評論
打印
Some people seem easy to understand: their character appears obvious on first meeting. Appearances, however, can be deceptive.
有些人似乎容易了解：他們的個性在初次交往時就表露無遺。然而，外表可能具有欺騙性。
A Friend in Need
患難之交
Somerset Maugham
薩默塞特·毛姆
For thirty years now I have been studying my fellowmen. I do not know very much about them. I shrug my shoulders when people tell me that their first impressions of a person are always right. I think they must have small insight or great vanity. For my own part I find that the longer I know people the more they puzzle me.
三十年來，我一直研究我的人類同胞，但至今了解不多。每當有人跟我說他對一個人的第一次印象向來不錯的時候，我就聳聳肩。我想這種人不是無知，就是自大。拿我自己來說，我發現，認識一個人的時間越長，我就越感到困惑。
These reflections have occurred to me because I read in this morning's paper that Edward Hyde Burton had died at Kobe. He was a merchant and he had been in business in Japan for many years. I knew him very little, but he interested me because once he gave me a great surprise. Unless I had heard the story from his own lips, I should never have believed that he was capable of such an action. It was more startling because both in appearance and manner he suggested a very definite type. Here if ever was a man all of a piece. He was a tiny little fellow, not much more than five feet four in height, and very slender, with white hair, a red face much wrinkled, and blue eyes. I suppose he was about sixty when I knew him. He was always neatly and quietly dressed in accordance with his age and station.
我產生這些想法，是因為我在今天早上的報紙上看到愛德華·海德·伯頓在神戶去世的消息。他是個商人，在日本經商多年。我跟他并不熟，但是對他挺有興趣，因為有一次他讓我大吃一驚。要不是聽他親口講述這個故事，我根本不會相信他能做出這種事來。這件事之所以特別令人驚訝，是因為無論是外表還是風度，他都讓人想到一種非常明確的類型。要說真有表里如一的人的話，那就是此公了。他個子很小，身高不過英尺英寸，身材纖細，白頭發、藍眼睛，紅紅的臉上布滿皺紋。我估計自己認識他時，他大約有歲光景。他向來衣著整潔素雅，合乎他的年齡和身份。
Though his offices were in Kobe, Burton often came down to Yokohama. I happened on one occasion to be spending a few days there, waiting for a ship, and I was introduced to him at the British Club. We played bridge together. He played a good game and a generous one. He did not talk very much, either then or later when we were having drinks, but what he said was sensible. He had a quiet, dry humor. He seemed to be popular at the club and afterwards, when he had gone, they described him as one of the best. It happened that we were both staying at the Grand Hotel and next day he asked me to dine with him. I met his wife, fat, elderly, and smiling, and his two daughters. It was evidently a united and affectionate family. I think the chief thing that struck me about Burton was his kindliness. There was something very pleasing in his mild blue eyes. His voice was gentle; you could not imagine that he could possibly raise it in anger; his smile was benign. Here was a man who attracted you because you felt in him a real love for his fellows. At the same time he liked his game of cards and his cocktail, he could tell with point a good and spicy story, and in his youth he had been something of an athlete. He was a rich man and he had made every penny himself. I suppose one thing that made you like him was that he was so small and frail; he aroused your instincts of protection. You felt that he could not bear to hurt a fly.
伯頓的辦事處設在神戶，但他常常到橫濱來。有一次，我正好因為等船，要在那里呆幾天，在英國俱樂部經人介紹與他相識。我們在一起玩橋牌。他打得不錯，牌風也好。無論在玩牌的時候，還是在后來一起喝酒的時候，他的話都不多，但說的話卻都合情合理。他挺幽默，但并不咋呼。他在俱樂部里似乎人緣不錯，后來，在他走了以后，人家都說他是個頂呱呱的人。事有湊巧，我們倆都住在格蘭德大酒店。第二天他請我吃飯。我見到了他的太太――一位肥肥胖胖、滿面笑容的半老婦人――和他的兩個女兒。這顯然是和睦恩愛的一家人。我想，伯頓當時給我印象最深的主要還是他這個人和善。他那雙溫和的藍眼睛有種令人愉快的神情。他說話的聲音輕柔；你無法想象他會提高嗓門大發雷霆；他的笑容和藹可親。這個人吸引你，是因為你從他身上感到他對別人的真正的愛。同時他也喜歡玩牌，喝雞尾酒，他能繪聲繪色地講個來勁兒的段子什么的，他年輕時多少還是個運動員呢。他是個闊佬，但他的每一個便士都是自己掙來的。我想，人們喜歡他還有一個原因，那就是他非常瘦小、脆弱，容易引起人們的惻隱之心。你覺得他甚至連只螞蟻都不忍傷害。
One afternoon I was sitting in the lounge of the Grand Hotel when Burton came in and seated himself in the chair next to mine.
一天下午，我正坐在格蘭德大酒店的大堂里，伯頓走了進來，在我旁邊的椅子里坐下。
"What do you say to a little drink?"
“喝一點，怎么樣？”
He clapped his hands for a boy and ordered two gin fizzes. As the boy brought them a man passed along the street outside and seeing me waved his hand.
他拍了拍手招呼侍者過來，要了兩杯杜松子汽酒。侍者端來酒的時候，有個人從外面街上走過，見到我招了下手。
"Do you know Turner?" said Burton as I nodded a greeting.
“你認識特納嗎？”在我點頭致意的時候，伯頓問道。
"I've met him at the club. I'm told he's a remittance man."
“我是在俱樂部里認識他的。聽說他是個靠國內寄錢過日子的人。”
"Yes, I believe he is. We have a good many here."
“是呀，我想是的。在這兒這種人可不少。”
"He plays bridge well."
“他橋牌打得不錯。”
"They generally do. There was a fellow here last year, oddly enough a namesake of mine, who was the best bridge player I ever met. I suppose you never came across him in London. Lenny Burton he called himself. I believe he'd belonged to some very good clubs."
“這種人一般都玩得不錯。去年這里有一個人，湊巧還和我同姓，我從來沒有遇到過一個橋牌打得那么好的高手。我想你在倫敦沒有碰見過他。他說他叫倫尼·伯頓。我相信，他加入過一些相當高級的俱樂部呢。”
"No, I don't believe I remember the name."
“嗯，我實在不記得這個名字。”
"He was quite a remarkable player. He seemed to have an instinct about the cards. It was uncanny. I used to play with him a lot. He was in Kobe for some time."
“他稱得上是橋牌高手。好像對牌有一種本能似的，簡直神了。我那會兒常和他一起玩牌。他在神戶住了一段時間。”
Burton sipped his gin fizz.
伯頓抿了一口杜松子汽酒。
"It's rather a funny story,' he said. 'He wasn't a bad chap. I liked him. He was always well-dressed and smart-looking. He was handsome in a way with curly hair and pink-and-white cheeks. Women thought a lot of him. There was no harm in him, you know, he was only wild. Of course he drank too much. Those sort of fellows always do. A bit of money used to come on for him once a quarter and he made a bit more by card-playing. He won a good deal of mine, I know that."
“說來也是件有趣的事，”他說。“他人不壞。我挺喜歡他。他總是衣冠楚楚，樣子挺帥。長得也算英俊，蜷曲的頭發，兩頰白里透紅。女人都對他著迷。你知道，他沒有什么害人之處，就是野了點。自然，他酒喝得太兇了。這種人總是這樣。他每個季度收到一小筆錢，靠打牌再賺一點。他贏了我不少錢，這我可知道。”
Burton gave a kindly chuckle. I knew from my own experience that he could lose money at bridge with a good grace. He stroked his shaven chin with his thin hand; the veins stood out on it and it was almost transparent.
伯頓和善地咯咯一笑。我的處世經驗告訴我，他打橋牌輸起錢來時一定是大大方方的。他用瘦小的手摸了摸剃得光光的下巴；手上青筋鼓起，手白得幾乎透明。
"I suppose that is why he came to me when he went broke, that and the fact that he was a namesake of mine. He came to see me in my office one day and asked me for a job. I was rather surprised. He told me that there was no more money coming from home and he wanted to work. I asked him how old he was.
“大概就是因為這個，當他落得一文不名的時候，就來找我了，再說他和我同姓。有一天，他到我辦事處來見我，要我給他個差使。當時我頗為驚訝。他告訴我說家里不再給他寄錢了，他要干活兒了。我問他多大年紀。
"'Thirty-five,' he said.
“‘35，'他說。
"'And what have you been doing hitherto?' I asked him.
“‘你一直都干什么來著？'我問道。
"'Well, nothing very much,' he said.
“‘嗯，沒怎么干過事。'他說。
I couldn't help laughing.
“我禁不住笑了。
"'I'm afraid I can't do anything for you just yet,' I said. 'Come back and see me in another thirty-five years, and I'll see what I can do.'
“‘眼下恐怕不能幫你忙了，'我說。‘你再過年來找我，到時候我再看看能幫些什么忙。'
"He didn't move. He went rather pale. He hesitated for a moment and then he told me that he had had bad luck at cards for some time. He hadn't been willing to stick to bridge, he'd been playing poker, and he'd got trimmed. He hadn't a penny. He'd pawned everything he had. He couldn't pay his hotel bill and they wouldn't give him any more credit. He was down and out. If he couldn't get something to do he'd have to commit suicide.
“他沒有動彈，臉色變得相當蒼白。他猶豫了一會兒，然后對我說，這一陣子他牌運一直不好。原來他不甘心老打橋牌，便賭起撲克來，結果輸了個精光。他一個子兒也沒有，所有的東西都拿去當了。他連酒店的賬都付不出，人家也不肯再賒賬給他。他已經山窮水盡。要是找不到點事干，他只好自殺。
"I looked at him for a bit. I could see now that he was all to pieces. He'd been drinking more than usual and he looked fifty. The girls wouldn't have thought so much of him if they'd seen him then.
“我瞧了他一會兒。我能看出他已經完全垮了。這一陣子他酒喝得比以前更兇，看上去足有歲。姑娘們當時要是瞧見他，準不會對他那么著迷了。
"'Well isn't there anything you can do except play cards?' I asked him.
“‘嗯，你除了打牌以外，難道什么也不會干嗎？'我問他。
"'I can swim,' he said.
“‘我會游泳，'他說。
"'Swim!'
“‘游泳！'
"I could hardly believe my ears; it seemed such an insane answer to give.
“我幾乎以為自己聽錯了呢；這種回答聽起來簡直是牛頭不對馬嘴。
"'I swam for my university.'
“‘我讀大學時曾經代表學校參加游泳比賽。'
"I got some glimmering of what he was driving at. I've known too many men who were little tin gods at their university to be impressed by it.
“我聽出了一點他話里的意思。上大學時自以為了不起的人我見得多了，我才不吃這套呢。
"'I was a pretty good swimmer myself when I was a young man,' I said.
“‘本人年輕時也是個游泳好手，'我說。
"Suddenly I had an idea."
“突然，我有了個想法。”
Pausing in his story, Burton turned to me.
伯頓停了下來，看著我。
"Do you know Kobe?" he asked.
“你對神戶熟悉嗎？”他問。
"No," I said, "I passed through it once, but I only spent a night there."
“不熟悉，”我說，“從前有一次路過那里，只呆了一個晚上。”
"Then you don't know the Shioya Club. When I was a young man I swam from there round the beacon and landed at the creek of Tarumi. It's over three miles and it's rather difficult on account of the currents round the beacon. Well, I told my young namesake about it and I said to him that if he'd do it I'd give him a job.
“那么，你不會知道鹽谷俱樂部吧。我年輕的時候，曾經從那里出發，游過燈塔直到垂水小溪上岸。一共英里多路，燈塔一帶有激流，游起來挺費勁。于是，我把這事告訴了那位與我同姓的年輕人，并對他說，要是他能游過去，我就給他一個差使。
"I could see he was rather taken aback.
“我看得出，他嚇了一跳。
"'You say you're a swimmer,' I said.
“‘你不是說你是游泳好手嗎？'我說。
"'I'm not in very good condition,' he answered.
“‘我現在身體狀況不太好，'他回答說。
"I didn't say anything. I shrugged my shoulders. He looked at me for a moment and then he nodded.
“我什么也沒說，只是聳了聳肩。他望了我一會兒，然后點了點頭。
"'All right,' he said. 'When do you want me to do it?'
“‘好吧，'他說了，‘你要我什么時候游呢？'
"I looked at my watch. It was just after ten.
“我看了看表。剛過十點。
"'The swim shouldn't take you much over an hour and a quarter. I'll drive round to the creek at half past twelve and meet you. I'll take you back to the club to dress and then we'll have lunch together.'
“‘你游這段距離大概要花一個鐘頭零一刻多一些。我到點半開車到小溪那里去接你，帶你到俱樂部換衣服，然后一起吃午飯。'
"'Done,' he said.
“‘就這樣吧，'他說。
"We shook hands. I wished him good luck and he left me. I had a lot of work to do that morning and I only just managed to get to the creek at Tarumi at half past twelve. But I needn't have hurried; he never turned up."
“我們握了握手。我祝他好運，他就走了。那天上午我有好些事要辦，到12點半總算勉強趕到了垂水小溪。其實我根本用不著這么趕，他壓根兒就沒露面。”
"Did he funk it at the last moment?" I asked.
“他臨陣脫逃了？”我問。
"No, he didn't funk it. He started all right. But of course he'd ruined his constitution by drink and dissipation. The currents round the beacon were more than he could manage. We didn't get the body for about three days."
“沒有，他沒有臨陣脫逃。他確實出發了。當然嘍，他喝酒作樂早把身體搞垮了。燈塔周圍的激流他對付不了。大約有三天，我們都沒找到尸體。”
I didn't say anything for a moment or two. I was a trifle shocked. Then I asked Burton a question.
我好一會兒什么話也沒說。我感到有些震驚。然后我問了伯頓一個問題。
"When you made him that offer of a job, did you know he'd be drowned?"
“你提出給他差使的時候，是不是知道他準會淹死？”
He gave a little mild chuckle and he looked at me with those kind and candid blue eyes of his. He rubbed his chin with his hand.
他輕輕地咯咯一笑，用那雙和善又坦率的藍眼睛望著我。他用手摩挲著下巴。
"Well, I hadn't got a vacancy in my office at the moment."
“哦，那時我的辦事處可沒有空缺呀。”
