美利坚合众国驻布埃纳斯蒂埃拉斯的领事撒克还没有喝醉。当时只有十一点钟，到下午三四点之前，他不会达到飘飘然的境界——到了那种境界，他就会用哭音唱着小曲，用香蕉皮投掷他那尖叫怪嚷的八哥。因此，当他躺在吊床上听到一声轻咳而抬起头来，看到小利亚诺站在领事馆门口时，仍旧能够保持一个大国代表的风度，表示应有的礼貌和客气。“请便请便。”小利亚诺轻松地说，“我只是顺道路过。他们说，开始在镇上逛逛之前，按规矩应当到你的营地来一次。我刚乘了船从得克萨斯来。”
“Glad to see you， Mr.—” said the consul.
“见到你很高兴，请问贵姓？”领事说。
The Kid laughed.
小利亚诺笑了。
“Sprague Dalton.” he said. “It sounds funny to me to hear it. Im called the Llano Kid in the Rio Grande country.”
“斯普拉格·多尔顿。”他说，“这个姓名我自己听了都觉得好笑。在格朗德河一带，人家都管我叫小利亚诺。”
“Im Thacker.” said the consul. “Take that canebottom chair. Now if youve come to invest， you want somebody to advise you. These dingies will cheat you out of the gold in your teeth if you dont understand their ways. Try a cigar？”
“我姓撒克。”领事说，“请坐在那张竹椅上。假如你来到这里是想投资，就需要有人帮你出出主意。这些黑家伙，如果你不了解他们的作风，会把你的金牙齿都骗光，抽雪茄吗？”
“Much obliged，” said the Kid， “but if it wasnt for my corn shucks and the little bag in my back pocket I couldnt live a minute.” He took out his “makings”， and rolled a cigarette.
“多谢，”小利亚诺说，“我不抽雪茄。不过如果我后裤袋里没有烟草和那个小包，我一分钟也活不下去。”他取出卷烟纸和烟草，卷了一支烟。
“They speak Spanish here.” said the consul. “Youll need an interpreterinterpreter n.解释程序， 解释者， 口译人员， 翻译员，讲解员， 注释器. If theres anything I can do， why， Id be delighted. If youre buying fruit lands or looking for a concession of any sort， youll want somebody who knows the ropes to look out for you.”
“这里的人说西班牙语，”领事说，“你需要一个译员。我有什么地方可以效劳，嗯，我一定很高兴。如果你打算买果树地或者想搞什么租借权，你一定需要一个熟悉内幕的人替你出主意。”
“I speak Spanish，” said the Kid， “about nine times better than I do English. Everybody speaks it on the range where I come from. And Im not in the market for anything.”
“我说西班牙语，”小利亚诺说，“大概比说英语要好九倍。我原先的那个牧场上人人都说西班牙语。我不打算买什么。’”
“You speak Spanish？” said Thacker thoughtfully. He regarded the kid absorbedly.
“你会西班牙语？”撒克若有所思地说，他出神地瞅着小利亚诺。
“You look like a Spaniard， too.” he continued. “And youre from Texas. And you cant be more than twenty or twentyone. I wonder if youve got any nerve.”
“你的长相也像西班牙人。’他接着说，“你又是从得克萨斯来的。你的年纪不会超出二十或者二十一。我不知道你有没有胆量。”
“You got a deal of some kind to put through？” asked the Texan， with unexpected shrewdnessshrewdness 机灵.
“你在打什么主意？”许利亚诺问道，他的精明出人意外。
“Are you open to a proposition？” said Thacker.
“你有意思插一手吗？”撒克问。
“Whats the use to deny it？” said the Kid. “I got into a little gun frolicfrolic n.嬉闹 vi.嬉戏 adj.嬉戏的， 欢乐的 down in Laredo and plugged a white man. There wasnt any Mexican handy. And I come down to your parrotandmonkey range just for to smell the morningglories and marigoldsmarigold n.［植］万寿菊， 金盏草. Now， do you sabe？”
“我不妨对你讲实话。”小利亚诺说，“我在拉雷多玩了一场小小的枪斗，毙了一个白人。当时没有凑手的墨西哥人。我到你们这个八哥和猴子的牧场上来，只是想闻闻牵牛花和金盏草。现在你明白了吗？”
Thacker got up and closed the door.
撒克站起来把门关上。
“Let me see your hand.” he said.
“让我看看你的手。”他说。
He took the Kids left hand， and examined the back of it closely.
他抓着小利亚诺的左手，把手背端详了好一会儿。
“I can do it.” he said excitedly. “Your flesh is as hard as wood and as healthy as a babys. It will heal in a week.”
“我办得了。”他兴奋地说，“你的皮肉像木头一般结实，像婴孩儿的一般健康，一星期内就能长好。”
“If its a fist fight you want to back me for，” said the Kid， “dont put your money up yet. Make it gun work， and Ill keep you company. But no barehandedbarehanded adj.赤手空拳的 scrappingscrap n.小片， 废料， 剪下来的图片， 文章， 残余物，废料， 打架 vt.扔弃， 敲碎， 拆毁 vi.互相殴打 adj.零碎的，废弃的， like ladies at a teaparty， for me.”
“如果你打算叫我来一场拳头，”小利亚诺说，“那你可别对我存什么希望。换成枪斗，我一定奉陪。我才不喜欢像茶会上的太太们那样赤手空拳地打架。”
“Its easier than that.” said Thacker. “Just step here， will you？”
“没那么严重。”撒克说，“请过来，好吗？”
Through the window he pointed to a twostory whitestuccoed house with wide galleries rising amid the deepgreen tropical foliagefoliage n.树叶， 植物 on a wooded hill that sloped gently from the sea.
他指着窗外一幢两层楼的有宽回廊的白墙房屋。那幢建筑矗立在海边一个树木葱茏的小山上，在深绿色的热带植物中间显得分外醒目。
“In that house，” said Thacker， “a fine old Castilian gentleman and his wife are yearning to gather you into their arms and fill your pockets with money. Old Santos Urique lives there. He owns half the goldmines in the country.”
“那幢房屋里，”撒克说，“有一位高尚的西班牙老绅士和他的夫人，他们迫不及待地想把你搂在怀里，把钱装满你的口袋。住在那里的是老桑托斯·乌里盖。这个国家里的金矿有一半儿是他的产业。”
“You havent been eating loco weed， have you？” asked the Kid.
“你没有吃错药吧？”小利亚诺说。
“Sit down again，” said Thacker， “and Ill tell you. Twelve years ago they lost a kid. No， he didnt die—although most of em here do from drinking the surface water. He was a wild little devil， even if he wasnt but eight years old. Everybody knows about it. Some Americans who were through here prospecting for gold had letters to Senor Urique， and the boy was a favorite with them. They filled his head with big stories about the States， and about a month after they left， the kid disappeared， too. He was supposed to have stowed himself away among the banana bunches on a fruit steamer， and gone to New Orleans. He was seen once afterward in Texas， it was thought， but they never heard anything more of him. Old Urique has spent thousands of dollars having him looked for. The madam was broken up worst of all. The kid was her life. She wears mourning yet. But they say she believes hell come back to her some day， and never gives up hope. On the back of the boys left hand was tattooed a flying eagle carrying a spearspear n.矛， 枪 in his claws. Thats old Uriques coat of arms or something that he inherited in Spain.”
“再请坐下来，”撒克说，“我告诉你，十二年前，他们丧失了一个小孩儿。不，他并没有死——虽然这里有许多人因为喝了淤水，害病死掉了。当时他只有八岁，可是顽皮得出格。大家都知道。有几个勘察金矿的美国人路过这里，同乌里盖先生打了交道，他们非常喜欢这个孩子。他们把许多有关美国的大话灌进了他的脑袋里；他们离开后一个月，这小家伙也失踪了。据人家揣测，他大概是躲在一条水果船的香蕉堆里，偷偷地到了新奥尔良。据说有人在得克萨斯见过他，此后就音讯杳然。老马里盖花了几千块钱找他，夫人尤其伤心，这小家伙是她的命根子。她目前还穿着丧服。但大家说她从不放弃希望，认为孩子总有一天会回来的。孩子的左手背上刺了一只抓枪的飞鹰。那是老马里盖家族的织章，或是他在西班牙继承下来的标记。”
The Kid raised his left hand slowly and gazed at it curiously.
小利亚诺慢慢抬起左手，好奇地瞅着它。
“Thats it.” said Thacker， reaching behind the official desk for his bottle of smuggled brandy. “Youre not so slow. I can do it. What was I consul at Sandakan for？ I never knew till now. In a week Ill have the eagleeagle n.鹰， 鹰状标饰 bird with the frogsticker blended in so youd think you were born with it. I brought a set of the needles and ink just because I was sure youd drop in some day， Mr. Dalton.”
“正是。”撒克说着，伸手去拿藏在办公桌后面的一瓶走私运来的白兰地。“你脑筋不笨。我会刺花。我在山打根当了一任领事有什么好处？直到今天我才明白。一星期之内我能把那只抓着小尖刀的老鹰制在你手上，仿佛从小就有刺花似的。我这里备有一包刺花针和墨水，正因为我料到你有一天会来的，多尔顿先生。”
“Oh， hell.” said the Kid. “I thought I told you my name！”
“喔，妈的。”小利亚诺说，“我不是把我的名字早告诉了你吗！”
“All right， ‘Kid’， then. It wont be that long. How does Senorito Urique sound， for a change？”
“好吧，那么就叫你‘小利亚诺’。这个名字也不会长了。换成马里盖少爷怎么样？”