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The 1,000,000 Bank-Note Mark Twain
At the end of an hour my reasonings had crystallized into this verdict.
我经过一个小时的推理,得出了如下结论。
Maybe those men mean me well, maybe they mean me ill; no way to decide that - let it go. They've got a game, or a scheme, or an experiment, of some kind on hand; no way to determine what it is - let it go. There's a bet on me; no way to find out what it is - let it go. That disposes of the indeterminable quantities; the remainder of the matter is tangible, solid, and may be classed and labeled with certainty. If I ask the Bank of England to place this bill to the credit of the man it belongs to, they'll do it, for they know him, although I don't; but they will ask me how I came in possession of it, and if I tell the truth, they'll put me in the asylum, naturally, and a lie will land me in jail. The same result would follow if I tried to bank the bill anywhere or to borrow money on it. I have got to carry this immense burden around until those men come back, whether I want to or not. It is useless to me, as useless as a handful of ashes, and yet I must take care of it, and watch over it, while I beg my living. I couldn't give it away, if I should try, for neither honest citizen nor highwayman would accept it or meddle with it for anything. Those brothers are safe. Even if I lose their bill, or burn it, they are still safe, because they can stop payment, and the Bank will make them whole; but meantime I've got to do a month's suffering without wages or profit - unless I help win that bet, whatever it may be, and get that situation that I am promised. I should like to get that; men of their sort have situations in their gift that are worth having.
那两个人也许对我是好意,也许是歹意;无从推断——这且不去管它。他们是玩把戏,搞阴谋,做实验,还是搞其他勾当,无从推断——且不去管它。他们拿我打了一个赌;赌什么无从推断——也不去管它。这些确定不了的部分清理完毕,其他的事就看得见、摸得着、实实在在,可以归为确定无疑之类了。假如我要求英格兰银行把这钞票存入那人名下,银行会照办的,因为虽然我不知道他是谁,银行却会知道;不过银行会盘问钞票怎么会到了我手里。说真话,他们自然会送我去收容所;说假话,他们就会送我去拘留所。假如我拿这钞票随便到哪儿换钱,或者是靠它去借钱,后果也是一样。无论愿不愿意,我只能背着这个大包袱走来走去,直到那两个人回来。虽然这东西对我毫无用处,形同粪土,可是我却要一边乞讨度日,一边照管它,看护它。就算我想把它给人,也出不了手,因为不管是老实的良民还是剪径的大盗,无论如何都不会收,连碰都不会碰一下。那两兄弟可以高枕无忧了。就算我把他们的钞票丢了,烧了,他们依然平安无事,因为他们能挂失,银行照样让他们分文不缺;与此同时,我倒要受一个月的罪,没薪水,也不分红——除非我能帮着赢了那个赌,谋到那个许给我的职位。我当然愿得到这职位,这种人赏下来的无论什么职位都值得一干。
I got to thinking a good deal about that situation. My hopes began to rise high. Without doubt the salary would be large. It would begin in a month; after that I should be all right. Pretty soon I was feeling first-rate. By this time I was tramping the streets again. The sight of a tailor-shop gave me a sharp longing to shed my rags, and to clothe myself decently once more. Could I afford it? No; I had nothing in the world but a million pounds. So I forced myself to go on by. But soon I was drifting back again. The temptation persecuted me cruelly. I must have passed that shop back and forth six times during that manful struggle. At last I gave in; I had to. I asked if they had a misfit suit that had been thrown on their hands. The fellow I spoke to nodded his head towards another fellow, and gave me no answer. I went to the indicated fellow, and he indicated another fellow with his head, and no words. I went to him, and he said: " 'Tend to you presently."
我对那份美差浮想联翩,期望值也开始上升。不用说,薪水决不是个小数目。过一个月就要开始上班,从此我就会万事如意了。转眼间,我的自我感觉好极了。这时,我又在大街上逛了起来。看到一家服装店,一股热望涌上我的心头:甩掉这身破衣裳,给自己换一身体面的行头。我能买得起吗?不行;除了那一百万英镑,我在这世上一无所有。于是,我克制住自己,从服装店前走了过去。可是,不一会儿我又转了回来。那诱惑把我折磨得好苦。我在服装店前面来来回回走了足有六趟,以男子汉的气概奋勇抗争着。终于,我投降了;我只有投降。我问他们手头有没有顾客试过的不合身的衣服。我问的伙计没搭理我,只是朝另一个点点头。 我向他点头示意的伙计走过去,那一个也不说话,又朝第三个人点点头,我朝第三个走过去,他说:“这就来。”
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