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“我知道，” 他顺从地坦言道， “对的事不一定都是合法的。这就是为什么我坐在这儿和你谈话会这么不自在的原因。并不是说我不喜欢和你呆在一起——我确定我是喜欢的——可我只是担负不起被抓起来的后果。我知道在这个城市他们会怎么对待我。上个星期，有个年轻的小伙子只是在街上抢劫了一个人两美元八十五美分，就被判了五十年。我是在报纸上看到的。经济不景气又没有工作可做的时候，人们就会铤而走险。另外还有一些人，他们还有些家底，可能会被抢，这些人也变得不顾一切，就肯定会去敲另一些人的竹杠。如果我被捕了，我想我至少会被判十年。这就是我想赶紧上路的原因。”
"No; wait. " She lifted a detaining hand, at the same time removing her foot from the bell, which she had been pressing intermittently. "You haven't told me your name yet. "
“不，等等。” 她抬起手来想留住他，同时把脚从电铃上移开，之前她一直在断断续续地踩那个按钮。 “你还没有告诉我你的名字。”
He hesitated.
他犹豫了一下。
"Call me Dave. "
“叫我戴夫。”
"Then Dave, " she laughed with pretty confusion. "Something must be done for you. You are a young man, and you are just at the beginning of a bad start. If you begin by attempting to collect what you think is coming to you, later on you will be collecting what you are perfectly sure isn't coming to you. And you know what the end will be. Instead of this, we must find something honorable for you to do. "
“那么戴夫，” 她笑着说，有些语无伦次。 “一定要为你做点儿什么。你是个年轻人，只是刚开始做坏事。如果你开始只是想搜罗你认为属于自己的东西的话，之后你就会搜罗绝对不属于你的东西。你知道结局会是什么。与其如此，我们得给你找点儿体面的事做。”
"I need the money, and I need it now, " he replied doggedly. "It's not for myself, but for that friend I told you about. He's in a peck of trouble, and he's got to get his lift now or not at all. "
“我需要那笔钱，现在就需要。” 他固执地回答， “不是为我自己，而是为了我跟你说的那个朋友。他处于重重困难中，现在必须振作起来，否则就晚了。”
"I can find you a position, " she said quickly. "And—yes, the very thing—! I'll lend you the money you want to send to your friend. This you can pay back out of your salary. "
“我能给你找个职位，” 她很快说， “而且——是的，就是那个职位——！我会借给你你要给朋友的钱。你可以用你的工资还给我。”
"About three hundred would do, " he said slowly. "Three hundred would pull him through. I'd work my fingers off for a year for that, and my keep, and a few cents to buy Bull Durham with. "
“大约要三百，” 他慢慢地说， “三百就能让他渡过难关。为了这个，也为了维持我的生计，为了有几分钱买《百万金臂》看，我会拼了命工作一年。”
"Ah! You smoke! I never thought of it. "
“啊！你抽烟！我从没想过这个。”
Her hand went out over the revolver toward his hand, as she pointed to the tell—tale yellow stain on his fingers. At the same time her eyes measured the nearness of her own hand and of his to the weapon. She ached to grip it in one swift movement. She was sure she could do it, and yet she was not sure; and so it was that she refrained as she withdrew her hand.
她的手朝他放在左轮手枪附近的手伸去，指着他手指上烟熏的黄印说道。同时，她目测了一下自己的手和他的手离枪有多近。她渴望一把抓住枪。她确定自己能够做到，但又没那么确定，于是她收回手的时候克制住了自己。
"Won't you smoke? " she invited.
“你想抽烟吗？” 她邀请道。
"I 'm' most dying to. "
“我特别想抽。”
"Then do so. I don't mind. I really like it—cigarettes, I mean. "
“那就抽吧，我不介意。我真的喜欢烟——香烟，我的意思是。”
With his left hand he dipped into his side pocket, brought out a loose wheat—straw paper and shifted it to his right hand close by the revolver. Again he dipped, transferring to the paper a pinch of brown, flaky tobacco. Then he proceeded, both hands just over the revolver, to roll the cigarette.
他左手伸进侧兜里，拿出一张质地疏松的草浆纸，又把它换到左轮手枪旁边的右手上。他又把手伸进去，捏了一撮棕色的烟叶片放到纸上。接着他又将烟卷起来，两手都在左轮手枪正上方。
"From the way you hover close to that nasty weapon, you seem to be afraid of me, " she challenged.
“你一直靠那把讨厌的武器很近，看起来你怕我。” 她挑衅地说道。
"Not exactly afraid of you, ma 'am, but, under the circumstances, just a mite timid. "
“并不是怕你，女士，而是在这种情况下有点胆怯而已。”
"But I've not been afraid of you. "
“可我一直都没怕你。”
"You've got nothing to lose. "
“你没有什么可以失去的。”
"My life, " she retorted.
“我的命。” 她反驳说。
"That's right, " he acknowledged promptly, "and you ain't been scairt of me. Mebbe I am over anxious. "
“没错，” 他立刻承认， “但你还不害怕我。也许是我过于焦虑了。”
"I wouldn't cause you any harm. "
“我不会伤害你一丝一毫的。”
Even as she spoke, her slipper felt for the bell and pressed it. At the same time her eyes were earnest with a plea of honesty.
就在她说话的时候，她穿着拖鞋摸索到电铃踩了上去。同时，她的眼神热切，带着一种请求的真诚。
"You are a judge of men. I know it. And of women. Surely, when I am trying to persuade you from a criminal life and to get you honest work to do? "
“你懂得评判男人，我知道，也懂得评判女人。当然，当我试图劝你离开犯罪道路并想给你找份正当的工作时？”
He was immediately contrite.
他顿时悔悟。
"I sure beg your pardon, ma 'am, " he said. I reckon my nervousness ain't complimentary.
“我真心请求你的原谅，女士。” 他说， “我想我的紧张不能表达我的敬意。”
As he spoke, he drew his right hand from the table, and after lighting the cigarette, dropped it by his side.
他说着，右手离开桌子，点上烟后垂在了身侧。
"Thank you for your confidence, " she breathed softly, resolutely keeping her eyes from measuring the distance to the revolver, and keeping her foot pressed firmly on the bell.
“谢谢你的信任。” 她轻柔地说道，断然地目测着与左轮手枪的距离，同时脚稳稳地踩着电铃。
"About that three hundred, " he began. "I can telegraph it West to—night. And I'll agree to work a year for it and my keep. "
“那么那三百，” 他开始说， “我可以今晚电汇到西部。我会同意工作一年以还上这笔钱并维持我的生计。”
"You will earn more than that. I can promise seventy—five dollars a month at the least. Do you know horses? "
“你挣的会比那多。我能保证一个月至少七十五美金。你了解马匹吗？”
His face lighted up and his eyes sparkled.
他面露喜色，眼睛发亮。
"Then go to work for me—or for my father, rather, though I engage all the servants. I need a second coachman—"
“那就为我工作——或为我的父亲工作，更确切地说，尽管是我雇佣了所有的仆人。我还需要一个马车夫——”
"And wear a uniform? " he interrupted sharply, the sneer of the free—born West in his voice and on his lips.
“那要穿制服？” 他突然打断道，这个生性自由的西部人冷笑着，从他的嗓音中可以听出来，他嘴唇的样子也显示了这点。
She smiled tolerantly.
她容忍地笑了笑。
"Evidently that won't do. Let me think. Yes. Can you break and handle colts? "
“显然不是那样的。让我想想，是的，你能驾驭小马驹吗？”
He nodded.
他点点头。
"We have a stock farm, and there's room for just such a man as you. Will you take it? "
“我们有个畜牧场，那儿有个空缺正好适合像你这样的人。你愿意接受吗？”
"Will I ma 'am? " His voice was rich with gratitude and enthusiasm. Show me to it. I'll dig right in to—morrow. And I can sure promise you one thing, ma' am. You'll never be sorry for lending Hughie Luke a hand in his trouble— "
“我愿意吗，女士？” 他的声音中满是感激和热忱。 “带我去吧，我明天就努力工作。我能向你保证一件事，女士，你永远都不会后悔向身处困境的休吉·卢克伸出援手——”
"I thought you said to call you Dave, " she chided forgivingly.
“我记得你说过要叫你戴夫。” 她责备他说，却是宽恕的口气。
"I did, ma 'am. I did. And I sure beg your pardon. It was just plain bluff. My real name is Hughie Luke. And if you'll give me the address of that stock farm of yours, and the railroad fare, I head for it first thing in the morning. "
“我是说过，女士，我说过。请务必原谅我，我只是胡说的。我的真名叫休吉·卢克。如果你给我你们畜牧场的地址，还有到那儿的火车票钱，我一大早就直奔过去。”
Throughout the conversation she had never relaxed her attempts on the bell. She had pressed it in every alarming way—three shorts and a long, two and a long, and five. She had tried long series of shorts, and, once, she had held the button down for a solid three minutes. And she had been divided between objurgation of the stupid, heavy—sleeping butler and doubt if the bell were in order.
在他们谈话的过程中，她一直在踩电铃。她用一切打警报的方式踩电铃——三短一长，两短一长，还有踩五下的。她试过踩一连串短的铃声，还有一次，她踩着电钮足足有三分钟。她一面斥责那个酣睡的傻男佣，一面怀疑这个电铃是不是坏掉了。
"I am so glad, " she said; "so glad that you are willing. There won't be much to arrange. But you will first have to trust me while I go upstairs for my purse. "
“我很高兴，” 她说， “很高兴你愿意。没多少要安排的。但你先要相信我，因为我要去楼上取我的钱包。”
She saw the doubt flicker momentarily in his eyes, and added hastily, "But you see I am trusting you with the three hundred dollars. "
她看到他眼里立刻闪过怀疑的目光，于是赶紧说， “但是你看我可是信任你的，给了你这三百美元。”
"I believe you, ma 'am, " he came back gallantly. Though I just can't help this nervousness.
“我相信你，女士，” 他又变得殷勤起来， “然而我就是控制不住这种紧张情绪。”
"Shall I go and get it? "
“我能去拿吗？”
But before she could receive consent, a slight muffled jar from the distance came to her ear. She knew it for the swing—door of the butler's pantry. But so slight was it—more a faint vibration than a sound—that she would not have heard had not her ears been keyed and listening for it. Yet the man had heard. He was startled in his composed way.
但还没等得到许可，她就隐约听见远处传来微弱低沉又刺耳的声音。她知道那是男佣配餐室的双向弹簧门的声音。但这声音如此微弱——更像是轻微的震动，而不像是个声音——要不是她竖起耳朵仔细听着，可能都听不到。然而这个人听见了。他表面上泰然自若，其实被吓了一跳。
"What was that? " he demanded.
“是什么？” 他问道。
For answer, her left hand flashed out to the revolver and brought it back. She had had the start of him, and she needed it, for the next instant his hand leaped up from his side, clutching emptiness where the revolver had been.
作为回应，她突然伸出左手抓住左轮手枪，把它拿过来。她先于他行动，而这也是必要的，因为下一刻他就突然抬起身侧的手去抓枪，可枪已经不在那儿了，他抓了个空。
"Sit down! " she commanded sharply, in a voice new to him. "Don't move. Keep your hands on the table. "
“坐下！” 她严厉地命令道，这次的口气很不同， “不许动，把你的手放在桌子上。”
She had taken a lesson from him. Instead of holding the heavy weapon extended, the butt of it and her forearm rested on the table, the muzzle pointed, not at his head, but his chest. And he, looking coolly and obeying her commands, knew there was no chance of the kick—up of the recoil producing a miss. Also, he saw that the revolver did not wabble, nor the hand shake, and he was thoroughly conversant with the size of hole the soft—nosed bullets could make. He had eyes, not for her, but for the hammer, which had risen under the pressure of her forefinger on the trigger.
她从他身上吸取到了教训。她没有将这把重型武器平举起来，而是将枪柄和前臂抵在桌子上，枪口对准他的胸膛，而不是他的头。他冷静地看着，服从了她的命令，他知道就凭枪的后坐力就一定会打中。他还注意到这把左轮手枪并没有晃动，手也没抖，他非常清楚这软头子弹能打多大的洞。他的眼睛不是在看她，而是盯着在食指扣动扳机产生的压力的作用下升起的击铁。
"I reckon I'd best warn you that that there trigger—pull is filed dreadful fine. Don't press too hard, or I'll have a hole in me the size of a walnut. "
“我想我最好警告你，扳机活动的地方被锉得相当光滑。别扣得太用力，否则我身上就得打个核桃大小的洞了。”
She slacked the hammer partly down.
她把击铁往下松了松。
"That's better, " he commented. "You'd best put it down all the way. You see how easy it works. If you want to, a quick light pull will jiffy her up and back and make a pretty mess all over your nice floor. "
“那样好些，” 他说， “你最好把枪彻底放下。你看它多容易操作，要是你想的话，轻轻一扣它就走火了，然后把你漂亮的地板弄得一团糟。”
A door opened behind him, and he heard somebody enter the room. But he did not turn his bead. He was looking at her, and he found it the face of another woman—hard, cold, pitiless yet brilliant in its beauty. The eyes, too, were hard, though blazing with a cold light.
身后的门开了，他听见有人进了屋。但他没有回头。他正看着她，在她身上发现了另一个女人的脸孔——严酷、冷漠、无情，却又美丽而聪明。这双眼睛也很严酷，尽管闪着冰冷的目光。
"Thomas, " she commanded, "go to the telephone and call the police. Why were you so long in answering? "
“托马斯，” 她命令道， “去给警察打电话。为什么这么久你才有回应？”
"I came as soon as I heard the bell, madam, " was the answer.
“我一听到电铃就赶来了，夫人。” 仆人回答说。
The robber never took his eyes from hers, nor did she from his, but at mention of the bell she noticed that his eyes were puzzled for the moment.
这个盗贼一直盯着她的眼睛，她也没有把目光移开，只是在提到电铃时，她注意到他的眼中闪过一丝困惑。
"Beg your pardon, " said the butler from behind, "but wouldn't it be better for me to get a weapon and arouse the servants? "
“对不起，” 身后的男佣说， “我去拿把武器，把仆人们也都叫醒不是更好吗？”
"No; ring for the police. I can hold this man. Go and do it—quickly. "
“不，给警察打电话。我能制住这个人。去打电话——快。”
The butler slippered out of the room, and the man and the woman sat on, gazing into each other's eyes. To her it was an experience keen with enjoyment, and in her mind was the gossip of her crowd, and she saw notes in the society weeklies of the beautiful young Mrs. Setliffe capturing an armed robber single—handed. It would create a sensation, she was sure.
男佣穿着拖鞋走出了屋子，这个男人和这个女人继续坐在那儿，凝视着彼此的眼睛。对她来说这是一次十分愉快的经历，她脑子里想的是自己圈子里的人对她的小声议论，她也预见到社会周刊上关于年轻美丽的赛特利夫夫人单枪匹马制服持枪劫匪的报道。她确定会引起一场轰动。
"When you get that sentence you mentioned, " she said coldly, "you will have time to meditate upon what a fool you have been, taking other persons' property and threatening women with revolvers. You will have time to learn your lesson thoroughly. Now tell the truth. You haven't any friend in trouble. All that you told me was lies. "
“当你受到你曾提到的刑罚时，” 她冷冷地说， “你会有时间想想你都有多愚蠢——侵犯他人财产，持枪威胁妇女。你会有时间彻底地吸取教训。现在说实话吧，你没有什么身陷困境的朋友，你告诉我的都是一派谎言。”
He did not reply. Though his eyes were upon her, they seemed blank. In truth, for the instant she was veiled to him, and what he saw was the wide sunwashed spaces of the West, where men and women were bigger than the rotten denizens, as he had encountered them, of the thrice rotten cities of the East.
他没有回答。尽管他的眼睛盯着她，却是一片茫然。顷刻间，她的真面目展现在他的面前。他看到了阳光沐浴下广阔的西部空地，那里的男人和女人都比他在这个堕落太多的东部城市里遇见的居民要大度、亲切。
"Go on. Why don't you speak? Why don't you lie some more? Why don't you beg to be let off? "
“继续，你为什么不说话？你为什么不再多扯些谎话？你为什么不请求我放走你？”
"I might, " he answered, licking his dry lips. "I might ask to be let off if"
“我可能会，” 他回答说，一边舔了舔自己干裂的嘴唇， “我可能会请求你放走我，如果”
"If what? " she demanded peremptorily, as he paused.
“如果什么？” 在他停顿的时候，她专横地问道。
"I was trying to think of a word you reminded me of. As I was saying, I might if you was a decent woman. "
“我是要想出个你让我联想到的词。就像我刚才所说的，你要是个体面的女人，我就可能会请求你放走我。”
Her face paled.
她的脸色变得苍白。
"Be careful, " she warned.
“小心点儿。” 她警告说。
"You don't dast kill me, " he sneered. "The world's a pretty low down place to have a thing like you prowling around in it, but it ain't so plumb low down, I reckon, as to let you put a hole in me. You're sure bad, but the trouble with you is that you're weak in your badness. It ain't much to kill a man, but you ain't got it in you. There's where you lose out. "
“你不会杀死我的，” 他冷笑着说， “有你这样的人晃悠在这世上，世界可真是个可鄙的地方，但我想它还没可鄙到让你向我开枪的地步。你确实很坏，但你的麻烦是你还不够坏。杀死个人不算什么，但你还做不到。这就是你失败的地方。”
"Be careful of what you say, " she repeated. "Or else, I warn you, it will go hard with you. It can be seen to whether your sentence is light or heavy. "
“你说话小心点儿，” 她重复说， “否则，我警告你，你会有苦头吃的。这可能关系到你的判罚是轻是重。”
"Something's the matter with God, " he remarked irrelevantly, "to be letting you around loose. It's clean beyond me what he's up to, playing such—like tricks on poor humanity. Now if I was God—"
“这是上帝的问题，” 他绕开这个话题说， “放任你晃荡在这个世界上。我完全不明白他在做什么，跟可怜的人类开这样的玩笑。现在如果我是上帝的话——”
His further opinion was interrupted by the entrance of the butler.
男佣进了屋，打断了他继续发表自己的意见。
"Something is wrong with the telephone, madam, " he announced. "The wires are crossed or something, because I can't get Central. "
“电话坏了，夫人。” 他说， “电线缠在了一起还是什么的，因为我打不通总局。”
"Go and call one of the servants, " she ordered. "Send him out for an officer, and then return here. "
“去叫个仆人，” 她命令道， “派他去叫个警察，然后回到这儿来。”
Again the pair was left alone.
这两个人又一次被单独留在了这儿。
"Will you kindly answer one question, ma 'am? " the man said. That servant fellow said something about a bell. I watched you like a cat, and you sure rung no bell.
“你能好心回答个问题吗，女士？” 这个男人说， “那个仆人说了什么电铃。我像猫一样盯着你，你肯定没有按响电铃。”
"It was under the table, you poor fool. I pressed it with my foot. "
“它在桌子底下，你这个可怜的傻瓜。我是用脚踩的。”
"Thank you, ma 'am. I reckoned I'd seen your kind before, and now I sure know I have. I spoke to you true and trusting, and all the time you was lying like hell to me. "
“谢谢你，女士。我就想我之前见过你这样的人，现在我确定自己见过。我信任你，跟你说实话，而你却一直都在拼命地骗我。”
She laughed mockingly.
她嘲弄地大笑。
"Go on. Say what you wish. It is very interesting. "
“接着说，想说什么就说什么，非常有意思。”
"You made eyes at me, looking soft and kind, playing up all the time the fact that you wore skirts instead of pants—and all the time with your foot on the bell under the table. Well, there's some consolation. I'd sooner be poor Hughie Luke, doing his ten years, than be in your skin. Ma 'am, hell is full of women like you. "
“你向我送秋波，看上去温柔可亲，一直都在充分利用你穿着裙子而非裤子这个事实——你的脚一直都踩在桌子下面的电铃上。好，还有些安慰。我宁愿成为可怜的休吉·卢克在监狱里呆上十年，也不愿意做你这样的人。女士，地狱里满是你这样的女人。”
There was silence for a space, in which the man, never taking his eyes from her, studying her, was making up his mind.
然后是一阵沉默，其间，男人一直盯着她，仔细端详她，他下了决心。
"Go on, " she urged. "Say something. "
“接着说，” 她敦促着， “说点儿什么。”
"Yes, ma 'am, I'll say something. I'll sure say something. Do you know what I' m going to do? I 'm going to get right up from this chair and walk out that door. I'd take the gun from you, only you might turn foolish and let it go off. You can have the gun. It's a good one. As I was saying, I am going right out that door. And you ain't going to pull that gun off either. It takes guts to shoot a man, and you sure ain't got them. Now get ready and see if you can pull that trigger. I ain't going to harm you. I' m going out that door, and I 'm starting. "
“好的，女士，我会说点儿什么，我肯定会说点儿什么。你知道我要做什么吗？我要从这把椅子上站起来，然后走出那道门。我要从你手里把枪夺回来，只是你可能会愚蠢地让枪走了火。你可以留下这把枪，这是把好枪。正如我刚才说的，我就要从那道门走出去了。而你也不会开枪。向人开枪需要勇气，你肯定没有。现在准备好，看看你能不能扣动那扳机。我不会伤害你的。我要走出那道门，现在就要出发了。”
Keeping his eyes fixed on her, he pushed back the chair and slowly stood erect. The hammer rose halfway. She watched it. So did he.
他紧紧盯着她，把椅子往后推了推，缓缓地站了起来。击铁升到了一半。她盯着击铁。他也是。
"Pull harder, " he advised. "It ain't half up yet. Go on and pull it and kill a man. That's what I said, kill a man, spatter his brains out on the floor, or slap a hole into him the size of your fist. That's what killing a man means. "
“扣得更用力点儿，” 他建议她说， “它还没有升到一半。继续扣动它来杀人。那就是我说过的，杀人，让他的脑浆迸裂在地，要不就是在他身上打个你拳头大小的洞。那就叫杀人。”
The hammer lowered jerkily but gently. The man turned his back and walked slowly to the door. She swung the revolver around so that it bore on his back. Twice again the hammer came up halfway and was reluctantly eased down.
击铁猝然降了下来，但是很轻。男人转身缓缓地朝门口走去。她转动左轮手枪，瞄准他的后背。击铁又一次升到一半的位置，然后勉强地缓缓停了下来。
At the door the man turned for a moment before passing on. A sneer was on his lips. He spoke to her in a low voice, almost drawling, but in it was the quintessence of all loathing, as he called her a name unspeakable and vile.
在门口的地方，男人走出去之前转过身来停了一会儿。嘴角浮起一丝冷笑。他低声对她说着话，骂她卑劣可耻，差不多是在拉长着调子，可其中却凝结了一切的憎恶。