When one loves one’s Art no service seems too hard.
当一个人热爱自己的艺术时，没有什么服务是太困难的。

That is our premise. This story shall draw a conclusion from it, and show at the same time that the premise is incorrect. —
这是我们的前提。这个故事将从中得出结论，并同时显示这个前提是错误的。 —

That will be a new thing in logic, and a feat in story-telling somewhat older than the great wall of China.
那将是逻辑上的一件新事，而且是一个比中国长城更古老的故事讲述的壮举。

Joe Larrabee came out of the post-oak flats of the Middle West pulsing with a genius for pictorial art. —
乔·拉拉比从中西部的橡树平原走出，拥有绘画艺术的天赋。 —

At six he drew a picture of the town pump with a prominent citizen passing it hastily. —
六岁时，他画了一幅镇上的水泵画像，一个知名市民匆匆经过。 —

This effort was framed and hung in the drug store window by the side of the ear of corn with an uneven number of rows. —
这幅作品被装裱并挂在药店的橱窗旁，与一颗有着不均匀排列行数的玉米并列。 —

At twenty he left for New York with a flowing necktie and a capital tied up somewhat closer.
二十岁时，他带着一条飘逸的领带和一笔稍微多余的资金离开前往纽约。

Delia Caruthers did things in six octaves so promisingly in a pine- tree village in the South that her relatives chipped in enough in her chip hat for her to go “North” and “finish.” They could not see her f–, but that is our story.
黛莉亚·卡鲁瑟斯在南方的一个村庄里六度音域的表演如此有前途，以至于她的亲戚们为她帽子里的零钱筹足了足够的钱让她去“北方”继续学习。他们看不到她的表演，但这就是我们的故事。

Joe and Delia met in an atelier where a number of art and music students had gathered to discuss chiaroscuro, Wagner, music, Rembrandt’s works, pictures, Waldteufel, wall paper, Chopin and Oolong.
乔和德莉亚在一个工作室里相遇了，在那里聚集了许多艺术和音乐学生，他们讨论明暗对比法、瓦格纳、音乐、伦勃朗的作品、图片、瓦尔特费尔、墙纸、肖邦和乌龙茶。

Joe and Delia became enamoured one of the other, or each of the other, as you please, and in a short time were married–for (see above), when one loves one’s Art no service seems too hard.
乔和德莉亚彼此陶醉，过了不久就结了婚－－因为(见上文)，当一个人热爱艺术时，没有什么服务是太困难的。

Mr. and Mrs. Larrabee began housekeeping in a flat. —
拉拉比夫妇在一套公寓里开始了家庭生活， —

It was a lonesome flat–something like the A sharp way down at the left-hand end of the keyboard. —
那是一个寂寞的公寓，有点像键盘左下角的A#音符。 —

And they were happy; for they had their Art, and they had each other. —
他们很幸福，因为他们有自己的艺术和彼此。 —

And my advice to the rich young man would be–sell all thou hast, and give it to the poor–janitor for the privilege of living in a flat with your Art and your Delia.
我给那个富有的年轻人的建议是－－出售你所有的财产，并把它给穷人当门卫，以换取在一个公寓里与你的艺术和德莉亚一起生活的权利。

Flat-dwellers shall indorse my dictum that theirs is the only true happiness. —
住在公寓的人会赞同我的观点，他们才能真正感到幸福。 —

If a home is happy it cannot fit too close–let the dresser collapse and become a billiard table; —
如果一个家庭幸福的话，就无所谓拥挤－－让梳妆台变成台球桌也无妨； —

let the mantel turn to a rowing machine, the escritoire to a spare bedchamber, the washstand to an upright piano; —
让壁炉变成划船机，书桌变成一间备用卧室，洗脸台变成一架立式钢琴； —

let the four walls come together, if they will, so you and your Delia are between. —
让四面墙聚拢在一起，如果它们愿意，这样你和你的Delia就在中间； —

But if home be the other kind, let it be wide and long–enter you at the Golden Gate, hang your hat on Hatteras, your cape on Cape Horn and go out by the Labrador.
但是如果家是另一种样子，那就要宽阔而长久——你从金门进入，把帽子挂在哈特拉斯上，把斗篷挂在好望角上，然后从拉布拉多出去；

Joe was painting in the class of the great Magister–you know his fame. —
Joe正在大师的班级里绘画——你们知道他的名声。 —

His fees are high; —
他的学费很高； —

his lessons are light–his high-lights have brought him renown. —
他的课很轻松——他的亮点给他带来了声誉； —

Delia was studying under Rosenstock–you know his repute as a disturber of the piano keys.
Delia在Rosenstock的指导下学习——你们知道他作为一个弹奏钢琴的破坏者的声誉；

They were mighty happy as long as their money lasted. —
只要他们的钱够用，他们就非常幸福。 —

So is every– but I will not be cynical. —
每个人都是如此——但我不想冷嘲热讽。 —

Their aims were very clear and defined. —
他们的目标非常明确和具体； —

Joe was to become capable very soon of turning out pictures that old gentlemen with thin side-whiskers and thick pocketbooks would sandbag one another in his studio for the privilege of buying. —
Joe很快就能创作出那些梳着细胡须、带着厚厚钱包的老绅士们拼命为了有幸能在他的工作室里买到画而争抢的作品。 —

Delia was to become familiar and then contemptuous with Music, so that when she saw the orchestra seats and boxes unsold she could have sore throat and lobster in a private dining-room and refuse to go on the stage.
德莉娅渐渐熟悉并厌恶音乐，所以当她看到管弦乐团和包厢无人出售时，她会嗓子疼并在私人餐厅里吃龙虾，拒绝上台表演。

But the best, in my opinion, was the home life in the little flat– the ardent, voluble chats after the day’s study; —
但在我看来，最好的是小公寓的家庭生活——学习一天后的热烈、喋喋不休的聊天； —

the cozy dinners and fresh, light breakfasts; —
舒适的晚餐和清新的轻盈早餐； —

the interchange of ambitions–ambitions interwoven each with the other’s or else inconsiderable–the mutual help and inspiration; —
雄心相互交织，相互交换；相互帮助和激励； —

and–overlook my artlessness–stuffed olives and cheese sandwiches at 11 p.m.
还有，原谅我的天真——晚上11点吃着酿橄榄和奶酪三明治。

But after a while Art flagged. It sometimes does, even if some switchman doesn’t flag it. —
但是，艺术渐渐衰退。即使没有车务员站着挥旗，有时也会这样。 —

Everything going out and nothing coming in, as the vulgarians say. Money was lacking to pay Mr. Magister and Herr Rosenstock their prices. —
所有的支出，没有任何收入，就像俗人说的那样。没有足够的钱来支付马吉斯特先生和罗森斯托克先生的费用。 —

When one loves one’s Art no service seems too hard. So, Delia said she must give music lessons to keep the chafing dish bubbling.
当一个人热爱自己的艺术，没有什么服务看起来太难。所以，德莉娅说她必须教音乐课来维持炖菜的费用。

For two or three days she went out canvassing for pupils. —
连续两三天，她外出为学生做宣传。某个晚上， —

One evening she came home elated.
她兴高采烈地回到家。

“Joe, dear,” she said, gleefully, “I’ve a pupil. And, oh, the loveliest people! General–General A. B. Pinkney’s daughter–on Seventy-first street. —
“亲爱的乔，”她高兴地说道，“我找到了一位学生。而且，哦，他们是最可爱的人！都柏林……啊不，是柏金尼将军的女儿，就在71街。 —

Such a splendid house, Joe–you ought to see the front door! —
他们家的房子真是太漂亮了，乔，你应该看一看门前！ —

Byzantine I think you would call it. And inside! Oh, Joe, I never saw anything like it before.
拜占庭风格吧，我觉得你可以这么说。还有室内！哦，乔，我以前从没见过这样的家。

“My pupil is his daughter Clementina. —
我的学生叫克莱门蒂娜， —

I dearly love her already. —
她是个可爱的姑娘， —

She’s a delicate thing-dresses always in white; —
我已经深深喜欢上她了。她很文雅， —

and the sweetest, simplest manners! —
总是穿白色的衣服，非常纯朴！ —

Only eighteen years old. I’m to give three lessons a week; —
才18岁哦。我每周要给她上三节课，你知道吗， —

and, just think, Joe! $5 a lesson. —
乔？每节课我能拿到5美元。 —

I don’t mind it a bit; —
我一点也不介意； —

for when I get two or three more pupils I can resume my lessons with Herr Rosenstock. —
因为当我再找到两三个学生的时候，我就能重新开始和罗森斯托克先生上课了。 —

Now, smooth out that wrinkle between your brows, dear, and let’s have a nice supper.”
现在，亲爱的，把你眉头上的皱纹放松一下，我们一起来享用美味的晚餐吧。”

“That’s all right for you, Dele,” said Joe, attacking a can of peas with a carving knife and a hatchet, “but how about me? —
“那对你来说没问题，黛蕾。”乔一边用刀和斧头打开一罐豌豆，一边说道，“那我呢？” —

Do you think I’m going to let you hustle for wages while I philander in the regions of high art? —
你以为我会让你在艺术高地纵情谋利而我行走于世俗劳作之间吗？ —

Not by the bones of Benvenuto Cellini! —
绝不！ —

I guess I can sell papers or lay cobblestones, and bring in a dollar or two.”
我猜我还可以卖报纸或是铺设鹅卵石，挣点儿钱。

Delia came and hung about his neck.
Delia来了，紧紧地抱住了他的脖子。

“Joe, dear, you are silly. You must keep on at your studies. —
“亲爱的乔，你太傻了。你必须继续学习。 —

It is not as if I had quit my music and gone to work at something else. —
我没有放弃音乐去做别的事情。” —

While I teach I learn. I am always with my music. —
在教学过程中我也在学习。我时刻都与音乐相伴。 —

And we can live as happily as millionaires on $15 a week. —
我们可以过得像百万富翁一样幸福，每周只挣15美元。 —

You mustn’t think of leaving Mr. Magister.”
你不要考虑离开Magister先生。

“All right,” said Joe, reaching for the blue scalloped vegetable dish. —
“好吧，”乔说着，伸手拿起蓝色的扇贝菜盘。 —

“But I hate for you to be giving lessons. —
“但是把你的时间都花在教学上我一点也不喜欢。 —

It isn’t Art. But you’re a trump and a dear to do it.”
这并不是艺术。但是你是个棒极了的人，愿意这样做。”

“When one loves one’s Art no service seems too hard,” said Delia.
“当一个人热爱他所从事的艺术时，看起来没有什么服务是太难的，”Delia说道。

“Magister praised the sky in that sketch I made in the park,” said Joe. “And Tinkle gave me permission to hang two of them in his window. —
“Magister夸赞了我在公园里画的那幅描绘天空的素描，”乔说。“而且Tinkle允许我把其中两幅挂在他的橱窗上。 —

I may sell one if the right kind of a moneyed idiot sees them.”
如果合适的有钱白痴看到它们，我可能会卖掉其中一幅。”

“I’m sure you will,” said Delia, sweetly. —
“我相信你会的，”黛丽雅甜甜地说道。 —

“And now let’s be thankful for Gen. Pinkney and this veal roast.”
“现在，让我们为平克尼将军和这道小牛肉烧烤感恩吧。”

During all of the next week the Larrabees had an early breakfast. —
在接下来的一周里，拉拉比一家都早早吃完了早餐。 —

Joe was enthusiastic about some morning-effect sketches he was doing in Central Park, and Delia packed him off breakfasted, coddled, praised and kissed at 7 o’clock. —
乔对他在中央公园里画的一些晨景素描非常热衷，而黛丽雅则在早上7点钟为他准备好早餐，给予温柔关怀，表扬并亲吻他后，便打发他去了。 —

Art is an engaging mistress. —
艺术是一个迷人的情人。 —

It was most times 7 o’clock when he returned in the evening.
他通常在晚上7点钟回来。

At the end of the week Delia, sweetly proud but languid, triumphantly tossed three five-dollar bills on the 8x10 (inches) centre table of the 8x10 (feet) flat parlour.
在那周末，黛丽雅又甜蜜地骄傲又疲倦地把三张五美元的钞票扔到了8x10英寸的中央桌子上。

Sometimes,” she said, a little wearily, “Clementina tries me. I’m afraid she doesn’t practise enough, and I have to tell her the same things so often. —
“有时，”她有些疲倦地说道，“克莱门蒂娜让我心烦。我担心她没有足够地练习，我得一遍又一遍地告诉她同样的事情。 —

And then she always dresses entirely in white, and that does get monotonous. —
然后，她总是穿白色的衣服，这真的很单调。 —

But Gen. Pinkney is the dearest old man! —
但是平克尼将军是个可爱的老人！ —

I wish you could know him, Joe. He comes in sometimes when I am with Clementina at the piano–he is a widower, you know–and stands there pulling his white goatee. —
我希望你能认识他，乔。有时我和克莱门蒂娜在钢琴旁边时，他会进来，他是个鳏夫，你知道的，然后他就会站在那里拨动他那白色的山羊胡须。 —

‘And how are the semiquavers and the demisemiquavers progressing?’
“八分音符和十六分音符的学习进展如何了？”他总是这样问。

he always asks.
他总是这样问。

“I wish you could see the wainscoting in that drawing-room, Joe! —
“我真希望你能看到那个客厅的墙壁饰板，乔！ —

And those Astrakhan rug portieres. —
还有那些阿斯特拉罕地毯的帷幕。 —

And Clementina has such a funny little cough. —
而且克莱门蒂娜有一阵奇怪的小咳嗽。 —

I hope she is stronger
我希望她比看起来更强壮。

than she looks. Oh, I really am getting attached to her, she is so gentle and high bred. —
哦，我真的越来越喜欢她了，她是如此温柔和高贵。 —

Gen. Pinkney’s brother was once Minister to Bolivia.”
平克尼将军的兄弟曾经是玻利维亚的大使。”

And then Joe, with the air of a Monte Cristo, drew forth a ten, a five, a two and a one–all legal tender notes–and laid them beside Delia’s earnings.
然后乔，带着一个蒙特克里斯托般的神态，拿出一张十元、一张五元、一张两元和一张一元的纸币，把它们放在德莉娅的收入旁边。

“Sold that watercolour of the obelisk to a man from Peoria,” he announced overwhelmingly.
“把那幅波利亚纪念碑的水彩卖给了一个来自佩奥里亚的人，”他以压倒性的口气宣布。

“Don’t joke with me,” said Delia, “not from Peoria!”
“别和我开玩笑，”德莉娅说，“不是来自佩奥里亚吧！”

“All the way. I wish you could see him, Dele. Fat man with a woollen muffler and a quill toothpick. —
“就是他。我希望你能看到他，德莉娅。一个肥胖的人，戴着羊毛围巾，嘴里叼着鹅毛牙签。” —

He saw the sketch in Tinkle’s window and thought it was a windmill at first, he was game, though, and bought it anyhow. —
他看到Tinkle的橱窗里有一幅素描，一开始以为是风车，但他还是选择购买了。 —

He ordered another–an oil sketch of the Lackawanna freight depot–to take back with him. —
他又订购了另外一幅石油素描作品，描绘了Lackawanna货运站，准备带回去。 —

Music lessons! Oh, I guess Art is still in it.”
音乐课！哦，我猜艺术还在其中。

“I’m so glad you’ve kept on,” said Delia, heartily. —
“我很高兴你一直坚持下来了。” Delia热情地说道，“亲爱的，你一定会成功的。 —

“You’re bound to win, dear. —
有33美元！我们以前从来没有这么多钱可以花了。 —

Thirty-three dollars! —
今晚我们可以吃生蚝。” —

We never had so much to spend before. —
“而且有蘑菇的菲力牛排，”Joe说道， —

We’ll have oysters to-night.”
“橄榄叉在哪里？”

“And filet mignon with champignons,” said Joe. “Were is the olive fork?”
下一个星期六的晚上，Joe先回到家。他把18美元放在客厅的桌子上，将手上似乎有很多黑色颜料洗掉。

On the next Saturday evening Joe reached home first. —
他在这个星期六晚上回到家比较早。 —

He spread his $18 on the parlour table and washed what seemed to be a great deal of dark paint from his hands.
他在客厅的桌子上展开了他的18美元，并把手上涂满了黑油漆的手洗干净了。

Half an hour later Delia arrived, her right hand tied up in a shapeless bundle of wraps and bandages.
半小时后，德莉娅到了，她右手用一堆布和绷带包着。

“How is this?” asked Joe after the usual greetings. —
“这样怎么样？”乔问道，寒暄之后。 —

Delia laughed, but not very joyously.
德莉娅笑了，但并不开心。

Clementina,” she explained, “insisted upon a Welsh rabbit after her lesson. —
“克莱门蒂娜”，她解释道，“课后坚持要吃威尔士兔。 —

She is such a queer girl. —
她是个奇怪的女孩。 —

Welsh rabbits at 5 in the afternoon. —
傍晚5点吃威尔士兔。” —

The General was there. You should have seen him run for the chafing dish, Joe, just as if there wasn’t a servant in the house. —
将军在那里。你应该见识一下他拿肴灶子的样子，乔，就好像这个屋子里没有仆人一样。 —

I know Clementina isn’t in good health; she is so nervous. —
我知道克莱门蒂娜身体不好，她很神经过敏。 —

In serving the rabbit she spilled a great lot of it, boiling hot, over my hand and wrist. —
在端上兔肉时，她把很多滚烫的肉汁洒在了我的手和腕上。 —

It hurt awfully, Joe. And the dear girl was so sorry! —
真的很疼，乔。可是那个可爱的女孩太难过了！ —

But Gen. Pinkney!–Joe, that old man nearly went distracted. —
但是平克尼将军！乔，那个老人差点要发疯。 —

He rushed downstairs and sent somebody–they said the furnace man or somebody in the basement–out to a drug store for some oil and things to bind it up with. —
他冲下楼去，让某个人（据说是炉工或者地下室的人）去药店买些油和绷带。 —

It doesn’t hurt so much now.”
现在不太疼了。

“What’s this?” asked Joe, taking the hand tenderly and pulling at some white strands beneath the bandages.
“这是什么？”乔抚摸着那只手，轻轻地拉开绷带下的一些白丝。

“It’s something soft,” said Delia, “that had oil on it. Oh, Joe, did you sell another sketch?” She had seen the money on the table.
“是某种柔软的东西，”迪莉娅说道，“上面有油。噢，乔，你又卖了一幅素描？”她看到桌子上的钱。

“Did I?” said Joe; “just ask the man from Peoria. —
“是吗？”乔说，“你去问问那个来自皮奥里亚的人。 —

He got his depot to-day, and he isn’t sure but he thinks he wants another parkscape and a view on the Hudson. —
他今天买到了他的火车站，他不确定但他觉得他想要另外一幅公园风景画和哈德逊河的景色。 —

What time this afternoon did you burn your hand, Dele?”
德莉娅，你是在今天下午几点烧伤的手？”

“Five o’clock, I think,” said Dele, plaintively. —
“我想是五点左右，”德莉娅哀怨地说， —

“The iron–I mean the rabbit came off the fire about that time. —
“熨斗-我是说兔子大约那个时间从火上下来的。 —

You ought to have seen Gen. Pinkney, Joe, when–”
当时你应该看见平克尼将军的样子，乔，当-”

“Sit down here a moment, Dele,” said Joe. He drew her to the couch, sat beside her and put his arm across her shoulders.
“德莉娅，过来坐一会儿，”乔说。他把她拉到长椅上，坐在她旁边，把手搭在她的肩上。

“What have you been doing for the last two weeks, Dele?” he asked.
“德莉娅，你这两个星期都在干什么？”他问道。

She braved it for a moment or two with an eye full of love and stubbornness, and murmured a phrase or two vaguely of Gen. Pinkney; —
她以满含爱意和固执的眼神坚持了一会儿，含糊地说了几个短语关于平克尼将军; —

but at length down went her head and out came the truth and tears.
但是最终她垂下了头，真相和眼泪都涌了出来。

“I couldn’t get any pupils,” she confessed. —
“我找不到任何学生，”她坦白道。” —

“And I couldn’t bear to have you give up your lessons; —
而且我不忍心让你放弃学习； —

and I got a place ironing shirts in that big Twentyfourth street laundry. —
我找了个地方在那个大的第24街的洗衬衫的地方熨衬衫。 —

And I think I did very well to make up both General Pinkney and Clementina, don’t you, Joe? —
我觉得自己制造出了Pinkney将军和Clementina这两个人物，你觉得呢，乔？ —

And when a girl in the laundry set down a hot iron on my hand this afternoon I was all the way home making up that story about the Welsh rabbit. —
今天下午，当一个洗衣房的女孩把热铁放在我的手上时，我一路上都在编那个关于威尔士兔的故事。 —

You’re not angry, are you, Joe? —
你不生气吧，乔？ —

And if I hadn’t got the work you mightn’t have sold your sketches to that man from Peoria.
如果我没有找到工作，你可能就不会把你的素描卖给那个来自佩奥里亚的人了。

“He wasn’t from Peoria,” said Joe, slowly.
“他不是来自佩奥里亚，”乔慢慢地说。

“Well, it doesn’t matter where he was from. —
“好吧，他来自哪里无关紧要。 —

How clever you are, Joe –and–kiss me, Joe–and what made you ever suspect that I wasn’t giving music lessons to Clementina?”
你真聪明，乔——亲亲我，乔——你是怎么想到我没有给Clementina上音乐课的呢？”

“I didn’t,” said Joe, “until to-night. —
“我直到今晚才知道， —

And I wouldn’t have then, only I sent up this cotton waste and oil from the engine-room this afternoon for a girl upstairs who had her hand burned with a smoothing-iron. —
”乔说，“如果不是因为今天下午我送了一些从机房拿来的棉布和油给楼上一个手被熨斗烫伤的女孩，我可能还不会知道。” —

I’ve been firing the engine in that laundry for the last two weeks.”
“过去两个星期我一直在那家洗衣房烧火。”

“And then you didn’t–”
“然后你们就没有……”

“My purchaser from Peoria,” said Joe, “and Gen. Pinkney are both creations of the same art–but you wouldn’t call it either painting or music.
“我的佛罗里亚州的顾客和平克尼将军都是同一种艺术的创作——但你不会把它称为绘画或音乐。”

And then they both laughed, and Joe began:
然后他们一起笑了起来，乔开始说：

“When one loves one’s Art no service seems–”
“当一个人热爱自己的艺术时，任何服务都不觉得……”

But Delia stopped him with her hand on his lips. —
但是德莉亚用手掌按住他的嘴制止了他。“不， —

“No,” she said– “just ‘When one loves.’”
”她说，“只需‘当一个人热爱’。”