雙語對照 | 書蟲二級《歐·亨利短篇小說集》：4.提爾蒂的一時風光

4.Tildy's Moment
4.提爾蒂的一時風光

Bogle's Family Restaurant on Eighth Avenue is not a famous place, but if you need a large cheap meal, then Bogle's is the place for you. There are twelve tables in the room, six on each side. Bogle himself sits at the desk by the door and takes the money. There are also two waitresses and a Voice. The Voice comes from the kitchen.
第八大道上的博格爾家庭餐館不是什么有名的地方，不過如果您需要一頓份量十足的便宜飯菜，來這里就對了。店里有十二張桌子，一邊六張。博格爾自己坐在門口的桌子那兒收錢。還有兩個女服務(wù)員，一個“廣播”，聲音是從廚房傳來的。
At the time of my story, one of the waitresses was called Aileen. She was tall, beautiful and full of life. The name of the other waitress was Tildy. She was small, fat and was not beautiful.
我這個故事發(fā)生的時候，那兩個服務(wù)員有一個叫艾琳。她身材高挑，很漂亮，充滿活力。另一個叫提爾蒂，矮個兒，胖乎乎的，不漂亮。
Most of the people who came to eat at Bogle's were men, and they loved the beautiful Aileen. They were happy to wait a long time for their meals because they could look at her. Aileen knew how to hold a conversation with twelve people and work hard at the same time. And all the men wanted to take Aileen dancing or give her presents. One gave her a gold ring and one gave her a little dog.
來博格爾餐館吃飯的大多是男人，他們都愛漂亮的艾琳。雖然要等很久飯菜才上桌，可他們還是高高興興的，因為這樣可以看艾琳。艾琳知道如何應(yīng)付跟十二個人聊天兒，同時還能努力工作。所有的男人都想帶艾琳去跳舞，或是送她禮物。有人送了她一枚金戒指，還有人送給她一只小狗。
And poor Tildy?
不過可憐的提爾蒂呢?
In the busy, noisy restaurant men's eyes did not follow Tildy. Nobody laughed and talked with her. Nobody asked her to go dancing, and nobody gave her presents. She was a good waitress, but when she stood by the tables, the men looked round her to see Aileen.
在忙亂嘈雜的餐館里，男人的眼睛可沒跟著提爾蒂。沒人沖她笑、跟她搭話。沒人請她跳舞，也沒人送她禮物。她做服務(wù)員是把好手，可是她站在男人桌邊的時候，人家的眼睛總是繞過她去看艾琳。
But Tildy was happy to work with no thanks, she was happy to see the men with Aileen, she was happy to know that the men loved Aileen. She was Aileen's friend. But deep inside, she, too, wanted a man to love her.
不過提爾蒂聽不到“謝謝”也干得挺高興的?？吹侥腥藗兒桶赵谝黄?，知道他們愛艾琳，她都挺高興的。她是艾琳的朋友。不過在內(nèi)心深處，她也渴望著有人來愛她。
Tildy listened to all Aileen's stories. One day Aileen came in with a black eye. A man hit her because she did not want to kiss him. 'How wonderful to have a black eye for love!' Tildy thought.
提爾蒂聽艾琳講過所有的故事。一天，艾琳來上班的時候，有一邊眼圈發(fā)黑。有個男人打了她，因為她不愿意吻他。“因為愛而掛上個黑眼圈，這多美妙啊!”提爾蒂想。
One of the men who came to Bogle's was a young man called Mr Seeders. He was a small, thin man, and he worked in an office. He knew that Aileen was not interested in him, so he sat at one of Tildy's tables, said nothing, and ate his fish.
有個年輕人也常來博格爾餐館，他叫席德斯。他個兒不高，瘦瘦的，在一家公司上班。他知道艾琳對他沒意思，所以坐在了提爾蒂負責的桌子上，什么也不說，吃他的魚。
One day when Mr Seeders came in for his meal, he drank too much beer. He finished his fish, got up, put his arm round Tildy, kissed her loudly, and walked out of the restaurant.
一天，席德斯先生來吃飯的時候啤酒喝得太多了。他吃完那份魚，站了起來，伸手摟住提爾蒂，響亮地吻了她一下，就走出了餐館。
For a few seconds Tildy just stood there. Then Aileen said to her, 'Why, Tildy! You bad girl! I must watch you. I don't want to lose my men to you!'
有那么幾秒鐘的時間，提爾蒂愣在那兒。然后艾琳對她說：“哎呀，提爾蒂!你這壞丫頭!我該看著你的。我可不想讓你搶了我的人!”
Suddenly Tildy's world changed. She understood now that men could like her and want her as much as Aileen. She, Tildy, could have a love-life, too. Her eyes were bright, and her face was pink. She wanted to tell everybody her secret. When the restaurant was quiet, she went and stood by Bogle's desk.
提爾蒂的世界突然間變了。她現(xiàn)在知道，也有男人喜歡她、想要她，就像對艾琳一樣。她，提爾蒂，也會有愛情生活了。她眼睛發(fā)亮，臉頰紅撲撲的。她想把自己的秘密告訴所有人。餐館安靜下來以后，她去站在了博格爾先生的桌前。
'Do you know what a man in the restaurant did to me today?' she said. 'He put his arm round me and he kissed me!'
“您知道今天店里有個男人對我干了什么嗎?”她說，“他摟住我，親了我一下兒!”
'Really!' Bogle answered. This was good for business. 'Next week you'll get a dollar a week more.'
“真的?”博格爾應(yīng)道。這可對生意有好處。“下禮拜開始，你每個禮拜的工資加一塊錢。”
And when, in the evening. the restaurant was busy again, Tildy put down the food on the tables and said quietly, 'Do you know what a man in the restaurant did to me today? He put his arm round me and kissed me!'
到了晚上，餐館又忙了起來。提爾蒂把飯菜送到桌上，總會悄悄地說：“您知道今天店里有個男人對我干了什么嗎?他摟住我，親了我一下兒!”
Some of the men in the restaurant were surprised; some of them said, 'Well done!' Men began to smile and say nice things to her. Tildy was very happy. Love was now possible in her grey life.
有些客人很驚訝;還有人說：“干得好!”男人們開始沖著她笑了，跟她說些甜言蜜語。提爾蒂快活極了?，F(xiàn)在她灰色的生活里也有愛情了。
For two days Mr Seeders did not come again, and in that time Tildy was a different woman. She wore bright clothes, did her hair differently, and she looked taller and thinner. Now she was a real woman because someone loved her. She felt excited, and a little afraid. What would Mr Seeders do the next time he came in?
兩天了，席德斯先生沒有再來。不過這段時間里，提爾蒂完全換了個人。她穿上了鮮艷的衣服，換了發(fā)型，看上去也高了點兒、瘦了點兒。現(xiàn)在她成了真正的女人，因為有人愛她。她激動不已，還有點兒怕。席德斯先生下次來的時候，會干點兒什么呢?
At four o'clock in the afternoon of the third day, Mr Seeders came in. There were no people at the tables, and Aileen and Tildy were working at the back of the restaurant. Mr Seeders walked up to them.
第三天的下午4點鐘，席德斯先生走了進來。還沒人來吃飯，艾琳和提爾蒂都在餐館后邊兒干活兒。席德斯先生走到她們面前。
Tildy looked at him, and she could not speak. Mr Seeders' face was very red, and he looked uncomfortable.
提爾蒂看看他，說不出話來。席德斯先生的臉紅得厲害，似乎很不自在。
'Miss Tildy,' he said, 'I want to say that I'm sorry for what I did to you a few days ago. It was the drink, you see. I didn't know what I was doing. I'm very sorry.'
“提爾蒂小姐，”他說，“我想為幾天前的事兒道個歉。您知道，那都是因為喝多了。我都不知道自己在干什么。很抱歉。”
And Mr Seeders left.
然后，席德斯先生走了。
But Tildy ran into the kitchen, and she began to cry. She could not stop crying. She was no longer beautiful. No man loved her. No man wanted her. The kiss meant nothing to Mr Seeders. Tildy did not like him very much, but the kiss was important to her — and now there was nothing.
可是提爾蒂跑到廚房，哭了起來，哭得止不住。她不再漂亮了。沒有男人愛她。沒人想要她。那個吻對席德斯先生來說什么也不算。提爾蒂并不是那么喜歡他，但那個吻對她很重要——但現(xiàn)在什么都沒了。
But she still had her friend, and Aileen put her arm round Tildy. Aileen did not really understand, but she said, 'Don't be unhappy, Tildy. That little Seeders has got a face like a dead potato! He's nothing. A real man never says sorry!'
好在她還有朋友。艾琳摟著提爾蒂。艾琳不太明白究竟是怎么回事兒，可還是說：“別難過了，提爾蒂。席德斯那么矮，臉還像個干土豆!他算什么啊。真正的男人可從不說抱歉!”