双语对照 | 书虫二级《欧·亨利短篇小说集》：2.索比的选择

2.Soapy's Choice
2.索比的选择

Soapy sat on a seat in Madison Square, New York, and looked up at the sky. A dead leaf fell onto his arm. Winter was coming, and Soapy know that he must make his plans. He moved unhappily on his seat.
索比坐在纽约麦迪逊广场的长椅上，望着天空。一片枯叶落在他手臂上。冬天来了，索比知道一定得早作打算了。他满腹不快地在长椅上辗转反侧。
He wanted three months in a nice, warm prison, with food and good friends. This was how he usually spent his winters. And now it was time, because, at night on his seat in the square, three newspapers did not keep out the cold.
他想找一个温暖宜人的监狱，有食物、有朋友的，去那儿过上三个月。他通常都是这么过冬的。现在又到时候了，因为入夜之后，他躺在广场的椅子上，三张报纸都已经抵挡不住寒意了。
So Soapy decided to go to prison, and at once began to try his first plan. It was usually easy. He ate dinner in an expensive restaurant. Then he told them he had no money and they called a policeman. Nice and easy, with no trouble.
因此索比决定进监狱，并且马上开始尝试第一套方案。通常都是很简单的。他去一家昂贵的餐馆吃上一顿，然后告诉人家自己一个钱都没有，他们就会叫警察来。妙极了，很简单，毫无问题。
So Soapy left his seat, and walked slowly along the street. Soon he came to a bright restaurant on Broadway. Ah! This was all right. He just had to get to a table in the restaurant and sit down. That was all, because, when he sat down, people could only see his coat and his shirt, which were not very old. Nobody could see his trousers. He thought about the meal—not too expensive, but good.
于是，索比离开了长椅，慢慢地沿街走着。他很快到了百老汇大街上一家明亮的餐馆外。啊!这家还不错。他只要走进餐馆，找个桌子坐下，就好了。因为他一旦坐下，人家就只能看到他的外套和衬衫，这两样都不太旧。谁也看不到他的长裤。他想着美餐——不要太贵，可是要吃好。
But when Soapy went into the restaurant, the waiter saw Soapy's dirty old trousers and terrible shoes.
可是索比走进餐馆时，服务员看见了他又脏又旧的长裤，还有破破烂烂的鞋子。
Strong hands turned him round and helped him out into the street again.
几只有力的大手把索比转了个圈儿，把他赶到了街上。
So now he had to think of something different. Soapy walked away from Broadway and soon he found himself on Sixth Avenue. He stopped in front of a shop window and looked at it. It was nice and bright, and everybody in the street could see him. Slowly and carefully he picked up a stone and threw it at the window. The glass broke with a loud noise. People ran round the corner and Soapy was happy, because the man in front was a policeman. Soapy did not move. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, and he smiled. 'I'll soon be in prison now,' he thought.
所以他还得想个别的招儿。索比走过百老汇大街，很快到了第六大道。他在一家商店外停下，看着橱窗。这儿明亮、整齐，而且街上人人都看得到他。他慢慢地、小心翼翼地捡起一块石头，照着橱窗砸去。一声巨响，玻璃碎了。人们绕过街角朝这边跑来，索比很高兴，因为跑在前面的就是一位警察。索比没有动。他站在那儿，手插在兜里，微笑着。“很快我就可以进监狱了。”他想。
The policeman came up to Soapy, 'Who did that?' he asked.
警察走到索比面前问道：“谁干的?”
'Perhaps I did,' Soapy replied.
“也许是我。”索比回答说。
But the policeman knew that people who break windows do not stop to talk to policemen. They run away. And just then the policeman saw another man, who was running to catch a bus. So the policeman ran after him. Soapy watched for a minute. Then he walked away. No luck again! He began to feel cross.
但是警察知道，砸了玻璃的人是不会等在那儿跟警察说话的。他们早跑了。就在这时，警察看到另一个人正跑着，想赶上一辆公共汽车。于是，警察就去追那个人了。索比看了一会儿，然后走开了。又不走运!他开始有点恼怒了。
But on the opposite side of the road he saw a little restaurant. 'Ah, that'll be all right,' he thought, and he went in. This time nobody looked at his trousers and his shoes. He enjoyed his meal, and then he looked up at the waiter, smiled and said, 'I haven't got any money, you know. Now, call the police. And do it quickly, I'm tired!'
不过，他在路对面看到了一家小餐馆。“啊，正好。”他想着便走了进去。这次没人看他的长裤和鞋子。他享用了晚餐，然后抬头看看服务员，微笑着说：“我一个钱也没有。明白吗?现在叫警察吧。快点儿，我累了!”
'No police for you!' the waiter answered. 'Hey! Jo!'
“不用叫警察!”服务员回答，“嘿!乔!”
Another waiter came, and together they threw Soapy out into the cold street. Soapy lay there, very angry. With difficulty, he stood up. His nice warm prison was still far away, and Soapy was very unhappy. He felt worse because a policeman, who was standing near, laughed and walked away.
又过来一个服务员，他们俩一起把索比扔了出去，丢在冰冷的街上。索比躺在那儿，气极了。他艰难地站了起来。他所期盼的那温暖宜人的监狱仍然遥不可及，索比沮丧极了。一个警察就站在近旁，可是他却大笑着走开了，这叫索比更为懊恼。
Soapy moved on, but he walked for a long time before he tried again. This time it looked easy.
索比继续往前走去，但这一次他走了很久才去做再一次的尝试。这一次似乎很容易。
A nice young woman was standing in front of a shop window. Not very far away there was also a policeman. Soapy moved nearer to the young woman. He saw that the policeman was watching him. Then he said to the young woman, with a smile, 'Why don't you come with me, my dear? I can give you a good time.'
一位漂亮的年轻女人站在一家商店的橱窗前。离那儿不远的地方就有一个警察。索比朝那位年轻女人走近了一些。他看到警察在看着他。然后他笑咪咪地对那女人说：“跟我来吧，宝贝儿?我会叫你快活的。”
The young woman moved away a little and looked more carefully into the shop window. Soapy looked at the policeman. Yes, he was still watching. Then he spoke to the young woman again. In a minute she would call the policeman. Soapy could almost see the prison doors. Suddenly, the young woman took hold of his arm.
那年轻女人走开了一点儿，更认真地看着橱窗里面。索比瞧了瞧警察。没错，他还在往这边儿看。于是，他又去跟那年轻女人搭话。不消一分钟，她就会叫警察。索比几乎都看见监狱的大门了。突然，那年轻女人抱住了他的手臂。
'OK,' She said happily. 'If you buy me a drink. Let's go before that policeman sees us.'
“好啊，”她快活地说，“只要你给我买一杯喝的。我们走吧，别叫那警察看见。”
And poor Soapy walked away with the young woman, who still held on to his arm. He was very unhappy.
可怜的索比只好跟这个年轻女人走开了，她还抱着他的手臂不放。他感到难过极了。
At the next corner he ran away from the woman. Suddenly he was afraid. 'I'm never going to get to prison,' he thought.
到了下一个街角，他从那女人身边逃开了。刹那间，他害怕了。“我永远也进不了监狱了。”他想。
Slowly, he walked on and came to a street with a lot of theatres. There were a lot of people there, rich people in their best clothes. Soapy had to do something to get to prison. He did not want to spend another night on his seat in Madison Square. What could he do? Then he saw a policeman near him, so he began to sing and shout and make a lot of noise. This time they must send him to prison. But the policeman turned his back to Soapy and said to a man who was standing near, 'He's had too much to drink, but he's not dangerous. We'll leave him alone tonight.'
他慢慢地走着，来到一条有许多家剧院的街上。那儿有好多人，有钱人都穿着最好的衣服。索比一定得干点儿什么，好进监狱。他可不想在麦迪逊广场的长椅上再过一夜了。他能干点儿什么呢?他看到一个警察就在身边，所以开始大唱大叫，弄出许多声响来。这一次他们总得送他进监狱了吧。但是，警察背过身去，向站在近旁的一个男人说：“他喝多了，但不会有什么危险。今天晚上我们就不管他了。”
What was the matter with the police? Soapy was really unhappy now, but he stopped making a noise. How could he get to prison? The wind was cold, and he pulled his thin coat around him.
警察到底是怎么啦?索比现在真是沮丧透了。不过他不再闹腾了。怎么才能进监狱啊?风很冷，他裹紧了薄薄的外套。
But, just then, inside a shop, he saw a man with an expensive umbrella. The man put his umbrella down near the door, and took out a cigarette. Soapy went into the shop, picked up the umbrella, and, slowly, he began to walk away. The man came quickly after him. 'That's my umbrella,' he said.
但是，就在这时，他看到一家商店里有个男人拿着把昂贵的伞。那人把伞放在门口，取出一支香烟来。索比走进店里，拿起那把伞，而且，慢吞吞地，要走开了。那男人迅速跟过来。“那是我的伞。”他说。
'Oh, is it?' Soapy replied. 'Then why don't you call a policeman? I took it, and you say it's your umbrella. Go on, then. Call a policeman! Look! There's one on the corner.'
“哦，是吗?”索比回答说，“那干吗不叫警察呢?我拿了这把伞，而且你说这是你的伞。那么去吧，叫警察来!看!街角那儿就有一个。”
The umbrella man looked unhappy. 'Well, you know, perhaps I've made a mistake. I took it from a restaurant this morning. If it's yours, well, I'm very sorry...'
伞的主人似乎很不安。“好吧，你知道，也许是我弄错了。我是今天早上从一家餐馆拿的这把伞。如果是你的，那么，我很抱歉……”
'Of course it's my umbrella,' Soapy said.
“这当然是我的伞。”索比说。
The policeman looked at them—and the umbrella man walked away. The policeman went to help a beautiful young girl to cross the road.
警察看着他们——伞的主人走开了。警察去帮助一位漂亮姑娘过马路去了。
Soapy was really angry now. He threw the umbrella away and said many bad things about policemen. Just because he wanted to go to prison, they did not want to send him there. He could do nothing wrong!
索比现在恼怒至极。他把伞扔到一边，把警察骂了个够。就因为他想进监狱，而他们偏不想送他进去。他怎么都干不成坏事儿!
He began to walk back to Madison Square and home— his seat.
他开始走回麦迪逊广场——他的家——那把长椅。
But on a quiet corner, Soapy suddenly stopped. Here, in the middle of the city, was a beautiful old church. Through one purple window he could see a soft light, and sweet music was coming from inside the church. The moon was high in the sky and everything was quiet. For a few seconds it was like a country church and Soapy remembered other, happier days. He thought of the days when he had a mother, and friends, and beautiful things in his life.
但是在一个僻静的角落，索比突然停住了脚步。那儿，在城市的中心，有一座美丽的老教堂。透过一扇紫色的窗子，他看到一点柔和的光亮，教堂里传出悦耳的音乐。月亮高高地挂在天空，周遭一片宁静。有那么片刻的时间，这儿感觉很像一个乡村教堂，索比记起了从前的快乐时光。他想到过去那些日子，那时他有母亲，有朋友，还拥有生命里许多美好的东西。
Then he thought about his life now—the empty days, the dead plans. And then a wonderful thing happened. Soapy decided to change his life and be a new man. 'Tomorrow,' he said to himself, 'I'll go into town and find work. My life will be good again. I'll be somebody important. Everything will be different. I'll...'
然后他想到现在的生活——空虚的日子、失败的计划。于是，一件奇妙的事情发生了。索比决定改变生活，重新做人。“明天，”他对自己说，“我要进城找工作。我的生活会重新好起来的。我会成为大人物。一切都会不同。我要……”
Soapy felt a hand on his arm. He jumped and looked round quickly—into the face of a policeman!
索比感觉到一只手搭在他臂上。他跳了起来，迅速回头看去——看到了一张警察的脸!
'What are you doing here?' asked the policeman.
“你在这儿干什么?”警察问道。
'Nothing,' Soapy answered.
“什么也没干。”索比回答。
'Then come with me,' the policeman said.
“那么跟我走吧。”警察说。
'Three months in prison,' they told Soapy the next day.
“监禁三个月。”第二天，他们对索比说。