖啡，我试图说服你和我一起去伦敦，我会为你请假，并承担所有费用，如果我成功交易还会给你一笔款项； —

and you would not listen to me, said I wouldn’t succeed, and you couldn’t afford to lose the run of business and be no end of time getting the hang of things again when you got back home. —
但是你不听我的，说我不会成功，而且你负担不起失去生意并丢掉工作节奏后回家又要花上不少时间来适应。 —

And yet here you are. How odd it all is! —
然而你却来了。这一切真是多么奇怪！ —

How did you happen to come, and whatever did give you this incredible start?’
你是怎么来的？到底是什么让你有这样难以置信的起步？

‘Oh, just an accident. It’s a long story—a 23romance, a body may say. —
哦，只是一个意外。这是一个漫长的故事，可以说是一场浪漫。 —

I’ll tell you all about it, but not now.
我会告诉你所有的事情，但不是现在。

‘When?’
什么时候？

‘The end of this month.’
本月底。

‘That’s more than a fortnight yet. It’s too much of a strain on a person’s curiosity. Make it a week.’
那还有两个星期。这对一个人的好奇心来说太大的压力了。一个星期吧。

‘I can’t. You’ll know why, by and by. But how’s the trade getting along?’
我无法。你等一会就会知道为什么。但是生意进展得如何？

His cheerfulness vanished like a breath, and he said with a sigh:
他的愉快像一口气一样消失了，他叹了口气说：

‘You were a true prophet, Hal, a true prophet. —
“哈尔，你是一个真正的先知，一个真正的先知。 —

I wish I hadn’t come. I don’t want to talk about it.’
我希望我没来。我不想谈论这件事。”

‘But you must. You must come and stop with me to-night, when we leave here, and tell me all about it.’
“但你必须。我们离开这里后，今晚必须来和我住一晚，告诉我所有的事情。”

‘Oh, may I? Are you in earnest?’ and the water showed in his eyes.
“哦，可以吗？你是认真的吗？”他的眼里露出了水意。

‘Yes; I want to hear the whole story, every word.’
“是的；我想听整个故事，每一个字。”

‘I’m so grateful! Just to find a human interest once more, in some voice and in some eye, in me and affairs of mine, after what I’ve been through here—lord! —
“我如此感激！在这里经历了什么之后，终于又找到一点人间的兴趣，再次有人对我和我的事情感兴趣—主啊！ —

I could go down on my knees for it!’
我可以为此跪下来！

24He gripped my hand hard, and braced up, and was all right and lively after that for the dinner—which didn’t come off. —
他紧握我的手，振作起来，此后一切都很好，晚宴也因此变得更加欢快——虽然没有举行。 —

No; the usual thing happened, the thing that is always happening under that vicious and aggravating English system—the matter of precedence couldn’t be settled, and so there was no dinner. —
不，通常发生的事情又发生了，在那个邪恶而令人恼火的英格兰体系中总是这样——优先顺序的问题无法解决，所以晚宴也就没有了。 —

Englishmen always eat dinner before they go out to dinner, because they know the risks they are running; —
英国人总是在外出晚宴前吃晚饭，因为他们知道他们所面临的风险； —

but nobody ever warns the stranger, and so he walks placidly into the trap. —
但从来没有人警告过外来者，所以他们淡定地走进了陷阱。 —

Of course nobody was hurt this time, because we had all been to dinner, none of us being novices except Hastings, and he having been informed by the minister at the time that he invited him that in deference to the English custom he had not provided any dinner. —
当然这一次没有人受伤，因为我们大家都吃过晚饭，除了哈斯廷斯，我们都不是新手，而他在被大臣邀请时已经被告知出于对英国习俗的尊重，他没有提供任何晚餐。 —

Everybody took a lady and processioned down to the dining-room, because it is usual to go through the motions; —
每个人都选择了一位女士，然后队伍走向餐厅，因为这是常规动作； —

but there the dispute began. The Duke of Shoreditch wanted to take precedence, and sit at the head of the table, holding that he outranked a minister who represented merely a nation and not a monarch; —
但在那里争端开始了。肖德奇公爵想占据先例，坐在桌子的一端，他认为自己比一个只代表国家而非君主的大臣更有地位； —

but I stood for my rights, and refused to yield. —
但我坚持我的权利，拒绝让步。 —

In the gossip column I ranked all dukes not royal, and said so, and claimed precedence of this one. —
在八卦专栏中，我给所有非皇室的公爵排名，并声明如此，宣称胜过这位公爵的地位。 —

It couldn’t be settled, of course, struggle 25as we might and did, he finally (and injudiciously) trying to play birth and antiquity, and I ‘seeing’ his Conqueror and ‘raising’ him with Adam, whose direct posterity I was, as shown by my name, while he was of a collateral branch, as shown by his, and by his recent Norman origin; —
当然这个问题无法解决，无论我们怎样斗争和努力，最后（愚蠢地）他试图借助血统和古老议题，而我则察觉到他的征服者身份，再以亚当的直系后代身份“加蓬”他，如同我的名字所示，而他只是一个旁系分支，如同他的名字所示，最近还有诺曼人的身份； —

so we all processioned back to the drawing-room again and had a perpendicular lunch—plate of sardines and a strawberry, and you group yourself and stand up and eat it. —
所以我们又一起走回客厅，安排了一个垂直的午餐——一盘沙丁鱼和一只草莓，你站起来吃。 —

Here the religion of precedence is not so strenuous; —
这里的优先顺序并不那么严格； —

the two persons of highest rank chuck up a shilling, the one that wins has first go at his strawberry, and the loser gets the shilling. —
两位地位最高的人抛硬币，赢的一方先吃草莓，而输的人得到硬币。 —

The next two chuck up, then the next two, and so on. —
接着另外两人抛硬币，然后下一对，以此类推。 —

After refreshment, tables were brought, and we all played cribbage, sixpence a game. —
刷新后，我们摆上桌子，一起玩起了六便士一局的cribbage。 —

The English never play any game for amusement. —
英国人从不为了娱乐而玩任何游戏。 —

If they can’t make something or lose something—they don’t care which—they won’t play.
如果他们不能制造点什么或者输掉点什么——他们都无所谓——他们就不愿意玩。

We had a lovely time; certainly two of us had, Miss Langham and I. I was so bewitched with her that I couldn’t count my hands if they went above a double sequence; —
我们度过了美好的时光；至少有两个人度过了，Langham小姐和我。我被她迷住了，以至于如果手上的数字超过双顺，我就数不清了； —

and when I struck home I never discovered it, and started up the outside row again, and would have lost the game every 26time, only the girl did the same, she being in just my condition, you see; —
当我计算回家的时候，我从不察觉自己已经进了，然后再次开始外排，差点每次都输掉比赛，只是这位女孩做的也一样，她处在和我一样的状态，你懂的； —

and consequently neither of us ever got out, or cared to wonder why we didn’t; —
因此我们俩都没有出局，也不在乎为什么没有出局； —

we only just knew we were happy, and didn’t wish to know anything else, and didn’t want to be interrupted. —
我们只知道自己很开心，也不想知道其他事情，也不想被打扰。 —

And I told her—I did indeed—told her I loved her; —
我告诉她——的确是告诉她我爱她； —

and she—well, she blushed till her hair turned red, but she liked it; she said she did. —
她——嗯，她脸红得像头发一样红，但她喜欢，她说她喜欢。 —

Oh, there was never such an evening! Every time I pegged I put on a postscript; —
哦，从来没有一次像这样让人陶醉的晚上！每次我计分我都加上一句附言； —

every time she pegged she acknowledged receipt of it, counting the hands the same. —
每当她计分时，她都承认收到了，计算的数字也一样。 —

Why, I couldn’t even say, ‘Two for his heels,’ without adding, ‘My, how sweet you do look! —
我甚至不能说，“两分给他的脚后跟”，而不加一句“哦，你看起来是多么甜美啊！” —

’ And she would say, ‘Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six, and a pair are eight, and eight are sixteen—do you think so? —
她会说，“十五二，十五四，十五六，再加一对是八，八是十六——你觉得呢？” —

’ peeping out aslant from under her lashes, you know, so sweet and cunning. —
从睫毛下斜射出视线，那么甜美又狡猾。 —

Oh, it was just too-too!
哦，太太太棒了！

Well, I was perfectly honest and square with her; —
我对她完全坦诚，诚实无欺； —

told her I hadn’t a cent in the world but just the million-pound note she’d heard so much talk about, and it didn’t belong to me; —
告诉她我身无分文，只有她听过很多传闻的一百万英镑票，而这也并不属于我； —

and that started her curiosity, and then I talked low, and told her the whole history right from the start, and it nearly killed her, laughing. —
这激起了她的好奇心，我就小声说，从头开始告诉她整个故事，几乎把她逗得笑晕过去。 —

What in the nation she 27could find to laugh about, I couldn’t see, but there it was; —
我实在想不出她怎么能找出什么让她发笑的地方，但事实就是如此； —

every half minute some new detail would fetch her, and I would have to stop as much as a minute and a half to give her a chance to settle down again. —
每隔半分钟她就会为某个新的细节被逗乐，我只好停下来，让她有一分钟半的时间冷静下来。 —

Why, she laughed herself lame, she did indeed; I never saw anything like it. —
哎呀，她笑得都把自己笑腿软了；真是前所未见。 —

I mean I never saw a painful story—a story of a person’s troubles and worries and fears—produce just that kind of effect before. —
我是说，我以前从来没见过一部令人难过的故事——一个人的烦恼、忧虑和恐惧——居然能产生这样的效果。 —

So I loved her all the more, seeing she could be so cheerful when there wasn’t anything to be cheerful about; —
所以我更爱她了，看到她在没有任何事情可高兴的情况下依然能如此快乐； —

for I might soon need that kind of wife, you know, the way things looked. —
因为眼下的情况，也许很快就需要这类型的妻子了，你知道。 —

Of course I told her we should have to wait a couple of years, till I could catch up on my salary; —
当然，我告诉她我们应该等上两年，等我赶上我的薪水时； —

but she didn’t mind that, only she hoped I would be as careful as possible in the matter of expenses, and not let them run the least risk of trenching on our third year’s pay. —
但她不在意，只是希望我在开支方面尽量小心，不要让它们有任何可能危及我们第三年工资的风险。 —

Then she began to get a little worried, and wondered if we were making any mistake, and starting the salary on a higher figure for the first year than I would get. —
然后她开始有点担心，想知道是否我们犯了什么错误，给第一年的薪水设定了一个比我实际会得到的更高的数字。 —

This was good sense, and it made me feel a little less confident than I had been feeling before; —
这是明智之举，让我感到比之前稍微不那么自信； —

but it gave me a good business idea, and I brought it frankly out.
但这给了我一个好的商业主意，我大胆地提了出来。

‘Portia, dear, would you mind going with 28me that day, when I confront those old gentlemen?’
“波西亚，亲爱的，你介意和我一起去那天面对那些老绅士吗？”

She shrank a little, but said:
她稍微退缩了一下，但却说道：

‘N-o; if my being with you would help hearten you. —
‘不，如果我和你在一起可以鼓励你的话。 —

But—would it be quite proper, do you think?’
但是，你认为这样做合适吗？’

‘No, I don’t know that it would; in fact, I’m afraid it wouldn’t; —
‘不，我不确定是否合适；事实上，我担心不合适； —

but, you see, there’s so much dependent upon it that——’
但是，你知道，有太多事情取决于此，所以——’

‘Then I’ll go anyway, proper or improper,’ she said, with a beautiful and generous enthusiasm. —
‘那我会去，无论是合适还是不合适，’她说，满怀美丽和慷慨的热情。 —

‘Oh, I shall be so happy to think I’m helping.’
‘哦，我会很高兴觉得我可以帮上忙。’

‘Helping, dear? Why, you’ll be doing it all. —
‘帮助？亲爱的，为什么这么说呢？你将是主角。 —

You’re so beautiful, and so lovely, and so winning, that with you there I can pile our salary up till I break those good old fellows, and they’ll never have the heart to struggle.’
你是如此美丽、可爱和迷人，有了你在那里，我可以不断加薪，直到让那些老板屈服，他们永远不会有勇气抗拒。’

Sho! you should have seen the rich blood mount, and her happy eyes shine!
哎呀！你真应该看到她脸上绽放的喜悦和幸福的眼神！

‘You wicked flatterer! There isn’t a word of truth in what you say, but still I’ll go with you. Maybe it will teach you not to expect other people to look with your eyes.’
‘你这个坏谄媚者！你说的一句实话都没有，但我还是会和你一起去。也许这会教你不要期待别人以你的眼光看待。’

Were my doubts dissipated? Was my confidence restored? You may judge by this fact: —
我的疑虑消失了吗？我的信心恢复了吗？你可以根据这个事实来判断： —

privately I raised my salary to twelve hundred the 29first year on the spot. But I didn’t tell her; —
私下里，我当场把自己的工资提高到了一年一千二百美元。但我没有告诉她； —

I saved it for a surprise.
我要给她一个惊喜。

All the way home I was in the clouds, Hastings talking, I not hearing a word. —
一路上我都像在云端中，Hastings在说话，而我却没听进去。 —

When he and I entered my parlour he brought me to myself with his fervent appreciations of my manifold comforts and luxuries.
当他和我走进我的客厅时，他用对我的舒适和奢华的热切赞美使我清醒过来。

‘Let me just stand here a little and look my fill! Dear me, it’s a palace; it’s just a palace! —
“让我站在这里多看一会儿！天啊，这简直是一座宫殿；简直是一座宫殿！ —

And in it everything a body could desire, including cozy coal fire and supper standing ready. —
里面什么都有，包括舒适的燃煤火和准备好的晚餐。 —

Henry, it doesn’t merely make me realise how rich you are; —
亨利，这不仅让我意识到你有多富有； —

it makes me realise to the bone, to the marrow, how poor I am—how poor I am—and how miserable, how defeated, routed, annihilated!’
它让我深深地意识到自己有多穷—多么穷—我有多么痛苦，多么干既，失败，被击败过！

Plague take it! this language gave me the cold shudders. —
该死！这种语言让我浑身发冷。 —

It scared me broad awake, and made me comprehend that I was standing on a half-inch crust, with a crater underneath. —
它把我吓醒，让我明白我站在一个半英寸厚的地面上，底下是一个火山口。 —

I didn’t know I had been dreaming—that is, I hadn’t been allowing myself to know it for a while back; —
我不知道自己一直在做梦，也就是说，我一直没有让自己承认这一点； —

but now—oh, dear! Deep in debt, not a cent in the world, a lovely girl’s happiness or woe in my hands, and nothing in front of me but a salary which might never—oh, would never—materialise! —
但现在—哎呀！深陷债务，一文不名，一个可爱女孩的幸福或痛苦掌握在我的手里，我面前只有一份可能永远—哦，一定永远—不能实现的薪水！ —

Oh, oh, oh, I am ruined past hope; nothing can save me!
哦，哦，哦，我完蛋了，毫无希望；没有任何东西能救我了！

30‘Henry, the mere unconsidered drippings of your daily income would——’
“亨利，你每天随手扔掉的钱——”

‘Oh, my daily income! Here, down with this hot Scotch, and cheer up your soul. —
“哦，我的日常收入！来，干掉这杯热苏格兰威士忌，鼓起勇气。 —

Here’s with you! Or, no—you’re hungry; —
来，和你一起喝！或者，不，你饿了； —

sit down and——’
坐下来——”

‘Not a bite for me; I’m past it. I can’t eat, these days; —
“我不吃东西了；这些天我吃不下； —

but I’ll drink with you till I drop. Come!’
但我会和你一起喝到我倒下。来吧！

‘Barrel for barrel, I’m with you! Ready! Here we go! —
‘桶与桶，我和你一起！准备好了！开始吧！ —

Now, then, Lloyd, unreel your story while I brew.’
现在，劳埃德，当我泡茶时，你讲述你的故事吧。

‘Unreel it? What, again?’
‘要再讲一遍吗？

‘Again? What do you mean by that?’
‘再？你是什么意思？

‘Why, I mean do you want to hear it over again?’
‘为什么？你是想要我重复一遍吗？

‘Do I want to hear it over again? This is a puzzler. Wait; —
‘我需要再听一次吗？这真是个难题。等等； —

don’t take any more of that liquid. You don’t need it.’
不要再喝那种液体了。你不需要它。

‘Look here, Henry, you alarm me. Didn’t I tell you the whole story on the way here?’
‘亨利，这真是个严重的事情。这让我困扰。

‘You?’
‘你？

‘Yes, I.’
‘是的，我。

‘I’ll be hanged if I heard a word of it.’
‘我X要是听见一句。

‘Henry, this is a serious thing. It troubles me. —
‘亨利，这是个严重的事情。这让我困扰。 —

What did you take up yonder at the minister’s?’
‘你在部长那里拿了什么？‘

31Then it all flashed on me, and I owned up, like a man.
30。然后一切一下子明白了，我像个男人一样招了。

‘I took the dearest girl in this world—prisoner!’
‘我把这个世界上最亲爱的女孩- 俘虏了！’

So then he came with a rush, and we shook, and shook, and shook till our hands ached; —
于是他冲过来，我们握手，握手，握得我们的手都疼了； —

and he didn’t blame me for not having heard a word of a story which had lasted while we walked three miles. —
他并不责怪我在我们走了三英里的路程中没有听到故事的一个字。 —

He just sat down then, like the patient, good fellow he was, and told it all over again. —
他像一个耐心善良的家伙一样坐下来，然后把整个故事重新讲了一遍。 —

Synopsised, it amounted to this: He had come to England with what he thought was a grand opportunity; —
总而言之，他来到英格兰是因为他认为有一个绝妙的机会； —

he had an ‘option’ to sell the Gould and Curry Extension for the ‘locators’ of it, and keep all he could get over a million dollars. —
他有一个可以将Gould和Curry Extension卖给“定位者”，并在100万美元以上赚取一切的“选择权”。 —

He had worked hard, had pulled every wire he knew of, had left no honest expedient untried, had spent nearly all the money he had in the world, had not been able to get a solitary capitalist to listen to him, and his option would run out at the end of the month. —
他努力工作，尽了一切方法，没有放过任何诚实的手段，几乎把自己全部的钱都花光了，却无法让任何资本家听他说话，而他的选择权将在一个月后到期。 —

In a word, he was ruined. Then he jumped up and cried out:
一言以蔽之，他破产了。然后他跳起来喊道：

‘Henry, you can save me! You can save me, and you’re the only man in the universe that can. —
‘亨利，你能救我！你可以救我，而且你是宇宙中唯一能救我的人。 —

Will you do it? Won’t you do it?’
你会这么做吗？你不会拒绝吧？’

‘Tell me how. Speak out, my boy.’
‘告诉我怎么做。说出来，我的孩子。’

32‘Give me a million and my passage home for my ‘option’! Don’t, don’t refuse!’
‘给我一百万和我的“选择权”的回程船票！不要，不要拒绝！’

I was in a kind of agony. I was right on the point of coming out with the words, ‘Lloyd, I’m a pauper myself—absolutely penniless, and in debt! —
我处于一种痛苦中。我正要说出，“劳埃德，我自己是穷光蛋-绝对一文不名，还负债！” 但一种火热的想法突然在我的脑海中燃起，我咬紧了牙关，冷静下来，直到自己冷得像一个资本家一样。 —

’ But a white-hot idea came flaming through my head, and I gripped my jaws together, and calmed myself down till I was as cold as a capitalist. —
然后我以一种商业和自持的方式说： —

Then I said, in a commercial and self-possessed way:
‘亨利，你要是打破你那为期一个月的选择权——’

‘I will save you, Lloyd——’
‘我会救你，劳埃德——’

‘Then I’m already saved! God be merciful to you for ever! If ever I——’
‘那么我已经被救了！愿上帝永远怜悯你！如果我曾经——’

‘Let me finish, Lloyd. I will save you, but not in that way; —
‘让我说完，劳埃德。我会救你，但不是那种方式； —

for that would not be fair to you, after your hard work, and the risks you’ve run. —
因为那对你不公平，考虑到你的辛苦工作和冒的风险。 —

I don’t need to buy mines; I can keep my capital moving, in a commercial centre like London, without that; —
我不需要购买矿山；我可以在伦敦这样的商业中心保持资本流动； —

it’s what I’m at, all the time; but here is what I’ll do. —
这是我一直在做的事情；但这是我会做的。 —

I know all about that mine, of course; I know its immense value, and can swear to it if anybody wishes it. —
我当然了解那个矿山；我知道它的巨大价值，并且可以保证，如果有人需要。 —

You shall sell out inside of the fortnight for three millions cash, using my name freely, and we’ll divide, share and share alike.’
你将在两周内以三百万现金出售，可以自由使用我的名字，我们将均分。’

Do you know, he would have danced the furniture to kindling-wood, in his insane joy, and broken 33everything on the place, if I hadn’t tripped him up and tied him.
你知道吗，他会在他的疯狂喜悦中将家具舞成木屑，把地方上的一切都破坏，如果我没有绊倒他并将他捆绑。

Then he lay there, perfectly happy, saying:
然后他就躺在那里，非常幸福地说：

‘I may use your name! Your name—think of it! —
‘我可以使用你的名字！你的名字——想想！ —

Man, they’ll flock in droves, these rich Londoners; they’ll fight for that stock! —
伙计，这些富有的伦敦人会成群结队而来；他们会为那些股票而战！ —

I’m a made man, I’m a made man for ever, and I’ll never forget you as long as I live!’
我成了，我永远成了成功人士，我永远不会忘记你！’

In less than twenty-four hours London was abuzz! —
在不到二十四小时内，整个伦敦都沸腾了！ —

I hadn’t anything to do, day after day, but sit at home, and say to all comers:
我没事可做，日复一日只能坐在家里，对所有前来的人说：

‘Yes; I told him to refer to me. I know the man and I know the mine. —
‘是的；我告诉他找我。我认识那个人，也了解那个矿。 —

His character is above reproach, and the mine is worth far more than he asks for it.’
他的品德无可指责，矿的价值远远超过他要价的数额。’

Meantime I spent all my evenings at the minister’s with Portia. —
与此同时，我每个晚上都在部长家与波西亚度过。 —

I didn’t say a word to her about the mine; I saved it for a surprise. We talked salary; —
我没跟她提起矿的事；我把它留作一个惊喜。我们谈论薪水； —

never anything but salary and love; sometimes love, sometimes salary, sometimes love and salary together. —
总是谈论薪水和爱情；有时是爱情，有时是薪水，有时是爱情和薪水一起。 —

And my! the interest the minister’s wife and daughter took in our little affair, and the endless ingenuities they invented to save us from interruption, and to keep the minister in the dark and unsuspicious—well, it was just lovely of them!
部长的妻子和女儿对我们小小的事务表现出极大的兴趣，他们不断发明出巧妙的方法来阻止我们受到干扰，并使部长对我们的行为一无所知和不起疑心—那真的太棒了！

34When the month was up, at last, I had a million dollars to my credit in the London and County Bank, and Hastings was fixed in the same way. —
最后，当一个月过去了，我在伦敦和县银行账户上有了一百万美元，哈斯廷斯也如此。 —

Dressed at my level best, I drove by the house in Portland Place, judged by the look of things that my birds were home again, went on towards the minister’s and got my precious, and we started back, talking salary with all our might. —
穿戴整洁，我经过波特兰广场的那座房子，通过事物的外表判断出我的鸟儿们已经回家，继续朝部长家走去，拿到了我珍贵的东西，我们开始回去，一路上全力讨论薪水。 —

She was so excited and anxious that it made her just intolerably beautiful. I said:
她如此兴奋和焦虑，让她变得无比美丽。我说：

‘Dearie, the way you’re looking it’s a crime to strike for a salary a single penny under three thousand a year.’
“亲爱的，你看起来这么美，要只讨价还价不到一年三千美元就是一种罪过。”

‘Henry, Henry, you’ll ruin us!’
“亨利，亨利，你会毁了我们的！”

‘Don’t you be afraid. Just keep up those looks, and trust to me. It’ll all come out right.’
“别害怕。只要保持这样的神情，相信我。一切都会顺利的。”

So, as it turned out, I had to keep bolstering up her courage all the way. —
结果我不得不一路上不断鼓励她的勇气。 —

She kept pleading with me, and saying:
她一直在恳求我，说：

‘Oh, please remember that if we ask for too much we may get no salary at all; —
“哦，请记住，如果我们要求太多，我们可能根本拿不到任何工资；” —

and then what will become of us, with no way in the world to earn our living?’
接着，我们这些没有办法在这个世界上谋生的人会怎样呢？’

We were ushered in by that same servant, and there they were, the two old gentlemen. —
我们被那个服务人员引导进入，那里就是那两位老绅士。 —

Of course 35they were surprised to see that wonderful creature with me, but I said:
他们看到我身边的这个神奇生物自然感到吃惊，不过我说：

‘It’s all right, gentlemen; she is my future stay and helpmate.’
‘没事，先生们；她是我的未来依靠和伙伴。’

And I introduced them to her, and called them by name. It didn’t surprise them; —
然后我介绍她给他们认识，并叫出了他们的名字。这并没有让他们感到惊讶； —

they knew I would know enough to consult the directory. —
他们知道我会足够聪明去查电话簿。 —

They seated us, and were very polite to me, and very solicitous to relieve her from embarrassment, and put her as much at her ease as they could. Then I said:
他们让我们坐下，对我非常有礼貌，也很关心地想解除她的尴尬，使她感到舒适。然后我说：

‘Gentlemen, I am ready to report.’
‘先生们，我准备好报告了。’

‘We are glad to hear it,’ said my man, ‘for now we can decide the bet which my brother Abel and I made. —
‘我们很高兴听到这个消息，’我的男士说，‘现在我们可以决定我和我的兄弟亚伯打的赌约。 —

If you have won for me, you shall have any situation in my gift. —
‘如果你为我赢了，你可以得到我能提供的任何职位。 —

Have you the million-pound note?’
你有那一百万英镑的纸币吗？’

‘Here it is, sir,’ and I handed it to him.
‘在这里，先生，’我递给他。

‘I’ve won!’ he shouted, and slapped Abel on the back. ‘Now what do you say, brother?’
‘我赢了！’他大声喊道，拍了亚伯的背。‘那么你说什么，兄弟？’

‘I say he did survive, and I’ve lost twenty thousand pounds. I never would have believed it.’
‘我说他确实幸存了，我输了两万英镑。我真是不敢相信。’

‘I’ve a further report to make,’ I said, ‘and a pretty long one. —
‘我还有进一步的报告要做，’我说，‘而且是一个相当长的报告。 —

I want you to let me come soon, and detail my whole month’s history; —
我想让我尽快过来，并详细讲述我整个月的经历； —

and I 36promise you it’s worth hearing. —
我向你保证这是值得听的。 —

Meantime, take a look at that.’
与此同时，看看这个。

‘What, man! Certificate of deposit for £200,000? Is it yours?’
‘什么！20万英镑的存款证书？这是你的吗？

‘Mine! I earned it by thirty days’ judicious use of that little loan you let me have. —
‘是我的！我用你借给我的那笔小贷款聪明地运用了30天后挣来的。 —

And the only use I made of it was to buy trifles and offer the bill in change.’
我唯一做的就是买些琐事，并将账单用作找零。

‘Come, this is astonishing! It’s incredible, man!’
‘快，这太惊人了！简直难以置信！’

‘Never mind, I’ll prove it. Don’t take my word unsupported.’
“别在意，我会证明的。不要只信我的话。”

But now Portia’s turn was come to be surprised. Her eyes were spread wide, and she said:
但是现在轮到波西亚感到惊讶了。她瞪大眼睛说道：

‘Henry, is that really your money? Have you been fibbing to me?’
“亨利，那真的是你的钱吗？你一直在对我说谎吗？”

‘I have indeed, dearie. But you’ll forgive me, I know.’
“是的，亲爱的。但我知道你会原谅我的。”

She put up an arch pout, and said:
她撅起嘴，说道：

‘Don’t you be so sure. You are a naughty thing to deceive me so!’
“别那么肯定。欺骗我真是个顽皮的家伙！”

‘Oh, you’ll get over it, sweetheart, you’ll get over it; —
“哦，亲爱的，你会忘记的；这只是玩笑而已，你知道。走吧，我们走吧。” —

it was only fun, you know. Come, let’s be going.’
“但等等，等等！情况，你知道。我想给你一份情况，”我的男人说。

‘But wait, wait! The situation, you know. I want to give you the situation,’ said my man.
“好吧，”我说，“我真的非常感激，但实际上我不想要。”

37‘Well,’ I said, ‘I’m just as grateful as I can be, but really I don’t want one.’
“但你可以得到我能给你最优质的一个。”

‘But you can have the very choicest one in my gift.’
“再次感谢，全心全意地，但我甚至不想要那一个。”

‘Thanks again, with all my heart; but I don’t even want that one.’
“亨利，我为你感到羞愧。你没有好好感谢这位好绅士。我能替你感谢吗？”

‘Henry, I’m ashamed of you. You don’t half thank the good gentleman. May I do it for you?’
“当然可以，亲爱的，如果你能更好地表达。让我们看看你能否试试。”

‘Indeed you shall, dear, if you can improve it. Let us see you try.’
她走向我的男人，坐在他腿上，搂着他的脖子，直接在他的嘴唇上亲了一下。

She walked to my man, got up in his lap, put her arm round his neck, and kissed him right on the mouth. —
“不要紧，亲爱的，你会忘记的。” —

Then the two old gentlemen shouted with laughter, but I was dumfounded, just petrified, as you may say. Portia said:
两位老绅士大声笑了起来，但我却目瞪口呆，可以说是惊呆了。Portia说：

‘Papa, he has said you haven’t a situation in your gift that he’d take; —
“爸爸，他说你没有可以给他的职位； —

and I feel just as hurt as——’
并且我感到受伤得更狠——”

‘My darling! is that your papa?’
“亲爱的！那就是你的爸爸吗？”

‘Yes; he’s my step-papa, and the dearest one that ever was. —
“是的；他是我的继父，也是我遇过最亲切的一个。 —

You understand now, don’t you, why I was able to laugh when you told me at the minister’s, not knowing my relationships, what trouble and worry papa’s and Uncle Abel’s scheme was giving you?’
你现在明白了吧，为什么我能笑着告诉你在牧师那里，不知道我们的亲属关系，爸爸和阿贝尔叔叔的计划让你这么烦恼和担心吗？”

38Of course I spoke right up, now, without any fooling, and went straight to the point.
当然，现在我毫不犹豫地讲述，并直奔主题。

‘Oh, my dearest dear sir, I want to take back what I said. —
“哦，我亲爱的先生，请容许我收回我说过的话。 —

You have got a situation open that I want.’
你有一个空着的职位我想要。”

‘Name it.’
“说出来。”

‘Son-in-law.’
“女婿。”

‘Well, well, well! But you know, if you haven’t ever served in that capacity, you of course can’t furnish recommendations of a sort to satisfy the conditions of the contract, and so——’
“哦，好吧，好吧！但你知道，如果你从未担任过这个职务，当然就无法提供满足合同条件的推荐信，因此——”

‘Try me—oh, do, I beg of you! Only just try me thirty or forty years, and if——’
“试试我吧——哦，拜托！只要试试我三四十年，如果——”

‘Oh, well, all right; it’s but a little thing to ask. Take her along.’
“哦，好吧；这只是一个小小的要求。带她走吧。”

Happy, we too? There are not words enough in the unabridged to describe it. —
幸福的，我们两个？在词典里找不到足够的词来形容。 —

And when London got the whole history, a day or two later, of my month’s adventures with that bank-note, and how they ended, did London talk, and have a good time? Yes.
伦敦知道了我和那张银行票据的一整段历史后，一两天后，是否热烈讨论，玩得开心？是的。

My Portia’s papa took that friendly and hospitable bill back to the Bank of England and cashed it; —
我朋友波西亚的父亲拿着那张友好款待的票据回到了英格兰银行兑现了它； —

then the Bank cancelled it and made him a present of it, and he gave it to us at our wedding, and it has always hung in its frame in the sacredest place in our home, ever since. —
然后银行注销了它并送给了他，他在我们结婚时把它送给了我们，并且自那时起一直挂在我们家里最神圣的地方的相框里。 —

For it gave me my Portia. But for it I could not have remained in London, would not have appeared at the minister’s, never should have met her. —
因为它带给了我波西亚。如果没有它，我不能一直留在伦敦，也不会出现在牧师面前，永远不会遇到她。 —

And so I always say, ‘Yes, it’s a million-pounder, as you see; —
因此我总是说，“是，这是一张价值百万英镑的票据，但它一生中只买过一次东西，而且只用了它价值的约十分之一。” —

but it never made but one purchase in its life, and then got the article for only about a tenth part of its value.’
但为了它，我得到了波西亚。