Prince Michael, of the Electorate of Valleluna, sat on his favourite bench in the park. —
Valleluna选区的Michael王子坐在他最喜欢的公园长椅上。 —

The coolness of the September night quickened the life in him like a rare, tonic wine. —
九月夜晚的凉意像一种珍稀的补品使他充满活力。 —

The benches were not filled; for park loungers, with their stagnant blood, are prompt to detect and fly home from the crispness of early autumn. —
长椅上没有坐满人；因为那些久坐在公园里、行动迟缓的人，一旦感受到初秋的寒意就迅速返回家中。 —

The moon was just clearing the roofs of the range of dwellings that bounded the quadrangle on the east. —
月亮正从东侧界定了四方的居民楼的屋顶上升起。 —

Children laughed and played about the fine- sprayed fountain. —
孩子们笑着、玩着围绕着喷泉。 —

In the shadowed spots fauns and hamadryads wooed, unconscious of the gaze of mortal eyes. —
在阴暗的地方，幽灵和树仙相互求爱，他们不知道凡人的眼神正在注视着他们。 —

A hand organ–Philomel by the grace of our stage carpenter, Fancy–fluted and droned in a side street. —
一个手风琴——由我们的舞台木工Fancy精心制作的“夜莺”——在一条小街上吹奏着风笛声和嗡嗡声。 —

Around the enchanted boundaries of the little park street cars spat and mewed and the stilted trains roared like tigers and lions prowling for a place to enter.
小公园的边界上，电车夹声鸣叫着，像虎狼一样徘徊寻找停车位，高高腾起的火车如狮虎般咆哮。

And above the trees shone the great, round, shining face of an illuminated clock in the tower of an antique public building.
在树木之上，一座古老公共建筑的塔楼上面，闪耀着一张又大又圆的发光时钟脸庞。

Prince Michael’s shoes were wrecked far beyond the skill of the carefullest cobbler. —
玛克西密尔王子的鞋子被破坏得比最慎重的鞋匠的技术还要严重。 —

The ragman would have declined any negotiations concerning his clothes. —
收废品的人不会接受任何有关他的衣物的议价。 —

The two weeks’ stubble on his face was grey and brown and red and greenish yellow–as if it had been made up from individual contributions from the chorus of a musical comedy.
他脸上两周的胡须是灰色的，棕色的，红色的，带有一点绿黄色，就好像是由一部音乐喜剧中合唱团的个别贡献组成的。

No man existed who had money enough to wear so bad a hat as his.
没有一个人拥有足够的钱来戴上像他那样糟糕的帽子。

Prince Michael sat on his favourite bench and smiled. —
玛克西密尔王子坐在他最喜欢的长椅上微笑着。 —

It was a diverting thought to him that he was wealthy enough to buy every one of those close-ranged, bulky, window-lit mansions that faced him, if he chose. —
他觉得很有趣，如果他愿意，他可以买下面前那些密集排列、庞大、有窗户的豪宅中的每一座。 —

He could have matched gold, equipages, jewels, art treasures, estates and acres with any Croesus in this proud city of Manhattan, and scarcely have entered upon the bulk of his holdings. —
他可以和这座自豪的曼哈顿城的任何克罗伊斯一样，用黄金、马车、珠宝、艺术珍品、庄园和土地来匹配，而几乎没有进入他的全部资产的一半。 —

He could have sat at table with reigning sovereigns. —
他可以与统治君主共坐一桌。 —

The social world, the world of art, the fellowship of the elect, adulation, imitation, the homage of the fairest, honours from the highest, praise from the wisest, flattery, esteem, credit, pleasure, fame–all the honey of life was waiting in the comb in the hive of the world for Prince Michael, of the Electorate of Valleluna, whenever he might choose to take it. —
社交世界、艺术世界、拜众长者的团体、崇拜、模仿，最美的致敬，来自最高层的荣誉，最聪明的赞美，奉承、尊敬、信誉、快乐、名望——所有生命的蜜糖都在世界蜂巢中等待着瓦勒卢那选民公子迈克尔王子，只要他愿意接受。 —

But his choice was to sit in rags and dinginess on a bench in a park. —
然而他选择了穿着破烂，坐在公园的长凳上。 —

For he had tasted of the fruit of the tree of life, and, finding it bitter in his mouth, had stepped out of Eden for a time to seek distraction close to the unarmoured, beating heart of the world.
因为他尝过生命之树的果实，发现口中苦涩，于是进一步走出伊甸园，暂时靠近世界那无防护的跳动的心脏，寻找一些消遣。

These thoughts strayed dreamily through the mind of Prince Michael, as he smiled under the stubble of his polychromatic beard. —
这些想法在迈克尔王子的脑海中漫游，他在杂乱多彩的胡须下微笑着。 —

Lounging thus, clad as the poorest of mendicants in the parks, he loved to study humanity. —
在公园里以穷苦乞丐的身份悠然而坐时，他喜欢研究人性。 —

He found in altruism more pleasure than his riches, his station and all the grosser sweets of life had given him.
他在利他主义中找到了比他的财富、地位以及生活中其他更低级的甜蜜更多的乐趣。

It was his chief solace and satisfaction to alleviate individual distress, to confer favours upon worthy ones who had need of succour, to dazzle unfortunates by unexpected and bewildering gifts of truly royal magnificence, bestowed, however, with wisdom and judiciousness.
缓解个人困扰是他的最大安慰和满足，他希望帮助需要帮助的有价值的人，通过出乎意料且令人眼花缭乱的高贵礼物来惊艳那些不幸的人，然而这些礼物是明智而审慎地赠予的。

And as Prince Michael’s eye rested upon the glowing face of the great clock in the tower, his smile, altruistic as it was, became slightly tinged with contempt. —
当迈克尔王子的目光落在塔楼上发光的大钟的闪烁的脸上时，他的微笑，尽管关怀他人，却带着一丝轻蔑。 —

Big thoughts were the Prince’s; and it was always with a shake of his head that he considered the subjugation of the world to the arbitrary measures of Time. The comings and goings of people in hurry and dread, controlled by the little metal moving hands of a clock, always made him sad.
大思考是王子的标志，他总是摇着头想着世界被时间的武断措施所征服。人们匆匆忙忙地来去，由一个小小的金属的移动钟表的指针控制，总是使他感到悲哀。

By and by came a young man in evening clothes and sat upon the third bench from the Prince. —
过了一会儿，一个穿着晚礼服的年轻人走到了距离王子第三个长凳上坐下。 —

For half an hour he smoked cigars with nervous haste, and then he fell to watching the face of the illuminated clock above the trees. —
他匆忙地抽着雪茄，半小时后，他开始盯着树上面闪烁的钟表。 —

His perturbation was evident, and the Prince noted, in sorrow, that its cause was connected, in some manner, with the slowly moving hands of the timepiece.
他的烦恼显而易见，王子以悲伤的心情注意到，它的原因与时钟的缓慢转动有些关联。

His Highness arose and went to the young man’s bench.
他的高贵陛下站起来走到年轻人的工作台前。

“I beg your pardon for addressing you,” he said, “but I perceive that you are disturbed in mind. —
“请原谅我搭话，”他说道，”我注意到您心神不宁。 —

If it may serve to mitigate the liberty I have taken I will add that I am Prince Michael, heir to the throne of the Electorate of Valleluna. —
我是米迦勒亲王，瓦莱卢纳选侯国的王位继承人。 —

I appear incognito, of course, as you may gather from my appearance. —
当然，从我的外表您可以看出，我是佯装隐姓埋名的。 —

It is a fancy of mine to render aid to others whom I think worthy of it. —
我有个癖好，喜欢帮助我认为值得的人。 —

Perhaps the matter that seems to distress you is one that would more readily yield to our mutual efforts.”
也许困扰您的问题是一个我们共同努力更容易解决的问题。

The young man looked up brightly at the Prince. —
年轻人亮亮地看着王子。 —

Brightly, but the perpendicular line of perplexity between his brows was not smoothed away. —
光亮，但他眉头的困惑之线并未消失。 —

He laughed, and even then it did not. But he accepted the momentary diversion.
他笑了，即使这样也没有消失。但他接受了这一短暂的转移。

“Glad to meet you, Prince,” he said, good humouredly. “Yes, I’d say you were incog. all right. —
“很高兴见到您，王子，”他开心地说道。“是的，我可以说您是真实隐姓埋名了。” —

Thanks for your offer of assistance–but I don’t see where your butting-in would help things any. —
“谢谢你提供帮助，但我不明白你的插手会对事情有所帮助。” —

It’s a kind of private affair, you know–but thanks all the same.”
“这是私人事务，你知道的——不过还是谢谢。”

Prince Michael sat at the young man’s side. —
迈克尔王子坐在年轻人的旁边。 —

He was often rebuffed but never offensively. —
他经常受挫，但从未被冒犯过。 —

His courteous manner and words forbade that.
他的彬彬有礼的举止和言辞使这不可能发生。

“Clocks,” said the Prince, “are shackles on the feet of mankind. —
“时钟，”王子说道，“是人类双脚上的脚镣。” —

I have observed you looking persistently at that clock. —
我注意到你一直在盯着那个钟。 —

Its face is that of a tyrant, its numbers are false as those on a lottery ticket; —
它的表面就像暴君，数字虚假得像彩票上的数字； —

its hands are those of a bunco steerer, who makes an appointment with you to your ruin. —
它的指针就像欺诈者一样，给你约会，却把你带向毁灭之路。 —

Let me entreat you to throw off its humiliating bonds and to cease to order your affairs by that insensate monitor of brass and steel.”
请允许我请求你摆脱它羞辱性的束缚，不再通过这个无情的黄铜和钢铁监视器来处理你的事务。

“I don’t usually,” said the young man. “I carry a watch except when I’ve got my radiant rags on.”
“我一般不带手表，除非我穿着我的闪亮服装。”年轻人说道。

“I know human nature as I do the trees and grass,” said the Prince, with earnest dignity. —
“正如我了解树木和草地一样了解人性，”王子以真诚庄重的语气说道。 —

“I am a master of philosophy, a graduate in art, and I hold the purse of a Fortunatus. —
“我是哲学大师，艺术研究生，也拥有财富神话中的钱袋。 —

There are few mortal misfortunes that I cannot alleviate or overcome. —
“几乎没有我不能缓解或克服的人类不幸。 —

I have read your countenance, and found in it honesty and nobility as well as distress. —
“通过观察你的神情，我发现其中既有诚实和高贵，也有痛苦。 —

I beg of you to accept my advice or aid. —
“我请求你接受我的建议或帮助。 —

Do not belie the intelligence I see in your face by judging from my appearance of my ability to defeat your troubles.”
“请不要根据我的外貌来判断我解决你困扰的能力，而不考虑我在你脸上看到的智慧。”

The young man glanced at the clock again and frowned darkly. —
年轻人再次看了一眼时钟，皱着眉头。 —

When his gaze strayed from the glowing horologue of time it rested intently upon a four-story red brick house in the row of dwellings opposite to where he sat. —
“当他的目光从发出闪光的时间计器上移开时，它专注地停在对面排屋中的一个四层红砖房子上。 —

The shades were drawn, and the lights in many rooms shone dimly through them.
“光线被拉下，许多房间的灯光透过它们微弱地闪烁。

“Ten minutes to nine!” exclaimed the young man, with an impatient gesture of despair. —
“快到九点了！”年轻人不耐烦地失望地做出一个急躁的手势。 —

He turned his back upon the house and took a rapid step or two in a contrary direction.
“他背对着房子，向相反的方向快速迈出几步。

“Remain!” commanded Prince Michael, in so potent a voice that the disturbed one wheeled around with a somewhat chagrined laugh.
“留下！”彼得王子以一种强大的声音命令道，被打扰的人带着有些尴尬的笑声扭过头来。

“I’ll give her the ten minutes and then I’m off,” he muttered, and then aloud to the Prince: —
“我给她十分钟，然后我就走了，”他嘟囔着，然后对王子大声说道： —

“I’ll join you in confounding all clocks, my friend, and throw in women, too.”
“我会和你一起战胜所有的时钟，我的朋友，还有妇女。”

“Sit down,” said the Prince calmly. “I do not accept your addition. —
“坐下，”王子平静地说道，“我不接受你的加法。 —

Women are the natural enemies of clocks, and, therefore, the allies of those who would seek liberation from these monsters that measure our follies and limit our pleasures. —
妇女是时钟的天然敌人，因此也是那些寻求从这些衡量我们愚蠢和限制我们快乐的怪物中解放出来的人的盟友。 —

If you will so far confide in me I would ask you to relate to me your story.”
如果你愿意如此信赖我，我想请你把你的故事告诉我。”

The young man threw himself upon the bench with a reckless laugh.
年轻人带着无所顾忌的笑声扑到长椅上。

“Your Royal Highness, I will,” he said, in tones of mock deference. —
“陛下，我会的，”他以嘲讽的口吻说道。 —

“Do you see yonder house–the one with three upper windows lighted? —
“你看见那座房子了吗——那座上面有三个窗户亮着的房子吗？ —

Well, at 6 o’clock I stood in that house with the young lady I am– that is, I was–engaged to. —
好吧，在六点钟的时候，我站在那座房子里和那个我……也就是说我曾经……订婚的年轻女子一起。” —

I had been doing wrong, my dear Prince– I had been a naughty boy, and she had heard of it. —
亲爱的王子，我做了错事 – 我是个顽皮的男孩，她听说了。 —

I wanted to be forgiven, of course–we are always wanting women to forgive us, aren’t we, Prince?”
当然我想得到原谅 – 我们总是希望女人原谅我们，不是吗，王子？

”‘I want time to think it over,’ said she. ‘There is one thing certain; —
‘我需要时间去思考，’她说。‘有一件事是确定的； —

I will either fully forgive you, or I will never see your face again. —
我要么完全原谅你，要么永远不再见你。 —

There will be no half-way business. At half-past eight,’ she said, ‘at exactly half-past eight you may be watching the middle upper window of the top floor. —
这完全没有让步的余地。’她说，‘八点半，在楼顶的中上窗户处等我。 —

If I decide to forgive I will hang out of that window a white silk scarf. —
如果我决定原谅你，我会在那个窗户外悬挂一条白色丝绸围巾。 —

You will know by that that all is as was before, and you may come to me. —
你会通过这个知道一切如旧，可以来找我。 —

If you see no scarf you may consider that everything between us is ended forever.’ That,” concluded the young man bitterly, “is why I have been watching that clock. —
如果你看不到围巾，你可以认为我们之间的一切永远结束了。’年轻人痛苦地结束说道：‘这就是为什么我一直在观看那个时钟。 —

The time for the signal to appear has passed twenty- three minutes ago. —
信号出现的时间已经过去了23分钟。 —

Do you wonder that I am a little disturbed, my Prince of Rags and Whiskers?”
你是否觉得我有点不安呢，我的破衣猫舌王子？

“Let me repeat to you,” said Prince Michael, in his even, well- modulated tones, “that women are the natural enemies of clocks. —
“让我再重复一遍，”王子迈克尔说道，用他平静而富有调节的音调，“女人是时钟的天敌。” —

Clocks are an evil, women a blessing.
时钟是邪恶的，女人是祝福。

The signal may yet appear.”
信号可能还会出现。”

“Never, on your principality!” exclaimed the young man, hopelessly. —
“在你的公国上永远也不会！”年轻人绝望地说道。 —

“You don’t know Marian–of course. She’s always on time, to the minute. —
“你当然不了解马里安。”他说，“她总是准时的，一刻不差。 —

That was the first thing about her that attracted me. I’ve got the mitten instead of the scarf. —
这是吸引我的她的第一件事。我而不是她，自己犯了错。 —

I ought to have known at 8.31 that my goose was cooked. —
我应该在8点31分就知道我完蛋了。 —

I’ll go West on the 11.45 to-night with Jack Milburn. The jig’s up. —
我将在今晚11点45分搭乘杰克·米尔本的便车去西部。游戏结束了。 —

I’ll try Jack’s ranch awhile and top off with the Klondike and whiskey. —
我将去杰克的牧场待一段时间，然后涌向阿拉斯加的北部，并享用威士忌。 —

Good-night–er–er–Prince.”
晚安–呃–呃–王子。”

Prince Michael smiled his enigmatic, gentle, comprehending smile and caught the coat sleeve of the other. —
迈克尔王子露出了他那神秘而温和，体察事物的微笑，并抓住了对方的袖子。 —

The brilliant light in the Prince’s eyes was softening to a dreamier, cloudy translucence.
王子眼中的明亮光芒渐渐柔和，变得更加梦幻而蒙蒙的。

“Wait,” he said solemnly, “till the clock strikes. —
“等等，”他郑重地说，“等时钟敲响吧。” —

I have wealth and power and knowledge above most men, but when the clock strikes I am afraid. —
我拥有着大多数人所没有的财富、权力和知识，但当钟声响起时，我感到害怕。 —

Stay by me until then.
待在我身边，直到那时候。

This woman shall be yours. You have the word of the hereditary Prince of Valleluna. —
这个女人将属于你。你拥有瓦莱柳纳的继承王子的承诺。 —

On the day of your marriage I will give you $100,000 and a palace on the Hudson. —
在你们结婚的那一天，我将给你十万美元和一座位于哈德逊河畔的宫殿。 —

But there must be no clocks in that palace–they measure our follies and limit our pleasures. —
但是那个宫殿里不能有钟表——它们衡量着我们的愚蠢，限制着我们的快乐。 —

Do you agree to that?”
你同意吗？

“Of course,” said the young man, cheerfully, “they’re a nuisance, anyway–always ticking and striking and getting you late for dinner.”
“当然，”年轻人愉快地说道，”它们真是讨厌，总是嘀嗒嘀嗒的，还容易让你迟到吃晚饭。”

He glanced again at the clock in the tower. The hands stood at three minutes to nine.
他再次瞥了一眼塔钟。指针指向九点前三分钟。

“I think,” said Prince Michael, “that I will sleep a little. The day has been fatiguing.”
“我想，”米迦勒王子说道，”我要休息一下。今天真是累人。”

He stretched himself upon a bench with the manner of one who had slept thus before.
他舒展开身子躺在一张长椅上，仿佛以前就是这样入睡的。

“You will find me in this park on any evening when the weather is suitable,” said the Prince, sleepily. —
“只要天气适合，你可以在这个公园的任何一个晚上找到我，” 米迦勒王子困倦地说道。 —

“Come to me when your marriage day is set and I will give you a cheque for the money.”
“当你们确定结婚日期时，来找我，我会给你一张支票。”

“Thanks, Your Highness,” said the young man, seriously. —
“谢谢，殿下，”年轻人认真地说道。 —

“It doesn’t look as if I would need that palace on the Hudson, but I appreciate your offer, just the same.”
“看起来我并不需要哈德逊河上的那座宫殿，但我还是很感谢你的提议。”

Prince Michael sank into deep slumber. His battered hat rolled from the bench to the ground. —
迈克尔王子陷入了沉睡。他破旧的帽子从长凳上滚到了地上。 —

The young man lifted it, placed it over the frowsy face and moved one of the grotesquely relaxed limbs into a more comfortable position. —
年轻人捡起帽子，将其戴在那张肮脏的脸上，又把一个怪异地松弛的肢体移动到一个更舒适的位置。 —

“Poor devil!” he said, as he drew the tattered clothes closer about the Prince’s breast.
“可怜的家伙！”他在将破烂的衣物更紧地裹在王子胸前时说道。

Sonorous and startling came the stroke of 9 from the clock tower. —
钟楼传来了沉重而惊人的九点钟声。 —

The young man sighed again, turned his face for one last look at the house of his relinquished hopes–and cried aloud profane words of holy rapture.
年轻人又叹了口气，转过脸来最后看了一眼他放弃了希望的房子——然后大声喊出了神圣逝去的亵渎之词。

From the middle upper window blossomed in the dusk a waving, snowy, fluttering, wonderful, divine emblem of forgiveness and promised joy.
从中上方窗口里，一面摇曳着、洁白如雪、飘动着、奇妙无比、神圣的宽恕和承诺的喜悦的象征，在黄昏中绽放。

By came a citizen, rotund, comfortable, home-hurrying, unknowing of the delights of waving silken scarfs on the borders of dimly-lit parks.
一个胖乎乎、舒适地回家忙碌的市民路过，对摇曳在昏暗公园边上的丝绒围巾的美妙一无所知。

“Will you oblige me with the time, sir?” asked the young man; —
“先生，你能告诉我一下现在的时间吗？”年轻人问道； —

and the citizen, shrewdly conjecturing his watch to be safe, dragged it out and announced:
市民机智地猜到他的手表是安全的，便拿出来宣布：

“Twenty-nine and a half minutes past eight, sir.”
“现在是八点二十九分半，先生。”

And then, from habit, he glanced at the clock in the tower, and made further oration.
然后，出于习惯，他看了一眼塔楼上的钟，并进行了一番言辞。

“By George! that clock’s half an hour fast! —
“天哪！那个钟快了半个小时！ —

First time in ten years I’ve known it to be off. —
十年来我都没见过它出错过。 —

This watch of mine never varies a–”
我的这块表从来都不差一秒。”

But the citizen was talking to vacancy. He turned and saw his hearer, a fast receding black shadow, flying in the direction of a house with three lighted upper windows.
但市民对着空气在说话。他转过身，只见他的听众已经远去，一个黑影朝着有三个亮着灯的窗户飞去。

And in the morning came along two policemen on their way to the beats they owned. —
早晨，两名巡警走过来，他们要去巡视自己负责的区域。 —

The park was deserted save for one dilapidated figure that sprawled, asleep, on a bench. —
公园空无一人，只有一个摇摇欲坠的人躺在长椅上睡觉。 —

They stopped and gazed upon it.
他们停下来注视着他。

“It’s Dopy Mike,” said one. “He hits the pipe every night. —
“那是迷糊的麦克，”其中一人说，“他每天晚上都吸烟斗。 —

Park bum for twenty years. On his last legs, I guess.”
公园混混已经二十年了。我猜他快完蛋了。”

The other policeman stooped and looked at something crumpled and crisp in the hand of the sleeper.
另一个警察弯腰看着睡觉者手中的一件皱巴巴而脆硬的东西。

“Gee!” he remarked. “He’s doped out a fifty-dollar bill, anyway. —
“咦！”他评论道。 “他至少弄到了一张50美元的钞票。 —

Wish I knew the brand of hop that he smokes.”
真希望我知道他抽的麻品牌。

And then “Rap, rap, rap!” went the club of realism against the shoe soles of Prince Michael, of the Electorate of Valleluna.
然后，“啪啪啪！”现实主义的警棍抡向了瓦莱鲁纳选区的迈克尔王子的鞋底。