“那你为什么探出窗外，吩咐底下绿汽车里的司机？”赫蒂的声音十分尖刻。
The young man flushed， and his dull eyes began to sparkle.“Because， madam，” said he， in accelerandoaccelerandoadj.[乐］渐速的adv.[乐］渐速地n.[乐］渐速音 tones， “I pay the chauffeurs wages and I own the automobile—and also this onion—this onion， madam.”
年轻人红了脸，无神的眼睛里闪出光亮。“因为，夫人，”他声调逐渐加快说，“司机的工资是我付的。汽车是我的——这个葱头也是我的——这个葱头，夫人。”
He flourished the onion within an inch of Hettys nose. The shoplady did not retreat a hairsbreadth.
他把洋葱在赫蒂鼻子下晃动着。女店员纹丝不动。
“Then why do you eat onions，” she said， with biting contempt， “and nothing else？”
“那你为什么只吃洋葱，”她轻蔑地说，“不吃别的？”
“I never said I did.” retortedretortv.反驳， 反击， 回报 n.曲颈甑， 曲颈瓶， 蒸器 the young man， heatedly. “I said I had nothing else to eat where I live. I am not a delicatessen storekeeper.”
“我从没有说过不吃别的。”年轻人激烈地反驳说。“我只说我的住处没有什么可吃的东西。我没有开食品店。”
“Then why.” pursued Hetty， inflexibly， “were you going to eat a raw onion？”
“那你为什么要吃生洋葱？”赫蒂步步紧逼他追问道。
“My mother，” said the young man， “always made me eat one for a cold.Pardon my referring to a physical infirmityinfirmity n.虚弱， 衰弱， 缺点； but you may have noticed that I have a very， very severe cold. I was going to eat the onion and go to bed. I wonder why I am standing here and apologizing to you for it.”
“我妈妈，”年轻人说，“总是让我吃个生洋葱来治感冒。请原谅我提起身体不适；不过你也许已经注意到我感冒很厉害。我打算吃了葱头就上床躺着。我不明白我干吗要在这里向你赔不是。”
“How did you catch this cold？” went on Hetty， suspiciously.
“你感冒是怎么得的？”赫蒂起疑说。
The young man seemed to have arrived at some extreme height of feeling. There were two modes of descent open to him—a burst of rage or a surrender to the ridiculous. He chose wisely； and the empty hall echoedecho n.回声， 回音， 回波vi.发回声， 随声附和 vt.模仿，重复， 反射[计］ 禁止（或允许）在屏幕上显示批处理命令行 his hoarse laughter.
年轻人仿佛激动到了极点。他面前只有两种下台阶的方式——要么是大发雷霆，要么是向这种荒唐的局面屈服。他作了明智的抉择；空荡荡的过道里响起了他那嘶哑的笑声。
“Youre a dandy，” said he. “And I dont blame you for being careful.I dont mind telling you. I got wet. I was on a North River ferry a few days ago when a girl jumped overboard. Of course， I—”
“你这人真有意思。”他说。“你小心仔细，我也不能责怪你。告诉你也不妨。我把身上搞湿，着了凉。前几天我乘轮渡过北河，有个姑娘跳水。当然，我就——”
Hetty extended her hand， interrupting his story.“Give me the onion.” she said.
赫蒂伸出手去，打断了他的叙说。 “把洋葱给我。”她说。
The young man set his jaw a trifle harder.
年轻人咬紧牙。
“Give me the onion.” she repeated.
“把洋葱给我。”她重复了一遍。
He grinned， and laid it in her hand.
他咧嘴笑了，把洋葱搁在她手里。
Then Hettys infrequentinfrequentadj.稀少的， 很少发生的， 罕见的， grim， melancholy smile showed itself. She took the young mans arm and pointed with her other hand to the door of her room.“Little Brother，” she said， “go in there. The little fool you fished out of the river is there waiting for you. Go on in. Ill give you three minutes before I come. Potatoes is in there， waiting. Go on in， Onions.”
赫蒂露出她不常有的，忧郁的苦笑。她拽住年轻人的胳臂，另一只手指指她的房门。“老弟，”她说，“进去吧。你从江里救起的那个小傻瓜在里面等着你呢。进去吧。我给你三分钟的时间，然后我再进屋。土豆在那里等着。进去吧，洋葱。”
After he had tapped at the door and entered， Hetty began to peel and wash the onion at the sink. She gave a gray look at the gray roofs outside， and the smile on her face vanishedvanish vi.消失， 突然不见， [数］成为零n.[语］弱化音 by little jerks and twitches.
他敲敲门进去了；赫蒂开始在水槽旁边剥洋葱皮，洗洗干净。她灰溜溜地朝窗外灰溜溜的屋顶瞅了一眼，面孔抽搐着，笑容逐渐消失了。
“But its us，” she said， grimly， to herself， “its us that furnishes the beef.”
“提供牛肉的是我们，”她忧郁地自言自语说，“是我们。”