“Me and Andy tries to get this financial misquotationmisquotation n.错误的引用 out of Murkisons head，but we might as well have tried to keep the man who rolls peanuts with a toothpick from betting on Bryans election. No，sir，he was going to perform a public duty by catching these green goods swindlersswindler n.骗子 at their own game. Maybe it would teach em a lesson.
“我和安迪竭力想打消默基森脑袋里那种妄想发横财的念头，但是怎么也不成，仿佛在劝一个无所不赌的浑小子别就布赖恩竞选的结果同人家打赌似的。不成，先生，他一定要去执行一件对公众有益的事情，让那些卖钞票的骗子搬起石头砸自己的脚。那样或许可以给他们一个教训。
“After Murkison left us me and Andy sat a while prepondering over our silent meditations and heresies of reason. In our idle hours we always improved our higher selves by ratiocinationratiocination n.推理，推论 and mental thought.
“默基森走后，我和安迪坐了会儿，默默地思考着理性的异端邪说。我们闲散的时候，总喜欢用思虑和推断来提高自己。
“‘Jeff，’ says Andy after a long time，‘quite unseldom I have seen fit to impugn your molars when you have been chewing the rag with me about your conscientiousconscientious adj.尽责的 way of doing business. I may have been often wrong. But here is a case where I think we can agree. I feel that it would be wrong for us to allow Mr. Murkison to go alone to meet those Chicago green goods men. There is but one way it can end. Dont you think we would both feel better if we was to intervene in some way and prevent the doing of this deed？’
“‘杰夫，’过了很久，安迪开口说，‘当你同我谈你做买卖的正大光明时，我很少不同你抬杠的。我可能常常是错误的。但在这件事情上，我想我们不至于有分歧吧。我认为我们不应该让默基森先生独自去芝加哥找那些卖假钞票的人。那只会有一种结果。我们想办法干预一下，免得出事。你认为这样我们心里是不是舒畅些呢？’
“I got up and shook Andy Tuckers hand hard and long.
“我站起来，使劲同塔克握了好长时间手。
“‘Andy，’ says I，‘I may have had one or two hard thoughts about the heartlessness of your corporation，but I retract em now. You have a kind nucleus at the interior of your exteriorexterior adj.外部的，外在的，表面的，外交的，[建］（适合）外用的 n.外部，表面，外型 after all. It does you credit. I was just thinking the same thing that you have expressed. It would not be honorable or praiseworthypraiseworthy adj.值得称颂的，’ says I，‘for us to let Murkison go on with this project he has taken up. If he is determined to go let us go with him and prevent this swindle from coming off.’
“‘安迪，’我说，‘以前我看你做事毫不留情，总有点不以为然。如今我认为错了。说到头，人不可貌相，你毕竟有一副好心肠。真叫我钦佩之至。你说的话正是我刚才想的。如果我们听任默基森去实现他的计划，’我说，‘我们未免丢人，不值得佩服了。如果他坚决要去，那么我们就跟他一起去，防止骗局得逞吧。’
“Andy agreed with me； and I was glad to see that he was in earnest about breaking up this green goods scheme.
“安迪同意我的话，他一心想破坏假钞票的骗局，真叫我觉得高兴。
“‘I dont call myself a religious man，’ says I，‘or a fanatic in moral bigotry，but I cant stand still and see a man who has built up his business by his own efforts and brains and risk be robbed by an unscrupulousunscrupulous adj.肆无忌惮的，无道德的，不谨慎的 trickster who is a menace to the public good.’
“‘我不以虔诚的人自居，’我说，‘也不认为自己是拘泥于道德的狂热分子；但是，当我眼看一个自己开动脑筋，艰苦奋斗，在困难中创业的人将受到一个妨害公众利益的不法骗子的欺诈时，我决心不能袖手旁观。”
“‘Right，Jeff.’ says Andy. ‘Well stick right along with Murkison if he insists on going and block this funny business. Id hate to see any money dropped in it as bad as you would.’
“‘对的，杰夫。’安迪说。‘如果默基森坚持要去，我们就跟着他，防止这件荒唐的事情。跟你一样，我最不愿意别人蒙受这种钱财损失。’
“Well，we went to see Murkison.
“说罢，我们就去找默基森。
“‘No，boys.’ says he. ‘I cant consent to let the song of this Chicago siren waft by me on the summer breeze. Ill fry some fat out of this ignis fatuus or burn a hole in the skillet. But Id be plumb diverted to death to have you all go along with me. Maybe you could help some when it comes to cashing in the ticket to that 5 to 1 shot. Yes，Id really take it as a pastime and regalementregalement n.盛宴，丰餐 if you boys would go along too.’
“‘不，朋友们。’他说。‘我不能把这个芝加哥害人的歌声当作耳边风。我一不做，二不休，非要在这鬼把戏里挤出一点油水不可。有你们和我同去，我太高兴啦。在那五换一的交易兑现的时候，你们或许可以帮些忙。好得很，你们两位愿意一起去，再好没有了，我真把它当作一件消遣逗乐的事了。’
“Murkison gives it out in Grassdale that he is going for a few days with Mr. Peters and Mr. Tucker to look over some iron ore property in West Virginia. He wires J. Smith that he will set foot in the spider web on a given date； and the three of us lights out for Chicago.
“默基森先生在青草谷传出消息，说他要出一次门，同彼得斯先生和塔克先生一起去西弗吉尼亚踏勘铁矿。他给杰·史密斯去了一封电报，通知对方他准备某天启程前去领教；于是，我们三人就向芝加哥进发了。
“On the way Murkison amuses himself with premonitionspremonition n.前兆 and advance pleasant recollections.
“路上，默基森自得其乐地作了种种揣测，预先设想许多愉快的回忆。
“‘In a gray suit，’ says he，‘on the southwest corner of Wabash avenueavenue n.林阴道，大街，方法，途径，路 and Lake street. He drops the paper，and I ask how the water is. Oh，my，my，my！’ And then he laughs all over for five minutes.
“‘一个穿灰衣服的人，’他说，‘等在沃巴什大道和莱克街的西南角上。他掉下报纸，我就问油水怎么样。呵呵，哈哈！’接着他捧着肚子大笑了五分钟。
“Sometimes Murkison was serious and tried to talk himself out of his cogitations，whatever they was.
“有时候，默基森正经起来，不知他怀着什么鬼胎，思想用胡说八道来排遣它。
“‘Boys，’ says he，‘I wouldnt have this to get out in Grassdale for ten times a thousand dollars. It would ruin me there. But I know you all are all right. I think its the duty of every citizen，’ says he，‘to try to do up these robbers that prey upon the public. Ill showem whether the waters fine. Five dollars for one—thats what J. Smith offers，and hell have to keep his contractcontract n.合同，契约，婚约 v.使缩短，感染，订约 if he does business with Bill Murkison.’
“‘朋友们，’他说，‘即使给我一万块钱，我也不愿意这件事在青草谷宣扬开来。不然我就给毁啦。我知道你们两位是正人君子。我认为惩罚那些社会的贯贼是每个公民应尽的责任。我要给他们看看，油水到底好不好。五块换一块——那是杰·史密斯自己提出来的，他跟比尔·默基森做买卖，就得遵守他的诺言。