新标准大学英语综合教程2课文翻译U4R1

Aftertwentyyears二十年后1Thepolicemanonthebeatmoveduptheavenueimpressively.Theimpressivenesswashabitualandnotforshow,forspectatorswerefew.Thetimewasbarelyteno'clockatnight,butchillygustsofwindwithatasteofraininthemhadwellnighde-peopledthestreets.正在巡逻的警察沿街而行，神态威严。威严的神态是习惯性的而不是给别人看的，因为也没几个人在看。时间将近夜里十点钟，但是，夹带着一丝雨意的阵阵寒风已使街道近乎空无一人了。2Tryingdoorsashewent,twirlinghisclubwithmanyintricateandartfulmovements,turningnowandthentocasthiswatchfuleyeadownthepacificthoroughfare,theofficer,withhisstalwartformandslightswagger,madeafinepictureofaguardianofthepeace.Thevicinitywasonethatkeptearlyhours.Nowandthenyoumightseethelightsofacigarstoreorofanall-nightlunchcounter;butthemajorityofthedoorsbelongedtobusinessplacesthathadlongsincebeenclosed.警官边走边推门，看看沿街的店门关好了没有。他以错综复杂的精妙动作熟练地摆弄着警棍，时不时转身把警觉的目光投向安静的街道，他健壮的身形和微微大摇大摆的样子形成一幅和平守护者的美妙图像。这一带街区的人是习惯早睡早起的。时不时能看到一家雪茄店或一间通宵营业的便餐馆还亮着灯；但大多数商铺都早已关门了。3Whenaboutmidwayofacertainblockthepolicemansuddenlyslowedhiswalk.Inthedoorwayofadarkenedhardwarestoreamanleaned,withanunlightedcigarinhismouth.Asthepolicemanwalkeduptohimthemanspokeupquickly.走到某一街区的中段时，警察突然放慢了脚步。在一家黑了灯的五金店门口倚着一个男人，嘴里叼着一根没点着的雪茄。警察一走上前去，那人急忙开了腔。4It'sallright,officer,hesaid,reassuringly.I'mjustwaitingforafriend.It'sanappointmentmadetwentyyearsago.Soundsalittlefunnytoyou,doesn'tit?Well,I'llexplainifyou'dliketomakecertainit'sallstraight.Aboutthatlongagothereusedtobearestaurantwherethisstorestands–'BigJoe'Brady'srestaurant.“没事儿，警官，”他说这话好叫警官放心。“我只是在等朋友。这是二十年前定的约会。听起来您觉得有点儿滑稽，对吧？呃，如果您想弄清楚这是不是实话，我可以解释。大约二十年前，这家店所在之处原是个餐馆——‘大乔’布拉迪餐馆。”5Untilfiveyearsago,saidthepoliceman.Itwastorndownthen.“直到五年前，”警察说。“五年前被拆了。6Themaninthedoorwaystruckamatchandlithiscigar.Thelightshowedapale,square-jawedfacewithkeeneyes,andalittlewhitescarnearhisrighteyebrow.Hisscarfpinwasalargediamond,oddlyset.门口那人划了一根火柴点燃雪茄。火光照出一张苍白、方下巴、长着一双锐利眼睛的脸，右眉边上有一处微小的白色疤痕。他的别针是一块大钻石，镶嵌的方式很奇特。7Twentyyearsagotonight,saidtheman,Idinedhereat'BigJoe'Brady'swithJimmyWells,mybestchum,andthefinestchapintheworld.HeandIwereraisedhereinNewYork,justliketwobrothers,together.IwaseighteenandJimmywastwenty.ThenextmorningIwastostartfortheWesttomakemyfortune.Youcouldn'thavedraggedJimmyoutofNewYork;hethoughtitwastheonlyplaceonearth.Well,weagreedthatnightthatwewouldmeethereagainexactlytwentyyearsfromthatdateandtime,nomatterwhatourconditionsmightbeorfromwhatdistancewemighthavetocome.Wefiguredthatintwentyyearseachofusoughttohaveourdestinyworkedoutandourfortunesmade,whatevertheyweregoingtobe.“二十年前的今晚，”那人说，“我在‘大乔’布拉迪这里和我最好的哥们儿、世上最棒的伙计吉米·威尔斯一起吃饭。我和他在纽约这块儿一起长大，就像哥儿俩。我当时十八岁，吉米二十岁。第二天早上我就要动身去西部发财了。你没法儿把吉米拽出纽约；他以为这是地球上唯一的一块地儿。呃，那天晚上我们约定，我们将在二十年后的同一天、同一时间在这里再见面，无论我们混成什么样子，或者得从多远的地方来。我们估计二十年后，我们应该都已经知道了自己的命运，发了财。至于是好是坏都无所谓了。”8Itsoundsprettyinteresting,saidthepoliceman.Ratheralongtimebetweenmeets,though,itseemstome.Haven'tyouheardfromyourfriendsinceyouleft?“听起来很有趣，”警察说。“不过在我看来，两次会面之间隔了相当长一段时间。自从离开后，你没有听到过你朋友的消息吗？”9Well,yes,foratimewecorresponded,saidtheother.Butafterayearortwowelosttrackofeachother.Yousee,theWestisaprettybigproposition,andIkepthustlingaroundoveritprettylively.ButIknowJimmywillmeetmehereifhe'salive,forhealwayswasthetruest,staunchestoldchapintheworld.He'llneverforget.Icameathousandmilestostandinthisdoortonight,andit'sworthitifmyoldpartnerturnsup.“呃，有的，我们通过一段时间的信，”那人说。“可是一两年后，我们彼此就失去了联系。你知道，西部的生意相当大，我一直忙得团团转。但我知道如果吉米还活着，他一定会到这儿来见我的，因为他始终是这世界上最忠实、最可靠的老伙计。他绝不会忘的。今晚我从千里之外赶到这个地方，如果我的老伙伴露面的话，一切都值得了。”10Thewaitingmanpulledoutahandsomewatch,thelidsofitsetwithsmalldiamonds.那个等候的人掏出一只漂亮的怀表，表盖上镶嵌着小钻石。11Threeminutestoten,heannounced.Itwasexactlyteno'clockwhenwepartedhereattherestaurantdoor.“差三分钟十点，”他宣布。“我们是十点整在这餐馆门口分手的。”12DidprettywelloutWest,didn'tyou?askedthepoliceman.“你在西部混得相当不错，对吧？”警察问道。13Youbet!IhopeJimmyhasdonehalfaswell.Hewasakindofplodder,though,goodfellowashewas.I'vehadtocompetewithsomeofthesharpestwitsgoingtogetmypile.AmangetsinagrooveinNewYork.IttakestheWesttoputarazoredgeonhim.“当然啦！我希望吉米混得有我一半儿好。他是那种闷头苦干的人，不过是个好人。我可得跟一帮打我钱财主意的最精明的人竞争。一个人在纽约容易墨守成规。西部则会让他身处险境。”14Thepolicemantwirledhisclubandtookasteportwo.警察转动警棍，又踱了几步。15I'llbeonmyway.Hopeyourfriendcomesaroundallright.Goingtocalltimeonhimsharp?“我得上路了。希望你的朋友能准时到来。如果他没有按时来，你会离开吗？”16Ishouldsaynot!saidtheother.I'llgivehimhalfanhouratleast.IfJimmyisaliveonearthhe'llbeherebythattime.Solong,officer.“我不会离开！”另一位说。“我会至少再给他半个小时。如果吉米还活在世上，到时候他会来的。再见，警官。”17Goodnight,sir,saidthepoliceman,passingonalonghisbeat,tryingdoorsashewent.“晚安，先生，”警察说着，沿巡逻路线继续前行，边走边推着店门。18Therewasnowafine,colddrizzlefalling,andthewindhadrisenfromitsuncertainpuffsintoasteadyblow.Thefewfootpassengersastirinthatquarterhurrieddismallyandsilentlyalongwithcoatcollarsturnedhighandpocketedhands.Andinthedoorofthehardwarestorethemanwhohadcomeathousandmilestofillanappointment,uncertainalmosttoabsurdity,withthefriendofhisyouth,smokedhiscigarandwaited.此时下起了毛毛细雨，寒意袭人，原先若有若无的微风也变成凛冽的寒风。还在街上行走的少数行人也都竖起了大衣领子，将手插进了口袋，阴郁而沉默地匆匆走开了。五金店门口，从千里之外赶来赴约的那个人抽着雪茄等待着，他与少年时代朋友的这场不确定的约会几乎到了荒诞的程度。19Abouttwentyminuteshewaited,andthenatallmaninalongovercoat,withcollarturneduptohisears,hurriedacrossfromtheoppositesideofthestreet.Hewe