I
我（旧杰罗姆·沃伦）。

Old Jerome Warren lived in a hundred-thousand-dollar house at 35 East Fifty-Soforth Street. —
旧杰罗姆·沃伦住在五十四街东35号价值十万美元的房子里。 —

He was a down-town broker, so rich that he could afford to walk–for his health–a few blocks in the direction of his office every morning, and then call a cab.
他是一位城市中心的经纪人，非常富有，以至于他每天早上都可以为了保健而走几个街区的路，然后叫辆出租车。

He had an adopted son, the son of an old friend named Gilbert–Cyril Scott could play him nicely–who was becoming a successful painter as fast as he could squeeze the paint out of his tubes. —
他有一个养子，是一位名叫吉尔伯特的老朋友的儿子，名字叫西里尔·斯科特，他正在尽快地挤出颜料来成为一位成功的画家。 —

Another member of the household was Barbara Ross, a stepniece. Man is born to trouble; —
家中的另一位成员是芭芭拉·罗斯，一个继侄女。人生来就是为了麻烦； —

so, as old Jerome had no family of his own, he took up the burdens of others.
所以，由于旧杰罗姆没有自己的家庭，他承担起了别人的负担。

Gilbert and Barbara got along swimmingly. —
吉尔伯特和芭芭拉相处得非常好。 —

There was a tacit and tactical understanding all round that the two would stand up under a floral bell some high noon, and promise the minister to keep old Jerome’s money in a state of high commotion. —
大家心照不宣地都明白，两人将在正午时分在一个花朵钟楼下站起来，向牧师保证保持旧杰罗姆的财富处于高度动荡状态。 —

But at this point complications must be introduced.
但在这一点上，必须引入复杂因素。

Thirty years before, when old Jerome was young Jerome, there was a brother of his named Dick. Dick went West to seek his or somebody else’s fortune. —
三十年前，当年轻的杰罗姆还是老杰罗姆的时候，他有一个名叫狄克的兄弟。狄克去了西部寻求他或别人的财富。 —

Nothing was heard of him until one day old Jerome had a letter from his brother. —
没有任何关于他的消息，直到有一天老杰罗姆收到了他兄弟的一封信。 —

It was badly written on ruled paper that smelled of salt bacon and coffee-grounds. —
这封信写得很糟糕，用线条纸写的，闻起来像咸肉和咖啡渣。 —

The writing was asthmatic and the spelling St. Vitusy.
字迹颤巍巍的，拼字像圣维图斯舞蹈。

It appeared that instead of Dick having forced Fortune to stand and deliver, he had been held up himself, and made to give hostages to the enemy. —
信中透露，狄克并没有迫使财富站出来交出来，反而他自己被抢劫了，被迫交出了人质。 —

That is, as his letter disclosed, he was on the point of pegging out with a complication of disorders that even whiskey had failed to check. —
就像他的信中透露的那样，他正濒临死亡，患上了各种复杂的疾病，甚至威士忌都无法控制。 —

All that his thirty years of prospecting had netted him was one daughter, nineteen years old, as per invoice, whom he was shipping East, charges prepaid, for Jerome to clothe, feed, educate, comfort, and cherish for the rest of her natural life or until matrimony should them part.
他三十年的勘探只带回来了一个十九岁的女儿，按照发票上的说明，他将这个女儿预付了费用，送回东部由杰罗姆抚养、供给、教育、安慰和呵护她的自然生活或直到婚姻分开他们。

Old Jerome was a board-walk. —
老杰罗姆是一条木板路。 —

Everybody knows that the world is supported by the shoulders of Atlas; —
人人都知道世界是由亚特拉斯的肩膀支撑起来的； —

and that Atlas stands on a rail- fence; —
而亚特拉斯则站在一道栅栏上； —

and that the rail-fence is built on a turtle’s back. —
这道栅栏是建在一只乌龟的背上的。 —

Now, the turtle has to stand on something; —
乌龟也需要站在某种东西上面； —

and that is a board-walk made of men like old Jerome.
而这种东西就是老杰罗姆这样的人所构建的木板路。

I do not know whether immortality shall accrue to man; —
我不知道人是否会得到永生，但是即使没有， —

but if not so, I would like to know when men like old Jerome get what is due them?
我也想知道像老杰罗姆这样的人何时能得到应得的回报？

They met Nevada Warren at the station. —
他们在车站遇到了内华达·沃伦。 —

She was a little girl, deeply sunburned and wholesomely good-looking, with a manner that was frankly unsophisticated, yet one that not even a cigar-drummer would intrude upon without thinking twice. —
她是一个小女孩，皮肤被太阳晒得深深的，相貌健康好看，举止坦率纯朴，但即使是雪茄商人也会对她的举止三思而后行。 —

Looking at her, somehow you would expect to see her in a short skirt and leather leggings, shooting glass balls or taming mustangs. —
看着她，不知怎么的你就会期待看到她穿着短裙和皮靴，射击玻璃球或者驯服野马。 —

But in her plain white waist and black skirt she sent you guessing again. —
但她穿着简单的白色上衣和黑色裙子，又让你重新猜测。 —

With an easy exhibition of strength she swung along a heavy valise, which the uniformed porters tried in vain to wrest from her.
带着轻松的力量展示，她挥动着一个沉重的行李箱，制服的搬运工们徒劳地试图从她手中抢走它。

“I am sure we shall be the best of friends,” said Barbara, pecking at the firm, sunburned cheek.
“我相信我们会成为最好的朋友的，”芭芭拉说着，啄了一下那张坚定而又晒黑的面颊。

“I hope so,” said Nevada.
“希望如此，”内华达说道。

“Dear little niece,” said old Jerome, “you are as welcome to my home as if it were your father’s own.”
“亲爱的小侄女，”老杰罗姆说道，“你在我家和你父亲的家一样受欢迎。”

“Thanks,” said Nevada.
“谢谢，”内华达说道。

“And I am going to call you ‘cousin,’ ” said Gilbert, with his charming smile.
“我打算叫你‘表弟’，”吉尔伯特带着迷人的微笑说道。

“Take the valise, please,” said Nevada. —
“请替我拿一下这个行李箱，”内华达说道， —

“It weighs a million pounds. —
“它有一百万磅重。 —

It’s got samples from six of dad’s old mines in it,” she explained to Barbara. —
“里面有我爸爸过去六个矿山的样品，”她向芭芭拉解释道。 —

“I calculate they’d assay about nine cents to the thousand tons, but I promised him to bring them along.”
“我估计它们可能有每千吨九美分的含金量，但我答应过他会带着它们来的。”

II
第二章

It is a common custom to refer to the usual complication between one man and two ladies, or one lady and two men, or a lady and a man and a nobleman, or–well, any of those problems–as the triangle. —
通常把一个男人和两个女人之间的常见麻烦，或者一个女人和两个男人之间的麻烦，或者一名女性和一个男人以及一个贵族之间的麻烦，称为三角关系。 —

But they are never unqualified triangles. —
但它们从来都不是不合格的三角形。 —

They are always isosceles–never equilateral. —
它们总是等腰三角形，从不是等边三角形。 —

So, upon the coming of Nevada Warren, she and Gilbert and Barbara Ross lined up into such a figurative triangle; —
因此，当内华达·沃伦来临时，她和吉尔伯特和芭芭拉·罗斯排成一个象征性的三角形； —

and of that triangle Barbara formed the hypotenuse.
而在那个三角形中，芭芭拉成了斜边。

One morning old Jerome was lingering long after breakfast over the dullest morning paper in the city before setting forth to his down- town fly-trap. —
一天早上，老杰罗姆在吃完早餐后迟迟不愿起身去他的市区捕虫器。 —

He had become quite fond of Nevada, finding in her much of his dead brother’s quiet independence and unsuspicious frankness.
他对内华达很喜欢，因为她身上有他已故兄弟独立自主和坦诚无猜的特质。

A maid brought in a note for Miss Nevada Warren.
一名女仆送来一封给内华达·沃伦的便条。

“A messenger-boy delivered it at the door, please,” she said. “He’s waiting for an answer.”
“一个快递小哥送到门口的，请注意，他在等回复。”她说。

Nevada, who was whistling a Spanish waltz between her teeth, and watching the carriages and autos roll by in the street, took the envelope. —
内华达正在嘴里吹着一支西班牙华尔兹，同时看着街上的马车和汽车经过，接过了信封。 —

She knew it was from Gilbert, before she opened it, by the little gold palette in the upper left-hand corner.
她在打开它之前就知道是吉尔伯特发来的，因为左上角有个小金色调色板。

After tearing it open she pored over the contents for a while, absorbedly. Then, with a serious face, she went and stood at her uncle’s elbow.
打开信封后，她专注地翻看着里面的内容。然后，一脸认真地走到叔叔身边站了起来。

“Uncle Jerome, Gilbert is a nice boy, isn’t he?”
“杰罗姆叔叔，吉尔伯特是个好孩子，是吧？”

“Why, bless the child!” said old Jerome, crackling his paper loudly; —
“噢，孩子，上帝保佑你！”老杰罗姆大声地折叠着报纸说道， —

“of course he is. I raised him myself.”
“当然是的。我亲自把他带大的。”

“He wouldn’t write anything to anybody that wasn’t exactly–I mean that everybody couldn’t know and read, would he?”
“他不会给任何人写什么其他人不能知道或阅读的东西，是吧？”

“I’d just like to see him try it,” said uncle, tearing a handful from his newspaper. —
“我就想看看他敢不敢试试，”叔叔说着，撕下一把报纸，“哎呀， —

“Why, what–”
他到底……”

“Read this note he just sent me, uncle, and see if you think it’s all right and proper. You see, I don’t know much about city people and their ways.”
“把吉尔伯特刚刚给我的便条读一读，叔叔，你看看它是否合适、恰当。你知道，我对城市人和他们的生活方式不太了解。”

Old Jerome threw his paper down and set both his feet upon it. —
老杰罗姆把报纸摔在地上，双脚踩在上面。 —

He took Gilbert’s note and fiercely perused it twice, and then a third time.
他生气地三次猛烈地阅读了一遍吉尔伯特的便条。

“Why, child,” said he, “you had me almost excited, although I was sure of that boy. —
“孩子，”他说道，“你几乎让我激动起来，尽管我对那个孩子很有信心。 —

He’s a duplicate of his father, and he was a gilt-edged diamond. —
他和他父亲一模一样，而他父亲可是极好的。” —

He only asks if you and Barbara will be ready at four o’clock this afternoon for an automobile drive over to Long Island. —
他只是问你和芭芭拉下午四点准备好不，要去长岛兜风。 —

I don’t see anything to criticise in it except the stationery. —
我对这件事没有任何批评，除了信纸。 —

I always did hate that shade of blue.”
“我一直讨厌那种蓝色。”

“Would it be all right to go?” asked Nevada, eagerly.
“我可以去吗？”内华达急切地问道。

“Yes, yes, yes, child; of course. Why not? Still, it pleases me to see you so careful and candid. —
“是的，是的，是的，孩子，当然可以。为什么不行呢？不过，看到你这样细心和坦率我很高兴。 —

Go, by all means.”
去吧，尽管去。”

“I didn’t know,” said Nevada, demurely. —
“我不知道，”内华达端庄地说。 —

“I thought I’d ask you. Couldn’t you go with us, uncle?”
“我想问问你。你能和我们一起去吗，叔叔？”

“I? No, no, no, no! I’ve ridden once in a car that boy was driving. —
“我？不，不，不，不！我曾坐过一次那个男孩开的车。 —

Never again! —
再也不要了！” —

But it’s entirely proper for you and Barbara to go. —
“但你和芭芭拉去是完全合适的。是的， —

Yes, yes. —
是的。” —

But I will not. No, no, no, no!”
“但我不会去。不，不，不，不！”

Nevada flew to the door, and said to the maid:
内华达飞奔到门口，对女仆说道：

“You bet we’ll go. I’ll answer for Miss Barbara. —
“当然，我们会去的。我替芭芭拉回答。 —

Tell the boy to say to Mr. Warren, ‘You bet we’ll go.’”
告诉他对沃伦先生说：‘当然会去’。”

“Nevada,” called old Jerome, “pardon me, my dear, but wouldn’t it be as well to send him a note in reply? —
“内华达，”老杰罗姆喊道，“对不起，亲爱的，不如给他写张回信好吗？ —

Just a line would do.”
只需几句话就够了。”

“No, I won’t bother about that,” said Nevada, gayly. —
“不，我不会为此烦恼的，”内华达快乐地说道。 —

“Gilbert will understand–he always does. —
“吉尔伯特会理解的-他总是明白的。 —

I never rode in an automobile in my life; —
我一生中从未坐过汽车； —

but I’ve paddled a canoe down Little Devil River through the Lost Horse Canon, and if it’s any livelier than that I’d like to know!”
但我曾经在小恶魔河上泛舟穿过迷失马峡谷，如果那比那还要热闹，我想知道！”

III
第三章

Two months are supposed to have elapsed.
据推测已经过去两个月。

Barbara sat in the study of the hundred-thousand-dollar house. —
芭芭拉坐在这座十万美元的房子的书房里。 —

It was a good place for her. —
这对她来说是个好地方。 —

Many places are provided in the world where men and women may repair for the purpose of extricating themselves from divers difficulties. —
在世界上有许多地方供人们前去脱身于各种困境。 —

There are cloisters, wailing-places, watering- places, confessionals, hermitages, lawyer’s offices, beauty parlors, air-ships, and studies; —
有修道院、哭泣的地方、温泉地、忏悔室、隐修所、律师事务所、美容院、飞船和书房； —

and the greatest of these are studies.
而其中最伟大的就是书房。

It usually takes a hypotenuse a long time to discover that it is the longest side of a triangle. —
通常需要一个斜边很长的时间才会发现它是三角形的最长边。 —

But it’s a long line that has no turning.
但是一条直线没有拐弯的话是很长的。

Barbara was alone. Uncle Jerome and Nevada had gone to the theatre. —
巴巴拉独自一人。杰罗姆叔叔和内华达去看戏了。 —

Barbara had not cared to go. —
巴巴拉不想去。 —

She wanted to stay at home and study in the study. —
她想留在家里，在书房里学习。 —

If you, miss, were a stunning New York girl, and saw every day that a brown, ingenuous Western witch was getting hobbles and a lasso on the young man you wanted for yourself, you, too, would lose taste for the oxidized-silver setting of a musical comedy.
如果您，小姐，是一个迷人的纽约女孩，每天都看到一个棕色纯朴的西部女巫正在用绳索抓住您喜欢的年轻人，您也会对一个带有氧化银镶嵌的音乐喜剧失去兴致。

Barbara sat by the quartered-oak library table. —
巴巴拉坐在橡木图书馆桌旁。 —

Her right arm rested upon the table, and her dextral fingers nervously manipulated a sealed letter. —
她的右臂放在桌子上，她左撇子的手指紧张地玩弄着一封密封的信。 —

The letter was addressed to Nevada Warren; —
这封信是写给内华达·沃伦的； —

and in the upper left-hand corner of the envelope was Gilbert’s little gold palette. —
在信封的左上角有吉尔伯特的小金调色板。 —

It had been delivered at nine o’clock, after Nevada had left.
这封信是在九点钟送来的，那时内华达已经离开了。

Barbara would have given her pearl necklace to know what the letter contained; —
巴巴拉宁愿拿出她的珍珠项链来知道这封信里写了什么。 —

but she could not open and read it by the aid of steam, or a pen-handle, or a hair-pin, or any of the generally approved methods, because her position in society forbade such an act. —
但是她不能使用汽车、针剂、发夹或者任何一种被通常接受的方法来打开和阅读信件，因为她身份地位禁止这样的行为。 —

She had tried to read some of the lines of the letter by holding the envelope up to a strong light and pressing it hard against the paper, but Gilbert had too good a taste in stationery to make that possible.
她试图通过将信封拿到强光下并用力压在纸上来读信的一些文字，但是吉尔伯特使用的纸张太好，使得这种方法行不通。

At eleven-thirty the theatre-goers returned. —
十一点半时，去看戏的人们回来了。 —

it was a delicious winter night. —
这是一个美妙的冬夜。 —

Even so far as from the cab to the door they were powdered thickly with the big flakes downpouring diagonally from the cast. —
就连从出租车到门口的距离也被大雪花密密地覆盖着，沿斜线倾泻而下。 —

Old Jerome growled good-naturedly about villanous cab service and blockaded streets. —
老杰罗姆友好地抱怨着糟糕的出租车服务和被封锁的街道。 —

Nevada, colored like a rose, with sapphire eyes, babbled of the stormy nights in the mountains around dad’s cabin. —
内华达带着玫瑰色的肤色和宝蓝色的眼睛，唠叨着关于父亲小屋周围的风雪之夜。 —

During all these wintry apostrophes, Barbara, cold at heart, sawed wood–the only appropriate thing she could think of to do.
而在所有这些冬天的插科打诨中，冷漠的芭芭拉锯木头–她能想到唯一合适的事情。

Old Jerome went immediately up-stairs to hot-water-bottles and quinine. —
老杰罗姆立刻上楼去拿暖水袋和奎宁药。 —

Nevada fluttered into the study, the only cheerfully lighted room, subsided into an arm-chair, and, while at the interminable task of unbuttoning her elbow gloves, gave oral testimony as to the demerits of the “show.”
内华达飞快地进入书房里，那是唯一一个欢快明亮的房间，她坐到扶手椅上，在解扣子手套的漫长过程中，口头上谈论了那个“演出”的缺点。

“Yes, I think Mr. Fields is really amusing–sometimes,” said Barbara. —
“是的，我认为菲尔兹先生有时候确实很有趣。”芭芭拉说。 —

“Here is a letter for you, dear, that came by special delivery just after you had gone.”
“亲爱的，这是一封特快专递给你的信，在你走后不久就到了。”

“Who is it from?” asked Nevada, tugging at a button.

“Well, really,” said Barbara, with a smile, “I can only guess. —
“是谁给的？”内华达一边用力解扣子一边问道。 —

The envelope has that queer little thing in one corner that Gilbert calls a palette, but which looks to me rather like a gilt heart on a school- girl’s valentine.”
“嗯，真的，我只能猜测。”芭芭拉微笑着说，“信封上有一个吉尔伯特称之为调色板的怪东西，但在我看来更像是一个闪亮的金色心形，就像学生时代女孩子的情人节卡片上那样。”

“I wonder what he’s writing to me about” remarked Nevada, listlessly.
“我不知道他写了些什么。”内华达漠然地说道。

“We’re all alike,” said Barbara; “all women. —
“我们都一样，”芭芭拉说，“所有的女性都是这样。 —

We try to find out what is in a letter by studying the postmark. —
我们试图通过研究邮戳来找出一封信的内容。作为最后的办法，我们使用剪刀，从底部向上阅读。这是你的信。” —

As a last resort we use scissors, and read it from the bottom upward. —
“我想知道他写信给我关于什么。”内华达无精打采地说道。 —

Here it is.”

She made a motion as if to toss the letter across the table to Nevada.
她作了一个动作，仿佛要把信扔过桌子给内华达。

“Great catamounts!” exclaimed Nevada. —
“天哪！”内华达惊叹道。 —

“These centre-fire buttons are a nuisance. —
“这些中心火炮按钮真讨厌。 —

I’d rather wear buckskins. —
我宁愿穿鹿皮。” —

Oh, Barbara, please shuck the hide off that letter and read it. —
哦，芭芭拉，请扒开信的皮，并读出来。 —

It’ll be midnight before I get these gloves off!”
把这些手套脱下来之前可能要等到半夜了！

“Why, dear, you don’t want me to open Gilbert’s letter to you? —
“亲爱的，你是不是不希望我帮你打开吉尔伯特给你的信？ —

It’s for you, and you wouldn’t wish any one else to read it, of course!”
这封信是给你的，当然你不会希望别人读它！”

Nevada raised her steady, calm, sapphire eyes from her gloves.
内华达从她那稳定、冷静的蓝宝石眼中抬起头来。

“Nobody writes me anything that everybody mightn’t read,” she said. “Go on, Barbara. —
“没有人给我写了一些可能不是所有人都能读的东西，”她说。“继续，芭芭拉。 —

Maybe Gilbert wants us to go out in his car again to-morrow.”
也许吉尔伯特想让我们明天再坐他的车出去。”

Curiosity can do more things than kill a cat; —
好奇心能做到比杀死猫更多的事情； —

and if emotions, well recognized as feminine, are inimical to feline life, then jealousy would soon leave the whole world catless. —
如果被公认为女性的情感对猫的生命有害的话，那么嫉妒不久就会让整个世界没有了猫。 —

Barbara opened the letter, with an indulgent, slightly bored air.
芭芭拉带着放纵和略带厌倦的神情打开了这封信。

“Well, dear,” said she, “I’ll read it if you want me to.”
“好吧，亲爱的，如果你想要的话，我就给你读出来。”

She slit the envelope, and read the missive with swift-travelling eyes; —
她撕开信封，用快速的目光阅读了一封信件； —

read it again, and cast a quick, shrewd glance at Nevada, who, for the time, seemed to consider gloves as the world of her interest, and letters from rising artists as no more than messages from Mars.
她再次读了一遍，一下抛出一个机智而敏锐的目光给尼瓦达，此时，她似乎对手套痴迷，而来自新兴艺术家的信件只不过是来自火星的信息罢了。

For a quarter of a minute Barbara looked at Nevada with a strange steadfastness; —
巴巴拉用奇怪的坚定目光盯着尼瓦达看了将近十五秒钟； —

and then a smile so small that it widened her mouth only the sixteenth part of an inch, and narrowed her eyes no more than a twentieth, flashed like an inspired thought across her face.
然后，一个微笑浮现在她的脸上，微笑如此微弱，只使她的嘴巴微微张开了十五分之一的宽度，眼睛也仅仅眯起了两十分之一。

Since the beginning no woman has been a mystery to another woman Swift as light travels, each penetrates the heart and mind of another, sifts her sister’s words of their cunningest disguises, reads her most hidden desires, and plucks the sophistry from her wiliest talk like hairs from a comb, twiddling them sardonically between her thumb and fingers before letting them float away on the breezes of fundamental doubt. —
自始至终，没有一个女人对另一个女人是个谜。如同光速般迅捷，她们相互洞察对方的内心和思想，过滤掉姐妹的言辞中最狡猾的伪装，读懂她们最隐藏的欲望，将她们最狡猾的言谈中的诡辩剔除得像从梳子上拨下头发一样，戏耍地用拇指和食指旋转其中，然后让它们随着根深蒂固的怀疑漂浮在微风中飘荡。 —

Long ago Eve’s son rang the door-bell of the family residence in Paradise Park, bearing a strange lady on his arm, whom he introduced. —
很久以前，夏娃的儿子敲响了天堂公园家里的门铃，他带着一个陌生的女人，向大家介绍了她。 —

Eve took her daughter-in-law aside and lifted a classic eyebrow.
夏娃把儿媳妇拉到一边，挑起经典的眉毛。

“The Land of Nod,” said the bride, languidly flirting the leaf of a palm. —
新娘懒散地挥动着棕榈叶，说：“我想你当然去过那个梦幻之地了， —

“I suppose you’ve been there, of course?”
对吗？”

“Not lately,” said Eve, absolutely unstaggered. —
夏娃毫不惊讶地回答：“最近没去过。 —

“Don’t you think the apple-sauce they serve over there is execrable? —
”你觉得他们那里供应的苹果酱是不是非常糟糕？ —

I rather like that mulberry-leaf tunic effect, dear; but, of course, the real fig goods are not to be had over there. —
亲爱的，我挺喜欢那种桑葚叶的外衣效果的，但是，当然，真正好的无花果在那边是买不到的。 —

Come over behind this lilac-bush while the gentlemen split a celery tonic. —
在绅士们喝西芹汁的时候，跟我到这棵紫丁香后面来。 —

I think the caterpillar-holes have made your dress open a little in the back.”
我觉得毛虫的洞弄得你的裙子在背后开了一点。

So, then and there–according to the records–was the alliance formed by the only two who’s-who ladies in the world. —
就这样，在世界上唯一的两个名人中，他们根据记录进行了结盟。 —

Then it was agreed that woman should forever remain as clear as a pane of glass-though glass was yet to be discovered-to other women, and that she should palm herself off on man as a mystery.
于是达成一致，决定女性应该永远对其他女性保持透明如玻璃的状态——尽管当时玻璃还未被发现——并且她应该让男性误以为她是一个谜。

Barbara seemed to hesitate.
巴巴拉似乎有些犹豫。

“Really, Nevada,” she said, with a little show of embarrassment, “you shouldn’t have insisted on my opening this. —
“真的，内华达，” 她略带尴尬地说道，” 你不应该坚持让我打开这个。 —

I-I’m sure it wasn’t meant for any one else to know.”
我-我肯定这不是为了让其他人知道的。”

Nevada forgot her gloves for a moment.
内华达一时忘记了她的手套。

“Then read it aloud,” she said. —
“那就大声读出来，”她说道。” —

“Since you’ve already read it, what’s the difference? —
既然你已经读过了，有什么区别呢？ —

If Mr. Warren has written to me something that any one else oughtn’t to know, that is all the more reason why everybody should know it.”
如果沃伦先生写给我一些别人不该知道的事情，那更应该让每个人都知道。”

“Well,” said Barbara, “this is what it says:
“好吧，”巴巴拉说道，”这是信上写的：

‘Dearest Nevada–Come to my studio at twelve o’clock to-night. —
‘亲爱的内华达——今晚十二点来我的工作室。 —

Do not fail.’” Barbara rose and dropped the note in Nevada’s lap. —
切勿失约。’“巴巴拉站起身把信纸扔在内华达的腿上。 —

“I’m awfully sorry,” she said, “that I knew. —
“我真的很抱歉，”她说道，”我知道这个。 —

It isn’t like Gilbert. There must be some mistake. —
这不像吉尔伯特的风格。肯定是有什么误会。” —

Just consider that I am ignorant of it, will you, dear? —
想想我对此一无所知，亲爱的，好吗？ —

I must go up-stairs now, I have such a headache. —
我现在得上楼了，头痛得厉害。 —

I’m sure I don’t understand the note. —
我确信我不明白这个便条。 —

Perhaps Gilbert has been dining too well, and will explain. Good night!”
也许吉尔伯特吃得太多了，他会解释的。晚安！

IV
IV

Nevada tiptoed to the hall, and heard Barbara’s door close upstairs. —
内华达小心翼翼地走到门厅，听到了芭芭拉楼上的门关上的声音。 —

The bronze clock in the study told the hour of twelve was fifteen minutes away. —
书房里的青铜钟敲响，告诉人们还有十五分钟就到十二点。 —

She ran swiftly to the front door, and let herself out into the snow-storm. —
她迅速跑到前门，走出了暴风雪中。 —

Gilbert Warren’s studio was six squares away.
吉尔伯特·沃伦的画室离这里有六个街区。

By aerial ferry the white, silent forces of the storm attacked the city from beyond the sullen East River. Already the snow lay a foot deep on the pavements, the drifts heaping themselves like scaling- ladders against the walls of the besieged town. —
飘扬的白色暴风雪从东面的淡水河那边进攻着城市。雪已在人行道上积了一英尺深，像攀爬在被围困的城镇墙壁上的阶梯一样形成了一堆堆的风雪。 —

The Avenue was as quiet as a street in Pompeii. —
大道上静悄悄的，像庞贝的一条街道。 —

Cabs now and then skimmed past like white-winged gulls over a moonlit ocean; —
出租车偶尔飞驰而过，像月光下的大海上的白翼鸥一样。 —

and less frequent motor-cars- -sustaining the comparison–hissed through the foaming waves like submarine boats on their jocund, perilous journeys.
越来越稀少的汽车好像潜艇般穿越泡沫翻滚的浪花，踏上它们欢乐而危险的旅途。

Nevada plunged like a wind-driven storm-petrel on her way. —
内华达像风驱的海燕一样投身前行。 —

She looked up at the ragged sierras of cloud-capped buildings that rose above the streets, shaded by the night lights and the congealed vapors to gray, drab, ashen, lavender, dun, and cerulean tints. —
她抬头看着那些布满了云层的不整齐的山脊，那些被夜光和凝结的蒸汽映衬着的灰色、暗淡、灰褐色、淡紫色、暗棕色和蔚蓝色的色调。 —

They were so like the wintry mountains of her Western home that she felt a satisfaction such as the hundred-thousand-dollar house had seldom brought her.
它们如同她西部故乡的冬山，给她带来了难得的满足，这种满足很少有百万美元的豪宅能带给她。

A policeman caused her to waver on a corner, just by his eye and weight.
一个警察只凭着他的目光和体重使她在街角徘徊。

“Hello, Mabel!” said he. “Kind of late for you to be out, ain’t it?”
“嗨，梅布尔！”他说。“你这么晚出来，是不是有点晚了？”

“I–I am just going to the drug store,” said Nevada, hurrying past him.
“我——我只是去药店，”内华达匆匆走过他身边。

The excuse serves as a passport for the most sophisticated. —
这个借口对最老练的人来说都是通行证。 —

Does it prove that woman never progresses, or that she sprang from Adam’s rib, full-fledged in intellect and wiles?
这是在证明女人永远不会进步呢，还是证明她从亚当的肋骨中诞生时就拥有完全发育的智慧和诡计？

Turning eastward, the direct blast cut down Nevada’s speed one-half. —
向东转过去，直接的冲击使内华达的速度减慢了一半。 —

She made zigzag tracks in the snow; —
她在雪地上留下了蜿蜒的痕迹； —

but she was as tough as a pinon sapling, and bowed to it as gracefully. —
但她像一棵坚韧的油松树一样坚强，优雅地弯下身子。 —

Suddenly the studio-building loomed before her, a familiar landmark, like a cliff above some well- remembered canon. —
突然，工作室大楼出现在她面前，像一个熟悉的地标，就像在一条熟悉的峡谷上方的悬崖。 —

The haunt of business and its hostile neighbor, art, was darkened and silent. —
商业和它的敌对邻居艺术的巢穴已经变得昏暗和寂静。 —

The elevator stopped at ten.
电梯在十楼停下。

Up eight flights of Stygian stairs Nevada climbed, and rapped firmly at the door numbered “89.” She had been there many times before, with Barbara and Uncle Jerome.
内华达爬上了黑暗的楼梯，走了八层楼，有力地敲了敲标有”89”字样的门。她以前经常和芭芭拉和杰罗姆叔叔一起来这里。

Gilbert opened the door. He had a crayon pencil in one hand, a green shade over his eyes, and a pipe in his mouth. —
吉尔伯特打开了门。他手里拿着一支蜡笔，眼前戴着绿色的遮阳帽，嘴里叼着烟斗。 —

The pipe dropped to the floor.
烟斗掉到了地上。

“Am I late?” asked Nevada. “I came as quick as I could. —
“我迟到了吗？”内华达问道。“我尽快赶过来了， —

Uncle and me were at the theatre this evening. —
我和叔叔今晚在剧院。我来了， —

Here I am, Gilbert!”
吉尔伯特！”

Gilbert did a Pygmalion-and-Galatea act. —
吉尔伯特做了一个匹格马利翁和伽拉忒亚的动作。 —

He changed from a statue of stupefaction to a young man with a problem to tackle. —
他从一个目瞪口呆的雕像变成了一个要解决问题的年轻人。 —

He admitted Nevada, got a whiskbroom, and began to brush the snow from her clothes. —
他承认内华达州，拿起一把簸箕，开始为她刷去衣服上的雪。 —

A great lamp, with a green shade, hung over an easel, where the artist had been sketching in crayon.
一盏带有绿色罩子的大灯悬挂在一个画架上，艺术家在那里用蜡笔勾画。

“You wanted me,” said Nevada simply, “ and I came. —
“你需要我，”内华达简单地说道，“而我来了。 —

You said so in your letter. —
你在信中这样说的。 —

What did you send for me for?”
你为什么叫我来呢？”

“You read my letter?” inquired Gilbert, sparring for wind.
“你看了我的信？”吉尔伯特问道，有些喘不过气来。

“Barbara read it to me. I saw it afterward. It said: —
“芭芭拉给我读了信。我后来也看到了。信上写着： —

‘Come to my studio at twelve to-night, and do not fail.’ I thought you were sick, of course, but you don’t seem to be.”
‘今晚十二点来到我的工作室，不要失败。’”“当然，我当时以为你生病了，但你看起来并不像。”

“Aha!” said Gilbert irrelevantly. —
“啊哈！”吉尔伯特没有正面回答。 —

“I’ll tell you why I asked you to come, Nevada. —
他说：“我告诉你为什么让你来的，内华达。” —

I want you to marry me immediately – to-night. —
“我希望你立即嫁给我，就在今晚。 —

What’s a little snow-storm? —
有什么大不了的暴风雪？ —

Will you do it?”
你愿意吗？”

“You might have noticed that I would, long ago,” said Nevada. “And I’m rather stuck on the snow-storm idea, myself. —
“你可能注意到我早就愿意了，”内华达说。“而且我也挺喜欢暴风雪这个想法的。” —

I surely would hate one of these flowery church noon-weddings. —
“我真的讨厌那种充满鲜花的教堂中午婚礼。” —

Gilbert, I didn’t know you had grit enough to propose it this way. —
“吉尔伯特，我不知道你有足够的勇气以这种方式求婚。” —

Let’s shock ‘em–it’s our funeral, ain’t it?”
让我们给他们一个惊喜- 毕竟是我们的葬礼，对吧？

“You bet!” said Gilbert. “Where did I hear that expression?” he added to himself. “Wait a minute, Nevada; —
“你说得对！”吉尔伯特说道。 “我在哪听过这个说法？” 他自己补充道。 “等一下， —

I want to do a little ‘phoning.”
内华达；我想打个电话。

He shut himself in a little dressing-room, and called upon the lightnings of tile heavens–condensed into unromantic numbers and districts.
他把自己关在一个小化妆室里，召唤起天空中的闪电- 转化为缺乏浪漫的数字和地区。

“That you, Jack? You confounded sleepyhead! Yes, wake up; —
“你是杰克吗？你这个该死的懒虫！是的， —

this is me–or I–oh, bother the difference in grammar! I’m going to be married right away. —
醒醒吧；这是我–或者我–哦，让语法消失吧！我要马上结婚了。 —

Yes! Wake up your sister–don’t answer me back; —
是的！把你妹妹叫醒–不要跟我顶嘴； —

bring her along, too–you must!. —
也把她带来– 一定要带她！ —

Remind Agnes of the time I saved her from drowning in Lake Ronkonkoma–I know it’s caddish to refer to it, but she must come with you. —
提醒阿格尼丝我在罗恩康科马湖救过她一命–我知道提起这件事很卑鄙，但是她一定要和你一起来。 —

Yes. Nevada is here, waiting. —
是的。内华达在这里等着。 —

We’ve been engaged quite a while. —
我们已经订婚有一段时间了。 —

Some opposition among the relatives, you know, and we have to pull it off this way. —
你知道的，亲戚之间有一些反对意见，所以我们不得不这样办。 —

We’re waiting here for you. —
我们在这里等你。 —

Don’t let Agnes out-talk you–bring her! —
别让阿格尼丝多说话–带她来！你会的吧？ —

You will? Good old boy! —
好乖老兄！ —

I’ll order a carriage to call for you, double-quick time. Confound you, Jack, you’re all right!”
我会叫一辆马车过来接你，迅速地。你真是个该死的好家伙，杰克！

Gilbert returned to the room where Nevada waited.
吉尔伯特回到房间，内华达等待着他。

“My old friend, Jack Peyton, and his sister were to have been here at a quarter to twelve,” he explained; “but Jack is so confoundedly slow. —
“我的老朋友杰克·佩顿和他的妹妹本应在十二点之前到这里的，” 他解释道；”但是杰克他可真慢啊。 —

I’ve just ‘phoned them to hurry. —
我刚刚打电话催了他们一下。 —

They’ll be here in a few minutes. —
他们很快就会到这里了。 —

I’m the happiest man in the world, Nevada! —
内华达，我是世界上最幸福的人！ —

What did you do with the letter I sent you to-day ?”
你把我今天给你的信放在哪儿了？

“I’ve got it cinched here,” said Nevada, pulling it out from beneath her opera-cloak.
“我把它藏在这儿了，” 内华达从她的外套下面拿出来。

Gilbert drew the letter from the envelope and looked it over carefully. —
吉尔伯特仔细地从信封中取出信，看了看。 —

Then he looked at Nevada thoughtfully.
然后他若有所思地看着内华达。

“Didn’t you think it rather queer that I should ask you to come to my studio at midnight?” he asked.
“你难道不觉得我让你在午夜来我的工作室有点奇怪吗？”他问道。

“Why, no,” said Nevada, rounding her eyes. —
“嗯，没有,“内华达双眼圆睁着说。” —

“Not if you needed me. Out West, when a pal sends you a hurry call–ain’t that what you say here ? —
如果你需要我，我们西部人早就会到那儿了。这不就是你在这儿说的吗？ —

–we get there first and talk about it after the row is over. —
-在事发后我们先到那儿，事后再谈。 —

And it’s usually snowing there, too, when things happen. So I didn’t mind.”
“而且，当事情发生时，往往还会在那里下雪。所以我并不介意。”

Gilbert rushed into another room, and came back burdened with overcoats warranted to turn wind, rain, or snow.
吉尔伯特冲进另一个房间，提着几件经得住风、雨或雪的厚外套回来。

“Put this raincoat on,” he said, holding it for her. —
“穿上这件雨衣，”他为她拿着说道。 —

“We have a quarter of a mile to go. —
“我们还有四分之一英里的路要走。 —

Old Jack and his sister will be here in a few minutes.” He began to struggle into a heavy coat. “Oh, Nevada,” he said, “just look at the head-lines on the front page of that evening paper on the table, will you? —
老杰克和他的姐姐马上就会到这里来。”他开始苦苦挣扎穿上一件厚重的外套。“哦，内华达，”他说，“你看一下桌上晚报头版的标题，会对你们那个地区很感兴趣。” —

It’s about your section of the West, and I know it will interest you.”
他等了整整一分钟，假装在穿上外套时遇到了麻烦，然后转过身。内华达没有动。

He waited a full minute, pretending to find trouble in the getting on of his overcoat, and then turned. Nevada had not moved. —
她用奇怪而深思的直视看着他。她的脸颊上有一片超过风雪给予的颜色的红晕，但她的眼神却很坚定。 —

She was looking at him with strange and pensive directness. —
—

Her cheeks had a flush on them beyond the color that had been contributed by the wind and snow; —
她静静地注视着他。 —

but her eyes were steady.

“I was going to tell you,” she said, “anyhow, before you–before we– before-well, before anything. —
“我本来要告诉你的，”她说，“不管怎样，在你之前，在我们之前，好吧，在任何事情之前。 —

Dad never gave me a day of schooling. —
爸爸从来没有给过我一天的学校教育。 —

I never learned to read or write a darned word. —
我从来没有学会读或写一个字。 —

Now if–” Pounding their uncertain way up-stairs, the feet of Jack, the somnolent, and Agnes, the grateful, were heard.
现在如果——”传出了杰克和阿格尼丝踉跄而上的楼梯声。

V
V

When Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Warren were spinning softly homeward in a closed carriage, after the ceremony, Gilbert s said:
当吉尔伯特·沃伦先生和夫人在仪式后乘坐一辆封闭的马车缓缓返回家时，吉尔伯特说：

“Nevada, would you really like to know what I wrote you in the letter that you received to-night?”
“内华达，你真的想知道今晚你收到的信里我写了什么吗？”

“Fire away!” said his bride.
“说吧！”他的新娘说。

“Word for word,” said Gilbert, “it was this: —
吉尔伯特说：“逐字逐句，它是这样的： —

‘My dear Miss Warren-You were right about the flower. It was a hydrangea, and not a lilac.’
‘亲爱的华伦小姐-你对于那朵花的判断是正确的。它是绣球花，而不是丁香花。’”

“All right,” said Nevada. —
“好吧，”内华达说。 —

“But let’s forget it. The joke’s on Barbara, anyway!”
“但让我们忘了它。无论如何，这个笑话都是嘲笑芭芭拉的！”