Golden by day and silver by night, a new trail now leads to us across the Indian Ocean. Dusky kings and princes have found our Bombay of the West; —
白天金光闪耀，夜晚银色光辉，一条新的航线如今横跨印度洋，使暗黑的国王和王子们找到了我们西部的孟买； —

and few be their trails that do not lead down to Broadway on their journey for to admire and for to see.
很少有一条线索不会带你来到百老汇，欣赏和观赏一番；

If chance should ever lead you near a hotel that transiently shelters some one of these splendid touring grandees, I counsel you to seek Lucullus Polk among the republican tuft-hunters that besiege its entrances. —
如果运气巧合让你靠近一家短暂滞留这些富有宏伟巡游者们的酒店，我建议你寻找鲁库勒斯·波尔克，他会被红色、警觉的威灵顿式鼻子辨认出来，他的行为既谨慎又坚定，并带有忙碌不安的经纪人或股票经纪人的风姿，还有他那亮红色的领带，勇敢地抵消他那被虐待得没法看的蓝色细纹西装，就像一面仍在高高飘扬的战旗，代表着一个濒临失败的事业。 —

He will be there. You will know him by his red, alert, Wellington-nosed face, by his manner of nervous caution mingled with determination, by his assumed promoter’s or broker’s air of busy impatience, and by his bright-red necktie, gallantly redressing the wrongs of his maltreated blue serge suit, like a battle standard still waving above a lost cause. —
你将会在那儿找到他。通过他红彤彤、警觉的威灵顿式鼻子、他紧张谨慎却又坚定的举止、他装出来的推销员或经纪人忙碌不安的姿态，以及他亮红色的领带，勇敢地纠正被虐待的蓝色细纹西装的错误，就像一面仍在高高飘扬的战旗，代表着一个濒临失败的事业，你会认出他。 —

I found him profitable; and so may you. —
我发现他很有利可图， —

When you do look for him, look among the light-horse troop of Bedouins that besiege the picket-line of the travelling potentate’s guards and secretaries–among the wild-eyed genii of Arabian Afternoons that gather to make astounding and egregrious demands upon the prince’s coffers.
你也可以。当你寻找他时，请在围困旅行统治者的警卫和秘书的轻骑兵中寻找他，在阿拉伯下午的狂野眼神中寻找将对王子的金库提出惊人和荒谬的要求的精灵们。

I first saw Mr. Polk coming down the steps of the hotel at which sojourned His Highness the Gaekwar of Baroda, most enlightened of the Mahratta princes, who, of late, ate bread and salt in our Metropolis of the Occident.
我首次看到波尔克先生从旅居我大东方都市的巴罗达的盖克瓦尔殿下的酒店台阶上走下来。

Lucullus moved rapidly, as though propelled by some potent moral force that imminently threatened to become physical. —
吕克卢斯迅速移动，仿佛被某种强大的道德力量推动着，这种力量威胁着即将变得实质性。 —

Behind him closely followed the impetus–a hotel detective, if ever white Alpine hat, hawk’s nose, implacable watch chain, and loud refinement of manner spoke the truth. —
在他的身后紧随其后的是冲力——一个酒店侦探，如果说白色阿尔卑斯帽、鹰钩鼻子、无情的挂表链和嘈杂的绅士气派说出了真相。 —

A brace of uniformed porters at his heels preserved the smooth decorum of the hotel, repudiating by their air of disengagement any suspicion that they formed a reserve squad of ejectment.
一群身穿制服的搬运工紧随其后，保持着酒店的秩序，他们冷漠的态度表明他们并不是一支被保留起来的驱逐队伍。

Safe on the sidewalk, Lucullus Polk turned and shook a freckled fist at the caravansary. —
在人行道上安全了，卢卡卢斯·波尔克转身朝旅店摇了摇有雀斑的拳头。 —

And, to my joy, he began to breathe deep invective in strange words:
令我高兴的是，他开始用奇怪的词语大声地发表痛斥之词：

“Rides in howdays, does he?” he cried loudly and sneeringly. —
“他是坐elephants in howdahs（译者注：多座位无车篷时的坐骑）旅行的吗？ —

“Rides on elephants in howdahs and calls himself a prince! —
”他大声而嘲讽地喊道，“坐在象背上，自称是王子！ —

Kings–yah! —
国王，呸！” —

Comes over here and talks horse till you would think he was a president; —
跑到这里来就谈论马，好像他是总统； —

and then goes home and rides in a private dining-room strapped onto an elephant. —
然后回去在被绑在象身上的私人用餐室里坐。唉， —

Well, well, well!”
真是的！”

The ejecting committee quietly retired. —
驱逐委员会静悄悄地后退了。 —

The scorner of princes turned to me and snapped his fingers.
这位对亲王抱着鄙视态度的人转向我，嘶哑地说道。

“What do you think of that?” he shouted derisively. —
“你觉得怎么样？”他嘲弄地喊道， —

“The Gaekwar of Baroda rides in an elephant in a howdah! —
“巴罗达的Gaekwar坐在象上的骑座里！ —

And there’s old Bikram Shamsher Jang scorching up and down the pig-paths of Khatmandu on a motor-cycle. —
而在加德满都的猪道上，有着老比克兰·夏姆舍尔·杨克骑着摩托车飞驰而过。 —

Wouldn’t that maharajah you? —
这样的马拉贾会让你惊讶吗？ —

And the Shah of Persia, that ought to have been Muley-on-the-spot for at least three, he’s got the palanquin habit. —
而波斯的沙阿，至少三年内都应该在现场，可他却喜欢坐行轿。 —

And that funny-hat prince from Korea–wouldn’t you think he could afford to amble around on a milk-white palfrey once in a dynasty or two? —
而那个来自韩国的奇怪帽子王子，你难道不觉得他应该可以享受每隔一两个王朝骑一匹雪白的马漫游的待遇吗？ —

Nothing doing! His idea of a Balaklava charge is to tuck his skirts under him and do his mile in six days over the hog- wallows of Seoul in a bull-cart. —
可惜不是这样！他对于充满泥坑的首尔用牛车走六天才行一英里的巴拉克拉瓦冲锋行动很满意。 —

That’s the kind of visiting potentates that come to this country now. —
现在来到这个国家的是这样的访问权贵。这真是一个艰难的交易， —

It’s a hard deal, friend.”
朋友。

I murmured a few words of sympathy. —
我表示了一点同情之词。 —

But it was uncomprehending, for I did not know his grievance against the rulers who flash, meteor-like, now and then upon our shores.
但我无法理解他对那些像流星一样偶尔出现在我们国家的统治者的不满。

“The last one I sold,” continued the displeased one, “was to that three-horse-tailed Turkish pasha that came over a year ago. —
“我上次卖的是给一年前来的那位长着三个马尾巴的土耳其帕夏。 —

Five hundred dollars he paid for it, easy. —
他付了五百美元，轻而易举。 —

I says to his executioner or secretary–he was a kind of a Jew or a Chinaman–‘His Turkey Gibbets is fond of horses, then?’
我对他的刽子手或秘书——他是个犹太人或中国人——说：“他的火鸡吉贝特特别喜欢马呢？”

”‘Him?’ says the secretary. ‘Well, no. He’s got a big, fat wife in the harem named Bad Dora that he don’t like. —
“‘他？’秘书说。‘嗯，不喜欢。他后宫里有一个名叫坏多拉的胖老婆，他不喜欢她。 —

I believe he intends to saddle her up and ride her up and down the board-walk in the Bulbul Gardens a few times every day. —
我相信他打算给她上鞍，每天在布尔布尔花园的木板路上骑她几趟。 —

You haven’t got a pair of extra-long spurs you could throw in on the deal, have you?’ Yes, sir; —
你手头上有一双特长的马刺吗？要是能附带上就太好了。”是的，先生； —

there’s mighty few real rough-riders among the royal sports these days.”
如今皇室运动中真正粗鲁的骑手可不多。”

As soon as Lucullus Polk got cool enough I picked him up, and with no greater effort than you would employ in persuading a drowning man to clutch a straw, I inveigled him into accompanying me to a cool corner in a dim cafe.
等卢卡卢斯·波尔克冷静下来，我把他扶了起来，并且只用拯救溺水者抓住稻草的力量就把他引诱到一个清凉的角落，一个昏暗的咖啡馆里。

And it came to pass that man-servants set before us brewage; —
侍男们给我们端上了饮料； —

and Lucullus Polk spake unto me, relating the wherefores of his beleaguering the antechambers of the princes of the earth.
卢卡卢斯·波尔克对我说话，讲述他如何困扰着地球上的王公贵族们。

“Did you ever hear of the S.A. & A.P. Railroad in Texas? —
你听说过德克萨斯的S.A.＆A.P.铁路吗？好吧， —

Well, that don’t stand for Samaritan Actor’s Aid Philanthropy. —
它并不代表萨马利坦演员援助慈善事业。 —

I was down that way managing a summer bunch of the gum and syntax-chewers that play the Idlewild Parks in the Western hamlets. —
我当时在管理一群在西部小镇的Idlewild公园表演的口香糖和句法咀嚼者。 —

Of course, we went to pieces when the soubrette ran away with a prominent barber of Beeville. —
当然，当那位女配角和Beeville的一位知名理发师私奔时，我们都崩溃了。 —

I don’t know what became of the rest of the company. —
我不知道剧团其他成员去了哪里。 —

I believe there were some salaries due; —
我相信还有一些薪水未支付； —

and the last I saw of the troupe was when I told them that forty-three cents was all the treasury contained. —
我最后一次见到剧团时，我告诉他们只有四十三美分在财务中。 —

I say I never saw any of them after that; —
我要说，那之后我再也没有见过他们； —

but I heard them for about twenty minutes. —
但我听到他们的声音持续了大约二十分钟。 —

I didn’t have time to look back. —
我没有时间回头看。 —

But after dark I came out of the woods and struck the S.A. & A.P. agent for means of transportation. —
但天黑后，我走出树林，找到S.A.＆A.P.代理要求交通工具。 —

He at once extended to me the courtesies of the entire railroad, kindly warning me, however, not to get aboard any of the rolling stock.
他当即向我提供了整个铁路的殷勤款待，不过友好地警告我不要上任何一辆车厢。

“About ten the next morning I steps off the ties into a village that calls itself Atascosa City. I bought a thirty-cent breakfast and a ten-cent cigar, and stood on the Main Street jingling the three pennies in my pocket–dead broke. —
第二天早上大约十点我走下铁轨，来到一个自称为Atascosa City的村庄。我花了三十分买了早餐，十分买了一支雪茄，然后站在主街上晃动着口袋里的三分钱——身无分文。 —

A man in Texas with only three cents in his pocket is no better off than a man that has no money and owes two cents.
在德克萨斯州，口袋里只有三分钱的人和欠两分钱的人没什么两样。

“One of luck’s favourite tricks is to soak a man for his last dollar so quick that he don’t have time to look it. —
“幸运最喜欢的把戏之一是迅速让一个人掏光最后一块钱，以至于他来不及看清楚。” —

There I was in a swell St. Louis tailor-made, blue-and-green plaid suit, and an eighteen- carat sulphate-of-copper scarf-pin, with no hope in sight except the two great Texas industries, the cotton fields and grading new railroads. —
我就在那儿，穿着一套漂亮的圣路易斯定制套装，蓝绿相间的格纹，还有一枚十八克拉的硫酸铜丝巾针，除了德克萨斯最重要的两个产业——棉花田和筑路，我别无希望。 —

I never picked cotton, and I never cottoned to a pick, so the outlook had ultramarine edges.
我从未拣过棉花，也从未像拣棉花一样对待任何事情，所以前景一片阴郁。

“All of a sudden, while I was standing on the edge of the wooden sidewalk, down out of the sky falls two fine gold watches in the middle of the street. —
“突然间，当我站在木制人行道的边缘时，从天空中掉下来两只金表，落在街中央。其中一只撞到了一块泥巴上就卡住了。 —

One hits a chunk of mud and sticks. —
” —

The other falls hard and flies open, making a fine drizzle of little springs and screws and wheels. —
另一个摔倒了，泥花飞溅，小弹簧、螺丝和齿轮四散飞扬。 —

I looks up for a balloon or an airship; —
我抬头寻找气球或飞艇， —

but not seeing any, I steps off the sidewalk to investigate.
但没有看到任何东西，于是我走下人行道去调查。

“But I hear a couple of yells and see two men running up the street in leather overalls and high-heeled boots and cartwheel hats. —
“但我听到两声喊叫，看见两个穿着皮制工装、高跟靴和圆筒帽的人沿街跑来。 —

One man is six or eight feet high, with open-plumbed joints and a heartbroken cast of countenance. —
一个人身高六至八英尺，身上有着可替换的机械关节，面容憔悴伤心。 —

He picks up the watch that has stuck in the mud. —
他捡起了卡在泥里的手表。 —

The other man, who is little, with pink hair and white eyes, goes for the empty case, and says, ‘I win.’ Then the elevated pessimist goes down under his leather leg-holsters and hands a handful of twenty- dollar gold pieces to his albino friend. —
另一个人个子矮小，头发粉红，眼睛白色，他走向空盒子，说道：” 我赢了。” 然后那个高台上的悲观主义者闷闷不乐地掏出他的皮装腿套，递给他那位白化病友满满一把二十美元的金币。 —

I don’t know how much money it was; —
我不知道那是多少钱， —

it looked as big as an earthquake-relief fund to me.
它对我来说看起来像一个地震救济基金一样巨大。

”‘I’ll have this here case filled up with works,’ says Shorty, ‘and throw you again for five hundred.’
“矮子说：我要把这个盒子装满零件，然后再和你赌五百美元。

”‘I’m your company,’ says the high man. —
“‘我是你们公司，’高个子大叔说道。 —

‘I’ll meet you at the Smoked Dog Saloon an hour from now.’
‘一个小时后，在烟雾弥漫的狗俱乐部见面。’”

“The little man hustles away with a kind of Swiss movement toward a jewelry store. —
“小个子匆忙地像瑞士钟表一样朝着一家珠宝店走去。” —

The heartbroken person stoops over and takes a telescopic view of my haberdashery.
“伤心欲绝的人弯腰俯视着我的服装店，眼中透过望远镜看着。”

”‘Them’s a mighty slick outfit of habiliments you have got on, Mr. Man,’ says he. —
“‘先生，你身上穿的那套服装真是一身漂亮的衣饰，’他说道。” —

‘I’ll bet a hoss you never acquired the right, title, and interest in and to them clothes in Atascosa City.’
“‘我敢打赌，你在阿塔斯科萨市从未真正拥有过这身衣物的所有权、名义和利益。’”

”‘Why, no,’ says I, being ready enough to exchange personalities with this moneyed monument of melancholy. —
“‘嗯，不，’我说道，对这位有钱但忧郁的人倒是心甘情愿地交换一下身份。” —

‘I had this suit tailored from a special line of coatericks, vestures, and pantings in St. Louis. Would you mind putting me sane,’ says I, ‘on this watch-throwing contest? —
“‘我这套西装是从圣路易斯定制的，是特别系列的上装、马甲和裤装。你介意让我理解一下’，我说道，‘关于这个扔表比赛吗？’” —

I’ve been used to seeing time-pieces treated with more politeness and esteem–except women’s watches, of course, which by nature they abuse by cracking walnuts with ‘em and having ‘em taken showing in tintype pictures.’
“‘我见过处理时间器更有礼貌和尊重的方式 - 当然，除了女士手表，它们天生就被人们拿来敲核桃或者被拿去拍手写真。’”

”‘Me and George,’ he explains, ‘are up from the ranch, having a spell of fun. —
“他解释道，’ 我和乔治从农场出来，玩个痛快。’ —

Up to last month we owned four sections of watered grazing down on the San Miguel. —
直到上个月，我们在圣米格尔拥有四个水域放牧的区域。 —

But along comes one of these oil prospectors and begins to bore. —
但是突然冒出来一个石油勘探者开始钻探。 —

He strikes a gusher that flows out twenty thousand –or maybe it was twenty million–barrels of oil a day. —
他发现了一个喷油井，每天流出二十万甚至可能是二千万桶的原油。 —

And me and George gets one hundred and fifty thousand dollars–seventy-five thousand dollars apiece–for the land. —
于是我和乔治得到了十五万美元，也就是每人七万五千美元的土地款。 —

So now and then we saddles up and hits the breeze for Atascosa City for a few days of excitement and damage. —
所以我们偶尔就会骑上马，冲向阿塔斯科萨城度过几天刺激和疯狂。 —

Here’s a little bunch of the dinero that I drawed out of the bank this morning,’ says he, and shows a roll of twenties and fifties as big around as a sleeping-car pillow. —
‘这是我今天早上从银行取出来的一小堆钱，’他说着，并展示了一卷像火车枕头一样宽的二十美元和五十美元的钞票。 —

The yellowbacks glowed like a sunset on the gable end of John D.’s barn. —
这些钞票像约翰·D·洛克菲勒的谷仓屋顶上的日落一样闪耀着黄光。 —

My knees got weak, and I sat down on the edge of the board sidewalk.
我的膝盖发软，我坐在木板人行道的边缘。

”‘You must have knocked around a right smart,’ goes on this oil Grease-us. —
“‘你一定四处跑过不少地方，’这个名叫油脂的人继续说道。 —

‘I shouldn’t be surprised if you have saw towns more livelier than what Atascosa City is. —
‘如果你看过比Atascosa City更热闹的小镇，我不会感到惊讶。 —

Sometimes it seems to me that there ought to be some more ways of having a good time than there is here, ‘specially when you’ve got plenty of money and don’t mind spending it.’
有时候我觉得应该有更多的方式来享乐，尤其是当你有足够的钱并且不介意花费的时候。

“Then this Mother Cary’s chick of the desert sits down by me and we hold a conversationfest. —
“然后，这只母鸟在沙漠中的小鸟坐在我身边，我们展开了一次交谈盛宴。 —

It seems that he was money-poor. —
他说他只有少量的钱。 —

He’d lived in ranch camps all his life; —
他一生都住在牧场营地， —

and he confessed to me that his supreme idea of luxury was to ride into camp, tired out from a round-up, eat a peck of Mexican beans, hobble his brains with a pint of raw whisky, and go to sleep with his boots for a pillow. —
他向我坦白，他对奢华的最高理想就是在完成了一次大规模围捕后，骑马回到营地，吃上一小袋墨西哥豆，喝上一品脱生威士忌，将酒量麻痹后，用靴子当枕头睡觉。 —

When this barge-load of unexpected money came to him and his pink but perky partner, George, and they hied themselves to this clump of outhouses called Atascosa City, you know what happened to them. —
当这一突如其来的财富来到他和他那粉红但活泼的伙伴乔治身边，他们来到这个被称为Atascosa City的一组小屋时，你知道发生了什么。 —

They had money to buy anything they wanted; —
他们有钱买任何他们想要的东西， —

but they didn’t know what to want. —
但他们不知道想要什么。 —

Their ideas of spendthriftiness were limited to three–whisky, saddles, and gold watches. —
他们对挥霍浪费的概念仅限于威士忌、马鞍和金表。 —

If there was anything else in the world to throw away fortunes on, they had never heard about it. —
如果世界上还有其他东西可以挥霍财富，他们从未听说过。 —

So, when they wanted to have a hot time, they’d ride into town and get a city directory and stand in front of the principal saloon and call up the population alphabetically for free drinks. —
所以，当他们想要high起来时，他们会骑马进城，找一本城市名录，站在主要的酒吧前，按照字母顺序叫出人口数量，以换取免费的饮料。 —

Then they would order three or four new California saddles from the storekeeper, and play crack-loo on the sidewalk with twenty-dollar gold pieces. —
然后他们会从店主那里订购三到四个新的加利福尼亚马鞍，在人行道上用价值二十美元的金币玩插烟盒游戏。 —

Betting who could throw his gold watch the farthest was an inspiration of George’s; —
谁能把金表扔得最远成了乔治的灵感； —

but even that was getting to be monotonous.
但就连这也变得乏味了。

“Was I on to the opportunity? Listen.
“我对这个机会有着清晰的认识吗？听好了。

“In thirty minutes I had dashed off a word picture of metropolitan joys that made life in Atascosa City look as dull as a trip to Coney Island with your own wife. —
“在三十分钟内，我写了一幅描绘都市中乐趣的文字画面，让阿塔斯科萨市的生活看起来像是和自己的妻子一起去康尼岛一样无聊。” —

In ten minutes more we shook hands on an agreement that I was to act as his guide, interpreter and friend in and to the aforesaid wassail and amenity. —
十分钟后，我们握手达成了一项协议，我将担任他在上述的娱乐和享受中的向导、口译员和朋友。而索罗门·米尔斯， —

And Solomon Mills, which was his name, was to pay all expenses for a month. —
这就是他的名字，将支付一个月的所有费用。 —

At the end of that time, if I had made good as director-general of the rowdy life, he was to pay me one thousand dollars. —
在那段时间的结束时，如果我在混乱生活的总导演方面表现出色，他将支付给我一千美元。 —

And then, to clinch the bargain, we called the roll of Atascosa City and put all of its citizens except the ladies and minors under the table, except one man named Horace Westervelt St. Clair. Just for that we bought a couple of hatfuls of cheap silver watches and egged him out of town with ‘em. —
接着，为了敲定交易，我们点名了阿塔斯科萨市的所有市民，除了女性和未成年人，把他们大部分置于桌子底下，只有一个名叫霍雷斯·韦斯特尔维尔特·圣克莱尔的人例外。仅仅为了这个原因，我们买了几帽子便宜的银表，用它们把他赶出了镇子。 —

We wound up by dragging the harness-maker out of bed and setting him to work on three new saddles; —
最后，我们把鞍具制造商从床上拖出来，让他开始制作三个新马鞍。 —

and then we went to sleep across the railroad track at the depot, just to annoy the S.A. & A.P. Think of having seventy- five thousand dollars and trying to avoid the disgrace of dying rich in a town like that!
然后我们穿越铁路轨道，在火车站那里睡觉，只是为了惹恼南方太平洋和圣安东尼奥铁路公司。想想拥有七万五千美元，却努力避免在那样一个小镇上富贵地死去的耻辱！

“The next day George, who was married or something, started back to the ranch. —
第二天，已婚或其他原因的乔治准备返回牧场。 —

Me and Solly, as I now called him, prepared to shake off our moth balls and wing our way against the arc-lights of the joyous and tuneful East.
我和索利（我现在这样称呼他），准备摆脱过去的日子，飞向充满欢乐和音乐的东方的弧灯照下。

”‘No way-stops,’ says I to Solly, ‘except long enough to get you barbered and haberdashed. —
“‘除了为你理发和购买服饰外，没什么停留的地方，’我对索利说道。 —

This is no Texas feet shampetter,’ says I, ‘where you eat chili-concarne-con-huevos and then holler “Whoopee!” across the plaza. —
‘这不是德州的脚底浸水式按摩，你吃完辣椒肉酱虾蛋后，然后在广场上吹口哨喊“喔呼！”。 —

We’re now going against the real high life. —
我们现在要面对真正的高雅生活。 —

We’re going to mingle with the set that carries a Spitz, wears spats, and hits the ground in high spots.’
我们要融入那些养着斯皮茨犬、穿着切尔西靴、活跃在社交圈的人群中。

“Solly puts six thousand dollars in century bills in one pocket of his brown ducks, and bills of lading for ten thousand dollars on Eastern banks in another. —
索利在一条棕色的裤子口袋里装着六千美元的百元钞票，另一条口袋里装着价值一万美元、来自东部银行的提货单。 —

Then I resume diplomatic relations with the S.A. & A.P., and we hike in a northwesterly direction on our circuitous route to the spice gardens of the Yankee Orient.
然后，我恢复与南安东尼奥和阿拉莫路铁路公司的外交关系，我们朝着西北方向踏上前往美国东方的香料花园的旅途。

“We stopped in San Antonio long enough for Solly to buy some clothes, and eight rounds of drinks for the guests and employees of the Menger Hotel, and order four Mexican saddles with silver trimmings and white Angora suaderos to be shipped down to the ranch. —
“我们在圣安东尼奥停留了足够的时间，让索利买了一些衣服，并为门格酒店的客人和员工买了八轮饮料，并订购了四个镶有银饰和白色安哥拉马裤带的墨西哥马鞍，准备寄到农场去。” —

From there we made a big jump to St. Louis. We got there in time for dinner; —
“然后我们一口气跳到圣路易斯。我们及时赶到那里吃晚饭；” —

and I put our thumb-prints on the register of the most expensive hotel in the city.
“我把我们的指纹盖在城里最贵的酒店注册簿上。”

”‘Now,’ says I to Solly, with a wink at myself, ‘here’s the first dinner-station we’ve struck where we can get a real good plate of beans.’ And while he was up in his room trying to draw water out of the gas-pipe, I got one finger in the buttonhole of the head waiter’s Tuxedo, drew him apart, inserted a two-dollar bill, and closed him up again.
”‘现在，’ 我对索利说，对自己眨了眨眼睛， ‘这是我们碰到的第一个可以吃到一份真正好吃的豆子的晚餐站。’ “ “当他在房间里试图从煤气管里抽水的时候，我抓住主管领班的翻领，将一个两美元的钞票塞进去，然后又把他放回原位。”

”‘Frankoyse,’ says I, ‘I have a pal here for dinner that’s been subsisting for years on cereals and short stogies. —
“‘弗兰克尔斯，’ 我说，’我这里有个朋友，很久以来都依靠谷物和小雪茄维持生活。’” —

You see the chef and order a dinner for us such as you serve to Dave Francis and the general passenger agent of the Iron Mountain when they eat here. —
你看到了厨师，就为我们点一份像你给戴夫·弗朗西斯和铁山公司总客运主任吃的那样的晚餐。 —

We’ve got more than Bernhardt’s tent full of money; —
我们有比伯恩哈特的帐篷还多的钱； —

and we want the nose- bags crammed with all the Chief Deveries de cuisine. —
我们想要鼻袋里装满所有德维里斯主厨的菜。 —

Object is no expense. Now, show us.’
无所不费。现在展示给我们吧。

“At six o’clock me and Solly sat down to dinner. Spread! —
“六点钟，我和索利坐下来吃晚餐。摆设！ —

There’s nothing been seen like it since the Cambon snack. —
自那以来再也没见过这样的场面了。 —

It was all served at once. —
一次性上了所有的菜。 —

The chef called it dinnay a la poker. —
厨师称之为扑克牌餐。 —

It’s a famous thing among the gormands of the West. The dinner comes in threes of a kind. —
这在西部的美食家圈子里非常有名。晚餐以三种一组上桌。 —

There was guinea-fowls, guinea-pigs, and Guinness’s stout; —
有天鹅肉、天竺鼠和健力士烈啤酒； —

roast veal, mock turtle soup, and chicken pate; —
烤牛肉、模拟龟肉汤和鸡肉派； —

shad-roe, caviar, and tapioca; —
鳟鱼子、鱼子酱和木薯粉； —

canvas-back duck, canvas-back ham, and cotton-tail rabbit; —
帆布背鸭、帆布背火腿和棉尾兔； —

Philadelphia capon, fried snails, and sloe-gin–and so on, in threes. —
费城肉鸡、炸蜗牛和西梅杜杜子酒，以此类推，都是一组三道菜。 —

The idea was that you eat nearly all you can of them, and then the waiter takes away the discard and gives you pears to fill on.
这个主意是让你尽可能地吃下它们的大部分，然后服务员拿走剩下的，给你梨子填饱胃。

“I was sure Solly would be tickled to death with these hands, after the bobtail flushes he’d been eating on the ranch; —
“我确信Solly对这双手会非常满意，因为他在牧场上吃的只是普通的菜肴； —

and I was a little anxious that he should, for I didn’t remember his having honoured my efforts with a smile since we left Atascosa City.
并且我有点担心他不会满意，因为我记不清自从我们离开Atascosa City以来，他是否曾对我的努力投以微笑。

“We were in the main dining-room, and there was a fine-dressed crowd there, all talking loud and enjoyable about the two St. Louis topics, the water supply and the colour line. —
“我们当时在主餐厅里，人们都穿着华丽，大声而愉快地谈论着圣路易斯两个话题：供水和肤色。 —

They mix the two subjects so fast that strangers often think they are discussing water-colours; —
他们把这两个主题混在一起讨论得如此快，以至于陌生人常常会认为他们在讨论水彩画； —

and that has given the old town something of a rep as an art centre. —
这给这座古老的城镇赋予了一些艺术中心的声誉。 —

And over in the corner was a fine brass band playing; —
在角落里有一支优秀的铜管乐队正在演奏； —

and now, thinks I, Solly will become conscious of the spiritual oats of life nourishing and exhilarating his system. —
现在，我想，Solly会意识到灵魂的燕麦正滋养和振奋着他的身体。但是，没有， —

But nong, mong frang.
蒙，蒙佛朗。

“He gazed across the table at me. —
他盯着桌子对面的我看。 —

There was four square yards of it, looking like the path of a cyclone that has wandered through a stock- yard, a poultry-farm, a vegetable-garden, and an Irish linen mill. —
这桌子有四平方码，看起来就像是一块经过了肉食市场、家禽农场、菜园和爱尔兰亚麻厂的旋风的路径。 —

Solly gets up and comes around to me.
Solly站起身，绕到我这边来。

”‘Luke,’ says he, ‘I’m pretty hungry after our ride. —
“’Luke，”他说，“我们骑了一段后我非常饿。 —

I thought you said they had some beans here. —
我记得你说这里有豆子吧。 —

I’m going out and get something I can eat. —
我要出去找点我能吃的东西。 —

You can stay and monkey with this artificial layout of grub if you want to.’
如果你愿意，你可以留下来和这些人工食物纠缠。’

”‘Wait a minute,’ says I.
“’等一下，”我说。

“I called the waiter, and slapped ’S. Mills’ on the back of the check for thirteen dollars and fifty cents.
我叫来了服务员，给账单上贴上了” S. Mills”，金额是十三美元五十美分。

”‘What do you mean,’ says I, ‘by serving gentlemen with a lot of truck only suitable for deck-hands on a Mississippi steamboat? —
“’你这是什么意思，” 我说，“拿这种只适合密西西比蒸汽船上的甲板工人的垃圾来招待绅士？ —

We’re going out to get something decent to eat.’
我们要出去吃些像样的东西。’

“I walked up the street with the unhappy plainsman. —
“我和这位不开心的平原人走上了街。 —

He saw a saddle- shop open, and some of the sadness faded from his eyes. —
他看到一个鞍具店开着，眼中的悲伤有些消散了。 —

We went in, and he ordered and paid for two more saddles–one with a solid silver horn and nails and ornaments and a six-inch border of rhinestones and imitation rubies around the flaps. —
我们进去了，他订购并支付了另外两个马鞍-一个带有纯银的崽和钉子和饰品，并且周围有着六英寸的边框，上面镶嵌上了水晶和仿红宝石。 —

The other one had to have a gold- mounted horn, quadruple-plated stirrups, and the leather inlaid with silver beadwork wherever it would stand it. —
另一个必须有镶金崽、四层镀金的马镫，并且皮革上镶嵌着银珠饰物，任何地方都能承受。 —

Eleven hundred dollars the two cost him.
这两个鞍总共花了他1100美元。

“Then he goes out and heads toward the river, following his nose. —
“然后他出去朝着河走去，跟着他的鼻子走。 —

In a little side street, where there was no street and no sidewalks and no houses, he finds what he is looking for. —
在一个没有街道、没有人行道和没有房子的小巷里，他找到了他要找的东西。 —

We go into a shanty and sit on high stools among stevedores and boatmen, and eat beans with tin spoons. —
我们走进一间棚子，在码头工人和船员中间坐在高脚凳上用锡匙吃豆子。 —

Yes, sir, beans–beans boiled with salt pork.
是的，先生，豆子——用咸肉煮的豆子。

”‘I kind of thought we’d strike some over this way,’ says Solly.
”‘我有点想在这边找到一些，’ 索利说。

”‘Delightful,’ says I, ‘That stylish hotel grub may appeal to some; —
”‘太好了，’我说，’那种时髦的酒店吃的可能适合某些人， —

but for me, give me the husky /table d’goat.’
但对我来说，给我一顿健壮的餐食。’

“When we had succumbed to the beans I leads him out of the tarpaulin- steam under a lamp post and pulls out a daily paper with the amusement column folded out.
“当我们屈服于豆子之后，我领着他走出篷布-在路灯下的蒸汽中，掏出一份展开了娱乐专栏的每日报纸。”

”‘But now, what ho for a merry round of pleasure,’ says I. ‘Here’s one of Hall Caine’s shows, and a stock-yard company in “Hamlet,” and skating at the Hollowhorn Rink, and Sarah Bernhardt, and the Shapely Syrens Burlesque Company. —
“‘但现在，让我们尽情享受一轮快乐，’我说。‘这里有霍尔·凯恩的一场演出，还有一个肉牛场的《哈姆雷特》，还有霍洛霍恩溜冰场，以及萨拉·贝恩哈特和曲线迷人的哑剧公司。’” —

I should think, now, that the Shapely–’
“我想，至于曲线迷人的-”

“But what does this healthy, wealthy, and wise man do but reach his arms up to the second-story windows and gape noisily.
“然而这位健康、富有而睿智的人做的却是将他的手臂伸向二楼的窗户，并发出大声的哈欠。”

”‘Reckon I’ll be going to bed,’ says he; —
“‘我想我该上床睡觉了，’他说道， —

‘it’s about my time. St. Louis is a kind of quiet place, ain’t it?’
‘大约是我的时间了。圣路易斯是个相当安静的地方，不是吗？’”

”‘Oh, yes,’ says I; ‘ever since the railroads ran in here the town’s been practically ruined. —
“‘嗯，是的，’我说，‘自从铁路进来以后，这个城市基本上就毁了。建筑和贷款协会，并且还有博览会差不多把它搞垮了。猜猜我们还是上床睡觉吧。’” —

And the building-and-loan associations and the fair have about killed it. —
“不过你等着看看芝加哥。明天我们要买票去《大风暴》吗？ —

Guess we might as well go to bed. —
” —

Wait till you see Chicago, though. —
不过你等着看看芝加哥。 —

Shall we get tickets for the Big Breeze to-morrow?’
明天我们要买票去《大风暴》吗？”

”‘Mought as well,’ says Solly. ‘I reckon all these towns are about alike.’
“索利说：’也许这些城镇都差不多。’”

“Well, maybe the wise cicerone and personal conductor didn’t fall hard in Chicago! —
“嗯，也许聪明的导游和个人导游在芝加哥没有受到很大的冲击！” —

Loolooville-on-the-Lake is supposed to have one or two things in it calculated to keep the rural visitor awake after the curfew rings. —
“据说，湖上的卢鲁维尔有一两个东西被认为能让乡村游客在宵禁钟声后保持清醒。” —

But not for the grass-fed man of the pampas! —
“但对于吃草的草原人来说不一样！ —

I tried him with theatres, rides in automobiles, sails on the lake, champagne suppers, and all those little inventions that hold the simple life in check; —
我试着带他去剧院、坐汽车、航行湖上、喝香槟晚餐，以及那些抑制简单生活的小发明；” —

but in vain. Solly grew sadder day by day. —
“但都徒劳无功。索利一天比一天更难过。 —

And I got fearful about my salary, and knew I must play my trump card. —
我对我的薪水感到担忧，知道我必须出一张王牌。” —

So I mentioned New York to him, and informed him that these Western towns were no more than gateways to the great walled city of the whirling dervishes.
“所以我向他提到了纽约，并告诉他这些西部城镇不过是通往旋转的苦行僧伟大城市的入口。”

“After I bought the tickets I missed Solly. I knew his habits by then; —
“买了车票后，我找不到索利了。那时我已经了解他的习惯了， —

so in a couple of hours I found him in a saddle-shop. —
所以过了几个小时我在一个马鞍店找到了他。” —

They had some new ideas there in the way of trees and girths that had strayed down from the Canadian mounted police; —
他们在这一方面有一些新的树木和尺寸的想法，这些树木和尺寸已经从加拿大驻扎警察那里迷路了； —

and Solly was so interested that he almost looked reconciled to live. —
Solly对此非常感兴趣，以至于他几乎看起来已经接受了这样的生活； —

He invested about nine hundred dollars in there.
他在那里投资了大约900美元；

“At the depot I telegraphed a cigar-store man I knew in New York to meet me at the Twenty-third Street ferry with a list of all the saddle-stores in the city. —
“在车站，我给纽约一个我在那儿认识的雪茄店老板打了一个电报，让他在23街渡口给我一份城里所有骑马店的名单。 —

I wanted to know where to look for Solly when he got lost.
我想知道索利迷路后应该到哪里找他。

“Now I’ll tell you what happened in New York. I says to myself: —
“现在我告诉你在纽约发生的事情。我对自己说： —

‘Friend Heherezade, you want to get busy and make Bagdad look pretty to the sad sultan of the sour countenance, or it’ll be the bowstring for yours.’ But I never had any doubt I could do it.
‘朋友海里扎德，你要努力使巴格达对那位忧郁的苦恼苏丹看起来很美，否则就是绞索等着你。’但我从来没有怀疑过我能做到。

“I began with him like you’d feed a starving man. —
“我像喂饥饿的人一样开始对待他。 —

I showed him the horse-cars on Broadway and the Staten Island ferry-boats. —
我向他展示了百老汇的马车和斯塔滕岛的渡船。 —

And then I piled up the sensations on him, but always keeping a lot of warmer ones up my sleeve.
然后我给他堆积了一些刺激的感觉，但始终保持着一些更温暖的感觉在我衣袖上。

“At the end of the third day he looked like a composite picture of five thousand orphans too late to catch a picnic steamboat, and I was wilting down a collar every two hours wondering how I could please him and whether I was going to get my thou. —
第三天结束时，他看起来像一张由五千个孤儿拼凑而成的照片，为时已晚无法赶上野餐游轮，而我则每两个小时换一次衣领，想着如何取悦他，是否能够得到我的那一千。 —

He went to sleep looking at the Brooklyn Bridge; —
他睡觉时看着布鲁克林大桥， —

he disregarded the sky-scrapers above the third story; —
对第三层以上的摩天大楼不屑一顾； —

it took three ushers to wake him up at the liveliest vaudeville in town.
他在这座城里最生气勃勃的杂剧场睡着了，需要三个招待员来唤醒他。

“Once I thought I had him. —
“有一次，我差点拿下他。 —

I nailed a pair of cuffs on him one morning before he was awake; —
有一天早上，我在他醒来前给他安了一对手铐； —

and I dragged him that evening to the palm-cage of one of the biggest hotels in the city–to see the Johnnies and the Alice-sit-by-the-hours. —
当天晚上，我拖着他去了这座城市最大的一家酒店的棕榈房间——去看约翰尼和爱丽丝几个小时的表演。 —

They were out in numerous quantities, with the fat of the land showing in their clothes. —
他们大量涌现，他们的衣着上展现出土地的富饶。 —

While we were looking them over, Solly divested himself of a fearful, rusty kind of laugh–like moving a folding bed with one roller broken. —
当我们审视他们时，索利脱下了一种可怕的、生锈的笑声——就像移动一个坏掉一个滚轮的折叠床。 —

It was his first in two weeks, and it gave me hope.
这是他两个星期来的第一次笑声，给了我希望。

”‘Right you are,’ says I. ‘They’re a funny lot of post-cards, aren’t they?’
“我说，‘你说得对啊，这些明信片挺有趣的，不是吗？’

”‘Oh, I wasn’t thinking of them dudes and culls on the hoof,’ says he. —
“他说，‘哦，我不是在想那些普通男人和傻瓜们，’他说。 —

‘I was thinking of the time me and George put sheep-dip in Horsehead Johnson’s whisky. —
“‘我在想我和乔治把羊鸟在霍斯黑德·约翰逊的威士忌里的时候。 —

I wish I was back in Atascosa City,’ says he.
“‘我希望我能回到阿塔斯科萨城，’他说。

“I felt a cold chill run down my back. —
“我感到一阵寒意从背上涌上来， —

‘Me to play and mate in one move,’ says I to myself.
‘我得在一步中下棋走对方，’我对自己说。

“I made Solly promise to stay in the cafe for half an hour and I hiked out in a cab to Lolabelle Delatour’s flat on Forty-third Street. —
“我让索利答应在咖啡馆呆半个小时，然后我坐出租车去第43街的洛拉贝尔·德拉图尔的公寓。 —

I knew her well. She was a chorus-girl in a Broadway musical comedy.
“我很熟悉她。她是一位百老汇音乐剧里的合唱女孩。

”‘Jane,’ says I when I found her, ‘I’ve got a friend from Texas here. —
“‘简，’我找到她后说，‘我这里有个来自德克萨斯州的朋友， —

He’s all right, but–well, he carries weight. —
他还不错，但是——他有些臃肿。 —

I’d like to give him a little whirl after the show this evening–bubbles, you know, and a buzz out to a casino for the whitebait and pickled walnuts. —
‘我想在今晚演出结束后带他去玩一下——气泡啤酒和一个至赌场的嗡嗡声买白鳟鱼和腌瓜核桃。可以吗？ —

Is it a go?’
’”

”‘Can he sing?’ asks Lolabelle.
“‘他会唱歌吗？’洛拉贝尔问道。

”‘You know,’ says I, ‘that I wouldn’t take him away from home unless his notes were good. —
“你知道，”我说，“如果他的成绩单不好，我是不会把他从家里带走的。 —

He’s got pots of money–bean-pots full of it.’
他有很多钱——满满一罐。”

”‘Bring him around after the second act,’ says Lolabelle, ‘and I’ll examine his credentials and securities.’
“在第二幕结束后带他过来，”Lolabelle说道，“我会检查他的资格和担保。”

“So about ten o’clock that evening I led Solly to Miss Delatour’s dressing-room, and her maid let us in. —
晚上十点左右，我带着Solly来到了Delatour小姐的化妆室，她的女仆让我们进去。 —

In ten minutes in comes Lolabelle, fresh from the stage, looking stunning in the costume she wears when she steps from the ranks of the lady grenadiers and says to the king, ‘Welcome to our May-day revels.’ And you can bet it wasn’t the way she spoke the lines that got her the part.
十分钟后，Lolabelle进来了，她刚刚从舞台上下来，穿着女士步兵团士兵服装，看上去美丽动人。当她从女士戎装队列中走出来，对国王说：“欢迎参加我们的五月舞庆典。”可别以为她之所以得到这个角色是因为她说台词的方式。 当Solly看到她时，他站起来径直走出舞台门进入了街道。

“As soon as Solly saw her he got up and walked straight out through the stage entrance into the street. —
我跟着他走了出去。Lolabelle没有付我的薪水。我想知道是否有人付。 —

I followed him. Lolabelle wasn’t paying my salary. —
“Luke，”Solly在外面说，“那是个可怕的错误。 —

I wondered whether anybody was.
我们一定进了女士的私人房间。”

”‘Luke,’ says Solly, outside, ‘that was an awful mistake. —
— —

We must have got into the lady’s private room. —

I hope I’m gentleman enough to do anything possible in the way of apologies. —
我希望我足够绅士，可以尽可能地道歉。 —

Do you reckon she’d ever forgive us?’
你认为她会原谅我们吗？

”‘She may forget it,’ says I. ‘Of course it was a mistake. —
“’她可能会忘记的，”我说。“当然那是个错误。 —

Let’s go find some beans.’
让我们去找一些豆子吧。”

“That’s the way it went. But pretty soon afterward Solly failed to show up at dinner-time for several days. —
事情就是这样进行的。但是过了不久，索利几天都没来吃饭。 —

I cornered him. —
我找到了他。 —

He confessed that he had found a restaurant on Third Avenue where they cooked beans in Texas style. —
他承认他已经找到了一家在第三大道上以德克萨斯风味烹制豆子的餐馆。 —

I made him take me there. —
我让他带我去那里。 —

The minute I set foot inside the door I threw up my hands.
我一踏进门就举起了双手。

“There was a young woman at the desk, and Solly introduced me to her. —
“在接待台上有一位年轻女人，索利把我介绍给了她。 —

And then we sat down and had beans.
然后我们坐下来吃豆子。

“Yes, sir, sitting at the desk was the kind of a young woman that can catch any man in the world as easy as lifting a finger. —
“是的，先生，坐在接待台上的是那种可以轻而易举地吸引任何男人的年轻女人。 —

There’s a way of doing it. She knew. I saw her working it. —
她有一种方法。她知道。我看到她正在运用。 —

She was healthy-looking and plain dressed. —
她看起来健康而朴素地打扮着。 —

She had her hair drawn back from her forehead and face–no curls or frizzes; —
她把头发向后梳起，远离了额头和脸颊，没有卷发或乱发； —

that’s the way she looked. —
那就是她的样子。 —

Now I’ll tell you the way they work the game; —
现在我告诉你她们是怎么玩这个游戏的； —

it’s simple. When she wants a man, she manages it so that every time he looks at her he finds her looking at him. —
很简单。当她想要一个男人时，她安排得每次他看着她时就发现她正在看着他。 —

That’s all.
就是这样。

“The next evening Solly was to go to Coney Island with me at seven. —
第二天晚上，索利要和我一起去康尼岛，在七点。 —

At eight o’clock he hadn’t showed up. —
八点钟的时候，他还没有出现。 —

I went out and found a cab. —
我出去找了一辆出租车。 —

I felt sure there was something wrong.
我确信有些事情不对劲。

”‘Drive to the Back Home Restaurant on Third Avenue,’ says I. ‘And if I don’t find what I want there, take in these saddle-shops.’ I handed him the list.
“‘开到第三大道的回家餐馆，’我说道。‘如果那里没有我想要的东西，就去这些鞍座店里看看吧。’我递给他那张列表。

”‘Boss,’ says the cabby, ‘I et a steak in that restaurant once. —
‘老板，’出租车司机说道，‘我曾经在那家餐馆吃过一次牛排。 —

If you’re real hungry, I advise you to try the saddle-shops first.’
如果你饿得很厉害，我建议你先去鞍座店。’

”‘I’m a detective,’ says I, ‘and I don’t eat. Hurry up!’
‘我是个侦探，’我说道，‘我不吃东西。快点！’

“As soon as I got to the restaurant I felt in the lines of my palms that I should beware of a tall, red, damfool man, and I was going to lose a sum of money.
一到餐馆，我立刻感觉到我掌心的纹路告诉我要当心一个高个子、红发的蠢货，而且我将会丢失一笔钱。

“Solly wasn’t there. Neither was the smooth-haired lady.
“Solly不在那里。顺滑的女士也不在。

“I waited; and in an hour they came in a cab and got out, hand in hand. —
“我等着，一个小时后他们坐出租车来了，手牵手。 —

I asked Solly to step around the corner for a few words. —
我叫Solly在拐角处停下来聊几句。 —

He was grinning clear across his face; —
他笑得满脸都是； —

but I had not administered the grin.
但我没让他笑。

”‘She’s the greatest that ever sniffed the breeze,’ says he.
“’她是有史以来最了不起的人，’他说。

”‘Congrats,’ says I. ‘I’d like to have my thousand now, if you please.’
“’恭喜，’我说。’如果方便的话，我现在想要我的一千块。’

”‘Well, Luke,’ says he, ‘I don’t know that I’ve had such a skyhoodlin’ fine time under your tutelage and dispensation. —
“’呗，卢克，’他说，’我不知道在你的教导和奖励下我度过了一个多么精彩的时光。 —

But I’ll do the best I can for you–I’ll do the best I can,’ he repeats. —
但我会尽力的-我会尽力的，’他重复道。 —

‘Me and Miss Skinner was married an hour ago. —
‘我和斯金纳小姐一个小时前结婚了。 —

We’re leaving for Texas in the morning.’
我们明天早上就要去德克萨斯州了。

”‘Great!’ says I. ‘Consider yourself covered with rice and Congress gaiters. —
“’太好了！’我说。’考虑你已经被大米和国会长统计了。 —

But don’t let’s tie so many satin bows on our business relations that we lose sight of ‘em. —
但是不要把我们的业务关系打了太多的缎带，以至于忘记了它们。 —

How about my honorarium?’
我的酬金怎么样？’

”‘Missis Mills,’ says he, ‘has taken possession of my money and papers except six bits. —
“’米西斯·米尔斯，”他说，“拿走了我所有的钱和文件，除了六个比特。 —

I told her what I’d agreed to give you; —
我告诉她我答应给你多少钱； —

but she says it’s an irreligious and illegal contract, and she won’t pay a cent of it. —
但她说这是个不合法又不宗教的合同，她一分钱也不会付。 —

But I ain’t going to see you treated unfair,’ says he. —
但是我不会看着你被不公平对待，”他说。 —

‘I’ve got eighty-seven saddles on the ranch what I’ve bought on this trip; —
“我在牧场上买了八十七个马鞍，都是这次旅行中买的； —

and when I get back I’m going to pick out the best six in the lot and send ‘em to you.’”
等我回去了，我会从中挑出最好的六个给你寄过来。”

“And did he?” I asked, when Lucullus ceased talking.
“当Lucullus停止讲话时，我问道，“他真的这么做了吗？”

“He did. And they are fit for kings to ride on. —
“他做到了。而且那六个马鞍适合王者骑乘。 —

The six he sent me must have cost him three thousand dollars. —
他寄给我的这六个一定花了他三千美元。 —

But where is the market for ‘em? —
但是市场在哪呢？ —

Who would buy one except one of these rajahs and princes of Asia and Africa? —
除了亚洲和非洲的拉贾和王子，谁会去买呢？ —

I’ve got ‘em all on the list. —
我把他们都列在名单上了。” —

I know every tan royal dub and smoked princerino from Mindanao to the Caspian Sea.”
我熟悉从棉兰老岛到里海的每一种棕色的皇家香烟和烟斗。

“It’s a long time between customers,” I ventured.
“刚好好长时间没来顾客了，”我冒昧地说道。

“They’re coming faster,” said Polk. “Nowadays, when one of the murdering mutts gets civilised enough to abolish suttee and quit using his whiskers for a napkin, he calls himself the Roosevelt of the East, and comes over to investigate our Chautauquas and cocktails. —
“他们来得越来越频繁了，”波尔克说。“如今，当其中一位屠杀狂变得足够文明，废除寡妇自焚仪式并不再用胡须擦嘴时，他称自己为东方的罗斯福，然后过来调查我们的讲座会和鸡尾酒。 —

I’ll place ‘em all yet. Now look here.”
我迟早会摆平他们的。看这里。”

From an inside pocket he drew a tightly folded newspaper with much- worn edges, and indicated a paragraph.
他从内口袋里掏出一张折叠得很紧的报纸，上面边缘磨损严重，并指着一段话。

“Read that,” said the saddler to royalty. —
“读这个，”制鞍匠对着贵族说。 —

The paragraph ran thus:
段落如下：

His Highness Seyyid Feysal bin Turkee, Imam of Muskat, is one of the most progressive and enlightened rulers of the Old World. His stables contain more than a thousand horses of the purest Persian breeds. —
穆斯喀特伊玛目费萨尔·本·图尔基亲王是世界上最进步和开明的统治者之一。他的马厩里拥有一千多匹最纯正的波斯品种的马。 —

It is said that this powerful prince contemplates a visit to the United States at an early date.
有传言称这位有权势的亲王计划尽快访问美国。

“There!” said Mr. Polk triumphantly. —
“在那儿！”波尔科先生得意洋洋地说道。 —

“My best saddle is as good as sold–the one with turquoises set in the rim of the cantle. —
“我最好的鞍子卖出去了——那个鞍头上镶着绿松石。” —

Have you three dollars that you could loan me for a short time?”
你有三美元可以借给我一段时间吗？

It happened that I had; and I did.
碰巧我有；我借给了他。

If this should meet the eye of the Imam of Muskat, may it quicken his whim to visit the land of the free! —
如果这篇文章被马斯喀特的伊玛目看到，希望他会迫不及待地决定访问这个自由的国度！ —

Otherwise I fear that I shall be longer than a short time separated from my dollars three.
否则，我担心我将比短时间更久时间失去我的三美元。