The original cause of the trouble was about twenty years in growing.
麻烦的起因估计已经酝酿了二十年。

At the end of that time it was worth it.
经历了这段时间，一切都变得有价值了。

Had you lived anywhere within fifty miles of Sun- down Ranch you would have heard of it. —
如果你住在Sun-down农场50英里以内的任何地方，你肯定听说过它。 —

It possessed a quantity of jet-black hair, a pair of extremely frank, deep-brown eyes and a laugh that rippled across the prairie like the sound of a hidden brook. —
她有一头乌黑亮丽的头发，一双非常坦率的深棕色眼睛，还有一个像隐藏的小溪一样涌动的笑声。 —

The name of it was Rosita McMullen; —
她的名字叫罗西塔·麦克穆伦， —

and she was the daughter of old man McMullen of the Sundown Sheep Ranch.
是Sunset羊场的老麦克穆伦的女儿。

There came riding on red roan steeds – or, to be more explicit, on a paint and a flea-bitten sorrel – two wooers. —
有两个求爱者骑着红色犊牛马和一匹斑马色和一匹搔痒病马上前来。 —

One was Madison Lane, and the other was the Frio Kid, But at that time they did not call him the Frio Kid, for he had not earned the honours of special nomenclature- His name was simply Johnny McRoy.
一个是麦迪逊·莱恩，另一个是弗里奥·小子。但那时他们还没有称呼他为弗里奥·小子，因为他还没有赢得特殊称号的荣誉。他的名字只是约翰尼·麦克罗伊。

It must not be supposed that these two were the sum of the agreeable Rosita’s admirers. —
不要以为这两个人就是迷人的罗西塔的全部崇拜者。 —

The bronchos of a dozen others champed their bits at the long hitching rack of the Sundown Ranch. Many were the sheeps’- eves that were cast in those savannas that did not belong. —
十几匹马噬着伯克兰瑟德农场长长的停驻挂带，许多没有归属权的羊眼睛在那些草原上被投射。 —

to the flocks of Dan McMullen. But of all the cavaliers, Madison Lane and Johnny MeRoy galloped far ahead, wherefore they are to be chronicled.
山迪兰契约者和约翰尼·麦罗伊比其他骑士都快马加鞭，因此应该被记录下来。

Madison Lane, a young cattleman from the Nueces country, won the race. He and Rosita were married one Christmas day. —
来自Nueces地区的年轻牧牛人马迪森·莱恩赢得了比赛。他和罗斯塔在一个圣诞节结婚。 —

Armed, hilarious, vociferous, mag- nanimous, the cowmen and the sheepmen, laying aside their hereditary hatred, joined forces to celebrate the occasion.
武装、欢腾、喧闹、仗义，牛人和羊人搁置了他们世代的仇恨，联合起来庆祝这一场合。

Sundown Ranch was sonorous with the cracking of jokes and sixshooters, the shine of buckles and bright eyes, the outspoken congratulations of the herders of kine.
日落牧场充满了笑话和六发枪的声响，扣环和明亮的眼睛的闪光，牛羊牧人直言不讳地祝贺。

But while the wedding feast was at its liveliest there descended upon it Johnny MeRoy, bitten by jealousy, like one possessed.
然而，在婚宴最热闹的时候，约翰尼·麦罗伊被嫉妒咬伤，如同附体一般。

“I’ll give you a Christmas present,” he yelled, shrilly, at the door, with his .45 in his hand. —
“我会给你一个圣诞礼物！”他用沉声说道，手中拿着.45口径手枪， —

Even then he had some reputation as an offhand shot.
尽管他的名声是一个随便开枪的人。

His first bullet cut a neat underbit in Madison Lane’s right ear. —
他的第一颗子弹切割了麦迪逊·莱恩右耳根部的一小块。 —

The barrel of his gun moved an inch. —
枪口移动了一英寸。 —

The next shot would have been the bride’s had not Carson, a sheepman, possessed a mind with triggers somewhat well oiled and in repair. —
下一枪本应该射中新娘，如果不是西普曼卡森拥有一颗油腻度还算不错、灵敏的头脑。 —

The guns of the wedding party had been hung, in their belts, upon nails in the wall when they sat at table, as a concession to good taste. —
婚礼派对的枪挂在墙上的钉子上，插在腰带上，以示迎合审美。 —

But Carson, with great promptness, hurled his plate of roast venison and frijoles at McRoy, spoiling his aim. —
然而，卡森立马扔掉手中的烤野鹿肉和煮毛豆的盘子，破坏掉了麦克罗伊的瞄准。 —

The second bullet, then, only shattered the white petals of a Spanish dagger flower suspended two feet above Rosita’s head.
第二颗子弹只是在罗西塔头顶两英尺高悬挂的一朵白色剑兰花瓣上打出了碎片。

The guests spurned their chairs and jumped for their weapons. It was considered an improper act to shoot the bride and groom at a wedding. —
客人们立刻离开椅子，迅速拔出武器。在婚礼上射击新娘和新郎被视为不合适的行为。 —

In about six seconds there were twenty or so bullets due to be whizzing in the direction of Mr. McRoy.
大约六秒钟，大约有二十颗子弹朝着麦克罗伊先生的方向呼啸而去。

“I’ll shoot better next time,” yelled Johnny; —
“下次我会射得更准的！” 约翰尼喊道； —

“and there’ll be a next time.” He backed rapidly out the door.
“而且下次一定会有的。” 他向后迅速退了出门口。

Carson, the sheepman, spurred on to attempt further exploits by the success of his plate-throwing, was first to reach the door. —
得益于扔盘子的成功，绵羊业者卡森被激发出继续冒险的勇气，他首先到达了门口。 —

McRoy’s bullet from the darkness laid him low.
麦克罗伊从黑暗中的子弹令他倒地不起。

The cattlemen then swept out upon him, calling for vengeance, for, while the slaughter of a sheepman has not always lacked condonement, it was a decided mis- demeanour in this instance. —
牧场主们随即朝他冲来，呼喊着要为他报仇。虽然屠杀绵羊业者并不总是缺乏宽恕的，但这次却是明显的不当行为。 —

Carson was innocent; he was no accomplice at the matrimonial proceedings; —
卡森是无辜的，他并不是这次婚礼的帮凶； —

nor had any one heard him quote the line “Christmas comes but once a year” to the guests.
也没有人听到他对客人们引用过“圣诞节一年只有一次”的台词。

But the sortie failed in its vengeance. —
但这次进攻未能报仇成功。 —

McRoy was on his horse and away, shouting back curses and threats as he galloped into the concealing chaparral.
麦克罗伊骑着他的马，辱骂和威胁的声音在他飞速奔驰进茂密灌木丛的时候回荡。

That night was the birthnight of the Frio Kid. He became the “bad man” of that portion of the State. The rejection of his suit by Miss McMullen turned him to a dangerous man. —
那个夜晚是弗里奥·基德的诞辰之夜。他成为了该州该地区的“坏人”。麦克马伦小姐拒绝了他的求爱，使他成为了一个危险的人。 —

When officers went after him for the shooting of Carson, he killed two of them, and entered upon the life of an outlaw. —
当警察为了卡森的枪击案追捕他时，他杀了其中两人，进入了流亡的生活。 —

He became a marvellous shot with either hand. —
他变得非常擅长双手射击。 —

He would turn up in towns and settlements, raise a quarrel at the slightest opportunity, pick off his man and laugh at the officers of the law. —
他会出现在城镇和定居点，一有机会就挑起争端，击倒对手，并嘲笑执法人员。 —

He was so cool, so deadly, so rapid, so inhumanly blood- thirsty that none but faint attempts were ever made to capture him. —
他如此冷静、致命、迅速和残忍，以至于人们几乎没有真正试图抓住他。 —

When he was at last shot and killed by a little one-armed Mexican who was nearly dead himself from fright, the Frio Kid had the deaths of eighteen men on his head. —
当他最终被一名只有一只手臂的墨西哥人射杀时，那个墨西哥人几乎被吓死了，弗里奥·基德已经让十八个人失去了性命。 —

About half of these were killed in fair duels depending upon the quickness of the draw. —
这些人中大约一半是在公平决斗中被杀的，取决于快速抽枪的能力。 —

The other half were men whom be assassinated from absolute wantonness and cruelty.
另一半则是因为纯粹的冷酷无情而被暗杀的人。

Many tales are told along the border of his impudent courage and daring. —
沿着边界有许多关于他厚颜无耻的勇气和胆识的故事。 —

But he was not one of the breed of desperadoes who have seasons of generosity and even of softness. —
但他不属于那种有时会表现出慷慨甚至柔软一面的恶棍品种。 —

They say he never had mercy on the object of his anger. —
他们说他从不对他的愤怒对象心存怜悯。 —

Yet at this and every Christmastide it is well to give each one credit, if it can be done, for what- ever speck of good he may have possessed. —
然而在每年的圣诞节期间，如果可能的话，应该给予每个人一点好处，无论他们可能有多少善良。 —

If the Frio Kid ever did a kindly act or felt a throb of generosity in his heart it was once at such a time and season, and this is the way it happened.
如果Frio小子曾经做过善良的行为或在内心产生过一丝慷慨之情，那一次应该就是在这样的时候和季节，而这就是故事发生的方式。

One who has been crossed in love should never breathe the odour from the blossoms of the ratama tree. —
一个在爱情中受挫的人永远不应该呼吸到青霉树花香。 —

It stirs the memory to a dangerous degree.
它会让记忆变得危险。

One December in the Frio country there was a ratama tree in full bloom, for the winter had been as warm as springtime. —
在一个福利套餐的地方，有一棵青霉树在盛开，因为这个冬天像春天一样温暖。 —

That way rode the Frio Kid and his satellite aW co-murderer, Mexican Frank. The kid reined in his mustang, and sat in his saddle, thoughtful and grim, with dangerously narrowing eyes. —
这样福里奥小子和他的“卫星”墨西哥佛兰克驾驭着他们的野马同行。小子才刚止住野马，坐在马鞍上，眉头紧蹙，想事儿时神情阴沉，眼神开始危险地变得狭长。 —

The rich, sweet scent touched him somewhere beneath his ice and iron.
一种甜美浓烈的香气触动了他那冰冷而坚硬的内心。

“I don’t know what I’ve been thinking about, Mex,” he remarked in his usual mild drawl, “to have forgot all about a Christmas present I got to give. —
“墨西哥佬，我都不知道到底想了什么，都忘了自己有份圣诞礼物要送呢。”小子用他通常那轻柔的口吻说道，“我打算明晚骑过去，在麦迪逊·莱恩的家里动手。 —

I’m going to ride over to-morrow night and shoot Madison Lane in his own house. —
他抢走了我的女人——如果他不插足的话，罗西塔本来是会嫁给我的。 —

He got my girl – Rosita would have had me if he hadn’t cut into the game. —
我真是不明白，到现在为止为什么我都漏掉了这件事。” —

I wonder why I happened to overlook it up to now?”
“啊，别胡扯了，小子。”墨西哥佬说，“你知道明晚是不可能靠近麦迪逊·莱恩的家的。

“Ah, shucks, Kid,” said Mexican, “don’t talk foolish- ness. —
前天我还见到了老艾伦， —

You know you can’t get within a mile of Mad Lane’s house to-morrow night. —
他说麦迪逊要在他家办圣诞庆典。 —

I see old man Allen day before yesterday, and he says Mad is going to have Christmas doings at his house. —
你还记得当年麦迪逊结婚时你闹事的情景吗？你还威胁过他呢。” —

You remember how you shot up the festivities when Mad was married, and about the threats you made? —
墨西哥佬的话使小子陷入沉默。 —

Don’t you suppose Mad Lane’ll kind of keep his eye open for a certain Mr. Kid? —
你难道不认为马德·莱恩会对某个名叫基德的人多加留意吗？ —

You plumb make me tired, Kid, with such remarks.”
基德，你这样说话真叫我感到厌烦。

“I’m going,” repeated the Frio Kid, without heat, “to go to Madison Lane’s Christmas doings, and kill him. —
“我要去参加马迪逊·莱恩的圣诞庆典，并杀了他。我早该这么做了。 —

I ought to have done it a long time ago. —
”弗里奥基德说道，没有激动。 —

Why, Mex, just two weeks ago I dreamed me and Rosita was married instead of her and him; —
墨克斯，就在两个星期前我做梦梦见罗西塔嫁给了我，不是嫁给他； —

and we was living in a house, and I could see her smiling at me, and – oh! h–l, Mex, he got her; —
而且我们住在一个房子里，我能看到她对我微笑，然后变成了野火，墨克斯，他抢走了她； —

and I’ll get him – yes, sir, on Christmas Eve he got her, and then’s when I’ll get him.”
我要报仇——是的，先生，在圣诞夜他得到了她，那时候我会报仇的。

“There’s other ways of committing suicide,” advised Mexican. —
“还有其他的自杀方式。”墨西哥人建议道， —

“Why don’t you go and surrender to the sheriff?”
“你为什么不去向警长自首呢？”

“I’ll get him,” said the Kid.
“我会杀了他。”基德说。

Christmas Eve fell as balmy as April. Perhaps there was a hint of far-away frostiness in the air, but it tingles like seltzer, perfumed faintly with late prairie
圣诞夜像四月一样温暖。也许空气中有一丝远处的冷意，但那如苏打水般冰凉，带着淡淡的晚来的草原花朵和刺槐草的香气。

blossoms and the mesquite grass.
当夜幕降临时，牧场上的五六间屋子亮起了灯光。

When night came the five or six rooms of the ranch- house were brightly lit. —
还有，即使这些钟灵毓秀的屋子中充满了欢声笑语，水杉树下也长满了艳丽的百花。 —

In one room was a Christmas tree, for the Lanes had a boy of three, and a dozen or more guests were expected from the nearer ranches.
在一个房间里放着一棵圣诞树，因为兰恩家有一个三岁的男孩，还有十几个客人从附近的牧场过来。

At nightfall Madison Lane called aside Jim Belcher and three other cowboys employed on his ranch.
黄昏时分，麦迪逊·兰恩把吉姆·贝尔切和他的其他三个牛仔叫到一边。

“Now, boys,” said Lane, “keep your eyes open. —
“现在，伙计们，”兰恩说，”保持警惕。 —

Walk around the house and watch the road well. —
绕着房子走动，认真看守道路。 —

All of you know the ‘Frio Kid,’ as they call him now, and if you see him, open fire on him without asking any questions. —
你们都认识那个现在被称为’Frio小子’的人，如果你们看到他，不要问任何问题，立即向他开火。 —

I’m not afraid of his coming around, but Rosita is. —
我并不害怕他过来，但是罗西塔害怕。 —

She’s been afraid he’d come in on us every Christmas since we were married.”
自从我们结婚以来，她一直担心他会在每个圣诞节过后来找我们。”

The guests had arrived in buckboards and on horseback, and were making themselves comfortable inside.
客人们坐着四轮马车和骑着马陆续到达，他们在里面让自己感到舒服。

The evening went along pleasantly. —
晚上进行得很愉快。 —

The guests enjoyed and praised Rosita’s excellent supper, and after- ward the men scattered in groups about the rooms or on the broad “gallery,” smoking and chatting.
客人们都很喜欢并赞扬了罗西塔做的美味晚餐，之后男人们在房间里或者宽敞的阳台上分散成小组，抽着烟聊着天。

The Christmas tree, of course, delighted the youngsters, and above all were they pleased when Santa Claus himself in magnificent white beard and furs appeared and began to distribute the toys.
当然，圣诞树让年轻人高兴极了，尤其是当圣诞老人本人出现在美丽的白色胡须和毛皮中，开始分发玩具时，他们更加高兴。

“It’s my papa,” announced Billy Sampson, aged six. “I’ve seen him wear ‘em before.”
“那是我爸爸，”六岁的比利·桑普森宣布，“我以前见过他穿过这些。”

Berkly, a sheepman, an old friend of Lane, stopped Rosita as she was passing by him on the gallery, where he was sitting smoking.
波克兰是兰恩的老朋友，一个牧羊人，他在走廊上吸烟时，看到罗西塔经过他身边时，把她拦住了。

“Well, Mrs. Lane,” said he, “I suppose by this Christ- mas you’ve gotten over being afraid of that fellow McRoy, haven’t you? —
“嗯，兰恩夫人，”他说，“我猜到这个圣诞节你已经不再害怕那个麦克罗伊了，对吗？ —

Madison and I have talked about it, you know.”
麦迪逊和我已经谈过了，你知道的。”

“Very nearly,” said Rosita, smiling, “but I am still nervous sometimes. —
“大致上是的，”罗西塔微笑着说，“但有时候我还是会紧张。 —

I shall never forget that awful time when he came so near to killing us.”
我永远不会忘记那个差点杀了我们的可怕时刻。”

“He’s the most cold-hearted villain in the world,” said Berkly. “The citizens all along the border ought to turn out and hunt him down like a wolf.”
“他是世界上最冷酷的恶棍，”波克兰说。“沿着边境的居民们都应该一起出动，像追猎狼一样来追捕他。”

“He has committed awful crimes,” said Rosita, but – I – don’t – know. —
“他犯下了可怕的罪行，”罗西塔说，“但是……我……不知道。” —

I think there is a spot of good somewhere in everybody. He was not always bad – that I know.”
我认为每个人身上都有一点善良的地方。他并不总是坏的 - 我知道这一点。

Rosita turned into the hallway between the rooms. —
罗西塔走进了房间之间的走廊。圣诞老人， —

Santa Claus, in muffling whiskers and furs, was just coming through.
脸上裹着胡子和毛皮，在穿过走廊时刚好走了进来。

“I heard what you said through the window, Mrs. Lane,” he said. —
“我听见了你通过窗户说的话，莱恩夫人，”他说。 —

“I was just going down in my pocket for a Christmas present for your husband. —
“我正准备从口袋里拿出一份圣诞礼物给你丈夫。 —

But I’ve left one for you, instead. —
但我给你准备了一份， —

It’s in the room to your right.”
放在你右边的房间里。

“Oh, thank you, kind Santa Claus,” said Rosita, brightly.
“哦，谢谢你，亲爱的圣诞老人，”罗西塔开朗地说。

Rosita went into the room, while Santa Claus stepped into the cooler air of the yard.
罗西塔走进了房间，而圣诞老人则走进了更凉爽的院子里。

She found no one in the room but Madison.
她发现房间里只有麦迪逊一个人。

“Where is my present that Santa said he left for me in here?” she asked.
“圣诞老人说他在这里给我留了份礼物，你看到了吗?“她问道。

“Haven’t seen anything in the way of a present,” said her husband, laughing, “unless he could have meant me.”
“除非他是指我，要不然我可没有看到礼物，” 她丈夫笑着说道。

The next day Gabriel Radd, the foreman of the X 0 Ranch, dropped into the post-office at Loma Alta.
第二天，X 0 牧场的领班加百列·拉德来到了洛玛阿尔塔的邮局。

“Well, the Frio Kid’s got his dose of lead at last,” he remarked to the postmaster.
“嗯，Frio 小子最后也挨了一枪，” 他对邮局长说道。

“That so? How’d it happen?”
“是吗？怎么回事？”

“One of old Sanchez’s Mexican sheep herders did it! —
“那是老桑切斯的一个墨西哥牧羊人干的！ —

– think of it! the Frio Kid killed bv a sheep herder! —
想想看！弗里奥小子被一个牧羊人干掉了！” —

The Greaser saw him riding along past his camp about twelve o’clock last night, and was so skeered that he up with a Winchester and let him have it. —
“那个墨西哥佬昨晚十二点左右看见他从营地骑过，吓得他举起一把Winchester开了一枪打中了他。” —

Funniest part of it was that the Kid was dressed all up with white Angora- skin whiskers and a regular Santy Claus rig-out from head to foot. —
“最好笑的是，这小子整个打扮成白色安哥拉山羊一样有胡子的圣诞老人一身，从头到脚，你想弗里奥小子扮圣诞老人！” —

Think of the Frio Kid playing Santy!”
“想想看，弗里奥小子扮圣诞老人！”