1
Writer: Hemingway
Translator: Ken
The Killers
殺手
The door of Henry’s lunch-room opened and two men came in. They sat down at the counter.
兩名男子推開了大門，走進亨利餐館，並在吧檯那坐了下來。
‘What’s yours?’ George asked them.
喬治問了他們:『你們要點些什麼呢?』
‘I don’t know,’ one of the men said. ‘What do you want to eat, Al?’
其中一名男子便回答說:『不知道啦，那! 艾爾你想吃什麼東西勒?』
‘I don’t know,’ said Al. ‘I don’t know what I want to eat.’
艾爾則說: 『不知道耶，不知道想吃些什麼。』
Outside it was getting dark. The street light came on outside the window. The two men at the
counter read the menu. From the other end of the counter Nick Adams watched them. He had been
talking to George when they came in.
外頭天色漸暗，街道的路燈照進了窗戶裡。 店內兩名男子正看著菜單，而他們自進來餐館後，
並跟喬治談話之時，坐在櫃檯另一邊盡頭的亞當喬治就一直在注視著他們。
‘I’ll have a roast pork tenderloin with apple sauce and mashed potatoes,’ the first man
said.
第一位男子開口點餐:『我要一份烤里肌豬肉配蘋果濃汁與馬鈴薯泥。』
‘It isn’t ready yet.’
『這份餐點尚未供應喔。』
2
‘What the hell do you put it on the card for?’
『那你幹什麼把這份放進點單裡面阿!』
‘That’s the dinner,’ George explained. ‘You can get that at six o’clock.’
喬治便解釋:『這份是晚餐才有的，而六點一到你就可以點了。』
George looked at the clock on the wall behind the counter.
然後喬治看著在櫃檯後面牆上的時鐘。
‘It’s five o’clock.’
『現在是五點喔』
‘The clock says twenty minutes past five,’ the second man said.
另一名男子則說: 『喂?! 那時鐘上面顯示的是五點二十分。』
‘It’s twenty minutes fast.’
『這時鐘快了二十分鐘喔。』
‘Oh, to hell with the clock,’ the first man said. ‘What have you got to eat?’
第一位男子一聽到就氣沖沖的說: 『該死! 這什麼爛時鐘! 那你們有什麼可以吃啦!』
‘I can give you any kind of sandwiches,’ George said. ‘You have ham and eggs, bacon
and eggs, liver and bacon, or a steak.’
喬治立即回答: 『那你可以點三明治，有火腿加蛋、培根加蛋與煎牛肝加蛋喔，不
然也可以點份牛排。』
‘Give me chicken croquettes with green peas and cream sauce and mashed potatoes.’
『那來個炸雞肉丸子配豌豆、奶油白醬和馬鈴薯泥。』
‘That’s the dinner.’
『那也是晚餐才有的喔。』
3
‘Everything we wasn’t the dinner, eh? That’s the way you work it.?’
『什麼阿! 你們是怎麼做生意的啦! 我要點的都是晚餐才有的就對了啦!』
‘I can give you ham and eggs, bacon and eggs, liver —’
『那不然上個火腿加蛋、培根加蛋或烤牛肝，如何?』
‘I’ll take ham and eggs,’ the man called Al said.
然後男子艾爾就點了餐:『那就火腿加蛋吧。』
He wore a derby hat and a black overcoat buttoned across the chest. His face was small
and white and he had tight lips. He wore a silk muffler and gloves.
艾爾戴著圓頂禮帽與一副手套，穿件橫排鈕扣的黑色大衣，並圍著一條絲圍巾，而
他那蒼白又瘦小的臉上掛著緊閉的雙唇。
‘Give me bacon and eggs,’ said the other man.
另一位男子也順道說: 『那我要培根加蛋。』
He was about the same size as Al. Their faces were different, but they were dressed like
twins. Both wore overcoats too tight for them. They sat leaning forward, their elbows on the
counter.
這位男子的身材如同艾爾。 他們雖然長相不太一樣，可是打扮穿著卻是極為相似，
一同穿著緊身大衣，並俯身向前、雙肘靠在櫃檯上。
‘Got anything to drink?’ Al asked.
接著艾爾又問: 『那有什麼喝的呢?』
‘Silver beer, bevo, ginger-ale,’ George said.
喬治便說: 『有啤酒，葡萄酒和薑汁酒。』
‘I mean you got anything to drink?’
『我是說有什麼好喝的啦?』
4
‘Just those I said.’
『就剛剛我講的這些阿。』
‘This is a hot town,’ said the other. ‘What do they call it?’
這時另一位男子插了個話: 『阿這個小鎮叫做什麼名字呢? 還真是熱鬧阿。』
‘Summit,’
‘Ever hear of it?’ Al asked his friend.
艾爾就對著他朋友說:『新澤西州，有沒有聽過阿?』
‘No,’ ‘said the friend.
而那朋友則說:『沒耶。』
‘What do you do here nights?’ Al asked.
艾爾又接著問櫃檯人員:『那你們這邊晚上都在幹麼呢?』
‘They eat the dinner,’ his friend said. ‘They all come here and eat the big dinner.’
然後艾爾的朋友則認為說: 『他們應該是在這家餐館聚會吃晚餐吧。』
‘That’s right.’ George said.
喬治馬上說: 『對阿，沒錯!』
‘So you think that’s right?’ Al asked George.
艾爾看著喬治說: 『所以你也是這麼認為的嗎?』
‘Sure.’
『對阿。』
‘You’re a pretty bright boy, aren’t you?’
『你這小子還真的是很聰明吼? 你自己覺得勒?』
‘Sure.’ said George.
喬治則立即說:『當然阿。』
5
‘Well, you’re not,’ said the other little man.
‘Is he, Al?’
突然有位小男孩跳出來插話: 『嘿! 你才不是哩，艾爾你也這麼認為吧?』
‘He’s dumb,’ said Al. He turned to Nick. ‘What your name?’
艾爾轉過身對著尼克說: 『我想他是個傻瓜吧，阿你大名是什麼?』
‘Adams.’
『亞當!』
‘Another bright boy,’ Al said.
艾爾: 『看來又是一位機伶小鬼。』
‘Ain’t he a bright boy, Max?’
『嘿! 麥克斯，那你覺得那小鬼聰不聰明阿?』
‘The town’s full of bright boys,’ Max said.
麥克斯便說: 『我想這個小鎮有一堆機伶又聰明的小鬼頭吧。』
George put down two platters, one of ham and eggs, the other of bacon and eggs, on the counter. He
set down two side dishes of fried potatoes and closed the wicket into the kitchen.
喬治從廚房的小窗口那邊取出兩道菜，一盤是火腿加蛋，而另一盤是培根加蛋，然後放在櫃檯
上。
‘Which is yours?’ he asked Al.
麥克斯對著艾爾問: 『你知道哪一盤是你的嗎?』
‘Don’t you remember?’
『難道你忘記了嗎?』
‘Ham and eggs,’
『火腿加蛋…』
‘Just a bright boy,’ Max said. He leaned forward and took the ham and eggs.
麥克斯便拿取火腿加蛋這盤菜並說:『嘿~你這聰明的小鬼!』
6
Both men ate with their gloves on. George watched them eat.
然後喬治就看著這兩個戴著手套用餐的男子。
‘What are you looking at?’ Max look at George.
麥克斯盯著喬治問:『嘿! 看什麼看啊?!』
‘Nothing.’
『沒有阿…』
‘The hell you were. You were looking at me.’
『該死! 你這小鬼明明就在看我!』
‘Maybe the boy mean it for a joke, Max’ Al said.
艾爾:『麥克斯阿，這小鬼可能只是鬧著玩的啦!』
George laughed.
喬治在一旁笑著。
‘You don’t have to laugh,’ Max said to him.
‘You don’t have to laugh at all, see?’
麥克斯對著喬治說: 『你不要給我笑的那麼開心，暸不暸解?』
‘All right,’ said George.
喬治:『好的，暸解。』
‘So he think it’s all right,’ Max turned to Al. ‘He thinks it’s all right. That’s a good
one.’
麥克斯便轉身跟艾爾說:『很好喔，他瞭解了，不錯不錯。』
‘Oh, he’s a thinker,’ Al said.
艾爾:『嗯嗯，他真是好樣的。』
They went on eating.
講完之後，他們繼續吃著東西。
7
‘What’s the bright boy’s name down the counter? Al asked Max.
艾爾對麥克斯問說: 『你還知道坐在櫃檯那邊的機伶小鬼的名字嗎?』
‘Hey, bright boy,’ Max said to Nick. ‘You go around on the other side of the counter
with your boy friend.’
麥克斯便對著尼克說:『嘿! 聰明的小鬼頭，你過去去跟你那個朋友一起坐。』
‘What’s the idea?’ Nick asked.
尼克就問:『怎麼了嗎?』
‘You better go around, bright boy,’ Al said.
艾爾則說: 『小鬼你最好是趕緊。』
‘What’s the idea?’ George asked.
喬治也問了問:『發生什麼事了嗎?』
‘None of your damn business,’ Al said. ‘Who’s out in the kitchen?’
艾爾: 『你不要管這麼多啦! 阿是誰在廚房裡面?』
‘The nigger.’
『一個黑人。』
‘What do mean the nigger?’
『什麼黑人? 他是幹麼的?』
‘The nigger that cooks.’
『廚師是位黑人。』
‘Tell him to come in.’
『叫他出來。』
‘What’s the idea?’
『要幹麼阿?』
8
‘Tell him to come in.’
『去叫他出來。』
‘Where do you think you are?’
『你們以為這裡是哪裡阿?』
‘We know damn well where we are,’ the man called Max said. ‘Do we look silly?’
麥克斯生氣的大喊:『該死! 我當然知道我們現在在哪裡，我們看起來很傻嗎?』
‘You talk silly him,’ Al said to him.
‘What the hell do you argue with this kid for?’
艾爾便對麥克斯說:『你在說什麼白癡的話，幹什麼跟這個小鬼頭爭辯!』
‘Listen,’ he said to George, ‘tell the nigger to come out here.’
艾爾接著對喬治說:『嘿! 你聽著，快叫那黑人過來這裡。』
‘What are you going to do to him?’
『你們想對他做什麼?』
‘Nothing. Use your head, bright boy.
What would we to do a nigger?’
『沒怎樣，你這聰明的小鬼動動你的頭腦阿! 想想我們可能要對這黑人怎樣阿!』
George opened the slip that opened back into the kitchen.
‘Sam,’ he said. ‘Come in here for a
minute.
然後喬治便過去打開廚房的小門並說:『山姆~過來櫃台一下。』
The door of the kitchen opened and the nigger came in.
‘What was it?’ he asked.
這位黑人就推開了門，從廚房出來並走過來問說:『什麼事呢?』
The two men at the counter took a look at him.
櫃檯那兩名男子看著這個黑人。
‘All right, nigger. You stand right here,’ Al said.
艾爾回答說:『沒什麼事，你過來站在這裡。』
9
Sam, the nigger, standing in his apron, looked at the two men sitting at the counter.
‘Yes, sir,’ he said.
Al got down from his stool.
山姆這位黑人穿著工作群，看著他們並說:『好的，先生。』 這時艾爾從凳子上下了來。
‘I’m going back to the kitchen with the nigger and bright boy,’ he said.
艾爾:『我等下要跟這個黑人還有另一個小鬼進去廚房。』
‘Go back to the kitchen, nigger. You go with him, bright boy.’
『回廚房阿! 黑鬼! 你這小鬼也是，去跟著他!』
The little man walked after Nick and Sam, the cook, back into the kitchen.
走在後面的小男孩尼克與黑人廚師山姆便走進廚房裡頭。
The door shut after them.
他們進去之後，門也關了起來。
The man called Max sat at the counter opposite George. He didn’t look at George but
looked in the mirror that ran along back of the counter.
麥克斯喊叫完之後，就回到櫃檯坐在喬治的對面，但並未看著喬治，則是注視著吧
台上面那排的鏡子。
Henry’s had been made over from a saloon into a lunch-counter.
這家亨利餐館是由酒吧所改建而成的。
‘Well, bright boy,’ Max said, looking into the mirror, ‘why don’t you say something?’
麥克斯ㄧ邊望著鏡子一邊講話: 『喂! 你這小鬼怎不說點話呢?』
‘What’s it all about?’
『現在這是什麼狀況?』
‘Hey, Al,’ Max called, ‘bright boy wants to know what it’s all about.’
麥克斯就大喊: 『嘿! 艾爾唷! 有個小鬼頭想知道現在是什麼狀況唷!』
10
‘What do you think it’s all about?’
『那你覺得是什麼狀況蛤?』
‘I don’t know.’
『不知道!』
‘What do you think?’
『你覺得勒?』
Max looked into the mirror all the time he was talking.
麥克斯邊講話邊看著鏡子。
‘I wouldn’t say.’
『我..我不太清楚耶。』
‘Hey Al, bright boy says he wouldn’t say what he thinks it’s all about.’
『嘿~艾爾唷! 這個小鬼頭他還是搞不清楚什麼狀況唷!』
‘I can hear you, all right,’ Al said from the chicken.
艾爾便在廚房裡回應: 『聽到啦!』
He had propped open the slit that dishes passed through into the kitchen with a catsup
bottle. ‘Listen, bright boy,’ he said from the kitchen to George.
艾爾到遞盤子的小窗口那，拿起番茄醬的瓶子，將窗簾拉開，並對著喬治說: 『你
這小鬼給我仔細聽著。』
‘Stand a little further along the bar. You move a little to the left, Max.’
『你們從吧檯那邊走過來站這裡，阿~麥克斯你往左邊移動一下。』
He was like a photographer arranging for a group picture.
艾爾這時的感覺就像攝影師一樣在吩咐人家怎麼站位置。
11
‘Talk to me, bright boy,’ Max said. ‘What do you think’s going to happen?’
麥克斯:『小鬼，你覺得等等有什麼事情發生阿 ~ 講阿你阿!』
George did not say anything.
喬治沉默不語。
‘I’ll tell you,’ Max said. ‘We’re going to kill a Swede. Do you know a big Swede
named Ole Anderson?’
『我告訴你! 我們等等要殺一個瑞典佬，這個人叫做奧利安德列森，阿你認不認識
他阿?!』
‘Yes.’
『恩…知道。』
‘He comes in here to eat every night, doesn’t he?’
『那他是不是每天晚上都會來這邊吃晚餐?』
‘Sometimes he comes here.’
『恩…有時候會。』
‘He comes here at six o’clock, doesn’t he?’
『那是不是六點他就會到了?』
‘If he comes.’
『是，有來的話，就大概是這個時間。』
‘We know all that, bright boy,’ Max said. ‘Talk about something else. Ever go to the
movies?’
麥克斯:『那我們瞭解了，阿來聊點別的吧，有沒有去看過電影阿你?』
‘Once in a while’
『不常去看。』
12
‘You ought to go to the movie more. The movies are fine for a bright boy like you.’
『嘿! 看電影很爽耶，你們這種小鬼頭應該要多去喔! 』
‘What are you going to kill Ole Anderson for? What did he ever do to you?’
『為什麼你們要殺奧利安德列森阿? 是不是他惹到你們了?』
‘He never had a chance to do anything to us. He never even seen us.’
『這個瑞典佬並沒有看過我們兩個，所以也沒對我們怎樣囉。』
‘And he’s only going to kill him for, then?’ George asked.
喬治繼續追問: 『那..那..那幹麼要殺他阿?』
‘We’re killing him for a friend. Just to oblige a friend, bright boy.’
『你這小鬼…我們是受朋友之託來殺人的!』
‘Shut up,’ said Al from the kitchen.
‘You talk too god-dam much.’
廚房裡頭的艾爾突然對喬治斥責: 『媽的! 你這小鬼該給我閉嘴了!』
‘Well, I got to keep bright boy amused. Don’t I, bright boy?’
『看來我該讓這個小鬼頭輕鬆一下，對不對阿小鬼?』
‘You talk too damn much,’ Al said. ‘The nigger and bright boy are amused by
themselves. I got them tied up like a couple of girl friends in the convent.’
『該死! 你真的是太嘮叨了，說到輕鬆一下，我把裡面那個黑鬼跟小鬼頭給綑綁在
一起，綁緊緊的就好像修道院裡面修女一樣，很有趣吧?』
‘I suppose you were in a convent.’
『你以為你現在在修道院喔。』
‘You never know.’
『你不會瞭解的啦!』
13
‘You were in a kosher convent. That’s where you were.’
『隨便你吧 ~ 你就自己幻想在那個純淨的修道院裡頭。』
George looked up at the clock.
喬治抬頭看了一下時鐘。
‘If anybody comes in you tell them the cook is off, and if they keep after it, you tell them
you’ll go back and cook yourself. Do you get that, bright boy?’
『嘿，小鬼頭~聽著，如果等下有客人進來用餐，你就跟他們說廚師已經在休息不
工作了，阿如果他們一直賴著不離開，你就叫他們滾回家自己下廚，瞭解我的意思嗎?』
‘All right,’ George said. ‘What you going to do with us afterwards?’
喬治: 『好的…那你們等下想對我們怎麼樣阿?』
‘That’s all depend,’ Max said. ‘That’s one of those thing you never know a the time.’
麥克斯則回答: 『還不知道，你先不要知道那麼多的事情。』
George looked up at the clock. It was a quarter past six. The door from the street opened. A
street-car motorman came in.
麥克斯又抬頭看了一下時鐘，而已經六點了，這時一名為電車司機的男子推開了餐館大門，走
了進來。
‘Hello, George,’ he said. ‘Can I get supper?’
『哈囉~喬治，來份晚餐吧。』
‘Sam’s gone out,’ George said. ‘He’ll back in about half an hour.’
喬治立即說:『山姆出去了耶 ~ 可能要過半小時之後他才會回來唷!』
‘I’d better go up the street,’ the motorman said.
司機就說:『那我只好去家餐館囉。』
14
George looked at the clock. It was twenty minutes past six.
然後喬治再次抬頭看看時鐘，而已經過了 20 分鐘。
‘That was nice, bright boy,’ Max said ‘You’re a regular little gentle man.’
麥克斯: 『小鬼~很好唷! 不錯喔你，真是盡責阿你!』
‘He knew I’d blow his head off,’ Al said from the kitchen.
艾爾則從廚房裡插話:『他是知道如果他不聽話，我就會打爆他的腦袋瓜啦!』
‘No.’ said Max. ‘It ain’t that. Bright boy is nice. He’s a nice boy. I like him.’
『最好是啦 ~ 我看這小鬼真的是很聰明，還真是欣賞他!』
At six-fifty-five George said: ‘He’s not coming.’
而時間也已到了 50 分，喬治便說:『他不會進來了。』
Two other people had been in the lunch-room. Once George had gone out to the kitchen and made a
ham-and-eggs sandwich ‘to go’ that a man wanted to take with him. Inside the kitchen he saw Al, his
derby hat tilted back, sitting on a stool beside the wicket with the muzzle of a sawed-off shotgun
resting on the ledge. Nick and the cook were back sandwich, wrapped it up in oiled paper, put it in a
bag, brought it in, and the man had paid for it and gone out.
接著有兩位客人進來點了火腿加蛋的三明治，並要外帶，因此喬治就到去準備餐點，他一到廚
房就看到戴著圓頂禮帽、拿著短獵槍的艾爾坐在小窗口那，而尼克與黑人廚師是被背對背的捆
綁在一起，並且嘴裡各塞一條毛巾。 喬治就自己把三明治給做好，放進紙袋裡頭，走了出去，
拿給客人，收了錢。
‘Bright boy can do everything,’ Max said. ‘He can cook and everything. You’d make
some girl a nice girl, bright boy.’
麥克斯:『厲害唷! 你這小鬼懂的做這麼多事情阿，還懂的下廚勒! 看來你以後可以
把小女孩調教成一位賢妻良母的樣子。』
15
‘Yes?’ George said. ‘Your friend. Ole Anderson, isn’t going to come.’
喬治:『喔? 是喔? 對了…你們要等的那個朋友奧利安德列森，他不會來了吧。』
‘We’ll give him ten minutes,’ Max said.
麥克斯:『我們會再等他十分鐘的。』
Max watched the mirror and the clock. The hands of the clock marked seven o’clock, and then five
minutes past seven.
麥克斯抬頭望了鏡子，又看了時鐘一下。 時鐘上顯示為七點鐘，沒多久又過了五分鐘了。
‘Come on, Al,’ said Max.’ ‘We’d better to go. He’s not coming.’
麥克斯:『喂~艾爾! 他應該不會進來了，所以我想我們還是離開吧。』
‘Better give him five minutes,’ Al said from the kitchen.
艾爾則在廚房裡回應:『可是我想我們還是再等他五分鐘吧。』
In the five minutes a man came in, and George explained that the cook was sick.
就這樣過了五分鐘之後，又出現了一名客人，而喬治馬上跟他說廚師今天生病了。
‘Why the hell don’t you get another cook?’ the man asked. ‘Aren’t you running a
lunch-counter? He went out.
這位客人就很生氣的喊說:『吼 ~ 你是怎麼經營餐館的! 是不會請別的廚師唷!』
他斥責之後就離開了餐館。
‘Come on Al,’ Max said.
麥克斯:『艾爾 ~ 走吧!』
‘What about the two bright boys and the nigger?’
『阿這兩個小鬼跟那個黑人要怎麼處裡呢?』
‘They’re all right.’
『就算了吧。』
16
‘You think so?’
『你確定就這樣算了?』
‘Sure. We’re through with it.’
『對阿，就這樣吧。』
‘I don’t like it,’ said Al. ‘It’s sloppy.
You talk too much.’
艾爾:『可是我太想要這樣，似乎有點草率，而且你話太多了!』
‘Oh, what the hell,’ said Max. ‘We got to keep amused, haven’t we?’
麥克斯不悅的說:『喂 ~ 這什麼意思阿?! 我們不是本來就要輕鬆一點嗎?』
‘You talk too much, all the same,’ Al said.
艾爾也立即回應:『少說廢話，反正你就是一直在碎碎念!』
He came out from the kitchen. The cut-off barrels of the shotgun made a slight bulge under the waist
of his too tight-fighting overcoat. He straightened his coat with his gloved hands.
說完之後，艾爾從廚房走了出來，而他正用手拉拉那緊身的大衣，大衣裡頭塞著一把短獵槍以
致讓大衣變得鼓鼓的。
‘So long, bright boy,’ he said to George. ‘You got a lot of luck.’
艾爾對著喬治說:『嘿 ~ 小鬼今天算你幸運，先走啦!』
‘That’s the truth,’ Max said. ‘You ought to play the race, bright boy.’
麥克斯也對喬治說:『對阿 ~ 趁你運氣不錯可以去賭馬看看唷!』
The two of them went out of the door. George watched them, through the window; pass under the
arc-light, and cross the street. In their overcoats and derby hats they looked like a vaudeville team.
他們對喬治說完話後，就推開了大門，離開了餐館，而喬治便在窗戶旁看著那兩位殺手，看到
穿著緊身大衣、戴著圓頂禮帽的兩名男子走在街道路燈下，穿過了大街的那種樣子，心想這場
景有如歌舞劇一般的樣子。
17
George went back through the swinging-door into the kitchen and united Nick and the cook.
然後喬治就趕緊往廚房將尼克與廚師給鬆綁解掉。
‘I don’t want any more of that,’ said Sam, the cook. ‘I don’t want any more of that.’
解開後，山姆廚師驚慌地說: 『拜託 ~ 我以後不要再碰這種可怕的事情了!』
Nick stood up. He had never had a towel in his mouth before.
尼克則立即站了起來，並感覺得出來這是他第一次被用毛巾塞進嘴巴裡面。
‘Say,’ he said. ‘What the hell?’ He was trying to swagger it off.
雖然如此，但尼克卻展現出一股天不怕地不怕的感覺，並說:『搞什麼狗屁阿他們!』
‘They were going to kill Ole Anderson,’ George said. ‘They were going to shoot him
when he came in eat.’
喬治:『他們打算等奧利安德列森這個人進來餐館之後，就把他給槍殺掉!』
‘Ole Anderson?’
『奧利安德列森? 是嗎?』
‘Sure.’
『對阿!』
The cook felt the corners of his mouth with thumbs.
廚師用手指頭擦了一下嘴角。
‘They all gone?’ he asked.
然後問:『那他們..都離開了嗎?』
‘Yeah,’ said George. ‘They’re gone now.’
喬治:『對 ~ 他們不在這裡了。』
‘I don’t like it,’ said the cook. ‘I don’t like any of it at all.’
廚師聽到後就說:『呼 ~ 不希望再有這種事情發生了。』
18
‘Listen,’ George said to Nick. ‘You better go see Ole Anderson.’
喬治對著尼克說:『尼克你聽著，去看看奧利安德列森一下。』
‘All right.’
『沒問題!』
‘You better not have anything to do with it at all,’ Sam, the cook, said. ‘You better stay
way it at all,’ Sam, the cook, said. ‘You better stay way out of it.’
山姆這名廚師卻是再三提醒說: 『你們最好不要去插手管這件事情!』
‘Don’t go if you don’t want to,’ George said.
喬治則說:『那如果你真的不想去，那就不要去吧。』
‘Mixing up in this ain’t going to get you anywhere,’ the cook said. ‘You stay out of it.’
廚師又說:『別去吧，碰這種事情對你是沒什麼好處的!』
‘I’ll see him,’ Nick said to George.
‘Where does he live?’
尼克聽完之後，對著喬治說:『我還是要去看看他，跟我說他住哪裡吧!』
The cook turned away.
廚師不說話，就轉身離去了。
‘Little boys always know what they want to do,’ he said.
離去之後，廚師喃喃自語:『希望他們知道自己在做什麼…』
‘He lives up at Hirsch’s rooming-house,’ George said to Nick.
喬治對尼克說:『他就住在赫希那裏的小公寓裡面。』
‘I’ll go up there.’
『好 ~ 那我要過去了。』
19
Outside, the arc-light shone through the bare branches of a tree. Nick walked up the street beside the
car-tracks and turned at the next arc-light down a side-street. Three houses up the street was Hirsch’s
rooming-house. Nick walked up the two steps and pushed the bell.
A woman came to the door.
尼克離開了餐館，朝赫希那的小公寓前往，而外頭街道的路燈穿過大樹的樹枝，尼克走在街道
上車子所開過留下的軌跡，而路燈排列的順序漸漸轉彎，他也跟著轉了過去，然後到了赫希這，
看到了小公寓，就落在第三棟房子那，尼克走了過去，上了階梯，案案門鈴，結果出現了一位
婦女來應門。
‘Is Ole Anderson here?’
『奧利安德列森住在這裡嗎?』
‘Do you want to see him?’
『你要找他阿?』
‘Yes, if he’s in.’
『是阿 ~ 是在這吧。』
Nick followed the woman up a flight of stairs and back to the end of the corridor. She knocked on
the door.
這名婦女便帶著尼克上樓，走到走廊的盡頭，看到了一間房間，並敲敲門。
‘Who is it?’
『誰阿?』
‘It’s Nick Adams.’
『尼克亞當斯。』
‘Come in.’
『進來吧。』
20
Nick opened the door and went into the room. Ole Anderson was lying on the bed with all his
clothes on.
尼克推開了門，走進了房間，看見了奧利安德列森躺在床上，而床上佈滿了衣服。
He had been a heavyweight prize-fighter and he was too long for the bed.
奧利安德列森曾經當過職業的重量級拳擊手，因此身材高大，但床卻是短小。
He lay with his head on two pillows.
He did not look at Nick.
他雙手抱著兩個枕頭躺著，並未看著尼克。
‘What was it?’
『幹麼?』
‘I was up at Henry’s,’ Nick said. ‘and two fellows came in and tied up me and the
cook, and they said they were going to kill you.’
尼克高分貝的說:『我 ~ 我是從亨利餐館那邊過來的，我跟一個廚師剛剛在那
邊被兩個男子給綑綁住，而後來得知他們是想要來殺你的!』
It sounded silly when he said it. Ole Anderson said nothing.
尼克在敘述之時，聽起來似乎像是童言童語一般，而奧利安德列森並無作回應。
‘They put us out in the kitchen,’ Nick went on. ‘They were going to shoot you
when you came in a supper.’
尼克又接著繼續講: 『他們把我們趕到廚房裡頭，並且有說要等你來吃晚餐的時
候，你一出現，就把你給槍殺掉!』
Ole Anderson looked at the wall and did not say anything.
奧利安德列森望著牆壁，卻沒回尼克的話。
‘George thought I’d better come and tell you about it.’
『然後喬治叫我最好來跟你講一下這件事情。』
21
‘There isn’t anything I can do about it,’ Ole Anderson said.
奧利安德列森開了口說:『我想這沒什麼特別的，也不用管它。』
‘I’ll tell you what they were like.’
『我跟你說一下他們長什麼樣子阿!』
‘I don’t want to know what they were like,’ Ole Anderson said. He looked at the
wall. ‘Thanks for coming to tell me about it.’
奧利安德列森望著牆壁說了說:『不用特別跟我說他們的模樣，還有謝你來跟我
告知這件事情。』
‘That’s all right.’
『喔..這沒什麼』
Nick looked at the big man lying on the bed.
這個大佬粗依然躺在床上，而尼克還是看著他講話。
‘Don’t you want me to go and see the police?’
『難道你不想要我去報警嗎?』
‘No,’ Ole Anderson said.
‘That wouldn’t do any good.’
奧利安德列森卻說:『不用了，因為去了也沒什麼用。』
‘Isn’t there something I could do?’
『那有什麼忙我可以幫的嗎?』
‘No. There ain’t anything to do.’
『不用了，沒什麼特別好幫忙的。』
‘Maybe it was just a bluff.’
『這可能只是嚇嚇人的而已。』
‘No, it ain’t just a bluff.’
『才不是勒 ~ 這不是唬人的!』
Ole Anderson rolled over towards the walls.
奧利安德列森在床上翻了身，面對著牆壁。
22
‘The only thing is,’ he said, talking towards the wall, ‘I just can’t make up my mind
to go out. I been in here all day.
麥克斯望著牆壁，並說:『我懶得去想要幹麼，我只是想躺在床上一整天。』
‘Couldn’t you get out of town?’
『難道你沒有要打算離開這個城鎮嗎?』
‘No. I got in wrong.’ He talked in the same flat voice. ‘There ain’t anything to do.
After a while I’ll make up my mind to go out.’
奧利安德列森依然平靜的說:『不用 ~ 我是得罪了人，但目前沒什麼好辦法好
可以去處裡的，而晚點我再自己好好想想吧。』
‘So long,’ said Ole Anderson. He did not look towards Nick.
‘Thanks for coming
around.’
他仍然不瞧尼克一眼，並說:『尼克 ~ 很感謝你的到來，那就這樣吧，再見。』
Nick went out. As he shut the door he saw Ole Anderson with all his clothes on, lying on the bed
looking at the wall.
奧利安德列森說完之後，尼克便走了出去，而在他關門之時，依然還是看到那大佬粗躺在床上，
床上佈滿了衣服。
‘He’s been in his room all day,’ the landlady said. ‘I guess he don’t feel well. I
said to him: “Mr. Anderson, you ought to go out and take a walk on a nice fall day like this,” but he
didn’t feel like it.’
尼克看到房東太太在樓梯間對他說:『他今天一整天都呆在家裡，我猜想他應該
是身體不太舒服，而我也跟他說今天外面的天氣很棒，可以出去走走，但他卻似乎不接受我的
意見。』
‘He doesn’t want to go out.’
『他是不想出去。』
23
‘I’m sorry he doesn’t feel well,’ the woman said. ‘He’s an awfully nice man. He
was in the ring, you know.’
婦女:『其實他是很健康的，你應該知道他是個拳擊手吧，只是今天身體欠佳，
真抱歉。』
‘I know it.’
『好 ~ 瞭解。』
‘You’d never know it expect from the way his face is,’ the woman said. They stood
talking just inside the street door.
‘He’s just as gentle.
尼克與這名婦女在門廊間談話:『你從他那懶洋洋的臉上看不出以前是拳擊手的
樣子。』
‘Well, good-night, Mrs. Hirsch,’ Nick said.
尼克:『那赫希太太晚安囉 ~』
‘I’m not Mrs. Hirsch’ the woman said. ‘She owns the place. I just look after it for
her, I’m Mrs. Bell.’
婦女:『我並不是赫希太太，我叫作貝爾，而這間房子是她的，然後我是負責來
看管房子的。』
‘Well, good-night, Mrs. Bell,’ Nick said.
尼克:『好，那貝爾太太晚安囉 ~』
‘Good-night,’ the woman said.
婦女:『晚安~』
Nick walked up the dark street to the corner under the arc-light, and then along the car-tracks to
Henry’s eating-house.
尼克離開了小公寓，在深夜裡走在街道上車子所開過的軌跡，隨著路燈回到了亨利餐館。
24
George was inside, back of the counter.
喬治在櫃檯後方坐著。
‘Did you see Ole?’
『你有看到奧利嗎?』
‘Yes,’ said Nick. ‘He’s in his room and he won’t go out.’
尼克:『有阿，然後他不想出門，只想在房間裡頭。』
The cook opened the door from the kitchen when he heard Nick’s voice.
當廚師ㄧ聽到尼克在講話就推開門，走出廚房。
‘I don’t even listen to it,’ he said and shut the door.
然後這廚師悻悻然地說:『我不想再聽到這件事情的東西了!』
，然後又將門關上。
‘Did you tell him about it?’ George asked.
喬治接著問:『那你有沒有跟他說餐館這件事情了?』
‘Sure. I told him, but he knows what it’s all about.’
『當然有跟他說，而他似乎早就知道了。』
‘What’s he going to do?’
『那他有打算要怎麼辦嗎?』
‘Nothing.’
『他一點打算都沒有耶。』
‘They’ll kill him.’
『他會被殺手給幹掉耶!』
‘I guess they will.’
『我也是這麼認為喔。』
‘He must have got mixed up in something in Chicago.’
『我猜他可能在芝加哥那惹到什麼人了。』
25
‘I guess so,’ said Nick.
尼克:『嗯嗯，我也是這麼想的。』
‘It’s a hell of a thing.’
『看來這件事情還真是可怕!』
‘It’s an awful thing,’ Nick said.
尼克:『對阿，這真的是很可怕。』
They did not say anything. George reached down for a towel and wiped the counter.
然後他們就沒再特別說什麼，而喬治取出毛巾擦拭櫃檯。
‘I wonder what he did?’ Nick said.
尼克:『我是蠻好奇他到底做了什麼事情。』
‘Double-crossed somebody. That’s what they kill them for.’
『可能是他出賣什麼人，然後這些人要來追殺他。』
‘I’m going to get out of his town,’ Nick said.
尼克:『看來我要去他那邊的小鎮探探究竟。』
‘Yes,’ said George. ‘That’s a good thing to do.’
喬治:『好阿 ~ 這是不錯的方法。』
‘I can’t stand to think about him waiting in the room and knowing he’s going to get it.
It’s too damned awful.’
『我實在沒辦法想像他知道有人要殺他，可是卻平靜的在房間裡頭，這根本是
個怪異的事情。』
‘Well,’ said George, ‘You better not think about it.’
喬治:『其實...我覺得…你還是少想這件事了。』