The Social Triangle

At the stroke of six Ikey Snigglefritz laid down his goose. Ikey was a tailor’s apprentice. Are there tailor’s apprentices nowadays?

六点钟一到，艾基·斯尼格尔弗里茨便放下了他的烙铁。艾基是个裁缝学徒。如今还有裁缝学徒这种人吗？

At any rate, Ikey toiled and snipped and basted and pressed and patched and sponged all day in the steamy fetor of a tailor-shop. But when work was done Ikey hitched his wagon to such stars as his firmament let shine.

不管怎样，艾基一整天都在裁缝铺子那闷热腥臭的空气里，忙着裁剪、缝纫、绗缝、熨烫、打补丁、擦拭。可一旦收工，艾基便把自己的马车套在了他那片天空所能容许的星星上。

It was Saturday night, and the boss laid twelve begrimed and begrudged dollars in his hand. Ikey dabbled discreetly in water, donned coat, hat and collar with its frazzled tie and chalcedony pin, and set forth in pursuit of his ideals.

那是个星期六的夜晚，老板把十二块脏兮兮、给得极不情愿的美元放进了他手里。艾基小心翼翼地在水里抹了把脸，穿上外套，戴上帽子和硬领，系上那条磨破了的领带，别上那枚玉髓领带针，便出门去追寻他的理想了。

For each of us, when our day’s work is done, must seek our ideal, whether it be love or pinochle or lobster à la Newburg, or the sweet silence of the musty bookshelves.

因为我们每个人，在一天的工作结束之后，都要去追寻自己的理想，不管那理想是爱情，是皮诺克尔纸牌，是纽堡龙虾，还是那发霉书架间的甜美寂静。

Behold Ikey as he ambles up the street beneath the roaring “El” between the rows of reeking sweat-shops. Pallid, stooping, insignificant, squalid, doomed to exist forever in penury of body and mind, yet, as he swings his cheap cane and projects the noisome inhalations from his cigarette you perceive that he nurtures in his narrow bosom the bacillus of society.

且看艾基，他正沿着街道悠然踱步，头顶是轰隆作响的高架铁道，两旁是一排排腥臭熏人的血汗工厂。他面色苍白，弯腰驼背，毫不起眼，寒酸邋遢，注定要一辈子肉体与精神都困于贫穷之中，可当他甩着他那根廉价的手杖、喷出香烟里那股难闻的烟气时，你便能看出，他那狭窄的胸膛里，正孕育着这个社会的病菌。

Ikey’s legs carried him to and into that famous place of entertainment known as the Café Maginnis—famous because it was the rendezvous of Billy McMahan, the greatest man, the most wonderful man, Ikey thought, that the world had ever produced.

艾基的两条腿把他带到了那家远近闻名的娱乐场所——马金尼斯咖啡馆，之所以出名，是因为那里是比利·麦克马汉常来聚会的地方，而在艾基心目中，麦克马汉正是这世上出过的最伟大、最了不起的人物。

Billy McMahan was the district leader. Upon him the Tiger purred, and his hand held manna to scatter. Now, as Ikey entered, McMahan stood, flushed and triumphant and mighty, the centre of a huzzaing concourse of his lieutenants and constituents. It seems there had been an election; a signal victory had been won; the city had been swept back into line by a resistless besom of ballots.

比利·麦克马汉是本区的党魁。老虎在他手底下乖乖驯服，他的手中握着可以四处施舍的天粮。此刻，艾基走进来的时候，麦克马汉正满面红光、意气风发、气势逼人地站在那儿，他的一群副手和支持者围在他身边欢呼喝彩。原来是刚举行过一场选举；打了一场漂亮的胜仗；全城的选票像一把无坚不摧的扫帚，又把局面扫回了正轨。

Ikey slunk along the bar and gazed, breath-quickened, at his idol.

艾基悄悄溜到吧台边，屏住呼吸，望着他心中的偶像。

How magnificent was Billy McMahan, with his great, smooth, laughing face; his gray eye, shrewd as a chicken hawk’s; his diamond ring, his voice like a bugle call, his prince’s air, his plump and active roll of money, his clarion call to friend and comrade—oh, what a king of men he was! How he obscured his lieutenants, though they themselves loomed large and serious, blue of chin and important of mien, with hands buried deep in the pockets of their short overcoats! But Billy—oh, what small avail are words to paint for you his glory as seen by Ikey Snigglefritz!

比利·麦克马汉是多么威风啊，他有一张宽厚、圆润、总是带着笑意的脸；一双灰色的眼睛，像鹰隼一样精明；一枚钻戒；一副像号角一样洪亮的嗓音；一身王侯般的气派；一叠鼓鼓囊囊、随时准备大方掏出的钞票；还有那对朋友和同僚的响亮召唤——啊，他真是个人上人！他把身边的那些副手都给比了下去，尽管这些人本身也是身材魁梧、神情庄重，下巴泛青、仪态不凡，双手深深插在短外套的口袋里！可是比利——啊，言语又怎能描绘出他在艾基·斯尼格尔弗里茨眼中的那份光辉呢！

The Café Maginnis rang to the note of victory. The white-coated bartenders threw themselves featfully upon bottle, cork and glass. From a score of clear Havanas the air received its paradox of clouds. The leal and the hopeful shook Billy McMahan’s hand. And there was born suddenly in the worshipful soul of Ikey Snigglefritz an audacious, thrilling impulse.

马金尼斯咖啡馆里回荡着胜利的欢声。穿白外套的酒保们手脚麻利地摆弄着瓶子、软木塞和酒杯。二十来支上好的哈瓦那雪茄喷出的烟雾，把空气都笼罩上了一层矛盾的云彩。忠心的和满怀希望的人们都来握比利·麦克马汉的手。就在这时，艾基·斯尼格尔弗里茨那颗满怀崇拜的心里，忽然萌生出一股大胆而又激动人心的冲动。

He stepped forward into the little cleared space in which majesty moved, and held out his hand.

他一步跨进了那片被威严人物占据的空地，伸出了自己的手。

Billy McMahan grasped it unhesitatingly, shook it and smiled.

比利·麦克马汉毫不犹豫地握住了那只手，摇了摇，笑了。

Made mad now by the gods who were about to destroy him, Ikey threw away his scabbard and charged upon Olympus.

正被众神弄得疯狂、注定要遭殃的艾基，一时冲动，竟丢下了他的护身盾牌，直冲向了奥林匹斯山。

“Have a drink with me, Billy,” he said familiarly, “you and your friends?”

“比利，跟我喝一杯吧，”他熟络地说道，“你和你的朋友们一起？”

“Don’t mind if I do, old man,” said the great leader, “just to keep the ball rolling.”

“不介意，老兄，”这位大人物说道，“就当是凑个热闹吧。”

The last spark of Ikey’s reason fled.

艾基仅存的最后一丝理智也随之飞散了。

“Wine,” he called to the bartender, waving a trembling hand.

“来酒！”他冲酒保喊道，颤抖着挥了挥手。

The corks of three bottles were drawn; the champagne bubbled in the long row of glasses set upon the bar. Billy McMahan took his and nodded, with his beaming smile, at Ikey. The lieutenants and satellites took theirs and growled “Here’s to you.” Ikey took his nectar in delirium. All drank.

三瓶酒的软木塞被拔了出来；香槟在吧台上摆好的一长排杯子里冒着泡。比利·麦克马汉端起自己那杯，朝艾基露出灿烂的笑容，点了点头。副手和跟班们也端起了自己的酒杯，粗声粗气地说：“敬你。”艾基如痴如醉地喝下了他那杯琼浆。众人都干了。

Ikey threw his week’s wages in a crumpled roll upon the bar.

艾基把他一周的工钱皱巴巴地扔在了吧台上。

“C’rect,” said the bartender, smoothing the twelve one-dollar notes. The crowd surged around Billy McMahan again. Some one was telling how Brannigan fixed ’em over in the Eleventh. Ikey leaned against the bar a while, and then went out.

“正好。”酒保说着，把那十二张一元钞票抹平了。人群又重新围拢到比利·麦克马汉身边。有人正说起布兰尼根在第十一区是怎么摆平这一切的。艾基靠着吧台站了一会儿，然后便走了出去。

He went down Hester street and up Chrystie, and down Delancey to where he lived. And there his women folk, a bibulous mother and three dingy sisters, pounced upon him for his wages. And at his confession they shrieked and objurgated him in the pithy rhetoric of the locality.

他沿着赫斯特街走下去，又拐上克里斯蒂街，再顺着德兰西街走到他家住的地方。在那儿，他家里的女眷——一个嗜酒的母亲和三个灰头土脸的姐妹——一拥而上，冲他讨要工钱。听到他老实交代之后，她们便尖声叫骂起来，用当地那套辛辣泼辣的话把他数落了一顿。

But even as they plucked at him and struck him Ikey remained in his ecstatic trance of joy. His head was in the clouds; the star was drawing his wagon. Compared with what he had achieved the loss of wages and the bray of women’s tongues were slight affairs.

可即便她们一边扯着他、一边打他，艾基依旧沉浸在自己那狂喜的心醉神迷之中。他的心思飘在云端；那颗星星正拉着他的马车前行。比起他所成就的这件大事，丢掉工钱、被女人们的舌头数落，都算不得什么大不了的事。

He had shaken the hand of Billy McMahan.

他握过了比利·麦克马汉的手。

Billy McMahan had a wife, and upon her visiting cards was engraved the name “Mrs. William Darragh McMahan.” And there was a certain vexation attendant upon these cards; for, small as they were, there were houses in which they could not be inserted. Billy McMahan was a dictator in politics, a four-walled tower in business, a mogul, dreaded, loved and obeyed among his own people. He was growing rich; the daily papers had a dozen men on his trail to chronicle his every word of wisdom; he had been honored in caricature holding the Tiger cringing in leash.

比利·麦克马汉有个妻子，她的名片上刻着“威廉·达拉·麦克马汉夫人”几个字。而这些名片虽小，却也带来了些许烦恼；因为有些人家的门，再小的名片也递不进去。比利·麦克马汉在政坛上是个说一不二的人物，在生意场上是座固若金汤的堡垒，是个令人敬畏、受人爱戴、被人服从的大人物，在他自己的圈子里呼风唤雨。他正日渐富裕；每天都有十几个记者跟在他身后，记录他的一言一语、金玉良言；漫画里也曾把他画成牵着一只匍匐驯服的老虎，以示对他的推崇。

But the heart of Billy was sometimes sore within him. There was a race of men from which he stood apart but that he viewed with the eye of Moses looking over into the promised land. He, too, had ideals, even as had Ikey Snigglefritz; and sometimes, hopeless of attaining them, his own solid success was as dust and ashes in his mouth. And Mrs. William Darragh McMahan wore a look of discontent upon her plump but pretty face, and the very rustle of her silks seemed a sigh.

可比利的心中，有时也会隐隐作痛。有一群人，他虽身处其外，却像摩西眺望应许之地那样，用向往的目光注视着他们。他和艾基·斯尼格尔弗里茨一样，心中也怀着自己的理想；有时，眼看这理想遥不可及，他自己那实实在在的成功，在他嘴里也不过是尘土和灰烬般无味。而威廉·达拉·麦克马汉夫人那张圆润而秀丽的脸上，也常带着一种不满足的神情，连她那绸衣窸窣的声响，听来都像是一声叹息。

There was a brave and conspicuous assemblage in the dining saloon of a noted hostelry where Fashion loves to display her charms. At one table sat Billy McMahan and his wife. Mostly silent they were, but the accessories they enjoyed little needed the indorsement of speech. Mrs. McMahan’s diamonds were outshone by few in the room. The waiter bore the costliest brands of wine to their table. In evening dress, with an expression of gloom upon his smooth and massive countenance, you would look in vain for a more striking figure than Billy’s.

在一家名流荟萃、时尚女神最爱在此展示风采的著名酒店的餐厅里，有一场气派非凡、引人注目的聚会。其中一桌坐着比利·麦克马汉和他的妻子。他们大多时候都沉默不语，可他们所享用的那些排场，几乎不需要言语来锦上添花。麦克马汉夫人身上的钻石，在满座之中也算得上耀眼夺目。侍者端来的是最昂贵的美酒。他身着晚礼服，那张平滑而厚重的脸上带着一丝阴郁的神情，你很难在别处找到比比利更引人注目的人物了。

Four tables away sat alone a tall, slender man, about thirty, with thoughtful, melancholy eyes, a Van Dyke beard and peculiarly white, thin hands. He was dining on filet mignon, dry toast and apollinaris. That man was Cortlandt Van Duyckink, a man worth eighty millions, who inherited and held a sacred seat in the exclusive inner circle of society.

隔着四张桌子，独自坐着一位高瘦的男子，大约三十岁，一双忧郁深思的眼睛，留着范戴克式的尖胡须，一双格外苍白纤细的手。他正吃着菲力牛排、干吐司和阿波利纳里斯矿泉水。那人便是科特兰特·范·戴金克，一位身家八千万的富豪，继承并稳坐着上流社会那排他的核心圈子里的一席之地。

Billy McMahan spoke to no one around him, because he knew no one. Van Duyckink kept his eyes on his plate because he knew that every one present was hungry to catch his. He could bestow knighthood and prestige by a nod, and he was chary of creating a too extensive nobility.

比利·麦克马汉没有跟周围任何人说话，因为他谁也不认识。范·戴金克则一直盯着自己的盘子，因为他知道在场的每个人都渴望和他对上眼神。他一个点头，就能赐予别人骑士般的身份和名望，因此他很谨慎，不愿封赐太多的贵族。

And then Billy McMahan conceived and accomplished the most startling and audacious act of his life. He rose deliberately and walked over to Cortlandt Van Duyckink’s table and held out his hand.

就在这时，比利·麦克马汉做出了他一生中最惊人、最大胆的一件事。他不慌不忙地站起身，走到科特兰特·范·戴金克的桌前，伸出了手。

“Say, Mr. Van Duyckink,” he said, “I’ve heard you was talking about starting some reforms among the poor people down in my district. I’m McMahan, you know. Say, now, if that’s straight I’ll do all I can to help you. And what I says goes in that neck of the woods, don’t it? Oh, say, I rather guess it does.”

“说，范·戴金克先生，”他说，“我听说您一直在谈论，要在我那个区里给穷人们搞点改革。我就是麦克马汉，您知道的。说真的，要是这事儿属实，我一定尽力帮您。而我说的话在那一带还是管用的，不是吗？哦，说真的，我看是管用的。”

Van Duyckink’s rather sombre eyes lighted up. He rose to his lank height and grasped Billy McMahan’s hand.

范·戴金克那双略显阴郁的眼睛顿时亮了起来。他站起他那瘦长的身躯，握住了比利·麦克马汉的手。

“Thank you, Mr. McMahan,” he said, in his deep, serious tones. “I have been thinking of doing some work of that sort. I shall be glad of your assistance. It pleases me to have become acquainted with you.”

“谢谢您，麦克马汉先生，”他用他那深沉、郑重的语气说道，“我一直在考虑做点这样的事情。有您的帮助，我会很高兴的。能结识您，我很荣幸。”

Billy walked back to his seat. His shoulder was tingling from the accolade bestowed by royalty. A hundred eyes were now turned upon him in envy and new admiration. Mrs. William Darragh McMahan trembled with ecstasy, so that her diamonds smote the eye almost with pain. And now it was apparent that at many tables there were those who suddenly remembered that they enjoyed Mr. McMahan’s acquaintance. He saw smiles and bows about him. He became enveloped in the aura of dizzy greatness. His campaign coolness deserted him.

比利走回自己的座位。他的肩膀因这份来自王室的殊荣而微微发麻。此刻，有上百双眼睛带着艳羡与新生的钦佩望着他。威廉·达拉·麦克马汉夫人激动得浑身发颤，连她身上的钻石都几乎刺痛了旁人的眼睛。这时也看得出来，好几桌人忽然都想起自己原来和麦克马汉先生是相识的。他看见周围有人朝他微笑、点头致意。他仿佛被一片令人眩晕的荣光所笼罩。他那份竞选时练就的沉着，此刻也弃他而去了。

“Wine for that gang!” he commanded the waiter, pointing with his finger. “Wine over there. Wine to those three gents by that green bush. Tell ’em it’s on me. D––––n it! Wine for everybody!”

“给那伙人上酒！”他朝侍者下令，一边用手指点着。“给那边上酒。给那边绿树丛旁那三位先生上酒。告诉他们这是我请的。他妈的！给大家都上酒！”

The waiter ventured to whisper that it was perhaps inexpedient to carry out the order, in consideration of the dignity of the house and its custom.

侍者小心翼翼地低声说，考虑到这家店的体面和惯例，这样的吩咐恐怕不太合适。

“All right,” said Billy, “if it’s against the rules. I wonder if ’twould do to send my friend Van Duyckink a bottle? No? Well, it’ll flow all right at the caffy to-night, just the same. It’ll be rubber boots for anybody who comes in there any time up to 2 A. M.”

“好吧，”比利说，“要是这不合规矩的话。我倒想知道，给我朋友范·戴金克送一瓶酒行不行？不行？好吧，不管怎样，今晚在咖啡馆里酒照样管够。谁要是到凌晨两点前进来，尽管敞开了喝。”

Billy McMahan was happy.

比利·麦克马汉此刻十分快活。

He had shaken the hand of Cortlandt Van Duyckink.

他握过了科特兰特·范·戴金克的手。

The big pale-gray auto with its shining metal work looked out of place moving slowly among the push carts and trash-heaps on the lower east side. So did Cortlandt Van Duyckink, with his aristocratic face and white, thin hands, as he steered carefully between the groups of ragged, scurrying youngsters in the streets. And so did Miss Constance Schuyler, with her dim, ascetic beauty, seated at his side.

那辆灰白色的大汽车，车身金属锃亮，在下东区那些手推车和垃圾堆之间缓缓穿行，显得格外不合时宜。有着一张贵族般面孔和苍白纤细双手的科特兰特·范·戴金克，小心翼翼地在街上一群群衣衫褴褛、四处乱窜的孩子中间转着方向盘，也是同样地格格不入。而坐在他身旁、带着一种朦胧、清瘦之美的康斯坦丝·斯凯勒小姐，也是一样。

“Oh, Cortlandt,” she breathed, “isn’t it sad that human beings have to live in such wretchedness and poverty? And you—how noble it is of you to think of them, to give your time and money to improve their condition!”

“哦，科特兰特，”她轻声说道，“人们竟要生活在这样悲惨贫困的境地里，难道不令人伤心吗？而你——你竟愿意想着他们，拿出你的时间和金钱来改善他们的处境，这是多么高尚啊！”

Van Duyckink turned his solemn eyes upon her.

范·戴金克把他那双庄重的眼睛转向了她。

“It is little,” he said, sadly, “that I can do. The question is a large one, and belongs to society. But even individual effort is not thrown away. Look, Constance! On this street I have arranged to build soup kitchens, where no one who is hungry will be turned away. And down this other street are the old buildings that I shall cause to be torn down and there erect others in place of those death-traps of fire and disease.”

“我能做的其实很有限，”他忧伤地说道，“这个问题很大，是属于整个社会的。但即便是个人的努力，也不算白费。你看，康斯坦丝！在这条街上，我已经安排要建几个施粥厂，凡是饥饿的人都不会被拒之门外。而在另一条街上，那些破旧的房子，我打算把它们拆掉，在原地重建，取代那些随时可能失火染病的死亡陷阱。”

Down Delancey slowly crept the pale-gray auto. Away from it toddled coveys of wondering, tangle-haired, barefooted, unwashed children. It stopped before a crazy brick structure, foul and awry.

灰白色的汽车沿着德兰西街缓缓爬行。街边一群群头发蓬乱、赤着脚、脏兮兮的孩子，好奇地摇摇晃晃走开了。汽车在一栋歪歪斜斜、肮脏不堪的砖楼前停了下来。

Van Duyckink alighted to examine at a better perspective one of the leaning walls. Down the steps of the building came a young man who seemed to epitomize its degradation, squalor and infelicity—a narrow-chested, pale, unsavory young man, puffing at a cigarette.

范·戴金克下了车，想从更好的角度看看那面倾斜的墙。这时，楼里的台阶上走下来一个年轻人，他浑身上下仿佛正是这栋楼那份堕落、肮脏与不幸的缩影——一个胸膛狭窄、面色苍白、样子邋遢的年轻人，正抽着一支香烟。

Obeying a sudden impulse, Van Duyckink stepped out and warmly grasped the hand of what seemed to him a living rebuke.

范·戴金克心中忽然一动，便走下车，热切地握住了这位在他看来仿佛是活生生的谴责化身的年轻人的手。

“I want to know you people,” he said, sincerely. “I am going to help you as much as I can. We shall be friends.”

“我想认识你们这些人，”他真诚地说道，“我会尽我所能地帮助你们。我们会成为朋友的。”

As the auto crept carefully away Cortlandt Van Duyckink felt an unaccustomed glow about his heart. He was near to being a happy man.

汽车小心翼翼地缓缓开走时，科特兰特·范·戴金克感到自己心中涌起一股从未有过的暖意。他几乎快要成为一个快乐的人了。

He had shaken the hand of Ikey Snigglefritz.

他握过了艾基·斯尼格尔弗里茨的手。