歪唇男人 36揭开迷雾(9)

I wrote my articles and thought little more of the matter until, some time later,

我写完了报道，这些事也就置之脑后不再去想了。直到后来有一天，

I backed a bill for a friend and had a writ¹ served upon me for 25 pounds.

我为一位朋友背书担保了一张票据，后来竟接到一张传票要我赔偿二十五镑，

I was at my wit's end where to get the money, but a sudden idea came to me.

我因拿不出这么多钱，急得走投无路，这才忽然计上心来。

I begged a fortnight's grace from the creditor³, asked for a holiday from my employers,

我央求债主缓期半月让我去筹款，又请求雇主给我几天假。

and spent the time in begging in the City under my disguise.

然后我就化起装来，到城里去乞讨。

In ten days I had the money and had paid the debt.

过了十天，我凑齐了钱，清了这笔债。

Well, you can imagine how hard it was to settle down to arduous⁴ work at 2 pounds a week

哦，这么一来，你们可以想见，再要我安心地去做那一星期只能挣两英镑的辛苦工作是多么不容易了，

when I knew that I could earn as much in a day by smearing⁵ my face with a little paint, laying my cap on the ground, and sitting still.

当我已懂得只要我在脸上抹上一点油彩，把帽子放在地上，静静地坐着就能挣到同样多钱的时候。

It was a long fight between my pride and the money, but the dollars won at last,

是要自尊心还是要钱，我思想斗争了很久，最后是金钱占了上风，

and I threw up reporting and sat day after day in the corner which I had first chosen,

我抛弃了记者生活，日复一日地坐在我第一次选定的那条街的拐角，

inspiring pity by my ghastly face and filling my pockets with coppers⁶.

借着我那一副可怕的面容所引起的恻隐之心，铜板儿塞满了我的口袋。

Only one man knew my secret. He was the keeper of a low den² in which I used to lodge⁷ in Swandam Lane,

只有一个人知道我的隐秘。这就是我在天鹅闸巷寄宿的那下等烟馆的老板，

where I could every morning emerge as a squalid beggar and in the evenings transform myself into a well-dressed man about town.

在那里我能够每天早晨以一个邋遢乞丐的面目出现，到晚上又变成一个衣冠楚楚的浪荡公子。

This fellow, a lascar, was well paid by me for his rooms, so that I knew that my secret was safe in his possession.

这个印度阿三收了我高价的房租，所以他会为我保密。

1 writ   

n.命令状，书面命令

参考例句：

• This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。
• You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。

2 den   

n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室

参考例句：

• There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
• The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

3 creditor   

n.债仅人，债主，贷方

参考例句：

• The boss assigned his car to his creditor.那工头把自己的小汽车让与了债权人。
• I had to run away from my creditor whom I made a usurious loan.我借了高利贷不得不四处躲债。

4 arduous   

adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的

参考例句：

• We must have patience in doing arduous work.我们做艰苦的工作要有耐性。
• The task was more arduous than he had calculated.这项任务比他所估计的要艰巨得多。

5 smearing   

污点，拖尾效应

参考例句：

• The small boy spoilt the picture by smearing it with ink. 那孩子往画上抹墨水把画给毁了。
• Remove the screen carefully so as to avoid smearing the paste print. 小心的移开丝网，以避免它弄脏膏印。

6 coppers   

铜( copper的名词复数 )； 铜币

参考例句：

• I only paid a few coppers for it. 我只花了几个铜板买下这东西。
• He had only a few coppers in his pocket. 他兜里仅有几个铜板。

7 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。