“And then along comes a fast freight which slows up a little at the town； and off of it drops a black bundle that rolls for twenty yards in a cloud of dust and then gets up and begins to spit soft coal and interjectionsinterjection n.感叹词， 插入之语词. I see it is a young man broad across the face， dressed more for Pullmans than freights， and with a cheerful kind of smile in spite of it all that made Phoebe Snows job look like a chimneysweeps.
“这当地，一列货运快车驶来，行近小镇时减慢了速度；车上掉下一团黑黝黝的东西，在尘埃中足足滚了二十码，才爬起来，开始吐出烟煤来和咒骂的话。我定睛一看，发觉那是一个年轻人，阔脸盘，衣着很讲究；仿佛是坐普尔门卧车而不是偷搭货车的人物。尽管浑身弄得像是扫烟囱的人，他脸上仍旧泛着愉快的笑容。
“‘Fall off？’ says I.
“‘摔下来的吗？’我问道。
“‘Nunk.’ says he. ‘Got off. Arrived at my destinationdestination n.目的地， ［计］ 目的文件， 目的单元格. What town is this？’
“‘不。’他说。‘自己下来的。我到了目的地啦。这是什么镇？’
“‘Havent looked it up on the map yet，’ says I， ‘I got in about five minutes before you did. How does it strike you？’
“‘我还没有查过地图哪，’我说，‘我大概比你早到五分钟。’
“‘Hard，’ says he， twisting one of his arms around. ‘I believe that shoulder—no， its all right.’
“‘硬得很，’他转动着一支胳臂说，‘我觉得这个肩膀——不，没什么。’
“He stoops over to brush the dust off his clothes， when out of his pocket drops a fine， nineinch burglars steel jimmyjimmy n.铁锹 vt.用铁橇撬开. He picks it up and looks at me sharp， and then grins and holds out his hand.
“他弯下腰去掸身上的尘土，口袋里捧出一支九英寸长的，精巧的窃贼用的钢材。他连忙拉起来，仔细打量着我，忽然咧开嘴笑了，并向我伸出手来。
“‘Brother，’ says he， ‘greetings. Didnt I see you in Southern Missouri last summer selling colored sand at halfadollar a teaspoonfulteaspoonful n.一茶匙的量 to put into lamps to keep the oil from exploding？’
“‘老哥，’他说，‘你好。去年夏天我不是在密苏里南部见过你吗？那时候你在推销五毛钱一茶匙的染色沙子，说是放在灯里，可以防止灯油爆炸。’
“‘Oil，’ says I， ‘never explodes. Its the gas that forms that explodes.’ But I shakes hands with him， anyway.
“‘灯油是不会爆炸的，’我说，‘爆炸的是灯油形成的气体。’但是我仍旧同他握了手。
“‘My names Bill Bassett，’ says he to me， ‘and if youll call it professional pride instead of conceitconceit n.原义：想法， 意见， 自负， 幻想， 狂妄， Ill inform you that you have the pleasure of meeting the best burglar that ever set a gumshoe on ground drained by the Mississippi River.’
“‘我叫比尔·巴西特，’他对我说，‘如果你把这当作职业自豪感，而不是当作自高自大的话，我不妨告诉你，同你见面的是密西西比河一带最高明的窃贼。’
“Well， me and this Bill Bassett sits on the ties and exchanges brags as artists in kindred lines will do. It seems he didnt have a cent， either， and we went into close caucus. He explained why an able burglar sometimes had to travel on freights by telling me that a servant girl had played him false in Little Rock， and he was making a quick getaway.
“于是我跟这个比尔·巴西特坐在枕木上，正如两个同行的艺术家一样，大家自吹自擂。他仿佛也不名一文，我们便谈得更为投机。他向我解释说，一个能干的窃贼有时候也会穷得扒火车，因为小石城的一个女佣人出卖了他，害得他不得不匆匆逃跑。
“‘Its part of my business，’ says Bill Bassett， ‘to play up to the ruffles when I want to make a riffle as Raffles. Tis loves that makes the bit goround. Show me a house with a swagswag n.摇晃， 水潭， 赃物， 珍贵物， 垂花饰 vi.摇晃， 垂下 in it and a pretty parlormaid， and you might as well call the silver melted down and sold， and me spilling trufflestruffle n.［植］块菌 and that Chateau stuff on the napkin under my chin， while the police are calling it an inside job just because the old ladys nephew teaches a Bible class. I first make an impression on the girl，’ says Bill， ‘and when she lets me inside I make an impression on the locks. But this one in Little Rock done me.’ says he. ‘She saw me taking a trolleytrolley n.电车， (电车)滚轮， 手推车， 手摇车， 台车 vt.用手推车运 vi.乘电车 ride with another girl， and when I came round on the night she was to leave the door open for me it was fast. And I had keys made for the doors upstairs. But， no sir. She had sure cut off my locks. She was a Delilah，’says Bill Bassett.
“‘当我希望盗窃得手的时候，’比尔·巴西特说，‘我的工作有一部分是向娘儿们献殷勤。爱情能使娘儿们晕头转向。只要告诉我，哪一幢房子里有赃物和一个漂亮的女佣人，包管那幢房子里的银器都给熔化了卖掉。我在饭店里大吃大喝，而警察局的人却说那是内贼干的，因为女主人的侄子穷得在教《圣经》班。我先勾引女佣人，’比尔说，‘等她让我进了屋子之后，我再勾引锁具。但是小石城的那个娘们儿坑了我。’他说。‘她看见了我跟另一个女的乘电车。当我在约好的那个晚上去她那里时，她没有按说定的那样开着门等我。我本来已经配好了楼上房门的钥匙，可是不行，先生。她从里面锁上了。她真是个大利拉。’比尔·巴西特说。
“It seems that Bill tried to break in anyhow with his jimmy， but the girl emitted a succession of bravurabravura n.大胜的尝试，勇气的举动(显示演奏家技艺的壮丽的乐段) noises like the topriders of a tally—ho， and Bill had to take all the hurdles between there and depot. As he had no baggage they tried hard to check his departuredeparture n.启程， 出发， 离开， but he made a train that was just pulling out.
“后来比尔不顾一切硬撬门过去，那姑娘便像四轮马车顶座的观光游客那样大叫大嚷起来。比尔不得不从那里一直逃到车站。由于他没有行李，人家不让他上车，他只得扒上一列正要出站的货车。
“‘Well，’ says Bill Bassett， when we had exchanged memories of our dead lives， ‘I could eat. This town dont look like it was kept under a Yale lock. Suppose we commit some mild atrocity that will bring in temporarytemporary adj.暂时的， 临时的， 临时性 expense money. I dont suppose youve brought along any hair tonic or rolled gold watchchains， or similar lawdefying swindlesswindle v.诈骗 n.诈骗 that you could sell on the plaza to the pikers of the paretic populace， have you？’
“‘哎，’我们交换了各人的经历之后，比尔·巴西特说，‘我肚子饿啦。这个小镇不像是用弹子锁锁着的。我们不妨干一些无伤大雅的暴行，弄几个零钱花花。我想你身边不见得带着生发水，或者包金的表链。或者类似的非法假货，可以在十字街口卖给镇上那些懵懵懂懂的吝啬鬼吧？’
“‘No，’ says I， ‘I left an elegant line of Patagonian diamond earrings and rainyday sunbursts in my valise at Peavine. But theyre to stay there until some of those blackgum trees begin to glut the market with yellow clings and Japanese plums. I reckon we cant count on them unless we take Luther Burbank in for a partner.’
“‘没有，’我说，‘我的手提箱里本来有一些精致的巴塔戈尼亚的钻石耳坠和胸针，可是给扣在彼文镇了，一直要等到那些黑橡皮树长出大量黄桃和日本李子的时候。我想我们不能对它们存什么希望，除非我们把卢瑟·伯班克找来搭伙。’
“‘Very well，’ says Bassett， ‘well do the best we can. Maybe after dark Ill borrow a hairpin from some lady， and open the Farmers and Drovers Marine Bank with it.’
“‘好吧，’巴西特说，‘那我尽量想些别的办法。也许在天黑之后，我可以向哪位太太借一枚发针，用来打开农牧渔业银行。’
“While we were talking， up pulls a passenger train to the depot near by. A person in a high hat gets off on the wrong side of the train and comes tripping down the track towards us. He was a little， fat man with a big nose and rats eyes， but dressed expensive， and carrying a handsatchel careful， as if it had eggs or railroads bonds in it. He passes by us and keeps on down the track， not appearing to notice the town.
“我们正谈着，一列客车开到了附近的车站。一个戴大礼帽的人从月台那边下了火车，磕磕绊绊地跨过轨道向我们走来。他是个肥胖的矮个子，大鼻子，小眼睛，衣着倒很讲究；他小心翼翼地拿着一个手提包，仿佛里面装的是鸡蛋或是铁路股票似的。他经过我们身边，沿着铁轨继续走去，似乎没有看到小镇。
“‘Come on.’ says Bill Bassett to me， starting after him.
“‘来。’比尔·巴西特招呼我后，自己立刻跟了上去。
“‘Where？’ I asks.
“‘到什么地方去啊？’我问道。