沒有人到得了天堂

Crooks bored in on him.

克魯克斯步步進逼。

“Want me ta tell ya what’ll happen?

「要我告訴你會發生什麼事嗎？

They’ll take ya to the booby hatch.

他們會把你送進瘋人院。

They’ll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog.”

他們會用項圈把你綁起來，像綁狗一樣。」

Suddenly Lennie’s eyes centered and grew quiet, and mad.

雷尼的眼神突然集中起來，變得安靜，而且瘋狂。

He stood up and walked dangerously toward Crooks.

他站起來，危險地朝克魯克斯走過去。

“Who hurt George?” he demanded.

「誰傷了喬治？」他質問。

Crooks saw the danger as it approached him.

克魯克斯看到危險朝他逼近。

He edged back on his bunk to get out of the way.

他在床上往後挪，想避開。

“I was just supposin’,” he said.

「我只是假設而已。」他說。

“George ain’t hurt.

「喬治沒受傷。

He’s all right.

他沒事。

He’ll be back all right.”

他會好好地回來。」

Lennie stood over him.

雷尼站在他面前俯視他。

“What you supposin’ for?

「你假設什麼？

Ain’t nobody goin’ to suppose no hurt to George.”

誰都不准假設喬治受傷。」

Crooks removed his glasses and wiped his eyes with his fingers.

克魯克斯摘下眼鏡，用手指揉揉眼睛。

“Jus’ set down,” he said.

「坐下吧。」他說。

“George ain’t hurt.”

「喬治沒受傷。」

Lennie growled back to his seat on the nail keg.

雷尼咕噥著回到釘子桶上坐下。

“Ain’t nobody goin’ to talk no hurt to George,” he grumbled.

「誰都不准說喬治受傷。」他嘟囔著。

Crooks said gently, “Maybe you can see now.

克魯克斯溫和地說：「也許你現在懂了。

You got George.

你有喬治。

You know he’s goin’ to come back.

你知道他會回來。

S’pose you didn’t have nobody.

假如你誰都沒有。

S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ’cause you was black.

假如你因為是黑人，不能進工寮玩拉米牌。

How’d you like that?

你會怎麼想？

S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books.

假如你得坐在這裡看書。

Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books.

當然你可以擲馬蹄鐵擲到天黑，可是天黑之後你就只能看書。

Books ain’t no good.

書沒有用。

A guy needs somebody—to be near him.”

一個人需要有個人——在他身邊。」

He whined, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody.

他哀聲說：「一個人要是誰都沒有，會瘋掉的。

Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you.

那個人是誰都沒關係，只要他跟你在一起。

I tell ya,” he cried, “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.”

我跟你說，」他大喊，「我跟你說，一個人太寂寞會生病的。」

“George gonna come back,” Lennie reassured himself in a frightened voice.

「喬治會回來的。」雷尼用害怕的聲音安慰自己。

“Maybe George come back already.

「說不定喬治已經回來了。

Maybe I better go see.”

也許我該去看看。」

Crooks said, “I didn’t mean to scare you.

克魯克斯說：「我不是故意嚇你的。

He’ll come back.

他會回來的。

I was talkin’ about myself.

我是在說我自己。

A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin’ books or thinkin’ or stuff like that.

一個人晚上獨自坐在這裡，也許看看書，也許想想事情之類的。

Sometimes he gets thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so.

有時候他想著想著，就沒有任何東西能告訴他什麼是真的、什麼不是。

Maybe if he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not.

也許他看到了什麼，卻不知道那是不是真的。

He can’t turn to some other guy and ast him if he sees it too.

他沒辦法轉頭問另一個人：你也看到了嗎？

He can’t tell.

他分辨不出來。

He got nothing to measure by.

他沒有東西可以衡量。

I seen things out here.

我在這裡看過一些東西。

I wasn’t drunk.

我沒喝醉。

I don’t know if I was asleep.

我不知道我是不是睡著了。

If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, an’ then it would be all right.

要是有人跟我在一起，他可以告訴我是我睡著了，那就沒事了。

But I jus’ don’t know.”

可是我就是不知道。」

Crooks was looking across the room now, looking toward the window.

克魯克斯這時望著房間另一頭，望向窗戶。

Lennie said miserably, “George wun’t go away and leave me.

雷尼可憐兮兮地說：「喬治不會丟下我走掉的。

I know George wun’t do that.”

我知道喬治不會那樣做。」

The stable buck went on dreamily, “I remember when I was a little kid on my old man’s chicken ranch.

馬廄工恍恍惚惚地繼續說：「我記得我小時候在我老爸的養雞場。

Had two brothers.

我有兩個兄弟。

They was always near me, always there.

他們總是在我身邊，一直都在。

Used to sleep right in the same room, right in the same bed—all three.

我們睡在同一個房間，同一張床——三個人一起。

Had a strawberry patch.

有一片草莓園。

Had an alfalfa patch.

有一片苜蓿田。

Used to turn the chickens out in the alfalfa on a sunny morning.

晴天的早上，我們會把雞放到苜蓿田裡。

My brothers’d set on a fence rail an’ watch ’em—white chickens they was.”

我兄弟會坐在籬笆欄杆上看牠們——那些雞是白色的。」

Gradually Lennie’s interest came around to what was being said.

雷尼的注意力慢慢轉到他說的話上。

“George says we’re gonna have alfalfa for the rabbits.”

「喬治說我們會有苜蓿可以餵兔子。」

“What rabbits?”

「什麼兔子？」

“We’re gonna have rabbits an’ a berry patch.”

「我們會有兔子，還有一片莓果園。」

“You’re nuts.”

「你瘋了。」

“We are too. You ast George.”

「我們真的會有。你去問喬治。」

“You’re nuts.”

「你瘋了。」

Crooks was scornful.

克魯克斯滿臉輕蔑。

“I seen hunderds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads.

「我看過幾百個人，在路上、在農場上走過，背上背著鋪蓋卷，腦子裡裝著同一個鬼東西。

Hunderds of them.

幾百個。

They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every damn one of ’em’s got a little piece of land in his head.

他們來了，辭工，又走了；每一個他媽的腦子裡都有一小塊地。

An’ never a God damn one of ’em ever gets it.

可是沒有一個他媽的真的得到過。

Just like heaven.

就像天堂。

Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’.

每個人都想要一小塊地。

I read plenty of books out here.

我在這裡讀了很多書。

Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.

沒有人到得了天堂，也沒有人得到地。

It’s just in their head.

那只在他們腦子裡。

They’re all the time talkin’ about it, but it’s jus’ in their head.”

他們一天到晚在講，可是那只在他們腦子裡。」

He paused and looked toward the open door, for the horses were moving restlessly and the halter chains clinked.

他停下來望向敞開的門，因為馬匹不安地走動，韁繩鐵鏈叮噹作響。

A horse whinnied.

一匹馬嘶叫起來。

“I guess somebody’s out there,” Crooks said.

「我猜外面有人。」克魯克斯說。

“Maybe Slim.

「也許是斯林姆。

Slim comes in sometimes two, three times a night.

斯林姆有時候一個晚上會進來兩三次。

Slim’s a real skinner.

斯林姆是真正的趕騾手。

He looks out for his team.”

他很照顧他的騾隊。」

He pulled himself painfully upright and moved toward the door.

他吃力地撐起身子，朝門口走去。

“That you, Slim?” he called.

「是你嗎，斯林姆？」他喊。

Candy’s voice answered.

回答的是坎迪的聲音。

“Slim went in town.

「斯林姆進城了。

Say, you seen Lennie?”

喂，你有看到雷尼嗎？」

“Ya mean the big guy?”

「你是說那個大個子？」

“Yeah. Seen him around any place?”

「對。有在哪裡看到他嗎？」

“He’s in here,” Crooks said shortly.

「他在這裡。」克魯克斯簡短地說。

He went back to his bunk and lay down.

他回到床上躺下。

Candy stood in the doorway scratching his bald wrist and looking blindly into the lighted room.

坎迪站在門口，搔著光禿禿的手腕，茫然地往亮著燈的房間裡看。

He made no attempt to enter.

他沒有要進來的意思。

“Tell ya what, Lennie.

「我跟你說，雷尼。

I been figuring out about them rabbits.”

我一直在算兔子的事。」

Crooks said irritably, “You can come in if you want.”

克魯克斯不耐煩地說：「你想進來就進來吧。」

Candy seemed embarrassed.

坎迪好像很難為情。

“I do’ know.

「我不知道耶。

’Course, if ya want me to.”

當然，如果你要我進來的話。」

“Come on in.

「進來吧。

If ever’body’s comin’ in, you might just as well.”

既然大家都要進來，你也一樣吧。」

It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger.

克魯克斯很難用怒氣掩飾他的高興。

Candy came in, but he was still embarrassed.

坎迪走進來，可是還是很難為情。

“You got a nice cozy little place in here,” he said to Crooks.

「你這裡挺舒服的。」他對克魯克斯說。

“Must be nice to have a room all to yourself this way.”

「能這樣一個人有自己的房間，一定很好。」

“Sure,” said Crooks.

「是啊。」克魯克斯說。

“And a manure pile under the window.

「窗戶底下還有一堆馬糞。

Sure, it’s swell.”

是啊，好得很。」

Lennie broke in, “You said about them rabbits.”

雷尼插嘴：「你說兔子的事。」

Candy leaned against the wall beside the broken collar while he scratched the wrist stump.

坎迪靠在那個破頸圈旁邊的牆上，搔著手腕的斷處。

“I been here a long time,” he said.

「我在這裡很久了。」他說。

“An’ Crooks been here a long time.

「克魯克斯也在這裡很久了。

This’s the first time I ever been in his room.”

這是我第一次進他的房間。」

Crooks said darkly, “Guys don’t come into a colored man’s room very much.

克魯克斯陰沉地說：「白人不太會進有色人種的房間。

Nobody been here but Slim.

除了斯林姆，沒人來過。

Slim an’ the boss.”

斯林姆跟老闆。」

Candy quickly changed the subject.

坎迪很快地轉移話題。

“Slim’s as good a skinner as I ever seen.”

「斯林姆是我見過最好的趕騾手。」

Lennie leaned toward the old swamper.

雷尼湊向老雜工。

“About them rabbits,” he insisted.

「兔子的事。」他堅持。

Candy smiled.

坎迪笑了。

“I got it figured out.

「我算好了。

We can make some money on them rabbits if we go about it right.”

只要方法對，那些兔子可以讓我們賺點錢。」

“But I get to tend ’em,” Lennie broke in.

「可是是我要照顧牠們。」雷尼插嘴。

“George says I get to tend ’em.

「喬治說我可以照顧牠們。

He promised.”

他答應過的。」

Crooks interrupted brutally.

克魯克斯殘酷地打斷。

“You guys is just kiddin’ yourself.

「你們只是在騙自己。

You’ll talk about it a hell of a lot, but you won’t get no land.

你們會講個沒完，可是你們不會得到地。

You’ll be a swamper here till they take you out in a box.

你會在這裡當雜工，直到他們把你裝進棺材抬出去。

Hell, I seen too many guys.

媽的，這種人我看太多了。

Lennie here’ll quit an’ be on the road in two, three weeks.

這個雷尼兩三個禮拜後就會辭工、又上路。

Seems like ever’ guy got land in his head.”

好像每個人腦子裡都有一塊地。」

Candy rubbed his cheek angrily.

坎迪生氣地搓著臉頰。

“You God damn right we’re gonna do it.

「我們他媽的一定會做到。

George says we are.

喬治說我們會。

We got the money right now.”

我們現在就有錢了。」

“Yeah?” said Crooks.

「是嗎？」克魯克斯說。

“An’ where’s George now?

「那喬治現在在哪？

In town in a whore house.

在城裡的妓院。

That’s where your money’s goin’.

你們的錢就是花到那裡去。

Jesus, I seen it happen too many times.

天啊，這種事我看過太多次了。

I seen too many guys with land in their head.

我看過太多腦子裡有一塊地的人。

They never get none under their hand.”

他們的手從來沒摸到過一寸地。」

Candy cried, “Sure they all want it.

坎迪大喊：「他們當然都想要。

Everybody wants a little bit of land, not much.

每個人都想要一小塊地，不用多。

Jus’ som’thin’ that was his.

只要是屬於他的東西。

Somethin’ he could live on and there couldn’t nobody throw him off of it.

一個他可以住下來、沒有人能把他趕走的地方。

I never had none.

我從來沒有過。

I planted crops for damn near ever’body in this state, but they wasn’t my crops, and when I harvested ’em, it wasn’t none of my harvest.

這個州差不多每個人的莊稼我都種過，可是那不是我的莊稼，我收成的時候，那也不是我的收成。

But we gonna do it now, and don’t make no mistake about that.

可是我們現在要做了，這一點你別搞錯。

George ain’t got the money in town.

喬治沒把錢帶進城。

That money’s in the bank.

錢在銀行裡。

Me an’ Lennie an’ George.

我、雷尼還有喬治。

We gonna have a room to ourself.

我們會有自己的房間。

We’re gonna have a dog an’ rabbits an’ chickens.

我們會有一隻狗、兔子和雞。

We’re gonna have green corn an’ maybe a cow or a goat.”

我們會有嫩玉米，也許還有一頭牛或一頭山羊。」

He stopped, overwhelmed with his picture.

他停了下來，被自己描繪的畫面淹沒了。

Crooks asked, “You say you got the money?”

克魯克斯問：「你說你們有錢了？」

“Damn right.

「沒錯。

We got most of it.

大部分都有了。

Just a little bit more to get.

只差一點點。

Have it all in one month.

一個月內就會全部湊齊。

George got the land all picked out, too.”

喬治連地都挑好了。」

Crooks reached around and explored his spine with his hand.

克魯克斯把手伸到背後，摸索著自己的脊椎。

“I never seen a guy really do it,” he said.

「我從沒看過有人真的做到。」他說。

“I seen guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land, but ever’ time a whore house or a blackjack game took what it takes.”

「我看過有人想地想得快發瘋，可是每一次，妓院或二十一點牌局都會把錢拿走。」

He hesitated.

他遲疑了一下。

“. . . If you . . . guys would want a hand to work for nothing—just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand.

「……要是你們……需要一個不拿錢的幫手——只要管吃住，嗯，我可以去幫忙。

I ain’t so crippled I can’t work like a son-of-a-bitch if I want to.”

我還沒殘廢到想做的時候不能拚命做。」

“Any you boys seen Curley?”

「你們誰有看到柯利？」

They swung their heads toward the door.

他們一齊轉頭看向門口。

Looking in was Curley’s wife.

往裡看的是柯利的老婆。

Her face was heavily made up.

她的臉化著濃妝。

Her lips were slightly parted.

她的嘴唇微微張開。

She breathed strongly, as though she had been running.

她喘得很用力，好像剛跑過來。

“Curley ain’t been here,” Candy said sourly.

「柯利沒來過。」坎迪沒好氣地說。

She stood still in the doorway, smiling a little at them, rubbing the nails of one hand with the thumb and forefinger of the other.

她站在門口不動，對他們微微笑著，用一隻手的拇指和食指搓著另一隻手的指甲。

And her eyes traveled from one face to another.

她的眼睛從一張臉看到另一張臉。

“They left all the weak ones here,” she said finally.

「他們把所有的弱者都留在這裡了。」她終於說。

“Think I don’t know where they all went?

「以為我不知道他們都去哪了嗎？

Even Curley.

連柯利也是。

I know where they all went.”

我知道他們都去哪了。」

Lennie watched her, fascinated; but Candy and Crooks were scowling down away from her eyes.

雷尼看著她，看得入迷；可是坎迪和克魯克斯皺著眉低下頭，避開她的眼睛。

Candy said, “Then if you know, why you want to ast us where Curley is at?”

坎迪說：「既然你知道，幹嘛還問我們柯利在哪？」

She regarded them amusedly.

她覺得好笑地打量著他們。

“Funny thing,” she said.

「真好笑。」她說。

“If I catch any one man, and he’s alone, I get along fine with him.

「要是我碰到你們任何一個人單獨在，我跟他都處得很好。

But just let two of the guys get together an’ you won’t talk.

可是只要有兩個人在一起，你們就不講話了。

Jus’ nothing but mad.”

就只會生氣。」

She dropped her fingers and put her hands on her hips.

她放下手指，雙手叉腰。

“You’re all scared of each other, that’s what.

「你們都怕彼此，就是這樣。

Ever’ one of you’s scared the rest is goin’ to get something on you.”

你們每一個都怕被其他人抓到把柄。」

After a pause Crooks said, “Maybe you better go along to your own house now.

停了一會兒，克魯克斯說：「你最好現在就回你自己家去。

We don’t want no trouble.”

我們不想惹麻煩。」

“Well, I ain’t giving you no trouble.

「我又沒給你們惹麻煩。

Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while?

你們以為我不想偶爾跟人說說話嗎？

Think I like to stick in that house alla time?”

你們以為我喜歡一天到晚悶在那棟房子裡嗎？」