索利托牧场的卫生学
If you are knowing in the ChroniclesChronicles n.(旧约圣经)历代记 of the ring you will recall to mind an event in the early nineties when， for a minute and sundry odd seconds， a champion and a “wouldbe” faced each other on the alien side of an international river. So brief a conflict had rarely imposed upon the fair promise of true sport. The reporters made what they could of it， but， divested of padding， the action was sadly fugaciousfugacious adj.短暂的， 易逃逸的， 难捕捉的， 无常的. The champion merely smote his victim， turned his back upon him， remarking， “I know what I done to dat stiff”， and extended an arm like a ships mast for his glove to be removed.
假如你很熟悉拳击界的纪录，你大概记得九十年代初期有过这么一件事：在一条国境河流的彼岸，一个拳击冠军同一个想当冠军的选手对峙了短短的一分零几秒钟。观众指望多少看到一点货真价实的玩意儿，万万没料到这次交锋竟然这么短暂。新闻记者们卖足力气，可是巧妇难为无米之炊，他们报道的消息仍旧干巴得可怜。冠军轻易地击倒了对手，回过身说：“我知道我一拳已经够那家伙受用了。”接着便把胳臂伸得像船桅似的，让助手替他脱掉手套。
Which accounts for a trainload of extremely disgusted gentlemen in an uproar of fancy vests and neckwear being spilled from their pullmans in San Antonio in the early morning following the fight. Which also partly accounts for the unhappy predicamentpredicament n.困境 in which “Cricket” McGuire found himself as he tumbled from his car and sat upon the depot platform， torn by a spasm of that hollow， racking cough so familiar to San Antonian ears. At that time， in the uncertain light of dawn， that way passed Curtis Raidler， the Nueces County cattlemanmay his shadow never measure under six foot two.
由于这件事，第二天一清早，一列车穿着花哨的坎肩，打着漂亮的领结，大为扫兴的先生们从普尔到圣安东尼奥车站。也由于这件事，“蟋蟀”麦圭尔跌跌撞撞地从车厢里出来，坐在车站月台上，发作了一阵圣安东尼奥人非常耳熟的剧烈干咳。那当儿，在熹微的晨光中，纽西斯郡的牧场主，身高六英尺二英寸的柯蒂斯·雷德勒碰巧走过。
The cattleman， out this early to catch the southbound for his ranch station， stopped at the side of the distressed patron of sport， and spoke in the kindly drawldrawl v.懒洋洋地说， 做作而慢慢地说 n.懒洋洋的说话态度 of his ilk and region， “Got it pretty bad， bud？”
牧场主这么早出来，是赶南行的火车回收场去的。他在这个倒霉的拳击迷身边站停，用拖长的本地口音和善地问道：“病得很厉害吗，老弟？”
“Cricket” McGuire， exfeatherweight prizefighterprizefighter n.职业拳击手， tout， jockey， follower of the “ponies”， allround sport， and manipulator of the gum balls and walnut shells， looked up pugnaciously at the imputationimputation n.归罪， 归咎， 归因， 非难， 诋毁， 罪名， 污名 cast by “bud”.
“蟋蟀”麦圭尔听到“老弟”这个不客气的称呼，立刻寻衅似的抬起了眼睛。他以前是次轻级的拳击家，又是马赛预测人，骑师，赛马场的常客，全能的赌徒和各种骗局制造者。
“Gwan，” he rasped， “telegraph pole. I didnt ring for yer.”
“你走你的路吧，”他嘶哑地说，“电线杆。我没有吩咐你来。”
Another paroxysmparoxysm n.发作， 突发 wrung him， and he leaned limply against a convenient baggage truck. Raidler waited patiently， glancing around at the white hats， short overcoats， and big cigars thronging the platform. “Youre from the North， aret you， bud？” he asked when the other was partially recovered. “Come down to see the fight？”
他又剧烈地咳了一阵，软弱无力地往近便的一只行李箱上一靠。雷德勒耐心地等着，打量着月台上周围那些白礼帽、短大衣和粗雪茄。“你是从北方来的，是吗，老弟？”等对方缓过气来时，他问道。“是来看拳赛的吗？”
“Fight！” snapped McGuire. “Pussinthecorner！ Twas a hypodermichypodermic adj.皮下的， 皮下注射用的， 皮下组织的 n.皮下注射 injectioninjection n.注射， 注射剂， (毛细血管等的)充血，(人造卫星， 宇宙飞船等的)射入轨道. Handed him just one like a squirt of dope， and hes asleep， and no tanbark needed in front of his residence. Fight！” He rattled a bit， coughed， and went on， hardly addressing the cattleman， but rather for the relief of voicing his troubles. “No more dead sure things for me. But Rus Sage himself would have snatched at it. Five to one dat de boy from Cork wouldnt stay tree rounds is what I invested in. Put my last cent on， and could already smell the sawdust in dat allnight joint of Jimmy Delaneys on Thirtyseventh Street I was going to buy. And den—say， telegraph pole， what a gazaboo a guy is to put his whole roll on one turn of the gaboozlum！”
“拳赛！”麦圭尔冒火说，“只能算是抢壁角游戏！简直像是一针皮下注射。他挨了一拳，就像是打了一针麻醉药似的，躺在地下不醒了，门口连墓碑都不用竖。这算是哪门子拳赛！”他喉咙里咯咯响了一阵，咳了几声，又往下说；他的话不一定是对牧场主而发，只是把心头的烦恼讲出来，觉得轻松一点罢了。“其实我对这件事是完全有把握的。换了拉塞·塞奇也会抓住这么个机会。我认定那个从科克来的家伙能支持三个回合。我以五对一的赌注打赌，把所有的钱都押上去了。我本来打算把第三十七号街上杰米·德莱尼的那家通宵咖啡馆买下来，以为准能到手，几乎已经闻到充填酒瓶箱的锯木屑的气味了。可是——哎，电线杆，一个人把他所有的钱一次下注是多么傻呀！”
“Youre plenty right，” said the big cattleman， “more especially when you lose. Son， you get up and light out for a hotel. You got a mighty bad cough. Had it long？”
“说得对，”大个子牧场主说，“赌输之后说的话尤其对。老弟，你还是起来去找一家旅馆吧。你咳得很厉害。生病很久了吗？”
“Lungs，” said McGuire comprehensively， “I got it. The croaker says Ill come to time for six months longer—maybe a year if I hold my gait. I wanted to settle down and take care of myself. Dats why I speculated on dat five to one perhaps. I had a thousand iron dollars saved up. If I winned I was going to buy Delaneys cafe. Whod thought dat stiffstiff adj.硬的， 僵直的， 拘谨的， 呆板的， 艰难的， 费劲的， 僵硬的 would take a nap in de foist round—say？”
“我害的是肺病。”麦圭尔很有自知之明地说，“大夫说我还能活六个月——慢一点也许还能活一年。我要安顿下来，保养保养。那也许就是我为什么要以五比一的赌注来搏一下的缘故。我拨了一千块现钱。假如赢的话，我就把德莱尼的咖啡馆买下来。谁料到那家伙在第一个回合就打瞌睡了呢——你倒说说看啊？
“Its a hard deal，” commented Raidler， looking down at the diminutivediminutive adj.小的， 指小的， 小型的 n.小的人， 指小辞，指小词， 爱称 form of McGuire crumpled against the truck， “But you go to a hotel and rest. Theres the Menger and the Maverick， and—”
“运气不好。”雷德勒说，同时看着麦圭尔靠在衣箱上的蟋蟀消瘦的身体，“你还是去旅馆休息吧。这儿有门杰旅馆，马弗里克旅馆，还有——
“And the Fifth Avnoo， and the WaldorfAstoria.” mimicked McGuire， “Told you I went broke. Im on de bum proper. Ive got one dime left. Maybe a trip to Europe or a sail in me private yacht would fix me up—paper！”
“还有五马路旅馆，沃尔多夫·阿斯托里亚旅馆。”麦圭尔学着说，“我对你讲过，我已经破产啦。我现在跟叫花子差不多。我只剩下一毛钱。也许到欧洲去旅行一次，或者乘了私人游艇去航行航行，对我的身体有好处——喂，报纸！”
He flung his dime at a newsboy， got his Express， propped his back against the truck， and was at once rapt in the account of his Waterloo， as expanded by the ingeniousingenious adj.机灵的， 有独创性的， 精制的， 具有创造才能 press.
他把那一毛钱扔给了报童，买了一份《快报人》，背靠着农箱，立即全神贯注地阅读富于创造天才的报馆所渲染的关于他的惨败的报道了。
Curtis Raidler interrogated an enormous gold watch， and laid his hand on McGuires shoulder.
柯蒂斯·雷德勒看了看他那硕大的金表，把手按在了麦圭尔的肩膀上。
“Come on， bud.” he said， “We got three minutes to catch the train.”
“来吧，老弟。”他说，“再过三分钟，火车就要开了。”
Sarcasm seemed to be McGuires vein.
麦圭尔生性就喜欢挖苦人。
“You aint seen me cash in any chips or call a turn since I told you I was broke， a minute ago， have you？ Friend， chase yourself away.”
“一分钟之前，我对你说过我已经破产了。在这期间，你没有看见我捞进筹码，也没有发现我时来运转，是不是朋友，你自己赶快上车吧。”
“Youre going down to my ranch，” said the cattleman， “and stay till you get well. Six monthsll fix you good as new.” He lifted McGuire with one hand， and halfdragged him in the direction of the train.