It was neither the season nor the hour when the Park had frequenters; —
这不是公园常来的季节或时间； —

and it is likely that the young lady, who was seated on one of the benches at the side of the walk, had merely obeyed a sudden impulse to sit for a while and enjoy a foretaste of coming Spring.
很可能那位年轻女子，坐在人行道边的长凳上，只是听从突然的冲动坐下来，享受即将到来的春天的滋味；

She rested there, pensive and still. —
她静静地休憩着， —

A certain melancholy that touched her countenance must have been of recent birth, for it had not yet altered the fine and youthful contours of her cheek, nor subdued the arch though resolute curve of her lips.
有一种忧郁的神情显现出来，这一定是最近才产生的，因为它还没有改变她脸庞的纤细和年轻之态，也没有消减她嘴唇的坚毅但灵动的弧线；

A tall young man came striding through the park along the path near which she sat. —
一位高大的年轻男子沿着公园的小路大步走来，她坐在小路旁的长凳上。 —

Behind him tagged a boy carrying a suit-case. —
在他身后，跟着一个提着手提箱的男孩； —

At sight of the young lady, the man’s face changed to red and back to pale again. —
看到那位年轻女子，那个男子的脸色变得红了又白； —

He watched her countenance as he drew nearer, with hope and anxiety mingled on his own. —
当他走近时，他焦虑而充满希望地注视着她的脸庞； —

He passed within a few yards of her, but he saw no evidence that she was aware of his presence or existence.
他从她身边经过，但看不出她意识到他的存在或者出现。

Some fifty yards further on he suddenly stopped and sat on a bench at one side. —
大约再往前五十码，他突然停下来，坐在一边的长凳上。 —

The boy dropped the suit-case and stared at him with wondering, shrewd eyes. —
男孩放下手提箱，用好奇而狡诈的眼神盯着他。 —

The young man took out his handkerchief and wiped his brow. —
年轻人拿出手帕擦了擦额头。这是一块好手帕， —

It was a good handkerchief, a good brow, and the young man was good to look at. —
一个漂亮的额头，而年轻人看起来也很不错。 —

He said to the boy:
他对男孩说道：

“I want you to take a message to that young lady on that bench. —
“我想让你给那个坐在长凳上的年轻女士捎个口信。 —

Tell her I am on my way to the station, to leave for San Francisco, where I shall join that Alaska moose-hunting expedition. —
告诉她我正在前往车站，准备去旧金山参加阿拉斯加猎鹿之旅。 —

Tell her that, since she has commanded me neither to speak nor to write to her, I take this means of making one last appeal to her sense of justice, for the sake of what has been. —
告诉她，既然她禁止我与她交谈或写信，我通过这种方式向她最后一次求情，希望她出于过去的感情给予一些公正。 —

Tell her that to condemn and discard one who has not deserved such treatment, without giving him her reasons or a chance to explain is contrary to her nature as I believe it to be. —
告诉她，不经过合理解释或给我机会解释就去谴责和抛弃一个未曾应得这样对待的人，与我所认为她的本性是相悖的。 —

Tell her that I have thus, to a certain degree, disobeyed her injunctions, in the hope that she may yet be inclined to see justice done. —
告诉她，我在某种程度上违背了她的命令，希望她还会倾向于做出公正的判断。去， —

Go, and tell her that.”
告诉她吧。

The young man dropped a half-dollar into the boy’s hand. —
年轻人把一枚五十美分硬币放在男孩的手里。 —

The boy looked at him for a moment with bright, canny eyes out of a dirty, intelligent face, and then set off at a run. —
男孩从一个脏兮兮但聪明的脸上用明亮而机敏的眼睛看了他一会儿，然后跑了起来。 —

He approached the lady on the bench a little doubtfully, but unembarrassed. —
他有些迟疑地走近坐在长椅上的女士，但并不尴尬。 —

He touched the brim of the old plaid bicycle cap perched on the back of his head.
他轻轻触碰了坐在他脑后的旧格子自行车帽的檐边。

The lady looked at him coolly, without prejudice or favour.
那位女士冷静地看着他，不带偏见也不偏袒。

“Lady,” he said, “dat gent on de oder bench sent yer a song and dance by me. —
“女士，”他说，“那个在另一张长椅上的绅士通过我传达了给您一首歌和一段舞蹈。” —

If yer don’t know de guy, and he’s tryin’ to do de Johnny act, say de word, and I’ll call a cop in t’ree minutes. —
“如果您不认识那个人，他试图装束不专业，您说一声，我会在三分钟内叫来警察。” —

If yer does know him, and he’s on de square, w’y I’ll spiel yer de bunch of hot air he sent yer.”
“如果您认识他，他是个老实人，我可以给您讲讲他传达给您的一堆狡辩。”

The young lady betrayed a faint interest.
年轻女士表露出一丝兴趣。

“A song and dance!” she said, in a deliberate sweet voice that seemed to clothe her words in a diaphanous garment of impalpable irony. —
“她以一种刻意的甜声说，’ 一曲歌舞吧！’这声音似乎用一条虚无可及的讽刺之衣将她的话包裹起来。” —

“A new idea–in the troubadour line, I suppose. —
“一个新点子，可能是在行吟诗人的路线上。 —

I–used to know the gentleman who sent you, so I think it will hardly be necessary to call the police. —
我以前认识派你来的那位绅士，所以我觉得可能没有必要报警。 —

You may execute your song and dance, but do not sing too loudly. —
你可以表演你的歌舞，但不要唱得太大声。 —

It is a little early yet for open-air vaudeville, and we might attract attention.”
“现在还有点早搞露天杂耍，我们可能会引起注意。”

“Awe,” said the boy, with a shrug down the length of him, “yer know what I mean, lady. —
“哎呀，”男孩用他的身子一阵耸肩，“你知道我什么意思，夫人。 —

‘Tain’t a turn, it’s wind. —
这不是个演出，而是风。” —

He told me to tell yer he’s got his collars and cuffs in dat grip for a scoot clean out to ‘Frisco. —
“他让我告诉你，他把他的衣领和袖口装在那个手提箱里，准备从这里干净地跑到旧金山。 —

Den he’s goin’ to shoot snow-birds in de Klondike. —
“然后他打算去肯德基捕猎雪鸟。 —

He says yer told him not to send ‘round no more pink notes nor come hangin’ over de garden gate, and he takes dis means of puttin’ yer wise. —
他说你告诉他不要再发粉红色的便条或者在花园大门那里晃荡，他通过这种方式让你明白。 —

He says yer refereed him out like a has-been, and never give him no chance to kick at de decision. —
“他说你把他赶出去，像一个已经过气的人，从来没有给他抱怨的机会。 —

He says yer swiped him, and never said why.”
“他说你欺负他，也没说是为什么。”

The slightly awakened interest in the young lady’s eyes did not abate. —
少女眼中微微浮现出的兴趣没有减退。 —

Perhaps it was caused by either the originality or the audacity of the snow-bird hunter, in thus circumventing her express commands against the ordinary modes of communication. —
也许这是因为雪鸟猎人的独创性或大胆行为，以这种方式绕过了她明确的禁止普通交流方式的命令。 —

She fixed her eye on a statue standing disconsolate in the dishevelled park, and spoke into the transmitter:
她的目光落在一个孤寂的公园里面被弄得杂乱不堪的雕像上，并对着传输器说：

“Tell the gentleman that I need not repeat to him a description of my ideals. —
“告诉那位先生，我不需要再向他重复描述我的理想。 —

He knows what they have been and what they still are. —
他知道它们曾经是什么，现在依然如此。 —

So far as they touch on this case, absolute loyalty and truth are the ones paramount. —
就这个案件而言，绝对的忠诚和真实是至关重要的。 —

Tell him that I have studied my own heart as well as one can, and I know its weakness as well as I do its needs. —
告诉他，我已经尽力研究自己的内心，我知道它的弱点，也知道它的需求。 —

That is why I decline to hear his pleas, whatever they may be. —
这就是为什么我拒绝听他的恳请，无论他的请求是什么。 —

I did not condemn him through hearsay or doubtful evidence, and that is why I made no charge. —
我没有凭借传闻或可疑证据定罪他，这就是为什么我没有指控他。 —

But, since he persists in hearing what he already well knows, you may convey the matter.
但是，既然他执意要听他已经非常了解的内容，你可以把这件事转达给他。

“Tell him that I entered the conservatory that evening from the rear, to cut a rose for my mother. —
“告诉他那天晚上我从后面进入温室，为了给我妈妈剪一朵玫瑰花。” —

Tell him I saw him and Miss Ashburton beneath the pink oleander. —
“告诉他我看到他和阿什伯顿小姐站在粉红色柳条植物下面。” —

The tableau was pretty, but the pose and juxtaposition were too eloquent and evident to require explanation. —
“那个场景很美，但姿势和并列位置太明显而不需要解释。” —

I left the conservatory, and, at the same time, the rose and my ideal. —
“我离开了温室，同时也离开了那朵玫瑰和我的理想。” —

You may carry that song and dance to your impresario.”
“你可以把那首歌和舞蹈带给你的经纪人。”

“I’m shy on one word, lady. —
“我在一个词上有点不确定，夫人。 —

Jux–jux–put me wise on dat, will yer?”
并排――让我明白那是什么意思，好吗？”

“Juxtaposition–or you may call it propinquity–or, if you like, being rather too near for one maintaining the position of an ideal.”
“并排――或者你可以称之为亲密――或者如果你喜欢，接近的程度对于一个维持理想位置的人来说太近了。”

The gravel spun from beneath the boy’s feet. —
碎石从男孩脚下飞溅而起。 —

He stood by the other bench. —
他站在另一张长椅旁边。 —

The man’s eyes interrogated him, hungrily. —
那男人的眼睛饥渴地盘问着他。 —

The boy’s were shining with the impersonal zeal of the translator.
这男孩的眼睛则闪烁着翻译者客观的热情。

“De lady says dat she’s on to de fact dat gals is dead easy when a feller comes spielin’ ghost stories and tryin’ to make up, and dat’s why she won’t listen to no soft-soap. —
“她说自己已经看穿了当一个家伙说鬼故事并试图掩饰时，女孩们是多么容易搞定，所以她不会听那些虚伪的话。” —

She says she caught yer dead to rights, huggin’ a bunch o’ calico in de hot-house. —
“她说她当场逮到你了，在温室里拥抱了一群女孩。” —

She side- stepped in to pull some posies and yer was squeezin’ de oder gal to beat de band. —
“她动作敏捷地走过去采了些花，而你正紧紧地抱着那个女孩。” —

She says it looked cute, all right all right, but it made her sick. —
“她说那看起来挺可爱，但她感到恶心。” —

She says yer better git busy, and make a sneak for de train.”
“她说你最好快点行动，并偷偷地离开坐火车。”

The young man gave a low whistle and his eyes flashed with a sudden thought. —
年轻人轻吹了一声口哨，眼中闪过一丝突然的思绪。 —

His hand flew to the inside pocket of his coat, and drew out a handful of letters.
他的手飞快地伸入外套的内口袋，抽出一把信件。

Selecting one, he handed it to the boy, following it with a silver dollar from his vest-pocket.
他选择了一个，递给了那个男孩，接着从他背心口袋中掏出一枚银元。

“Give that letter to the lady,” he said, “and ask her to read it. —
“将这封信给那位女士。”他说，“并请她阅读它。” —

Tell her that it should explain the situation. —
“告诉她这封信应该能解释这种情况。告诉她， —

Tell her that, if she had mingled a little trust with
如果她对理想中加入一些信任，很多心痛可能都能避免。”

her conception of the ideal, much heartache might have been avoided. —
“告诉她，她非常珍视的忠诚从未动摇过。” —

Tell her that the loyalty she prizes so much has never wavered. —
“告诉她我正在等待答复。” —

Tell her I am waiting for an answer.”
信使站在那位女士面前。

The messenger stood before the lady.
“将这封信给那位女士。”他说，“并请她阅读它。”

“De gent says he’s had de ski-bunk put on him widout no cause. —
“这位先生说自己在没有任何原因的情况下被人打了一顿。 —

He says he’s no bum guy; —
他说自己不是一个坏人； —

and, lady, yer read dat letter, and I’ll bet yer he’s a white sport, all right.”
而且，女士，你读了那封信，我敢打赌他是一个真正的好人。”

The young lady unfolded the letter; —
这位年轻女士有些怀疑地展开了那封信， —

somewhat doubtfully, and read it.
并开始阅读。

DEAR DR. ARNOLD: I want to thank you for your most kind and opportune aid to my daughter last Friday evening, when she was overcome by an attack of her old heart-trouble in the conservatory at Mrs. Waldron’s reception. —
亲爱的阿诺德博士：我想感谢您上周五晚在沃德伦夫人的招待会上对我女儿进行心脏病急症的援助。 —

Had you not been near to catch her as she fell and to render proper attention, we might have lost her. —
如果你不在附近接住她并给予适当的治疗，我们可能就失去她了。 —

I would be glad if you would call and undertake the treatment of her case. —
如果您能来看望她并为她的病情进行治疗，我会很高兴。 —

Gratefully yours,Robert Ashburton.
感激不尽，罗伯特·阿什伯顿。

The young lady refolded the letter, and handed it to the boy.
这位年轻女士把信又折叠起来，递给了小男孩。

“De gent wants an answer,” said the messenger. “Wot’s de word?”
“那位绅士想要一个答复，”送信人说。“怎么回答？”

The lady’s eyes suddenly flashed on him, bright, smiling and wet.
这位女士的眼睛突然亮起来，明亮、笑意盈盈又带着泪水。

“Tell that guy on the other bench,” she said, with a happy, tremulous laugh, “that his girl wants him.”
“告诉那个坐在另一条长凳上的家伙，”她兴奋地笑着说，“他的女朋友想见他。”