1. When the short days of winter came, dusk fellbefore we had well eaten our dinners. The cold airstung us and we played till our bodies glowed. Ourshouts echoed in the silent street. If my uncle wasseen turning the corner, we hid in the shadow untilhe went inside. If Mangan's sister came out on thedoorstep to call her brother in to his tea, we watchedher from our shadow peer up and down the streetlooking for him. I stood by the railings looking at her.Her dress swung as she moved her body, and thesoft rope of her hair tossed from side to side.
冬日里的白天很短，我们还没吃完晚餐，黄昏便已降临。冷空气穿透我们的外衣，刺入我们的身体，但我们的玩耍却让我们感到全身暖腾腾的。我们的喊叫声在寂静的街道上回荡。如果我们看到了我姑父转过拐角，我们就会在他走近之前隐藏起来。如果曼根的姐姐走出门外，在门口的阶梯上叫她弟弟去喝茶，我们就会从我们隐藏的位置向街道上四处张望，寻找他的下落。我站在栏杆旁看着她。她移动身体时，衣服不停地摆动着，扎头发的软绳晃来晃去。
2. Every time she came out on the doorstep my heart leaped. Often, I followed her. I kept herfigure always in my eye and, when we came near the point at which our ways diverged, Iquickened my pace and passed her. This happened morning after morning. I had never spokento her, except for a few casual words. I did not know whether I would ever speak to her or notor, if I spoke to her, how I could tell her of my confused adoration.
每当她走出家门来到门口的阶梯上时，我的心就会跳得飞快。我的眼神常常会不由自主地跟随着她。我会让她的身影始终在我的视线里。但，当我跟她迎面相遇时，我就会加快步伐，迅速从她身边走过。这样的事情每天早晨都会发生。除了偶尔的几句寒暄外，我从来没跟她正式说过话。我不知道我是否有机会跟她说话，也不知道一旦我有机会时，我该怎么告诉她我对她那说不清的仰慕之情。
3. At last she spoke to me. When she addressed the first words to me I was so confused thatI did not know what to answer. She asked me was I going to Araby. I forgot whether Ianswered yes or no. It would be a splendid bazaar; she said she would love to go.
终于有一天，她跟我说话了。当她向我说出第一句话时，我完全懵了，甚至不知道该怎么回答。她问我是不是要去阿拉比集市。我忘记了我回答的是去还是不去，但它肯定会是一个很棒的集市，而且她说她很想去。
4. 'And why can't you?' I asked. While she spoke she turned a silver bracelet round and roundher wrist. She could not go, she said, because she had no time. 'It's well for you,' she said. 'If Igo,' I said, 'I will bring you something.' What innumerable follies laid waste my waking andsleeping thoughts after that evening! At night in my bedroom and by day in the classroom herimage came between me and the page I strove to read.
“那你自己为什么不去？”我问。她一边说话，一边一圈一圈地转动着她手腕上的银手镯。她说她去不了，因为她没有时间。“你去吧，你会喜欢那的，”她说。“如果我去，”我说，“我会给你带些东西回来。”那天傍晚之后，各种胡思乱想进入了我的脑海，我开始食不甘味，夜不能寐！当我努力读书时，无论是夜间在卧室里，还是白天在教室里，她的身影总是会浮现在我的眼前。
5. I asked my aunt and uncle for leave to go to the bazaar on Saturday night. My aunt wassurprised, and hoped it was not some strange affair. I got their permission eventually. Thefollowing days, I answered only a few questions in class. I watched my master's face change tosternness. I could not call my wandering thoughts together. I had hardly any patience. OnSaturday morning I reminded my uncle that I wished to go to the bazaar in the evening, andthat I needed a ride to get there. He answered me curtly: 'Yes, boy, I know.'
我向我姑妈和姑父申请星期六晚上去集市逛逛。我姑妈非常惊讶，并且表示这不是什么奇怪的集市就好。我最终获得了他们的许可。接下来的几天里，我在课堂上只回答了几个问题。我注意到老师的脸色变得很严厉，但我还是无法将我那四处游荡的思想集中起来。我的耐心几乎被耗尽了。星期六早上，我提醒姑父，别忘了当天傍晚我要去集市的事情，并且希望他能够开车把我送过去。他草草地回答我说：“好的，小伙子，我知道的。”
6. By dinnertime my uncle had not yet been home. Still it was early. I sat staring at the clock forsome time and, when its ticking began to irritate me, I left the room. I mounted the staircaseto the upper part of the house. From the front window I saw my companions playing below inthe street. I looked over at the dark house where she lived. I may have stood there for an hour.My aunt said: 'I'm afraid you may put off your bazaar for this night.' At nine o'clock I heard myuncle's latchkey in the hall door. He had forgotten. 'The people are in bed and after their firstsleep now,' he said. I did not smile. My aunt said to him energetically: 'Can't you give him somemoney and let him go by train? You've kept him late enough as it is.' My uncle said he was verysorry he had forgotten. He said he believed in the old saying: 'All work and no play makes Jack adull boy', so I could go.
晚饭时姑父还没回家。时间还早。我坐在那里，眼睛盯了时钟好一会儿。时钟的滴答声开始让我心烦意乱。我走出房间，穿过楼梯间走到楼上。我从前窗看到我的小伙伴们正在街上玩耍。我望着她家漆黑一片的房子。我可能在那里站了一个小时。姑妈说：“恐怕你今晚的集市计划得推迟了。”九点时，我听到大厅门口姑父用钥匙开门的声音。他完全忘了集市的事情。“现在，人们应该都上床睡觉了，第一觉都应该睡醒了，”姑父说。我毫无笑意。姑妈精力充沛地对他说：“你能不能给他一些钱，让他自己乘火车去？你已经让他迟到了。”姑父说他很抱歉把我的事情忘了。他说他相信那句老话——“只会学习不会玩，聪明的孩子也变傻”，所以我可以去。
7. I held a florin tightly in my hand as I strode towards the station. After an intolerable delaythe train moved out of the station slowly. I saw by the lighted dial of a clock that it was tenminutes to ten. Half an hour later, in front of me was a large building which displayed themagical name. I found myself in a big hall. Nearly all the stalls were closed and the greater partof the hall was in darkness. I walked into the centre of the bazaar timidly. A few people weregathered about the stalls which were still open.
于是，我手里紧紧地攥着姑父给我的钱，大步奔向了车站。经过一段令人无法忍受的延误后，火车缓缓驶出了车站。我看到时钟点亮的表盘上时针指向了差十分十点。半小时后，一座门前挂着神奇的名字的很大的建筑出现在我的面前。我发现自己已置身于一个大厅里。几乎所有的摊位都打烊了，大厅里大部分位置都漆黑一片。我有些胆怯地走到集市的中央位置。有几个人围在几个仍开着的摊位旁。
8. Remembering with difficulty why I had come, I went over to one of the stalls and examinedporcelain vases and flowered tea-sets. At the door of the stall a young lady was talking andlaughing with two young gentlemen. I listened vaguely to their conversation.
记起我为什么会来到这里。我走到了其中一个摊位前，仔细看了看瓷器花瓶和印花茶具。摊位的门口位置，一位年轻女士正在和两位年轻先生谈笑着。我含糊地听到了他们的谈话内容。
9. 'O, I never said such a thing!' 'O, but you did!' 'O, but I didn't!' 'Didn't she say that?' 'Yes. Iheard her.' 'O, there's a…' Observing me, the young lady came over and asked me did I wish tobuy anything. The tone of her voice was not encouraging; she seemed to have spoken to meout of a sense of duty. I looked humbly at the great jars that stood like guards at either sideof the dark entrance to the stall and murmured:
“哦，我从来没说过这样的话！”“哦，但你的确说了！”“哦，我没说过！”“她没这么说过吗？”“不，我听到她说了。”“哦，这......”那位年轻女士看到了我，朝我走来，问我是否想要买些什么。她的声调并没有让我产生任何购买欲——她跟我说话的语气更像是在完成任务。我谦卑地看着那些摆放在那里如同站在摊位漆黑的入口两侧的守卫的大罐子，低声说道：
10. 'No, thank you.' The young lady changed the position of one of the vases and went back tothe two young men. They began to talk of the same subject. Once or twice the young ladyglanced at me over her shoulder. I lingered before her stall, though I knew my stay wasuseless, to make my interest in her wares seem the more real.
“不了，谢谢。”年轻女士动了动其中一个花瓶的位置，然后回到了那两位年轻人身边，继续他们刚刚的话题。有那么一两次，那位年轻女士扭过头来，向我的方向瞥了几眼。我在她的摊位前徘徊，虽然我知道我的逗留没有任何意义。我对她商品的兴趣似乎更加真实。
11. Then I turned away slowly and walked down the middle of the bazaar. I allowed the twopennies to fall against the sixpence in my pocket. I heard a voice call from one end of thegallery that the light was out. The upper part of the hall was now completely dark. Gazing upinto the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven by vanity; and my eyes burned withanguish and anger.
然后，我慢慢地转过身来，走到了集市的中间。我让那两枚1便士硬币与那枚6便士硬币在我衣袋里撞来撞去。我听到集市的另一头有人呼喊集市要熄灯了。集市大厅的楼上已漆黑一片。凝视着那片黑暗，我感觉自己就像一个被虚荣驱使的生物——眼睛里燃烧着痛苦与愤怒的火焰。 |