我們可以做到

When Whit and Carlson were gone and the door closed after them, George turned to Lennie.

惠特和卡爾森走了，門在他們身後關上，喬治轉向雷尼。

“What you got on your mind?”

「你在想什麼？」

“I ain’t done nothing, George.

「我什麼都沒做，喬治。

Slim says I better not pet them pups so much for a while.

斯林姆說我最好有一陣子不要那麼常摸那些小狗。

Slim says it ain’t good for them; so I come right in.

斯林姆說那樣對牠們不好；所以我就馬上進來了。

I been good, George.”

我很乖，喬治。」

“I coulda told you that,” said George.

「這我早就可以跟你說了。」喬治說。

“Well, I wasn’t hurtin’ ’em none.

「可是我又沒有傷害牠們。

I jus’ had mine in my lap pettin’ it.”

我只是把我的放在腿上摸摸牠。」

George asked, “Did you see Slim out in the barn?”

喬治問：「你在穀倉有看到斯林姆嗎？」

“Sure I did.

「當然有。

He tol’ me I better not pet that pup no more.”

他跟我說我最好別再摸那隻小狗了。」

“Did you see that girl?”

「你有看到那個女的嗎？」

“You mean Curley’s girl?”

「你是說柯利的女人？」

“Yeah. Did she come in the barn?”

「對。她有進穀倉嗎？」

“No. Anyways I never seen her.”

「沒有。反正我沒看到她。」

“You never seen Slim talkin’ to her?”

「你沒看到斯林姆跟她說話？」

“Uh-uh. She ain’t been in the barn.”

「沒有。她沒進穀倉。」

“O.K.,” said George.

「好。」喬治說。

“I guess them guys ain’t gonna see no fight.

「看來那些傢伙看不到打架了。

If there’s any fightin’, Lennie, you keep out of it.”

要是有人打架，雷尼，你別插手。」

“I don’t want no fights,” said Lennie.

「我不要打架。」雷尼說。

He got up from his bunk and sat down at the table, across from George.

他從床上起來，坐到桌邊，喬治的對面。

Almost automatically George shuffled the cards and laid out his solitaire hand.

喬治幾乎是不自覺地洗了牌，排起他的接龍。

He used a deliberate, thoughtful, slowness.

他排得刻意、若有所思、慢吞吞的。

Lennie reached for a face card and studied it, then turned it upside down and studied it.

雷尼伸手拿起一張人頭牌研究，又把它倒過來研究。

“Both ends the same,” he said.

「兩頭都一樣。」他說。

“George, why is it both end’s the same?”

「喬治，為什麼兩頭都一樣？」

“I don’t know,” said George.

「我不知道。」喬治說。

“That’s jus’ the way they make ’em.

「他們就是這樣做的。

What was Slim doin’ in the barn when you seen him?”

你看到斯林姆的時候，他在穀倉做什麼？」

“Slim?”

「斯林姆？」

“Sure. You seen him in the barn, an’ he tol’ you not to pet the pups so much.”

「對啊。你在穀倉看到他，他叫你別那麼常摸小狗。」

“Oh, yeah. He had a can a’ tar an’ a paint brush.

「喔，對。他拿著一罐焦油跟一支刷子。

I don’t know what for.”

我不知道要幹嘛。」

“You sure that girl didn’t come in like she come in here today?”

「你確定那女的沒有像今天來這裡那樣進去？」

“No. She never come.”

「沒有。她沒來。」

George sighed.

喬治嘆了口氣。

“You give me a good whore house every time,” he said.

「給我一間像樣的妓院，每次都行。」他說。

“A guy can go in an’ get drunk and get ever’thing outa his system all at once, an’ no messes.

「男人進去喝個爛醉，一次把該發洩的都發洩掉，什麼麻煩都沒有。

And he knows how much it’s gonna set him back.

而且他知道要花多少錢。

These here jail baits is just set on the trigger of the hoosegow.”

這種會害人坐牢的女人，簡直就是扣在監獄扳機上的手指。」

Lennie followed his words admiringly, and moved his lips a little to keep up.

雷尼佩服地聽著，嘴唇微微跟著動，好跟上他的話。

George continued, “You remember Andy Cushman, Lennie?

喬治接著說：「你記得安迪．庫希曼嗎，雷尼？

Went to grammar school?”

上小學那個？」

“The one that his old lady used to make hot cakes for the kids?” Lennie asked.

「就是他媽媽常常做鬆餅給小孩吃的那個？」雷尼問。

“Yeah. That’s the one.

「對。就是他。

You can remember anything if there’s anything to eat in it.”

只要跟吃的有關，你什麼都記得住。」

George looked carefully at the solitaire hand.

喬治仔細看著那副接龍。

He put an ace up on his scoring rack and piled a two, three and four of diamonds on it.

他把一張 A 放到計分列上，在上面疊了方塊二、三、四。

“Andy’s in San Quentin right now on account of a tart,” said George.

「安迪現在關在聖昆汀，就是因為一個騷貨。」喬治說。

Lennie drummed on the table with his fingers.

雷尼用手指在桌上咚咚地敲。

“George?”

「喬治？」

“Huh?”

「嗯？」

“George, how long’s it gonna be till we get that little place an’ live on the fatta the lan’—an’ rabbits?”

「喬治，還要多久我們才會有那塊小地方，靠那塊地的油水過活——還有兔子？」

“I don’ know,” said George.

「我不知道。」喬治說。

“We gotta get a big stake together.

「我們得攢一大筆錢。

I know a little place we can get cheap, but they ain’t givin’ it away.”

我知道有個小地方可以便宜買到，可是人家也不是白送的。」

Old Candy turned slowly over.

老坎迪慢慢翻過身來。

His eyes were wide open.

他的眼睛睜得大大的。

He watched George carefully.

他仔細地看著喬治。

Lennie said, “Tell about that place, George.”

雷尼說：「講講那個地方，喬治。」

“I jus’ tol’ you, jus’ las’ night.”

「我才剛跟你講過，就昨天晚上。」

“Go on—tell again, George.”

「講嘛——再講一次，喬治。」

“Well, it’s ten acres,” said George.

「好吧，那裡有十英畝。」喬治說。

“Got a little win’mill.

「有一座小風車。

Got a little shack on it, an’ a chicken run.

有一間小木屋，還有一個雞舍。

Got a kitchen, orchard, cherries, apples, peaches, ’cots, nuts, got a few berries.

有廚房、果園，有櫻桃、蘋果、桃子、杏子、堅果，還有一些莓果。

They’s a place for alfalfa and plenty water to flood it.

有一塊地可以種苜蓿，還有很多水可以灌溉。

They’s a pig pen——”

還有一個豬圈——」

“An’ rabbits, George.”

「還有兔子，喬治。」

“No place for rabbits now, but I could easy build a few hutches and you could feed alfalfa to the rabbits.”

「現在沒地方養兔子，可是我隨便就能蓋幾個兔籠，你可以拿苜蓿餵兔子。」

“Damn right, I could,” said Lennie.

「我當然可以。」雷尼說。

“You God damn right I could.”

「我他媽的當然可以。」

George’s hands stopped working with the cards.

喬治的手不再擺弄牌了。

His voice was growing warmer.

他的聲音越來越溫暖。

“An’ we could have a few pigs.

「我們還可以養幾頭豬。

I could build a smoke house like the one gran’pa had, an’ when we kill a pig we can smoke the bacon and the hams, and make sausage an’ all like that.

我可以蓋一間像我爺爺那樣的煙燻房，殺豬的時候就燻培根、燻火腿，做香腸那些東西。

An’ when the salmon run up river we could catch a hundred of ’em an’ salt ’em down or smoke ’em.

鮭魚往上游洄游的時候，我們可以抓一百條，醃起來或燻起來。

We could have them for breakfast.

早餐就可以吃。

They ain’t nothing so nice as smoked salmon.

沒有什麼比煙燻鮭魚更好吃了。

When the fruit come in we could can it—and tomatoes, they’re easy to can.

水果收成的時候可以做成罐頭——還有番茄，番茄很好做罐頭。

Ever’ Sunday we’d kill a chicken or a rabbit.

每個禮拜天殺一隻雞或一隻兔子。

Maybe we’d have a cow or a goat, and the cream is so God damn thick you got to cut it with a knife and take it out with a spoon.”

說不定我們還會有一頭牛或一頭山羊，奶油厚得他媽的要用刀切、用湯匙舀。」

Lennie watched him with wide eyes, and old Candy watched him too.

雷尼睜大眼睛看著他，老坎迪也看著他。

Lennie said softly, “We could live offa the fatta the lan’.”

雷尼輕聲說：「我們可以靠那塊地的油水過活。」

“Sure,” said George.

「當然。」喬治說。

“All kin’s a vegetables in the garden, and if we want a little whisky we can sell a few eggs or something, or some milk.

「菜園裡什麼菜都有，要是想喝點威士忌，就賣幾顆蛋什麼的，或賣點牛奶。

We’d jus’ live there.

我們就住在那裡。

We’d belong there.

我們屬於那裡。

There wouldn’t be no more runnin’ round the country and gettin’ fed by a Jap cook.

再也不用到處跑，吃日本廚子煮的飯。

No, sir, we’d have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house.”

不，先生，我們會有自己的地方，我們屬於那裡，再也不用睡工寮。」

“Tell about the house, George,” Lennie begged.

「講房子，喬治。」雷尼央求。

“Sure, we’d have a little house an’ a room to ourself.

「好，我們會有一棟小房子，有自己的房間。

Little fat iron stove, an’ in the winter we’d keep a fire goin’ in it.

一座胖胖的小鐵爐，冬天就一直燒著火。

It ain’t enough land so we’d have to work too hard.

地不大，所以我們不用做得太累。

Maybe six, seven hours a day.

大概一天六、七個鐘頭。

We wouldn’t have to buck no barley eleven hours a day.

不用一天扛十一個鐘頭的大麥。

An’ when we put in a crop, why, we’d be there to take the crop up.

而且我們種下莊稼，嘿，我們會在那裡把它收起來。

We’d know what come of our planting.”

我們會知道自己種的東西後來怎麼樣了。」

“An’ rabbits,” Lennie said eagerly.

「還有兔子。」雷尼急切地說。

“An’ I’d take care of ’em.

「我會照顧牠們。

Tell how I’d do that, George.”

講我要怎麼照顧，喬治。」

“Sure, you’d go out in the alfalfa patch an’ you’d have a sack.

「好，你會帶一個袋子到苜蓿田去。

You’d fill up the sack and bring it in an’ put it in the rabbit cages.”

你把袋子裝滿，拿回來放進兔籠裡。」

“They’d nibble an’ they’d nibble,” said Lennie, “the way they do.

「牠們就會一直啃一直啃，」雷尼說，「就像牠們那樣。

I seen ’em.”

我看過。」

“Ever’ six weeks or so,” George continued, “them does would throw a litter so we’d have plenty rabbits to eat an’ to sell.

「大概每六個禮拜，」喬治繼續說，「那些母兔就會生一窩，所以我們會有很多兔子可以吃、可以賣。

An’ we’d keep a few pigeons to go flyin’ around the win’mill like they done when I was a kid.”

我們還會養幾隻鴿子，讓牠們繞著風車飛，就像我小時候那樣。」

He looked raptly at the wall over Lennie’s head.

他出神地望著雷尼頭頂上方的牆壁。

“An’ it’d be our own, an’ nobody could can us.

「而且那是我們自己的，沒人能開除我們。

If we don’t like a guy we can say, ‘Get the hell out,’ and by God he’s got to do it.

要是我們不喜歡誰，就可以說：『給我滾出去』，老天在上，他就得滾。

An’ if a fren’ come along, why we’d have an extra bunk, an’ we’d say, ‘Why don’t you spen’ the night?’ an’ by God he would.

要是有朋友來，嘿，我們會有一張多的床，我們會說：『你幹嘛不住一晚？』老天在上，他就會住下來。

We’d have a setter dog and a couple stripe cats, but you gotta watch out them cats don’t get the little rabbits.”

我們會養一隻雪達犬和兩隻虎斑貓，可是你得小心別讓那些貓抓到小兔子。」

Lennie breathed hard.

雷尼的呼吸變得粗重。

“You jus’ let ’em try to get the rabbits.

「牠們敢碰兔子試試看。

I’ll break their God damn necks.

我會扭斷牠們的脖子。

I’ll . . . I’ll smash ’em with a stick.”

我會……我會拿棍子把牠們打爛。」

He subsided, grumbling to himself, threatening the future cats which might dare to disturb the future rabbits.

他慢慢平靜下來，自己嘟嘟囔囔，威脅著那些將來可能膽敢騷擾將來的兔子的將來的貓。

George sat entranced with his own picture.

喬治坐著，被自己描繪的畫面迷住了。

When Candy spoke they both jumped as though they had been caught doing something reprehensible.

坎迪一開口，兩個人都嚇了一跳，好像做了什麼見不得人的事被抓到。

Candy said, “You know where’s a place like that?”

坎迪說：「你知道哪裡有那樣的地方？」

George was on guard immediately.

喬治立刻提高警覺。

“S’pose I do,” he said.

「就算我知道，」他說。

“What’s that to you?”

「關你什麼事？」

“You don’t need to tell me where it’s at.

「你不用告訴我在哪裡。

Might be any place.”

哪裡都有可能。」

“Sure,” said George.

「沒錯。」喬治說。

“That’s right.

「說得對。

You couldn’t find it in a hundred years.”

你找一百年也找不到。」

Candy went on excitedly, “How much they want for a place like that?”

坎迪興奮地接著問：「那樣的地方他們要賣多少錢？」

George watched him suspiciously.

喬治懷疑地看著他。

“Well—I could get it for six hundred bucks.

「嗯——六百塊我就能買下來。

The ol’ people that owns it is flat bust an’ the ol’ lady needs an operation.

擁有那塊地的老夫婦窮得一毛不剩，老太太需要開刀。

Say—what’s it to you?

喂——這關你什麼事？

You got nothing to do with us.”

你跟我們又沒關係。」

Candy said, “I ain’t much good with on’y one hand.

坎迪說：「我只剩一隻手，沒什麼用了。

I lost my hand right here on this ranch.

我的手就是在這個農場斷的。

That’s why they give me a job swampin’.

所以他們才讓我做雜工。

An’ they give me two hunderd an’ fifty dollars ’cause I los’ my hand.

他們還因為我斷了手，賠了我兩百五十塊。

An’ I got fifty more saved up right in the bank, right now.

我現在銀行裡還存了五十塊。

Tha’s three hunderd, and I got fifty more comin’ the end a the month.

那就三百了，月底我還會再拿到五十。

Tell you what—”

我跟你說——」

He leaned forward eagerly.

他急切地往前湊。

“S’pose I went in with you guys.

「假如我跟你們一起。

Tha’s three hunderd an’ fifty bucks I’d put in.

我可以出三百五十塊。

I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some.

我是沒什麼用，可是我會煮飯、會照顧雞，也能鋤鋤菜園。

How’d that be?”

這樣如何？」

George half-closed his eyes.

喬治半閉著眼睛。

“I gotta think about that.

「這我得想一想。

We was always gonna do it by ourselves.”

我們一直打算自己兩個人做的。」

Candy interrupted him, “I’d make a will an’ leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, ’cause I ain’t got no relatives nor nothing.

坎迪打斷他：「我會立遺囑，要是我死了，我那份就留給你們，因為我沒有親人，什麼都沒有。

You guys got any money?

你們有錢嗎？

Maybe we could do her right now?”

說不定我們現在就能辦？」

George spat on the floor disgustedly.

喬治嫌惡地往地上吐了口口水。

“We got ten bucks between us.”

「我們兩個加起來才十塊。」

Then he said thoughtfully, “Look, if me an’ Lennie work a month an’ don’t spen’ nothing, we’ll have a hunderd bucks.

然後他若有所思地說：「聽著，要是我跟雷尼做一個月、一毛都不花，我們就有一百塊。

That’d be four fifty.

那就是四百五。

I bet we could swing her for that.

我打賭這樣就能搞定。

Then you an’ Lennie could go get her started an’ I’d get a job an’ make up the res’, an’ you could sell eggs an’ stuff like that.”

然後你跟雷尼可以先去把地弄起來，我去找份工作把剩下的錢補上，你們可以賣蛋什麼的。」

They fell into a silence.

他們陷入沉默。

They looked at one another, amazed.

他們驚訝地看著彼此。

This thing they had never really believed in was coming true.

這件他們從來沒有真正相信過的事，就要成真了。

George said reverently, “Jesus Christ! I bet we could swing her.”

喬治虔敬地說：「老天爺！我打賭我們做得到。」

His eyes were full of wonder.

他的眼睛裡滿是驚奇。

“I bet we could swing her,” he repeated softly.

「我打賭我們做得到。」他輕聲地又說了一次。

Candy sat on the edge of his bunk.

坎迪坐在床沿。

He scratched the stump of his wrist nervously.

他緊張地搔著手腕的斷處。

“I got hurt four years ago,” he said.

「我是四年前受傷的。」他說。

“They’ll can me purty soon.

「他們很快就會把我趕走了。

Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunk houses they’ll put me on the county.

只要我掃不動工寮，他們就會把我丟給郡政府救濟。

Maybe if I give you guys my money, you’ll let me hoe in the garden even after I ain’t no good at it.

也許我把錢給你們，就算我鋤不動了，你們也會讓我在菜園裡鋤鋤地。

An’ I’ll wash dishes an’ little chicken stuff like that.

我還會洗碗、做些餵雞之類的小事。

But I’ll be on our own place, an’ I’ll be let to work on our own place.”

可是我會在我們自己的地方，可以在我們自己的地方做事。」

He said miserably, “You seen what they done to my dog tonight?

他悲慘地說：「你們看到他們今晚對我的狗做了什麼吧？

They says he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else.

他們說牠對自己、對誰都沒用了。

When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me.

等他們把我趕走，我希望有人一槍斃了我。

But they won’t do nothing like that.

可是他們不會這樣做的。

I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs.

我會沒地方去，也再也找不到工作。

I’ll have thirty dollars more comin’, time you guys is ready to quit.”

等你們準備辭工的時候，我還會再拿到三十塊。」