I
我

Where to go for wisdom has become a question of serious import. —
去哪里寻求智慧已成为一个严肃的问题。古代智者们已经丧失信誉； —

The ancients are discredited; —
柏拉图已成为陈词滥调； —

Plato is boiler-plate; Aristotle is tottering; —
亚里士多德已步履蹒跚； —

Marcus Aurelius is reeling; —
马库斯·奥勒留斯正在摇摇欲坠； —

Aesop has been copyrighted by Indiana; —
伊索已被印第安纳州版权； —

Solomon is too solemn; —
所罗门过于庄重； —

you couldn’t get anything out of Epictetus with a pick.
挖不出一个品质与泰坦一样高的人；

The ant, which for many years served as a model of intelligence and industry in the school-readers, has been proven to be a doddering idiot and a waster of time and effort. —
蚂蚁，多年来在学校读本中被视为智慧和勤劳的典范，已被证明是一个蹒跚的白痴，浪费时间和精力。 —

The owl to-day is hooted at. —
田鸟今日受到嘲笑。 —

Chautauqua conventions have abandoned culture and adopted diabolo. —
Chautauqua会议已经抛弃了文化，取而代之的是玩弄兄弟。 —

Graybeards give glowing testimonials to the venders of patent hair- restorers. —
乌发剂推销员得到了长者们的热情推荐。 —

There are typographical errors in the almanacs published by the daily newspapers. —
日报登载的年历中有排版错误。 —

College professors have become–
大学教授已成为–

But there shall be no personalities. To sit in classes, to delve into the encyclopedia or the past-performances page, will not make us wise. —
但不应有人身攻击。坐在课堂上，钻研百科全书或过去的表演记录，并不会使我们变得智慧。 —

As the poet says, “Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.” Wisdom is dew, which, while we know it not, soaks into us, refreshes us, and makes us grow. —
正如诗人所说：“知识来了，智慧却停留下来。”智慧如露水一样渗透进我们内心，滋润并使我们成长。 —

Knowledge is a strong stream of water turned on us through a hose. —
知识就像一股强大的水流从水管里喷射而出， —

It disturbs our roots.
它会扰乱我们的根基。

Then, let us rather gather wisdom. —
因此，我们更应该积累智慧。 —

But how to do so requires knowledge. —
但是如何才能做到这一点需要知识。 —

If we know a thing, we know it; —
如果我们知道一件事，我们就知道了； —

but very often we are not wise to it that we are wise, and–
但很多时候我们对自己的智慧并不明智，而且–

But let’s go on with the story.
但让我们继续故事。

II
II

Once upon a time I found a ten-cent magazine lying on a bench in a little city park. —
从前，我在一个小公园的长凳上发现了一本十美分的杂志。 —

Anyhow, that was the amount he asked me for when I sat on the bench next to him. —
无论如何，当我坐在他旁边的长凳上时，他就向我要钱。 —

He was a musty, dingy, and tattered magazine, with some queer stories bound in him, I was sure. —
他是一本发黄、褴褛、摊开的杂志，里面装有一些奇怪的故事，我敢肯定。 —

He turned out to be a scrap-book.
结果他被证明是一个剪贴簿。

“I am a newspaper reporter,” I said to him, to try him. —
“我是一名报纸记者，”我对他说， —

“I have been detailed to write up some of the experiences of the unfortunate ones who spend their evenings in this park. —
试探他。“我被指派要写一些在这个公园度过他们的晚上的不幸者的经历。 —

May I ask you to what you attribute your downfall in–”
请问您认为自己的堕落原因是–”

I was interrupted by a laugh from my purchase–a laugh so rusty and unpractised that I was sure it had been his first for many a day.
当我购买的东西发出一阵嘶哑而生疏的笑声时，我被打断了，我敢肯定这是他许多天来的第一次笑声。

“Oh, no, no,” said he. “You ain’t a reporter. —
“哦，不，不，”他说, “你不是记者。 —

Reporters don’t talk that way. —
记者不会这样说话。 —

They pretend to be one of us, and say they’ve just got in on the blind baggage from St. Louis. I can tell a reporter on sight. —
他们假装成我们其中的一个，并声称他们刚刚从圣路易斯搭便车过来。我一眼就能看出来是记者。 —

Us park bums get to be fine judges of human nature. —
我们这些公园流浪汉是人类本性的很好的评判者。 —

We sit here all day and watch the people go by. —
我们整天坐在这里看人们经过。 —

I can size up anybody who walks past my bench in a way that would surprise you.”
我可以以一种你意想不到的方式来揣摩经过我长椅的任何人。

“Well,” I said, “go on and tell me. How do you size me up?”
“好吧，”我说， “接着告诉我。你怎么看待我呢?”

“I should say,” said the student of human nature with unpardonable hesitation, “that you was, say, in the contracting business–or maybe worked in a store–or was a sign-painter. —
“我想说，”这位人类性格的学者犹犹豫豫地说， “你可能是在承包业务中，或者在商店工作，或者是个写标语的人。 —

You stopped in the park to finish your cigar, and thought you’d get a little free monologue out of me. —
你在公园里停下来抽完雪茄，想从我这里得到一点免费的独白。 —

Still, you might be a plasterer or a lawyer–it’s getting kind of dark, you see. And your wife won’t let you smoke at home.”
不过，你也可能是个泥水匠或者律师，天色渐暗，你看见了。而且你妻子不让你在家里抽烟。

I frowned gloomily.
我阴沉地皱起了眉头。

“But, judging again,” went on the reader of men, “I’d say you ain’t got a wife.”
“但是，再评判一下，”那个破译者继续说道，”我会说你没有妻子。”

“No,” said I, rising restlessly. “No, no, no, I ain’t. —
“不，”我不安地站起身来说道。”不，不，不，我没有。 —

But I will have, by the arrows of Cupid! —
但是我会有的，莫非丘比特的箭！也就是说， —

That is, if–”
如果——”

My voice must have trailed away and muffled itself in uncertainty and despair.
我的声音一定是渐渐消失并被不确定和绝望混淆了。

“I see you have a story yourself,” said the dusty vagrant–impudently, it seemed to me. —
“我看你自己也有个故事，” 那个灰尘飞扬的流浪汉说道，我觉得他好像有点无礼。 —

“Suppose you take your dime back and spin your yarn for me. —
“你把你的一角钱拿回去吧，给我讲个故事吧。 —

I’m interested myself in the ups and downs of unfortunate ones who spend their evenings in the park.”
我对那些在公园里度过他们的晚上的不幸之人很感兴趣。”

Somehow, that amused me. I looked at the frowsy derelict with more interest. —
不知怎么的，那令我觉得有意思。我对那个邋遢的流浪汉产生了更多兴趣。 —

I did have a story. Why not tell it to him? —
我确实有一个故事。为什么不告诉他呢？ —

I had told none of my friends. —
我没有告诉过任何一个朋友。 —

I had always been a reserved and bottled-up man. —
我一直都是一个封闭而沉默的人。 —

It was psychical timidity or sensitiveness-perhaps both. —
这是精神上的胆怯或敏感，也许两者都有。 —

And I smiled to myself in wonder when I felt an impulse to confide in this stranger and vagabond.
当我感到一种向这个陌生人和流浪汉倾诉的冲动时，我感到惊讶地对自己微笑起来。

“Jack,” said I.
“杰克，”我说。

“Mack,” said he.
“麦克，”他说。

“Mack,” said I, “I’ll tell you.”
“麦克，”我说，”我告诉你吧。”

“Do you want the dime back in advance ?” said he.
“你要事先要回那十分钱吗？”他说。

I handed him a dollar.
我递给他一美元。

“The dime,” said I, “was the price of listening to your story.”
“十分钱，”我说，“是听你讲故事的费用。”

“Right on the point of the jaw,” said he. “Go on.”
“准确地打在下巴上，”他说。“继续说。”

And then, incredible as it may seem to the lovers in the world who confide their sorrows only to the night wind and the gibbous moon, I laid bare my secret to that wreck of all things that you would have supposed to be in sympathy with love.
然后，对于那些只把自己的悲伤倾诉给夜风和一弯月亮的世界里的恋人们来说，这是难以置信的，我向那个堕落的家伙揭示了我的秘密。你可能本以为他会对爱情产生同情。

I told him of the days and weeks and months that I had spent in adoring Mildred Telfair. —
我告诉他，我曾用日子、周月悉心对待着米尔德丽德·泰尔费尔。 —

I spoke of my despair, my grievous days and wakeful nights, my dwindling hopes and distress of mind. —
我谈到了我的绝望，我的艰难日子和失眠的夜晚，我的希望渐渐消退和心痛。 —

I even pictured to this night-prowler her beauty and dignity, the great sway she had in society, and the magnificence of her life as the elder daughter of an ancient race whose pride overbalanced the dollars of the city’s millionaires.
我甚至向这个夜猫子形容了她的美丽和尊贵，她在社会中的巨大影响力，以及作为一个古老种族的长女，她的生活的华丽程度，超过了城中的百万富翁们的金钱。

“Why don’t you cop the lady out?” asked Mack, bringing me down to earth and dialect again.
“你为什么不去追求那位女士呢？”麦克问道，把我拉回到现实和方言中。

I explained to him that my worth was so small, my income so minute, and my fears so large that I hadn’t the courage to speak to her of my worship. —
我告诉他，我觉得自己的价值很低，收入微薄，害怕却很大，所以没有勇气对她表达我的崇拜之情。 —

I told him that in her presence I could only blush and stammer, and that she looked upon me with a wonderful, maddening smile of amusement.
我告诉他，只要在她面前，我只会脸红结巴，而她却用一种奇妙、令人发狂的笑容看着我，一副幸灾乐祸的样子。

“She kind of moves in the professional class, don’t she?” asked Mack.
“她在职业阶层中有点地位吧？”麦克问道。

“The Telfair family–” I began, haughtily.
“泰尔费尔家族–”我开始有些傲慢地说。

“I mean professional beauty,” said my hearer.
“我指的是职业美女，”我的听众说。

“She is greatly and widely admired,” I answered, cautiously.
“她受到很多人的广泛欣赏，”我小心地回答。

“Any sisters?”
“有姐妹吗？”

“One.”
“有一个。”

“You know any more girls?”
“你认识其他女孩吗？”

“Why, several,” I answered. “And a few others.”
“嗯，认识几个，还有其他几个。”

“Say,” said Mack, “tell me one thing–can you hand out the dope to other girls? —
“听着，”麦克说，“告诉我一件事–你能和其他女孩打得火热吗？你能和她们聊天、卖眼色、拥抱她们吗？ —

Can you chin ‘em and make matinee eyes at ‘em and squeeze ‘em? —
你知道我是什么意思。只有对于这个特定的女人–职业美女–你才会害羞，对吗？” —

You know what I mean. You’re just shy when it comes to this particular dame–the professional beauty–ain’t that right ?”
“在某种程度上，你概括了近似真相的情况，”我承认。

“In a way you have outlined the situation with approximate truth,” I admitted.
“嗯，你就是有点害羞面对这个女人–职业美女，是这样吧？”

“I thought so,” said Mack, grimly. “Now, that reminds me of my own case. —
“是的，” Mack沉声说道，“这让我想起了我自己的案子。 —

I’ll tell you about it.”
我会告诉你的。”

I was indignant, but concealed it. —
我很生气，但却隐藏了起来。 —

What was this loafer’s case or anybody’s case compared with mine? —
这个懒汉的案子或者任何人的案子与我的相比算得了什么呢？ —

Besides, I had given him a dollar and ten cents.
另外，我已经给了他一美元和十美分。

“Feel my muscle,” said my companion, suddenly, flexing his biceps. I did so mechanically. —
“摸摸我的肌肉，”我的伴侣突然说道，同时屈起二头肌。我机械地做了。 —

The fellows in gyms are always asking you to do that. —
体育馆里的家伙们总是要求你这样做。 —

His arm was as hard as cast-iron.
他的胳膊坚硬如铸铁。

“Four years ago,” said Mack, “I could lick any man in New York outside of the professional ring. —
“四年前，” Mack说道，“在职业拳击赛之外，我可以打败纽约的任何人。 —

Your case and mine is just the same. —
你的案子和我的案子完全一样。 —

I come from the West Side–between Thirtieth and Fourteenth–I won’t give the number on the door. —
我来自西区——在第30和第14之间——我不会告诉你门牌号码。 —

I was a scrapper when I was ten, and when I was twenty no amateur in the city could stand up four rounds with me. —
我10岁时就是一个打架的家伙，而当我20岁时，城里没有一个业余拳击手能在我面前挺过四回合。 —

’S a fact. You know Bill McCarty? —
是真的。你认识Bill McCarty吗？ —

No? He managed the smokers for some of them swell clubs. —
不认识吗？他曾经为一些高档俱乐部管理拳击比赛。 —

Well, I knocked out everything Bill brought up before me. —
好吧，我击败了Bill给我带来的所有对手。 —

I was a middle-weight, but could train down to a welter when necessary. —
我曾是一个中量级选手，但有需要的时候可以减重成雄鹰级。 —

I boxed all over the West Side at bouts and benefits and private entertainments, and was never put out once.
我在西区的比赛、义演和私人表演中拳击过，并且从未被打败过。

“But, say, the first time I put my foot in the ring with a professional I was no more than a canned lobster. —
“但是，嘿，第一次和一位职业选手在拳台上比赛时，我就好像一只被装罐的龙虾一样毫无反抗能力。” —

I dunno how it was- -I seemed to lose heart. —
我不知道是怎么回事——我似乎丧失了勇气， —

I guess I got too much imagination. —
我想是因为我想得太多了。 —

There was a formality and publieness about it that kind of weakened my nerve. —
有一种正式和公开的氛围，这种氛围在某种程度上削弱了我的勇气。 —

I never won a fight in the ring. —
我在拳台上从未赢过一场比赛。 —

Light-weights and all kinds of scrubs used to sign up with my manager and then walk up and tap me on the wrist and see me fall. —
轻量级和各种水平的选手们都会和我的经纪人签约然后上来敲一下我的手腕看我跌倒。 —

The minute I seen the crowd and a lot of gents in evening clothes down in front, and seen a professional come inside the ropes, I got as weak as ginger-ale.
我一看见人群，看见一大堆穿着晚礼服的人坐在最前面，看见一位职业选手进入绳圈，我就像姜汁汽水一样软弱无力。

“Of course, it wasn’t long till I couldn’t get no backers, and I didn’t have any more chances to fight a professional–or many amateurs, either. —
当然，很快我就找不到任何投资者了，我也没有机会再与职业选手比赛了—也没有机会和许多业余选手比赛了。 —

But lemme tell you–I was as good as most men inside the ring or out. —
但是，让我告诉你，无论是在拳击台上还是拳台外，我都和大多数男人一样优秀。 —

It was just that dumb, dead feeling I had when I was up against a regular that always done me up.
问题只是每次面对一个普通人时，我总是有一种愚蠢而消沉的感觉。

“Well, sir, after I had got out of the business, I got a mighty grouch on. —
“嗯，先生，我退役后心情非常恼火。 —

I used to go round town licking private citizens and all kinds of unprofessionals just to please myself. —
我常常绕着镇上打残暴平民和各种业余选手，就是为了让自己开心。 —

I’d lick cops in dark streets and car-conductors and cab-drivers and draymen whenever I could start a row with ‘em. —
我会在黑暗的街道上打警察，殴打售票员和出租车司机，还有卡车司机，只要我能找到吵架的借口。 —

It didn’t make any difference how big they were, or how much science they had, I got away with ‘em. —
无论他们有多大，有多少技巧，我都能打败他们。 —

If I’d only just have had the confidence in the ring that I had beating up the best men outside of it, I’d be wearing black pearls and heliotrope silk socks to-day.
如果我在拳击台上能拥有在拳击台外打败最强的人的自信，我今天就可以戴黑珍珠和紫罗兰丝袜了。

“One evening I was walking along near the Bowery, thinking about things, when along comes a slumming-party. —
有一天晚上，我在鲍尔里附近走着，心里想着事情，突然出现了一群富家子弟。 —

About six or seven they was, all in swallowtails, and these silk hats that don’t shine. —
大约六七个人，都穿着燕尾服，还有那种不发光的丝质帽子。 —

One of the gang kind of shoves me off the sidewalk. —
一个团伙中的一名人物将我推开了人行道。 —

I hadn’t had a scrap in three days, and I just says, ‘De-lighted!’ and hits him back of the ear.
我已经三天没和人打架了，我就说，“太高兴了！”然后我打他的耳光。

“Well, we had it. That Johnnie put up as decent a little fight as you’d want to see in the moving pictures. —
“好吧，我们打了。那个约翰尼进行了一场挺像电影里的精彩斗殴。 —

It was on a side street, and no cops around. —
那是在一条小巷里，周围没有警察。 —

The other guy had a lot of science, but it only took me about six minutes to lay him out.
那个家伙技术不错，但我只用了大约六分钟就把他打倒了。

“Some of the swallowtails dragged him up against some steps and began to fan him. —
“一些短上衣的人把他拖到某些台阶旁边扇风。 —

Another one of ‘em comes over to me and says:
他们中的另一个走到我面前说：

”‘Young man, do you know what you’ve done?’
“‘年轻人，你知道你干了什么吗？’

”‘Oh, beat it,’ says I. ‘I’ve done nothing but a little punching-bag work. —
“‘哦，滚蛋，’我说。‘我没干别的，就是点练拳的活动。 —

Take Freddy back to Yale and tell him to quit studying sociology on the wrong side of the sidewalk.’
把弗雷迪送回耶鲁，告诉他别在人行道错了边学社会学了。’

”‘My good fellow,’ says he, ‘I don’t know who you are, but I’d like to. —
“‘亲爱的朋友，’他说，‘我不知道你是谁，但我想知道。 —

You’ve knocked out Reddy Burns, the champion middle-weight of the world! —
你打败了世界拳击冠军雷迪·伯恩斯！他昨天来到纽约，试图与吉姆·杰弗里斯比赛。如果你–’ —

He came to New York yesterday, to try to get a match on with Jim Jeifries. If you–’
你知道。

“But when I come out of my faint I was laying on the floor in a drug- store saturated with aromatic spirits of ammonia. —
“但是当我苏醒过来时，我躺在一家满是挥发性氨的药店里。” —

If I’d known that was Reddy Burns, I’d have got down in the gutter and crawled past him instead of handing him one like I did. —
“如果我知道那是雷迪·伯恩斯，我就会趴下爬过他，而不是像我现在这样给他一拳。” —

Why, if I’d ever been in a ring and seen him climbing over the ropes, I’d have been all to the sal volatile.
“哎呀，如果我曾经在拳台上见过他爬过绳子，我一定会兴奋得手舞足蹈。”

“So that’s what imagination does,” concluded Mack. “And, as I said, your case and mine is simultaneous. —
“这就是想象力的作用，”麦克总结道，“正如我所说，你和我情况是一样的。 —

You’ll never win out. —
你永远不会成功。” —

You can’t go up against the professionals. I tell you, it’s a park bench for yours in this romance business.”
“你无法与专业人士对抗。告诉你吧，在这个浪漫的行业里，你只能坐在公园的长椅上。”

Mack, the pessimist, laughed harshly.
悲观主义者麦克冷笑了一声。

“I’m afraid I don’t see the parallel,” I said, coldly. —
“恐怕我没有看到这个比喻的相似之处， —

“I have only a very slight acquaintance with the prize-ring.”
”我冷冷地说道，“我只是对拳击场有一点了解。”

The derelict touched my sleeve with his forefinger, for emphasis, as he explained his parable.
这个落水的人用食指触碰了我的袖子，强调着解释他的寓言。

“Every man,” said he, with some dignity, “has got his lamps on something that looks good to him. —
“每个人都对某些看起来不错的东西有所期待。”他带着一些尊严地说道。 —

With you, it’s this dame that you’re afraid to say your say to. —
关于你，你害怕说出你的观点。 —

With me, it was to win out in the ring. —
关于我，我只是想在比赛中获胜， —

Well, you’ll lose just like I did.”
但你会像我一样失败。

“Why do you think I shall lose?” I asked warmly.
“你为什么认为我会输？”我热情地问道。

”‘Cause,” said he, “you’re afraid to go in the ring. —
他说：“因为你害怕进入比赛场地。 —

You dassen’t stand up before a professional. —
你不敢在职业选手面前站起来。 —

Your case and mine is just the same. You’re a amateur; —
你和我一样。你是个业余选手， —

and that means that you’d better keep outside of the ropes.”
这意味着你最好不要进入比赛场地。”

“Well, I must be going,” I said, rising and looking with elaborate care at my watch.
我站起身，仔细看着手表说：“好了，我得走了。”

When I was twenty feet away the park-bencher called to me.
当我离开二十英尺远的时候，公园长椅上的人叫住了我。

“Much obliged for the dollar,” he said. “And for the dime. —
他说：“非常感谢你的一美元和十分钱。 —

But you’ll never get ‘er. —
但你永远不会成功。 —

You’re in the amateur class.”
你是业余选手。”

“Serves you right,” I said to myself, “for hobnobbing with a tramp. —
我对自己说：“这是应该的，你和一个流浪汉交往， —

His impudence!”
真不要脸！”

But, as I walked, his words seemed to repeat themselves over and over again in my brain. —
但是，当我走着的时候，他的话似乎一遍又一遍地在我的脑海中重复。 —

I think I even grew angry at the man.
我甚至对这个人生气了。

“I’ll show him!” I finally said, aloud. —
我最终大声说道：“我会证明给他看的！ —

“I’ll show him that I can fight Reddy Burns, too–even knowing who he is.”
我会证明我也能和雷迪·伯恩斯比拼，即使我知道他是谁。”

I hurried to a telephone-booth and rang up the Telfair residence.
我匆忙赶到电话亭，给泰尔费尔家打电话。

A soft, sweet voice answered. —
一个柔和、甜美的声音接起了电话。 —

Didn’t I know that voice? —
难道我不知道那个声音吗？ —

My hand holding the receiver shook.
我握着听筒的手颤抖着。

“Is that you?” said I, employing the foolish words that form the vocabulary of every talker through the telephone.
“是你吗？”我使用了每个通过电话交谈的人都会用到的愚蠢的词汇。

“Yes, this is I,” came back the answer in the low, clear-cut tones that are an inheritance of the Telfairs. —
“是，是我。”那个回答的声音低沉而清晰，继承了泰尔费尔家族的特点。 —

“Who is it, please?”
“请问你是谁？”

“It’s me,” said I, less ungrammatically than egotistically. —
“是我。”我说，既没有语法错误， —

“It’s me, and I’ve got a few things that I want to say to you right now and immediately and straight to the point.”
也没有自大。 “是我，我有几件事情要立刻直截了当地告诉你。”

“Dear me,” said the voice. “Oh, it’s you, Mr. Arden!”
“亲爱的我”，这个声音说道。“哦，是你，阿德恩先生！”

I wondered if any accent on the first word was intended; —
我想知道第一个词是否有任何意图; —

Mildred was fine at saying things that you had to study out afterward.
米尔德里德善于说事后你必须研究才能明白的事情。

“Yes,” said I. “I hope so. —
“是的”，我说。 —

And now to come down to brass tacks.” I thought that rather a vernacularism, if there is such a word, as soon as I had said it; —
“我希望如此。现在该说正题了。”我一说出来就觉得这是一个方言用法，如果这个词存在的话; —

but I didn’t stop to apologize. —
但我没有停下来道歉。 —

“You know, of course, that I love you, and that I have been in that idiotic state for a long time. —
“当然你知道，我爱你，而且我已经陷入这种愚蠢的状态很长时间了。 —

I don’t want any more foolishness about it–that is, I mean I want an answer from you right now. —
我不想再听到任何愚蠢的话——我的意思是，我现在需要你的答案。 —

Will you marry me or not? Hold the wire, please. Keep out, Central. —
你愿意嫁给我还是不愿意？请保持电话连接。不要插话，中转员。 —

Hello, hello! Will you, or will you not.?”
喂，喂！你愿意还是不愿意？

That was just the uppercut for Reddy Burns’ chin. —
那是对雷迪·伯恩斯下巴的重击。 —

The answer came back:
回答是：

“Why, Phil, dear, of course I will! —
“为什么，亲爱的菲尔，当然愿意！ —

I didn’t know that you–that is, you never said–oh, come up to the house, please–I can’t say what I want to over the ‘phone. —
我不知道你——也就是说，你从来没有说过——哦，请来家里吧，我无法通过电话说出我想要表达的。 —

You are so importunate. But please come up to the house, won’t you?”
你太苛求了。但请你上我家来，可以吗？”

Would I?
我会吗？

I rang the bell of the Telfair house violently. —
我猛烈按响了特尔费尔家的门铃。 —

Some sort of a human came to the door and shooed me into the drawing-room.
一个人类似的人走到门口，把我带进了画室。

“Oh, well,” said I to myself, looking at the ceiling, “any one can learn from any one. —
“哎呀，哪怕是这样，”我自言自语地望着天花板说，“每个人都能从任何人身上学到东西。 —

That was a pretty good philosophy of Mack’s, anyhow. —
这是麦克的一个很好的哲学观。 —

He didn’t take advantage of his experience, but I get the benefit of it. —
他没有利用自己的经验，但我从中受益。 —

If you want to get into the professional class, you’ve got to–”
如果你想进入专业级别，就必须要——”

I stopped thinking then. Some one was coming down the stairs. —
我停止了思考。有人从楼梯上走下来。 —

My knees began to shake. —
我的膝盖开始发抖。 —

I knew then how Mack had felt when a professional began to climb over the ropes.
这时我明白了麦克在专业选手开始爬上绳子时的感受。

I looked around foolishly for a door or a window by which I might escape. —
我愚蠢地四处寻找一扇门或一扇窗户，以便逃离。 —

If it had been any other girl approaching, I mightn’t have– But just then the door opened, and Bess, Mildred’s younger sister, came in. —
如果是其他任何一个女孩走过来，我可能不会——但就在那时，门打开了，贝丝，米尔德里德的妹妹，走了进来。 —

I’d never seen her look so much like a glorified angel. —
我从未见过她像个被赞美的天使一样。 —

She walked straight tip to me, and–and–I’d never noticed before what perfectly wonderful eyes and hair Elizabeth Telfair had.
她径直走向我，那一刻我才注意到伊丽莎白·特尔费尔的眼睛和头发是多么完美。

“Phil,” she said, in the Telfair, sweet, thrilling tones, “why didn’t you tell me about it before? —
“菲尔，”她在特尔费尔，甜美而激动的语调中说道，“为什么你之前没有告诉我这件事？ —

I thought it was sister you wanted all the time, until you telephoned to me a few minutes ago!”
我一直以为你一直想要的是姐姐，直到你几分钟前给我打电话！”

I suppose Mack and I always will be hopeless amateurs. But, as the thing has turned out in my case, I’m mighty glad of it.
我想我和麦克永远都是无望的业余爱好者。但是，就我个人而言，事情的发展结果，我真的很高兴。