二十年后

二十年后

After Twenty Years

巡警在自己的巡逻路线上威风地走着。这种威风是他平时的习惯，并不是为了摆样子，因为路上的行人很少。

The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively. The impressiveness was habitual and not for show, for spectators were few.

时间刚到晚上十点，但带着雨意的阵阵冷风，几乎已经把街上的行人都吹跑了。

The time was barely 10 o’clock at night, but chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain in them had well nigh de-peopled the streets.

他一边走一边试着推推门，把手里的警棍转出各种花样。他不时转过身来，警惕地看着这条平静的大街。这位警官身材高大，走路带着一点派头，真是一位出色的和平卫士。

Trying doors as he went, twirling his club with many intricate and artful movements, turning now and then to cast his watchful eye adown the pacific thoroughfare, the officer, with his stalwart form and slight swagger, made a fine picture of a guardian of the peace.

这一带的店铺关门都很早。偶尔能看到雪茄烟店或通宵快餐店的灯光，但大多数店铺的门早就关上了。

The vicinity 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 been closed.

走到某个街区的中段时，警察突然放慢了脚步。在一家关着门的昏暗五金店门前，靠着一个男人，嘴里含着一支没点着的雪茄。警察走上前去时，那个人急忙开口说话了。

When about midway of 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.

“没事的，警官，”他安慰着说，“我只是在等一个朋友。这是二十年前定下的约会。听起来有点奇怪，对吧？如果您想弄清楚是怎么回事，我可以给您解释一下。

“It’s all right, officer,” he said, reassuringly. “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 straight.

大约二十年前，这家店所在的地方曾经是一家餐馆——‘大乔’布雷迪餐馆。”

About that long ago there used to be a restaurant where this store stands—‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant.”

“直到五年前还在呢，”警察说，“后来拆掉了。”

“Until five years ago,” said the policeman. “It was torn down then.”

门口的男人划了一根火柴，点着了雪茄。火光照出一张苍白的国字脸，眼神很敏锐，右眉附近有一块白色的小伤疤。他的领带针上镶着一颗大钻石，样式很特别。

The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar. The light showed a pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes, and a little white scar near his right eyebrow. His scarfpin was a large diamond, oddly set.

“整整二十年前的今天晚上，”男人说，“我和吉米·威尔斯在这家‘大乔’布雷迪餐馆吃晚饭。他是我最好的朋友，也是世界上最好的人。我和他都在纽约长大，就像亲兄弟一样亲密。

“Twenty years ago to-night,” said the man, “I dined here at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my best chum, and the finest chap in the world. He and I were raised here in New York, just like two brothers, together.

那时我十八岁，吉米二十岁。第二天早上我就要去西部发财了。你根本没办法把吉米拉出纽约，他觉得纽约是世界上唯一的好地方。

I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty. The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune. You couldn’t have dragged Jimmy out of New York; he thought it was the only place on earth.

那天晚上我们说好了，从那天算起，整整二十年后的同一时间，我们还要在这里见面，不管我们变成了什么样，也不管离得有多远。

Well, we agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, no matter what our conditions might be or from what distance we might have to come.

我们当时觉得，二十年的时间，足够我们两个人决定自己的命运、赚到属于自己的财富了，不管那会是什么样子。”

We figured that in twenty years each of us ought to have our destiny worked out and our fortunes made, whatever they were going to be.”