摘要：一天，身材嬌小的薩默斯太太意外地?fù)斓绞迕涝?。這對(duì)她來說算是一筆可觀的財(cái)富了。這些錢把薩默斯太太那破舊的錢夾撐得鼓鼓的，她覺得自己仿佛成了一位重要人物她會(huì)怎樣花掉這筆錢呢?

　　Little Mrs. Sommers one day found herself the unexpected owner of fifteen dollars. It seemed to her a very large amount of money. The way it filled up her worn money holder gave her a feeling of importance that she had not enjoyed for years.

　　一天，身材嬌小的薩默斯太太意外地?fù)斓绞迕涝?。這對(duì)她來說算是一筆可觀的財(cái)富了。這些錢把薩默斯太太那破舊的錢夾撐得鼓鼓的，她覺得自己仿佛成了一位重要人物——她已經(jīng)有許多年未曾體會(huì)過這種滋味了。

　　The question of investment was one she considered carefully. For a day or two she walked around in a dreamy state as she thought about her choices. She did not wish to act quickly and do anything she mightregret.

　　她要好好思量如何使用這筆錢。這一兩天來，她一直恍恍惚惚，來回踱步，思考著各種選擇。她可不愿意沖動(dòng)行事，以免做出一些會(huì)讓自己后悔的事情。

　　A dollar or two could be added to the price she usually paid for her daughter Janie’s shoes. This would guarantee they would last a great deal longer than usual. She would buy cloth for new shirts for the boys. Her daughter Mag should have another dress. And still there would be enough left for new stockings—two pairs per child. The idea of her little family looking fresh and new for once in their lives made her restless with excitement.

　　只要再掏一兩美元就能湊足她平時(shí)給女兒賈妮買鞋子的錢，這對(duì)鞋子一定比平常買的更耐穿。她可以給兒子們買布縫制新襯衫。女兒麥格也該買條裙子了。剩下的錢足夠買幾雙新襪子——每個(gè)孩子兩雙。讓全家人生平第一次打扮一新，這想法使她興奮得坐立不安。

　　Mrs. Sommers knew the value of finding things for sale at reduced prices. But that day she was tired and a little bit weak. When she arrived at the large department store, she sat in front of an empty counter. She rested her hand upon the counter.

　　薩默斯太太深知尋找降價(jià)銷售的物品有多重要。但是那天她非常疲憊，也有點(diǎn)虛弱。她來到大型百貨商店，坐在一個(gè)空柜臺(tái)前，一只手?jǐn)R在柜臺(tái)上。

　　She wore no gloves. She slowly grew aware that her hand had felt something very pleasant to touch. She looked down to see that her hand lay upon a pile of silk stockings. A young girl who stood behind the counter asked her if she wished to examine the silky leg coverings.

　　她沒有戴手套。她慢慢意識(shí)到自己的手摸到了一些觸感很舒服的東西。她低下頭，看到自己的手正放在一堆絲襪上面。站在柜臺(tái)后面的年輕女孩問她是否想看看這些絲質(zhì)襪子。

　　She smiled as if she had been asked to inspect diamond jewelry with the aim of purchasing it. But she went on feeling the soft, costly items. Now she used both hands, holding the stockings up to see the light shine through them.

　　她笑了，仿佛她要買的是鉆石首飾，別人請(qǐng)她查看珠寶似的。她繼續(xù)撫摸著這輕柔而昂貴的商品，用雙手舉起襪子，欣賞光線閃耀其間。

　　Mrs. Sommers chose a black pair and looked at them closely.

　　薩默斯太太挑了一雙黑色的絲襪，仔細(xì)檢查。

　　“A dollar and ninety-eight cents,” she said aloud. “Well, I will buy this pair.”

　　“一美元九十八美分，”她大聲說。“我要買這雙。”

　　She handed the girl a five dollar bill and waited for her change and the wrapped box with the stockings. What a very small box it was! It seemed lost in her worn, old shopping bag.

　　她遞給售貨員一張五美元的鈔票，靜心等待找零和裝好襪子的包裝盒。這盒子真小啊!它在薩默斯太太那老舊的購物袋里仿佛不見了蹤影。

　　Mrs. Sommers then took the elevator which carried her to an upper floor into the ladies’ rest area. In an empty corner, she replaced her cotton stockings for the new silk ones.

　　薩默斯太太隨后搭乘電梯來到位于稍高樓層的女士休息區(qū)。在一個(gè)沒有人的角落，她脫下棉襪子，換上新買的絲襪。

　　For the first time she seemed to be taking a rest from the tiring act of thought. She had let herself be controlled by some machine-like force that directed her actions and freed her of responsibility.

　　這似乎是她平生第一次因?yàn)閰捑肓怂伎级Ｐ聛?。她讓自己受控于某種機(jī)械力量，這股力量讓她做出這一系列舉動(dòng)，將她從日常責(zé)任中釋放出來。

　　How good was the touch of the silk on her skin! She felt like lying back in the soft chair and enjoying the richness of it. She put her shoes back on and put her old stockings into her bag. Next, she went to the shoe department, sat down and waited to be fitted.

　　絲綢貼在皮膚上的感覺真好!她真想就這樣躺在柔軟的椅子上，盡情享受那種濃厚的細(xì)膩感。她穿上鞋子，把舊襪子裝進(jìn)袋子里。接著，她走到皮鞋部，坐下來等待試穿。

　　She tried on a pair of new boots.

　　她試穿了一雙新靴子。

　　She held back her skirts and turned her feet one way and her head another way as she looked down at the shiny, pointed boots. Her foot and ankle looked very lovely. She could not believe that the y were a part of herself.

　　她把裙子捋到身后，將雙腳轉(zhuǎn)到一邊，頭則轉(zhuǎn)到另一邊，低頭看著這對(duì)閃閃發(fā)光的尖頭靴子。她的小腳和腳踝看起來非常漂亮，她簡直不敢相信它們是自己身體的一部分。

　　After buying the new boots, she went to the glove department. It was a long time since Mrs. Sommers had been fitted with gloves. When she had bought a pair they were always “bargains,” so cheap that it would have been unreasonable to have expected them to be fitted to her hands.

　　買了新靴子之后，她來到了手套部。薩默斯太太已經(jīng)很久沒有戴過尺寸剛好的手套了。她以前買的手套全都是“便宜貨”，廉價(jià)得根本不必指望它們的尺碼能適合她的雙手。

　　A young shop girl drew a soft, leather glove over Mrs. Sommers’ hand. She smoothed it down over the wrist and buttoned it neatly. Both women lost themselves for a second or two as they quietly praised the little gloved hand.

　　一位年輕的女售貨員把一只柔軟的皮手套戴在薩默斯太太的手上，然后往手腕位置將其理順，并整齊地扣上紐扣。有那么一兩秒鐘，這兩位女士都全神貫注地靜靜贊嘆著這只戴著手套的纖纖玉手。

　　She lifted her skirts as she crossed the street. Her new stockings and boots and gloves had worked wonders[產(chǎn)生神奇作用] for her appearance. They had given her a feeling of satisfaction, a sense of belonging to the well-dressed crowds.

　　穿過街道時(shí)，她輕輕地提起裙擺。她的新襪子、新靴子和新手套讓她的裝扮產(chǎn)生了神奇的效果。它們帶給她一種滿足感，她覺得自己也成了衣著光鮮一族。

　　She was very hungry. Another time she would have ignored the desire for food until reaching her own home. But the force that was guiding her would not permit her to act on such a thought.

　　她感到饑腸轆轆。以前，她準(zhǔn)會(huì)忽略掉進(jìn)食的欲望，忍著饑餓直到回家。但是那股引導(dǎo)著她的力量是絕不會(huì)允許她這么做的。

　　There was a restaurant at the corner. She had noted the white table cloths, shining glasses and waiters serving wealthy people.

　　街道轉(zhuǎn)角處有一家餐廳。她注意到里面的白色桌布和閃亮光潔的玻璃杯，侍應(yīng)正為富人們提供服務(wù)。

　　When she entered, her appearance created no surprise or concern, as she had half feared it might.

　　走進(jìn)餐廳時(shí)，她的外表并沒有引起吃驚或關(guān)注——盡管她先前還有點(diǎn)擔(dān)心。

　　She seated herself at a small table. A waiter came at once to take her order. While waiting to be served she removed her gloves very slowly and set them beside her.

　　她在一張小餐桌前坐了下來。一位侍應(yīng)立刻過來為她點(diǎn)餐。等待上菜的時(shí)候，她將手套慢慢脫下，放在身旁。

　　It was all very agreeable. The table cloths were even more clean and white than they had seemed through the window. And the crystal drinking glasses shined even more brightly. There were ladies and gentlemen, who did not notice her, lunching at the small tables like her own.

　　這里的一切都讓人心曠神怡。桌布比隔著玻璃窗看到的還要潔白干凈，水晶酒杯也格外閃亮奪目。許多淑女與紳士在跟她一樣的小餐桌上享用午餐，對(duì)她毫不在意。

　　A pleasing piece of music could be heard, and a gentle wind was blowing through the window. She tasted a bite, and she slowly drank the wine. She moved her toes around in the silk stockings. The price of it all made no difference.

　　餐廳里傳來一段美妙的音樂，一陣微風(fēng)透過窗戶吹了進(jìn)來。她嘗了一口菜，緩緩地啜飲著紅酒。她在絲襪里轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)著腳趾頭。這一切的昂貴價(jià)格根本不算什么。

　　When she was finished, she counted the money out to the waiter and left an extra coin on his tray[托盤]. He bowed to her as if she were a princess of royal blood.

　　飯后，她把餐費(fèi)如數(shù)給了侍應(yīng)，還在他的盤子里多放了一枚硬幣。他像對(duì)待擁有皇室血統(tǒng)的公主般朝她欠了欠身，表示感謝。

　　It was like a dream ended. Mrs. Sommers went to wait for the cable car.

　　一切如夢(mèng)境般結(jié)束。薩默斯太太走去車站等候電纜車。

　　A man with sharp eyes sat opposite her. It was hard for him to fully understand what he saw in her expression. In truth, he saw nothing—unless he was a magician. Then he would sense her heartbreakingwish that the cable car would never stop anywhere, but go on and on with her forever.

　　一位目光敏銳的男士坐在她對(duì)面。他很難理解她臉上的表情。事實(shí)上，他什么也看不出來——除非他是一名魔術(shù)師，才能感受到她那讓人心碎的期許——她多么希望電纜車永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)靠站，就這樣搭載著她永遠(yuǎn)地行駛下去。