重新做人
A guard came to the prison shoeshop， where Jimmy Valentine was assiduously stitching uppers， and escortedescort n.护卫(队)， 护送， 陪同(人员)， 护卫队 v.护卫，护送， 陪同 him to the front office. There the warden handed Jimmy his pardon， which had been signed that morning by the governor. Jimmy took it in a tired kind of way. He had served nearly ten months of a four year sentence. He had expected to stay only about three months， at the longest. When a man with as many friends on the outside as Jimmy Valentine had is received in the “stir” it is hardly worth while to cut his hair.
看守到监狱制鞋工厂，吉米正在那里勤勤恳恳地缝着鞋帮。看守把他领到前楼办公室。监狱长把当天早晨州长签署的赦免状给了吉米。吉米接过来时有几分厌烦的神气。他被判四年徒刑，蹲了将近十个月。他原以为最多三个月就能恢复自由。像吉米这样在外面有许多朋友的人，进了监狱连头发也不用剃光。
“Now， Valentine，” said the warden， “youll go out in the morning. Brace up， and make a man of yourself. Youre not a bad fellow at heart. Stop cracking safes， and live straight.”
“喂，瓦伦汀。”监狱长说，“你明天早晨可以出去啦。振作起来，重新做人。你心眼不坏，以后别砸保险箱了，老老实实的过日子吧。”
“Me？” said Jimmy， in surprise. “Why， I never cracked a safe in my life.”
“我吗？”吉米诧异地说，“哎，我生平没有砸过一个保险箱。”
“Oh， no.” laughed the warden. “Of course not. Lets see， now. How was it you happened to get sent up on that Springfield job？ Was it because you wouldnt prove an alibialibi n.［律］犯罪现场， 辩解， 托辞 for fear of compromising somebody in extremely hightoned society？ Or was it simply a case of a mean old jury that had it in for you？ Its always one or the other with you innocentinnocent adj.(～ of) 清白的， 无罪的， 天真的， 无知的 victims.”
“哦，没有吗？”监狱长笑了，“当然没有。现在让我们来看看。你怎么会由于斯普林菲尔德的那件案子给送进来的？是不是因为你怕牵连某位社会地位很高的人，故意不提出当时不在出事现场的证据？还是仅仅因为不仗义的陪审团亏待了你？你们这些自称清白的罪犯总是要找借口的。”
“Me？” said Jimmy， still blankly virtuousvirtuous adj.善良的， 有道德的， 贞洁的， 有效力的. “Why， warden， I never was in Springfield in my life！”
“我吗？”吉米还是露出无辜的样子斩钉截铁地说，“哎，监狱长，我生平没有到过斯普林菲尔德！”
“Take him back， Cronin！” said the warden， “And fix him up with outgoingoutgoing n.外出， 开支， 流出 adj.即将离职的，对人友好的 喜欢外出的 clothes. Unlock him at seven in the morning， and let him come to the bullpen. Better think over my advice， Valentine.”
“带他回去吧，克罗宁，”监狱长微笑着说，“替他准备好出去的衣服，明天早晨7点钟放他出去，让他先到大房间来。你最好多考虑考虑我的劝告，瓦伦汀。”
At a quarter past seven on the next morning Jimmy stood in the wardens outer office. He had on a suit of the villainously fitting， readymade clothes and a pair of the stiff， squeaky shoes that the state furnishes to its discharged compulsorycompulsory adj.必须做的， 必修的， 被强迫的， 被强制的，义务的 guests.
第二天早晨7点一刻，吉米已经站在监狱长的大办公室里。他穿着一套极不合身的现成衣服和一双不舒服的吱吱发响的皮鞋，那身打扮是政府释放强行“挽留”的客人时免费供给的。
The clerk handed him a railroad ticket and the fivedollar bill with which the law expected him to rehabilitate himself into good citizenship and prosperityprosperity n.繁荣. The warden gave him a cigar， and shook hands. Valentine， 9762， was chronicled on the books， “Pardoned by Governor”， and Mr. James Valentine walked out into the sunshine.
办事员给他一张火车票和一张五元的钞票，法律指望他靠这笔钱来重新做人，成为安分守己的好公民。监狱长请他抽了一支雪茄，同他握手告别。瓦伦汀，9762号，档案上注明“州长赦免”。吉米·瓦伦汀先生走进了外面阳光灿烂的世界。
Disregarding the song of the birds， the waving green trees， and the smell of the flowers， Jimmy headed straight for a restaurant. There he tasted the first sweet joys of liberty in the shape of a broiled chicken and a bottle of white wine—followed by a cigar a grade better than the one the warden had given him. From there he proceeded leisurely to the depotdepot n.库房， 仓库， 火车站， 公共汽车站， 航空站，军械库， 补给站， 新兵训练营. He tossed a quarter into the hat of a blind man sitting by the door， and boarded his train. Three hours set him down in a little town near the state line. He went to the cafe of one Mike Dolan and shook hands with Mike， who was alone behind the bar.
吉米不理会鸟儿的歌唱，绿树的婆娑和花草的芬芳，径直朝一家饭馆走去。在那里，他尝到了暌违已久的自由的欢乐，吃了一只烤鸡，喝了一瓶白酒——最后再来一支比监狱长给他的要高出一档的雪茄。他从饭馆出来，悠闲地走向车站。他扔了一枚两毛五分的银币给一个坐在门口，捧着帽子行乞的盲人，然后上了火车。三小时后，火车把他带到州境附近的一个小镇上。他到了迈克·多兰的咖啡馆，同迈克握了手。当时只有迈克一个人在酒吧后面。
“Sorry we couldnt make it sooner， Jimmy， me boy.” said Mike. “But we had that protestprotest n.主张， 断言， 抗议 v.主张， 断言抗议， 拒付 from Springfield to buck against， and the governor nearly balked. Feeling all right？”
“真对不起，吉米老弟，我们没有把这件事早些办妥。”迈克说，“我们要对付斯普林菲尔德提出反对，州长几乎撒手不干了。你好吗？”
“Fine.” said Jimmy. “Got my key？”
“很好。”吉米说，“我的钥匙在吗？”
He got his key and went upstairs， unlocking the door of a room at the rear. Everything was just as he had left it. There on the floor was still Ben Prices collarbutton that had been torn from that eminenteminent adj.显赫的， 杰出的， 有名的， 优良的 detectives shirtband when they had overpoweredoverpower vt.制服， 压倒， 供给……过强的力量 Jimmy to arrest him.
他拿了钥匙，上楼打开后房的房门。一切都同他离开时一样。当他们用武力逮捕他时，那名著名的侦探本·普赖斯的衬衫上给扯下了一颗纽扣，如今纽扣还在地板上。
Pulling out from the wall a foldingbed， Jimmy slid back a panel in the wall and dragged out a dustcovered suitcase. He opened this and gazed fondly at the finest set of burglars tools in the East. It was a complete set， made of specially tempered steel， the latest designs in drills， punchespunch n.冲压机， 冲床， 打孔机 vt.冲孔， 打孔， braces and bits， jimmies， clamps， and augers， with two or three novelties， invented by Jimmy himself， in which he took pride. Over nine hundred dollars they had cost him to have made at， a place where they make such things for the profession.
吉米把贴墙的折床放下来，推开墙壁上一块暗板，取出一只蒙着灰尘的手提箱。他打开箱子，喜爱地望着那套东部最好的盗窃工具。那一套样式俱全，用特种硬刚制造的，最新式的工具，有钻头、冲孔器、摇钻、螺丝钻、钢撬、钳子和两三件吉米自己设计，并引以自豪的新玩意儿。这是他花了九百多元在一个专门打制这类东西的地方定做的。
In half an hour Jimmy went down stairs and through the cafe. He was now dressed in tasteful and wellfitting clothes， and carried his dusted and cleaned suitcase in his hand.
过了半小时，吉米下楼来，穿过咖啡馆。他已经换了一套雅致称身的衣服，手里提着那只抹干净的箱子。
“Got anything on？” asked Mike Dolan， genially.
“有苗头吗？”迈克·多兰亲切地问道。
“Me？” said Jimmy， in a puzzled tone. “I dont understand. Im representing the New York Amalgamated Short Snap Biscuit Cracker and Frazzled Wheat Company.”
“我吗？”吉米用困惑的声调说，“我不明白。我现在是纽约饼干麦片联合公司的推销员。”
This statement delighted Mike to such an extent that Jimmy had to take a seltzerandmilk on the spot. He never touched “hard” drinks.
这句话叫迈克听了非常高兴，以至吉米不得不留下来喝一杯牛奶苏打。他从不碰烈性饮料。