财神与爱神
Old Anthony Rockwall， retired manufacturermanufacturer n.制造业者， 厂商 and proprietorproprietor n.所有者， 经营者 of Rockwalls Eureka Soap， looked out the library window of his Fifth Avenue mansion and grinned. His neighbour to the right—the aristocraticaristocratic adj.贵族的， 贵族化的， 贵族政治的 clubman， G. Van Schuylight SuffolkJones—came out to his waiting motorcar， wrinkling a contumeliouscontumelious adj.傲慢的， 侮辱性的 nostril， as usual， at the Italian renaissancerenaissance n.复兴， 复活， 新生， 文艺复兴， 文艺复兴时期 sculpture of the soap palaces front elevationelevation n.上升， 高地， 正面图， 海拔， 提高， 仰角， 崇高， 庄严.
老安东尼·罗克韦尔是已退休的“罗克韦尔的尤雷卡肥皂”的制造商兼厂主。他正从第五大街私邸的书房窗口向外张望，露齿而笑。住在他右边的邻居Ｇ.范·斯凯莱特·萨福克·琼斯是贵族俱乐部成员，正从家里出来，走向等候他的汽车。同往常一样，他朝这座肥皂宫殿正面的意大利文艺复兴式的雕塑侮辱性地皱了皱鼻子。
“Stuckup old statuettestatuette n.小雕像 of nothing doing！” commented the exSoap King. “The Eden Museell get that old frozen Nesselrode yet if he dont watch out. Ill have this house painted red， white， and blue next summer and see if thatll make his Dutch nose turn up any higher.”
“自命不凡的倔老头儿，你歪什么！”前任肥皂大王品评道。“你这个外来客内斯尔罗德一不留心，伊登博物馆迟早会把你这老王八收进去。这个夏天，我要把我的房子粉刷成给色，明年夏天粉刷成白色或者蓝色，看你条顿人的鼻子翘多高。”
And then Anthony Rockwall， who never cared for bells， went to the door of his library and shouted “Mike！” in the same voice that had once chippedchip n.碎片， 筹码 v.削成碎片， 碎裂 芯片 off pieces of the welkin on the Kansas prairies.
安东尼·罗克韦尔呼唤佣人历来不按铃。他走到书房门口，叫道， “迈克！”那嗓门有如当年曾震破过堪萨斯大草原的苍穹。
“Tell my son，” said Anthony to the answering menial， “to come in here before he leaves the house.”
“告诉少爷一声，”安东尼吩咐应召而来的仆人说，“叫他出门之前来我这儿一趟。”
When young Rockwall entered the library the old man laid aside his newspaper， looked at him with a kindly grimnessgrimness n.严格， 严峻， 冷酷 on his big， smooth， ruddy countenance， rumpledrumple v.弄皱， 弄得乱七八糟 n.皱纹， 皱褶 his mop of white hair with one hand and rattled the keys in his pocket with the other.
小罗克韦尔走进书房时，老头子把报纸放在一边，光滑红润的宽脸盘上带着慈爱而又严肃的神情打量着儿子。他一只手揉乱了满头银发，另一只手则把口袋里的钥匙弄得响个不停。
“Richard，” said Anthony Rockwail， “what do you pay for the soap that you use？”
“理查德，”安东尼·罗克韦尔说，“你用的肥皂是花多少钱买的？”
Richard， only six months home from college， was startled a little. He had not yet taken the measure of this sire of his， who was as full of unexpectednesses as a girl at her first party.
理查德离开学校才六个月，听了这话微觉吃惊。他还拿不准这老头子的心理意图。这老头子总是像初入社交界的少女一样，时不时地问你一些意想不到的事。
“Six dollars a dozen， I think， dad.”
“大概是六美元一打，爸。”
“And your clothes？”
“你的衣服呢？”
“I suppose about sixty dollars， as a rule.”
“通常是六十美元左右。”
“Youre a gentleman.” said Anthony， decidedly. “Ive heard of these young bloods spending 24 a dozen for soap， and going over the hundred mark for clothes. Youve got as much money to waste as any of em， and yet you stick to whats decent and moderatemoderate adj.中等的， 适度的， 适中的 v.缓和. Now I use the old Eureka—not only for sentimentsentiment n.情操， 情感， 情绪， 观点， 多愁善感， 感情， but its the purest soap made. Whenever you pay more than 10 cents a cake for soap you buy bad perfumes and labels. But 50 cents is doing very well for a young man in your generation， position and condition. As I said， youre a gentleman. They say it takes three generations to make one. Theyre off. Moneyll do it as slick as soap grease. Its made you one. By hokey！ Its almost made one of me. Im nearly as impoliteimpolite adj.无礼的， 粗鲁的 and disagreeable and illmannered as these two old Knickerbocker gents on each side of me that cant sleep of nights because I bought in between em.”
“你是上流社会的人，”安东尼斩钉截铁地说。“我听说现在的公子哥儿都用二十四美元一打的肥皂，穿的衣服突破百元大关。你有的是钱，可以像他们那样胡花乱用，但你始终正正经经，很有分寸。现在，我仍旧使用老牌尤雷卡肥皂，这不仅仅是出于感情问题，而且也因为这是最纯粹的肥皂。你花十美分以上买一块肥皂，买的只是蹩足香料和包装招牌。不过，像你这个年纪的，有地位有身份的年轻人用五十美分一块的肥皂也够好了。正如我刚才所说，你是上流社会的人。人们说，三代人才造就一个绅士。他们错了。有了钱办什么事都很灵便，就像肥皂的油脂一样润滑。钱使你成了上流人物。啊，差点也使我成了上流人物。不过，我几乎同住在我们两边的荷兰佬不相上下，语言粗俗，行为古怪，举止无礼。他们两个晚上连觉也睡不着，因为我在他们中间购置了房地产。
“There are some things that money cant accomplishaccomplish vt.完成， 达到， 实现.” remarked young Rockwall， rather gloomily.
“有些事情即使有了钱也办不到。”小罗克韦尔相当抑郁地说。
“Now， dont say that.” said old Anthony， shocked. “I bet my money on money every time. Ive been through the encyclopaediaencyclopaedia n.百科全书 down to Y looking for something you cant buy with it， and I expect to have to take up the appendixappendix n.附录， 附属品，［解］阑尾 next week. Im for money against the field. Tell me something money wont buy.”
“现在别那么讲。”老安东尼惊愕地说。“我始终相信钱能通神。我查遍了百科全书，已经查到字母Ｙ，还没有发现过金钱办不到的事；下星期我还要查补遗。我绝对相信金钱能对付世上的一切。你倒说说，有什么东西是钱买不到的吧。”
“For one thing，” answered Richard， rankling a little， “it wont buy one into the exclusiveexclusive adj.排外的， 孤高的， 惟我独尊的， 独占的，惟一的， 高级的 circles of society.”
“举个例吧，”理查德有点怨恨地说，“有钱也挤不进排外的社会圈子。”
“Oho！ Wont it？” thundered the championchampion n.冠军， 拥护者， 战士 vt.拥护， 支持 of the root of evil. “You tell me where your exclusive circles would be if the first Astor hadnt had the money to pay for his steeragesteerage n.最低票价的舱位， 士官的二等室， 操纵， 驾驶， 掌舵 passage over？”
“啊哈！是这样吗？”这个万恶之源的金钱拥护者雷霆般地吼道。 “告诉我，要是首批阿斯特人没钱买统舱船票到美国来，你的排外社会圈子又会在哪儿呢？”
Richard sighed.
理查德叹了叹气。
“And thats what I was coming to，” said the old man， less boisterouslyboisterously adv.喧闹地， 吵闹地. “Thats why I asked you to come in. Theres something going wrong with you， boy. Ive been noticing it for two weeks. Out with it. I guess I could lay my hands on eleven millions within twentyfour hours， besides the real estate. If its your liver， theres the Rambler down in the bay， coaled， and ready to steam down to the BahamasThe Babamas：拉丁美洲的巴哈马群岛，为著名的旅游胜地。 in two days.”
“这正是我打算要给你谈的事，”老头子说道，声音缓和了下来。 “我叫你来就是为了这个。最近，你有点不对劲，孩子。我已经注意观察你两个星期了，说出来吧。我想，在二十四小时内，可以调动一千一百万美元，房地产还不算。要是你的肝病发了，《逍遥号》就停泊在海湾，而且上足了煤，两天时间就可以送你到巴哈马群岛。
“Not a bad guess， dad， you havent missed it far.”
“你猜得不错，爸；相差不远啦。”
“Ah，” said Anthony， keenly， “whats her name？”
“啊，”安东尼热情地问，“她的名字叫什么？”
Richard began to walk up and down the library floor. There was enough comradeshipcomradeship 同志之友谊 and sympathy in this crude old father of his to draw his confidence.
理查德开始在书房里来回踱步。他这位粗鲁的老爹爹如此关切同情，增强了他讲实话的信心。
“Why dont you ask her？” demanded old Anthony. “Shell jump at you. Youve got the money and the looks， and youre a decentdecent adj.正派的， 端庄的， 有分寸的， (服装)得体的，大方的 adj.<口>相当好的、像样的 boy. Your hands are clean. Youve got no Eureka soap on em. Youve been to college， but shell overlook that.”
“干吗不向她求婚呢？”老安东尼追问道。“她一定会扑进你的怀抱。你有钱，人又英俊，又是个正经小伙子。你的两手干干净净，从没沾上一点儿尤雷卡肥皂。你又上过大学，不过那点她不会在意的。”
“I havent had a chance.” said Richard.
“我一直没有机会呀。”理查德说。