赫蒂拿起一个水罐，到过道尽头水槽那儿去。
A young man came down the stairs from above just as she was opposite the lower step. He was decently dressed， but pale and haggard. His eyes were dull with the stress of some burden of physical or mental woewoe n.悲哀。 In his hand he bore an onion—a pink， smooth， solid， shining onion as large around as a ninetyeightcent alarmclock.
她走到楼梯口时，一个年轻人正从楼上下来。他穿着很讲究，但是脸色苍白。由于某种身体上或精神上的痛苦，他目光无神。他手上拿着一个洋葱——一个浅红色、光滑、壮实、发亮的洋葱，足有九毛八分钱的闹钟那么大。
Hetty stopped. So did the young man. There was something Joan of Arcish， Herculean， and Unaish in the look and pose of the shoplady—she had cast off the roles of Job and LittleRedRidingHood. The young man stopped at the foot of the stairs and coughed distractedly.He felt marooned， held up， attacked， assailed， levied upon， sacked， assessed， panhandledpanhandle n.锅柄， 狭长的土地 v.行乞， 讨钱， browbeaten， though he knew not why. It was the look in Hettys eyes that did it. In them he saw the Jolly Roger fly to the masthead and an able seaman with a dirk between his teeth scurry up the ratlines and nail it there. But as yet he did not know that the cargo he carried was the thing that had caused him to be so nearly blown out of the water without even a parley.
赫蒂停住脚步。年轻人也站住了。女店员的神色和姿态带有赫拉克勒斯、圣女贞德和尤娜的意味——她把约伯和小红帽的角色撂在一边。年轻人停在楼梯口，心神不定地咳嗽起来。他觉得自己陷入了困境，受到阻拦、攻打、袭击、敲诈、勒索、征收、乞讨和威吓，虽然他说不清楚原因。造成这种感觉的是赫蒂的眼神。他在赫蒂的眼睛里仿佛看到头顶升起了一面海盗旗，一名水手用牙齿咬住匕首，矫健地爬上绳梯，把旗钉在那里。但是到目前为止他还不知道，正是他携带的货色几乎害得他不经谈判就被击沉。
“Beg your pardon，” said Hetty， as sweetly as her dilute acetic acid tones permitted， “but did you find that onion on the stairs？ There was a hole in the paper bag； and Ive just come out to look for it.”
“对不起，”赫蒂在她那稀醋酸般的声调所允许的范围内尽量甜言蜜语地说，“你那个洋葱是不是在楼梯上拣到的？我的纸袋上有个窟窿；我正出来找呢。”
The young man coughed for half a minute. The interval may have given him the courage to defend his own property. Also， he clutched his pungentpungent adj.（指气味、味道）刺激性的， 辛辣的， 尖锐的，苦痛的， 严厉的 prize greedily， and， with a show of spirit， faced his grim waylayer.
年轻人咳了半分钟。这段时间也许给了他维护自己财产的勇气。他贪婪地抓住他那辛辣的宝贝，抖擞精神，面对那个凶狠的拦路抢劫的人。
“No，” he said huskily， “I didnt find it on the stairs. It was given to me by Jack Bevens， on the top floor. If you dont believe it， ask him. Ill wait until you do.”
“不，”他嘶哑地说，“我不是在楼梯上拣的。是住在顶楼的杰克·贝文斯给我的。你不信，可以去问他。我在这儿等着。”
“I know about Bevens.” said Hetty， sourly. “He writes books and things up there for the paper-and-rags man. We can hear the postman guy him all over the house when he brings them thick envelopes back.Say—do you live in the Vallambrosa？”
“我知道贝文斯。”赫蒂乖戾地说。“他写书、写文章专卖给收破烂的。邮递员给他送厚厚的退稿邮件时老是取笑他，整个公寓都听得到。喂——你住在瓦蓝布罗沙公寓吗？
“I do not.” said the young man. “I come to see Bevens sometimes.Hes my friend. I live two blocks west.”
“我不住这儿。”年轻人说。“有时候我来找贝文斯。他是我的朋友。我住在西头，离这儿有两个街口。”
“What are you going to do with the onion？ —begging your pardon？” said Hetty.
“你拿那个洋葱打算干什么？——访问？”赫蒂说。
“Im going to eat it.”
“我打算吃它。”
“Raw？”
“生吃？”
“Yes， as soon as I get home.”
“不错；到家就吃。”
“Havent you got anything else to eat with it？”
“你难道没有别的东西搭配在一起吃？”
The young man considered briefly. “No，” he confessedconfess v.承认， 坦白， 忏悔； “theres not another scrap of anything in my diggings to eat. I think old Jack is pretty hard up for grub in his shack， too. He hated to give up the onion， but I worried him into parting with it.”
年轻人考虑了片刻。“没有，”他坦白说；“我住处没有任何可吃的东西啦。我想着杰克自己也没有什么吃的。他不愿意放弃，被我磨得没办法，才给了我。”
“Man，” said Hetty， fixing him with her worldsapient eyes， and laying a bony but impressiveimpressive adj.给人深刻印象的， 感人的 finger on his sleeve， “youve known trouble， too， havent you？”
“老弟，”赫蒂用她那双洞察世故的眼睛盯着他，一个瘦削而给人深刻印象的手指按着他袖管说，“你也碰到了不如意的事情，是吗？”
“Lots.” said the onion owner， promptly. “But this onion is my own property， honestly come by. If you will excuse me， I must be going.”
“不如意的事可多呢。”洋葱的主人飞快地说。“不过这个洋葱是我的，来路正当。假如你不在意的话，我得走啦。”
“Listen.” said Hetty， paling a little with anxiety. “Raw onion is a mighty poor diet. And so is a beefstew without one. Now， if youre Jack Bevens friend， I guess youre nearly right. Theres a little lady—a friend of mine—in my room there at the end of the hall. Both of us are out of luck； and we had just potatoes and meat between us.Theyre stewing now. But it aint got any soul. Theres something lacking to it. Theres certain things in life that are naturally intended to fit and belong together. One is pink cheesecloth and green roses， and one is ham and eggs， and one is Irish and trouble.And the other one is beef and potatoes with onions. And still another one is people who are up against it and other people in the same fix.”
“听着，”赫蒂急得脸色发白说，“生洋葱当饭吃可不怎么样。没有洋葱的炖牛肉也是如此。你既然是杰克·贝文斯的朋友，我想作为人也错不到哪里去。过道尽头我的房间里有一位小姐——我的一个朋友。我们两个都不走运；我们只有牛肉和土豆。这会儿正炖着。但是它没有灵魂，缺了些什么。生活中有些东西天生要互相搭配，互相依附的。一样是粉红色粗布和绿玫瑰贴片装饰，一样是火腿煎鸡蛋，还有一样是爱尔兰人和不走运。再有一样是土豆牛肉和洋葱。再有的话，就是穷光蛋糕和狲猢鬼。”
The young man went into a protracted paroxysmparoxysmn.发作， 突发 of coughing. With one hand he hugged his onion to his bosom.“No doubt； no doubt.” said he， at length. “But， as I said， I must be going， because——” Hetty clutched his sleeve firmly.
年轻人又发作了一阵咳嗽。他一手把洋葱捂在胸前。“一点儿不错，一点儿不错。”他咳停后说。“不过，我刚才说了，我非走不可了，因为——”赫蒂紧紧拽住他的袖管。
“Dont be a Dago， Little Brother. Dont cat raw onions. Chip it in toward the dinner and line yourself inside with the best stew you ever licked a spoon over. Must two ladies knock a young gentleman down and drag him inside for the honor of dining with em？ No harm shall befall you， Little Brother. Loosen up and fall into line.”
“老弟，别学南欧人的样子，吃生洋葱。你凑个分子跟我们一起吃晚饭吧，保你从来没有吃过那么好的炖肉。一难道要两位小姐把你打翻了硬拖进去，你才肯赏光同她们一起吃顿饭？不会出乱子的，老弟，放心来吧。”
The young mans pale face relaxed into a grin.“Believe Ill go you.” he said， brightening. “If my onion is good as a credentialcredentialn.外交使节所递的国书， 信任状， Ill accept the invitation gladly.”
年轻人苍白的脸和缓了一些，咧嘴笑了。“行，我听你的。”他面露喜色说。“假如我的洋葱可以充当证书的话，我乐意接受邀请。”