购买
下载掌阅APP,畅读海量书库
立即打开
畅读海量书库
扫码下载掌阅APP

In Yeddo Bay
在江户海湾

Somewhere along Theater Street he had lost it. He remembered being hustled somewhat roughly on the bridge over one of the canals that cross that busy thoroughfare. Possibly some slant-eyed, light-fingered pickpocket was even then enjoying the fifty-odd yen his purse had contained. And then again, he thought, he might have lost it himself, just lost it carelessly.

他在剧场街的某个地方丢了钱包。他记得当时很匆忙,大概是正走在一座桥上,那座桥横跨一条穿过繁华大街的运河。可能某个斜眼的、善于扒窃的小偷那时正在享用他钱包里装着的50多日元。然后,他又想,也许是他自己把钱包弄丢了,只是不经意间弄丢了。

Hopelessly, and for the twentieth time, he searched in all his pockets for the missing purse. It was not there. His hand lingered in his empty hip-pocket, and he woefully regarded the voluble and vociferous restaurant-keeper, who insanely clamored: "Twenty-five sen! You pay now! Twenty-five sen!”

他绝望地翻遍了所有的口袋,寻找丢失的钱包,这已经是第二十次了。钱包没在他身上。他的一只手停在空空的裤子后袋里,悲伤地看着那个健谈的、大声叫喊的餐馆老板,他正疯狂地嚷着:“25钱!现在快付钱!25钱!”

"But my purse!" the boy said. "I tell you I've lost it somewhere.”

“但是我的钱包!”这个男孩说道,“我得告诉你,我不知道在哪儿把钱包丢了。”

Whereupon the restaurant-keeper lifted his arms indignantly and shrieked: "Twenty-five sen! Twenty-five sen! You pay now!”

于是这个餐馆老板愤怒地举起他的两只胳膊,尖叫道:“25钱!25钱!现在快付钱!”

Quite a crowd had collected, and it was growing embarrassing for Alf Davis.

一大群人围过来了,对阿尔夫·戴维斯来说,情况变得愈发尴尬了。

It was so ridiculous and petty, Alf thought. Such a disturbance about nothing! And, decidedly, he must be doing something. Thoughts of diving wildly through that forest of legs, and of striking out at whomsoever opposed him, flashed through his mind; but, as though divining his purpose, one of the waiters, a short and chunky chap with an evil-looking cast in one eye, seized him by the arm.

阿尔夫想,这也太荒谬了,这么琐碎的事情。这么无关紧要的事也能引起这样的骚动!但是毫无疑问,他必须想办法。有一种想法突然闪过他的脑海,他想疯狂地从无数的腿中间冲出去,谁阻拦他,就挥拳打谁;但是,其中一个服务员似乎料到了他的目的,这个又矮又胖的家伙目露凶光,一把拽住了阿尔夫的胳膊。

"You pay now! You pay now! Twenty-five sen!" yelled the proprietor, hoarse with rage.

“你,快付钱!快付钱,现在!25钱!”老板喊叫着,沙哑的嗓音中满含愤怒。

Alf was red in the face, too, from mortification; but he resolutely set out on another exploration. He had given up the purse, pinning his last hope on stray coins. In the little change-pocket of his coat he found a ten-sen piece and five-copper sen; and remembering having recently missed a ten-sen piece, he cut the seam of the pocket and resurrected the coin from the depths of the lining. Twenty-five sen he held in his hand, the sum required to pay for the supper he had eaten. He turned them over to the proprietor, who counted them, grew suddenly calm, and bowed obsequiously—in fact, the whole crowd bowed obsequiously and melted away.

由于受到这种屈辱,阿尔夫的脸也红得厉害,但是他毅然开始尝试另一种方法。他不再找钱包,而是把最后的希望寄托在了几个零星的硬币上。在他上衣的小零钱袋里,他找到了一枚10钱的硬币和一枚5钱的铜板;他记得最近有一枚10钱的硬币不见了,于是割开口袋缝,从他衣服的衬里深处找出了它。他手里拿着25钱,正好够他付刚才吃的晚饭。他把钱给了老板,老板数了数,然后突然变得平静了,还谄媚地向阿尔夫鞠了一躬。实际上,这一大群人都谄媚地向他鞠了一躬,然后散开了。

Alf Davis was a young sailor, just turned sixteen, on board the Annie Mine, an American sailing-schooner, which had run into Yokohama to ship its season's catch of skins to London. And in this, his second trip ashore, he was beginning to snatch his first puzzling glimpses of the Oriental mind. He laughed when the bowing and kotowing was over, and turned on his heel to confront another problem. How was he to get aboard ship? It was eleven o'clock at night, and there would be no ship's boats ashore, while the outlook for hiring a native boatman, with nothing but empty pockets to draw upon, was not particularly inviting.

阿尔夫·戴维斯是一个年轻的水手,刚刚16岁,在“安妮·曼”号上工作。“安妮·曼”号是一艘美国纵帆船,来横滨将这一季刚捕获的兽皮运送到伦敦。这是阿尔夫第二次上岸,他开始对令人费解的东方思想有了初步感受。当鞠躬和叩头结束时,他笑了,而转过身后,他遇到了另一个问题。他怎样才能登船呢?现在是夜里11点,岸边不会有到轮船上的小船了,而他雇到一位当地船夫的前景也不是特别乐观,因为他现在口袋空空,身无分文。

Keeping a sharp lookout for shipmates, he went down to the pier. At Yokohama there are no long lines of wharves. The shipping lies out at anchor, enabling a few hundred of the short-legged people to make a livelihood by carrying passengers to and from the shore.

他走向了码头,一路上用敏锐的眼睛找着船上的同伴。在横滨,没有长长的码头线。这些航船停泊在那里,于是几百号短腿的人靠载着乘客往返于岸边和船上过活。

A dozen sampan men and boys hailed Alf and offered their services. He selected the most favorable-looking one, an old and beneficent- appearing man with a withered leg. Alf stepped into his sampan and sat down. It was quite dark and he could not see what the old fellow was doing, though he evidently was doing nothing about shoving off and getting under way. At last he limped over and peered into Alf's face.

有十几个大人和男孩在小船上招呼阿尔夫,要给他提供服务。他选了一个看起来最讨人喜欢的,是一位年迈的老人,看起来很慈爱,有一条腿萎缩了。阿尔夫上了他的小船,坐下了。天很黑,他看不清楚这个老人在干什么,但是很明显,他没有准备开船出发。最后他一跛一跛地走过来盯着阿尔夫的脸。

"Ten sen," he said.

“10钱。”他说道。

"Yes, I know, ten sen," Alf answered carelessly. "But hurry up. American schooner."

“是的,我知道,10钱,”阿尔夫毫不在意地答道,“但要快点儿。去美国纵帆船那儿。”

"Ten sen. You pay now," the old fellow insisted.

“10钱。现在付钱。”这个老家伙坚持道。

Alf felt himself grow hot all over at the hateful words "pay now.""You take me to American schooner; then I pay," he said.

当听到“现在付钱”这几个讨厌的字时,阿尔夫觉得自己浑身发热。“你载我到美国纵帆船那儿,然后我就付钱。”阿尔夫说。

But the man stood up patiently before him, held out his hand, and said, "Ten sen. You pay now."

但是这个船夫很有耐心地站在阿尔夫面前,伸出他的手说:“10钱。现在付。”

Alf tried to explain. He had no money. He had lost his purse. But he would pay. As soon as he got aboard the American schooner, then he would pay. No; he would not even go aboard the American schooner. He would call to his shipmates, and they would give the sampan man the ten sen first. After that he would go aboard. So it was all right, of course.

阿尔夫试着解释给他听。他没有钱。他把钱包弄丢了。但是他会付钱的。他一到美国纵帆船上就付钱。不,他甚至根本不用登上美国纵帆船就可以付钱。他会朝同伴喊话,他们会给这个船夫10钱。之后他才会登上船。所以根本没关系。

To all of which the beneficent-appearing old man replied: "You pay now. Ten sen."And, to make matters worse, the other sampan men squatted on the pier steps, listening.

说了这么多,这位看起来很慈爱的老人依然回答:“现在付钱。10钱。”更糟的是,另一个船夫蹲在码头的台阶上,听着这一切。

Alf, chagrined and angry, stood up to step ashore. But the old fellow laid a detaining hand on his sleeve. "You give shirt now. I take you 'Merican schooner," he proposed.

阿尔夫又恼又气,站起来上了岸。但是这个老家伙一把拽住了他的袖子。“你现在把衬衣给我。我带你到美国纵帆船上。”他提议道。

Then it was that all of Alf's American independence flamed up in his breast. The Anglo-Saxon has a born dislike of being imposed upon, and to Alf this was sheer robbery! Ten sen was equivalent to six American cents, while his shirt, which was of good quality and was new, had cost him two dollars.

然后,阿尔夫那美国式的独立精神就在胸中升腾起来了。盎格鲁—撒克逊人天生就不喜欢被人强迫,对于阿尔夫来说,这就是赤裸裸的抢劫!10钱日元相当于六美分,而他的衬衫,质量好又是新的,花了他两美元呢。

He turned his back on the man without a word, and went out to the end of the pier, the crowd, laughing with great gusto, following at his heels. The majority of them were heavy-set, muscular fellows, and the July night being one of sweltering heat, they were clad in the least possible raiment. The water-people of any race are rough and turbulent, and it struck Alf that to be out at midnight on a pier-end with such a crowd of wharfmen, in a big Japanese city, was not as safe as it might be.

他一句话不说,拒绝了这个老人,走向码头的尽头;这一群人津津有味地笑着,紧跟着阿尔夫。他们中的大部分人很敦实,而且肌肉发达;七月的夜晚又闷又热,他们身上的衣服少得不能再少。不管是哪个种族,凡是在海上工作的人都是粗野而狂暴的。阿尔夫突然想到,在日本的一个大城市里,半夜走在码头的尽头,被这样一群码头工人跟着,这是很不安全的。

One burly fellow, with a shock of black hair and ferocious eyes, came up. The rest shoved in after him to take part in the discussion.

一个彪形大汉披散着一头黑发,目露凶光,跟了上来。剩下的人们跟在他后面挤了进来,加入了这场讨论。

"Give me shoes," the man said. "Give me shoes now. I take you 'Merican schooner.”

“给我鞋,”这个人说道,“现在给我鞋。我带你到美国纵帆船上。”

Alf shook his head, whereat the crowd clamored that he accept the proposal. Now the Anglo-Saxon is so constituted that to brow-beat or bully him is the last way under the sun of getting him to do any certain thing. He will dare willingly, but he will not permit himself to be driven. So this attempt of the boatmen to force Alf only aroused all the dogged stubbornness of his race. The same qualities were in him that are in men who lead forlorn hopes; and there, under the stars, on the lonely pier, encircled by the jostling and shouldering gang, he resolved that he would die rather than submit to the indignity of being robbed of a single stitch of clothing. Not value, but principle, was at stake.

阿尔夫摇了摇头,于是人们大声嚷着,迫使他接受这个提议。盎格鲁—撒克逊人生来就不愿意被人强迫,要想让他做什么事,威逼胁迫是最没用的办法。如果是自愿的,他敢去做,但是他不允许自己被人强迫。所以,这些船夫企图强迫阿尔夫接受他们的要求,这只会激起他那个民族的顽固的倔强。所有孤注一掷的人身上有的特质都在阿尔夫身上体现了出来;在那儿,在星空下,在孤零零的码头上,被一群推推搡搡的人包围着,他决定死也不能被别人抢走一丁点儿衣服,决不能忍受这种侮辱。不是价值而是原则正处于危险中。

Then somebody thrust roughly against him from behind. He whirled about with flashing eyes, and the circle involuntarily gave ground. But the crowd was growing more boisterous. Each and every article of clothing he had on was demanded by one or another, and these demands were shouted simultaneously at the tops of very healthy lungs.

然后有个人从后面粗鲁地推了他。他用炯炯有神的眼睛扫视着周围,这一圈人不自觉地往后退了退。但是这群人越来越吵了。他身上穿的每一件衣服都有人要,而且这些人同时放声大叫,表达他们的要求。

Alf had long since ceased to say anything, but he knew that the situation was getting dangerous, and that the only thing left to him was to get away. His face was set doggedly, his eyes glinted like points of steel, and his body was firmly and confidently poised. This air of determination sufficiently impressed the boatmen to make them give way before him when he started to walk toward the shore-end of the pier. But they trooped along beside him and behind him, shouting and laughing more noisily than ever. One of the youngsters, about Alf's size and build, impudently snatched his cap from his head; but before he could put it on his own head, Alf struck out from the shoulder, and sent the fellow rolling on the stones.

阿尔夫已经很长时间没说话了,但是他知道,情况变得危险了,他唯一的办法就是赶快离开。他固执地板着脸,眼睛像钢尖一样闪烁着,身体摆出一副坚定、自信的样子。当他在码头上向岸边走去时,那意志坚决的样子令人印象深刻,以至于船夫们都给他让路。但是他们还是成群结队地跟在他旁边或是他后面,喊着,笑着,比之前更嘈杂了。其中一个年轻人跟阿尔夫的个头、体形都差不多,他鲁莽地从阿尔夫头上抓走了他的帽子,但他还没来得及把它戴在自己头上,阿尔夫就用力击中了他,并让这个家伙在石头上打起滚来。

The cap flew out of his hand and disappeared among the many legs. Alf did some quick thinking; his sailor pride would not permit him to leave the cap in their hands. He followed in the direction it had sped, and soon found it under the bare foot of a stalwart fellow, who kept his weight stolidly upon it. Alf tried to get the cap out by a sudden jerk, but failed. He shoved against the man's leg, but the man only grunted. It was challenge direct, and Alf accepted it. Like a flash one leg was behind the man and Alf had thrust strongly with his shoulder against the fellow's chest. Nothing could save the man from the fierce vigorousness of the trick, and he was hurled over and backward.

帽子从他手中飞了出去,消失在那堆人的腿中间。阿尔夫快速地思考了一下,水手的自尊是不允许他让帽子落入他们手中的。顺着帽子飞走的方向,他很快发现一个健硕的家伙正光着脚踩着帽子,那笨重的身体不动声色地压在上面。阿尔夫试图猛拽一下拿到帽子,但失败了。他用力推着这个人的腿,但这个人只是嘟囔了一下。这就是直接的挑战,而阿尔夫接受了这项挑战。转瞬间,阿尔夫的一条腿已经伸到了这个人的后面,他用自己的肩猛撞了这个家伙的胸一下。没有什么可以把这个人从阿尔夫激烈、有力的进攻中拯救出来,他被摔在地上,摔了个仰面朝天。

Next, the cap was on Alf's head and his fists were up before him. Then he whirled about to prevent attack from behind, and all those in that quarter fled precipitately. This was what he wanted. None remained between him and the shore end. The pier was narrow. Facing them and threatening with his fist those who attempted to pass him on either side, he continued his retreat. It was exciting work, walking backward and at the same time checking that surging mass of men. But the dark-skinned peoples, the world over, have learned to respect the white man's fist; and it was the battles fought by many sailors, more than his own warlike front, that gave Alf the victory.

然后,帽子又重新回到了阿尔夫的头上,同时他抬起拳头挡在自己面前。他又扫视着周围,以防后面有人袭击,而那群人都急匆匆地向后退去。这正是他想要的结果。在他和岸边之间,一个人也没有了。这个码头很窄。他面对着他们,用拳头威慑那些试图从两边超越的人,继续撤退。一边后退,一边防着蜂拥而上的人群,这真是令人兴奋。但是全世界暗肤色的民族都已经学会了尊敬白人的拳头;是很多水手进行过的战斗给阿尔夫带来了胜利,而不仅仅是他自己的战线。

Where the pier adjoins the shore was the station of the harbor police, and Alf backed into the electric-lighted office, very much to the amusement of the dapper lieutenant in charge. The sampan men, grown quiet and orderly, clustered like flies by the open door, through which they could see and hear what passed.

码头和海岸的连接处是海港警察局,阿尔夫向后退到亮着灯的办公室里,他的到来把衣着整齐的当班中尉给逗乐了。这些船夫变得安静有序,都像苍蝇似的挤在了门口,门开着,他们可以看到、听到发生了什么。

Alf explained his difficulty in few words, and demanded, as the privilege of a stranger in a strange land, that the lieutenant put him aboard in the police-boat. The lieutenant, in turn, who knew all the "rules and regulations" by heart, explained that the harbor police were not ferrymen, and that the police-boats had other functions to perform than that of transporting belated and penniless sailor-men to their ships. He also said he knew the sampan men to be natural-born robbers, but that so long as they robbed within the law he was powerless. It was their right to collect fares in advance, and who was he to command them to take a passenger and collect fare at the journey's end? Alf acknowledged the justice of his remarks, but suggested that while he could not command he might persuade. The lieutenant was willing to oblige, and went to the door, from where he delivered a speech to the crowd. But they, too, knew their rights, and, when the officer had finished, shouted in chorus their abominable "Ten sen! You pay now! You pay now!”

阿尔夫很简短地解释了他的困难,并且要求中尉用警局的船送他回去,这是外地人在一块陌生的土地上所拥有的特权。所有的“规章制度”中尉都了然于心,他反过来向阿尔夫解释道,海港警察不是渡船工人,而且警局的船不是用来送那些天黑了还在赶路、身无分文的水手回船上的。他还说,他知道这些船夫是天生的强盗,但是只要他们是在法律允许的范围内抢东西,他就无权过问了。提前收费是他们的权利,谁命令他们载一位乘客并且到目的地后再收钱?阿尔夫承认他说的话是公正的,但还是提议说,他不能下命令,但也许可以劝劝他们。中尉愿意帮忙,于是走到门口,对这群人讲了一番话。但是他们也知道自己的权利,警官讲完话,他们就齐声喊着令人讨厌的那两句话:“10钱!现在付钱!现在付钱!”

"You see, I can do nothing," said the lieutenant, who, by the way, spoke perfect English. "But I have warned them not to harm or molest you, so you will be safe, at least. The night is warm and half over. Lie down somewhere and to sleep. I would permit you to sleep here in the office, were it not against the rules and regulations."

“你看,我也没办法。”这个中尉说道。顺便提一下,他说着一口纯正的英语。“但是我警告他们不要伤害或骚扰你,所以至少你是安全的。这个温暖的夜晚已经过去一半了。躺在什么地方睡一觉吧。要不是规定不允许,我会让你睡在办公室里。”

Alf thanked him for his kindness and courtesy; but the sampan men had aroused all his pride of race and doggedness, and the problem could not be solved that way. To sleep out the night on the stones was an acknowledgment of defeat.

阿尔夫对他的好意和帮助表示感谢,但是这些船夫激起了他作为美国人的自尊心和他的倔劲儿,所以问题不能用这种方式解决。夜里睡在外面的石头上就是承认失败。

"The sampan men refuse to take me out?"

“这些船夫拒绝带我出去?”

The lieutenant nodded.

中尉点了点头。

"And you refuse to take me out?"

“你也拒绝带我出去?”

Again the lieutenant nodded.

中尉又一次点了点头。

"Well, then, it's not in the rules and regulations that you can prevent my taking myself out?”

“好,规章制度里没有说你可以阻止我,不让我自己带自己出去吧?”

The lieutenant was perplexed. "There is no boat," he said.

中尉困惑了。“没船。”他说。

"That's not the question," Alf proclaimed hotly. "If I take myself out, everybody's satisfied and no harm done?”

“那不是问题,”阿尔夫激动地表示,“如果我带我自己出去,每个人都满意吧,也不会有什么危害吧?”

"Yes; what you say is true," persisted the puzzled lieutenant. "But you cannot take yourself out."

“是的,你说的是,”这个困惑的中尉坚持道,“但是你没法带你自己出去。”

"You just watch me," was the retort.

“你就看我的吧。”他反驳道。

Down went Alf's cap on the office floor. Right and left he kicked off his low-cut shoes. Trousers and shirt followed.

阿尔夫把帽子扔在了办公室的地板上。左右两下,他踢掉了矮帮鞋。接下来他脱掉了裤子和衬衫。

"Remember," he said in ringing tones, "I, as a citizen of the United States, shall hold you, the city of Yokohama, and the government of Japan responsible for those clothes. Good night."

“记住,”他用响亮干脆的声音说道,“我,作为一名美国公民,告诉你们,横滨市以及日本政府要对这些衣服负责。晚安。”

He plunged through the doorway, scattering the astounded boatmen to either side, and ran out on the pier. But they quickly recovered and ran after him, shouting with glee at the new phase the situation had taken on. It was a night long remembered among the water-folk of Yokohama town. Straight to the end Alf ran, and, without pause, dived off cleanly and neatly into the water. He struck out with a lusty, single-overhand stroke till curiosity prompted him to halt for a moment. Out of the darkness, from where the pier should be, voices were calling to him.

他冲到门外,把那些惊异的船夫冲散在两边,在码头上往外跑去。但是他们很快回过神来,追着他跑出去了,看到事情有了新动向,都高兴地叫嚷着。这是横滨码头上的家伙们会长时间记住的一个夜晚。一直到尽头,阿尔夫都在跑,一次也没有停,他干净利落地跃入水中。他用双臂轮流划水,奋力向前游去,直到好奇心促使他停了一下。在黑暗中,他听见码头那里有人叫他。

He turned on his back, floated, and listened.

他转过身,仰面浮在水上,听他们在喊些什么。

"All right! All right!" he could distinguish from the babel. "No pay now; pay bime by! Come back! Come back now; pay bime by!"

“好吧!好吧!”他可以从混乱的声音中分辨出来他们在说什么。“现在不付钱了,以后再付!回来!现在回来吧,以后再付!”

"No, thank you;" he called back. "No pay at all. Good night."

“不,谢谢了。”他大声答道,“根本不用付钱了。晚安。”

Then he faced about in order to locate the Annie Mine. She was fully a mile away, and in the darkness it was no easy task to get her bearings. First, he settled upon a blaze of lights which he knew nothing but a man-of-war could make. That must be the United States war-ship Lancaster. Somewhere to the left and beyond should be the Annie Mine. But to the left he made out three lights close together. That could not be the schooner. For the moment he was confused. He rolled over on his back and shut his eyes, striving to construct a mental picture of the harbor as he had seen it in daytime. With a snort of satisfaction he rolled back again. The three lights evidently belonged to the big English tramp steamer. Therefore the schooner must lie somewhere between the three lights and the Lancaster. He gazed long and steadily, and there, very dim and low, but at the point he expected, burned a single light—the anchorlight of the Annie Mine.

然后他四处看了看,想要确定“安妮·曼”号的位置。它在整整一英里之外,而且在黑暗中,很难确定船的方位。首先,他选定了明亮的灯火,他只知道那是军舰上的灯火。那一定是美国军舰“兰开斯特”号。“兰开斯特”号左前方的某个地方应该就是“安妮·曼”号。但是在左边,他分辨出了三盏离得很近的灯。那不可能是那艘纵帆船。现在他也迷糊了。他翻身躺在水面上,闭着眼睛,努力在脑海中构建一幅白天看到的港口的画面。他满意地哼了一声,又翻过身来。这三盏灯显然是属于那艘巨大的英国不定期货船。因此,纵帆船一定是在这三盏灯和“兰开斯特”号中间的某个地方。他一直盯了很久,那里亮起了一盏灯——“安妮·曼”号上的停泊灯,虽然很昏暗,但就在他预料的那个点上。

And it was a fine swim under the starshine. The air was warm as the water, and the water as warm as tepid milk. The good salt taste of it was in his mouth, the tingling of it along his limbs; and the steady beat of his heart, heavy and strong, made him glad for living.

在星光下,他游得很畅快。空气像海水一样暖,海水像温热的牛奶一样暖。他嘴里有海水美妙的咸味,四肢有海水带来的刺痛感,稳定的心跳强而有力,这些使他觉得活着很好。

But beyond being glorious the swim was uneventful. On the right hand he passed the many-lighted Lancaster, on the left hand the English tramp, and ere long the Annie Mine loomed large above him. He grasped the hanging rope-ladder and drew himself noiselessly on deck. There was no one in sight. He saw a light in the galley, and knew that the captain's son, who kept the lonely anchorwatch, was making coffee. Alf went forward to the forecastle. The men were snoring in their bunks, and in that confined space the heat seemed to him insufferable. So he put on a thin cotton shirt and a pair of dungaree trousers, tucked blanket and pillow under his arm, and went up on deck and out on the forecastle-head.

但是除了感到愉悦,整个游泳过程是平静的。他经过了右手边灯火通明的“兰开斯特”号,在他的左手边是那艘英国的不定期货轮。不久,“安妮·曼”号就赫然出现在他面前。他抓住了挂着的绳梯,悄无声息地爬上了甲板。一个人也没有。他看到厨房里点着灯,知道那是船长的儿子正在煮咖啡,他在舷梯口值夜班。阿尔夫向前走向水手舱。人们正在床上打着鼾,在这个狭窄的空间里,他觉得热得受不了了。所以他穿上了一件薄薄的棉衬衫和一条粗蓝布的裤子,用胳膊夹着毯子和枕头,走上了甲板,到了前甲板的尽头。

Hardly had he begun to doze when he was roused by a boat coming alongside and hailing the anchor-watch. It was the police-boat, and to Alf it was given to enjoy the excited conversation that ensued. Yes, the captain's son recognized the clothes. They belonged to Alf Davis, one of the seamen. What had happened? No; Alf Davis had not come aboard. He was ashore. He was not ashore? Then he must be drowned. Here both the lieutenant and the captain's son talked at the same time, and Alf could make out nothing. Then he heard them come forward and rouse out the crew. The crew grumbled sleepily and said that Alf Davis was not in the forecastle; whereupon the captain's son waxed indignant at the Yokohama police and their ways, and the lieutenant quoted rules and regulations in despairing accents.

他几乎还没开始打盹,就被一艘船吵醒了,这艘船呼喊着值班人一路驶来。那是警察的船,对阿尔夫来说,他肯定会享受接下来这场情绪激动的对话。是的,船长的儿子认出了这些衣服。他们是阿尔夫·戴维斯的,我们的一个海员。发生什么事了?不,阿尔夫·戴维斯还没上船。他在岸上。他没在岸上?那他肯定溺水了。这时中尉和船长的儿子同时说起话来,阿尔夫·戴维斯什么也听不出来。然后他听到他们走了过来,并叫醒了其他的船员。船员们带着睡意抱怨道,阿尔夫·戴维斯没在水手舱里;于是船长的儿子对横滨的警察和他们处理事情的方式生起气来,而这位中尉用绝望的声调引述了当地的规章制度。

Alf rose up from the forecastle-head and extended his hand, saying:

阿尔夫从前甲板的尽头站起来,伸出他的手,说道:

"I guess I'll take those clothes. Thank you for bringing them aboard so promptly.”

“我想我可以拿走这些衣服吧。谢谢你这么快就把衣服送回船上了。”

"I don't see why he couldn't have brought you aboard inside of them," said the captain's son.

“我不明白,为什么他不能让你穿着衣服,把你带到船上。”船长的儿子说。

And the police lieutenant said nothing, though he turned the clothes over somewhat sheepishly to their rightful owner.

然后中尉什么也没说,不过他有些窘迫地把衣服交给了它合法的主人。

The next day, when Alf started to go ashore, he found himself surrounded by shouting and gesticulating, though very respectful, sampan men, all extraordinarily anxious to have him for a passenger. Nor did the one he selected say, "You pay now," when he entered his boat. When Alf prepared to step out on to the pier, he offered the man the customary ten sen. But the man drew himself up and shook his head.

第二天,当阿尔夫又要出发去岸上时,他发现他自己被叫喊声和各种手势围住了,但都是以一种非常尊敬的方式。这些小船的船夫们都格外希望他成为自己的乘客。当他踏入选中的船时,船夫没有说“现在就付钱”。当阿尔夫准备登上码头的时候,他按照惯例,给了这个人10钱。但是那个人拉住了他,摇了摇头。

"You all right," he said. "You no pay. You never no pay. You bully boy and all right."

“你,没关系,”他说,“你不用付钱。你再也不用付钱了。你这个棒小伙子,不付钱也没关系。”

And for the rest of the Annie Mine's stay in port, the sampan men refused money at Alf Davis's hand. Out of admiration for his pluck and independence, they had given him the freedom of the harbor.

在“安妮·曼”号停在港口的剩下的日子里,这些船夫都不收阿尔夫·戴维斯的钱。出于对他的勇气和独立精神的赞赏,这些船夫给了阿尔夫在港口自由活动的权利。

1902年 HawViCM/XwOgfgM1nXtmb8lcRtaZPd81P7Hk3YXjQ0afRoWxJyzLhXnVSwYtv2TY

点击中间区域
呼出菜单
上一章
目录
下一章
×

打开