“Yes， I was seventyfive dollars loser up to that time. But while I had the cards that night I marked every one in every deck. That was labor. And then trade and commerce had their innings， and the bread I had cast upon the waters began to come back in the form of cottage pudding with wine sauce.
“不错，到那时候为止，我反而亏了七十五元。可是我在买纸牌的那天晚上，把每副牌的每一张的背后都做了记号。那是劳动。接着，贸易和商业开动了。我扔在水里当鱼饵的面包开始以酒渍布丁的形式回来了。
“Of course I was among the first to buy chips at Bill Bassetts game. He had bought the only cards there was to be had in town； and I knew the back of every one of them better than I know the back of my head when the barber shows me my haircut in the two mirrors.
“第一批去比尔·巴西特的赌场买筹码的人中当然少不了我。比尔在镇上惟一出售纸牌的店里买了纸牌；我认得每一张纸牌的背面，比理发师用两面镜子照着，让我看巴西特的后脑勺还要清楚。
“When the game closed I had the five thousand and a few odd dollars， and all Bill Bassett had was the wanderlustwanderlust n.旅行癖， 流浪癖 and a black cat he had bought for a mascot. Bill shook hands with me when I left.
“赌局结束时，那五千元和一些零头都进了我的口袋，比尔·巴西特只剩下他的流浪癖和他买来取个吉利的黑猫。我离去时，比尔同我握握手。
“‘Brother Peters，’ says he， ‘I have no business being in business. I was preordained to labor. When a No. 1 burglar tries to make a James out of his jimmy he perpetratesperpetrate v.犯 an improfundity. You have a welloiled and efficacious system of luck at cards.’ says he. ‘Peace go with you.’ And I never afterward sees Bill Bassett again.”
“‘彼得斯老哥，’他说，‘我没有做生意的才能。我注定是劳碌命。当一个第一流的窃贼想把钢撬换成弹簧秤时，他就闹了大笑话。你玩牌的手法很熟练，很高明。’他说，‘祝你鸿运高照。’以后我再也没有见到比尔·巴西特。”
“Well， Jeff，” said I， when the Autolycan adventurer seemed to have divulgeddivulged vbl.泄露，暴露 the gist of his tale， “I hope you took care of the money. That would be a respecta—that is a considerable working capital if you should choose some day to settle down to some sort of regular business.”
“嗯，杰夫，”当这个奥托里格斯式的冒险家仿佛要宣布他故事的要旨时，我说道，“我希望你好好保存这笔钱。有朝一日你安顿下来，想做些正经的买卖时，这将是一笔相当正——相当可观的资本。”
“Me？” said Jeff， virtuously. “You can bet Ive taken care of that five thousand.”
“我吗？”杰夫一本正经地说，“我当然很关心这五千块钱。”
He tapped his coat over the region of his chest exultantly.
他得意非凡地拍拍上衣胸口。
“Gold mining stock，” he explained， “every cent of it. Shares par value one dollar. Bound to go up 500 per cent. within a year. Nonassessable. The Blue Gopher mine. Just discovered a month ago. Better get in yourself if youve any spare dollars on hand.”
“金矿股票，”他解释说，“每一分钱都投资在这上面。票面每股一元。一年之内至少升值百分之五百。并且是免税的。蓝金花鼠金矿。一个月之前刚发现的。你手头如果有多余的钱最好也投些资。”
“Sometimes，” said I， “these mines are not—”
“有时候，”我说，“这些矿是靠不——”
“Oh， this ones solid as an old goose.” said Jeff. “Fifty thousand dollars worth of ore in sight， and 10 per cent. monthly earnings guaranteedguarantee n.保证， 保证书， 担保， 抵押品 vt.保证， 担保.”
“哦，这个矿可保险呢。”杰夫说，“已经发现了价值五万元的矿砂，保证每月有百分之十的盈利。”
He drew out a long envelope from his pocket and cast it on the table. “Always carry it with me.” said he. “So the burglar cant corruptcorrupt adj.腐败的， 贪污的， 被破坏的， 混浊的，(语法)误用的 vt.使腐烂， 腐蚀， 使恶化 vi.腐烂， 堕落 or the capitalist break in and water it.”
他从口袋里掏出一个长信封，往桌上一扔。“我总是随身带。”他说，“这样窃贼就休想染指，资本家也无从下手来掺水了。”
I looked at the beautifully engraved certificate of stockcertificate of stock 股票.“In Colorado， I see.” said I. “And， by the way， Jeff， what was the name of the little man who went to Denver—the one you and Bill met at the station？”
我看看那张印刷精美的股票。“哦，这家公司在科罗拉多。”我说，“喂，杰夫，我顺便问你一句，你和比尔在车站上遇到的，后来去丹佛的那个矮个子叫什么名字来着？”
“Alfred E. Ricks，” said Jeff， “was the toads designation.”
“那家伙叫艾尔弗雷德·伊·里克斯。”杰夫说。
“I see，” said I， “the president of this mining company signs himself A. L. Fredericks. I was wondering—”
“哦，”我说，“这家矿业公司的经理署名是艾·尔·弗雷德里克斯。我不明白——”
“Let me see that stock，” said Jeff quickly， almost snatching it from me.
“让我看看那张股票。”杰夫忙不迭地说，几乎是从我手上把它夺过去的。
To mitigate， even though slightly， the embarrassmentembarrassment n.困窘， 阻碍 I summoned the waiter and ordered another bottle of the Barbera. I thought it was the least I could do.
为了多少缓和一下这种尴尬的局面，我招呼侍者过来，再买了一瓶巴贝拉酒。我想我也只能这样做。