The attack was fierce, without mercy, leaving Blindy handicapped for life. Yet Blindy wanted no pity. He had taken his revenge.
那一架打得凶猛残酷，盲汉落下了一辈子残疾。可盲汉不要怜悯。他已经复仇雪耻。
一条好汉
欧内斯特·海明威
The blind man knew the sounds of all the different machines in the Saloon. I don't know how long it took him to learn the sounds of the machines but it must have taken him quite a time because he only worked one saloon at a time. He worked two towns though and he would start out of The Flats along after it was good and dark on his way up to Jessup. He'd stop by the side of the road when he heard a car coming and their lights would pick him up and either they would stop and give him a ride or they wouldn't and would go on by on the icy road. () It would depend on how they were loaded and whether there were women in the car because the blind man smelled plenty strong and especially in winter. But someone would always stop for him because he was a blind man.
那个盲人对酒馆里不同机器发出的声响了如指掌。我不知道他用了多久才把各种机器的声音一一辨清，但这事儿准花了他不少时间，因为他一次只在一家酒馆做。不过他在两个镇上都有活，他会在弗拉特先做，一直到天全黑了，再前往杰塞普。听见有车开过来他就会在路旁停下来，车灯照见他，有时他们会停下车来带他一程，有时则不，径直在冰冻的路面从他身旁开过。带不带他要看车上有没有坐满，有没有女士，因为瞎子身上气味很重，尤其在冬天。但总会有人停车让他上去，因为他是个盲人。
Everybody knew him and they called him Blindy, which is a good name for a blind man in that part of the country, and the name of the saloon that he threw his trade to was The Pilot. Right next to it was another saloon, also with gambling and a dining room, that was called The Index. Both of these were the names of mountains and they were both good saloons with old-days bars and the gambling was about the same in one as in the other except you ate better in The Pilot probably. Blindy probably preferred The Pilot because the machines were right along the left-hand wall as you came in and faced the bar. This gave him better control over them than he would have had at The Index where they were scattered on account it was a bigger place with more room. On this night it was really cold outside and he came in with icicles on his mustache and he didn't look really very good. () Even his smell was froze but that wasn't for very long and he started to put out almost as soon as the door was shut. It was always hard for me to look at him but I was looking at him carefully because I knew he always rode and I didn't see how he would be frozen up so bad. Finally I asked him.
人人都认识他，叫他盲汉，在那一带，这是对盲人表示尊重的称呼，他干活的那家酒馆叫派勒特。就在隔壁又是一家酒吧，也有赌博机和餐厅，店名叫做印岱克斯。这两家店名原来都是山名，两家酒馆都不错，都有那种旧式的吧台，赌博机也都没什么两样，只不过派勒特的菜肴可能略好一些。盲汉可能喜欢派勒特，因为进门就是吧台，赌博机都沿左墙一溜儿摆放。赌博机集中摆放，他就容易控制，不像在印岱克斯，因为地方大，空间多，机器四处摆放着。这天晚上，外面冷得够呛，他进来时胡茬上还挂着冰柱，那样子看上去不太对劲。连他的臭味也冻住了，但冻住的时间不长，门一关上，他身上又发出气味了。过去我总是不忍心看他，不过那晚我却仔细打量了他，因为我知道他总能搭上便车，我纳闷，他怎么会冻成这样。我终于问他了。
"Where you walk from, Blindy?"
“你从哪儿走过来的，盲汉？”
"Willie Sawyer put me out of his car down below the railway bridge. There weren't no more cars come and I walked in."
“威利·索亚在铁路桥下面把俺撵下车。一直没别的车开过来，俺就一路走来了。”
"What did he put you afoot for?" somebody asked.
“他干嘛要让你下去走？”有人问。
"Said I smelled too bad."
“说俺身上气味重。”
Somebody hit on a machine but it wasn't any heavy hit. Blindy moved on it just the same. It was a quarter machine and the young fellow who was playing it gave him a quarter sort of reluctantly. Blindy felt it before he put it in his pocket.
有人玩吃角子机赢了，可没有赢多少。盲汉还是走了过去。那是台分币的吃角子机，在玩的那小伙子不很情愿地给了他一个角分的硬币。盲汉摸了摸硬币，然后放进衣袋。
"Thank you," he said. "You'll never miss it."
“多谢了，”他说。“你准会赢的。”
The young fellow said, "Nice to know that," and put a quarter back in the machine and pulled down again.
年轻人说：“那敢情好，”说罢又投了个角分的硬币进去，再往下拉了一下。
He hit again but this time pretty good and he scooped in the quarters and gave a quarter to Blindy.
他又赢了，可这次赢了不少。他捞起大把大把角分的硬币，给了盲汉一个。
"Thanks," Blindy said, "You're doing fine."
“多谢，”盲汉说，“打得不错。”
"Tonight's my night," the young fellow who was playing said.
“今晚咱运气好，”正在玩的年轻人说。
"Your night is my night," Blindy said and the young fellow went on playing but he wasn't doing any good any more and Blindy was so strong standing by him and he looked so awful and finally the fellow quit playing and came over to the bar.
“你走运，俺沾光，”盲汉说。年轻人继续在玩，可不再像刚才那样赢钱；站在他旁边的瞎子气味实在难闻，样子又那么惹人厌烦，年轻人终于歇手不玩了，向酒吧间走去。
"What will yours be, Tom?" Frank the bartender asked me. "This is on the house."
“你想喝什么，汤姆？”名叫弗兰克的酒吧间侍者问我。“酒店请客。”
"I was figuring on shoving."
“我想回去了。”
"Have one first then."
“那就先喝上一杯吧。”
Frank asked the young fellow what he would drink and the young fellow took the same. The whisky was Old Forester.
弗兰克问年轻人要喝什么，年轻人要了同样的酒。是老林务员威士忌。
I nodded to him and raised my drink and we both sipped at the drinks. Blindy was down at the far end of the machines. I think he figured maybe no one would come in if they saw him at the door. Not that he was self-conscious.
我朝他点点头，举起酒杯，两人都呷了一口。盲汉站在那排赌博机的最尽头。我想，他这是估摸着要是见他在门口，没人会进来。这倒不是他怕难为情。
"How did that man lose his sight?" the young fellow asked me.
“那个人是怎么失明的？”那年轻人问我。
"In a fight," Frank told him.
“打架闹的，”弗兰克告诉他。
"I wouldn't know," I told him.
“我不清楚，”我对他说。
"Him fight?" the stranger said. He shook his head.
“他打架？”陌生人说。他摇摇头。
"Yeah," Frank said. "He got that high voice out of the same fight. Tell him, Tom."
“是啊，”弗兰克说。“他那尖嗓子也是那一架给打出来的。跟他说说，汤姆。”
"I never heard of it."
“我从来没听说过。”
"No. You wouldn't of," Frank said. "Of course not. You wasn't here, I suppose. Mister, it was a night about as cold as tonight. Maybe colder. It was a quick fight too. I didn't see the start of it. Then they came fighting out of the door of The Index. Blackie, him that's Blindy now, and this other boy Willie Sawyer, and they were slugging and kneeing and gouging and biting and I see one of Blackie's eyes hanging down on his cheek. They were fighting on the ice of the road with the snow all banked up and the light from this door and The Index door, and Hollis Sands was right behind Willie Sawyer who was gouging for the eye and Hollis kept hollering, 'Bite it off! Bite it off just like it was a grape!' Blackie was biting onto Willie Sawyer's face and he had a good pull and it gave away with a jerk and then he had another good pull and they were down on the ice now and Willie Sawyer was gouging him to make him let go and then Blackie gave a yell like you've never heard. Worse than when they cut a boar."
“对了。你是不会知道的，”弗兰克说。“当然不知道。我想那时你还没来这儿。先生，那天晚上差不多就跟今晚一样冷。可能更冷些。那一架打得快。我没见到是怎么打起来的。只看到他们从印岱克斯的门里扭打出来。布兰奇，如今叫盲汉了，还有那个叫威利·索亚的家伙，两人又打又踢，又抓又咬，我看到布兰奇的一个眼珠掉了出来挂在脸上。两人在冰冻的路面上打，路旁都堆着雪，这扇门里，还有印岱克斯店门里透出灯光，霍利斯·桑兹就站在威利·索亚的身后，威利·索亚正要挖那个眼珠，霍利斯不停地嚷嚷着：‘咬下来！咬下来，就当是个葡萄！’布兰奇咬进威利·索亚的脸，他狠狠一咬，猛地咬下一块，接着又大咬一口，两人都倒在冰上，威利·索亚掐他的眼睛，逼他松手，就在这时，布兰奇惨叫一声，没听见过叫得那么怕人的。比杀猪叫还吓人。”
Blindy had come up opposite us and we smelled him and turned around.
这时盲汉已经走到我们对面，我们闻到他身上的气味，便转过身去。
" 'Bite it off just like it was a grape,'" he said in his high-pitched voice and looked at us, moving his head up and down. "That was the left eye. He got the other one without no advice. Then he stomped me when I couldn't see. That was the bad part." He patted himself.
“‘咬下来，就当是个葡萄，’”他尖声说，一边看着我们，一边摇头晃脑。“那是左眼珠。他连声警告也没有就把另一只也咬下了。俺什么也看不见了，他却狠命踩俺。那才叫惨哪。”他拍了拍自己。
"I could fight good then," he said. "But he got the eye before I knew even what was happening. He got it with a lucky gouge. Well," Blindy said without any ill feeling, "that put a stop to my fighting days."
“那时俺可真能打架，”他说。“可俺还没明白过来是怎么回事他就咬着我的眼珠了。他下手下得巧。唉，”布兰奇说着，不带一点敌意。“这下俺打架的日子也就到头了。”
"Give Blackie a drink," I said to Frank.
“给布兰奇来杯酒，”我吩咐弗兰克。
"Blindy's the name, Tom. I earned that name. You seen me earn it. That's the same fellow who put me adrift down the road tonight. Fellow bit the eye. We ain't never made friends."
“叫俺盲汉，汤姆。这个名字是俺打架打出来的。你都亲眼见到的。就是今晚把俺扔在路上的那个小子。咬眼珠的那个小子。俺两个一直就没和好。”
"What did you do to him?" the stranger asked.
“你拿他怎么了？”陌生人问。
"Oh, you'll see him around," Blindy said. "You'll recognize him any time you see him. I'll let it come as a surprise."
“啊，你会在附近见到他的，”盲汉说。“你一见到他就会认出他。俺要让你见了觉得出乎意料。”
"You don't want to see him," I told the stranger.
“你见了他会害怕的，”我跟陌生人说。
"You know that's one of the reasons I'd like to see sometimes," Blindy said. "I'd like to just have one good look at him."
“要知道，就为了这，有时俺也希望有双眼睛能亲眼瞧瞧。”盲汉说。“俺只想好好瞧他一眼。”
"You know what he looks like," Frank told him. "You went up and put your hands on his face once."
“你知道他现在的模样，”弗兰克对他说。“有次你走上去摸过他的脸。”
"Did it again tonight too," Blindy said happily. "That's why he put me out of the car. He ain't got no sense of humor at all. () I told him on a cold night like this he'd ought to bundle up so the whole inside of his face wouldn't catch cold. He didn't even think that was funny. You know that Willie Sawyer he'll never be a man of the world."
“今晚俺又摸了一次，”盲汉得意地说。“就为这他把俺给撵下了车。他一点玩笑都开不起。俺对他说，今晚这么冷，他应当穿得暖暖的，这样他脸庞里边就不会着凉感冒了。他压根儿没觉得这话挺逗。你知道威利·索亚，成不了汉子。”
"Blackie, you have one on the house," Frank said. "I can't drive you home because I only live just down the road. But you can sleep in the back of the place."
“布兰奇，喝一杯，不收钱，”弗兰克说。“我不能开车送你回家，因为我就住在路的那头。不过你可以在屋子后边睡。”
"That's mighty good of you, Frank. Only just don't call me Blackie. I'm not Blackie any more. Blindy's my name."
“你真好，弗兰克。可别叫俺布兰奇。俺不再是什么布兰奇。俺叫盲汉。”
"Have a drink, Blindy."
“喝，盲汉。”
"Yes, sir," Blindy said. His hand reached out and found the glass and he raised it accurately to the three of us.
“喝，老兄，”盲汉说。他伸出手来摸到了杯子，很准地对着我们三人举杯。
"That Willis Sawyer," he said. "Probably alone home by himself. That Willie Sawyer he don't know how to have any fun at all."
“威利·索亚那小子，”他说。“没准一个人呆在家里呢。威利·索亚那小子一点儿不会取乐。”
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