THE sunshine of a day in early spring, honey pale and honey sweet, was showering over the red brick buildings of Queenslea College and the grounds about them, throwing through the bare, budding maples and elms, delicate, evasive etchings of gold and brown on the paths, and coaxing into life the daffodils that were peering greenly and perkily up under the windows of the co-eds' dressing-room.

早春的阳光很柔和、很甜美，如蜂蜜一般洒满昆士利亚学院的红砖楼及其周围的地面。枫树和榆树才吐新芽，阳光透过疏朗的枝杈，把小径照得斑斑驳驳，像一幅金色和棕色的铜版画。女学生化妆间的窗外生着几株水仙，颜色嫩绿，生机勃勃，在阳光的沐浴下愈发生机盎然。

A young April wind, as fresh and sweet as if it had been blowing over the fields of memory instead of through dingy streets, was purring in the tree-tops and whipping the loose tendrils of the ivy network which covered the front of the main building. It was a wind that sang of many things, but what it sang to each listener was only what was in that listener's heart. To the college students who had just been capped and diplomad by "Old Charlie," the grave president of Queenslea, in the presence of an admiring throng of parents and sisters, sweethearts and friends, it sang, perchance, of glad hope and shining success and high achievement. It sang of the dreams of youth that may never be quite fulfilled, but are well worth the dreaming for all that. God help the man who has never known such dreams—who, as he leaves his alma mater, is not already rich in aerial castles, the proprietor of many a spacious estate in Spain. He has missed his birthright.

四月初的和风，清新、柔和，仿佛不是从脏乱的街道上吹来的，而是从记忆的原野上吹来的。风拂过树顶，发出低沉的咕噜声。主楼正面爬满常青藤，它的卷须并不紧贴墙面，而是随风摇摆。这风唱着很多首歌，但每个人听到的都只是合自己心意的那首。那些刚由昆士利亚学院严肃的院长“老查理”戴上学士帽并授予学位证的大学生，正被人群簇拥着，沉浸在父母、姐妹、恋人和朋友的赞赏里。也许在这些大学生的耳中，这风歌唱的是喜人的希望、耀眼的成功和非凡的成就。风里歌唱的年轻的梦想也许永远无法完全实现，但即便如此，这梦也值得一做。上帝帮助那从未有过这种梦想的人——他离开母校时，并没有多少空中楼阁般的梦想，现在却是西班牙许多块大型地产的业主。他已经丧失了自己与生俱来的权利。

The crowd streamed out of the entrance hall and scattered over the campus, fraying off into the many streets beyond. Eric Marshall and David Baker walked away together. The former had graduated in Arts that day at the head of his class; the latter had come to see the graduation, nearly bursting with pride in Eric's success.

人群涌出了大厅，分散到校园各处，熙熙攘攘地走进更远的街道里。埃里克·马歇尔和戴维·贝克一起走了出去。埃里克那天以全班第一的成绩毕业，并获得文学学士毕业，戴维来参加他的毕业典礼，为埃里克的成功骄傲不已。

Between these two was an old and tried and enduring friendship, although David was ten years older than Eric, as the mere tale of years goes, and a hundred years older in knowledge of the struggles and difficulties of life which age a man far more quickly and effectually than the passing of time.

两人是老朋友了，他们的友谊久经考验。仅从年龄上看，戴维只比埃里克大十岁；但从阅历上看，戴维要比他成熟一百岁，因为生活中的奋斗与艰难比时间的流逝更快速、更有效地催人衰老。

Physically the two men bore no resemblance to one another, although they were second cousins. Eric Marshall, tall, broad-shouldered, sinewy, walking with a free, easy stride, which was somehow suggestive of reserve strength and power, was one of those men regarding whom less-favoured mortals are tempted seriously to wonder why all the gifts of fortune should be showered on one individual. He was not only clever and good to look upon, but he possessed that indefinable charm of personality which is quite independent of physical beauty or mental ability. He had steady, grayish-blue eyes, dark chestnut hair with a glint of gold in its waves when the sunlight struck it, and a chin that gave the world assurance of a chin. He was a rich man's son, with a clean young manhood behind him and splendid prospects before him. He was considered a practical sort of fellow, utterly guiltless of romantic dreams and visions of any sort.

他们俩是表兄弟，可外貌上却一点儿也不像。埃里克·马歇尔个子高大、肩膀宽阔、体格健壮，走起路来大步流星、轻松自如，步态中不知怎地表现出一种蕴藏着的某种力量。那些不那么受到上天眷顾的人难免要想，怎么所有的优点都集中在了他一人身上。他不仅聪明、长得帅气，而且有一种难以言表的性格魅力，这魅力与外表之美以及头脑中的智慧完全无关。他一双灰蓝色的眼睛目光坚定，深栗色的卷发在阳光下闪出些许金光，下颌长得很饱满。他是个富家子，血气方刚、前途光明。在大家眼里，他是那种务实的人，完全没有任何脱离实际的梦想或幻想。

"I am afraid Eric Marshall will never do one quixotic thing," said a Queenslea professor, who had a habit of uttering rather mysterious epigrams, "but if he ever does it will supply the one thing lacking in him."

“恐怕埃里克·马歇尔从不做堂吉诃德式的荒诞事，”昆士利亚一位习惯讲很难懂的警句的教授说，“但他要能做一回，就再没缺憾了。”

David Baker was a short, stocky fellow with an ugly, irregular, charming face; his eyes were brown and keen and secretive; his mouth had a comical twist which became sarcastic, or teasing, or winning, as he willed. His voice was generally as soft and musical as a woman's; but some few who had seen David Baker righteously angry and heard the tones which then issued from his lips were in no hurry to have the experience repeated.

戴维·贝克体型又矮又胖，脸长得既不好看也不端正，但却招人喜欢；他的眼睛是棕色的，眼神敏锐而诡异；嘴歪得有点儿可笑，并且随他的意愿表现出讽刺、嘲笑或胜利的神情。大多数时候，他的声音像女子的嗓音一样柔和悦耳。不过少数几个真正听过他生气时说话声调的人，可不愿意再领教一遍。

He was a doctor—a specialist in troubles of the throat and voice—and he was beginning to have a national reputation. He was on the staff of the Queenslea Medical College and it was whispered that before long he would be called to fill an important vacancy at McGill.

他是医生——喉咙及发声方面问题方面的专家——并且在全国逐渐有了声望。当时他在昆士利亚医学院任职，有传言说不久后他将被叫去麦吉尔大学填补空缺，那可是个重要的职位。

He had won his way to success through difficulties and drawbacks which would have daunted most men. In the year Eric was born David Baker was an errand boy in the big department store of Marshall & Company. Thirteen years later he graduated with high honors from Queenslea Medical College. Mr. Marshall had given him all the help which David's sturdy pride could be induced to accept, and now he insisted on sending the young man abroad for a post-graduate course in London and Germany. David Baker had eventually repaid every cent Mr. Marshall had expended on him; but he never ceased to cherish a passionate gratitude to the kind and generous man; and he loved that man's son with a love surpassing that of brothers.

他的成功之路充满艰辛和挫折，一般人经历过这些早就一蹶不振了。埃里克出生那年，戴维·贝克还在马歇尔公司一家大型的百货商店里当送货员。十三年以后，他以优秀的成绩从昆士利亚医学院毕业。马歇尔先生在戴维强烈的自尊心被劝说到能接受的范围内，提供了所有的帮助。现在，他坚持要送这个年轻人到伦敦和德国读研究生。戴维最终还清了马歇尔先生之前花在他身上的每一分钱，但他对这位善良慷慨的人所怀有的深情地感激却从未消退。他也爱这位先生的儿子，他们简直比亲兄弟还要亲。

He had followed Eric's college course with keen, watchful interest. It was his wish that Eric should take up the study of law or medicine now that he was through Arts; and he was greatly disappointed that Eric should have finally made up his mind to go into business with his father.

他伴随了埃里克度过大学时光，热心而仔细地关切着他的成长。由于埃里克读完了文学学士，他希望他应该去学法律或医学。然而埃里克却决定与父亲一起从商，钻研商学，这让戴维甚为失望。

"It's a clean waste of your talents," he grumbled, as they walked home from the college. "You'd win fame and distinction in law—that glib tongue of yours was meant for a lawyer and it is sheer flying in the face of Providence to devote it to commercial uses—a flat crossing of the purposes of destiny. Where is your ambition, man?"

“这简直是浪费你的才华，”他们从学院回家的路上，戴维咕哝道，“你在法律界会取得名望的——你口齿伶俐，正适合当律师，而你却公然做违犯天意的事，将这种才华用于商业——你与该走的路背道而驰。老兄，你的雄心壮志在哪里呢？”

"In the right place," answered Eric, with his ready laugh. "It is not your kind, perhaps, but there is room and need for all kinds in this lusty young country of ours. Yes, I am going into the business. In the first place, it has been father's cherished desire ever since I was born, and it would hurt him pretty badly if I backed out now. He wished me to take an Arts course because he believed that every man should have as liberal an education as he can afford to get, but now that I have had it he wants me in the firm."

“在合适的地方，”埃里克笑着回答说，“可能不是你想的那种，但是在我们这个年轻而充满活力的国家，哪一行都有发展空间，都需要各种人才。是啊，我就要进军商业了。首先，从我出生起，父亲就衷心希望我能走这条路，我要是现在食言，就太伤他的心了。他希望我读文科是因为他相信每个人都应该在条件允许的范围内，尽可能接受些自由的教育。不过既然我已经读过了，他就希望我能去他公司里。”

"He wouldn't oppose you if he thought you really wanted to go in for something else."

“他要是认为你真想往别的方向发展，是不会阻拦的。”

"Not he. But I don't really want to—that's the point, David, man. You hate a business life so much yourself that you can't get it into your blessed noddle that another man might like it. There are many lawyers in the world—too many, perhaps—but there are never too many good honest men of business, ready to do clean big things for the betterment of humanity and the upbuilding of their country, to plan great enterprises and carry them through with brain and courage, to manage and control, to aim high and strike one's aim. There, I'm waxing eloquent, so I'd better stop. But ambition, man! Why, I'm full of it—it's bubbling in every pore of me. I mean to make the department store of Marshall & Company famous from ocean to ocean. Father started in life as a poor boy from a Nova Scotian farm. He has built up a business that has a provincial reputation. I mean to carry it on. In five years it shall have a maritime reputation, in ten, a Canadian. I want to make the firm of Marshall & Company stand for something big in the commercial interests of Canada. Isn't that as honourable an ambition as trying to make black seem white in a court of law, or discovering some new disease with a harrowing name to torment poor creatures who might otherwise die peacefully in blissful ignorance of what ailed them?"

“他是不会。但我真没想——这才是重点，戴维老兄。你很讨厌商业，以致于不能愉快地同意甚至也想不到其他人可能会喜欢这一行。这世界上律师够多了——也许太多了——可是老实能干的商人永远不嫌多。我们需要他们堂堂正正地做些大事来造福人类和建设国家；为企业勾画宏伟蓝图，并用智慧和勇气来完成计划；需要他们的管理和操控；需要他们制定高远的目标并全力实现。说到这儿，我太高谈阔论了，最好还是就此打住吧。但要有点儿雄心壮志啊，老兄！嗨，我有的是——它在我的每个毛孔里奔腾。我要让马歇尔公司百货商店闻名世界。父亲小时候是新斯科舍农场上的一个穷孩子。他做的生意在全省都有了名气。我要把它发扬光大。五年内闻名于沿海地区，十年内闻名于整个加拿大。我希望马歇尔公司在加拿大的商界中能象征某个大型企业。这难道还比不上在法庭上试图颠倒黑白？比不上发现某种有着可怕名字的疾病来折磨一些可怜的人，而这些人本可以在愉快的无知中生病而安详地死去？和这些作为相比，我的雄心大志还不值得尊敬么？”

"When you begin to make poor jokes it is time to stop arguing with you," said David, with a shrug of his fat shoulders. "Go your own gait and dree your own weird. I'd as soon expect success in trying to storm the citadel single-handed as in trying to turn you from any course about which you had once made up your mind. Whew, this street takes it out of a fellow! What could have possessed our ancestors to run a town up the side of a hill? I'm not so slim and active as I was on my graduation day ten years ago. By the way, what a lot of co-eds were in your class—twenty, if I counted right. When I graduated there were only two ladies in our class and they were the pioneers of their sex at Queenslea. They were well past their first youth, very grim and angular and serious; and they could never have been on speaking terms with a mirror in their best days. But mark you, they were excellent females—oh, very excellent. Times have changed with a vengeance, judging from the line-up of co-eds to-day. There was one girl there who can't be a day over eighteen—and she looked as if she were made out of gold and roseleaves and dewdrops."

“当你开的玩笑都不逗时，我就不跟你争了。”戴维耸了耸他肥硕的肩膀说道，“自行其是，自食其果。我希望你能从已选好的专业中回心转意，但这就像希望能成功地单手摧毁一座要塞城堡一样难。哟，这条街可不好走！咱们的祖先脑子着了什么魔，怎么能沿着山坡往上建城？十年前，我毕业的时候，不像你这么苗条、这么活泼。顺带提一下，你们班女生可真多——二十个，如果我没数错的话。我毕业的时候班里只有两位女士，她们可是昆士利亚女生中的佼佼者。她们早过了最懵懂的年龄，待人严厉、体格瘦削、一本正经。她们在最美好的青春岁月，基本是顾不得照镜子的。但你听着，她们是优秀的女性——哎，真的非常优秀。时代发生了颠覆性的变化，看看现在那些成排的女生就知道了。有个至多十八岁的女孩——看起来似乎就像是金子、蔷薇花叶和露珠做成的。”

"The oracle speaks in poetry," laughed Eric. "That was Florence Percival, who led the class in mathematics, as I'm a living man. By many she is considered the beauty of her class. I can't say that such is my opinion. I don't greatly care for that blonde, babyish style of loveliness—I prefer Agnes Campion. Did you notice her—the tall, dark girl with the ropes of hair and a sort of crimson, velvety bloom on her face, who took honours in philosophy?"

“传达神谕的人用诗说话，”埃里克笑道，“她叫弗洛伦斯·珀西瓦尔，是班里的数学尖子，我拿命打赌。在很多人眼里她被看作是班花。可我不这么想。我不太喜欢她那种金发的、孩子气的可爱——倒是更喜欢阿格尼丝·坎皮恩。你看见她了吗？——那个高个子、深肤色的女孩，头发一绺绺的，脸上一抹柔和的绯红。她哲学学得很好。”

"I did notice her," said David emphatically, darting a keen side glance at his friend. "I noticed her most particularly and critically—for someone whispered her name behind me and coupled it with the exceedingly interesting information that Miss Campion was supposed to be the future Mrs. Eric Marshall. Whereupon I stared at her with all my eyes."

“我的确注意过她，”戴维很肯定地说着，他还敏锐地瞟了一眼他的朋友。“我是用相当批判的眼光特别地注意过她——因为我身后有人悄悄说起过她的名字，还提到了一个很有趣的说法，说坎皮恩小姐可能成为埃里克·马歇尔未来的妻子呢。因此我专心地盯着她看。”

"There is no truth in that report," said Eric in a tone of annoyance. "Agnes and I are the best of friends and nothing more. I like and admire her more than any woman I know; but if the future Mrs. Eric Marshall exists in the flesh I haven't met her yet. I haven't even started out to look for her—and don't intend to for some years to come. I have something else to think of," he concluded, in a tone of contempt, for which anyone might have known he would be punished sometime if Cupid were not deaf as well as blind.

“这传言可没根据，”埃里克恼火地说，“阿格尼丝和我只是最要好的朋友，仅此而已。她是我认识的女人中我最喜欢、最欣赏的一个。但倘若未来的埃里克·马歇尔太太本人即便存在，我也肯定还没遇见。我甚至还从未有过刻意地去开始寻找她——接下来的几年之内也不打算去寻找。我有别的事要操心，”他语气轻蔑地总结道，恐怕人人都已经明白这回答会招来丘比特的惩罚，如果他不聋也不盲的话。

"You'll meet the lady of the future some day," said David dryly. "And in spite of your scorn I venture to predict that if fate doesn't bring her before long you'll very soon start out to look for her. A word of advice, oh, son of your mother. When you go courting take your common sense with you."

“有一天你会碰上那位未来的女士的。”戴维冷冷地说。“虽然你不以为然，但我还是斗胆猜测，要是命运不很快把她带到你眼前，你便也会开始很快地去寻找她。给你提个醒，哎，小伙子。追女孩的时候，可要带着脑子。”

"Do you think I shall be likely to leave it behind?" asked Eric amusedly.

“你以为我很可能会忘么？”埃里克顽皮地说。

"Well, I mistrust you," said David, sagely wagging his head. "The Lowland Scotch part of you is all right, but there's a Celtic streak in you, from that little Highland grandmother of yours, and when a man has that there's never any knowing where it will break out, or what dance it will lead him, especially when it comes to this love-making business. You are just as likely as not to lose your head over some little fool or shrew for the sake of her outward favour and make yourself miserable for life. When you pick you a wife please remember that I shall reserve the right to pass a candid opinion on her."

“嗨，我可不信你，”戴维像智者一样摇了摇头，“你的苏格兰低地血统倒没有什么，可是你还从来自高地的祖母那儿遗传了一点儿凯尔特血统。这种基因不定什么时候会爆发，说不好会引导你做些什么手舞足蹈的事，尤其是在谈情说爱这件事上。你很可能会因为有些小愚蠢或者因为她外在的魅力而头脑发热喜欢她，从而导致一生的悲惨。你为自己选妻子的时候，请记得我将有权对她发表坦率的意见。”

"Pass all the opinions you like, but it is my opinion, and mine only, which will matter in the long run," retorted Eric.

“随你怎么看，但这是我的看法，而且只是我的看法，从长远来讲才是重要的。”埃里克反驳道。

"Confound you, yes, you stubborn offshoot of a stubborn breed," growled David, looking at him affectionately. "I know that, and that is why I'll never feel at ease about you until I see you married to the right sort of a girl. She's not hard to find. Nine out of ten girls in this country of ours are fit for kings' palaces. But the tenth always has to be reckoned with."

“去你的，是么，你跟你老子一样顽固，”戴维怒气冲冲地说，看他的眼神却满是慈爱。“我明白你的意思，这就是为什么在我看到你跟合适的女孩结婚以前，我都放心不下。合适的女孩没那么难找。咱们国家的女孩子，十个有九个登得了台面，进皇宫都合适。但总是也不能忘了还有第十个。”

"You are as bad as Clever Alice in the fairy tale who worried over the future of her unborn children," protested Eric.

“你糟糕得就像童话里聪明的爱丽斯似的，孩子还没出生就担心上了他的未来。”埃里克反驳道。

"Clever Alice has been very unjustly laughed at," said David gravely. "We doctors know that. Perhaps she overdid the worrying business a little, but she was perfectly right in principle. If people worried a little more about their unborn children—at least, to the extent of providing a proper heritage, physically, mentally, and morally, for them—and then stopped worrying about them after they are born, this world would be a very much pleasanter place to live in, and the human race would make more progress in a generation than it has done in recorded history."

“聪明的爱丽斯受到的嘲笑是不公正的，”戴维严肃地说，“我们做医生的明白。也许她是有点儿担心过度，但她的做法很在理。如果人们能在孩子出生前多考虑考虑——至少要想到如何给予并让他们在物质上、精神上和道德上得到恰如其分地继承——等孩子出生后就不再担忧这些问题的话，那么活在这个世上将会舒心得多，而且在一代人的时间里，人类取得的进步比有史以来的总和还要多。”

"Oh, if you are going to mount your dearly beloved hobby of heredity I am not going to argue with you, David, man. But as for the matter of urging me to hasten and marry me a wife, why don't you”—It was on Eric's lips to say, "Why don't you get married to a girl of the right sort yourself and set me a good example?" But he checked himself. He knew that there was an old sorrow in David Baker's life which was not to be unduly jarred by the jests even of privileged friendship. He changed his question to, "Why don't you leave this on the knees of the gods where it properly belongs? I thought you were a firm believer in predestination, David."

“哎，如果你要讲你最爱的遗传学说，我可就不跟你争了，戴维老兄。不过，既然你催我赶紧娶妻，你怎么”——埃里克到嘴边的话是“你怎么不自己娶个那种合适的好女孩，给我树个好榜样呢？”但他忍住没问。他知道戴维·贝克有件伤心的往事，这件事哪怕是亲密的朋友开玩笑时也不该提起来过度地去刺激他。他换了个问题：“你为什么不放手让神来管这事呢？反正这事本该他们管。我觉得你好像是宿命论的忠实信徒，戴维。”

"Well, so I am, to a certain extent," said David cautiously. "I believe, as an excellent old aunt of mine used to say, that what is to be will be and what isn't to be happens sometimes. And it is precisely such unchancy happenings that make the scheme of things go wrong. I dare say you think me an old fogy, Eric; but I know something more of the world than you do, and I believe, with Tennyson's Arthur, that 'there's no more subtle master under heaven than is the maiden passion for a maid.’ I want to see you safely anchored to the love of some good woman as soon as may be, that's all. I'm rather sorry Miss Campion isn't your lady of the future. I liked her looks, that I did. She is good and strong and true—and has the eyes of a woman who could love in a way that would be worthwhile. Moreover, she's well-born, well-bred, and well-educated—three very indispensable things when it comes to choosing a woman to fill your mother's place, friend of mine!”

“恩，在一定程度上我是的，”戴维谨慎地说，“我相信，就像我一个年迈但聪明的姨妈说过的那样，该发生的就会发生，不该发生的有时也会发生。而且恰恰是这些不幸的事让人计划出错。我敢说，你觉得我又老又守旧，埃里克；但是我比你了解这个世界，而且我和丁尼生的亚瑟王一样，相信，‘天下没有比对于一位女郎的恋爱更灵巧的教师’。我希望能尽快看到你安稳地依靠在某个好女孩的爱意中，仅此而已。如果坎皮恩小姐不能成为你未来的夫人，我感到很惋惜。我喜欢她的样子，真的。她品行优秀、意志坚强且为人真诚——而且，眼神里透露出她的爱值得拥有。另外，她出身好、有教养，还接受了优质的教育——这三项可是选择一个像你母亲一样重要的女人时所不得不考虑的啊，我的朋友！”

"I agree with you," said Eric carelessly. "I could not marry any woman who did not fulfill those conditions. But, as I have said, I am not in love with Agnes Campion—and it wouldn't be of any use if I were. She is as good as engaged to Larry West. You remember West?"

“我同意，”埃里克随意地说道，“我不会和任何不符合这些条件的女人结婚的。可我说过了，我并不爱阿格尼丝·坎皮恩，就算我说爱她，也没用。事实上，她已经和拉里·韦斯特订婚了。你还记得韦斯特吗？”

"That thin, leggy fellow you chummed with so much your first two years in Queenslea? Yes, what has become of him?"

“是那个瘦瘦的，腿很长，你在昆士利亚的前两年和你很要好的那个？记得呀，他后来怎么样了？”

"He had to drop out after his second year for financial reasons. He is working his own way through college, you know. For the past two years he has been teaching school in some out-of-the-way place over in Prince Edward Island. He isn't any too well, poor fellow—never was very strong and has studied remorselessly. I haven't heard from him since February. He said then that he was afraid he wasn't going to be able to stick it out till the end of the school year. I hope Larry won't break down. He is a fine fellow and worthy even of Agnes Campion. Well, here we are. Coming in, David?"

“第二年后，他由于经济原因，只得退学了。他上大学的时候按自己的方式，半工半读，这你知道。这两年来，他一直在爱德华王子岛省某个偏远的地方教书。他过得不太好，真可怜——他不是很强壮，学习起来也对自己很苛刻。我从二月以后就已经没了他消息了。那时，他说担心会不能支撑到这个学年末了。我希望拉里不要垮掉。他是个好人，甚至值得拥有阿格尼丝·坎皮恩。嗨，咱们到了。进来吗，戴维？”

"Not this afternoon—haven't got time. I must mosey up to the North End to see a man who has got a lovely throat. Nobody can find out what is the matter. He has puzzled all the doctors. He has puzzled me, but I'll find out what is wrong with him if he'll only live long enough."

“不了——今天下午我没空。我得逛到北部，去看一个喉咙有毛病的人。没人知道是怎么回事。他把所有的大夫都难住了。也难住了我，但只要他活得够长，我就会弄明白他的毛病到底出在哪儿。” 4rx44JXV1A1zrSDzChI6eN0W1PwARdfs3ayfZEJpLMOqTstWiZv1baGoTuba9dTV