評論
打印
"Would you like it?" I asked.
“喜歡嗎？”我問。
"Oh yes!" he cried, clutching the greasy pelt to him. Then a canny look came into his eyes. "What do you want for it?"
“哇，當然！”他大叫，緊緊抓著那油膩膩的毛皮。接著，眼里露出機警的神色，“你想換什么？”
"Your girl," I said, mincing no words.
“你的女朋友。”我毫不諱言。
"Polly?" he said in a horrified whisper. "You want Polly?"
“波莉？”他驚愕地低聲說，“你要波莉？”
'That's right."
“沒錯。”
He flung the coat from him. "Never," he said stoutly.
他把皮大衣甩開，口氣堅決：“別想。”
I shrugged. "Okay. If you don't want to be in the swim, I guess it's your business."
我聳了聳肩：“好吧，如果你不想趕時髦，你看著辦吧。”
I sat down in a chair and pretended to read a book, but out of the corner of my eye I kept watching Petey. He was a torn man. First he looked at the coat with the expression of a waif at a bakery window. Then he turned away and set his jaw resolutely. Then he looked back at the coat, with even more longing in his face. Then he turned away, but with not so much resolution this time. Back and forth his head swiveled, desire waxing, resolution waning. Finally he didn't turn away at all; he just stood and stared with mad lust at the coat.
我坐到椅子上，假裝看書，一直用余光瞟著皮蒂。他不知所措。起初，他用一個站在面包店前的流浪兒那種目光看著那件皮大衣。接著，他移開目光，挺著下巴，神情堅定。過一會兒，他又轉回頭來看看那件大衣，露出更加渴望的神情。等他再移開目光，神情不再那么堅定。他的目光往復移動，欲望愈增，定力愈減。最終，他的目光不再游弋，堅定地站在那兒，貪婪地盯著那件皮大衣。
"It isn't as though I was in love with Polly," he said thickly. "Or going steady or anything like that."
“我和波莉好像沒談戀愛，”他低聲地說，“也談不上什么正式確定關系。”
"That's right," I murmured.
“這就對了。”我嘟囔著。
"What's Polly to me, or me to Polly?"
“可我與波莉有何干，波莉與我又有何干！”
"Not a thing," said I.
“沒關系。”我說。
"It's just been a casual kick —just a few laughs, that's all."
“這不過是尋歡作樂罷了，沒別的。”
"Try on the coat," said I.
“試試大衣吧。”我說。
He complied. The coat bunched high over his cars and dropped all the way down to his shoe tops. He looked like a mound of dead raccoons. "Fits fine," he said happily.
他照辦了。大衣上面蓋住他的耳朵，下擺一直垂到腳面，活像一具浣熊尸體。他髙興地說：“正合身。”
I rose from my chair. "is it a deal?" I asked, extending my hand.
我站了起來。“成交？”我說著，把手伸出來。
He swallowed. "It's a deal," he said and shook my hand.
他接受了。“成交！”他握了我的手。
