觅宝记
There are many kinds of fools. Now， will everybody please sit still until they are called upon specifically to rise？
傻瓜有多种多样的。喂，大家坐定了，指名叫到谁，谁再站起来，好不好？
I had been every kind of fool except one. I had expended my patrimony， pretended my matrimonymatrimony n.结婚， played poker， lawntennis， and bucketshops—parted soon with my money in many ways. But there remained one rule of the wearer of cap and bells that I had not played. That was the Seeker after Buried Treasure. To few does the delectable furor come. But of all the wouldbe followers in the hoofprints of King Midas none has found a pursuit so rich in pleasurable promise.
我自己就当过各种傻瓜，只差一种。我挥霍了祖传的家产，妄想结婚；我打扑克，玩草地网球，做没有本钱的投机买卖——我的钱财很快就各奔前程，同我分了手。但是有一种头戴系铃帽的滑稽角色我还没有扮演过。那就是寻觅藏宝的人。很少有一人会犯这种愉快的狂热病。但是在所有追随迈达斯国王的人中间，觅宝人的追求最富于美妙的憧憬。
But， going back from my theme a while—as lame pens must do—I was a fool of the sentimental soft. I saw May Martha Mangum， and was hers. She was eighteen， the color of the white ivory keys of a new piano， beautiful， and possessed by the exquisite solemnity and pathetic witchery of an unsophisticatedunsophisticated adj.不懂世故的， 单纯的， 纯洁的 angel doomed to live in a small， dull， Texas prairietown. She had a spirit and charm that could have enabled her to pluck rubies like raspberriesraspberry n.悬钩子， <俚>(表示轻蔑、嘲笑等的)咋舌声 from the crown of Belgium or any other sporty kingdom， but she did not know it， and I did not paint the picture for her.
但是我还要说几句离题的话——拙劣的作者都难免如此——我这个傻瓜属于多情的类型。我见到梅·玛莎·曼格姆后，就是她的人了。她年方十八，皮肤像新钢琴的象牙琴键那么白皙，容貌秀丽，仿佛一个天真无邪的天使临降人间，注定要生活在得克萨斯草原上一个沉闷的小镇里；因此，她的姣好端庄更增添了动人哀怜的魅力。凭她的气质和妩媚，她原可以像摘木神似的摘下比利时或者任何一个花哨的王国的皇冠上的红宝石，但她自己并不知道，我也没向她点破。
You see， I wanted May Martha Mangum for to have and to hold. I wanted her to abide with me， and put my slippers and pipe away every day in places where they cannot be found of evenings.
你明白，我是要赢得并保持梅·玛莎·曼格姆。我要她与我长相厮守，每天把我的拖鞋和烟斗搁到晚上找不到的地方。
May Marthas father was a man hidden behind whiskers and spectacles. He lived for bugs and butterflies and all insects that fly or crawlcrawl vi.爬行， 蠕动， 徐徐行进 n.爬行， 蠕动， 缓慢的行进 or buzz or get down your back or in the butter. He was an etymologist， or words to that effect. He spent his life seining the air for flying fish of the Junebug order， and then sticking pins through em and calling’em names.
梅·玛莎的父亲留着大胡子，戴着眼镜，胡子和眼镜几乎把他整个人都遮住了。他活着就是为了同甲壳虫、蝴蝶，以及天上飞的，地上爬的，钻进你脖子里的，或者落到黄油上的虫子打交道。他是昆虫学家，或那一类的人物。他整天在外面用纱网兜捕甲虫目的飞鱼，用大头针把它们钉住，给它们起名字。
He and May Martha were the whole family. He prized her highly as a fine specimen of the racibus humanus because she saw that he had food at times， and put his clothes on right side before， and kept his alcoholbottles filled. Scientists， they say， are apt to be absent minded.
他们家只有他和玛莎两个人。他珍视她，把她看作精美的人类标本，因为她照料他，让他不时能吃上饭，衣服不穿反，让保存标本的玻璃瓶里的酒精经常满着。据说科学家们多是心不在焉的。
There was another besides myself who thought May Martha Mangum one to be desired. That was Goodloe Banks， a young man just home from college. He had all the attainments to be found in books—Latin， Greek， philosophy， and especially the higher branches of mathematics and logic.
除了我以外，还有一个人也有意于梅·玛莎·曼格姆。那是古德洛·班克斯，一个刚念完大学回家来的年轻人。书本上的造诣他都具备：拉丁文、希腊文、哲学，尤其是数学和逻辑学的高等分支。
If it hadnt been for his habit of pouring out this information and learning on every one that he addressed， Id have liked him pretty well. But， even as it was， he and I were， you would have thought， great pals.
若不是为了他那逢人就卖弄自己的知识和学问的习惯，我本来会很喜欢他的。即使如此，你光看表面的话，仍会认为我们是好朋友。
We got together every time we could because each of us wanted to pump the other for whatever straws we could to find which way the wind blew from the heart of May Martha Mangum—rather a mixed metaphormetaphor n.［修辞］隐喻， 暗喻， 比喻说话； Goodloe Banks would never have been guilty of that. That is the way of rivals.
我们一有空就在一起厮混，因为每个人都想从对方嘴里捞些稻草，从而探悉梅·玛莎·曼格姆着意的风向——这种比喻未免牛头不对马嘴；古德洛·班克斯才不会犯这种毛病呢。情场角逐的人都是这样的。
You might say that Goodloe ran to books， manners， culture， rowing， intellect， and clothes. I would have put you in mind more of baseball and Fridaynight debating societies—by way of culture—and maybe of a good horsebackhorseback n.马背， 隆起的条状地带 rider.
你也许会说古德洛倾向于书本、礼貌、文化、智力和衣着。我会使你更多地想到棒球和周五晚上的辩论会——算它同文化沾些边吧——也许还会想到一个骑马的好手。
But in our talks together， and in our visits and conversation with May Martha， neither Goodloe Banks nor I could find out which one of us she preferred. May Martha was a naturalborn noncommittal， and knew in her cradle how to keep people guessing.
但是在我和他的闲聊中，以及我们去拜访梅·玛莎时的谈话中，古德洛·班克斯和我都摸不清她到底喜欢我们中间的哪一个。梅·玛莎生性不爱明确表态，早在摇篮里的时候，就懂得让人们去捉摸猜测。
As I said， old man Mangum was absentmindedabsentminded adj.心不在焉的，茫然的，恍惚的. After a long time he found out one day—a little butterfly must have told him—that two young men were trying to throw a net over the head of the young person， a daughter， or some such technical appendageappendage n.附加物， 附属肢体， who looked after his comforts.
我已经说过，曼格姆老头总是心不在焉。很久以后的一天，他发觉——准是一只小蝴蝶告诉他的——有两个年轻人想去那个照料他生活的年轻姑娘，或者女儿，或者诸如此类的法律上的附属物。
I never knew scientists could rise to such occasions. Old Mangum orally labelled and classified Goodloe and myself easily among the lowest orders of the vertebratesvertebrate n.脊椎动物 adj.有椎骨的， 有脊椎的， 脊椎动物； and in English， too， without going any further into Latin than the simple references to Orgetorix， Rex Helvetii—which is as far as I ever went， myself. And he told us that if he ever caught us around his house again he would add us to his collection.
我从来没有料到科学家们居然也能起来应付这种局面。老文格姆在口头上管古德洛和我走了性，轻巧地把我们归入脊椎动物中最低级的纲目；用的还是英语，没有说什么拉丁文，只提了一句 Orgetorix， Rex Helvetii——我懂得的拉丁文也只有这么一句。他还通知我们，下次再看到我们在他家附近转悠，就要把我们加进他收集的标本。
Goodloe Banks and I remained away five days， expecting the storm to subside. When we dared to call at the house again May Martha Mangum and her father were gone. Gone！ The house they had rented was closed. Their little store of goods and chattels was gone also.
古德洛·班克斯和我回避了五天，想等这场风波平息。等我们鼓起勇气再登门拜访的时候，梅·玛莎·曼格姆和她父亲已经走了。走了！他们承租的房子空关着，他们不多一点儿的家什也搬走了。
And not a word of farewell to either of us from May Martha—not a white， fluttering note pinned to the hawthornbush； not a chalkmark on the gatepost nor a postcard in the postoffice to give us a clew.
梅·玛莎没有给我们中间任何一个人留下告别的话——没有在山植树上钉一张飘动的白色便条；没有在门柱上画个粉笔记号；也没有在邮局里留一张明信片，给我们一点线索。