Once across the river and into the wholesale district, she glanced about her for some likely door at which to apply. —
一旦过桥来到批发区，她四处看看，找一个可能申请工作的门。 —

As she contemplated the wide windows and imposing signs, she became conscious of being gazed upon and understood for what she was-a wage-seeker. —
当她凝视着宽阔的窗户和壮丽的标识时，她感到被注视，并被理解为她是一个寻找工作的人。 —

She had never done this thing before, and lacked courage. —
她从未做过这样的事情，缺乏勇气。 —

To avoid a certain indefinable shame she felt at being caught spying about for a position, she quickened her steps and assumed an air of indifference supposedly common to one upon an errand. —
为了避免在被抓窥之际感到的一种莫名羞耻，她加快脚步，装出一副漠不关心的样子，这被认为是寻找工作的人的常态。 —

In this way she passed many manufacturing and wholesale houses without once glancing in. —
这样，她经过了许多制造和批发公司，却没有一次往里看。 —

At last, after several blocks of walking, she felt that this would not do, and began to look about again, though without relaxing her pace. —
最后，走了几个街区之后，她感到这样行不通，又重新四处张望，尽管没有放慢步伐。 —

A little way on she saw a great door which, for some reason, attracted her attention. —
稍稍走了一段路后，她看到一个引起她注意的大门。 —

It was ornamented by a small brass sign, and seemed to be the entrance to a vast hive of six or seven floors. —
它上面挂着一个小铜牌，看起来是通往一个六七层楼高的庞大蜂巢的入口。 —

“Perhaps,” she thought, “they may want some one,” and crossed over to enter. —
“也许,“她想，”他们可能需要一名员工，”于是过去进了去。 —

When she came within a score of feet of the desired goal, she saw through the window a young man in a grey checked suit. —
当她离目标所在二十英尺远的时候，她透过窗户看到一个穿灰色格子西装的年轻人。 —

That he had anything to do with the concern, she could not tell, but because he happened to be looking in her direction her weakening heart misgave her and she hurried by, too overcome with shame to enter. —
她看不出他与这家公司有什么关系，但由于他碰巧朝她这边望过来，她心中软了下来，感到羞愧难当，匆匆而过，情绪难以承受而未能进入。 —

Over the way stood a great six-story structure, labelled Storm and King, which she viewed with rising hope. —
对面有一座高达六层的建筑，标有“风暴和国王”，让她抱着渐增的希望。 —

It was a wholesale dry goods concern and employed women. —
这是一家批发纺织品公司，雇佣女性。 —

She could see them moving about now and then upon the upper floors. —
她能看到她们时不时在上面楼层走动。 —

This place she decided to enter, no matter what. —
她决定进入这个地方，无论如何。 —

She crossed over and walked directly toward the entrance. —
她穿过去，直接朝着入口走去。 —

As she did so, two men came out and paused in the door. —
就在她这么做的时候，两个男人走出来，在门口停了下来。 —

A telegraph messenger in blue dashed past her and up the few steps that led to the entrance and disappeared. —
一个穿着蓝色制服的电报信使飞快地经过她，走上通往入口的几级台阶，然后消失了。 —

Several pedestrians out of the hurrying throng which filled the sidewalks passed about her as she paused, hesitating. —
几个从拥挤的人群中走过的行人路过她时，她犹豫不决地停下了。 —

She looked helplessly around, and then, seeing herself observed, retreated. —
她无助地四处看了看，然后发现自己被人观察着，就退了回去。 —

It was too difficult a task. She could not go past them.
这是一个太困难的任务。她不能从他们身边走过。

So severe a defeat told sadly upon her nerves. —
这样严重的失败严重地影响了她的神经。 —

Her feet carried her mechanically forward, every foot of her progress being a satisfactory portion of a flight which she gladly made. —
她的脚机械地向前迈去，她每迈出一步都是一次令人满意的飞跃。 —

Block after block passed by. Upon streetlamps at the various corners she read names such as Madison, Monroe, La Salle, Clark, Dearborn, State, and still she went, her feet beginning to tire upon the broad stone flagging. —
一个街角上的路灯经过一座座大楼的名字：麦迪逊、门罗、拉萨尔、克拉克、迪尔伯恩、州长，她仍在继续走，她的脚开始在宽阔的石板路上感到疲劳。 —

She was pleased in part that the streets were bright and clean. —
她很高兴，街道整洁明亮。 —

The morning sun, shining down with steadily increasing warmth, made the shady side of the streets pleasantly cool. —
早晨的阳光越来越暖和地照射下来，使街道的阴凉处更加宜人。 —

She looked at the blue sky overhead with more realisation of its charm than had ever come to her before.
她看着头顶上的蓝天，比以往更能体会到它的魅力。

Her cowardice began to trouble her in a way. —
她开始为自己的胆怯而苦恼。 —

She turned back, resolving to hunt up Storm and King and enter. —
她调头走回去，下定决心找到斯通和金恩然后进去。 —

On the way, she encountered a great wholesale shoe company, through the broad plate windows of which she saw an enclosed executive department, hidden by frosted glass. —
在路上，她遇到了一家大型的批发鞋类公司，透过宽大的玻璃窗，她看到了一个被雾化玻璃隐藏起来的行政部门。 —

Without this enclosure, but just within the street entrance, sat a grey-haired gentleman at a small table, with a large open ledger before him. —
没有围栏，只有在街道入口处一位白发老绅士坐在一张小桌子前，面前放着一本大开着的分类账。 —

She walked by this institution several times hesitating, but, finding herself unobserved, faltered past the screen door and stood humble waiting.
她走过这个机构几次徘徊，但在发现自己没有被注意到后，踌躇着走过铁栅门，站在那里谦卑地等待。

“Well, young lady,” observed the old gentleman, looking at her somewhat kindly, “what is it you wish?”
“嗯，年轻女士，”老绅士有些和善地看着她，“你想要什么？”

“I am, that is, do you–I mean, do you need any help?” she stammered.
“我是，那个，你们——我是说，你们需要帮忙吗？”她结结巴巴地说道。

“Not just at present,” he answered smiling. “Not just at present. —
“现在暂时不需要，”他微笑着回答道。”现在暂时不需要。” —

Come in some time next week. Occasionally we need some one.”
“下周某个时候过来吧。有时我们会需要一些人手。”

She received the answer in silence and backed awkwardly out. —
她默默接受了这个回答，尴尬地退了出去。 —

The pleasant nature of her reception rather astonished her. —
她受到的友善接待让她相当吃惊。 —

She had expected that it would be more difficult, that something cold and harsh would be said–she knew not what. —
她原本以为会更难，或者会听到冷漠、苛刻的话语–她不知道会是什么。 —

That she had not been put to shame and made to feel her unfortunate position, seemed remarkable.
令人惊讶的是，她并没有被羞辱或逼迫感受到自己的不幸处境。

Somewhat encouraged, she ventured into another large structure. —
稍感鼓舞，她进入了另一个大型建筑物。 —

It was a clothing company, and more people were in evidence–well-dressed men of forty and more, surrounded by brass railings.
那是一家服装公司，更多的人出现在她眼前–穿着得体的四十岁以上的男士们，周围围着黄铜栏杆。

An office boy approached her.
一个办公室小伙子走向她。

“Who is it you wish to see?” he asked.
“你要见谁?“他问。

“I want to see the manager,” she said. He ran away and spoke to one of a group of three men who were conferring together. —
“我想见经理,“她说。他跑开去找了正聚在一起的三个男人中的一个。 —

One of these came towards her.
其中一个走向她。

“Well?” he said coldly. The greeting drove all courage from her at once.
“怎么了?“他冷冷地说。这样的问候立刻让她失去了所有的勇气。

“Do you need any help?” she stammered.
“你需要帮忙吗?“她结结巴巴地说。

“No,” he replied abruptly, and turned upon his heel.
“不需要，”他生硬地回答，并转身离开。

She went foolishly out, the office boy deferentially swinging the door for her, and gladly sank into the obscuring crowd. —
她愚蠢地离开，办公室男孩毕恭毕敬地为她推开门，她很高兴地融入了人群。 —

It was a severe setback to her recently pleased mental state.
这对她最近愉快的精神状态来说是一个严重的挫折。

Now she walked quite aimlessly for a time, turning here and there, seeing one great company after another, but finding no courage to prosecute her single inquiry. —
现在，她毫无目的地行走了一段时间，四处转悠，看着一个又一个大公司，但却找不到勇气继续她的独立调查。 —

High noon came, and with it hunger. She hunted out an unassuming restaurant and entered, but was disturbed to find that the prices were exorbitant for the size of her purse. —
中午时分来临，随之而来的是饥饿。她找到了一家朴素的餐馆，进去后却发现价格昂贵，超出了她的荷包承受范围。 —

A bowl of soup was all that she could afford, and, with this quickly eaten, she went out again. —
她只买得起一碗汤，匆匆吃完后又出去了。 —

It restored her strength somewhat and made her moderately bold to pursue the search.
汤稍微恢复了她的体力，使她有了些许勇气去继续寻找。

In walking a few blocks to fix upon some probable place, she again encountered the firm of Storm and King, and this time managed to get in. —
在走几个街区寻找可能的地方时，她又遇到了斯托姆和金公司，这次她成功进去了。 —

Some gentlemen were conferring close at hand, but took no notice of her. —
一些绅士们正在密切商讨，但没有注意到她。 —

She was left standing, gazing nervously upon the floor. —
她只能站在那里，紧张地盯着地板。 —

When the limit of her distress had been nearly reached, she was beckoned to by a man at one of the many desks within the near-by railing.
当她的困扰几乎到了极限时，一个坐在附近栏杆内的桌子旁的男子向她招手。

“Who is it you wish to see?” he required.
“你想见谁？”他问道。

“Why, any one, if you please,” she answered. “I am looking for something to do.”
“嗯，见任何人都行，请问你们公司有什么工作我可以做吗？”她回答道。

“Oh, you want to see Mr. McManus,” he returned. —
“哦，你想见麦克马纳斯先生，”他回答道。 —

“Sit down,” and he pointed to a chair against the neighbouring wall. —
“坐下吧，”他指着靠近墙边的一把椅子说。 —

He went on leisurely writing, until after a time a short, stout gentleman came in from the street.
他慢吞吞地继续写着，过了一会儿，一个矮胖的绅士从外面进来。

“Mr. McManus,” called the man at the desk, “this young woman wants to see you.”
“麦克马纳斯先生，”桌子旁的人喊道，”这位年轻女士想见你。”

The short gentleman turned about towards Carrie, and she arose and came forward.
矮胖绅士转过身来看着凯丽，并且她站起身走了过去。

“What can I do for you, miss?” he inquired, surveying her curiously.
“我能为你做什么，小姐？”他好奇地询问着，审视着她。

“I want to know if I can get a position,” she inquired.
“我想知道我能不能得到一个职位，”她询问道。

“As what?” he asked.
“作为什么？”他问道。

“Not as anything in particular,” she faltered.
“没有特别的职位，”她支支吾吾地说道。

“Have you ever had any experience in the wholesale dry goods business?” he questioned.
“你有过批发干货业务方面的经验吗？”他问道。

“No, sir,” she replied.
“没有，先生，”她回答道。

“Are you a stenographer or typewriter?”
“你会速记或打字吗？”

“No, sir.”
“不会，先生。”

“Well, we haven’t anything here,” he said. “We employ only experienced help.”
“嗯，我们这里没有适合你的职位，”他说。“我们只雇用有经验的员工。”

She began to step backward toward the door, when something about her plaintive face attracted him.
她开始朝着门口后退，但她那悲切的面容引起了他的注意。

“Have you ever worked at anything before?” he inquired.
“你以前有过任何工作经验吗？”他询问道。

“No, sir,” she said.
“没有，先生，”她说。

“Well, now, it’s hardly possible that you would get anything to do in a wholesale house of this kind. —
“嗯，现在，在这样的批发公司里几乎不可能找到工作。 —

Have you tried the department stores?”
你试过去百货公司吗？”

She acknowledged that she had not.
她承认没有。

“Well, if I were you,” he said, looking at her rather genially, “I would try the department stores. —
“嗯，如果我是你，”他看着她微笑地说，“我会去试试百货公司。” —

They often need young women as clerks.”
他们经常需要年轻女性作为职员。

“Thank you,” she said, her whole nature relieved by this spark of friendly interest.
“谢谢你，”她说道，整个人都因为这一丝友好的关注而感到宽慰。

“Yes,” he said, as she moved toward the door, “you try the department stores,” and off he went.
“是的，”他说着，当她朝门口走去时，“你去试试百货商店吧，”然后他也走了。

At that time the department store was in its earliest form of successful operation, and there were not many. —
当时，百货商店正处于成功运营的最早形式，数量并不多。 —

The first three in the United States, established about 1884, were in Chicago. —
美国的最早三家百货商店，大约成立于1884年，都位于芝加哥。 —

Carrie was familiar with the names of several through the advertisements in the “Daily News,” and now proceeded to seek them. —
嘉莉通过《每日新闻》的广告熟悉了几家的名字，现在开始寻找它们。 —

The words of Mr. McManus had somehow managed to restore her courage, which had fallen low, and she dared to hope that this new line would offer her something. —
麦克马纳斯先生的话在某种程度上重新激起了她的勇气，已经降到很低的心情重新振作起来，她敢于希望这个新领域会给她带来一些东西。 —

Some time she spent in wandering up and down, thinking to encounter the buildings by chance, so readily is the mind, bent upon prosecuting a hard but needful errand, eased by that self-deception which the semblance of search, without the reality, gives. —
她花了一些时间在上下游荡，希望偶然遇到这些建筑物，这样做是因为那种似有搜索但实际并无的自欺欺人，在面对艰巨但必要的任务时，心灵得到了舒缓。 —

At last she inquired of a police officer, and was directed to proceed “two blocks up,” where she would find “The Fair.”
最后，她询问了一名警察，被告知继续“向上两个街区”，她就会找到“The Fair”(百货商店的名字)。

The nature of these vast retail combinations, should they ever permanently disappear, will form an interesting chapter in the commercial history of our nation. —
这些庞大的零售组合的性质，如果它们永远消失，将在我们国家的商业史上形成一个有趣的章节。 —

Such a flowering out of a modest trade principle the world had never witnessed up to that time. —
这样一种由一种简朴的贸易原则开花结果，世界此前从未见过。 —

They were along the line of the most effective retail organisation, with hundreds of stores coordinated into one and laid out upon the most imposing and economic basis. —
它们沿着最有效的零售组织线发展，数百家商店协调在一起，建立在最宏伟和经济的基础上。 —

They were handsome, bustling, successful affairs, with a host of clerks and a swarm of patrons. —
它们是华丽、忙碌、成功的事业，有大量的职员和一群顾客。 —

Carrie passed along the busy aisles, much affected by the remarkable displays of trinkets, dress goods, stationery, and jewelry. —
嘉莉沿着繁忙的过道走过，被琳琅满目的首饰、服装、文具和珠宝陈列所感动。 —

Each separate counter was a show place of dazzling interest and attraction. —
每个独立的柜台都是一个令人眼花缭乱的吸引力场所。 —

She could not help feeling the claim of each trinket and valuable upon her personally, and yet she did not stop. —
她无法控制自己对每件首饰和贵重物品的渴望，尽管她没有停下来。 —

There was nothing there which she could not have used–nothing which she did not long to own. —
那里没有任何她不能用的东西 – 没有任何她不渴望拥有的东西。 —

The dainty slippers and stockings, the delicately frilled skirts and petticoats, the laces, ribbons, hair-combs, purses, all touched her with individual desire, and she felt keenly the fact that not any of these things were in the range of her purchase. —
那些精致的拖鞋和袜子，精美的褶边裙子和衬裙，蕾丝、丝带、发簪、钱包，都让她产生个人渴望之感，她深深感到这些东西都不在她能购买的范围内。 —

She was a work-seeker, an outcast without employment, one whom the average employee could tell at a glance was poor and in need of a situation.
她是一个找工作的人，一个失业的流浪者，一个平均雇员一眼就能看出是贫穷需要工作的人。

It must not be thought that any one could have mistaken her for a nervous, sensitive, high-strung nature, cast unduly upon a cold, calculating, and unpoetic world. —
绝不要以为有人会把她看成一个神经质、敏感、情绪高涨的人，在一个冷酷、计算和缺乏诗意的世界里被过度依靠。 —

Such certainly she was not. But women are peculiarly sensitive to their adornment.
当然，她并不是这样。但是女人对自己的装扮特别敏感。

Not only did Carrie feel the drag of desire for all which was new and pleasing in apparel for women, but she noticed too, with a touch at the heart, the fine ladies who elbowed and ignored her, brushing past in utter disregard of her presence, themselves eagerly enlisted in the materials which the store contained. —
不仅仅是卡丽感受到对女性服装中所有新奇和令人愉悦的东西的渴望，她还注意到，心如刀绞，她被那些毫不理会她的漂亮女士们所遗忘，她们急急忙忙地沉溺于商店里的商品。 —

Carrie was not familiar with the appearance of her more fortunate sisters of the city. —
卡丽不熟悉城市里更幸运的姊妹们的外表。 —

Neither had she before known the nature and appearance of the shop girls with whom she now compared poorly. —
她以前也不知道与自己相比较的店员的性格和外表。 —

They were pretty in the main, some even handsome, with an air of independence and indifference which added, in the case of the more favoured, a certain piquancy. —
他们大多数看起来很漂亮，有些甚至很漂亮，带有一种独立和漠不关心的态度，更加增添了一些魅力。 —

Their clothes were neat, in many instances fine, and wherever she encountered the eye of one it was only to recognise in it a keen analysis of her own position–her individual shortcomings of dress and that shadow of manner which she thought must hang about her and make clear to all who and what she was. —
他们穿着整洁，很多情况下是很好的，每当她遇到其中一个的目光时，都能认出那是对她自己位置的尖酸评判 – 她的着装不足和她认为一定会沾染她的那种态度的阴影，让所有人都清楚地知晓她是谁，以及她是什么样的人。 —

A flame of envy lighted in her heart. She realised in a dim way how much the city held–wealth, fashion, ease–every adornment for women, and she longed for dress and beauty with a whole heart.
心中燃起了一团嫉妒之火。她以模糊的方式意识到城市拥有多少 – 财富、时尚、舒适 – 对女性的每一个装饰都渴望。

On the second floor were the managerial offices, to which, after some inquiry, she was now directed. —
二楼是管理办公室，经过一番打听，她现在被指示前去那里。 —

There she found other girls ahead of her, applicants like herself, but with more of that self-satisfied and independent air which experience of the city lends; —
她发现还有其他比她更有自得和独立气质的女孩在等着，她们有着对城市生活的经验所赋予的更多那种自满和自信的气息； —

girls who scrutinised her in a painful manner. —
一种令人痛苦的方式，她们以痛苦的目光仔细审视着她。 —

After a wait of perhaps three-quarters of an hour, she was called in turn.
在等待了大约三刻钟之后，她轮到了。

“Now,” said a sharp, quick-mannered Jew, who was sitting at a roll-top desk near the window, “have you ever worked in any other store?”
“现在，”坐在窗户边一个卷帘桌旁的一个犀利、迅速的犹太人说道，“你在别的店里工作过吗？”

“No, sir,” said Carrie.
“没有，先生，”凯丽说道。

“Oh, you haven’t,” he said, eyeing her keenly.
“哦，你没有，”他目不转睛地盯着她。

“No, sir,” she replied.
“没有，先生，”她回答道。

“Well, we prefer young women just now with some experience. I guess we can’t use you.”
“嗯，我们现在更倾向于有些经验的年轻女士。我想我们用不上你。”

Carrie stood waiting a moment, hardly certain whether the interview had terminated.
凯丽站在那里等了一会儿，不太确定面试是否已经结束了。

“Don’t wait!” he exclaimed. “Remember we are very busy here.”
“不要耽搁！”他叫道，“记住我们这里很忙。”

Carrie began to move quickly to the door.
凯丽开始快步走向门口。

“Hold on,” he said, calling her back. “Give me your name and address. We want girls occasionally.”
“等等，”他叫住她，“给我你的姓名和地址。我们偶尔需要女孩。”

When she had gotten safely into the street, she could scarcely restrain the tears. —
当她安全地走上街头时，几乎忍不住要流泪。 —

It was not so much the particular rebuff which she had just experienced, but the whole abashing trend of the day. —
不仅因为她刚刚经历的那次特别的拒绝，而是整个令人窘迫的一天的趋势。 —

She was tired and nervous. She abandoned the thought of appealing to the other department stores and now wandered on, feeling a certain safety and relief in mingling with the crowd.
她累了又紧张。她放弃了向其他百货公司求援的想法，现在漫无目的地在人群中游荡，感到一定的安全感和宽慰。

In her indifferent wandering she turned into Jackson Street, not far from the river, and was keeping her way along the south side of that imposing thoroughfare, when a piece of wrapping paper, written on with marking ink and tacked up on the door, attracted her attention. —
在她漠不关心的漫步中，她走进了杰克逊街，离河不远，一直沿着这条雄壮的主干道的南边走着，当一张用记号墨水写着的包装纸被钉在门上时，引起了她的注意。 —

It read, “Girls wanted–wrappers & stitchers.”
上面写着，“招聘女工–包装和缝纫工。”

She hesitated a moment, then entered.
她犹豫了一会儿，然后进去了。

The firm of Speigelheim & Co., makers of boys’ caps, occupied one floor of the building, fifty feet in width and some eighty feet in depth. —
制造男孩帽子的Speigelheim & Co.公司占据了建筑物的一层，宽五十英尺，深约八十英尺。 —

It was a place rather dingily lighted, the darkest portions having incandescent lights, filled with machines and work benches. —
这是一个光线有些昏暗的地方，较暗的区域有白炽灯，布满了机器和工作台。 —

At the latter laboured quite a company of girls and some men. —
在后者工作着一群女孩和一些男人。 —

The former were drabby-looking creatures, stained in face with oil and dust, clad in thin, shapeless, cotton dresses and shod with more or less worn shoes. —
女孩们看起来有些不起眼，脸上沾满了油和灰尘，穿着薄而没有形状的棉布裙子，脚上穿着或多或少磨损的鞋子。 —

Many of them had their sleeves rolled up, revealing bare arms, and in some cases, owing to the heat, their dresses were open at the neck. —
她们中的许多人卷起袖子，露出赤裸的手臂，有些情况下，由于炎热，她们的连衣裙敞开着领口。 —

They were a fair type of nearly the lowest order of shop-girls– careless, slouchy, and more or less pale from confinement. —
她们是近乎最低级别的售货员的典型──漫不经心、懒散，因受限而脸色或多或少苍白。 —

They were not timid, however; were rich in curiosity, and strong in daring and slang.
然而，她们并不胆小；好奇心旺盛，胆量强，口头禅也厚重。

Carrie looked about her, very much disturbed and quite sure that she did not want to work here. —
嘉莉四处张望，感到非常不安，非常确定她不想在这里工作。 —

Aside from making her uncomfortable by sidelong glances, no one paid her the least attention. —
除了斜眼瞥视让她不自在外，没有人对她稍加关注。 —

She waited until the whole department was aware of her presence. —
她等到整个部门都注意到她的存在。 —

Then some word was sent around, and a foreman, in an apron and shirt sleeves, the latter rolled up to his shoulders, approached.
然后传开了一些消息，一位穿着围裙和卷起袖子至肩的领班走了过来。

“Do you want to see me?” he asked.
“你来找我吗？”他问道。

“Do you need any help?” said Carrie, already learning directness of address.
“你需要帮忙吗？”嘉莉已经开始学会说话直截了当了。

“Do you know how to stitch caps?” he returned.
“你会缝帽子吗？”他反问道。

“No, sir,” she replied.
“不，先生，”她回答道。

“Have you ever had any experience at this kind of work?” he inquired.
“你有做过这种工作的经验吗？”他询问道。

She answered that she had not.
她回答说没有。

“Well,” said the foreman, scratching his ear meditatively, “we do need a stitcher. —
“嗯，”工头沉思地挠了挠耳朵，“我们确实需要一个缝纫工。 —

We like experienced help, though. We’ve hardly got time to break people in.” —
不过我们更喜欢有经验的帮手。我们几乎没有时间训练新人。” —

He paused and looked away out of the window. —
他停顿了一下，望向窗外。 —

“We might, though, put you at finishing,” he concluded reflectively.
“不过，也许我们可以让你去收尾工作，”他沉吟道。

“How much do you pay a week?” ventured Carrie, emboldened by a certain softness in the man’s manner and his simplicity of address.
“一周付多少钱？”凯丽大胆地问道，受到这个男人态度的某种温和和他言谈中的简单感染。

“Three and a half,” he answered.
“三个半，”他回答道。

“Oh,” she was about to exclaim, but checked herself and allowed her thoughts to die without expression.
“哦，”她刚要惊叫，但又克制住自己，让自己的想法无声无息地消失。

“We’re not exactly in need of anybody,” he went on vaguely, looking her over as one would a package. —
“我们不完全需要人手，”他含糊地继续说着，略过她仿佛看待一个包裹一样。 —

“You can come on Monday morning, though,” he added, “and I’ll put you to work.”
“不过你可以在周一早上来，”他补充道，“我会让你开始工作。”

“Thank you,” said Carrie weakly.
“谢谢，”凯丽虚弱地说道。

“If you come, bring an apron,” he added.
“如果你来了，带一条围裙，”他补充道。

He walked away and left her standing by the elevator, never so much as inquiring her name.
他走开了，把她留在电梯旁，甚至没有询问她的名字。

While the appearance of the shop and the announcement of the price paid per week operated very much as a blow to Carrie’s fancy, the fact that work of any kind was offered after so rude a round of experience was gratifying. —
虽然店铺的外观和每周支付的价格公告对凯丽的幻想来说有点打击，但是在经历了如此粗鲁的一轮经历之后，任何工作的提供却令人感到满足。 —

She could not begin to believe that she would take the place, modest as her aspirations were. —
她无法相信自己会接受这个工作，尽管她的愿望很谦逊。 —

She had been used to better than that. Her mere experience and the free out-of-door life of the country caused her nature to revolt at such confinement. —
她习惯于比这更好的生活。她过去在乡村的户外生活使她对这种限制感到厌恶。 —

Dirt had never been her share. Her sister’s flat was clean. —
肮脏从未是她的命运。她姐姐的公寓很干净。 —

This place was grimy and low, the girls were careless and hardened. —
这个地方肮脏而低劣，女孩们粗心而冷漠。 —

They must be bad-minded and hearted, she imagined. Still, a place had been offered her. —
她想，她们肯定是心地邪恶的。但是，她获得了一个工作机会。 —

Surely Chicago was not so bad if she could find one place in one day. —
如果她一天内能找到一个工作岗位，那芝加哥肯定不那么糟糕。 —

She might find another and better later.
她可能会找到另一个更好的机会。

Her subsequent experiences were not of a reassuring nature, however. —
然而，她接下来的经历并不令人放心。 —

From all the more pleasing or imposing places she was turned away abruptly with the most chilling formality. —
她被迅速有礼地拒绝了所有更令人愉悦或令人敬畏的地方。 —

In others where she applied only the experienced were required. —
在其他地方，只有有经验的人才被需要。 —

She met with painful rebuffs, the most trying of which had been in a manufacturing cloak house, where she had gone to the fourth floor to inquire.
她遇到了痛苦的拒绝，最令人难受的是在一个制衣厂里，她上了四楼去询问。

“No, no,” said the foreman, a rough, heavily built individual, who looked after a miserably lighted workshop, “we don’t want any one. Don’t come here.”
“不，不，”一个粗鲁而高大的工头说，他管理着一个照明非常不足的车间，“我们不需要任何人。别来这里。”

With the wane of the afternoon went her hopes, her courage, and her strength. —
下午渐渐消逝时，她的希望、勇气和力量也消退了。 —

She had been astonishingly persistent. So earnest an effort was well deserving of a better reward. —
她的坚持令人惊讶。这样努力是值得得到更好回报的。 —

On every hand, to her fatigued senses, the great business portion grew larger, harder, more stolid in its indifference. —
对于她疲惫的感官来说，每一个手中的大部分事务都变得更大、更难，更加冷漠无情。 —

It seemed as if it was all closed to her, that the struggle was too fierce for her to hope to do anything at all. —
她觉得好像这一切对她都是关闭的，奋斗对她来说太激烈，她几乎没有希望做任何事情。 —

Men and women hurried by in long, shifting lines. —
男男女女匆匆忙忙地走过，排成长长的变幻行列。 —

She felt the flow of the tide of effort and interest–felt her own helplessness without quite realising the wisp on the tide that she was. —
她感受到努力和兴趣的涌现，感到自己的无助，但并没有完全意识到自己在涌流中的脆弱。 —

She cast about vainly for some possible place to apply, but found no door which she had the courage to enter. —
她徒劳地四处寻找可能申请的地方，但找不到敢进入的门。 —

It would be the same thing all over. The old humiliation of her plea, rewarded by curt denial. —
这一切都将一样。以她的请求为耻，得到简洁的拒绝。 —

Sick at heart and in body, she turned to the west, the direction of Minnie’s flat, which she had now fixed in mind, and began that wearisome, baffled retreat which the seeker for employment at nightfall too often makes. —
心情沮丧，身体不适，她转向西边，朝着设在心中的明妮的公寓的方向走去，开始那种长时间的、受挫的撤退，这种在傍晚寻找工作的人往往经历的情况。 —

In passing through Fifth Avenue, south towards Van Buren Street, where she intended to take a car, she passed the door of a large wholesale shoe house, through the plate-glass windows of which she could see a middle-aged gentleman sitting at a small desk. —
在通过第五大道向南走向范布伦街的路上，她路过了一家大型批发鞋店的门口，透过玻璃窗，她看到一个坐在小桌前的中年绅士。 —

One of those forlorn impulses which often grow out of a fixed sense of defeat, the last sprouting of a baffled and uprooted growth of ideas, seized upon her. —
通常会从一种根深蒂固的失败感中萌生出来的绝望冲动，那被连根拔起和颠覆的想法的最后一点发芽，抓住了她。 —

She walked deliberately through the door and up to the gentleman, who looked at her weary face with partially awakened interest.
她走进了门，来到那位绅士面前，他带着半醒的兴趣看着她疲惫的脸。

“What is it?” he said.
“怎么了？”他问道。

“Can you give me something to do?” said Carrie.
“你能给我点工作吗？”凯丽说。

“Now, I really don’t know,” he said kindly. —
“我真的不知道，”他友好地说。 —

“What kind of work is it you want–you’re not a typewriter, are you?”
“你想做什么样的工作？你不是打字员吧？”

“Oh, no,” answered Carrie.
“哦，不，”凯丽回答道。

“Well, we only employ book-keepers and typewriters here. —
嗯，这里只雇用簿记员和打字员。 —

You might go around to the side and inquire upstairs. —
你可以绕到侧面去问问楼上。 —

They did want some help upstairs a few days ago. —
几天前楼上确实需要一些帮手。 —

Ask for Mr. Brown.”
问问布朗先生。

She hastened around to the side entrance and was taken up by the elevator to the fourth floor.
她快步走到侧面入口，被电梯送到了四楼。

“Call Mr. Brown, Willie,” said the elevator man to a boy near by.
“威利，给布朗先生打个电话，” 电梯员对旁边的一个男孩说。

Willie went off and presently returned with the information that Mr. Brown said she should sit down and that he would be around in a little while.
威利走开后不久就回来了，说布朗先生让她坐下，他一会就过来。

It was a portion of the stock room which gave no idea of the general character of the place, and Carrie could form no opinion of the nature of the work.
这是一个库房的一部分，无法给她提供这里的整体工作性质，并且凯丽无法判断具体工作性质。

“So you want something to do,” said Mr. Brown, after he inquired concerning the nature of her errand. —
“所以你想找点事情做，” 布朗先生在询问她事由后说道。 —

“Have you ever been employed in a shoe factory before?”
“你之前在鞋厂工作过吗？”

“No, sir,” said Carrie.
“没有，先生，” 凯丽说。

“What is your name?” he inquired, and being informed, “Well, I don’t know as I have anything for you. —
“你叫什么名字？” 他问，得知后继续说，”好吧，我想我没有适合你的工作。 —

Would you work for four and a half a week?”
你愿意做四个半的一周工作吗？”

Carrie was too worn by defeat not to feel that it was considerable. —
凯丽被打败后太疲惫了，差点没有意识到这是相当低的报酬。 —

She had not expected that he would offer her less than six. —
她并没有预料到他会给她少于六。 —

She acquiesced, however, and he took her name and address.
然而，她同意了，他记下了她的名字和地址。

“Well,” he said, finally, “you report here at eight o’clock Monday morning. —
“好吧，”他最后说道，“你星期一早上八点报到这里。 —

I think I can find something for you to do.”
我想我可以找到一些事情让你做。”

He left her revived by the possibilities, sure that she had found something at last. —
他离开时，让她为可能性而振奋，确信她终于找到了一些事情。 —

Instantly the blood crept warmly over her body. Her nervous tension relaxed. —
血液瞬间温暖地流过她的身体。她的紧张状态得到了放松。 —

She walked out into the busy street and discovered a new atmosphere. —
她走出繁忙的街道，发现了一种新的氛围。 —

Behold, the throng was moving with a lightsome step. She noticed that men and women were smiling. —
瞧，人群在轻快的步伐中行进。她注意到男人和女人都在微笑。 —

Scraps of conversation and notes of laughter floated to her. The air was light. —
谈话的断片和笑声的音符飘到她耳中。空气轻快。 —

People were already pouring out of the buildings, their labour ended for the day. —
人们已经涌出建筑物，一天的劳作结束了。 —

She noticed that they were pleased, and thoughts of her sister’s home and the meal that would be awaiting her quickened her steps. —
她注意到他们很满足，想到姐姐家和等待她的饭菜，她加快了步伐。 —

She hurried on, tired perhaps, but no longer weary of foot. What would not Minnie say! —
她匆匆忙忙，也许有些疲倦，但不再疲倦。Minnie会说些什么呢！ —

Ah, the long winter in Chicago-the lights, the crowd, the amusement! —
啊，芝加哥漫长的冬季-灯光、人群、娱乐！ —

This was a great, pleasing metropolis after all. —
这毕竟是一个伟大而愉快的大都市。 —

Her new firm was a goodly institution.
她的新公司是个很不错的机构。

Its windows were of huge plate glass. She could probably do well there. —
它的窗户是巨大的平板玻璃。她可能在那里表现不错。 —

Thoughts of Drouet returned–of the things he had told her. —
Drouet的想法回来了–他告诉她的事情。 —

She now felt that life was better, that it was livelier, sprightlier. —
她现在觉得生活更好了，更有生气和活力。 —

She boarded a car in the best of spirits, feeling her blood still flowing pleasantly. —
她乘坐着车，心情最好，感觉自己的血还在愉快地流动着。 —

She would live in Chicago, her mind kept saying to itself. —
她会在芝加哥生活，她的心里不停地说。 —

She would have a better time than she had ever had before–she would be happy.
她会过得比以往任何时候都要开心–她会快乐。