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After Twenty Years
二十年后
O·Henry
歐·亨利
The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively. The impressiveness was normal and not for show, for spectators were few. The time was barely ten o'clock at night, but chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain in them had almost emptied the streets.
正在巡邏的警察精神抖擻地沿著大街走著。他這樣引人注目并不奇怪，并不是為了炫耀，因為此時大街上根本沒什么觀眾。時間還不到晚上10點鐘，但夾帶著雨意的陣陣冷風幾乎清空了街道。
Trying doors as he went, swinging his club with many clever movements, turning now and then to cast his watchful eye down the peaceful street, the officer, with his strongly built form and slight air of superiority, made a fine picture of a guardian of the peace. The area was one that kept early hours. Now and then you might see the lights of a cigar store or of an all-night lunch counter, but the majority of the doors belonged to business places that had long since closed.
警察邊走邊檢查門是否都關好了，他十分靈巧地不停轉動著警棍，目光還不時投向寧靜的街道。他那魁梧的身材，配著點兒卓越不凡的氣勢，正是一副治安維持者的形象。那個地區的人晚上休息得很早。你偶爾還能看到一家雪茄店或是晝夜營業的飯館還亮著燈，但是絕大多數店鋪都已經關門了。
Halfway down a certain block, the policeman suddenly slowed his walk. In the doorway of a darkened hardware store a man leaned, with an unlighted cigar in his mouth. As the policeman walked up to him, the man spoke up quickly.
在一個街區的半路上，警察忽然放慢了腳步。在一家已經關門的五金商店的門廊里，一個男子倚在那里，嘴里叼著一支未點燃的雪茄。當警察朝他走過去時，男人趕忙開口說話了。
"It's all right, officer," he said, confidently. "I'm just waiting for a friend. It's an appointment made twenty years ago. Sounds a little funny to you, doesn't it? Well, I'll explain if you'd like to make certain it's all right.
“沒事兒的，長官，”他坦然地說，“我只是在等一個朋友。這是20年前就定好的約會。聽起來有點荒唐，是吧?哦，如果你想確定下我說的話是否是真的，我就說給你聽。
