HABIT - a tendency or aptitude acquired by custom or frequent repitition.
习惯 - 一种通过习惯或频繁重复获得的倾向或才能。

The critics have assailed every source of inspiration save one. —
批评者抨击了除一项之外的每一种灵感来源。 —

To that one we are driven for our moral theme. —
我们被驱使去寻找我们的道德主题。 —

When we levied upon the masters of old they gleefully dug up the parallels to our columns. —
当我们向古代大师征税时，他们愉快地挖掘出与我们的专栏相似的事物。 —

When we strove to set forth real life they reproached us for trying to imitate Henry George, George Washington, Washington Irving, and Irving Bacheller. —
当我们努力描绘真实生活时，他们咎责我们试图模仿亨利·乔治、乔治·华盛顿、华盛顿·欧文和欧文·巴契勒。 —

We wrote of the West and the East, and they accused us of both Jesse and Henry James. We wrote from our heart - and they said something about a disordered liver. —
我们写过西方和东方，他们指责我们同时涉及了杰西和亨利·詹姆斯。我们发自内心地写作 - 他们提到了关于肝脏失调的事情。 —

We took a text from Matthew or - er-yes, Deuteronomy, but the preachers were hammering away at the inspiration idea before we could get into type. —
我们从马太福音或 - 嗯 - 对，申命记中选取了一段经文，但牧师们在我们还没来得及排版之前就已经在猛烈攻击灵感的想法了。 —

So, driven to the wall, we go for our subject-matter to the reliable, old, moral, unassailable vade mecum - the unabridged dictionary.
因此，被逼到墙角，我们转而寻找可靠、古老、道德、无懈可击的“随身携带指南”——大型词典。

Miss Merriam was cashier at Hinkle’s. —
默里安小姐是Hinkle的出纳员。 —

Hinkle’s is one of the big downtown restaurants. —
Hinkle是大型的市中心餐厅。 —

It is in what the papers call the “financial district.” Each day from 12 o’clock to 2 Hinkle’s was full of hungry customers - messenger boys, stenographers, brokers, owners of mining stock, promoters, inventors with patents pending - and also people with money.
它位于报纸称为”金融区”的地方。每天从中午12点到2点，Hinkle都挤满了饥饿的顾客-快递员、速记员、经纪人、矿业股票所有者、推销员、等待专利的发明家-以及有钱人。

The cashiership at Hinkle’s was no sinecure. —
在Hinkle的出纳员工作可不是一份闲职。 —

Hinkle egged and toasted and griddle-caked and coffeed a good many customers; —
Hinkle为许多客人煎蛋、烤面包、烤饼、冲咖啡。 —

and he lunched (as good a word as “dined”) many more. —
他不仅吃了早餐，还吃了很多午餐（和“用餐”一样好的词）。 —

It might be said that Hinkle’s breakfast crowd was a contingent, but his luncheon patronage amounted to a horde.
可以说，亨克尔的早餐人群是一支派遣队，但他的午餐客人却是一大群。

Miss Merriam sat on a stool at a desk inclosed on three sides by a strong, high fencing of woven brass wire. —
梅里姆小姐坐在一个高强度的钢丝编织网三面环绕的桌子上的凳子上。 —

Through an arched opening at the bottom you thrust your waiter’s check and the money, while your heart went pit-pat.
你可以通过底部的拱形开口将侍者的单子和钱递给她，而你的心跳加快。

For Miss Merriam was lovely and capable. —
因为梅里姆小姐既可爱又能干。她可以从2美元的钞票中扣掉45美分， —

She could take 45 cents out of a $2 bill and refuse an offer of marriage before you could - Next! —
并在你还没来得及回答前拒绝结婚的提议-错过机会了-请不要推挤。她可以在收你的账单时保持冷静和镇定，给你正确的找零，赢得你的心，指出牙签架，并且比布拉德街对一千个事物的估计还要准确一四分之一，所花的时间比加点胡椒的时间还要短。 —

• lost your chance - please don’t shove. —
  —
  

She could keep cool and collected while she collected your check, give you the correct change, win your heart, indicate the toothpick stand, and rate you to a quarter of a cent better than Bradstreet could to a thousand in less time than it takes to pepper an egg with one of Hinkle’s casters. —
有一句古老而庄重的话说：“残酷的光芒照耀着皇位。” —

There is an old and dignified allusion to the “fierce light that beats upon a throne.” The light that beats upon the young lady cashier’s cage is also something fierce. —
请将号码丟裡的位於進行座右的窗台心扔一面在高強度络。。。 打在年轻女收银员笼子上的灯光也是相当猛烈的。 —

The other fellow is responsible for the slang.
另一个家伙负责那些俚语。

Every male patron of Hinkle’s, from A. D. T. boys up to the curbstone brokers, adored Miss Merriam. —
从A. D. T.男孩到街头经纪人的每个男性顾客都崇拜着梅里姆小姐。 —

When they paid their checks they wooed her with every wile known to Cupid’s art. —
当他们付账时，他们用丘比特艺术中的每种诱拐手段来讨好她。 —

Between the meshes of the brass railing went smiles, winks, compliments, tender vows, invitations to dinner, sighs, languishing looks and merry banter that was wafted pointedly back by the gifted Miss Merriam.
黄铜栏杆的缝隙间传来了微笑、眨眼、恭维、温柔的誓言、晚餐邀请、叹息、倾慕的目光和欢快的玩笑，机灵的梅里姆小姐一一回应。

There is no coign of vantage more effective than the position of young lady cashier. —
年轻女收银员的位置没有比这个更有效的视角了。她坐在那里， —

She sits there, easily queen of the court of commerce; —
轻松地成为商业法庭的女王； —

she is duchess of dollars and devoirs, countess of compliment; and coin, leading lady of love and luncheon. —
她是金钱和奉承的公爵夫人，恭维与硬币的女伯爵，爱情和午餐的主要女演员。 —

You take from her a smile and a Canadian dime, and you go your way uncomplaining. —
你从她这里拿走一个微笑和一枚加拿大十分硬币，然后安心地离开。 —

You count the cheery word or two that she tosses you as misers count their treasures; —
你把她随意说的几个字当作宝贝一样数着，就像财迷们数他们的财宝一样； —

and you pocket the change for a five uncomputed. —
然后你把这些零钱放进袖子，兑成了一张不计算的五元纸币。 —

Perhaps the brass-bound inaccessibility multiplies her charms - anyhow, she is a shirt-waisted angel, immaculate, trim, manicured, seductive, bright-eyed, ready, alert - Psyche, Circe, and Ate in one, separating you from your circulating medium after your sirloin medium.
或许那种铜质镶边的高不可攀让她更具吸引力- 无论如何，她是一位衬衫款式的天使，清爽无瑕，手指修剪有道，诱人迷人，炯炯有神，时刻准备着，警觉着- 宙斯之女，西西弗斯和亚忒斯（希腊神话中三位女神）合二为一，使你在你的餐费尚未结清之前就与你的流通媒介分道扬镳。

The young men who broke bread at Hinkle’s never settled with the cashier without an exchange of badinage and open compliment. —
在欣科尔斯使用晚餐的年轻人们在没有与出纳员结算之前总是互相开着玩笑，彼此赞美。 —

Many of them went to greater lengths and dropped promissory hints of theatre tickets and chocolate. —
其中许多人甚至会走得更远，暗示着未来会有剧院门票和巧克力。 —

The older spoke plainly of orange blossoms, generally withering the tentative petals by after-allusions to Harlem flats. —
年长的人会直接说起橙花，通常会通过对哈莱姆公寓的间接提及让那些试探性的花瓣凋零。 —

One broker, who had been squeezed by copper proposed to Miss Merriam more regularly than he ate.
一位曾被铜器紧紧挤压的经纪人比他吃东西更经常地向梅里安小姐求婚。

During a brisk luncheon hour Miss Merriam’s conversation, while she took money for checks, would run something like this:
在繁忙的午餐时间，当梅里安小姐收钱结账时，她的对话内容通常是这样的：

“Good morning, Mr. Haskins - sir? - it’s natural, thank you - don’t be quite so fresh . —
“早上好，哈斯金斯先生 - 先生？ - 很自然，谢谢 - 别这么放肆。” —

.. Hello, Johnny - ten, fifteen, twenty - chase along now or they’ll take the letters off your cap . —
“你好，约翰尼 - 十、十五、二十 - 快点走，否则他们会把你帽子上的字母拿走。” —

.. Beg pardon - count it again, please - Oh, don’t mention it … Vaudeville? —
“打扰了 - 请再数一遍 - 哦，别提了…歌舞杂耍？- 谢谢；” —

• thanks; —
  —
  

not on your moving picture - I was to see Carter in Hedda Gabler on Wednesday night with Mr. Simmons . —
“别提看电影了 - 我周三晚上要和西蒙斯先生去看卡特演的《赫达·加勒》…不好意思， —

.. ‘Scuse me, I thought that was a quarter . —
我以为是一个四分之一。” —

.. Twenty-five and seventy-five’s a dollar - got that ham-and-cabbage habit yet. —
“二十五加上七十五是一美元 - 你还养着吃火腿和卷心菜的习惯。 —

I see, Billy … Who are you addressing? —
我知道了，比利…你在对谁说话？” —

• say - you’ll get all that’s coming to you in a minute . —
  “嘿 - 你马上就会得到你应得的…得了吧！ —
  

.. Oh, fudge! Mr. Bassett - you’re always fooling - no - ? —
巴塞特先生 - 你总是在开玩笑 - 不是吧 - ？” —

Well, maybe I’ll marry you some day - three, four and sixty-five is five . —
“好吧，也许有一天我会嫁给你 - 三、四、六十五是五. ..如果你愿意， —

.. Kindly keep them remarks to yourself, if you please … Ten cents? —
请把这些话自己留着. ..十美分？” —

• ‘scuse me; the check calls for seventy - well, maybe it is a one instead of a seven … Oh, do you like it that way, Mr. Saunders? —
  “对不起；支票上写的是七十 - 也许是一个一而不是七. ..哦，你喜欢这样吗，桑德斯先生？” —

• some prefer a pomp; but they say this Cleo de Merody does suit refined features . —
  一些人喜欢夸张炫目的服饰，但他们说这个Cleo de Merody适合优雅的特点. —

.. and ten is fifty … Hike along there, buddy; —
..十元是五十元…朋友，沿着这个方向走吧； —

don’t take this for a Coney Island ticket booth . —
别把这当作Coney Island的售票亭…什么？- 哎呀， —

.. Huh? - why, Macy’s - don’t it fit nice? —
梅西百货- 不错，很适合吧？ —

Oh, no, it isn’t too cool - these light-weight fabrics is all the go this season . —
噢，不，这不是太凉爽了 - 这种轻薄的面料正是这个季节的流行。 —

.. Come again, please - that’s the third time you’ve tried to - what? —
..请再说一遍-这已经是你第三次试图-什么？ —

• forget it - that lead quarter is an old friend of mine . —
  - 算了吧- 这个铅币是我的老朋友. —
  

.. Sixty-five? —
..六十五？ —

• must have had your salary raised, Mr. Wilson . —
  你的薪水一定加了，威尔逊先生. —
  

.. I seen you on Sixth Avenue Tuesday afternoon, Mr. De Forest - swell? - oh, my! —
..我上周二在第六大道看到了你，德福雷斯特先生-非常漂亮？-哦，我的天！ —

• who is she? . —
  -她是谁？ —
  

.. What’s the matter with it? - why, this ain’t South America … Yes, I like the mixed best - Friday? —
..有什么问题吗？-哎呀，这不是南美洲…是啊，我喜欢混搭-星期五可以吗？ —

• awfully sorry, but I take my jiu-jitsu lesson on Friday - Thursday, then . —
  -非常抱歉，可是我星期五要去上我的柔术课-那就星期四吧。 —
  

.. Thanks - that’s sixteen times I’ve been told that this morning - I guess I must be beautiful . —
..谢谢-今天早上已经有十六个人告诉我了-我想我一定很美丽. —

.. Cut that out, please - who do you think I am? . —
..别再说了，谢谢-你以为我是谁？ —

.. Why, Mr. Westbrook - do you really think so? - the idea! —
威斯布鲁克先生，你真的这么认为吗？ —

• one - eighty and twenty’s a dollar - thank you ever so much, but I don’t ever go automobile riding with gentlemen - your aunt? —
  - 真是个好主意！-一个-一百八十加二十是一百-非常感谢，但我从不和绅士一起坐汽车-你阿姨呢？ —

• well, that’s different - perhaps . —
  哦，那不一样-也许. —

.. Please don’t get fresh - your check was fifteen cents, I believe - kindly step aside and let . —
..请不要放肆-你的支票是十五美分，我相信-请稍许一下，让。 —

.. Hello, Ben - coming around Thursday evening? —
嗨，本-周四晚上过来吗？ —

• there’s a gentleman going to send around a box of chocolates, and . —
  -有个绅士要送一盒巧克力过来，还有。 —
  

.. forty and sixty is a dollar, and one is two …”
四十和六十是一美元，一个是两个……”

About the middle of one afternoon the dizzy goddess Vertigo - whose other name is Fortune - suddenly smote an old, wealthy and eccentric banker while he was walking past Hinkle’s, on his way to a street car. —
一天下午中间，令人晕眩的女神Vertigo（另一个名字是Fortune）突然击中了一位老、富有而古怪的银行家，当他经过Hinkle的时候，他正要去坐电车。 —

A wealthy and eccentric banker who rides in street cars is - move up, please; there are others.
一个富有而古怪的银行家坐在电车上-请往前挪一挪，还有其他人。

A Samaritan, A Pharisee, a man and a policeman who were first on the spot lifter Banker McRamsey and carried him into Hinkle’s restaurant. —
一个撒玛利亚人，一个法利赛人，一个男子和一个警察首先赶到现场，抬起了银行家麦克拉姆齐，将他带进了Hinkle’s餐厅。 —

When the aged but indestructible banker opened his eyes he saw a beautikful vision bending over him with a pitiful, tender smile, bathing his forehead with beef tea and chafing his hands with something frapp’e out of a chafing-dish. —
当这位年迈但不可摧毁的银行家睁开眼睛时，他看到了一个美丽的景象，弯下腰朝他微笑，用牛肉茶洗擦他的额头，用一只装着一些特制冷饮的加热碟按摩着他的手。 —

Mr. McRamsey sighed, lost a vest button, gazed with deep gratitude upon his fair preserveress, and then recovered consciousness.
麦克拉姆西先生叹了口气，掉了一颗马甲纽扣，满怀感激地凝视着他那位美丽的救命恩人，然后恢复了意识。

To the Seaside Library all who are anticipating a romance! —
想要一段浪漫故事的人们，请去海滨图书馆！ —

Banker McRamsey had an aged and respected wife, and his sentiments toward Miss Merriam were fatherly. —
银行家麦克拉姆西有一位年迈而受人尊敬的妻子，他对梅里亚姆小姐的情感如同一个慈父。 —

He talked to her for half an hour with interest - not the kind that went with his talks during business hours. —
他和她愉快地谈了半个小时，这种兴趣和他在工作时间的谈话是不同的。 —

The next day he brought Mrs. McRamsey down to see her. —
第二天，他带着麦克拉姆西夫人来见她。 —

The old couple were childless - they had only a married daughter living in Brooklyn.
这对老夫妇无子女，只有一个居住在布鲁克林的已婚女儿。

To make a short story shorter, the beautiful cashier won the hearts of the good old couple. —
老夫妇喜欢上了这位美丽的出纳员。他们一次又一次地来到汉克尔斯店； —

They came to Hinkle’s again and again; —
—

they invited her to their old-fashioned but splendid home in one of the East Seventies. —
他们邀请她到他们东七十街的古老但豪华的家中。 —

Miss Merriam’s winning loveliness, her sweet frankness and impulsive heart took them by storm. —
梅里亚姆小姐迷人的美丽，她的甜蜜坦率和冲动的心让他们震惊。 —

They said a hundred times that Miss Merriam reminded them so much of their lost daughter. —
他们说了一百遍梅里亚姆小姐让他们想起了他们失去的女儿。 —

The Brooklyn matron, n’ee Ramsey, had the figure of Buddha and a face like the ideal of an art photographer. —
这位布鲁克林的女人，前名叫拉姆齐，有着佛祖般的身材和如艺术摄影师的理想面容。 —

Miss Merriam was a combination of curves, smiles, rose leaves, pearls, satin and hair-tonic posters. —
梅里亚姆小姐是曲线、微笑、玫瑰叶、珍珠、绸缎和头发营销海报的结合体。 —

Enough of the fatuity of parents.
够了，别再自负了。

A month after the worthy couple became acquainted with Miss Merriam, she stood before Hinkle one afternoon and resigned her cashiership.
在这对可敬的夫妇认识梅里亚姆小姐一个月后的一天下午，她站在Hinkle面前辞去了她的收银员职位。

“They’re going to adopt me,” she told the bereft restaurateur. —
“他们要收养我，” 她告诉这位悲伤的餐馆老板，” —

“They’re funny old people, but regular dears. —
他们是有趣的老人，但真是可爱的人。 —

And the swell home they have got! —
而且他们有一所豪宅！ —

Say, Hinkle, there isn’t any use of talking - I’m on the a la carte to wear brown duds and goggles in a whiz wagon, or marry a duke at least. —
告诉你，Hinkle，没必要再谈了-我已经准备好了去穿着棕色的衣服和护目镜驾驶那辆快车，或者至少嫁给一个公爵。 —

Still, I somehow hate to break out of the old cage. —
然而，我总觉得不愿意摆脱旧的羁绊。 —

I’ve been cashiering so long I feel funny doing anything else. —
我已经当了收银员这么久，做其他事情会觉得很奇怪。 —

I’ll miss joshing the fellows awfully when they line up to pay for the buckwheats and. —
当他们排队付钱买烘饼时，我会非常想念和伙计们开玩笑。 —

But I can’t let this chance slide. —
但是我不能错过这个机会。 —

And they’re awfully good, Hinkle; —
而且他们非常友好，Hinkle； —

I know I’ll have a swell time. —
我知道我会过得很开心的。 —

You owe me nine-sixty-two and a half for the week. —
你欠我九块六角二分五厘的工资。 —

Cut out the half if it hurts you, Hinkle.”
如果半角让你难受，那就不用。

And they did. Miss Merriam became Miss Rosa McRamsey. —
他们确实做到了。Merriam小姐成了Rosa McRamsey小姐。 —

And she graced the transition. —
她优雅地完成了这个转变。 —

Beauty is only skin-deep, but the nerves lie very near to the skin. —
美貌只是肤浅，但神经非常接近皮肤。 —

Nerve - but just here will you oblige by perusing again the quotation with which this story begins?
神经-但在此，您是否可以再次阅读一下本故事开头的引文？

The McRamseys poured out money like domestic champagne to polish their adopted one. —
McRamsey一家像香槟一样不断地花钱来培养他们收养的孩子。 —

Milliners, dancing masters and private tutors got it. —
帽商、舞蹈老师和私人教师都因此受益。 —

Miss - er - McRamsey was grateful, loving, and tried to forget Hinkle’s. —
McRamsey小姐是感激的、充满爱心的，她努力忘记Hinkle’s。 —

To give ample credit to the adaptability of the American girl, Hinkle’s did fade from her memory and speech most of the time.
为了充分赞扬美国女孩的适应能力，黑尔科斯在她的记忆和言谈中大部分时间都消失了。

Not every one will remember when the Earl of Hitesbury came to East Seventy - -Street, America. —
并不是每个人都会记得海茨伯里伯爵来到华盛顿街菲利普大街的那个时刻。 —

He was only a fair-to-medium earl, without debts, and he created little excitement. —
他只是一个普通的伯爵，没有债务，也没有引起太多的兴趣。 —

But you will surely remember the evening when the Daughters of Benevolence haled their bazaar in the W - -f-A - -a Hotel. For you were there, and you wrote a note to Fannie on the hotel paper, and mailed it, just to show her that - you did not? —
但你一定会记得那个妇女福利协会在W酒店举办集市的那个晚上。因为你在那里，并在酒店纸上给范妮写了一张便条，还邮寄了出去，只是为了向她展示你-没做过什么？ —

Very well; that was the evening the baby was sick, of course.
非常好，那个晚上宝宝生病了，当然无法参加。

At the bazaar the McRamseys were prominent. —
在慈善集市上，麦克兰西家族非常引人注目。 —

Miss Mer - er - McRamsey was exquisitely beautiful. —
麦克兰西小姐非常美丽。 —

The Earl of Hitesbury had been very attentive to her since he dropped in to have a look at America. —
海茨伯里伯爵自从他来华盛顿之后一直对她非常关注。 —

At the charity bazaar the affair was supposed to be going to be pulled off to a finish. —
慈善集市的活动被认为是要顺利进行到底的。 —

An earl is as good as a duke. Better. —
伯爵和公爵一样好，甚至更好。 —

His standing may be lower, but his outstanding accounts are also lower.
他的地位可能较低，但他的突出业绩也较少。

Our ex-young-lady-cashier was assigned to a booth. —
我们的前年轻女收银员被分配到一个小摊位上。 —

She was expected to sell worthless articles to nobs and snobs at exorbitant prices. —
她被期望以天价向贵族和势利小人销售毫无价值的物品。 —

The proceeds of the bazaar were to be used for giving the poor children of the slums a Christmas din - -Say! —
义卖会的收益将用于给贫困的贫民窟孩子们举办圣诞餐——听着！ —

did you ever wonder where they get the other 364?
你有没有想过其他364天他们从哪里弄来的？

Miss McRamsey - beautiful, palpitating, excited, charming, radiant - fluttered about in her booth. —
麦克拉姆齐小姐——美丽、心悸、兴奋、迷人、容光焕发——在她的小摊位周围飞来飞去。 —

An imitation brass network, with a little arched opening, fenced her in.
一张仿制黄铜网，带有一个小拱门，把她圈了起来。

Along came the Earl, assured, delicate, accurate, admiring - admiring greatly, and faced the open wicket.
一个自信、细致、准确的伯爵走了过来——非常地欣赏，站在了敞开的小门前。

“You look chawming, you know - ‘pon my word you do - my deah,” he said, beguilingly.
“你看起来很迷人，你知道的——天哪，你真的如此——我的亲爱”，他诱人地说道。

“Cut that joshing out,” she said, coolly and briskly. —
“别开玩笑了”，她冷静而干脆地说。 —

“Who do you think you are talking to? —
“你认为你在跟谁说话呢？ —

Your check, please. Oh, Lordy! -”
请付款。天啊！”

Patrons of the bazaar became aware of a commotion and pressed around a certain booth. —
义卖会的顾客们察觉到了一阵骚动，纷纷向一个特定的摊位靠拢。 —

The Earl of Hitesbury stood near by pulling a pale blond and puzzled whisker.
海茨伯里伯爵站在一旁，拔起了一撮苍白的金色胡须，满脸困惑。

“Miss McRamsey has fainted,” some one explained.
“麦克兰西小姐晕倒了，”有人解释道。