The cab I had was a real old one that smelled like someone'd just tossed his cookies in it. I always get those vomity 令人作嘔的 kind of cabs if I go anywhere late at night. What made it worse, it was so quiet and lonesome out, even though it was Saturday night. I didn't see hardly anybody on the street. Now and then you just saw a man and a girl crossing a street, with their arms around each other's waists and all, or a bunch of hoodlumy-looking guys and their dates, all of them laughing like hyenas 土狼; 鬣 at something you could bet wasn't funny.
我坐的那輛出租汽車是輛真正的舊汽車,里面的氣味就好象有人剛剛嘔吐過似的。我只要深夜出去,總會坐到這類令人作嘔的汽車。更糟糕的是,外面又是那么靜寂那么孤獨,雖說是在星期六晚上。街上我?guī)缀鯖]看見什么人。偶爾只見一男一女穿過街心,彼此摟著腰;或者一幫阿飛模樣的家伙路他們的女朋友在一起,全都象惡魔似的哈哈大笑著,至于引起他們發(fā)笑的東西,你可以打賭根本不好笑。
New York's terrible when somebody laughs on the street very late at night. You can hear it for miles. It makes you feel so lonesome and depressed. I kept wishing I could go home and shoot the bull for a while with old Phoebe. But finally, after I was riding a while, the cab driver and I sort of struck up a conversation. His name was Horwitz. He was a much better guy than the other driver I'd had. Anyway, I thought maybe he might know about the ducks.
遇到深夜有人在街上大笑,紐約確是個可怕因地方。你在好幾英里外都聽得見這笑聲。你會覺得那么孤獨,那么沮喪。我真希望自己能回家去,跟我妹妹菲芘瞎扯一會兒??墒亲詈螅鹊轿以谲嚴镒艘粫阂院?,那司機就跟我聊起天來。他的名字叫霍維茲。他比我早先遇見的那個司機要好多了。嗯,我忽然想起他或許知道那些鴨子的事。
"Hey, Horwitz," I said. "You ever pass by the lagoon in Central Park? Down by Central Park South?"
“嗨,霍維茲,”我說?!澳愕街醒牍珗@淺水溯一帶去過沒有?就在中央公園南頭?”
"The what?"
“去過哪兒?”
"The lagoon. That little lake, like, there. Where the ducks are. You know."
“淺水湖。那個小湖。里邊有鴨子。你知道。”
"Yeah, what about it?"
“不錯,怎么回事?”
"Well, you know the ducks that swim around in it? In the springtime and all? Do you happen to know where they go in the wintertime, by any chance?"
“呃,你知道在湖里游著的那些鴨子嗎?在春天和別的時候?可是到了冬天,你知道它們都到哪兒去了?”
"Where who goes?"
“誰到哪兒去了?”
"The ducks. Do you know, by any chance? I mean does somebody come around in a truck or something and take them away, or do they fly away by themselves--go south or something?"
“那些鴨子,你知道嗎?我問你。我是說到底是有人開來卡車把它們運走了呢,還是它們自己飛走了——飛到南方或者什么地方去了?”
Old Horwitz turned all the way around and looked at me. He was a very impatient-type guy. He wasn't a bad guy, though. "How the hell should I know?" he said. "How the hell should I know a stupid thing like that?"
老霍細茲把整個的身子都轉(zhuǎn)了過來,直望著我。他是那種沉不住氣的家伙。可他為人倒不壞。 “他媽的我怎么知道?”他說?!八麐尩奈以趺粗老筮@樣的傻事?”
"Well, don't get sore about it," I said. He was sore about it or something.
“呃,別為這個生氣,”我說??礃幼铀孟笥悬c兒生氣了。
"Who's sore? Nobody's sore."
“誰生氣了?沒人生氣?!?/p>
I stopped having a conversation with him, if he was going to get so damn touchy 易怒的; 敏感的 about it. But he started it up again himself. He turned all the way around again, and said, "The fish don't go no place. They stay right where they are, the fish. Right in the goddam lake."
我看他為一點小事他媽的那么容易生氣,就不再跟他說話??伤约河指掖钣樍?。他又把整個身子轉(zhuǎn)過來,說道:“那些魚哪兒都不去,它們就呆在原來的地方,那些魚。就呆在那個混帳湖里?!?/p>
"The fish--that's different. The fish is different. I'm talking about the ducks," I said.
“那些魚——那不一樣。那些魚不一樣。我講的是鴨子,”我說。
"What's different about it? Nothin's different about it," Horwitz said. Everything he said, he sounded sore about something. "It's tougher for the fish, the winter and all, than it is for the ducks, for Chrissake. Use your head, for Chrissake."
“那有什么不一樣?沒什么不一樣,”霍維茲說。他不管說什么話,總好象憋著一肚子氣似的。 “在冬天,魚比雞子還要難過呢,老天爺。用你的腦子吧,老天爺?!?/p>
I didn't say anything for about a minute. Then I said, "All right. What do they do, the fish and all, when that whole little lake's a solid block of ice, people skating on it and all?"
約莫一分鐘工夫,我什么話也沒說。接著我說:“好吧。要是那個小湖整個兒結(jié)成一塊嚴實的冰,人們都在上面溜冰什么的,那么那些魚什么的,它們怎么辦呢?”
Old Horwitz turned around again. "What the hellaya mean what do they do?" he yelled at me. "They stay right where they are, for Chrissake."?
老霍維茲又轉(zhuǎn)過身來?!八鼈冊趺崔k呢,你他媽的這話是什么意思?”他向我晚喝說?!八鼈兙痛粼谠瓉淼牡胤?,老天爺?!?/p>
"They can't just ignore the ice. They can't just ignore it."
“它們可不能不管冰。它們可不能不管?!?/p>
"Who's ignoring it? Nobody's ignoring it!" Horwitz said. He got so damn excited and all, I was afraid he was going to drive the cab right into a lamppost路燈柱 or something. "They live right in the goddam ice. It's their nature, for Chrissake. They get frozen right in one position for the whole winter."
“誰不管冰?沒有人不管!”霍維茲說。他變得他媽的那么激動,我真怕他會把汽車撞到電線桿或者別的什么東西上去?!八鼈兙妥≡诨鞄さ谋锩?。這是它們的本性,老天爺。它們就那么一動不動整整凍住一個冬天?!?/p>
"Yeah? What do they eat, then? I mean if they're frozen solid, they can't swim around looking for food and all."
“是嗎?那么它們吃什么呢?我是說,它們要是凍嚴實了,就不可能游來游去尋找食物什么的?!?/p>
"Their bodies, for Chrissake--what'sa matter with ya? Their bodies take in nutrition營養(yǎng) and all, right through the goddam seaweed and crap that's in the ice. They got their pores氣孔;毛穴 open the whole time. That's their nature, for Chrissake. See what I mean?" He turned way the hell around again to look at me.
“它們的身體,老天爺——你這是怎么啦?它們的身體能吸收養(yǎng)料,就從冰里混帳的水草之類玩藝兒里吸收,整個時間它們的毛孔全都張著。這是它們的本性,老天爺。懂得我的意思嗎?”他又他媽的把整個身子轉(zhuǎn)過來看著我。
"Oh," I said. I let it drop. I was afraid he was going to crack the damn taxi up or something.
“哦,”我說。我不再往下說了。我生怕他會把這輛混帳汽車撞得粉碎。
Besides, he was such a touchy guy, it wasn't any pleasure discussing anything with him. "Would you care to stop off and have a drink with me somewhere?" I said.???????
再說,他又是那么個容易為小事生氣的家伙,跟他討論什么事情可不是件愉快事兒?!澳隳懿荒茉谀膬和R幌?,跟我喝一杯?”我說。
He didn't answer me, though. I guess he was still thinking. I asked him again, though. He was a pretty good guy. Quite amusing and all.
他并沒回答我。我揣摩他還在思索。我又問了他一遍。他是個挺不錯的家伙。十分有趣。
"I ain't got no time for no liquor, bud," he said. "How the hell old are you, anyways? Why ain'tcha home in bed?"
“我沒時間喝酒,老弟,”他說?!澳闼麐尩牡降讕讱q啦?干嗎不在家睡覺呢?”
"I'm not tired."
“我不困?!?/p>
When I got out in front of Ernie's and paid the fare, old Horwitz brought up the fish again. He certainly had it on his mind. "Listen," he said. "If you was a fish, Mother Nature'd take care of you, wouldn't she? Right? You don't think them fish just die when it gets to be winter, do ya?"
我在歐尼夜總會門口下了車,付了車錢,老霍維茲忽然又提起了魚的問題。他確是在思考這問題呢?!奥犞?,”他說?!澳阋囚~,大自然母親就會照顧你,對不對?你總不會認為到了冬天,那些魚都會死去吧?”
"No, but--"
“不,可是——”
"You're goddam right they don't," Horwitz said, and drove off like a bat out of hell. He was about the touchiest guy I ever met. Everything you said made him sore.???
“你他媽的說得對,它們不會死去,”霍維茲說著,就象只飛出地獄的蝙蝠似的,開著車一溜煙走了。他可以說是我一輩子遇到的最容易為一點小事生氣的家伙。不管你說什么,都會惹他生氣。
Even though it was so late, old Ernie's was jampacked. Mostly with prep school jerks and college jerks.
盡管時間已經(jīng)這么晚了,老“歐尼”還是擁擠不堪。絕大多數(shù)是大學(xué)預(yù)料和大學(xué)里一些粗俗不堪的家伙。
Almost every damn school in the world gets out earlier for Christmas vacation than the schools I go to.
盡管時間已經(jīng)這么晚了,老“歐尼”還是擁擠不堪。絕大多數(shù)是大學(xué)預(yù)料和大學(xué)里一些粗俗不堪的家伙。
You could hardly check your coat, it was so crowded. It was pretty quiet, though, because Ernie was playing the piano.
這地方擠得差點兒連大衣都沒法存??墒堑轨o得很,因為歐尼正在彈鋼琴。
It was supposed to be something holy, for God's sake, when he sat down at the piano. Nobody's that good.
只要他在鋼琴邊坐下,便被看成是件神圣的事,其實老天爺,誰也不可能好得那樣。
About three couples, besides me, were waiting for tables, and they were all shoving and standing on tiptoes 腳尖 to get a look at old Ernie while he played.
除我之外,約莫還有三對男女在等桌子,他們?nèi)纪仆妻?,踮起腳尖,想看一眼歐尼彈鋼琴時的樣子。
He had a big damn mirror in front of the piano, with this big spotlight 聚光燈 on him, so that everybody could watch his face while he played. You couldn't see his fingers while he played--just his big old face.
他的鋼琴前面放著一面混帳大鏡子,他身上照著極亮的聚光燈,因此在他演奏的時候,人人都能看著他的臉。他演奏的時候你看不見他的指頭——只看見他那張寬闊的老臉。
Big deal. I'm not too sure what the name of the song was that he was playing when I came in, but whatever it was, he was really stinking it up.
真是了不起。我不太記得我進去的時候他正在演奏什么曲子,不過不管是什么曲子,他卻真的把它糟蹋得一塌糊涂。
He was putting all these dumb, show-offy ripples in the high notes, and a lot of other very tricky stuff that gives me a pain in the ass. You should've heard the crowd, though, when he was finished. You would've puked. They went mad.
他賣弄本領(lǐng),傻里傻氣的把那些高音符彈得象流水一樣,還有其他許多油腔滑調(diào)的鬼把戲,我聽了真是厭惡極了??墒?,你真該聽聽他彈完時聽眾的那陣聲音。你聽了準會作嘔。
他們?nèi)集偭恕?/p>
They were exactly the same morons that laugh like hyenas in the movies at stuff that isn't funny.
他們完全象電影院里的那些癡子,見了一些并不可笑的東西卻笑得象魔鬼一樣。
I swear to God, if I were a piano player or an actor or something and all those dopes thought I was terrific, I'd hate it. I wouldn't even want them to clap for me.
他們完全象電影院里的那些癡子,見了一些并不可笑的東西卻笑得象魔鬼一樣。
People always clap for the wrong things. If I were a piano player, I'd play it in the goddam closet. Anyway, when he was finished, and everybody was clapping their heads off, old Ernie turned around on his stool and gave this very phony, humble[?h?mbl] 謙遜的 bow.
他們總是為不該鼓掌的東西鼓掌。換了我當(dāng)鋼琴家,我寧可在混帳壁櫥里演奏。嗯,他一彈完,當(dāng)每個人都在不要命地鼓掌的時候,老歐尼就從他坐著的凳子上轉(zhuǎn)過身來,鞠了一個十分假、十分謙虛的躬。
Like as if he was a helluva humble guy, besides being a terrific piano player. It was very phony--I mean him being such a big snob and all. In a funny way, though, I felt sort of sorry for him when he was finished. I don't even think he knows any more when he's playing right or not. It isn't all his fault. I partly blame all those dopes that clap their heads off--they'd foul [fa?l] 犯規(guī)up anybody, if you gave them a chance. Anyway, it made me feel depressed and lousy again, and I damn near got my coat back and went back to the hotel, but it was too early and I didn't feel much like being all alone.?
象煞他不僅是個杰出的鋼琴家,而且還是個謙虛得要命的仁人君子。完全是假模假式——我是說他原是那么個大勢利鬼??墒钦f來可笑,他演奏完畢時,我倒真有點兒替他難受。我甚至都認為他已不再知道他自己彈得好不好了。這也不能完全怪他。我倒有點兒怪所有那些不要命地鼓掌的傻瓜——你只要給他們一個機會,他們會把任何人寵壞。嗯,這又讓我心里沮喪和煩悶起來,我他媽的差點兒都想取回我的大衣回旅館去了,只是時間太早,我不太想回去獨自呆看。
They finally got me this stinking table, right up against a wall and behind a goddam post, where you couldn't see anything. It was one of those tiny little tables that if the people at the next table don't get up to let you by--and they never do, the bastards-you practically have to climb into your chair. I ordered a Scotch and soda, which is my favorite drink, next to frozen Daiquiris. If you were only around six years old, you could get liquor at Ernie's, the place was so dark and all, and besides, nobody cared how old you were. You could even be a dope 吸毒 fiend成癖者 (有毒癮的人; 藥癮者; ) and nobody'd care.
最后他們給我找了一個糟得不能再糟的桌位,靠著墻壁,前面還擋著一根混帳往子,望出去什么也看不見。桌子又小,鄰桌上的人要是不站起來讓路——他們當(dāng)然從來不站起來,這班雜種——你簡直得爬進你的椅子。我要了杯威士忌酒和蘇打水,這是我最愛喝的飲料,除了代基里酒以外。你哪怕只有六歲,都能在歐尼夜總會要到酒,這地方是那么暗,再說誰也不管你有多大年紀。哪怕你是個有吸毒癮的,也沒人管。
I was surrounded by jerks. I'm not kidding. At this other tiny table, right to my left, practically on top of me, there was this funny-looking guy and this funny-looking girl.?
我周圍全是些粗俗不堪的人。我不開玩笑。在我左邊另一張小桌上,簡直就在我頭上坐著一個怪摸怪樣的男子和一個怪模怪樣的妨娘。
They were around my age, or maybe just a little older. It was funny. You could see they were being careful as hell not to drink up the minimum too fast.?
他們跟我差不多年紀,或者也許稍稍比我大一點兒。說來真是好笑。你看得出他們都小心得要命,用慢得不能再慢的速度喝著少得不能再少的酒。
I listened to their conversation for a while, because I didn't have anything else to do. He was telling her about some pro football game he'd seen that afternoon.?
我聽了一會兒他們的談話,因為我沒有別的事可做,他正在講給她聽當(dāng)天下午他看的一場職業(yè)選手的橄攬球比賽。
He gave her every single goddam play in the whole game--I'm not kidding. He was the most boring guy I ever listened to. And you could tell his date wasn't even interested in the goddam game, but she was even funnier-looking than he was, so I guess she had to listen. Real ugly girls have it tough.
他把整場比賽里的每一個混帳動作都給她講了——我不開玩笑。我從來沒聽見過講話比他更膩煩的。你也看得出他的女朋友對這場混帳球賽甚至都不感興趣,可她的模樣兒長得甚至比他還要丑,所以我揣摩她也就非聽不可。真正的丑姑娘說來也真可憐。
I feel so sorry for them sometimes. Sometimes I can't even look at them, especially if they're with some dopey?遲鈍的;被麻醉的;呆笨的guy that's telling them all about a goddam football game. On my right, the conversation was even worse, though. On my right there was this very Joe Yale-looking guy, in a gray flannel?/?fl?nl/?法蘭絨?suit and one of those flitty-looking Tattersall vests背心.
有時我真替她們難受。有時候我甚至連看都不敢看她們,特別是她們跟那種碟碟不休地大談一場混帳的橄攬球賽的家伙在一塊兒的時候??墒窃谖矣疫?,所進行的談話甚至還要糟糕。我右邊是一個非常象耶魯學(xué)生模樣的家伙,穿著一套法蘭絨衣裝,里面是件輕飄飄的塔特薩爾牌內(nèi)衣。
All those Ivy League bastards look alike. My father wants me to go to Yale, or maybe Princeton, but I swear, I wouldn't go to one of those Ivy League colleges, if I was dying, for God's sake. Anyway, this Joe Yale-looking guy had a terrific-looking girl with him. Boy, she was good-looking.?
所有這些名牌大學(xué)里的雜種外表都一模一樣。我父親要我上耶魯,或者布林斯敦,可我發(fā)誓決不進常青藤聯(lián)合會里的任何一個學(xué)院,哪怕是要我的命,老天爺。不管怎樣,這個耶魯模樣的家伙卻跟一個漂亮極了的姑娘在一起,嘿,她長的真是漂亮。
But you should've heard the conversation they were having. In the first place, they were both slightly crocked/krɑ?kt/?喝醉了的. What he was doing, he was giving her a feel under the table, and at the same time telling her all about some guy in his dorm that had eaten a whole bottle of aspirin and nearly committed suicide.?
可你真該聽聽他們正在進行的那場談話。首先,他們兩個都有了醉意。那個男的一邊在桌子底下?lián)崦贿厖s跟她講著他宿舍里某個家伙怎樣吃了整整一瓶阿斯匹林自殺,差點兒死了。
His date kept saying to him, "How horrible . . . Don't, darling. Please, don't. Not here." Imagine giving somebody a feel and telling them about a guy committing suicide at the same time! They killed me.??
他的女朋友不住地對他說:“多可怕哪……別這樣,親愛的。請別這樣。這兒不成?!毕胍幌?,一邊撫摸女人,一邊講給她聽怎樣有人自殺!我聽了差點兒笑死。
I certainly began to feel like a prize horse's ass, though, sitting there all by myself. There wasn't anything to do except smoke and drink. What I did do, though, I told the waiter to ask old Ernie if he'd care to join me for a drink. I told him to tell him I was?D.B.'s brother. I don't think he ever even gave him my message, though. Those bastards never give your message to anybody.
我這樣獨自個兒坐著,的的確確開始感覺到自己很象是一匹得了獎的馬的屁股。我除了抽煙喝酒之外,別無其他事情可做。我于是叫侍者去問問老歐尼是不是肯來跟我一塊兒喝一杯。我叫他去告訴他說我是DB的弟弟??墒俏艺J為他甚至都不會把信送到。這些雜種是決不會代你向任何人送信的。
All of a sudden, this girl came up to me and said, "Holden Caulfield!" Her name was Lillian Simmons. My brother D.B. used to go around with her for a while. She had very big knockers.
一霎時,有個姑娘過來對我說:“霍爾頓.考爾菲德!”她的名字叫莉莉恩.西蒙斯。我哥哥DB過去有一時期曾跟她在一起過。她的胸脯非常飽滿。
"Hi," I said. I tried to get up, naturally, but it was some job getting up, in a place like that. She had some Navy officer with her that looked like he had a poker up his ass.???????
“嗨,”我說。我自然想站起來,可是在這樣的地方,要站起來頗費一番工夫。跟她在一塊兒的是一個海軍軍官,他那樣子就象屁股后面藏著根通條似的。
?"How marvelous to see you!" old Lillian Simmons said. Strictly a phony. "How's your big brother?" That's all she really wanted to know.
“見到你多高興!”老莉莉恩.西蒙斯說,完全是假模假式?!澳愀绺绾脝幔俊逼鋵嵥胫赖?,還不就是這個。
"He's fine. He's in Hollywood."
“他挺好。他到好萊塢去了?!?/p>
"In Hollywood! How marvelous! What's he doing?"
“到好萊塢去了!多了不起!他在干什么呢?”
"I don't know. Writing," I said. I didn't feel like discussing it. You could tell she thought it was a big deal, his being in Hollywood. Almost everybody does. Mostly people who've never read any of his stories. It drives me crazy, though.
“我不知道。寫作吧,”我說。我不想細談這件事,你看得出她認為進好萊塢十分了不起。差不多每個人都這樣認為。他們多半都沒看過他寫的小說,這種事情可真叫我發(fā)瘋。
"How exciting," old Lillian said. Then she introduced me to the Navy guy. His name was Commander Blop or something. He was one of those guys that think they're being a pansy if they don't break around forty of your fingers when they shake hands with you. God, I hate that stuff.?
“多讓人高興,”老莉莉恩說。接著她把我介紹給那海軍軍官。他的名字叫鮑洛甫隊長什么。他就是那種人,跟你握起手來要是不把你的指頭捏斷那么四十根,就會以為自己是娘兒腔。天哪,我痛恨這類事兒?!?/p>
"Are you all alone, baby?" old Lillian asked me. She was blocking up the whole goddam traffic in the aisle. You could tell she liked to block up a lot of traffic. This waiter was waiting for her to move out of the way, but she didn't even notice him. It was funny. You could tell the waiter didn't like her much, you could tell even the Navy guy didn't like her much, even though he was dating her.?And I didn't like her much. Nobody did. You had to feel sort of sorry for her, in a way.?
你只一個人嗎,小伙子?”老莉莉恩問我。她把過道上整個兒的混帳交通都堵塞住了。你看得出她很喜歡堵住交通。有個侍者等著她讓路,可她甚至就當(dāng)沒有他這個人似的。真是好笑。你看出那侍者并不喜歡她,你看得出甚至連那個海軍也不喜歡她,雖說他把她約了出來。而我也不喜歡她。誰也不喜歡她。說來你倒真有點兒替她難受呢。
"Don't you have a date, baby?" she asked me. I was standing up now, and she didn't even tell me to sit down. She was the type that keeps you standing up for hours. "Isn't he handsome?" she said to the Navy guy. "Holden, you're getting handsomer by the minute." The Navy guy told her to come on. He told her they were blocking up the whole aisle. "Holden, come join us," old Lillian said. "Bring your drink."
“你沒約女朋友嗎?小伙子?”她問我。我這時已站了起來,她甚至都不叫我坐下。她就是那種人,喜歡讓你一站幾個小時?!八L得漂亮不漂亮?”她對那個海軍說。“霍爾頓,你確是越長越漂亮了?!蹦呛\娊兴白?,告訴她說他們把整個過道都堵住了?!盎魻栴D,來跟我們坐在一起吧,”老莉莉恩說?!鞍涯愕木瓢徇^來?!?/p>
"I was just leaving," I told her. "I have to meet somebody." You could tell she was just trying to get in good with me. So that I'd tell old D.B. about it.
“我馬上就要走了,”我對她說?!拔疫€有個約會?!蹦憧吹贸鏊窍胂蛭矣懞谩:米屛覍砀嬖V老DB。
"Well, you little so-and-so. All right for you. Tell your big brother I hate him, when you see him."
“呃,你這個漂亮小伙子。你倒是挺不錯??赡阋姷侥愀绺绲臅r候,請告訴他說我很他?!?/p>
Then she left. The Navy guy and I told each other we were glad to've met each other. Which always kills me. I'm always saying "Glad to've met you" to somebody I'm not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though.
她說完走了。那海軍跟我互相說了聲“見到你真高興”。這類事情老讓我笑疼肚皮,我老是在跟人說“見到你真高興”,其實我見到他可一點也不高興。你要是想在這世界上活下去,就得說這類話。
After I'd told her I had to meet somebody, I didn't have any goddam choice except to leave. I couldn't even stick around to hear old Ernieplay somethinghalfway decent. But I certainly wasn't going to sit down at a table with old Lillian Simmons and that Navy guy and be bored to death. So I left. It made me mad瘋的,氣憤, though, when I was getting my coat. People are always ruining things for you.
我既然跟她說了另有約會,就只好離開這地方,此外別無他媽的其他選擇。我甚至都不能多呆會兒,聽聽老歐尼彈一曲比較象樣的曲子。不過我當(dāng)然不會搬過去,跟老莉莉恩.西蒙斯和那海軍坐在一桌,去自討苦咆,讓自己膩煩死。所以我離開了??晌胰〈笠碌臅r候,心里恨得要命。這些人就是會掃你的興。