斯林姆與一窩小狗

“I never meant no harm, George. Honest I never.”

「我沒有惡意啦，喬治。真的沒有。」

“Well, you keep away from her, ’cause she’s a rat-trap if I ever seen one.

「總之你離她遠一點，我這輩子見過的捕鼠夾，就屬她最像。

You let Curley take the rap.

讓柯利去扛吧。

He let himself in for it.

是他自找的。

Glove fulla vaseline,” George said disgustedly.

手套裡裝滿凡士林。」喬治厭惡地說。

“An’ I bet he’s eatin’ raw eggs and writin’ to the patent medicine houses.”

「我打賭他還在吃生雞蛋，寫信去郵購壯陽藥。」

Lennie cried out suddenly—“I don’ like this place, George.

雷尼突然大喊——「我不喜歡這個地方，喬治。

This ain’t no good place.

這不是好地方。

I wanna get outa here.”

我想離開這裡。」

“We gotta keep it till we get a stake.

「我們得撐到攢夠一筆錢。

We can’t help it, Lennie.

沒辦法，雷尼。

We’ll get out jus’ as soon as we can.

我們會盡快離開。

I don’t like it no better than you do.”

我跟你一樣不喜歡這裡。」

He went back to the table and set out a new solitaire hand.

他回到桌邊，又排了一副接龍。

“No, I don’t like it,” he said.

「對，我不喜歡。」他說。

“For two bits I’d shove out of here.

「只要給我兩毛五，我就走人。

If we can get jus’ a few dollars in the poke we’ll shove off and go up the American River and pan gold.

只要錢袋裡有幾塊錢，我們就走，去美國河上游淘金。

We can make maybe a couple of dollars a day there, and we might hit a pocket.”

在那裡一天大概能賺個兩塊，說不定還會挖到一窩金子。」

Lennie leaned eagerly toward him.

雷尼急切地湊過去。

“Le’s go, George. Le’s get outta here.

「我們走吧，喬治。我們離開這裡。

It’s mean here.”

這裡好兇。」

“We gotta stay,” George said shortly.

「我們得留下來。」喬治簡短地說。

“Shut up now. The guys’ll be comin’ in.”

「現在閉嘴。那些人要進來了。」

From the washroom nearby came the sound of running water and rattling basins.

附近的洗澡間傳來流水聲和臉盆碰撞的聲音。

George studied the cards.

喬治研究著牌。

“Maybe we oughtta wash up,” he said.

「也許我們該去洗一洗。」他說。

“But we ain’t done nothing to get dirty.”

「可是我們又沒做什麼會弄髒的事。」

A tall man stood in the doorway.

一個高個子站在門口。

He held a crushed Stetson hat under his arm while he combed his long, black, damp hair straight back.

他把一頂壓扁的史泰森帽夾在腋下，一邊把一頭濕濕的黑長髮往後梳直。

Like the others he wore blue jeans and a short denim jacket.

跟其他人一樣，他穿著藍色牛仔褲和短丹寧夾克。

When he had finished combing his hair he moved into the room, and he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen.

梳好頭髮，他走進屋裡，舉手投足帶著一種只有王室和工藝大師才有的威嚴。

He was a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders.

他是趕騾隊的頭手，農場的王子，能用一條通到領頭騾的韁繩，駕馭十頭、十六頭，甚至二十頭騾子。

He was capable of killing a fly on the wheeler’s butt with a bull whip without touching the mule.

他能用牛鞭打死轅騾屁股上的一隻蒼蠅，卻碰都不碰到騾子。

There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke.

他的舉止莊重，沉靜得那麼深，他一開口，所有人都停止說話。

His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love.

他的威望大到不論什麼話題，政治也好、愛情也好，大家都聽他的。

This was Slim, the jerkline skinner.

這就是斯林姆，趕騾隊的頭手。

His hatchet face was ageless.

他那張瘦削如斧的臉看不出年紀。

He might have been thirty-five or fifty.

他可能三十五，也可能五十。

His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought.

他的耳朵聽到的比別人說出口的更多；他緩慢的話語裡帶著的不是思考，而是超越思考的理解。

His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer.

他的手又大又瘦，動起來卻像廟裡的舞者一樣細膩。

He smoothed out his crushed hat, creased it in the middle and put it on.

他把壓扁的帽子撫平，在中間捏出一道摺痕，戴上。

He looked kindly at the two in the bunk house.

他和善地看著工寮裡的兩個人。

“It’s brighter’n a bitch outside,” he said gently.

「外面亮得要命。」他溫和地說。

“Can’t hardly see nothing in here.

「進來屋裡幾乎什麼都看不到。

You the new guys?”

你們是新來的？」

“Just come,” said George.

「剛到。」喬治說。

“Gonna buck barley?”

「要扛大麥？」

“That’s what the boss says.”

「老闆是這麼說。」

Slim sat down on a box across the table from George.

斯林姆在桌子對面的木箱上坐下。

He studied the solitaire hand that was upside down to him.

他研究著那副對他來說是倒過來的接龍。

“Hope you get on my team,” he said.

「希望你們分到我這隊。」他說。

His voice was very gentle.

他的聲音非常溫和。

“I gotta pair of punks on my team that don’t know a barley bag from a blue ball.

「我隊上有兩個菜鳥，連大麥袋跟藍色的球都分不出來。

You guys ever bucked any barley?”

你們扛過大麥嗎？」

“Hell, yes,” said George.

「當然扛過。」喬治說。

“I ain’t nothing to scream about, but that big bastard there can put up more grain alone than most pairs can.”

「我是沒什麼好說嘴的，可是那個大塊頭一個人扛的，比大多數兩人一組扛的還多。」

Lennie, who had been following the conversation back and forth with his eyes, smiled complacently at the compliment.

一直用眼睛跟著對話來回轉的雷尼，聽到稱讚，得意地笑了。

Slim looked approvingly at George for having given the compliment.

斯林姆讚許地看著喬治，因為他稱讚了雷尼。

He leaned over the table and snapped the corner of a loose card.

他傾身越過桌子，彈了彈一張散牌的角。

“You guys travel around together?”

「你們一起出門的？」

His tone was friendly.

他的語氣很友善。

It invited confidence without demanding it.

讓人想對他說心裡話，卻又不強求。

“Sure,” said George.

「是啊。」喬治說。

“We kinda look after each other.”

「我們算是互相照應。」

He indicated Lennie with his thumb.

他用拇指指指雷尼。

“He ain’t bright.

「他不聰明。

Hell of a good worker, though.

可是做事一流。

Hell of a nice fella, but he ain’t bright.

人好得沒話說，可是不聰明。

I’ve knew him for a long time.”

我認識他很久了。」

Slim looked through George and beyond him.

斯林姆的目光穿過喬治，望向他身後遠處。

“Ain’t many guys travel around together,” he mused.

「很少人會一起出門。」他若有所思地說。

“I don’t know why.

「我不知道為什麼。

Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”

也許這整個該死的世界上，每個人都怕彼此。」

“It’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know,” said George.

「跟一個認識的人一起走，好多了。」喬治說。

A powerful, big-stomached man came into the bunk house.

一個壯碩、大肚子的男人走進工寮。

His head still dripped water from the scrubbing and dousing.

他剛刷洗、沖過頭，頭上還在滴水。

“Hi, Slim,” he said, and then stopped and stared at George and Lennie.

「嗨，斯林姆。」他說，然後停下來盯著喬治和雷尼。

“These guys jus’ come,” said Slim by way of introduction.

「這兩個剛到。」斯林姆算是介紹。

“Glad ta meet ya,” the big man said.

「幸會。」大個子說。

“My name’s Carlson.”

「我叫卡爾森。」

“I’m George Milton. This here’s Lennie Small.”

「我是喬治．米爾頓。這是雷尼．斯摩爾。」

“Glad ta meet ya,” Carlson said again.

「幸會。」卡爾森又說了一次。

“He ain’t very small.”

「他一點都不小嘛。」

He chuckled softly at his joke.

他為自己的笑話輕聲笑了。

“Ain’t small at all,” he repeated.

「一點都不小。」他重複。

“Meant to ask you, Slim—how’s your bitch?

「我正想問你，斯林姆——你的母狗怎麼樣？

I seen she wasn’t under your wagon this morning.”

今天早上沒看到牠在你的車底下。」

“She slang her pups last night,” said Slim.

「牠昨晚生了。」斯林姆說。

“Nine of ’em.

「九隻。

I drowned four of ’em right off.

我馬上淹死了四隻。

She couldn’t feed that many.”

牠餵不了那麼多。」

“Got five left, huh?”

「剩五隻，嗯？」

“Yeah, five. I kept the biggest.”

「對，五隻。我留下最大的。」

“What kinda dogs you think they’re gonna be?”

「你覺得會長成什麼狗？」

“I dunno,” said Slim.

「不知道。」斯林姆說。

“Some kinda shepherds, I guess.

「大概是某種牧羊犬吧。

That’s the most kind I seen around here when she was in heat.”

牠發情的時候，這附近我看到最多的就是那種。」

Carlson went on, “Got five pups, huh.

卡爾森接著說：「五隻小狗，嗯。

Gonna keep all of ’em?”

全部都要留？」

“I dunno.

「不知道。

Have to keep ’em a while so they can drink Lulu’s milk.”

得先留一陣子，讓牠們喝露露的奶。」

Carlson said thoughtfully, “Well, looka here, Slim.

卡爾森若有所思地說：「我說啊，斯林姆。

I been thinkin’.

我一直在想。

That dog of Candy’s is so God damn old he can’t hardly walk.

坎迪那隻狗老得他媽的路都快走不動了。

Stinks like hell, too.

還臭得要命。

Ever’ time he comes into the bunk house I can smell him for two, three days.

牠每次進工寮，那味道我可以聞上兩三天。

Why’n’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up?

你幹嘛不叫坎迪把他的老狗斃了，再給他一隻小狗養？

I can smell that dog a mile away.

那隻狗一英里外我都聞得到。

Got no teeth, damn near blind, can’t eat.

沒牙齒，差不多瞎了，什麼都不能吃。

Candy feeds him milk.

坎迪餵牠喝牛奶。

He can’t chew nothing else.”

別的東西牠都嚼不動。」

George had been staring intently at Slim.

喬治一直專注地盯著斯林姆。

Suddenly a triangle began to ring outside, slowly at first, and then faster and faster until the beat of it disappeared into one ringing sound.

外面突然響起三角鐵，起初很慢，然後越敲越快，快到節拍都消失，連成一片響聲。

It stopped as suddenly as it had started.

接著又像開始時一樣突然停了。

“There she goes,” said Carlson.

「開飯了。」卡爾森說。

Outside, there was a burst of voices as a group of men went by.

外面一群人走過，爆出一陣人聲。

Slim stood up slowly and with dignity.

斯林姆緩慢而莊重地站起來。

“You guys better come on while they’s still something to eat.

「你們最好趁還有東西吃的時候快來。

Won’t be nothing left in a couple of minutes.”

再過幾分鐘就什麼都不剩了。」

Carlson stepped back to let Slim precede him, and then the two of them went out the door.

卡爾森退後一步讓斯林姆先走，然後兩人一起出了門。

Lennie was watching George excitedly.

雷尼興奮地看著喬治。

George rumpled his cards into a messy pile.

喬治把牌胡亂攏成一堆。

“Yeah!” George said, “I heard him, Lennie. I’ll ask him.”

「好啦！」喬治說，「我聽到了，雷尼。我會去問他。」

“A brown and white one,” Lennie cried excitedly.

「要一隻棕白色的！」雷尼興奮地大喊。

“Come on. Le’s get dinner.

「走吧。去吃飯。

I don’t know whether he got a brown and white one.”

我不知道他有沒有棕白色的。」

Lennie didn’t move from his bunk.

雷尼賴在床上不動。

“You ask him right away, George, so he won’t kill no more of ’em.”

「你馬上去問他，喬治，這樣他就不會再弄死更多隻了。」

“Sure. Come on now, get up on your feet.”

「好啦。快點，站起來。」

Lennie rolled off his bunk and stood up, and the two of them started for the door.

雷尼從床上滾下來站好，兩人朝門口走去。

Just as they reached it, Curley bounced in.

剛走到門口，柯利就衝了進來。

“You seen a girl around here?” he demanded angrily.

「你們有沒有看到一個女的？」他氣沖沖地質問。

George said coldly, “ ’Bout half an hour ago maybe.”

喬治冷冷地說：「大概半小時前吧。」

“Well what the hell was she doin’?”

「那她他媽的在幹嘛？」

George stood still, watching the angry little man.

喬治站著不動，看著這個憤怒的小個子。

He said insultingly, “She said—she was lookin’ for you.”

他帶著羞辱的口氣說：「她說——她在找你。」

Curley seemed really to see George for the first time.

柯利似乎這才第一次真正注意到喬治。

His eyes flashed over George, took in his height, measured his reach, looked at his trim middle.

他的眼睛飛快地掃過喬治，估量他的身高、他的臂長，看了看他精瘦的腰身。

“Well, which way’d she go?” he demanded at last.

「那她往哪邊走了？」他終於質問。

“I dunno,” said George.

「不知道。」喬治說。

“I didn’t watch her go.”

「我沒看她往哪走。」

Curley scowled at him, and turning, hurried out the door.

柯利瞪了他一眼，轉身匆匆出門。

George said, “Ya know, Lennie, I’m scared I’m gonna tangle with that bastard myself.

喬治說：「你知道嗎，雷尼，我怕我自己會跟那個王八蛋打起來。

I hate his guts.

我恨死他了。

Jesus Christ! Come on.

老天！走吧。

They won’t be a damn thing left to eat.”

不然什麼鬼東西都吃不到了。」

They went out the door.

他們走出門。

The sunshine lay in a thin line under the window.

陽光在窗下只剩細細的一條。

From a distance there could be heard a rattle of dishes.

遠處傳來碗盤碰撞的聲音。

After a moment the ancient dog walked lamely in through the open door.

過了一會兒，那隻老狗一跛一跛地從敞開的門走進來。

He gazed about with mild, half-blind eyes.

牠用溫和、半瞎的眼睛四處張望。

He sniffed, and then lay down and put his head between his paws.

牠嗅了嗅，然後躺下，把頭擱在兩隻前爪之間。

Curley popped into the doorway again and stood looking into the room.

柯利又在門口冒出來，站著往屋裡看。

The dog raised his head, but when Curley jerked out, the grizzled head sank to the floor again.

老狗抬起頭；柯利猛地一走，那顆花白的頭又垂回地上。