双语对照 | 书虫二级《欧·亨利短篇小说集》：3.失忆症之旅

3.A Walk in Amnesia
3.失忆症之旅

That morning my wife and I said our usual goodbyes. She left her second cup of tea, and she followed me to the front door. She did this every day. She took from my coat a hair which was not there, and she told me to be careful. She always did this. I closed the door, and she went back to her tea.
那天早上我太太和我照常说了再见。她丢下第二杯茶，随我到了大门口。她天天如此。她从我大衣上摘下一根头发——其实那儿并没头发——而且叮嘱我当心点儿。她老是这样。我关上门，她就回去喝她的茶了。
I am a lawyer and I work very hard. My friend, Doctor Volney, told me not to work so hard. 'You'll be ill,' he said. 'A lot of people who work too hard get very tired, and suddenly they forget who they are. They can't remember anything. It's called amnesia. You need a change and a rest.'
我是律师，工作非常勤奋。我的朋友沃尔尼医生告诉过我别那么卖命。“你会生病的，”他说，“好多人工作过于勤奋，都累坏了，突然之间就忘了自己是谁。他们什么都记不起来了。这叫失忆症。你需要点儿变化，休息一下。”
'But I do rest,' I replied. 'On Thursday nights my wife and I play a game of cards, and on Sundays she reads me her weekly letter from her mother.'
“可我是休息了呀，”我回答道，“每礼拜四晚上我太太和我打扑克牌，每个礼拜天她还给我读她妈妈每周写来的家信。”
That morning, when I was walking to work, I thought about Doctor Volney's words. I was feeling very well, and pleased with life.
那天早上，我走在上班的路上，想起了沃尔尼医生的话。我感觉良好，对生活很满意。
When I woke up, I was on a train and feeling very uncomfortable after a long sleep. I sat back in my seat and I tried to think. After a long time, I said to myself, 'I must have a name!' I looked in my pockets. No letter. No papers. Nothing with my name on. But I found three thousand dollars. 'I must be someone,' I thought.
我醒来的时候，是在一列火车上，感觉睡了很久，非常不舒服。我靠坐在座位上，努力地思索着。想了很久，我对自己说：“我一定有名字的!”我看看口袋里，没有信，没有文件，没有任何写着我名字的东西。但我发现了3,000块钱。“我一定是什么人。”我想。
The train was crowded with men who were all very friendly. One of them came and sat next to me. 'Hi! My name's R. P. Bolder — Bolder and Son, from Missouri. You're going to the meeting in New York, of course? What's your name?'
火车里挤满了人，都很友好。其中一个人挨着我坐下了：“嗨!我叫R.P.博尔德，博尔德父子公司的，从密苏里来。您是去纽约开那个会的，是吧?您叫什么名字?”
I had to reply to him, so I said quickly, 'Edward Pinkhammer from Cornopolis, Kansas.'
我不得不回答他，所以迅速地说道：“爱德华·平客哈默，从堪萨斯州的科诺伯利斯来。”
He was reading a newspaper, but every few minutes he looked up from it, to talk to me. I understood from his conversation that he was a druggist, and he thought that I was a druggist, too.
他在看报，不过每隔几分钟就抬头跟我说几句话。我从他的言谈中了解到，他是药剂师，并且认为我也是。
'Are all these men druggists?' I asked.
“这些人都是药剂师吗?”我问。
'Yes, they are,' he answered. 'Like us, they're all going to the yearly meeting in New York.'
“对，都是，”他答道，“像我们一样.都是去纽约开那个年会的。”
After a time, he held out his newspaper to me. 'Look at that,' he said. 'Here's another of those men who run away and then say that they have forgotten who they are. A man gets tired of his business and his family, and he wants to have a good time. He goes away somewhere and when they find him, he says that he doesn't know who he is, and that he can't remember anything.'
过了一会儿，他把报纸递给我。“看看这个，”他说，“又有一个出走的人，说不记得自己是谁了。男人厌倦了工作和家庭，想过得快活点儿。他跑到某个地方去，人们找到他时，他说不知道自己是谁，什么都记不起来了。”
I took the paper and read this:
我接过报纸，读到了这一段：
Denver, June 12th
丹佛，6月12日
Elwyn C. Bellford, an important lawyer in the town, left home three days ago and has not come back. Just before he left, he took out a lot of money from his bank. Nobody has seen him since that day. He is a quiet man who enjoys his work and is happily married. But Mr Bellford works very hard, and it is possible that he has amnesia.
埃尔温·C.贝尔福德，本城重要律师，三日前离家，至今未归。离家之前刚从银行提取大量现金。自当日起，无人再见过他。他生性安静，热爱工作，婚姻幸福。但是，贝尔福德先生工作过于勤奋，有可能患了失忆症。
'But sometimes people do forget who they are, Mr Bolder,' I said.
“不过，有时候人是会忘掉自己是谁的，博尔德先生。”我说。
'Oh, come on!' Mr Bolder answered. 'It's not true, you know! These men just want something more exciting in their lives—another woman, perhaps. Something different.'
“啊，算了吧!”博尔德先生答道，“您要知道，不是这样的!这些男人不过是想给生活添点儿刺激——找别的女人什么的。找点儿不一样的东西。”
We arrived in New York at about ten o'clock at night. I took a taxi to a hotel, and I wrote the name, 'Edward Pinkhammer', in the hotel book. Suddenly I felt wild and happy—I was free. A man without a name can do anything.
我们大约是晚上10点钟到了纽约。我乘出租车到了一家酒店，在登记簿上写下姓名“爱德华·平客哈默”。突然之间，我觉得激动又快活——我自由了。一个人连名字都没有，想干什么都成啊。
The young man behind the desk at the hotel looked at me a little strangely. I had no suitcase.
酒店前台的年轻人有点儿奇怪地看着我。我没有行李。
'I'm here for the Druggists' Meeting,' I said. 'My suitcase is lost.' I took out some money and gave it to him.
“我是来开‘药剂师大会’的，”我说，“我的行李丢了。”我拿出一些钱来交给他。
The next day I bought a suitcase and some clothes and I began to live the life of Edward Pinkhammer. I didn't try to remember who or what I was.
第二天，我买了个行李箱，还有一些衣物，开始以爱德华·平客哈默的名义生活。我并没有想法子去回忆自己到底是谁，是干什么的。
The next few days in Manhattan were wonderful—the theatres, the gardens, the music, the restaurants, the night life, the beautiful girls. And during this time I learned something very important—if you want to be happy, you must be free.
接下来在曼哈顿的一段日子真是妙极了——剧院、花园、音乐、餐馆、夜生活，还有漂亮姑娘。而且在这段时间里，我悟到了很重要的一点——要想快活，就得自由才行。
Sometimes I went to quiet, expensive restaurants with soft music. Sometimes I went on the river in boats full of noisy young men and their girlfriends. And then there was Broadway, with its theatres and bright lights.
有时候我会去安静而豪华的餐馆，听听轻音乐。有时候我乘船在河上游玩，船上满是闹哄哄的带着女朋友的年轻人。再有就是会去百老汇，那里剧院众多，灯火通明。
One afternoon I was going back into my hotel when a fat man came and stood in front of me.
一天下午，我刚回到酒店，一个胖胖的男人跑过来，在我面前站住了。
'Hello, Bellford!' he cried loudly. 'What are you doing in New York? Is Mrs B. with you?'
“您好，贝尔福德!”他大声叫道，“您在纽约干什么?贝尔福德太太跟您一起来了吗?”
'I'm sorry, but you're making a mistake, sir,' I said coldly. 'My name is Pinkhammer. Please excuse me.'
“抱歉，您弄错了，先生，”我冷冷地说，“我叫平客哈默。请原谅。”
The man moved away, in surprise, and I walked over to the desk. Behind me, the man said something about a telephone.
那人走开了，惊讶不已。我走到前台，那个人在我背后讲了些关于电话的事情。
'Give me my bill,' I said to the man behind the desk, 'and bring down my suitcase in half an hour.'
“给我账单，”我对前台的人说，“半小时之内把我的行李取下来。”
That afternoon I moved to a quiet little hotel on Fifth Avenue.
那天下午我搬到了一家安静的小酒店，在第五大道上。
One afternoon, in one of my favourite restaurants on Broadway, I was going to my table when somebody pulled my arm.
一天下午，在百老汇我最钟爱的一家餐馆里，当我往桌子那儿走的时候，有人拉住了我的手臂。
'Mr Bellford,' a sweet voice cried.
“贝尔福德先生。”一个甜美的声音叫道。
I turned quickly and saw a woman who was sitting alone. She was about thirty and she had very beautiful eyes.
我迅速转过身来，看到一个女人独自坐着。她大约三十岁，长着一双美丽的眼睛。
'How can you walk past me like that?' she said. 'Didn't you know me?'
“你怎么能就这么从我身边走过了呢?”她说，“不认识我了么?”
I sat down at her table. Her hair was a beautiful redgold colour.
我在她的桌旁坐下。她的头发是美丽的红金色。
'Are you sure you know me?' I asked.
“您确信您认识我?”我问。
'No.' She smiled. 'I never really knew you.'
“不，”她微微一笑，“我从来不曾真的认识过你。”
'Well, my name is Edward Pinkhammer,' I said, 'and I'm from Kansas.'
“好吧，我叫爱德华·平客哈默，”我说，“我是堪萨斯人。”
'So, you haven't brought Mrs Bellford with you, then,' she said, and she laughed. 'You haven't changed much in fifteen years, Elwyn.'
“那么说，您没带贝尔福德太太一起来喽，”她说着笑了起来，“十五年了，你没怎么变呢，埃尔温。”
Her wonderful eyes looked carefully at my face.
她那动人的眼睛仔细端详着我的脸。
'No,' she said quietly, 'you haven't forgotten. I told you that you could never forget.'
“不，”她轻轻地说，“你没有忘。我跟你说过，你永远都忘不了的。”
'I'm sorry,' I answered, 'but that's the trouble. I have forgotten. I've forgotten everything.'
“抱歉，”我答道，“不过问题在于，我已经忘了。我什么都忘掉了。”
She laughed. 'Did you know that I married six months after you did? It was in all the newspapers.' She was silent for a minute. Then she looked up at me again. 'Tell me one thing, Elwyn,' she said softly. 'Since that night fifteen years ago, can you touch, smell, or look at white roses—and not think of me?'
她笑起来。“你知道吗?你结婚六个月之后我也结婚了。报上都登了。”她沉默了一分钟，然后又抬头看着我。“告诉我一件事，埃尔温，”她柔声说，“从十五年前的那个晚上之后，你能在触摸、闻到，或是看到白玫瑰时而不想到我吗?”
'I can only say that I don't remember any of this,' I said carefully. 'I'm very sorry.' I tried to look away from her.
“我只能说我什么都记不得了，”我谨慎地说，“非常抱歉。”我努力不去看她。
She smiled and stood up to leave. Then she held out her hand to me, and I took it for a second. 'Oh yes, you remember,' she said, with a sweet, unhappy smile.
她微笑着起身要走，然后伸出一只手给我，我握了一秒钟。“哦，是的，你想起来了。”她说，笑容甜美，殊无欢意。
'Goodbye, Elwyn Bellford.'
“再见，埃尔温·贝尔福德。”
That night I went to the theatre and when I returned to my hotel, a quiet man in dark clothes was waiting for me.
那天晚上我去看戏，回到酒店的时候，一位温和的黑衣男人在等我。
'Mr Pinkhammer,' he said, 'can I speak with you for a minute? There's a room here.'
“平客哈默先生，”他说，“我能跟您谈一分钟吗?这边有个房间。”
I followed him into a small room. A man and a woman were there. The woman was still beautiful, but her face was unhappy and tired. I liked everything about her. The man, who was about forty, came to meet me.
我随他进了一个小房间。那儿有一男一女。女的依然很美，可是愁容满面，一脸疲惫。她周身上下我都喜欢。那位男的约有四十许，起来迎接我。
'Bellford,' he said, 'I'm happy to see you again. I told you that you were working too hard. Now you can come home with us. You'll soon be all right.'
“贝尔福德，”他说，“我很高兴再次见到你。我跟你说过，你勤奋得过了头。现在你可以跟我们回家了。你很快会好起来的。”
'My name', I said, 'is Edward Pinkhammer. I've never seen you before in my life.'
“我的名字是爱德华·平客哈默。我有生以来从没见过你。”我说道。
The woman cried out, 'Oh, Elwyn! Elwyn! I'm your wife!' She put her arms round me, but I pushed them away.
那位女士喊道：“哦，埃尔温!埃尔温!我是你的妻子!”她伸出双臂搂住我，但我把她的手推开了。
'Oh, Doctor Volney! What is the matter with him?' the woman cried.
“哦，沃尔尼医生!他这是怎么啦?”那女士叫道。
'Go to your room,' the doctor said to her. 'He'll soon be well again.'
“您回房间去吧，”医生对她说，“他很快会好起来的。”
The woman left, and so did the man in the dark clothes. The man who was a doctor turned to me and said quietly, 'Listen. Your name is not Edward Pinkhammer.'
那位女士走了，黑衣男人也走了。那位医生转过身冲着我平静地说：“听着，你的名字不是爱德华·平客哈默。”
'I know that,' I replied, 'but a man must have a name. Why not Pinkhammer?'
“我知道，”我回答说，“但是人总得有个名字。为什么不能叫平客哈默?”
'Your name', the doctor said, 'is Elwyn Bellford. You are one of the best lawyers in Denver—and that woman is your wife.'
“你的名字，”那医生说，“是埃尔温·贝尔福德。你是丹佛最好的律师之一——而那位女士是你的妻子。”
'She's a very fine woman,' I said, after a minute. 'I love the colour of her hair.'
“她是个漂亮女人，”我停了一分钟说，“我喜欢她头发的颜色。”
'She's a very good wife,' the doctor replied. 'When you left two weeks ago, she was very unhappy. Then we had a telephone call from a man who saw you in a hotel here.'
“她是个好妻子，”医生回答说，“你两个礼拜前离开，她难过极了。后来我们接到一个电话，是一个男人打来的，说在此地的一家酒店看到了你。”
'I think I remember him,' I said. 'He called me "Bellford". Excuse me, but who are you?'
“我想我记得他，”我说，“他叫我‘贝尔福德’。请原谅，可你是谁?”
'I'm Bobby Volney. I've been your friend for twenty years, and your doctor for fifteen years. Elwyn, try to remember.'
“我是博比·沃尔尼。我是你二十年的老朋友，给你当了十五年的医生。埃尔温，试着回忆一下吧。”
'You say you're a doctor,' I said. 'How can I get better? Does amnesia go slowly or suddenly?'
“你说你是医生，”我说，“我怎么才能好起来呢?失忆症是慢慢康复，还是突然好转的?”
'Sometimes slowly. Sometimes suddenly.'
“有时很慢，有时突然就好了。”
'Will you help me, Doctor Volney?' I asked.
“沃尔尼医生，你会帮助我吗?”我问。
'Old friend,' he said, 'I'll do everything possible.'
“老朋友，”他说。“我会竭尽全力的。”
'Very well. And if you're my doctor, you can't tell anybody what I say.'
“很好。而且如果你是我的医生，你不能把我的话告诉任何人。”
'Of course not,' Doctor Volney answered.
“当然不会。”沃尔尼医生答道。
I stood up. There were some white roses on the table. I went over to the table, picked up the roses and threw them far out of the window. Then I sat down again.
我站了起来。桌上有些白玫瑰。我走到桌前，抄起玫瑰，从窗口远远地扔出去。然后我重新坐下来。
'I think it will be best, Bobby,' I said, 'to get better suddenly. I'm a little tired of it all now. Go and bring my wife Marian in now. But, oh, Doctor,' I said with a happy smile. 'Oh, my good old friend—it was wonderful!'
“我想最好是，博比，”我说，“突然好起来吧。现在我对这一切有点厌倦了。现在去叫我妻子玛丽安进来吧。不过，哦，医生，”我开心地笑着说，“啊，我的老朋友，这真是太妙了!”