吹小号的天鹅 第75期:费城(4)

 He saw a man leaning on the wide railing in front of the Bird House.

他看到一个倚在鸟屋前的宽栅栏旁的男人。
The man was dressed in a purple suit and wore a Tyrolean hat.
这个男人穿着一套紫色的西装，戴着一顶蒂罗尔式的帽子。
His face looked shrewd and wise, as though he knew a great many things, many of them not worth knowing.
他的脸显得精明而又睿智，好象他知道相当多的事情，其中的不少都是别人不屑于去了解的事情一样。
"That must be Abe "Lucky" Lucas," thought Louis.
“那人一定就是阿贝·'幸运'·卢卡斯了，”路易斯想。
He swam quickly over. "Ko-hoh!" he said, through his trumpet 1.
他飞快地游了过去。“吭—嗬！”他通过他的小号说。
"My pleasure," replied Mr. Lucas. "You are right on time. The splashdown was sensational 2.
“很高兴见到你，”卢卡斯先生回答，“你来的很准时。降落的效果也很有震撼力。
Welcome to the Philadelphia Zoo, which crawls with rare mammals, birds, reptiles 3, amphibians 4, and fishes,
欢迎到费城动物园来，这里到处都是珍稀的哺乳动物，鸟类，爬行动物，两栖动物，鱼类，
including sharks, rays, and other fishlike vertebrates.
包括鲨鱼，鳐鱼，还有其他的和鱼类似的脊椎动物。
吹小号的天鹅
Watch out for wild animals--this place is replete 5 with them:
要当心那些野兽--这地方也是它们的天下：
snakes, zebras, monkeys, elephants, lions, tigers, wolves, foxes, bears, hippos, rhinos 6, woodchucks, skunks 7, hawks 8, and owls 9.
有蛇，斑马，猴子，大象，狮子，老虎，狼，狐狸，熊，河马，犀牛，土拨鼠，臭鼬，鹰，还有猫头鹰。
I seldom come here; my work confines me to the throbbing 10 heart of the city, among the money changers.
我很少到这里来；我的工作已经把我限定在跳动着的城市心脏内，在钱商之间了。
I am under great pressure from my work. How was your trip from Boston?"
我一直活在工作的强大压力之下。你从波士顿来这儿的路上如何？”
"Smooth," wrote Louis on his slate 11. "I made good time. What about my job?"
“很顺利，”路易斯在他的石板上写，“一切都好。我的工作是什么？”
"A happy question," replied Mr. Lucas. "The job will start on October fifteenth. The contract has been finalized 12.
“这是个叫人开心的问题，”卢卡斯先生回答，“这个工作将从十月十五号开始。合约已经订好了。
Your place of employment is a nightclub of great renown 13, across the river
你的工作地方是一家非常有名的夜总会，就在河对面
a place of high fashion and low prices, a jumpy joint 14.
一个相当时髦的收费低廉的地方，一个令人心跳的场所。
You will be called upon to make appearances each evening except Sunday, and play your trumpet for the happy customers.
你将在每天晚上为快乐的客人们吹奏小号，除了星期日以外。
Once in a while you can join a jazz group: "Louis the Swan on trumpet."
有时你可以去参加一个爵士乐团：'吹小号的天鹅路易斯'。
The pay is very good. My spirits are lifted by thinking about the pay.
报酬是很丰厚的，一想到报酬我的情绪就上来了。
Wealth and happiness are around the corner for Louis the Swan and Lucky Lucas, the great of heart.
财富和幸福都在天鹅路易斯和好心肠的幸运卢卡斯身边转悠着呢。
My agent's fee is ten percent, a mere 15 bagatelle 16."
我的佣金才百分之十，简直是小菜儿一碟。”
"How do I get to the nightclub?" asked Louis, who only understood about half of what Mr. Lucas was saying.
“我怎么去夜总会呢？”对卢卡斯先生的话只听懂了一半的路易斯问。
"In a taxicab," replied Mr. Lucas.
“坐出租车，”卢卡斯先生回答，
"Be at the North Entrance of the Zoo, Girard Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street,
“在动物园北门，吉拉德街⑾和第三十四街之间，
at nine o'clock on the evening of October fifteenth, a night that will live in memory.
从十月十五号晚上九点起，一个夜晚将活在你的记忆深处了。
A cab will await your pleasure and will transport you to the club. The driver is a friend of mine.
一辆出租车将在那里听候你的差遣，把你送到夜总会去。司机是我的一个老朋友。
He, too, is under pressure from his work."
他也活在工作的重压之下。”
"Who's going to pay for the cab?" asked Louis on his slate.
“谁来付出租车费呢？”路易斯在他的石板上问。
"I am," replied Mr. Lucas. "Lucky Lucas, the generous of heart, pays for the cab for Louis the Swan.
“我，”卢卡斯先生回答，“幸运卢卡斯，那个有着一副慷慨心肠的人，将为天鹅路易斯付出租车费。
And by the way, I see that you are wearing a moneybag and that it is plump with moola.
顺便说一句，我看你带了一个票子装得鼓鼓的钱袋子。
I suggest, from the kindness of my great heart,
我建议，这是出自我那伟大的好心，
that you turn this moneybag over to me for safekeeping during your stay in Philadelphia, a place of many thieves and pickpockets 17."
你在费城逗留期间应该把这个钱袋交我保管，因为这里可是一个盗贼和扒手盛行的地方。”
"No, thank you," wrote Louis. "Will keep moneybag myself."
“不必了，谢谢你，”路易斯写，“我宁愿自己来保管它。”