It is late on a slow Wednesday, when Herb seats the fat man at my station. This fat man is the fattest person I have ever seen, though he is neat-appearing and well-dressed enough. Good evening, I say. May I serve you?
那是一個(gè)漫長(zhǎng)的周三的晚上，赫布帶著一個(gè)胖男子坐在了我的服務(wù)臺(tái)前。他是我見過的最胖的人，但他看上去很整潔，穿著也很得體。我對(duì)他說：晚上好，先生，很高興為您效勞！
Rita, he was big, I mean, really BIG. Good evening, he says. Hello. I think we're ready to order, he says. He has this way of speaking—strange, and he makes a little puffing sound every so often. I think we will begin with a Caesar salad, he says. And then a bowl of soup with some extra bread and butter, if you please. Then the lamb chops, he says, and baked potato with sour cream. We'll see about dessert later. Thank you very much, he says, and hands me the menu.
麗塔，他是個(gè)龐然大物，我是說，他真是太胖了。他回答說：晚上好，我覺得，我們已經(jīng)準(zhǔn)備好點(diǎn)餐了。他說話的方式有點(diǎn)奇怪，幾乎說出的每個(gè)字都帶著喘氣的聲音。他繼續(xù)說：先給我們來一份凱撒沙拉。再來一碗湯，還有一些面包和黃油，如果方便的話。他接著說：再來一份羊排，還有一份烤馬鈴薯，再配些酸奶油，最后再來份甜點(diǎn)。好了，就這些吧，非常感謝！說完把菜單遞給了我。
I hurry away to the kitchen and turn in the order to Rudy, who takes it with a face. You know Rudy. Rudy is that way when he works. As I come out of the kitchen, Margo says to me: Who's your fat friend? He's really a fatty. Now that's part of it. I think that is really part of it.
我趕快離開服務(wù)臺(tái)來到廚房，把點(diǎn)餐單交給了魯?shù)稀ｔ數(shù)辖舆^點(diǎn)餐單時(shí)做了個(gè)鬼臉。你了解魯?shù)系摹ｔ數(shù)瞎ぷ鞯臅r(shí)候就是這個(gè)樣子。我正要走出廚房時(shí)，瑪戈對(duì)我說：你的那個(gè)胖朋友是誰?。克媸翘至?。當(dāng)時(shí)我就覺得后面還會(huì)發(fā)生更精彩的故事，我真的是這么想的。
I put the bread and butter onto his table, and he immediately starts buttering pieces of bread. I am so keyed up or something, I knock over his glass of water. I'm so sorry, I say. Are you all right? It's nothing, he says. It's all right he says, and he puffs. Don't worry about it. He smiles. When I come back to serve the salad, I see the fat man has eaten all his bread and butter.
我把面包和黃油放在他的桌子上后，他立即就開始在面包片上涂抹黃油。我可能是有點(diǎn)兒激動(dòng)過度了，把他的水打翻了。我連忙說：非常抱歉，您沒事兒吧？他說：沒事，沒關(guān)系的。話音里夾雜著喘氣聲。他繼續(xù)微笑著說：別擔(dān)心，沒事的。當(dāng)我回到廚房取來沙拉給他送去時(shí)，我看到這個(gè)胖男人已經(jīng)把面包和黃油吃光了。
A little later, when I bring him more bread, he has finished his salad. You know the size of those Caesar salads? You're very kind, he says. We don't often enjoy bread like this, he says. Where are you from? I ask him. I don't believe I've seen you before, I say. Denver, he says. I don't say anything more on the subject, though I am curious. Your soup will be along in a few minutes, sir, I say, and leave.
過了一會(huì)兒，當(dāng)我從廚房又給他取來些面包時(shí)，他已經(jīng)把沙拉吃光了。你知道凱撒沙拉是多大一份吧？他說：您的服務(wù)真周到。我們并不總是這樣吃面包的。我問他：您是哪里人？我們之前應(yīng)該沒見過。他回答說：丹佛。雖然我很好奇，但我還是沒再繼續(xù)這個(gè)話題。我說：先生，您的湯還得稍等幾分鐘。說完我便離開了。
When I serve his soup, I see the bread has disappeared again. He is just putting the last piece of bread into his mouth. Believe me, he says, we don't eat like this all the time. You'll have to excuse us, he says. Don't think a thing about it, please, I say. I like to see a man eat and enjoy himself, I say. I don't know, he says. And puffs. He arranges the napkin. Then he picks up his spoon.
當(dāng)我給他上湯時(shí)，我發(fā)現(xiàn)剛剛上的面包又消失了。他剛好正把最后一片面包塞進(jìn)嘴里。他說：相信我，我們并不是每次都這樣吃東西的。請(qǐng)?jiān)徫覀兊氖ФY。我回答說：請(qǐng)不要這么客氣。我喜歡看人們享受美味。他說：我也不知道我為什么會(huì)吃這么多。他邊說邊喘著氣，并用餐巾紙擦了擦嘴角，然后拿起了勺子。
God, he's fat! Says Leander. He can't help it, I say, so shut up. I put down another basket of bread and more butter on his table. How was the soup? I say. Thank you. Good, he says. Very good, he says. He wipes his lips and dabs his chin. Do you think it's warm in here, or is it just me? he says. No, it is warm in here, I say. Maybe we'll take off our coat, he says. Go right ahead, I say. A person has to be comfortable, I say. That's true, he says, that is very, very true, he says. But I see a little later that he is still wearing his coat.
利安德說：天啊，他太胖了！我說：他自己也沒辦法，所以別說了。我又在他的桌子上放了一籃子面包和一些黃油。我對(duì)他說：湯的味道還可以吧？他回答說：謝謝，很好，好極了。他用餐巾紙擦了擦嘴唇和下巴，然后繼續(xù)說道：您覺得這里熱嗎？還是只有我覺得有點(diǎn)兒熱？我說：不，這里的確有點(diǎn)兒熱。他說：也許我們需要脫掉外套。我說：您請(qǐng)便。我們希望每位客人都能夠在這里舒適地進(jìn)餐。他說：有道理，非常非常有道理。但，過了一會(huì)兒，我再次到他時(shí)他仍然穿著外套。
The place is emptying out. By the time I serve the fat man his chops and baked potato, along with more bread and butter, he is the only one left. Is everything all right? I say. Fine, he says, and he puffs. Excellent, thank you, he says, and puffs again. Enjoy your dinner, I say, and walk to the kitchen. How is old tub-of-guts doing? He's going to run your legs off, says Harriet. You know Harriet.
餐廳的人越來越少。當(dāng)我為那個(gè)胖子上羊排和烤馬鈴薯，以及又一份面包和黃油時(shí)，餐廳里就只剩下他一位客人了。我問道：您用餐用的還好吧？他回答說：很好。話音里依舊夾雜著喘氣聲。他繼續(xù)說：非常好，謝謝。喘氣聲仍在繼續(xù)。我說：祝您用餐愉快！然后我回到了廚房。哈里特問道：那個(gè)飯桶還在吃啊？他都快讓你跑斷腿了。你了解哈里特的。
For dessert, I say to the fat man, there is the Green Lantern Special, which is a pudding cake with sauce, or there is cheesecake or vanilla ice cream or pineapple sherbet. We're not making you late, are we? He says, puffing and looking concerned. Not at all, I say. We'll be honest with you, he says. We would like the Special, but we may have a dish of vanilla ice cream as well. With just a drop of chocolate syrup, if you please. We told you we were hungry, he says. I go off to the kitchen to see after his dessert myself, and Rudy says: Harriet says you got a fat man from the circus out there. That true? Rudy, he is fat, I say, but that is not the whole story. Rudy just laughs at his own joke.
飯后甜點(diǎn)，我給那個(gè)胖子推薦了今日特別推薦的綠燈俠（一種帶沙司的布丁蛋糕）、芝士蛋糕、香草冰淇淋和菠蘿果子露，讓他任選其一。他說：我們不會(huì)耽誤您下班吧？話音里夾雜著喘氣聲，同時(shí)面露擔(dān)心的神情。我說：絕對(duì)不會(huì)的。他說：那就不跟您客氣了。我們想要份特別推薦的甜點(diǎn)，但我們還想要一盤香草冰淇淋，上面只放一滴巧克力醬就好，如果方便的話。他說：我們剛剛告訴過您，我們餓壞了。我走到廚房親自為他準(zhǔn)備甜點(diǎn)。魯?shù)险f：哈里特說你正在招待一個(gè)從馬戲團(tuán)跑出來的胖子，真的嗎？我說：魯?shù)?，他是很胖，但這并不是故事的全部。魯?shù)现活櫟帽蛔约赫f的笑話逗得大笑著。
I put the Special in front of the fat man and a big bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup to the side. Thank you, he says. You are very welcome, I say—and a feeling comes over me. Believe it or not, he says, we have not always eaten like this. If we had our choice, never. But there is no choice. Then he picks up his spoon and eats. This story's getting interesting now, Rita says while lighting one of my cigarettes and pulling her chair closer to the table.
我把特別推薦的甜點(diǎn)放在那個(gè)胖子面前，并把一大碗帶巧克力醬的香草冰淇淋放在一邊。他說：謝謝。我說：您太客氣了——內(nèi)心一種感覺油然而生。他說：信不信由您，我們并非總是這樣吃東西。如果有選擇的話，我們絕對(duì)不會(huì)這樣的。但我們別無選擇。然后，他拿起勺子開吃了。麗塔插話說：這故事變得越來越有趣了。邊說邊給我點(diǎn)了支香煙，并把她的椅子向桌子方向移了移。
That's it. Nothing else. He eats his desserts, and then he leaves and then we go home, Rudy and me. Some fatty, Rudy says, stretching like he does when he's tired. The he laughs and starts watching the TV. I take a shower. I put my hand on my middle and wonder what would happen if I had children and one of them turned out to look like that, so fat.
但這就是全部故事了。他吃完了甜點(diǎn)就離開了，然后魯?shù)虾臀乙不丶伊?。魯?shù)险f：有些胖子就像他一樣，累了就會(huì)伸懶腰。然后，他大笑著開始看電視。我沖了個(gè)澡。隨后，插著腰開始浮想聯(lián)翩：如果我將來有了孩子，并且其中一個(gè)孩子變成那么胖，那該怎么辦?。?br />As if he's been thinking about it, Rudy says, I knew a fat guy once, a couple of fat guys, really fat guys, when I was a kid. They were tubbies! I don't remember their names. Fat, that's the only name this one kid had. We only called him Fat. The other kid came along later. His name was Wobbly. Everybody called him Wobbly except the teachers. Wobbly and Fat. Wish I had their picture, Rudy says. I can't think of anything to say.
魯?shù)纤坪跻苍谒伎贾@個(gè)問題，突然對(duì)我說：我小時(shí)候認(rèn)識(shí)一個(gè)胖子，不，是一對(duì)胖子，他們真是太胖了，胖得像水桶一樣！我甚至不記得他們的名字了。這種胖孩子只有一個(gè)名字——胖子。我們只管他們叫“胖子”。后來班里又來了一個(gè)名叫“胖墩”的男孩。除了老師以外，每個(gè)人都叫他“胖墩”。我真希望能有他們的照片。除了這個(gè)，我真不知道該怎么評(píng)價(jià)他們了。
In bed, I suddenly feel that I am fat! I feel I am terrifically fat, so fat that other fat people are nothing compared to me! That's a funny story, Rita says, but I can see she doesn't know what to make of it. I feel depressed. But I won't go into it with her. I've already told her too much. She sits there waiting, waiting for what? I'd like to know. It is August. My life is going to change. I feel it.
在床上，我突然覺得我很胖！覺得我胖得不得了，甚至其他胖子在我面前都不值得一提！ 麗塔說：這真是個(gè)有趣的故事。但我可以看出她并沒有完全聽懂我的故事。我感到有些沮喪。但我不想對(duì)她說。我已經(jīng)對(duì)她說得太多。她坐在那兒等著。她在等什么呢？我很想知道。這時(shí)是八月。我的生活即將改變。我能感覺到。