黄雀在后
Across our two dishes of spaghettispaghetti n.意大利式细面条， in a corner of Provenzanos restaurant， Jeff Peters was explaining to me the three kinds of graft.
在普罗文萨诺饭店的一个角落里，我们一面吃意大利面；杰夫·彼得斯一面向我解释三种不同类型的骗局。
Every winter Jeff comes to New York to eat spaghetti， to watch the shipping in East River from the depths of his chinchillachinchilla n.南美栗鼠 overcoat， and to lay in a supply of Chicagomade clothing at one of the Fulton street stores. During the other three seasons he may be found further west—his range is from Spokane to Tampa. In his profession he takes a pride which he supports and defends with a serious and unique philosophy of ethics. His profession is no new one. He is an incorporated， uncapitalized， unlimited asylumasylum n.庇护， 收容所， 救济院， 精神病院 for the reception of the restless and unwise dollars of his fellowmenfellowmen n.(同属人类的)人， 同胞.
每年冬天，杰夫总要到纽约来吃面条，他裹着厚厚的灰狐皮大衣在东河看卸货，把一批芝加哥制的衣服囤积在富尔顿的铺子里。其余三季，他在纽约以西——他的活动范围是从斯律坎到坦帕。他时常夸耀自己的行业，并用一种严肃而独特的伦理哲学加以支持和卫护。他的行业并不新奇。他本人就是一个没有资本的股份无限公司，专门收容他同胞们的不安分守己的愚蠢的金钱。
In the wilderness of stone in which Jeff seeks his annual lonely holiday he is glad to palaver of his many adventures， as a boy will whistle after sundown in a wood. Wherefore， I mark on my calendar the time of his coming， and open a question of privilegeprivilege n.特权， 特别待遇， 基本公民权利， 特免 vt.给予……特权， 特免 at Provenzanos concerning the little winestained table in the corner between the rakish rubber plant and the framed palazzio della something on the wall.
杰夫每年到这个高楼大厦的蛮荒中来度过他那寂寞的时光，这时候，他喜欢吹吹他那丰富的阅历，正如孩子喜欢在日落时分的树林里吹口哨一样。因此，我在日历上标出他来纽约的日期，并且同普罗文萨诺饭店接洽好，在花哨的橡皮盆景和墙上那幅什么宫廷画之间的角落里为我们安排一张酒迹斑斑的桌子。
“There are two kinds of graft，” said Jeff， “that ought to be wiped out by law. I mean Wall Street speculationspeculation n.思索， 做投机买卖， and burglary.” “Nearly everybody will agree with you as to one of them，” said I， with a laugh.
“有两种骗局，”杰夫说，“应当受到法律的取缔。我指的是华尔街的投机和盗窃。”“取缔其中的一项，几乎人人都会同意。”我笑着说。
“Well， burglaryburglary v.入室行窃 ought to be wiped out， too.” said Jeff； and I wondered whether the laugh had been redundant.
“嗯，盗窃也应当取缔。”杰夫说；我不禁怀疑我刚才的一笑是否多余。
“About three months ago，” said Jeff， “it was my privilege to become familiar with a sample of each of the aforesaid branches of illegitimateillegitimate adj.违法的， 非嫡出的， 庶生的， 私生的，不合理的， 不合逻辑的 n.非嫡出子， 庶子 vt.认为违法，认做私生子 art. I was sine que grata with a member of the housebreakers union and one of the John D. Napoleons of finance at the same time.”
“约摸三个月前，”杰夫说，“我有幸结识刚才提到的两类非法艺术的代表人物。我同时结交了一个窃贼协会的会员和一个金融界的约翰·台·拿破仑。”
“Interesting combination， ”said I， with a yawn. “Did I tell you I bagged a duck and a groundsquirrel at one shot last week over in the Ramapos？” I knew well how to draw Jeffs stories.
“那倒是有趣的结合。”我打了个呵欠说。“我有没有告诉过你，上星期我在拉马波斯河岸一枪打到了一只鸭子和一只地松鼠？”我很知道怎么打开杰夫的话匣子。
“Let me tell you first about these barnaclesbarnacles n.鼻钳似的刑具， <英口>眼镜 that clog the wheels of society by poisoning the springs of rectituderectitude n.正直， 公正， 清廉， 笔直 with their upaslike eye.” said Jeff， with the pure gleam of the muckraker in his own.
“让我先告诉你，这些寄生虫怎么用他们的毒眼污染了公正的泉水，妨碍了社会生活的运转。”杰夫说，他自己的眼睛里闪烁着揭发别人丑行时的光芒。
“As I said， three months ago I got into bad company. There are two times in a mans life when he does this—when hes dead broke， and when hes rich.
“我刚才说过，三个月以前，我交上了坏朋友。人生在世，只有两种情况才会促使他这样——一种是穷得不名一文的时候，另一种是很有钱的时候。
“Now and then the most legitimate business runs out of luck. It was out in Arkansas I made the wrong turn at a crossroad， and drives into this town of Peavine by mistake. It seems I had already assaultedassault n.攻击， 袭击 v.袭击 and disfigured Peavine the spring of the year before. I had sold 600 worth of young fruit trees there—plums， cherries， peaches and pears. The Peaviners were keeping an eye on the country road and hoping I might pass that way again. I drove down Main street as far as the Crystal Palace drugstoredrugstore n.<美> 药房， 杂货店 before I realized I had committed ambushambush n.埋伏， 伏兵 v.埋伏 upon myself and my white horse Bill.
“最合法的买卖偶尔也有倒运的时候。我在阿肯色州的一个十字路口拐错了弯，闯进了彼文镇。前年春天，仿佛我来过彼文镇，把它糟蹋得不像样子。我在那里推销了六百元的果树苗——其中有李树、樱桃树、桃树和梨树。彼文镇的人经常注意大路上的过往行人，希望我再经过那里。我在大街上驾着马车，一直行驶到水晶宫药房，那时候我才发现我和我那匹白马比尔已经落进了埋伏圈。
“The Peaviners took me by surprise and Bill by the bridle and began a conversation that wasnt entirely disassociated with the subject of fruit trees. A committee of em ran some tracechains through the armholesarmhole n.袖孔 of my vest， and escorted me through their gardens and orchardsorchard n.果园， 果园里的全部果树， <美俚>棒球场.
“彼文镇的人出乎意外地抓住了我和比尔，开始同我谈起并非和果树完全无关的话题。领头的一些人把马车上的挽绳穿在我坎肩的袖孔里，带我去看他们的花园和果园。
“Their fruit trees hadnt lived up to their labels. Most of em had turned out to be persimmons and dogwoods， with a grove or two of blackjacks and poplars. The only one that showed any signs of bearing anything was a fine young cottonwoodcottonwood n.［植］三叶杨，棉白杨 that had put forth a hornets nest and half of an old corsetcover.
“他们的果树长得不合标签上的规格。大多数变成了柿树和山荣英，间或有一两丛檞树和白杨。惟一有结果迹象的是一棵茁壮的小白杨，那上面挂着一个黄蜂窝和半件女人的破背心。
“The Peaviners protracted our fruitless stroll to the edge of town. They took my watch and money on account； and they kept Bill and the wagon as hostageshostage n.人质， 抵押品. They said the first time one of them dogwood trees put forth an Amsdens June peach I might come back and get my things. Then they took off the trace chains and jerked their thumbs in the direction of the Rocky Mountains； and I struck a Lewis and Clark lope for the swollen rivers and impenetrableimpenetrable adj.难以渗透的 forests.
“彼文镇的人就这样作了毫无结果的巡视，然后把我带到镇边上。他们抄走我的表和钱作为抵账，又扣下比尔和马车作为抵押。他们说，只要一株山荣英长出一颗六月早桃，我就可以领回我的物品。然后，他们抽出挽绳，吩咐我向洛矶山脉那面滚蛋；我便像刘易斯和克拉克那样，直奔那片河流滔滔，森林茂密的地区。
“When I regained intellectualness I found myself walking into an unidentified town on the A.， T. & S. F. railroad. The Peaviners hadnt left anything in my pockets except a plug of chewing—they wasnt after my life—and that saved it. I bit off a chunk and sits down on a pile of ties by the track to recogitate my sensations of thought and perspicacityperspicacity n.敏锐.
“等我神志清醒过来时，我发觉自己正走向圣菲铁路线上的一个不知名的小镇。彼文镇的人把我的口袋完全搜空了，只留下一块嚼烟——他们并不想置我于死地——这救了我的命。我嚼着烟草，坐在铁路旁边的一堆枕木上，以恢复我的思索能力和智慧。