1. Mr. Beresford stepped out of the candy shop with a great box under his arm and started briskly for the corner. Mr. Beresford was going to take his wife out to dinner for her birthday, he decided, and was going to see if he could get last-minute tickets to a show, taking his wife candy. It had been an exceptionally good day and Mr. Beresford walked along swiftly, humming to himself.
貝雷斯福德先生走出糖果店，一只臂下夾著一個(gè)大盒子，快速地向角落走去。他決定要帶他的妻子出去吃晚餐，慶祝她的生日，然后再看看能否在最后一刻上演一出“好戲”——把糖果送給他的妻子。這是一個(gè)特別美好的日子，貝雷斯福德先生快速地向前走著，嘴里哼著小曲。
2. He stopped on the corner, and waved for a taxi. A man in a light hat stopped next to Mr. Beresford on the sidewalk and for a minute, in the middle of the crowd, he stared at Mr. Beresford and Mr. Beresford stared at him as people sometimes do without caring particularly what they see. What Mr. Beresford saw was a thin face under the light hat, and a small moustache. Funny-looking guy, Mr. Beresford thought. Perhaps the man thought Mr. Beresford’s staring was offensive; he frowned and turned away. His candy box under his arm, Mr. Beresford decided to swallow his annoyance about the guy and, because there was no taxi in sight, take a bus home.
他停在拐角處，揮手叫出租車。與此同時(shí)，一個(gè)戴著一頂淺色帽子的男子也停在了他身邊的人行道上。在人群中，那個(gè)男子和貝雷斯福德先生彼此凝視了一會(huì)兒，就是人們有時(shí)做的那種并不關(guān)心具體看到了什么的下意識(shí)的凝視。貝雷斯福德先生看到的是一頂淺色帽子下的一張瘦瘦的臉，臉上留著小胡子。貝雷斯福德先生覺得他是個(gè)長(zhǎng)相滑稽的家伙。也許這個(gè)人認(rèn)為貝雷斯福德先生盯著他看冒犯到他了，于是他皺起眉頭轉(zhuǎn)過身去。手臂下夾著糖果盒的貝雷斯福德先生，決定把關(guān)于那個(gè)家伙的煩惱全部拋到腦后，然后坐公交車回家，因?yàn)樵谒囊暰€里一輛出租車也沒出現(xiàn)。
3. He watched the people as he walked to the bus stop. In the crowds, he suddenly saw the funny-looking guy in the light hat coming towards him quickly, as though he hated someone . . . Mr. Beresford shrugged and walked on but halfway, Mr. Beresford realized with a sort of sick shock that the man in the light hat was at his elbow, walking steadily along next to him. Mr. Beresford turned his head the other way and slowed his step. Best, Mr. Beresford decided, to avoid this man. Thinking this, Mr. Beresford turned around and walked steadily to the bus stop to catch his bus home.
他一邊走向公交車站，一邊看著周圍的人來人往。突然間，他在人群中看到了那個(gè)戴著淺色帽子的長(zhǎng)相滑稽的男子快速地朝他走來，而且他的臉上似乎帶著憎惡的表情……貝雷斯福德先生聳了聳肩，繼續(xù)向前走。不過，他中途停下了腳步，他非常震驚地意識(shí)到，那個(gè)戴著淺色帽子的男子正跟他肩并肩穩(wěn)穩(wěn)地向前走著。貝雷斯福德先生把頭轉(zhuǎn)向了另一側(cè)，放慢了腳步。他決定自己最好離這個(gè)人遠(yuǎn)一點(diǎn)兒。想到這，他轉(zhuǎn)過身來，邁著穩(wěn)定的步伐向公交車站的方向走去，以便趕上回家的公交車。
4. The man in the light hat was on the corner ahead, waiting. Mr. Beresford hesitated, but then walked boldly down the street; the man in the light hat was not even watching him, but was leaning calmly against a building lighting a cigarette. Anxious, Mr. Beresford yelled “Taxi!” and a taxi stopped. Mr. Beresford moved gratefully toward it. His hand was on the door handle when another hand closed over his and Mr. Beresford was aware of the light hat brushing his cheek. “Come on if you’re coming,” the taxi driver said; the door was open and Mr. Beresford, resisting the push that urged him into the taxi, slipped his hand out from under the other hand and ran back to the sidewalk.
此時(shí)，戴著淺色帽子的男子正在前方的角落里等著。貝雷斯福德先生猶豫了一下，但還是壯著膽子繼續(xù)沿著街道向前走去。戴著淺色帽子的男子甚至都沒有看他，只是平靜地倚在一棟建筑物的外墻上，吸著煙。貝雷斯福德先生焦急地大喊道：“出租車！”。一輛出租車停了下來。貝雷斯福德先生向著這輛出租車停靠的位置跑去，內(nèi)心充滿感激。當(dāng)他的一只手放到車門把手上時(shí)，另一個(gè)人的一只手蓋在了他的那只手上——貝雷斯福德先生意識(shí)到那頂淺色帽子正擦過自己的臉頰。“上車的話，就快點(diǎn)兒，”出租車司機(jī)說。車門打開了，但貝雷斯福德先生卻抑制住了上車的沖動(dòng)，從另一只手下滑出了自己的那只手，然后跑回人行道上。
5. A bus had stopped on the corner and Mr. Beresford, no longer thinking, hurried into it. The man in the light hat sat a little ahead, between Mr. Beresford and the door. He looked around. In the bus he was riding on now there were only five people. One was the driver, one Mr. Beresford, one the man in the light hat, sitting slightly ahead of Mr. Beresford. The two others were an old lady with a shopping bag and a man who looked as though he might be a foreigner. The man in the light hat was sitting comfortably. “Getting off,” Mr. Beresford said to the driver when they approached the next stop.
一輛公交車在拐角處停了下來，貝雷斯福德先生不假思索地匆匆走了進(jìn)去。戴著淺色帽子的男子坐的位置比較靠前，正好在貝雷斯福德先生與車門之間。他看了看四周。車上此時(shí)只有五個(gè)人——一個(gè)是司機(jī)，一個(gè)是貝雷斯福德先生自己，一個(gè)是坐在貝雷斯福德先生前面很近位置的戴著淺色帽子的男子，另外兩個(gè)人是一位拿著購物袋的老婦人和一個(gè)看起來像是外國人的男子。戴著淺色帽子的男子舒服地坐在那里。“我要下車，”當(dāng)公交車正接近下一站時(shí)，貝雷斯福德先生對(duì)司機(jī)說道。

6. “Can’t stop in the middle of the block,” the driver said, not turning his head. “The next stop, then,” Mr. Beresford said. The bus moved rapidly on. Mr. Beresford saw a sign saying “Bus Stop.” “Here,” he said. “What?” the driver said, going past. “Listen,” Mr. Beresford said. “I want to get off.” “It’s O.K. with me,” the driver said. “Next stop.” “You just passed one,” Mr. Beresford said.
“不能停在街區(qū)中間，”司機(jī)頭也沒回地說。“那就下一站，”貝雷斯福德先生說。公交車?yán)^續(xù)快速行駛。貝雷斯福德先生看到一個(gè)牌子上寫著“公交車站”。“就這站下，”他說。“什么？”司機(jī)說，公交車駛過了車站。“聽著，”貝雷斯福德先生說，“我要下車。”“沒問題，“司機(jī)說，“下一站下吧。”“可你剛剛駛過了一站，”貝雷斯福德先生說。
7. “No one waiting there,” the driver said. “Anyway, you didn’t tell me in time.” “If you don’t stop at the next stop,” Mr. Beresford said, “I shall smash the glass in the door and shout for help.” “What with?” the driver said. “The box of candy?” “How do you know it’s—” Mr. Beresford said before he realized that if he got into a conversation he would miss the next bus stop.
“剛剛那站沒人等候，”司機(jī)說，“總之，你沒及時(shí)告訴我你要下車。”“如果你下一站還不停車，”貝雷斯福德先生說，“我就打碎車門玻璃，然后大聲呼救。”“用什么打碎玻璃？“司機(jī)問，“那盒糖果？”“你怎么知道…… ”貝雷斯福德先生說，然后突然意識(shí)到如果自己繼續(xù)跟他聊下去，下一站也會(huì)錯(cuò)過。
8. The bus pulled to a stop in front of a bus sign; there was a group of stores. “O.K.,” the bus driver said to Mr. Beresford, “you were so anxious to get off.” The man in the light hat got off at the rear door. Mr. Beresford, standing by the open front door, hesitated and said, “I guess I’ll stay on for a while.” “Last stop,” the bus driver said. “Everybody off.” Mr. Beresford got off and went directly up to the man in the light hat, standing on the sidewalk. “This is perfectly ridiculous,” he said emphatically. “I don’t understand any of it and I want you to know that the first policeman I see—”
公交車在一個(gè)公交站牌前停了下來，附近有很多商店。“好了，到站了，”公交車司機(jī)對(duì)貝雷斯福德先生說，“你急著要下車的。”戴著淺色帽子的男子從后門下了車。站在敞開的前門邊上的貝雷斯福德先生猶豫了一下，說：“我想我還是在車上再呆一會(huì)兒吧。”“已經(jīng)是終點(diǎn)站了，”公交車司機(jī)說，“每個(gè)人都得下車。”貝雷斯福德先生下了車，徑直走到站在人行道上的那個(gè)戴著淺色帽子的男子身邊。“這非常荒謬，”他用力說道，“我不明白你做這些事是什么意思，但我想讓你知道我看到的第一名警察……”
9. He stopped when he realized that the man in the light hat was looking not at him but, bored and fixedly, over his shoulder. Mr. Beresford turned and saw a policeman standing on the corner. “Just you wait,” he said to the man in the light hat, and started for the policeman. Halfway to the policeman he began to wonder again: what did he have to report? A bus that would not stop when directed to, a mysterious man in a light hat—and why? Mr. Beresford realized suddenly that there was nothing he could tell the policeman: he looked over his shoulder and saw the man in the light hat watching him, and then Mr. Beresford bolted down the street.
當(dāng)他意識(shí)到那個(gè)戴著淺色帽子的男子并沒有看他，而只是目光呆滯地回頭盯著什么看時(shí)，便停了下來。貝雷斯福德先生轉(zhuǎn)身看到一名警察正站在角落里。“你等著，”他對(duì)那個(gè)戴著淺色帽子的男子說，然后開始朝那名警察走去。向警察靠近的途中，一連串的疑惑再次襲來：要告訴警察什么？一輛公交車被告知停車也不停，一位神秘男子戴著淺色帽子……為什么他們會(huì)這樣？貝雷斯福德先生突然意識(shí)到他沒什么可告訴警察的——他回頭看了看，看到那個(gè)戴著淺色帽子的男子正注視著他，然后發(fā)瘋似地沿著街道向遠(yuǎn)處跑去。
10. He finally reached his apartment building without mishap. There was no light hat, no odd person watching for Mr. Beresford in the lobby. In the elevator, alone, with no one to see which floor button he pressed, Mr. Beresford took a long breath and began to wonder if he had dreamed his wild trip home.
他終于平安無事地到達(dá)了他家的公寓樓。沒有淺色帽子，也沒有奇怪的人在大廳里盯著貝雷斯福德先生看。電梯里只有他自己，沒有人看到他按下了哪個(gè)樓層的按鈕，貝雷斯福德先生長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)地吸了口氣，開始懷疑這次瘋狂的回家經(jīng)歷是不是自己做的白日夢(mèng)。
11. “You’re terribly late, darling,” his wife said affectionately when he entered his apartment. “But what’s the matter?” He looked at her; she was wearing her blue dress and that meant she knew it was her birthday and expected him to take her out; he handed her the box of candy limply and she took it, hardly noticing in her anxiety over him. “What on earth has happened?” she asked. “Darling, come in here and sit down. You look terrible.”
“你回來的太遲了，親愛的，”當(dāng)他走進(jìn)他的公寓房間時(shí)，他妻子親切地說道，“但這是怎么回事？”他看了看她——她穿著藍(lán)色連衣裙，這意味著她知道今天是她的生日，并期待他帶她出去。他軟綿綿地把那盒糖果遞給了她，一副四肢無力的樣子。她接過了糖果盒。他幾乎沒有注意到她對(duì)他的焦慮之情。“到底發(fā)生了什么事？”她問道，“親愛的，快進(jìn)屋，坐下來吧。你看上去很糟糕。”
12. He let her lead him into the living room, into his own chair, and lay back. “Are you sick? Were you in an accident? What has happened?” He sighed deeply and said, “Nothing. Nothing wrong. Tell you in a minute.” “Wait,” she said. “I’ll get you a drink.” He put his head back against the soft chair as she went out. Unconsciously, he focused to hear his wife dial a number on the telephone in the hall. She dialled and waited. Then: “Listen,” she said, “l(fā)isten, he came here after all. I’ve got him.”
她帶他進(jìn)到起居室，坐在他自己的椅子上，然后向后躺下。“你生病了嗎？你出事了嗎？發(fā)生了什么事？“他深深地嘆了口氣，說：“沒什么，沒發(fā)生什么。一分鐘后告訴你怎么回事。”“等等，”她說，“我給你拿點(diǎn)兒喝的去。” 他把頭靠在了柔軟的椅子背上，與此同時(shí)她走出了房間。不知不覺中，他的注意力被她妻子在大廳里撥打電話的聲音吸引了——她撥通了那個(gè)號(hào)碼，等待著，然后對(duì)著聽筒說道：“聽著，聽著，他終究還是回來了，我已經(jīng)看好他了。”