美国语文第六册 第74期:欠债讽诵(2)

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　　he can not disappear unheeded; his name is in many mouths; 他不会销声匿迹，他的名字在很长时间里都挂在人们嘴边上。

　　his name is upon many books; he is a man of note—of promissory note; he fills the speculation³ of many minds; 他的名字出现在许多账本上，他成了引人注目的人——对约定的关注；在许多人心里，他成了猜测的对象。

　　men conjecture⁴ about him, wonder about him,—wonder and conjecture whether he will pay. 人们对他妄加揣测，对他颇为好奇——好奇和揣测他是否会还债。

　　He is a man of consequence, for many are running after him. 他是事关重大的一类人，许多人在追逐他。

　　His door is thronged⁵ with duns. He is inquired after every hour of the day. 他家被踏破门槛，每天无时无刻不受到询问。

　　Judges hear of him and know him. 法官听说过他的大名，也了解他的情况。

　　Every meal he swallows, every coat he puts upon his back, every dollar he borrows, appears before the country in some formal document. 他吃的每餐，穿的每件衣服，他借的每块钱，在这个国家每个地方现身，都有正式的档案记录。

　　Compare his notoriety with the obscure lot of the creditor⁶, 不妨拿他的声名狼藉与债主的籍籍无名进行对比，

　　of the man who has nothing but claims on the world; a landlord, or fundholder, or some such disagreeable, hard character. 债主在这个世界上除了讨债以外别无他事，一个地主或者放贷者，尽管很令人讨厌，尽管是个铁石心肠的角色。

　　The man who pays his way is unknown in his neighborhood. 这种按自己的方式挣钱的人，连邻居都不熟悉他。

　　You ask the milkman at his door, and he can not tell his name. 你问站在他家门口送奶的人，恐怕都说不出他的名字。

　　You ask the butcher where Mr. Payall lives, and he tells you he knows no such name, for it is not in his books. 你要是问屠户债主先生住在哪儿，他会告诉你说他认识的人里没有人叫这个名字，因为他的账本上没这个名字。

　　You shall ask the baker⁷, and he will tell you there is no such person in the neighborhood. 你要是问面包师的话，他会告诉你说他的邻居里根本就没有这样的人。

　　People that have his money fast in their pockets, have no thought of his person or appellation⁸. 向他借钱的人很快就把钱揣进口袋里，不会对他这个人或正式名号多想。

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