Nothing happened until afternoon. The doctor was a thin quiet little man who seemed disturbed by the war. —
下午直到没有什么事情发生。医生是个细弱安静的小个子，似乎被战争所困扰。 —

He took out a number of small steel splinters from my thighs with delicate and refined distaste. —
他用精致并带有些微厌恶的方式从我的大腿取出了几块小的钢片。 —

He used a local anaesthetic called something or other “snow,” which froze the tissue and avoided pain until the probe, the scalpel or the forceps got below the frozen portion. —
他使用了一种局部麻醉叫做类似“雪”的东西，它冻结了组织，并避免了疼痛，直到探针，手术刀，或镊子穿过冰冻部分。 —

The anxsthetized area was clearly defined by the patient and after a time the doctor’s fragile delicacy was exhausted and he said it would be better to have an X-ray. Probing was unsatisfactory, he said.
病人清楚地定义了麻醉区域，经过一段时间，医生脆弱的细致盛气凌人，他说最好还是去做X光片。探查是不令人满意的，他说。

The X-ray was taken at the Ospedale Maggiore and the doctor who did it was excitable, efficient and cheerful. —
X光片是在Ospedale Maggiore拍摄的，做片的医生兴奋，高效和快乐。 —

It was arranged by holding up the shoulders, that the patient should see personally some of the larger foreign bodies through the machine. —
安排好了，病人应该通过机器亲自看一些较大的异物。 —

The plates were to be sent over. The doctor requested me to write in his pocket notebook, my name, and regiment and some sentiment. —
片子会送过来。医生请求我在他的便携笔记本上写上我的名字，连队和一些感想。 —

He declared that the foreign bodies were ugly, nasty, brutal. The Austrians were sons of bitches. —
他声称那些外来物很丑陋，令人讨厌，残忍。奥地利人都是混蛋。 —

How many had I killed? I had not killed any but I was anxious to please–and I said I had killed plenty. —
我杀了多少人？我没杀过任何人，但我急于讨好——我说我杀了很多。 —

Miss Gage was with me and the doctor put his arm around her and said she was more beautiful than Cleopatra. —
盖奇小姐和我在一起，医生搂着她说她比克利奥帕特拉更美丽。 —

Did she understand that? Cleopatra the former queen of Egypt. Yes, by God she was. —
她理解吗？克利奥帕特拉，埃及前任女王。是的，天哪，她就是。 —

We returned to the little hospital in the ambulance and after a while and much lifting I was upstairs and in bed again. —
我们坐救护车回到小医院，经过一阵抬举后，我又躺回床上。 —

The plates came that afternoon, the doctor had said by God he would have them that afternoon and he did. —
那天下午片子到了，医生说，上帝，他当天下午就要拿到片子，他确实拿到了。 —

Catherine Barkley showed them to me. They were in red envelopes and she took them out of the envelopes and held them up to the light and we both looked.
凯瑟琳·巴克利给我看了片子。它们装在红色信封里，她拿出来并拿到光线下我们都看了。

“That’s your right leg,” she said, then put the plate back in the envelope. “This is your left.”
“这是你的右腿，”她说，然后将片子放回信封。“这是你的左腿。”

“Put them away,” I said, “and come over to the bed.”
“把它们收起来，”我说，“过来床边。”

“I can’t,” she said. “I just brought them in for a second to show you.”
“我不能，”她说。“我只是拿进来给你看了一下。”

She went out and I lay there. It was a hot afternoon and I was sick of lying in bed. —
她走出去了，我躺在那里。那是一个炎热的下午，我受够了躺在床上。 —

I sent the porter for the papers, all the papers he could get.
我让侍者去拿报纸，尽可能拿到所有的报纸。

Before he came back three doctors came into the room. —
在他回来之前，有三位医生进了房间。 —

I have noticed that doctors who fail in the practice of medicine have a tendency to seek one another’s company and aid in consultation. —
我注意到，在医学实践中失败的医生有一种倾向，就是寻求彼此的交往和咨询。 —

A doctor who cannot take out your appendix properly will recommend to you a doctor who will be unable to remove your tonsils with success. —
一个不能正确取出你的阑尾的医生会向你推荐一个不能成功摘除你的扁桃腺的医生。 —

These were three such doctors.
这三位就是这样的医生。

“This is the young man,” said the house doctor with the delicate hands.
“这就是年轻人，”手指纤细的住院医生说。

“How do you do?” said the tall gaunt doctor with the beard. —
“你好，”留着胡须的瘦高医生说。 —

The third doctor, who carried the X-ray plates in their red envelopes, said nothing.
第三位医生，提着红色信封里的X光片，什么也没说。

“Remove the dressings?” questioned the bearded doctor.
“解开绷带？”胡须医生问道。

“Certainly. Remove the dressings, please, nurse,” the house doctor said to Miss Gage. Miss Gage removed the dressings. —
“当然。请解开绷带，护士，”住院医生对盖奇小姐说。盖奇小姐解开了绷带。 —

I looked down at the legs. At the field hospital they had the look of not too freshly ground hamburger steak. —
我看着那双腿。在野战医院，它们看起来像是不太新鲜的磨碎汉堡肉。 —

Now they were crusted and the knee was swollen and discolored and the calf sunken but there was no pus.
现在它们已结痂，膝盖肿胀发紫，小腿凹陷但没有脓液。

“Very clean,” said the house doctor. “Very clean and nice.”
“非常清洁，”房屋医生说。“非常干净和漂亮。”

“Urn,” said the doctor with the beard. The third doctor looked over the house doctor’s shoulder.
“嗯，”留着胡须的医生说。第三位医生越过房屋医生的肩膀看了过去。

“Please move the knee,” said the bearded doctor.
“请移动膝盖，”胡须医生说。

“I can’t.”
“我做不到。”

“Test the articulation?” the bearded doctor questioned. —
“测试关节活动吗？”胡须医生问道。 —

He had a stripe beside the three stars on his sleeve. —
他的袖子上有一个星号旁边有一条条纹。 —

That meant he was a first captain.
那表示他是一位首席舰长。

“Certainly,” the house doctor said. Two of them took hold of my right leg very gingerly and bent it.
“当然，”房屋医生说。他们中的两人非常小心地抓住了我的右腿，然后弯曲。

“That hurts,” I said.
“那疼，”我说。

“Yes. Yes. A little further, doctor.”
“是的。是的。再往前一点，医生。”

“That’s enough. That’s as far as it goes,” I said.
“够了。这就是极限了，”我说。

“Partial articulation,” said the first captain. He straightened up. —
“关节部分活动，”首席舰长说。他站了起来。 —

“May I see the plates again, please, doctor?” —
“请再让我看看那些金属板，医生？” —

The third doctor handed him one of the plates. —
第三位医生递给他其中一块金属板。 —

“No. The left leg, please.”
“不，左腿，请。”

“That is the left leg, doctor.”
“那是左腿，医生。”

“You are right. I was looking from a different angle.” He returned the plate. —
“你说得对。我是从一个不同的角度看的。”他把片子还给了医生。 —

The other plate he examined for some time. “You see, doctor?” —
他审视另一张片子有一段时间。“您看到了吗，医生？” —

he pointed to one of the foreign bodies which showed spherical and clear against the light. —
他指向一个异物，在光线下呈现出球形和清晰。 —

They examined the plate for some time.
他们仔细审视了片子。

“Only one thing I can say,” the first captain with the beard said. —
“我只能说一件事，”那位留着胡须的队长说。 —

“It is a question of time. Three months, six months probably.”
“这是个时间问题。可能是三个月，六个月吧。”

“Certainly the synovial fluid must re-form.”
“肯定是滑膜液必须重新形成。”

“Certainly. It is a question of time. I could not conscientiously open a knee like that before the projectile was encysted.”
“当然。这只是个时间问题。在弹片埋藏之前，我无法在这样的膝盖上进行手术。”

“I agree with you, doctor.”
“我同意你的观点，医生。”

“Six months for what?” I asked.
“六个月为了什么？”我问。

“Six months for the projectile to encyst before the knee can be opened safely.”
“六个月是弹片在膝盖可以安全开刀之前形成包膜所需的时间。”

“I don’t believe it,” I said.
“我不相信，”我说。

“Do you want to keep your knee, young man?”
“你想保留你的膝盖吗，年轻人？”

“No,” I said.
“不，”我回答说。

“What?”
“什么？”

“I want it cut off,” I said, “so I can wear a hook on it.”
“我想把它截掉，”我说，“这样我可以戴个钩子。”

“What do you mean? A hook?”
“你是什么意思？戴个钩子？”

“He is joking,” said the house doctor. He patted my shoulder very delicately. —
“他在开玩笑，”医务所医生说。他非常轻柔地拍了拍我的肩膀。 —

“He wants to keep his knee. This is a very brave young man. —
“他想保留他的膝盖。这是一个非常勇敢的年轻人。 —

He has been proposed for the silver medal of valor.”
他已经被提名授予银勋章。”

“All my felicitations,” said the first captain. He shook my hand. —
“我衷心祝贺你，”第一队长说。他握了握我的手。 —

“I can only say that to be on the safe side you should wait at least six months before opening such a knee. —
“为了安全起见，至少应该等待六个月再动这样的膝盖。 —

You are welcome of course to another opinion.”
当然欢迎您再征求其他意见。”

“Thank you very much,” I said. “I value your opinion.”
“非常感谢你，”我说。“我很重视你的意见。”

The first captain looked at his watch.
第一队长看了看手表。

“We must go,” he said. “All my best wishes.”
“我们必须走了，”他说。“祝你一切顺利。”

“All my best wishes and many thanks,” I said. I shook hands with the third doctor. —
“祝你一切顺利，非常感谢，”我说。我与第三位医生握了手。 —

“Capitano Varini–Tenente Enry,” and they all three went out of the room.
“Varini上尉-Enry中尉，”他们三个出了房间。

“Miss Gage,” I called. She came in. “Please ask the house doctor to come back a minute.”
“Gage小姐，”我喊道。她进来了。“请让医务所医生再过来一分钟。”

He came in holding his cap and stood by the bed. “Did you wish to see me?”
他拿着帽子走进来站在床边。“你有什么要找我吗？”

“Yes. I can’t wait six months to be operated on. —
“是的。我不能等六个月才做手术。” —

My God, doctor, did you ever stay in bed six months?”
天啊，医生，你有待过六个月的病床吗？

“You won’t be in bed all the time. You must first have the wounds exposed to the sun. —
“你不会一直躺在床上的。你必须先让伤口暴露在阳光下。 —

Then afterward you can be on crutches.”
然后之后你可以用拐杖。”

“For six months and then have an operation?”
“等六个月然后再动手术吗？”

“That is the safe way. The foreign bodies must be allowed to encyst and the synovial fluid will re-form. —
“这样做是安全的。异物必须被包裹起来，滑膜液会重新形成。 —

Then it will be safe to open up the knee.”
然后才能安全地开刀。”

“Do you really think yourself I will have to wait that long?”
“你真的认为我必须等那么久吗？”

“That is the safe way.”
“这是安全的办法。”

“Who is that first captain?”
“那位第一上尉是谁？”

“He is a very excellent surgeon of Milan.”
“他是米兰的一位非常优秀的外科医生。”

“He’s a first captain, isn’t he?”
“他是一位第一上尉，对吗？”

“Yes, but he is an excellent surgeon.”
“是的，但他是一位顶尖的外科医生。”

“I don’t want my leg fooled with by a first captain. —
“我不希望我的腿被一位第一上尉碰。” —

If he was any good he would be made a major. —
如果他真的有能耐的话，他早就升为少校了。 —

I know what a first captain is, doctor.”
我知道什么是首席舰长，医生。

“He is an excellent surgeon and I would rather have his judgment than any surgeon I know.”
“他是一位出色的外科医生，我宁愿听取他的判断，而不是其他任何我所认识的外科医生。”

“Could another surgeon see it?”
“如果您愿意的话，可以让其他外科医生看看吗？”

“Certainly if you wish. But I would take Dr. Varella’s opinion myself.”
“当然可以，但我更倾向于听取瓦雷拉医生的意见。”

“Could you ask another surgeon to come and see it?”
“您能请其他外科医生来看看吗？”

“I will ask Valentini to come.”
“我会请瓦伦蒂尼来的。”

“Who is he?”
“他是谁？”

“He is a surgeon of the Ospedale Maggiore.”
“他是Ospedale Maggiore的外科医生。”

“Good. I appreciate it very much. You understand, doctor, I couldn’t stay in bed six months.”
“好的。非常感谢。医生，您明白，我不能躺在床上六个月。”

“You would not be in bed. You would first take a sun cure. —
“您不需要躺在床上。您可以先进行日光疗法。” —

Then you could have light exercise. Then when it was encysted we would operate.”
“接着您可以适量进行锻炼。等到它被囊肿包裹了，我们再进行手术。”

“But I can’t wait six months.”
“但我等不了六个月。”

The doctor spread his delicate fingers on the cap he held and smiled. —
“医生将手里的帽子上摊开，微笑着。” —

“You are in such a hurry to get back to the front?”
“你是这么急着回到前线吗？”

“Why not?”
“为什么不呢？”

“It is very beautiful,” he said. “You are a noble young man.” —
“真是太美了，”他说道，“你是一个高尚的年轻人。” —

He stooped over and kissed me very delicately on the forehead. —
他弯下腰，在我额头上轻轻地亲了一口。 —

“I will send for Valentini. Do not worry and excite yourself. Be a good boy.”
“我会派人去找瓦伦蒂尼。不要担心，不要激动。做一个乖孩子。”

“Will you have a drink?” I asked.
“你要喝点什么吗？”我问道。

“No thank you. I never drink alcohol.”
“不用了谢谢。我从不喝酒精。”

“Just have one.” I rang for the porter to bring glasses.
“来喝一杯吧。”我按铃叫服务员拿来了杯子。

“No. No thank you. They are waiting for me.”
“不，不用了，谢谢。他们在等我。”

“Good-by,” I said.
“再见，”我说。

“Good-by.”
“再见。”

Two hours later Dr. Valentini came into the room. —
两个小时后，瓦伦蒂尼医生进了房间。 —

He was in a great hurry and the points of his mustache stood straight up. —
他非常匆忙，胡须的尖端竖了起来。 —

He was a major, his face was tanned and he laughed all the time.
他是一名少校，脸晒得黝黑，总是笑眯眯的。

“How did you do it, this rotten thing?” he asked. “Let me see the plates. Yes. Yes. That’s it. —
“你是怎么做到的，这个糟糕的东西？”他问道，“让我看看片子。是的。是的。就是这样。” —

You look healthy as a goat. Who’s the pretty girl? Is she your girl? I thought so. —
你看起来像只健康的山羊。那个漂亮的女孩是谁？她是你的女朋友吗？我想是的。 —

Isn’t this a bloody war? How does that feel? You are a fine boy. I’ll make you better than new. —
这难道不是一场血腥的战争吗？那感觉怎么样？你是个不错的男孩。我会让你比以前更好。 —

Does that hurt? You bet it hurts. How they love to hurt you, these doctors. —
那疼吗？当然疼。这些医生好喜欢伤害你。 —

What have they done for you so far? Can’t that girl talk Italian? She should learn. —
到目前为止他们为你做了什么？那个女孩难道不会说意大利语吗？她应该学学。 —

What a lovely girl. I could teach her. I will be a patient here myself. —
多么可爱的女孩。我可以教她。我会自己在这里当患者。 —

No, but I will do all your maternity work free. Does she understand that? —
不，但我会给你所有的产科工作免费。她明白吗？ —

She will make you a fine boy. A fine blonde like she is. That’s fine. That’s all right. —
她会造就你成为一个不错的男孩。一个像她那样的金发美女。那很好。没问题。 —

What a lovely girl. Ask her if she eats supper with me. —
多么可爱的女孩。问问她愿不愿意和我一起吃晚饭。 —

No I won’t take her away from you. Thank you. —
不，我不会把她从你身边带走。谢谢你。 —

Thank you very much, Miss. That’s all.”
非常感谢，小姐。就这样了。”

“That’s all I want to know.” He patted me on the shoulder. “Leave the dressings off.”
“这就是我想要知道的。”他拍拍我的肩膀。“不要包扎。”

“Will you have a drink, Dr. Valentini?”
“你喝一杯吧，瓦伦蒂尼医生？”

“A drink? Certainly. I will have ten drinks. Where are they?”
“喝一杯？当然。我会喝十杯。它们在哪里？”

“In the armoire. Miss Barkley will get the bottle.”
“在衣橱里。巴克利小姐会给你拿酒瓶。”

“Cheery oh. Cheery oh to you, Miss. What a lovely girl. —
“开心啊。祝你开心，小姐。多可爱的女孩。” —

I will bring you better cognac than that.” —
我会给你带来比那更好的干邑。 —

He wiped his mustache.
他擦了擦胡子上的污渍。

“When do you think it can be operated on?”
“你觉得手术什么时候可以进行？”

“To-morrow morning. Not before. Your stomach must be emptied. You must be washed out. —
“明天早上。现在不行。你的胃必须清空。你必须洗涤。 —

I will see the old lady downstairs and leave instructions. Good-by. I see you to-morrow. —
我会见老太太并留下指示。再见。明天见。 —

I’ll bring you better cognac than that. You are very comfortable here. Good-by. Until to-morrow. —
我会给你带来比那更好的干邑。你在这里非常舒适。再见。明天见。 —

Get a good sleep. I’ll see you early.” He waved from the doorway, his mustaches went straight up, his brown face was smiling. —
好好休息一下。我会早点见你的。”他从门口挥手，胡子竖了起来，他的棕色脸庞带着微笑。 —

There was a star in a box on his sleeve because he was a major.
因为他是一名少校，他的袖子上有一个星星。