五月的月光明亮地照在穆菲太太的私人寄宿舍上。从日历上看，这个月光照射的地方还挺广的。春天正盛，尽管很快就会迎来花粉症。公园里绿意盎然，吸引了很多西部和南部的买家。花卉和度假地推销员也忙碌着，空气和对劳森的回应越来越温和；到处都有手风琴、喷泉和扑克牌的声音。

THE MAY MOON SHONE BRIGHT upon the private boarding-house of Mrs. Murphy. By reference to the almanac a large amount of territory will be discovered upon which its rays also fell. Spring was in its heyday, with hay fever soon to follow. The parks were green with new leaves and buyers for the Western and Southern trade. Flowers and summer-resort agents were blowing; the air and answers to Lawson were growing milder; hand-organs, foun­ tains and pinochle were playing everywhere. 

穆菲太太的寄宿舍的窗户开着。一群寄宿的人坐在高高的门廊上，盘腿坐在像德国煎饼一样扁平的垫子上。

The windows of Mrs. Murphy's boarding-house were open. A group of boarders were seated on the high stoop upon round, flat mats like German pancakes. 

在二楼的一扇窗户里，麦卡斯基太太在等着她丈夫。晚饭已经凉了，热气全都涌向麦卡斯基太太。

In one of the second-floor front windows M rs. McCaskey awaited her husband. Supper was cooling on the table. Its heat went into Mrs. McCaskey. 

九点钟，麦卡斯基先生回来了。他把外套搭在胳膊上，嘴里叼着烟斗，边道歉边避开台阶上的寄宿者，踏着自己的大号鞋踩在石板上，找地方把脚放稳。

At nine Mr. McCaskey came. He carried his coat on his arm and his pipe in his teeth; and he apologized for disturbing the boarders on the steps as he selected spots of stone between them on which to set his size 9, width Ds. 

当他打开房门时，他收到了一个惊喜。平时总是掉下锅盖或土豆捣碎器来砸他的东西，这次却只有话语。

As he opened the door of his room he received a surprise. Instead of the usual stove-lid or potato-masher for him to dodge, came only words. 

麦卡斯基先生觉得五月的月光可能软化了妻子的心。

Mr. McCaskey reckoned that the benign May moon had soft­ ened the breast of his spouse. 

“我听见了，”厨房用品被口头替代了，“你可以为你踩到街上那些人的裙摆道歉，但你走过你妻子的脖子，踩在衣架上，连一句‘亲我一下’都不说。我看，你是把窗户打开给你自己，吃的冷了，都是你在加利赫喝酒花掉的工钱，今天还两次有煤气工人来。”

'I heard ye,' came the oral substitutes for kitchenware. 'Ye can apollygize to riff-raff of the streets for settin' yer unhandy feet on the tails of their frocks, but ye'd walk on the neck of yer wife the length of a clothes-line without so much as a "Kiss me fut," and I'm sure, it's that long from rubberin' out the windy for ye and the victuals cold such as there's money to buy after drinkin' up yer wages at Gallegher's every Saturday evenin', and the gas man here twice to-day for his.' 

“女人！”麦卡斯基先生甩下外套和帽子，“你这声音简直是对我胃口的侮辱。你要是要毁了礼貌，别怪我把社会的基础给推倒。你问那些站在路上的女士意见，能不能走过去。去把你这猪脸从窗户里收回去，去做饭！”

'Woman!' said Mr. McCaskey, dashing his coat and hat upon a chair, 'the noise of ye is an insult to me appetite. When ye run down politeness ye take the mortar from between the bricks of the foundations of society. 'Tis no more than exercisin' the acrimony of a gentleman when ye ask the dissent of ladies blockin' the way for steppin' between them. Will ye bring the pig's face of ye out of the windy and see to the food?' 

麦卡斯基太太沉重地站起来，走向炉子。她的动作让麦卡斯基先生警觉到不妙。每当她嘴角突然下垂，像气压表一样，通常预示着一场锅碗瓢盆的大战。

Mrs. McCaskey arose heavily and went to the stove. There was something in her manner that warned Mr. McCaskey. When the corners of her mouth went down suddenly like a barometer it usually foretold a fall of crockery and tinware. 

“猪脸？”麦卡斯基太太说着，猛地把一锅炖肉和胡萝卜扔向她丈夫。

'Pig's face, is it?' said Mrs. McCaskey, and hurled a stewpan full of bacon and turnips at her lord. 

麦卡斯基先生可不是没见过这种场面。他知道该怎么回应。桌上有一块烤猪里脊，周围还撒着三叶草。他反击，顺势扔出一盘面包布丁。她丈夫投出的瑞士奶酪一块准确地击中了麦卡斯基太太的下眼睑。她用一个装着热黑咖啡的壶回击，这场美食对决按照步骤进行下去。

Mr. McCaskey was no novice at repartee. He knew what should follow the entree. On the table was a roast sirloin of pork, gar­ nished with shamrocks. He retorted with this, and drew the appropriate return of a bread pudding in an earthen dish. A hunk of Swiss cheese accurately thrown by her husband struck Mrs. McCaskey below one eye. When she replied with a well-aimed coffee-pot full of a hot, black, semi-fragrant liquid the battle, according to courses, should have ended. 

但麦卡斯基先生可不是便宜餐馆的顾客。让那些廉价的波西米亚人以咖啡收尾也行。可他更狡猾。水指碗可不在穆菲寄宿屋里找得到，但别担心，适当的替代品已经到手了。他得意洋洋地把一个花岗岩洗涤盆砸向他老婆的头。麦卡斯基太太及时躲过了，她伸手抓起一个熨斗，希望用它来结束这场料理对决。但突然楼下传来一声尖叫，打破了两人意外的停战。

But Mr. McCaskey was no 50 cent table d'hôter. Let cheap Bohemians consider coffee the end, if they would. Let them make that faux pas. He was foxier still. Finger-bowls were not beyond the compass of his experience. They were not to be had in the Pension Murphy; but their equivalent was at hand. Triumphantly he sent the granite-ware wash-basin at the head of his matrimo­ nial adversary. Mrs. McCaskey dodged in time. She reached for a flat-iron, with which, as a sort of cordial, she hoped to bring the gastronomical duel to a close. But a loud, wailing scream down­ stairs caused both her and Mr. McCaskey to pause in a sort of involuntary armistice. 

站在街角的警察克利里一边竖着耳朵听着厨房里传出的碰撞声。

On the sidewalk at the corner of the house Policeman Cleary was standing with one ear upturned, listening to the crash of household utensils. 

“又是麦卡斯基夫妇打架，”警察心里想着，“我要不要上去阻止他们？算了，他们是夫妻，没啥乐趣的，打不了多久的。没准他们还得借点碗碟继续打下去。”

' ' T i s Jawn McCaskey and his missus at it again,' meditated the policeman. 'I wonder shall I go up and stop the row. I will not. Married folks they are; and few pleasures they have. 'Twill not last long. Sure, they'll have to borrow more dishes to keep it up with.' 

就在这时，楼下传来了更加刺耳的尖叫声，显然是某种紧急情况。“可能是猫，”警察克利里说着，匆匆朝别的方向走去。

And just then came the loud scream below-stairs, betokening fear or dire extremity. ' 'Tis probably the cat,' said Policeman Cleary, and walked hastily in the other direction. 

台阶上的寄宿者们都吓了一跳。保险推销员图米先生按职业惯例进屋去分析这声尖叫；他回来后告诉大家，穆菲太太的小儿子迈克不见了。消息传开，穆菲太太冲了出去，泪流满面，抓着空气嚎叫着，仿佛整个世界都因失去这个淘气的小男孩而崩塌了。这真是个悲伤的场面；不过图米先生坐回了波迪小姐旁边，两人握手表示同情。两位老小姐，沃尔什小姐问立刻有人检查过钟后面没？

The boarders on the steps were fluttered. Mr. Toomey, an insurance solicitor by birth and an investigator by profession, went inside to analyse the scream. He returned with the news that Mrs. Murphy's little boy Mike was lost. Following the messenger, out bounced Mrs. Murphy - two hundred pounds in tears and hysterics, clutching the air and howling to the sky for the loss of thirty pounds of freckles and mischief. Bathos, truly; but Mr. Toomey sat down at the side of Miss Purdy, milliner, and their hands came together in sympathy. The two old maids, Misses Walsh, who complained every day about the noise in the halls, inquired immediately if anybody had looked behind the clock. 

格里格上校和他那位肥胖的太太坐在最上面的一阶站起来，扣好外套。“孩子丢了？”他惊呼道，“我会把整个城市都搜遍。”他妻子平时不允许他晚上出门，但这回她却深情地说：“去吧，卢多维克！谁要是能眼睁睁看着那位母亲的痛苦而不去帮助，那就是石头心肠。” “给我三十或六十美分，我的亲爱的，”上校说，“丢失的孩子有时候会跑得很远，我可能得乘车。”

Major Grigg, who sat by his fat wife on the top step, arose and buttoned his coat. 'The little one lost?' he exclaimed. 'I will scour the city.' His wife never allowed him out after dark. But now she said: 'Go, Ludovic!' in a baritone voice. 'Whoever can look upon that mother's grief without springing to her relief has a heart of stone.' 'Give me some thirty or - sixty cents, my love,' said the Major. 'Lost children sometimes stray far. I may need car-fares.' 

住在四楼后房的老亨利，坐在最下面的台阶上，正在看报纸，看到了一篇关于木匠罢工的文章，翻了几页。“天啊，迈克呢？”穆菲太太对着月亮大喊。

Old man Denny, hall-room, fourth floor back, who sat on the lowest step, trying to read a paper by the street lamp, turned over a page to follow up the article about the carpenters' strike. Mrs. Murphy shrieked to the moon: 'Oh, ar-r-Mike, f'r Gawd's sake, where is me little bit av a boy?' 

“你最后一次见到他是什么时候？”老亨利一边看着建筑工会的报告，一边问。

'When'd ye see him last?' asked old man Denny, with one eye on the report of the Building Trades League. 

“哦，”穆菲太太哭诉，“是昨天，或者可能是四个小时之前！我也不清楚。但他丢了，我的小男孩迈克。他今天早上还在走廊上玩——或者是星期三来着？我这段时间工作忙得连日期都记不住了。我已经从上到下翻遍了整座房子，他就是找不着。哦，天呐——”

'Oh,' wailed Mrs. Murphy,.' 'twas yisterday, or maybe four hours ago! I dunno. But it's lost he is, me little boy Mike. He was playin' on the sidewalk only this mornin' - or was it Wednesday? I'm that busy with work 'tis hard to keep up with dates. But I've looked the house over from top to cellar, and it's gone he is. Oh, for the love av Hiven - ' 

沉默、严峻、庞大的大城市一直在面对它的批评者。人们说它像铁一样坚硬，说它的心中没有怜悯的脉搏，把它的街道比作孤寂的森林和熔岩沙漠。但在龙虾硬壳之下，隐藏着美味和鲜嫩的肉。或许换个比喻会更合适，但没人会因此生气。我们绝不会随便说某人是龙虾，除非他们真的有龙虾般的钳子。

Silent, grim, colossal, the big city has ever stood against its revilers. They call it hard as iron; they say that no pulse of pity beats in its bosom; they compare its streets with lonely forests and deserts of lava. But beneath the hard crust of the lobster is found a delectable and luscious food. Perhaps a different simile would have been wiser. Still, nobody should take offence. W e would call no one a lobster without good and sufficient claws. 

没有什么灾难比小孩迷路更能触动人们的内心。孩子们的步伐那么不稳定、脆弱；道路又那么陡峭、陌生。

No calamity so touches the common heart of humanity as does the straying of a little child. Their feet are so uncertain and feeble; the ways are so steep and strange. 

格里格上校急匆匆地跑到街角，再朝比利的酒吧走去。“来杯黑麦酒，”他说对服务员，“你这儿有没有见过一个腿弯弯、脏兮兮的小男孩，大约六岁，丢了的那种？”

Major Griggs hurried down to the corner, and up the avenue into Billy's place. 'Gimme a rye-high,' he said to the servitor. 'Haven't seen a bow-legged, dirty-faced little devil of a six-year- old lost kid around here anywhere, have you?' 

图米先生依然握着波迪小姐的手，站在台阶上。“想想那个可爱的小宝宝，”波迪小姐说，“离开了妈妈的怀抱——也许已经被疾驰的马蹄踩过了——哦，太可怕了！”

Mr. Toomey retained Miss Purdy's hand on the steps. 'Think of that dear little babe,' said Miss Purdy, 'lost from his mother's side - perhaps already fallen beneath the iron hoofs of galloping steeds - oh, isn't it dreadful?' 

“对啊，”图米先生点头，紧握着她的手，“我去帮忙找找吧！”

'Ain't that right?' agreed Mr. Toomey, squeezing her hand. 'Say I start out and help look for um!' 

“或许，”波迪小姐说，“你应该去。但哦，图米先生，你实在太冲动了——你这么一激动，万一发生点意外怎么办——”

'Perhaps,' said Miss Purdy, 'you should. But oh, Mr. Toomey, you are so dashing - so reckless - suppose in your enthusiasm some accident should befall you, then what - ' 

老亨利依旧用手指着报纸上的文字看着。

Old man Denny read on about the arbitration agreement, with one finger on the lines. 

在二楼前面，麦卡斯基夫妇正站在窗前恢复气力。麦卡斯基先生正在用弯曲的食指从衣服里掏出胡萝卜，而他的太太则在擦着一只因为烤猪肉的盐分而没能好起来的眼睛。他们听见楼下的骚动，探出头来。

In the second floor front Mr. and Mrs. McCaskey came to the window to recover their second wind. Mr. McCaskey was scoop­ ing turnips out of his vest with a crooked forefinger, and his lady was wiping an eye that the salt of the roast pork had not benefited. They heard the outcry below, and thrust their heads out of the window. 

“是小迈克丢了，”麦卡斯基太太低声说道，“那个美丽的小淘气鬼！”

' 'Tis little Mike is lost,' said Mrs. McCaskey in a hushed voice, 'the beautiful, little, trouble-making angel of a gossoon!' 

“小男孩丢了？”麦卡斯基先生也探头出来，“哎呀，真糟糕。孩子们嘛，不一样。如果是女人，我倒是愿意，她们走了之后还能留点平静。”

'The bit of a boy mislaid?' said Mr. McCaskey leaning out of the window. 'Why, now, that's bad enough, entirely. The childer, they be different. If 'twas a woman I'd be willin', for they leave peace behind 'em when they go.' 

麦卡斯基太太不理会丈夫的话，拉住了他的手臂。

Disregarding the thrust, Mrs. McCaskey caught her husband's arm. 

“约翰，”她有些感伤地说，“穆菲太太的小男孩丢了。这个城市真是一个丢孩子的好地方。他六岁了，约翰，要是六年前我们也有一个像他这样的孩子，哎呀，今晚我们的心情一定很悲伤。”

'Jawn,' she said sentimentally, 'Missis Murphy's little bye is lost. 'Tis a great city for losing little boys. Six years old he was. Jawn, 'tis the same age our little bye would have been if we had had one six years ago.' 

“我们从来没有过，”麦卡斯基先生坚持这点事实。

'We never did,' said Mr. McCaskey, lingeringwith the fact. 

“可要是有的话，约翰，你想想，我们的孩子被偷走、迷失在这座大城市里，心里得有多痛苦。”

'But if we had, Jawn, think what sorrow would be in our hearts this night, with our little Phelan run away and stolen in the city nowheres at all.' 

“你说得是废话，”麦卡斯基先生说，“要是有孩子的话，应该叫他帕特，取我老爸的名字。”

'Ye talk foolishness,' said Mr. McCaskey. ' 'Tis Pat he would be named, after me old father in Cantrim.' 

“你撒谎！”麦卡斯基太太毫不生气地反驳，“我哥哥比十个你那种泡泥水的麦卡斯基强多了。孩子就该给他取名字。”她俯身向窗台外看，瞧着下面匆忙的人群。

'Ye lie!' said Mrs. McCaskey, without anger. 'Me brother was worth tin dozen bog-trotting McCaskeys. After him would the bye be named.' She leaned over the window-sill and looked down at the hurrying and bustle below. 

“约翰，”麦卡斯基太太轻声说，“对不起，我刚才对你急了。”

'Jawn,' said Mrs. McCaskey softly, 'I'm sorry I was hasty wid ye.' 

“那是急脾气，你说得对，”麦卡斯基先生答道，“快点做点胡萝卜，快点喝杯咖啡，做得挺快，没错，不能骗人。”

' 'Twas hasty puddin', as ye say,' said her husband, 'and hurry- up turnips and get-a-move-on-ye coffee. 'Twas what ye could call a quick lunch, all right, and tell no lie.' 

麦卡斯基太太把手臂轻轻套进丈夫的臂弯里，握住了他的粗糙的手。

Mrs. McCaskey slipped her arm inside her husband's and took his rough hand in hers. 

“听听穆菲太太在哭，”她说，“这座大城市里一个小男孩迷路，真是太可怕了。如果是我们的孩子，约翰，我的心都要碎了。”

'Listen at the cryin' of poor Mrs. Murphy,' she said. ' 'Tis an awful thing for a bit of a bye to be lost in this great big city. If 'twas our little Phelan, Jawn, I'd be breakin' me heart.' 

麦卡斯基先生尴尬地收回了手，但他把手搂在妻子肩上。

Awkwardly Mr. McCaskey withdrew his hand. But he laid it around the nearing shoulders of his wife. 

“这当然是傻话，”他粗声说道，“不过如果我们的孩子——帕特被绑架了或者怎样，我也会伤心的。但我们从来没孩子。曾经我对你有点不好，茱迪，忘了吧。”

' 'Tis foolishness, of course,' said he, roughly, 'but I'd be cut up some meself, if our little - Pat was kidnapped or anything. But there never was any childer for us. Sometimes I've been ugly and hard with ye, Judy. Forget it.' 

他们靠在一起，看着下面上演的这场悲剧。

They leaned together, and looked down at the heart-drama being acted below. 

他们坐在那里很久。人群在街道上涌动，挤来挤去，问东问西，空气中充满了谣言和不靠谱的猜测。穆菲太太在其中穿行，像座柔软的山丘，山丘下的瀑布般的泪水倾泻而下。信使来来去去。

Long they sat thus. People surged along the sidewalk, crowding, questioning, filling the air with rumours and inconsequent sur­ mises. Mrs. Murphy ploughed back and forth in their midst, like a soft mountain down which plunged an audible cataract of tears. Couriers came and went. 

楼下的寄宿楼前又响起了高声和新的骚动。

Loud voices and a renewed uproar were raised in front of the boarding-house. 

“怎么了，茱迪？”麦卡斯基先生问。

'What's up now, Judy?' asked Mr. McCaskey. 

“是穆菲太太的声音，”麦卡斯基太太倾听着，“她说她找到小迈克了，他正躲在她房间床下的旧油毡卷里睡着呢。”

' 'Tis Missis Murphy's voice,' said Mrs. McCaskey, harking. 'She says she's after finding little Mike asleep behind the roll of old linoleum under the bed in her room.' 

麦卡斯基先生大声笑了。

Mr. McCaskey laughed loudly. 

“这不就是你的‘费兰’吗？”他讽刺道，“要是我们没孩子，给他取名字叫‘帕特’，我看他也绝不会像那孩子一样躲在床下，像只脏兮兮的小狗。”

'That's yer Phelan,' he shouted sardonically 'Divil a bit would a Pat have done that trick if the bye we never had is strayed and stole, by the powers, call him Phelan, and see him hide out under the bed like a mangy pup.' 

麦卡斯基太太沉重地站起，走向餐具柜，嘴角下垂。

Mrs. McCaskey arose heavily, and went toward the dish closet, with the corners of her mouth drawn down. 

克利里警察走回街角，看到人群散开了。他惊讶地竖起耳朵，听见麦卡斯基夫妇的吵架声依旧像之前那样响亮。克利里警察拿出自己的手表。

Policeman Cleary came back around the corner as the crowd dispersed. Surprised, he upturned an ear toward the McCaskey apartment where the crash of irons and chinaware and the ring of hurled kitchen utensils seemed as loud as before. Policeman Cleary took out his timepiece. 

“按这表，约翰·麦卡斯基和他老婆打架已经一个小时十五分钟了，”他喃喃自语，“老婆应该能给他四十磅的重量，祝他手臂壮一点。”

'By the deported snakes!' he exclaimed, 'Jawn McCaskey and his lady have been fightin' for an hour and a quarter by the watch. The missis could give him forty pounds weight. Strength to his arm.' 

克利里警察又走回了街角。

老亨利合上报纸，匆匆走上台阶，就在穆菲太太准备锁门准备休息的时候。

Policeman Cleary strolled back around the corner. 

Old man Denny folded his paper and hurried up the steps just as Mrs. Murphy was about to lock the door for the night. 

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