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们大家都很难过,一面敬我一支雪茄烟。
“My memory goes back to when I first met him;” he said。 “A young major just out of the army and covered over with medals he got in the war。 He was so hard up he had to keep on wearing his uniform because he couldn’t buy some regular clothes。 First time I saw him was when he e into Winebrenner’s poolroom at Fortythird Street and asked for a job。 He hadn’t eat anything for a couple of days。 ‘e on have some lunch with me;’ I sid。 He ate more than four dollars’ worth of food in half an hour。” 〃我还记得我第一次见到他的情景,〃他说,〃刚刚离开军队的一名年轻的少校,胸口挂满了在战场上赢得的勋章。他穷得只好继续穿军服,因为他买不起便服。我第一次见到他是那天他走进四十三号街怀恩勃兰纳开的弹子房找工作。他已经两天没吃饭了。'跟我一块吃午饭去吧。'我说。不到半个钟头他就吃了四块多美元的饭菜。〃
“Did you start him in business?” I inquired。 〃是你帮他做起生意来的吗?〃我问。
“Start him! I made him。” 〃帮他!我一手造就了他。〃
“Oh。” 〃哦〃
“I raised him up out of nothing; right out of the gutter。 I saw right away he was a fineappearing; gentlemanly young man; and when he told me he was an Oggsford I knew I could use him good。 I got him to join up in the American Legion and he used to stand high there。 Right off he did some work for a client of mine up to Albany。 We were so thick like that in everything。”—he held up two bulbous fingers——” always together。” 〃是我把他从零开始培养起来,从阴沟里捡起来的。我一眼就看出他是个仪表堂堂、文质彬彬的年轻人,等他告诉我他上过牛劲,我就知道我可以派他大用场。我让他加入了美国退伍军火协会,后来他在那平面地位挺高的。他一出马就跑到奥尔巴尼①去给我的一个主顾办了一件事。我们俩在一切方面都像这样亲密,〃他举起了两个肥胖的指头,〃永远在一起。〃 ①奥尔巴尼(Albany),纽约州首府。
I wondered if this partnership had included the World’s Series transaction in 1919。 我心里很纳罕,不知这种搭档是否也包括一九一九年世界棒球联赛那笔交易在内。
“Now he’s dead;” I said after a moment。 “You were his closest friend; so I know you’ll want to e to his funeral this afternoon。” 〃现在他死了,〃我隔了一会才说,〃你是他最知己的朋友,因此我知道今天下午你一定会来参加他的葬礼的。〃
“I’d like to e。” 〃我很想来。〃
“Well; e then。” 〃那么,来就是啦。〃
The hair in his nostrils quivered slightly; and as he shook his head his eyes filled with tears。 他鼻孔里的毛微微颤动,他摇摇头,泪水盈眶。
“I can’t do it—I can’t get mixed up in it;” he said。 〃我不能来。。。。。。我不能牵连进去。〃他说。
“There’s nothing to get mixed up in。 It’s all over now。” 〃没有什么事可以牵连进去的。事情现在都过去了。〃
“When a man gets killed I never like to get mixed up in it in any way。 I keep out。 When I was a young man it was different—if a friend of mine died; no matter how; I stuck with them to the end。 You may think that’s sentimental; but I mean it—to the bitter end。” 〃凡是有人被杀害,我总不愿意有任何牵连。我不介入。我年轻时就大不一样…如果一个朋友死了,不管怎么死的,我总是出力出到底。你也许会认为这是感情用事,可是我是说到做到的…一直拼到底。〃
I saw that for some reason of his own he was determined not to e; so I stood up。 我看出了地决意不去,自有他的原因。于是我就站了起来。
“Are you a college man?” he inquired suddenly。 〃你是不是大学毕业的?〃他突然问我。
For a moment I thought he was going to suggest a “gonnegtion;” but he only nodded and shook my hand。 有一会儿工夫我还以为他要提出搞点什么〃关系〃,可是他只点了点头,握了握我的手。
“Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead;” he suggested。 “After that my own rule is to let everything alone。” 〃咱们大家都应当学会在朋友活着的时候讲交情,而不要等到他死了之后,〃他表示说,〃在人死以后,我个人的原则是不管闲事。〃
When I left his office the sky had turned dark and I got back to West Egg in a drizzle。 After changing my clothes I went next door and found Mr。 Gatz walking up and down excitedly in the hall。 His pride in his son and in his son’s possessions was continually increasing and now he had something to show me。 我离开他办公室的时候,天色已经变黑,我在蒙蒙细雨中回到了西卵。我换过衣服之后就到隔壁去,看到盖兹先生兴奋地在门厅里走来走去。他对他儿子和他儿子的财物所感到的自豪一直在不断地增长,现在他又有一样东西要给我看。
“Jimmy sent me this picture。” He took out his wallet with trembling fingers。 “Look there。” 〃杰米寄给我的这张照片。〃他手指哆嗦着掏出了他的钱包,〃你瞧吧。〃
It was a photograph of the house; cracked in the corners and dirty with many hands。 He pointed out every detail to me eagerly。 “Look there!” and then sought admiration from my eyes。 He had shown it so often that I think it was more real to him now than the house itself。 是这座房子的一张照片,四角破裂,也给许多手摸脏了。他热切地把每一个细节都指给我看。〃你瞧!〃随即又看我眼中有没有赞赏的神情。他把这张照片给人家看了那么多次数,我相信在地看来现在照片比真房子还要真
“Jimmy sent it to me。 I think it’s a very pretty picture。 It shows up well。” 〃杰米把它寄给我的,我觉得这是一张很好看的照片,照得很好〃
“Very well。 Had you seen him lately?” 〃非常好。您近来见过他吗?〃
“He e out to see me two years ago and bought me the house I live in now。 Of course we was broke up when he run off from home; but I see now there was a reason for it。 He knew he had a big future in front of him。 And ever since he made a success he was very generous with me。” He seemed reluctant to put away the picture; held it for another minute; lingeringly; before my eyes。 Then he returned the wallet and pulled from his pocket a ragged old copy of a book called HOPALONG CASSIDY。 〃他两年前回过家来看我,给我买下了我现在住的房子。当然,他从家里跑走的时候我们很伤心,但是我现在明白他那样做是有道理的。他知道自己有远大的前程,他发迹之后一走对我很大方。〃他似乎不愿意把那张照片放回去,依依不舍地又在我眼前举了一会工夫。然后他把钱包放了回去,又从口袋小掏出一本破破烂烂的旧书,书名是《生仔卡西迪》
“Look here; this is a book he had when he was a boy。 It just shows you。” 〃你瞧瞧,这本书是他小时候着的。真是从小见大。〃
He opened it at the back cover and turned it around for me to see。 On the last flyleaf was printed the word SCHEDULE; and the date September 12; 1906。 and underneath: 他把书的到底翻开,掉转过来让我看,在最后的空白页上端端正正地写着〃时间表〃几个字和一九零六年九月十二日的日期。下面是:
Rise from bed 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 6。00 A。M。 起床 上午6:00
Dumbbell exercise and wallscaling 。 。 。 。 。 。 6。156。30 哑铃体操及爬墙 6:15-6:30
Study electricity; etc 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 7。158。15 学习电学等 7:15-8:15
Work 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 8。304。30 工作 8:50-下午4:30
P。M。 Baseball and sports 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 4。305。00 棒球及其他运动 下午4:30-5:00
Practice elocution; poise and how to attain it 5。006。00 练习演说、仪态 5:00-6:00
Study needed inventions 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 7。009。00 学习有用的新发明 7:00-9:00
ENERAL RESOLVES 个人决心
No wasting time at Shafters or 'a name; indecipherable' 不要浪费时间去沙夫特家或(另一姓,字迹不清)
No more smokeing or chewing Bath every other day 不再吸烟或嚼烟 每隔一天洗澡
Read one improving book or magazine 每周读有益的书或杂志一份
per week Save 5。00 {crossed out} 每周储蓄五元(涂去)
3。00 per week 三元
Be better to parents 对父母更加体贴
“I e across this book by accident;” said the old man。 “It just shows you; don’t it?” 〃我无意中发现这本书,〃老头说,〃真是从小见大,是不是?〃
“It just shows you。” 〃真是从小见大。〃
“Jimmy was bound to get ahead。 He always had some resolves like this or something。 Do you notice what he’s got about improving his mind? He was always great for that。 He told me I et like a hog once; and I beat him for it。” 〃杰米是注定了要出人头地的,他总是订出一些诸如此类的决心。你注意没有,他用什么办法提高自己的思想?他在这方面一向是了不起的。有一次地说我吃东西像猪一样,我把他揍了一顿。〃
He was reluctant to close the book; reading each item aloud and then looking eagerly at me。 I think he rather expected me to copy down the list for my own use。 他舍不得把书合上,把每一条大声念了一遍,然后